Tag Archives: Carlsbad

Catching Up: Kia Classic 2018

Back at it again, and I’m catching up on events as it’s been quite the busy few weeks! If you follow my blog regularly, then you will know that my husband, Deon, is not just a fan of golf, but he is an amazing golfer as well, winning eight amateur tournaments. Every now and again, we get the chance to attend a professional golfing event, and this year our first one was the LPGA Kia Classic in Carlsbad. Deon’s favorite golfer is Paula Creamer, but we missed her as we attended the second to the last day of the event. We ended up following Brooke Henderson and Lydia Ko for the bulk of the time we attended and we got to see Michelle Wie get interviewed after her round was finished. Check out the amazing picture Deon captured below!

The tournament took place at Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club and made me appreciate my hometown even more because I feel like I’m discovering time and time again that San Diego is simply one the prettiest cities in the world. It was lovely to walk around with Deon as he is so knowledgeable about the sport, and he’s definitely in his element when he’s on the course. Here are some pictures I took at the event, and I know you’ll agree that this course is absolutely gorgeous, as was the day. Cheers!

Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson

Until next time Kia Classic!

(That’s Deon walking on the left in the striped golf shirt)

Our complimentary custom caddie bib t-shirts: Of course Deon chose the Paula Creamer shirt and I opted for Lydia Ko

The Latest From LEGOLAND®: Lego NINJAGO Days, Castle Hotel Progress & What’s Upcoming in 2018!

So much is happening at the LEGOLAND^® California Resort in Carlsbad that I had to get my sister and photographer, Rholnna, to help capture it all. Along with Brick or Treat (more information in a future post), here’s the lowdown on what’s happening at LEGOLAND^® !

THE LEGO^® NINJAGO^® MOVIE LEGO NINJAGO Days

To celebrate the new LEGO^® NINJAGO^® MOVIE , you can Join your favorite ninjas – Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane and Nya – by tapping into YOUR inner Ninja at LEGOLAND Parks LEGOLAND Discovery Centers!

(Click the picture above for more details)

The LEGO^® NINJAGO^® Days Schedule

LEGOLAND Parks

LEGOLAND California Resort (Carlsbad, Calif.): Sept. 23-24

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dates

Arizona: 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1,10/7-10/8

Atlanta 10/7-10/9, 10/13-10/15

Boston 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1

Chicago 9/22-9/24, 9/30-10/1

Dallas 9/22-9/23, 9/29-10/1, 10/7-10/8

Kansas City 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1, 10/7-10/8

Michigan 9/23-9/24, 9/30-10/1

Philadelphia 9/22-9/24, 9/29-10/1

Westchester (Yonkers, N.Y.): 9/22-9/24, 9/29-10/1

CASTLE HOTEL PROGRESS

Earlier this year, Rholnna attended the ground breaking of the new Castle Hotel at LEGOLAND^® . She recently attended the press conference for what’s upcoming in 2018, so below is a combination of pictures from the ground breaking event back in January and the progress so far!

January 2017

September 2017

LEGO^® City Deep Sea Adventure

At the press conference this month, the LEGO^® City Deep Sea Adventure was introduced and Rholnna captured a few pictures announcing this exciting new upcoming ride!

“LEGOLAND^® California Resort’s General Manager Peter Ronchetti announced at today’s press conference that 2018 will be a year of enormous growth! In January, a new 4-D movie launches, followed by the opening of LEGOLAND^® Castle Hotel in the spring and, just announced, LEGO^® City Deep Sea Adventure submarine ride is opening in the summer! LEGO^® City Deep Sea Adventure is Merlin Entertainment’s single largest investment in any LEGOLAND^® Park and will take passengers aboard a real submarine where they will be submerged underwater and immersed in an ocean habitat.”

(All photos from the Castle Hotel ground breaking and press conference taken by Rholnna Jiao)

The Latest From LEGOLAND® – Splash Out to Summer 2017!

It’s getting hot here in San Diego, and what better way than to cool off at LEGOLAND’S® Water Park in Carlsbad! A couple of months ago, my sister and I got to spend the day there with the kids to kick off their “Splash Out To Summer”. In addition to the festivities, we also got to see behind the scenes during the construction of their newest attraction, Surfers’ Cove. We captured all of the fun we had that day, and I’ll be sure to post when Surfers’ Cove officially opens!

