fall... the season of scarves

i love fall... it's always been my favorite season. yes, even as a kid. i've always loved my first day of school... and somehow it has always turned out that when we got a new puppy, it always happened in the fall. my birthday is towards the end of summer... so i like to think it kick starts my favorite season... and of course ends with my favorite holiday just around the corner :)

this time of year, there are so many good smells, yummy foods, and of course lots of family time. what more could you ask for! fall is when dreams are made in baseball and the beginning of football season! fall is the season of SCARVES... and if you know me, that's reason enough for it to be my favorite season.

so here's to fall... and few of my favorite "fall" things...

fall flowers/wreaths

cozy blankets

yummy apple deliciousness

and of course pumpkins...

$5 can go a long way!

after countless times of sitting in my car at a stoplight, looking at the homeless person on the corner walk by me and having nothing to give... i decided to make some care packets. my sister-in-law and i went to our local dollar store and found some essential items that everyone can use/need. we put these items in a clear gallon ziplock bag and hand them out as needed. it's a great (and super easy) way to give things they truly can use/need without just handing out cash.

the items in the bag include- water, granola bars, hand sanitizer, tissues, toothbrush, toothbrush holder, toothpaste, floss, comb, rubber bands, led light, and a bible. you can find almost everything at your local dollar store (water & granola bars at costco) and usually 2-4 items come in a package. we typically make about 12 at a time and once everything is added up it comes to about $5 a bag.

once they are made, i keep them in my car... you never know when you will run into someone in need. it's great to roll down my window at a stop light and give them a care packet... and you should see their faces! they can't believe someone put that much thought into it!

of course no blog post would be complete without some pics... so here you go!

 

 

beach buds...

ever since moving to san diego a lot of our time has been spent at the beach. i've always been a "beach lover" but since having it so close to home, i've really been able to adopt the beach lifestyle. there is nothing like having a long day and heading towards the coast just to see the sun set. i haven't taken these simple treasures for granted... and am still astounded by the beauty of a sunset on the west coast.

over the past few months, as joe has been busy pursuing his masters degree... i've been able to rub my love of the beach on to my pooch. he absolutely loves running up and down the coast and i love his company. and while he may not enjoy the beauty of the sunset, we both can unwind and/or let loose and be captivated by it all.

a family

so... since this blog is somewhat designed to talk about the coast and "coastal" things, i thought it be appropriate that my first "real" post is about a nice little getaway that i along with joe and my whole family (4 siblings, parents, and a niece and new nephew!) just had. well... i guess i can't really say it was little... considering the amazing house we stayed in (5 bedrooms/pool- and all decked out in restoration hardware- one of my absolute favorite furniture companies). anywhoo... we went away for the week to hilton head island in south carolina... which has become one of my families favorite beaches. besides the "jungle" atmosphere with all the beautiful foliage, the beaches are also breathtaking and quite different than most. the sand is actually quite compact from most places i've been to... allowing you to ride your bike up and down the sand (although not so easy with 30 mile an hour winds, as my family experienced). the place was beautiful, but the best part was being with my family... we hadn't all been together since my college graduation nearly 4 years ago, and by this time we had 2 new additions! (my brother-in-law rodney, and my new cutie nephew ralen... who has the cutest turtle lips you've ever seen!) needless, to say we were excited to get away, and be at the beach... but we were far more excited to all be under one roof again. though we have all grown up (sam, my youngest brother has really grown up the most!), we were still able to sit around and just tell stories and laugh. from the first night when my sister brought out some old pics of us growing up (you'll never find me posting them on here) till the last night when we all ventured out to play a round of mini golf (me missed jen though! she had to go home early)... it was a great time to just be.... well.... a family. and i have to say, it's been quite a while since we've done that.

so here ends my rambling! now for some of my favorite pics...

second chance...

....welp, i'm attempting it again. attempting to blog that is. i've tried once before and didn't exactly succeed (think i had a total of 2 posts and one was about pet fish- so exciting i know...), so heres to new beginnings and second chances!

i don't have a definate purpose for this blog, but i did want a place where i can write about the things i'm passionate about (i'll do my best to stay away from politics ;), the little adventures i find myself in, and a way to keep those back home (and all over the U.S.) up to date with whats new out here in sunny SoCal.

so... here i go!