Welcome, Summer! Spring has come and gone in a very strange manner for us in the UK, but I am absolutely ready to welcome my favourite season of the year. I had many requests for this post (which really makes me happy as I am no beauty blogger and finding 5 products per season is absolutely my limit) – so without further ado, here are my Top 5 Beauty Essentials for Summer 2019.
Clarins Dry Touch Sun Care Cream for Face SPF30 50ml
Costs £20 from
Clarins has revamped its sun range and whereas I lost 2 of my favourite products (the face after sun and the SPF 20 body milky spray), this new face cream is really good. It smells divine, and it is dry to the touch – meaning you can use it ‘in the city’ too (but see some more options here). However, I do miss ‘the old one’ which smelled even better and for some reason was better value as well (meaning current product is same price but smaller tube. Why, Clarins, why did you change everything?)
Biotherm Milky Spray SPF 30
Costs
Clarins lost me on the body SPF game – they dropped the SPF 20 in a milky spray which is my preferred ‘texture’, although I did want to change to 30, so Biotherm got a new client. We are on our 3rd bottle and love it. I am learning to adapt to a new smell (I used Clarins for over 15 years) but this is lovely too – and easy to find at UK airports in case you forget. Give it a go as it is worth it.
It is my current Summery scent – and has been for a few years now. Not many people wear it (that I know of) and I do get lovely compliments (which I find a bit strange sometimes) – but it smells THAT good. Also, follow Aerin on Instagram as she seems to be a lovely person and I love everything she does.
Bumble & Bumble Summer Air Dry Set (limited edition shampoo + conditioner)
I have a thing about hotel toiletries whereby I really do not trust the hair products (some can be nice, but you never know), so I always travel with my own, which isn’t as easy, but it is life. There aren’t a LOT of refillable options (Living Proof used to do it and still have the discovery kits, and so did Pureology (only in the USA now)- both are my go to hair care brands) for some reason at the moment… so this set is a welcome addition. I had purchased all items separately before and delighted to see them all together.
Marks & Spencer Summer Beauty Box
Worth £110, butcan be bought for £15 if you spend £40, which is a no brainer. Popped in to M&S to stock up on my favourite body scrub (which was 3 for 2) and came across their beauty box which looked pretty good. TheLiving Proof dry shampoois worth £10 anyway, so you do get some lovely extras such as the REN body wash (100ml), the Ultrasun face SPF and the Emma Hardie moisturiser. Even the perfume is nice, so get this while stocks last.
I hope you have a lovely Summer ahead and as always, let me know if you try any of my Top 5 Beauty Essentials for Summer 2019.
This post is brought to you in partnership with Visit California
If there is a place that lends itself to epic road trips, it is California, without the shadow of a doubt. On this occasion, I drove down the epic Highway 1, which has reopened to all traffic following a long closure – and you can drive from Monterey, stop over in Carmel, enjoy the stunning scenery of the Big Sur (and even stay the night like we did) before heading down to Santa Barbara.
We spent 4 nights on this part of the trip, and with hindsight being a beautiful thing, I would have actually stretched it to 6 at the very least. I am ‘packaging’ this trip as a stand alone, which would be perfect if you started from San Francisco, for example, but in reality, I arrived to Monterey fresh from Palm Springs (where I spent a week recharging and it was only a 5-hour drive). From Santa Barbara, I went on to Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, before finishing my trip at The Golden Door. I spent 3 amazing weeks in California, one more than I normally do each Summer because why not?
Without further ado, here are my tips for the perfect California Highway 1 road trip – Mrs. O style, of course.
California Road Trip Stop 1 – Monterey and Carmel
I hadn’t returned to this part of the world for a good 10 years, and in all honesty we did not want things to change too much – which they did not.
Where to stay in Monterey and Carmel
We spent 2 nights in the area (which should have been 3), but we were not blessed with the amazing California sunshine, so we were unable to go on the epic beach walks we had hoped for. With that in mind, we chose to stay at one of the beach cottages at the Sanctuary Beach Resort – you cannot get any closer to the sand. But 10 years makes a lot of difference and the rooms had not been renovated since.
