Surviving the Holidays in the South Bay

Shima 0 comments 29.11.2015

Christmas is one of the most loved holidays. It’s a time where (most) people are in a jolly spirit and make the most memories with their loved ones.

Although many parents love the fact that their children have a two-week break, most fall short of activities to do, leaving their children constantly nagging, “I’m bored.”

Despite the excitement of having time off, we tend to forget all the great activities we can do. Here are some fun ways to celebrate the holidays and the time off- South Bay style.

  Go see Christmas Lights:

It’s not Christmas until you pack the car with your family and friends and visit Candy Cane Lane at 200 Acacia St in El Segundo, CA 90245. Kids can meet Santa and view extravagant light displays, all for free.

Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights in South Torrance is another great site to visit. The entire neighborhood is involved. I personally love to park my car so that I can walk along the sidewalk. It’s easier to capture photos and neighbors sell delicious treats along the way.

Buy a Christmas tree:

One of the most admired traditions of the holidays for families is buying a Christmas tree. It’s one of the best ways to get the family together, working towards the same goal- finding the best one.  This Christmas, stop by Christmas Tree House and mention “SELL WITH SHIMA” to receive 10% off.

Ice-Skate with Friends:

Ice-skating makes for unforgettable memories. With all the falling, laughing and hot cocoa, you’re sure to have a wonderful time. One of the best parts of ice-skating is trying to keep your balance while taking silly photos with friends.

Head down to Santa Monica’s ICE or LA Live’s outdoor rink this month for some outdoor fun.

Have a Secret Santa Party:

Giving gifts can be a hassle, especially when you’re blessed with a large group of family or friends. Grab a group of friends or cousins and place names into a bowl. Everyone picks a name and keeps it a secret until the gift-exchange date, which you can choose. This is a fun and inexpensive way to celebrate the holidays, all while keeping everyone involved in the fun! A tip: have everyone agree on a budget for gifts.

Bake:

nvite your friends over and have each person bring over their favorite homemade treat. I love sitting around the TV and enjoying warm cookies with a cup of milk with friends.

Visit Big Bear:

Sure, we don’t have snow in Los Angeles. But hop in the car and drive 2 hours to Big Bear and you’ll have fresh snow where you can sled, ski, or snowboard for the day!

Sand Sledding:

Is Big Bear too far? No worries, winter in Los Angeles consists of sleds on sand in Hermosa Beach. Who’s complaining? Sun and Sleds.

Give back:

It’s not the holidays, unless you’re giving back to those who need it most. Try donating items no longer needed to the Salvation Army or donating jackets, umbrellas, and blankets to homeless. My friends and I enjoy making sandwiches and giving it back to homeless in Skid-row. It helps you remember how fortunate we are.

Take silly Christmas photos:

Enough said.

What are some of your favorite local attractions to visit during the holidays?

ICE

Shima 0 comments 24.11.2015

For today’s “Tourist in my own city,” I visited Santa Monica’s “ICE.”

Year after year, I would drive pass the outdoor ice rink, promising myself that I would try it one day. Well, this year, after finding a coupon on Groupon, I made it a priority to attend.

ICE at Santa Monica is a little ice skating rink that comes around every holiday season. What makes the rink so fun is that it resides in the beach-side community and is on the corner of 5^th Street and Arizona Avenue in Santa Monica.

According to the downtown Santa Monica website, the rink measures at 8,000 square feet. I visited the rink today when it opened at 2 p.m. I was surprised to find so many young children waiting in line at 1:45. Parents, nannies and children of all ages skated and laughed with joy, even when they fell.

Personally, I LOVE ice-skating but go to larger, indoor rinks like the Toyota Center in El Segundo. Although the rink was fun because of the energizing music and the lack of needing a sweater, it was a little too crowded for my liking. I enjoy skating in large rinks because I don’t have to be too cautious of others whereas in a smaller rink like ICE, you have to be extremely careful.

Furthermore, as weather is always unpredictable in So-Cal, it was a hot day. At 78 degrees, the ice was melting which made for sliding and lots of falls among the crowd. Despite the crowds and slippery ice, I suggest everyone visit ICE in Santa Monica at least once this holiday season.

It’s a nice place to gather with friends, drink some hot cocoa, and make everlasting memories.

The rink’s hours and days of service are as follows:
November 1, 2015 — January 18, 2016

Admission with Skate Rental: $15

General Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday: 2:00pm – 10:00pm
Friday: 2:00pm – Midnight
Saturday: 10:00am – Midnight
Sunday: 10:00am – 10:00pm

Holiday Hours

Thanksgiving

November 26: 10:00am – 10:00pm
November 27: 10:00am – Midnight

Holiday Break, Christmas Eve 
December  21 – December 24: 10:00am – 10:00pm

Christmas Day
10:00am — Midnight

Holiday Break, New Year’s Eve
December 28 – December 31: 10:00am – 10:00pm

New Year’s Day
January 1: 10:00am – 12:00am

Martin Luther King Day (Last Day of ICE at Santa Monica)
January 18: 10:00am – 10:00pm

Hermosa Beach Farmers’ Market

Shima 0 comments 18.11.2015

Today for lunch, I stopped by the Farmers’ Market in Hermosa Beach to visit my friends at BreadCrumbs Gourmet Sandwiches. I got to meet so many wonderful locals and try delicious organic fruits.

