Iβm a big fan of wearing sparkly sequins and New Years Eve is the perfect excuse to add all the sparkle you want to an outfit. Thereβs something magical about staying up late to ring in a new year, especially when the fireworks show starts as the clock strikes midnight. Thereβs always many parties and events happening the evening on December 31st, which means youβll need the perfect festive ensemble.
The struggle with dressing for New Years is always the same - how to look fabulous while still keeping warm. New Years Eve festivities go late into the night, and often involve going outside to see fireworks. Not to mention the fact that weβre talking about the winter season so the temperatures can really dip down into the 40s here in California (and even colder for the East Coast).
In this guide I will give you some clever and fashionable tips to make your New Years Eve party style cute and warm at the same time. These pointers will also come in handy for any late fall or winter evening events where you may be outside (like a Halloween party for example!).
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Apple Hill is pretty much a farm loverβs paradise! Most farms throughout the US are closed to the public, but in Apple Hill youβll find over 50 local family farms and small businesses that welcome guests to pick produce and enjoy the countryside scenery.
Apple Hill is not actually a city itself, the territory runs through the small town of Camino into Placerville, CA. The Apple Hill community includes fruit & veggie farms, wineries, B&Bs, flower gardens, Christmas tree farms, restaurants and even a day spa.
While Apple Hill is most popular in the autumn season for apple picking and pumpkin patches, thereβs actually plenty to explore year-round. In this blog post I outline all the hidden gems to see, eat, photograph and explore inside Apple Hill.
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Located inside the Kimpton The Sawyer Hotel in Midtown Sacramento youβll find Punch Bowl Social. This venue can be best described as an entertainment and amusement hub featuring old-school meets modern games, arcades and billiards.
Inside the two story 25,000 square venue thereβs bowling alleys, foosball table, giant versions of favorite board games, darts, vintage video games and more. Not to mention thereβs a restaurant and multiple bars for crafted food and cocktails.
The aesthetics and decor are quirky and modern with large glass windows showing skyline city views of Downtown Sacramento. This is an ideal place for date nights or friends girls and guys night out.
Iβve been both in the daytime and at night to Punch Bowl Social. During lunch hours itβs very calm and low key lounging. But when the sun goes down the energy level kicks up and thereβs twinkling lights everywhere and a buzzing scene.
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If you havenβt guessed it by now, I am a huge fan of the TV show The Office - as evidenced by this massive guide youβre about to read. My friends and I decided to completely geek out on a trip to Los Angeles and dress up as our favorite The Office characters while we went on a self-guided tour to many of the filming locations in Southern California. I was dressed as β3-hole-punch Jimβ, Kara was Dwight and Brianna was Kelly.
The Office show takes places in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but in reality most of the show is filmed in Los Angeles. The most commonly used cities for filming locations is Van Nuys, Panorama City and Studio City - which are commonly known as βThe Valleyβ to LA locals.
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San Diego is a desirable vacation destination for many reasons. The weather is excellent year-round, the beaches are pristine, and San Diego is home to two of the most world-famous animal parks.
Both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park are enormous parks filled with a huge variety of rare and endangered wildlife. You can easily spend an entire day exploring each park, which leads to the conundrum of how to decide which park to visit during your trip. Hence this guide!
My husband and I are former San Diego residents, and my entire in-law family still live there. Weβve spent many family vacations exploring both the animal parks with our kids, and we can provide both a local and insider perspective.
In this comprehensive guide youβll find detailed information about both animal parkβs exhibits, top animals to see, location information, baby and kid-friendly pointers, and even what to eat. Weβve left no stone unturned and you can use all these tips to help you make an itinerary decision.
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Calling all the foodie content creators out there, itβs time to step-up your video game. Whether you like to share recipes, show off your expert cooking skills or just really enjoy eating yummy food - thereβs plenty of videos to be made.
This guide is for both beginners and the seasoned veterans alike (donβt mind my foodie pun!). If youβve already been making food-themed content but are feeling like youβre in a rut and need some fresh inspiration, Iβm sure youβll find some new ideas listed below. Here are 10 of the best foodie video ideas that would be perfect for TikTok and Instagram reels.
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One of the highlights from this summer was our Highway 1 road trip from Sacramento to Carmel-by-the-Sea. We added a new twist to our road tripping adventures by swapping our hybrid car for a completely electric Chevy Bolt car rental. We have considered purchasing an all-electric vehicle so this was the perfect opportunity for us to get some real-life experience driving one.
Our Chevy Bolt EV gets over 200 miles on a full charge, which makes it ideal for California road trips. There are a plethora of charging stations sprinkled all over the state, making it easy and cost-effective to drive between major cities.
In this guide we will share our learnings and tips from our experiences driving an EV vehicle on long road trips. While some may seem like common sense, Iβm sure thereβs at least one point youβll find as helpful advice for your own future road trips.
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Sacramento is quickly becoming one of Californiaβs favorite travel destinations, thanks to the thriving farm-to-fork foodie scene and modern stylish surroundings without the big city price tag. Sacramento is also one of the few places in California where you can really experience all the seasons. In fall the foliage turns beautiful autumn colors, summer is very hot and ready for pool swimming, winter is cold and spring is full of April showers and sweet blossoms. During the cold days of winter you bundle up in your home, but once spring rolls around youβre ready to breath fresh air and enjoy some time outdoorsβ¦ hence the raincoat and boots!
