Sunday, July 29, 2012 at 6:18PM 
Packing for BlogHer and I keep wishing these would magically show up in my suitcase. If only fairy godmothers WERE real!
Meanwhile, what shoes does one wear in New York City in the heat and rain?
Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 7:00AM With BlogHer '12 right around the corner, some bloggers are thinking back to the last time the blogging conference of the year was in NYC. They are reliving the good times: where they ate, who they met, what they did. And trying not to remember the bad parts...like the bed bugs.
The last time BlogHer was in New York City the bed bug epidemic was OUT OF CONTROL. Tons of people got infected with the little creatures while in the City, and unfortunately, brought a few home with them.
The slightest mention of things like scabies, head lice and bed bugs sends me into a itchy panic attack. Just writing that sentence has me skeeved out.
If just a single pregnant bed bug is left in your untreated home, four months later you’ll have 9,600 of them. At the five month mark you’ll have 31,500
Right about now you are thinking "Beth? Why are you even talking about this? I came here for shoe and/or wine advice!" Well, bet you didn't know that I'm also a proud #LloydMom of San Diego. Earlier this year, Lloyd Pest Control reached out to a handful of local San Diego bloggers to help them be a positive voice for pest control. See, no one really wants to talk about bugs, but we ALL have them. It doesn't mean you're dirty or can't keep a clean house, it's because you LIVE ON THE EARTH. Plain and simple. Pests like bedbugs are a fact of life and as moms we have questions about safety and how to keep those little buggers out of house and away from our families.
Recently Lloyd's Pest Control did a post about bed bugs and as a #LloydMom I felt I should help share the information to all us traveling mamas travelling this summer.
FIRST:
Thoroughly inspect the entire hotel room before unpacking and settling in, including behind the headboard and around the bottom of other furniture.
Pull back the hotel bed sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly the corners, for telltale spots or stains.
If any bed bugs are spotted, notify management and change rooms immediately. Be sure your new room is not adjacent to the possibly infested room.
While staying in a hotel, Lloyd's Pest Control recommends using a large plastic trash bag or a protective cover to store your luggage during your stay. So unpack completely, then protect your luggage.
On the Home Front:
When you return home, inspect and vacuum your suitcases thoroughly before bringing them into the house. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which will kill any bed bugs. Wash all your clothes – even the items not worn – in hot water or take immediately to the cleaners.
And if you do bring them home - call for professional help. I learned that during the great Avant-Household Lice Epidemic of 2011. Some things you can do on your own, others you need a professional to do for you.
So safe travels and here's to NO BED BUGS!
*disclosure: this post is part of my #LloydMoms ambassador program.
Lloyd Pest Control, bed bugs, prevent bed bugs, treat bed bugs in ICK Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 8:49PM 
You may remember me talking about The Dailey Method in Carlsbad in a post or two. You may have noticed the ad over the right here and thought "God, I want shoulders like that." Or you may have seen my multiple, check-ins on FourSquare to their Carlsbad studio. You may have wondered, "What is The Dailey Method?"
What it is, quite honestly, is one of the best workouts I've ever done.
Last fall I was introduced the newest barre workout class to hit San Diego and was immediately hooked. I loved watching the transformation in my legs and arms. I loved watching myself grow stronger and stronger and rocking those 60 second planks. And it was a proud, proud moment when I mastered the amazingly challenging seated pretzel. More than looking good - I felt good. My back pain was gone and every part of my body was stronger and able to handle things better.
There are a few of us who started when the gym first opened, and we've become friendly over the months - bonding during seemingly impossible sets of seat and thigh work. Ask anyone of us and we all say the same thing "There is some different, something addictive, about this workout." We love it.
And I normally don't LOVE working out.
Alas, I've fallen off the wagon (or, if The Dailey Method is my addiction, am I ON the wagon?). The month of May kicked my figuratively booty. With work, the kids and Jason's knee surgery, my schedule took a backseat to taking care of everyone else.
And I felt it. Literally.
