Highlights From Day 6 Of My Vacation: Beverly Hills/Anaheim/LA

Last night after I posted my highlights for the day, we decided to venture out to see a movie at the famous Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. There were tons of tourists, including ourselves, roaming the Blvd. to see street performers, the stars of fame and the famous celebrity hand/footprints  at the Chinese Theater. The movie we saw was "White House Down"-I absolutely loved this movie! I cried, laughed and had my jaw down for almost the whole movie--I definitely recommend it.

First thing this morning we headed over to Beverly Hills. I always like people watching and what the perfect place to do so. We saw a bunch of flashy people with their flashy clothes and cars haha it was honestly like nothing else I've ever seen--and was quite fun for that matter :) Rodeo Drive is such a pretty place to see!

This was my FAVORITE part of the entire day. I got to meet one of my favorite actresses ever! (Second to Eva Longoria ;) If you don't watch Devious Maids, get on that ASAP--excellent show. We visited The Grove today for lunch and just so happen to run into a taping of the show Extra!--Maria Menounos was there recording her segments and it was so interesting to see how "live" television is made. She is absolutely stunning in person, even more than on tv! After having lunch I read on a sign that Roselyn Sanchez was set to make an appearance at 330pm! What!?!?!?! Could it be?!? my favorite actress was going to be right there!!! I was so excited and proceeded to center stage (can you spot me in the photo above behind the ladies?) for her interview. The cameras were right on me--I could touch her if I wanted to, that's how close I was! lol Needless to say, my day was made--she is such a sweet women, she even brought Sebella, her daughter, on "set". Ahhh....I will definitely never ever forget today!

   Last but not least we headed over to Anaheim to visit Downtown Disney. I love everything about Disney--it's so magical and whimsical. The guys got to play some games at ESPN Zone and I dabbled in some shopping at World of Disney =D What a wonderful way to end the day. 

I have realized, most of the parking decks we have visited have a "first 3 hours of parking are free" policy---this is unheard of in Jersey so I was pleasantly surprised :) Does California get any better?

Off to a really cool experience in the morning, cant wait to share that :)

Beauty and the Beast....in Legos!, 

xox

Highlights From Day 5 Of My Vacation: Huntington Beach

We didn't do much today as this was our designated beach day, but Huntington was a great spot to see for sure! Surfers, gorgeous homes, great shopping and food, Huntington has it all and I was glad to be a part of the Tuesday madness today :) The beach is very clean and there are people of all walks. People playing beach volleyball, mini lifeguards in training, families and couples alike--everyone was there for the same reason, to have fun and soak up the sun! I definitely want to return to Huntington some day--even the High School was GORGEOUS! Now we are home and making some brownies--nothing like Tuesday night baking :) 

Tomorrow our plans are still tentative but I'm sure we will end up doing something fun--maybe another beach day--Venice or Santa Monica maybe? I think the SM Pier is calling our names ;) 

 The only thing I hate about California so far is the occasional traffic and the gas prices---

xox

Highlights From Days 3 & 4 Of My Vacation: Las Vegas/Calico

We took the drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas yesterday. It was about 4 hours and the scenery was so beautiful! Driving through the desert was something I have never experienced before and I thoroughly enjoyed really soaking in the view. I took so many photos :) Once we arrived in Las Vegas at our hotel (The Cosmopolitan--Great Hotel!) we explored the strip, ate at Gordon Ramsay's BURGR restaurant in Planet Hollywood and ended the evening with some gambling and night time photography.

On our drive back from Vegas, today, we stopped at a mid-way point to break up the monotonous 4 hour desert drive. This mid-way point was Calico Ghost Town. I recommend stopping by here to anyone doing this drive. It was really cool and the scenery was breathtaking yet again! It was an old mining town that became abandoned when the value of silver depreciated long ago. Very interesting and informative. It was 109 degrees in the desert today with a real feel of way over 110 degrees F. We almost melted, but it was very worth it :)

I love these photos--how could you not enjoy the mountains and desert--gorgeous. 

