Volleyball

Recently I've been playing volleyball after signing up for a class at a local community college. Sports are a great way of keeping in shape and having a bit of fun! I definitely suck at playing hence a "class" is needed. But even if I was good, class is a great way of having consistent fun. There are students in my class of all levels: beginner to advanced. Some played in high school. I started dabbling with volleyball when I first went to volleyball camp in 9th grade. I never tried out b/c it conflicted with tennis at that time. I had fun learning and it stayed with me til after college where I played with my friends at a local park weekly. Because of the volleyball camp, I remembered the fundamentals of bump, set, & spike! I'm so glad that I got back into it again and I hope that the more I play, the better I get. It's great to expand some sort of skill instead of doing the same old routine of treadmill & eliptical.  This makes me very happy! :)

OC restaurant week

OC restaurant week is here again. Sept 26 to Oct. 2nd. Sadly I will be out of the country to enjoy this food affair~ I love restaurant week in any city because it allows you to try different restaurant at a fraction of their usual cost! Pre-fixed menus with many deliciousness to adventure into! Go out, dine, and be merry! Let me know if you try any and would recommend. Thanks!

Baking

 

One of the cheapest activity that someone can do is baking!

I baked my first every FULL size pie this month: Blueberry Crumb Pie!  TA-DA!!!  I had fresh blueberries from Cost Co, so I decided to make this OH SO DELICIOUS PIE! :)  Yes, I am very proud.

My favorite recipe site is: http://www.allrecipes.com/.  I go to this website for I'd say more than 50% of my cooking needs.  Allrecipes Cookbook

This is a picture of the slice of pie I enjoyed along with my friends for many days.  I was on a baking frenzy for a month, but after gaining 10lbs, I realized that I needed to stop!  Otherwise, I think I'd be baking every week.  Oh well... Anyway, enjoy the picture, recipe, and I hope you get a chance to bake something yummy too!



Sailing!

This past weekend, my friend & I went sailing for the first time ever!  It's something that escaped my mind in trying out b/c I was too zoned into surfing, skydiving, and water rafting.  Sailing seemed too much of a luxury, saved only for the rich and famous!  We were very lucky because we received a free 3 hour Intro Lesson to Sailing. Otherwise, it would have cost over $170! 

We met up with our very experienced Instructor Ralph from the Marina Sailing Newport Beach Club.  He was kind, patient, and knowledgeable.  He taught us very informative & random details of the 30 ft boat that we were on and about sailing in general.  We learned how to set sail, tack, and steer the boat.  For 2 hours we were out in the waters saying things like: "Prepare to tack." "Ready to tack." "Steer right, left, straight."  It felt really amazing to be out in the waters as I was first on the wheel.  I've never driven a sail boat before so it was an experience to remember.  It felt very natural like driving a car! 

Being out in the waters made me appreciate living in OC all the more.  I love the beach, I love the weather, and I just love being outdoors.  Ahhhhh....~   Wind in the air, smell of the ocean...and sound of the sea otters.   Yes, sea otters.  Hahaha. :D

After our lesson and relaxing time together ~ it was bitter sweet to say goodbye.  My friend loved it too and was eager to go sailing again.  As it can get expensive by joining Sailing Clubs, a good alternative is taking a class at a local community college like OCC.  If I had the time, I totally would take the class... maybe next Summer I will be wearing navy & white sailing thru the Newport Harbor sipping on a margarita~~~  a girl can dream~

OC Foodie Fest 2010

Usually I write about events after I've already attended it, but this time I thought for the sake of this blog that I would write about an event that is coming up this Saturday and one that I am planning on attending. It's called "OC FOODIE FEST." Here is the website with all the details:
http://www.ocfoodiefest.com/

Basically 50 food trucks all at one spot for foodies to just feast on! Crazy enough...it's one of my dream events to attend. I am SUPER excited to see all the different food trucks and try as many as I can without gaining 10 lbs! Please be on the look out for reviews and photos in the coming weeks! YAY.

Cupcake Camp OC 2010

First ever Cupcake Camp in the OC was held this past Sunday (August 1^st) at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine, CA.My dear friend Hannah Lee & Team threw together this event in less than 3 months to help bring awareness and raise funds against Human Trafficking.

