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Gluten Free Guide to Disney California Adventures Food and Wine Festival 2022

3/6/2022

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Darling Disney fans! 

Hello hello! This is my first official Disney post since launching our Disney IG 'Mini Ears Travel' and I am EXCITED to get back to traveling with our sweet family and taking you all along for all of our adventures. 

Today I wanted to bring you a guide to all of the YUMMY and DELICIOUS gluten-free finds at Disneyland's California Adventure Parks Food and Wine Festival. 

And for you who are here for all things travel and can partake in ALL the goodies - I have my husband and sons favorites mapped out below as well! 

Fun Fact: Doug proposed at EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival in 2010 in front of the Eiffel Tower and I had NO IDEA it was coming. 


But I know you didn't come here for the romantic flashbacks, you came here for THE FOOD. So below I have compiled a list of what us gluten-free foodies can safely enjoy at the festival going on from March 4th-April 26th as well as what each member of our family is MOST excited to try! 
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GLUTEN-FREE SELECTION AT THE FESTIVAL:

I spoke with Disney directly and this was the list of Gluten-Free options available at the time of the start of the festival. A few dishes have been added that are notated as new below. And while I didn't get confirmation that they are gluten-free, they are noted that allergy-friendly options are available. So as always, please speak with a chef to be safe. ​
LA Style Booth:
Mezcaleros Ancho Sandia Margarita (Alcoholic)
Sake Melon '75 (Alcoholic)


D-Lish Booth:

Central California Cooler (non-Alcoholic)


Nuts About Cheese Booth:
SNICKERS Caramel-Peanut Milk Chocolate Mickey Macaron (includes dairy)


UnCork California Booth:
California Artisan Cheese Selection (no crackers, includes dairy)
Tropical Mimosa Flight (Alcoholic)


Peppers Cali-ente Booth:
Aji de Gallina (includes dairy)
Cantarito- style Paloma (Alcoholic)


I Heart Artichokes Booth:

Passionfruit Rum Cocktail (Alcoholic)


Avocado Time Booth:
Ruby Grapefruit Sparkling Beverage (non-Alcoholic)


Golden Dreams:
Honey-Orange glazed Verlasse Salamon Salad
Mango Carrot Gazpacho
Orange Honey Cold Brew (non-Alcoholic)
Pineapple-Tiki Bitter Cocktail (Alcoholic)


Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo Booth:
Blackberry Lavender Lemonade (non-Alcoholic)


Garlic Kissed Booth:

Grilled Top Sirloin 
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I can't go on with what we are most excited to try without mentioning the Sip & Savor Pass. Getting the most value and allowing you a "passport" book if you will to try multiple items at a lower cost, its the best deal. It includes eight entitlement tabs redeemable for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at Festival Marketplaces and tasting-size portions at participating dining locations.

Guests 21 and over can also choose to purchase an array of creative and artistic alcoholic beverages as well. 

Ok, now on to what we will be trying on our trip! And make sure you follow along on Instagram at @miniearstravel to watch our adventures and hear our food reviews! 

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We are SO excited to take you along on our adventure, make sure to follow along March 27-30th to see us sip and savor all the goodies live! 

Are you in the parks for the festival this year? Is so, we'd love to see what you loved. 

Leave in the comments below what you want to see us try! 
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California and Florida Theme Park Reopening Dates

6/18/2020

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This post was posted by my travel affiliate partner Get Away Today. I am sharing this information to inform families of the dates each park plans to reopen. 

After months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, theme parks across the country are starting to reopen with numerous safety precautions in place. It can be a lot to keep track of, so we’ve compiled a list of our most popular Southern California and Florida theme parks with reopening dates. ​


When will theme parks reopen?

With so many reopening dates announced, some pending approval, and other theme parks already opened, it’s hard to keep track of them all. We’ve put together a list of our most popular theme parks in Southern California and Florida to help you know when and where you can go. We’ve also included proposed dates that are awaiting approval for planning purposes. If a firm date is listed, that means the dates have been approved. We have listed all attractions in order of opening date - earliest to latest. 


