winter 2020

Japantown San Jose with the kids

 in Travel  tagged family / outfits / san jose / staycation / winter 2020 by

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wearing: blue and silver earrings / lipstick / white knit turtleneck / blue scarf / grey faux fur teddy coat / belt / bootcut jeans / black satchel / spring nail polish / western style boots /

The San Francisco Bay Area is full of hundreds of nooks and crannies. There is always something to do, and something to see. Although I am born and raised Bay Area, I had never been to San Jose’s Japantown before this month!

We decided to take the kids down to Japantown San Jose in order to see what was there, and also enjoy some sushi. Unfortunately, I won’t share the sushi lunch with you, it wasn’t very good. I think we chose the wrong restaurant. That being said, I am sure there are other places to eat, and I heard the ramen place is really good! Wish we had gone there, but I digress. . .

There are plenty of fun things to do in Japantown San Jose with kids. There is a museum, the temple, and many historical buildings. It is easy to walk around and see everything in one day. There are also cute shops with imported items from Japan. Some of the shops have been owned for generations and have their history posted inside. You can learn a lot by chatting with the shop owners, and reading the signs! It’s really a cool outing.

san jose wall art japantown

My son posing in front of one of the murals found in San Jose’s Japantown. This area of Downtown San Jose is full of street art. It’s fun to walk around and enjoy the beautiful murals. This one was my son’t favorite. He loves the characters depicted, and seems to know who they all are! I had no clue!!

If you are local to the Bay Area, and are looking for a fun daytime outing with the family, or without, I highly recommend visiting Japantown San Jose; and wearing walking shoes! High heel boots were not my best choice for the day. haha

Shop my winter faux fur teddy coat look:

Have you been to Japantown San Jose? What is your favorite site to see?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

japantown san jose things to do

Cross body phone cases spring 2020 handbag trends

 in General Fashion / Handbags  tagged cross body bags / gucci / handbag reviews / spring 2020 / winter 2020 by

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pictured: hoop earrings / lipstick (pictured below) / long coat / black knit turtleneck / belt / spring nail polish / skinny jeans (under $50!) / Gucci phone case cross body bag / western style boots /

New Year, new handbag trends for spring 2020! There is a new small, cross body bag in town, and it’s not a silhouette we have seen in quite some time. Enter, the cross body phone case for spring 2020.

You might be thinking, “I have way more than a phone to carry around when I want to be hands-free!” Well, that’s not a problem here; as long as you don’t mind carrying light. This north/south mini bag offers room for a phone, a small wallet, a set of keys, and a lipstick. You can also forego the wallet altogether, and use the built-in credit card slots to free up room in the bag. I am more of a wallet person,  so I prefer squeezing in my mini-wallet, but it is nice to have options!

Gucci Phone Case : Gucci cross body phone case review

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I won’t lie, this is a tight handbag. As a mom, it does not leave me any room for when my daughter hands me her phone to carry, or my son asks me carry a baggie of goldfish crackers. That being said, this is a great mini bag for days when I want to be hands-free, and lighten my load.

There are several handbag trends for the upcoming spring 2020 season, but the cross body phone case is one which is new. It isn’t continuing from another season. This trend will replace your larger, east/west cross body bag from years past.

I chose the Gucci phone case as my bag for rocking the mini cross body bag trend because it offers a classic, vintage vibe. I am always feeling the 1970s, so this bag evokes a vibe which works well with my current ’70’s mood. Love that!

Shop the cross body phone case trend with Gucci phone cases around the web:

Shop my winter street style look:

What are your thoughts on the new cross body phone case trend? Is this a bag trend you plan to wear?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

it bags 2020 gucci

Lunch in Calistoga with the kids

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged calistoga / family / napa valley / travel tips / winter 2020 by

wearing: lipstick / blue and silver earrings / adidas sweatshirt / long sleeve tee / skinny jeans / nail polish / handbag / hiking boots /

We took some time to explore downtown Calistoga in between visiting the Geysers and the Petrified Forest during our road trip up to Calistoga in the Napa Valley. Downtown Calistoga is super cute! It is filled with historical buildings and shops. My middle child found a vintage store, and my son discovered some old train cars which were converted into retail space. Unfortunately they were not filled with shops to explore, but they did turn into an entertaining spot to take pictures of each of us being silly. haha

Our main reason for exploring downtown Calistoga was to find food! It was lunch time and we were starving. When you are traveling with kids, they can be a bit picky. We were lucky to find a Chinese restaurant in the middle of downtown Calisoga, which always satisfies picky children.

Soo Yuan Restaurant is located in downtown Calistoga and appears tiny from the streets. Once you go inside, the restaurant has plenty of tables, and offers a few large tables for families such as ours. At lunch, you have the option of ordering a la carte, or off the lunch special menu. We opted for the lunch menu, and it was a great choice! They food was sooooo good!

Soo Yuan Restaurant chines food calistoga

I had the prawns in black bean sauce and it was really yummy. We also ordered a pot sticker appetizer which was really good. Everything we ordered was delicious. If you are in the Calistoga area, and are looking for a great family restaurant, I highly recommend stopping in at Soo Yuan! It was delicious and the prices were reasonable too. Love!

We had a lot of fun visiting the Napa Valley with our kids. There is more to do than what we did, so we will definitely be planning another trip there soon with the kids!

Shop my winter sightseeing outfit:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy