Winter Fest OC Returns December 16th-January 1st!

Winter Fest OC!

By Erin

This is a sponsored post written by me for GigaSavvy.

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We may not get any snow here in Southern California, but that does not mean there is a shortage of fun holiday adventures to go on!  Winter Fest is coming back to the OC next month, but with even more holiday experiences for all to enjoy. Located at the OC Fairgrounds, new this year is a Festival of Lights with 10 holiday themed lands, a Snow Play area with real snow blown in daily, live mini cartoon shows with meet-and-greets, World’s Largest Rocking Horse rides, an outdoor skating rink, a New Years Eve celebration, and more! *PLUS* enter for a chance to win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it all for yourself below! Even though we don’t get real snow here, doesn’t mean we cannot bring the snow to us to enjoy all the snowy winter fun with ice skating, and hot chocolate!

Here are a few things I am looking forward to most about this years Winter Fest!

Festival of Lights

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*Some of the cool lights from last years Winter Fest!*

Stroll through a 2 million light illuminated pathway and explore 10 holiday themed lands that you and your family can walk through. It will be a great, memorable time for all!

Outdoor Ice Rink–*additional cost* 

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It wouldn’t feel like the holidays without some ice skating fun!

The FOOD!

homemade-tamales-e1479668035833Being a total foodie… I have to check out all the delicious holiday food and drinks on hand at Winter Fest!

Santa’s Furry Friends

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You have to say hello to Rudolph and all of Santa’s other furry friends! They are so cute!

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What’s Good Now at Seasons 52| #Seasons52 @Seasons52

What’s Good Now at Seasons 52

By Erin

*I was invited to come and try some of the new spring items at Seasons 52. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

Seasons 52 is a fresh grill and wine bar that offers a seasonal menu inspired by the fresh appeal of a farmer’s market and what’s good now, and boy do they have a lot of good stuff right now!  Seasons 52 is not only freshness driven, but also has a focus on healthy eating, with many entrees under 500 calories.  They accomplish this by their combination of lean meats, low starch contents, and sensible portions. The freshness of the ingredients is evident in all of their dishes, and we tasted many yummy goodies during our visit.

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The entrance to Seasons 52, located at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. A very beautiful location.

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Inside is just as gorgeous! So welcoming, warm and cozy.

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My friend and I started the evening with a couple of refreshing drinks. I chose the one on the left here, the Hawaiian Pineapple Cosmopolitan made of New Amsterdam Pineapple Vodka & Patrón Citrónge and she chose the Mango Jalapeno Crush; consisting of Prairie Organic Gin, Mango, Housemade Lemonade, Fresh Jalapeño, Cilantro & Cucumber.

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Seasons 52 has a special section on the menu titled, “Chef’s Suggestions” which has the chef’s top recommendations of “What’s good now,” and is chalk full of seasonally inspired items featuring ingredients at their peak of freshness. The first item on this menu that caught my eye was the Warm California Golden Beets Salad; made up of Laura Chenel goat cheese, toasted pistachios and micro basil. It was so fresh and delicious. I love beets and this dish was amazing paired with the goat cheese and pistachios, making for a delightful flavor combination.

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Another delicious option in the “Chef’s Suggestions” for appetizers is this Lobster & Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread. Chunks of delicious lobster, roasted sweet peppers, slivered scallion, and lobster sour cream create one mouth-watering and scrumptious treat.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

A regular item on the appetizer menu is this delectable number and one of my favorites, the Ahi Tuna Tartare.  Layered with wasabi-avocado mousse, tropical salsa, Hawaiian sea salt crisps. The mix of the ahi tuna with the wasabi-avocado is exquisite. I would enjoy having this with any meal, at any time, any day.

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Jan’s Health Bar: Fresh and Healthy Eats!

Jan’s Health Bar: Fresh and Healthy Eats!

By: Erin

After all the fried fair food and BBQ posts from the summer, it’s time to be good and have something a bit more on the healthier side, that is still very tasty and delicious. It’s fall now, but this week is supposed to warm up well into the 80’s again so I have the best place ever for you to go chill out at and relax. It’s Jan’s Health Bar in Huntington Beach (also in Costa Mesa)! It is just a jump, hop and a skip away from the beach! Located on Main Street, it is just a few short blocks away from the beach.

When Jan’s contacted me about heading over to try out their menu, I couldn’t refuse. Smoothies? Summer Salads? A refreshing Chicken Salad Sandwich on such a warm summer’s day? Best of all, Acai bowls? You don’t have to ask me twice! Well, that would go for anything food related… but that’s besides the point.

You are probably wondering now why I am so excited about this as it’s not deep-fried anything. Take a look for yourself, I hope you can smell the freshness through the pictures that I was able to capture of Jan’s amazing offerings.

1 Jans Health Bar

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