The Eyes are the Window of the Soul...

As a new mom, our looks are often the last thing on our mind. With the lack of sleep and frequent feedings, we're pretty much in survival mode.  In the mornings, I have very little time to shower and get ready, and I often made the choice to get a couple more minutes of sleep rather than put make up on. Even though I didn't wear a lot of make up before Leah, spending an entire day without make up made me feel unfinished. 

This photo is not me. Photo by Envy Lashes

I mentioned in this post that at the 5 month mark, I started to take time for myself, and one of the things I did was get eyelash extensions with Yen at Envy Lashes! I am now a firm believer that they are a mom necessity! I pretty much have the same morning routine I did before the extensions, but now I feel more put together and confident. They instantly make tired eyes look fresh and alive. My first appointment took about 2 hours for the signature full set application. I like how they look natural with a little more oomph. I get a touch up every 4 weeks which takes an hour. I like to take a nap during my sessions. :)

Before and After (Photos by Clicky Photography)

Yen told me in my last appointment she was moving to a new location in Sherman Oaks, and she generously offered to give my readers $50 off the initial full set for first time customers! It's a great deal, and I hope those an LA can take advantage of it!  

Now go pamper yourself! 

Envy Lashes in Sola Salons

15125 Ventura Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

* This was not a paid post

Avila Valley Barn

If you want a one-stop attraction to take your kids while visiting the Central Coast, Avila Valley Barn is the place to be! One of my favorite aspects about all these social media platforms is getting a chance to "meet" and connect with people from all over. Angel gave me the tip about the Barn, and after I looked it up, I knew we had to go. Thanks Angel!!

We went to the Barn first thing Saturday morning which was the perfect time since it was still pretty quiet. We purchased some goat feed for 50 cents, and fed the goats. Leah at first was terrified to get near them, but once she got the courage to do so, she kept saying "more! more!" It was the cutest thing watching her! After that we walked around to check out all the other animals. 

Afterwards, we hopped on a hayride and got taken down to the farm to pick some berries and peaches. We put Leah in a carrier while we were on the ride to prevent her from wiggling or trying to jump off, and I was able to have my hands free to keep steady. This was my first time picking fruit, and it was so much fun! For some reason there is a sense of satisfaction looking for the ripe fruit to pick and being able to eat it later. Leah enjoyed herself, and we caught her with juice on her face a couple times. Sneaky hands! Our little basket of berries and 6 peaches came out to less than $3!! They were delicious too!

By 11:30, Leah was getting super tired, so we decided to go back to the hotel. When she woke up we were starving, and ended up going back to the Barn for lunch! It was packed by then! We got a delicious tri-tip sandwich and finished lunch off with an oatmeal chocolate chip ice cream shake.  Yum! They offer a kids menu as well, which comes with fruit and a cookie! 

I still have fond thoughts of this place, and hope to go back again. I heard they have fabulous pies as well! 

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Before the day is over, I wanted to give a big shout out to my mom. My mom thinks about her kids and family 24/7. We are her greatest joys and biggest worries, and I can now relate having my own little family. My mom is the ultimate mom. When she visits, she brings an ice chest full of food such as washed and trimmed vegetables, my favorite dumplings, cut fruit, milk tea, and special dishes I can't get nearby. Leah gets dishes brought for her as well. She helped clean my house and do my laundry during Leah's newborn days. She also still buys me clothes if she's shopping and sees an item I may like.  I really can go on and on about the things she still does for me and now also does for Matt and Leah. 

Mom - Thank you for continuing to set a great example of what it is to be a mom. You have set the bar high, and I hope to be the type of mom to Leah {and future kid} that you are to me. Happy Birthday!!

Avila Beach

After a fun little work opportunity I got to do Thursday, we spent the second half of the week in Avila Beach. Matt went to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, so he has fond memories of the Central Coast. This is now my second time to Avila, and I'm definitely growing fond of this little town as well. 

We stayed at Avila Lighthouse Suites, and it's the perfect little place for a family. When we checked in, we were greeted with homemade cookies. That was a nice treat for Leah to reward her for being so great on the 2.5 hour drive. Every room here is a suite, so we were able to put the crib in the living room area, and Matt and I didn't have to worry about tip toeing around after we put Leah to bed. The hotel provided a "pack and play" for a crib, but I will probably bring our own travel crib if we stay here again. We had an enclosed private patio which was great for Leah. She was able to safely walk in and out of the bedroom, and I could watch her from the room instead of hovering over her scared she'd fall through the railings or roam off. Breakfast was provided every morning, and it had a decent selection of food for the whole family (fruit, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, pastries, cereal, juices, coffee, and DIY waffles). Leah's always starving when she wakes up in the morning, so we were able to wake up and feed her rather than spending time figuring out where we were going to eat. The hotel is pretty much right on the beach, and it's across from the beach playground! It also has a little pool area. 

