The Dana Point Harbor Boat show has launched the OC Green Expo featuring exhibitors and sponsors with eco-friendly products and services for everyday living.  The event takes place next week, from June 3rd – June 6th, 2010 in the beautiful Dana Point Harbor.  There are SUPER SPECIAL events for the kiddos too! I think this will be such a fun event to take the family too.  Make sure to read below about how to enter to win tickets for your family!

Just for the Kids (or the kid in all of us!)

The Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Center, provided by the Ocean Institute,  will be at the expo on both Saturday and Sunday.  The Wyland Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life.  This FULLY INTERACTIVE mobile unit is a a 1,000 square foot exhibit that will change the way your family looks at water.  It features a 4D theater, computer modeling, hands-on science exhibits and art!

In addition to the Learning Center, the Ocean Institute will also be bringing the the Ocean in Motion Van which is a mobile laboratory where they bring  live, small sea creatures for about 5 hours each day, Thursday through Sunday.

They will also have a children’s coloring table set up for each day of the expo as well!

For adults, there are fabulous presentations ranging from “Simple Green Strategies for Homeowners” to “Sort It Out: Recycling, Recyclable, & Recycled” and a ton of other ones too. Click HERE to download the entire presentation schedule with dates and times.

Admission & Times

Thursday, June 3rd: noon – 7pm FREE admission all day!

Friday, June 4th: noon – 7pm $1 admission and includes $1 hot dog, $1 popcorn, $1 beer or soda (1 per admission)

Saturday, June 5th: 10am – 7pm $12 admission, but purchase online by clicking HERE and save $5 per ticket

Sunday, June 6th: 10am – 5pm $12 admission, but purchase online by clicking HERE and save $5 per ticket

Children under 12 are free with a paid adult admission.

Buy ONLINE by May 28th and get entered to win fabulous raffle prizes! Click HERE for the raffle prizes and to buy discounted tickets!

Hooray!  It’s a Tiny Giveaway!

Two lucky winners will each win 4 tickets to take your family!  To enter, please do the following, and please leave a separate entry for each one in order to be counted!

1. Simply comment below! – 1 ENTRY

2. {Like} the OC Green Expo on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

3. Follow @OCGreenExpo on Twitter – 1 ENTRY

4. {Like} Tiny Oranges on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

5. Subscribe to Tiny Oranges email updates (top right column) – 1 ENTRY

6. Follow @TinyOrangesOC on Twitter – 1 ENTRY

Contest runs through Monday night, 5/31/10 at 5pm PST.  I will post the winners that night on my Facebook page! Good luck!

I still have spots available for you to join me this Wednesday night, May 26th at 6:30pm for a little Dream Dinners Tiny Oranges party at the Fountain Valley location.   Email me at jennifer@tinyoranges.com to RSVP.

It’s so fun & easy! You will come home with a ready-to-make meal and can see how Dream Dinners works.  And, if you are like me (cooking-challenged) or just a SUPER busy mom, you will find out first hand how Dream Dinners really is a DREAM!

Cost is FREE…come have some appetizers, assemble a meal, meet some other moms and enjoy a weeknight out away from the typical bedtime routine!

Hope to see you there!  RSVPs necessary!  Please drop me an email again to jennifer@tinyoranges.com to let me know you can make it!

I have a new post up over at the Orange County Moms Blog about my “perfect” Mother’s Day outing and the beauty in learning to search for the perfection in those imperfect moments.   It started with a dream of a perfect afternoon walking around Laguna Beach with my family, then the reality of it set in…

CLICK HERE to read it!

Irvine Park Railroad is having a grand opening celebration for their Wheel Fun Rentals (I am a sucker for a good pun – and this name makes me chuckle) THIS weekend and I have a fun giveaway to offer!  Make sure to read below on how to enter.

The celebration will be held on Saturday, May 22nd & Sunday, May 23rd from 10am – 5pm.  When you rent a bike or paddle boat this weekend only, you will receive one free hot dog and soda (limited to one free hot dog and soda per person, per rental.)

The Wheel Fun Rentals are fun for the entire family and are available to rent by the hour.  Some of the rentals include a canopy bike for 3 adults and 2 kids, a 4-wheeled bike for a single ride, a tandem bike for two, cruisers, kid’s bikes and giant-wheeled paddle boats.   Rental costs vary by bike.

For complete details including pictures, click HERE.  Rentals are located adjacent to the historic Boathouse next to the lake.

Irvine Park Rentals are open daily through Labor Day Weekend, 10-4pm on weekdays and 10-5pm on weekends. Parking at Irvine Regional Park is $3/car weekdays and $5/car weekends.

Hooray!  It’s a Tiny Giveaway!

