San Diego Travel Guide

 I had such an amazing trip to San Diego in August! I planned my trip to a T - I like to know everything I am going to do before hand. Of course, there were changes and I was flexible with them, but I will share my main itinerary below!

I hope this is helpful, please let me know if you have any questions.

Where we stayed:

Carte Hotel San Diego - this location is in between Little Italy and Downton San Diego. I felt very safe in this area, it was a walkable distance to a lot of attractions we wanted to see. We were close to a Starbucks, A Rite-Aid and 10 minutes from the airport. 

                                                  

The pool also had great amenities such as a gym, hot tub, pool & rooftop restaurant.

                    

             

Speaking of the pool, this was my first time on vacation since starting laser hair removal at Milan Laser. Let me tell you, it was one less thing to worry about while planning to leave for vacation. I didn't even have to think twice about shaving, such a liberating feeling! My results have been so amazing. It is important to make sure any areas being treated don’t have sun exposure & also, touse lots of sunscreen. I packed a cutesarong to pair with my suits so I could enjoy the pool without exposing the area to the sun.

Places to Visit

La Jolla:

Our first day was planned to visit La Jolla, this is a popular tourist attraction to see the La Jolla Coves and Sea Turtles.

             

                                

We got dropped off at the cove and walked down. It was so cool to see the coves & the beauty of La Jolla! After experiencing the beach, we walked to the shops.

We went to better buzz coffee , which I loved! I got a vanilla latte that I am still dreaming about. 

There are so many gorgeous places to eat there! One I would recommend is Valencia Hotel. The views of the ocean from this spot is gorgeous. 

Seaport Village: 

We went to Seaport Village, we walked around & saw the USS midway ship. We also visited the famous kissing sailor statue.  You can get on & explore the ship if you would like as well - you can buy tickets here. 

Gaslamp Quarter:

A good place to visit at nights! Lots of popular restaurants and bars, they have STK and Fogo De Chao, similar scene to Downtown Chicago. 

Balboa Park:

I was not prepared to see how big this park was! There was so much to see & do. 

We visited the San Diego Museum of Art ($20 admission for adults), it was really nice to see a new museum.

There is also a Japanese friendship garden, we didn't get to it but looked beautiful! 

  

Coronado Island:

We spent the day at the beach & walking along it. 

We checkend out the famous Coronado Hotel, very cool to see it from the outside & you can walk in as well. 

There was such nice shopping at Paris & Me Boutique & Shop Avenu.

 

 

Places to eat:

Choice Juicery - My go to! I went here for fresh juice, açaí bowls & avocado toast. They had all my favorites to stay healthy on vacation. 

Crack Shack  - This was my favorite lunch spot!! Delicious chicken sandwiches, probably one of the best ones I've had.

Cloak & Petal - Great spot for dinner! They had nice music going, good drinks & delicious sushi. 

Salvatores - I went here for dinner! The vibe was so cool. They had amazing drinks, they had a build your own cocktail bar that they can bring to your table. The decor was very insta worthy. Food & drinks were delicious. I would definitely come back.

Invigatorium - I went for breakfast, they had great vegan options before my flight home. 

 

Barbusa - Cute Italian spot! Loved the decor, appetizers were amazing and can't recommend the pesto pasta and the pizza enough. 

 

The Taco Stand  - Great casual spot that is a crowd pleaser! My family loved this place. Tacos were delicious! Especially the fish. 

 

Coffee:

Achilles Coffee - Many breakfast options as well as coffee.

                     

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters - Great place for an afternoon treat.

Lofty Coffee - Love the vibe of this place!

                                                 

Drinks: 

Pali Wine Bar  - I had Sangria here that was delicious.

Snacks/dessert:

Donut Bar  - These donuts were insane! Oh my gosh, you have to try these. They were huge, cakey & delicious. 

 

Pappalecco for Gelato 

Salt & Straw - Delicious ice cream, fun spot & open late 

Holy Paleta  - dipped ice ream bars that were so good! I had a cookies & cream one. 

I hope this is helpful for trip planning! Ioved staying in the Little Italy Area, if I didn't stay there I would probably want to stay in La Jolla because of how beautiful it was. Please leave any travel questions down below.

Xo,

Danielle 

What to get from Ulta 21 Days of Beauty

 

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty is my favorite time of the year! A great time to stock up on favorites for half the price. Mark your calendars with these awesome deals. 

 August 29th:

Amazonian Clay 16-hour foundation: I have always loved the formula of this foundation and the shade range. It will be $19.50 on August 29th!

August 31st: 

Peach & Lilly Glass Skin Refining Serum: This is a cult favorite! It has hyarloaunic and niacinimide. I haven't tried it myself but it's on my list. $19.50

September 1st: 

Matte Mac Lipsticks  - I looove mac lipsticks ! Some of my favorite shades are kinda sexy, yash, velvet teddy & whirl. Only $9.50!

September 4th:

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil - I personally never need help in the eyebrow department, but my sister Jeanette does and she swears by the benefit cosmetics brow pencil. They are only $12 on sale! Great time to stock up.

September 7th: 

Stila Stay all Day Smudge Stick - I love Stila eyeliners! They last all day. This is only going to be $11!

