WHAT DOES “HOME” MEAN TO YOU?

I often talk about how much I love L.A. but the truth is, I live in Ventura County now and I also love my city of Oxnard.

It’s much quieter here in Ventura County. Traffic isn’t as bad, and, given the county’s rich agricultural history, nothing beats living in a place where morning jogs involve running by strawberry fields and bicycle rides often lead to the ocean.

Still, if you’re from Ventura County and you find yourself second-guessing the joys of living here, I know of a place where you can take in some history, ground yourself and channel your energy back home.

The Agriculture Museum is one of four establishments under the Museum of Ventura County. Located in Santa Paula, the Museum preserves and exhibits the region’s farming and ranching history and explores the present and future of the industry.

LOCAL PRIDE

The Museum of Ventura County has all the elements to bring you a strong dose of hometown pride and nostalgia and the museum is celebrating the county’s 150th anniversary with a thought-provoking exhibit that challenges visitors to ask themselves: “What does home mean to you?”

This question got me thinking a lot, especially since I’ve lived in so many places after hugging my family goodbye in 2002 when I left Oxnard to start my journey as a news reporter.

But I digress, the Museum of Ventura County is comprised of four different locations. The main campus is in Downtown Ventura off Junipero Street. There’s also the Agriculture Museum, the Albinger Archaeological Museum and a Research Library for scholars.

Photography Exhibit at the Agriculture Museum celebrating the county’s 150th Anniversary

LEARN ABOUT THE BEES

The Agriculture museum is located in Santa Paula, which I visited recently and had a wonderful time listening and learning from Chief Curator Carlos Ortega and Angie Brinkhoff, the museum’s Marketing & Comms Manager. (BTW, I’ll be sharing more about the interview in the next issue of Mommy in Los Angeles Magazine).

One thing I really loved about this museum was its fun exhibit about bees.

The bee exhibit itself only takes up a small area of the museum— it’s located in a corner of sorts where you can learn about honey bees by opening information windows and you can observe bees inside a beehive enclosed in a glass case that has a passageway to allow the bees to go in and out.

Mb Hanrahan is the artist who was commissioned to paint the walls showcasing bees at their finest. This particular exhibit is part of the Pollination Investigation traveling exhibit created by Smithsonian Gardens in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural History.

SHOP LOCAL

There is a kid’s area with a play market where young children can pretend play and purchase “fresh produce”. Plus, when you enter/head out of the museum through its main doors, you’ve stepped into a shop that sells plenty of locally made &. crafted gifts and goods:

I was very pleased to visit the Agriculture Museum and I encourage everyone to take a moment to do the same (it’s free through the end of 2023).

And honestly friends, the Ventura County 150 anniversary exhibit had me thinking over the last week until I came up with what home means to me—

To me, home is where I can feel the joys of living close to family and breathe clean ocean air… It’s also the place where I surround myself with good people who allow me to share their stories.

Thanks for this lovely afternoon, Museum of Ventura County.

And thanks for reading, friends!

Xoxo,

-Anabel M.

museum of ventura county (Agriculture museum)

926 Railroad Avenue • Santa Paula, CA 93060
805.525.3100 | Fax: 805.525.0484

Hours

Thursday—Sunday
11am to 5pm

Admission

Admission is FREE through the end of 2023
Free Parking Adjacent to the Museum

PHOTOWALL gets it right!

I received compensation and/or free product in exchange for a blog review. All opinions are my own.

Ever since we moved to Oxnard, my DIY home projects have taken a ridiculously long time to complete.

It’s probably because the boys have sports practice most week nights and games on weekends plus, I’m spending more time at my mom’s house since she’s so close now. But just to give you an example, painting a single wall in my dining room took me like 3 months!

For my master bedroom, I had envisioned black, white & grey patterns and textures but again, I wasn’t making the time to get to work.

Does anyone else feel like a two-story home should first be completely decorated downstairs before you start investing time and money on the second floor? Call me weird but I guess I was operating with that mindset.

