{gift guide bff + hostess + teacher}

November 30, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

Today I’ve rounded up some of my tried + true favorite things. Everything on this list would make for a great bff + hostess with the most + teacher gift. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect little something for the chicks in my life. You know, the ones that you want to put some extra thought into. The ones that a Starbucks card or bottle of wine just wont cut it. Don’t get me wrong, I like all those things! Ha.

There’s something for the lady who loves to entertain.

The friend that loves to cook.

Or the girl who just loves pretty things.

Oh yeah, and did I mention they are all under $25? Yep. Love my peeps, but I’m also on a budget.

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fashion · jcrew addict · ootd · sale

{metallic ruffle sweater}

November 29, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

Sweater: J.Crew // Denim: GAP // Shoes: Free People

The J.Crew classic merino wool sweater with a metallic sparkly skirted ruffled hem. It takes that plain heather grey sweater up a notch to that perfectly dressy-casual mix. I think this would be perfection for the Holidays too. As always, with a pair of your favorite jeans. My only complaint is that the pink trim does shed a bit. Not enough for me to return it though…it’s too cute.

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Cooking · Food · foodie · Kid Food · kids · Recipe

{peanut butter cup cheerios treats}

November 28, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

Move over Rice Krispies Treats, there’s a new treat in town.

What could be better than Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios + marshmallows? NOTHING! Trust me! Nothing at all.

They’re just as sticky + sweet, but with the new Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios in place of the rice krispies. That’s it!

I fell in love with this cereal. And if you follow me on instagram stories, you are well aware of my new-found love.

I was 100% winging it on this one.

And the results….

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Adventure · Bay Bakes · California · Cooking · Decor · family · fashion · Food · foodie · friends · hiking · home · kids · mom & me · Target · The Pioneer Women · travel · weekend

{weekend notes}

November 27, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving + long weekend. It was the perfect break to spend time with family + friends. Relax. Cook. And do a little exploring too.

Here’s a peek at some of our highlights…..

Baby Daniel cuddles //

This may be our new Friday night thing!

And the best alphabet book finally arrived ♥

AB to Jay-Z

If you’re having alphabet problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but my ABC’s ain’t one.

E is for Eazy E

and he’s cruising down the street in his 6 4

My personal fave….

The book is super cute and we cracked up reading each letter and singing the song that goes with it. Makes a great baby gift. But, the delivery sucks. I ordered this book back in September and it came last week. That’s entirely unacceptable!!

Running of the Turkey’s //

Our Thanksgiving morning tradition. But first, you order grande pikes in venti cups. Have you mom pick them up on the way. Fill them up with Bailey’s! Perfect way to start the cold morning, if you ask me!

Bay ditched us within seconds of finding friends to actually run with. My mom + I are more of the walking with the turkeys. We go at the same speed as the turkey’s on El Dorado + Midway. Slow AF!

Thanksgiving baking //

Bay made the cutest turkey cupcakes.

Super simple too.

Bake cupcakes or buy them at raleys.

Frost.

Add 6 candy corns to a mega stuffed oreo. It’s a thing!

Top with candy eyeballs + a candy corn nose.

Voila!

I whipped up (literally) a pumpkin pie with meringue topping.

Mainly so I could torch the top. I love it!

I got lots of DM’s about my top + the dish……

Pioneer Women Pie Dish (from good ol Walmart)

Shit you not, this top is currently $10!!! That’s a steal.

Use code: SHOPFAST

J.Crew Gingham one-shoulder ruffle top

Thanksgiving //

BIG thanks to Uncle Sal + Aunt Penny for hosting the perfect family feast ♥

I was in charge of setting a pretty table.

Obvi I brought along the eucalyptus + pumpkins + knotted napkins.

GG + Daniel

Olive fingers!

Look at that plate…lol! And a side a chard, in a solo cup!

Followed by a couple rounds of 31.

Girlfriend day date //

Downtown Sacramento is absolutely beautiful this time of year. All the colors of fall.

And I got to #chardsohard with my #1 chard homegirl, Nikki!

