the Warehouse Sale

Looking for a way to fight the recession, update your wardrobe & save a few pennies all at the same time? Then THIS might be your answer. Friday, February 19th & Saturday, February 20th the Warehouse Sale will be coming to Orange County.

Not exactly sure what the Warehouse Sale is? Straight from their website "The Warehouse Sale is an exclusive, invite-only denim sample sale that offers the newest and hottest styles of the season in your favorite brands for both MEN & WOMEN. Get ahead of the trends and be the first to rock up-an-coming labels. With everything priced BELOW WHOLESALE, we make it easy for you to try new styles or brands without guilt." So are you interested in saving up to 80% off designer jeans? If you RSVP, admission is FREE, so even if you are just thinking about attending, you'll definitely want to register for the sale HERE. Otherwise admission is $5. Go HERE, for most of the answers.

So here are the details...

Date: Friday, February 19th & Saturday, February 20th

Time: 12-8pm on Friday & 10am - 4pm on Saturday Location: Radisson Hotel Newport Beach

Forms of Accepted Payment: Cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express & Discover

xoxo, K

Forever 21 launches HTG81

Am I the last to know? Forever 21 launched HTG81, their new line for kids from 6-16.
I love it because its affordable and fun. Now all we need is a store in the OC.

xoxo, C

Newport Heights School Annual Holiday Boutique

The Holiday Season is upon us. ( Can this really be true? Excuse me while I hyperventilate for a moment!) Well, have no fear... with the holiday season, comes holiday boutiques. Get a start on your holiday shopping this weekend at the Newport Heights Elementary School's Annual Holiday Boutique. Nearly 30 different local artists are vendors selling jewelry, unique accessories, holiday items, handbags, home & garden decor, boutique clothing, children's goodies, greeting cards, stationary, stocking stuffers, gift certificates and more. Plus, you can feel good about the money you spend, your shopping helps the kids - 10% of all proceeds are being donated back to the school. Here are all the details...

What: Newport Heights Elementary School's Annual Holiday Boutique
When: Friday, November 6th, 2009, 10am - 4pm
Where: Newport Heights Elementary School, 300 E. 15th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663

xoxo, K

I heart Overstock

After months of waiting I finally scored this gorgeous chair, courtesy of Overstock and thanks to a tip from Jordan Ferney. Overstock has tons of great deals from Sunglasses to High Chairs they have great finds to fit any budget.

xoxo, C

Rascals to Rebels Sale

(click image to enlarge)

No tricks, just treats at the Rascals to Rebels sale happening this weekend. With 30% off ALL clothing (even new merchandise) this is one SPOOKTACULAR sale you definitiely don't want to miss...

What: Rascals to Rebels Sales

When: Friday & Saturday, October 23rd & 24th

Where: All Rascal to Rebels locations... The shops at Rossmoor, Huntington Beach, & Irvine

xoxo, K

images via Rascals to Rebels

Dylbug

Love the onesies from Dylbug! Style and Personalization make these onesies a great baby gift.

xoxo, C

Etsy in the OC: Hair Accessories

Pretty hair accessories are always a must.
Check out some of these hair accessories made by Orange County locals...

Hudson
by LoveMely

Pretty Vintage Flower Hair Clip with Colorful Rhinestones
by Oh Faro!

Cara Black & White Spotted Feather Fascinator

by The Sleep Albatross

Olivia the Baby Owl Pink Clip
by Boo Boo's Bowtique

Deep Plum Felt Blossom Women & Girl's Headband
by Pink Peppermint Design

Lavender Lilac Dupioni Silk Rosette Flower on Patent Leather Headband
by Not Quite Vintage

City of Electric Lights
by Jessica Lee Creations

xoxo, K

Bottle Tamer

After losing our fifth bottle, I resorted to buying one of these. Love creative baby gear and not searching for lost bottles all over the mall.


xoxo, C

Back to School: Fashion by Tiny Whales

Meet Brittany & Shaun, the husband & wife duo behind Tiny Whales, an infant & children's clothing line based right here in Orange County. Their designs are fresh, funky & fun... perfect for adding some life to your little ones back to school wardrobe. With tons of tees (both short-sleeved & long), hand-knit beanies, hand-made booties, hand-painted belts, & more.... there is lots to choose from. With their "imaginative and modern designs that are appealing to all ages" you'll find something your little one will love. I know I'm already eying that "Take Me To Your Leader" tee & painted belts for my boys, & the "Orange You Glad" beanie for the baby. So cute!

