YOU'RE WELCOME SAN DIEGO

Over the last year I have been lucky enough to spend eight weekends out in San Diego and can honestly say I understand why locals say there's San Diego... and there's everywhere else. It is a tough place to beat and here is why:

1) Near perfect weather. On one of my first visits out West a local cab driver told me he had moved from Philadelphia to San Diego about 20 years ago and would never go back because "it's always 75 degrees" and I have to say he's right. 

2) Outdoor Activities. Pick your poison. The San Diego area has tons of hiking and biking trails that make for a fun way to spend a Saturday with friends. So far the 3 Sisters Waterfalls and Devil's Punchbowl are my favorite hiking trails. I would also recommend renting a bike from Holland's in Coronado to explore the island and waterfront trails. If you are looking for water activities Stand Up Paddle Boarding is always a good idea.

3) Surfs Up. This almost goes without saying but San Diego has some of the best beaches in the US. If surfing is your thing I would recommend heading to Pacific Beach to find the best waves. For any beginners I would highly recommend Pacific Beach Surf School I took a semi private lesson there and had a blast!

I would also highly recommend spending a day in Coronado on the beach in front of the Hotel Del. If you are visiting around the holiday's you will most likely find an ice skating rink on the hotel property right in front of the beach.... only in San Diego. 

Lastly, checking out the beaches in La Jolla is a must. If you have some time you can hike down to Black's Beach which is known to many as San Diego's nude beach.... you have been warned. Scripps Pier is also a La Jolla must see, I like to call it the tunnel into the pacific. ALSO go see the seals and sea lions lounging in the La Jolla Cove-- it your feeling really adventurous kayak through the sea cave.

4) Dinner with a view. From the more formal George's in La Jolla to the super causal Wonderland Ocean Pub in Ocean Beach you can almost always find a restaurant with a view. I celebrated my 26th birthday at The Prado which is a restaurant in the middle of Balboa Park. For those of you who are looking for a more liquid dinner the Pacific Beach Shore Club and The Wood have a great happy hour view.

5) Guac guac guac. There are as many Mexican restaurants in San Diego as there are sunny days in the year. If you love guacamole you are in the right place.... As of now Oscars is my favorite.

6) The people. San Diego is full of attractive, fit, low key people looking for a good time. Need I say more?!?? Time to book your ticket.

xo.

SO FRESH SO CLEAN

Over the last few years my skincare routine has become basically nonexistent... unless Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes count??

LUCKILY, I stumbled upon Heyday when walking to Madison Square Park over the weekend and was immediately drawn in to book a 50 minute facial for the next day. Their value proposition is simple: Building a healthy skincare routine today is difficult. And it shouldn't be. 

When walking into Heyday you will quickly notice the unique open space with facial stations divided by curtains all in a row. You can choose the 30 minute targeted treatment for $60 or 50 minute comprehensive treatment for $95 #doneanddone. After my facial was over I received a personalized email with my recommend Home Care Routine and a link to where to purchase the products online...... lets just say I will be back and recommend you all check it out soon!

xo

THE END

Helllllllllo Friday. 

I don't know about you but it has been a long week and I am ready to break out of the cage. Thankfully, I am heading out to Montauk, NY. (also known as The End) with some girlfriends for the weekend which always promises to be a good time.

The agenda consists of grabbing some breakfast from the tried and true Joni's Kitchen (I love the Berry Bliss Smoothie and Egg White Cali Style Wrap on a GF Tortilla), soaking in some sun at Navy Beach and heading over to Cyrils Fishhouse for happy hour. My favorite drink is the Bailey's Banana Colada aka BBC...... basically a milk shake. If you haven't tried it yet I suggest getting on the train.. recipe below.

Bailey's Banana Colada (BBC):

Ingredients:

-1 oz. Baileys Irish Cream

-1 oz. Rum (Preferably Dark Rum) 

-1 oz. Banana Liqueur 

-1 Banana 

-3 oz. Pina Colada Mix 

Instructions: Put banana and liqueur into blender until it is a thick paste. Add Bailey's Irish cream, pina colada mix and rum. Blend well then add 1 cup of ice and blend again until smooth.

Cheers! 

SUMMA SUMMA TIME

June 21st is just around the corner which marks the first official day of summer. With that comes the coveted 2015 NYC Summer Guide by one of my favorite restaurant review sites The Infatuation.

I just printed mine out and have circled all the new spots I can't wait to try. You can check them out on my NYC Eats Pinterest Board or view them below.

• Conrad New York
• Pier A Harbor House
• Ambrose Beer & Lobster
• Grand Banks
• North River Lobster Company
• Narcissa
• Montmartre

What are you waiting for!?? Bon Appetit! 

RUGGIN' IT

I have always had a sweet spot for patterned rugs. My first purchase was for my apartment right out of college and obviously from Anthropologie. They are still killing it and I recently recommended this and this to a friend moving looking for a "boho chic" rustic vibe in her new studio apartment.

My other go-to's are Lulu & Georgia (I have had my eye on this tribal girl for a while) and the ever practical and affordable West Elm. I actually used to have this navy rug in my living room. For those of you looking to splurge Jonathan Adler will also never disappoint....

Shop on!

AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A PIZZA PARTY

There is nothing worse than the Tuesday after a long weekend. Woof. 

[Enter Pinterest]. I spent the better part of today trying to find a recipe to recreate the Clam Chowder Fries (yes, you read that right....) I had Sunday night at Ironside Fish & Oyster Bar in San Diego. Lets just say I will never look at Clam Chowder the same way again....

I also searched through my favorite food blogs Domesticate Me and Deliciously Ella for the perfect #glutenfree pizza recipes. Below is one of my favorites I adopted for all my Celiac sisters out there.

Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
Whole Foods Gluten-free bake house frozen pizza crust
2 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts (about ¼ lb each)
½ cup tomato sauce
3 ½ tbsp Buffalo Wings Sauce
¾ cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded
¾ cup reduced-fat cheddar, shredded
2 tbsp fat-free ranch dressing (optional)

*Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven while it heats.
*Place chicken breasts in a grill pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

LIVING OUT OF A BAG..

Over the last few months my travel schedule has been pretty insane. Enough so that I decided to ask for some "adult" luggage for my birthday coming up..... it was a tough decision because I really had my eye on this awesome Mignonne Gavigan necklace but decided turning 26 meant it was time to be a bit more practical with my needs versus wants..... this week at least ;)

After doing some research I feel in love with Bric's luggage... specifically the Safari Collection because it is the perfect combination of business appropriate and chic. I personally found a lot of the Tumi, Rimowa bags to be too masculine and buttoned up which was why I was drawn to the Bric's bags. I also got a Cargo Duffle which is perfect for short overnight trips or as a carry-on. 

Cheers to traveling in style!
xo