Man, did I have an awesome blogging schedule lined up for this week. So much content, friends. Let me tell you how that went . . . me in vacation mode and refusing to believe that school starts next week, kids back in sports and finishing up summer reading (yes, we are a family of summer reading procrastinators!), and my kids with some major back to school needs (clothes, haircuts, etc.). Basically, my laptop has sat all alone since Monday, and I haven’t worried about it too much. Just soaking in the last little bit of summer over here. AAAAhhhhhhhh . . .

My Friday Favorites post today is ALL about Laguna and our vacation last week. If you have ever thought about traveling to Southern California, book your ticket immediately, and then reach out me for all kinds of recommendations.

SO.MUCH.FUN.

Let me just say that this is our HAPPY PLACE! This picture was taken the second night of our vacation and we were checking out crabs and fish during low tide while waiting for our table at The Beachcomber (more on that amazing spot later!)

Life gets busy, and I am so thankful that we have a place that we can decompress and just be together without the normal, daily stresses. It is such a joy to reconnect each year. My boys use phrases such as “that was rad, man” and “did you see me ride that sweet wave?”. Clearly, God made my boys beach bums from the start.

So, full disclosure . . . we actually stay in Newport Coast, California. We spend the majority of our time in Laguna, which is just down the road. Check out this awesome structure just outside of where we stay! So beautiful. We stay at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas each and every year. YEARS ago, right after Reid and I were married, we spent several years in a row staying at this property thanks to a family member’s timeshare. When we started taking the kids back in 2017, we found that we could just rent a week through VRBO and enjoy the same perks. SO easy. Two bedroom, two bath, kitchen, and laundry machines in the unit. SUPER easy when traveling with a family and when coming home each day covered in sand!

For the first time EVER – seriously EVER – I managed a workout almost every morning while we were gone. Please know that the word “workout” pertains to a long walk/jog on the beach and not a CrossFit situation of any kind. Y’all know that I have a bet with my husband and some friends coming to a close at the end of August. I WILL NOT LOSE! Two weeks left!!

(I am expecting a text from my best friend and my other friend I have a bet with asking why I am an idiot and didn’t sleep in and be a bum. Trust me, vacation workouts will not be the norm for this girl in the future!)

So, mornings were SUPER relaxing with a little quiet time for me on the beach and the guys just relaxing at our condo.

Then . . . all of the fun started!

If you were ever looking for the Beucler family, you would most likely find us on Laguna Beach.

These boys can boogie board for HOURS. They don’t care that they are in FREEZING cold water. They love it so much. I even dabble in a little boogie boarding. Just long enough for my kids to think I am cool, and then I go sit back up on the beach with the sane people that don’t like freezing to death.

When they aren’t riding the waves, they are very busy with their “projects”. Somehow Jackson always is the one that gets buried. #littlebrotherproblems

My crew doesn’t sit still very well. We like to be out and about, and we have discovered that exploring new places is kind of our jam. We pull up the map, pick a place, and just head that way. It may be a park on top of a cliff or a random, “private-ish” beach that we stumble onto. Whatever. We just love it. And, those beach houses with those “private-ish” beaches are kind of amazing. If I ever win the lottery, that is where you will find me!

Crawling through “caves” at Woods Cove one morning!

How cool is this? The Pirate Tower on Victoria Beach. We totally stumbled upon this one morning, and couldn’t get enough. A little Google search tells us that the tower is sixty feet tall and was built in 1926 as a hidden staircase to the house atop of the cliff. The door is now locked, but it is a sight to see.

My sweet boys exploring on a cloudy morning. Love them! Not a bad view behind them, huh?

So, once or twice during our trip, Reid usually has business meetings and it is mommy date time. This year we started out with a little breakfast at The Beachcomber. Side note: If you are anywhere near Southern California, you have to go to this restaurant. This may be our favorite out there. On the beach and great food! Expect a wait, but totally worth it! We then passed the time with a visit to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see all of the sea lions and elephant seals being rehabilitated AND a visit to the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter to love on some dogs. See, I told you we were super random with our exploring! Ha!

Part of the reason that I chose to workout each morning was because when on vacation, the Beucler’s EAT!!!! If you are headed to this area soon, here are MUST TRIES for the local restaurants. Besides The Beachcomber, some of our favorites include . . .

Gelato Paradiso in Laguna Beach! This little gem is right by where we park to walk over to the beach, and you can smell the fresh waffle cones from stores away. My crew loves this place, and I lost track of how many times they enjoyed some mint chocolate chip or cookie dough yumminess.

We love The Deck! Please excuse Harlan’s pained smile. They were starting to get over my annoying photographer ways at this point. Ha! The Deck is on the beach, and the sunset is dreamy. People stop, take pictures, and then clap when the sun goes down. I always love when people do that. It is like we are all applauding God. So cool. This year, it was a cloudy night, so the sunset wasn’t the best, but the atmosphere and food were awesome. Reid said that this was the best meal he had all week!

The last two years, Reid and I have had a little date night to Mastro‘s. But, this year, we decided to take the boys with us for a special night out. Let me just say that before we even had a bite to eat, Harlan declared that it was “the best restaurant” he had ever been to. Ha! We sat in the bar area rather than the actual dining area, so we were entertained by a preseason NFL game on TVs and live music. Add bread & butter AND steak it was the perfect atmosphere for my boys.

Thanks for letting me share our little happy place with you! We start back to school next Wednesday, and my kids are still sleeping in like we are on California time. Time to start working earlier bedtimes and getting up earlier. I do love the laziness of summer.

But, time for getting back into routines, AND, of course . . . onto the BEST season ever . . . FALL! And football. And firepits. And football again!

Have a great weekend! XO