If you’re ever looking for a quick bite, stop by on your lunch break. There is a wide variety of delicious foods to try and you can never get enough of the ocean views. The Farmers’ Market is every Wednesday on the Hermosa Pier between 11-4 p.m.

To see more of the Hermosa Beach Farmers’ Market, please watch my YouTube video here. 

“It’s a sweet, sweet life living by the salty sea…”

Fred Hesse Community Park

Shima 0 comments 16.11.2015

For today’s “Tourist in your own city,” I wanted to share a local park I love.

Although Hesse Park wasn’t a new place for me to visit, I still wanted to play tourist so that I can share with you this awesome place.

Growing up, I spent every Saturday at Hesse Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. My father and his friends would play soccer there while my cousins and I spent several hours playing in the field, playgrounds, and dirt.

Like most parks, there is a playground, walking path, and acres of green field. Yet, Hesse Park remains to be one of my favorite parks due to its serenity. I visited the park today, a lot older than my childhood days, and admired things a little differently.

When I was younger, a good park to me was one in which I could run freely and swing high. Today, I seek to find parks where I can gather my thoughts, read a good book, and possibly take a nap. Hesse Park seems to meet my criteria fully.

he park which is located at 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard is a little different than most parks because of its meeting rooms. Guest can rent out the recreation rooms for events, weddings, and parties. Often times, park visitors can also find brides and grooms capturing their wedding photos in the park.

Some of the features of Hesse Park include baseball fields, picnic areas with barbeques, playgrounds, a sand volleyball court, soccer field, and plenty of walking trails. Stairs along a walking trail will take you “downstairs” to two playgrounds for children, recreational rooms, restrooms, and additional walking trails. Downstairs, which is considered the lower park area includes a sand volleyball court, picnic tables, and plenty of trees.

Above, where the main park area is, one can find a beautiful panoramic view of Catalina Island. The breathtaking ocean view attracts many brides and grooms who come to the park to take their wedding photos.

Fred Hesse, Jr. Community Park remains to be one of my favorite places to explore on any day. No matter the time or day, one can find a shady tree to relax under or a picnic table to have lunch on.

What park did you grow up playing at?

To learn more about Fred Hesse Community Park, please visit the website here.

Baby, it’s cold outside…

Shima 0 comments 10.11.2015

For today’s “Tourist in my own city,” I wanted to share one of favorite ramen spots.

The weather is becoming chillier and for a lot of South Bay natives, that means it is finally cool enough for a big bowl of ramen!

Asa Ramen, located at 18202 S. Western Ave in Gardena is one of my favorite hole-in-the wall restaurants. Like most ramen restaurants, it is not open all day, however, is open until 1 a.m. for the evening hours.

You can pop in between 11:30-2:30 p.m. for the day or in the evening between 6:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. The restaurant, which has 3.5 stars on Yelp from 570 reviews is a favorite for many locals because of its flavorful soups. I personally like to order the pork-flavored noodles with bamboo.

One Yelp reviewer writes, “I used to come to Asa about once a week when I worked in the restaurant business because they are opened late and the ramen is always so comforting.  After a while, it became my go to spot for ramen, which says a lot because the South Bay has a lot of different ramen shops.  This little hole in the wall is normally pretty consistent, flavor wise and it’s so convenient because it’s never too crowded where we can’t get a table.”'

Indeed, there are numerous ramen spots in the South Bay which makes choosing one difficult. Although the restaurant is not very large, I have never had any trouble with being seated in a reasonable amount of time.

What’s your favorite go-to place when it is cold out?

Vista Hermosa National Park

Shima 0 comments 03.11.2015

Although I grew up in Los Angeles, I love finding hidden gems and playing tourist in my own city. One of the best ways to find things to do is to pretend you’re new to the area or a tourist.

Today I found this little piece of heaven in Los Angeles. I absolutely love hiking, picnics, and walking trails. The outdoors have always been my favorite way to stay in shape and I love greenery.

Vista Hermosa Natural Park in Los Angeles is the perfect place to read, have lunch, or just relax. Although surrounded by high-rises and buildings, you’re walking along green grass and feel at one with nature.

The park reminds me a lot of New York and how you see buildings when looking up. The park is very similar, yet comforting because you have benches and puppies all around you to take a break from the chaos.

The park is located at the western gateway to Downtown at 100 N. Toluca Street and is an urban national park. The park has walking trails, streams, picnic grounds, and a playground for kids.

I love finding new places to take my friends and family who visit Los Angeles. It is nice to be able to share with them how awesome the place I live is.

What’s your favorite spot in Los Angeles?