Weight Loss Update

Tomorrow I'm going to share a few ways you can help Leslie Sisti's family if you are interested.  I was able to attend her funeral today and it was a beautiful tribute but heartbreaking.  Next week I will get back to doing our tour of the United States (but if you live in Colorado or Connecticut - I need you to email me at kellyskornerblog@gmail.com and share all your favorite places with me!)




Well, it's been three months since I had Will Holden.

And because I told you before I wanted to be accountable - I'm going to give a weight loss update.  I will try to do this monthly until I meet my goal (and maybe after to see how maintaining goes - because let's be realistic - that's equally hard).

I've had ups and downs.

Right around the time I decided to focus on losing weight, I also quit breastfeeding.  The weight had been coming off quickly but that came to a halt.  And I would start off eating well and then we would decide to go eat Mexican food.  Or a friend would invite me to eat somewhere or I would find a stash of Oreos in the cupboard.  (I'm trying to just be completely honest).  I will be the first to say that a lot of my entertainment and rewards are bound up in food and I'm trying to change that.

Also, exercise has been very hit or miss.  My only form of exercise right now is trying to walk each night but it rained for about three weeks straight which messed me up.  I try to go later at night once Will Holden is in bed and the girls are ready for bed but that can sometimes be 8:30 and then I have about 20 minutes of light left.  And sometimes I'm just tired at the end of the day and don't feel like it.   I would love to set an alarm and work out early in the morning but I never stick to that.  So I'm working on this.  I hope to join a gym this fall so that will help.  It's just plain hard as a mom to do everything you need to do and take care of everyone you need to and still carve out time to work out (and to have the energy to).

So finally two weeks ago, Scott and I went back to a clinic that we have done before to lose weight.  Scott has had great success on their program and I had JUST started losing weight LAST JULY when I found out I was pregnant in August and had to quit.  I was up a few pounds to 170 when we went in two weeks ago and this morning I was 160.  I will share more about this program next month after I see how it goes.

It mostly has us eating whole foods - a lot of vegetables and protein.  No sugar.  Very little carbs.  I've traded in diet coke for water (well, I still sneak in maybe one a day but I'm working on it).  I've rid the house of much of anything besides these foods.  It's actually not a hard diet to be on.  We don't eat out right now.  And it's working.  My girls even decided they like salmon (you have no idea how picky they are - that's huge!)

I know there are a million ways that you can lose weight.  I think everyone can find something that works for them and I don't know that any way is better than any other.  It really boils down to eating healthy and exercise and drinking water.  That sounds easy but in this world of busyness and fast food - it's not always as easy as it sounds.

My clothes are fitting a little bit better.  And I'm feeling a little better about myself.  I feel like I look in the mirror and I'm beginning to recognize the old Kelly again.  I still have a way to go but I just look forward to having a little more confidence and feeling healthy and not sluggish. That's really what I'm after - to stay young to keep up with my kids! No one is trying to be a bikini model here.

So here are the humbling pictures.  Sometimes when I'm tempted to eat ice cream - I just remember that I'm going to post a picture of myself on here and have to show some progress and I can choose a handful of almonds instead. ha!

Obviously you can't tell a big difference in 6 pounds but I am down 30 pounds since having Will Holden and I'm happy about that! 

Leslie Sisti

If you have read here long, you know that we have a Singles Day where people link up single friends and somehow matches have been made! Ten couples have met and married.  And one of the first couples who met and married were Leslie and Stephen Sisti.  They are local and I was so thrilled when they met - they were a match made in heaven! 

They went on to have two darling little girls - Caroline and Ainsley.  

Unfortunately a heart problem Leslie had worsened after having Ainsley and yesterday she went to meet Jesus.  I think everyone who knows her is shocked and saddened to hear of her loss.  I have met Leslie many times and she was just extraordinarily beautiful on the outside and the inside.  

She wrote the blog blondeambitionblog.com.  You can read and see her love of life and her family.

I want to share service information with you and also a place you can donate if you would like to help her family.  Most of all - would you please pray for her family who lost a daughter and especially Stephen who lost his wife and those precious baby girls who will never get to know their amazing mother.


The fund is http://www.gofundme.com/d53bgd5p8s.

Also - a group of bloggers plan to do posts tomorrow to remember Leslie and will use the hashtags #beblessedlovelies (as that's how Leslie always signed off on her blog) as well as #rememberingleslie if you would like to join in. 

Summer Fun

Will Holden had his first baby sitter last week - his Aunt Laurie.

Laurie loves babies more than anything in the world so she has been dying to keep him.  But I'm weird about not letting people keep my baby.  She has been so mad at me for not asking her sooner.  I will say it's really nice having babies once your friends have kids that are older so they are excited to keep your babies.  (When you all have babies the same age - who wants to volunteer to keep another baby? ha!) 

I took the girls swimming while Laurie kept Will Holden.  Of course it's been 100 degrees every day and the one day we went - it was raining some and cool.  But we had a great time because no one was at the pool.  It was fun to have time with just my girls for a little bit. 

My brother and his family came to town last week also and we got to spend a little time with them and they got to meet Will Holden.  They went on to see my parents but we enjoyed a quick visit! 

This was me and my sweetest boy before church today.  I have to tell you about this dress.  

I have done stitch fix on and off for a while but I've had a hard time getting anything I really liked.  I ended up sending most of it back and then I made some changes and it made a HUGE impact.

I thought if you had tried it and it didn't work - you might want some tips or if you want to sign up - make sure you do the following:

1. I changed my age from 41 to 28.  I feel like they kept sending me clothes that were really "matronly".  I don't want to dress like a teenager but I don't want to look too old either. So 28 seemed like an achievable age. ha! 

2.  I made a pinterest board of clothes that I loved and shared it with them.

3. I had one good box so I requested that same stylist after that. 

4.  I was very specific in my requests - like I tell what I have coming up and what I really am looking for.  

Anyway - a box came last week and it had several things I loved but I REALLY loved this dress.  I feel like there are lots of ways to wear it!

(The dress is Braxton Ivy brand.  I've tried finding it online and can't???? and the Shoes are Minnentonka Isabel sandals.  And they are cute and SO comfortable for wedges!)

Harper starts school one week from today.  So we are packing a lot of fun into this last week of summer.  I love these three so much.  It's not always easy to get all ready and head out to do stuff but I'm always glad we try! I do plan to let us sleep in every morning this week and not rush because starting next Monday - it's going to be early mornings again at our house.

Three Months

Will Holden you are three months old!!!!! 

You are around 13 pounds.  You wear a size 3-6 months and a size 2 diaper. 

You are an AMAZING sleeper.  You have been sleeping through the night for a while - usually a 9-10 hour stretch.  And you take a 3-4 hour nap every afternoon and usually a short morning nap.  I can't get over how well you sleep.  After having two horrible sleepers who I tried EVERYTHING with - it's just so incredible to have such a good sleeper who I have done absolutely NO training with.  I don't even have to rock you or anything.  I lay you down for a nap when you are awake and you never make a peep - just go right to sleep.  

(To all moms reading - I'm not bragging - I'm just completely in awe!!!)

(and now I'm cursed - he will quit sleeping after I post this)

You are really just a sweet, happy baby.  You smile and coo at me all day and it makes me just want to hold you and talk to you 24//7.   I'm so crazy about you that I can barely stand it! I just told your daddy this week that I can't imagine if you had never joined our family.  You have made us complete and happy.

And your big sisters ADORE you! They fight over you constantly over holding you or feeding you and who gets to sit next to you in the car.  They are SO sweet with you and all I ever hear is "Oh he's so adorable" and "our brother is the cutest ever".  

Your hands have found your midline and you are constantly putting them there and chewing on your hands.  I think your hair has a slight reddish tint.  I'm so curious to see you in a year and see if you really will be a Ginger boy or more blondish.  I feel like you might keep your blue eyes.  I'm so thrilled I might get to have a blue eyed boy.  

I don't realize how quickly you grow until I do these picture comparisons.  

 All of the Stamps kids at three months

I mean, isn't he a dream?

We love you so much Will Holden! Thank you for being the cherry on top of our ice cream sundae! 

The Beauty Within

Will Holden will be three months old tomorrow.  So I'm edging up on three months after having a baby and so this weekend/Monday I'm going to write an update on my weight loss journey.  I've had ups and downs and probably face a lot of the same hurdles that most of you do.  The good news I have lost some - it's just a slow process.  I will give specific details on that in a later post but I wanted to address something that so many of you mentioned as you commented on my original weight loss post.

So many of you showed concern that I didn't pass on insecurities/weight struggles to my girls.  And I so agree with you.  Having girls, I knew that one of my biggest jobs would be to guide them in a world that can be so image based.  I know that probably 90% of all women struggle with insecurity with their looks or weight and it starts earlier and earlier.  

I have always been very careful to never use the "F" word at our house.  NOT the one you are thinking (although we don't say that either) but "FAT".  I never say things like "oh I'm so fat" or "I can't have cake because I'm fat" or "this outfit makes me look fat".  I don't want the girls to see their mom constantly putting herself down.  They see me weighing myself but I always say "I'm just seeing how I've grown - let's see how you have grown" and that's what I tell them when I weight them as well.  I try to make it sound positive! We have been talking food choices lately and I've been working with them to make better choices.  We never say "that will make you fat" but "we are going to eat fruit instead of ice cream because we want to be healthy".  We talk about being healthy.  We have been encouraging playing outside and running and riding bikes because "exercise will make us healthy and strong".  

I think it's super easy to verbalize our insecurities in front of our children without realizing the long term damage we are doing to them.  I know right now they think I'm perfect (ha ha ha ha I'm laughing because in about 6 years they will be so ashamed of me).  So if their mom thinks she's ugly or fat, then they must be also.  Or at least that's how their minds will go.

My biggest desire in raising girls is to teach them inner beauty first.  There is nothing wrong with making the most of how you look.  Obviously I love to dress my girls up and they LOVE dresses and having their hair fixed and I think there is a fine line between trying to look your best and being vain/obsessed with your looks.  My motto is the one my Mam-ma and mom passed down to me and that is "Pretty is as pretty does".  I always tell them people will think they are beautiful because of how they treat them not for how they look.  The Bible states this in 1 Samuel 16:7 "Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart".  

In the south we often call someone "ugly" if they are acting mean.  I tell my girls all the time to not be ugly to each other.  And if I think about it, it probably evolved from the prior statement about inner beauty.  When I see someone's "ugly" coming out, it really taints their outer beauty to me. 

We love "Little House on the Prarie" and thankfully they have had several episodes lately with a lesson on teasing where kids have made fun of another because of their looks or intelligence and I love being able to use that as a talking point to never make fun of anyone because they are different.  

Harper just asked me the other day "What if kids in first grade don't like me because of my hearing aids" and we had a really good conversation about that.  Yesterday I found a pair of hearing aids I had bought for a doll a few years ago and she wouldn't let her wear them.  We have tried many times to get her American doll hearing aids but she has always said no.  But yesterday she got excited and she WANTED her beloved Samantha to look like her.  So we ran to Hobby Lobby and got special glue to attach them.  She is thrilled that they look alike and I'm so thankful she sees the beauty even in her differences.  

Beauty and Comparison are touchy subjects and something I'm afraid we will never get away from.  We are a society based on appearances.  The most important thing to me as a parent is to encourage my children to work on what really matters -  kindness, gentleness, patience, understanding, etc.  As long as they have those traits, people will be drawn to them and it won't matter what they look like.  

I have had people tell me to never tell my children they are pretty or to ever address looks with them and I disagree with this.  We spend 90% on inner beauty but I DO tell my girls they are beautiful and more importantly their daddy tells them all the time.  I want them to have a good self esteem (NOT pride) so that when the teen years come and they begin to struggle if boys don't like them or friend reject them - they will know that they are beautiful and feel secure.  I hope they find security in knowing that God made them exactly as He did for a purpose and as in Isaiah 61:3 "they are a display of His splendor".  

This post is sponsored by Kohl's and Carter's.



Well, we are three weeks out from the start of school in my area and I have mixed emotions.  I'm ALMOST ready to be back in the routine but I'm also in disbelief that my middle baby starts kindergarten! I will say it's MUCH easier the second time around sending a child to school.  I cried and cried before sending Harper and this time I'm mostly excited.  Only because I know she will love it and I have seen how great it can be!

I'm sending off a second grader, a kindergartner and one little baby boy to Mother's Day Out.  So this means I'm busy lining up backpacks, school supplies and school clothing and shoes.

Kohl's and Carter's asked me if I wanted to do a little Back To School shopping with them.  And I jumped at the chance because I love them both.

I've always been a big fan of Carter's.  My kids have almost only exclusively worn carter's pajamas.  They are just the absolute best.  And I love their outfits too.  And Kohl's always runs such great deals on kid's clothes.

They have everything from infant to size 8 kids.  

Such cute fall styles and it was all on sale!!!!!

So many cute and comfortable options for girls! 

And for boys!!!

Will Holden has been rocking Carter's pajamas non stop.  

I got Hollis and Will Holden several new outfits for the  fall.  Harper wears a bigger size so I'm sad she missed out.  But look at this cute dress! Which Hollis insisted on wearing with her white flip flops.  This would be cute for church or school or any day she felt like dressing up.  

Hollis LOVED this outfit and wanted to wear it TODAY but I had to make her take it off since it's currently 95 degrees but I told her she would look so cute this fall wearing this to Kindergarten.  I could die at how old this makes her look.  And the pose is all her own! 

She was proudest of this outfit.  We loved the Carter's jean jacket and I know she will end up wearing that constantly as it gets cooler.  

These are all Carter's outfits - so cute and stylish!  They made me AND Hollis happy! 

Will Holden will be SO handsome in these.  I was going to have him model but I think we all have seen #willholdenphotofails and I didn't have it in me to try and force him to model. ha! 

I LOVE shopping for Carter's at Kohl's and I think YOU should too!!!! And to make it easier for one of you - I'm going to give away two $50 gift cards! One her on the blog and one on my instagram.  

To win here - just leave a comment saying what you would buy or who you would shop for! And to enter on IG - just go there and leave a comment! 

This post is sponsored by Kohl's and Carter's.