Image from The Dailey Method WebsiteMy body craved the crazy hour-long classes, and when I started up again, it knew exactly what to do. My muscles remembered each feeling, each motion, and this time I've paid more attention to exactly how every movement feels.
And yes, it hurts. But that is why I love it. Just at the point you don't think you can do another leg lift or hold your body in a high C-curve another second, the movement changes and you've done it. You've made it another minute and your body readjusts and pushes you through.
Maybe I'm masochistic, but I love laying in bed the morning after a particularly hard class and clenching muscles to see if any hurt. Every time I cringe walking down the stairs after a lunge-heavy class I know my booty's a little higher and a little tighter. I know I will never have a body like Samantha or Shelie (the owners of the Carlsbad studio) but I also know that if I keep myself motivated I will walk a little taller, be a little leaner and overall feel better about myself.
*disclosure: While I've been paying to attend classes at Carlsbad studio for months, I was offered free classes in exchange for blog love during the month of July. All opinions stated in this post are my own.
Carlsbad, San Diego, The Dailey Method, work out in LaLaLaLife Monday, July 23, 2012 at 8:36PM 
It's been awhile since a {non-alcoholic} drink called my name at various times of the day. Not to say I'm a raging alcoholic, but it's summer and the kids are home and I will admit that a nice, cool chardonnay starts sounding real good about 1 PM.
My go-to summer Starbucks drink for the past 5 years has always been an iced skinny vanilla latte. This is SO my usual that when I recently ordered a Cool Lime Refresher, Jason actually gave me an inquisitive look and noted "But Beth never has a Starbucks refresher at home!" Well, now he can't say that anymore.
The new Refreshers have "green coffee extract" - before a coffee bean is roasted to make it dark, the bean is green. According to Starbucks, this gives you the caffeine, without the flavor. Regardless, both the Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus flavors are delicious.
Starbucks canned versions as well as the "VIA" (single serving, make at home) versions. While not cheap at $6 a 5/pack, the VIAs are still a cheaper way to feed the addiction than daily trips the Green Mermaid.
Over the weekend I experimented with the VIA flavor packs and my other favorite indulgence, Le Croix flavored sparkling waters. I say "indulgence" because those too are not as cheap as other canned soda waters, but for some reason there is something infinitely better tasting about them.
While it's not exactly what you will find from your local barista, here is how I've been making myself an afternoon treat.
- 16 oz Bottled water (or plastic bottle with refilled water or a cocktail shaker with water - whatever you choose)
- Le Croix Sparkling Water (lime or lemon flavored)
- Ice
- Refresher VIA of your choice
1) Drink about a quarter of the bottle of water (or pour it into a cup if you are making this for someone else). Pour the VIA mix into the water and shake very, very well. The mix will not dissolve if not shaken very well)
2) Pour it over ice into a big cup, then fill the rest of it with the sparkling water.
3) Drink
Yup - rocket science, I know.
But if you just use the bottled water it's missing a little something. If you just use sparkling water, then it's just flavored sparkling water. Mixing the two is the key.
And hey, if it's been a particularly rough day with the kids, I won't fault you for adding a shot of vodka.
Refreshers, Starbucks in Delicious Dish Monday, July 16, 2012 at 8:00AM Are you ever someplace, experiencing something and you take a mental step back and think "This is so amazingly cool I can't handle it?" That was me a few weeks ago at the grand re-opening of Disney California Adventure. Standing there at the entrance to the new Cars Land area, amongst the sea of press and VIPs, watching the one yellow street light flashing in the middle of a darkend Radiator Springs, I became overwhelmed with emotion.
This was seriously one of the coolest things EVER.
I wax poetic about Disneyland all the time. I can't help it. Being from LA, I grew up with Disneyland. It's comforting and familiar and one of my favorite places on earth. Over the past few weeks, I've written about about what to wear to Disneyland, what to eat when you are there, and even reported on other's expriences. So for this post I'm going to expand a bit and give you my top 5 tips to make your trip to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure complete.
