3 Tips for a Great Pumpkin Patch Experience

Published October 26, 2016

3 Tips for a Great Pumpkin Patch Experience

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.

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.

All Things LA Mine

baby california fall family time holiday life in a day pumpkin patch

Day at the Museum: LACMA

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.

Free Things To Do in LA: Getty Center

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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.

All Things LA

baby california life in a day los angeles travels

Palm Springs

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Even living in LA which has so much to offer, it is really good sometimes to change the scenery and get out of town for a little bit. Few weeks ago we went to Palm Springs and it was so nice! It it so close to LA yet so different. I was super excited about the dry desert heat, warm nights and cocktails by the pool.

I was a little nervous because this would be the first “road trip” for our little traveler but he did great! I think the key here is to plan around the nap time, if possible. Alaric pretty much slept the whole way there waking up right before we arrived all fresh and ready for adventure.

We got a suite room again which I think is the best living arrangement for traveling with baby because you have a full kitchen and/or another room. There were no cribs available at the hotel (which I researched in advance) so we brought our play yard and it worked great.

After settling in we went straight to the pool and hung out there all the way through the golden hour, it was so relaxing! The best part of this short-vacation was the nights out on a patio. Baby’s asleep while we are outside in the air soft as a warm milk, surrounded by the darkness of the desert and bright stars above us, talking and dreaming, aaaah so so good.

Jacaranda

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Every Spring California explodes with clouds of flowers. Fences, houses, sidewalks are taken over by the beautiful bougainvilleas, hydrangeas and other flowers. Right now it is a jacaranda time on our street and it’s gorgeous! I only found out the name of this tree from some person on the street passing by. We couldn’t miss such a great backdrop and did a quick shoot coincidentally on a Mother’s Day.

Alaric was too busy eating the flowers and didn’t want to cooperate at all, he also just learned a new trick of throwing his hands up and pretty much sliding out of the arms so it was pretty difficult to hold him. So today we mostly have some candid shots taken between the moments of baby juggling.

Lake Shrine

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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?

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.

Lake-Shrine-1758 — Visitor Guide comes in handy, for multiple reasons;)

Lake-Shrine-1628 — An authentic reproduction of a 16th-century Dutch windmill.

Lake-Shrine-1651 — Golden Lotus Archway. In India the lotus flower is a symbol of divine unfoldment–the awakening of the soul to its infinite potential.

Winter Ocean

Winter ocean has a special place in my heart (as long as it’s not bringing freezing cold air haha). It is so beautiful, powerful, even more so in gloomy weather. I loved being there and watching grey waves crash, it was so soothing and calming, moments like this are everything especially if they are shared with great people. We had friends visiting from Vegas and it was really fun to meet up and show them around the day LA is so different from its usual self.

Downtown LA

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This year I decided to start a new category on my blog called All Things LA where I will be sharing stories and photos about different places in LA as well as some insights from the position of someone who actually lives here, everything is of course my humble opinion and personal experience, I hope you enjoy reading it. The first post is about Downtown Los Angeles.

Unlike in many other cities across the world Downtown in LA is really not a city center, not that LA has one anyway. To find myself in DTLA, acronym most people use when talking about Downtown LA, I need to make a special trip which I did this past weekend. In almost 4 years that I’ve lived in LA, I probably visited Downtown less than 10 times but every time I do it feels like adventure. There are days when I am really loving the big city vibe which the rest of LA doesn’t really have walking by old historic buildings and skyscrapers, chilling at the roof top bars or enjoying some local museums. There are also days like this one, gloomy and gray, beautiful, artistic but also kind of depressing.

Pershing Square Subway Station Exit

Uliana Olson

3 Tips for a Great Pumpkin Patch Experience

Day at the Museum: LACMA

Free Things To Do in LA: Getty Center

Palm Springs

Jacaranda

Lake Shrine

Winter Ocean

Downtown LA

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