Summer Fun

Recently I went on the hunt for gymnastics party favors ideas for our gymnastics themed birthday party for my oldest daughter. We ended up doing the easiest DIY hair ties for girls, which was an inexpensive project I wanted to share.

Kids party favors are somewhat of a pet peeve of mine because they often seem like such a waste on kids! I do, however, love a party favor that can be put to use. What little girl couldn’t use more hair ties for her ponies and buns?

I remembered seeing this post by Tera Rae Stephens on how to make your own hair ties and I thought, ding, ding, ding, we have a winner for our gymnastics party.

The gymnastics party had a patriotic theme, so we knew we wanted to go with red, white and blue for the hair ties. After three trips to three different Joann’s with no luck, I happened to pop into Jenny’s Fabrics in Fountain Valley where we found our elastic mecca. Every color you could imagine, including a SPARKLY gold for a gold medal hair tie.

Emma and I were so excited with the selection, we were high five-ing in the store.

The plain elastic was only $.99 a yard, super reasonable.  The gold was $2.99 a yard, but worth it. 1 yard of elastic makes 4 hair ties.

You simply cut the elastic into roughly 9″ pieces, tie a knot at the end and voila, instant hair tie!

I think these would make great party favors for girls for any theme, as you could do any color you wanted.

I bought this printable off Etsy from Celebrate the Little Things <- CUTE STUFF!!! We went for the DIY printable square ones to make it easier to cut and then placed in clear cellophane bags tied with coordinating ribbon.

Making your own hair ties would also be a great summer project with your girls. My daughter and I sat and did them together and it was a fun activity.

I hope this is helpful to anyone landing here looking for gymnastics party favors ideas!

The OC Parks 2013 Summer Concert Series was just announced and the lineup looks amazing!

I can’t think of a better way to kick off the summer season than by attending a FREE outdoor summer concert.

Thirteen free concerts take place outdoors every Thursday night from June 13 through August 29th. All shows are from 6 – 8pm, and include free parking.

Food trucks will be serving on-site at all locations, or if you’re feeling overly ambitious you can always pack your own picnic.

One of my favorite things about summer has to be the extra time you gain in the evening to actually get out of the house and do something fun and memorable.

Being able to stop by a local park with friends and family and enjoy live music sounds like the perfect way to enjoy these upcoming summer evenings.

OC Parks 2013 Summer Concert Series Lineup

Craig Regional Park in Fullerton

Date: Thursday, June 13

Artist:  ‘80s sensation Flashback Heart Attack with DJ Velvet Touch.

Date: Thursday, June 20

Artist: The O.C. Supertones performing with Mike Vitale 

Time: All concerts 6 – 8 p.m.

Cost: Free    Parking: Free

Location:
Craig Regional Park, 3300 State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92835

Mason Regional Park

Date: Thursday, June 27

Artist: Indie Rock sensation The Devious Means with Cherokee Fade

Date: Thursday, July 4

Artist: Breach the Summit with A+ Dropouts

Date: Thursday, July 11

Artist: Micah Brown with Nicole Vaughn

Time: All concerts 6 – 8 p.m.

Cost: Free     Parking: Free

Location:
Mason Regional Park, 18712 University Drive, Irvine, CA 92612

Mile Square Regional Park

Date: Thursday, July 18

Artist: Hindu Pirates with Cali Conscious

Date: Thursday, July 25

Artist: Hunter Hunted with DJ Velvet Touch

Date: Thursday, August 1

Artist: Boogaloo Assassins and With Strangers

Time: All concerts 6 – 8 p.m.

Cost: Free     Parking: Free

Location:
Mile Square Park, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Irvine Regional Park

Date: Thursday, August 8

Artist: Moonsville Collective with D.T. Robbins

Date: Thursday, August 15

Artist: Jeramiah Red with Mia and the Moonlight

Date: Thursday, August 22

Artist: The Orquesta Cortez with DJ Hector Waluyo

Time: All concerts from 6 – 8pm
Cost: Free   Parking: Free

Location:
Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA, 92869

Bluff Park at Salt Creek Beach

Date: August 29

Artist: Matt Costa with The Blank Tapes

Time: 6-8pm

Cost: Free   Parking: Free

Location:
Bluff Park Salt Creek Beach, 33333 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Dana Point, CA 92629

Now, bring on summer!

[Disclosure: OC Parks is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor and we are so very happy to spread the word about their fabulous free concerts.]

Today’s post is all about Tiny Oranges’ Sponsor, Inside the Outdoors and their fabulous Orange County summer camps for kids.  And we have an awesome giveaway as well, make sure to read below to enter to win a FREE week of summer camp for your child!

After about five minutes of chatting about their camps and different summer themes, I started feeling nostalgic for my own camp days. What’s better than fresh air, crafts, hikes, learning about nature and animals, and singing camp songs in the summer?  Anyone else have a craving for a s’more right about now?

In our family, it’s T-minus two weeks until my older kiddo is out of school.  Staring at the calendar, this fills me with a small sense of freedom, excitement, and (a little) panic (three whole months with BOTH kids!).  My mission?  Happy campers, happy summer!

Good news, mamas. Inside the Outdoors has an entire schedule of week-long summer day camps for your kiddos, ages 6-11, this summer.

Better news?  All of the camp counselors are highly trained, college educated, AND first aid/CPR certified, fingerprinted, DOJ background checked/cleared, and TB tested.

Even better news?  This isn’t your any run-of-the-mill camp experience.

Inside the Outdoors is an education program administered BY the Orange County Department of Education…which means that the camps focus on science-themed activities that complement what kids are learning in elementary school.

