Coolhaus Ice Cream & Happiness

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CoolhausMagCook                                                             edible wrapper                                  

My one year wedding anniversary is this weekend! Where did the time go? I am so thankful for the blessing of my husband (aka Space Man). He is the smile in my world and helps make our life together one great, big adventure. Another wonderful thing about him is that he enjoys good ice cream. For our wedding reception we had ice cream sandwiches from Coolhaus’ truck instead of the traditional wedding cake (although we did have a small cake for cutting and pictures). Let me just say one thing, “Yum!”

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Facial with Martinis by the Beach

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MarilynPorch1Pampering is probably one of my favorite pastimes. I love to get pampered as well as treat others to some pampering. It is such a cathartic experience, having someone whose sole purpose is to make you feel relaxed and coddled for whatever amount of time you have scheduled. In the quaint ocean side town of El Segundo (really it’s like what Mayberry must have been) lies a salon that delivers just such splendor, Advanced Skin Care by Marilyn.

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Going Vegan in Ojai, California

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo, as those who know me know, I am not a big vegan person. I love my meats, fish, dairy, all of it. However, my husband likes to go on these fasts where he will only eat vegan. Being the doting wife (or maybe it’s because we are still in year one of our marriage), I try to accommodate him and do the same (or at least until we pass an ice cream store). This is how we came to visit Hip Vegan Cafe in Ojai, California.

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Kangaroos in Perth, Australia

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PerthEveningSkylinePerth, Australia is a beautiful city with unlimited things to do. One “must do” is a visit to the Caversham Wildlife Park which is a quick 30 minute drive outside the city proper. Although Australia has some of the most deadly creatures in all the world, they also have some of the most wonderful.

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Chocolate, It’s Good for the Brain

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As I sat plucking another chocolate into my mouth thinking, “Can this be good for me?”, the answer screamed back at me in black and white, “Yes!”

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Lime + Prosecco = Limescco!

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It’s deadline day for the second Cooks in the Kitchen challenge. This month’s theme was limes. Limes are such a light, festive taste explosion that I instantly thought of drinks, didn’t you? Please welcome, the Limescco!

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Lacy Park Stairs – Just Do It!

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA                                                           View looking up                                                

The Lacy Park Stairs are nestled among bougainvillea plants and beautiful homes in San Marino, California. I stumbled upon them as my husband and I were bike riding through the neighborhood. He was easily cruising up the never ending slope of the street we were on while I was panting and searching for any break spots (this seems to be a pattern with us). When I noticed the steps my mind began to race, “This could be my new exercise ‘club’!”

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Flashes in the Night – It’s a Star Party!

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CombineFilesExcAvg_trial2                                                             Orion Nebula

In the frosty late night air of Palm Desert (at least in the fall/winter/early spring months) and the sparsely populated town of Mountain Center in the desperately dark Santa Rosa Mountains (utilized in the late spring/summer months), telescopes are set up in dark parking lots and night prowlers roam the grounds looking for the first big, “Wow!”. Red lights blink on and off sporadically to usher groups in the right direction. Sounds like the start of a Hollywood film, right? No! It’s the monthly star party put on by the Astronomical Society of the Desert (ASOD).

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