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To view the schedule of opening dates for Seaworld, Universal, Disney, Knotts and more click through to the full post of dates here. 


To get discounted tickets, rooms and vacation packages, visit my page on Get Away Today here. Use my promo code NURTURE10 for an extra $10 off any vacation package. 
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Disney Treats & Drinks Guide: Dairy Free In Disneyland

10/17/2019

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Hey fellow Disneyland goer, heeeeeeeeey! 

If you've landed here you either

A. Love Disneyland like we do and read blog posts about it like we do.

B. You are headed there and wanted to peruse a guide to dairy free treats in the park for ideas.

or 

C. You have food allergy kiddos, or have food allergies yourself, and you are seeking super safe ways to enjoy treats in the park.

While I wrote this post for all of the above, my heart writes these posts for the families who feel lost while traveling. Who don't know where to begin and need a friend - one who's gone there before and waded in the unknown waters of navigating menus and taking phone calls with park chefs and testing foods for safety. THAT'S where my passion for this comes from. My hope for you is that you will EMBRACE traveling yourself or with your kids. That you will find MANY options of food you can TRULY enjoy EVERY DAY. Not settling for the plainest one or two options on the menu like I did in the start of my journey.

Today, I'm writing a post on our FAVORITE dairy-free park treats and drinks! And because we are 100% gluten-free all of these items are that as well! A more comprehensive allergen-friendly park food guide is in the works, but we had SO much fun staying cool and sampling dairy free beverages, ice creams and treats in Disneyland and California Adventure that I had to share. 


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All of the dairy-free delicacies are separated by park + land below to make it easy to navigate the parks with this guide.

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Adventureland

  • The famous Dole Whip gets an upgrade at the Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland. You can now get the dairy-free soft serve in traditional pineapple, raspberry or orange. 

  • The TikiJuice bar outside of the TIki Room is still the popular spot to grab a classic Dole Whip. 

Tomorrowland

  • Quench the thirst of your inner space invader with an Alien Ice (available in strawberry or sour apple) at Alien Pizza Planet. 

New Orleans Square

  • The Mint Julep Bar offers a delicious taste of New Orleans with their Watermelon Mint Julep. 

Frontierland

  • Once you exit Winnie The Pooh's ride you'll see a candy and gift shop that offers dairy-free chocolate bars and trail mixes with sweet allergen friendly treats. Enjoy Life sponsors these stations!

Fantasyland

  • Edelweiss Snacks offers frozen fruit slushes. We love the frozen apple juice on a hot day!

  • Maurice's Treats in Fantasyland serves up a Boysen Apple Freeze. A boysenberry and apple popsicle delight. 

Main Street

  • Starbucks can make most lattes and mochas with dairy-free milk. 

Galaxy's Edge

  • Oga's Cantina serves a Tarine Tea - Gold Peak® Unsweetened Tea, Peach, Huckleberry, and Mint. 

  • Probably the most famous dairy-free treat in the parks currently, the Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge offers fruity Blue Milk and Green Milk. Made with coconut and rice milk, they both carry a different taste profile. We preferred the Blue Milk hands down! 

Toontown

  • We loved heading to Clarabelle's for a Strawberry Fruit Bar when my little guy asked for a popsicle. In addition to being dairy free, they were also SO clean with minimal ingredients. The Olaf Frozen Lemonade Strawberry Bar is also dairy free. 
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Buena Vista Street

  • The Wildberry Lemonade at Carthay Circle is a treat!

Cars Land

  • You can cool down with a Frozen Lemonade or Fillmore's Fuelin' Groovy' All Natural Lemonade with fruit foam over at the Cozy Cone Motel. 

Pixar Pier

  • Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats serves a non-dairy lemon soft serve. 

Pacific Wharf

  • The Tropicool at Rita's Baja Blenders serves up a non-alcoholic drink that looks fit to be served poolside in the Caribbean. 

