Two Words: Thin Mints

Two words: Thin Mints. 

I bet from those two words you know who makes them, what time of year they are available and can probably name at least one current Girl Scout selling them right now.  In case you don't have a resident Girl Scout, you can rest assured that they will now be selling outside your local grocery stores starting today! (I'm thinking this year of stocking up on the Thin Mints to crumble up and put in with frosting in the middle of Birthday Cakes...).

Over the years the Girl Scouts have done a tremendous job of helping girls learn leadership skills among many other valuable skills to grow up to be confident sucessful women.  Every box of cookies sold helps them attain these goals.  Want to support the Girl Scouts but don't want to add more cookies in your household?  Donate them to the Military!  Troops absolutely love them!  Talk to your local Girl Scout about specifics.

Be sure to become a fan of OCMomActivities on Facebook because I have several boxes of Girl Scout cookies to give away on the fan page over the weekend for the first people to correctly answer Girl Scout trivia!

To locate a Girl Scout selling cookies near you or more information about the cookie program in Orange County you can go here.

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Medieval Times in Buena Park is a Great Family Fun Night!

Medievil Times dinner show in Buena Park was something we had wanted to do for a long time but hadn't gotten to yet.  We have friends who absolutely love it and make a point of going at least once a year so it was on my list of something to do with the kids before they got older.

We were recently invited to attend to celebrate the new show and upgraded menu.  It was an absolutely amazing night and something I can't recomend enough!  I've never seen my youngest (age 8) get so in to a show!  He was literally screaming at the top of his lungs cheering on our horsemen! 

There are team crowns to wear, ribbons to wave and more to help cheer on your team.  The visuals are awe inspiring, with solos to jousting there isn't a quiet moment!  (The show runs about 2 hours).  Remember you are in the Medieval Times... so be prepared to eat with your hands (the soup bowl has a handle).  My boys initially couldn't believe they got to eat with their hands but by the end thought it was the coolest thing!

It's a super fun family outing that if you haven't done, you need to book your reservations asap!  There is currently a great deal for the new show (details here). 

Couple of tips:  There isn't assigned seating, so arrive early so you can be closer to the arena.  Enter with your entire group so that you will be seated together.  Come hungry - there will be plenty of food and drinks.  Arrive early to enjoy all the pre-show festivities (including pictures with the King or Queen), viewing the gorgeous horses and to peruse the gift shop.

To purchase tickets go here.  There are also multiple locations across the country if you can't get to Buena Park.

Note:  No compensation was recieved for this post - but tickets were provided to facilitate the review.  The opinions are stictly that of my own as well as the images taken above.

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Einkorn Pasta - Fantastic alternative to other whole grain pastas!

I'm really focusing on eating healthy and getting more exercise.  Eating whole grains is super important, but unfortunately many of the more common whole grain pastas are made with oats which is a no no in our house due to my (as well as my oldest) crazy oat allergy.

Recently I was sent a unique type of whole grain pasta to try and LOVED it!  It's made with 100% Einkorn whole grain (an ancient form of wheat).  It's loaded with protein (9 gm per serving), and number of other vitamins (with real daily value amounts!). 

The above pictured recipe is super easy and so delicious!  Cook the pasta as directed, saute chicken (leftover chicken works great), fresh broccoli, garlic in several tablespoons of olive oil.  Add in the pasta once cooked and 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.  (note you can also add in cherry tomatoes - sliced in half to the saute for some gorgeous color!).  It's a perfect weeknight meal that is sure to be a hit in your house!

You can find the Jovial products (check out all the other amazing sustainably packaged products they offer!) at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon, Mother's Market and more.  Check their website here for more information and to locate a store that sells it near you.

Note: No compensation was received for this post but product was received to facilitate the review.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Every year I buy a dozen lavender roses on Valentine's Day (yes those are mine in the picture).  They aren't for me, but they mean so very much to me.  I buy them in memory of my mother because the rose garden we created is a memory I will cherish forever.    

Take a few minutes this Valentine's Day to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you!

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Buy One Get One Free at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is offering a buy one get one deal tomorrow (Valentine's Day)!  Be sure to head down to buy your drink and get a free one for your Valentine!  You can go here for location information.  You know where I'll be heading tomorrow!

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Pretend City 2 for 1 Valentine's Day Deal

Pretend City in Irvine, CA is offering a 2 for 1 deal tomorrow!  Print out the above picture for a free adult admission with the purchase of a child's admission.  For directions, hours and other information on Pretend City you can go here.  Happy Valentine's day!!!

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Focusing on me again and the sore muscles that go with it!

The last couple of years have been crazy in our house.  Because I had been just so plain busy working full time and being Mom, I had not taken care of myself as much as I wanted to.  I had gained a lot more weight than I was comfortable with and it was driving me nuts.  We've recently made some really big changes in our house that have allowed me to take more time to focus on getting healthy again.

I joined a fantastic gym and over the last few weeks I've been spending several hours at the gym 5 days a week to work on getting back in to shape.  But I have a tendency to push myself because of my impatience.  It's normal to not be able to lift your arms above your waist, right?  It's certainly not going to deter me from working out because I know that it's a sign of building muscle and that is my goal! 

