Grab Your Girlies and Let’s Have a Day
Hot girl summer has transitioned into flirty girl fall, and it’s high time you dedicated a day to gallivanting around town with the girlies. A perfect day with the gal pals includes sipping, snacking, shopping, sunset cruises and maybe a little ceramics. We have a jam-packed itinerary with 11 of our essential activities sure to make your girls’ day out a success. So, ready, set, caffeinate—you’re going to need it!
Caffeinate at Coffee Dose
The ultimate girls day can start at one place and one place only: Coffee Dose. This coffee shop is girl vibes on steroids. It’s pink and pink and pink all over. Owners Jeni and Oscar Castro created this cult classic caffeine haven with the purpose of making sure your coffee is hot but your Instagram is hotter. From the pink terrazzo countertops to the checkerboard floors, Coffee Dose is surely not your grandma’s coffee shop, serving up Basic B!tch lattes and balls—lots of them. They are all about “high quality caffeination with a side of humor,” and we’re here for it.
Locations: Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Irvine
Group Pottery Class at ARTime Barro
Queue up Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” and cruise down the coast to Laguna Beach for your first activity. ARTime Barro offers adult pottery classes to flex those creative muscles and get a little dirty while you’re at it. A one-time class costs $45 per person and lasts an hour. During this course, you will make two pieces—one on the table and one on the wheel (hello, Demi Moore from “Ghost”). The instructor will guide you through ceramics 101, and you’ll have the option to come back and glaze your pieces another day or they will do it for you. Go ahead—make a giant mug for those daily pumpkin spice lattes. It is fall, after all.
Location: Laguna Beach
Brunch It Up at Mayfield
After working up an appetite on the wheel, you are going to hit the road and head to one of our favorite dining destinations down south. Mayfield, located in ultra-quaint San Juan Capistrano, is a newer addition to the wild west that is SJC, and it turns out that this town IS big enough for the both of us. Mayfield’s cuisine skews Modern Middle Eastern with dishes like shakshuka and sweet and savory substitutions like labneh over yogurt and lamb sausage over pork sausage. They have fun twists on the usual brunch classics, such as chocolate, sesame and orange French toast and a Za’atar fried chicken sandwich. Plus, the vibe is immaculate and the surroundings are picture-perfect.
Location: San Juan Capistrano
Custom Lip Color at Lip Lab
Have you ever wished someone would just create the perfect lipstick for you—customized to your skin tone, color palette preferences and all? Well, your wish is Lip Lab’s command. This is one of the most unique experiences at the Irvine Spectrum. For $65, you’ll be able to mix and match colors for your perfect pout and even pick a signature scent like pomegranate, peppermint or vanilla. You’ll choose your desired finish and name your completely custom lipstick. Take your new lip look for a spin at the famous Irvine Spectrum Ferris wheel, and be sure to snap a selfie with the view—kissy faces encouraged.
Location: Irvine
Ladies Lunch at Peel Craftbar & Kitchen
When your coffee buzz starts dwindling, that means it’s time for another type of buzz. Peel Craftbar & Kitchen boasts a stunning setting for a liquid lunch and some shared plates. Located inside Hotel Fera, this idyllic Anaheim-area eatery recently opened and is begging you to come on in for a bite and a bev. Share some sliders and a flatbread or two, but really focus your attention on the handcrafted cocktails like the Como La Flor, a tequila grapefruit paloma-style sipper that seemingly changes colors before your eyes with the addition of the butterfly pea flower tea.
Location: Orange
A Sweet Treat From Parfait Paris
Ever heard of the Anaheim Packing District? What was once a processing plant for oranges (yes, oranges like the namesake of Orange County) was converted into a trendy food hall with a variety of vendors serving up some of our favorite eats. Parfait Paris is no exception making its mark as a merchant tempting passerby with almost too pretty to eat pastries—almost. This award-winning French bakery is serving up seasonal sweets like skull cakes for Halloween and their famous croissant gelato sandwich which is basically ice cream served in a croissant cone. You can’t go wrong. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options at the packing house to enjoy your midday treat.
Location: Anaheim
Afternoon Tea at Morning Lavender
Before we even get into it, here is one crucial piece of advice: BOOK IN ADVANCE. This is a very popular service only offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and time slots fill up fast! It’s tea time, baby. Morning Lavender in Tustin is as good as its name suggests and their afternoon tea is a prized reservation in these parts. At $39 per person, the menu includes finger sandwiches, desserts, a scone and a pot of fine tea. This is the ideal time to spill any tea, pun intended.
Location: Tustin
We’re Going Shopping at Lido Marina Village
It’s time to take our talents to the coast and see what our wallets are made of. Lido Marina Village is just about the cutest outdoor oasis for retail enthusiasts and window shoppers alike. Find an outfit you can’t afford at Loveshack Fancy or Jenni Kayne. Grab a gift for a pal at Sugar Paper. Pick out your future engagement ring at Marrow Fine. Outfit your dream home at Serena & Lily or Amber Interiors. Get some comfy cozies from Eberjey or Roller Rabbit, and definitely loiter around Le Labo just to catch a whiff of that signature Santal scent. We are also super excited about the Aloha Collection store opening this month!
Location: Newport Beach
Sunset Cruise With Vision Electric Boats
So, you’ve shopped, dropped—now what? Chase the sunset gabbing with the gals on one of Vision Electric Boat’s harbor cruisers that hold up to 10 people and an infinite amount of cocktails. If you are looking to get a little boozy, swing by Billy’s at the Beach for a to-go mai tai or grab something before you hit the harbor like a to-go papaya margarita from Malibu Farm. Wishing you had some wine instead? Pop into Zinqué before you set sail for a sancerre or sauvignon blanc to go. Electric boat rentals cost $155 per hour with a minimum of 2 hours on the water. Feel like splurging? Pay a little extra for the pink boat to really set the tone for your girls night out.
Location: Newport Beach
Girl Dinner at Habana
Head over to Habana for a flirty little foodie fest and to put the “chick” in chicken empanadas. Cubano? More like Cuba-yes! The Costa Mesa location at The Lab is wonderful but the Irvine Spectrum spot has a bit more spice. The ceviche with fried plantains will become a table topic and the key lime pie will solve most of your problems—the Cubanito will solve the rest. This is the best place to get a little buzzed and spill some secrets. Save a little room for a nightcap because we have one more spot on our itinerary to round out your day.
Locations: Costa Mesa and Irvine
Tasting at Semi Tropic Wines
If you’re reading this, it’s too late. There is no going back now. The final stop on your squad-a-thon is Semi Tropic Wines—the ideal place to get a little giggly and soak in the good vibes. This natural wine bar has a rotating selection of vino so there is always something new and fun to explore. The menu is ever-evolving as well but you can always find some sort of cheese, some sort of charcuterie, some variation of smoked fish (don’t knock it ‘til you try it), and THE BEANS. This is a good place to test out bartender’s choice and get a little adventurous with your pours. Open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays, you and the gal gang will be able to sip and soak in the day but be home with enough time to catch an episode or two of “Suits.”
Location: Costa Mesa
