This past weekend Patrick and I took the doggo to Big Bear Lake for a weekend getaway. It was so nice to unplug and just relax together. And man the views were incredible. I highly recommend to plan a weekend getaway to a local lake or river if you can! Here are the essentials for your lake getaway from must do activities to what to pack.

For your fun little lake getaway, find a cute lake cabin near the water on Airbnb or a local rental agency. Setting the entire trips mood starts with a cute little cabin. We rented the A Frame of Mind from Big Bear Cool Cabins and had the best time. We also loved cooking dinner on the charcoal grill and sitting on the fenced in porch with Finley. 

We had such a fun time on the lake and seeing all the view by renting a kayak. I highly recommend renting either a kayak, canoe, paddle board, etc to get out on the water to explore and soak in all the views! We rented from GetBoards in Big Bear because it was so easy to have access to the lake and they were dog friendly. We spent 2 hours kayaking on the lake, admiring all the lake houses, and wow how peaceful it was. I wore a dark bikini to not get dirty from the lake water and had a backpack to store a tank top and shorts on the kayak. In order to not get burnt and stay shaded on my face, I had a straw hat and sunglasses. I highly recommend getting out on the water to complete your lake experience! Oh and Finley swam in the lake for the first time, eek! 

One of the most important reasons to have a vacation getaway is to lounge and relax. Taking some time to just enjoy being away is priceless. We spent some time on the beach at Carol Morrison Public Launch just hanging out. Whether you find a beach type area, rock side near the water, or hanging on a dock, take some R&R time to read a book or chat. 

Your in nature so enjoy it! Take a walk around to admire the water, trees, and area around you. We found an amazing water path, Stanfield Marsh Wildlife and Waterfowl Preserve,
that had some of the most serene views. It overlook the water and we saw geese. Put on your walking shoes and get out there. 

What a fun little trip and can't wait to plan our next little weekend getaway!

Outfit Details:
TopShop Dress (old, similar here and here)
and Jeffrey Campbell Sneakers (old, similar here)

This past weekend I got to go see the poppy fields, and oh my what a site! They poppies were overflowing over the hills and the bright orange color was amazing to see. Due to the rain this past season in California, the poppies experienced a Super Bloom, and I am so glad I got to physically see and capture the moments on camera.
​Warning: lots of orange color ahead ;)

My friend Ashley (blogger of Not Scared of the Sky) and I went to see these blooms and here are some tips we learned. The Antelope Poppy Reserve is a zoned area where poppies are protected and cherished by only walking on trails throughout the reserve. There are multiple trails, rolling hills, and a visitor center at the reserve. However, the astonishing thing that I did not realize is that these poppy flowers are literally lining the road up to the reserve! This is where many people were pulling over to get a closer look at the poppies to not disrupt the Antelope Poppy Reserve. We both did our best to not damage any poppies inside the reserve. It was such an incredible site for sure and a must if you live in or are visiting southern California!

I chose this simple slip dress (similar here and here) with buttons down the middle for an easy, breezy look since it was pretty warm outside. I also paired it with my go-to Jeffrey Campbell sneakers (last seen in these posts here and here). 

Vintage Jacket (similar here) , North Face Fleece (old, similar here) ,
Amazon Ski Goggles , Gloves (old, similar here) , and Costco Ski Pants (old, similar here)

Growing up my family and I went skiing every year for President's Day weekend and man are those some of my favorite memories! Since moving to California, this is the first time Patrick and I have been able to make it out to Big Bear Mountain to ski. Sometimes it is hard to bite the bullet and just plan the trip, so here is my full guide to a snow skiing weekend in Big Bear to make it a little bit easier for you. 

We booked the cutest little cabin throughBig Bear Cool Cabins. We stayed in
Cornerstone Cabin in order to be walking distance to the slopes and have a pet friendly space with a hot tub. Our backyard was literally a forest that Finley loved running in.
​See my post here of our day in the snow. They have filters to choose hot tub, dog friendly, or whatever your needs are. I found the best deals here over Airbnb or VRBO. Also the biggest perk of booking through Cool Cabins is to get discounted lift tickets!! We saved so much money purchasing our lift passes through them. 

I highly recommend finding a cabin within walking distance to the slopes themselves or to one of the free parking lots that has a shuttle. We went during snow, so it was nice to not have to think about driving anywhere on the mountain. We also took Uber/Lyft to eat or go out in the Village. We ate at Hacienda Grill for Mexican food and margaritas which is super close to Bear Mountain Resort. Getting to and from the mountain make sure to always check the road conditions here. There could be a snow chain mandate required so make sure you have them and know how to put them on. We ordered these from Amazon for our Chevy Volt since it has low tire clearance. 

We skied at Bear Mountain Resort and man was I pleasantly surprised as to how many medium blue slopes and harder black diamond slopes there were. I was expecting a very tiny mountain but they did not disappoint for an easy weekend skiing. We got our ski rentals at the resort so that we would not have to carry or keep up with them. We found them maybe $10 - 15 cheaper if you rented elsewhere but we thought that carry them was not worth that savings. It's up to you!  If you reserve online 72 hrs in advance you get a discount as well. 

There are lockers downstairs across from the ticket booth to put shoes and belongings in. We packed a book bag with additional layers just in case we got super cold or needed to shed some layers. You never know so I like to be prepared! There is also a restaurant and lodge to eat, drink, and rest. No need to really leave the resort during the day since they pretty much have everything right there.

It was 30-34 degrees with wind and snow when we went. I like to dress in layers because you honestly never know the temperature or how it is actually going to feel while skiing. I like to start off with a base layer of leggings and a tight under armor, thermal layer, long sleeve tee. I typically have on two pairs of thick wool socks. Then I layer over a fleece pull over or sweatshirt. I packed an extra pair of jogger sweat pants in my bag just in case but ended up not wearing them. I layered by ski pants and ski jacket on top with gloves and ski goggles. The ski helmet kept my head pretty warm but some extra layers to consider to bring in your book bag are: scarf, ear headband or beanie, and face mask.
​Here are some great options I suggest below: