Blk Dot Coffee at Irvine Spectrum Review

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

I went to this location while shopping at the Irvine Spectrum. I always like trying new coffee spots that aren’t the typical chains. This spot did not disappoint. It fits in with the rest of the upscale shops and dining in the Spectrum, but I would love to see if their other locations provide a different atmosphere. Today, I got the Iced Light Vietnamese Coffee with non-fat milk. I loved that they provided a light option because I am a “skinny” coffee drinker at Starbucks. The drink was not too sweet, and the taste of the coffee was excellent. There is some seating directly outside the coffee shop, but only enough for 2 or 3 groups of people. I was able to rest and relax in some lounge chairs nearby (between h&m and the Apple store) with my baby. Then, we walked and shopped. A perfect relaxing afternoon with my little one!

Iced Light Vietnamese Coffee with Non-fat Milk
Menu 1
Menu 2
Coffee Bar and Cash Wrap
Storefront
Comfy Umbrella Seating by Fountain
Playing with Toys on the Grass

The Lost Bean in Irvine Review

Sunday, February 21, 2021

This place gets 5 stars for location, but 3 stars for taste, which evens out to 4. I got the Lapaz drink because I wanted to try one of their speciality drinks. I am someone who can get a plain latte or a super sugary caramel macchiato as long as it is good. This drink tasted similar to Peet’s coffee to me, but not as good. Also, my drink got cold pretty fast. I loved the aesthetic of the shop, and once Covid ends, I would definitely hang out there. Their cups were fun and cute as well. I am a sucker for a cup with a cute design. Also, the outside grass and view of the lake is gorgeous. Even though the coffee was not my favorite, I would go again to enjoy the ambience around and maybe a walk on that lake.

Such a unique cup! I got the Lapaz drink.
Cash Wrap and Coffee Bar
Art, Indoor Seating, and the Cuteness!
Indoor Seating and Decor
Sugar Bar
Outdoor Seating
Coffee with Lake Views

Disney Hollywood Studios November 2020

For our third anniversary, my husband and I were supposed to go to Seattle and Portland. However, the pandemic threw a wrench in our plans. We still wanted to travel and celebrate, so we asked ourselves what state is open and won’t shut down. Florida is the state that came to mind. Therefore, two weeks in advance, we were planning a Disney World trip.

Hollywood Studios… And so it begins…

I first checked to see if our desired parks were available for reservations. My husband and I wanted to go to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom because Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland. Also, we knew that the rides at Epcot were not as thrilling, and Epcot is more about the food and drinks. Therefore, we came to the conclusion of Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom for our reservations. We bought our airplane tickets and hotel through Expedia, and a few short weeks later we were flying out of LAX.

Runaway Railway

We arrived in Orlando late on a Thursday Night. We ate at Cafe Tu-Tu Tango, which was delicious, and then went to sleep. Our plan for the weekend was Hollywood Studios Friday, Animal Kingdom Saturday, Universal Studios Sunday, and fly home Monday. In this post I will only be talking about our day in Hollywood studios:

Tower of Terror

Our day started at 6:45 AM when we woke up anxious to get our Rise of the Resistance boarding group. We waited on the my Disney Experience App staring at the phone until it changed to 7 AM. We quickly did the process and got our boarding group. We definitely were a high up boarding group and didn’t board until around 1-2PM, but we got the boarding pass. I am so glad we could get the boarding pass while in bed instead of having to be in the park. After getting the boarding Pass, we got ready, had Starbucks near the hotel, and prepared to leave for Hollywood studios.

Millenium Falcon!!!

Since we did not rent a car and we were not staying on property, we ubered to Hollywood Studios. We got there 5 minutes before 8 AM (The park opened at 9 AM). I wanted to make sure we were there right when the parking opened so we could rope drop some rides. We were stuck waiting until almost 8:05 before they let us in. The Uber driver dropped us off right in front of the park. When we got out, we went straight to the lines for temperature checks. The lines were already long to be checked, probably due to people staying on property not having to wait for the parking lot to open. Next, we went to scan our tickets from our phones like we do at Disneyland, but YOU CANNOT DO THIS. You have to get in the ticket line and get printed tickets to enter, unless your cool and know about the magic bands (we didn’t).

