Orange County Blog

For many the holiday season begins with Black Friday. Others prefer armchair shopping during Cyber Monday. But all agree that the holidays can be a hectic and often stress filled time.  So how about this: Take a break from the shopping and check out a holiday-related event or activity with your family. It will clear your mind and remind you how the holidays are supposed to make you feel in the first place!

Dana Point
Dec. 9-10, 16-17: 37th Annual Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights
Hundreds of decorated boats compete for the coveted Best in Show award. You can view the parade free from anywhere in the Harbor, or make reservations at one of the many restaurants to view it from a cozy and
warm spot. Come on down and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season Dana Point Harbor (949)923-2255 www.danapointharbor.com

Huntington Beach
Dec. 10-23: 49th Annual Huntington Harbor Cruise of Lights
Narrated boat tours of holiday decorated homes, boats, decks, and docks. Experience the beauty of thousands of lights and animated displays. Huntington Harbour. For more information and how to purchase tickets call (714) 840-7542 or visit www.cruiseoflights.org

Newport Beach
Dec. 14-18: 103rd Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade
Decorated yachts, boats, kayaks, and canoes set sail around the harbor to the sounds of festive music. If this is your first time to see the parade, a great place to view the parade is at the Fun Zone. Admission is FREE and there is plenty of nearby parking. Newport Harbor. (949) 729-4400.
www.christmasboatparade.com

 

 

Homelessness, Hunger, Poverty: A Reality in Orange County
Let’s join with The Orange County Register in helping those in need during 2011’s Season of Caring. http://www2.ocregister.com/about_us/seasonofcaring/

The 2011 Season of Caring campaign recipients include the following Orange County charities:

Casa Youth Shelter - The purpose of Casa Youth Shelter is to provide temporary shelter for runaways and youth in crisis, enabling them to come through the crisis with an increased personal strength and a sense of renewal while in a supportive environment, with family reunification as a primary goal.

Project Dignity - Project Dignity is a 501c3 nonprofit organization serving Orange County’s homeless population. In 2010 Project Dignity's 16 volunteers provided over 2,000 hours of service to nearly 10,000 individuals, distributed over 130,000 pounds of food and clothing, assisted 400 children with school enrollment and distributed 1600 gifts at various events; and hundreds of books.

Providence Speech and Hearing Center - Enriching life through the gifts of speech and hearing by offering a one-of-a-kind experience where patients receive care with advanced technology and a supportive, optimistic vibe.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County - Working to eliminate hunger in Orange County.  In partnership with over 470 member charities, the Food Bank helps feed more than 240,000 individuals each month. Those served include the working poor, children, seniors on fixed incomes, single parents, the disabled, the homeless and individuals experiencing medical emergencies or recent job layoffs.

The Salvation Army Orange County – Provides emergency shelter, food, career counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation, youth center programs, and senior citizen programs. In addition, The Salvation Army's services include a home for unwed mothers, a missing person’s bureau, a residence for destitute AIDS victims, prison visitations, food pantries, assisted living homes and English as a second language classes.

Community SeniorServ – Provides healthy, tasty meals to adult day health care centers, adult day care centers, and seniors throughout Orange County. More than 15,000 clients are served annually with 1.5 million meals delivered. The majority of these clients are below the poverty line.

Orangewood Children’s Foundation – Provides innovative services for abused and neglected children and at risk families to end the cycle of child abuse. The Foundation focuses on transitioning emancipated foster youth, supporting children in foster care, sustaining the Orangewood Children’s Home, and strengthening at risk families.

Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service - Provides emergency food, transitional housing and other support services to the hungry and homeless in our community.

 

 

Did you know that approximately 24,000 parents and their children are homeless in Orange County on any given night?  Enter HomeAid Orange County –

HomeAid Orange County is the founding chapter of a national non-profit organization with the mission to build and maintain dignified housing where homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives.  Their vision is to be a vital force in eliminating homelessness.