If you act quick, they're offering the "Endless Summer Savings." For a limited time only, they will be offering 10% off any order of two items or more, plus FREE shipping on all items in their store. (Just send them an "etsy conversation" prior to ordering, so they can hook you up with the discount.)

Browse their cute shop HERE. & Check back soon, their new Fall/ Winter '09 collection will soon be unveiled!

xoxo, K

12 for Tuesday: Back to School Shopping on a Budget in the OC

Welcome to Twelve for Tuesday, a new weekly post that highlights twelve great finds in the OC. This week we are sharing our fave spots in Orange County for fashion on a budget for kids:

1) Wish Boutique (They are having a great sale on designer kids clothes right now!)
2) Red Balloon Outlet (Love this place)
3) Nordstrom Rack Costa Mesa (I prefer this location for kids clothing)
4) Children's Orchard in Laguna Niguel (Upscale Retail)
5) Crazy 8 at Mainplace (Gymboree with a lower price point)
6) Target at Irvine Spectrum (Kids can splash in the fountain when you are done shopping)
7) Loehman's (Laguna Niguel)
8) Old Navy (I don't have a favorite location, so suggestions are welcome)
9) TJ Maxx (Fountain Valley)
10)H&M Kids (Crystal Court)
11) Kohl's (My girlfriend claims she can clothe her whole family for twenty dollars at Kohl's)
12)Children's Place (Fashion Island)

Where are your favorite places for back to school shopping on budget in the OC?

xoxo, C & K

TOMS Summer Sample Sale

I am soooo HERE. Tons of styles of shoes will be on sale, starting at $15, (including vegan, canvas, styles you can't get in stores & more), plus Aviator Nation apparel & accessories. & Even though everything is on sale, TOMS is still donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every every pair you purchase.

Here are all the details...

Date: Saturday, July 11th
Time: 10am - 7pm
Location: 3025 Olympic Blvd, Studio C, Santa Monica, CA 90404

xoxo, K
image via TOMS

I think I'm in Love.

It's no secret that I LOVE & ADORE Harveys. So does it really surprise you that I desperately want the newest addition to their purse collection? The real question is, which one to lust after.

xoxo, K
image via Harveys

Red, White & Boutiquing: 4th of July Sale

This is one 4th of July block party you definitely don't want to miss! Boutique shopping, mimosas, half off designer jeans & free purses... what's not to love? 8 (yes! EIGHT) fantastic & fabulous boutiques have "banded together this weekend to offers some 4th of July boutiquing bargains." So get in the car, & drive down to South Laguna & check out all of the incredible deals offered at these boutiques: Black Flamingo, Blue Eye Girl, Scout 3, Tootsies Shoes, Stella, Bellabacci, Cielo, & Duo.

For more specific information on the sales (including the "skinny" on where to get FREE parking) check out Boutiquing.com for the nitty gritty.

xoxo, K
image via Boutiquing.com

phil & teds traveller: The Perfect Baby Cot for the Beach

K and I are big phil & teds fans. We both have the classic stroller and love, love, love them, so when faced with how to survive on the beach with a baby I knew that phil & teds would come to the rescue again with some great piece of baby gear. I went online and found that they have the Traveller, a durable aluminum cot weighing less than six pounds.

I am happy to report that I took the Traveller to the beach today and it meets all of my requirements: portable (less than six pounds!!!), protective (comes with a UV shade), and on sale (Costco has it for $99). The baby loved being able to roll around without being covered in sand and even took a long nap on the beach in her cute cot. Set-up takes five minutes and if I can do it anyone over the age of eight should be able to put it together in four minutes (just remember to put the top section together first before attaching it to the legs). Thanks phil & teds for another great piece of baby gear.

xoxo, C

Summer: Swimsuits

Now that I have kids I need a swimsuit that can stay on and hold me in at the same time. The quality and style of a swimsuit makes such a difference, which is why K and I love Pearl. But here are some other ideas if you are still looking for a fabulous suit:



1. Anthropologie 2. Urban Outfitters 3. Urban Outfitters 4. JCrew

xoxo, C

Red Balloon Warehouse

Yesterday Coleen & I headed out for an impromptu shopping trip. After reading about the Red Balloon's Warehouse HERE, we had to check it out for ourselves. Aren't familiar with the Red Balloon? It's a swanky little boutique located in Newport Beach (1829 Westcliff Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660). But don't be fooled by the name.... although it definitely is a children's boutique featuring clothes for newborns to size 14 (Small Paul, Petit Bateau & Baby Lulu just to name a few of their brands), they carry lots of stuff for the mamas as well! Jewelry & tons of clothes, everything from Juicy Couture to Laurie B. & even some maternity!