Smuggler’s Run

Finally, we entered the Park. We went straight for the Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway. This is something new in the park and something they don’t have at Disneyland. I felt, however, it was overrated. It would be a ride I could skip and not feel bad for missing it. After that ride, we went to Star Wars land to ride Smuggler’s Run. This ended up being my favorite ride of the day and we rode twice. We were the only people on the ride because of Covid protocols, so we were both pilots. I loved how interactive it was, and even though I was terrible, it was still a lot of fun.

Blue Milk

At this point we were hungry and decided it was snack time. We decided to try the Blue and Green Milk and the Ronto Wrap. To my dismay, the Blue and Green Milk were not very tasty, and my husband and I could barely finish them. However, I believe it is definitely an experience you should have once. Next, we ate the Ronto Wraps. They have a pork sausage, roasted pork, and coleslaw on a pita. We added BBQ sauce to it. We liked it, but didn’t love it.

Ronto Wrap

Our Rise of the Resistance group was almost up at this point, so we stayed and shopped a bit. Then, we went to the ride. It turns out it was broken down, so we went to Tower of Tower. The ride started working again once we got in line so we chose to leave and go back to Rise of the Resistance. This ride was awesome, and it was my husbands favorite ride of the day. The lead up to the ride was probably my favorite part. I have never been so uncomfortable as when I walked into that room full of storm troopers. This ride made you feel like you were truly a part of the movie.

Rise of the Resistance

Our next choices of rides were Rockin’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. These rides are arguably the most thrilling in the park. The roller coaster is fast and has 2 rollover loops and a corkscrew. The Tower of Terror is a drop ride with a twilight zone theme. Ours, in California, recently changed to guardians of the galaxy and is more bouncy, so I loved having the original theming and drops again.

Slinky Dog Dash
Pixar!
Never too much Baby Yoda!

By this point, we were getting tired, so we chose to walk through Toy Story Land. Since we are 30 and 35, this land did not appeal to us much, and we chose to skip slinky dog and the rest. We did take some cool pictures tho! After our pictures, we went to baseline for a snack and some drinks. I got a margarita and a Bavarian pretzel. My husband got a Beer and snacked on some chips he brought. With our bellies full we decided to go on a couple of rides before the park closed. We chose to go on Star Tours and Smuggler’s Run for the second time. By that time, the park was closing, but I ran into a store and got an Ewok I had my eyes on. He’s so cute, and soft, and fluffy, and I love him! I definitely recommend these big-footed plushies!

Baseline Margarita and Bavarian Pretzel
Star Tours
Ewok Souvenir

We left the park, which closed very early for theme park usual hours, and headed to our hotel. We went to dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at City Walk, and that concluded our Hollywood Studios day. We were tired, our feet hurt, but we ended the day knowing we did absolutely everything we wanted to do!

Outfit Links:

Link to Star Wars Masks: https://amzn.to/3stRElK

Baby Yoda Shirt: Walmart

Jack Skellington Mickey Ears: https://amzn.to/2O3oRFU

Lulu Lemon Leggings: https://amzn.to/3sBYu9c

Nike Shoes: https://amzn.to/2MxKg9V

English Teacher: Year Long Bulletin Boards

At the beginning of the year, I put up my felt fabric background on my bulletin boards. Next, I put up my borders. These backgrounds and borders can last for multiple years. Therefore, they are cost effective, and they allow me to not spend as much time changing backgrounds and borders because what teachers have time for bulletin boards anyways with everything else.

Outside my classroom

This board is outside my classroom. It has my favorite theme, Harry Potters. I used card stock and string for the Hogwarts Banner. I used the school’s die-cut maker for all the letters. I bought the mirrors at the dollar tree. I printed and laminated the words: choices, grades, success, words, and actions. I also printed and laminated my schedule and a list of my favorite things. Lastly, I printed and laminated a few extra Harry Potter images.

I have my students complete Cornell Notes after reading as one type of notes . I keep this up in case they forget the format. The essential question label is missing, but I added it later. It was lost for a bit.

I created this Espresso Yourself in Writing board because writing seems to be the most difficult task for my students. I posted MLA rules for papers and works cited pages. Also, I put sample transitions in a Starbucks cup and the writing process on a pencil made of card stock. Lastly, I had outlines of the 3 types of writing I teach: Argumentative, Narrative, and Informative/Explanatory.