Life does get in the way though and unfortunately I can't walk around with these crazy sore muscles all the time.  Recently I was sent several tubes of Topricin to sample (a topical pain relief gel).  I hadn't ever used topical pain relief gels before and honestly didn't think they would work.  But last night in an effort to not feel like I was walking around with dumbbells for arms, I grabbed the Topricin and rubbed it on my sore muscles and almost immediately felt relief!  I was shocked and so excited to be able to move my arms above my waist without cringing!!!

So, if you're still going strong with your New Year's Resolution to get back in shape, I highly recommend grabbing some Topricin to ease those aching muscles!

Note:  No compensation was received for this post - but samples were provided for review.  The ridiculously sore muscles were provided by me and the genuine relief was beyond appreciated!

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Mimi's Cafe is Going Red for Heart Awareness Month!

February is Heart Awareness Month.  This year it hits a little closer to home for me than it ever has.  Several months ago I started having episodes of very high blood pressure.  For years I've been so proud of having low blood pressure (in spite of genetics that aren't good!).  I had been under a tremendous amount of stress, so when the blood pressure spikes occurred it scared me, tremendously because the dangers or heart disease are so immense.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women as well as men.

I'm in the process of making drastic changes in my life so celebrating Heart Awareness at this point in my life is particularly special!

You may have seen through the OCMomActivities Facebook fan page or through Twitter how last week Mimi's Cafe was offering a free cup of (the most amazingly yummy) tomato basil soup for anyone wearing red at the restaurant.  

Mimi's Restaurant is also celebrating Heart Awareness throughout February - for every $1 donation, guests can create a red heart-shaped tribute card on the red dress display inside the restaurant. For every $5 donation, guests will also receive a commemorative red dress lapel pin.  Guests who donate will also receive up to $35 in savings.  You can also go to the Mimi's Facebook page here for a fun app to show your support for women and heart awareness!

A friend and I headed down to Mimi's to show our support by wearing red last Friday and I particularly loved the red strawberries that looked like hearts!  I'm sure it was a coincidence, but it wasn't lost on me! (PS, the salad was sooooo delicious too!)

Note:  No Compensation was received for this post, but our lunches were covered to facilitate the writing of the post.

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A Firetruck Cake for a Fantastic Kid!

Take a peek a this cake I created for DayTrippingMom.com's sons' birthday party last week!  I used the salted caramel cupcake recipe to make the cakes and used the frosting recipe listed on yesterday's post here.  It was a huge hit and everyone was asking for the recipe!  Now I'm looking for another reason to make a cake!

She had the Mobile Pizza Unit out to make pizzas on the Firetruck, so we ran with the theme to make the cake.  Such fun!

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Salted Caramel Mocha and Cupcakes #MyBaristaMoment

I'm a major coffee addict.  I admit it.  I can't start my day without a cup of coffee to wake up and frequently need a cup mid-day to keep from falling asleep before 8pm.  I spend a lot of money at well known coffee franchises and my husband gives me a really hard time about it. 

Recently I've been playing around with how to make some of my favorite coffee shop drinks at home.  Ones that are just as good, not knock off versions.  During the holidays I got hooked on a certain Salted Caramel Mocha and have been determined to figure out how to make one just as good at home so I can cut down on the expense.  I did it!  And here's how, and an added bonus?  I'm including a recipe on how to make a salted caramel cupcake to go with!  You'll be feeling like a barista in your house when you try these super simple yet amazing recipes yourself!  Fantastic for playgroups, having friends over for coffee or weekend splurges.

I headed down to our local Smart & Final (you can follow along on Google+ here to see the images) to grab some Ambiance brand Kona Coffee (seriously the best price I have seen for Kona coffee and it's delicious!), and the other ingredients I'd need. 

Ingredients you will need (and all are at a fantastic price at Smart & Final):

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• Caramel Syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla. Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full. Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Cut small section on the top of the cupcakes and drizzle the caramel syrup in the center. Replace the small square back before putting icing on top.

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable. In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Top caramel-filled cupcakes with frosting. Drizzle with remaining caramel and sprinkle with coarse salt!

Salted Caramel Mocha:

• Kona Coffee
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Chocolate powder
• 1 tablespoon caramel syrup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pinch of coarse sea salt

Use several Tablespoons of Kona coffee in french press.  Fill with boiling water.  Allow to steep for several minutes.  Microwave 1 cup of milk and froth with hand frother (or small whisk works).  Whisk in chocolate powder.  Drizzle the caramel syrup along the inside rim of the coffee mug (that has frothed milk), add in coffee.  Sprinkle a dash of the coarse sea salt.  Voila - easy salted caramel mocha that will having you feeling like a barista!

Want to switch to Ambiance coffee?  Go to www.smartandfinal.com/Ambiance2012 enter the code on the receipt from your purchase of Ambiance and be entered to win some of these amazing prizes: First Prize (one grand prize per week, 3 total over the campaign): DeLonghi BCO264B Cafe Nero Combo Coffee/Espresso Maker, a $200 value!, or one of six $50 SmartCash cards (Two winners per week, 6 winners total)

Take a minute to go vote for my recipe!  Go to the www.smartandfinal.com/Ambiance2012 where you will be able to vote for your favorite (mine of course!) Ambiance Coffee recipe and everyone who votes will be entered for a chance to win $50 worth of Ambiance products! (6 winners - Two winners per week over the campaign).

Note:  This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias #CBias The recipe is unique and all opinions above are completely my own.  But feel free to share this post with all your friends!  :)

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