From the category archives:

OC South

Campfire Tales: Changing My Mind

March 6, 2010

My mom always says “It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.” And I do, often. Just ask my husband.
What if changing your mind is more than just a fleeting thought? More than just choosing spaghetti over a hamburger for dinner. What if you actually change the way you think about the world? Change the [...]

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La Plata Park: Wanna Race Mama?

February 16, 2010

When I first discovered La Plata Park in Laguna Niguel, I thought this small neighborhood park would entertain my 2 year old for only 20 minutes. Wow, was I wrong! Yes, the play equipment is simple but there are side by side slides that inspired many excited screams of, “Wanna race, Mama?” Not only did [...]

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Barbadanes Park: Ever Fantasize About Riding A Giant Honeybee? (Yeah, Me Neither)

February 7, 2010

Barbadanes Park will always be a memorable trip for me because of all the nearby residents who were hanging out or walking through when we visited. We went during after school hours and there were a group of 12 year old eating bags of Funyuns and drinking Kool-Aid just like the old days. The play [...]

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Ridgecrest Park: Saddleback Valley Views and Shady Swings

February 1, 2010

Ridgecrest Park provided us our first sunny play outdoors day after all that rain a few weeks ago. I don’t know if it’s because we were playground-deprived, but we had an especially good play here. I can see how it would be great in the summer with its shade over the playground.
Location: Right off Aliso [...]

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El Conejo Park: Stick-Me-With-a-Fork-I’m-Done-in-20-Minutes Park

January 13, 2010

El Conejo Park is located in a lovely Laguna Hills neighborhood, right in the middle of my “must- run errands” loop. Usually, after a few hours of dragging my 2 year old to Target, Costco and Starbucks, he is done. Then again, I am done making shopping “fun” by pulling out [...]

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Aliso Viejo Community Park

December 26, 2009

Aliso Viejo Community Park is centrally located along the border of Aliso Viejo/Laguna Hills next to Aliso Viejo Middle School. However, it’s at the end of a dead end street so it can feel quite isolated and quiet. This is one of the few playgrounds I can think of with a fenced-in toddler area.
Location: Laguna [...]

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Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch

December 18, 2009

Borrego Park shares a driveway and parking lot with Foothill Ranch Library — for a perfect playful afternoon. The children’s section at the Foothill Ranch Library is especially fun. They have their own little reading room with windows set three feet high off the ground for little eyes above padded benches. Their chapter book section [...]

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Hidden Hills Park in Laguna Niguel

December 4, 2009

Hidden Hills Park in Laguna Niguel is the first park I’ve visited with absolutely no sand. There are days when you’re ready to let the kids get dirty and bury themselves in sand. This park is a perfect stop for when you’re heading on to another activity where the kids need to be cleaner and [...]

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Seville Park in Mission Viejo

December 3, 2009

Mission Viejo parks come in all shapes and sizes. We literally stumbled upon Seville Park as our family hiked along Los Alisos Boulevard meandering around and through the Wilderness Glen trails. There’s a long swath of open space and trails along Los Alisos which are pretty kid-friendly.
Location: Near Los Alisos Boulevard and Trabuco Road in [...]