Winter Special at the Laguna Magical Cottages

Laguna Magical Cottages are exactly what their names imply. With beautiful ocean views and a short walk to Victoria Beach, they are the perfect vacation getaway. I've just been let in on a little secret! For the months of December and January,(excluding holidays) owner Shelley Arends Cornwell is offering a nice discount, $175.00 per night, for a two night minimum stay. That's $30.00 per night savings!

Artist rendering of the cottages

Shelley is known for her attention to detail, and the feeling of luxury she offers her guests.

Living room

Garden patio area

These cottages have even been featured in Coastal Living Magazine! 

One of the bedrooms

Be sure to tell Shelley that you heard of her special from Chirp! Laguna!

For reservations call: 949) 494-4554 or email: spin.shel@verizon.net

Old photo of Victoria Beach

What to pack for your trip to Laguna Beach

 1. Tried-and-true walking shoes. Use your feet to get the genuine feel of this tight-knit town's shopping district and beaches. Double-duty sole mates are in order for the slopes of Hortense Miller Garden with its Boat Canyon and Pacific vistas. Or, if you're lucky enough to be in this artful town on any first Thursday, sample the scene and scenics from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at some 40 galleries―most carrying very high-quality work.

 2. Snorkeling/diving gear. The ecological reserve below
Diver's Cove offers one of the most pristine marine

environments on the SoCal coast. Visit  

lagunaseasports.com for lots of dive details

 .


3. Pooch and leash. Pets are welcome at the Manzanita Guest Cottages featured in September's Coastal Living. Dog Park on Laguna Canyon Road gives animals a field day, literally. (Don't forget to pack baggies for your pet's litter.)

 4. Community spirit. Give a knowing pause by those statues outside Greeter's Restaurant and the Pottery Shack. They commemorate Eiler Larsen, an everyday citizen who for years stood at Forest Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway and personally welcomed visitors to Laguna Beach.

 5. "Laguna Beach" DVD. Pop season one into the player in your vacation cottage and bone up on MTV's hot reality show filmed here and now entering its third season. Hooked? Stop by the Visitors and Conference Bureau at 252 Broadway for an "MTV Fact Sheet" pinpointing actual plot sites, such as Eva's Caribbean Kitchen, where Taylor and Talan had that memorable date.

 6. The Laguna Playhouse tickets. Order in advance from lagunaplayhouse.com to lock in seats at this renowned live theater, which started in a local private living room in the 1920s. ( Poignant Sonia Flew runs from September 12 through October 15.)

 7. A heart of gold. Stop into the Pacific Marine Mammal Center for an inspiring visit with creatures being nursed back to health by local veterinary and volunteer staff―and your donation will be greatly appreciated.

 8. A big blank check. If ever you are in the perfect place to make the art purchase of a lifetime, it's here.

For more travel tips, visit Lagunabeachinfo.org.

Travel Tips by Susan Haynes

Bucking the trend

What is with this new CyberMonday thing, anyways? Sure, we all want to save money, but when you shop online, do know where your money is going? According to The 3/50 Project, when you spend online, there are no dollars returned into your local economy. That's a huge issue. Not only to our local retailers, but ultimately, to our local schools, roads, and government, too! See, when you spend $100.00 locally, $68.00 of that comes back into our community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend your money at those huge, impersonal, national chain stores, only $43.00 stays put, but if you spend online, $0 dollars are returned to the community. That said, it's time we buck this new trend! Our local retailers are hanging on by a thread, they need our support. This holiday season, when you are thinking about gifts, and where you'll be spending your money, be sure to consider supporting our local retailers and services. Sometimes, if you ask upfront, our local shop owners are ready, and willing to wheel and deal. It sure can't hurt to ask!

Suplove warehouse sale today!

Have you been wanting your very own stand up paddle board? Well, Laguna's Suplove will open their warehouse today in Huntington Beach, 10 am until 3 pm, for their Post Turkey Day Sale! Suplove (Stand Up Paddle Co.) opened their doors back in April, and have been a fixture in the community ever since. Nowadays, you can't go to the beach without seeing stand up paddlers, out in the water, enjoying the view from atop the waves. They have also built a strong community of competitive racers, and host live music once a month on First Thursday's Laguna Artwalk!

Don't miss the great deals!

If you want to try out boards before you buy, you can demo boards at the sale between 10 am and 1pm.

Small Business Saturday

Today is the first-ever Small Business Saturday! What that means, is that while your local shopping spree will  support our small businesses, American Express Cardmembers will receive a $25.00 statement credit when they spend $25.00 or more at participating small businesses by using your registered American Express Card. This is brilliant, because it's all about supporting our local shops!

Need to work off those lbs.?