They were still comfortable, and the resort is changing dramatically as you can see by the very sexy new reception area and spa and Salt Wood, the fish and seafood restaurant (which I had booked before even realising it was part of the hotel and 100% worth a visit if you are just visiting).
Room rates start at $300, with them being over $600 in July/August, which is when we stayed and absolutely peak season. The meal was around $100/head with drinks and probably one of the best we had during our whole trip (which can be seen a proper compliment).
This hotel is located in Marina, a few miles north of Monterey and I still think the beach is extraordinary and once the rooms are done up, I am pretty sure you won’t be able to get in (as they are always so busy).
Other options in the area to consider are, of course, Pebble Beach or Bernardus Lodge (which were both fully booked).
Where to eat in Monterey and Carmel
With 2 nights only, we actually only a few meals – to enjoy. We spent the first morning walking around Monterey (which we had visited before) and Carmel by the Sea, where you can find the best shopping. It is as cute as I remembered it – but with better shops.
I strongly recommend a visit to the local cheesemonger (in the new shopping centre) which made that part of our morning even more interesting.
For lunch, we literally chased the sun – which we found in Carmel Valley, not far from the seaside town. It was amazing how quickly it changed! We had lunch at the Corkscrew Cafe, recommended by the hotel manager which was actually lovely. We had a fired-oven pizza and a glass of wine, wandered about the local food store (all organic, obviously) and just relaxed a bit.
For our final dinner, we had a great meal at Lucia at the Bernardus Lodge & Spa (which is not related to the well known Bernardus winery). The Monterey spot prawns we had were unexpected (yes, shells in America) and absolutely divine. Dinner for two was just under $200 including drinks.
California Road Trip Stop 2 – Big Sur
We were excited to return to this part of California after such a long hiatus – and were really hoping for a sunny day for this drive. We did not get it (it is a 50-50 chance, remember!) – but it is important to show how gorgeous it still is without the sun.
We drove the hour from Monterey to Big Sur (there is actually a town named Big Sur, where we filled up with petrol ‘just in case’) and made that drive last a bit as we stopped at the Bixby Creek Bridge, which many of you will have seen before (obviously highly featured more recently on Big Little Lies with Reese Wetherspoon and Nicole Kidman, filmed and set in the area).
A tip: get there early before ‘everyone arrives’. We were there by 9am and was pretty good.
Where to stay in the Big Sur area
We stayed for one night only at the Ventana Big Sur (Alila’s first hotel in North America) and I have to say, please stay for 2 at least. We arrived after lunch, had a lovely afternoon and dinner and left the following morning – and whereas I loved it, I didn’t really experience the hotel. I made a mistake when booking and just want to make sure you do not.
The hotel was full yet super quiet – the pool looked divine and everyone was just enjoying the sunshine. Our room was beautifully decorated – and I cannot fault a single thing. It was perfect. And it even had a hot tub (not pictured).
Rooms start at $750 per night, and go up to 3 figures in the Summer. Book way in advance. We really enjoyed our brief stay.
Where to eat in the Big Sur area
For lunch, we had a booking at Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn, which is one of the most iconic hotels in California and most likely, the United States. With just a handful of rooms, it books up months in advance – and so does the restaurant, so book in advance.
The 3-course lunch menu costs $75 (wine pairing at $57) and was lovely. We loved the lobster bisque and as I was ‘on location’, I thought the Kobe beef burger would pair nicely with a glass of Chablis.
Service was casual and lovely (very California in a way) and we just wished we could have admired the view – obviously means we will return. The hotel is located literally across the road from Ventana Big Sur.
For dinner, we ate at The Sur House, part of Ventana Big Sur – which we loved loved loved. The place had a great vibe, was busy and people didn’t just disappear at 9pm which happens in many places in America. We were able to be out til around 10.30pm which made for a great change.
The 4-course menu cost $95 per person, but we actually went a la carte as we could not eat everything. Also worth mentioning that the breakfast was good for European palates (the sourdough toast was amazing and you could order just one egg or two, without the potatoes and all the other bits that normally come up). Dinner for two stayed at the $100 per person mark and breakfast was actually under $40 for 2, including juices.
