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TUTU FUN Craft Studio Now Open at Irvine Spectrum – Create, Sew & Customize

Issue # 0353

Author

Joshua Tjia
27 Feb

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh Of The Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🏙️🚎 Irvine Approves Land Swap to Connect Great Park with Public Transit

📁🖇️ Irvine Hosts Free Small Business Clinic to Support Local Entrepreneurs

🍓🌻🍓 Tanaka Farms Open House Weekend – Explore, Taste, and Enjoy

🧵🎨 TUTU FUN Craft Studio Now Open at Irvine Spectrum – Create, Sew & Customize

🐢💦 Build Swim Confidence with British Swim School’s Turtle 1 Program

♥️🩺 Recognizing a Heart Attack: Symptoms, Actions & Prevention

🌳🥾 Explore Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks with Free Field Guides

🖼️ Explore Irvine Fine Arts Center's Two New Exhibitions This March

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐾 Meet Ryder: A Calm, Loyal Dog Ready for Adoption

🎾 UCI Women’s Tennis Sweeps Oakland 7-0, Extends Win Streak to Three

🏀🏐🎾⚾ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

⚽️ Irvine Valley’s Luke Newman Commits to NCAA Division II West Chester Soccer

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚓📦 Package Thief Wanted in Quail Hill – Suspect Spotted in Maroon Mercedes

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

🌟🏪🎉Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

How can you tell that a rabbit is getting old?

Look for the grey hares.

We hope this joke brings some laughter to your day! 😁

Irvine Approves Land Swap to Connect Great Park with Public Transit

Irvine officials approved a land swap with Great Park developer FivePoint Holdings to secure 60 acres near the Irvine train station, aiming to improve connectivity between the Great Park, train station, and Spectrum Center. In exchange, FivePoint will receive 27 acres near the park. The city council voted 5-0 in favor, with Councilmember Mike Carroll absent. Assistant City Manager Pete Carmichael emphasized the potential for increased transit use and workforce housing, while Mayor Larry Agran envisioned a walkable town center. Most public commenters supported the move as a step toward transit-oriented development. This follows an October land swap intended to bring retail options to the Great Park, addressing long-standing resident concerns about access to essential services.

Irvine Hosts Free Small Business Clinic to Support Local Entrepreneurs

The City of Irvine, known for its strategic location and skilled workforce, is hosting a free small business clinic in collaboration with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

  • The event will take place on Thursday, March 13, at Portola Springs Community Center, offering business owners the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an SBDC consultant to discuss marketing, operations, or financial planning.

  • Appointments are available from 5–8 p.m. and are limited to one per business. Interested participants can register here

Tanaka Farms Open House Weekend – Explore, Taste, and Enjoy

Tanaka Farms Open House Weekend – March 22 & 23! Enjoy a fun-filled day exploring farm experiences like strawberry picking, melon tours, the pumpkin patch, Hikari festival, and fresh Christmas trees. Stop by for free goodies, strawberry-themed food, and informational booths—no reservations needed!

TUTU FUN Craft Studio Now Open at Irvine Spectrum – Create, Sew & Customize

TUTU FUN is now open at Irvine Spectrum Center! This creative studio offers hands-on DIY craft experiences, including tutu-making, sewing, embroidery, and custom accessories. Ideal for kids and adults, they provide workshops, private events, and drop-in crafting sessions to spark creativity. Stop by and design something unique today! More info

Build Swim Confidence with British Swim School’s Turtle 1 Program

The Turtle 1 program at British Swim School teaches essential water survival skills, helping young swimmers gain confidence and stay safe in the water.

  • Graduating from Turtle 1 is a major milestone, marking the transition to becoming a Safer Swimmer. These graduates have mastered critical survival techniques and are ready to refine their swimming skills in stroke development.

  • Parents looking to build their child's water confidence and safety can learn more about the program here or by calling 949-570-9798.

Recognizing a Heart Attack: Symptoms, Actions & Prevention

Recognizing heart attack symptoms early can save lives. A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is blocked, while angina is a warning sign that improves with rest.

Key Signs:

  • Chest pain/pressure, radiating to the arm, jaw, or back

  • Shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, fatigue

  • Angina improves with rest; a heart attack does not

What to Do:

  • Call 9-1-1 immediately

  • Chew aspirin (4 baby or 1 regular)

  • Take nitroglycerin if prescribed

  • Rest and wait for emergency help

Helping Others:

  • Locate an AED (defibrillator)

  • Start CPR if no pulse

Atypical Symptoms (Common in Women, Older Adults, Diabetics):

  • Back, jaw, or upper abdominal pain, arm pain, shortness of breath

Prevention:

  • Quit smoking, manage blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes

  • Exercise regularly, eat healthy, maintain BMI under 25

  • Reduce stress

If symptoms persist, seek medical help immediately—acting fast can save a life.

Explore Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks with Free Field Guides

Explore the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks with free downloadable field guides—perfect for hiking, birdwatching, and learning about local wildlife, from birds and wildflowers to butterflies.

  • Stretching from Weir Canyon near the 91 Freeway to Crystal Cove State Park, these preserved lands offer stunning geological formations like the “Sinks,” tranquil canyons, tide pools, and over 7,000 acres of coastal hills with breathtaking views.

  • The northern mountains, spanning 20,000 acres, connect to the Cleveland National Forest and support rare wildlife, while the South Coast Wilderness provides one of the largest coastal sage scrub habitats between LA and San Diego.

Explore Irvine Fine Arts Center's Two New Exhibitions this March

Experience two exhibitions at the Irvine Fine Arts Center from March 1–May 24, exploring transformation, resilience, and the complexities of everyday life through printmaking, mixed media, and text-based art.

