Serta is running a giveaway on Facebook right now where both YOU and your PET can enter to win a brand new Serta mattress and be on your way to the best night’s sleep of your life.  I know because I am sleeping on an iComfort Sleep System by Serta. The best bed ever.

Here is info on their latest giveaway:

Have you ever lost your bed to your pet?

Let Serta help you AND your furry family member get a better night’s sleep. Enter for a chance to win a Sertapedic Memory Foam Pet Bed for them AND a new Serta mattress set for you (up to a $7,000 retail value.)

Visit their Serta Mattress Giveaway page for all the details on how to enter, which includes sending in a photo of your pet sleeping on your bed. Do you love it?  Contest ends November 4th, 2012.

Does anyone have issues with their pet stealing space in your bed?

[Disclosure: I am a part of the 2012 Serta Blogger Campaign and have received complimentary products for review. 100% of my opinions are my own. My family is very well rested thanks to Serta & I am HUGE fan!]

I know many of us are watching the budget these days, because let’s face it, kids are expensive. Spending money to go on a date night can often fall down the priority list. But you can do date night on a budget! Here are a few ideas on how…

Do a babysitting trade

This past Saturday night, my girls were invited over to the neighbor’s house for a play date and my husband and I went out for a dinner date. We are reciprocating with them in a few weeks by having their girls over to our house.

When you don’t have to pay for a babysitter, it makes going out a little more affordable.

They had our girls from about 5 – 8pm, during which time they got to have dinner with their friends, carve pumpkins, and then got in their jammies to watch a movie while munching on roasted pumpkin seeds.  I guarantee this was a much more fun evening than they would have had at home.

Check out local happy hour deals

My husband and I haven’t been into the bar scene in quite a few years, but we researched local Orange County happy hours and found lots of options if you go early. When doing a babysitting trade, dining early is key so you can get home at a reasonable time to get the kids to bed, so happy hours are a great option.

We checked out a great OC sushi happy hour deal at The Cannery in Newport Beach. If you dine upstairs in their Jellyfish Lounge between 4 – 6:30pm daily, you get $2 off cocktails, $3.50 draft beers and half price on the lounge menu. The sushi was amazing and the tab was inexpensive for a nice evening out with gorgeous view of the water.

Make a romantic candlelit dinner at home

To make date night even MORE affordable, do the babysitting trade with neighbors or friends and make a candlelit dinner at home!

Put on a cute outfit, turn off the TV and put on some good tunes, pour a glass of wine, light some candles and voila! Instant romantic evening!

The main point is to get the kids out of the house so you can have a few hours to alone to talk and connect.

I want to know – how do you do date night on a budget?  Please comment below with your ideas!

I blog about this Orange County Halloween event every year because it is such a fun party for OC kids and all the proceeds go to help local children in need.

South Coast Plaza presents Pumpkins & Pancakes 2012 on Sunday, October 28th, 2012 from 8am – 11am in the Crate and Barrel / Macy’s Home Store Wing of South Coast Plaza.  We usually refer to it as Crystal Court <- map!

Dress up your kids in their costumes and enjoy Plum’s Cafe gourmet pancake breakfast, music, balloon artists, arts and crafts, caricature drawings, professional photos, surprise characters and a silent auction.

Tickets are $30/pp if ordered by noon on 10/26/12 or $35/pp at the door. Groups of 10 or more are $25/pp if ordered by noon on 10/26/12. Children 2 and under are free.

You can reserve your tickets now by ordering online through the following organizations.  Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the organization you choose.

They are:

CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocates for children

Funds raised at Pumpkins & Pancakes will directly benefit the foster children served by CASA, providing free and fun activities each month throughout the school year. This event also funds the Back-to-School Picnic and Holiday Party that more than 800 kids look forward to each year.

Click here to buy your tickets through CASA and support their organization.

CHOC Children’s Foundation 

The CHOC Foundation exists to generate community awareness and resources for CHOC Children’s at Mission. Since 2004 CHOC Children’s Foundation has been securing philanthropic support for health and well being of children.

Click here to buy your tickets through CHOC Children’s Foundation and support this organization.

Orangewood Children’s Foundation

Orangewood Children’s Foundation provides life-changing programs and one-on-one support for abused and neglected Orange County children and at-risk families to end the cycle of child abuse.

Click here to buy your tickets through Orangewood Children’s Foundation and support their organization.

“Wine anchors good memories.” ~ David Mirassou

Give me a good glass of wine and some good company to share it with and I am one happy mama.  So when a representative from Mirassou Winery invited Susanne and I to attend an exclusive wine tasting event the evening before Bloggy Boot Camp in Las Vegas last weekend the answer was a very enthusiastic YES! This post is all about our experience tasting a selection of various Mirassou wines and my personal favorites.

The event was hosted by David Mirassou himself at the exclusive Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay Resort.