It was her first event as big as this for an awesome cause which turned out SUPER successful! Over $9,000 was raised, 90 bakers (one of which was me & my roommates) and 1,000 people in attendance!WOW.The organizers did a fantastic job for their first ever fund-raising event!Of course there were a few hiccups as they did not anticipate SO many people...but I really dislike those people who only want to focus on that. Go away! Let’s celebrate their hearts and their successes! YAY!

So my girlfriends &I volunteered ourselves in different ways.That afternoon, my roommates and I baked over 24 “popcorn” cupcakes and we entered the amateur competition for “Childhood Inspired” cupcakes.It was exciting to see so many people take pictures of our cupcakes.*BIG SMILE*No, we didn’t win, but it was still fun to participate in that way.I took my SLR and volunteered to take pictures for the event and even helped with the registration for a bit as they had such a long line~ out the door to the downstairs front valet! WOW.Can you believe it?

At the end of the day, I was just AMAZED.I was amazed at all the bakeries that donated their time and their cupcakes. Over 5,000 cupcakes donated! I was amazed at the decorations and the hotel space donated.I was amazed at all the volunteers’ hard work and services.This show how when one person sets out to do something good, that something really great can be accomplished.

LOOMIES popcorn cupcakes

Nad's flower cupcakes

Winner of Childhood inspired! Peanut butter & Jelly

Winner of Most Unique Flavor: Chicken & Waffles

Donated cupcakes

DJ who volunteered his services. & Donated Signs for the Event.

Over 1000 people attended

Cupcake eating contest!

Summer Beach Time

@ Laguna Beach ~ shopping & eating on a Sunday afternoon

@ Venice Beach - Muscle Contest on 4th of July ~ free event for the public.

@ Newport beach laying out --- the sky was overcast so didn't really stay too long.

So lately, I just haven't been posting to this blog and I need to. Personally, I have been fasting from shopping. Did too much damage during my birthday month. Realizing that as long as I stay away from the stores, I am good to go! :)

So...what have I been doing to keep frugally busy? It's summer time so that means "BEACH" time! I've been going almost everyweek this Summer. Either just to stroll, lay out, eating nearby or sit by the bonfire. Good times for sure. See above pictures as I've been going all over So Cal to enjoy all the beaches it has to offer! If you want some cheap summer fun, beach is the way to go~ So get your friends together to have some California fun at your nearby beach! Or what's the point of living in Cali right???

OC restaurant week

I realized that to make this blog really helpful for other readers is that I need to announce all the upcoming events before I actually attended them. It's a learning curve in starting this website I suppose.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with the OC restuarant week choices that I made this year: Geisha House (Santa Ana) and Royal Hawaiian (Laguna Beach).

Geisha house in my opinion is over priced. It's more of a place you would go to be seen and to see. A trendy decor with so-so food.

I've never been to Royal Hawaiian...and when we passed by it, it was always loud with music: seemed happening. Unfortunately I was super disappointed in the food, service, and environmnet. Lesson learned, don't go back. The picture above is their rib and shrimp dinner. I would say that the quality was of "denny's" quality. Sometimes all that "noise" is just noise.

LAdine week was much more pleasing... will post more about this later.

San Diego Adventures

So we ventured an hour outside of Irvine to San Diego in finding new adventures for the weekend for cheap or for free even!

We visited Seaport Village on our first day ~ a quaint little area by the sea with souvenir shops and restaurants. Luckily for me that weekend, they had an Artwalk right by the Seaport Village with free admission.

That night, I found an underground dancing bar in Gaslamp Quarters with no cover! We danced the night away and had a blast!

The next day, we visited Coronado Beach...beautiful beaches with white sand. We went for a 1 1/2 hour bike ride along this well paved trail. Paid $12 per person for 2 hours for bike rentals.

Our final day, we ventured to Balboa Park where we went to the Natural History Museum to see the Body Worlds 2 exhibit. It was my first time, and I loved what I saw & learned. We paid only $15 b/c we went on a Monday and b/c I printed coupons from online. It's all about doing a little research before going anywhere. Balboa Park is huge with 11 museums and many botanical gardens. The gardens are free, but museums do have admission fee. They have a wonderful thing called a balboa park pass for $35 where you can visit it all in 7 days. While we were there, we also visited the Dessert Garden, Rose Garden, Botanical Building, and the Spanish Art Village. It was free parking and free admission to most. Loved every moment that I was there... looking forward to going back to see more!

