Christmas Markets, incredible lighting displays, festive decor, amazing shopping and dining, seasonal shows and events, and lots of entertainment are just a few of the many reasons that visiting London at Christmas is a must. I’ve been fortunate to spend time in many world class cities at Christmas time – Los Angeles, New York, Paris…and … Read more
A trip to London always leaves me feeling inspired and like my cup is full. It’s always an absolute dream to be wandering down the bustling streets in this beautiful city lined with gorgeous townhouses and quaint shops and restaurants. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. On our last couple … Read more
Summertime in Phoenix anyone? If you’ve been watching the news this week, I’m sure you’ve seen the record setting 100+ degree temps that they are currently dealing with…not unusual for Phoenix, but I’m sure it doesn’t typically scream “I want to vacation there right now!!” 😉 Well, hopefully this post might change your mind. John … Read more
I hope you are having a great start to your week. I spent yesterday being lazy and recouping from a busy week and now I’m ready to dive into another one! Do you ever need to do that? Just take a minute to kind of reset? I definitely do or else I can get kind … Read more
It’s what fairytale dreams are made of…a princess castle nestled in the forest of Germany. Take one look at Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany and you can see how it inspired Walt Disney to create Sleeping Beauty’s castle. When we added Germany to our travel itinerary, driving out to see this gorgeous cliffside castle was a … Read more
Ashley and I are headed on a little UK adventure in a few weeks so I’ve been researching (one of my favorite things to do when planning a trip!) for all the best of everything that London has to offer. I have been fortunate to spend a fair amount of time in London, but I … Read more
How do you plan your family vacations? With the kids schedules and John’s schedule being SO crazy these days, we have found that the easiest thing for us to do is to sit down as a family at the beginning of the year and look at the calendar so we can get something planned out … Read more
One Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is a sanctuary in the city. John and I had the chance to stay on a trip to the Better Homes & GardensStyleMaker conference and it did not disappoint! Located waterfront on Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge sits right beside the East River and five blocks west of the … Read more
For Christmas last year we had the pleasure of traveling to France for the holiday break. As you know, if you’ve been following along with our travels for the last many years, we love to rent a car when we travel and drive all over creation. On this trip we started in Paris, where we … Read more
Rome, Venice, Lake Como…these are just a few of the names you often hear when people are asked where they would like to travel in Italy. A name you don’t hear very often…Verona, Italy…but I’m hoping to change that! Don’t get me wrong, Verona, Italy is a popular travel destination, but because it’s not one … Read more
Last December I had the pleasure of planning a trip to London at Christmas for some of John’s work colleagues…and lucky me, we got to join in on the fun! I had never been to London at Christmastime, but it was definitely on my list of things I needed to do. The best thing about … Read more
If you aren’t familiar with The Ham Yard Hotel, The Covent Garden Hotel, The Haymarket Hotel…well, any of the Firmdale Hotels for that matter, let me be the first to introduce you. 🙂 With eight boutique hotels in London, two in New York, and a handful of bars and restaurants, they are a growing company. … Read more
I am a bit overwhelmed even trying to think where to start with this post! I LOVE London. Can’t get enough of it. In the last few years I’ve been fortunate enough to travel there several times at all different times of the year and each time I go I just fall more and more … Read more
I grew up in San Diego and admittedly never spent much time in Oceanside. We were a little bit inland and further south in San Diego..so our beach trips took us to La Jolla Shores, Del Mar and points south. Living in Orange County these last many years Oceanside has been a bit closer, but … Read more
When Ash and I heard that John was headed to a conference in Dallas a couple of weeks ago, we immediately saw our chance to go visit The Silos from Fixer Upper and the shops at Magnolia Market so we grabbed a couple of plane tickets and tagged along. John and I had visited the … Read more
Now that things seem to be getting a tad back to normal, John is back to traveling for work some and that means….Ash and I tag along! Woot, woot! A work conference means a great excuse for us to get away for a few days and a fun weekend in Dallas, Texas for some sun … Read more
These past 2 years (I can’t even believe I’m saying that!) have felt a bit stifling, feeling stuck in one place and generally unable to travel. Things feel a little like they are starting to normalize in that department, we just got back from our first big trip in a few years and while it … Read more
Paris is always a good idea…especially in the fall! I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Paris during three seasons, and let’s just say it’s beautiful every time I go, but something about Paris in the fall is magical. John and I had the opportunity to visit in late September back before the pandemic hit, and … Read more
You may have heard me mention it here before a time or two ;), but I am a So Cal girl through and through. I was born and raised in San Diego and then transplanted to south Orange County 20 years ago when I got married and started my own family. I remember the day … Read more
Dare I say…travel is back? Could it be? I decided it was about time to dust off the travel archives and write a travel post. This has been the strangest 15+ months. I have never been so grounded. While there are parts of being a home body I have definitely enjoyed, the wanderlust has been … Read more
January is always a great time for cleaning, organizing, reflection and goal setting. Having a slower month to focus on getting life in order for the new year is something I have really come to appreciate. I’m excited to kick off a new year of blog hops with an organizational post. As I thought about … Read more
I am a bit slow getting going this morning. It’s a cold dreary day here in Utah, the tops of the mountains are covered in snow and it’s a bit of a rough re-entry after a fun weekend in the sun back home in OC. This last week was our fall break…so we headed home … Read more
John and I had the chance to spend a few days in London in September. I love London…the hustle and bustle, beautiful architecture, history….so many things to see and do. I’ve been fortunate to visit London on several occasions, but never without the kids and never in the fall. I have to say…London in the … Read more
There is no better time to travel than fall. Near perfect temperatures, reduced crowds and travel deals are just a few of the reasons to book a trip in September and October. John and I put off celebrating our anniversary which falls in the heat of the summer, and instead opted for a celebration in … Read more
Let me just start by saying, spending Christmas in New York City is as magical as it seems in all the movies and on TV. This amazing city…that I love all year, just outdoes itself at Christmastime. Macy’s Santaland, ice skating in Central Park, twinkle lights and music everywhere you look…it’s hard to not feel … Read more
If you have never had the opportunity to visit one or more of the National Parks, here is my formal invitation to make Zion National Park a vacation destination in the near future. Living in Southern California my whole life and traveling back and forth between CA and Utah for school, St. George was always … Read more
The lakes region in Italy has become one of our favorite travel destinations. Sparkling turquoise water, dramatic mountains jutting out of the lake, quaint villages and lots of activities for families and couples alike, it’s no wonder we love to visit! Of all the lakes in Italy, Lake Garda is Italy’s largest. A quick 2 … Read more
Cinque Terre quite literally means “five lands” in Italian. Dotted along the Italian coastline these pretty little centuries old fishing villages have become a super popular tourist destination over the last several years. Each of the Cinque Terre villages has it’s own charm, and each boasts colorful cliffside houses, steep rugged terraced land and quaint … Read more
Finding hotels in London with family rooms can be a challenge. Last time we were in town we were there long enough we decided to check out luxury vacation rentals in London, but on a recent stop in town for a few days, we decided to just find a hotel for the four of us. … Read more
We have been traveling to Phoenix for years for a fun desert getaway. A quick drive from our home in Orange County and home to many of our extended family, we usually find ourselves there several times a year. Over spring break this year John was fortunate to have a conference at the Arizona Biltmore … Read more
