Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

When I came across this fabulous list on local Orange County blog Just Spotted on the Best Christmas Lights in OC I had to share! Just the other day I was looking to drive my girls around to look at lights and didn’t know the best places to go.

Thanks Just Spotted ladies for the fabulous resource!

Click here to see their great list by city.

Happy viewing…

In our little Costa Mesa neighborhood there is a yearly tradition, a holiday display like no other, affectionately called by those who know it as “The Snoopy House.”

When The Snoopy House goes up in December, we take the kids to see it almost nightly. I have memories of taking Emma starting when she was just a year old.

It is hard to explain why it is so enchanting, you just have to see it for yourself.

This display has been going up for 44 years. Yes, the Jordan family has been doing this massive display for two generations, so it was a very sad day when our little community got word that the property had been foreclosed and The Snoopy House was not to be this year.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Parents everywhere cried! It seriously it part of how we celebrate Christmas in our neighborhood!

The community was in an uproar, it was almost daily news (thank you Daily Pilot for keeping us up to date!)

Parents held their breaths as we waited to hear if the Snoopy display would be going up this year after all in a new location.

And it did! Last week, after a team of volunteers helped to bring the magic alive, The Snoopy House display is now up for all to see thanks to the City of Costa Mesa in front of Costa Mesa City Hall.

Visitors can see the display nightly from 5 – 10pm through New Year’s Eve. Santa will be visiting today through 12/23 from 7 – 9pm where families can get free photos with Santa.

My family went to the new location this weekend. They had free cider and kids were running around with the spirit of Christmas in their hearts. It is definitely worth the drive to check it out. It is a Charlie Brown Christmas after all! 

Click here for details on this event.

It’s the season, once again for Irvine Park Railroad’s annual Christmas Train! Take your family and friends and hop aboard for an enchanting night ride through historic Irvine Regional Park to meet Santa Claus.

The train will depart every 15 minutes from the brightly-lit train station and drop passengers off at the North Pole. It truly is a totally magical event for the kids. I have tickets to give away, make sure to enter below!

For those of you who haven’t been before, Christmas Train tickets may be purchased online to ride the train at a specific date and time. When you arrive you can then get in line and board the train any time during the hour for which you purchase tickets. You can also buy tickets in person.

While waiting to board the train, there are many activities for children to enjoy in Santa’s Village located next to the train station. Prices vary per activity. They open one hour prior to when the Christmas Train runs and include:

Story Time with Mrs. Claus * Christmas Cookie Decorating * Carnival Games * Santa Claus Moon Bounce
* Christmas Coloring Corner * Picture Stands

At the North Pole, visitors may purchase coffee, hot chocolate, freshly-popped popcorn and cookies from the Elf House Snack Bar.

Visitors may take their own pictures with Santa or you may purchase a picture taken by Irvine Park Railroad. Each 5” x 7” photo will be presented with an Irvine Park Railroad border and available for pickup shortly after being taken.

After visiting with Santa, hop back aboard the train and enjoy the colorful Christmas lights and decorations, as well as the magical “Tunnel of Lights”, on the ride back to the station.

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Looking for a new hipper way to do Santa this year? (Wow, that sounded naughty) — I mean a new place to shop locally, have some great eats from tasty food trucks, take silly photo booth pics with props AND get the keepsake photo of your kids dressed up in their snazzy Christmas outfits with a real bearded Santa?  Then Santa Saturdays at Community is the place for you! And we have a fun giveaway for a professional Santa Photo make sure to enter below!

Located in Anaheim, Community is a unique retail environment which brings together local vendors offering sustainably fashionable goods and includes shops such as: Rosie Posie Baby, Nest, Switchroom, Ceremony, & The Yoga Stone.

Taking place every Saturday starting this Saturday, November 26th through Saturday, December 24th  at Santa Saturdays you can take your family to Community and enjoy these festivities from 11am – 2pm:

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Join the Junior League of Orange County this weekend at their major fundraising event, The Christmas Company at the Orange County Fairgrounds where you can shop from over 100 vendors and check people off your holiday shopping list before we even get into the December craziness.

Proceeds from this event benefit numerous local charities helping women, children and families. Shopping + charity = win-win!

And, snatch up this deal on Plum District running through tomorrow, and get two general admission tickets for only $10.

The event runs Thursday, November 17th through Sunday, November 20th with a list of incredible exhibitors like these. You can even stop by to see local artist Timree and order some personalized gifts for those special someones on your list. Isn’t her painting in the graphic above darling? Love, love, love her art!

At the event there will also be many separate ticket  special events including yoga with YAS founder Kimberly Fowler and a Fancy Nancy Tea Party with author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. Squeeeeeee! Click here for times & ticket prices.

For more information visit www.shoptcc.com
Follow The Christmas Company on Facebook * Tweet with @ShopTCC

Click here to buy the Plum District deal for 2 for 1 admission

[Disclosure: Plum District is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor/Affiliate & Timree is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor.]