However, I partnered with PHOTOWALL and now I’m inspired to work upstairs!

PHOTOWALL is a chic Swedish company that specializes in custom wall art (think wallpaper, murals and canvas frames). They believe that the most interesting homes “are the ones that express people’s personalities.” Wow. That’s my kind of company.

Thanks to this collaboration, I finally quit the excuses and took on my bedroom project over the summer!

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Check out PhotoWall’s website here and use code: DOTELLANABEL25 to receive a 25% discount on your next purchase!

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For this particular wall, I wanted a black and white design that would complicate and compliment the master bedroom.

My bed has a regency-style striped headboard and a white wall behind it simply wasn’t elevating my headboard. Again, my vision was for hues of black and white to dominate the interior through different themes, perspectives, patterns, styles and looks.

Call it eclectic, call it maximalist or call it weird but lately, I’ve feeling all of the above. 

Enter PHOTOWALL into the equation.

The company is not only very easy to work with, it has accessible price points for its wallpaper, wall murals and canvas prints. Nothing on the website is too expensive. They have an impressive selection of themes, colors and art collections for all your home decor needs and preferences. They offer fast shipping and best of all, you measure your space and submit the measurements online and PHOTOWALL not only allows you to preview the artwork but it also supplies the exact size indicated for a perfect fit.

I chose the Ipanema Beach pattern in black but just to give you an idea, they offer this same design in six additional color variations.

For the project, I measured my bedroom wall, submitted the measurements online and received a total of eight rolls of wallpaper, each with dotted lines that indicated where to cut the paper and instructions on which way to place it on the wall. 

Applying the wallpaper

Initially, I thought I’d run into a few “bumps” when applying the wallpaper because my walls are have a texturized finish. Surprisingly, it all went rather smoothly— the texture did not affect the look. As a matter of fact, it makes it look a bit artsier, if you ask me.

When you’re ready to apply your mural or wallpaper, I recommend you purchase the wallpaper application kit offered by PHOTOWALL. This kit includes every single tool you will need to complete the task.

You will also need a bucket to blend the paste mix with water and a ladder to help you reach the highest points of your wall.

Once the paste is ready, it’s time to start working. I suggest you recruit an assistant since pairing the wallpaper strips requires that someone take a look from a distance and let you know if things look even. I asked my hubby Paul to help and we dedicated an entire afternoon to making this happen!

PHOTOWALL offers tips, tricks and instructional videos for customers on its website as well.

Take it from me, though— the company works with its customers and makes its products super easy to use!

Plus, they have the most fantastic selection of artwork to make your walls pop and give your space a personality to match your own!

For me, the Ipanema Beach pattern wall from PHOTOWALL, combined with the regency headboard, matching curtains, gold accents and other black & white details in my bedroom are a perfect mix of different themes! It may seem like a complicated combination of a lot of concepts but it looks really nice and functions really well now that it’s all put together… so yes, I can attest to the fact that my personality matches those characteristics…. lol

Thanks PHOTOWALL! My bedroom really speaks to me now :)

Thanks for reading friends! For some videos of this project, please visit my Instagram page.

And remember—

you can snag a 25% discount off your PHOTOWALL purchase with code: dotellanabel25

www.PhotoWall.com

Xoxo,

-Anabel M.

Don’t You Know I’m Local?

Oxnard is a city full of agricultural landscapes. When we moved here last summer I would walk or jog past fields of crops and wonder if those fruits and vegetables practically grown in my own backyard would actually make it to my table. It's hard to tell which produce at the grocery store is actually local. However, a trip to the Channel Islands Farmer's Market is all you need to secure those local veggies.

My little Toby is a fan of walking around the booths to sample everything and anything that is offered to him.

The Channel Islands Harbor Farmer's Market is one of the few remaining certified farmer's markets in Ventura County. It is also one of the oldest, having been around since 1974 when a group of farmers started selling their goods to locals out of the back of their pickup trucks. Now, the market has over 50 vendors and operates every Sunday.