Always a good time catching up + laughing our asses off ♥

Waking up in Tahoe //

Is always a good idea! Even spur of the moment.

Left a little Christmas cheer on the cabin door.

Snow //

We found snow. Off the beaten path.

Watching a dog discover snow for the first time was pretty great. She ran around kicking up snow + eating snow + rolling in snow.

Echo Lakes //

Echo Lakes acts as a portal to Desolation Wilderness. With over 63,000 acres of untouched wilderness. So fucking cool!

I’ve driven HWY 50 for years and never even knew this little hidden gem existed till a few years ago. You take the snow park exit and follow the winding roads and signs to the lake.

I finally got to hike around Echo Lake. It’s been on my list to-do. We took the Tahoe Rim trail a couple of miles in.

One of the most scenic trails I’ve been on. Every turn I wanted to take another picture.

I can’t wait to come back in the Spring and take the water ferry to get back in and explore Upper Echo Lake.

Lake Aloha has been added to the Spring to-do’s, that’s for sure!

Cabins are scattered all around the lake. Right on the water. Accessible by boat or hiking only.

They were all boarded up for the winter. Clearly they get a lot of snow.

The trail is well maintained and I think it would be a great day hike even with kids.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas //

Our tree that we cut down over a week ago, was standing undercoated in our living room. We designated Sunday to be our deck the halls day.

George Strait Christmas included……

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Uncategorized

{turkey pot pie}

November 24, 2017November 27, 2017 xoxostacyb4 Comments

Raise your hand if you have leftover turkey coming out your ears!

I’ve got a killer recipe to use up some turkey. Think the ultimate comfort food.

Pot pie.

With a biscuit topping. I may never use a traditional pie crust again.

Look at those cheddar + chive biscuits!!

Here’s what you’ll need:

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Holidays · mom & me

{thankful}

November 23, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! Enjoy the holiday ♥

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Adventure · backpacking · California · Camping · friends · hiking · travel · weekend

{ojai // travelogue part #1 }

November 22, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

And it all started…..

(in Greta’s best Lester Holt voice) 4 girls set of to backpack in the wilderness…lol.

Backpacking trip #2. Same girls. Minus 1.

In case you miss the first backpacking trip, you can read more about that adventure here: {weekend notes}

Almost exactly 2 years later, we hit the road again. This time 320 miles south of home.

Ojai, CA.

I can honestly say, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Although, Ojai is far AF!

A long off the beaten path to our trail head. In the middle of fucking nowhere.

Piedra Blanca Trailhead

Los Padres National Forest – Sespe Wilderness

Here’s a map to give you a better idea.

We met our fearless Treks + Tracks guide, Nick. He was wayyy more chill than our last guide. She was cool as shit, don’t get me wrong. I think Nick may have hit the bottle pretty hard the night before. (I am in no was shape or form hattin on homeboy, it happens to the best of us) Anyway, we had no eating utensils and missing tent poles…thank GOD not ours.

We divvied up all the gear. Sleeping bags + bed rolls + food + tents + polls, etc. Loaded up our packs.

Heavy AF, let me tell ya.

Maybe we had enough food? Maybe we packed too much booze? Nahh.

Oh, and you know I made the girls goodie bags. Bailey’s for our morning coffee…a MUST! That shit was Folgers instant shit. Which I’ve never had till that day. Tylenol for the headache after a night of drinking cheap bagged wine. Glow sticks so we didn’t loose each other. And power bars.

Take a Hike!

But first, let’s take a groupie ♥

We look so clean + happy. Because we were!

• YOU ARE HERE

And we were off. All 8 of us.

Single file.

for miles.

and miles.

at least it seemed 🙂

You could hike this trail about 40 more miles and reach the Grand Canyon. Crazy shit, huh?

We went in about 5 miles! Ha!

If only I could share 360 degrees. You could stand on the trail and turn and in every direction, this is what you’d see.

Through dense goves of oak + bay tress. Then the grassland plainds. Wide valley views. Alongside a creek. Swimming holes too.

