Staying with Fiona & her family was one of the best parts of my time in California. Their home is only a five minute drive from the Huntington, where I was doing research, and is also quite close to 'Old Pasadena,' where there was plenty to see & do.
The house is lovely, and because of it's layout I often had the front part of the house (which included my bedroom & bathroom, the front living room, dining room, and the kitchen) to myself. The room was clean, very spacious, and had lots of light thanks to the lovely windows.
Fiona was very communicative throughout my stay, making it easy to answer any questions I had. I enjoyed chatting with her on several occasions when we ran into one another in the kitchen or dining room. She and her two kids are very kind and fun to be around. If you're a light sleeper, though, you might weigh the pros & cons of staying in a home with two young children. There were several times when the kids were eating or playing in the kitchen & dining area later in the evening (10 or 11 PM), and if I wasn't already in the habit of sleeping with earplugs this might've made it difficult to fall asleep.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Fiona's and appreciate her warmth & graciousness.