California Road Trip Stop 3 – Santa Barbara
Google told us the 160 mile drive to this great vineyard near the Paso Robles area was going to take 3h15, but guess what? We did not allow for photo stops and a bit of traffic, so the drive took us over 5 hours – meaning we missed our lunch booking by ‘a lot’ (and couldn’t call as cell service was limited). We made do with a yummy California staple: an Inn-n-Out burger just outside a Walmart somewhere on the way to Santa Barbara. As my husband said: ‘Kobe Beef one day, and something quite different the next. This is real life, Ana’. All said as a joke, but 24h ago there was a bit more glamour in our lives.
We made it to Santa Barbara mid afternoon and still managed to have a truly lovely evening.
Where to stay in Downtown Santa Barbara
On our previous visit to Santa Barbara, we stayed at the lovely Belmond El Encanto (which I highly recommend). But on this trip, as we only had 1-night in town (again, HUGE mistake, as it should have been 2-3), we chose to return to The Canary Hotel (where we stayed 10 years ago when we did this drive for the first time). It still has the same charm (the rooms could do with an update) and the bar was still as lively and the rooftop pool as lovely. The hotel is now part of Kimpton and room rates start at $500 per night.
We chose to stay here so we could literally walk everywhere in town and not worry about the car – which is exactly what we did.
Where to eat in Downtown Santa Barbara
My one priority for the afternoon was, in all honesty, wine. We wanted to follow the Urban Wine Trail route – which changed so much since our last visit. For starters, the wineries all seemed to have relocated to another part of town, closer to the pier and they were ‘so cool’. We stayed in the ‘Funk Zone’ and visited Melville and then asked the lady where we should go next. And guess what? We did just that.
We walked along the pier, bought a crab, and took it to the Deep Sea tasting room which offers the best views of Santa Barbara. We would have never found it – and made for a truly spectacular and inexpensive sunset.
I was almost in tears – happy ones. I never thought I would be served a whole crab (you buy it from the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company) in the USA and get to enjoy it with a proper glass of wine. It was one of my favourite moments of this trip.
For our only dinner in town, and because we were half full of that delicious crab, we had a very nice casual meal at Loquita, which was quite Spanish (starting with the gins). Dinner for two was around $170, but included extra drinks as we stayed on a bit longer. Again, the place was packed by 10pm still.
Good things come to an end
We really enjoyed this trip down memory lane for us – it was almost a complete copy of the trip we took 12 years prior and we loved it. I would recommend this route to everyone visiting California.
See you very soon on yet another road trip.
xo
Mrs. O
Disclaimer and Fact box: this trip was funded and sponsored by Visit California and it was an absolute pleasure to work with them on this trip. I know California very well and they have asked me to share this in whichever way I saw fit. I would invite you to begin your California trip planning at their website, which actually is quite useful.
Monterey + Carmel: start planning your trip on their official website. We stayed at the Sanctuary Beach Resort, which ranges from $300-$795/night, depending on the time of the year.
Big Sur: we stayed at Ventana Big Sur, an Alila resort. Room rates start at $795.
Santa Barbara: a new obligatory stop on our trips to Southern California. Start planning your trip here. We stayed at the Kimpton Canary Hotel, which I highly recommend. Room rates start at $295 (depending on the time of the year).
British Airways was our partner on this trip, and you can fly to California from London Heathrow from £1800 in business class, but average fares are around £2500-3000. British Airways flies to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. Las Vegas and Phoenix are also good options if the flights are really full. Google Flights is your friend here.
We hired a car with Avis (if you are a fellow BAEC Gold, use N744400 as your AWD) and I have a tip for you: split your booking in two. We did so in Palm Springs (and casually returned our car and picked up a new one before dinner one night) – we got the exact same SUV in a different colour and saved $500 total. Not bad for 15 minutes work.
I am on quite the health and fitness journey – the last 2 years have taken its toll and I in early 2019, I was at my heaviest ever. There are plenty of reasons why – but in a way, it is time to look forward rather than backwards.
