Los Angeles Girls Trip - Santa Monica and Venice Beach Itinerary Ideas
Los Angeles Girls Trip - Santa Monica and Venice Beach Itinerary Ideas

While Los Angeles is a huge metro in California, it always seems like I end up in Venice and Santa Monica when we’re road trippin’ to Southern California. It has all those perfect Cali cool and beachy vibes that instantly make you feel you’re on vacation.

I spent a weekend in Santa Monica with my girl gang just hanging out and enjoying good food along with the scenery. On this particular trip I actually did a good job of capturing photos of all our weekend adventures. So make sure to give this blog post a good scroll for some trip inspiration.

If you’re planning a first time visit to Santa Monica and Venice Beach then this travel guide was made for you. I will breakdown the tops areas to sightsee, where to eat, nightlife and of course beaches too. So many excellent options to build your Santa Monica and Venice Beach itinerary.

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TravelGennifer RoseLos AngelesComment
Instagram Guide to the Winter Wonderland Imaginarium Lights Show at the Cal Expo in Sacramento
Instagram Guide to the Winter Wonderland Imaginarium Lights Show at the Cal Expo in Sacramento

We’re going on five years living here in Sacramento and we’ve started to look forward to the Global Winter Wonderland which comes to town every year for the holiday season. During the months of November, December and January the Cal Expo in Sacramento converts into a magical lights festival with light displays, holiday music, amusement rides and carnival foods.

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TravelGennifer RoseSacramento Comments
How to Grow Your Following as a Fashion Blogger β€” Top Easy-to-Use Apps and Tech Tools
How to Grow Your Following as a Fashion Blogger β€” Top Easy-to-Use Apps and Tech Tools

So you consider yourself to be a fashionista and love to take and share outfit inspiration photos. Great, I love it too! But as much as you may enjoy the process of creating style content, it takes more than just some pretty pictures to grow an audience.

One of the biggest challenges of being a fashion blogger is establishing yourself as an authority in the industry and growing a loyal following. The first step to accomplishing this is to create a marketing plan that guides your steps in virtually every promotional area. Taking the time to research and plan your strategy will help ensure that your blog attracts the right audience and grows over time.

Once you have solidified your content and marketing plan, the tech tools and apps you use can help you find success, particularly with your social media engagement and domain site traffic.

As a ten year veteran blogger, I'm sharing some ways you can use technology to grow your following as a fashion blogger and streamline your content creation process.

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School for BloggersGennifer RoseComment
Babymoon in Palm Springs - A Pregnancy-Friendly Travel Guide
Babymoon in Palm Springs - A Pregnancy-Friendly Travel Guide

As a parent to two littles ones, I always highly recommend expecting mamas to take a pregnancy-friendly babymoon vacation before the arrival of baby. Trust me when I tell you that traveling will never be the same once your pregnancy is over and you’ve got kids to care for. Your babymoon is the last hurrah and a chance to relax before the chaos of motherhood begins.

California has several pregnancy-friendly destinations for a babymoon and Palm Springs is definitely at the top of the list. A Palm Springs babymoon is all about relaxing in the desert with beautiful natural scenery mixed with hotels designed with modern decor.

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TravelGennifer RosePalm SpringsComment
Girls Trip Guide to West Hollywood in Los Angeles
Girls Trip Guide to West Hollywood in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a huge sprawling city and it can quickly become overwhelming to decide on what to do and where to stay when planning a girls trip. West Hollywood (referred to as WeHo by locals) tends to have all those bucket list things we love for traveling. In West Hollywood there’s an abundance of restaurants with great food and ambiance, fun daytime activities and poppin’ nightlife.

Whether it’s a bachelorette trip, a birthday celebration or just because you want to spend quality time with your gal pals, West Hollywood in Los Angeles is the perfect place to plan a getaway with your girlfriends. There’s plenty of places in West Hollywood that have those modern feminine vibes we love.

In this travel guide I breakdown all the highlights of West Hollywood to help you plan your itinerary. When I’m traveling I’m always on the hunt for restaurants with yummy food and a great ambiance, so all my foodie recommendations are picture pretty.

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TravelGennifer RoseLos AngelesComment
San Fernando Valley Breakfast Guide - All Restaurants Less than 10 Minutes from Universal Studios Hollywood!
San Fernando Valley Breakfast Guide - All Restaurants Less than 10 Minutes from Universal Studios Hollywood!

If you are a local in the San Fernando Valley or a visitor with an extended stay, this guide serves as an excellent resource for all kinds of breakfast foods available in the region. While this blog post was written with visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood in mind, I uncovered some gem foodie spots that anyone can enjoy for a weekend brunch in The Valley.

