{weekend notes}

Posted in Adventure, California, family, hiking, Holidays, kids, Lake Tahoe, mom & me, Summertime, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

Serious case of the Holiday hangover going on over here. Butttt, it is Wednesday (HAPPY HUMP DAY)…NOT Monday, so I’ll pound Starbucks all day and keep my complaining to a minimum.

How was your 4th? The 4th is my favorite, but I think I’ve already told you that about 381 times now! Summertime! I feel like we tend to live a wilder life. Don’t you think? Stay up later than normal. Cut out of work early on Friday’s! Drive with the windows down. Wake up with golden shoulders. Dip in the Lake. Drink a little more. Road trips. Adventures! The summer just makes me feel alive! I am desperately trying to live in the moment and soak up these sunny days the very best I can!

Annddd, who else wants to vote for 4-day weekends, year round?

We spent the last 4 days in Tahoe at our Family cabin on South Shore. You guys….the weather was insanely beautiful.

I live for summer weekends like these…..

Strawberry Lodge Pit Stop //

Because it’s a tradition. Always. Even if you’re solo. Luckily I noticed a car when I pulled in the parking lot Friday evening 🙂 Fancy seeing them here!!! They have the very best jukebox. We play Janis Joplin every single time. And the bar sings along.

Bear Greetings //

We were greeted by Cinnamon the neighborhood bear. We named him that a couple of years ago. I think Benny did actually. Because of his cinnamon color! We see him every trip.

Cards on the deck //

31 is played more times that I can count. Clearly Joe was holding a shitty hand, like I was. I didn’t walk away with a single win!

Bike Rides //

I love that they still have bike parade decor on their bikes. Even Bay’s balloon made it all the way from Woodland. There is a cute little park a couple of blocks up the road. That’s where you can find these kids!

Benny Bears helmet kills me 🙂

My red solo cup runneth over!! With chard!

In the Kitchen //

Isn’t the kitchen always the main hub? We cook, a lot. Eat, alot.

Coffee out of Poop-A-Doop’s mug on the porch every morning. One of the reasons I roll out of bed…around 8ish. And the smell of breakfast cooking.

We celebrated Kissey’s Birthday. Chicken tortilla casserole + GG’s italian green beans + tomato + avocado salad + french bread…heaven!!

Bay whipped up pretzel crust brownies. Goole it! BOMB.com!

Lunch lady making beach sandwiches.

Bacon wrapped hotdogs. There were alright. I need to perfect them, then many I’ll post more about these dogs.

Beaches //

We live for beach days! All of us ♥

Our all time favorite beach – Pope Beach! Just up the road a few miles from our cabin.

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4Jul2017

{red + white + blue}

Posted in California, Crafting, diy, family, Holidays, kids, Lake Tahoe, Summertime by xoxostacyb

Happy 4th of July peeps! We are all kinds of patriotic over here in Tahoe! Just how I like it. Red + white + blue ♥

Here’s a fun little game to play with you’re kiddos today….

Bingo // How cute, right? Best part…it’s a free download. I’ve got them printed up and ready to play with the kids tomorrow in celebrating of the 4th of July 🙂

Oriental Trading 4th Of July Bingo

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26Jun2017

{weekend notes}

Posted in Bike Parade, California, friends, Holidays, kids, Summertime, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

Happy Monday! Is anyone else’s head spinning from such a fast weekend? It was here and gone before I knew it. From the coast to our Annual 4th of July Bike Parade, it was a good one.

Here are the highlights….

Hooky //

Bay + I played hooky Thursday. I took a couple of days off work and Bay ditched summer camp.

Starbucks cheers to that!!!

She somehow convinced me she needed a gallon of glue. Which means SLIME for days. Which calls for the Slime Dance!!

Lunch date with a bacon sandwich please 🙂

Loved our morning together. We kept saying we felt like rebels for not being at school/work!!

The Coast //

I spent Thursday – Saturday along the coast. The weather was out of this world. You guys, I wore a jacket. It was sunny and 70’s during the day. Absolute perfection.

Dinner at The Broiler Steak House. Look at that wine pour! As soon as the server walked up with that glass of chard, I knew it was going to be a fine dinning experience. And it was!!!

Little River Inn has the cutest golf course. Between the random deer crossing and the stunning ocean views, this is a fun 9-hole course. With a beer in hand, of course. It was Friday!!

