Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

I have had this park on my list to blog about since we visited last April and I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get the post up! Before I start my post about  Citrus Ranch Park in Tustin I wanted to remind you the Urban Kids Consignment Sale runs today through Sunday in Los Alamitos!  I went last night to the presale & it was awesome!  Tons of baby/kid stuff at super reasonable prices.  For $26 I scored a Little People riding toy & Stride Rite tennies {in great shape} for Morgan and a DARLING Hanna Andersson cardigan & the cutest hot pink rain jacket for Emma!  Click HERE for hours & info.

Now onto the park!

Citrus Ranch Park is a lovely new OC park and playground that just opened this past February.  It’s located on the corner of Jamboree and Portola Pkwy (past Tustin Marketplace if coming from the 5 fwy.)

You can click here to visit the fabulous Citrus Ranch feature on Fun Orange County Parks and get lots of great scoop, a map and info on this particular playground!  LOVE her site. The absolute best resource for Orange County parks and playgrounds!

We loved this  park!  First off, with having a site named Tiny Oranges, I have a soft spot in my heart for a park/playground with a CITRUS theme!  And what a cute theme it is!  Adorned with vintage California-type pictures, this park celebrates the “orange” in Orange County.

I also love new parks.  Everything feels so fresh and clean.  But maybe it’s those lemon image above that are also conjuring up images of the word “fresh” too!

There was great equipment for all ages, and my daughter loved “entering” the park over this big lemon-lined bridge.

I am also a big fan of the squishy material vs. sand at playgrounds. I love being able to let Morgan toddle around on it without tripping in the sand. Or eating it.

One warning, as with lots of new parks, there were no real shaded areas or grown trees to keep you cool, so this park probably has the tendency to get hot on warm days.

Up top there were lots of picnic tables & a clean restroom.  Clean potties = essential!

So, put this park on your “must visit” if you haven’t been already.  I know you and your kids will love it! Have a great weekend everyone! See you back on Monday!

Click HERE for more parks & playgrounds featured on Tiny Oranges!

{Disclosure: Urban Kids Consignment is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor}

Since the weather is warming up (woo hoo!!)  and springtime is in the air, it’s the perfect week to get outdoors and take advantage of this fabulous weather.  I pulled out my flip flops today and painted my toes red to celebrate!   Yippee!

Here is an awesome guest blog written by Stroller Suspenders on the “Best OC Spots to Stroll.” Perfect timing for this gorgeous week.

Stroller Suspenders are suspenders that are designed to secure a baby blanket in position to cover the stroller for warmth, shade or privacy.  They are great for traveling or strolling around the block. They come in a variety of colors to coordinate with your blankets and strollers and are reasonably priced.  The Basic Series is $9.99 and Designer Series is $18.00. Click HERE to visit their website.

Best OC Spots to Stroll

Balboa Island – When in doubt, this is our “go to” walk. Not only is it beautiful to be right on the bay, but if you do both Islands it is almost 3 miles. Kids love the boats, dogs and the Balboa Island Fire Station.  Reward yourself with a latte afterwards.

The Castaway’s Loop – This is an easy walk that lets you feel the ocean breeze while getting a great view of the Harbor.  Bonus: After your walk, stop at the Bob Henry Park for some extra play time.

Dana Point Harbor – Stroll along this scenic path and watch the ships roll in.

The Circle in Old Town Orange – From the vintage Drug Store fountain shop to the beautiful antiques and made over service station turned café, this is a great place to stroll, shop and get a taste of OC history.

Irvine Regional Park – Stroll along with the wild peacocks through the beautiful oak tree lined paths then take a ride on the train and/or the ponies, play at one of the many play areas, have a picnic lunch and don’t leave without visiting the bears at the Zoo!

Main Beach in Laguna -  No place is better for an early morning or late afternoon walk than this beach but you must have a good running stroller so your wheels don’t get stuck in the sand.

Woodbridge Lake, Irvine – The kids will get a kick out of feeding the ducks and swans as you stroll lakeside in Irvine.

Mission San Juan Capistrano – Take in some of California’s rich history, stroll the great shops and restaurants along Camino Capistrano.