The Reading Literature Challenge was purchased on Teachers Pay Teachers. The goal is to encourage students to read outside of class for extra credit. For each book read they receive 5 extra credit points towards reading, and for each writing assignment attached they get 5 points towards writing. I created this trolley for students who forget materials. I bought the trolley from Target and printed and taped the words “Anything off the trolley dears?” on to the trolley. This continues the Harry Potter theme I have outside.

The last Bulletin Board I have to show is my calendar board to the right. I have my calendar, rules, and syllabi posted on this board. I also have taped off sections on the white board for standards, learning goals, and schedule for the day. I had another board on the side of my class where I would write the homework for the week.

Lastly, I have unit boards in the back of my classroom which would change with my units. I have a 6th grade English board to the left. It includes the standards, objectives, schedule, pictures, and vocab for that unit. It is also where I display student work. Furthermore, I had a Bible board because I was teaching Bible at the time. It includes the books of the Bible and a Verse of the Month.

Overall, I try to create boards that can remain all year long. My goal is to change my boards as little as possible. As an English teacher, I choose to focus on grading essays and lesson planning. Bulletin boards come very low on my to-do list, so I try my best to create boards that can stay year around.

An Alice in Wonderland Baby Shower

I choose to do an Alice in Wonderland themed baby shower because I loved the pastel blue and pink colors for a baby shower. Also, my love of all things Disney influenced this decision as well. Continue reading to see how to create an Alice and Wonderland Themed Baby Shower!

First: The Entry Sign and Gate

I bought the entry sign at Hobby Lobby on one of their half-priced weeks. It came to about $30. One of my friends used her cri-cut machine to make the letters and design. Then, I created the Gate Entry with Jumbo Cards I found on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2O8pwFW). I staple gunned the card to three wooden stakes. Lastly, I zip-tied the wood to the gate to keep it in place.

Next, a Walk Through the Garden.

To make the Queen of Heart’s Soldier, I used Poster Boards from Target, a Template I got from YouTube: https://youtu.be/POA2hlnFq-nw, and Wooden Stakes I had. I glued the template on the Poster board. Then, I staple gunned the poster board to the stake.

For the Potted Plants, I got the pots and wooden stakes from Walmart. I then painted them with Acrylic paint from Michaels. They soil was borrowed from my grandfather. The flowers were purchased at Home Depot. I purchased the mini flamingoes on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3bHGqUg). Lastly, I used a google image for one of the potted plant signs and an Etsy template for the other. I printed them, laminated them, and staple gunned them to the wooden stake.

Sign In Table

I purchased the Teapot and some Sharpie acrylic Paint Pens from Target to use as my guest sign in. The silver bunny was purchased from Marshall’s. The White clock was purchased at Target. The frame and silver clock were borrowed. The sign “Baby is Brewing” was purchased off Etsy. The desk was given by a friend. We then chalk painted it with Chalk paint found at Home Depot.

Gifts Table

For the Gifts Table, I printed “Off With Her Gifts” from a Google search. The frame was purchased off Amazon. The birdcage for the Cards was purchased from IKEA. I had the Alice in Wonderland Book, book stand , tablecloth, and vase for Flowers previously. To make the Queen of hearts, I printed her from a Google search, laminated her, and hot glued her to cardboard. I got the white roses off Amazon (https://amzn.to/3uDS76T). I painted the roses red with acrylic paint bought at Michaels.

Alice in Wonderland Baby Shower Games

Late Night Diapers, Guess the Baby Food, and Pacifier Hunt
My Water Broke and The Price is Right

All the frames were purchased on sale from Michaels and Hobby Lobby. All of the printed signs and forms were bought from Etsy.

Late Night Diapers: Diapers were purchased from Target. The chevron bag was purchased at Hobby Lobby. The guests would write advice and encouragement on the diapers for late night diaper changes.

Pacifier Hunt: I bought pink plastic pacifiers on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3b0KFed). I hid the pacifiers throughout the backyard. The person who found the most won a prize. The Cheshire Cat plush was purchased on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3sw3ETW).