My health and fitness journey has been interesting – it started with a Mayr detox in Austria, which finally changed something in my metabolism and now things are on the mend. I have over 10 kgs to lose, which ironically would be what I would gain (plus a few more) when I get pregnant, so my focus until that happens is to do whatever I can to get back to my ‘normal weight’.
And in order to do so, I have a ‘fair bit of help’ from incredible professionals and gadgets and I wanted to share these with you. If this is useful to one person, I have done my job.
I have been fitbitting on an off for a few years, but more seriously for the last 6 months and have been quite happy with the Fitbit Alta HR (with a different strap). I have been resisting buying an Apple Watch or the new Fitbits because they are bulky and I do not want any more ways to be in touch with the world. This is personal, of course, but I am actually morning my Baume et Mercier watches (which I barely wear).
I had an ‘episode’ recently where I sprinkled some water on the Fitbit and I ordered a new one – but with a difference: it is waterproof and it is the new Inspire HR, which again, is super thin and reasonably elegant.
I have showered 4 times with it – and it works! The new straps are still ‘being made’ – available to buy, but you will see that delivery won’t happen until mid to end of April.
One of the things that I also started doing (and highly recommend): using my Fitbit as my alarm. I stopped using the phone and find the vibrations a perfect way to wake up.
This posts isn’t sponsored by Fitbit – I am just a loyal customer. We have had the Aria 2 wireless scales for about a year now and are very happy with them. They automatically sync with your Fitbit app and you can keep track of your health and fitness progress. You can set up various users and it knows who you are (and keeps your privacy too, i.e. doesn’t tell your weight to the other person). It also measures body fat.
Health and Fitness Apps
Something I never thought I would even download, but I have been using the Calorie Counter + from Nutracheck app for a year and whilst it is very UK-focused in terms of the foods it has on the database, it works very well (and now lets you share your food diary with others, which my Louise Parker dietician particularly likes). This also syncs with Fitbit and other fitness apps. I have the app paid version which is £20/year (or something like that).
I am however looking for an alternative in the hope that it has simpler options such as ‘grilled seabass’ something that Nutracheck does not, or sushi quantities. If you have another app to recommend, please please let me know.
Nutritional and lifestyle coaching
I have been trying to do it on my own for a while (read: a few years) and it hasn’t worked. So I went back to basics and something I did before in Portugal – have weekly appointments.
But I felt I needed a bit more than just weigh-in appointments, so I signed up to the Louise Parker Method 360 programme (for a whole year). I have 2 appointments a week (one face to face and another by phone, which remains wherever I am in the world). In the first month, I have lost 3 kgs, and that is after doing all the IVF injections (which also meant no exercise for 2-3 weeks).
It hasn’t been a walk in the park – but it has been enjoyable in all honesty. They have been very good at understanding me, and finding the right ‘recipes’ that I will enjoy. I love the support I get from my dietitian (Reshma, in case you want to book with her) – from simple texts to helping me make the right decisions when at a restaurant.
I am really proud of myself in the way that I went to Marrakesh for 5 days, and came back a kilo lighter. That has never happened and of course I made choices that led to that – but I did them on my own. I did have a cheeky glass of wine each day, but I hired a personal trainer every morning too and ate the best that I could. Plus some ice cream, which is not ideal, but I am only human.
Louise Parker’s latest book – the is a great source of inspiration in terms of exercise and seriously amazing recipes (a best seller and now £6.99 on Amazon). The 360 programme in the 5-figures, and there are shorter programmes (6 and 12 weeks). But it was either three long-haul flights and some shoes or me, and I chose me.
I am eating really really well and even if you are 100% healthy, the books give you great recipe ideas.
Exercising
The obvious thing – but one I wasn’t so keen. As part of Louise’s programme, one needs to pay rent daily, so 5 times a week is the magical number. I am working out with a personal trainer twice a week at home – we are doing circuit training and weights and I am doing 3 reformer pilates classes a week.
I am really happy with the balance – and variety. And one thing I will say: do give reformer pilates a go, wherever you are in the world. My husband Simon is also doing the exercise routine and pilates has also been incredibly positive for him. If I told you the things we couldn’t do 3 months ago… and the things we can do now… it is incredible.