Hollywood Land

  • At Fairfax Market you can grab a coconut water for hydration and the health benefits. 
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The Top Ten Reasons We Love the Howard Johnson Anaheim

8/22/2019

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This post was sponsored in part by the Howard Johnson Anaheim and may contain affiliate links. All opinions are authentic and my own. 
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This past week we took Grey to Disneyland to celebrate his third birthday and we were hosted by the cute + retro Howard Johnson hotel in Anaheim. We were also asked to take over their Instagram, and if you followed along their stories on August 20th, you got to see some amazing behind the scenes fun of our Disney day, including our first trip to Galaxy's Edge and tons of gluten free and dairy free park eats!! 

We had SUCH a good time and I wanted to write a full post on the top ten best parts of the Hojo Anaheim, because there are a few things we would have missed had we not gone looking and I don't want anyone to miss out if they book a stay!

And speaking of booking a stay, I have partnered with them to offer my readers 15% your stay or 20% off if you're an Annual Pass holder! With their already amazing rates, you can't say no to an extra dose of Disney. Read on to see the hotel highlights and snag the code. 
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10. The Proximity To Disneyland

When timed, our walk from our room to the gates of Disneyland was just over seven minutes. That was with 4 of us, including a toddler. Amazing. No shuttle cost, no parking costs. 

If someone in your party can't walk that distance or if there is inclement weather, there IS a shuttle available from the HoJo Anaheim for a very low and reasonable rate. 

9. The Perfect Instagram Photo and Cute Merch

Have you eyed cuuuuuute photos taken in the oversized orange HoJo chair? Now YOU and your fam can hop in and say "cheeeeese". Grey LOVED how big it was and I loved getting cute family photos before even getting into the park. It was fun to be able to send family back home postable pics on our first day in the hotel.
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8. The Amenities to Make Your Stay Comfortable

As a gluten-free and dairy-free traveler, a kitchen, kitchenette or food prep station is a MUST. We travel often to timeshare resorts or Air B&B's to fit this criteria, however, I was pleasantly suprised to see that the HoJo provided a mini fridge (that was so spacious!), a microwave and a Keurig. I got to start our mornings off with a piping hot cup of coffee (extra flavors, decaf and tea available in the gift shop) and a cup of hot oatmeal and chilled fruit. It was a wonderful start to a busy Disney day! 

The shower was also fantastic (I'm a water pressure and temp snob, haha) and they even provided a cute rubber ducky for Grey for post-park bathtime. 

In addition to in-room amenities, the gift shop was PACKED with goods. From discounted Mickey Ears and cute HoJo shirts to snacks and all the essentials you may have missed while packing. 
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7. The Magic Begins at Check-In

I think I was just as excited as Grey when, upon check-in, the staff greeted him with Disney-worthy enthusiasm, a balloon animal pirate sword and pirate sword! 

Grey said "this vacation is so fun!" on the way to our room, so I knew we were off to a good start. They also had temporary "If I'm Lost" tattoos you could add your number too, which helps gives parents a little more peace of mind 

6. The Retro Remodel

There is something about a retro design that makes being near Disneyland that much better. The HoJo Anaheim's Building One (and soon to be building two, three and so on as they roll out more of the renovation) has implemented a retro design that feels both luxuriously modern as well as vintage, reminiscent of Disney in the sixties. 


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5. The Comfortable Beds

After busy days in Disneyland and at the water park we needed great nights sleep. Their beds, bedding and pillows envelop you and are so extremely comfortable it made it hard to leave to hit the parks early each day. Even my toddler slept wonderful! Thank you HoJo. 

4. The Friendly Staff

From booking our room and checking in, to meeting our needs during our stay and through the check out process, the staff was extremely friendly. With how many customers they serve each day, they always had a smile on their face and were willing to help us with what we needed. 
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3. View of Disneyland + Nightly Fireworks

In the newly renovated Building One, you can request a view of Disneyland. You get a fantastic birds eye view of Matterhorn Mountain and the Guardian's of The Galaxy Tower. 