Irvine Park Railroad is giving away 6 train tickets and $25 towards the rental of a bike or paddle boat to one lucky winner! * Here are the entry options, please leave a separate comment for each in order to be counted! Contest runs through Thursday, May 27th, 2010 and the winner will be posted on my Facebook page next Friday AM!

1. Simply leave a comment below! – 1 ENTRY

2. Subscribe to my email updates (top right column) – 1 ENTRY

3. Leave a comment or new post in our Forum – 1 ENTRY

4. “Like” Irvine Park Railroad on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

5. “Like” Tiny Oranges on Facebook – 1 ENTRY

6. Follow @IrvineParkRR on Twitter – 1 ENTRY

7. Follow @TinyOrangesOC on Twitter – 1 ENTRY

Good luck!  Happy weekend everyone! xo Jen

{* Winner must sign release and provide photo ID. Kids under 18 must wear a helmet (provided fee of charge), winner cannot switch rental during the hour, and no change will be given for rentals that are under $25.}

Disclosure:  If my family decides to visit Irvine Park Railroad, we will receive free tickets.

Last month I was lucky enough to be invited to Scottsdale compliments of Bosch Home Appliances for their “From Hamper to Hanger” blogger event.  While we were there we got introduced to the Bosch Vision front-load washers and dryers and all I can say is Bosch, you really ARE a vision!

When I came home to my not so state-of-the-art front-loaders I found myself having Bosch envy!  They are so beautiful, QUIET, intuitive and efficient, that I often found myself thinking – what will they think of next?  Short of a a Jetsons-like function where the machines actually fold and hang your laundry when it is done, the washers and dryers have capabilities and settings I didn’t even knew existed!

What makes Bosch so A-MA-ZING?

First off, the Bosch Vision washers are the most efficient of the full-size machines in the U.S. Meaning you will use less water, much less water, which means less energy per load. In fact, each of their Vision washers offers an EcoAction Option which reduces energy usage by up to 20%!   Bosch was chosen as the 2009 Energy Star Partner of the Year, which to me proves just how committed they are to green technology.

And, did you know that when you purchase an Energy Star appliance you might be eligible for a rebate, sales tax exemption or credit = saved $$$?  You can click HERE to go to the Bosch rebate finder and find out if there are special deals going on near you!

Stop leaks BEFORE they happen! Many laundry rooms now are not stuck in the garage like they used to be. Home builders are incorporating laundry rooms to be a part of your living space, often even on the 2nd floor, where if a leak should occur it would be NOT GOOD as you would be looking at lots of damage.   The Vision 500 & 800 AquaStop Washers are built with a AquaStop leak protection system that eliminates the risk of major water damage. It’s essentially a hose within a hose that detects a leak if it should happen and shuts of the water supply. SMART!

BOSCH VISION WASHERS

The OPTIONS.  Oh my, THE OPTIONS.  There are endless settings and options.  They are truly visionary. The washers (depending on model) offer between 11 – 15 wash cycles for complete cleaning of various loads. From an Allergy Rinse option (seriously!) that removes any trace of detergent to a Handwash cycle for the most delicate fabrics. No more hand-washing EVER!  Woo hoo!

The Stain Removal option is unique to the 500 and 800 series and targets the widest variety of stains in just ONE cycle, engineered to treat stains by utilizing a gradual increase in temperature.

All the washers are engineered as well with the AVS Anti-Vibration System for near silent, smooth operation.

BOSCH VISION DRYERS

First off, how COOL is that color option to the right? Love it! Now on to the Vision dryers, where EcoSmart technology features an intelligent network of sensors making Bosch one of the most efficient dryer brands and reduces energy usage by up to 10%!

Again, it’s all about having options.  The stainless steel drum gently dries clothes using moderate heat and high air volume to protect the longevity of your clothes.

Options range from WrinkleBlock which tumbles 1 – 3 hours depending on model to prevent wrinkles.  There is also the Delicates option to which allows you to dry items usually only line dried! LOVE this one as I dislike “laying flat to dry” so very much.

The 500 & 800 series even have 3 steam wrinkle settings: Winkle Relax, Steam Refresh and Steam Touch Up, where you can utilize steam to freshen up clothes or work out wrinkles instead of putting them through an entire wash and dry cycle.

Bosch truly blew me away in every aspect of this trip and by the QUALITY present in everything they do.  From the professionalism of their employees and representatives to their state-of-the-art showroom to their ingenious engineering – it all all shows a dedication to providing you with the best quality machines and a commitment to the environment.   It was really love at first sight.  Now I just need my washer to break…(don’t tell my husband I said that!!)

www.bosch-home.com/us

{Disclosure:  My entire trip to the blogger event was paid for by Bosch but this is not a compensated post and the opinions are all my own!  And NO, I did not receive a free Vision washer & dryer, but a mom can dream, can’t she?!}