We recently spent a day at Abbot Kinney street in Venice, California, and strolled about and explored. This is what we found:
When we had worked up an appetite, we stopped at a place called 3 Square Cafe. Here, we ordered a quinoa burger with shoestring fries and a strawberry lemonade. It was absolutely delicious! When we finished, we were delighted by a little box of complimentary lemon meringue pie, it was divine.
If you’ve ever been to Abbot, then you know there is an endless variety of specialty stores, florists, cute little nooks and small, adorable shops to stop into. On our little journey we found this absolutely incredible, to-die-for pomegranate currant candle.
As always, more retail therapy was sought, and the day ended with a happy tummy and not so happy wallet, but happy nonetheless!
I’m one of those people who can have waffles and bacon any time of the day because breakfast is probably my most favorite meal of the day. Brunch is a happy medium with its breakfast options and early lunch specials! Four Daughters in Manhattan Beach offers up the yummiest quinoa bowl with potatoes and egg – the Porto Bowl. Where you can substitute anything into the bowl you’d like and trust me when I say to order a second side of the salsa it comes with! It’s delicious and fresh!
Four Daughters has an ocean view, outside seating if you bring your pet or want to enjoy the beautiful weather, and there is also a ton of street parking available.
THAT is the view from the sidewalk ….. just breathtaking
I met with my friend Miya and we chatted all things blogging and enjoyed their happy hour which is also incredible, with half off appetizers and drinks. I ordered the sliders – 2 BBQ pork and an angus slider on Hawaiian sweet rolls and comes topped with cheese and special 4DK sauce! Corrine ordered the signature fish tacos which were gluten-free, and of course we HAD to get their bread pudding which tasted like banana cream amazingness!
They also make homemade sangria! If you’re feeling the caffeine craze, grab a latte, they’re rich and creamy!
Some other perks Four Daughters has to offer is free wifi and for you parents out there, there is a clean changing table in the ladies bathroom! Double points!
Check them out if you’re in the area, their price points are $$ so they’re extremely reasonable, and they get 5 out of 5 happy faces for their menu, their views, and their food!
Being a lover of the outdoors, Los Angeles is a dream come true to call home with its countless hiking trails, year round gorgeous weather, and hidden finds. I’ve lived in L.A. for 5 years now and I’ve chosen some of my favorite trails to feature in today’s adventure post!
My top 3 hiking trails would be Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, and Malibu Creek State Park!
Griffith Park is the easiest trail for us to get to since traffic going there isn’t terrible, and the views are just breathtaking! All of the photos in this post were taken from different areas along the many trails that Griffith Park has.
This is actually the very first hike Joe ever took me on when we first started dating, and it will forever be special to me, but beyond the great memories, just look at these views! I love that you can take one trail one day and another trail the next, and you feel like you’re on a completely different side of town all together. The trails vary so much in difficulty level and view vantage points. If you’re looking for a nice long leisurely hike with mild incline changes, check out some of the trails at Griffith Park. You could hike a full trail in about 2-3 hours.
Probably the most famous hiking trail in L.A. is Runyon Canyon, with its ‘stairs to Heaven’ and long hike UP to one of it’s parking entrances. It’s also famous for spotting famous people apparently. I personally have yet to run into Angelina and Brad, as I huff and puff up the long straightaway that is the ‘incline death’ Runyon has to offer. They say that if you pay attention you’ll see some of your big screen idols present on the hike with you! What’s also present is the smell of dog poop. Yup, poops! I love my lil four legged babies, but whew can it get smelly at times! None the less, foul scent and all, Runyon Canyon offers a great glute workout, views of the city that are incomparable, and good ol’ fashioned nostalgia. You could hike all of Runyon in about an hour if you hustle it!
If you dig rock climbing, waterfall scavenger hunts, and geo caching, then you’ll LOOOOVE Malibu Creek State Park. I love the far away feeling and ‘woodsy’ atmosphere that this hike offers. It’s full of fragrant trees, boulders, paths of leaves, and waterfalls! Be careful if you decide to take a leap off of one of the boulders to jump into the cool waters below, many parts of the pools of water are in fact VERY shallow. But there are pools of water to swim in, cool your feet off in, and let your puppy swim in! Malibu Creek State Park is probably one of my most favorite places to hike because it feels like you’re not in the city any more and mid-hike picnics are always a good idea! You could hike to water and back to the parking lot in about 2-3 hours.
These are just to name a few trails I’ve grown fond of, there are so many other places to explore and hike:
San Gabriel mountains
Pasadena
Topanga State Park
San Vicente Mountain
Angeles National Forest
The list goes on and on! I love Los Angeles and I’m so happy to call it home, if you’re a local you know the feeling, and if you get a chance to visit, enjoy one of these hikes that offer up the most spectacular views of the city!
Let me know what some of your favorite trails are to play on and I hope your have the most adventurous weekend!
It’s up for debate what the best pizza spots are, where your favorite burger joint is . . . to list in categories all of your ‘favorites’ when it comes to the city you live in. In today’s post I’m giving you my favorite dessert on the northside. Are you sweet or savory? Do you grab or ice cream or chocolate chip cookies? Personally, I grab for sweet, warm, baked, homemade cookies!
If you love chocolate chip cookies the way mom used to make them AND nostalgia, you’ll love Snookie’s Cookies! Serving up warm homemade cookies for over 30 years, Snookie’s is charming and delicious!
When you go in, ask for Denise, she is the warmest and most inviting person you’ll ever meet! She knows everything about this city and we bonded immediately over our love for macadamia nut cookies! I had one of each to be exact and the peanut butter, macadamia nut, and snickerdoodles continue to be my favorites.
Snookie’s is best known for their famous giant hot air balloon baskets, where you can mix and match your favorite sweets, from cookies to cupcakes, and they now carry the New Orleans Sno-Ball! This island girl opted for ‘Tiger’s Blood’, a strawberry coconut flavor and it did not disappoint!
Whether you’re craving a fresh homemade style of treat, or a refreshing sno-ball to cool down your day, check out Snookie’s in Glendale, and give Denise a hug from me!
Leave me a sweet comment and tell me what your favorite dessert spot is so I can go try them out! I love desserts, I’m a ‘dessert before meals’ kinda girl 😉
It’s wedding season! For the type A/planner in me, I couldn’t have been more excited about gift giving and surprise planning than I was for this bachelorette party! My girl Linz is getting married in 3 weeks and I’m the maid of honor!!! This past weekend we celebrated her with a fun filled weekend in Vegas with the best group of girls you’ve ever seen, and I wanted to share with you all the fun things I did that you can use for your next Bachelorette/birthday/celebration! Also I suck at surprises and it was SO hard for me not to send the girls photos of everything I was doing.
So I had these ‘Who Doesn’t Want That‘ totes especially made for Linz’s bach party with the date, because it’s the best party favor … cute and functional! Yes it was over Valentine’s day weekend and we had THE best ever Galentine’s day I could even have imagined #girlpower
So in the bags I put together a lil ‘survival kit’ for the weekend complete with a hangover kit:
smart water because dumb decisions
a ‘cheers bitches’ tank since this was our theme for the weekend
Reese’s candy, Linz’s favorite
Kind bars because we were meanies to our livers
a ‘no ugly crying’ hankie filled with my favorite products to ensure no faces fell off
Moscato wine because never enough
a pack of polaroids for the polaroid camera I brought because polaroids are lyyyfe
le mieux eye masks (didn’t fit in the photo)- best evaaar for dark circles & puffiness!
handmade tiaras that I made…with my hands thus they later fell a part!
and “I regret nothing” survival/hangover kits!In these kits I put all my go-to items that you just NEED the morning after any kind of partying because survival mode:
my FAVORITE part of the gift bags: temporary tattoos that read “I belong to Linz’s bachelorette party. If I’m lost please buy me a drink!” (I mean….genius Etsy just genius)
ginger tea (aids in belly aches and nausea)
raspberry Emergen-C (tastes delicious and you need all the vitamins you can get)
nausea chews (these really do work!)
alka seltzer
kissy bandaids for any booboos (kissing a booboo makes everything better)
“To have and to hold….your hair back” hair ties with Linz bach note on it (cutest ever)
altoids
advil
glow in the dark rings so I could find my girls in dark clubs! We were likePower Rangers!
The ‘no ugly crying’ hankies folded into the perfect envelopes to hold some of my favorite ‘don’t let my face fall off’ products. Weddings will make you cry so I didn’t want anyone’s beautiful face to melt off:
Inglot blotting tissues (my favorite brand)
Blinc mascara that turns any mascara into a waterproof/ cry proof/ smudge proof magic-ness
my favorite lip liner that can double as blush and is perfect to layer or wear alone
Skindinavia’s setting spray (hands down the best) it’s time released and temperature controlled so when you start to sweat it kicks in high gear, hello dancing! (oh technology)
These were the ‘cheers bitches’ tiaras I made….after about 3 attempts, 2 trips to Michaels, a return to Marth-freaking-Stuart, and gluing 2 of my fingers together…. here they are! Post on the how to’s coming soon! I did so much DIY for this party that you’d all be so proud of me…because DIY is not my friend!
Linz’s bag had a few extra special items that I threw in there since it’s her big day I wanted even her martini cup to be wearing a veil! I got this tank from Etsy, and the tiara and matching cup veil cup came from Party City.