Well, we are three weeks out from the start of school in my area and I have mixed emotions.  I'm ALMOST ready to be back in the routine but I'm also in disbelief that my middle baby starts kindergarten! I will say it's MUCH easier the second time around sending a child to school.  I cried and cried before sending Harper and this time I'm mostly excited.  Only because I know she will love it and I have seen how great it can be!

I'm sending off a second grader, a kindergartner and one little baby boy to Mother's Day Out.  So this means I'm busy lining up backpacks, school supplies and school clothing and shoes.

Kohl's and Carter's asked me if I wanted to do a little Back To School shopping with them.  And I jumped at the chance because I love them both.

I've always been a big fan of Carter's.  My kids have almost only exclusively worn carter's pajamas.  They are just the absolute best.  And I love their outfits too.  And Kohl's always runs such great deals on kid's clothes.

They have everything from infant to size 8 kids.  

Such cute fall styles and it was all on sale!!!!!

So many cute and comfortable options for girls! 

And for boys!!!

Will Holden has been rocking Carter's pajamas non stop.  

I got Hollis and Will Holden several new outfits for the  fall.  Harper wears a bigger size so I'm sad she missed out.  But look at this cute dress! Which Hollis insisted on wearing with her white flip flops.  This would be cute for church or school or any day she felt like dressing up.  

Hollis LOVED this outfit and wanted to wear it TODAY but I had to make her take it off since it's currently 95 degrees but I told her she would look so cute this fall wearing this to Kindergarten.  I could die at how old this makes her look.  And the pose is all her own! 

She was proudest of this outfit.  We loved the Carter's jean jacket and I know she will end up wearing that constantly as it gets cooler.  

These are all Carter's outfits - so cute and stylish!  They made me AND Hollis happy! 

Will Holden will be SO handsome in these.  I was going to have him model but I think we all have seen #willholdenphotofails and I didn't have it in me to try and force him to model. ha! 

I LOVE shopping for Carter's at Kohl's and I think YOU should too!!!! And to make it easier for one of you - I'm going to give away two $50 gift cards! One her on the blog and one on my instagram.  

To win here - just leave a comment saying what you would buy or who you would shop for! And to enter on IG - just go there and leave a comment! 

Lately

Well we have managed to have some fun over the last week or so.  I took these little pirates to play at their friend Joseph's house one day last week. 

The kids played and swam and my friend Marci made us lunch and we just had the best time.  

A new children's museum, AMAZEUM, opened in our town last week so we met Marci and Joseph there Friday morning to check it out.  We bought an annual family pass so we can go back a lot! We only managed to do about half of what they had but we loved what we saw.  They have a big farm area that my girls loved. 

Picking apples and gathering eggs and milking cows! 

Their absolute favorite thing was this little cabin that they thought looked just like "Laura and Mary's house." from their favorite show. 

Of course there was a mini walmart inside.  Harper loved checking out her groceries.  ha! 

Hollis finally had her four year well visit on Friday.  I always think of her as a little thing but she is 89% on height and weight! She was not happy that she might have to "take shots".  We had to push them out because she's been sick but I'm afraid later this week she's going to have to "take shots".  She asks me every day if today is the day.  Bless her heart. 

We then went swimming with friends and came home and just relaxed Friday night.  

Saturday was full of Sam's and Walmart shopping and then daddy spent most of the day in the yard and it was too hot to do anything so we played inside.  I dressed them up in my alma mater's outfits before they outgrow them! Hopefully they will be OBU tigers one day.  

We did end the night catching lightening bugs at 10 in our yard.  That's one of my favorite childhood memories and it's still magical. 

Yesterday morning Harper gave her profession of faith and shared publicly that she had asked Jesus in her heart and wants to be baptized.  Everyone came by and shook her hand and she ate it up.  I'm so proud of this little girl! 

CALIFORNIA

Every Friday, I am featuring a different state.  Blog readers are submitting their favorite spots in their states and it's a compiling a really fun travel guide to refer to!  So far we have had the A's:

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California is a BIG state.  I can't imagine there is any way we can cover all the great things - but here is what readers sent me (all notes are from blog readers - not me!)!! 

ORANGE, CA
Eats: the filling station - great burgers and everything else. It's right next to downtown which is so cute. You can walk around it then grab dessert at A La Minute. They make all the ice cream right there using locally sourced ingredients. It's AMAZING.

NEWPORT BEACH
My favorite beaches to visit. Generally not crowded and super easy access. I always see Dolphins jumping out of the water off shore.
Balboa Island: a must do. So so fun!
The Crab Cooker: local, fresh seafood that's amazing and a great price.

Bear Flag Fish Company- the BEST fish tacos

TK Burger- Better than In N Out 

Rent a Duffy electric boat and cruise around newport harbor

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

In n out burger. They're everywhere, go any chance you can get.

