California Botanic Garden in Claremont: Wonderland of Spring Flowers
California Botanic Garden (formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens) in Claremont offers acres of lovely grounds for connecting to nature.
Alta Vista Botanical Gardens at Brengle Terrace Park in Vista
Alta Vista Botanical Gardens in Vista wasn’t really our destination. We were searching for Brengle Terrace Park, but I noticed on the map that the park has an amphitheatre, the …
Color Walk at The Getty Center Gardens
Taking a color walk at The Getty Center gardens was the highlight of my 2011 visit. I delayed visiting The Getty Center because I heard it was not appropriate for …
Fall in Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge near Pasasdena is one of my favorite places to visit in Southern California. Walking the gardens revealed visitors reading books on benches, strolling with …
Take Kids on a Spring Blossom Walk
Oh, how the blossoms are blooming in our school garden! The brilliance is astounding! The peach tree pushed out the single blossom (above) a few weeks ago and now every …
Monarch Butterflies in the School Garden!
I’m out in nature all the time and we’ve bought the butterfly kits and watched them grow — but seeing a Monarch butterfly life cycle out in a natural setting …
Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar
Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar is another one of those places I always wanted to visit while I was a UCI student. I can’t believe it took …
Discovering the Butterfly Habitat at Mason Regional Park in Irvine
The Butterfly Habitat at Mason Regional Park in Irvine opened in November 2010. The kids and I finally stopped by to find the hidden garden during our summer exploring in …
Centennial Farm at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa (with Video)
Centennial Farm is a great excursion located at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. I first took the kids on a lazy afternoon in 2011 and there were way …
Encourage Creativity to Raise Crafty Kids
Creative kids don’t wait for someone to hand them directions. They just grab available items to create their own crafts. Here are some of the SIMPLE AND CHEAP things I …