I bought this jumpsuit late last year for an event and then ended up not wearing it. I really love the feminine ruffle straps and tie back but I don’t love having to suck in my gut the whole time I wear it. LOL. Just keepin’ it real y’all. Anywho…today was back to school and my little guy started first grade. It is literally shocking that I started this blog when he was only a few months old and now he is almost 7 years old and in FIRST GRADE. The day went off without a hitch and I am SO grateful that he loves school. It makes it so much easier as a parent knowing that he is having fun.

P.S. My jumpsuit is by Zara and is sold out so I’ve linked to a few similar options below (click the image to be redirected):

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have read/seen me raving about Flower Child in Del Mar. I first fell in love with the location/decor (seriously…every square inch is Insta worthy) and now I can say the food is the reason we will be coming back! With protein, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options…there is something for everyone. I had the skinny cobb, my mom had the thai cashew quinoa and my son had the steak/mashed potatoes/watermelon. All were delish! It’s located right in front of the Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar. By the way, if you’re local and haven’t been to this shopping center in a while, you won’t believe how much it’s changed. You can easily spend a whole day here! SO many great new shops.

“Healthy Food for a Happy World”

What better place to wear a bold printed kaftan than in beautiful Palm Springs?!? We visited the stunning Korakia Resort again this Summer and I’ve got to tell you, it never loses it’s charm. You can’t help but relax here. It was a blazing 108 degrees this trip so a swimsuit with this light breezy kaftan was a perfect choice for wandering around!

10 percent of proceeds from sales of the cooper & ella x Dream Hotels collection will benefit 100cameras, which empowers kids worldwide to share their stories through photography to create impact in their communities.

Outfit Details: Cooper & Ella x DREAM Hotels Kaftan c/o Cooper & Ella, Madewell Hat, Tory Burch Miller Sandals, Helen Ficalora Initial Necklace

One of the most common questions I get asked from my readers is how I get my beachy waves hairstyle. Sadly, I am not blessed with great naturally wavy hair. My hair takes A LOT of work and don’t even get me started on how often I’m at the salon getting my greys covered! But I digress. My hair is actually super curly near the roots and the ends are bone dry and straight. Not a good mix. LOL. So I literally have to blow dry my hair straight with a round brush, then straight iron it and THEN curl it. That’s a LOT of heat damage folks. So for the past few years, I have been on a constant hunt for THE BEST heat protectants. As you already know, I ALWAYS use Paul Mitchel’s “Hot off the Press” spray. But I recently had the opportunity to try out their new Neuro line which is a whole line of tools AND products designed with heat protection in mind.

My previous blow dryer was at LEAST ten years old and on its last leg so I could not wait to try my new Neuro Light Hair Dryer. When I first opened the box, I was worried it would be heavy because it looked much sturdier than the one I’ve had for years. I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled it out to find it is completely lightweight and easy to use. It has four heat settings/speeds as well as a cool shot button to finish off your blowout. Tourmaline ions reduce frizz and add shine as well. It also has a SmartSense filter (the first of it’s kind) to indicate when your filter needs to be cleaned ensuring peak performance. Check out the Paul Mitchell blog for more tips on how to get a great DIY blowout.

As I mentioned before, my hair takes a beating when it comes to coloring/highlighting and heat styling. So the Neuro Lather, Neuro Rinse and Neuro Prime have really helped get my hair on the right track. I especially love the Neuro Prime HeatCTRL Blowout primer because of its lightweight texture. It doesn’t weigh my hair down, smells fabulous and leaves my hair oh so shiny! And knowing that it prevents heat damage 86%…gives me peace of mind when I’m using hair tools that heat up to 400 degrees!

And now for the exciting news…Paul Mitchell has generously allowed me to gift one lucky winner with their very own Neuro Light Hair Dryer along with an assortment of a few of my favorite products (a value of $200+) from their Neuro line! Feel free to enter as many ways as you’d like using the rafflecopter app below. The winner will be chosen at random and announced here on the blog on Mon, Aug 21st at 12am PST. Good luck and as always, thank you for reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S. I apologize if you thought you were going to get a hair tutorial here today. I’m still not brave enough to film myself. There is nothing worse than hearing your own voice, am I right?!?! =) Hopefully this amazing giveaway will make up for it!

Disclaimer: Paul Mitchell gifted me the Neuro Hair Dryer & products for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own. PLEASE NOTE: Giveaway winner must be 18 years old and a US resident.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited (along with several other local influencers) to check out Pala Casino Spa & Resort. How I had never been there when it is less than 40 minutes from my home, I will never know! We had an absolute blast from start to finish and can’t wait to go back!

As soon as we arrived, we were immediately greeted and escorted over to the Influencer welcome table to check in. The most fab welcome basket and white roses (my fave!) were waiting for us in our room. Then it was off to The Cave Lounge to mix and mingle with the other influencers!

We were treated to yummy island style fruity drinks (which went down WAY too easy) and the most delicious appetizers. A+ for presentation! There was a pineapple theme throughout our whole experience and it made for several excuses to take MORE PICS!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen these mini pineapples at my local grocery store (and even bought one once!) and had no idea what they could be used for other than decoration. Well my friends…have you ever seen a more adorable and creative way to serve appetizers than in tiny scooped out pineapples!?! I honestly feel like having a party JUST so I can do this!

We were then whisked off to a slot tournament! If you’ve never played in one, be prepared for some fast paced fun! I had never participated in one and had no idea what I was doing but it ended up being one of the highlights of the day for us because my hubby took FIRST place! We won a spa gift certificate AND added play money for our next trip!

We then went to The Oak Room (a world-class steak house) and were treated to a four course appetizer/wine pairing. To be honest, I am not much of a wine drinker, but the presentation by our sommelier absolutely made me want to become one! Oh, and the food was to die for!

Then we went to the Underground Wine Cave and sipped on another glass of wine and had even more appetizers! With over 480 labels from California, France & Italy…this place is a wine lovers dream. P.S. They also offer top shelf drinks and a limited selection of craft beers.

I couldn’t resist the table of props so here I am again with ALL.THE.PROPS. #diditfortheinsta

Then we had a quick break to freshen up before it was off to the UB40 concert! I grew up listening to UB40 and had forgotten how many songs I knew & loved. Such a great walk down memory lane. The Starlight Theater has outdoor seating and the weather was just perfect! But the best part is that when the concert was over…you can just go upstairs to your room (or the bar or casino)!

Here is the gorgeous view from our room of the pool, mountain view and the outdoor seating for the concert. I wish I would have snapped more pics of our room so I could share with you. Hopefully some of you caught the tour on my Instagram story!

Before we left we made sure to check out the casino. I love to play the Wheel of Fortune slots and my hubby visited the blackjack table.

A HUGE shout-out and THANK YOU to Pala Casino Spa & Resort for taking such good care of us! We had an amazing time and are already looking at the calendar to schedule our next trip! If you live in Southern CA, I highly recommend checking Pala out for a weekend getaway.

Disclaimer: We were treated to a complimentary stay at Pala Casino Spa & Resort in exchange for my honest review of our stay. All opinions are my own.