SO OC Club: April 9th Edition

My kids are on spring break this week and I made myself a promise going into it. Phone down and laptop closed, as much as humanly possible. Which sounds simple but if you are anything like me, it is actually one of the harder things to do. There is always something pulling for your attention, something that always feels urgent. This week I am choosing to let it wait (as much as I can).

While I usually tell myself I’ll get work done, I can still be productive, I can stay on top of everything, they are growing so fast and I don’t want to miss it. I want to take the week to enjoy my time with them, be silly with them, let them play and have fun, because deep down, even through the fighting, the tears, the tantrums, I know I’m going to blink and I will miss these moments. I want to be fully in it this week, as much as I can be.

So that is the theme this week and the challenge too. If your kids are on spring break, try to close the laptop a little earlier than usual. Put the phone in another room for a few hours. Let the week be a little messier and a little louder and a lot more present. You will not regret it. Even if they aren’t on break, commit to being fully present this weekend.

Now let’s get into the good stuff…

Because after being fully present, and managing all of the chaos and commotion, you will need this date night badly. I got you, momma!

I’m a sucker for an outdoor patio with a good view. And The Blind Pig in Rancho Santa Margarita delivers. It overlooks the lake and the setting is so pretty, especially at sunset. The bar scene is fun and lively without being loud. The cocktails are well made, and the menu is the kind of shareable spread that makes a date night feel easy and fun. There are so many things you’ll want to try! The bacon wrapped dates and short rib tacos are must-orders, the artichoke dip is a perfect app, and the BBQ chicken flatbread is always a good call. Open Tuesday through Friday starting at 3 PM and weekends at 11 AM, closed Mondays. Located at 31431 Santa Margarita Parkway in RSM.

Tanaka Farms Strawberry Festival

While this one is outside of SO OC (it’s in North OC, in Irvine), it’s the worth the drive. The Tanaka Farms Strawberry Festivals run through April 21st, and is a ton of fun for the kids. This multi-generational family farm has been a staple of Orange County since the early 1900s. The festival runs on weekends from 10am to 3:30pm and includes free admission with wagon rides around the farm, barnyard animals, farm-fresh food, local vendors, Easter Bunny photos, and a 30-minute all-you-can-eat strawberry feast right in the fields. Parking passes are highly recommended to get in advance and are required if you don’t have passes.

If you want the full experience, the U-Pick Strawberry Tour is the move. Hop on a tractor, ride through the fields with a guide who shares fun facts about the farm, stop to pick your own strawberries and a seasonal veggie to take home, and get a one-pound basket of berries along with unlimited eating on the vine during the tour. Kids absolutely lose their minds for this. It is hands-on and educational which I always appreciate for my kids. Parking is $10 per vehicle but is included with Strawberry Tour tickets (which run $17 per person). Book your tour spot in advance on their website since sessions do sell out, especially during spring break weekend. Located at 5380 3/4 University Drive in Irvine.

Hidden House Coffee sounds like a well-kept secret but has clearly been discovered. Tucked on the historic Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano, this veteran-owned coffee shop has built one of the most loyal followings in South OC and the line out the door on a weekend morning tells you everything you need to know. The setting alone is worth the visit. You are on one of the most charming streets in all of Orange County, surrounded by 100-year-old buildings and greenery, with outdoor seating that feels like a proper morning out rather than a quick coffee stop.

Their strawberry matcha is one of the most raved about items on the menu, the iced maple brown sugar coffee is smooth and not overly sweet, and the cold brew (my favorite) is so worth the weight. The pastry selection is equally strong including cinnamon rolls, a jalapeño ball that keeps coming up in reviews as a must-try, and rotating seasonal options. The line moves and it is worth every minute of the wait. Open daily 7 AM to 5 PM at 31791 Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano.

I love a good Pilates workout! SOLOS Pilates Studio is the newest reformer Pilates studio to land in South OC. The Ladera Ranch location is their first in Orange County, brought here from Santa Barbara by founders who created this studio from a place of personal rebuilding and a genuine belief that showing up for yourself changes everything. That intention carries through in the atmosphere, the instructors, and the community that has already built up around it.

The workout is full body reformer Pilates, low impact but deceptively intense, with leveled classes so you can meet yourself where you are that day. Reviewers consistently talk about seeing results quickly, feeling stronger in their core, and leaving each class feeling genuinely empowered rather than just exhausted. The instructors are hands-on with form and the music and energy in the studio make the whole thing feel more like something you look forward to than something you drag yourself to. Intro offer is two classes for $50 or two weeks unlimited for $99. Located at 25662 Crown Valley Parkway Suite H3 in Ladera Ranch. Book at solosfit.com.

This week is a short one in the grand scheme of things. Spring break does not last long and neither does this particular version of your kids. The age they are at right now, the way they talk, the things that make them laugh, the way they still want you in the room, that is all moving faster than it feels like it is. Before you know it the week is over, they are back in school, and you are back in the routine wondering where it went.

So put the phone in the other room, close the laptop earlier than usual, and just be there for it. The good moments and the chaotic ones and the in-between ones that nobody talks about but everybody remembers. You do not need to document all of it. You do not need to make it look a certain way. You just need to be in it. That is the whole point of this week and honestly that is the whole point of this newsletter. See you next Thursday.

See you next Thursday!