Fashion Island collecting toys for unfortunate kids

GREER WYLDER

In the spirit of the season, Fashion Island will host two events this

weekend to benefit the less fortunate.

On Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a Holiday Toy

Drive with Star 98.7 FM at the Christmas tree. All new, unwrapped

gifts will go to the Orangewood Children’s Foundation.

On Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m., Kids & Cottages will have

“Caring for Kids” benefiting orphans in Mexico. Bring in a shoe box

or other small box containing one or more small toys, and one or more

everyday necessity, like a toothbrush, socks, shoes or clothing.

Gifts will go to children up to 12 years old.

The Villa del Nino Orphanage in Jocotepec, near Guadalajara,

Mexico will assist in distributing the gift boxes. Kids & Cottages

will have tables set up with art supplies so children can decorate or

wrap their gift box. Children can have their photo taken with their

gift box so the child receiving the gift can also see who is sending

it. In exchange, Kids & Cottages will photograph each child that

receives a gift; pictures will come back for those in the community

who donated a gift box.

Kids & Cottages is on the main level of Atrium Court at Fashion

Island. Call (949) 640-2057.

FRESH TREATS

At SunFlour Natural Bakery, find freshly baked Christmas treats

that also make wonderful gifts. A stacking Christmas tree cookie

contains more than two dozen star shaped cookies, perfectly created

as a Christmas tree. Trees are wrapped in cellophane and tied with

holiday ribbon. There’s even a festive and simple -- no baking

required -- Christmas Cookie Decorating Kit for $14.95. Each kit

contains a dozen tree-shaped cookies, with three tubes of icing and a

set of sprinkles. It’s a fun project for kids and a nice gift for

families. There are two gift baskets to choose from and a cookie

basket. The holiday baskets include the sampler for $49.95 and the

deluxe for $74.95. Each basket has an assortment of coffee cakes,

cookies, pastries and bread. The cookie basket contains one or two

dozen hand-decorated iced cookies. A selection of delicious cakes

beautifully decorated for the holidays start at $29.95; pies cost

from $7.95 to $9.25 and include pumpkin, apple, cherry, cranberry

apple, pecan and sugar-free pumpkin. SunFlour Natural Bakery now has

two locations, at 427 E. 17th St. in Costa Mesa (949) 646-1440; and

at 2950 Grace Lane in Costa Mesa. Call (714) 424-0176.

ORIGINAL ART

Select from unique and affordable holiday gifts at the Showcase

Gallery. It specializes in original art. Its annual holiday exhibit

through Jan. 3 features paintings of all media and content,

sculptures in clay, bronze and welded steel, colored glass creations,

mixed media wall hangings, ceramics and more. There are even handmade

note cards and Christmas cards. To ensure high-quality, local artists

represented here are juried into the gallery. Many artists are

nationally as well as locally recognized. The Showcase Gallery is

open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday; from 11 a.m.

to 6 p.m. Friday through Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

It’s in South Coast Village at 3851 S. Bear St., B-15. Call (714)

540-6430.

FRANK AND PERSONAL

Paul Frank makes a personal appearance Saturday at Bloomingdale’s

on Level 1 at Fashion Island. He can autograph T-shirts or pajamas

for a perfect holiday gift. Paul Frank’s shop features men’s and

women’s clothing, sleepwear, intimates, watches and sunglasses.

Bloomingdale’s at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Call (949)

729-6600.

TABLE DECOR

Isabelle von Boch, an eighth-generation member of one of the

families that founded Villeroy & Boch in 1748, will be at the

Villeroy & Boch store at South Coast Plaza on Saturday from noon to 3

p.m. Von Boch will meet and greet customers and talk about holiday

table decor. Villeroy & Boch is on Level 2 at South Coast Plaza. Call

(714) 540-6511.

SOCK SALE

Through December, Mephisto of Newport Beach is having its second

annual sock sale event. Purchase any three pairs of socks and receive

one free. You can mix and match men’s and women’s styles. Top-quality

brands include Mephisto, Smartwood, Thorlo and Bridgedale, and

excludes Kunert. Mephitso also offers its best selling orthotic

inner-soles with this promotion. You can also order from catalogs for

any non-stocked items. Mephisto specializes in handmade walking

shoes. Men’s and women’s footwear for dress, causal, comfort walking,

sandals, outdoor/hiking and golf are available. Mephisto is open from

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and frm 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday. It’s at 1727 Westcliff Court in Newport Beach. Call (949)

642-3338.

DOUGHNUTS

A Krispy Kreme store just opened at the Bluffs Shopping Center in

Newport Beach. It’s Orange County’s fourth location, and one of the

few “fresh shops” in Southern California. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are

delivered here several times a day from a local factory. There’s also

premium brewed coffee. Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937 in

Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It’s a leading specialty retailer of

premium doughnuts, most notably its signature “Hot Original Glazed”

doughnut. Krispy Kreme is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to

Thursday; and from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Saturday. The

Bluffs Shopping Center is at 1316 Bison Ave. in Newport Beach. Visit

https://krispykreme.com.

* BEST BUYS appears Thursdays. Send information to Greer Wylder at

[email protected]; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.