December 2015

Happy (almost) New Year!

The holidays have quickly come and gone. And, I hope you are left with memories to cherish.  But, how is 2015 already over? I find myself asking this same question year after year.  A friend told me when my daughter was born, “the days are long, but the years are fast.” Nothing has seemed so true until now. 

The club was busy throughout the year hosting events with wild success.  Here are the highlights: Chinese New Year, the Easter Egg Hunt, Mom's Day Plein Air painting, Parents Night at Mozambique, the club’s 10th Birthday celebration at Bluebird, Mom’s night at Tortilla Republic, the Great Halloween Walk, the Sawdust holiday craft, the first Baby Sign class, Mom’s night at the Montage, plus many book club nights and playgroups in between.

I hope 2015 has been good to you.  May your days, even when long, be filled with happiness in the new year!

Ali Del Rosso

Upcoming Events

Clothes for the Cause FUNraiser

When: Saturday, January 23, 2016

Where: Alta Laguna Park

Time: 9:00am-12:00pm

We need your help! The 2016 calendar is chock-full of new events and we want to make them a reality. Help us by filling a bag or two (10 if you feel so inclined) with used household items. Read more>

2016 is a fresh start.  Time to clean out the old closet and tackle that garage. 

Saturday morning (Jan. 23) the Clothes for the Cause truck will meet us to collect our bags while we tailgate kid-friendly style.  Let’s have fun while we raise funds! Read more>

2016 Board Meeting Extravaganza

When: Thurs. January 28, 2016

Where: Spice Merchants

Time: 8:00pm to 10:00pm

Big things are planned for 2016 and we are going to spice things up for our first Board Meeting in January.  Yes, it’s going to be extravagant!  And, yes, it’s still our monthly meeting! Read more>

Happenings in December

4th Annual Montage Night

Mom’s Night at the Montage

On December 2, the ladies of the LBPC descended upon the Montage in annual fashion. There was another great turnout for the 4th Mom’s Night at the Montage. By 8 o’clock, we had taken over most of the lobby bar, rearranging tables and making ourselves feel right at home. The champagne, of course, was free flowing as was the lively conversation. It was the perfect start to the holiday season!

Thanks again to those of you who made this evening memorable.  And, a special thank you to Lauren Nicholson for the thoughtful gifts she brought for each of the ladies who attended.  

LBPC Holiday Toy Drive

Thank you to all of those who participated in the SMALL TOY DRIVE for the children of the Laguna Food Pantry.  Our drive was a huge success, delivering over 110 gifts throughout the month of December to children of low income families.  I was overwhelmed with the generosity of our club members and the support of Nextgen, who also pitched in to make our goal of 100 toys a reality.

We received a thank you note from Board Member Bill Baaden, “I just want you to know that your group brought many smiles to those who received all the gifts, and warmed the hearts of those giving them out, that's what Christmas is all about.

Kristin Miracle Lewis

Boho Wreath Workshop

Post-windstorm

The recent windstorm definitely took its toll on my boho wreath.  Sadly, it looks more like a bird strike with feathers blown every which way as opposed to the chic look it was supposed to achieve. Sigh. If you want a little laugh, check out the post-windstorm picture.  

Though I will say, making the wreath was so much fun. Laughter echoed through the little shop as we hot glued fingers and feathers alike. We sipped wine, nibbled hors d’oeuvres, and shoved feathers into any place they would fit.  Alas, the wreaths turned out fantastic and reflected the personalities of the ladies who made them. Even mine looked good at one point.

A big thank you to Melissa Kanarek, owner of the Brass Tack, for hosting us in her shop.  For cool style and unusual gifts, check out this little gem at 384 Forest.

Feathery fun at Brass Tack

Oh, and don’t forget about…

Meals for New Parents

We offer a free meal to the parents of any LBPC family bringing home a new baby. Parents can choose from several restaurant and menu options. The Club takes care of ordering the food and delivering it to your doorstep.  Contact Nancy Fischer at nshehadey@yahoo.com for details.