This sums up how I spent my last two days--I was up late last night so didn't get a chance to post, hint as to why I combined two days in one :) Tomorrow we are off to Huntington Beach for some famous fish tacos and fun :)

Deserts and Mountains, 

xox

Highlights From California Day 2: San Diego

Day two, we headed on down to San Diego to visit a friend of the boys. A two hour TRAFFIC FREE drive later, we arrived. This is what we accomplished---not mentioned is the fact that we ran over a HUGE rolled up piece of carpeting on the highway--yep we were two wheeling it for about 1.5 seconds, Lord take the wheel for the rest of the time here! Apparently in California, littering household items (we also spotted mattresses!) on the highway is really not a problem haha my goodness...anyway onto the post :)

Visiting the Naval Base --the ships were huge!--you know it's only right I listen to my favorite--Kendrick Lamar, while in Cali ;)

Next stop, San Diego Zoo--I have been dying to come here since they just opened the "Australian Outback" last month. You know what that means, they have KOALAS!!!! I was truly in heaven--love my koala babies <3

Visited Pacific Beach---the surfers we East Coast folks see on television--yep they are allll here lol amongst other places I'm sure. Check out that awesome sand castle display a man made, I was in awe! The view off the pier, not to mention the incredible breeze, was INCREDIBLE. Ahhhh I want to go back now.

Finally, after a long day, we ended up at Lucho Libre for dinner. This authentic Mexican taco spot was featured on Man vs. Food. It was absolutely amazing--my mouth is watering as I type this. If you are ever in the San Diego area, you must visit!

We also, visited the Stone Brewery Company--but took no photos. It's safe to say that we conquered pretty much all of San Diego. I was driving home (Los Angeles) at around 12am last night and everyone was SO tired, the yawns were nonstop. Glad to be home safe :)

Off to Vegas as we speak, 

xox

Highlights From California Vacation Day 1

Some photos I took with my phone while flying over the Grand Canyon--this whole flight had some seriously breathtaking views, this being one of them. 

Enjoyed some "In n Out Burger" for lunch. My burger of choice is the cheeseburger protein style (no bun just two lettuce leaves!) ;) While driving back to our place, we had to stop in the middle of the road in order to not hit a ....coyote! Not going to lie, I have never seen one up close and personal and although this one appeared to be small and emaciated, it was very intimidating to a Jersey girl like myself lol Yiikes! 

  This is a glimpse of our place. We rented from a wonderful man who is so accommodating, we are very lucky to have found a place this nice with such a truly amazing location--underneath the Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills. I wish we never had to leave, the property is that nice! lol

This briefly sums up day 1 of my California vacation---7 more full days to go :) Tomorrow morning we are off to San Diego. Let's see if I can keep up with this whole posting every day thing lol 

Living a California Dream, 

xox

My Beach/Pool Bag Essentials!

 As a Nanny, I am constantly at the pool with the kids. Along with packing individual bags for all of them, I like to pack a bag for myself that will assure nothing is left behind and my hot trip to the pool will happen with ease :) Above are some of my "pool/beach bag essentials". These are what work for me and these are what I always try to make sure I have in my handy dandy bag.

What's Listed Above:

1. A peek at my insulated lunch bag--this comes in handy to keep things like my snacks and my water bottle/tumbler cold for the duration of my day. 
2. My tumbler--I fill this entirely with ice and only an inch or so of actual water. I add two slices of lemon, personal preference, and it lasts me the whole day and the water is always cold!
3. Sunscreen--For these, I alternate between my Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Sunscreen SPF 45 which can be found here or my Yes to Cucumbers which can be found here I love that they both offer great protection without the harsh chemicals. They're paraben and cruelty free ;) Along with this I always use an SPF lip balm--your lips can easily burn too ya know :)--the one I am using now is the Yes to Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter with SPF 15, you can read about it here.
4. Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist Hydrating Spray--can be found here --this stuff is awesome because it sprays on your skin and has hydrating properties to keep dry (which can happen in the sun) skin, moist. It is super refreshing after laying out to just spray some on your skin and hair!
5. A hair tie or clip to keep your hair away from your face is always a good idea!
6. I normally wear a fedora to the pool/beach. I also stay under the shaded umbrella whenever available. At 25, I am more aware now of the damage that comes with sun exposure in long periods. I have been to the pool over 15 times this summer and I have no tan lines---because the sun doesn't stand a chance with me lol Protection now will lead to beauty later =D
7. A fun patterned large beach towel (this one in the photo I bought years ago from Kohl's).
8. Your favorite sunnies for protection for those beautiful eyes of yours! (these are Tom Ford-I never wear them, EVER lol but my favorites were in the car at the moment)
9. A healthy little snack (I bring these Fiber One granola bars or one of my "100 Calorie Packs" of guacamole and some tortillas)
10. Last but not least, bring something to keep you occupied in down time. I like bringing magazines or a good book. I refrain from bringing any of my electronic readers because pool water and beach sand don't mix well with those ;)

What are your beach essentials?