My Water Broke: I bought small plastic babies on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3pWqmTH). I put them in ice trays and froze them in the ice. People place their ice baby in water, once the baby is completely released from the ice. The guest yells “My Water Broke”. They then win the game.

The Price is Right: I bought random baby items from Target. The guests must guess the prices of the items and create a total. Whoever’s total is closest wins.

Guess the Baby Food: Guests will smell the baby food and write down their best guesses for what it is. Whoever gets the most guesses right wins!

Game Prizes: Prize 1 was a Cheshire Cat Mug (https://amzn.to/3q5sfgB) and Notebook (https://amzn.to/3e5w9Ef). Prize 2 was an Alice in Wonderland Movie (https://amzn.to/3q0siuj). Prize 3 was Alice in Wonderland Tea (https://amzn.to/3aY62gb). Prize 4 was an old fashioned Alice in Wonderland Book (https://amzn.to/3r0ObuF).

Alice in Wonderland Royal Croquet Court Game

I used the poster board soldiers I described above, and instead of using a wooden stake, I used metal stakes to put both sides in the ground. I bought the plastic flamingoes from Party City. To make the flamingo croquet sticks, I drilled holes on both sides of the plastic flamingoes. Then, i just slid then on to the poles. I borrowed the croquet kit.

Decoration: Exploding Card Teapot

I printed picture of the Mad Hatter, laminated it, and hot glued it to cardboard. The teapot I bought at target. The Alice inWonderland Playing Cards (https://amzn.to/2Oa2KgR), floral foam (https://amzn.to/3uyTWlL), clothespins (https://amzn.to/3aXIlou), and plastic coated wire (https://amzn.to/3q4dNFI) were bought on amazon. Lastly, I used the following website to help create the item: https://debbeesbuzz.com/diy-alice-in-wonderland-cards-teapot-centerpiece.

Decoration: “You Can Learn A Lot of Things from the Flowers”

The artificial flowers were purchased from the Dollar Tree and Michaels. The faces were printed and laminated from: https://family.disney.com/craft/alice-in-wonderland-golden-afternoon-flowers/. I hot glued the faces on to the artificial flowers.

Photobooth

I bought the side table from hobby lobby. The mason jars holding the props were from Target. The Alice props were bought on Etsy and The It’s a Girl props were purchased from Amazon. The Grass (https://amzn.to/2ZUqwQT), Checkered Backdrop (https://amzn.to/2MvoMKG), Backdrop Frame, Jumbo cards (https://amzn.to/2O8pwFW), and Mad Hatter Hat (https://amzn.to/2O21hJD) were purchased from Amazon. The Baby is Brewing Banner was bought on Etsy. The Paper Flowers were purchased on Facebook Marketplace. See above for the Pot details.

Dessert Table

Cake: I used Cinderella Cakes in Anaheim. The Baby is Brewing topper was bought off Etsy.

Mini Desserts: I bought mixed berry tarts, mini cheesecakes, raspberry puffs, and mini lemon merengues from Mr. Baker in Brea.

Cake Pops: These were homemade by a friend.

Macaroons: They were purchased from Merely Sweets in Brea.

Linzer Cookies: These were homemade by a friend.

Plates and Dishes: All the plates and dishes were purchased from Home Goods or borrowed.

Some Decorations to Add to Desserts: poker (https://amzn.to/3bImAbr), flamingoes (https://amzn.to/3kve6rV), bunny ears (https://amzn.to/3r1GUux), vintage Alice (https://amzn.to/2Pi8MwK), tea pots and cups (https://amzn.to/3bImLU9), and fondant clocks (Etsy).

Alice in Wonderland Drink Table

Water: I put water and lemon slices in a drink dispenser I bought from Home Goods.

Pink Lemonade: We used the Pink Lemonade from Trader Joe’s. I bought the drink dispenser at Hone Goods.

Mimosas: I used a drink holder I had used at a previous party for the orange juice. The champagne holders were borrowed. I used Korbels for the champagne. The plastic champagne glasses were purchased off Amazon (https://amzn.to/3q1JPT1). The mimosa sign was purchased from Etsy and the frame was purchased from either Michaels or Home Goods.