Beaches: Huntington beach is usually family friendly. The pier is fun to walk down and Sugar Shack in Main Street for breakfast is amazing.
Balboa island is nice to walk around, and try a balboa bar, they're delicious.

Amusement parks:
Of course Disneyland is a must, but it really is a must. It will be crowded but it is every bit as magical as you hope it would be.
Knotts berry farm is great, but if you're doing both Disney and Knotts, you will be disappointed if you go to Disney first. Knotts is smaller and much less organized. But if your kids love the peanuts gang they'll have a great time.

Shows:
Try to see a show at the pantages theatre in L.A. or the ahminson or if you're in Orange county go to the Orange county performing arts center (sergerstrom performing center for the arts).
Malls:
South coast plaza in Orange county is the biggest mall I know of (in California). It's very high end, but still fun to shop at. When I was in Europe I remember thinking every high fashion store I saw in Paris was also at south coast. I know that seems braggy (and I'm not high fashion) but if you're in town it's fun to walk around. Fashion island in Newport is another fun mall. That one is outdoors.

SANTA BARBARA
Go eat at Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. It's on the end of the wharf and so good.
From here we drove up highway 1 (PCH) to Santa Cruz. It was AMAZING. You go through Big Sur and pass Hearst Castle. It's a great use of your time.

BERKELEY

(Northern California, East Bay, Bay Area)

Cheeseboard pizza 

La Note for delicious french brunch

SAN FRANCISCO

Pack a picnic and spend the day in Dolores Park

Pink ladies, Lombard street, coit tower, fisherman's wharf, golden gate, Alcatraz. It is all the things. The city shuts down pretty early, but the mornings are busy. We loved it. To get our barrings we did the two day big bus tour. You can ride it as many times as you want and it takes you to Sausilito.

Food.

1.The Mission in San Francisco.  Best mexican food ever! If you ask for queso, you'll get queso fresco. 

I love all Taquerias, but Taqueria Cancun owns my heart. If you're in South San Francisco, El Faro is bomb.com

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mathewguiver/the-heaviest-burrito-in-san-francisco#.mt4PadxBq

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/an-official-and-extremely-important-san-francisco-burrito-po#.xqQEWMqA4

2.Bobos. 

The best steak I've ever had. You don't even need a knife. It's a very pricey meal, not kid friendly but wonderful for date night. AND they have free valet! 

http://www.boboquivaris.com

3. Little Lucca.

This is probably what I miss most about home. The most delicious sandwich. It's located on El Camino Real in South San Francisco. If you go on game day expect an hour+ wait. Totally worth it.

http://www.littlelucca.com

4.Sourdough bread. 

Doesn't matter where it comes from (I think Raymonds on Spruce in South San Francisco is best) just eat as much as you can.

5.Philz coffee.

You're welcome.

http://www.philzcoffee.com

Things to do

1.Giants game!

The park is so beautiful. Not a bad seat in the park. Kid friendly! Parking is expensive so try and take Muni/bart if you can. Also, it gets COLD! The wind comes right off the bay so bring a jacket/banket/snow suit :)

2.Ferry Building.

Amazing market! Ina Garten made a stop when she was in the city. There farmers market, will ruin others for you.

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php

3.The Academy of Science

Theres a living rain forest inside! This is perfect for kids and adults. Every Thursday night they adult nightlife. So fun!

http://www.calacademy.org

4.Union Square.

Great for shopping and checking out old school eateries. There is a lot of homeless people in this area. Do not venture west of Powell st. That's the tenderloin and you don't want to go there ever.

5.Grace Cathedral.

The most beautiful church ever! Theres a labyrinth inside and outside. Lots of space to walk and pray. Plus a park across the street if the little one gets restless.

http://www.gracecathedral.org

6.Bay Area Discovery Museum.

This is right across the Golden Gate bridge in Sausalito. Tons of hands on exhibits and a great view of the bridge.

http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/programs-and-events/camps/

7.Montery Bay Aquarium.

About a 3 hour drive south of the city. I've never had a bad time here! The otters are so cute! And they have a giant octopus.

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org

Tips and tricks. 

Parking is expensive and we all drive like lunatics. Best to take uber/cab/or public transportation. 

Wear layers! It'll be raining by the beach and Sunny in the financial district. The city can't make up it's mind. The fog, who goes by the name Karl has his own twitter account

https://twitter.com/karlthefog

Try and stay away from Pier 39/Fishermans wharf. It's a tourist trap and crazy expensive. 