A very early morning at LEGOLAND®!

(This image courtesy of LEGOLAND®)

While I stayed with the kids at the Water Park, my sister got to tour the area where Surfers’ Cove was being built.

This area is near where the entrance would be to Surfers’ Cove and the blue platform area will become the Surfers’ Ride. There will also be a Beach Street Taco stand, and we got the chance to sample what will be offered. Pictured below is a delicious fish taco!

A fun little gift pack; I’m excited to finally have a waterproof carrier for my phone!

(Most pictures taken by Rholnna Jiao & Cy Chen, unless otherwise noted)

Absolutely Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide 2016: The Carlsbad Edition!

For the third year running, I humbly present again my last-minute holiday gift guide! I am notorious for waiting until the last-minute, so for those of you who suffer from the same affliction, this is the guide for you. For this year’s gift guide, I thought I would put a local spin on things and give those of you in the San Diego area places to actually go and grab some great last-minute holiday presents from some of my favorite shops in the Carlsbad area.

Happy Shopping!

Wysh Boutique

Wysh Boutique is one of my favorite boutiques in Carlsbad. Located in the Village Faire at Carlsbad, they not only have fashionable clothing and accessories, but great gift ideas and gift certificates!

Gaia Gelato

Also located at the Village Faire, Gaia Gelato has gift cards, but I wouldn’t mind getting gifted a box of their yummy French macarons!

Sock District

Sock District is new to the Village Faire, so I welcomed them by immediately purchasing a couple of pairs to gift to my sister. If you visit their site (link above), you can purchase electronic gift cards for your friends and family to shop in their store or online!

The Beat Clothing

Another one of my Carlsbad favorites, The Beat Clothing has everything you could want for your edgy fashionista friends. Astrid Montalvo is their on-site stylist and she can help you find the perfect outfit for that concert-goer in your life, or give the gift of rock inspired clothing, shoes and accessories through a gift certificate!

Spin Records

Of course I need to include a place where you can give the gift of music, and my favorite place to do some digging in Carlsbad is at Spin Records. I was just there and purchased a white vinyl 7-inch single of Johnny Cash’s The Man Comes Around with his cover of Personal Jesus (pictured below). They also have t-shirts, buttons, patches and gift certificates for that crate digger in your life!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. Although I mention specific shops, all suggestions are strictly my own.

Styling Looks at Wysh Boutique

A couple of weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to share my story about being a career woman, wife, mom and blogger while styling some looks at Wysh Boutique in Carlsbad, for the Elite Networking Group. As I mentioned previously, I have been a part of the Elite Networking Group for over a year, and it has allowed me to meet and mingle with so many great women who are from various backgrounds whether they own their own businesses or maybe belong to a great organization for a worthy cause. In fact, one of the ladies I met that evening recently interviewed me and included me in her “Woman Crush Wednesday” feature, and I’ll post about that next week!

Carlsbad has become one of my favorite places to frequent. I discovered Gaia Gelato and Wysh Boutique when I attended a media event at the Carlsbad Village Faire last year (post here). I’ve been back up there a few times with my family and I’ve seen Paola, one of the owners of Gaia Gelato at several events in the Carlsbad area. I took quite a few pictures of the evening, and you can also check out Cindy’s Facebook page for more!

I would love to thank the beautiful Cindy Matalucci creator of The Pulse (San Diego’s only interview style video marketing company) and the founder of the Elite Networking Group, for allowing me to share my story and introduce my blog to a growing audience! I would also like to thank Mogjan from Wysh Boutique for her always being so kind, and for allowing me to style some of the great clothing and accessories from her lovely store!

Spirits provided by California Fruit Wine Co. I’ve had their wine at several events, and they are so refreshing and light!

Light snacks provided by Hands On Pasta. I’m not sure what that dish right above is called, but they were like light little pizza puffs. I easily ate ten of those that night, I’m sure of it!

Photo courtesy of Gaia Gelato; everything they create is simply delicious!

Mojgan, owner of Wysh Boutique, spoke first and told us her story of wanting to bring together a little bit of home goods, fragrances, accessories and clothing all in one elegant boutique.

The looks I styled with merchandise directly from Wysh Boutique. Mogjan has so many great items, it was easy to create some great summer-to-fall transitional looks! I bought that sweater by Lush, one of my favorite brands, because the color is great for fall with a unique neckline.

