it really does rain (and snow) in southern california

our friends invited us to join them for winterfest at the orange county fairgrounds just before new year's.  since we'd never been, we jumped at the chance to not only spend time with our buddies, but to check out an event that they said was lots of fun.

it happened to be a rainy afternoon, and so we packed up a bunch of extra clothing, dressed in layers, and headed down to costa mesa.  i would imagine that an event like this during winter break would be pretty popular, although it wasn't too hard to find parking and buy tickets.  we delicate socal flowers always think we're going to melt in the rain.

our friends are ballers, so we were pretty excited to join them in one of the VIP cabanas that they'd rented out for a few hours.  it was really nicely decorated, and even had a heater in the corner.

oh, and we had a special food and drink menu that we could order from.  super attentive service staff wandered by on a regular basis and asked if there was anything we needed.

well, of course we did.

the food was actually pretty tasty, although the philly cheesesteak and prime rib sandwich looked like the same thing.

being VIPs, the kids were able to strap on skates and participate in as many sessions as they wanted.  each one was 45 minutes and they would clear the ice for a few minutes between each session.  the bean and her friends all started out using the beginner stands, but eventually they left them behind and started skating without assistance.

 they did a special tree lighting ceremony too, complete with fireworks and a snowfall.

quick group pic before we had to leave the cabana for good.

 during a potty break, the kids managed to find an arcade game that had free plays in it.

they passed on the giant rocking horse...

...but let us take pictures of them inside the giant ornament with the penguin.

they had a blast going down the ice slide a few times:

and then capped off the evening with some snow play.

as we headed out, it started raining again and so we passed on walking through the festival of lights.  we got a peek at the lights from the parking lot though, and then we parted ways.

it was a super fun time, and definitely on the list for another visit next year!

winter break, part 2

so, the second half of winter break.  man, it sure went by super fast...but we had lots of fun!

oh, before i forget, i have to share this with you.  if you're like me and have had the same pair(s) of uggs for years and years and just keep wearing them even though they're all worn out and barely keep your feet warm and comfy anymore, you need these:

oh yes.  brand new insoles to replace your old tired ones.  they're a measly $15 per pair and let me tell you...they truly make those old ass uggs feel brand spanking new again.  so worth it.  go get some.  now.

i got to test out another of my christmas presents...something i'd forgotten i wanted and added to my list at the last minute - a regular ol' waffle maker.  sure, i have the hello kitty waffle maker, but it's not the same.  and when your husband flat out refuses to eat anything that comes out of there, well...

yup, i sure did try that facebook/pinterest famous trick of pressing cinnamon roll dough into the waffle maker.

it worked like a charm, by the way.  these were done in about 3 minutes and when drizzled with the glaze...so delicious.

one evening, we headed out to have dinner in old town monrovia (somewhere we hadn't been in ages) and capped off the evening with some ice cream and a game of jenga.  guess who blew it?  oh yeah.

the next morning, i decided to make waffles again, only this time i used a real recipe.  one that required separating the eggs and beating the whites till fluffy and folding them into the batter.

the bean couldn't decide if she wanted chocolate chips or bacon in hers, so she got both.  i decided this looked good, so i had one of these too.

we finally got to see rogue one, the newest installment in the star wars saga.  with friends, of course.

i decided it was time for a change and when i went in for my regular color touch-up with my stylist, i had her switch out the pink for some purple.  I LOVE IT.

and at xtend barre, i finally hit the next milestone...500 classes down, bitches.  with a t-shirt to prove it.

now, despite the fact that i'd given up starbucks (and it's lasted for quite a few weeks now, since early november!), when one of our local stores was chosen as one of the spots for their "10 days of cheer" promo, we went.  it was a free tall espresso-based drink between 1:00-2:00 in the afternoon, and i'm not one to pass up a freebie.  the old lady and i hopped in the car and just barely made it. sipping our comped drinks at 1:52.

now, while this was our new year's eve dinner:

i went all out for new year's day and made a ribeye roast with creamed corn, lawry's style - plus some brussels sprout salad and sautéed mushrooms.  so good.

not a bad way to kick off the new year, amirite?

bring it on, 2017!

yeah, it's sparkling cider. heh. 

happy new year to you and yours!