Luxe Living for Less
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
Happy Saturday! This was my daughter’s last week of school. I can’t believe her kindergarten year has come and gone already! Wow. Summer break is officially here! Queue weekend road trips and pool days. We had a 90+ degree weekend recently, which is pretty hot here in Northern California, so we decided to hit up a local water park, Raging Waters in San Jose. It was the perfect way to kick off the hot season. I have to say, I can’t even remember the last time I visited a water park, so it was fun to go again with Arden. She loved it!
I also realized our hot weather wardrobes were seriously lacking. So, I’ve been doing a little shopping for some new seasonal pieces to enjoy this summer. It’s fun to follow the latest trends, but I refuse to spend too much on things that are trends and won’t be considered “in” next season. And since it’s the weekend, and I don’t usually post on the weekend…I thought it would be fun to share something a little different. We’re going a little bit fashiony over here. I’ve gathered up some of my favorite trending pieces for this summer all for under $50. Yay Summer!
It doesn’t have to be a huge space, as long as it’s functional. We decided to set her up in a cozy corner of the playroom. Eventually, I’d love to have the whole playroom be more of a school/play room, but we’ll take it one step at a time!
Here are four of my favorite kid’s workspace looks. I’d like to take all four inspiration images and use the best elements from each and combine it into one amazing space. But for today let’s start off with our desk nook 😉
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I love this little girl’s desk. Not only was it made to fit, it also has a sleek, modern-feel while also being functional with all of the storage space. That ledge over the desk is such a great idea to keep pencils handy. And since everything has its place, the desk looks clean and organized.
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`Okay, how amazing is this dining room turned homeschool classroom? I’m so keeping this in mind for our playroom. The reason this space is so successful is because the unified color scheme. The teal accent color ties everything together and the warm tones of wood and the baskets keep it from looking to one-note. And you’re so busy admiring the fabulous shelving wall, that you’re totally distracted from the fact that it stores kid’s things. Pretty fabulous and functional right?
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This rooms calm demeanor gives off the organized but productive vibe. What kid wouldn’t be inspired to work in this beautiful room? Can I just say…I want one of those peg board organizers for myself? Please?
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Last but not least, isn’t this computer display is so genius? The computers, wood shelving, books and toy collections all mesh in this great casual, fun and light-hearted way. It gives off the effortlessly-chic vibe doesn’t it? I really love how the shelving and desk span the width of the room creating plenty of space for mutliple kids to work side-by-side. And any room with a Tripp Trapp is A-ok in my book.
Now for our start. Here’s Arden’s new desk; an Ikea side table that I bought off of Craigslist for $8 (original is only $10 btw!). Isn’t it adorable? I think the teal color keeps it fun. I added a little easy-to-care for plant in a cute little owl planter. And for the Pièce de résistance, we partnered with HP to get Arden her very own laptop, one of their newest most versatile models, the x360.
So why the x360? It’s a tablet and laptop in one and it has four different modes, laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. A mouse can be kind of confusing when you’re just learning how to use a computer. And since Arden is really comfortable using iPhones and iPads we thought the x360 would be perfect for her because you can either use it like a laptop….
Or use it like a tablet. Here’s she’s using a stylus to practice her letters.
Or she can watch her favorite shows on it. The screen is nice and big for being a tablet combo.
It’s great that she can use her stylus to perfect her pencil grip or she can just use the touch screen to navigate. It makes it super easy for her. She’s loving her new computer and we love having such a versatile tablet around the house.
Do you have a special spot where your kids can learn, study or do their homework? What does your space look like and what was important to you to have to make it functional? I would love to hear your thoughts!
You can learn more about the HP x360 by visiting their site. You can also learn all about how HP is partnering with Meghan Trainor on her #BendtheRules tour. They’ll be creating a fan generated documentary using the x360. Pretty fun stuff 🙂