Birth Announcements

Have a new baby and want to share your excitement with the club?  Email alexandria_sue@hotmail.com to have the announcement appear in our next newsletter.

November 2015

Holiday Season in Full Swing

A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.  A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Big or small, an open heart can overflow with gratitude. Even our littlest ones show appreciation in their own special ways. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope you are well fed, enjoyed good company, and gave many thanks over the long weekend.

What better time to express gratitude than the holidays.  And, I am especially grateful for the opportunity to be writing to you. The month of November came and went with a blur. The LBPC hosted several great events, like the first Baby Sign class and our annual holiday craft (more about that below).

Today is the first of December and the holidays are officially in full swing. I hope many of you will join us tomorrow evening as we sip champagne and toast to friendships made at the 4th annual Moms Night Out at the Montage.

While I may not have the chance to write again before Christmas, I wish you and your family joy in abundance and peace to carry you into the New Year!

Happiest Holidays,

Ali Del Rosso

PS.  I’d like to give credit to Jen Leonti for authoring the LBPC newsletter for the past 2 years.  She’s worked hard to provide wit and entertainment in her monthly musings. Thank you, Jen, for allowing me to carry the torch!

Upcoming Events

4th Annual Mom's Night at the Montage

When: Weds. December 2, 2015 7:00-9:00pm

Where: Montage Lobby Bar, 30801 South Coast Highway

Contact: Kristin Miracle Lewis, kristin@wolosonco.com
Read more

Holiday Toy Drive for the Laguna Beach Food Pantry

When: Fri. December 18, 2015 

Where: The Lewis Residence, 3191 Bern Drive

Contact: Kristin Miracle Lewis, kristin@wolosonco.com
Read more

Show your holiday spirit by donating a small toy to the LBPC Toy Drive. Together we can make a difference this holiday season.  The last day to drop your gift is Friday, December 18.

Click the Upcoming Events tab for details and additional LBPC events.

Happenings in November

Baby Sign

In partnership with the Laguna Beach Library, the Parents Club has launched a new community program called Baby Sign.  Baby Sign is an American Sign Language (ASL) workshop that teaches basic ASL to babies and their caretakers.  

Jen Leonti put much time and energy into getting the program off the ground (and with great success)! The Saturday morning class had around 10 families in attendance with babies and children of various ages.

Bethany Sloan teaching ASL

Bethany Sloan, a teacher at Granola Babies in Costa Mesa, engaged the little ones and their families for an hour, sending them home with loads of information.  Through song and story, they learned many beginner signs such as those associated with food like banana and apple.  She also recommended “Baby Signing Time” DVD and book duo to continue education and signing at home.

Three more classes are in the works. Look to February for second class in the series. And, thank you to the Laguna Beach Library for providing us with the space and a portion of the funding to make this program possible.  Baby Sign is open to the general public so help us spread the word!

Holiday Craft and Sawdust Tree

Thanks go out to the many families who showed up to the annual Holiday Craft at Bluebird Park.  Together, we made over 50 ornaments that are currently on display at the Sawdust Winter Festival. 

Kids and parents alike had fun decorating wood slices by dropping paint in salad spinners and giving it a whirl. All you have to do is look the faces below and you will see the magic of the spinner. We rocked cool kid tunes (thanks, Kristin Miracle Lewis!) and nibbled small snacks.  

We also had a surprise guest appearance from Moe Howson, the newly crowned LBHS Homecoming Queen. Check out her inspiring story in the Coastline Pilot about overcoming adversity and what it means to be raising our children in Laguna. Read more 

A big thank you to Christine Russell, Jen Leonti, Corinna Thavirat and Kristin Miracle Lewis for taking time from their busy schedules to help me decorate the tree.  It’s a real beauty!  I am proud to say that the LBPC was awarded 3rd Place among local non-profits (yay!) during the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.  We even have a plaque and box of chocolates to show for it.  Congratulations, LBPC!   