Fun in the Sun,

xox

How to be a Superhero: Balancing Work, School and LIFE!

Sometimes it can seem like we are the elephant pictured above...trying to balance a ton (pun intended ;) in such a small amount of time (the ball). Fear not, you are not the only one trying to master the art of becoming a tight rope walker daily--balance is definitely key though :)

As cliché as it may sound, organization is a life safer and preparation is key. I promise it is worth the investment of your precious time to prepare for upcoming happenings. After taking some time off from school (I became uninterested and lost sight of my goals unfortunately), I stuck to solely working for a while. Now, while working with 4 children daily leaves me panting through the door as I search for a cold shower and a hot meal, I knew that I had to head back to school to become what I really wanted to, aside from a nanny :) 

While I can't relate to mothers in the sense that I have never had a baby come out of my body, I do change diapers, get pooped and peed on, vomited on, feed the kids, clean up their messes, attend school events, play soccer carpool, ballerina (try instructing a 9 year old to work on her 5th position without actually doing it yourself! lol), counsel them on their bad days and rock the little to sleep with sweet lullaby's after the evening bathing routine or nap time. Surprisingly enough, I sang "the itsy bitsy spider" over 100 times in a row just to get baby to calm---ok so I don't have many baby songs in my vocabulary! lol Needless to say that night my voice was hoarse and I needed a throat lozenge hahah

Enough about all that---back to organization and making it through the day with so many tasks. Below are some of the things I find personally helpful. These things, like many others that did not work for me, may in fact not work for you--BUT when you're in a rut, anything is worth a try :)

1. Get a planner (I use the "Reminders and Calendar" sections on my iPhone) ---how can you expect to remember everything, totally not realistic. In here I jot down appointments, homework and test due dates, events I'm attending, dinners with friends--even vacations (yes I can sometimes forget that I am going to paradise--imagine that?! lol)
2. Make a list --I make these in the notes section of my iPhone again---a simple post-it will work just as well. The satisfaction of being able to check off (or delete from phone) a task that you've completed is so amazing--for myself at least. Seeing my list shrink gives me motivation to keep on chugging along on the train of tasks!
3. When studying or doing school work, choose a quiet place free of distractions, ok, mothers are probably thinking "umm hello this is impossible!". Hear me out--there are times at work where I need to study, while the baby is napping and the older ones are doing their homework, I do mine-simple as that! (Kind of like when the baby is sleeping, mommy sleeps--I know some mothers do this and it works out well haha) Remember to set your cellphone aside and really promise yourself to stay dedicated to your task at hand.
4. Take breaks--and no this does not defeat the purpose of getting things done, it actually aids in you remaining sane while getting things done lol If you give yourself an hour to study, take a 10-15 minute break at the 30 minute mark. This has proven to be a lifesaver for me and honestly, really has helped me retain information better and be able to study for longer periods of time--I don't get frustrated with breaks. 
5. Get the rest you so deserve! Being a superhero is hard work, after all ;) Make sure that when its time for lights out, you really turn them off! Your body can only be its best with proper rest. Hey that rhymed ;)

 Some other things I do to stay balanced

•  Eat well
• Make time for friends and or loved ones--their support is one of the keys to your success, don't forget that or you'll kick yourself in the butt later. Set one day on the weekend, maybe every other weekend for our extra busy bees, to have dinner with a friend or time at a book store for coffee. You deserve this! When it comes to my boyfriend, we see one another whenever we can, even if just for an hour---have to keep the love alive. For those of you who have the pleasure of living with your spouse or loved one, make time for one another--have date nights, even if just at home! 
• Reward yourself for a job well done. The last two semesters I have been in school, I have done exceptionally well. For balancing 15 credits, a job and my family and boyfriend, I was so proud of myself for having been able to achieve such excellence. With it though, did come extreme levels of dedication. At the end of it all, I rewarded myself with a weekend away. Positive reinforcement, even as adults, is an awesome way to keep motivated ;)

Being busy is bittersweet, you get a lot accomplished, but the climb to the top seems never ending and tedious, hang in there!

What are some of the ways you guys stay sane and balanced in life, I'm sure other readers would love to know!

It's time to throw my many hats on, grab my cape and start my day as student, girlfriend, blogger and nanny ;)

xox