Summerfest 2013

I had a great time at this year's Summer Fest which was held at Newport Dunes and put together by OC Weekly.

I enjoyed trying all the different drink samples. Each guest received a punch card and I was able to try some tequila, beer, wine and vodka. I especially enjoyed the Cayman Jack Hand Crafted Ultra-Premium Margarita. It was very smooth and the taste was amazing! I also enjoyed grabbing some sushi for lunch at one of the featured food trucks. After lunch, I was able to sample some coffee from Coffee Bean and received a coupon for $1 off my next drink.

This event definitely kicked off the summer!

Upcoming event special: 2 for 1 deal

 

Just because you're so great, we're rolling out a two for one ticket offer to Summer Fest THIS SUNDAY!

The Surfrider Foundation & Finlandia Vodka present OC Weekly Summer Fest, a celebration of our Summer Guide Special Issue publishing June 6th! Event kicks off Sunday, June 9th, 2013 from 12-5pm at the Newport Dunes, 1131 Back Bay Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Entertainment includes musical performances from Flying Sparks, The Field Trip, Douglas and the Furs, MT. OSSA, Thee Raincats, and headlining: THE COLOURIST!!! Enjoy food truck treats from Seabirds Truck, The Flip Truck, and Mustache Mike's. Celebrate summer time in Orange County with paddle boarding, a corn hole tournament, beach volleyball, local retailers, and HUGE prize giveaways. Partake in complimentary drink tastings from Finlandia Vodka, Sailor Jerry Rum, Milagro Tequila, Pacifico, Fat Tire, Cayman Jack and King Frosch Wines! Food + Drinks + Music + Surf + Sand + OC WEEKLY = one heck of a summer kick off!

 

To get two tickets for the price of one click here and enter promo code "2fer". Your tickets will be available at will call and each ticket added to the cart, with the use of this promo code, equals 2 tickets at the door!

 

*This blog post was provided by the people at OC Weekly*

 

 

Union Station & Placita Olvera (Olvera Street)

I had a great time in LA today touring the Union Station and Placita Olvera. 

I enjoyed an horchata and tamarindo candy at Olvera Street. I also bought a Frida inspired magnet for my refrigerator. There were two small museums free of charge and I checked those out too. I love museums! I thought the artisan crafts were a bit too expensive, however I did walk away with the magnet for $3.50. 

I took a lot of amazing pictures. Check them out! 

McDonald's nutrition and giveaway!

This morning I had the opportunity to attend a blogger breakfast with @McDonald's_SoCal and the breakfast was hosted by @RubyDW. I had a blast! Not only were we educated on the nutrition facts of their new Egg White Delight, we were also given a tour of the participating restaurant.

I learned so many fun facts about @McDonald's that I never knew in the past. McDonald's has really followed the trend on providing healthy meals for families, especially children.

Registered Dietitian, Monica Montes, shared these facts with us. As you know, children today suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Because of our sedentary lifestyle, (which means we don't move around as much as we used to) we are forced to be very careful of what we eat.
She suggests 4 meals a day which is a meal every 4 hours. McDonald's has meals for every time of the day under 600 calories! You just have to pick the right foods! They have suggested meal plans for breakfast, lunch or dinner. My breakfast today consisted of an Egg White Delight (250 calories), a Hash Brown (150 calories) and a water (0 calories). I was able to stay under 400 calories for my entire meal!

McDonald's has partnered up with the U.S. government to provide healthy meals that include all 4 food groups: grains, fruits & veggies, dairy and protein. Our plate, as the government has stated on www.choosemyplate.gov, should consist of a 1/4 of each of these food groups.

Ms. Montes suggested that households should plan weekly menus to save on grocery shopping and families should encourage their children to try foods more than a few times. Studies have shown that it takes 15 times for a child to like a food. They can prepare meals with you to make it more fun.

I very much enjoyed meeting with fellow bloggers, trying out a healthy breakfast and getting a tour of the McDonald's on  1011 E. 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

I have a giveaway of coupons for your entire family to try out the new Egg White Delight McMuffin. Please send me a message at msespinoza13@yahoo.com if you are interested in the giveaway!

 

 

 

My trip to the Richard Nixon Library & Museum

Happy Memorial Day folks! To commemorate the day, I made a trip to Yorba Linda to visit the Richard Nixon Library & Museum. It was free today!

Being a history buff, you would think I knew a lot about the president, however I left with the notion that I still have a lot to learn!

It was only a 20 minute drive from Santa Ana, my hometown. It was a beautiful museum and I would definitely go back for a special exhibit and/or performance. Today, there was a special performance from a local symphony in commemoration of Memorial Day.

It only took me about 10 minutes to find parking which was great! There was definitely a crowd so I was surprised it didn't take me any longer.

I really enjoyed "The Leaders" room where Richard Nixon commemorated famous leaders such as Winston Churchhill.

 

I also very much enjoyed the piece of the Berlin Wall on display.

I didn't get a picture, but I also enjoyed all the letters the children wrote to Nixon when he lost the 1960 presidential election to President John F. Kennedy. The Republican president was loved by many and that included many children! It brought tears to my eyes.

Mr. Nixon was a very busy person and took part in international affairs especially with the Chinese, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. He met with many world leaders and they are all mentioned at the museum.

I very much enjoyed learning about First Lady Pat Nixon as well. She was keen for wearing pink and we can see some of her famous outfits displayed in the museum. She was a goodwill ambassador and accomplished many good deeds while alive.

The presidential campaign car, limousine and the presidential helicopter are also featured in the museum.

I hope you are able to visit the museum. It was wonderful. Happy Memorial Day 2013!

 

 

For more info, contact www.nixonlibrary.gov/

 

Book Review: Monet

Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Orange Public Library. As I was shelving the books in their sections, I came across the Art/Art History section. Now, if you read my blog, you will see that I'm very much into art and visiting museums.

I came across a wonderful Scholastic book that I purchased for $1. (By the way, they have great books for affordable prices) The book titled simply, Famous Artists: Monet, by Antony Mason is a storylike telling of the artist's life and works.

Although a children's book, it fascinated me because of the way it was put together. I learned very much about the French artist. I learned that he was from France, that he started drawing caricatures when he was young and would sell his caricatures to his friends and teachers.

Monet was very poor for most of his life and his personal life was filled with scandal. He married his muse, Camille, but only after a long time of living together which society very much frowned upon. He was one of the few artists of his days to paint outside, not indoors like most of the artists of his time. He joined a group of artists that also drew outside to form a group of "Impressionist" artists. This name was given to the artists as a derogatory term however they liked it and kept the name.

Monet's first wife, Camille, died of illness, partly due to the lack of medicine. The Monet's were very poor and lived with another artist and his family for financial reasons. Alice, the wife of the other artist took care of Camille until her death and Monet ended up falling in love with Alice. They ended up getting married and Alice and her 4 children moved in with Monet and his 2 children.

In the 1880's people finally began respecting Monet's work and he lived happily with his second wife Alice. Throughout his later years, he began to lose his vision however he continued to paint.

It astonished me how quickly he painted his works and fought against sunlight in order to speed up the finish. His works are very much defined by quick strokes and the way the sunlight affects his paintings. Monet lived from 1840-1926 and is one of France's greatest artists.

Strawberry Festival! @GGStrawberryFst

I had a great time enjoying the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival today! To my dismay, there was no strawberry shortcake for sale. The opening ceremony is not until 6pm tonight where there WILL be strawberry shortcake. I went to the festival early in order to avoid evening traffic.

The festival has several booths you can peruse through and purchase unique items such as Rastafarian gear and sports gear.

I would recommend this place for families. It's not very singles friendly as there is no booze and the rides didn't really attract my attention. If you would like to purchase some sports gear or unique shirts for the family, then this is the place for you.

 

If you would like to enjoy some booze and a nice restaurant, you can easily take a walk to Historic Main Street and enjoy some sushi or Mexican food. They have daily specials on their menus.

On the other hand, I did enter a few giveaways and met a wonderful vendor who sells fundraising books. Integrity Fundraising is a company focused on helping your organization with fundraising ideas such as their fundraising book. Mr. Clay Bock was very informative about his several businesses and handed me a complimentary copy of their fundraising book that currently sells for $15. You can purchase your fundraising book online at www.ilovetofundraise.com or by calling him at (714) 420-1911.

I also had the opportunity to enjoy some of the fair's nachos with cheese. I purchased them from the Assistance League of Garden Grove's booth. My small size nachos were only $3.50. It's great to know I can support an organization with a good cause.

I did skip the rides and missed out on the strawberry shortcake, however if you like funnel cakes as an alternative, that can definitely satisfy a sweet tooth!