The first night we checked in we snuggled up on the patio in our jammies and watched the fireworks show and it was amazing.
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2. The Ease of Booking

It was such a simple booking process and the price was so fair for how close we were to Disneyland! We had our trip booked in under five minutes and we were able to use a fantastic coupon code as Annual Passholders. 

I have that coupon code to share with my friends too, so that you guys can start making your magical memories too! 

Book Your Room at the HoJo Anaheim!
​

Use the code 1000022077 upon check out for 15% off your stay.

If you're an Annual Passholder you can receive 20% off your stay by using the code 1000025935 upon check out. 
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1. Castaway Cove

This was probably one of the BEST hotel additions I've ever experienced in my 30+ years of traveling. I instantly regretted not booking an extra day outside of visiting Disneyland just so we could relax in our hotel and let Grey enjoy a FULL day at Castaway Cove. The hotels on-site water park for little ones of all ages, he spent a good two hours post check-out before we drove home playing with other guests, swimming and using the fun water features. 
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Grey's First Trip! (and dining on Coronado Island)

12/1/2016

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That view though.

​Seriously, any vacation that includes views of the water I count as a favorite vacation.
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And now, any vacation that includes Grey is super special. Because, seeing anything through the eyes of a little man who hasn't experienced these things before makes me melt into a puddle of happy goo. 

At just ten weeks old Grey took his first official trip with mom + dad! We hadn't planned on traveling with him so young, but Mr. Charming's work set up a work event he needed to be at and it was taking place on Coronado Island in California. Our options were to A. Go with him, stay in a beautiful resort and take baby to see the beach or B. Leave me and baby at home, leaving me to mom it up on my own for 4 days.

We, of course, chose the former. 

We stayed at the Loew's Coronado Bay Resort, and I must say, for health conscious travelers this is THEE place to stay on the island. It's beautiful expansive grounds make for a scenic place to get your steps in and the dining options allowed me to not have to wander to far off to find good eats while I was alone at the hotel with baby. 

​And check out the beds. Our king was heavenly and gave us a ton of space to sleep soundly with Mr. Charming, myself and baby in his travel co-sleeper. Although I didn't get to sleep as much as I would have wanted to in that glorious bed, the slow, sleepy mornings and post-lunch cuddles with baby made up for it.  
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The day that Mr. Charming worked, me and Grey did a little impromptu photo shoot in the room because the light was spectacular. After his morning bath, I strapped him in our baby carrier and wore him downstairs to find some yummy nosh. 

There was a great little cafe on the grounds, where we also had breakfast and dinner as a family during our stay, and this little juice bar, Juice Therapy, had a delicious selection of fresh pressed juices and it was so Instagram photo-worthy I had to make a stop here. 

Once we got some juice, Grey and I headed to the gift shop for some organic chocolate as a treat for mama. I chose a decadent Cherry Chocolate bar that I snacked on a bit as we perused the gift shops. 
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Aside from the eats we found at the hotel, you can check out the following gluten-free and dairy-free friendly nosh spots while on Coronado Island in sunny California. 

Sheerwater
Located at the Hotel Del Coronado, highlights include gorgeous views and an extensive salad, meat and seafood selection for the gluten- and dairy-free crowd. 

Burger Lounge
Grass-fed, quality beef burgers in a trendy locale that offers gluten-free buns. A note: Frys are no cooked in a dedicated fryer, so skip the spuds and just enjoy the burger.

Il Fornaio
Waterfront views and gluten-free Italian make this a swoon-worthy date location. 


Have you dined on Coronado Island? I would love to hear your favorite places to grab a bite or take in the views. We also hopped back over to the mainland to grab In n Out one night, because, YUM. 
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Top 7 Healthy Eats - Studio City, CA

2/24/2016

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This past weekend I was in Los Angeles for a work event. Mr. Charming and I rented a darling home in Toluca Lake in a beautiful, peaceful neighborhood and explored many neighboring cities and beach towns on my time off. 

