Sunsets in Santa Barbara

This week we are spending Spring Break down in Santa Barbara and trying to soak up all things beach and sun.  Lucky for us, my friend Kim, told me to check out Could I Have That's blog post on must do things and places to eat while we are here.  Her two blog posts on Santa Barbara are spot on!  

I hope that you are all having a fabulous week!

Cheers,

*image by Savvy in San Francisco iPhone.

Wordless Wednesday

Cheers,

InstaMaui

We have been having an amazing time in Maui!  If you don't follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, here are some of the pictures I've captured on my iPhone.  I can't believe we have to go home in three days.  Can't we just stay for a month?

I'm linked up over at Life Rearranged for Insta-Friday!

Cheers,

Wordless Wednesday

Cheers to the Weekend

Cheers to the weekend!  We are so excited that our vacation is finally here!  We are over enjoying family time in Maui and couldn't be more excited to have some quality time with Daddy (though we all seem to be fighting over him for his attention).  We are soaking up this warm beautiful Hawaiian weather and loving the endless sunsets.  Even though I'm on vacation soaking up our last couple of weeks of summer (why does school start so early), I'm still hoping to share some things with you next week.

• Can't wait to share pictures and details with you about our magical night at Meadowood a couple of Sundays ago with Festival del Sole. 
• Also need to share my trip to the beautiful Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley!
• Thinking about switching from blogger to WordPress - what are your thoughts on WP? 
• What are your plans for the final weeks of summer? 

Cheers,

Nivea Tropical Escape - Giveaway

When NIVEA approached me about trying the NIVEA Escape Challenge, I thought what a great way to get ready for our upcoming trip to Maui!  Trying out NIVEA's new hydrating shower gel would not only prep my skin for a tropical vacation by hydrating it but it would allow my mind to escape to a tropical retreat in my own shower with the scent of the frangipani flowers.

Nivea sent me a kit containing the Touch of Frangipani Hydrating Shower Gel (featured in the July issue of Allure Magazine as an Editor's Favorites), a pair of Havaianas Flip Flops and a $50 1-800-FLOWERS Gift Card.  The goal was to see how our skin felt after using the hydrating shower gel after 10 days while creating our own little tropical escape.  They challenged us to slow down and enjoy our shower experience.  So many mornings I am rushing through the shower process so quickly that I'm not taking a second just to take a moment for myself. 

I have to say that after two weeks, my skin has felt softer and I have been more aware of slowing down just a little bit to take a little time for myself (which we all know that we all could use a little bit more me time for ourselves).  

Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite way is to create your own "escape".

For more inspiration on "escaping" to a tropical retreat you can check out my Pinterest board here: 

NIVEA is offering a Savvy in San Francisco reader the same "Escape" Challenge kit including: 

• one bottle of NIVEA Touch of Frangipani
• a pair of Havaianas® Flip Flops
• a $50 1-800-FLOWERS® Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This was a sponsored post.  I was provided the kit from NIVEA for review and challenge purposes, but all opinions are my own. 

Cheers,

True Confessions of a Photographer

Even though I am a photographer, it's pretty much impossible to get all three of my kids to look and smile at the camera! It's actually easier to capture other people's children.  I'm the new person there to make them laugh and capture those special smiles and giggles.  But I've become the hounding paparazzi to my children.  They are so tired of mommy being in their faces with her camera that I am finding it harder to capture their natural smiles and especially all at once.

Any other photographers out there that have any special tricks that work with capturing their own children?

*These pictures are from our day at SeaWorld in Orlando from our Spring Break trip to Florida.

Cheers,

Cheers to the Weekend

We are headed home after a week in Florida for Spring Break.  It's still hard adjusting to taking vacations at the designated times for Landon's Kindergarten school year.

We had a fun week full of pool time, Disney World and beach time. But we are eager to have the weekend to settle back down at home in our OWN beds! I'm kind of a big fan of returning on a Friday from your vacation instead of Sunday. It gives you two days to unwind and get ready for the week ahead.

Will I see any of you at the Jouer Cosmetics event at Nordstrom in Walnut Creek? What are your plans for the weekend?

Cheers,

Cheers to the Weekend

Cheers to the weekend!  This week has been about getting back into our routine after vacation - school, eating and the gym.  It's been a pretty successful week since I've been to the gym twice and I'm headed there tomorrow, I've lost three more pounds (woot woot) since before leaving on vacation (which I didn't think would be possible while trying to eat at kid-friendly restaurants), managed to get Landon to school on time (barely) and I had a fun and much needed girls night out on Thursday.

This weekend we are excited to enjoy this gorgeous weather (tell me the rain isn't coming in March) by heading to the Farmer's Market.  Then in the evening we will be helping the lovely, Erin, of Apartment 34 and her husband celebrate their new loft!  Then we are headed over to Local's Corner to try out this Mission neighborhood seafood spin-off from Local Mission Eatery.

Hopefully next week I will be able to share more pictures from our road trip, pictures from the opening launch party for Freda Salvador and a fun giveaway for all of those mommas or mommas to be! 

What are your plans for the weekend? 