1) Purchase the Photo Pass Plus Package
I'm personally a fan of the Photo Passes in general. You get a nice, professional pictures of your whole family when a great background. Before this past trip, I purchased the images after the fact a la carte on the website. For this trip we were gifted the Photo Pass+ - a package that puts all your Disney’s PhotoPass photos PLUS select Attraction photos AND Dining Print Packages – All for one price of $100 (at Disneyland Resort. Prices higher at Disney World).
While yes, spending $100 on pictures when you have your camera may seem high, this is what you get:
But even better, you GET all the prints from the rides such as:
AND the character dining locations like:
I loved coming home to over 100 great pictures - with me IN THEM! :)
2) Stay for the MadTParty
Growing up, we used to love when it got dark and what we called "Club Disney" would start. If you are the parent of a tween, or just an adult looking to chill out and have a drink, the MadTParty is the place to do so. Think of Alice's tea party on acid. Giant walking flamingos, light-up adult beverages, oversized brightly colored furniture, Alice singing on the mic and the White Rabbit spinning some tunes. The MadTParty is FABULOUS. While it is a "club-like" atmosphere, because it's Disney it's still 100% kid friendly.
3) Get the Flashing Light-Up Ears for MadTParty and World of Color
In celebration of the grand reopening of Disney California Adventure, Disneyland introduced new, interactive light up Mickey ears called "Glow in the Show Ears."
These new Mickey Ear hats incorporate the infra-red trigger technology to engage the audience during “World of Color” and Mad T Party. The Ear hats feature iridescent lights that change to complement the imagery and beat of the shows. When not activated by the shows, more surprises are in store for guests as the magical ears glow with other settings around Disney California Adventure Park.
During our sneak preview at the park, all 3,000 or so attendees were given these ears to wear to be worn during a showing of World of Color. If you've seen WOC before, you know that in itself it's an amazing experience, but when you are surrounded by thousands of syced Mickey ears, it becomes surreal. The Glow in the Show ears cost $25, but once again SO worth it for that added experience.
4) Breakfast or Lunch at Ariel's Grotto
If you are bringing a little Princess with you to the park (or a big Princess for that matter), plan ahead and make a reservation for Ariel's Grotto dining with the Princesses. Here's why: you get A GOOD filling meal*, time to stop and relax, and about 5 princesses come to YOUR table and spend a few minutes with you. Forget chasing the Princesses all around the park or waiting in line for over an hour at the Princess Fiare - this place is a one stop shop: Food, Princesses, BAM. Mission Accomplished.
*It's a multi-course meal with a veggies and cheese starter, a good solid meal and a dessert platter like you won't believe. And if your child is 3 and under - they eat free.
5) Visit Big Thunder Ranch at Disneyland
While all my other tips have been DCA-centric, this tip is for when you are in the Magic Kingdom proper. On the path from Big Thunder Mountain to Fantasyland you pass by Big Thunder Ranch. I say "pass by" because many people walk right on past it...but this one of the best places to stop in the park.
Big Thunder Ranch is shaded, hardly ever crowded and a great place to see Mickey and Minnie and pet a goat all at one time. The characters, dressed in western attire, do Meet-n-Greets. Tables have coloring activities for kids and it's a great place to chill out and have a snack. And there's a petting zoo.
Disneyland doesn't do anything half-way, and the petting zoo here is a great example of just how amazing Disneyland is. The goats are clean, friendly and wearing bandanas or leather collars. The space is impeccably neat and I didn't feel the need to sanitize the kids from head to foot with foam sanitizer after we left.
We ended up spending about an hour here, just hanging with Donald and Daisy and having one of those momentous memory-making moments Disneyland is famous for.
You may notice I didn't include Cars Land in these tips. That's because that is a NO BRAINER. Of COURSE you will go to Cars Land - and you will love every moment of it. But adding on a few other things here and there and remembering to stop and check out ALL Disneyland has to offer will make your visit even happier.
*disclosure: Disneyland Resorts provided myself and my family with tickets to the parks, the glow Mickey ears, the PhotoPass+ and a stay in the Disney Grand Californian Hotel. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.