And when I am away, it is something I can still do. I use the Mindbody app to search for local reformer classes – and they work a treat.
Healthy food box delivery service
Mindful Chef has been a wonderful discovery for us – it provides fantastic ingredients and inspiring recipes each week. We have 2 to 3 meal ingredients delivered to us and meals are around 500 calories. I am currently paused as I am on a lower calorie count (temporarily), but I really want to recommend them.
There are many other ‘similar’ services out there, but no one with the ‘healthy’ angle and I will say this again: very well sourced ingredients and zero zero waste. Also, not having to think about recipes and knowing you have the right ingredients is a godsend.
If you want to sign up, use code 3XZ9E5. You get £20 off your first two orders (£10 each time) and I will get a £20 credit in my account.
With all this, I think I have all the support that I need and I am on the right track. We are eating way better – and feeling better too.
I hope some of you find this list useful and let me know your tips as well.
This post is brought to you in partnership with Visit California
I almost always visit California in the Summer – I go for the long days, warming sunshine and beach walks. But this time around, I decided it was a good idea to explore California in the Winter and see how it could surprise me.
We started this trip immediately after Christmas and did go to Newport Beach and Santa Monica for a couple of days to see the many friends we have in the area. It is one of the things I love about California – we actually have more friends based there now and can never see all of them on each trip. So we keep going back.
Visit California suggested two things I could do on a winter trip: ski in Lake Tahoe and drink wine in Sonoma. Add a bit of shopping and it had the making of another perfect California road trip.
How to get to Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is located approximately 3 hours from San Francisco by car and about 9 hours drive from Los Angeles. You can easily drive it in one day, or fly, of course, but we chose to drive and break it up by staying a night in San Jose, which is about 3h30 drive from where we went in Lake Tahoe.
The lake is bordered by both California and Nevada and is marketed as north or south, so just to make things clear, we stayed in North Lake Tahoe, in the California side of it.
Where we skied in Lake Tahoe
Well, the way mountains work in this part of California is rather different from what we are used to in Europe. When I was planning the trip, I thought I was going to be bound to one resort town/village and I did not understand the mobility the region offers. You know what I mean – if you ski in Val d’Isere or Verbier, you stay there for the duration of your stay. You may ski across to another resort, but you wouldn’t go for dinner at all (because the drive up and down the mountain would make no sense).
What we didn’t expect was that the motorway from San Francisco goes to maybe 10 miles distance to Squaw Valley, where we based ourselves during this part of the trip. Remember the hour (or more) windy drive from the base of the mountain? Not here.
Each ski area (or mountain) is owned by a different company (or owner) – and sadly, no one markets the area as one, with a ski lift pass that would allow you to mountain hop. You can ski 3 different mountains in 3 days, but you need to buy 3 different lift passes.
Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley is where we stayed during our inaugural Lake Tahoe trip and I personally think it was a very good base as it was a very ‘central’ location.
You may have heard of Squaw, which is known for some of the best skiing in the area and also for hosting the Winter Olympics in 1960. The current village is a bit over 10 years old, with quite a few options to eat and shop (all the usual American ski brands are there).
We stayed at the Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn which is also home to one of the most (almost too) popular bar in the area and ‘upscale’ (in American speak) dining. Our room was huge (albeit quite dated) and we enjoyed our stay. We found service to be very friendly, the wine list incredible (think half bottles of Taittinger at $33) as they are also wine merchants and known to sell wine at retail price and the food was good.
We weren’t so keen on how the bar area became a children’s playground from 5pm as everyone from everywhere came to have dinner in the bar area and you’d almost have to stand against a wall to hold a drink. America usually does all day dining very well, and something there didn’t quite work.
We have been told that the current building will be imploded soon and a new Plumpjack will be unveiled in 2020, so watch this space. I would still recommend it as an option to stay.
We hired our skis from the main rental place in Squaw (and took them with us in the car to the other ski resorts, as otherwise we would waste more time each day.
We enjoyed skiing in Squaw (I couldn’t quite believe that I skied after bring on crutches the day before, but the ski boot somehow helped me) – and yes, the ski-in ski-out Starbucks isn’t a myth.
