Wha? How is it the end of the week already? Not that I'm complaining! But I am kind of sad that July is almost over. It truly disappeared in front of my eyes, but I suppose that happens every time doesn't it?  The good thing about summer out here in the East Bay is that it's not just a 3 month affair like it is back east. It lasts forever, really taking the pressure off of June, July and August.

My mind and body still haven't really grasped this fact yet, though. I still have a sense of guilt whenever I'm doing something inside and the sun is shining out there. Like, "get outside now, you awful, lazy person, the sun is shining, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!". But then I just tell my New England conscience to get out of my head! The sun actually shines 24/7, so I can choose which days to spend outside or inside according to my own free will. So there.

Okay yep, wow, soliloquy over! Here's my first in a hopefully ongoing series of monthly favorites. A collection of all the little things I'm loving right now.

Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer. Got this suggestion from one from one of my Boston besties, Linds. Thank you Linds! This cream is delightful. It's filled with antioxidants, and all sorts of magic ingredients that keep your skin feeling firm and glowy. It's pricier than I normally go for, but the little jar is lasting me forever. It makes my skin feel like a million bucks, and the feeling lasts all day. My face never feels even slightly oily or dry anymore as long as I've used this lotion! Cherry on top -  it smells like crisp, fresh, roses....ahhh heavenly.

Batiste Dry Shampoo, Light & Blonde. I've never been huge into dry shampoo, but I recently discovered this stuff and I'm obsessed. I have fine hair that gets greasy looking if I don't wash it, made even worse by dark roots which I normally have. This stuff is a miracle because not only does it make hair feel clean, fresh and dry, but it also covers up roots with it's "hint of color"! It makes my hair look awesome, even better than the days that I actually do wash my hair.

Jimbo's pancakes! He's been whipping up these amazing gems daily. He uses one part almond meal with one part whole wheat flour mixed with some combination of coconut milk, eggs, TJ's pure bourbon vanilla extract, and.... I think that's it. He eyeballs it. We add flax seeds and berries and butter and agave syrup and whatever else we have on hand, and we share a pancake the size of your kitchen sink. I hope this turns out to be an August "Love It" as well - I don't want this to stop.

Jason Healthy Mouth Tartar Control Toothpaste. This might be a boring thing to review. Well sorry about that. We have found our forever toothpaste, and it sure feels good. And yes it's all natural. Call us hippies, call us crunchy, call us whatever you want, but you haven't tried toothpaste until you've tried this delicious tea tree and cinnamon oil rendition. It does all the nice things "regular" toothpaste does but without the harsh chemicals and whatnot.

This book. I've loved every one of Khaled Hosseini's books, and even though I'm only a few chapters in, this one's no different. So far my favorite has been A Thousand Splendid Suns, the verdict is out on whether this one will come ahead. I'll let you know!

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Roof Prism Binoculars. Umm yes, as you may have guessed, Jimbo gets all the credit for this one. "10x magnification, 42-millimeter binoculars in camo with premium carry case, neck-strap, microfiber lens cloth, and binocular harness." Blah blah blah, the point is, it's really fun to look at things that are really far away. Especially when you're in the middle of a bird obsession like J and I are right now. These binocs are legit, and (obviously) fun 'cause they're camo.

E.l.f. Eye shadow. from Target. I've never really been one to splurge on beauty products, especially makeup. I keep it simple. This is why the discovery of E.l.f. makeup is groundbreaking for me. This eye shadow was $3! And it's totally legit! I'm using it every day. It's pretty, the packaging works, and it stays on and everything....what is their secret?




Oooh this was fun! Hopefully it's as fun to read as it is to write.

In other news, my sister Stephanie is going to be writing some guest posts 'round here, which is super awesome. Welcome, my dear!


Have a beautiful weekend, all.

Bodega (Part 2) + a Happy List

Happy Friday mon amie! This weekend, Jimbo and I are driving into the Sierra Nevadas for the weekend to visit our dear friends Meg and Tony. They're house sitting up in the middle of nowhere, on a 20-acre ranch with 4 dogs, 2 horses, 2 cats, and gorgeous views. We're heading up to benefit from their good fortune and soak it all in!

But first, here are the rest from our Memorial Day trip up to Bodega Bay (first part here).

We woke up on Memorial Day to a light drizzle, and knew that we'd need coffee immediately to tackle the task of packing up tents, towels and blankets that had been sitting out in wet sand all night. Jimbo and I headed out to the town of Bodega Bay to grab some. Bodega Bay is where a majority of the movie The Birds was filmed; appropriate due to the beautiful creepiness of the "surrounding bleak treeless hills, quiet fishing harbor and fog". We went for just a coffee, but I have zero ability to walk past any small-town "general store" without going inside. So we went in, and ended up bringing fresh homemade clam chowder, garlic bread, and pickled eggs back to camp for breakfast (going into the General Store is never a bad idea).

We spent the rest of our time on the coast walking beaches and staring at this adorable group of baby harbor seals. They were super fun to watch. They're so cute and fat and lazy, and they have to scoot around like an inch worm to move which is hilarious. I <3 them. Turns out they are terrified of umbrellas, and when Jimbo started twirling ours (why did he do this? I don't know) they all scurried into the water. Seal show's over.

Then we obviously HAD to take Caitlin and Eddie to In-in-Out on the way home. Actually, the only time we let ourselves binge on fast food is when we have visitors come that just have to try In-in-Out...so come visit, everyone. Please.

 

Before getting back to the East Bay we stopped at Muir Woods, "the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world", so that C&E could check out the gorgeous redwoods.

 

Finally, back in the East Bay, we took them to the top of our backyard friend Mt. Diablo. A mountain-top sunset with red wine and good friends is a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.

