HIT THE BEACH Summertime and the living is easy... With summer days comes summer fun: you know, splashing in the pool, riding a bike with the wind in your face, picnics in the park, drinks in the porch. We celebrate the best of summer with an issue filled with summer-inspired Fun&Games and refreshing Drink Recipes. Wanna beat the heat? Get Dressed in slinky dresses, sandals, and run don't walk to the water in the season's coolest bathing suits and board shorts. We also head to La la land (that's right, Los Angeles) for a fun filled weekend Getaway right on the beach and walking distance to the Santa Monica pier. LIKE US, FOLLOW US & WIN Don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter, delivered directly to your Inbox. And to win great prizes every month, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. Tweet

Past Issues: Rain or Shine Go Organic Jingle Bells Wicked Fun Back to School Mid-Summer Night's Dream Father's Day Mother's Day Spring New Year Trick or Treat Water Summer Travel Food Sleep Sex&Love Winter '08 Holidays '08

LA COOL
Oceana Hotel

Imagine staying at a Los Angeles oceanfront hotel that feels more like a your chic friend’s beach bungalow thanks to private balconies, a heart-shaped pool and a European style courtyard. Throw in impeccable service and eye-popping décor and you’ve got the Oceana Hotel—arguably the city’s most laid back boutique hotel without the, well, boutique hotel attitude. Intimate and relaxed, it’s a true escape and it’s just around the corner from the stylish shops, restaurants and cafes on the Promenade.

Once an apartment building that counted Hardy (of Laurel & Hardy fame) among its tenants, the Oceana Hotel was renovated a few years back to become Santa Monica’s coolest beachfront retreat. This is the place favored by laidback families, Paul Smith-wearing execs and stressed out Angelenos looking for a quick romantic getaway in the city.

At the Oceana, residential ambiance meets Caribbean cool and each of the 70 uniquely decorated suites in apple green, canary yellow and powder blue are accented by Jonathan Adler pottery, floral sofas and warm lighting. Many of the suites, which range from 500 to 850 square feet, even feature private balconies and ocean views. The usual modern fixtures are here, including iPod docking stations, huge plasma TVs, wireless internet connection and work desks. But the Oceana takes it a step further in creating a casual seaside ambiance with backgammon and chess game tables as well as bookshelves lined with books you might actually want to read.

I order breakfast in bed from the 24-hour room service menu and curl up in the Egyptian cotton sheets to watch the fog roll in over the Pacific Ocean. Later I take a dip in the heart shaped pool before heading to Montana Avenue to do a little damage to my wallet. There are plenty of great places to eat in the neighborhood but instead I opt to eat at home, er, the hotel’s casual restaurant.

Created by Jonathan Morr of Bond Street in New York, the poolside lounge serves small plates like fish tacos and burgers as well as signature spiked milkshakes that are quite a treat while watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. Helpful without a hint of pretension, the Oceana’s staff can guide guests to the neighborhood’s popular attractions and its undiscovered gems.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE
Hit the Beach. With SoCal’s iconic beach across the street, there’s no excuse for missing out on surf and sun.
Quench Your Thirst. Try one of the hotel’s unique concoctions, like the Toasted Marshmallow cocktail, poolside at the Ocean Lounge.
Shriek in Delight. Take a stroll on the Santa Monica Pier and a rollercoaster ride at the legendary amusement park
Shop Till You Drop. Grab a latte to go and hit the unique furniture, design and clothing shops on Montana Avenue.
Get Cultured. Take a drive up the famous Pacific Coast Highway to the Getty Villa and take in its inspiring collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.

{ booster seat }

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently updated their car seat recommendations, advising parents to leave their kids in a rear-facing car seat until the age of two, not one. And they also recommend that kids remain in a booster seat until they are at least 4'9" and between 8 and 12 years old. For those that fall into that second age group, we've rounded up our three favorite choices. Buying your first booster seat? A belt-positioning booster seat raises the child so that the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts fit correctly on your child’s hips and shoulder. Keep in mind that these booster seats must be used with a vehicle lap and shoulder belt system, not a lap-belt only system.

{ Odyssey }

2011 HONDA ODYSSEY

The 2011 Honda Odyssey is about as similar to its predecessor as your kid is to a distant second cousin. And that's a good thing. If you're familiar with Odysseys of previous years, the first thing you'll notice about this minivan is that, well, it doesn't really look like a minivan--from the outside anyway. And really, who are we kidding.... minivans are just not cool. Until now.

A decade or so ago some marketing person (no doubt a man) came up with a term to describe the mothers out there who attended their kid's piano recitals, who made cookies (from scratch, of course) for the school bake sale and who drove their kids to little league. Soccer moms, they were called. Today's moms, like me and probably like you, drive the kids to school, ballet and, yes, to their soccer games. But that doesn't mean we want to get behind the wheel of a cliche. And that's where the 2011 Odyssey comes in.

Like in previous models, this one features seating for up to eith passengers, sliding rear doors and V6 power. But it is also outfitted with a sleeker grille, a stylized rear beltline, more pronounced front fenders on the outside and a less cluttered dash plus higher-quality materials on the inside.

For one blissful week, I got to drive the Touring model, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, power-sliding doors, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated outside mirrors, a removable center console (big enough for your maxi purse), a multi-function second-row seat, retractable second-row sunshades ("mom, the sun doesn't go in my eyes anymore," my daugher cheered one particularly sunny afternoon), and an awesome audio system with 2GB of digital music storage plus seven speakers and steering-wheel-mounted controls. I loved the" cool box" (EX-L models and above) that kept my iced latte and the kids snacks chilled while I ran my errands. And the "conversation mirror" was also a great feature. It is basically a sunglass case that can open half-way to reveal a fishlens-like mirror to help you see everyone and everything going on in the back. So no more second guessing when the kids shout out "I didn't do it!"

There's also more legroom for second- and third-row passengers thanks to a size increase; this not-so-mini minivan is about an inch longer and two inches wider than the 2010 model. The best thing about the new width is that the second-row seat has a configuration mode wide enough to fit three car seats side by side. Car pool, anyone?

Tthe reconfigured seat's center section is awesome: it slides forward 5.5 inches so I could easily reach behind to put a blanket on my sleeping baby. Meanwhile, the third-row seat not only has an extra inch of legroom but also features a 60/40-split bench that drops neatly into the deep well thanks to a simple folding mechanism. Did I mention the "multiview" back-up camera? It gives you three different perspectives on the area behind the rear bumber.

Talk about a peaceful cabin. Once the kids lull to sleep, neither road nor wind noise will wake them thanks to an active noise-cancelling technology that emits counter-phase sound through the speakers. The drone that passengers often complain about is practically non-existent inside the Odyssey.

And last but not least is the VCM engine, which is programmed to run on three, four or six cylinders, based on the power requirement. The technology seamlessly activates or deactivates two or three cylinders so you get the best of both worlds: V-6 power when accelerating or climbing, and the efficiency of a smaller engine while cruising. EPA estimates for the five-speed automatic-equipped versions are 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined, while those fitted with the six-speed transmission post 19/28/22.

The 2011 Honda Odyssey is the minivan for the modern--dare we say it?--cool parent.