I’m standing next to a favorite look I styled: A wrap blouse with high-waisted flared jeans and a hat from San Diego Hat Company. I actually had to keep replacing the blouse because it kept getting shopped! In fact, I heard from Mogjan that they sold out of the outfit and I saw on Facebook that they recently restocked it. I need to go back and pick it up!

Sugarzuly is a fantastic line of purses & bags by a lovely lady named Monica and her sister, who created the weekender bag above, and the one I styled with the sweater and frayed-edge jeans. They are up-cycled from Huipil fabric, from her native Guatemala and Central America.

I have collaborated with Sugarzuly by styling one of the purses from their newest line. Be on the lookout for that outfit post soon!

The great thing about being a part of a networking group is meeting new people. Here I am with Ashley Poppe of AshPoppe – From Wear to Where, a blogger who recently moved here from Seattle!

With Cindy from The Pulse and founder of the Elite Networking Group!

A Night of Fashion & Fun at Wysh Boutique for Elite Networking!

I’m excited to be a part of the festivities for Elite Networking Group at Wysh Boutique in Carlsbad tonight! I’ll be talking about my love for fashion & music, how I got started in blogging and how I incorporate it with my loving family and career. I’ll also be putting together some of my favorite looks from Wysh Boutique!

I’ve been a part of the Elite Networking Group for over a year, and it’s a wonderful network for women who want to grow their businesses with quality referrals. We meet monthly through events hosted by founder and The Pulse producer & host Cindy Matalucci.

Thank you Cindy for having me and I’m excited for this great night of fashion and fun!

The Latest From LEGOLAND®: Hot Summer Offers!

Here are some great deals from #LEGOLANDCA that will carry you through the rest of the summer, cheers!

KIDS GO FREE FROM MCDONALD’S

Purchase at LEGOLAND.com/LLCMcDonalds and enter promo code 16023.

SEALIFE CONTEST

Share your best fishy pun for a chance to win a Behind-the-Scenes VIP Animal Encounter + tickets to #SEALIFECA and #LEGOLANDCA.

VIEW CONTEST PAGE

GIFT WITH PURCHASE

LEGO^® NEXO Knights gift w/ purchase of $50 or more! While supplies last until 8/13.

LEGOLAND SHOPPING

Checking Out The Carlsbad Flower Fields & Premium Outlets

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I have been spending a lot of time up in Carlsbad lately. Although I’ve lived in San Diego my whole life, I rarely got the chance to get to know the North County because when I was younger, it always seemed so far away. That has definitely changed, and I was recently invited as a blogger to re-explore a couple of my favorite places in Carlsbad during a media day: The Flower Fields and The Premium Outlets. I remember once going to The Flower Fields with my dad because he was such a plantsman. Then I went a few times after, most recently last year (post here). But this was the first time I actually rode the tractor and toured the entire grounds of The Flower Fields in-depth, really learning about the family behind the beautiful gardens. The Ecke Family currently owns the land and we had the pleasure of Paul Ecke III giving us the tour of his family’s farm. There really is so much more to explore at The Flower Fields, as you can see in the pictures below. The Flower Fields will be open until May 8, and you can purchase tickets here.

After exploring The Flower Fields, bloggers were treated to lunch at Blaze Pizza, then toured the Carlsbad Premium Outlets with Terri Mannes, General Manager and Janissa Reyes, Director of Marketing and Business Development, both of Carlsbad Premium Outlets. Thank you to Noelle of Curator PR for the invite and to everyone at The Flower Fields and The Premium Outlets for a fun-filled day of exploring and shopping!

Fun Facts about The Flower Fields:

– There are over 70 million flowers!

– Most of the flowers in the main field are ranunculus, also known as the Persian Buttercup.

– Ranunculus are native to Asia and are normally a cold season plant.

– The seeds are kept in a 32 degrees cooler, then planted.

Our souvenir bouquets of beautiful ranunculus to take home!

Paul Ecke III mentioned they purchased all of the pieces in their Santa’s Playground from the original Santa’s Village in Arrowhead. He had a bidding war with Paul Rubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) on one of the mushrooms!

Being silly with Laura of Laura Neuzeth at Santa’s Playground!

