Tiny Dancers

This article on the Early Childhood Benefits of Dance is brought to you by Team OC, a Tiny Oranges Sponsor. 

early childhood benefits of dance

Little girls and dance. It can almost be too cute to handle.

The tights, the tutus, the ballet pink leotards, the little ballet shoes. Heaven.  Admittedly, I might have been known to sign up my little girls for a dance class just to see them in the outfit!!! And the enjoyment and entertainment you get out of watching them in class is priceless.

But cute outfits and mommy entertainment aside, did you know there are many early childhood benefits of dance you might not have even thought of?  Here’s how little ones can benefit from the joy of dance…….

Local Love: Juicy Outings for OC Families

We have this week off of school for Presidents’ Recess, so if any of you are also in the same boat I thought it might be fun to share some fun ideas of things to do with kids in Orange County. fun ideas of things to do with kids in orange county

I love being a parent in Orange County because there are truly just so many fun things to do with kids here. Over the past 7 years we have blogged about a lot of fun ideas, so I thought it would be fun to do a summary of some of my favorite posts on this topic. I hope it might inspire some new adventure for your family!

Here are 25 ideas in no particular order:

Local Love: Lunar New Year Celebration

 Great Park Neighborhoods is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor 

Lunar New Year 

In Irvine, around the perimeter of the Orange County Great Park, you can find a unique collection of homes in a new master planned community called Great Park Neighborhoods  where new homes are selling now.

This multi-generational neighborhood is joined together by a walking and biking trail with a mix of shops, schools, and parks nearby.

Pavilion Park, the very first of the Great Park Neighborhoods,  features a selection of new homes each inspired by classic, American Heritage architecture. The neighborhood is located at the northern edge of the Orange County Great Park.

This neighborhood’s main attraction is a large, central 4.5 acre park shaded by beautiful, mature heritage trees where residents can enjoy a swimming pool and spa, playground, and sport courts.

Lunar New Year Celebration

If you are curious about this new community and would like to check it out for yourself, Great Park Neighborhoods’ Lunar New Year Celebration coming up on February 21st, is the perfect opportunity to visit and enjoy free family-friendly activities and entertainment at the same time. To that I will say, Happy New Year!

Mom! What’s For Dinner?

 Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. 

I got a little craft recently with this DIY meal planning board which has has revolutionized weeknight dinners and reduced the “what’s for dinner?” stress in our house.

It was silly simple to make, and I even include a free printable meal planning template. Read the how to below.

DIY-Meal-Planning-Board-

The inspiration for this DIY meal planning board came from a recent BBQ we went to at a friend’s house. She had this ADORABLE framed meal planning board on her kitchen counter and told me it had been a lifesaver for her family. Not to mention the money they were saving from not going out to eat last minute.

I asked her where she got it, and she told me it was an easy DIY project. Basically all you need is a cute picture frame, a piece of scrapbook paper and a dry erase marker.

Hmmm. I am not super crafty, but it seemed even I could do that! So can you … read on!!!!

I have great news!

I am so excited to share with all of you…I’m pregnant! Wow.  That’s still so awesome (and a little weird!) to say, no matter how many times I say it or how many times I write it. After 10 years of marriage, my husband and I are ecstatic to welcome our third baby this August.… Continue reading I have great news!