I don’t know about you, but the Thanksgiving holiday along with Black Friday, Small Business, and Cyber Monday Sales had me BURNT OUT. I could barely stomach going on social media seeing everyone pushing sales and things we so desperately NEED and should want.. but the fact is, I don’t. I told my husband don’t get me anything for Christmas.. let’s either save that money and go on a vacation with our kids next year or how about we adopt a family and give back this holiday season instead?! I think that would warm our hearts and teach our children some big lessons about how thankful we all should be. We have adopted a family through our school and I plan to have the boys help put together holiday gifts for our neighbors in need.
Now, I understand that bloggers share sales and products because it’s their business, full time job, and how they make money but sometimes it comes across pushy or inauthentic. If I post about something, I want our readers to know that it’s something I truly have, believe in, love, and want to share with you. I see too many influencers touting sales and items with tags on that either end up on their Poshmark page 1 month later or being returned. I see them post products and loungewear on their stories that I don’t ever see them wear again and it’s getting old.
So with that, today’s post isn’t about a gift guide or the next best thing you can’t live without. Because, guess what: you can live without it. Today, I am sharing some snaps from our week in California and the things that truly matter to me: my family and the memories we’re making during the holidays and this challenging time.
Some of you may be thinking why did you travel during the pandemic? Please know we didn’t travel just for the hell of it. I have very personal reasons for coming down to California to be with my immediate family and some very close friends going through a difficult time. We practiced the utmost caution and ensured everyone was healthy and COVID-free. At the end of the day, we are all doing the best we can and I hope this blog can remain a positive place to share about things we love and are doing without judgement.
I grew up in Irvine about 20 minutes from the beach but rarely went to the beach except during the summers. The 72 degree winter weather was always too cold for us growing up LOL! But now, I have a newfound appreciation for the weather and beauty in SoCal and wanted to show my boys the tide pools in Corona Del Mar. We explored for creatures and let them jump in the waves and it was exactly what we needed to warm up our bones from being in Seattle.
The playgrounds are finally open again and each day, we went for walks to the park and my husband pitched balls to Jackson in an open field. Every day was the same.. relaxing, walks, park, watching movies (how many times can one watch Minions), and eating as a family. Soaking up the little moments.
We ventured out to Palm Springs and spent some time in the sun, which we all so desperately needed. We cooked our own meals, went for long walks, and the boys swam their hearts out. Jackson is almost 6 and while he had swimming lessons for years, I’m not sure they ever did anything. The biggest thing he learned from swim lessons was how to hold his breath but it took actually being in the pool constantly to teach him to swim. Last summer, our friends bought a house with a pool and in one afternoon, the floaties came off and he was full blown swimming. And now, there’s no stopping him and he says he wants to be a swim teacher when he grows up lol.
Cammy is almost 4 and still learning how to hold his breath but we worked on it this week and I think by next summer he’ll be a fish like J. And Parker… kid will need a life jacket forever.. he’s a maniac and would lean over the deep end (with his life vest on) and try and fish for cars out of the pool. Definitely no fear of water for him. And he did slip and fall in once with a life jacket on and it just reminded me how fast and SILENT drowning is and can happen right before your eyes. The only reason I heard Parker slip is because his life jacket immediately turned him over onto his back and he was able to scream/cry for me. Water safety is seriously so important and even though P screamed, kicked, and fought wearing a life jacket it’s a non-negotiable for me. But I still had about 100 mini heart attacks every day but that’s #boymom life.
I listened to some great podcasts last week: one being Dr. Death Season 2 and The Blonde Files with Dr. Amy Shah on hormones and gut health – I highly recommend both. I’d take early morning walks to get some sun and movement, which I find so important for my mental health. While the past week was somewhat “vacation mode,” I still needed to find time for exercise and self-care and taking walks to get a green juice while listening to a podcast was exactly what I needed to set the tone for my day.
The ONLY thing I bought last week was another Juice Beauty CC cream with SPF 30 (color Natural Glow). It’s all I wear during the day for light coverage while also protecting my skin. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the only miracle serum for your skin is SPF and this one is my favorite CC cream ever because it gives you coverage but a glow that allows your skin to shine through. And even in Seattle, I wear SPF daily.. even in the rain, sleet or snow!
We are back home now and feel refreshed and reset as we gear up for the holidays at home. Our Elf on a Shelf, Elfie (so creative), greeted us when we got home and the boys are on their BEST behavior 🙂 We’re hoping for a socially distanced visit to Santa but other than that, this time of year is just the 5 of us, at home, making our own Christmas traditions. We’ll bake cookies, decorate gingerbread houses (get the pre-built ones!), drink hot chocolate and threaten that Christmas is cancelled a handful of times a day 😉 Anyone else?
I hope you are all holding up, staying safe and healthy. And while we love sharing things on our blog, it doesn’t always have to be about THINGS but instead remembering what matters most, especially this year.
xo, H