  • Metamorphosis: Mending the Wound – Curated by Lynk Collective, this exhibition highlights transformation and healing through site-specific installations and works by Barbara Berk, Joyce Farmer, Dusty Guerra, Victor Rosas, Marco Schindelmann, Yvette Trujillo, and Lynk Collective members.

  • Everything’s Fine – A solo show by Michelle Andrade, featuring mixed-media works, drawings, and artist books that use humor and irony to examine daily tensions and hidden meanings in language.

Opening Reception: March 1, 2–4 p.m. – Meet the artists and catch a performance by Barbara Berk in Central Gallery. More info at cityofirvine.org/arts.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. February 28: CSUF Wind Ensemble Festival, CSU Fullerton

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://timbmusic.org/events/

Upcoming University High School's Choirs Calendar

  1. February 27 - March 1,6,7,8 7:00 PM: Guys and Dolls Musical, Big Theater

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.uhschoirs.org/2024-25-season.html

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. February 27 - March 1, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM: Shrek the Musical, Performing Arts Center

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.whs-music.org/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. February 27 - March 1: Shrek the Musical, WHS Performing Arts Center.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://woodbridgechoirs.weebly.com/calendar.html

Upcoming Irvine High School's Music Calendar

  1. March 5-8, 7:00 PM: Mary Poppins Musical, Irvine Performing Arts Center.

  2. March 13, 6:30 PM: Festival Concert, Irvine Performing Arts Center.

  3. March 15, All Day: Irvine Jazz Festival, Irvine High School Campus.

  4. March 18, 7:00 PM: District Jazz Festival, Woodbridge HS Performing Arts Center.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.vimb.info/calendar

Meet Ryder: A Calm, Loyal Dog Ready for Adoption

Ryder is a big-hearted and independent dog with a calm, stoic presence. He enjoys companionship and will signal when he's ready for a walk.

  • Known for his gentle nature, Ryder values personal space and thrives in a relaxed environment.

  • He has excellent manners during bath time, making his weekly spa sessions effortless.

  • Plus, he comes with a Goodpup Scholarship, providing free one-on-one training for his adopter.

  • Those seeking a loyal, low-maintenance companion can meet Ryder at the Irvine Animal Care Center, open for adoptions weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

UCI Women’s Tennis Sweeps Oakland 7-0, Extends Win Streak to Three

UC Irvine (4-4, 1-1) dominated Oakland (3-5) with a 7-0 sweep at Anteater Tennis Stadium, marking their third straight win. The Anteaters secured the doubles point with wins from Fowler/Y. Huynh (6-1) and M. Huynh/Khayat (6-4). In singles, Y. Huynh (6-1, 6-2) and M. Huynh (6-0, 6-1) quickly extended the lead before Perez (6-2, 6-0) clinched the victory. Fowler and Pitchford battled through tough three-setters to complete the sweep. Coach Ferris Smith praised the team’s composure and improvement, while players emphasized their energy and momentum heading into road matches against New Mexico State (Mar. 1) and UTEP (Mar. 2).

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women's Basketball

  • Thu, Feb 27: UC Irvine vs. Cal State Fullerton at 6:00 PM

Baseball

  • Fri, Feb 28: UC Irvine vs. Louisiana at 6:00 PM

Irvine Valley’s Luke Newman Commits to NCAA Division II West Chester Soccer

Irvine Valley standout midfielder/forward Luke Newman is heading to NCAA Division II West Chester in Pennsylvania. A first-team all-Orange Empire Conference selection, he led the conference with nine assists and ranked third in total points (27), scoring eight goals—four of them game-winners. Newman helped the Lasers finish 8-12-1 overall (6-7-1 OEC). The Santa Margarita High alum joins a West Chester team that went 8-7-4 last season.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Men’s Tennis

  1. Thu, Feb 27 – vs Bakersfield, 1:00 PM

Baseball

  1. Thu, Feb 27 – vs LA Valley, 1:00 PM

Women's Beach Volleyball

  1. Thu, Feb 27 – vs LA Valley, 1:00 PM

Men's Volleyball

  1. Fri, Feb 28 – vs San Diego Mesa, 6:00 PM

High School Athletics Calendar

** Updated With February Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

February 2025

Thursday, February 27

  • 3:00 PM - Tennis (Boys, VR) vs Sage Hill at Irvine High School Heritage Park

  • 3:15 PM - Track & Field (Boys, VR) vs Esperanza at Irvine High School Stadium

  • 3:15 PM - Track & Field (Girls, VR) vs Esperanza at Irvine High School Stadium

  • 3:30 PM - Beach Volleyball (Girls, VR) vs Tarbut V Torah at Deerfield Park Beach Courts

  • 7:30 PM - Lacrosse (Girls, VR) vs El Modena at Irvine High School Stadium

Package Thief Wanted in Quail Hill – Suspect Spotted in Maroon Mercedes

A woman was caught taking a package from a doorstep in Quail Hill before leaving in a 1992 maroon Mercedes. Authorities are seeking help in identifying her. If you have any information, please email [email protected].

Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you’re a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! “Irvine Insider” is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our city. Let’s collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special.

Click the link below and fill out the Local Business Spotlight Application Form to be featured and let’s celebrate the spirit of Irvine together!

Irvine Insider is sent to a local audience of Irvine residence Monday through Friday with 50% - 60% open rate. Our newsletter is a great way to reach Irvine residents.

  • Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market

  • Saturday Farmers Market at Mariners Church Irvine

    • When: Saturday, 8 AM - 12 PM

    • Where: 5428 Bonita Canyon Dr, Irvine, CA 92603

  • Great Park Certified Farmers Market

  • Manassero Farmers

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 4:30 PM

    • Where: 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604

  • Tanaka Farms

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

    • Where: 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

    • More Info:Tanaka Farms

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