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Momma Told Me: If you want to see what you're missing, take a look around!
Readers know I was raised in Southern California where I still live, a stones-throw away from the Pacific Ocean, today. And, while it may be sacrilegious to put it in print, as a SoCal native, I've lived my life quite nonchalant to the Pacific Coast lifestyle. In fact, I've said many times, through the years, I'd much rather be enjoying a week of sunshine on a Rhode Island beach (because, honestly, that's about all they get *joking*) than 8 months of gorgeous weather here, at home. I do have a reason, per say, as my father's family is all nested on the East Coast; but I know that's no excuse for turning my nose up at the sites and weather all of them find themselves daydreaming about. And, while you truly can't tell the difference between Spring and Summer here in SoCal, Summer is here, ready or not.
As you know, this year I've begun a new mantra; money for experiences, not things. All expendable income not going towards that first home is finding it's way into the pockets of vendors offering the creation of new memories, over new clutter. We'll call it a mini bucket list, if you will. And, as a SoCal native, there's long been a local touristy offering I've silently fawned over for years. But, before I let the cat out of the bag (more like box- if you have a cat you know what I mean) I simply have to share a great Summer bargain I found on our most recent trip to Sam's Club.
We were able to pick up 3 cases of SunnyD 24ct. 6.75oz bottles in the Tangy Original for just $5.38 a piece. That's a rollback savings (now through August) of $.60 on top of the already everyday great price $5.98/case, and the only excuse I needed to plan a Summer afternoon at the beach. When I was a little girl Momma always had a gallon of SunnyD in the fridge and I'd take sipper bottles out to the porch to play for hours in the sun. Having SunnyD on hand in easy to grab and go bottles means I can relive my childhood memories, and create new ones, just in time for Summer! In fact, I even had the chance to grab a few bags of granola and trail mix from Sam's Club to create my own special Sunny Day Snack Mix fuel, as well!
Now, if you've ever been on vacation, to a beach, in a sunny tourist town, you've likely seen the pedal driven carts with bike bells and wondered what the heck they're called. Well, my friends, these magical vehicles are called surreys and they can often be rented from the same whimsical places that birth two person bikes. In our part of the world there is, conveniently, a company known as Wheel Fun Rentals which allows you to rent one of these enchanting people movers for a reasonable fee as low as $15 an hour- a true bargain. Naturally, writing this only makes me ask myself why I hadn't done it sooner.
When you've grown up, or lived, in an area for a period of time you become a little desensitized to the hidden gems visitors might seek out. It's easy to take the sights, activities, and culture for granted. Hate me if you will, but the beach is a non deal for me, it's just another day driving down the freeway, or another day at the fairgrounds for the swap meet. I see and smell the beach daily, but I haven't experienced the beach, in years. So Jay packed up a basket of cold SunnyD bottles, Sunny Day Snack Mix, sunscreen, a bottle of water (for the dog) and strapped our morkie into the child seat of this neon colored wire carriage.
We only had the surrey for an hour, but the dashboard of this bike cart (thingy) had a colorful map of suggested routes and a fancy bike bell to scare off any wayward beachcombers in our path. As the passenger documenting our experience I learned I was expected to pedal, but that my steering wheel was solely for 'looks.' Jay had several laughs at my expense as I tried to steer us one way or the other to no avail. That's right, I had to relinquish control for an entire hour as I put myself and our fur child at the mercy of his driving. I feared for my life, but at least I was well hydrated.
After we returned the surrey to the rental station Nora, Jay, and I walked down the pier on the beach. Nora's first visit here had her returning multiple times to drink the salt water, so I was a bit iffy as to how close we'd actually get to the rolling waves. After all, she weighs about 4lbs soaking wet, and a good tide could return her harness without a dog! None-the-less, the beach is a favorite spot, where she can people watch (and she loves people almost as much as she loves water,) so Nora was content to sit by the pier and greet all the strange looking people while we rolled up pant legs and put shoes away.
Since it was a Saturday, there was a myriad of curious characters patrolling the pier and shoreline. We watched a family build a sandcastle dangerously close to the creeping water line, and an elderly fisherman proudly toting his catch of the day back with a toothless grin. In our part of Southern California we tend to get a lot of wind, and this was no exception, as the sand blew into our legs just before our feet sunk into wet sand. This time Nora was a bit smarter, watching the waves rolling and out with a bit of hesitation. Unfortunately, for her, she is easily excited, and very trusting- she followed her father right down into the path of an oncoming wave just in time for me to snap the above shot!
Of course, all the salt in the air makes a gal thirsty and I made sure to grab a fresh SunnyD from the trunk as we watched the dog shake the wet sand off, in the parking lot. We didn't quite get to see the sunset, but most of us were all properly soaked and shivering by the end of our visit. Some of us thought far enough to wear a dress so we could wade in the waves properly, without the aftermath of wet clothes. In any case, our day of fun in the sun left of exhausted and wind burnt, but with an album full of new memories. Not bad for $15 an hour and a $5.38 case of SunnyD!
Of course the fun doesn't end just because the SunnyD is gone- you know I put those perfect 6.75oz bottles to great use in a fun upcycling project I'll be sharing on the blog real soon! From the Pin above you can see what it's all about, but you're definitely going to want to check out the Instagram tutorial below for all the juicy details. It's so easy the kids can join in- and this is one Summer activity you CAN take indoors if the weather doesn't decide to play fair! Check out the #WhereFunBegins hub for more SunnyD inspired Summer activities! I've shared one of our new favorite Summer activities, now it's your turn- Tell me, what Summer activity you're looking forward to, where you could bring SunnyD?
What Daughter Says: The real fun begins when you open your eyes, find fun in your own backyard this Summer!
