Today Alaric skipped school and we went to the Natural History Museum! We’ve been meaning to go there for a while but always end up skipping it in favor of something like the California Science Center and Rose Gardens next door. Finally, I thought of Googling to find out when is the free day for this one (most LA museums have at least one free day per month) and lucky for us it was the first Tuesday of the month!

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One of the most popular posts on my blog is the post about our trip to Disneyland with a baby. My Disneyland and California Adventure Silver Pass was set to expire in April and we wanted to sneak in one last trip before then.  It was good timing because my mom and 11-year-old brother were visiting. This time we decided to start with the California Adventure since none of us have been there and because my brother and now a toddler son are really into cars and California Adventure is where the Cars Land is.

Read More California Adventure: “The Other Disneyland”

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I am not a huge museum enthusiast. I mean, I enjoy going to the museums but mostly for the overall experience and not really for the things exhibited. The other day we went to the Petersen Museum for the first time. My mom and 11-year-old brother were visiting so we thought we’d include it on our list of touristy things to do. My 2-year-old son is also really into cars already so it seemed like a good idea.

Read More Petersen Museum: A Place for Car Lovers

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Ever since the days started getting shorter and the pumpkin spice lattes appeared at Starbucks, I have been excitedly awaiting the opening of the pumpkin patches. We had so much fun last year that now it’s one of my favorite family traditions. Before moving to California, I didn’t really like fall, but now that I’m here my mind has changed. That’s probably because the weather is perfect here. It’s still warm and dry and the sunsets get more dramatic and vibrant, and, even though it’s too hot for a sweater, it makes everything so cozy.

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This year we went to the same pumpkin patch as last year, Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch! I’ve seen a few pumpkin patches around town and this one is still my favorite! It’s pretty big yet off the beaten path. You get into the fall spirit and totally forget that you’re surrounded by the city.

Read More 3 Tips for a Great Pumpkin Patch Experience

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Recently I was invited to attend a fun event at Todd Reed’s on Abbot Kinney with Crateful Catering.  I have mentioned Crateful before in this post. From the uniform to the serving trays to, of course, the food, everything was beautiful.  The team was professional and friendly and they worked together efficiently. I was very curious to see the behind the scenes and it was a true pleasure to watch the Crateful Catering team, led by the Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman, do their magic.

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Cristina, who is native to Italy, was kind enough to meet me the next day and answer a few questions I had about the real chef life.

Read More In the Kitchen with Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman

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Spontaneous weekend adventures are my favorite! And how lucky am I to be living in the city with unlimited options? The other day we randomly decided to go to a museum which is something we never really do but why not? We went to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and while we didn’t actually go to see any exhibitions except for one we accidentally sneaked in, we still had a fun day out.

The LACMA lights always look cool.  It’s funny how they became famous thanks to the multiple music videos and movies. For me they are special because the first time I came to the US during my Work & Travel Summer I lived nearby and since then every time I visit I get sweet nostalgia of that fun and life-changing summer.

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Read More Day at the Museum: LACMA

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The other day I was looking through the photos on my computer and realized that I haven’t posted anything about our recent trip to Getty Center. We didn’t have any plans that weekend and coincidentally Uber was 50% off so we decided to take advantage of that and do something fun. We settled on going to the Getty Center and it was a great choice! The admission is free, we didn’t need parking because we took an Uber so here’s to another virtually free and fun thing to do in LA.

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Read More Free Things To Do in LA: Getty Center

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The thing I like the most about LA is variety. Of cultures, people, foods, places… Lake Shrine is so far from its typical LA, it is truly a hidden gem of this city. Located in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by hilly roads it’s not that easy to find at first, but when you finally discover it, you can’t help but wonder how did I not notice it right away?

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Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine includes Meditation Gardens and Lake, a working Temple providing lecture, prayer and meditation services, a Court of Religions honoring the five principal religions of the world, the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial where a portion of Gandhi’s ashes is enshrined, a museum with exhibits on Paramahansa Yogananda’s work, and a gift shop with arts and crafts from India and more. There are also all kinds of events and activities available, such as silent retreats, group meditation, Sunday school for kids and adults. The temple itself is on a hilltop overlooking the lake. I would highly recommend getting more information straight from the source, if you are interested. This post will mostly be a visual journey through the Meditation Gardens and the Lake.

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Visitor Guide comes in handy, for multiple reasons;)
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An authen­tic reproduction of a 16th-century Dutch windmill.

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Golden Lotus Archway. In India the lotus flower is a symbol of divine unfoldment–the awakening of the soul to its infinite potential.

Read More Lake Shrine

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