Susanne and I broke out our cocktail attire and as we were enjoying the breathtaking view of the Strip while sipping on a glass of chilled Mirassou Moscato, we thought, “Just our typical Friday night…” Yeah right!

The experience started with a brief story about the history of Mirassou winery as told by David and passed down through the generations. The genesis of Mirassou wines was based on a love story between his great-great-great-great-grandfather who sailed from France with his bride and his prized grape cuttings to start a winery in the sun-drenched hills of California.

As David told the story, I was struck by his love for his family and his enthusiasm for what they have created in the world of wine-making over the last 150 years.

Over the course of our evening, we were able to sample a taste of each of six different vintages.

We started off with the Moscato, a little taste of summer in a bottle.  It was sweet and a refreshing mix of peach, tangerine, melon and honeysuckle.  With a lower alcohol content, this is a perfect start to a summer evening of entertaining.

Next we moved on to the Sauvignon Blanc, which was paired delightfully with grilled asparagus.  Crisp, tropical and balanced with hints of grapefruit, melon and pear, if you love a refreshing white wine, but not quite as sweet as the Moscato, this might be the right choice for you.

The Pinot Grigio was reminiscent of the prior, but with toned down acidity making it what some would find to be a more approachable white selection with hints of ripe apple, peach and citrus.

And then we were introduced to the Chardonnay.

I just LOVE a great chardonnay and their vintage, with its kiss of oak green apple and pineapple from Monterey, was the type of wine that immediately makes you want a second glass.

Immediately I proclaimed the Chardonnay to be my favorite (I am a white wine kind of gal when given the choice)  however, that was before I met the Pinot Noir.

I don’t drink red wine that often, but one smooth sip of the Pinot Noir, and I might have been swayed to the other side.

With flavors of cherries, strawberries and red currants, the Pinot Noir was extremely silky with no bitter lingering taste.

Whereas a good chardonnay is my summer wine, the Mirassou Pinot Noir will be my new fall/winter selection.

Furthermore, if you have to bring a bottle of wine to a party, this is the perfect choice because it is so mild and versatile.

Best part?  I picked up a bottle at my local OC Ralphs this week to serve at dinner with my in-laws and with my club card, the price came to $7.99!

Just goes to show you a quality wine doesn’t have to break the bank. Mirassou: I love you.

That is also why the Mirassou Pinot Noir is the #1 best selling Pinot Noir!

Next we were on to the Cabernet Sauvignon, deeper and richer, with hints of vanilla and brown spice.  Even though it was a heavier wine than the Pinot Noir, I still found it to be extremely smooth and tasty.

We then ended with the Merlot, a sweet vintage that has had to work hard to overcome a bad rap given to it by a certain movie years ago. I know you know the one…!

And I adored this full-bodied Merlot ~ the perfect complement to a pot roast or chocolate lava cake.  Yum, can we go to dinner now?!

Wine tasting is a very personal choice, and as David so accurately stated, when it comes to wine, the most important thing is to “Drink what you like!”

I can guaranteed you will find one or more Mirassou selections to fall in love with.

Click here to see where to buy Mirassou wine in Orange County.  Lucky for us, they can be found in most major grocery stores and other beverage stores throughout OC.

A very special thanks to David Mirassou for proving us with an evening that anchored many good memories!

[Disclosure: We attended the dinner and wine tasting complimentary. 100% of these opinions are my honest ones. I would love to hear your favorite Mirassou selections! Weigh in below…] 

Photo credits: Group  photos above compliments of Minnesota Girl in LA. Wine images via Mirassou.

A local market research firm is looking for OC parents to participate in an upcoming childcare product study so I wanted to share the info in case any of you reading might qualify!

Fieldwork Orange County is looking for men and women with a child / children in diapers and (especially those with a child or children in size 1 diapers) to participate in an upcoming diaper home test.  If you read that and it doesn’t apply to you, you can still register for the Fieldwork database to be considered for future focus groups.

Here is the info about this particular study:

If you and your child qualify to participate, you would be required to visit their Irvine office for an orientation meeting on October 29th or October 30th.

At the orientation meeting, you will be given test diapers to use for the 12-day study and be instructed on how to complete the questionnaires.

During the 12-day study, you would be asked to complete a questionnaire after removing each diaper. You would need to return the used diapers (in bags provided) and paperwork to their agency during normal business hours on each of the following dates: November 6 and 12, 2012. 

If other members of your household share in the diaper changing responsibilities, it would be your responsibility to inform them of your participation in this study, and they must be instructed how to follow the same study procedures.

In addition to the product to use for 12 days, those who qualify and are selected to participate will be paid a $115 Visa card at the conclusion of the study.

If you are interested in participating and would like to see if you qualify, please fill out this information.

For more information on Fieldwork, you can visit www.Fieldwork.com.

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