 

Besides reliving this lovely Bodega weekend, here are a few thing that have been making me happy lately:

 

1. Burma Superstar in Oakland. Just saying the name makes my mouth water! My sis and I checked it out on Sunday, and I've been daydreaming of their platha (multi layered bread served with a coconut chicken curry sauce) and 22 ingredient rainbow salad ever since.

2. This video. When was the last time you laughed so hard that you had tears streaming down your face?? And you had to pause the video to catch your breath so you could watch the rest and not miss anything? This video of a girl playing with her special effects camera might make you pee your pants.

3. The new Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. I came upon this somehow and am so glad I did. Even though I literally watched the whole first season in just 3 days, and lost massive amounts of sleep the last few nights because of it...I don't care, it was worth it! It's about a woman who is sent to prison for a mistake that happened 10 years ago in her prior life, and how she handles the issues and relationships in her new "home". The characters are amazing, and it made me laugh, cry, and be scared. Just try it.

 

 

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!! 

Bodega (Part 1):: According to iPhone Pictures

Last night Jimbo asked me the most wonderful little question before bed. He said "what have been your happiest moments lately?". I went on to list about a million from the past few months, but there were quite a few strong recurring themes. In each of my happiest "wow I am so lucky" moments, I was:

1. outside

2. with friends

3. exploring a new place

4. next to Jimmy

Usually with some food or beverage in hand. And always with some beautiful nature expanse before me, whether it be a field of flowers, the ocean, or a star filled sky. The memories were a great way to fall asleep.

It's nice to know what makes you happiest, and it's even nicer to know how often I'm coming across times like these lately. Since we've moved here, we've been lucky enough to have quite a few fun, food and nature filled weekend. One of which was when our dear friends Caitlin and Eddie, fellow explorers, came to visit from Boston and we ventured up to Bodega Bay together.

We ventured up Route 1 (the scenic route of course) and camped at Bodega Dunes Campgrounds, right in Sonoma Coast State Park. We slept on a little sandy knoll under the pine trees, and had the beach and the Pacific as our backyard. Our first day was for beach exploring and relaxing; sunsets, card playing and beer. 

The next day we tasted wine at one of our favorite wineries; Dutcher Crossing in Geyserville.  We explored a couple more in Dry Creek as well, then stopped at the Dry Creek General Store (which by the way is one of those adorable places you could just wander around all day. amazing local books and wines. rustic Italian sandwiches. rustic everything. a bar. wrap around porch and people watching. LoVe!).

But we made sure to save some energy for Oysterpalooza in Valley Ford, at Rocker Oysterfeller's. Ahhhmazing. Six bands, two stages, BBQ oysters, Fried Oyster Po Boys, BBQ Brisket, Lagunitas on draught, Dry Creek wines, hay bales, fairy lights, dancing, and friends. How can you beat it?

 

There are actually even more pics from this happy-inducing trip, but I will save those for another time. And did anyone wonder why my own face was popping up so much more than usual in these photos? It's because the lovely Caitlin shared her gems with me! Thanks @caitk86 for sharing your instagrams!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Getaway Weekend: Mendocino County

A few months ago, two of my very favorite people came to visit from Boston. It just so happened to be my birthday, so we decided to gather a couple more of my favorite people and make an occasion out of it! We packed up the cars and drove up the infamous Route 1, heading to Manchester, CA where we had rented a quaint and lovely beach home through AirBnB.

As usual the coastal drive was beautiful, and we stopped along the way to show our guests the shocking and colorful cliff views that Northern CA offers.

 

We spent every morning on the deck, snuggled up with blankets on the adirondacks drinking coffee, watching birds and families of deer as we listened to the ocean crash. Just down the road was a pathway to Irish Beach, which we had all to ourselves. On our first day we visited the beach to play and explore before heading home for a makeshift dinner (warning: you won't find open grocery stores at 8pm anywhere near Manchester, CA!), and an evening of wine and board games.

Early on April 19th, my birthday, we decided we'd visit the ocean again and trek up to the adorable town of Mendocino for some sightseeing and dinner...but the day was bittersweet, and definitely one of my most memorable birthdays yet. Back in Boston our city was in the middle of a crisis, and our friends' and families' lives were in disarray as everyone waited on the edge of their seats for the marathon-bomber "bad guys" to be caught after four days of held breaths.

It felt surreal to be safe and sound in this idyllic paradise while we listened intently to the news and tried to picture what was happening only blocks from my sister's apartment in Watertown, MA. We felt nervous together, but also safe, and guilty for feeling safe when so many at home weren't enjoying that luxury. And I felt extra guilty, both for enjoying myself in Mendocino while the drama occurred at home, and for secretly wishing that the whole climax and finale could have happened the day before or the day after my birthday.

We kept our day moving, visiting the lighthouse and finding beach treasures, as we checked in with the radio and with our family and friends. And finally as we made it into Mendocino, just before reluctantly leaving the car (and with it the radio), we heard the good news that everyone had been waiting for - that the suspect was alive and under arrest, and that officers and neighbors were safe. We celebrated both occasions in town before heading back to our comfy beach house for more news radio interspersed with games and star gazing.

The next day we enjoyed one last day in this gorgeous part of the state, exploring redwoods, discovering terrifyingly huge slugs, and tasting (beer, wine & pizza) our way down Route 128 in the Anderson Valley. This part of wine country has a laid back vibe, often offering free tastings (unlike what you'll find in Napa) and sommeliers who have the time to talk to you about the wine and the surrounding area. We sipped and swirled and made our way south, concluding with the most amazing pizza at Diavola in Geyserville.

It was such an amazing weekend of exploring with friends, and Boston is all the stronger because of the events that week. I'm so thankful for my friends who joined me for this memorable weekend!

Happy Monday, everyone!!