Crystal Cove – If you are looking for a short stroll, park your car and walk down to the beach, making a stop at the Beachcomber for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just play on the sand. Don’t be fooled by the short distance. The walk up the hill to get back to your car will have you feeling the burn.

Your neighborhood – For when you need to quickly get out of the house before the kids meltdown, walk around your own neighborhood.  It is the best way to get ideas for your future dream home and get fresh air at the same time!

If you live close to Newport Beach, this is a great little park on Lido Island we love to visit.   It is at the intersection of Via Lido Nord & Via Genoa.  Click HERE for a map.

It’s a small community park, no restrooms, but right on the bay with a beautiful view.   We have gone on the weekdays, and there has always been plenty of street parking.

The park is on the sand, and my daughter loves the 70′s style merry-go-round.  Hard to find those anymore!  Being on sand makes for a good landing in case anyone takes a spill!

There is also a teeter totter, swings and a nice structure with slides.  Bring your pails and buckets for sand play as well.

Make sure to use the potty before going and the sign says “no picnicking” so it more of a quick stop by sort of park.   But it is a little gem, and one of our faves!

Congratulations to the Hot Mama Designs Jewelry Giveaway Winner…NICOLE…who’s “Be” necklace would say

“Be Strong”!

I have had this fabulous park in queue to post for awhile.  Flo Jo Park or more officially, Florence Joyner Olympiad Park, has lots of fun things for kids of all ages.  Lately, my daughter  loves nothing more than running in large open spaces, so the huge grassy areas in front of the playground were a bit hit.   

The equipment is fantastic, lots of great structures and interesting features .  The lower area has a cool ship structure and fun things for little ones, and the larger structure up a little incline, has a fun spiral slide for older kids.

Adjacent to the playground are lots and lots of shaded picnic tables and a restroom.   My girlfriend and I were able to sit and eat lunch and still keep an eye on our girls.

Visit Fun Orange County Parks for more information on this park and lots of other great ones in OC!

22760 Olympiad Road
Mission Viejo 22760
Click HERE for a map!

Happy Friday everyone!  See you back on Monday!

My mom read about Strand Vista Park opening in Dana Point in the OC Register this weekend, so we headed on down to check it out! Such an AMAZING outing for the family!  However, it was a little confusing to find information on how to find exactly where it is, so  I am going to make it easy on you!

Coming from PCH in Dana Point, turn towards the beach at the light “Selva Road.”  Click HERE for a general map of the area. Follow the street until you see a beach parking lot titled “Salt Creek Beach Park.”  We were there around 4pm on a Saturday, and the gates were open and parking was free.

If you are interested in riding the funicular (new term for me – it is a cliff railway – an elevator type of thing that you can ride down to the beach), park as far as you can to the right.   This was a huge hit with my daughter.

All along the top of the cliffs right off the parking lot is a pretty walking path above Strands Beach.  There were then three separate sets of stairs (albeit a LOT of them!) to get down to the beautiful beach, or you can ride the funicular. The funicular is only open on weekends 7am – 5pm during the non-summer season.

We lucked out and no one was waiting to ride it when we got there, so it was a short wait.  It easily fit our double jogger and probably holds probably about 10 – 12 people (without a double jogger that is!)

Once off the funicular at the bottom, there is a small ramp down to the sand, and a short boardwalk connecting to a nice concrete walkway lined with big rocks.  It was a great path for walking with a jogger.   We walked all the way down to the end, where the beach was flanked by a beautiful cove (and a public restroom – but we didn’t try it so I don’t know if it was open). I thought what an awesome spot this would be this summer for a beach day.

Emma had a ball running on the beach, and it was Morgan’s first time putting her little footsies in the sand.  Of course, this ended up in a fistful of sand and pretty much sand everywhere!

Only in Southern California can you have a 3 1/2 year old running on the beach in shorts and a tee and a baby able to sit barefoot in the sand. I love Orange County!

If you go down the funicular with a stroller, make sure to watch the clock.  We barely made the last ride up at 5pm.  It would have been quite a trek up those stairs with our jogger.  Phew!  The beach was so incredibly beautiful, it is a must-visit.