I had one of the best Italian meals of my life, all gluten-free and vegan, and I had to share my top seven list of healthy eats in Studio City, CA where the crew and I spent a lot of our time while I was in town. Make sure to check out #1 to read about the best pasta in Hollywood. 

Hugos Tacos - Studio City
Aroma Cafe - Studio City

7. Hugo's Tacos

6. Aroma Cafe

​About: Delicious, Gluten-Free, Vegan-Option Mexican Food in California? Yes, please. 
Favorite Selections: Mixed Veggie Bowl, Chicken Tacos, Organic Spanish Rice
Location: 4749 Coldwater Canyon Studio City, CA 91604
​About: This charming little coffee shop and cafe is a staple in Studio City and is the meeting place for many stars and industry happenings. Used to be one of my frequent hang outs. The patio is so charming, take a book and enjoy an afternoon. 
Favorite Selections: The dairy-free lattes!
Location: 4360 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
The Counter - Studio City
 Vegetable - Studio City

5. The Counter

4. Veg Ta Ble

​About: A rockstar burger joint that uses naturally raised, humanely treated, antibiotic and hormone free meat with MANY gluten-free and dairy-free options. 
Favorite Selections: The Build-Your-Own-Burger wrapped in lettuce. The selections for toppings are endless. And bonus: No HFCS in their ketchup!
Location: ​12117 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
​About: A gluten-free comfort food eatery with many selections for all diets. 
Favorite Selections: Tomato & Basil Soup, Roasted Red Beet & Carrot Salad
Location: 3711 Cahuenga Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604 
Hugos - Studio City
Royalty Juice Bar - Studio City

3. Hugo's 

2. Royalty Juice Bar & Cafe

​About: Not to be confused with the other Hugo's on my list, this decadent eatery has an extensive vegan and gluten free menu with all of the selections clearly marked. A great high-end eatery for business lunches or a date night. 
Favorite Selections: Orange Mustard Chicken, Samosa Wrap, Create-A-Pasta-Dish with GF penne. 
Location: 12851 Riverside Dr., Los Angeles, CA 91607
​About: So many favorites at this juice bar & cafe, this one was hard to narrow down. From gluten-free lettuce wraps to an extensive line of smoothies and juices there is something for everyone. 
Favorite Selections: Collard Green Vegan Wrap, Berry Good Almond Milk Smoothie & The ABC Juice. 
Location: 12019 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604
Vitellos - Studio City

1. Vitello's Italian Restaurant

​About: After going through a drastic renovation to make it a modern piece of eye-candy in Studio City, Vitello's offers live entertainment (which was amazing) and delicious Italian options for gluten-free and non-GF foodies. 
Favorite Selections: Hands down the gluten free Capellini. The freshest ingredients I've tasted on the West Coast. The gluten-free pasta was cooked to perfection, the olive oil was pure and clean, the tomatoes had a kick of spice, the large garlic cloves were divine and the basil was fresh and delicate. A 10+. My non-GF husband RAVED about the lasagna. 
Location: 4349 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
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Coffee & Lunch with "Friends" in Burbank, California

8/7/2015

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We all have dreams and goals in life. Big, huge, life changing dreams - like the perfect job, marrying a great spouse, having beautiful and healthy children. You know, the big life dreams.

But then sometimes... we have silly dreams. Dreams, that when they come true, just bring us joy. Because they are fun, they are things that bring back good memories or make us feel warm & fuzzy. Those things. This post is about that kind of a dream.
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Living and working in San Diego and Los Angeles for eight years I didn't do much of the touristy stuff. I only went to Seaworld when I performed there, I rarely actually relaxed on the beach unless we were throwing a party on it and I only visited T.V. studios if I had an audition. (Mr. Charming makes fun of my odd life in Hollywood all the time haha)... so when Mr. Charming and I planned to visit Burbank on our California coastline tour, I wasn't sure what there would be for us to do. And then I stumbled upon the Warner Brothers Studio website and then I knew EXACTLY what we had to do. 

When I lived in California, I didn't have cable because - 21 years old and L.A. rent - and so I bought every season of Friends on DVD and that's what I watched. I wasn't home much. It was funny and comforting. I moved to L.A. all by myself and I fell in love with that cast of six. Growing up watching them hang in the famed Central Perk, falling in love and making their way in NY as I was making my way in L.A.
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So, when I saw that Mr. Charming and I could visit Central Perk, it gave me the same giddy feeling I had when I was first living in Hollywood. Making my way all those years ago. And I knew I had to visit and sit my derriere upon that famous orange couch. Having met Jennifer Aniston (One of my favorite actresses, I attended one of her actor studio interviews), Matt Leblanc (met him twice, at an awards show and on Jay Leno) and Matthew Perry (sat with him at the MTV Awards) in my time working in Hollywood, you would think this wouldn't thrill me as much as the next guy. But oh, did it ever. I'm easy to please and like I said, silly dreams and all. You have to chase those too. Especially those. It just makes life more fun. 

Also a big Gilmore Girls fan, I so just admitted that to thousands of people, cool. Whatever. I'm secure with it. I was ecstatic to see so much of the shows set still part of the tour. Mr. Charming and I got to visit Lorelai's house, Luke's diner and walk through the town square. 
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Being in Burbank just for the day, we didn't do much restaurant hopping, however, we did grab healthy Paleo sand which fixings at Gelson's Market in Burbank. Similar to Whole Foods, or other upscale market, they are good for splurging on vacation or for specialty items. 

There are also food trucks EVERYWHERE in this area and throughout Hollywood. Especially around the studios since all of those working in the studios and on the lots need to grab a quick meal. Outside of Warner Brothers there was a Vegan Organic food truck and another healthy looking one - but I didn't want to risk it, so I headed to Gelson's. 
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Gelson's Market
After enjoying our fun-filled two hour tour (we also got to see all the memorabilia from Harry Potter! And got to wear the sorting hat - I got Gryffindor, what what! Mr. Charming got Hufflepuff, but I still love him just the same, haha.) we enjoyed lunch and made our way to Newport Beach to kick back at the beach house, exhausted and on cloud 9, ready to explore the eats and sights of another city! 

What are some of the little dreams that you got to experience that just MADE YOUR DAY? :D I would love to hear your experiences and hear your happy moments!  Leave it in the comments below! 


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solvang | our own little europe

7/22/2015

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“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Since we were camping nearby in Santa Barbara on El Capitan State Beach, we thought we'd take a day trip up to Solvang. It was pure charm. When I was just a little girl, around the age of two, my mom brought me here. I visited again when I was six or so, when we brought my baby sister.

If you've ever been to Solvang, CA you will know that everyone who visits must take the obligatory Dutch shoe photo. I now have three of these photos. One at two. One at six. And now one at thirty one.
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Solvang is a town that celebrates the culture of Denmark. The architecture, food and even it's residents, hail from the small European country and it transports you from the seaside to the charming historic city. I didn't have high hopes for finding gluten-free or paleo eats, so I had packed a lunch just in case, although I was pleasantly surprised!

When we arrived, full from a campfire breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, we set out to shop. We found an adorable pet shop where we picked up some treats for our fur babies and spent most of the afternoon taking photos with the various buildings and windmills and taking in the cute trinkets at the giftshops. 
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
One of our favorite shops was the toy shoppe! It had SO many toys from our childhood, including a Skip It, silly string, old Hot Wheels cars and collectible dollhouse items. We became big kids again and played in that store for quite a while. 

We spent almost five hours in Solvang, which makes it worth a day trip, and started to get quite hungry abou halfway through our visit. I spotted some adorable cafes when we arrived and parked and told Mr. Charming I wanted to scope them out before I ate what I brought with, and I'm SO glad we did!