Hi there,

Now that we've finished the glutton-fest we call Thanksgiving, it's time to get back into action. If you enjoy yoga, you should definitely check out Carl Brown's Yoga in the Park. Carl leads a fairly difficult, level 2 yoga group in Heisler Park, Monday through Thursday, and Saturday's starting at 8 am. The best part is that his class is nearly free. He does ask for donations to the Tara Abbey in Nepal, where they do wonderful work raising and teaching children. The class also supports four individual children through the Himalayan Children's Fund.

Carl Brown at Yoga in the Park

Carl is a certified yoga instructor, but also certified in massage therapy as well. So, if you're a little sore after class, you can always schedule a message!

Thanks for giving!

Hi!

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

If you haven't yet donated to SchoolPower, it's not too late to take advantage of their deal. If you give $100.00 or more, you will receive the Laguna Locals Card. This card will allow you to take advantage of all sorts of specials, and services from a long list of local businesses for a full year. It's a win, win! You'll support our local schools, and not just the schools, but your child's very classroom, and help our local businesses all at the same time. Now, that's community spirit!

Turning the Tides

Hi!

Are you and your family planning a trip to Laguna? Or maybe a romantic weekend for two? Well, I just got wind of this fabulous deal that the Tides Laguna Beach is advertising! The Tides has completely renovated their hotel, and it is gorgeous!

The Marilyn Suite

Beautifully warm and cozy

Here's the deal, The Tides is offering their "Fall in Love with Laguna" package. Stay three nights in lovely Laguna Beach for the price of two. This deal is only good until December 15, so be sure to make your reservation soon! By the way, you can "like" The Tides on Facebook, too!

Surfing this sale!

I know my guys will be really happy about this sale. Both locations of Laguna Surf & Sport are blasting out their merchandise with 30 - 70% off of the entire store! What do my guys need? Shoes, trunks, T's, and jeans. But don't forget, there's lots of cute clothes and accessories for the wahines, too!

I'm loving this Black Friday thing!

Funny name, great deal!

What's one of the best deals in Laguna? Well, hands down it's got to be The House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer. Whether you make it for Happy Hour or not, Big Fish has ridiculously reasonable pricing, great food, and a festive atmosphere. Oh, and the view isn't bad either! Big Fish opened last April, and it didn't take long for the locals to take note.

The view of the Hotel Laguna from the dining room

The Mr., some friends and I just left there and had a great dinner. The Mr. and I shared the seafood boil, and I'm not kidding you when I tell you it's a generous portion for two! It's a gigantic bowl of shrimp, crab claws, mussels and some delectable white fish in a tomato base broth. Mmm-mm!

But whatever you do, don't miss their Happy Hour. You'll be shocked at just how low the prices can go!

Feeling left out?

Hi,

I just got this email from Tuvalu that I wanted to share with you. If you're far away from Laguna on Black Friday, don't feel too badly, Tuvalu is extending their sale to all of you online shoppers, too!

So this Friday morning, run, don't walk to your computer, and shop 'til you drop! A couple of my favorite things are the pebble door mats, all of the fabulous shell work, and the driftwood mirrors are to die for!

The perfect 10

Last Friday, my friends and I decided to get together for a bite to eat and a glass of wine. Happy hours are always fun and cheap, but we wanted to go somewhere with more of a loungy atmosphere. We chose to meet at a restaurant called French 75. French 75 has been a local mainstay for close to 20 years. It's a great spot for an intimate dinner for two, (the outside dining room is lovely!) but also a fun place to sit around the bar, or relax in the lounge.

We had heard about this menu called the Perfect 10, which means that you can order 4 different, inspired proteins for only $10. I tried the filet mignon, which was absolutely delicious, another friend ordered the salmon, and assured me that it was also wonderful, and the other girls ordered salads and appetizers, all delish. For $10 a plate, we all left completely satisfied, and wanting to come back to try another dish! 

The best thing about the Perfect 10 Menu, is that it lasts all night long. There's no need to rush like you would have to do if you were hitting up one of the popular happy hours in town!

*I do recommend that you call before you head down there. The waitress mentioned that this menu is not permanent, and that the chef could stop serving it at any time.

French 75, tres bien!

The outside dining room

French 75 is located at: 1464 South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.

For reservations call: 949) 494-8444

VIP pre-sale sale at Tuvalu!

Wow, 'tis the season! Tuvalu is one of my all time favorite shops in town, so I'm thrilled to share this VIP early holiday sale with you! Happy shopping, and I'll see you there!

The Launch

I'm so excited to launch this blog! As someone who thrives on finding bargains and deals, I can't wait to share the info I find with all of you. Let's face it, living or vacationing in Laguna isn't cheap! It's time to take advantage of all the affordable finds in town. Laguna's boho chic is within our reach! I'm looking forward to taking this journey, and I'm so happy to share it with you!