Cruise to Mexico Trip {Travel & Business}

The first week of March, I was invited to go on a cruise with the CRA {California Rental Association} to be a vendor and meet several business owners in the Rental industry. Some are party rental owners, including my Mother, Janice Petersen with A&H Party Rentals and the President of the organization, Dale Blackwell with Abadaba Rentals. Others are equipment rental owners and some vendors catering specifically to the rental industry as well. There were about 30 of us on the Carnival Inspiration to Catalina Islanda off the coast of Long Beach, California, and Ensenada, Mexico. On Thursday, the day at Sea, the group had a group meeting, where I was able to set up a booth and share my services with them. We had a great time, it was fun meeting everyone and although it was difficult turning my phone and all communication off for 3 days, it was very relaxing! {I apologize to all of my clients that had to work around my cruise schedule and thank you for your patience} I took most of the photos with my phone, so the picture quality isn't the best, but enjoy:

Packing:

Prepping for my table: 

My husband helped me make the flags;

My banner:

I broke my suitcase, it got stuck in the belt at the airport. Hopefully they will be replacing it:

Our boat next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor:

Had a Bloody Mary's at Gladstone's in Long Beach Harbor:

Vicki & Dale ready to get on the boat!

I was ready to get on the boat!

View at Long Beach Harbor from the back of the ship:

The CRA's first night gathering in the Mardi Gras Room On the ship:

Waking up to Catalina Island Harbor, it was a bit overcast :(

Walking the top of the ship with my mom in the morning & getting some fresh air:

The top of the boat, so much fun!:

Because Catalina Harbor is so shallow, the boat anchor's and we ride ashore via the harbor cruisers:

Mom and I heading into Catalina:

The little town is full of shops, restaurants and cute little B&B's:

This is the restaurant we all met for lunch, Fish & Chips and Hamburgers. Plus, we got to sing Karaoke!

The decor was so fun!

I loved this vintage poster:

Vicki & her fruity cocktail:

After lunch, we went over to Luau Larry's, who is famous for their Tiki Wacker Drink {you get a free hat with the drink}

See :) :

Some of the drinks come with these little plastic donkey's... we were having too much fun :)

Dinner our second night, I had escargot as my appetizer {yes, I am a bold food eater}:

The sing-a-long piano bar after dinner:

Wednesday we arrived in Ensenada, Mexico and pretty much spent the entire day at Papas & Beer. It was a great time watching all of the Spring Breaker's get washed down with tequila, flipped and spun {thats what they are famous for at Papas & Beer}. Then they get a bumper sticker on either their bum or bosom... its insane! :)

The flag coming into port is so big, it covers 5 football fields and takes 90 Marines to put it up and take it down. The tour guide said its made out of canvas, so its pretty sturdy when its windy. This photo does NOT do it justice!

Our bucket of my favorite beer, Dos Equis Lager:

 Yes, I ended up getting the Spring Breaker treatment... someone bought me a shot {which I still to this day cannot figure out who} and the waiter flipped me upside down. From experience, it wasn't that fun but I did win myself a bumper sticker! YAY!

The last day we spent at sea, my mom and I had spa treatments, we laid in the sun covered in clouds and tried not to get sick while the boat did laps around Catalina Island. That night we had the CRA group back together, this time I was able to set up my booth and show my design services to everyone. It was a great time:

The straws were a hit!:

 My dessert that night was a pear soaked in wine, it was delish!

A HUGE Thank You to the CRA and my mom, I had a great time and am now all set up to start doing trade shows :) Can't wait for the next event!

Christmas in Cali {travel}

For the holidays, my husband and I spent 11 days with my family in Southern California. My mom lives in the town I grew up in, Riverside and is still in the same house, 16 years. It was definitely eventful... check it out:

On Christmas Eve, my husband and I strolled down to the Mission Inn's Festival of Lights and looked at all the lights, they even had an outdoor ice skating rink! It was phenomenal! 

Then we went over to OOKA Restaurant & Sushi Bar for dinner at the Plaza. 

All of our stockings hung up Christmas morning, Santa was good to us!

The table set for 25 friends and family. This is a long lasting tradition, my mom {who owns a party rental company} invites all of our friends who don't have family in town, to become our family around the Christmas dinner table. I have enjoyed it so much and it was great to see everyone and catch up. Plus everyone brings a dish that is their specialty, so you get a wide arrangement of delicious eats!

My mom decorated a "memorial" tree this year. The big bow on top is the bow my grandmother and her sister would pass to each other for over 30 years. When my great Aunt passed away, the bow was passed down to her daughter and then continued the tradition. Both my grandmother and my mom's cousin passed away this last summer, so the bow now belongs to my mom and will be passed to her second cousin, Alisa. I <3 p="" tradition.="">

This is how my Christmas day ended :( apparently, my appendix wanted to stay in California and I had to have an emergency appendectomy. Don't ask how that happened... it just does! Unfortunately, mine happened on Christmas.

Our plan was to head to Glamis for New Years, but my appendectomy put a delay on things. I still decided we needed to go, I just had to rest. This was about the extent of my desert riding {around the camp}.