Growing up my family went to Universal Studios every summer because my grandmother lived very close to the park. The same goes with my husband, his aunt and uncle used to take the kids often. I have lots of fond memories and I still enjoy going going as an adult.

I wrote this blog post because oddly enough finding breakfast early in the morning near the park is a bit of a challenge. It’s very common for Universal Studios visitors to plan strategically with an early start to beat the crowds and high heat temperatures.

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TravelGennifer RoseLos Angeles Comment
An Honest Review of Jurassic Quest - Is it Worth the Price of Admission?
An Honest Review of Jurassic Quest - Is it Worth the Price of Admission?

When I heard that Jurassic Quest was coming to town in Sacramento I jumped at the chance to obtain tickets to see it. Both my daughter and my husband are big fans of dinosaurs and it seems like a fun idea to have a β€œJurassic Park” adventure. Obviously we will never see real dinosaurs so this is as close as you can get to the seeing the jurassic period come to life.

This blog post is a Jurassic Quest review based on our experience and may help you answer the questions on whether or not it would be worth it for you to spend the money to visit.

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TravelGennifer RoseFamily-Friendly Travel Comments
English Trifle Recipe with Custard, Raspberry Jam and Sherry
English Trifle Recipe with Custard, Raspberry Jam and Sherry

Traditional English trifle is a desert dish characterized by layers of cake, fruits, jams, custards and is served in a large glass bowl. Trifle is often spiked with some sweet alcohol such as brandy, sherry or white wine. The Brits often serve trifle for Christmas desert.

By far my favorite Rose family tradition is enjoying my mom’s English trifle every Christmas. She came to visit us here in Sacramento and together we made her signature trifle so that I could document the recipe for the blog.

While we all grew up in California, we love to honor our English heritage with this classic English dessert. My mother was taught this recipe from her wonderful old family friend named Wilma Woods. Wilma made this trifle every Christmas for dessert when our family went to the Woods’ house for Christmas dinner.

Mrs. Woods told my mom that trifle was a recipe created to use up old, stale cake that no one wanted. Since it rarely happens that there is uneaten cake, we have to make a cake to use in the trifle. Hence it is best made ahead a day or so and allowed to β€œdry out” a bit first so it will absorb all the ingredients.

Because this recipe is best made in stages, planning ahead is very important. It’s vital to give yourself plenty of time for the cake to cool and the custard and Jello to set in the refrigerator.

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LifestyleGennifer RoseRecipes, Holiday SeasonComment
Weekend Trip to Los Gatos - A Family and Dog-Friendly Travel Guide
Weekend Trip to Los Gatos - A Family and Dog-Friendly Travel Guide

Because our children are currently so young, we don’t get super ambitions with a full itinerary when we travel. Los Gatos is the perfect small town to just take it slow and walk around with a stroller. The central downtown blocks of Los Gatos are known as a great walkable destination with many shops and restaurants to explore.

The temperatures are mild year-round in Santa Clara County so it’s comfortable to spend the majority of your day outside. Because Los Gatos is centrally located in Northern California, it’s a popular weekend destination for many metros areas including San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento. The folks in the bay area are most likely trying to escape cold foggy days and head into Los Gatos for some sunshine. While the San Jose visitors are looking for that small town charm and then us Sacramento people are trying to get relief from over 100 degrees hot temperatures.

When it comes to traveling with your dog, Los Gatos is a great destination for a weekend trip. There’s great dog-friendly hotels and outdoor activities where your pup is welcome. We stayed at the Toll House Hotel which welcomes doggy guests and is very conveniently located in the heart of Los Gatos downtown. Right across the street is the Los Gatos Town Plaza Park with a large grassy lawn where your dog can go potty.

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TravelGennifer RoseNorthern CaliforniaComment
How to Pitch to Hotels as a Blogger - Complimentary Hotel Stays in Exchange for Media Coverage
How to Pitch to Hotels as a Blogger - Complimentary Hotel Stays in Exchange for Media Coverage

Travel and lifestyle bloggers are often on the road and it’s very common to share the highlights from your hotel stays with your audience. A fabulous hotel can really enhance your travel experience and is definitely worth sharing in a blog post and social media.

A successful partnership media stay with a hotel is an effective marketing tool for both the hotel and the blogger - it can be a total win-win for both parties! I myself have had many media stays over the years and there are some important guidelines to follow to make sure you are professional in your approach and not overstepping any boundaries. This is not a β€œgive me a free hotel room” type of scheme but actually a true marketing collaboration.

Read on to see my best insider tips on how to pitch a hotel for a media stay. Fair warning, be prepared to do your homework and put in a little work to land the media stay. I’ve also included an email template to help you get started on your email pitch.

