Who: Alisha Erin Blanchard, Photographer/Mother of Milla Luna

Where: The Westside

When: Friday

1. Bread and Porridge. My sweetest day starts earlier than I'd like but hey that's life with a 2 year old! I hear my daughter happily yell "good morning" at 7am & a pitter pattering of feet running in to cuddle with us. Since this is MY sweetest day & not just an ordinary one I let daddy make breakfast for the wee one while I luxuriate in the shower & wait for the babysitter to arrive...heaven!! At 8am when the the epic sitter arrives my husband & I head out to our fave breakfast spot in Santa Monica called Bread & Porridge & I order the most delsih latte on the westside & the super Florentine omelet. After slowly enjoying each bite & quiet uninterrupted conversation (never will take that for granted again!) with the hubby we head out for a hike.

2. Hike. I must say LA gets a terrible reputation for smog but when you're up in the hills the air is as fresh as any untouched part of the world (or at least it feels like it). Our favorite spot to hike, even up to my 9th month of pregnancy was Los Liones, It has an incredible view once you've made it to the top. We start slowly but the coffee kicks in so we make it midway quickly & stop to rest & take in the stunning 180 degree view of the pacific & our beloved city. There's a great bench to sit on & ponder the view. Then we take the trek to the top to burn off our breakfast.

3. Abbot Kinney. After the hike, we deserve a massage! We head over to Lamai Thai Massage on Abbot Kinney where the old Thai ladies walk all over you (literally), stretch and bend you like a pretzel all for $40 bucks! After leaving in a relaxed coma we walk over to Jin Patisserie for a snack & tea. I love the outside garden where you seem to be away from it all. We nosh on little snacks & decide to take home a truffle or two for later. The husband is reluctant when I go in to Principessa boutique for some much needed quick retail therapy. They have a great selection of the basics and an edited version of trendy items.

4. Nap on the Beach. Its time for a nap! I'm reading a great book but never get to read more than 5 or so pages so we decide to relax on the beach. How lucky are we?! We drive down to the Marina Del Rey where the beachfront along the alphabet streets offer the most serene environment for napping. We spread a blanket out & plop down just close enough to hear the lapping of the waves. Ahhhhh.

5. Piccolo. It's time to go home & shower and cuddle with my girl. After getting ready & hearing about Milla's adventures with the babysitter we're off again! Our last stop is Piccolo to meet our nearest & dearest and chat over lots of wine & yummy food! They serve up authentic Italian homemade pasta & dishes that foodies love. The best part is that its cozy & right on the beach. The night ends early and of course were in bed by 10....tomorrow starts early after all.

{photo of alisha by me, abbot kinney}