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For years my husband and I were paying high rent costs for our tiny apartment in San Francisco. All the photos in this blog post were taken during our last year of renting. While we loved living in the city, we knew eventually we would be moving into the suburbs to buy a house and start a family.
One day we received a letter from our landlord that our rent would be going up again, and this was the kick in the pants we needed to lay out the groundwork to homeownership. This notice was the straw that broke the camelβs back and we made the decision to get serious about buying a house and putting a permanent end to paying rent.
This guide compiles all the research and steps we followed in the process of buying our first house. It took us about a year to complete all these stages in our journey, not to mention saving up for the downpayment.
Itβs never too early or too late to begin your own plan of action towards owning your first home. My advice is to take it one step at a time and give yourself a reasonable amount of time to complete all the steps.
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Both the current fashion trends of Fair Isle Knits and Wellington Boots are actually not trends at all, they are winter fashion staples going back many decades. But in modern day we aren't wearing these styles in exactly the same way as our grandmothers did. These days both fair isles prints and wellies come in an array of bright and colorful shades, making dark winter days much more cheerful.
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I have been a βdog mamaβ to my Black Labrador Holly for over 10 years now. She has travelled with me all over our home state of California, often on very long roadtrips from Northern California to Southern California.
Holly was a rescue adopted from the Humane Society when she was about one year old. She has always had a sweet disposition and is loving towards people, but sheβs also had very severe anxiety from past trauma. I never knew what her history was before I adopted her, but she clearly suffered in the hands of her previous owner.
Hollyβs anxiety can especially get triggered when she knows thereβs an upcoming trip. The moment she sees my suitcase come out of the closet, she begins to pace around nervously and follows me everywhere I go in the house. Sheβs either worried that Iβm leaving on a trip without her, or sheβs nervous to be taken on a roadtrip to a new place. Either way, traveling puts her on edge.
I have worked with several dog trainers over the years to help Holly with her anxiety. This blog post has been several years in the making, as Iβve complied many of my learnings, personal experiences and professional advice from trainers into one guide. I hope all dog owners with pups suffering from anxiety can use these tips to find relief for their fur babies.
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The Christmas party episode of The Office was pretty memorable. The theme was ββnights in Moroccoββ as stated by Phyllis Vance, who wanted to plan an original Christmas party. After enduring so many traditional holiday parties put on my Angela from the Party Planning Committee, Phyllis was ready to flex her power as the new head of the PPC with an exotic party theme.
Whether you want to replicate Phyllis's Moroccan Christmas party at home, or would like to know what parts of the party were actually Moroccan and what parts were not, here is everything you need to know about that episode.
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For Halloween some people like to dress as comic super heroes with tights and capes. But there are real life super heroes who are flesh and blood humans and I personally prefer to honor them with my Halloween costumes.
Continuing my tradition of feminist-themed bad ass women halloween costumes, this year I am embodying the Notorious RBG, formally known as Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If ever there was a badass woman in our recent history, it was Ruth.
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Thereβs something so romantic and nostalgic about vintage board games. It brings you back to a time before technology had taken over our lives and people really took their time to enjoy each otherβs company.
For myself and my husband, our perfect date night consists of lively conversation, good food and drinks, music playing and cell phones turned off.
The board games listed in this blog post were each chosen because they are great options for two players. Each game has its strengths and will set the tone for a romantic evening. So grab two glasses of wine, light some candles, play some chill background music and let the competition begin!
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As a busy mom, you know that thereβs never such a thing as too much money. Whether itβs for planning that next family vacation, back-to-school shopping, or simply a hefty grocery run, a few extra hundred dollars per month can stretch quite a long way.
If youβve been looking for a side hustle that is both lucrative and respects your busy schedule, this article is here to help! Weβll be showcasing five of the best side hustle ideas for mothers, including how you can easily get started.
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Taking family photos is a great way of documenting memorable events that happen in our lives and capturing important milestones. These moments frozen in time help us see our loved ones grow up and change over the years. Photographs become a precious legacy that can be passed on from generation to generation.
One of the most breathtaking places to take family pictures in Southern California is undoubtedly San Diego. With stunning natural beauty ranging from world-famous beaches, pristine parks and even modern urban neighborhoods, this city has some of the best backdrops in the country.
Choosing to take family pictures in the beloved San Diego city is an easy decision because there's a locale for every kind of vibe you could be going for. Below you'll find 15 of the most Instagrammable places in San Diego where you can have a photo shoot with your loved ones, regardless of the occasion.
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When you want to choose a new swimsuit, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the range of styles available. At the same time, it might also be important for you to feel comfortable in what you wear, especially if your swimming will occur in a public place. Doing a bit of research before you buy, and really taking the time to think about the features you would like to see in a piece of swimwear, can allow you to feel more comfortable about the item you end up purchasing.
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USAβs sunshine state is known for its warm weather, delicious seafood, and beautiful beaches. Whether you want to party or have a relaxing and tranquil retreat, thereβs a Florida beach for every kind of vacation vibe you're going for.
With 825 miles of shoreline, Floridaβs beaches are famous for their white sand, crystal-clear waters, and lush green vegetation, making it an ultra popular vacation destination.
Parts of Florida are comparable to luxurious tropical island destination such as Fiji and the Maldives. But being that all of Florida is US territory, you can avoid passport hassles and long-haul flights. While it may feel like youβre far away in an exotic destination, youβre still safe and comfortable in our homeland America.
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