The second best part of being on the coast, (the beaches obvi being first) the seafood. Abalone. Halibut. Salmon. Oh and the clam chowder.

Glass Beach //

I finally got to cross this off my to-do list. It was worth the wait. Did you know there are actually 3 glass beaches? Me either…lol!

I also had to google glass beach. Why in the hell is there glass all over the beach? It’s broken down glass from a dump site. Isn’t that crazy? One of the most beautiful beaches due to garbage. Either way it’s worth the stop!

In 1906, Fort Bragg residents established an official water dump site behind the Union Lumber Company onto what is now known as “Site 1”. Most water fronted communities had water dump sites discarding glass, appliances, and even vehicles. Locals referred to it as “The Dumps.” Fires were often lit to reduce the size of the trash pile.

Various cleanup programs were undertaken through the years to correct the damage. Over the next several decades, what was biodegradable in the dump sites simply degraded and all the metal and other items were eventually removed and sold as scrap or used in art.

The pounding waves broke down the glass and pottery and tumbled those pieces into the small, smooth, colored pieces that often become jewelry quality and that cover Glass Beach and the other two glass beaches (former dump sites) in Fort Bragg

I broke the law, I think? I couldn’t help but take a couple pretty souvenirs.

Bike Parade //

Sunday we celebrated our 8th Annual Bike Parade. Lots of kids. Lots of bikes. Lots of donuts. Lots of beer. Lot of balloons. Lots of laughs.

before….

after…..

We made GG the master of ceremonies. Decorated walker and all.

As you can see, we pimped her ride 🙂 And she was proud of it!

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19Jun2017

{weekend notes}

Posted in California, friday, friends, kids, Spring, weekend by xoxostacyb

~~Good Morning.~~ Good Afternoon! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and were able to carve out a little time for the special Father figures in your life. We had another great weekend. And like I said Friday, we took a quick trip to Salinas to visit friends and beat the heat.

Here’s some weekend highlights…..

We brake for burgers //

Inside out burgers, as Bay used to call it when she was younger. We still refer to it as Inside out and she gets annoyed 🙂 It’s always our go-to stop whenever we are taking a road trip. I recently downloaded a new map app, Waze. Recommenced by my homegirl Nikki! It’s the shit. Download it! It made it super easy to find the closest Inside Out burger from the freeway.

S A L I N A S ♥ //

We pulled up to the Hostert’s house around 7:15pm and it was 70 degrees. It was still wayyy into the 100’s back in Woodland at this time.

I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but I just love Salinas and their Father Of the Bride house. The neighborhood and this house make me think of the movie every time drive up.

Nicole’s orchid has got me wanting one for my dinning room table too. How fucking gorgeous is her plant?!?!

We stayed up extra late….Nicole + I drinking wine and catching up. (although we didn’t even finish one bottle #recordbreaking) While the girls talked slime 🙂

Hank the Tank! He’s go to be the biggest black lab I’ve ever seen. And he’s a helluva boomerager too!

We woke up to a breakfast burrito delivery. I swear Nicole legit has the kindest friends. This is the second time this has happened while I was visiting. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this…..El Charrito is the breakfast burrito king. Nicole knows when I’m in town, this is a must! The charizo + egg is bomb.com. This time I tried the chile verde and it was almost as amaze as the charizo.

Bay was skeptical. She tried the ham + cheese. Anddd….she’s too, a huge fan!

Pool day at Chamisal is also a must! This place is beautiful. And do you see the video below….75 degrees at 11:15 am! Perfection!

The margaritas!

The poolside lunch delivery!

I love that Brian was Regan’s burger holder. He just sat there and held her burger in one had and her ranch dip in th other. She would lean in and take a bite. I love her!

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12Jun2017

{weekend notes}

Posted in California, Food, foodie, friday, friends, hiking, jcrew addict, Kaia, kids, weekend by xoxostacyb

Hey hey hey! Happy Monday! I feel like I haven’t ~~written~~, I mean typed, those words in sooo long. Tell me, how the heck are you guys doing? How was your weekend? Lots of exclamation points, I hope! 🙂

Here’s some of my highlights…..

Last day of school //

Friday was the last day of school/last day of the 5th grade. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, I have a 6th grader. OMG! How in the world did that happen? Followed by a perfect report card, one again. She grew (literally) so much over her 5th grade year, its unreal. Bay spent the day swimming at the Nelson pool with her favorite homies. Thanks for the fun afternoon Tom + Robin!!!