Glasses: I purchased Starbucks coffees and saved the glasses over the course of a few months. I got the tag from Etsy, laminated it, hole punched the top, and tied it on with ribbon. The paper straws were purchased from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3r165xF).

Coffee: We brewed basic Folgers coffee. The floral paper cups were purchased on Amazon (https://amzn.to/37TuAFm). I bought the coffee urn off Facebook marketplace.

Pink Teapot in Background: https://amzn.to/2O6PA4m

Alice in Wonderland Diaper Cake

For the diaper cake, I purchased Pampers size 1 and the cardboard cake bottom from Walmart. I glued a paper towel tube to the middle of the cardboard cake bottom. I wrapped the diapers around the tube and secured them with a string. I then put the ribbons I bought from Amazon (https://amzn.to/3dUnCUm) and Etsy around them and hot glued them down. I bought some artificial flowers from the dollar tree to stick in the cake. I also used some Alice in Wonderland playing cards and some keys (both purchased on Amazon). I printed and laminated the face and tail of the Cheshire Cat and hot glued it to cardboard. I stuck the pieces in between diapers to remain in place.

Alice in Wonderland Guest Tables

The flowers were bought from a stall in the Anaheim Indoor Swap Meet. The Mason Jar Vases were bought from Target. The decorative books were bought off Ebay. The silver clocks were bought from Target. The mini birdcages (https://amzn.to/2PaaEaE), ceramic bunnies (https://amzn.to/3qXm8MK), paper lanterns (https://amzn.to/2PewNEN), teacups and saucers (https://amzn.to/2NDEELW, https://amzn.to/3uxgbs2), heart- shaped tea infuser (https://amzn.to/3q5oGqJ), small mason jars (https://amzn.to/37SoAgb), cream and sugar holders (https://amzn.to/37U4emC), silver plastic utensils (https://amzn.to/2P9HxnQ), and teapots (https://amzn.to/3kukuj8) were purchased from Amazon. The loose leaf black tea was purchased from the San Francisco Herb Company. The Quote frames were Made by me with materials from Michaels and Google Search. The plastic plates, napkins, table cloths, and napkin rings were bought from tablecloth factory. The sugar container was purchased from the container store.

Alice in Wonderland Food

Sandwiches: We made the sandwiches ourselves. We made egg salad, ham and Swiss, Nutella and strawberry, and cucumber sandwiches. We placed them on serving trays from Amazon (https://amzn.to/2NDecC9).

Scones: We made the scones ourselves. We also made the clotted cream and raspberry jam.

Salad and Fruit Salad: We made the salad and fruit salad ourselves. We made a strawberry summer salad with strawberries, feta cheese, candied walnuts, and raspberry vinegarette.

Some Decorations to Add to Sandwiches or Scones: poker (https://amzn.to/3bImAbr), flamingoes (https://amzn.to/3kve6rV), bunny ears (https://amzn.to/3r1GUux), vintage Alice (https://amzn.to/2Pi8MwK), tea pots and cups (https://amzn.to/3bImLU9), and fondant clocks (Etsy).

Random Final Decorations

We’re All Mad Here Teapot: I purchased the teapot and clock from Target. My friend used her friend-cut and a sharpie paint pen to decorate.

Have I Gone Mad Frame: I purchased the poster template from Etsy and printed it at Staples. I bought the frame from Hobby Lobby.

Hanging Clocks: I printed clocks from Google search. I hot glued one on each side of cardboard. Then, I put a hole punch at the top and used fishing line I purchased from Amazon to hang the clocks from the tree. I finished the floating clocks with a tulle bow.

Pillows: The Alice in Wonderland pillows on the swing were purchased on Amazon.

My Mom and I

I love any occasion to dress up, so I created the Alice inspired outfit you see above. My Outfit was purchased from 4 Different Websites. The blue dress was bought -. The apron was bought on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2O6OuFM). The black velvet headband was purchased from Target. Lastly, the maternity belt was bought on Etsy. I paired this outfit with some sandals I already had. My feet were so swollen at that point that sandals were all I could wear. Good thing it was hot in June!

As you can see, a lot of thought and planning went into this Baby Shower. I would advise prepping at least 3 months in advance to gather your materials and begin your DIY projects. We had a fantastic Mad Tea Party! Quincy and myself were thoroughly showered.