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?

Christmas Tree House

Shima 0 comments 27.11.2015

Growing up, I remember the excitement and joy I felt when my mom would pull into the Christmas Tree House lot. I’d have a 100 acre smile plastered on my face, eager to see all the beautiful trees.

Christmas Tree House, located at 17520 Prairie Ave Torrance, CA 90504 is special to me because I grew up purchasing my Christmas trees there. I remember jumping out of my mom’s car uncontrollably as I ran through aisles of trees, determined to find THE ONE.

Granted I was so young, but I was convinced that I was the tree-guru and knew everything. The men working always gave me more credit than I deserved and agreed that I was right about “the perfect tree.”

Truthfully, as I’ve grown older, I value all the trees-in different ways. I love the Charlie Brown trees as much as I love the full, bushy ones. Over the years, as I have grown older, I’ve learned more about the variety of trees.

This is because of the knowledge, service and joy the employees have. I wouldn’t have known the difference between a Silver-Tip tree to a Noble one, but they were able to inform me of what makes one unique from the other. I also learned that a 6 ft. tree will take a minimum of 6 years to grow- wow!

Today, the lot has many more features than I remember from my childhood. They have an on-site jumper that is free for all the children to use, popcorn, wreaths, lights, mistletoe, and a small gift shop. In addition, snowmen and reindeer created with real wood are for sale.

The crew of men who cut and place trees on the cars for customers are sharp, polite, and efficient. But best of all, they have the Christmas spirit! It’s clear to see that they’re happy helping and make the entire experience worthwhile.

I’ve had to shop at other lots in the past, such as Home Depot, and it personally didn’t feel the same. I noticed that the employees were more focused on getting me inside their store to purchase new lights than help me pick the best tree.

At Christmas Tree House, they carry Douglas fir, Grand fir, Noble fir, Nordman, Turkish Fir and Silver Tip trees which are well taken care of as every tree on the lot is placed on a stand and in water. If you’re not aware of the difference, I highly suggest asking a member of the crew who will gladly educate you.

The lot opens at 7 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and remains open until each last one is sold.

My favorite part of having a tree in my house growing up was always the smell. I still remember from a young age coming home to my house smelling like a walk through the forest. I’d read books under the tree, eat popcorn from the huge tins, and then place ornaments on while watching Home Alone 2.

The trees at Christmas Tree House are very affordable and greener than ever and stay smelling fresh until the very last day. I appreciate knowing this ahead of time and that’s why I continue to buy my trees there every year.

I am so grateful for all my family and friends who’ve supported my business this past year and in result, I’ve teamed up with my favorite tree lot to give 10% off to customers who mention

SELL WITH SHIMA.

I hope that the season brings you as much joy as it does for me.

Happy Holidays to all!

To learn more about Andy and the Christmas Tree House, please refer to the website here.

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