Pizza + Wine at the Truitt’s //

We watched Charley take off on his bike minus training wheels. So cute. Seems like years ago Bailey learned to ride a bike. It brought back memories.

Pizza, my personal Friday night jam. And chard. And Yahtzee! It was good!

No pictures. I never looked at my phone 🙂

Measurements //

Post BRIK weight/measurements happened Saturday morning. I’ll be sharing more this week. Thank you Coach Kori + Coach Kaitlyn for waiting for my late (as always) ass! The new CORE sessions began today!! I chose to sleep in though. FML! See you Wednesday.

Swim meet //

Bay’s first swim meet of the year. I watched my girl come in first (for her heat) for the backstroke. So proud of her.

Lunch with Mom //

We tried out the new Midtown Cantina Alley. I’ve had this spot on my list of places to try since they opened in April. This little gem is located in the center of Jazz Alley! They killed it with the atmosphere, decor and ambiance. You feel like you’re in Mexico! It’s authentic AF.

Obvi we started with the margarita la sandia. They claim it’s for 2 peeps, but I can’t lie, I could have polished it off all on my own 🙂

We shared the flautas + fish tacos. If you make a trip to this place, you MUST order the fish tacos. It was a fried (which I’m not always a fan of) red snapper that was to die for.

I’ll be back!

Martini Mama Liz //

When Jerry + Liz invite you over for dinner. You say “absolutely!” Because….

Jerry one helluva chef. Just take a look at that risotto.
Liz makes the VERY BEST martini’s ever! Hence her nickname, Martini Mama Liz!
It’s always a good time.
The conversations are always something we talk about for weeks…lol.
It comes with an Uber 🙂 #jerry

Good times as always! Can’t wait for next time!!

And take a look at their beautiful backyard!!

(somehow I didn’t get a single picture with Korine:( )

* I wore this top two nights in a row…ha! Thanks J.Crew factory for making the most comfy off the shoulder tee. It’s marked down to $24 today and comes in 4 color options.

Off the shoulder T-shirt

Blue Ridge Hike //

We woke up early AF and headed to Berryessa to hit the Blue Ridge Trail before every other mother in the world made it there! I haven’t hiked this trail since, I believe 2014? It’s crazy how much different spots on the trail looked since the fire. This 4.75 mile loops is killer. Not only on your legs + ass, but the views are just as killer.

This is the ONLY way from the parking lot to the trail.

We headed up the Homestead route aka THE STAIRS!

Here’s an idea of what a portion of the trail looks like.

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19May2017

{friday 5}

Posted in California, Cooking, fashion, fitness, health, Healthy, Kaia, kid style, kids, ootd, Recipe, Spring, Target by xoxostacyb

Man oh man, this week felt like it would NEVER end. TGIF!! What’s on the weekend agenda? I made shit happen this week…clean car, full tank of gas, groceries purchased, yard work done, meals planned…which means only one thing. I get to #chardsohard and lay out in the sun with every spare minute this weekend! Whoop Whoop!

I’ve got 5 things on my mind…..

ONE – Cold shoulder for girls // I have to admit, I wasn’t sure I was down with this trend on my daughter. Anyone other mamas feeling the same? Don’t get my wrong….I’m all about the cold shoulder for me. But, my 10-year-old? I had to remember how obsessed I get with new fashion trends. She’s my daughter…it’s in her DNA to love the same things I do. So, I caved and bought her one. No wonder Bay fell in love with this adorable cold shoulder flutter sleeve top. Cute, Stylish + Trendy!

And those blue eyes….I die ♥

Cat & Jack Cold Shoulder Top

TWO – Grilled Mango Salad // Not really sure why I call this a salad? Salads don’t have to contain leafy greens, right? Think potato salad. Or pasta salad? Fruit salad. So guess what I did? Googled that shit…..

Salad

a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients.

Grilled Mango SALAD it is!

It’s the perfect combo of sweet, spicy, sour and salty flavors. If you like a good kick, this is your salad!

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1 red jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, cut into slices
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I forgot this ingredient and knew something was missing)

Here’s what you’ll do:

Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice and jalapenos in a small bowl. Set aside.

Coat mango slices with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt + pepper. Heat grill pan over high heat until smoking hot (literally). Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mango slices and cook without touching for 4 minutes. You want nice grill marks. Flip and cook 2 additional minutes. Then place on platter.

