It’s Christmas card season again, and I am excited to partner with Minted again on our Christmas cards this year! (see our cards from the past few years, here and here) When it comes to quality, Minted Holiday Photo Cards can’t be beat! Their holiday cards are always my favorite! Their unique mix of Independent Designers offer a great selection of beautifully designed unique cards. I always love browsing through all of them while making my selection for the year.
Another thing I really love about Minted Holiday Cards is that if you use their Address Assistant to upload your address book into their system, they have the option of addressing each of your cards for you with the theme and design from your card. I can’t tell you how much time this saves me each year of having to hand address each card. I also had them print our return address on the back of the envelope which really adds another level of quality and adds to the customized look!
Sending out Christmas cards is one of my favorite holiday traditions, and going out and getting the mail in December is always my favorite time of year to get the mail!
GIVEAWAY TIME!
I’m excited to give away not one, not two, but three Minted $100 gift cards to three lucky readers! I hope that you can use it to order your Holiday cards and spread Christmas cheer!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS
To enter the Giveaway for THREE chances to win a $100 Gift Card to Minted, be sure to fill out the form below! There are several ways to enter and gain extra entries, but to enter you are required to put your name and email so I can get in touch with a winner, and follow me: @armelle_blog on Instagram, enter below! (for extra entries, head over to my Instagram for more chances to get some extra entries!)
The giveaway will end Sunday, December 3rd 2015 at 9 pm Mountain Time!
I wanted to continue on with our travels in Huntington Beach to highlight some of the restaurants we were able to try.
We were able to get some great recommendations from SurfCityUSA.com we loved each and every restaurant they sent our way, and my foodie self, kids, and husband all approved!
Sandy’s Beach Grill is the perfect Beach side restaurant right off the Pier, and beautiful ocean views. The location and ocean view definitely add to the experience! The cuisine is inspired by the region and the menu has the basic burgers and fries, sandwiches and salads, but also holds a but of sophistication in each dish.
Their layered seafood cocktail has lobster, shrimp, and an orange chili sauce. And, I am completely convinced that it was invented just for me. It was heavenly, and this seafood lover was so pleased!
The popcorn shrimp was also very good! A nod to buffalo chicken wings shrimp style, which is exactly my style, and my husband got the fish and chips, and my eight year old got the pork tacos, which he exclaimed was the best he’s ever had! There was a great selection for kids, and Sandy’s is definitely a new family favorite that we will come back to time and time again!
Oh, and I can’t forget the best part! Their homemade churros were to die for! They came out freshly cooked, and nice and hot with a chocolate sauce to dip them in. The inside has some fresh lemon zest which gave it a nice flavor! I also stole a few bits of my families Sandy’s signature s’more they ordered, and I am still dreaming about it. I didn’t know if it was something I’d like, but boy was I wrong, it has a graham cracker brownie with chocolate ice cream and a marshmallow fluff. I loved it! I could have eaten that a few times over. They really mastered taking the basics to a whole new level at Sandy’s.
This popular new restaurant in downtown Huntington is an Italian food lovers dream come true. It is very authentic, and everything is homemade with the best organic ingredients. It has a very Italian vibe, (the waiters even spoke Italian) and was a popular spot. The ambiance was very nice, and I’ll admit I was a little worried to go with the kids, but it was actually a very family friendly place, my kids enjoyed their homemade pizzas, and gelato of course! And, I even saw another family or two with young children. I got the lobster ravioli which was homemade and very flavorful. I never skip a chance to try a creme brûlée, and theirs did not disappoint.
We enjoyed some lovely appetizers including a burrata salad with greens, tomatoes, and olives, but the real star of the show for me was the meat, cheese, and olive platter they put together for us. The Italian meats and cheeses were good and authentic and hit the spot!
If you are a true homemade Italian food lover, this is the right spot for you.
3) Another great spot that I also highlighted in a previous Huntington Beach Travel post is Pete’s Sunset Grill.
The location is beautiful at the Hyatt Regency, and the name is accurate, they face the ocean with some beautiful sunsets! The food is inspired by local favorites and from destination surf spots around the world.
One of my favorite things we ate, maybe in the entire trip was the Druken Goat Cheese appetizer. When I read Goat cheese I was thinking it would be the typical soft goat cheese, but instead it was a Spanish goat cheese that came in slices topped with raw honey and marcona almonds. It was amazing, my kind of dish! I will definitely be recreating this one in the future until I can get back to Pete’s and have it again! The restaurant is very kid friendly and has a kids menu for the little ones.
21500 Pacific Coast Highway (located within the Hyatt Regency)
714-845-4775
4) If you are looking for a good breakfast spot, breakfast at the Watertable right off the lobby at the Hyatt Regency is a great choice!
I got the zesty lemon blueberry pancakes, and normally I’m a savory breakfast person, but they were so good! The rest of my family go their breakfast buffet with a large variety of options. Made to order omelettes, fruits, cereal. A great option since there is something for everyone!
The Fish Camp restaurant is exactly what you’d think of when you think of a beach town restaurant. There are large fish hanging on the walls, and fresh seafood on display. I like the set up of ordering at the counter then sitting down. When eating with a family sometimes the waiting can be an issue, or if you are pressed on time with all the exploring, it is nice to get to business and get the food out quick!
It was just the right place for our seafood loving family. My two youngest are quite the crab connoisseurs, and shared the king crab legs. They licked each shell clean, and had happy bellies.
They offered shrimp skewers and scallops which made me happy, and my eight year old loved the salmon, and husband ended up with sushi.
It was nice to have a little something for everyone, and some fresh vegetable options for the family. Eating somewhat healthy while on vacation is still important to me, and it was nice to see them get in a few vegetables amongst all our vacation treats.
We ate well in Huntington Beach, and it was nice to branch out and try some new spots and discover some places that we know we will be back to time and time again!
I hope this helps you find some of your new favorite places to eat in Huntington Beach too!
See more of our adventures in Huntington Beach in the following posts:
Huntington Beach Hyatt Resort
8 Family Friendly Things to do in Huntington Beach
Whether you like it or not, Winter is here, and I have been on the search for some key Winter staples in my wardrobe. I am excited to partner with Evereve today to bring you 3 Key Must Have Fashion Pieces You Need this Winter! Evereve is a women’s clothing store that specifically curates each piece with a mom in mind. Each piece they sell is well thought out for a fashion loving mom, that will fit her lifestyle. They have more than 50 retail stores coast to coast, and opened their first store in Utah a few years ago!
I have been hunting for the perfect pair of jeans that you don’t need to tug and pull on to keep them up, that have just enough stretch to keep you comfortable and looking good, with the right softness in the denim.
Evereve formally known as Hot Mama is my new go-to spot for quality designer denim, and they had a perfect range of options for this Mama of three.
It is so important to invest in a good pair of quality jeans. Back when I was having babies, and nursing, and having babies, my size would fluctuate and I didn’t invest in a good quality pair of jeans for a while. But, boy is there a difference in the overall quality, feel, and durability.
I went into my local Evereve in Utah, and probably tore apart their dressing rooms on my quest for the best pair of jeans I could find, and find it I did!
They are the Farrah Skinny Jeans by AG denim. They really fit so well, and are a new staple in my wardrobe! I feel so comfortable wearing them all day, and they stay up when I’m out chasing my kids. I was happy to find an outfit I felt both comfortable and stylish in for some Family pictures!
My next winter staple I have been on the hunt for is a long cardigan. I have loved seeing long cardigans make a come back! They are so versatile and can be worn with denim, or even a dress!
I found this Park City cardigan (love the name!) by Peyton Jensen at Evereve that I fell in love with it. It is so soft and lightweight enough to keep you warm, but not make you too toasty while inside this winter. I have already worn it several times this winter, and receive compliments every time I wear it.
And, the last key winter piece I was looking out for was a statement scarf.
I love a good statement piece, and in the winter a scarf serves that purpose, and keeps you warm on those snowy days! I fell in love with this Oversized Plaid Scarf from Evereve, and have worn it with so many things already this winter. It is really versatile, and can be worn with a dress, coat, or with a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt.I’m happy to be set with some key winter staples that I will be wearing over and over again throughout the season, and most importantly feel confident in! So, what are some of your favorite winter fashion pieces?
