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 FloridaA 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
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). Â 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
Well it’s the tail end of Cyber Monday and I figured I’d post this right under the wire 😉 Have you gotten a lot of Christmas shopping under your belt today? I have to admit, I really caught the bug this year. Maybe it’s because there are SO. MANY. GOOD. SALES! What about you? Did you get anything good?
Here are some super fun picks for the little ones in your life! A little something for everyone….
For more holiday gift inspiration you can see my gift guides for women, men, pets and tech!
With just a few notable differences:
– less expensive
– no rigid latch system
– weighs 28lbs (the Foonf is 38lbs)
– sits slightly lower than the Foonf
– has 1 forward-facing recline position (the Foonf has 2)
To find out more the Clek website has this handy comparison chart.
We loved Conrad’s Fllo so much that we decided to upgrade Arden to a Clek as well. We have two cars and in order to make things a little easier we figured we should have at least three carseats. So when I saw a deal on Amazon for a Clek Foonf I jumped on it and got Arden a pink one 😉 She was absolutely thrilled.
I was a tad worried about the pink color because Arden climbs up into her seat herself which means lots of shoe action going on. The fabric is removable, but isn’t machine washable so it needs to be spot cleaned. And you know what? I haven’t had to clean it, not even once! Shocking, right? That green guard Crypton fabric is magic, I tell you.
Oh and did I mention how much happier Conrad is in his Fllo? It’s so much easier buckling him in now. He loves being up high and seeing everything. They can even hold hands now 😉 Love it. Here area few pictures of them in their new car seats.
And just so you can get a better idea of how the fit, here’s a few pictures of the car seats without the littles.
We have a Toyota Prius V by the way, and you can see how much room there is. If need be, I can sit in between the two car seats with a seat belt on too!
You can see the height differences in the two seats really well here. Keep in mind that the headrest on Arden’s Foonf is set higher to accommodate her height.
We are super happy with our new Clek car seats and they really work so much better for us. The Clek car seats are definitely an investment, but I think it’s worth it. With their combination of eco-friendliness, safety features and great design – it’s just one of those things I’m willing to spend a little more on. I’d love to know what features you guys were most interested in when buying carseats for your children! And who out there has tried a Clek? What did you guys think?