Combine renaming 1 tablespoon lime juice with sour cream stirring till thinned out and smooth.

Spoon jalapenos over grill mangoes. Drizzle with sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime slices.

I served this “salad” alongside grilled pork tenderloin. But, this would be a great taco Tuesday side, don’t you think?

THREE – Kaia Challenge // Week #1, I believe day #1? (correct me if I’m wrong) We were introduced to the BRIK Kondition Kamp Challenge. Holy shit! It’s a tough one. For me, personally, the toughest yet. Jump roping + running are the devil. Long story short, I’ve got maj bladder issues. Like so maj that I’ve jumped though hoops the last year to correct and still no results. Specialist + bladder therapy (I fucking swear it’s really a thing) + gadgets galore (TMI). Debated for months about writing more about this topic…maybe when I finally find a cure I’ll be more inclined to share? That means, probably never…ha!

Anyway, back to the challenge…..

Some days I feel like forest fucking gump and the next like a turtle that gasping for air. There is no rhyme or reason to it…I just never know what’s going to happen when I hit the pavement. From week #1 to week #3 I was able to shave 2:17 minutes off my week #1 challenge time. I gave myself a damn high-five for that. Ha. Week #3 I must have had a forest day. I was runnin!

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17May2017

{california girl}

Posted in blogger, California, fashion, jcrew addict, ootd, sale by xoxostacyb

This California girl has a massive case of wanderlust. A beach vacay sounds so perfect right about NOW! I blame this T-shirt. Napa to San Francisco to LA. Tacos + Golden Gate Bridge and of course the Hollywood sign. Take me away!

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27Mar2017

{weekend notes}

Posted in California, Cooking, family, friends, Holidays, kids, Recipe, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

Happy Tuesday! The weekend flew by, as usual. But, also as usual, it was a good one! I truly believe that time spent sitting on a beach (especially by the ocean ) is good for the soul!

I woke up Monday so rested and relaxed for the week. How about you?

Friday night at the Truitt’s // Sarah never disappoints in the kitchen. She made these mini pizzas with all the toppings + sauces you can imagine. It was kinda like our very own personal MOD Pizza…lol. Not pictured is the gallons of La Crema we also consumed….Ha.

Saturday morning we hit the road for our annual Stinson Beach trip. Stinson Beach’s white sand oceanfront is one of Northern California’s best kept secrets. Well, not really a secret. I can’t tell you how many people ask me where it is or tell me they’ve never heard of this hidden gem. There’s something about the relaxed easy beach town vibe that keeps be coming back year after year. Don’t let the windy ocean view drive up HWY 1 scare you…it’s worth it! Just watch out for the crazy ass bikers and you’ll be good.

We showed up a little early and our cabins weren’t quite ready for us. So, in true Woodland form….we has a parking lot party. Beach chairs were set up. Beer bottles popping. Kids running around. Snacks on the tailgate. We made ourselves right at home ♥

We booked the Sandpiper Inn for our 4th year in a row. This place is located in the heart of the charming little beach town. Best part…it’s about a 2 minute walk to the beach. You can hear the waves crashing from the Sandpiper. It’s pretty rad.

Here is our Cottage that we rented again this year. Isn’t she pretty. So photogenic, right?

These two cute cabins off the left are the Fricke’s + my parent’s places for the night. They all come with kitchenette + bathrooms + sleep 4-8 people. It’s a perfect little place to lay your head for the night. Shit, I could stay a week and be completely content.

Here’s a look at the inside of the Cottage that I rented with my sister and her family. 3 adults + 3 kids. We could have fit a few more too.

That cowhide rug has my name all over it!!

Isn’t this kitchen adorable? It has everything you need to prepare dinner for a group. Trust me, I’ve done it a time or two.

The sleeping accommodations aren’t too shabby either.

Then we hit the beach. Stinson beach is a 1 1/2 mile long white sand beach. These kids were ready!

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24Mar2017

{friday 5}

Posted in California, Cooking, family, Food, foodie, friday, friends, Holidays, instagram, Products, Recipe, Spring, Target, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

F a r i d a y y y y a y!!! We made it though the week peeps! The weekend has arrived! I had such a hard time getting into the groove of things this week. But of course, today, FRIDAY, I’m finally feeling it! I think I just naturally perk up when I know I’m on my way to a good weekend! The first week of Spring was kind of a flop, so here’s to hoping we get some much-needed sunshine for week #2 of Spring! Fingers crossed!