Orange International Street Fair 2009

The City of Orange have been hosting the Orange International Street Fair for the past 3 decades every Labor Day Weekend (Fri to Sun).

It was my first year going and it was a treat in many ways: festive atmosphere, variety of food choices, and craft vendors for those who love to shop!

My favorite were the very sweet lemonade & rosettes cookies. Yum! These Norweign fried sweet balls were good too!

My cousin ended up buying this really cool feathered pin from one of the vendors:

We went on a very hot day during the day...next time I think we'll go after the heat has died down. The pros of this place was that there is no entrance fee, you can find parking in residential area for free, and there is a lot to eat... so go hungry!

The Loft @ Montage Resort & Spa

Orange County Restaurant Week: Gotta Love it!

So I visited the Montage Resort & Spa located in Laguna Beach to try their prefix lunch at The Loft. I've heard very good things about The Loft. For a $20 prefix lunch, I ate:

for Starter: BRAISED LAUGHING BIRD SHRIMP-heirloom spinach and garden herbs, winter citrus vinaigrette

for Entree: MAPLE-GLAZED SONOMA CHICKEN SANDWICH-wild arugula and aged gouda, local tomato marmalade


for Dessert: GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE- coconut jam, chocolate pecan salad, praline nut ice cream

YUM YUM and more YUM.

I was able to spend a nice day enjoying the beautiful ocean view with 5 star service and delectable 3 course meal for under $30 (including tip & tax).

Bookstores

I love visiting the nearest bookstores just to read and browse the wide selection of books that they have.

The reasons why I like bookstores better than the library are:

1. They carry the newest selections of books.
2. I can buy and drink a nice cup of hot coffee or tea.
3. I don't get scolded for talking too loud or being on my cell phone.

The bookstores that I usually visit are Barnes & Nobles or Borders.

Trader Joe's

Oh how I love thee...Trader Joe's. I buy majority of my grocery at Trader Joe's. I've been a faithful fan since 2001, since I moved to the OC.

Reasons why Trader Joe is the best:

1. Cheap. I've compared some of the vegetables and other products to major grocery stores and TJ is usually 10% or more cheaper.
2. Healthy. They have great organic, whole wheat, low fat food that I enjoy weekly.
3. Delicious. From fresh to frozen their food is yummy! I haven't been disappointed yet.

For the price and the quality, it really can't be beat!

Check out their website and the closest store near you: TJ

**Last night I shared meal that was less than $10 for 2 people! Tuna Steak ($5), bowl of broccoli ($2), and pasta ($1.5). How can you resist TJ? I sure can't~ ;)

Orange County Restaurant Week Coming Soon!

Unite all foodies! Whenever I have an opportunity to try new restaurants especially at bargain prices, I am the first in line.

Orange County Restaurant Week is coming! February 22 to 28th. Take an advantage of their pre-fix menus at great prices for normally very expensive restaurants such as The Loft at the Montage. They range from $20 to $40.

Last month, I had the pleasure of reviewing several Newport Beach restaurants during their restaurant week. My favorite was Buddha's Favorite dinner prefix menu that was only $20!

• Sage
• Baja Tacos
• Buddha's Favorite
• Zov's

HOBBIES

If you are like me, you like to learn something new every year, every month, or even every week!

For the past 7 plus years I have lived in OC, I have taken over 10 lessons and classes to quench that learning itch. Some of them include:

Pottery
Painting
Salsa
Ballroom
Guitar
Golf
Surf
Drawing
Photography
Swing

So where can you get lessons for cheap? For the most flexible schedule and lowest prices, the best place to look is your local community center. The classes are usually held on weekends & evenings, and because they are group lessons, it is cheaper than private lessons. Last summer, I took surfing lessons thru the Newport Beach Community. My lessons were every Saturday for 6 weeks for 3 hour lessons. I had the best time swimming, surfing, and enjoying the california sun.

Here are some resources:

City of Irvine Classes

City of Newport beach Classes

City of Hungting beach Classes

Hello OC peeps!

Welcome to my website: the fabulous frugal OC life!

This blog is about finding cheap and fun things to do in & around Orange County. I have been living in the OC since 2001 and I have filled my days with something new every chance I get. I am passionate about food, travel, photography, and adventure! I am also notorious for traveling to new places, learning a new hobby every year, and trying new restaurants by living within my means. Here you will find inspiration to explore Orange County on your own. Enjoy reading and happy living!

Love,
TK