San Francisco is a beautiful city and all the more so basked in sunshine, as it was on Memorial Day. Its hilly landscape is very reminiscent of Wellington, our New Zealand home (all be it on a much larger scale!). There was a welcome familiarity to driving up and down roads at 45 degree angles.The […]
Californian Adventures 2013-2014
Magic Sunday visiting Santa Cruz
After driving up from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz on Saturday evening, we woke on Sunday morning ready for some fun at the beautifully set Santa Cruz Boardwalk. We spent a morning enjoying the sunshine, rides and thrills of the fun-fair. Couldn’t believe Miss 4 wanted to go on the Haunted House ride! She spotted […]
Magic Moments – Family fun in Solvang
It was one of those Sundays that just ‘worked’. The only pre-planned event was my first ever morning yoga class on the beach (bliss). After I returned from my yoga class, feeling very zen and at one with Universe (carrying Blenders smoothies with a supplement of bee pollen for everyone in the family), everything else […]
My first half marathon – in the bag & for a great cause!
I woke at 5am feeling nervous about whether my ankle was going to hold out for me to complete the half marathon in the beautiful wine country of Santa Barbara, California. I wasn’t just running to achieve a goal for myself, or to take in the beautiful scenery surrounding of the Santa Ynez Valley, but running […]
Sand dune action
The other week, on a drive down to Disneyland California with a friend, we stopped off on the Pacific coast for some sand dune action. The children went up to the top with no hesitation, before pelting it down in a storm of sand! Fantastic fun. I would have joined them, but I was limping […]
⤠Things I’m Loving; Having a Kiwi friend to stay!
After an amazing week in Disneyland California with our friend Frances, visiting from New Zealand, we returned back to our temporary home in Santa Barbara.We made a pit stop at Universal Studios Hollywood – where it was great to see New Zealand spinning on the globe outside the park – and gave Frances a chance […]
The Photo Gallery | Happy – Finding ‘Happy’ at Disneyland California!
Guess where we are? Known as ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’! Disneyland! This visit I am the happiest I’ve been visiting Disneyland California, and it’s not just because of the dashing man by my side (though of course he is a big part of the reason!). It’s also because our Miss 4 has finally reached the […]
Country Kids – more like ‘Spy Kids’!!!
Okay, last weekend we had a blast. I turned forty in style, celebrating in Santa Monica, California. My daughters LOVED the beach gym that brings the community and tourists together for some active fun. There were some serious gymnast types, flexing muscles on the ropes and swings cirque du soleil style. I was in awe […]
Loving turning Forty in Santa Monica!
My Facebook feed was flooded with lovely messages of ‘welcome to the club’ and ‘forties are the best’ this weekend. It’s been like reliving turning eighteen again, as I’ve watched friends slightly older than me party into their forties and then, last weekend, it was my turn. It was a fabulous weekend away in Santa […]
Miss 3 & I visit The Mission in Santa Barbara, California
Weekends are my golden time with my youngest daughter. During the week, Monday to Friday, I have to please all three daughters single-handedly (and Miss 8 and 10 rarely have the same desire to do the same outdoor activities & excursions as their younger sister). So it was that Miss 3 and I awoke with […]
Disneyland & California Adventures all decked up for Christmas
We visited Disneyland and California Adventure Park at the end of November, everything was decked out for Christmas. We stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and it was breathtakingly decorated for the season. We holidayed with wonderful friends; our neighbours from New Zealand flew over to join us! They landed in LA, after some 14 hours of travelling […]
A week in reflection: Moments to love & be thankful for.
It’s Friday. The weekend is nearly here, which means family time with the man of the house. It’s so much easier to keep all three of our children entertained when he’s at home. As much as I am enjoying having the girls all at home, I do have moments of feeling like I’m being held […]
The Sea Princess & the Pebble Shell Castle
The winding steps, walled with pebbles and shells, whispered to the Sea Princess on the beach. The beach castle needed her help. She peered through the gaps in the pebbled walls, careful of the witch, who could turn her to stone. The castle walls spoke to her, telling the Sea Princess to seek out a […]
Weekending It! All action!
Having the man of the house home at the weekend gives us family time to get out and really explore this place – and we certainly had an action packed weekend of it! Whilst the rest of us were barely awake he headed off for an early morning paddle board, returning back mid-morning for a […]