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School for BloggersGennifer RoseComment
Best Places to Elope in California
Best Places to Elope in California

Elopements have become increasingly more popular in modern times as couples are sometimes less willing to pay large sums of money to get married. A traditional wedding can easily cost up to $10,000. In contrast my husband and I spent less than $500 on our San Francisco elopement. We are the type of couple who’d prefer to spend our savings on buying a house and travel.

California is a popular state for elopements because of both the beautiful scenery and pleasant weather. Unlike other areas of the country, there’s always a region in both Northern and Southern California with mild and somewhat predictable temperatures. Outdoor weddings and elopements are always an option which means that you don’t have to plan and budget for an indoor venue.

In this blog post I will outline my top recommendations for California elopement cities and locations. The locale themes will vary from urban metro spots to nature and wilderness areas. They will all have excellent backdrops for wedding photography and your elopement will be so sweet and memorable.

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TravelGennifer RoseNorthern California, Southern CaliforniaComment
Ideas for Your Tropical Themed Charcuterie Board and Grazing Table
Ideas for Your Tropical Themed Charcuterie Board and Grazing Table

The tropical party theme is perfect for events and gatherings such as baby showers, gender reveal parties, bridal parties, birthdays, Galentine’s Day and more. For example if you’re hosting a home reception for an island destination wedding, a tropical themed grazing table can really help to cultivate those island vibes in your hometown.

Hosts putting on summer parties can also benefit from the colors and flavors of tropical-themed foods. On hot days the fresh fruit and lighter eats really compliment the summer vibes and atmosphere. The tropical theme can also lend itself to a Hawaiian Luau or even Caribbean inspired parties.

In my guide I will give tropical-themed food suggestions along with decor and hosting ideas. While there are many well-known foods and symbols associated with all those tropical vibes, I promise you’ll find some new and unexpected surprises in this blog post.

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LifestyleGennifer RoseRecipesComment
What Can You Do with a Fashion Merchandising Degree? - A Fashion Student's Roadmap to a Career in the Industry
What Can You Do with a Fashion Merchandising Degree? - A Fashion Student's Roadmap to a Career in the Industry

My interest in fashion began at an early age and I knew that I wanted to somehow work in the industry. Figuring out exactly how to get there took a few years of paying my dues, plus some trial and error.

While there’s no one path to a successful career in the fashion industry, there’s definitely many common threads that up and comers will experience. And quite frankly, I think anyone interested in this field should learn early on the significant obstacles to gaining traction in this extremely competitive field.

In this guide to entering the fashion industry workforce, I will go into details about school coursework, fashion internships, entry-level fashion jobs to gain experience, and more helpful insider information.

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Fashion & StyleGennifer RoseComment
Simple Ways to Elevate Your Everyday Moments
Simple Ways to Elevate Your Everyday Moments

Most of the days that make up our lives are routine and ordinary. We wake up, go to work, eat mediocre meals, etc. But the reality is that there are so many magical moments hidden within those 12 hours, you just need to learn how to find them.

There are so many small components that make up our day, both tangible and intangible. And by far the majority of them are choices we’ve made. We chose our homes, the clothes we wear, the foods we eat, almost everything is a choice. I truly believe you can chose joy. You can be very proactive in your own wellness journey by finding small ways to brighten your day.

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LifestyleGennifer RoseHealthy & Natural LivingComment
My Best Travel Hacks for Long Haul Flights
My Best Travel Hacks for Long Haul Flights

While we love to travel to far away lands and explore new cultures, I have to admit that I do get a feeling of dread when I think about the long flight. The thought of being stuck on a compact plane for over 10 hours is certainly the least glamorous part of international travel.

In my lifetime I’ve traveled from California to Greece, England, Ireland, Spain, Japan, India, Mexico, Nigeria, New York, Hawaii, Bahamas, France and Holland. During these long haul travels I learned some tricks and travel hacks to make the air travel more tolerable. If you’re able to arrive at your destination well rested and relaxed then you’re setting yourself up for an awesome trip.

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TravelGennifer RoseInternational DestinationsComment
Sacramento Craft Beer and Breweries Guide
Sacramento Craft Beer and Breweries Guide

There’s over 90 breweries in the greater Sacramento area giving enthusiasts a steady stream of new places to explore and beers to taste. Many of these Sacramento breweries are opening up their doors to the public, often with restaurants serving fresh artesian food.

In this blog post I will highlight some of my favorite beer-centric establishments and events in NorCal Gold Country. This is s great resource for planning foodie and drink-themed weekend road trips to Sacramento.

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TravelGennifer RoseSacramentoComment