Closet Makeover Before and After

When we moved into our house we were hit hard by all the expenses that come along with moving into new construction. Window covers for obvious reasons and landscaping for HOA reasons had to be prioritized, so some things had to wait. Like our master closet.

The Fair and Other Summer Things

 

It's mid August. It's still hot as ever outside, but Summer is basically over! Where does the time go? Thanks to very little actual vacation plans I had so much vacation time to use that I took two Fridays off per month for the entire summer and that's the thing that made summer feel like an actual summer. An extra day off with no plans in particular, is glorious indeed. 

Back to HOT Las Vegas: We Can't Get Enough

I've been to Las Vegas a lot. Too many times to count at this point. Due to close proximity to San Diego it was always a popular getaway spot. And then my parents moved there. Last year I went three times!!  Over the years I've stayed at Flamingo, Tropicana, The Orleans, Monte Carlo (which is now Park MGM), Polo Towers, Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, Excalibur, Hilton Grand Vacation Resort, The Venetian, Treasure Island, Palazzo, Caesar's Palace, and this time we added Mandalay Bay to the list. 

How To Get To Catalina Island and Why You Should Go

I don't usually plan anything for my birthday except maybe a dinner date with my husband, but this year I decided that since we really haven't gone anywhere in awhile, Catalina Island sounded like a good idea.

You can get to Catalina Island by ferry from four different locations. The Catalina Express will take you there out of Dana Point, Long Beach, or San Pedro. You can get there on the Catalina Flyer out of Newport Beach. We chose Catalina Express because they offer more departure times. Dana Point was closest to our house, but had the least options available so we ended up going out of Long Beach. The ferry ride over was lovely. I upgraded us to Commodore section so that we could avoid the wait and I'm glad that I did. The line was much shorter, and we got let onto the boat first so we didn't have to wait long and it comes with a drink and snack. First class all the way!! It was more expensive but it was worth it.  You could be even more first class and take a Helicopter, but that will cost you a lot more. The weather is usually a bit iffy this time of year so I was preparing myself for gloom, and that's exactly what I got the day we left.

The Holidays

The holidays were in a word. AWESOME. Did I do much? No. Did I go anywhere? No. And that's part of what made it so great. I love a good staycation.

I kind of feel like the fun of the holiday season starts with Halloween. We went to the 17 Door Haunted House up in orange county for the second time, and there is a good chance I will never go back. It was super intense. I was so traumatized! Click the link and you will see what I mean. I just looked at it again to link it here and got flashbacks.

Summer Things Catch Up: Atlanta & Buffalo

Now as part of my summer things catch up series I'm jumping back in time to July and September when we traveled to the other side of the United States twice for sporting events.