 September 11th: 

It Brushes for Ulta - I have heard many good things about these brushes! Going to pick some up for myself. There are two sets, linked here & here ($15-32.50)

September 13th:

Cos RX pimple patch: You all know I love pimple patches! The CosRX ones are pretty thin and absorb a lot. $9.50

September 16th: 

Benefit Professional Pore Minimizing Primer : I love this primer! Smooths the skin before foundation application. It will be $16 and it's usually $32.

Shop all products mentioned:

Milan Laser First Impressions

 

As most of you girls know, I started getting laser hair removal done at Milan Laser! There are many reasons I went with Milan Laser. 

In the past, I have gotten laser done on my upper lip & chin. The hair never completely went away. Sure it grows back really thin and less noticeable, but I still have been going in for treatments.  I knew I wanted more permanent results and I began to search for my options. I found out that Milan Laser uses the Candela GentleMax Pro. This machine is FDA-cleared. 

Another interesting thing I learned while researching laser hair removal is different states require different levels of education to perform the treatments. In Illinois, only nurse practitioners are allowed to do laser, since this is a medical grade procedure. So, if you are getting treated in Illinois by someone who isn’t at least an NP, the laser may not be medical-grade. 

One of my favorite things about Milan is the unlimited package they offer! Essentially, you pay a fixed price for your laser package. They will treat you until you are hair free, you do not have to keep buying packages. Because of my past experience with laser hair removal, this is definitely the most affordable option for me. And I never have to spend money on wax or shaving tools again. 

Now... onto your questions about the treatment!

• Have you gotten the Brazilian?

Yes, I am getting treatments on my Brazilian. So far I have had three treatments and I am amazed at the results already!

• What was the pain level like?

The pain level was 7/10 for me. I would probably take Advil the next time before I go. It is not unbearable but it's kind of like a rubber band snapping on you. The laser does have a built in cooling mist, which makes it more comfortable. 

• How much is an Unlimited Package?

The Unlimited Package price depends on what area(s) you are getting treated. However, they make it easy for you to get pricing that’s specific to what you want to have treated—just visit their website and request a custom quote with the body area(s) you’re interested in having treated. But I would also 100% recommend going in for a free consultation. They walk you through the whole process and can break down pricing for you and your individual hair removal needs.

You can call to set up a free consultation with Milan to find out if laser hair removal is right for you. If you decide that you are ready to live the laser lifestyle, you can even get 60% or your purchase with my discount code: DANIELLE60 (discount can be applied at ANY Milan Laser location on all purchases except a Full Body Package).

What other questions do you have about laser hair removal? Please drop them below!

Walmart Fashion Outfits

 Hi girls!

I found some really really cute pieces from walmart and the prices are so good. I put together two outfits that I wanted to share. 

The first outfit I put togeher is a crochet dress, which has adorable ruffle sleeves. I am wearing a size L, it runs TTS and is $39. It is a straight cut dress, so I added a belt to give it some shape. I also picked up these tear drop earrings in store, from their time & tru line. I can't find exact ones online so check a retailer near you!

I paired the dress with the cutest jute woven block sandals! I love how unique these are. These also run true to size and are $32. The bag is a pleated bucket bag, it comes in many cute colors, I naturally went with black.

Dress // Belt // Shoes // Bag // Earrings 

The second option is a matching set! Are we surprised? You all know how much I love a matching set. This one is sooo inexpensive too. The top is $13 and the skirt is $15! I love an effortless summer look, and floral print is always a go to for me during the warmer months.

Top // Bottom // Shoes // Earrings

Shop all my favorite walmart fashion finds for summer here:

What's in my cart?

 

My closet is complete, says no one ever. There is always something I want to add to my wardrobe. There is still a few trendy pieces and staples I'm looking to add to my wardrobe this summer. There are also a lot of good fourth of july sales, so it's a good time to browse the web.

Pearl earrings - They are simple, classic & go with a lot of looks! I wanted an earring to wear in my second piercing. I love the size of these, and how dainty and classic they are. I also love that the post is 14k gold, so it won't irritate my ears. 

Romantic dresses - I am loving corset style dresses. I think they are very feminine and flattering. I aways love color in the summer & white.  This white one from petal and pup is stunning, would be good for a bride too. This busier dress is also gorgeous, love the muted tone. I also love the tie shoulders and high sit, the tie shoulders are very in right now.

Shoes - can we ever have enough? I am loving all things green this season, check out these lace up heels from asos. I love asos, because it's aways free returns & free shipping. They have a lot of cute sandals, I'm more of a neutral girl but I love color every now & then. 

Criss Cross Button Shorts - This is a trend I keep seeing, but have not gotten yet. These shorts are on sale at forever 21 for under $20 dollars. Forever 21 is always a great place to find trendy items for less. 

Straw Tote - I love this beach tote! I think it's so pretty and looks very spacious. I want to get this for the beach or pool so that I don't ruin my other purses at the pool.

What are you currently shopping for? After this, I'm going to focus on building my wardrobe for fall. I've got a lot of summer stuff even from last year that I have yet to wear.

You can shop the post here:

Xo,

Danielle