Gennifer Rose blog
Welcome to our California Travel and Lifestyle blog where youβll find our collection of all the content weβve created. Whether youβre planning your next California vacation, searching for some new healthy recipes or seeking seasonal style tips, youβll find that perfect blog post here.
This page allows you to filter to your interests or browse everything the Gennifer Rose Blog has to offer. You may discover something new!
The San Diego city of La Jolla is the perfect spot for a quick weekend getaway. It's got all the vacation essentials you need including colorful murals, artesian food and endless beach sunsets. We all have our favorite activities and foods we like to enjoy during vacation, so I've built a quick and easy guide to popular spots in La Jolla. Looking for amazing Instagram photo spots? Want to eat a delicious meal on a rooftop while gazing on a sunset sky? It's all here!
Read MorePalm Springs is one of Californiaβs favorite playgrounds for both bachelorette gals in their 20βs to families with children. This desert oasis offers warmth and sunshine most of the year, but events and temperatures vary from month to month.
Every month of the year offers benefits and challenges with traveling to Palm Springs. Iβve broken down the highlights of each month so you can best plan your perfect vacation.
Read MoreSonoma County is known as a sophisticated weekend travel locale for adults to enjoy the best that California wine country has to offer. This Northern California destination is home to gorgeous landscapes and world-renowned wineries.
It may surprise you to learn that in Sonoma County thereβs plenty of activities the whole family can enjoy. If you are looking for a beautiful, fun and kid-friendly place to vacation, look no further than Sonoma County!
In this guide we outline some of the best things to do in Sonoma and the surrounding areas with your children. Whether youβve got babies, toddlers or older kids, below youβll find a variety of vacation itinerary ideas to fill your time with both adventure and relaxation.
Read MoreThe day after Thanksgiving we loaded up the car and headed North-East from Sacramento into Apple Hill. Itβs about an hour drive from our house to the Placerville and El Dorado County area. We had been looking forward to selecting and cutting down our own Christmas tree all week!
Apple Hill is one of the few places in Northern California where you can go into the Christmas tree farms and cut down your own tree. The Christmas tree varieties include Douglas Fir, White Fir, Canaan, Noble Fir and Silvertip. Most of the Christmas tree farms open the day after Thanksgiving and stay open until the week of Christmas (or until they sell out).
Read MoreAfter all my holiday celebrating and Christmas-themed research Iβve done in this past month of December, I can officially declare that thereβs no shortage of holiday cheer in Californiaβs capital city of Sacramento.
One common theme I discovered is that the people of Sacramento really love supporting their peers, i.e. fellow Sacramento locals. On my list youβll find ample opportunities to shop both small businesses and local artisans, plus support the arts like the Sacramento Ballet.
Read MoreIt's the most wonderful time of the year, and I'm here for it! I'm a big fan of Christmas. I love the decorations, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, the cheery lights, and all things sparkly. When a city's festivities and spirit bring on the holiday joy, it makes for an especially memorable experience, and San Francisco will always have a permanent place in my heart for that.
I grew up in the small town of Half Moon Bay which is located just south of San Francisco. My husband and I eventually moved into a tiny apartment in the heart of downtown San Francisco, and we got to experience Christmas in the city firsthand.
In this guide Iβve rounded up my top things to see in the month of December should you find yourself spending the Christmas holiday season in San Francisco. From picture perfect holiday card spots, to the best yuletide sweets, and of course Christmas shopping, weβve got everything you need for a festive itinerary while on your California winter vacation.
Read MoreOctober is the true beginning of the fall season and the entire month is filled with festive Halloween events. With every passing week of the month, the childrenβs anticipation builds up for October 31st. For most families Halloween night is synonymous with the time-honored tradition of trick-or-treating. Many children celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and visiting neighbors in your neighborhood in search of candy.
So why would you decide against celebrating Halloween with trick-or-treating? There are several reasons to possibly avoid taking to the streets on Halloween. Some neighborhoods are not suitable for walking door-to-door, they may be too spacious and rural. Other places may just be unsafe and not very child-friendly. Extreme weather can hinder trick-or-treating or maybe your tweens are just getting too old.
No matter what your reasons, my guide is filled with many fun and festive Halloween alternatives to trick-or-treating. My suggestions are great for children of all ages (and for adults too!). Your friends and family wonβt be disappointed with the spooky fun youβll be serving up!
Read MoreChristmas is a time of celebration, but itβs also a time of accumulation. The tradition of giving gifts means that by January weβve got a slew of new items in our home that we need to find a place for. Itβs very easy to discover that clutter has begun to pile up around the house after the festivities have ended.
The best way to combat this holiday untidiness is with planning ahead before you get into the thick of the gifting season. In this blog post I will outline the best ways to purge your house of unwanted items and then organize your home so that new items can be put away easily.
Read MoreApple Hill is essentially an outdoor playground for families, with numerous farms that welcome visitors. While Apple Hill is known for its apple picking in the fall season, there is also plenty to do during the months of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This scenic area of Northern California is not just about apple orchards. Here you can taste fine wines from local wineries, attend unique seasonal events, picnic surrounded by picturesque scenery, and enjoy classic holiday traditions.
Visitors have been coming to this beautiful area for over 50 years, and believe it or not, the popularity of these farms continues to grow in modern times. With so much to do in Apple Hill, you may need some advice on where to start. Read on for suggestions on some of the most popular things to do during the holiday season.
Read MoreThe 5 Love Languages is both a theory and best selling book on how to improve your relationships with the loved ones in your life. Chapmanβs advice is simple and uncomplicated, but still very impactful and easy to implement.
In a simple summary, every individual has both primary and secondary ways that they prefer to give and receive love. As individuals we are all unique in how we express emotions, and sometimes we have a hard time communicating or acknowledging those feelings with our loved ones because we weβre aware of their particular love language.
Read MoreDuring my last trip to New York City I packed my favorite pair of comfy denim overalls and a bright and colorful sweater. It was the month of October and the seasons were still in transition from summer to fall. It was warm enough to wear overalls and flat sandals in the daytime, but it was nice to have a sweater for those chilly breezy moments.
At the time I was 6 months postpartum after having my daughter and I wasnβt fitting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes just yet. Overalls were the perfect maternity staple, and also awesome for my postpartum wardrobe.
Both my overalls and sweater are from Modcloth, which always has amazing colorful and trendy clothes. They especially have the best rainbow styles!
In this guide youβll find all kinds of style tips and inspiration for your own sweater and overall outfits. From season to season, this wardrobe combo is an easy to wear and can be worn to all kinds of daytime events.
Read MoreIf you're looking for a county escape that's far enough away to feel like a mini-vacation but still close enough to get back to the city on Monday morning, Placer County is the place for you.
In Placer, the off-season is not a thing, meaning there is never a bad time to pick up the kids and take the family on a spontaneous weekend getaway that you will all enjoy. Whether you want an action-packed weekend full of adventure or a more laid-back, relaxing time with the family, I guarantee Placer County won't disappoint.
Located just 130 miles away from San Francisco, the area is home to over 1,400 square miles of unspoiled land, beautiful rolling hills, and breathtaking views stretching from the historic Gold Country Foothills to the High Sierras of North Lake Tahoe.
There's no other way to say this: Placer is a superstar Northern California region for outdoor activities, offering something for everyone. From hiking and cycling to boating, fishing, or just relaxing on the lake or river beach, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy your time here.
In this blog, I'll go over some of the best hidden gems in Placer County that will make your trip unforgettable. Whether youβre there for a day trip, a weekend warrior or even a longer extended stay, you'll never be bored. I've also included plenty of adult-friendly things to do for couples who are on a romantic weekend.
Read MoreThe beautiful fall leaves and fun pumpkins of New York City have inspired my autumn bucket list for 2016. I know this season will pass by so fast and I always want to make sure I capture the moment with some favorite autumn events.
Read MoreFairytale Town is the perfect affordable, and fun place to spend time with your kids or grandkids, keeping them from watching too much TV or video games during school breaks and getting them out and about in the great outdoors.
It's ideal for the little ones to run around and enjoy themselves while exercising their brains with fun literacy games and colorful play sets that challenge them to use their imagination and keep them entertained for hours.
In this blog I'll take you through some of the best things you can do and all you need to know about the park. After this quick read youβll be prepared and ready to maximize your day of family fun in Fairytale Town.
Read MoreI love using blood oranges for cocktails because they add a splash of drama and color to the evening. I always prefer to use freshly-squeezed juice, and then some fruit slices as garnish. This cocktail recipe is super simple but full of sweet citrus flavor, the orange and lime really complement each other.
Read MoreHalf Moon Bay is known as both a beach town and a cute farming community that comes alive in the autumn season. There are several family farms that convert into festive pumpkin patches for the public to enjoy.
The coast is one of the perfect places to take some time to capture special moments on camera. Thereβs so many beautiful backdrops for both families and Instagrammers.
Read MoreBlogtober is a content creating challenge in which a blogger publishes a new blog post and social media posts every day in the month of October. Not only is it a great way to pump out crucial content during a peak season, itβs also a really fun way to enjoy everything the fall season has to offer.
Read MoreHalloween is coming up quickly this October and we decided to get crafty with some DIY pumpkin painting. My 2-year-old daughter Scout insists that Halloween shouldnβt be scary, so instead we decided to make it colorful and full of art.
Keep reading to see my step-by-step guide to planning and creating your own Yayoi Kusama inspired painted pumpkins for the fall season.
Read MoreWe are officially entering into the month of December, which means the magical holiday season is upon us. Itβs a time for gathering with family and friends, spending quality time with loved ones.
Putting out a spread of food is a must and one of my favorite ways to feed a crowd is with an impressive charcuterie board filled with an abundance of foodie favorites.
If youβre new to building charcuterie boards, fret not! These culinary creations may look tricky or intimidating, but I promise itβs actually quite simple when you follow my easy steps. And the best part is that thereβs really no wrong way to build a charcuterie board, itβs all about what you and guests like to eat!
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