Lunch at the ‘canteen’ on top of the mountain didn’t look particularly appealing (something that surprised me with this being in California), so we came down the mountain to the village and had a burger / grilled cheese at Rockers which was fine, but not exactly gourmet.
We booked a massage at the Trilogy Spa which was excellent. Priced at $130 for 90 minutes, it was also good value – and I am very grateful that the therapist understood my sprained foot and really helped me.
We had our first dinner (the evening we arrived) at the Plumpjack dining room (dinner for 2 was $215 excluding service) and on the second night, we went to Tahoe City (15 minutes drive away) and went to Wolfdale’s, which is known to be one of the best places around.
We found it quite old school (which is absolutely fine), but not as inspiring as we thought, except for the Caesar salad (epic) and the Baked Tahoe desert which was excellent (a version of what ‘we’ Brits call Baked Alaska). Dinner for 2 was $170 (excluding service).
Lift passes cost from $89 (advance purchase) to $179 per day (if bought at the resort).
Northstar
Northstar is the most upmarket of all resorts in Lake Tahoe (owned by Vail Resorts) and where we were going to be based initially (with the Ritz Carlton being the place to stay). We went on an exceptionally busy week (first week of January) and there was one room available at $1600/night (normal rates are around $300-400, and at Plumpjack, we got the very last room for around $550/night, with its rates being around $250-350).
But things happen for a reason and I still think Squaw was a great base.
We were told we had to park and ride in Northstar, but walking wasn’t easy for me (nor was I interested in parking and riding). When we drove all the way to the centre of the resort… we had one of those ‘only in America’ moments, when we realised we could valet park our car right there. These were the best $60 spent all day.
We queued quite a bit to get our ski passes – we felt Northstar was much busier than Squaw. We really enjoyed the skiing, but were quite let down by lunch. We wanted to try lunch ‘on the mountain’ as it made no sense for us to come all the way down to the village and have a meal (as we were just skiing there for one day and only really got on the slopes just before noon), and went to this massive school-style cafeteria. We were given a $200 voucher (which we found excessive) and what you see on the photo below cost $87. Absolutely not worth it – and I really hope they sort this out as skiers do deserve better. And it is California (where we eat always so well).
Apres-ski in Northstar was quite fun – we had our coffees spiked with Baileys (and then looked at everyone drinking coffee in a completely different way), and had a lovely glass of wine and crudité platter at Petra (which I am sure would make for a great venue for dinner).
Our plans were different as we left the main resort and made our way to the Ritz Carlton North Lake Tahoe where we changed for dinner and got to see what whole marshmellow experience was all about (which was very popular). It was interesting to see how different apres-ski was there. Also their lunch (BBQ) looked pretty good, so this is an option for sure on a future trip.
We had cocktails (the best dirty martini of the trip) and dinner at Manzanita – and I have to say, complete redemption in the culinary stakes at dinner. We had a whole fire roasted stripe bass (I love being surprised) and a meal to really remember. Dinner and drinks for 2 were $240 excluding service.
Lift passes at Northstar cost from $143 per day (advance purchase) to $163 (bought on the day).
Homewood Mountain
Homewood was the absolute wildcard of the trip – and I have to say, a place that stole my heart. If you would consider both Squaw and Northstar as proper ski resorts, Homewood would be the opposite. It was as basic as it gets – but wonderfully pure, in a way I have never seen a mountain like this in my life.
There’s a (free) car park, there’s a shed where you get your lift passes and a coffee and some huts which are the ski school. There’s a chairlift up and once you get up there – you will be greeted by some of the most beautiful views I have ever experienced in my life.
Lake Tahoe is there for you to enjoy. I did not ski much – my foot was killing me, which was not a bad thing as my husband got to ski ‘for real’ (without me slowing him down) with Laura, our ski guide.
They dropped me at the Big Blue bar (well, a tent) where I sunbathed a little and absolutely enjoyed the views before lunch.
I took the chairlift down and couldn’t quite believe that they had no hand rail bars – going up was interesting, but going down not so much.