One of the things that makes this farmer's market unique is its location. Channel Islands Harbor is a working harbor, so shoppers can enjoy the sights and smells of the ocean while perusing the fresh produce.

Some of those sights include rows of boats docked at the marina. There's a bench across from the farmer's market which is perfect for pictures…but impossible to get a good photo with uncooperative sons. Still, we tried:

If you're looking for locally grown fruits and vegetables, Channel Islands Harbor Farmer's Market is the place to go. During our visit, we stopped by the Rodriguez Family Produce booth. They have a farm in Oxnard and sell fresh, juicy strawberries. They're also a Whole Foods supplier!

Mr. & Mrs. Rodriguez at the Channel Islands Harbor Market in Oxnard, CA.

I also tried a Minglelicious Mingle's Coconut Water. Mingle's is a family-owned business from Ojai and they serve hand-crafted fresh Thai coconuts, opened right there before your eyes. All you have to do is pick a straw and enjoy. So, so refreshing and delicious.

Other booths I love visiting at the Channel Islands Harbor farmers market include those selling fresh flowers, handmade jewelry and beach-themed home decor.

Channel Islands Harbor Market

Open Every Sunday from 10am - 2pm

3600 Harbor Blvd.

Oxnard, CA 93035

Do you have a favorite farmer's market? Thanks for reading, friends!

-Anabel M.

These are the faces of two brothers doing a “cool” pose for the picture. LOL

If you drive up the coast on the 101 freeway, right before getting to Montecito, there’s a small city named Summerland. It was established in 1889 and belongs to Santa Barbara County. The last census figures reported it had a population of approximately 2,000 residents. It’s a tiny town that’s worth a visit and only a 30 min. drive from Oxnard.

To get to Summerland’s fun and eclectic Lillie Avenue (where all the best shops and restaurants are located), you need to exit on Evans Avenue and turn left on Ortega Hill Rd. 

My family visited on a Sunday when the Mija Studios ladies had a booth at Summerland’s Farmer and the Flea (a monthly local artisan market with over 60 vendors. Note: Farmer and the Flea is currently on hold pending city agreements and other permit requirements).

Where to Shop

Farmer & The Flea (currently on pause but expected to start again soon)

2245 Lillie Ave.

Summerland, CA 93067

UPDATE: Farmer & The Flea will now be taking place in Santa Barbara but if you drive to the above-mentioned address, you’ll find a lot of great shops to enjoy in Summerland.

After shopping along Lillie Ave., we drove down the street and stopped for lunch at Field & Fort, a restaurant with a lovely outdoor dining space.

Where to eat 

Field & Fort

2580 Lillie Ave.

Summerland, CA 93067 

The Roast Beef sandwich and the Chicken Tarragon salad here are soooo good. At one point, as we were enjoying our meal, Benny started messing with his little brother and he got in trouble. My husband told him he was not allowed to play video games. Benny started crying in the middle of the meal, but still managed to smile for the picture, watery eyes and all.

Up the street from Field & Fort, there is a gem of a location called the Sacred Space. It’s a lovely, tranquil hub of all things calming, healing and meditative. Even the boys (generally loud, rowdy, bratty and whiny) reached a peaceful level of smiles and good behavior.

The Sacred Space is the perfect respite. Plus, it has a lovely shop where you can buy healing stones, gorgeous gems and pretty plants. Our harmony vibration was at its peak by the time we left this peaceful place.

Must visit

The Sacred Space

2594 Lillie Ave.

Summerland, CA 93067

Across the street from the Sacred Space, along Lillie Ave, is a small lookout park. You have to climb a stairway and once you’re there, you can catch a gorgeous glimpse of the ocean. We let the kids run for a while and once they were tired, we headed back to Oxnard.

Summerland proved to be the perfect day trip for our little family.

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

@Chevrolet #Trailblazer

Chevrolet was generous enough to loan me a 2022 Trailbazer in December 2021. All opinions are my own. 

