We spent last weekend in Orange County visiting family and while we were there we tried some new spots, and revisited some of our favorite old spots. I thought I'd spend some time sharing a few noteworthy places to eat, drink and shop while visiting the glamorous coastal towns of Newport Beach and Laguna.

On Friday night, we celebrated my sister-in-law's Birthday and we were definitely in the mood for some tasty libations and lively atmosphere. We started at the Saloon, and it's name most accurately describes it's vibe. It has been around for decades, has no frills (unless you can call the signs and the spurs on the wall frills), and serves a dangerously delicious drink called a Pino. You always know the drinks are dangerous when they taste nothing like alcohol and everyone in the bar is ordering one.

We followed up our pre-dinner pit-stop with a communal dining experience at Watermarc. It is casual with delicious food and great service. We shared copious amounts of food, with my favorite dishes being their homemade chips and the yellowtail starter.

Once our bellies were full, we were off to Selanne (a gorgeous new steakhouse) for one more civilized cocktail before the hair went down and the jackets came off at Sandpiper (now known as Dirty Bird). They were playing live music, and serving stiff cocktails and it was just as fun as I had always remembered when I use to go there in college and in my twenties (it's been around for 70 years). We danced until the music stopped, piled in an uber to get home and cried when our children awoke us in the morning after sleeping ONLY 5 hours(:

For shopping one of our favorite places to go is Juxtaposition Home. It is a spacious and open store filled with beautiful bedding, furnishings and art. Their collection is excellently curated and their styling is always fresh. Gorgeous pillows next to vintage textiles paired with earthy objects...if you don't live in Orange County it's the kind of store to make you wish you did.

Lastly, we hit up Off Saks (in the South Coast Plaza Annex across the street from Saks Fifth Avenue) and it was a total score. They had rows and rows and rows of designer sunglasses. Fine jewelry was an ADDITIONAL 50% off the already reduced pricing, and they had denim for days. I tried to restrain myself, but ended up getting a darling Rachel Zoe tweed dress that was originally $395 for $175, and my sister-in-law got an awesome Helmut Lang blazer, a Vince leather vest and a festive Alice & Olivia party dress. Like all the "discount" stores, it is probably hit or miss but I highly recommend popping in. For us, it was a major hit!

Have a great week!