I’m a little behind on all my blog posts. Oops. I need to recap more of our “Tofurkey” trip and this probably should have gone up last night. But, I’m on vacation mode for one more week. So, posts are less routine. Sue me.

This weekend was a great one filled with more reunions and LA explorations. I took it easy on Friday since I had a late night on Thursday (thank you 405 freeway for SHUTTING down around midnight and making it impossible for me to find my way home). I ran some errands for the family and picked up a couple snacks for myself:

 

I’m a little coconut crazed right now. Nuts for coconut? Punny? 

After sitting in some more of that lovely SoCal traffic on Friday afternoon, I decided to park it at home and watch the sunset from our backyard. I really can’t believe I grew up here sometimes. I did not take advantage of this view enough.

As terrible as the 405 freeway is, you can’t argue with the beauty that is Southern California. 

Saturday:

Woke up bright and early and went for a walk with my Mama before heading up to LA with Hema. Hema’s friend, Filisha, planned a fun food/drink tour for a group of us since she’s a big foodie and I tagged along because, well, I like to eat.

Our first stop was Grand Central Market. We satisfied our caffeine cravings at G&B Coffee. They’re known for their homemade almond and macadamia nut milk. And, according to the NY Times, they have the best iced latte in America.

I’m dumb and didn’t order the iced latte. I got their cold brew instead. Which was pretty fantastic.

But, after trying some of Hema’s iced latte, I can understand why the lattes are all the hype.

Once we got our caffeine-fix, we walked across the marketplace to stand in line for some breakfast sandwiches. If you like eggs, you’ve got to try this place.

Hema and I decided to play it safe and not go the slutty route. We ordered the Fairfax (eggs + chives + cheddar cheese + caramelized onions + Sriracha mayo) + avocado.

I fell in love instantly.

After getting breakfast, we walked to The Last Bookstore. As a book lover, this place was like a SANCTUARY. Had I not been with other people, I could have EASILY spent hours there. Thousands upon thousands of books. As decorations. Books being used as the foundation of their front desk. Books to create tunnels moving from one room to the next. Books upon books upon books.

Pretty sure this is what heaven looks like.

I’m actually pretty impressed with myself that I left the bookstore empty handed. I deserve a medal for that.

After the bookstore, we went to Bottega Louie to try some of their fancy macarons. Hema and I took a bite of each to try them all. I thought the coconut would be my favorite, but pistachio and vanilla were, hands down, the BEST.

Our last stop was the rooftop bar of the Ace Hotel. I can’t believe that, even after 8 years of living in LA, there is still so much I haven’t seen. Granted I was in my West LA bubble most of the time. But still, I can’t help but think about how much of the Bay Area I may be missing out on because I’m limiting myself to only the small little region I live and work around.

I guess the wine passport will help with discovering new areas. And new wine. Obv.

After our faux tour was done, we hopped in the car and drove back to Orange County to see these lovely faces.

I think the last time I saw these little ones was in January, but they’ve grown up in just 7 months! It’s crazy to see how much Will can talk now. And how much Bella can READ! We had plans to meet at the OC Fair earlier in the day, but the tour lasted longer than expected and that wonderful 405 traffic just doesn’t seem to die down – even on the weekends. So, instead, we met up for dinner. We went to Pita Jungle – a new-ish restaurant in the area.

I had a blast hanging out with them – as always. Hopefully I get to see them once more before I fly back next week.

Sunday:

Yesterday was fairly uneventful since I wasn’t feeling too well. But, I did manage to get up and play tennis with my dad. I could tell he wasn’t too thrilled at my performance and probably feels a little sad that I haven’t been keeping up with my tennis while up north.

That being said, do any of my Bay Area friends want to play with me? 

Dinner consisted of this Mamma Chia deliciousness – partially because I was intrigued and partially because nothing else sounded good.

Felt like I was eating baby food. I’m a fan.

I only have one more week left in SoCal so I’m probably going to be awful at posting this week too. #SorryNotSorry. Too many people to hug and see and squeeze all week long. But I’ll be back. Don’t worry.

Have a great Monday! 🙂

Questions of the Day:

• What’s a new place you’ve discovered in your hometown?
  
• Favorite type of macaron?
  
• Favorite thing to add to your egg sammies?