There were actually quite a few restaurants that offered allergen-free & gluten-free options, and we decided to dine at Fresco, because it has a gorgeous patio with courtyard view and a great salad selection. Mr. Charming sipped on an Arnold Palmer and I ordered a hot water for the organic peppermint tea I brought with. When the salads arrived they were definitely photo worthy. YUM!
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
Gluten Free in Solvang | Nosh and Nurture
The lettuce mix was SO fresh, and it was topped with fresh tomato, avocado and carrots and I drizzled it with fresh olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

I had packed a gluten-free brownie in my bag that Mr. Charming and I split for dessert. It was the perfect lunch. 


All in all, a perfect day in one of the cutest cities on our travels thus far! Have you been to Solvang and have any memories or good eats to share? Or have any questions about an up-coming visit? Leave it in the comments!
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eating through Long Beach

5/19/2015

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Mr. Charming and I had previously took an adventure through Long Beach in 2009 to celebrate his birthday, which I wrote about here, but on our recent eight day California Coastline Adventure we hit it up again so that I could show Mr. Charming the Aquarium of the Pacific. My favorite aquarium! It's huge and you can literally spend hours here. They even have a penguin exhibit, (if you know me you'll know my love for them and if spirit animals were a real thing, a penguin would be mine) and I even adopted a baby penguin.  (translation, I gave them money to feed one for a year, but I really would've rather taken a furry critter home with me. I think my baby schnauzer would've loved the buddy.) We started the day with protein smoothies, and each day I left Mr. Charming a card at the table or on his pillow to start our day. Then it was off to the aquarium! 
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On Our Way To Long Beach!
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Protein Smoothie & A Special Card For Mr. Charming
After the aquarium we decided to walk around the harbor and then drive around to find lunch. And that's when it happened... That's when I fell in love with this city and have decided, if we move back here, Long Beach is in the high running to be a city of choice based on the healthy culinary fare options alone. And then I could visit my little penguin babies as often as I'd like. Haha. Ok, well maybe that wouldn't happen, but the food. Definitely the food. 
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We stumbled upon a shopping center that not only housed a Trader Joe's and a Whole Foods, but it also was home to THREE cafes that I could choose from to eat at. ALL three organic, ALL three with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options. It was café courtyard heaven. Our first stop was Roots Gourmet, we perused their menu and though I could have a few of their options, they used soy oil in most of their dishes, and I was trying to avoid soy 100% on the trip as I usually do. Next was a great place called My Fit Foods, which offers prepackaged meals and snacks that are gluten-free or dairy-free or both, I almost snagged a crudité platter and chicken breast there but had one more place to check out first before committing. Our third stop was the winner, Veggie Grill. Found in most California beach cities, Veggie Grill offers an extensive allergen-free menu and just generally HEALTHY food options and I ordered a variety of foods to sample. Their grilled asparagus was topped with sea salt and fresh lemon juice, I also had the sweet potato fries which were cooked in rice bran oil, not paleo, but healthier than the questionable soy oil. And I also ordered a salad topped with fire roasted carrots & beets,. Which by the way, carrots, from now on, should ALWAYS be fire roasted. Divine.
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I highly recommend adding Long Beach to your California coast tour if it's in your plans. Though we didn't spend anytime in this city oceanside, the eats and sights are worth a visit. And don't forget the other famous sights I mentioned in my first Long Beach post.

We wrapped our day back at the beach house where we baked up a decadent gluten-free and refined-sugar free strawberry pie. Just a pie crust made of egg and tapioca starch and cooked strawberries served with sugarless coconut milk vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect compliment to a chilly seaside evening. 
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the beauty of santa barbara

5/4/2015

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“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves, and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again—to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” Pico Iyer
As I type this I am listening to the latest album by Moriah Peters. She is an amazing Christian artist who played the soundtrack of most of our recent trip to California. A trip where I just wanted to feel Jesus. Where I wanted to just travel. See. Experience. Worship. As we just returned, I wanted to share our journey. We didn't have Wi-Fi our entire trip, which at first freaked me out, but ended up being a huge blessing. So on with it...

Mr. Charming and I just embarked on an eight day tour of California spanning from Solvang to Newport Beach. 

