Welcome
I started La Jolla Mom as a place to write about lifestyle and motherhood topics. It ballooned into a travel business after I started to include tips from our lives as ex-pats in Hong Kong and London — we often flew with a baby and lived in a luxury hotel. Until then, I didn’t realize that people do like to read travelogues which is really up my alley.
Next, readers started to ask for San Diego travel advice. (We live in La Jolla, a seaside community in San Diego.) The site evolved into a top San Diego family travel blog that also focuses on theme parks. We have four of the world’s best and are close to others in California.
We still travel a lot and stay in nice hotels. I love hotels and have a keen eye for what a stay should be like.
So that’s why you’ll mostly find four main topics woven throughout the site: San Diego vacations, theme parks, luxury hotel reviews, and recaps of our personal travels worldwide — with a handful of lifestyle tips sprinkled in.
How I Can Help You
There are the four main areas where I can help.
What is Virtuoso?
Virtuoso is a global network of agencies that specializes in luxury and experiential travel and partners with over 1,800 of the best hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, and more worldwide. It is how I have been booking my own travel for years. If you like hotels, you should be searching my Virtuoso site to get an idea of the available perks at no extra cost to you.
Is there a fee to use Virtuoso?
No. In fact, if you will likely save money by using it due value-added amenities that can include complimentary breakfast for two, resort credits, spa credits, room upgrades, and more.
Are you a travel agent?
Technically, yes. However, I only work with hotels and do not plan itineraries from start to finish. If you are looking for the latter, I can definitely connect you with someone. If you are the type of traveler who handles your own airfare, tours, and itinerary but needs five-star hotel advice, we’re a fit.
How do I book a phone consultation to speak with you about my San Diego vacation?
Due to popular demand, and the fact that I (like many of you) am at home right now, I’m offering San Diego vacation planning phone consultations. You can spend up to 25 minutes asking me questions about your plans and I will help guide you toward an itinerary or hotel that suits your budget and plans. Trust me, we can get a lot done in this timeframe.
Here’s how to make the most of this time. My areas of expertise lie in San Diego hotels (three-star and above), theme parks, things to do, recommendations for tours, saving money around town, free activities, and what to do on vacation. Make a list of questions so that you don’t forget anything. I’ll ask you a few when you book a time slot so that I have a better idea of what your needs are. I’ll also provide you with a brief summary of our call in addition to helpful links on La Jolla Mom and other sites where you can research and book activities or whatever you need. The fee is $50 and helps to support the communications scholarship that I give out and our charitable work around town. Book your time now.
What is aRes Travel?
They are a San Diego based (which is important to me) authorized ticket seller for major theme parks across the country. Through them, I sell millions of dollars worth of tickets per year, saving readers lots and lots of money without headaches. Yes, they are very legitimate otherwise I wouldn’t work with them — there are other options out there.
Do you accept sponsored content?
Yes, but in very limited quantities and, truthfully, not recently. There is some sponsored content on this site but it is only from brands that are a good fit.
Do you accept guest posts?
No. Please do not email me with guests post or link insertion requests.
Can I advertise on your site?
Yes. If you would like to run an ad on La Jolla Mom, it’s very easy to do so here. The ads on this site pay for the team of people and resources I need to keep it up and running — and, most importantly, they help keep this content FREE.
How do you choose the brands that you recommend?
It’s very simple. I have to trust and like the product or service. Some links to these products or services are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase, I might be compensated. This doesn’t drive recommendations — life is too short to endure the hassles associated with mentioning inferior products.
Do you accept complimentary travel?
Many blogs are fueled by free or paid trips. This is not one of them. The vast majority of the hotel reviews and content on this site are from personal trips. I have in the past accepted complimentary travel but I learned that I don’t like the constraints and am more comfortable sharing what I want when I want. I like to put my money where my mouth is.
Which hotel did you live in?
We are very lucky to have called Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong home for four years. We return often and I firmly believe it’s one of the best luxury hotels in the world (people that I send there also agree). This is why we primarily stay in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Top photo credit: Natalie in San Diego for Flytographer.