This is backpacking southern california.

Our new friend, Nurse Rucci, between Sara + Nicole. Hi Rucci!

Sharing the trail.

Always stay to the left!

About half way to camp, we stopped for a lunch break.

We ate lunch.

These crazy b’s jumped in the cold ass water.

Umm…NO!

Camp

The view from our camp.

This photo does it no justice. It was breathtaking.

The shadow of the trees on the water.

Reminds me of Bob Ross painting.

We set up camp.

Chilled the chard.

#twinning

Continue reading “{ojai // travelogue part #1 }” →

Cooking · Decor · diy · fall · family · Food · foodie · friends · gold · Holiday Whore · Holidays · home

{tip for hosting a stress-free holiday}

November 21, 2017 xoxostacybLeave a comment

T (urkey) minus 2 days! Ha! I had to.

Okay guys, I was thinking last week….

People get so stressed out about hosting. I honestly LOVE it. Weird? Maybe? I think I’ve done it so much that I’m really comfortable opening my home just about anytime of the year. But, Holidays. Holidays are my jam. #holidaywhore.

I wanted to share some tips for stress-free hosting that I think might just make you chill the fuck out a little bit.

Here we go…..

Prep!

Do as much prep as possible ahead of time. This is probably the biggest NO BRAINER! It’s also is the one thing that makes the biggest difference. Stay up late if you have to. Run all your errands on your lunch break. Make shit happen. Groceries + paper products. Grab an extra pack of TP. And definitely DON’T forget lotttsss of wine. That way the day of, you will be smooth sailing!

You don’t have to make everything from scratch!

Cut yourself some slack sister. I guarantee not a single person at your table is going to give a fuck that your rolls came from Nugget. Shit, they might even be better than the 5 hours you could have put into making them from scratch. Don’t chance killing the yeast! How about pies? You think guests aren’t going to smother that Costco pumpkin pie in cool whip and lick their plates clean? Trust me….you’re gonna to be just fine. And if they do mention somthing, then remove them from next years guest list. You don’t want a jerk at your table anyway 🙂

Set your table in advance!

The day before, or maybe even….the week before, take your time. Set a pretty table. Admire it. Pull out all that fancy silverware + china you never use. Have fun with it. Then the night before or the day of, all you have to do is add some greenery or fresh flowers and you’re set.

I went with my forever favorite, eucalyptus. It’s timeless. Goes with everything. You will always find a vase of eucalyptus in my home, year round.

Ask your guests to bring a favorite dish!

Everyone likes to contribute, well except for lazy assholes..Ha. It can get fun to see what your peeps sentimental dish may be. Doesn’t each family have that one weird/odd item they HAVE to have on turkey day? You get to try something new and hear a fun background story as to how this dish became so important. Ours would have to be pretzel jello salad. Every time a newbie comes to Thanksgiving they never know what to think. But you better believe they ask for seconds.

{Anna’s beautiful charcuterie platter}

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family · Food · foodie · friends · Holidays · kids · mom & me · Recipe · weekend

{weekend notes}

November 20, 2017 xoxostacyb3 Comments

Happy Monday. Happy Thanksgiving week/short week! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Here’s a little peak at ours……

Intentions for the week:

Friendsgiving x2
Go to the damn gym (it’s been over a week)
Enjoy time with family + friends
Set a pretty table
Christmas cards in the mail…Early AF, I know. It’s how I roll.
Make Monkey Bread + Turkey Pot Pie
Dickens in the Valley Tickets
Catch up with Stover
Decorate the Christmas Tree
Toss all the pumpkins
Go through Christmas bins (shit you not, I’ve got 6 bins filled to the top)
Hold my new nephew as much as possible
Running of the Turkey’s
To Black Friday or not? Still deciding.

Highlights from the weekend…..

Baby love //

I got to give my new nephew lots of squeezes this weekend ♥

I could hold him forever and never get tired of it. Until he cries, then I pass him to his mama 🙂

Spencer turned 1 //

We celebrated Spencer’s 1st birthday!

The cake smash.