Moriah's words are so many of the words I've uttered to my Heavenly Father many times over and I know I needed His strength, courage, hope and peace to allow me to connect, REALLY connect to the beauty that was surrounding us on this journey. To let go of the stresses, to let go of home and just explore. It was exhilarating and romantic and fun. Things that fear, anxiety and over-analysis can sometimes cloud. Or steal. I can't remember the last time I've felt pure JOY for that many days in a row. Feeling so thankful for His blessings. 
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Here We Go! AZ ~~> CA
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Our Cabin
Santa Barbara was our first stop, and we originally had booked a canvas tent at the stunning El Capitan Canyon. While I was excited about the canvas tent experience, temps had really dropped in the area and I was worried I was going to be super-cold, but I had brought lots of blankets in preperation. When we arrived (since it was midweek) they had a cabin open and offered to upgrade us! With hope and eagerness in my eyes I glanced towards Mr. Charming who had already started to accept the keys for me. (such a gentleman). I pulled him aside and told him that if it went against what he expected I would OF COURSE camp with him in the tent, as I wanted this to be everything we BOTH wanted. But he thought having a full kitchen would be good for both of us too, so he agreed that it was an awesome blessing! 
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For two days we relaxed, played board games in the cabin's loft and cooked food over the fire. Even though we had been upgraded, we still took advantage of the beautiful outdoors and cooked over the fire, enjoyed the stars from our camping chairs and hiked the grounds many times. A note: The area is home to ticks, mountain lions and snakes, so beware if you hike throughout the area and be back at camp before dark. 

One of my favorite parts of our two day stay in Santa Barbara was visiting El Capitan State Beach. A quiet, private beach we had most of it to ourselves which allowed us to just enjoy the peaceful stillness of the waves softly crashing against the shore. I got to worship God in natural beauty, away from the hustle of work or the city and all was well with my soul. 
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And there is just something about splashing through the waves, even when the water is frigid, that makes you feel so ALIVE. So youthful. I highly recommend the area for its privacy and breathtaking scenery. The staff at El Capitan were extremely friendly and the amenities is like no other campsite you've been to before. A full on-site market offers an array of delicacies including gluten-free and dairy-free selections. I was eating Paleo while in town, but they even offered gluten-free graham crackers for those of us with allergies who are craving fireside s'mores. They got points in my book for this little detail. 

They also have a children's playground (where I may or may not have swung on the tire swing), a heated swimming pool, a llama farm and onsite boutique. 
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It was an amazing start to the trip, and I know you're probably wondering about the FOOD. Like I said, since we were planning to tent camp, I had packed the car cooler with the food we were going to have in Santa Barbara. Day one consisted of our looooong drive to Santa Barbara, so Mr. Charming and I enjoyed protein smoothies in the car as well as snacks such as rolled lunch meat, sweet potato chips, fruit & veggies. That night for dinner when we got into town we cooked up foil dinners over the fire. Wrapped in foil (which I ONLY use for cooking when camping, so I'd say MAYBE once a year)... was apple chicken sausage, sweet potatoes and onions, all fire roasted and served with a Paleo compliant ketchup. 

Day two's menu consisted of leftover onions and sweet potatoes, bacon and scrambled eggs cooked over a fire in bacon grease for breakfast (have you ever done this? If you haven't you need to. Right now. Go light a fire and cook eggs in bacon grease. I'll wait.) For lunch we headed to city #2 on our adventure, Solvang, and we were back to the campsite for dinner where we had an organic chili and avocado. We always like to stick with our traditional camping foods, as it makes it feel like we're truly camping. 
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I felt so at peace out there. And even tried a couple "firsts". Aside from visiting some new places, many new places actually, I climbed a tree. Something I hadn't done since childhood. I was a little terrified (don't like heights, like, at all, and bugs, I was sure if I saw I bug I'd fall from the branches and crack my head open) but I worked through it so we could get some cute photos, and then we carved our initials in the tree. I've always wanted to do that, and I can't think of a more deserving man to have my initials scribed into a tree with for all time than my Mr. Charming. 
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not all those who wander are lost..."
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