Sorry! We were too hungry to snap a pic of the BBQ!

On Friday, we walked to the farmers market and grabbed food and dessert. You can get amazing BBQ here! Leah has been a picky eater lately, and she ate everything we gave her! This made me love the farmers market even more! 

Saturday, we spent the first half of the day at Avila Valley Barn. This is a must see if you're in town. I will go into more details about it on tomorrow's post. After Leah's nap, we went to San Luis Obispo to meet up with a med school buddy of Matt's. We ate dinner at Novo Restaurant Lounge, which has a great outdoor seating area. We sat right next to the creek, and Leah was entertained by the ducks.

We had a great little trip here, and we especially loved having Matt with us for the past 2 weeks. We're definitely experiencing the Monday blues over here.

How was your weekend?

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Lions!

Gorillas!

Waving at the animals

This was my first time at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The Safari Park is unique because you get to see some of the animals in a more natural environment rather than in a cage. The park is enormous and it's pretty easy to get lost, but there are so many animals to see. I feel like I got a tiny glimpse of Africa, and I would love to one day go on a real African Safari. Leah enjoyed seeing the animals, especially now that she can recognize some of them and imitate the sounds they make. The best part was visiting the gorillas, and watching Leah mimic a gorilla by banging her fists into her chest. Love it! 

Rancho Bernardo Inn

We've been in San Diego since Sunday using our gift from the Ellen show!

Leah's first time using a golf club

The Rancho Bernardo Inn is a very peaceful resort and very kid friendly. In the summer, you can purchase a KidsRule! package that provides activities such as cookie decorating, dive-in movies, treasure hunts, "kids eat free," and much more. There is also a Kids Club room that provides coloring tools, toys, and video games. There is a separate pool for families where they show the movies that has a bunch of water toys provided.

Spa pool

With our package, we received a round of golf and a spa massage. Matt enjoyed his round of golf and said the course was beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed my massage. I received my treatment in one of their outdoor, temperature-controlled, casitas where I could hear the peaceful sounds of the water fall. Afterwards, I took a dip in the saline spa pool. The view was gorgeous. I was so relaxed afterwards that I had a hard time walking up the little hill back to the room!

Half a glass of wine and my face is a cherry tomato!

Leah had the most fun just exploring the facilities, swimming in the pool {sometimes twice a day!}, and getting her first experience with golf. After dinner each night, she happily ran around on the putting green for 15-20 minutes with other kids. She was a big hit with all the little boys too! At the pool, 2 boys kept running around finding toys for her to play with, picking them up for her when she threw them, and entertaining her with handstands and flips in the water. They even brought a baby life vest and tried to convince her to put it on for her safety. That same day after dinner, a 2 year old boy gave her a gigantic hug and kiss! So sweet - although, I'm not sure daddy would approve! ;)

We also checked out the San Diego Zoo Safari Park which I will go into more detail in the next post! Stay tuned!

First Time Mommy Group Picnic

I've been part of this mommy Facebook group for over a year now, and it has grown into a group of over 1,800 women! We had one get together awhile back at the LA Zoo, and this time we had a picnic basically in our backyard at Griffith Park. There were over 100 mommies, daddies, and babies! It was wonderfully organized by Korinna Peterson with food catered from Zankou Chicken, a photographer, games for the whole family to participate in, toys and a baby play pen area, raffle prizes, gift bags, and more! 

Ready to make her move on Hudson

Getting fed puffs by Jace

Our whole family had tons of fun meeting new families, and also catching up with some old friends. It was a gorgeous day, and Leah was in her element getting to roam around and play with other kids/babies. This was the most babies she's ever seen at one time. Leah usually naps around noon, and she held up all the way until 1:30pm! She quickly passed out once we got home though!

Me & Leah, Crystal & Hudson, Masae & Reagan

Poor Leah is exhausted! Photo by SoCal Wedding Photography

I've really enjoyed being part of this group. It's been a great resource for me as a new mommy, the women are so supportive and hilarious, and I love seeing a constant flow of baby photos! Thank you Masae for starting this! 

By the way, they even started a blog right here!