10 Things You Just Have to do This Spring!(UPDATED)

Becoming a mother has made me a bucket-lister! I believe in a good bucket list for every season the way I believe in the necessity of melting butter and maple syrup over a stack of hot pancakes or the way the women of old believed you needed a sweater at all times no matter the weather (thanks grandma LOL)! Every season needs a good bucket list! And so there are 10 things you just have to do this spring!

Before becoming a mom I was content going out to dinner and a movie in the name of having a good time. But with motherhood I developed a 6th sense- ADVENTURE! Instead of staying in – what’s most enjoyable for me now is wearing or pushing my kids around Greater Los Angeles to watermelon festivals, fall festivals, children’s museums, train museums  and botanical gardens. I find myself convincing my husband that we need to drive two to three hours to pick apples, see the leaf colors change in the fall and find real snow in the winter. 

So every spring I get my bucket list ready. Some of these adventures stay on my list and never get old like seeing as many gorgeous spring blooms as I possibly can! But there’s always something new: a pop-up museum, exhibit, or a new restaurant that’s just perfect for the spring weather!

1. GO SEE THE POPPIES.  Did you get a chance to see the super bloom last year? OH MY GOSH! It is something I will never forget. The epic rains brought in an incredible super bloom of poppies across Southern California. I visited the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster with a friend last year. While a super bloom is not expected this year- I’m still planning an afternoon daycation in Lancaster when those pretty poppies start popping up! You can read more about the super bloom in my blog post HERE.
2.   VISIT SEVERAL BOTANICAL GARDENS
   
   

   Tulips blooming at Descanso Gardens in March

   
   
   Visit one of the local botanical gardens to see spring flowers bloom in their full glory. We’re members at Descanso Gardens in La Canada where you can view the beautiful gardens- AND they have a train ride your toddler will just LOVE. Truly something for everyone. You can expect to see tulips, camellias, irises, lilacs, cherry trees, daffodils and wildflowers should you visit early on in the spring. Oh and the rose garden starts to bloom in May! The food there is pretty amazing too! Other favorite gardens to visit are the Flower Fields Carlsbad where nearly 50 acres of Giant Telocote Rannuculus are blooming for 6-8 weeks starting the first week of March and The Huntington in San Marino where you can also schedule tea time with your favortie girlfriends!
   
   

   Colorful Ranunculus fields in full bloom in Carslbad

   

   Viewing the Rose Garden before Tea Time at The Huntington

3. GO FLY A KITE! Head to the beach and go fly a kite! Windy spring days will be the perfect backdrop for a kite-flying day! We like Huntington Beach on Sunday afternoons when traffic is light getting there and the beach is not too crowded.  Another idea when it’s windy is to pack a picnic and fly a kite at the park! 
4. GO TO AN OUTDOOR MOVIE Break up the monotany of your typical dinner and movies date and take the big screen outdoors. As the weather heats up there are even outdoor rooftop movies where your backdrop for the night will be a panoramic city view and sunset. One of my all-time favorite dates was when I packed a southern picnic for my husband and I as we watched, “Grease,” outdoors. Very nostalgic and fun! But make sure to wear bug repellant if you’re outdoors on the grass. 
5. BAKE SPRING DESSERTS   Celebrate the season by baking springtime herbs and fruits. Experiment with lavender, rhubarb and strawberries. A few of my favorites are to bake a cake and decorate it with ladybugs or to make a citrus ombre cake from fruit grown in my own yard.
6.  PLANT AN HERB  OR VEGETABLE GARDEN A few year’s ago,   I discovered my green thumb and planted my first ever vegetable and herb garden and now it’s a yearly tradition.  What a priceless labor love. We grow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper as well as an array of herbs. We eat organic fresh food from our garden from the early summer throughout the fall. I loved it so much I now plant a small winter garden of kale, broccoli and cabbage. I am looking forward to learning from my experiences and starting my spring garden in the weeks to come.   
7. HAVE AFTERNOON TEA When the winter temps have given way to warmer days go have afternoon tea with your girlfriends! You’ll be motivated to give your winter coat and boots a break in exchange for a spring dress and fascinator if you feel like getting fancy. We had afternoon tea at The Peninsula in Beverly Hills recently with a group of phenomenal ladies. I’d highly recommended it. For the later afternoon tea you’ll be serenaded by a harpist. 
8. GO SEE A DODGER’S GAME! So this one is still unchecked on my bucket list. I am really looking forward to taking our sons to their first ever REAL Dodger Game this spring. Last year they played tee ball for the very first time and their teeball team was, “The Dodgers.” If you can’t get to a real Dodger’s game go support your local tee ball team one Saturday morning. I say the best prescription or remedy for a sad disposition is watching these kids play their hearts out. It is really cute and uplifting.  
9. GO WINE TASTING BEFORE IT GETS TOO HOT! San Diego, Temecula and Santa Barbara are only 2 hours away. But if you aren’t up for the drive check out Agua Dulce Winery in Santa Clarita or Malibu Wine Safaris in Malibu where you go wine tasting through the vineyard safari style with exotic animal encounters. 
10. GO TO CHURCH EASTER SUNDAY I saved the best adventure for last. Why not kick off the spring season by making a commitment to go to church on Easter Sunday? Spring is all about new beginnings and I couldn’t think of an activity that would have a stronger transformational impact on your life than hearing about what God has done for each of us on the cross.  There is truly hope and redemption available for all. I have to shamelessly plug my church and recommend Shepherd of the Hills in Porter Ranch as well as their Passion Play which is a professional production. A few other perks about Shepherd is that they have a playground for kids, café with delicious food (the bacon avocado burger is my favorite – I add grilled onions) as well as outdoor fire-pits and seating to accommodate families. Services are Saturday at 6pm or Sunday at 9 or 11am with free childcare provided where kids will have age-appropriate lessons and crafts. No matter where you decide to go to church my word of advice is to get there at least a half hour early to park and grab a seat if you go Easter Sunday because it’s one of the busiest services of the year.