My dream of living in California and owning a home is about to come true. Assuming everything goes well with the closing process, we will live in our new Orange County home on June 30th. It’s not even half the size of our home in North Carolina and our backyard is basically non-existent, but our playground is the beach and the mountains and it’s open 365 days a year. Continue reading
I usually post about my travels and adventures. I’m on the road so often that I never lack content ideas, but it’s rare that I show our daily life at home in Southern California. This weekend was typical for us. We went to a birthday party, attended the ballet, and hit up the beach as a Sunday favorite. It wasn’t extreme and I didn’t cross anything off my yearly list but it was beautiful. We try to make our daily life just as fantastic as our vacations, which isn’t too difficult when you live in Southern California. Continue reading
It’s been a year since we moved back to California. Our anniversary is this month. We could have chosen anywhere in the world to live and southern California was our first choice. We’re often asked if we’ll ever return home, to eastern Canada, but our answer is consistently the same – this is our home now. SoCal has so much to offer. Its beauty is undeniable and the opportunities are even more prevalent. I love to travel and it will always be as much a part of me as family and friends but it’s never discouraging to return home. As an anniversary celebration to California, I attended The American Ballet Theatre’s world premiere of The Sleeping Beauty. The world is at our doorstep in California; living in Orange County is like awaking from a long sleep and opening my eyes to a handsome dream prince and a castle of possibilities. Continue reading
Living in Orange County, California, we have endless options for holiday events and activities. I never thought I would have too many options to consider but concerts, ballets, ice shows, and even an afternoon of skating can get expensive. It’s not like we can just sharpen our skates and hop on a frozen lake. We want to create holiday traditions for our family without breaking the bank. Dana Point IlluminOcean is a free event that lights up our hearts with holiday cheers. We drove down to Dana Point Marina last night to view the light show. Minus a few dollars for gas and ice cream treats, IlluminOcean is the cheapest way to ring in the holiday season. Continue reading
When I first moved to California, I was the typical tourist. I wanted to visit Universal Studios, The Price is Right, Hollywood Blvd., San Diego Zoo, Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach. They were my “TV version” of California – the places I saw on a regular basis on TV shows and dreamed about experiencing my entire life. Now that I’m a local, though, I spend less time at those places and more time at the places I’ve come to know and love as a mother, a wife, an adventure seeker, and a beach lover. Dana Point has a regular spot in our weekly schedule. It’s situated on the beautiful Southern California coast, halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. It prides itself with nearly seven miles of coastal bluffs and rolling hills along the Pacific Ocean with its charming beaches and wild surfs. The city is home to the Dana Point Harbor, Captain Dave’s Whale Watching Safari, scrumptious food, and some of the best sunset views I’ve seen in my life. I’ve come up with a schedule for discovering the perfect day in Southern California’s Dana Point. Continue reading
From the vast, timeless sands of Wadi Rum, Jordan to 12,000 feet above Nadi, Fiji, where the sky and water blur the lines of reality, these five epic bucket list journeys should be on everyone’s list. I’ve visited each of the five and recommend them as some of the best bucket list destinations in the world. Which ones have you experienced? Continue reading
Do you dream of flying a jetpack? Is it on your bucketlist? We want to help you make it a realty.
Flying a jetpack is the ultimate adventure. After my jetpack flight with Jetpack America in Newport Beach, California, I was left with feelings of euphoria. I felt like I could conquer anything and I was ready to explore a world of possibilities without restrictions.
In cooperation with Jetpack America, we’re giving away a free jetpack adventure in Newport Beach, California!
When I first visited Santa Monica Pier, I felt like I was on a movie set. The pier, the sky, and the clouds reflected in the ocean and it created a Alice in Wonderland moment; had a fallen in the rabbit hole and entered another world? I wondered when I was going to run into the Mad Hatter, which was actually possible on the pier. Continue reading
My favorite part of dining out is ordering dessert but by the time I try a few things on the menu, I never have enough room to finish it. Vessel Restaurant at Kona Kai Resort & Marina is known for its regional, coastal fare and unique cocktails but since I wasn’t ordering any of their signature dishes, I decided to start with the dessert, assuring I had room for my favorite part and then going back to the beginning with appetizers and a main course. Why not start with the dessert first when it’s my favorite part? Besides, I was on vacation and I was there to relax. I was going to make it all about my favorite things. Continue reading
Although we didn’t travel to a new country in February, we did move from North Carolina back to California. While it’s a dream come true, it was exhausting. Packing, unpacking, saying good-bye to friends, traveling, settling in, figuring out a new community, setting up services, and creating a routine for Athena has left us tired and a little stressed. Is it possible that we need a break from our new place already? With empty walls and a few boxes still left to unpack, we decided to get away and leave the rest of the work until next week.
Bucket List Publications 