Marin County: Muir Woods/Beach and Mt Tamalpais are all amazing and close to San Francisco

Eat Lunch at the Dipsea Cafe or Cafe Del Sol and take a stroller friendly hike out to the beach through Tennessee Valley in Mill Valley 

Marin Headlands for great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, if you stop and take pictures and the continue down to the coast, visit the Marine Mammal Center to see sea lions 

Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito- AWESOME children’s museum

Delicious Ice Cream at The Scoop in Fairfax

San Anselmo Memorial Park- Castle Playground

Mi Pueblo for delicious Mexican Food in San Anselmo or Novato as well as in Sonoma County (Petaluma and Rohnert Park)

ALCATRAZ

SACRAMENTO:

Sacramento has a fun downtown scene with great restaurants and bars. If someone visits I would recommend they stay in the midtown/downtown area (Hyatt, Sheraton or Citizen Hotel)

  

Restaurant ideas: Hock Farm, Mulvaneys B&L, Zoccalos, Paesano's, Ella

Bar ideas: Low Brau (German beer house), The Dive Bar (with real life "mermaids" swimming in a fish tank above the bar), the Mix (club/dancing), deVere's Irish Pub

To do: Second Saturday art/social scene once a month, visit Old (historic) Sacramento across the river, visit the state Capitol building, River Cats game (MiLB baseball), Kings game (NBA), Wine Tasting (Free in Amador County - approx 40 min away) and of course Napa (approx 90 min away), Apple Hill in the fall

 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA

 10 minutes from the beach and a small, college town full of bars and the most adorable downtown scene. It's considered the Central Coast and is approx 5 hours South of Sacramento and a few hours North of LA. It's home to Cal Poly State University and everyone refers to the town as "SLO." It's a "SLO" life, very relaxing beachy and pretty much perfect 75* weather year-round. 

Visit Pismo Beach, Avila Beach (both 10-15 minutes away) and attend the famous Thursday outdoor Farmers Market year-round. Shop, eat, drink downtown and stay at the Madonna Inn nearby. It's a super quirky hotel with every single room decorated differently. 

Other things to do: Hike Madonna mountain, eat at Firestone Grill for the best tri-tip sandwich ever and hit up the college bars at night for cheap drinks. 

SLO has a small airport but the best way to get there is probably via LAX airport and drive North. you'll drive through Santa Barbara which is AMAZING also and the view of the coast can't be beat. 

NAPA AND SONOMA COUNTY

Francis Ford Coppola Winery https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/ The winery is beautiful and in a Castle and has a lot of Godfather memorabilia as well as memorabilia from his other movies.

Chateau Montelena (another Castle!) http://montelena.com/

Non-Wine Musts

My hometown of Santa Rosa is also the hometown of the creator of Snoopy (Charles M. Schulz) so Snoopy is a big deal here! The town has tons of Snoopy character statues in different businesses. The museum is pretty cool! http://schulzmuseum.org/

Armstrong Woods has giant Redwood trees with the oldest being over 1400 years old and the tallest being over 300 feet. It's a must!

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450

Safari West: It's a Safari in California!  http://www.safariwest.com/

The Jelly Belly Factory: A popular spot for kids, they have tours all the time.

http://www.jellybelly.com/california-factory-tours

Santa Rosa has a fantastic downtown with a railroad square and a courthouse square. One of my favorite places to eat is Flavor Bistro:

http://www.flavorbistro.com/

I also love getting a cupcake from Sfit's Cupcakery:

http://siftdessertbar.com/

Viansa Winery

Kline Winery (Free tasting!)

Visit the town of Sonoma, walk around Sonoma Square. Visit Sonoma Cheese Factory for free samples, check out the cute gift shops down the alleys. Great Taco Truck on Broadway. Kids and Adults will also love Sonoma Train Town. 

Old Chicago Pizza in downtown Petaluma

Powell Sweet Shoppe Petaluma (Candy and Gelato)

Domaine Chandon for picnic and champagne tasting. Absolutely beautiful location

SAN DIEGO

Best place to grab a drink and watch the sunset downtown:

-Top of the Hyatt (inside, no outdoor space city and bay views)

-Bertrand at Mr. A's (indoor/outdoor city and bay views)

Best place to get authentic Mexican Food:

-Las Cuatro Milpas (1,000+ yelpers can't be wrong! We love this place. Its not formal at all. Be prepared for good food in a VERY casual setting...you may even see the mayor eating there!)

-Habaneros in Sorrento Valley- Sometimes the wait at lunch is over an hour to get your food after your order. Its worth the wait. Go for dinner. The wait is less because its located in a business park. 

The restaurants in Old Town are over-rated. If you must, Casa Gudalajara is your best bet.

Best Beach:

-Located on Avenida Del Sol on Coronado Island. There is a new restroom there and its right next to the world famous Hotel Del Coronado...without the expensive parking fees! Street parking here is free of meters.

Best Hotel for Families:

-San Diego really requires a rental car...and you will need a rental car to stay here, but its worth it. Homewood Suites San Diego Airport-Liberty Station- Free Parking (compared to $49 a night at other hotels!), free weeknight dinners, breakfast, beautiful views, easy access to Sea World, downtown, and the freeways to get where ever you need to go. 

-If you want a downtown hotel the Marriott Marquis is great and has a nice pool complex. 

-If you need a downtown hotel with a shuttle, the Holiday Inn Downtown is perfect for you, although its not in the "best" part of downtown San Diego, its still safe.

Hidden gems:

-New Children's Museum

-Birch Aquarium

-Balboa Park (especially the Reuben H Fleet Science Center and the Natural History Museum. **Avoid Tuesdays as it is "Locals Free Tuesday and the museums are crazy crowded) Have lunch at The Prado Restaurant and spend time taking in the beautiful Spanish Architecture.

-Farmer's Markets (there are all over San Diego 7 days a week)

-Two Words: Donut Bar!

Miguel’s Coronado (Mexican food)

In and Out (burger chain throughout California)

Peohe’s Coronado (Hawaiian/island food—upscale)

Rubios (fish tacos—chain throughout Southern CA)

 Hash House a go go

Hodads - best burgers

Lucha Libre Taco Shop

Places to Go:

Disneyland

Legoland

San Diego Zoo (must do)

Sea World

Coronado Island, especially Hotel Del

La Jolla 

Harbor cruise or ferry over to the Coronado

Loma Lighthouse

SAN JOSE

Where to Eat:

AQUI- Affordable, family friendly Cal-Mex fusion with locations in Willow Glen, Campbell, Cupertino, Blossom Valley

Dolcetto: Small Italian bakery/cafe in Willow Glen

Where to Go:
Japantown: One of the few remaining Japantowns in the US, has sushi and ramen restaurants, specialty dessert places (mochi, shaved ice, manju, etc), an Asian grocery store, and a great coffee shop (Roy's).

Drive up Mount Hamilton: Has an astronomy observatory (Lick Observatory) at the top that older kids might be interested in.

Tech Museum of Innovation: Awesome exhibits for kids ages 5+ (Adults will enjoy too) and has an iMax theater as well. 

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo: A small zoo with a great petting zoo/barnyard area, kids rides, a carousel. Well-maintained, affordable and clean, but probably best for young kids (10 and under)

Rotary Play Garden: A gorgeous new playground that is fully accessible for children with disabilities (near downtown San Jose) 

Where to Shop:
Recycle Bookstore: Charming used book store complete with a resident bookstore cat (locations in San Jose and Campbell)

Therapy- a boutique with funky men, womens, childrens and home items (several locations in the Bay Area)

LONG BEACH

Things to do:

The Aquarium of the Pacific (This is the link to my post on it: http://shoshanahg.blogspot.com/2011/01/under-sea.html)

Visit 2nd Street - This is a cute area with a ton of boutique shops and restaurants. Some of my favorites include Super Mex, Taco Surf, and Michael's. (The first two are Mexican and the third is Italian.)

Mother's Beach - This is a really good beach for little kids. Technically it's actually a marina, but that's why there aren't any waves. There's a playground there as well to play on

CARMEL

Our favorite inn was The Colonial Terrace. It was the closest to the beach which allowed us to walk from there and then up the beach a bit to the beach at Seventh St.  After quite a steep hike, we enjoyed strolling along the quaint streets, window shopping and wishing. The cute little multi-million dollar cottages are beautiful to look at and imagine which one you would most like to have for your home. ;) A favorite eating spot is Jack London's Grill and Taproom. We love that Carmel is Very dog friendly. We have also stayed at Doris Day's Cypress Inn with our dogs.  The Nutty Irishman coffee and Chocolate Lava Cake are Delicious! Don't miss the 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach. Stop at The Spanish Inn for dinner at Roy's. The Monterrey Bay Aquarium is close by and worth a visit. Carmel is a must see for all.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The Sierra Foothills are called the Gold Country because this is where the California Gold Rush took place. Families flock to this area because there is so much for kids to see and learn- like gold panning, stage coach rides, gold rush living exhibits, gold mine tours, train rides at Railtown (where Little House on the Prairie was filmed) old-timey games and costuming, and TONS of historical sites. The foothills are very laid back and old-fashioned. And it's such a gorgeous area with the Sonora pass through the High Sierra and the ancient Bristlecone Pine. 

Yosemite National Park is insanely beautiful and such a testimony in itself to God's love! It will take your breath away. Degnans Deli in Yosemite Valley has gourmet sandwiches for picnics. 

Napa and Calistoga for wine tasting. V.Sattui is fantastic! Dean and Deluca is located right across the street. Such a fun store! 

For more "off-the-grid" wine tasting, Murphys is a great winery town and totally worth the drive from Napa. The food in Murphys is all good, but Alchemy is a local favorite. 

MALIBU

Visit Malibu- the Lumberyard, Paradise Cove, Zumba Beach, Pepperdine, Nobu for a nice dinner.

