Our family took an impromptu trip down to San Diego this weekend for Easter – and it was SO nice. I haven’t left LA much at all lately, and was seriously in need of a getaway. Everything here in LA moves so fast – the days fly by, weekends feel like minutes, people are constantly moving. It’s amazing how going even an hour or two outside of Los Angeles things feel slower, more mellow. People seem nicer, and the beaches are definitely warmer. Our friend’s parents have a rad place in La Mesa and they were out of town so we got to stay at their gorgeous pad. Two stories of open windows, with tons of light and dark hardwood floors. They have a three-level deck with the cutest outdoor couches, lounges, and hammock swings. Succulents of various shapes and colors grow in ceramic pots and palm fronds wave lazily in the light. The pool and jacuzzi were Little C’s favorite part – she would have lived in the pool if we let her. They have a beautiful porch out front as well with a big wooden porch swing that Little C delighted in. Early mornings (she was up by 6:30am) were spent gliding barefoot on the swing and running in the grass on their lawn. I realized that we don’t get that, where we live. Little C can’t just walk out our door and stand in the grass or feel the sun on her face. Living in LA is so insanely expensive..the rent on our 2-bedroom apartment is more than most mortgages in the rest of the nation. It’s just craziness. And I want that for her….for me..for us. I want a home where we can walk directly onto the grass, a home where we can leave the doors and windows open all day and let the fresh air rush through the house without worrying about people breaking in (even our gated complex has break-ins relatively often). Saturday the Big C went golfing with friends so the Little C and I headed to Ocean Beach, which is super family-friendly. We made friends with another mom there with her two kids, one of which was just a few weeks older than the babe. The mom and I talked and exchanged parenting stories while the kids played, and even though it wasn’t SUPER warm it was still really nice. I was amazed too at the FREE parking right on the beach! We usually pay around $12 to $20 each day to park at the beach, and the traffic is always horrendous. Ocean Beach was easy to get to and there was zero traffic. SO awesome.
Sunday was spent cooking brunch at the house and organizing an Easter egg hunt for Little C. Her Easter basket had a mini hair dryer, comb and mirror for her dolls, hair extensions, play nail polish, and lip gloss (she picked it out herself). Big C and I got to hide colored eggs all over the outdoor decks and gardens for her to find, and she delighted at each egg she found, opening them immediately to marvel at the candies inside. Generally we try to limit sugar but Sunday marked a total abandonment of our normal policies, lol. She had little malted chocolate eggs, starburst jelly beans, and mini Hershey’s chocolate bars – her face was permanently covered in chocolate. After our egg hunt we headed to La Jolla and spent the rest of the day on the beach, digging holes in the sand and running into the (freezing cold) waves. The sand in San Diego is much lighter in color and soften than the sand in LA…again it’s amazing what just a few hours difference can do to your surroundings. We headed back home around 6:30 last night and battled the traffic (UGH) arriving home some time around 10pm. I wish that we could go to San Diego every weekend! There is something about living in bathing suits with sand in your toes and sun on your face….take me back <3