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3 Fun Things To Do On Mother's Day

Friday, May 11, 2018

Isla's shoes: Janie and Jack; Isla's scalloped shorts: Janie and Jack

I was so surprised and touched by ALL the people (even the random people) who wished me a happy Mother's Day once I became a mother.  It's really sweet to be recognized for the hard work you put in and really does make you feel proud and special. Because it IS a special day! With my second Mother's day approaching, I am thinking of celebrating by doing a fun family activity.  Last year we got dressed up and did a beautiful brunch. It made the day so relaxing and special.  We are going to start the tradition and go back again this year.  I'm going to dress Isla in the adorable outfit from Janie and Jack.  They have the cutest special occasion children's clothing with the most gorgeous details.


Isla's embroidered bomber jacket: Janie and Jack; Isla's striped ruffle sleeve top: Janie and Jack

If you're thinking of starting a Mother's Day tradition or just doing something special this year, here are a few ideas - and yes, they all include wine.

1. Brunch at Rancho Valencia

We love this place.  We also make reservations here for Easter Brunch.  The brunch itself is so yummy and they serve everything from breakfast classics to sushi and lobster benedict.  On top of that, they have fun activities for kids down in the lawn area, from a mini petting zoo to a build your own bouquet.  It's pricey but super fun!

2. Tea and a stroll at the Gardens

Nothing feels more special then a high tea and stroll in the gardens.  I adore the Huntington Library Gardens in Pasadena which have a beautiful tea (reservations highly recommended) and the most gorgeous grounds complete with Geese. It gets pretty warm this time of year so sunscreen is a must!
Some other local gardens include Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar which have this lovely umbrella display and Rogers Garden which also has an amazing restaurant, The Farmhouse.

3. Picnic in the Park

Don't want to spend a lot of money and just need some quality family time, planning a picnic in the park could be a great idea. You can make it special and dress up for the occasion.  We love heading over to The Great Park in Irvine.  It has an infinite amount of spots to picnic as well as a carousel and mini park for the kids. And if you're really adventurous you can go on the iconic orange Great Park Balloon which has a 360 degree view that spans 40 feet. If that's not your cup of tea (definitely not mine, yikes!) you can also stroll through the Farm + Food lab which is a unique interactive garden for all ages.  Lastly on Sundays, there is lovely farmers market!

What are your plans this Mother's Day?!  I'd love to hear any traditions your family loves.

Happy Mother's Day Mamas!


This post was sponsored by Janie and Jack luxury kids clothing.  You can see all Janie and Jack's beautiful pieces here.


Photography by The King's Rose

Family Photos

Tuesday, January 23, 2018


We officially took our first professional family photos this last November.  I was so excited and basically created a vision board with all my holiday family photo ideas.  I envisioned matching mommy and me pine crowns and sweet moments of Isla perched perfectly on my hip, foreheads touching while Jon looked at us lovingly.  This is not what happened.

Things got wrong the second we stepped foot in the pretty tree grove.  Isla panicked when the long grass touched her.  She's very finicky when things get "stuck to her." Then, to make matters worse, the onslaught of attention and camera immediately had her in tears. She didn't want either of us to pick her up or hold her hand.  And the more I stressed, the more Isla cried, probably picking up on my anxious vibes.  As for those matching pine crowns...not a chance! It's not every day we shell out money for something like this and all I could think was, what a waste!
However thanks to our talented -and patient!- photographer we got back so many sweet and beautiful shots.  While I don't think we have a photo with ALL of us smiling.  We definitely captured the day and the spirit of our little family.


{Me, desperately trying to make her wear her crown}








{My favorite shot of the day}


We definitely have a few framers.  This is my favorite shot of the day.  I chose to have it mounted on the most beautiful 100% bamboo wood from Photography.com and it turned out gorgeous!  The natural wood grains appear through the high definition printing and it came ready to hang.  It's our first family photo in the house and I'm sticking it right in our living room, even if they say you shouldn't, I don't care, it's too pretty not to be seen.  Photography.com offers other super cool alternatives to print on--like glass, planked wood, or even metal!  In the end having a sweet picture of our family hanging in our home was worth allll the meltdowns and stress.

Photography.com is offering my readers Buy 1 print get 3 Free! You can find the offer here.

For future reference (that is, if I can convince Jon to do this again), do you have any tips for taking photos with toddlers?  I'd love to hear!


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