And now HomeAid Orange County’s Project Playhouse has arrived in Irvine Spectrum for its 20th anniversary.  The Playhouse Village will remain on display for five weeks in the Edwards Courtyard. Take a sneak peak at the amazing creations at Playhouse Photo Gallery www.projectplayhouse.org/cat5.php The Playhouse Village Tour tickets will be available for purchase at the Playhouse Village during operating hours from 12:00 – 6:00 pm every weekend until Sunday, November 6th. Tour tickets are only $2 for both adults and kids. 

With the support of the community, HomeAid has renovated or constructed 47 housing developments in Orange County providing refuge for homeless men, women, and children. (The Coto de Caza News, Oct.7, 2011)
For more information, please visit:
http://www.homeaidoc.org/
http://www.projectplayhouse.org/

 

Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching kicked off its 40 year anniversary this past February! Dana Wharf is proud to be the first business operating in Dana Point Harbor when it opened in 1971. 

Whale Watching out of the landing was introduced to the schedule in 1971 and has become immensely popular in Southern California.  “We were the first because we were able to operate before the buildings were built” says Don Hansen, Dana Wharf owner and harbor icon. Sportfishing trips depart daily and are also year round.
 
Friend and harbor merchant Bob Mardian opened the Wind and Sea Restaurant after the buildings were completed in 1972.  To this day, Dana Wharf and the Wind and Sea continue to partner together on catering, happy hour cruises, appetizer specials and more!  
 
Dana Wharf will be sharing stories as well as specials for friends on Facebook and Twitter.  Special promotions will also be announced via email blasts and in store promotion. Dan Wharf will announce surprises like a 40th anniversary commemorative fishing t-shirt, a must have for all anglers! 
 
Dana Wharf will highlight something new each month.  In May, the landing will host a birthday celebration where they will roll back all their prices to the 1971 opening date price. Dana Wharf will also host a “Kids Fish Free Month”, a meet the fleet party and many other surprises are also planned.
 
Take a look at their website for all the up to date information http://www.danawharf.com/index.html

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a lifechanging event which brings people together to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and empower individuals and communities to fight back against a disease that takes too much.

Teams of 8-15 members gather with tents and sleeping bags to camp out at a local high school, park, orfairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events, and each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times.

What Makes Relay so Unique?

Relay For Life gives us an opportunity to celebrate, remember, and fight back. We celebrate cancer
survivors by inviting them to participate in the Survivors Lap, the first lap around the track. The Luminaria Ceremony is another highlight of the event. A Luminaria is a small bag filled with sand, containing a candle that makes it glow. Each Luminaria bears the name of a person who has battled cancer. At dusk, we light all the candles along the path. They burn into the night, honoring and memorializing those who have faced cancer, lighting a path of hope. The event closes with the upbeat fight back ceremony, which reminds us that we have the power to change the course of this disease.

How Can I Get Involved?
To get information on volunteering, becoming a sponsor, or forming a team, call the American Cancer
Society’s office at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit http://www.relayforlife.org..

To see a complete list of Relay events in Orange County, take a look at the Relay for Life Quick Link.

Event Complete's Taste of Ladera, now in its 7th year running, features a celebration of the finest local eateries, specialty vendors, musical performances and fun for the entire family to take place Saturday, April 30th, 2011 and Sunday, May 1st, 2011 North of Corporate Drive on Windmill in Ladera Ranch. The hours of the festivities will be from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Saturday, April 30th and from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Sunday, May 1st.  Live entertainment with the "Ladera's Got Talent" will be announced in April.

This annual festival will have rides, slides, and activities for the entire family with event proceeds benefitting local nonprofits, schools, and youth programs. Special pricing will be available online for Ladera Residents. General admission pre-sale tickets and a limited number of VIP tickets and suites are available starting March. VIP tickets and suites include access to party pit at main stage, private VIP pavilion with bars, seating and bathrooms.

