Disneyland 2013.

Remember last year, when we went to Disneyland and I posted a million photos that nobody cared about?

I'm doing it again.

We took our annual trip to Disneyland last month and guess what, it was hotter than hell. Like seriously. LA happened to be having a crazy, record-breaking heatwave. Which explains why we look like we just swam through a tsunami in all of these pictures.


DAY ONE

We hit up the shops at Downtown Disney and then drowned our empty wallet's sorrows at the hotel pool. With nothing to do during the whole ten minutes that it took the front desk to check us in, the girls got bored.

I'm bored. 

I entertained the girls by sweating profusely and showing off my corpse legs. 

They finally got their room keys and were stoked to start the "real" vacation.

LeT's PaRtY.

That night, we raged in the pool and stayed up late eating exotic foods, like hot dogs and snickerdoodles. I didn't take any pictures because I was busy chillaxing in a boiling hot jacuzzi that was filled with little while floaty things that Vicki pointed out were probably from an exploded diaper.


DAY TWO

We made it to the California Adventure entrance just a few minutes after they opened and were in the park in under 15 minutes. It was during that period that I began to question my earlier decision to spray every bare-skinned surface of my body with Hawaiian Tropic.

The girls plan their attack.

Yay! We're here!

Taking a breather to watch this mouse party like it's 1929.

Pearl, daydreaming about Ghiradelli waffle cones.

I'm pretty sure she was in the process of giving backwards peace fingers, but the timing on this one turned out to be spot on.

Chilled treats were necessary. It was uncomfortably hot. 

Tate, Vicki, and cousin Hope 

Pearl's favorite snack. Bleh. I can't wait till she outgrows this obsession. 

Celebrating her 7th birthday!

We had the power misters going all day long.

This photo is one of my favorites because of the context. Hope told Pearl about this ride called Goofy's Sky School. I think maybe Hope had learned about it from a classmate or something. Not knowing anything about it, both girls were excited. I, on the other hand, picked up on the screams coming from the area and decided to sit this one out. Eric and Tate went with the girls while Vicki and I sat in the shade. I managed to snap the photo above as they went looping by, but I couldn't tell if Pearl was enjoying it or not. Turns out, she hated it. Apparently, she started screaming right from the start and was in full bawl-mode by the time they got off. Lol.

Dinner at The House of Blues.

Watching beignets being made at Jazz Kitchen Express. Mmmm, so good- like a doughy pillow of powdered doughnut. But better.

Beignets. It's a must at Downtown Disney.

Can you tell we're exhausted and dripping with sweat? Of course you can.

On the way back to the parking structure. The heat had melted Pearl's spirit.

The end of another wonderful family vacation.

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A Day in Ojai.

Ojai is a small town located about 80 miles north of Los Angeles. It's known for being a prime getaway spot for the rich and famous. Most of the town shops boast "all natural" and "organic" products (see: expensive).

Even though I grew up just 30 minutes away from Ojai (pronounced O-hi), I rarely went there. It's a drive through the mountains and always seemed much farther than it really is.

A few weekends ago, Eric and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and spent the afternoon there.

Our first stop was a restaurant called Feast Bistro. I'd done some internet researching and found this place to be recommended by lots of people. It fit our dining criteria (good looking food, not too pricey, located in the middle of town) and we were both eager to try it out.

The restaurant itself was small and homey. There was also a nice patio area closed in with tall shrubs and twinkly lights.

The open-concept kitchen was right across from our table and I had a prime spot for watching all the action go down. The two chefs seemed like they were buddies, cracking jokes while making meals. They even came over and asked how our food was and we had some small talk. It was a really laid back, friendly atmosphere.

Eric ordered the pulled pork sandwich and I got the burger. Both were EXCELLENNNNT.

Look at all that crispy cheese! Drool.


After lunch, we walked around the downtown section. Which is all of one block, so that didn't take much time. We also stopped into a dimly lit bar that had six other people in it, including the bartender. Two of them had limps, two walked out of a trick door/ wall, one went into the bathroom and never came out, and one was a pirate dressed in Harley-Davidson attire. The jukebox was playing a slow, solem cover of Prince' When Doves Cry. I expected Laura Palmer to come walking in at any moment.

We came across this stairwell that led up to the post office bell tower. Too bad it was no longer open for everyday people to hastily climb up and risk their lives on.

We rode the trolley all through town. It was only $1 per person and a great way to get a lay of the land. It wasn't like the usual touring trolley that shows you town highlights- it was actually Ojai's version of a city bus. So we really got to see shops and neighborhoods we would have never discovered on our own. Like the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, where the rich and famous stay.

Peace out, trolley.

We also saw a couple having their wedding photos taken at this beautiful venue, The Lavender Inn. Watching their awkward, posed stances made me cringe and I couldn't bring myself to include them in my photo.

We exited back at our original stop and grabbed some goodies before heading back home.

If you've never been to Ojai and you're in the general area, I'd definitely suggest stopping by. It has a different feel from the surrounding areas- almost like you're not in California anymore. The shops are pretty pricey, but you can easily spend a couple of hours here on the cheap.

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