Grand Pacific Palisades Resort in Carlsbad, California!

My family and I recently spent my 40th bday at the Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad. In our opinion, there is NO better place for a family friendly staycation!

We were blown away by the spacious condo rooms. They have separate bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens with dishes, cutlery cooking supplies etc, a beautiful balcony, fireplace, sitting area and dining area - all your home away from home needs! They also have laundry on site and a beautiful gym!

The resort is packed with kid friendly activities.  There is an activity center that has special activities scheduled everyday! We did bracelet making and Smores kits!  The arcade is across from the activity center and was a fan favorite! They have claw machines, which my kids LOVE and they are actually not IMPOSSIBLE to win!

Right across from the arcade is the cutest playground where we spent time everyday getting our energy out.

The Grand Pacific Palisades resort has a Family Pool, Quiet Pool, Hot Tubs, & Rentable Pool Toys! 

Amazing Views, prime location - you can feel the ocean breezes and see 180° coastal views all day and night!

The Cassara - Carlsbad, California

The Cassara Carlsbad is located on 12 acres overlooking the iconic pacific ocean and sits directly above the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch (we were lucky enough to go during the season so our trip consisted of a visit to the Flower Fields too!) It is nestled away yet still super close to everything Carlsbad has to offer. You can literally WALK to legoland, or take the Cassara's complimentary shuttle to nearby attractions. 

We opted for a suite which was the first time we have ever not all been in the same room! The excitement of having their own space made the kids actually sleep in their room (WILD I KNOW!) They also loved that our suite had THREE TVs! It is the little things ya'll! 

Our beautiful balcony overlooked the flower fields and you could literally smell the flowers every time you opened the door! It was magical! 

Located in the lobby is the Cassara Kitchen and Bar - it is absolutely gorgeous, covered in elegant colors and Mediterranean inspired architecture - and yet you can still get a great kids menu along with DELICIOUS food + cocktails for you! The kitchen + bar also overlooks one of the 2 sparkling pools!  You will also find a family pool + splash pad a few steps away!

Traveling with kids is NEVER easy - and let’s be honest, for me it’s *usually* just paying money to watch them have meltdowns in new places - BUT - The Cassara Carlsbad is literally MADE for families. There is a playground on site, an activity center with planned activities, games, crafts etc., an arcade, a WARM pool and a splash pad. It was our first time traveling to a place that really catered to kids and it was a game changer. 10/10 recommend!!! 

For more information or to make a reservation, visit: https://thecassaracarlsbad.com 

a weekend in paradise - humphreys half moon inn

when i heard that my favorite band of all time, hanson, was going to be playing a show at humphreys concerts by the bay in san diego, i knew i had to make the trip down. after scoping the area for cool hotels, i decided to stay on site, at humphreys half moon inn. 

humphreys half moon in is a tropical paradise located on shelter island. when you walk in, you instantly feel like you have been transported to a tropical island!

upon checking in, you see the most beautiful lobby - there is a little area to purchase food + drinks (which was super helpful during my stay to feed my la croix addiction!) there is seating, and of course the front desk staff which were all incredibly helpful and friendly! 

before taking to explore the resort, i wanted to check out my room - and wow i was blown away. the room was spacious, clean and the view was of the actual concert stage!!! i literally screamed when i opened my balcony door!

after i calmed down from excitement over the beautiful room - i decided to explore the resort. located on the beautiful marina, there is SO much to do. on site - they have an amazing pool (with bar!), ponds with fish, PARROTS, tons of seating to relax and take in the views, palm trees galore! it truly was magical!

then, it was off to dinner i went - on site of course! i had a reservation at humphreys restaurant where i was excited to sit down and relax for my first solo meal in YEARS. humphreys serves authentic southern california cuisine - i got the rib eye which was absolutely incredible. and of course a glass of bubly.

after the meal - it was time to get ready for the concert. it was amazing to be right there on site. i was able to get ready in my room, and listen to the opening act from my balcony! truly an incredible experiance!

the concert was amazing, and it was awesome to stroll right back to my hotel room after! thank you so much to everyone at humphreys half moon inn for making my stay so memorable! xx

Santa Barbara

I will admit, when we moved to LA two years ago I had grand visions of weekend getaways every weekend to explore the entire California coast. We have gone on...a few...but on the top of my list has always been Santa Barbara. We finally decided to make it happen and booked a room at Hotel Santa Barbara.

It was important for us to find a hotel with a great location. Since we live at the beach, we didn't need to stay ON the beach in Santa Barbara. Instead, the most important factor for us was walkability. Hotel Santa Barbara is right smack in the center of State St (the center of it all!) A short walk west (literally 10 minute walk) to the beach and steps away from endless amounts of coffee, food, shopping, and incredible sights.

Stepping inside Hotel Santa Barbara I was immediately drawn to the colorful tile staircases and unique architecture. It looked like it was right out of a movie!

The stand out of the room was the brand new bathroom which was pristine! But truth be told, we didn't spend much time inside the room, as there was too much to see and do! But it was amazing to come back after a long day and relax in a beautiful and comfy room!

The first thing we did was check out The Santa Barbara Zoo. It was perfectly small for an almost 3 year old and she had SO MUCH FUN. There is an adorable train ride that goes around the whole zoo that she loved! Standout favorites were the gorillas and giraffes. There is also a play area for kids and tons of refreshments available throughout the zoo! We bought our tickets online and skipped the admission line, which is a nice little time saving hack!

Next on our list was State street. Which was great since the hotel was nestled right in the middle of it all! We walked up and down checking out all of the cute restaurants and shops. Everything from mom & pop shops to big names like Anthropologie, Free People and even a TJ Maxx! We walked up and down taking in the amazing architecture and vibe. It was amazing.

We had a dinner reservation at Bouchon and it definitely did not disappoint. It is always a little risky to go out to a nice dinner with a toddler but they went above and beyond to make sure Poppy was happy the entire time, so cool of them! There was a table next to us that was having a birthday party and Poppy was so intrigued, the waiter came by and dropped flower petals all over our table so Poppy would feel like she was a part of the party, they also brought her a little piece of cake, so nice. The food was amazing and the wine, too. YUM!

For breakfast the next morning we walked from the hotel to The Breakfast Culture Club which was awesome. It was airy, bright and spacious enough for Poppy to run around. The coffee was great and we got some awesome avocado toasts, yum! We explored a little more after and then went back to the hotel to check-out.

After checking out we drove a few blocks down to the water and took Poppy to the Moxi Children's Museum. What a place! She could have easily spent the entire day there, but we kept it down to 2 hours. The rooftop boasts amazing views of Santa Barbara, and there is just SO much to see and do there! It is definitely a must see for kids.

We could have spent a few more days in Santa Barbara for sure but I think we really got a nice taste of the area in our little weekend getaway! We can't WAIT to go back!