SoCal Locals

Rancho Santa Fe Estate With Full Equestrian Facilities, Priced at $3,200,000

May 15, 2013 By Heather Leave a Comment

Every once in awhile you walk into a house and your breath is taken away. This is that house. It has everything and the location is one of the most sought after in So Cal! The rustic charm starts when you first walk in and continues through the living space and into the backyard. The indoor/outdoor living area is divine. I am in love with flooring that starts inside and continues outside. So awesome! Want to go on a tour with me? Cool, stroll down and I'll show you my favorite parts! I think I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves as much as possible! Enjoy! I love every inch of San Diego, but Rancho Santa Fe has to be my favorite... especially if you like to ride horses! My middle daughter loves horses and said that this is her dream home. The full equestrian facilities are just the beginning of what makes this home so special. It's starts with the grand entry. You know how a cast iron skillet only gets better with time? This house too! It's a timeless treasure where … [Read more...]

Filed Under: local, Luxury Real Estate, Real Estate, SoCal Locals

Come and see the Coca-Cola Swelter Stopper at Knott’s Berry Farm May 3rd-8th!

May 2, 2013 By Heather Leave a Comment

I was so excited to be invited for a tour of the Coca-Cola Swelter Stopper at Knott's Berry Farm. Tomorrow I'll be heading out to Knott's Berry Farm to hang out in the Coca-Cola Swelter Stopper Truck! It's like one of those ubber cool food trucks, but instead of food it's stocked with ice cold Coca-Cola, a DJ, games and lots of music! I've heard it is like a party on wheels! The truck will be at Knott's Berry Farm from 5/3 to 5/8 and is open from 11am to 5pm! It will be parked outside the entrance to Knott's so you don't have to go into the park to see it and enjoy all the fun! If you are in the area be sure to stop on by, say hi and enjoy an ice cold drink! Learn more on the Swelter Stopper website. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: local, SoCal Locals

Whale Watching Adventure in Dana Point Harbor with Dana Wharf

April 26, 2013 By Heather 2 Comments

Review: Whale Watching Adventure in Dana Point Pictures courtesy of Dana Wharf A couple weekends ago we set off on another So Cal adventure when the Dana Wharf invited us on a whale watching cruise! We got to experience some first hand sightings of magnificent ocean creatures and a boat ride too! We bundled up and set sail {okay so there was no actual sail involved but doesn't "set sale" sound cool?}! We were hoping to see a whale. One whale. We ended up seeing Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Common Dolphins and Seal Lions! It was nonstop fun! A couple days before they even saw an Orca aka a Killer Whale! Dana Wharf runs multiple 2 hour whale watching trips each day so we watched the previous guest come in and then we were loaded onto the boat. The toddler was beyond ready! She's also back to doing some strange poses when I try to take her picture. She used to do that a lot when she was 1. Three is such an fun age and perfect for this kind of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, review, SoCal Locals, travel

Have a great weekend!

April 13, 2013 By Heather 3 Comments

It's another lovely So Cal weekend... just a bit on the cool side! We live 15 minutes to the ocean and I'm dreaming of a mid summer beach day like this one {picture taken a few months back when it was the perfect bit of warm and breezy}! We are heading out on an adventure this afternoon... Whale Watching! I can't wait to share it all with you! Tomorrow is going to be one of the biggest in our household ever! I'll officially be the mom of a TEENAGER! My sweet oldest is turning 13! We plan to party hard the next couple days to celebrate! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, local, parenting, SoCal Locals, travel

So Cal Family Fun at Medieval Times in Buena Park

April 12, 2013 By Heather 3 Comments

Last weekend Medieval Times invited us to review their current dinner and show! The older girls had been before but this was a whole new experience for the little one. Before we went I did my usual prepping for her by showing her the pictures online so she had an idea of what we were going to see and do. Three year olds love routine and to feel in control of their surroundings and this three year old is no different. Doing a little prep work first and talking them through the adventure can be the difference between total fun and a not so fun adjustment period. She knew before hand that she would be getting a crown from a princess and that we would be going to have dinner in a castle. She wore her princess Brave shirt to celebrate. I thought about letting her wear one of her princess dresses but I opted for a comfy outfit for her instead. There were tons of little girls attending in full medieval dress so if you and your little ones want to get dressed up totally … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, local, parenting, restaurant reviews, SoCal Locals, travel

