Pacifco Birthday Weekend at the Surf Open

{VIP Deck Passes at the 2012 U.S. Surf Open}

A birthday weekend of fun hit us and it hit us hard... unlimited beer, half naked beach-goers, sand, sun, Mexican food - all brought to you by Pacifico.

(Long) Weekend Wrap-Up: Coachella 2012 via Instagram

{Coachella 2012 in a nutshell}

Coachella 2012 seems like a blur - we loaded up our tiny hatch back and headed out to the desert this weekend to partake in one of the best music festivals out there right now. We camped, we drank, and we were merry. It was quite the weekend, and I am still recovering. My body is sore, slightly sunburned, but overall very happy.

This week I plan to recap all of the amazing festivities that I had the opportunity to take part in. If you follow me on twitter or instagram, you probably are already bored with how obsessed I am with this weekender. Nonetheless, from dying the ends of my hair blue (and then chopping it all off), to the resurrected Tupac, to the unexpected weather changes (for which we were not prepared for whatsoever), this festival is one of those life experiences that you must experience or just live vicariously through me.

To keep you satisfied, here are my top 5 favorite performances of Coachella 2012:

1. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre
2. Florence + the Machine
3. Grouplove
4. Martin Solveig
5. Awolnation

Stay tuned...

Tiger Hugs (and other animal love)

{All I want is a tiger hug}

Who needs a bear hug when you can get a tiger hug? I am honestly obsessed with tigers (my dream is to meet a tiger - could be cub, could be a grown adult, but I really need to meet a tiger before I die).

You can say that animals are my obsession in general. I love meeting exotic animals, and can't remember a time when I didn't have a pet. At one point I had a dog, a bunny, a guinea pig, a rat, two finches, and a fish tank. Only about 10 animals at once (I don't know how my mom did it). Growing up with animals gives you an appreciation and understanding of them (kind of like speaking another language gives you an appreciation of another culture).

What interesting animals have you met? I've met giraffes, dolphins, elephants, camels, porcupines, snakes... and the list goes on. I've even pet Shamu at Sea World, and at my (male) cousin's birthday party I was the only girl who wanted to hold the boa constrictor. I love animals! Here's a collection of some of my wonderful animal friends that I've met throughout my life.

{Stanley the Giraffe - age 23}

{Nicki the dolphin - age 14}

{El Gato the horse (in Mexico) - age 4}

{At the petting zoo - age 3}

{Riding a camel - age 2}

{Riding an elephant with Dad - age 2}

Get Real. Get Outside.

STIHL is an international power tools and chainsaw company - but their recent ad campaign is both clever, and eye opening. Their campaign called Get Real. Get Outside. encourages you to take advantage of some good old-fashioned fun, and to put down the social networking and mobile devices. 

I'm a big fan of social media (obviously), but I am also a big proponent of finding a life balance. Nothing is worse than a couple on a date on their phones, or choosing to watch television instead of having quality interaction with family members.

More ad examples from STIHL after the jump.