When we travel I allow the kids to pack one small pillow, one blanket, and a favorite animal so they’ll feel more at home wherever we are. I was beyond thrilled to discover Zoobie Pets, which combines all three. Is it a bird, a plane, Superman? Actually, it’s a Ladybug, a pillow, and a blanket. So clever.
And the kids discovered that if you stuff the empty animal with your daddy’s sweatshirt {when you’d like to use the blanket, you can still have an animal and a pillow at your disposal. Not too shabby.
There’s a little bit of Velcro on the Zoobies, so we attached them to the kids’ luggage to take into all the hotels. No dragging special pillows and blankets along dirty hotel lobbies. Whew.
They’re seriously the cutest. I highly recommend getting one for your kinder.
Next stop after San Francisco was Monterey Bay, California. Monterey is hands-down one of my favorite cities in the country, if not my all-time favorite. If I ever end up with a whole lot of extra cash, I’ll be plunking it down on a tiny cabin in Pacific Grove right on the ocean. I mean, a girl can dream right?
My family has always had a bit of a *love affair* with Monterey; going back three generations, I might add. Growing up, we stayed in Monterey as a family almost every Christmas for two weeks in a little turn of the century cabin right on the ocean. Some of my earliest memories are of exploring the nooks and crannies in the rocks across the street from the cabin and tide pooling with my siblings, so it was a really cool full circle moment for me to take my kids to do the same.
The drive from San Francisco to Monterey is unbelievable. Completely gorgeous. It was foggy and grey when we left San Francisco but sunny and beautiful when we arrived in Monterey. May in northern California though, is like Utah in October. Pretty, deceitfully sunny, but fairly cold.
It takes a lot more than a little cold to stop my kids though. Especially C. He’s always interested in seeing justhowclose he can get to the edge of danger without actually dying.
And for some reason unbeknown to me, Victor thought it would be a great idea to dress C in what can only be called ‘tide pool camouflage’. I’m willing to bet if it weren’t for that tiny slice of C’s white shirt, you wouldn’t even know there was a preschooler in this photo, looking to harass a crab.
If you do end up in Monterey, you have to take your kids tide pooling. The kids saw/played with/harassed all sorts of sea life: sea stars, crabs, sea anemone, and sea urchins. There’s nothing quite like a hands-on biology lesson, especially if you’re interested in marine biology. Honestly though, you don’t have to be oceanologists to have a great time tide pooling with your kids. Just don’t let them turn their backs on the ocean. EVER. The waves in Monterey are wicked fast and strong.
Mike and I are very excited to let you all know about a fantastic art retreat in San Francisco this August. In addition to my Illustrator classes and Mike’s Photoshop classes, you can learn about photography, letterpress, oil painting, and screenprinting. And in case that’s not cool enough, there’s even a photography class for kids and a cartooning class for kids. Some of the classes are sold out, but get on the waiting list if you’re interested!
Don’t live in San Francisco? I think it’s worth the trip! Mike and I plan to make a week-long vacation out of it. And hasn’t Allison’s travel report made you want to take a trip to San Fransisco?
Read the full details and find the class schedule on Nicole’s blog, here.
Classes Offered:
Photography
Tabletop Photography
Photoshop
Photoshop: Digital Workflow for Photographers
Photoshop: Digital Painting
Oil Painting
Letterpress
Illustrator
Illustrator: Making a Pattern
InDesign
Screenprinting
Photography for Kids!
Cartooning for Kids!
Cost:
1 class $45
3-4 classes: $40/class
5-7 classes: $35/class
7+ classes: $30/class
checks and paypal accepted.
Location:
The Ferney Studio, Valencia Street, SF, CA
Photography for Kids! will be held at Alta Plaza Park: at the steps of Clay St. and Pierce St. Directions will be emailed once payment is received.
Sign-ups:
Click here to sign up.
Lily the Ladybug
how to pore strips
how to repair a shattered eyeshadow
how to: make homemade sugar scrub.
how to manicure at home
how to citrus scrub