I think what makes a person a good friend is different from person to person, and what makes Linz a great friend to me, consists of too many words that deserve their own post. So I wanted her to feel just as loved, so in her bag also went her favorite Lollia Wish body wash and lotion, a bridal emergency kit, a quirky drink sleeve (because truth), and the something ‘blue’ I got her was this garter I had made for her that matches the same blue as Tiffany’s, and has Swarovski crystals surrounding the center bow. I fell in love with it when I saw it and I wanted her to have one to keep since one goes to a lucky bachelor! Every girl deserves a Tiffany blue something!
Some things I couldn’t make and bring with was the traditional penis cake….what an awkward conversation to have to the hotel concierge about baking such a cake and delivering it to the room! But it was so fun and their cake was delicious! I brought along with me the penis straws, cups, shot glasses, and all things penis I could find on the internet and it made for an amazing time!
Do it big ladies! Go ALL out and laugh until you’re swimming on a flooded bathroom suite floor with girls you absolutely adore, while having a communal bath and rubbing one another’s feet! haha yup that all happened! I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better more beautiful and supportive group of girls to be around than Bailey, Linz, Ashlee, and Meghan who I spent an incredible weekend with (Dani you were missed girl!!!)! I got so much closer to them and I’ve known them for years! There was no drama, it was all love, all laughs, and all dancing! Top night ladies!!! #buttsout
Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week and party til ya need an IV in the mornin 😉 We did that too!
I always find a way to incorporate my sense of style into everything I do…..including sports! Today I share with you this week’s goals and all of the week’s happenings…while wearing colorful kicks! I’ve been following the #ATTProAm which is being held just a hop and a skip away from where I am in L.A., and some incredible things have happened this week!
Let’s catch you up – I’ve been following the Foursome: Tim, Katie, Tiffany, and Dan who are receiving the VIP treatment for a Fan’s Eye View at this year’s #ATTProAm. You can follow them via twitter @TimLangGolf, @KtHorsford, @BlackGirlsGolf and @TheDanPlan.
This week I got to ask them each a few questions that I’m so excited to share with you! Some things they participated in this past week so far, besides an up close and personal experience during the event, they had the opportunity to meet with Veterans at the VTC Monterey and helped deliver food. They got to interact with kids at the Boys & Girls Club and be inspired by those they inspire, and they got to tee off on one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever seen!
I’ve been so motivated by their stories and found that I relate to each of them in a different way but in a way that reminds me that we are all so similar in life’s struggles and in life goals. So I decided to set some fun goals for myself this week!
My goal was to play the course in as few strokes as possible…which for me is usually an embarrassing 4+ strokes per hole. Starting off with a reasonable yet attainable goal for myself….that is key. So I took my skills out onto the golf course….yes that is a Putt Putt course. You have to start somewhere right, and for me it was just fun to focus on the basics of form and swing.
Golfing during the day with no one around, I was really able to experience how a sport like golf- when appreciated, can be so calming as it requires great focus and attention. It’s easy to find the appeal in it even if I’m not so great at it. I think people love it for that challenge and the competitiveness of it when playing against someone or in a competition. It takes strategy but it’s also fun. It doesn’t hurt that the sport is played outside, on a beautiful field, where you can also enjoy being surrounded by nature…I especially love that part of it. Here is my ‘happy nature’ smile.
Please be sure to check out the bios on each of the Foursome and see what about the sport they love so much!
Tim Lang:
Tiffany Fitzgerald:
Katie Horsford:
Dan McLaughlin:
Be sure to follow them for their event wrap ups! I’m looking forward to seeing what their favorite moments were! See you next week with more on next week’s goals!
xo – Jess
This post is in partnership with AT&T, celebrating 30 years of the #ATTPROAM.
Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to explore new sights, sometimes they’re just a hop and a skip away. This hop and skip was a quick 20 minute drive East, to Old Pasadena. The main street is full of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. It was the perfect change of scenery to round out the weekend!
First stop after walking around for a bit was 800 Degrees – offering up Neapolitan style hand tossed pizzas, drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with imported Italian tomatoes. Perfect if you’re looking for a sit down pizzeria that features gourmet ingredients. Oh and it was sooo delicious! Crispy, cheesy, and their truffle pizza with mushrooms and arugula on top (featured above) is on my top 10 list of best pizzas ever!
Of course Corrine got her favorite Root Beer, old fashioned and bubbly!
After lunch we walked around a bit, walking off the pizza and root beer, and found room for dessert of course! Lette’s Macarons drew us in with it’s sweet aroma of the classic almond treat. We got an assorted hand picked box and couldn’t have been more happy with the flavors! Chewy and just the right amount of sweet and savory. Of course we took a ton of pictures along the way….posing, always posing!
If you’re looking for a quick change of pace and are in the L.A. area, take a trip out to Old Pasadena, so many hidden treasures, shops, and old fashioned eateries. If you’re coming to L.A. I’d say make this one of the places you see before you leave!
I hope your weekend was awesome, let me know what kind of adventures you went on!
In these kits I put all my go-to items that you just NEED the morning after any kind of partying because survival mode:
