Christmas Lights in Orange County

Looking at Christmas lights with the family is a great way to feel the holiday spirit and spend some quality family time together. Staying in the car? Let the kids put on their PJ's and bundle up with blankets. Planning to walk a few neighborhoods? Wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes with heavy coats. And however you are going, don't forget the hot chocolate!

 Here are a few spots to see the twinkling lights here in Orange County:

Northwestern Way, Westminster, CA 92683 - Located one block north of Westminster Blvd. off
Bolsa Chica Rd. This Cul de sac is a winter wonderland of lights with flying reindeer, giant Santas, and lots of penguins.

Old Towne Orange: Glassell and Chapman, Orange, CA  92866 - A one-mile square section of the city surronding Plaza Park is decorated with lights and large wreaths hanging overhead. Get the small town Christmas feel while window shopping this quaint and popular downtown locale. I've heard that there are a few streets nearby, Palm Avenue and Pine Street, that are also well lit, though I have not been personally to confirm that.


Want to see Christmas lights from the water? Climb on board for a boat ride on the Cruise of Lights in Huntington Harbor. This annual event raises funds to support Youth Music Education Programs and is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year! The 45-minute boat ride tours the beautifully lit homes of Huntington Harbor. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone or in person. Visit the Cruise of Lights website for more information. Tonight, December 20, 2012 is Value Night and adults get $2 off their ticket price. Bundle up if you're going. It gets cold on the water!

Know of another neighborhood or street that is decorated for the holidays? I'd love to know about it! Please share your favorite location with me here or on twitter @kidsworklife.

Enjoy the lights and have a happy holiday!

Christmas lights on the boats and houses in Huntington Harbor.



PlaySpaces: 20 of OC's Best Places to Play and Explore with Kids

It's official! The first PlaySpaces Guide has been released and is now available at amazon.com. The guide features locations around Orange County that are unique and exciting, from an especially cool neighborhood park like Harry M. Dotson in Stanton to a multiuse regional park like Ralph B. Clark in Buena Park. You'll find places to meet farm animals, cast your line and catch some fish, and get your own workout post-playdate on stroller friendly walking paths.

The PlaySpaces Guides are a busy parents' best friend. It frees you up from web searches and online reviews, giving you the best parks in great locations with a variety of features. Want to play and educate at the same time? Try Centennial Farm, Turtle Rock, or Peter and Mary Muth.

As a special introductory promotion, PlaySpaces: 20 of OC's Best Places to Play and Explore with Kids, will be available for free from December 9, 2012 through December 11, 2012. Get your copy and spend some time exploring Orange County with your little ones. Have fun!



Marina Park, Seal Beach

I met a friend and her little ones at Marina Park in Seal Beach the other day. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed the location. The kids had a blast, too, so it will be on our list of parks worthy of return visits. Marina Park is located at 151 Marina Drive in Seal Beach, on the corner of Marina and 1st Street. There are about 20 parking spots on the side of the park facing Caravel Way.

There is a community center on site with restrooms, classrooms, and rental space. The community center was closed when we arrived around lunch time so the restrooms were not available, but they opened for a class around 2:30. Don't count on the restrooms being available at all times at this location, but even without access it's a fun place to play.

The playground area is mostly sand with a few rubber mats. The structure has a balance beam, climbing elements, slides, a pre-schooler accessible set of mokey bars, and a playhouse area underneath. The structure provided a nice shady area in the middle where the kids dumped their sand toys and spent about an hour digging and sifting for seashells. There are two bucket seats at this location but no big kid swings.

There is one covered picnic structure with one table. It looks like there are supposed to be two tables but one has mysteriously vanished. There is a large grass area, tennis courts, basketball courts and raquetball courts. Parts of this park are reservable for parties and events.

For more information about Marina Park visit the City of Seal Beach website.



Gone Fishin'

Fishing can be fun for the whole family. My husband is a fishing fanatic and so, it turns out, my son is too. We often go together to local parks with stocked lakes. The boys throw in a line or two while I do laps with the baby in the stroller. The kids can even get some exercise on the playground while Dad enjoys some time alone by the waters' edge.

Lately, my husband has been taking our son to fishing derby's and other youth activities sponsered by local prominent fishermen like Phil Friedman and Dan Hernandez. A few weeks ago they went to the Dan Hernandez event at El Dorado Park in Long Beach, Ca and reeled in seven catfish! Yes, they brought them home. And yes, we ate them.

Children under 16 don't need a fishing license to fish, but adults do. You can get day passes or annual passes at local sporting goods stores. There are a variety of license types available and there are free fishing days offered by the California Deparment of Fish and Game. Check the Fish and Game website for license information and fees and for additonal information about fishing.

Another good source of information about fishing in Southern California is ADOutdoors.com. This fishing blog talks about local events and activities in the area. You can also find out what kind of fishing gear or tackle you will need for different fishing spots.

Remember to practice safety when fishing. The hooks can be dangerous - and painful! Also, smaller kids need smaller poles. Junior size poles are available at Target and sporting goods stores. Our son had a small pole that had a little rubber fish attached where the hook should be and since he was so young, we didn't feel comfortable arming him with fish hooks. So we left the fish on and he loved practicing his cast and reeling in the little fish. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Need a change? Take off the fish and tie on one of those fancy shiny rubber fishing lures (hook-free of course).

Want to give it a try? Here are a few parks in the L.A. and Orange County area:

Free Parking:

Huntington Beach Central Park
For the best lake access parking look for a spot in the lot at Edwards Street and Inlet Drive, or head down Inlet Drive and park right next to the lake. Walking paths, restrooms, and playground equipment also available.

Carr Park
Carr Park is on the corner of Heil and Springdale in Huntington Beach. Only street parking is available. Play equipment is available here but there are no restrooms. And there are lots of geese at this location.

TeWinkle Park
970 Arlington Avenue, Costa Mesa. There is a large lot for parking or you can park on the street. Restrooms, play equipment, and walking paths available. It's ok to feed the ducks here, but remember that bread, crackers, and cereal are not healthy food items. Take frozen vegetables or bird seed instead.

Cerritos Regional County Park
19800 Bloomfield Avenue, Cerritos. Free parking lot. Play equipment, paths, and restrooms available.


Pay to Park:

El Dorado Park
7550 E. Spring Street, Long Beach. $5 Monday-Friday; $7 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Nature Center across Spring Street (Closed Mondays).

Ralph B. Clark Park
8800 Rosecrans, Buena Park. $3 Monday-Friday; $5 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Interpretive center with fossils (Closed Mondays).

Mile Square Park
16801 Euclid, Fountain Valley. Multiple entrances. $3 Monday-Friday; $5 Saturday-Sunday. Restrooms, playgrounds, and walking paths available. Nature trail also on site.

Have fun fishing, and drop me a line if you find a favorite fishing hole!

One of the two lakes at Mile Square Park

When PlaySpaces Attack!

Yesterday I took my kids to the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach. It's a great location that I will be featuring in my upcoming PlaySpaces e-book, and I wanted to get a few more pictures and let the kids explore. We headed out towards the butterfly house, which is closed for the season, but quickly got sidetracked when my 16-month old, Isabel, grabbed the red fruit of a prickly pear cactus that loomed much too close to the hand rail of the steps. I intercepted as soon as I saw what was happening and tried to carefully remove the tiny hairlike spines that were stuck to the palm of her hand.

A staff member conveniently walked by and I asked for assistance. She took me to the administrative office where she pulled out their bag of cactus spine removal tricks. First we tried using duct tape. On a larger surface it might have been effective but on tiny moving hands it just wasn't working. Then we tried flicking the spines with a credit card. Again, could have worked on a stable surface. Finally, we got the tweezers which work every time. After a few stressful minutes Isabel was finally free of the cactus spines. I found one or two more later that day but overall we did a good job of getting them out there in the office.

What could have been a horrible experience was made much more pleasant with the help of the attentive ENC staff and I thank them for their assistance. Isabel was surprisingly calm about the cactus spines. It was only her fear of strangers that caused her tears. Still, while one kind staff member helped me with Isabel, another entertained my son, Dennis by looking for spiders.

Once again, we made our way out to the trail - this time being extra careful to avoid the cacti.