Neptunes Net for casual dining

OTHER 

-If you are road tripping from San Diego to San Francisco a great stop over is in Atascadero, CA. It is near Solvang, CA. Solvang is a great town to visit. The best hotel in Atascadero, hands down is the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. Clean, great rates, wonderful service.

-Driving from Southern California to Las Vegas...AVOID going there on Friday after about 12 o'clock noon...or it will take you twice as long...and AVOID driving from Las Vegas to Southern California on a Sunday after about 10am...it will take you twice as long. It is literally a traffic jam on a 4-lane highway in the middle of the desert.

-California Gold Country is often overlooked when visitors come to our great state. Its rich in history and for 10+ year olds through grandparents...its a great place to learn and visit. We love Gold Country. 

-A lot of visitors come to Los Angeles, only. There is so much to see beyond LA, so definitely branch out...spend a day there, see Hollywood, Griffith Park, etc and then move on from the crowds and crazies...Los Angeles does not represent California well. 

-If you cannot get to Napa/Sonoma wine country...the Temecula Valley is really a good 2nd place (Its about an hour North of San Diego, hour West of Orange County). My favorite wineries are: Wilson Creek (Almond Sparkling Wine), Thornton (Champagne Flight), South Coast (grounds are amazing and the restaurant is great, their reds are also phenomenal!), Ponte (Grape Wood Pizza!).

A good place to eat in Temecula is Rosa's Cantina, not to be confused with Rosa's Tortilla Factory down the street. They have a great brunch! A wonderful, and romantic place to stay is at South Coast Resort. If you need a little bit more budget friendly, Temecula Creek Inn and Pechanga Resort and Casino are nice as well. Although I grew up in Temecula, I have stayed at all three hotels and love them all. 

RVing in California:

-If you plan to do ANY camping or visiting of California State Beaches or National Parks...reservations are no joke here. In the prime summer months, reservations for the entire month will be gone within minutes of the reservation period opening, so do plan ahead. 

-Many people come to "The West" and want to rent an RV for the first time and see the sites. Our family owns an RV and yes, its a wonderful place to RV in, BUT it requires skill to navigate the narrow, crowded interstates that move at 70+ MPH in bumper to bumper conditions. Campgrounds are difficult to get reservations at and parking along the road for the night is illegal. Parking a large RV somewhere (when using it as your vehicle for site seeing is also difficult) so you need to rent a car in addition to your RV. RVing is fun, but it is not cost effective. Fuel is over $4.50+ a gallon right now and RVs get 7-10 mpg on a good day, so definitely keep that in mind when planning your dream RV vacation up the CaliforniaCoast. A car is usually better...we always take our car up the coast and stay in hotels. Keeping realistic expectations is always best. RVs are better suited for "Grand Circle Tours" not San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, California Coast-style trips. :)

"My family lives in California and we never go outside the state for vacations.   Our favorite place is the central coast (san luis Obispo county).    Favorite places there include The Childrens' museum in San Luis Obispo, Tidelands Park in Morro Bay, and of course the beach (less crowded than southern California).   Favorite places to eat include Taco Temple in Morro Bay, McClintocks in San Luis Obispo, Lynn's in Cambria (great pies!) and Red Moose Cookie Company in Cambria.  "  - BROOKE

Lake Tahoe is a favorite spot for many of my friends.

17mile drive is a must if visiting the Monterey area. Get a meal at the clubhouse at Pebble beach and grab a table on the 18th hole for unforgettable food and views!

If your in the Stockton area.. You have to try The Market Tavern!! The best food ever!!!

Mexican food!! Pretty much any Mexican joint or restaurant in SoCal is going to be fantastic and authentic--Miguels on Coronado Island or Shelter Island is a great one specifically. Old Town in San Diego is another great spot for Mexican food (did I mention Mexican food is the BEST in CA? Like no other!) ;) Coronado Island is an absolutely darling town to visit--the infamous Hotel Del is a must--renting bikes and riding around the Island is one of my favorites. Encinitas in northern SD is another famous beach town. It has moonlight beach which is a great, family friendly beach with a park and full service snack bar. SoCal is a military town, so visiting the historic Midway Museum down on the harbor in SD is another great attraction and gives kids a great vision of what the Military does for us. So much more I could say...but I'll stop there for now. :)

The Griffith observatory in Los Angeles, Venice beach for the experience, Laguna beach for the beauty, Javier's Mexican in OC, Big Bear for the mountains and the lake, San Diego zoo, Coronado island in SD is fun...making me miss living in So Cal! I also loved loved going to Beverly Hills. It's just a fun experience to walk Rodeo Drive. California is its own world- northern and southern CA are completely different.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley is absolutely beautiful. Not to mention they have Air Force One, Marine One and a piece of the Berlin Wall at the library. Definitely worth the visit no matter your political persuasion.