But enough about the actual store... because their warehouse is AMAZING! Open EVERY Tuesday & Thursday AND the 1st Saturday of every month, from 9am - 2:30pm, this place is definitely a goldmine! It's located at 1612 Babcock in Costa Mesa. If you are coming from the 55 S, just continue down Newport Blvd., hang a right on 17th St., go for about a 1/2 mile or so & then turn left on Babcock. The warehouse will be on your left, you'll see some little signs that say "Red Balloon Warehouse" poking out of the grass, you can park & then enter the door in the back. & Don't worry if the door is closed, as long as it's an "open" day you can walk right in!

Inside you'll find an entire warehouse full of goodies. Everything is incredibly well-organized by size, which makes shopping really easy, even if you have kids in tow. On our recent shopping trip, we were really impressed by the selection. I picked up a bunch of t-shirts for the boys & even some TOM's shoes, as well as few things for myself. The best part? That it didn't cost me a fortune. EVERYTHING we saw was 65% off! (We are talking Small Paul shirts for like $12! Quite the deal!) So, next time you have a Tuesday or Thursday free, you might want to head on over to the Red Balloon Warehouse.... you might even see Coleen or me there!

Here are all the details:
What: Red Balloon Warehouse
Open: EVERY Tuesday, Thursday & the 1st Saturday of every month, 9am - 2:30 pm
Location: 1612 Babcock, Costa Mesa CA (enter through the door in the back)
Accepted Forms of Payment: Cash & Credit Cards (no checks!)

xoxo, K

OC's Korean Supermarket: Freshia

image via flickr

Some assume that living in Orange County you do not have access to very many international foods, but there are quite a few ethnic supermarkets in Orange County to meet the needs of any international chef cooking at home. One of my favorites is located in Tustin and called Freshia. You can find a variety of Asian foods at Freshia, but most of their products are centered around Korean cuisine. If you love Korean BBQ you can find all the ingredients at this great supermarket and they also have amazing produce at reasonable prices. On a shopping trip to Freshia I usually pick up Kimchi, Short Ribs for BBQ, ingredients for marinade, produce, and rice. Don't worry, if you don't feel like cooking there is also a yummy food court.

Here’s one of my favorite recipes for Korean BBQ from food tv:

Ingredients

• 4 large short ribs
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sake (recommended: Han Soju)
• Cucumber Kimchi, recipe follows, optional

Directions

Score ribs every 1/2-inch along the length and width of the bone, making sure not to cut too deep so the meat will stay attached to the bone.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to make the marinade. Pour the marinade over the ribs and push the sauce into the cuts so it gets all the way down to the bone. Turn the ribs over face down in the marinade and cover for a minimum of 2 hours or refrigerate overnight for a stronger flavor.

Remove ribs from the marinade and barbecue over a charcoal grill.

xoxo, C

Coupon Mom

image via flickr

Stephanie Nelson, Coupon Mom has been featured in O Magazine and the Today Show because of her expertise in grocery savings. For some reason I can never seem to get to the store before my coupons expire, but Coupon Mom is inspiring especially during this recessionary time and delivers helpful hints on how to make coupons work for everyone.

I personally like going to Coupon Mom because I can see at a glance what deals are going on online and get online coupon codes for things like free shipping and discounts. The website has a wealth of information for those who are coupon savvy and want to maximize their savings at their local market.

Here's to saving!

(Click here for over 60 coupons)

xoxo, C

25 Loves: Sweet Scents

Jo Malone's line of cologne is my favorite because it makes natural scents come alive by combining them in original combinations.

xoxo, C

25 Loves: Pretty Little Things

Thanks to Banner Boutique I have a whole bunch of pretty little things for my little girl to accessorize with (stay tuned because they will add more wonderful things each week).