If you have yet to visit the Sawdust Festival and would like to see our tree, I have 18 tickets available (first come, first serve).  Message Ali Del Rosso at 949.636.0441 if interested.  And, be sure to look for our tree just behind Santa’s workshop!

PS. Ornaments will be available for pickup after the festival ends on December 21.  Stop by The Lewis Residence at 3191 Bern Drive to grab yours!

Photos courtesy of South Orange County (SOC) Photography

Oh, and don’t forget about…

Meals for New Parents

We offer a free meal to the parents of any LBPC family bringing home a new baby. Parents can choose from several restaurant and menu options. The Club takes care of ordering the food and delivering it to your doorstep.

Contact Nancy Fischer at nshehadey@yahoo.com

Birth Announcements

Have a new baby and want to share your excitement with the club?  Email alexandria_sue@hotmail.com to have the announcement appear in our next newsletter.

August / September 2015

Two Big Announcements:

1. New Officers and Board Members & 
2. Halloween Walk is Almost Here!!!!

1. New Officers and Board Members 

We are so lucky to have a new board coming in at the beginning of the new year! Please join me in welcoming:

• Co-President: Kristin Lewis - a stylish super mama who has been leading our 2013 Playgroup. She has two adorable littles: Westin (4 yrs old) and Blake (2 yrs old).
• Co-President: Ali Del Rosso - a 2013 playgroup regular and uber-ready LBPC leader. She has an energetic little 2-year old, Cecilia.
• Secretary: Kelly O'brien - our former new membership coordinator, Kelly is now moving into the secretary role and staying super involved while chasing her two little: Kian (3 yrs old) and Ali (18 months).
• Treasurer: Bry Dariush - a brand new mama to Madison (6 months), is excited to taking on a role within LBPC. She's a great fit.

The new team is a dynamic and represents many of our playgroups. I'm excited to be welcoming them.

There will be a soft transition over the next few months and in January they'll take their seats. Those of us who are outgoing Lisa Roberson-Beery (Co-President), Christine Russell (Secretary, and to-be membership coordinator), Christiane Engle (Tresurer, and current 2015 playgroup coordinator, and myself (Co-President) are excited to hand the club over and will remain involved. Please join us in welcoming this new team!

2. Halloween Walk 

The Halloween Walk is October 29 and will begin at 4:30 sharp! Meet up at Main Beach with your playgroup around 4:15 (or earlier if you wanna hang around and take pictures before the walk begins and/or meltdowns start). Promptly at 4:30, we will begin parading down the north side of Forest Ave and trick-or-treat at the shops along the way. It's a great time and always creates great memories. Scroll down for additional details and please RSVP on bigtent at: click here to rsvp for Halloween Walk

Update on Improvements at Bluebird Park:

We were invited to give input at September's Recreation Committee meeting regarding the shade structures we requested at Bluebird Park. As you may recall based, the City Council approved the capital projects budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which included 250,000 for the Bluebird Park improvements we requested. 

Christine Russell attended the meeting and reports that the Recreation Committee will  recommend 1 large Hypar Style shade structure for the tot lot play area and tot lot swings.  The Project Director will bring a few concepts back to the Recreation Committee in two months. After agreement, it will go to the Design Review Board. There was some opposition to additional shade structures in other areas of the park as they believe it would negatively affect the aesthetics of the park. Separately, suggestions were made to add benches in the areas that are shaded in the tot lot area and take the concept to the Arts Commission to include some "art benches" at the park. Additional recommendations included a tree planing effort for future shade.

A huge thank you to Christine for attending and providing such great input to the Recreation Committee. We will continue to keep you up to date as the project advances.