Legoland California Hotel Review

April 9, 2013 By Heather Leave a Comment

Last week we had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the Legoland Hotel in Carlsbad California! We were so excited to have been invited to stay at the hotel and share this review with you all! If you are local to So cal this would make a really awesome overnight vacation... if you are out of area add this to your must stay at hotel list! When we first arrived at the new Legoland Hotel we were greeted with this cool Lego dragon! The kids marveled at the details! If you have a Lego fan {and who doesn't} in your family they will shriek with joy when they see this friendly guy! He is guarding the dial to the Lego pipe that is pouring out rainbow Legos! One of our absolute favorite parts of the hotel is the elevator. Legoland Hotel thought of everything to wow the kids {and parents, just being honest :-)} You get inside and it's all decorated like a disco... and then the doors close and it BECOMES A DISCO ELEVATOR! Like, with strobe light, disco music and dimmed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, holiday, local, parenting, SoCal Locals

San Diego Family Fun at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Butterfly Jungle {Review}

April 4, 2013 By Heather 5 Comments

Yesterday we ventured out to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to see the amazing Butterfly Jungle! Thank you so much to the Safari Park for providing us entry into the park! We were a little late to the party because the exhibit only goes till Sunday the 7th of April... but boy am I happy we were able to squeeze it into the girls spring break! To say it is magical is a huge understatement! Right before you enter into the butterfly rain forest you travel through a cave decorated with bright colored butterflies and caverns of snakes! We could have stayed the whole day just looking at the exotic snakes and cockroaches... did I mention the HUGE cockroaches? Yep... fascinating! I'm just thankful they live here where they can be appreciated because they would not be welcome in my home! As we walked into the aviary that was bursting with vibrant colored butterflies we stood in awe and just took it all in. Living on over 4 acres we get plenty of wildlife and butterflies but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, review, SoCal Locals, travel

Why date nights are so important…

March 20, 2013 By Heather 13 Comments

After 13 years of marriage I finally realized that all the advise I was given about going on a date with your husband is really important. For years I blew it off. For years I laughed off the thought of dating my husband. I thought... Sure, "when we get some spare time". Sure, "when the kids are older". Sure, "when we win the lottery". I wasn't sure if all these people who told me to date my husband knew the cost of a babysitter for 3 kids and the price of a decent meal out. Regardless, life kept getting in the way. I got sick and then better. Pete got busier at work and we had a new baby. Just when the big girls were okay with us leaving for a few hours every once in a while, we started over again. We were totally okay with not going out together because we finally had our much awaited baby girl. Life was good. But people still told me to go on dates with my husband. And then that little baby girls started to grow up. She turned three and we couldn't believe that we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, SoCal Locals, travel

Decorating Insight at a Rooftop Party with Genevieve Gorder #wakeupyourwalls @HPprint

March 5, 2013 By Heather 7 Comments

Saturday night Pete and I took a day trip up to West Hollywood for a little party. By little I mean the amount of people... not the level of fun or celebrity host coolness. Because if we are talking about that this would be classified as a HUGE party! HP has a new service where you can create your own HP Photo Wall Décor online and and pick it up same or next day at Walmart or Meijer! They are priced very reasonably and the quality was as good {if not better} than other professional ones I've seen before. Anyone recognize this awesome designer? Yep, it's Genevieve Gorder from HGTV giving a talk about beautifying your home and walls with family pictures! You guys know me... I'm not a natural at home decor. It's just not in my bones but oh how I wish it was. For a few minutes I pretended I had the same talent as Genevieve and just absorbed everything she said. She did a quick demo taking this wall collage from a basic, straight across design to this more eye catching … [Read more...]

Filed Under: food, For Bloggers, fun, SoCal Locals

Sea World… a SoCal treasure! Awesome San Diego family activity.

December 28, 2012 By Heather 1 Comment

Back in the heat of the summer we ventured out to Sea World, San Diego. We absolutely love it there. It's one of the places that I always recommend to out of town {and locals} guests. On this particular day it was hot. Like 100 degrees out HOT! I'm a total wimp in the heat. I melt! Thankfully Sea World has lots of spots to cool off in! And since we are talking about this fun day in the cool of winter I'd also like to note that Sea World is perfect for a day trip in December too! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, SoCal Locals, travel