Luxe Living for Less
At the tail end of summer, we decided to fly down to Los Angeles for a week and take a road trip down the coast. We hadn’t planned any major traveling this summer so it was nice to getaway and plan some summer fun! And I’m finally sharing the trip with you guys – I know a bunch of you wanted to know our itinerary and where we visited!
[Read more…] about Southern California Road Trip to Universal Studios with GetAround
We decided to fly down to Southern California last week for our summer vacation and of course, if I’m in SoCal, it’s pretty much a given that I’m going to Disneyland! And with the recent opening of Galaxy’s Edge, there was no chance we’d miss out on that!
I was pretty concerned that the park would be ridiculously crowded, especially with Galaxy’s Edge just newly-opened, because July is the peak of the summer. But luckily the park wasn’t as busy as predicted. In fact out of all the times we’ve visited recently (trips in March, May and June) last week’s visit was probably the least crowded! I’d really recommend taking a last minute trip to Disneyland if you can swing it this summer!
We had a packed itinerary consisting of a road trip and some serious beach time, so we only had one day to spend with Disney (usually we spend at least 3 days there). So I went into full on research and planning-mode, determined to fit everything we needed into that one day. At the top of the list? Galaxy’s Edge!
[Read more…] about Disneyland and Galaxy’s Edge in 1 day
This school year really passed by fast this year. I’m still reeling, but really looking forward to lazy days and sunshine! For Arden and Conrad, the countdown is on. We only have one more week left!
I always like to celebrate with the kids by taking them to ice cream on the last day of school. I thought it would be fun to host an ice cream (and other sweets) social with school friends at our house this year.
[Read more…] about School’s Out, Let’s Celebrate!
A few weeks ago during spring break, we decided to do a very stereotypical thing for spring break…We went to Florida! Where did we go in Florida? No, not Disney World, no, not Miami, no, not Ft. Lauderdale. We went to Rosemary Beach. Now you may have that blank look that most of our friends gave us when announcing our destination. Or if you’re from the Mid-West or the South you’ll know EXACTLY where. Rosemary Beach is a lesser known beach destination on the gulf coast (commonly referred to as the Emerald Coast) or inner coast of Florida. There’s a tiny little strip of a highway called 30A rolling through a bunch of gorgeous little beach towns each with their own distinct personality. We mostly spent our time in Rosemary beach and it’s gorgeous cousin, Alys Beach, just a hop, skip and a bike ride down 30A.
[Read more…] about 36 Hours | Rosemary Beach FloridaRaise your hand if you still haven’t gotten anything for Mom? Yikes, right? Mother’s Day kind of snuck up on me. So, if you’re like me and did a little too much procrastinating…here’s some great last minute gift ideas that will either ship & arrive in time for Mother’s Day or are digitally accessible stat.
A couple of weeks ago we took a quick trip for Arden’s 7th birthday. The destination? Well, where would almost any 7 year old tell you they’d like to go for their birthday? Yep, DISNEYLAND.
We decided to surprise her, which was the most fun ever. I packed a bag with a bunch of new Disney-themed goodies (see the packing list below) and had her open it to guess our destination. As you can imagine she was pretty ecstatic! I think I love Disneyland just as much as she does so…we were all pretty happy 😉
We’ve been to Disneyland quite a few times and I thought it would be fun to share with you my favorite tips and tricks to help save you time and money (and your sanity) when planning a trip there. Because believe me, it makes a huge difference on whether your trip is one to remember or if it will make you never want to visit the “happiest place on earth” ever again.
[Read more…] about 36 Hours | Disneyland with Alaska Airlines
If you follow me on Instagram stories you’ll have seen some of our Girl Scout adventures. This is kind of off-the-subject for us over here on the blog. BUT most parents bring cookie sale sheets into the office. Since I don’t have an office and I’d like help support Arden’s quest to sell some cookies…we have this post.
First of all, you can now order Girl Scout cookies online and have them shipped to you within a couple of days! I didn’t know this last year otherwise I would not have been without my favorite Samoas! Now that I know, I wanted to share the love (and cookies) with you all. Here is the link to my daughter’s cookie site. If you don’t have local Girl Scouts coming to your door, please feel free to use this link:
https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/arden497969
Cookie sales run for around a month – they end on February 4th, so don’t delay! Arden’s trying to meet her goal of selling 115 boxes so her and her troop can go horseback riding. They’re also helping out the local SPCA with their proceeds and their time. It’s their first year of selling cookies and as the troop leader, I’m trying to make it a good one! The amount of cookie boxes sold gets averaged out per girl, so all girls get to participate (no matter how many boxes she’s sold personally) as long as we average 115 boxes sold per girl scout!
A little over a month ago we celebrated Conrad and my birthday by taking a quick weekend trip to Monterey, CA. It was the perfect time of year to view the monarch butterflies at their best, not to mention the incomparable Monterey Bay Aquarium. Like all of our travel, I meticulously plan out the best spots to visit combining a great mix of splurge high end dining and thrifty hole-in-the wall mom-and-pop’s to come up with the best itinerary. And like always, my recommendations are always chosen with form and function in mind.
When the team at the newly renovated Monterey Tides invited me to view their property, it was perfect timing. Not only was the hotel designer-friendly…it’s also super reasonably priced. Oh and did I mention, it’s right smack-dab ON. THE. BEACH. As in take a few steps down and your on a gorgeous white sand beach. They even offer a beach bonfire option. Such a great idea. I think we’ll have to make another trip down there soon.
I was also lucky to be able to borrow this gorgeous Lexus RX 350 for the road trip there. Talk about the perfect spoilage for a birthday weekend you guys…Could it get any better? Driving this beauty on 17 Mile Drive pretty much made my weekend. We drove right up to the sand and maybe a touch into it…and the Lexus handled it like a champ. Don’t try that at home folks. As a matter a fact back in October the Mr and I made that mistake with a rental car in Hawaii. Needless to say it didn’t work out so well and a few kind locals helped push us out. Whoops.
Anyways, like I said, the Lexus was a pro at handling the sand. It was also so spacious that we were able to open the back hatch and create an impromptu changing station. Who expects to need a bathing suit for the beach in November, right? My bad 😉 The weather was seriously amazing. You just never know what to expect on the Northern California coastline that’s for sure.
So here’s our weekend itinerary for your viewing pleasure and it was all under $500!
A couple of weeks ago we took a little family road trip up the coast to a great Northern California beach town called Mendocino. There’s just something about the NorCal coast that just calls to me. The beaches are so wild and rustic compared to your typical California beach. The rocks, bluffs, trees and plants are so gorgeous up here. We stayed at this great historic hotel called the Little River Inn. In fact, they’ve been in operation since 1939 with the same family! Innkeeper Cally Dym is the fifth generation owner along with her husband, Executive Chef Marc Dym. The inn has a notable guest history as well, from Ronald Reagan to James Dean (while filming East of Eden). It’s situated right off of Highway 1, on the bluff right above the beach. The view is seriously stunning, it doesn’t get any better.
[Read more…] about Designer Destination | Little River Inn Mendocino