Reinforcement of learning through super fun camp activities. Um, yes please!

2013 Summer Camp Schedule:

Summer Day Camp at Rancho Soñado

June 24 – June 28, 2013 – Survival of the Kiddest

Summer Day Camp at Shipley Nature Center

July 8 – July 12, 2013 – Survival of the Kiddest
July 15 – July 19, 2013 – “AMAZE”ing Scientists!
July 22 – July 26, 2013 - Eco-Avengers!
July 29 – August 2, 2013 – Mythbusters

Summer Day Camp at Irvine Regional Park

August 5 – August 9, 2013 – Tails and Trails

You can read about the camp themes in more detail, plus download a camp registration form here.

Camps are $195 per five-day session from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m, and $70 for extended camp from 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.  Your little adventurer will get a camp T-shirt, a tree cookie name tag, and take home eco-crafts everyday (so cute!).

There are also opportunities for your entire family to get involved.  Inside the Outdoors hosts various summer family-friendly fun events like hikes, astronomy nights and craft sessions – just check their website for updated dates and times.

Finally, after we enjoy (ahem…make it through still happy and sane?) this lovely summer with our kiddos, check out Inside the Outdoors programs that they host during the school year…it’s likely that your fifth or sixth graders will participate in their educational camps or field trips at some point during the school year!

Hooray! It’s a Tiny Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive one free week for one camper at an Inside the Outdoors summer camp session! Winner may choose their choice of week (subject to availability) with advance reservations. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  Inside the Outdoors is a new Tiny Oranges sponsor…and we are so thrilled they are!  Perfect timing for us to learn more about what they do, especially summer camps for kiddos!  Let’s keep ‘em busy, happy, active, and occupied in the fresh air this summer!

Today I’m rounding up fun and unique Father’s Day gift ideas because there’s no question that finding the perfect gift for our favorite guys can be quite challenging. Whether your special guy is a sports addict, an adventurer, a techie, or the family grill master, our Father’s Day Gift Guide has you covered.

5 Unique Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Personalized Iphone Case, $59
Find your favorite family photo and turn it into the best iphone case a dad could ask for. This super cute idea from Erin Condren keeps dad’s favorite people close to him all day long. Order now and get 25% off gifts for dads with coupon code DADISRAD25 through June 3rd at midnight.

Craft Beer of the Month Club, $37.75/mnth
Give the gift that keeps on giving with a subscription to the craft beer of the month club. It’s no secret that craft beer is having its moment to shine lately, so why not join in on the fun and get dad 12 new craft beers to try every month. If you’re local, and want to sweeten the deal, add in a trip to Stone World Brewery in Escondido - I heard they have an amazing variety of affordable craft beers on tap that you can enjoy in their beautiful gardens.

Blue Prints of his Favorite Stadium, $185
My hubby is a huge Boston Red Sox fan and has done everything in his power to make sure our son follows in his footsteps – very successfully I might add. These blue prints of sports stadiums make the ultimate son to father gift.

Monogramed Steak Board and Carving Set, $69.95
If your guy takes his grilling duties seriously, this monogrammed steak board and carving set is the ideal gift. And, I promise your friends and family will be wildly impressed at your next backyard BBQ.

GoPro HD Hero Camera, $204.95
This is for the dad who loves capturing his adventures. GoPro’s wearable cameras are a huge hit with everyone from professional athletes to TV producers.  What’s more fun than getting dad a gift that allows him to document his favorite activities and share them with his kids. He’ll truly love this one!

 I hope these ideas help make shopping for Dad a little easier this year. Do you have any special plans for Father’s Day? I’d love to hear how you plan to celebrate Dad in your family!

The Bungalows on Laguna Beach at Pacific Edge Hotel are five uniquely decorated indoor/outdoor beachfront living spaces that can be rented (are you ready for this?)… for the day!! 

Located on the ground floor of one of Laguna’s best located beachfront hotels, these cool retreats give Orange County locals or tourists the opportunity to experience your very own beach house for the day.

Are your wheels turning with how you could use this?

A moms’ day with girlfriends? Your child’s birthday party? An intimate baby shower? A family gathering? Endless opportunities for pull up and park, totally stress-free beachfront fun.

And I haven’t even told you the COOLEST part yet!

Each of the Bungalows on Laguna Beach is individually designed by five local companies who had the opportunity to make a bungalow uniquely “theirs.” They are totally different; but all completely awesome. Here are a few photos…

The Billabong Bungalow:  A Surfer’s Paradise 

The Fox Head, Inc. Bungalow: The Ultimate Man Cave 

The Sleepy Hollow Group Bungalow: Soothing as the Sea

The Hobie & Tuvalu Bungalow: Celebrating 60 Years of Hobie Beach Culture 

 The gorjana & griffin Bungalow: A Modern-Nautical Oasis 

Bungalow day rental includes:

~ Fully private bungalow with keyed access from 11am to 8pm for up to 10 guests
~ Lounge chairs and day beds
~ Beach towels
~ Air conditioning
~ Flat screen TV’s
~ Bottle and food service
~ Direct access to the beach
~ Beach attendant to set up lounge chairs and umbrellas
~ Access to Pacific Edge’s Edge Card, which gives guests discounts at local restaurants and shops
~ 10% discount on guest rooms at the Pacific Edge Hotel

For more information on The Bungalows on Laguna Beach at Pacific Edge Hotel and rental info visit, www.PacificEdgeHotel.com/Bungalows.

[Disclosure: I was invited to attend a media event to preview the Bungalows and received a goodie bag upon departure as a thank you.]