Cheers,

Cheers to the Weekend

Sunset at La Jolla Shores

It's our last day in San Diego and they we are going to make the dreaded drive back to the Bay Area!  Maybe they will just sleep the whole way (a girl can dream, right)?  Today we are headed out to enjoy this warmer weather (finally) while checking out the lighthouse and tide pools at Point Loma, Coronado Island for lunch and maybe the USS Midway to check out the retired Navy aircraft carrier.

Congratulations to the winner of the Natasha Grasso necklace giveaway - Abigail of SkyMommy.com! I will be emailing your shortly!

What are your plans for the weekend? Anyone attending an Oscar viewing party on Sunday?  Have a fabulous weekend!

Cheers,

Last Day to Enter Natasha Grasso Necklace Giveaway!

Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the Natasha Grasso necklace giveaway!  Hope you are all having an amazing week!  We are having a fun time on our road trip!  See you back here tomorrow to announce the winner of the giveaway.

image via

Cheers,                                                                     

Wordless Wednesday

Cheers to the Weekend - Road Trip 2013

Sunset off the Pacific Coast Highway!

Cheers to the Weekend!  Since this is the first year of Kindergarten for us, we are getting used to having to take our holiday breaks at the same time everyone else is.  This next week is ski week at Landon's school.  Growing up we had Spring break but there was definitely not a ski week!  Instead of heading up to the snow to fight holiday traffic in Tahoe, we thought we would head south on a road trip to Carmel and San Diego.  We might be legitimately insane to get in a small confined space with three kids under six and drive for 10 hours!  But we are going to try it! 

View from our suite!

Carmel Valley Ranch has s'mores every night for their guests! 

First stop on #Roadtrip2013 is Carmel Valley Ranch!  You might have remembered that we came here a year and a half ago when Charlotte was only two months old.  We are here for three days and then we are heading down to San Diego with quick stops in Santa Barbara and Orange County for lunch and dinner.  Follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Vine to see updates on #Roadtrip2013! 

Do your kids have ski week?  Going anywhere fun? 

Don't forget to enter my Valentine's Day jewelry giveaway! 

Cheers,

Wordless Wednesday

Cheers to the Weekend - Miami

Cheers to the weekend!  Carlos and I are headed to Miami for a little quick getaway for just the two of us (THANK YOU Mimi and Papa) and I couldn't be more excited.  He has a conference next week, so we are making a little trip out of it before the conference starts on Tuesday.  

I'm pretty excited to check out Fontaine Bleu since I've heard amazing things about it.  Excited to try some delicious Pan Latin food at Ola, Chinese food at Hakkasan (which just opened a location in San Francisco) and a Juvia - a blend of French, Japanese and Peruvian flavors paired with a gorgeous views of the city (thanks to Kelly for all of the delicious recommendations).

I'm even looking forward to the six hour flight since it's just the two of us.  It's hard to imagine reading a book or magazine or playing on the iPad for six hours uninterrupted.  It's funny how your perspective changes about flights after you have had kids. 

This weekend is going to be pretty low key - pool, beaches and some amazing food.  If you have any must try or must see places in Miami - leave me a comment below!  Would love any of your suggestions! 

Hope you have an amazing weekend!

image via

Cheers,

Comfortable in my own skin

We are trying to get adjusted back to our routine now that we are back from Maui.  (It's really hard to adjust to that three hour time difference).  At least school doesn't start for another week and a half so we have some time to adjust.  I have a lot of pictures to share with you from our Maui trip, but I wanted to share a little revelation I had while in Maui.  Maybe not so much a revelation, but more of a comfort level.  

In the past, when we have gone to Maui, I've been so self conscious of how I have looked in my bathing suit while on the beach.  Is everyone staring at the baby weight I need to lose? My pale skin? Humidity ravaged curls?  But this time was different.  I was sitting on the beach letting the waves come up and lap at Charlotte and I and I've never felt so comfortable.  I looked out at the water and watched Landon, Tatum and Carlos run around in the waves and was so incredibly happy.  I didn't care who could see my extra 25 lbs of baby weight that I need to lose, the new wrinkles that are forming as I turn another year older or my wind and humidity ravaged curls.  I just cared that I was 100% present in this moment, this experience that we were all having and that was all I needed.

Now that I am home, I wish I could say the same thing.  The old insecurities and pressure we put on ourselves is slowly creeping back in, but I am happy that for eight days in Maui, I was able to let go of all that and enjoy being me!  Need to work on being that comfortable in my own skin all the time! 

Maui in a Picture

Charlotte sitting on my lap on the beach in Kaanapali watching the sunset!

This picture pretty much sums up how I feel about our trip to Maui!  It's been a relaxing trip of being together and enjoying the beach!

*taken with my iPhone (didn't even realize I had snapped this pic until I got home and looked at them).

Cheers to the Weekend

Would you like a cocktail?

Let me pick one out for you!

This is the first Friday in a long time that I haven't been glad that it came so quickly! We only have two full days left in Maui and then we are heading back to reality home on Monday.  Our plans for the weekend - just hang out at the pool and the beach all day.  I might try to slip away for a massage at the Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea.  What are you all up to this weekend?