Bay would have kept Spencer’s gift, had I let her.

I was over served. And I can’t blame it on Martini Mama Liz this time.

Watched //

I rented The House. For the second time. The first time I paid like $16 and never watched the damn movie. Redbox won that time. So, I rented it again. Do you ever just want to watch a funny movie? This is it. Dumb AF, but funny AF. Just want I wanted/needed. Will Ferrell + Amy Poehler play the part of parents. Start an illegal casino in their neighbor’s house to make money to send their daughter to college. They get busted. Picture those two characters as parents?

Holiday Cards //

Stamped + ready for the mailbox. The day after Thanksgiving? Maybe? Melika beat me!

Trader Joe’s //

I’m talking more about hosting + prepping tomorrow on the blog. But, I always make a Trader Joe’s pit stop for fresh eucalyptus + Bogle chard. Two key players in any dinner party. Don’t you think?

Apple Hill //

Fall Bucket List √

Christmas Tree Hunting!

I know. Not before Thanksgiving. I say fuck it. Do what you want…ha.

Not to mention that the weekend before Thanksgiving is the calm before the storm. I may get my tree this weekend forever. Have you been to Apple Hill on the weekend? Then you know what I’m talking about.

We had no traffic. No lines. It was perfect.

We chose Harris Tree Farm this year. Mainly because it’s one of the ONLY tree farms open before Thanksgiving..lol.

My Tree hunters!

We walked up and down the acres of tree hunting for the perfect tree.

We found it! Gram found one too!

Adorable ornaments that come with the purchase of a tree.

Harris Tree Farm is the one stop Apple Hill shop!

Cut a Tree

Sit on Santa’s lap

Apple cider donuts

Full Bakery + Lunch options too

Lot’s of decorations for sale. Ornaments + wreaths + reindeer.

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Decor · friday · Holiday Whore · Holidays · kids · mom & me · Products · Target · weekend

{friday 5}

November 17, 2017 xoxostacyb1 Comment

Happy Friday. The 3rd Friday in November. You know what that means? We are inching closer + closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s truly the best time of the year. Peeps get all festive AF and happy. It’s magical. I love it. Full disclosure, I’ve already started decorating for Christmas. I swore I’d wait, but I just cant help myself.

ONE – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas // I narrowed down my color scheme and I’m ready to decorate. Our new home is pretty small compared to our old house. This years Christmas decor goals: minimalist Christmas. All the feels without it being overwhelming or too much. Subtle. White + splashes of plaid + silver + gold. What do you think?

ps…we’re also getting our tree this weekend. Fuck it. Christmas before Thanksgiving. I guess that’s breaking the rules. But you know what they say about rules? They’re meant to be broken!

Tree Collar // Table Runner // Plaid Napkins // Tree Candle // Wood Bowl // Reindeer Baskets

TWO – Target // Speaking of Target…..Spend $50 on food + beverage get a $10 giftcard. Plus K-cups are buy one get one 1/2 off. I did my grocery shopping for Friendsgiving + Thanksgiving yesterday sitting at my computer. Walked in Target last night and went straight to the Customer Service desk. Picked up my shit. And I was on my merry way. I didn’t buy a single thing that I didn’t need. Record-fucking-breaking! Try it! Saves money + time and I think we could all use a little more of that around this time of the year!

Click here to shop: Free $10 gift card when you spend $50 on food & beverages.*

THREE – Conference // This week was parent teacher conferences at Bay’s school. They do it a little different in the 6th grade though. They do student lead conferences. It’s really cool. The kids are given a list of items to show the parents. We went through the whole list, then it said…..

Have your parents do a math problem on the white board.

HOLY FUCK!

I got so hot. I was straight up panicking. Bay is GREAT at math. Her favorite subject to be exact. Me, not so much. I’m terrible. I use my calculator for ev-ery-thing!

I think Bay could see the fear in my eyes…lol. She offered to go up and help me out. I wanted to bust out my phone a couple of times. But, together we solved the math problem.

Moral of the story – I suck at math! Big time!

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