I HEART COSTA MESA

Magic Touch: Skin Transformation by Vanessa

by Samantha Chagollan | Dec 28, 2019

Which is maybe how Vanessa came to open her own business in Costa Mesa. Living on the Westside, she was inspired by all the innovation happening around her. So, about a year ago, she decided it was time to jump into the ring. Vanessa studied cosmetic chemistry at UCLA, and has more than 15 years of experience as an aesthetician. Having worked previously as certified master educator for a skin product line, she has taught, and worked, her way through five-star spas around the world…

Westside Puppy Paradise: Hydrant Pet Hotel

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 30, 2019

With the dog days of summer squarely behind us – and the busy holiday season soon to come – thoughts turn to travel, visits back home, vacations… and oh, what to do with the fur babies when we go? If your pet-care standards are as high as today’s featured Costa Mesans, we see a Hydrant in your future…

Turning The Tables

by The Mesa Maven | Nov 2, 2018

On this episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast, contributing writer, Samantha Chagollan, turns the tables on co-hosts Erin Huffstutter and Brandy Young – asking them the questions she wonders about the project, the purpose (and the people behind it.) So if you’re curious to learn more about the I Heart Costa Mesa team, check it out…

Seizing The Oppurrtunity

by Bradley Zint | Oct 29, 2018

Cats are getting a new lease on life from a tiny corner of Costa Mesa. Most know the PetSmart on West 17th Street as being near Trader Joe’s and as a place for all one’s pet needs. But did you know a family-run, nondescript Costa Mesa hometown nonprofit is run out of there too? And it has a clever name: Oppurrtunities. As the moniker implies, they’re all about giving opportunities to cats, hundreds of them.

Listen: “What We’ve Learned”

by The Mesa Maven | Jul 2, 2018

On this episode of the I Heart Costa Mesa podcast, co-hosts Brandy Young and Erin Huffstutter share the things they’ve learned from locals interviewed on the podcast. We have enjoyed so much wisdom, humor, insight – and have gained such great information – from our Costa Mesa guests. If you want to share what you’ve learned from our previous podcasts, be sure to let us know in the comments!

Listen: “Volunteer Extraordinaire”

by The Mesa Maven | Apr 6, 2018

On this episode, we interview local volunteer extraordinaire, Charlene Ashendorf, about community involvement, the new Costa Mesa Library, the Costa Mesa Senior Center, her Little Free Library and the importance of finding personal pursuits that allow you to lead with your heart! Ashendorf brings a healthy dose of love, wisdom and perspective to the podcast, so come learn from her experiences along with us…

Listen: Podcast “Mental Health On The Mesa”

by The Mesa Maven | Feb 2, 2018

In this episode of The I Heart Costa Mesa Show, we talk to local psychotherapist, Carrie Cueto, all about mental health, addiction, meditation, motherhood and dealing with change. No Fast Final Fives in this one. (Cueto was one of our very first episodes ever recorded and we didn’t come up with that idea until we had a few in the can.) Here is a link to information about her local, therapy practice…

Listen: Podcast “Michael Recycle”

by The Mesa Maven | Jan 26, 2018

In this episode of The I Heart Costa Mesa Show, we talk to Michael “Recycle” Carey, Sustainability Coordinator for the OCC Recycling Center. We talk about Carey’s background, the epic new recycling center at Orange Coast College – and we try to stump the expert with a “Can You Recycle This Item?” game. Will we stump him? Listen and find out!

Of Pets And Vets

by The Mesa Maven | Oct 13, 2017

Our local bipeds aren’t the only wonderful and important residents of beautiful Costa Mesa. This city also has a strong contingent of purrrr-fectly fabulous and furry Costa Mesans for whom life is enjoyed on all fours. We’re talking, of course, about local pets: pooches, mousers, fur babies! Those cuddly companions who make life worth living and are as much a part of the family as any human. But sometimes our domesticated darlings get sick, or require expert help to overcome life’s bumps and bruises.

Hero Home Makers

by The Mesa Maven | Jul 11, 2016

Here at I Heart Costa Mesa, we believe the hallmark of a city’s sense of community is more simple and far less measurable: the degree to which its residents show up, participate and care… with full humanity and neighborliness in tact. Not only in the big, splashy ways, (although those can be fun,) but also in the small, quiet acts of kindness that ask nothing in return. And if caring in actionable ways is the path to “true community,” Costa Mesans like Beth Phillips, and her philanthropic foundation, Furnishing Hope, are paving the way.

A Future So Bright…

by The Mesa Maven | Mar 23, 2016

So it’s no surprise that in the early 90’s – when the growing incidence of gang violence threatened the future of Costa Mesa’s youth – a group of local parents and city leaders took it head on, and the Save Our Youth Center was born. For over twenty years, through the steadfast dedication of volunteers, donors and community members, SOY has continued to make an immeasurable difference in the lives of young Costa Mesans.

The Power Of A Paycheck

by The Mesa Maven | Feb 16, 2016

If it’s giving you want, it’s giving you shall have – Costa Mesa is positively brimming with ways to help, thanks to the hard work of our hometown heartwarmers, healers and helpers.