Taste of Ladera is produced by Event Complete. Event Complete is an event marketing firm specializing in strategizing with clients to bring customers to seminars, charitable events and large-scale productions. For more information about ticket and booth sales, sponsorships and volunteering, please visit www.EventComplete.com or email info@eventcomplete.com.

“I can see clearly now the rain has gone” …

One of the many gifts of living in Orange County is the fabulous weather.  Yes, it rains in Southern California and we recently had a doozy of a storm.  So if we want to keep an eye on the gorgeous vistas, we need to keep our windows clean.  Enter: First Choice Window Cleaning.

With their "Always Clean" service they come out every month and just clean the outside of your VIEW windows for a very low rate (starting at $30).  Consider this great view maintenance--and then no need to clean all the others too often. 

So all you OC residents, let’s keep those mud splatters away and let the sun shine in!

For more information on First Choice Window Cleaning: http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/directory/listing.php?id=170299

It arrived quietly and still isn’t widely known.  This unassuming farmers’ market features booths selling produce, sweets, treats, goat cheese, plants, and more.  One of the perks of shopping at farmers’ markets is the samples!  We taste tested apples, oranges, warm roasted peanuts, caramels, and delicious cakes (this resulted in a purchase!)   Sadly we had just made trip to the grocery store so we didn’t need much in the way of produce, but my culinary bent daughter bought a bag of fresh snow peas.  She also couldn’t live without eating a pickle on a stick! Laguna Hills Nursery had a great booth and we left with two blueberry plants along with all the necessary info to help them grow strong and healthy.  Planning ahead for our next visit, we will bring our own bags, an appetite for the tacos, and more time!
It is located in the Big Lots shopping center on Avenida De Las Flores and is open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Fridays. We found that several of the booths shutting down prior to 6:00 as it gets dark so early.  There is talk that during the spring, it will be open both on Fridays and from 10 – 2 on Saturdays.  We certainly hope this comes to fruition!
Let’s support this local venue by planning your visit now.
For a list of other farmers markets, visit: http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/farmers-markets.html

 

 

With more than 130 retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, shoppers come together to experience one of Orange County’s most energized retail experiences.

The Irvine Spectrum website outlines a plethora of options for shopping and dining, as well as entertainment options. Currently, there are two entertainment options sure to please!

The Irvine Spectrum Center Ice Rink - Open through February 21, 2011.
The outdoor Ice Rink located in Giant Wheel Court will offer fun for the whole family. The 47 ft. by 72 ft. rink is kept chilled at 18 degrees and maintained by the world’s smallest custom Zamboni.  For more information including pricing, session schedule, party/group details, please call 949.748.8280 or visit www.SkateSpectrum.com.

OC Can You Play - January 15, 2011 - February 06, 2011
Pacific Symphony and presenting sponsor Yamaha invite you to celebrate the joy of music through ‘OC Can You Play?’ a public pianos project. Irvine Spectrum Center will host one of 20 colorfully painted pianos being placed throughout Orange County for public enjoyment. Stop by, play your favorite tune, or even create your own performance or “piano mob”. From Chopsticks to Chopin, Bach to the Beatles, ‘OC Can You Play’ invites you to reconnect to your musical soul.

Irvine Spectrum Shopping: www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/

To find other shopping venues in and around Orange County, click the shopping malls under Quick Links.

“Since 1969 the South Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce has been recognized as the premier business organization dedicated to creating a vibrant business community, advocating on behalf of business, helping business grow and prosper, while preserving a quality of life for residents and visitors to enjoy.” 

http://www.socchambers.com/

Here are just a few of member benefits:

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
STAYING INFORMED AND CONNECTED
MEMBER ONLY DISCOUNTS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

For more information on South Orange County Regional Chambers of Commerce or to locate the chamber for your city, click Chambers of Commerce under the Quick Links tab.