Lunch took place at the West Shore Café, across the road from the car park, also owned by the same company who owns Homewood Mountain and it was lovely. It was good to see a table with a white table cloth and hands down the best ‘mountain meal’ we had, which was made up of American classics such as Caesar salad, crab cakes, fish tacos and calamari.
The views were incredible. Lift passes cost from $49 (advance purchase) to $109 (bought on the day)
Truckee
For our final dinner, we went to Truckee, which is a lovely town between Squaw and Northstar (kind of). It looked incredibly unique (like in the old American films) and it is home to Trokay, where we had the best meal of our trip. We chose to go a la carte instead of the tasting menus (which was very reasonable at $105/person for the 5-course prix fixe or $210 for the chef’s 7-course menu) – but we couldn’t do 5 courses. If you are in the area, you can’t miss dinner here. Dinner for two was $250 excluding service.
Thank you Lake Tahoe
Never ever had I considered skiing in California – and I am so glad we got the chance to. The quality of the snow was excellent, we loved being able to ski in different places – and I still cannot get over the views of Lake Tahoe.
The area has had incredible amounts of snow – we escaped a huge white out which came the day we left for Sonoma and if you are starting or ending a California roadtrip in San Francisco, I would absolutely recommend a visit. I would actually like to go back in the Summer as I could really see the potential.
As I said before, California is the gift that keeps on giving for us…
Until the next time
Xo
Mrs. O
Disclaimer and Fact box: this trip was funded and sponsored by Visit California and it was an absolute pleasure (and honour) to work with them on this trip. I know California very well and they have asked me to share this in whichever way I saw fit. I would invite you to begin your California trip planning at their website, which actually is quite useful.
British Airways flies to San Francisco and San Jose in Northern California (which are 3-4 hours drive away) and you can fly London Heathrow from £1800 in business class, but average fares are around £2500-3000. The most local airport is Reno.
We hired a car with Avis (if you are a fellow BAEC Gold, use N744400 as your AWD). Our SUV was $50/day including all taxes.
Spring is almost here and it is time to change some of my skin care routine – this time I am bringing back some all-time favourites because some items really are staples and I cannot really live without them.
Have a look at my Winter 2018-19 list of favourites as some of the items featured are brilliant for a transitional period, and I have bought again every single perfume from my Spring Scents list. Also, if you fancy upgrading some of your electrical beauty items, here is my list of all time favourites.
But without further ado, here are my top 5 beauty essentials for Spring 2019.
I bought this without trying it first (not very easy to) and in all honesty, I hadn’t realised it had aniseed, even though it very clearly says so in the bottle, which is a taste I don’t particularly like (unlike most people). I bought it purely because of its container – mouthwashes holders are not the nicest and this looks perfect. My husband loved the taste and had it all, and we have now refilled with our favourite mouthwash.
We both use this La Mer cult item – and have been doing so for almost two years, and it is our favourite. It does work – lines are smoother and really plumps up the eye – and the process of applying is actually quite soothing. It is worth the investment and it lasts.
I still love the Bioderma Micellar Water, but have been alternating with the Balance Me range, which I am discovering bit by bit and am really enjoying. The range is as natural as possible and I love the subtle fragrance of every product. In this case, I love the packaging too.
Rosie for Autograph Divine Sugar Body Scrub
Costs £10 from Marks & Spencer (exclusive, and they ship globally)
Hands down the best body scrub available in the UK – and incredible value as well. It is a ‘hard’ scrub and incredibly effective. In my opinion, I have not found anything that even compares (and I have been using the Clarins Tonic for over 10 years). It sells out regularly (it is a best seller), so when I buy it, I tend to stock up.
I really like Korres shower gels and and their recent revamp is really good. The scents are quite interesting and it was a tough call between the Bergamot + Jasmine or this Ginger + Lime. They are great value too.
I hope you find this list useful – I have tried and tested every product and some are firm favourites for year.
is a great source of inspiration in terms of exercise and seriously amazing recipes (a best seller and now £6.99 on Amazon). The 360 programme in the 5-figures, and there are shorter programmes (6 and 12 weeks). But it was either three long-haul flights and some shoes or me, and I chose me.
