In today’s exciting Kim’s adventure, we ventured to the Irvine Spectrum Christmas event and made our first stop at Honey & Butter Macarons. Leanne Pietrasinski, the talented baker, made her debut macaron in 2011 and decided to pursue baking three years later after leaving school. Initially, she crafted macarons for events, operating from her kitchen for three years. In June 2014, Leanne and her husband, Pawel, established their first Honey & Butter location at The Lab Antimall in Costa Mesa, housed within a stainless steel Airstream trailer, which became a permanent fixture of the shopping center. Their macarons quickly gained popularity, selling hundreds a day, six days a week. The shop follows a weekly rotation of flavors, delighting customers with something new each visit. Moreover, their macarons are renowned for their fun and creative shapes, featuring animals, sushi, and even Pokémon characters.
Next, we explored Miniso, a Chinese retailer and variety store chain that specializes in affordable household and consumer goods. Although criticized for similarities to Japanese retailers like Uniqlo, Muji, and Daiso, Miniso has expanded beyond the Chinese market and now operates 1,800 stores worldwide.
While waiting for the rest of our group, we checked out Lush, a British cosmetics retailer known for its handmade soap, creams, toiletries, and cosmetics. Lush takes pride in using vegetarian recipes, 85% of which are also vegan, and has a global presence with 951 stores in 49 countries.
Finally, we reunited with our relatives at the Hello Kitty Cafe, a dream come true for Irvine couple Urania and Charlie Chen. After visiting a Hello Kitty Cafe in Taiwan, Urania persisted with Sanrio for nearly five years to launch the first Hello Kitty Cafe in America. Their pink pop-up food truck became an instant hit, traveling through 80 cities across the country. Eventually, they opened the European-style Hello Kitty Grand Cafe, approved by Sanrio in 2018.
Having explored the Irvine Spectrum, we then headed to the Light of the World Saddleback Church 2021 event. In 2020, Saddleback introduced its drive-thru Light of the World experience for Christmas, and this year, the event returns to its original pedestrian walk-thru format. The holiday attraction offers a delightful and free winter event suitable for the entire family. Although online registration was required to attend, there were no ticket checks upon arrival.
Overall, the day was filled with fun, treats, and holiday festivities, making it a memorable Kim’s adventure for all involved.
Irvine Spectrum
Address: 670 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
Website: https://www.irvinespectrumcenter.com/
Saddleback Church
Address: 1 Saddleback Pkwy, Lake Forest, CA 92630
Website: https://saddleback.com/visit/locations/lake-forest