The first thing you should know that Christina is hands-down the best host I’ve experienced using Airbnb. She is a proactive communicator, responsive, and really considerate. She and her daughter prepared a lovely gift basket for my little girls. It was just the kindest thing and helped set a feeling of warmth and care from the start.
The house was perfect for our needs. We were traveling as a family of five—mom, dad, two girls aged five and two, and my mom joined us on this trip as well.
Having two little ones, we usually have to rearrange our Airbnbs to put breakable things out of reach and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to keep everything “Architecture Digest perfect” while living life with little kids, etc. But at Christina’s, she already thought about that and keeps the house cozy and minimal, limiting the worry about the damage curious little hands can do.
The backyard is beautifully done. If you’re the more anxious type (like me), there are two levels to the backyard with a significant drop between the two. So if you have little ones who are in their “boundary-testing” phase (like me), you’ll have to be on your toes when you’re out there. My kids loved the trampolines on the lower level (who would have though putting multiple trampolines together would be so fun?!?), and my mom enjoyed more than one sunny nap on the covered patio. I didn’t use the pool as much as I’d hoped because while the weather was certainly warm by Seattle standards (where we are from), it was not warm enough to heat an unheated pool enough to my liking. My five-year-old, however, is evidently made of tougher stuff than her mom and got in the pool multiple times a day and loved it.
Also, you should know that Christina is absolutely telling the truth about her serious dedication to bed comfort! The beds and sheets were super comfy in every room!
We were in San Diego mostly to visit an ailing relative, so it was a Godsend to call be able to find rest, comfort, and joy at Christina’s home during this trip.