Spoiler Alert: Blake Lively’s Flower Arranging Hack Is SUPER Easy to DIY

Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is 50 acres with millions of vibrant flowers in a rainbow of colors. Head to the fields through May 31 for more than just flowers. There are live music events, creative workshops like Flower Flow Yoga, Charcuterie Workshop, a flower crown-making workshop, a sweet pea maze, tractor rides, picnics, wine tastings, meditation, tea in the garden, food trucks, and more.

Plan to stay the day and bring home beautiful flowers and/or inspo for your own garden. Carlsbad itself is a stunning coastal escape, with seven miles of pristine SoCal beaches, amazing restaurants, and hotels + spas (girls trip, anyone?). Choose your fun of choice: surfing, biking, hiking, sunbathing, or massaging. From a floral-infused spa treatment or sipping on a botanical cocktail, the sleepy town of Carlsbad is actually the perfect year-round getaway.

Where To Stay

It was my daughter’s spring break, so after some fun in LA checking out the Tar Pits, California Science Center, Griffith Park, and more, we headed down to Carlsbad for the Flower Fields, Legoland, and a visit with family. We spent a night at the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa, a vast resort with fire pits, a spacious pool and jacuzzi so you’re not piling on top of other guests, ping pong and pool table poolside, and a cozy brunch-friendly restaurant.

Bonus: if you’re traveling with kids, the Westin offers a private entrance right into the Legoland Park. We had stayed at the Legoland Hotel before, which is fun for kids but not my ideal stay. The Westin was fun for me, my partner, my 9 year old daughter, and our dog!

In celebration of flower field season, the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa nearby has a Petals, Candles & Craft Workshop and a Power of Flowers kids program each Sunday; plus floral-inspired bites at the resort’s Test Kitchen Series. The Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort & Spa also offers a seasonal Red Flower Fields Scrub & Massage at its spa and Floral Infusions cocktails at their bar.

The Beach Terrace also offers a Bloom Bliss Package, which includes accommodations, two tickets to The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, farm-to-bakery cookies from a local baker, and a donation to The Flower Fields Foundation.

Where To Eat

Outside of the Flower Fields and resorts, there are some amazing restaurants and cafes in Carlsbad too. We especially enjoyed Harumama Noodles + Buns, which creates adorable animal-themed sticky buns. All of the food was delicious for kids and adults! Other places to try: Jeune et Jolie, a beautiful French spot with SoCal influence, Campfire for comfort food and creative cocktails in an outdoor setting, and Handel's or Jeni's for homemade ice cream.

For Parents

My 9 year old daughter loves Legoland and this was our third time going. Beyond the build sessions and incredible Lego sculptures of our favorite cities, we did a few new things, like saw a fun extreme sports performance, a boat ride in their new dino exhibit, and a submarine ride with an aquarium of sharks, sting rays, and more.

More Flower Fields In The U.S. To See

Purple Haze Lavender Farm

Purple Haze Lavender is a 7-acre farm located in Sequim-Dungeness Valley of the northern Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The town was rated one of the best small towns in the northwest by Sunset Magazine. The farm has a gift shop, ice cream stand with lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade (yum!), picnic area and you can pick the lavender from mid-June through early August.

PELINDABA LAVENDER FARM on the San Juan Islands is also worth a visit.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Nothing says spring more than the arrival of the tulip. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, Washington offers four stunning tulip gardens. Find breweries and wineries nearby, museums, tea houses, and more nearby. Here are some recommended stays in the area.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

This family farm in Woodburn, OR has been growing tulips since the 70s. Visit now through the first week of May. Find fresh cut flowers, gift shop items, and all sorts of food and activities on weekends.

Crested Butte Wildflower Festival

This festival celebrates the wildflowers blooming in one of the most picturesque valleys in Colorado. It goes all summer long with hundreds of events and program. The festival takes place July 12-21.

Bluebonnets superbloom

You can find bluebonnets growing all over Texas this season, but one of the best places to spot the state flower is at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at University of Texas, Austin. Explore nearly 900 different species of plants, including a great view of beautiful bluebonnets.

1. Before starting, ideate about the final floral arrangement.

Before buying flowers, think about what you want the final product to look like. Is your ideal floral arrangement big and luscious, or is it bare and playful? Consider the shape, color, and size of your arrangement to create a plan of what flowers and materials to buy! We love to scroll through our socials and Pinterest for the best ideas!

2. Have a range of different flowers.

At the most basic level, floral arrangements make use of several different types of florals: focal flowers, line flowers, and filler flowers.

Focal flowers are larger and hold more visual weight. These are the flowers with eye-catching factor, like lilies or roses. Line flowers are a bit thinner, with blooms growing along the stems — think snapdragons or other line-shaped greenery. Finally, filler flowers are smaller stemmed blooms used to balance out your floral arrangement. Zinnias, baby’s breath, or mums are just a few examples.

"Flowers with stronger stems are ideal for beginners. When you're just getting started, work with carnations, mums, roses, spray roses – basically any grocery store blooms," says Malori Maeva, CEO and Founder of Form Floral. "It'll give you an opportunity to experiment without a huge price tag and they're more forgiving than super delicate blooms like dahlia or poppies. Plus, if you can make grocery store flowers look beautiful, you're going to have no problem making more luxe flowers look beautiful."

Depending on your OG arrangement idea, you may need more of one type of flower than others. Big, lush arrangements (more focal flowers) are most suitable for special occasions and celebrations, while thinned out arrangements (more line and filler flowers) give off an artsy, experimental vibe.

Some floral combos to try out:

• Rose + Eucalyptus + Tulips
• Dahlia + Ruscus + Ranunculus
• Chrysanthemum + Fern + Cornflower

3. Use color theory.

Color theory isn’t as daunting as you may think. Essentially, you can use color theory as a tool to guide which color flowers you’re buying for your arrangement, and how to place them together.

Using monochrome colors means your arrangement will be the same color all around. You can add different hues of the same color for variety – say you’re crafting a red arrangement – then you can also incorporate some pink shades!

Analogous color palettes make use of like colors. More technically, analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. So, reds are analogous to oranges, and greens are analogous to blue shades. A good way to think about it for beginners is to either work with a warm or cool color palette.

Complementary colors lie directly opposite from each other on the color wheel. Some pairings include red and green, yellow and purple, and blue and orange.These combos are known for their boldness, so move forward with complimentary colors if you’re looking for a jaw-dropping arrangement!

Considering saturation (strength of the color) and contrast (lightness vs. darkness) is also helpful in building an arrangement.

Though design rules like color theory are helpful in floral arranging, sometimes the best way to learn the art is by getting your hands dirty, says Maeva. "Play around with different heights, shapes, textures, and color palettes. So much of floral design is figuring out your personal style, and the only way to make good work is to make some not-so-good work first."

4. Start small.

Begin filling your arrangement with line and filler flowers, and small greenery you’ve collected before adding bigger focal flowers. This provides a good foundation for where you want the arrangement to go. Remember, nothing is permanent, and you can experiment with different placements before you’re finished making your floral arrangement!

5. Play with layering.

Layering flowers refers to the height each bloom is placed. Instead of having every focal flower stand at the same height, you can layer them by trimming the stems at varying lengths, so they lie closer to the lip of the vase you’re using. This adds visual interest and diversity to your floral arrangement! When layering, aim to get a feel for the natural shape of each stem and flower, and cooperate with that.

6. After you're done, be sure to take care of your floral arrangement.

Now that you’ve assembled quite possibly the best beginner floral arrangement, make sure you’re caring for it so it lasts! Checking the water levels each day and topping your vase off when it’s low helps your flowers live longer. Adding flower food is better supports them, too!

"Those little packets of flower food that come with your blooms? Use them! The directions are easy to follow and you'll want to make sure you get the right ratio of food to water for most longevity," says Maeva. "If you don't have flower food, don't fret. Changing the water in your vase every day, keeping your flowers in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and away from any air vents, and giving your stems a fresh cut when you change the water out will go a really long way in keeping your flowers fresher for longer."

If you catch your flowers looking a bit dull, trimming the ends of their stems every few days with shears allows them to drink up the nutrients and water more effectively. Once your arrangement is on the way out, repurpose the petals to make some gorgeous flower DIY projects!

When's the best time to do holiday shopping?

The best time to do holiday shopping really all depends on your personal shopping goals. Do you want to get a jump on items you know will sell out soon? Do you want to save the most money possible? Do you want to focus on handmade, personalized gifts? These factors will undoubtedly influence your holiday shopping schedule.

Shopping early can be advantageous for all of the aforementioned goals. A lot of retailers start promoting their holiday products early on, giving you ample time to snatch up that limited-time lip kit or fancy water bottle you’ve been eyeing way before the holidays.

Plus, some of the best deals for holiday shopping happen ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – in 2023, Experian observed a surge in early spending in October, thanks to early discounts, a trend likely to continue in 2024.

Finally, shopping early can be especially helpful if your plan is to focus on handmade or personalized gifts, giving the artisan you buy from (or yourself, if you’re DIY-ing your gifts) plenty of time to craft the item with love and care.

Gallup reported in 2023 that one in four shoppers start shopping as early as September, a trend likely to continue in 2024 – so you might already be embarking on your shopping spree!

If right now is just still too darn early for you to start holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to shop since so many retailers offer their largest discounts of the entire year. Plus, the late November-early December timeline can feel a bit more appropriate for the gifting season opposed to late October-early November, when everyone’s still recovering from Halloween.

The only thing to consider during this time is the shipping timelines for the items you purchase – but most retailers will typically advise their specific shipping schedules, so you don’t risk your goodies arriving late.

Where should I shop for gifts?

You have three main options when it comes to where to shop for holiday gifts: online, in-store, and via our amazing gift guides. Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping in-store offers a tangible experience: the opportunity to hold specific items in your hands and gauge exactly what they’ll be like when you give them as a gift. The pitfall with shopping in-person is that it typically requires a commute and journeys through potentially very busy malls and shopping strips, which can add to the already-stressful holiday experience.

In-store shopping can be more physically exhausting, but it’s all about preference! Sometimes strolling through the stores that get all dolled up for Christmas is the best part of the season.

Per Google, 65% of those planning to shop for the holidays say they will shop online more. Shopping for gifts online can be super helpful since you can centralize your findings in your browser’s bookmark tab or via virtual cart(s). Plus, shopping online can pose more opportunities for saving some money: lots of retailers typically offer discount codes for online users, especially if you sign up for their digital marketing channels (like email and text) and make a purchase.

Shopping online isn’t just shopping, either. The internet can be a stellar research tool to help you vet whether certain products are worth it, where they can be bought, and when they’ll be available. In fact, Google reported that more than half of U.S. holiday shoppers who went into a store last year say they looked up product reviews online and/or located an item in-store by checking it online.

Last but not least, scrolling gift guides has to be our favorite place to shop for gifts – and not just because we write and publish them.

At their very core, gift guides help streamline the holiday shopping process, alleviating the stress that bubbles up when you’re wondering what the heck to shop for in the first place. Our gift guides are backed by real people, real experiences, and real opinions from our editorial team. We only promote products that we really love and believe in, oftentimes ones we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves.

We have gift guides for just about everyone on your list, with more on the way! Check ‘em out:

• Gifts for Him
• Gifts for Her
• Gifts for Foodies
• DIY + Handmade Gifts
• White Elephant Gifts
• Gift Sets

What are the best kinds of gifts to give?

The best kinds of gifts to give are thoughtful gifts that consider the giftee’s interests, wants, and needs. These gifts can be sentimental, practical, or both simultaneously. What matters most in a gift is that it’ll be meaningful to them past just the holiday season, whether it’s helping them get through daily tasks, reminding them of a memorable trip or event, or giving them small doses of joy.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and unique gifts that reflect the recipient's personality and interests,” says Mia Anderson, Owner of ChicSew. “With the rise of online shopping, many consumers are opting for curated gift boxes or experiences that add a special touch.”

Gift boxes, personalized items, books of interest, self-care goodies, and even gift cards can all be thoughtful gifts depending on the recipient. If you have no clue what your giftee is into, it’s not a bad idea to ask them what they want the most!

“My idea of a great gift is something that is in tandem with the recipient's interest and offers something new to the person, be it learning a new skill, enjoying a calming activity, or simply spending quality time with the family,” says Alfred Christ, Sales Manager & Marketer at Robotime. “This season, we encourage shoppers to shift their focus on quality and the memories their gifts will create and not just merely material aspects.”

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday lands on November 29.

When is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is typcally the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday will land on December 2. Oftentimes, retailers and brands extend their online offers through the week (coined Cyber Week) after the event. Salesforce reported that 67% of shoppers in 2024 plan on shopping during Cyber Week!