This post may be a little late but my appreciation of Chevy is just as heartfelt now as it was on the December afternoon this Trailblazer arrived at my driveway. 

In 2021 things were crazy, mainly because the world would remain under the threat of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our family lost a loved one, we sold our home in L.A. County and moved to the city of Oxnard and it was the final year of my Master’s degree program at USC.

But as in most life situations, things eventually got resolved and everything fell into place:

We quickly settled into Oxnard, I finished my Masters program and a week after submitting my final paper, the Trailblazer was outside, ready to give me a fresh new opportunity to get out of the house! Previous to the arrival of the Trailblazer, I had attended the L.A. Auto Show, where Chevy had a fantastic vehicle display.

I’ve highlighted some of my faves from the L.A. Auto Show here. 

But back to our bright orange motor guest, here are some of the highlights from our week with this cutie:

1. Drove to Hollywood.

Two friends from Mexico were in town and we rode the Trailblazer straight to the Hollywood sign. One thing I observed during the drive is that the Trailblazer makes sure you stay on your lane, sis. LOL. 

What I mean by that is, the vehicle has something called “Lane Keep Assist with lane departure”. If you start accidentally veering off to the next lane or the vehicle moves over without a blinker, the system uses an immediate steering wheel turn to let you know you’re drifting out. It’s kinda’ great— it was reminiscent of my mom grabbing my shoulder and saying “Ey Muchacha!” when she thinks I’m being a distracted driver. 

2. Went Christmas Shopping

With a spacious trunk, the Trailblazer offered an ideal opportunity to go shopping and check some items off our Christmas List. Once we were done, Paul asked to drive home and I agreed because, he picked up the bill at Costco (big smile) and loaded everything. As he drove, we discovered another cool feature called “Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert”. This gives the driver a heads-up through a side mirror alert when a moving vehicle is quickly approaching or is in the driver's blind zone. A good way to prevent lane change collisions.

3. Visited several parks around town

Following COVID-19 guidelines, my family committed to outdoor adventures. We took the Trailblazer around town, visited a few parks and ran several errands with the boys. Important to note, the Trailblazer has “Rear Seat Reminder”. This means it reminds busy moms to check the back seat as they exit the vehicle, because, as you may know, we often drive with bags, boxes and/or children in the backseat.

Additional things to know about the Chevy Trailblazer:

• It offers excellent gas mileage, thanks to its small, 3-cylinder engine

• Pricing is accessible, Trailblazers start at approximately $20K

• It’s comfortable and seats up to five passengers at one time

• It has an awesome infotainment system with a touchscreen, available 4G LTE WiFi Hotspot, Amazon Alexa capability and wireless Apple CarPlay

Thank you Chevrolet, and thanks for reading friends!

With gratitude always,

-Anabel M.

P.S. You can read about my other experiences with Chevy Loans here, here, and here.

New IG Name, Same ol’ Meeee

I recently changed my name on Instagram to @Mrs.Belmar and for some reason I’m feeling the need to discuss. LOL

Last year, we moved to Ventura County and the Mommy In Los Angeles name isn’t as fitting because I’m not in Los Angeles as much. Instead, I transferred the @MommyInLosAngeles handle to my Magazine project’s Instagram account.

BelMar is a play on words using the last three letters of my name combined with the first three letters of my last name. It’s a name that’s not location-specific, which is good for— cue Janet Jackson— “Any time, Any Place.”

Perhaps this name will stick forever and maybe if I quit my government job one day and launch my own communications company I can call it the “BelMar Agency” (Throwing it out there so the universal law of attraction works its magic. Sigh.)

In any case, I’m excited to be blogging again!

I know, I know. It’s an outdated way of sharing things when most people’s attention is spent on videos but I just can’t escape my love of the written word. I will be posting here as well as on 805 Guide!

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading.

Xo,

Anabel Marquez aka

Mrs. BelMar