In addition to Santa’s Playground, kids can pan for treasures at The Carlsbad Mining Co!

We didn’t get a chance to try it, but I want to come back with my husband and son to take on the Sweet Pea Maze!

Events can be held at Ecke Family Barn, which has an additional seating area for an outdoor affair!

The Ecke Family are known for their poinsettia, grown beautifully in their greenhouse.

I’m sure it’s the influence of my dad, but orchids are one of my favorite flowers, and The Cymbidium Orchids Greenhouse had some gorgeous ones that I’m sure my father would have loved!

My humble attempt at emulating Anton Corbijn’s photographic style (blurry forefront, clear background).

Paul Ecke III, Angelica Banales of IMW Agency and grower Jess Williams of Mellano & Company, our hosts and tour guides at The Flower Fields.

Lunch c/o Blaze Pizza, which makes artisan pizzas from their established menu or you can have them create a custom pizza from their selection of toppings. That blood orange lemonade is fantastic!

(Photo courtesy of Carlsbad Premium Outlets’ Twitter page)

All of the bloggers who attended that day, including some of my fellow San Diego Style Bloggers!

Somehow I always end up at Kate Spade when I shop at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets!

This was an awesome goodie bag!

(All photos taken by me, except where noted)

FTC Disclosure: Bloggers were treated to a tour of The Flower Fields, and we received a gift card as a courtesy to enjoy the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, but not as compensation for this post. Although I did receive a gift card, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Spring Fashion Show at 83 Degrees in Carlsbad on February 21 2016

One of my favorite clothing shops in the Carlsbad area is The Beat Clothing. I did a couple of posts about them (here and here), and I stop in and shop when I can whenever I’m up in the area. I was recently there with my son and niece after our trip to the Miniature Engineering Craftsman Museum, looking for David Bowie t-shirts. Not only did they mention they were getting some in soon, but they also promptly emailed me when they arrived (I bought two of them)!

The Beat Clothing, Blues and Shoes and Ragz Dressware are all sister stores, and their clothing will be featured in a Spring Fashion Show at 83 Degrees this Sunday, styled by Astrid Montalvo (details are in the flier above). I’ll be there, hope to see you there, too!

Mighty Minis at The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum!

My sister and I always try to take our kids out to do something fun and out-of-the-ordinary in our beautiful city of San Diego. Every morning before work, I watch the KUSI Morning News for any hot topics, especially traffic and weather before I head out and drop off Dominic at school. One Friday morning, I saw a news segment about The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad. Since I knew my niece Mei-Lin was going to spend the weekend, I planned a whole day around visiting the museum! After having breakfast, we headed up to Carlsbad to check out all of the many mini machines, engines and models on display.

Because we were a bit late for the second of the machine shop/engine run demos (they run at 10am, noon and 2pm), the kids were given a scavenger hunt to help them really get to know what the museum has to offer. The great thing about the scavenger hunt, was that it took us to every part of the museum, allowing us to dig into each of the displays because you just couldn’t find what you needed unless you looked at everything. Both Mei-Lin and Dominic really got into it (and I think the clipboards made it feel official)! We had a great time, and I took plenty of pictures, including a video of some of the mini-engines. Cheers and have a great weekend!

The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM

Machine Shop/Engine Run Demos at 10 AM, Noon and 2 PM each day.

(Shoes required in machine shop)

3190 Lionshead Avenue

Carlsbad, CA 92010

Phone: 760-727-9492

FREE ADMISSION!

One of my favorites from the miniature houses section. The detail is incredible.

Check out these mini-guns. I would love to see a demo to see how they look and sound!

Who remembers the Erector Set? I had one when I was little!

London’s Tower Bridge made of match sticks!

Even though the scale is supposed to be smaller than the real thing, the spaciousness of the museum made some of the displays feel larger than life!

After turning in their scavenger hunt questionnaires, they received a little prize of a 3D printed simple machine. Note: they both got all the answers right (I helped only a little bit).

Before the final demo of the day, the kids and played games and read books & magazines until the next tour of the machine shop was ready to begin.

In the shop, we got to see the “Do Nothing Machine”. It is literally a mechanism that runs to do…nothing!

Dave Belt, the shop craftsman, gave several demonstrations of engines and simple machines. In addition to the live demo by Dave, they also run the machines right outside of the shop. I took a video below.

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