A Brunch and Spa Celebration at The Ranch

Disclosure: Complimentary spa treatments provided to facilitate this review. 

One of the things I adored most about my mom was she loved to CELEBRATE life.

Birthdays, holidays, accomplishments, weddings, showers……events in life (big or small) did not pass her by. She made a point to make her family and friends feel special. Getting through my first birthday this year without my mom here to celebrate with was really rough.  So with my sister’s birthday on the horizon this past month I KNEW we had to do something awesome because it is what my mom would want.

I asked my sister what she would like to do to celebrate? She said she would love to go to brunch with girlfriends on her actual birthday (a Monday) and then a spa treatment after with whomever would be able to join.

As soon as she said that, I knew just the place to go for the best Orange County brunch and spa day, a place unlike any other, The Ranch at Laguna Beach. Invites were sent and a a reservation was made at their farm-to-table style restaurant, Harvest. The guests were going to be in for such a treat!

Most of the women that attended were from Aliso Viejo, only a stone’s throw away from The Ranch, but the majority had not been to the property before. I watched their jaws drop upon arrival. The beauty of The Ranch truly does take your breath away. It is like being in another world.

We had a beautiful table inside overlooking the canyon and plenty of space to giggle a little too loud without disrupting guests :).

Flowers are a passion of mine so I did little individual centerpieces for each friend to take home.

My favorite is to use the $1.00 mason jars from Michaels and as luck would have it, I also scored some cute white vases on clearance. I tied it with some cooking twine for a little farmhouse ranch flair and voila! instant party favors that double as centerpieces!

Let me now talk about the food at Harvest. Because it was truly spectacular from start to finish with many of the Harvest ingredients garden grown right on the property.  Bright, fresh and delectable.To get your mouth watering, here is a glimpse of the breakfast menu….

Our lovely server Sydney started the pretty birthday girl off with a little “appetizer” to share – one of the house specialities – the Applewood Smoked Bacon Cinnamon Roll.

If there is any reason to try Harvest for brunch, this is it.

Every single item the women ordered was ooohhhhh’d and ahhhhhhh’d over to no end. From the gorgeous presentation to the unique flavor profiles, Harvest does Orange County brunch right.

Menu items top to bottom, left to right: Eggs Benedict, Shrimp and Grits, Applewood Smoked Bacon Cinnamon Roll, Avocado Toast

To spend a Monday morning laughing with good friends over mimosas and celebrating my sister was a true gift. These are the moments in life you cherish and The Ranch is the kind of place where memories like this are made.

Now unfortunately after brunch was over most of the women had to return to “real life.” Luckily my sister and I were able to continue the celebration with the help of our dad who agreed to watch the kids for the afternoon so we could visit the The Ranch’s Sycamore Spa.

When I called to make the appointments I was DELIGHTED to learn Sycamore Spa was running a 50% off spa services special Monday – Thursdays for locals!! 

Ladies, I believe this deal is running through the end of the month, so call and make an appointment if you can. It’s such an amazing deal for such a fabulous experience.

Nestled down the hill from Harvest adjacent to the property pool, The Ranch’s Sycamore Spa awaits and paradise is calling. I love a quaint spa where you feel more like you are in someone’s home, which is exactly what you will find here with its comfy, coastal-chic decor.

There are both outside and inside relaxation areas where you can wait before or after your treatment.  It was such a gorgeous day we cozied into two plush lounge chairs and chatted to the sounds of the fountain while enjoying the gorgeous green canyon views.

Now let me tell you about my treatment and Jake my massage therapist.

Wow.

Wow.

WOW.

Phenomenal.

Afterwards I asked him what sort of technique he used because it was really next level relaxation. He told me he has been practicing massage for over 10 years and recently has been studying a new technique called craniosacral therapy. He started to explain what it was in more detail, but it was too technical for my post-massage spa-brain. All I know is that I felt like a million bucks. I will be back.

If you go, take it from me – ask for Jake.

Overall, it was one of those “perfect” days you wish you could bottle. And I know we made my mom very happy because we felt her sparkling all over our celebration.

If you are looking for a special place to celebration a life event with an Orange County brunch and spa day, The Ranch is the perfect place. It doesn’t even have to call for a celebration, as going there is a celebration in itself.

For more information or to make reservations visit:

www.theranchlb.com