I was reminded that accidents can happen on any adventure and it is important to always be prepared. So here are a few reminders to keep you and your little explorers safe and healthy when you're out and about.

• Keep a small first aid kit in your car for on-the-road emergencies.
• Keep a change of clothes in the car for each child and a blanket or a few light jackets for each family member. You never know when someone will get wet, muddy, or when the weather might shift.
• If you aren't sure how to address an injury, ask for help.
• Stay away from cacti or other thorny and spiny plant species.
• Know what poison oak and poison ivy look like and keep your distance.
• Keep an extra gallon jug of water in the back of your car to be used for drinking, cleaning, or flushing.
• Follow all safety warnings posted on-site.

Enjoy your next family outing, and stay safe out there!

Prickly pear cactus looming near the handrail at ENC.
 

Play in Your Pajamas!

November 17, 2012 is National Family Pajama Night. A suitable event for the chilly winter weather that has settled into most parts of the nation. National Family Pajama Night is an initiative started by The Company Store to encourage families to spend a quality evening together making memories and having fun.

Make it fun for the little ones and put your PJ's on early. Cook dinner together. Bake cookies. Make  hand turkeys to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Get out the board games. Curl up on the couch together and watch a movie. The point of this event is to spend some quality time together and have fun doing it. Take pictures and turn off your phones and computers for a few hours and give your full attention to each other. It can do wonders for strengthening your family bond to give each other a little uninterrupted attention.

Just in case you are wondering what a hand turkey is, trace your hand onto a piece of paper and cut it out. Cut colorful feathers from construction paper and glue onto the fingers. Add a beak and an eye to the thumb and voila - instant hand turkey. No construction paper? Trace it on plain paper and color the hand with crayons. Get creative and make your own variation of the hand turkey. And please share your creations or your family activities with me here or on twitter @kidsworklife. I'd love to see your great ideas!

Have fun with your family and enjoy your National Family Pajama Night!

Visit The Company Store for more information about National Family Pajama Night and the foundations they support or to get you and the kids a stylish new pair of jammies.

Not-So-Frightening Family Fun for Halloween

All Hallow's Eve is upon us. Have you carved your pumpkins and prepared your costumes already? Halloween is a fun holiday for kids and a great opportunity to create a family tradition. Corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin carving contests - they're all available for fun-seeking families to enjoy during the weeks before winter weather approaches.

Pick-your-own pumpkin patches are few in the Southern California area. Instead, you'll find pumpkin patches with pre-picked pumpkins, petting zoos, carnival rides, haunted houses and food trucks. Kids love this stuff.

Corn mazes are a popular seasonal activity and you can find a few in Southern California. But don't let you little ones go it alone. These can be confusing and you don't want your kids to panic if they think they are lost. Forneris Farms in the San Fernando Valley has over 4 acres of corn maze fun carved into a different image every year. They also have a market with fresh produce, and until November 4th, you can visit their 2012 Harvest Festival complete with tractor pulled train rides and pumpkins grown on-site. If you live in Orange county, you can visit the largest corn maze in Southern California (over 11 acres) at Big Horse Feed & Mercantile in Temecula. Their Harvest Festival includes costume contests, the corn maze, a pumpkin patch and a corn cannon. Harvest Festival activities are available on weekends only and the corn maze is open daily through October 31st.

Some other notable locations to visit for fall festivities and Halloween fun are:

Irvine Park: Daily activities with pumpkin patch, bounce house, gold panning, train rides and hay rides. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869
Pa's Pumpkin Patch: Petting zoo, roller coaster, pony rides, a pumpkin patch and lots more. 6701 E. P.C.H., Long Beach, CA 90803
Johnson Brothers Pumpkin Patch:  Pumpkin Patch with pony rides, giant pumpkins, barnyard animals, and a play area for kids. 15500 Jeffrey Road, Irvine, CA 92618

Looking for a corn maze outside of Southern California? Corn Mazes America has a directory to mazes across the country.

Find a pumpkin patch, pick your own pumpkin farm, fall festival and more at Pumpkin Patches and More. They have listings for the United States and six other countries!

Happy Halloween!