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Friday, July 6, 2012

another blogger

Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole year since I've added a post. My inspiration to post again was meeting a woman at a 4th of July party who has her own blog about cooking (see "Interesting Links"). Thanks Denise.

I hope everyone has had a good year, relatively speaking. We have had a few ups and downs this year, but thank God for a great husband who has not stopped working 110% on getting a new job and making a great impression. Go Mike!

We are looking forward to the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix on Sunday. Check it out. It's never disappointing. Also, want to give a shout out to my sister-in-law, Dee, who will be flying in tonight to spend a week with us. SO excited to have her here. The big question is where to make our day trips. She said she would like to see the Getty Museum, so I'm hoping for a clear day when we do that. I love their view. Other than that we are looking forward to a few nice days on the beach in Manhattan Beach. Wish us luck!

It's good to be back! Happy belated New Year! Let's hope it's not another year before I post again.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

...to slow down time!

A lot has happened in the last month: July 4th celebrations, a wedding on Mackinac Island, and a summer flu. Now we are getting ready for the International Surf Festival. Yipee!

Well, let's see what I remember...I remember spending some quality time on the beach for the 4th of July weekend and watching Redondo's fireworks from the Manhattan Beach Pier. Well done! Then my niece came to visit from PA. We got to see Hollywood and Griffith Park Observatory and then she watched my kids while my husband and I went to a wedding on Mackinac Island, MI and to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Again, where does the time go? It was a wonderful vacation. Have you ever seen the movie, Somewhere In Time? It's filmed on Mackinac Island. Very pretty.


Congrats to Chuck and Mercedes on their marriage. You had the best wedding cake ever! Love ya!


I hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as we are. By the way, my daughter has a season pass with Beach Sports. I highly recommend it! She loves it!

Finally, to quote Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend"! Happy Anniversary honey!

Monday, June 27, 2011

THE MB Grand Prix

The Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. How exciting! It seemed like the racers this year were very intense. This is a picture taken at the corner of my house looking up Valley Rd. This is the fourth race I've seen and every time I am very impressed.

I've never appreciated biking because I grew up on a hilly country road where there wasn't a place or need to bike. But my husband grew up on a bike and has always loved it. His passion for recreational biking has rubbed off on me. We'd even love to own a bike shop. There seems to be a better system for renting bikes in Hermosa than in Manhattan Beach. But we haven't tried either, yet. We've stopped into Fun Bunns in Manhattan Beach (it's on Manhattan Ave, just south of Manhattan Beach Blvd.) a couple times and have enjoyed meeting the owners. What do you think? Is it easy to rent a bike in Manhattan Beach? Or does the shop need a little something else? Is that why The Shade Hotel and The Belamar have bikes of their own to rent to our visitors?

Well, hope you all had a nice weekend. Wasn't Sunday afternoon on the beach spectacular? And, I hope I congratulate Ryan Begley correctly for finishing in the top 10 in his Cat 3 race at the MB Grand Prix this year!

HAPPY SUMMER!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Baby Stuff

Hello everyone, hope you had a nice weekend. Yesterday, we thoroughly enjoyed the annual Manhattan Beach Wine Auction that benefits the MB Education Foundation. They outdid themselves again. The food was amazing and the wine superb! Thank you! Loved the music too!

So, I have my little 10 month old cousin from Pennsylvania coming to visit next month and need to buy or borrow a few baby items. I have long since given away my bulky baby supplies (thank God). I thought I'd try the store I've passed for 4 years, but never had the need to visit, Children's Orchard. Children's Orchard is at 2701 Sepulveda Blvd in MB. They mostly have clothes, but they do have some baby equipment and even furniture. I didn't leave with what I initially went in for, but did buy a cute toy that I hope he will like. What's nice is that she put me on her wish list, so she will call me if they receive any items that I'm looking for. It is owned by two sisters and their mom and I met one of the sisters, who was very nice and helpful. What a great business and would recommend it to anyone with young children.

Enjoy the week!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Great Community Event

I am so lucky to have been able to participate in the Grand View Gator 5k this past weekend! The results are in and I must say the the feeling of pride is great! By the way, that last hill to the finish line up 24th Street was killer!

When we first moved here 4 years ago, we would watch and cheer the runners go by and never in a million years did I think I would be a participant one day. So when I ran by our house and my daughter and neighbors cheered for me, it felt so good. It's only my second 5k, but I am already psyched to do the next one. I'm even considering working toward doing the Hometown Fair 10k. It's a scary thought, but I'm amazed that I'm even considering it.

Thank you to all the volunteers that made that wonderful community event happen. I hope it was successful for you too. Also, thank you to all of the sponsors for the event. I love my Murad gift bag and coupons for Fresh Brothers Pizza and Grow!

Finally, a shout out to my friend Leslie who finished 4th in her age bracket. Way to go!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend

First of all, thank you to the men and women who have lost their lives defending our country. Memorial Day is a time to stop and think about the many heroes our country has. The stories are so remarkable. God bless their families.

We had a nice holiday weekend. The Hermosa Fiesta Fair was fun as usual, we enjoyed some time at the beach, and of course, we savored a delicious BBQ with friends. Every time I go to the Hermosa Fair, I can't wait to go to the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair. This year it will be on Oct 1st and 2nd.

Cloops had a booth at the Hermosa Fair. I signed up for Cloops a few months ago and have surprisingly used it 3 times already. Check out their website and sign up for the daily emails. I think you will find it very interesting. It can save you quite a few dollars and it helps you learn more about the local businesses. Just be sure to read the conditions. Some of them are for first time customers only.

Well, enjoy the short week. I'm looking forward to the Grandview Gator run on Saturday morning. It will be my second 5k ever. Wish me luck!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

...To Go Camping

We went camping at Thornhill Broome State Beach in Point Mugu State Park this past weekend. What a great weekend trip for the family. From Manhattan Beach, it only took just over an hour to get there, however, it could take much longer depending on traffic. Our tent was right on the beach, so it was an awesome experience to listen to the waves all night long. My favorite sound is when the rocks tumble over one another.


We also took a hike along La Jolla Canyon Trail. It has a small waterfall about 0.8 miles in. Then the trail after that narrows and becomes very interesting. We only went a little over a mile, but next time we will plan to go further. Since it's spring, many of the flowers were blooming and the whole canyon was echoing the sound of buzzing bees. It was pretty cool to hear.

Overall, the short trip with friends and family was a refreshing experience. It tapped into all of your senses. The smell of campfires, the sight of beautiful pelicans diving in the ocean, the sounds of waves crashing, the feel of the crisp air against your skin, and the taste of espresso, bacon and pancakes in the morning. I highly recommend it.

So, to stay on my blog topic here. I wanted to give REI, Manhattan Beach, a thumbs up. They helped us get ready for our little excursion. I haven't been in there very much, but I intend on going back. They are a bit expensive, but their customer service is unique. I get a feeling that they are honest and are good at steering you in the right direction.