Our third house guests of the summer were my brother-in-law and his girlfriend (FYI- my husband is the oldest of six boys so this was the second couple-in-law to visit!), so we had a fun-filled weekend taking them around our city! They got here late Thursday night, and the hubs and I had to work on Friday, so it was about two and a half days of nonstop activities: snorkeling, paddle boarding, arcade games, beach picnics, walks around the city sights, and a lot more!

This was pretty much our third straight week of having house guests, with the hubs’ next-youngest and third youngest brothers plus the latter’s girlfriend visiting in the weeks after the 4th of July, so safe to say we’ve been pretty booked! Coupled with these last visitors and our upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon this week, July has seemed to fly by!

Nevertheless, it’s been so much fun to have a bustling house again after many quiet months of the pandemic, and the go-go-go has helped a lot with my anxiety (you can’t worry about it if you don’t have time to think about it, right?). Plus, as an only child myself, it’s heartwarming to have a host of brothers to call my own!

Anyway, back to our adventures…

Paddle Boarding

The first thing we did after work on Friday was head to La Jolla Shores for some paddle boarding & swimming. One of our checklist, must-do-with-every-guest items for sure…The water was a bit choppy but unusually warm, so it was a gorgeous day!

Shop my swimsuit below- it’s from Target and a steal for how well it fits!

Balboa Park

Anyone who visits San Diego has to make a trip to Balboa Park in my opinion! It’s such a beautiful location with tons to do; between museums for just about every interest, hidden courtyards, and overflowing gardens, you definitely won’t be bored! Some of our favorite spots are the koi pond, the courtyard behind the Prado restaurant, and the rose and cactus gardens!

Wearing Anthropologie shorts / Sophia Webster shoes / Zara top / Lucy Folk sunglasses / Amazon bag

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In N Out Burger & Black’s Beach

In N Out burger is one of those quintessential California hotspots that never gets old in my opinion! Our guests had never been there, so we decided to hit up this favorite spot of ours on the way back from Balboa Park. Nothing beats a fresh cheeseburger, fries, and cold pink lemonade on a hot summer day!

To burn off the calories from our somewhat heavy meal, we followed lunch with a hike down the cliffs to Black’s Beach: San Diego’s prime spot for watching paragliders fly at Torrey Pines Gliderport, 300+ foot cliff climbing trails, and nude sunbathing.

I will point out that even though we don’t choose to participate in the in-the-buff beach going (to each their own; no judgement here!), we love this spot for its beautiful dark sand and quiet, mostly-locals feel. The hike down the cliffs is a bit steep for little kids and people who might be sensitive to intense exercise, but it’s just the sort of sweat-buster that’s fun to do with friends who don’t mind the activity (or sightseeing lol!). Plus, spending time lounging on the beach helps you recuperate for the way back up!

Belmont Park Arcade

Despite living in San Diego all through college, the hubby and I never really went to Belmont Park until we moved back over a year ago. Lately, though, we’ve been loving taking our visitors there for some games and a little old-fashioned carnival fun! (Even though I might get a little too competitive at times…)

Wearing Christopher John Rogers for Target dress / H&M bag / Steve Madden sneakers / Ettika necklace

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La Jolla Cove & Snorkeling

Not gonna lie, we snorkel like maniacs in the summertime! Really! We’re in the water at least a few times a week for the most part, and there’s nothing more relaxing than spending warm afternoons pretending to be a mermaid in our favorite fish-and-sea lion-filled cove.

While we do have wetsuits in case the water is chilly, it really is more fun in my opinion to opt just for swimsuits if it’s warm enough! Luckily, we went when the water was a whopping 72 degrees, which is pretty warm for out here in Cali! I found the cutest sparkly swimsuit from Amazon for less than $20, and the poppy pink color splashed perfectly against the blue/green ocean for some cool photos!

Wearing Amazon bikini

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Tacos @ Windansea Beach

To finish off the perfect San Diego whirlwind weekend, we popped by The Taco Stand in La Jolla for some delicious (and $ friendly) Mexican eats that we took to-go for a picnic on the rocks of Windansea beach. Windansea is another great place for swimming, and even snorkeling (though you won’t see as many fish as you can at the Cove) because the waves are usually pretty relaxed without being too deep.

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All said and done this weekend, though a crazy million-miles-an-hour ride, was a blast! We’re so grateful for the company of friends, family, and each other as we get back to a more normal life.

Hope you all have a great weekend ahead of you! Stay tuned for another MDM Style Diaries coming soon!

Xx Tabi