Upcoming Events

Princess & Superhero Yoga at Bala Shala

When:Sat Oct 3, 2015, 11 am – noon Where:Bala Shala; 1956 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, Description: LBPC Superhero/ Princess Yoga Party!! Come as your favorite princess or superhero to Bala Shala on Sauturday 10/3 from 11-12 for yoga, games, dancing, and LOTS of fun! $10 per child 3 and over, snacks and lemonade will be provided. 1956 South Coast Highway RSVP to staci@balashala.com

October Book Club 

(Note: Meets second Wednesday of each month.)

When: Wed. October 14,  2015, 7:00–9:00 pm
Where: Wine Gallery, 1833 South Coast Hwy #110
Contact: Kim Mattie, kim.mattie@gmail.com

Join us for the October book club meeting!! 

We'll meet at the Wine Gallery where we will enjoy some refreshments and discuss this month's book (Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin.). Food is available for purchase at the Wine Gallery. For a menu including food and drinks, go here:http://goo.gl/GQSzlC . 

If you haven't attended before, we'd love to see you. Haven't read or finished the book? Totally okay - we understand the life of a mom can be hectic. Our meetings are generally a good time for local moms to get together, socialize and relax.

Monthly Meeting - Sept/ Oct combined meeting

When: Thu Oct 15, 2015, 8–10 pm
Where: Kristin Lewis's house
3191 Bern Dr. , Laguna Beach, Ca 92651
Description:

We're doing a combined September/ October meeting.
Laguna Beach Parents Club's monthly meeting is Thursday, October 15th, from 8-10pm, at Kristin Lewis's house ( 3191 Bern Dr., Laguna Beach).
RSVP much appreciated.
Join us. It's a nice night out with some local mamas to have a glass of wine and talk shop.
If you haven't attended before this is what to expect at our monthly meetings:
A community gathering of local parents sharing a drink and "war" stories along with an update on LBPC events including an outline of where we're heading and where we've been. It's also an opportunity to shape future events, but there is no pressure to commit to any future events just by attending - at a bare minimum your presence is appreciated. We also typically include in our discussion community involvement such as what charities to support at future events and other local groups to team up with for events.
Ours meeting for the most part occur on the last Thursday on each month. So if you can't make it this month, we hope to see you at the end of next month.

It's generally a nice night with some swell folks. Hope to see you there.

Halloween Walk 2015

When: Thu Oct 29, 2015, 4:30–7:30 pm Where: Main Beach Next to Playground  PCH and Ocean Description:  Save the date, our most precious and coveted event of the year is approaching! Our annual Halloween Walk 2015. This event is special due to the nature and large turn out of the event. Get yourselves and your munchkins in their costumes and lets have some fun Laguna style. PLEASE RSVP As in past years, we will be meeting/marching at Main Beach PROMPTLY at 4:30, parading down Forest Ave and concluding our parade at the Presbyterian Parking Lot for our "after party"! For those of you new to this event, we will be crossing PCH at Ocean St. assisted by the Laguna Beach Police Department. We then parade down the LEFT side of Forest Ave while trick or treating at many of the supportive merchants on the route. We proceed to Third st. where we take a right and head down to the Presbyterian Parking Lot (located in the back of the church). The course will be lined with balloons. Once you arrive at the Lot you will find, snacks, drinks, music and a party! We also will have the ever popular Waste Management trash truck in the lot for the kids to climb on druel on!  Also, as in past years, we choose a charity to support, and we have chosen The CSP Laguna Beach Youth Shelter. The shelter offers short term crisis intervention, services to homeless kids, runaway and at risk youth from all over Orange County. The shelter is in great need of basic art supplies for teens. Acrylic paint, paint brushes, markers, crayons, beads, friendship bracelet string, glitter, puffy paints, and pretty much anything else kids would use! We greatly appreciate your support with this awesome place of help and safety. More details to come Just a recap: Dress up! Meet Main Beach 4:30 Come EARLY! Bring a trick or treat bag Bring Art supplies for charity Come to have a GREAT time! Please also feel free to invite family members and potential members! SEE ALL of you there!

The Fun times we've had over the last few months

Margarita Moms' Night Out
We saw many new faces at the August Margarita Moms' Night Out held at Tortilla Republic. Thank you for being brave a showing up at an event without knowing many people or no one. YOU ROCK! A huge thank you to our regulars that make so many of our awesome events and made (hopefully) all the newbies feel welcome. It was great to share snacks and a few margaritas with you all.



John Wayne Airport Tour

What's as cool as airplanes? A tour of the airport!  Big thanks for Michelle Cornell for rally the troops for this one and finding something for the kiddos to do during summer break!

Family Friday at Bluebird Park

Since the day light will no longer be on our side, we had our last Family Friday of the year this past week and, as always, it did not disappoint.  I simply LOVE spending this "happy hour" fridays with my LBPC family.

Don't Forget About:

Meals for New Parents 

We offer a free meal prepared by a local restaurant to any LBPC family bringing home a new baby. The family can choose from several menu options. The Club takes care of ordering the food, picking it up and delivering it to the families doorstep. Yum Yum!

Contact Nancy Fischer at nshehadey@yahoo.com

Birth Announcements

Have a new baby and want to share your excitement with the club.  Email jenniferleonti@gmail.com to have the announcement appear in our next newsletter.

We need your help!

Our parents club is 100% run by volunteers. It takes a lot of people to pull off our events, manage the calendar, monitor the website and keep everyone happy! Please join us at our monthly meetings to help keep with wonderful community organization thriving.

We VERY MUCH need help with the following:

• Website Coordinator - This person will be tasked with helping us keep our public website up to date. The main focus of this position is assisting our sponsorship coordinator with up dating the site with new sponsors graphics and text. The commitment is generally a once a month or once every other month commitment depending on how often we receive new sponsors. If you're interested and feeling ambitious,  the position can be much more and include a more general update of the website. 
• Calendar Coordinator - We are looking to fill the position of calendar coordinator.  This person will help keep the club members in "the know" about events going on in our community by posting their findings on our bigtent calendar. 

Check us out on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/LBparentsclub

July 2015

Call All Members: It's time to nominate new officers and board members

Hello !,

Going forward in July of each year we will begin nominating new officers and board members to vacancies.   The nomination process will begin in July and continue through November to allow for a filling the seats and a transition period. New officers and board members will assume their role as of the December annual meeting.

Although we are formally calling this a nomination process, informally this is an opportunity for you to “nominate” yourself for one of these positions.

If you are interested in a position, please contact one of our current officers (contact info below), and feel free to attend this month’s meeting to find out more.

This year's vacancies are as follows:

President: Oversees the group.  Must attend monthly meetings. Ensures that things are running smoothly.  Is a board member.  Fulfills positions as needs become available.  Ensures success of the group, continued growth in membership, and is the go-to persons for the planning of big events.  President may or may not run the meeting, however it is recommended that they create the monthly agenda.

Vice President:  Must attend meetings.  Assists the President with the many tasks they have  and is asked for their help when needed. Is also a board member. Stands in when president cannot be as involved in a critical part of the club.  Will stand in to lead meetings. Coordinates meeting locations.  Assist with admin training for Bigtent, new leadership, photo posting, and Facebook.  The VP and President can also divide and conquer events or be the point person for certain aspects of annual club events/ education/ play group coordination/ roundtable discussions, etc…

NOTE: President and VP can also be labeled as Co-Presidents as Lisa and I did these past two years and then we divided up the above tasks.

If you are interested and want more information on these positions, please contact Jennifer Leonti (jenniferleonti@gmail.com) or Lisa Roberson-Beery (lisaroberson@hotmail.com), current Co-Presidents.

Secretary :Must attend meeting.  Is also a board member.  Is responsible for e-mailing all those who attended meeting and composing monthly minutes.  Responsibilities are a few hours a month. In addition, file a few documents for the club, including  Statement of Information  (every other year), and Annual Registration Renewal. Keeper of the club's corporate binder.

If you are interested and want more information on this position, please contact Christine Russell (crcaligurl@gmail.com), current Secretary.

Treasurer: Responsibilities are generally an hour a month and can be done on your own time.  They include updating the budget, sending reimbursement checks via bank website or app, and coordinating payment from sponsors.  The Treasurer is a board member and is helpful to attend some meetings.  A basic knowledge of Excel is helpful but no prior financial experience is necessary.

If you are interested and want more information on this position, please contact Christiane Engle (christiane.m.engel@gmail.com), current Treasurer.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities

• Website Coordinator - This person will be tasked with helping us keep our public website up to date. The main focus of this position is assisting our sponsorship coordinator with updating the site with new sponsors graphics and text. The commitment is generally a once a month or once every other month commitment depending on how often we receive new sponsors. If you're interested and feeling ambitious,  the position can be much more and include a more general update of the website

Exciting things are going on at the LBPC and we're so happy you're a part of it.

Upcoming Events

Moms' Night Out
When: COMING SOON
We're busy working hard to get a definite date and place. Stay tuned!


Family Friday at Bluebird Park

When: Fri July 31, 2015, 5–8 pm Where: Bluebird Park Description: Pack a picnic dinner, bring some wine and join us for a family Friday night at Bluebird Park. Enjoy the longer daylight and let your kids bike, scooter or play while the parents enjoy some conversation. This is a non-hosted event, meaning you should bring your own food, drink and picnic blanket. We plan to start gathering around 5 p.m., but feel free to join whenever your schedule allows. We'll set up camp near the bottom of the ramp from the top parking lot. Look for more of these this summer! We plan to organize them for the last Friday of the month through September. We hope to see you and your families there!

August Book Club 

(Note: Meets second Wednesday of each month.)

When: Wed. Aug 12,  2015, 7:00–9:00 pm
Where: Wine Gallery, 1833 South Coast Hwy #110
Contact: Kim Mattie, kim.mattie@gmail.com

Join us for the July book club meeting!! 

We'll meet at the Wine Gallery where we will enjoy some refreshments and discuss this month's book (The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (author of Big Little Lies)). Food is available for purchase at the Wine Gallery. For a menu including food and drinks, go here:http://goo.gl/GQSzlC . 

If you haven't attended before, we'd love to see you. Haven't read or finished the book? Totally okay - we understand the life of a mom can be hectic. Our meetings are generally a good time for local moms to get together, socialize and relax.

Don't Forget About:

Meals for New Parents 

We offer a free meal prepared by a local restaurant to any LBPC family bringing home a new baby. The family can choose from several menu options. The Club takes care of ordering the food, picking it up and delivering it to the families doorstep. Yum Yum!

Contact Nancy Fischer at nshehadey@yahoo.com

Birth Announcements

Have a new baby and want to share your excitement with the club.  Email jenniferleonti@gmail.com to have the announcement appear in our next newsletter.

We need your help!

Our parents club is 100% run by volunteers. It takes a lot of people to pull off our events, manage the calendar, monitor the website and keep everyone happy! Please join us at our monthly meetings to help keep with wonderful community organization thriving.

We VERY MUCH need help with the following:

• Website Coordinator - This person will be tasked with helping us keep our public website up to date. The main focus of this position is assisting our sponsorship coordinator with up dating the site with new sponsors graphics and text. The commitment is generally a once a month or once every other month commitment depending on how often we receive new sponsors. If you're interested and feeling ambitious,  the position can be much more and include a more general update of the website. 
• Calendar Coordinator - We are looking to fill the position of calendar coordinator.  This person will help keep the club members in "the know" about events going on in our community by posting their findings on our bigtent calendar. 
• Newsletter Coordinator- Looking to flex your writing skills instead of your coloring skills? Here's your opportunity. 

Thank you to those folks who have recently stepped up to continue to make this club go 'round including Nancy Fischer our new Families Helping Families Coordinator.

Check us out on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/LBparentsclub