Last week I asked you to take a break from the mental load and I meant it. This week I want to take it further because if I am being honest, I have been running on empty. Not in a way that is obvious from the outside. Everything is still getting done, everyone is still taken care of, the calendar is still moving. But somewhere in the middle of all of it I stopped taking care of myself. Not intentionally. It just kept getting pushed to tomorrow and tomorrow kept becoming next week and at some point I looked up and realized I could not remember the last time I did something that was just for me. Not for the kids, not for the house, not for anyone on my list. Just for me. I think you might know exactly what I am talking about. This week is about changing that. Not with a big overhaul or a new routine or a promise to yourself that you will start fresh on Monday. Just one decision, made today, to treat yourself like someone who also matters in your own life. You show up for everyone else without thinking twice about it. This week I want you to do that for yourself. See you next Thursday.
Now let’s get into the good stuff…
What’s New
Zov’s
If you have been to Zov's in Tustin, Newport Coast, or Irvine you already know what this brand is about. If you have not, now is the perfect time to be introduced because the San Clemente location that just opened on Avenida Del Mar on April 28th is the best version of it yet. Founded in 1987 by Chef Zov Karamardian, a woman who is credited with introducing Mediterranean cuisine to Orange County before anyone knew what hummus was, Zov's has been a quietly beloved OC institution for nearly four decades. The San Clemente location is what CEO Armen Karamardian describes as a 2.0 reimagining of the brand, designed specifically for its coastal home with a fresh aesthetic, indoor-outdoor dining, a large bar, and an upstairs private dining space overlooking Del Mar that is already one of the most romantic seats in South OC.
The food is California-Mediterranean done with real intention. The Mezze Platter is the essential starting point, the Pistachio Roasted Sea Bass and Short Rib Pappardelle are the standout entrees, and the signature Kabob Plate and Moroccan Salmon round out a menu that covers serious ground without losing focus. The cocktail program is strong, the hospitality is warm and personal in a way that a family-run restaurant earns over time and cannot fake, and the setting on Avenida Del Mar with the upstairs patio makes it a natural choice for a date night that actually feels like an occasion. This one just opened so get there before the rest of South OC figures it out. Located at 155 Avenida Del Mar in San Clemente.
Friday Pizza Night
Ballpark Pizza
BallPark Pizza Team has been feeding Mission Viejo families for over 30 years and the loyalty runs deep. This is a sports-themed neighborhood pizza parlor in the truest sense, with big screens, a relaxed atmosphere, cold beer on tap, and the kind of Friday night energy where kids are running around and nobody minds. The staff is mostly local high school and college students working their first jobs, and the owners have always been intentional about that, investing in the community that has kept them going for three decades. Reviewers who have been coming since their own school days now bring their kids.
The pizza is what keeps people coming back. Thin and crispy crust loaded with toppings, cheese that stretches when you pull a slice, and a sauce that reviewers describe as the reason they cannot go anywhere else. The portions are generous and the prices are genuinely reasonable, which for a family of four is not a small thing. Gluten-free crust is available, the baked wings come up in reviews constantly as a must-order, and the garlic bread and chicken nachos are solid starters. Fair warning from the owners themselves: Friday nights are loud, busy, and full of kids. If you want a quieter dinner go on a weeknight. If you want the full experience, Friday is the move. Open Monday 2 to 8:30 PM, Tuesday through Thursday 11 AM to 8:30 PM, Friday and Saturday 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 8:30 PM. Located at 28813 Los Alisos Boulevard in Mission Viejo.
Friday Fun
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
San Clemente does Cinco de Mayo right and this annual fiesta at Max Berg Plaza Park is one of the best free community events of the spring. The city leans fully into the celebration with live entertainment across multiple stages including mariachi, Ballet Folklorico performances, and live bands that bring real energy to an already festive afternoon. This is not a watered-down community gathering. It is a proper fiesta with authentic food, a beer garden for the adults, artisan vendors, and a kids area packed with activities including face painting, carnival games, crafts, inflatables, and a rock climbing wall.
The event runs from 2 to 6 PM which makes it a perfect Saturday afternoon out after a morning at the beach or a stop at one of the coffee shops on Avenida Del Mar. Admission to the event itself is free. Kids activities require a wristband which runs $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents, with a discount if you pre-purchase more than one in the same transaction. Wristbands can be pre-purchased online or in person at the San Clemente Community Center until Friday May 1 at 4 PM. Day-of wristband sales are card only. Parking around the park is limited so plan to use free parking at the San Clemente Community Center about a 15-minute walk away. Located at Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente in San Clemente.
Movement & Motivation
Hype and Tone
Nikki Carlson is a mother of three who built her own fitness method from scratch and the community that has gathered around it tells you everything you need to know about what she created. Hype and Tone is a whole-body, mat-based method that blends strength training, rhythmic coordination, and low-impact cardio into a single class choreographed entirely to music. The format runs five days a week with three strength days targeting one muscle group at a time with a signature focus on glutes, and two step and core days featuring full-body endurance work and extensive mat training. It is high energy and precise without ever being intimidating, and the results people describe after consistent attendance are significant.
What sets it apart is the combination of things that are genuinely hard to find in one place. The music is dialed in, the moves are creative enough to stay interesting but accessible enough that you do not need a dance background to follow along, and Nikki does not over-talk the class. She cues, she lets you work, and she corrects form without making you feel singled out. The studio itself is light, airy, clean, and welcoming in a way that reviewers describe as a sisterhood rather than a gym. One reviewer started attending in her postpartum body feeling completely out of place and has been going five days a week for a year, saying she has been slowly finding herself again through it. If that does not tell you what this studio is about nothing will. Classes run weekday mornings starting at 5 AM, closed weekends. Book at hypeandtone.com. Located at 32773 Calle Perfecto in San Juan Capistrano.
Remember, the people in your life need you but they need the real you. Not the version that is running on fumes and white-knuckling her way through the week. This week do one thing that brings her back. It does not have to be big. It just has to be yours.
See you next Thursday!