In true Friday fashion…..I’ve got 5 things on my mind:

ONE – Baked eggs with roasted veggies // When Eat Yourself Skinny posted the image of her baked eggs, I literally drooled. I love eggs. Like if I was stuck on a deserted island I would take chickens and a frying pan. And my stove and everything else. Ha..scratch that. I LOVE eggs. I even eat them twice a day sometimes. Hard boiled….Yummm! But, an over easy egg is my boo! This is seriously the easiest recipe ever too!

I followed her method a little. I already had roasted sweet potatoes…you will always, ALWAYS find roasted sweet potatoes in my fridge. They are kinda like eggs to me. Almost. I already had roasted broccoli too. Score. I thew my already roasted veggies in a baking dish. Topped with some sliced red onion and stuck in the oven while it preheated to 375 degrees. I let the veggies warm up for about 5 minutes (maybe less) while I got my eggs and feta ready. I cracked each egg separately in a little ramekin dish. Then I slipped the egg right over the top of the veggies. I only did two eggs this time. I usually don’t do leftover eggs. EVER! And God knows I don’t waste eggs either. This was an experiment. Stuck the eggs over veggies back in the oven for 5 minutes. I then crumbled feta over the top…yummm! These are some of my favorite ingredients peeps! Stuck the dish back in the oven for 6 minutes. I like my eggs over easy and this was the perfect amount of time. Topped with some fresh ground pepper and some Tap-Your-Uncle (tapatio) and killed 1/2 of this dish. I saved the leftovers for this morning and I’m happy to report…I can now do leftover eggs! High-Five! Please try this recipe! It is killer! It is filling! And it tastes so damn good too!

TWO – Hair stuff // I’ll admit, I’m not a big hair styling product gal. I feel like it tends to weigh down my locks. I kept reading about this L’Oreal Blow Dry It Quick Dry Primer Spray product and how it really does what it says. For a drug store product with a $3.99 price tag, I decided to give it a shot.

How to use: Apply to clean damp hair. Spray evenly 6 inches away from hair. Blow dry as usual.

Our lightweight primer formula accelerates your routine by cutting blow dry time while protecting hair from heat damage.

The verdict:

It fucking works!

It smells amazing

My hair feel so silky smooth

It doesn’t weigh my hair down at all

Winner Winner!

Get some, try it out and let me know what you think!

You can find it here:

Target (cheapest + free shipping if you have a target debit card)

Amazon

Walgreen

THREE – Bunny Bags // I had some questions about the Bay’s Instagram Bunny Bag dance and where I found the bags. If you look closely, you’ll see the red target in the background. Target Dollar spot for the Bunny Bag score. They are actually $3.00 each though. The adorable canvas tote is totally worth it. They do sell out quick, so make you’re next Target trip sooner than later if you need these in your life too. Last year on our Stinson Beach trip we did an egg hunt on the beach and each of the kids used a bunny bag. It was also a week from Easter. So it kinda made since. I’ve created a tradition monster…Ha. Bay insisted we have to keep the tradition alive. So, I scooped up the bunny bags and eggs are filled for our annual easter egg hunt on the beach….3 weeks away, no big deal. LOL! Beach goers are going to think we are crazy. And I kinda love it.

Target Bunny Bags (in the dollar spot)

How cute are these kids and their Bunny Bags?!?! And look how much they’ve grown. We’ll miss you this year Hostert’s!

{stinson beach 2016}

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6Mar2017

{weekend notes}

Posted in California, travel, weekend by xoxostacyb

Hello Monday!

Remember I told you Friday that I was headed to San Diego to celebrate one of my girlfriends becoming a Mama? We had the best weekend.

Sunshine + Friends! Just what was needed!!

Here are some of the many highlights from the weekend….

Sarah + I flew out of Sac early. Like we were out of the house by 5am early.

The plus is landing early and having a FULL beautiful day in San Diego!

Champs happened!

Sunshine happened too! LOTS of sunshine. I’m a firm believer that sunshine is good for the soul!

Sarah let us sit in on an ultra sound. We got to listen to the babies heartbeat ♥ This was by far one of the TOP highlights of the weekend.

Sarah’s Baby Girl! Not mine…lol. It never crossed my mind when I posted this image on Instagram that peeps would think I was announcing my pregnancy…Noooo!