Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow.
You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N
Continue reading{the best of july}
Category Archives: Camping
{weekend notes}
SHOP: Budweiser Sweatshirt | High Rise Cuffed Denim Shorts (40% off with code: SALETIME)| Oversized Square Sunglasses ($10) | Wide Brim Hat ($20)
River water cheers to fun family camping trips that you don’t want to end ☀️
It’s so nice to be back. While stepping away last week to mute + learn. I’m sure we can all agree, it’s been eyeopening in so many ways. Although I wasn’t very vocal online, I can promise you that offline, there were many, many conversations had. A lot of reading. So much learning. I truly believe I can do better and that starts at home.
Intentions for the Week:
- finish off my final 3 days with no added sugar
- buy a nice bottle of chardonnay for Thursday to celebrate 10-days of no added sugar
- delete old photos + videos on phone
- paint my nails
- get good sleep
- hit 15,000 steps per day
- help Bay complete her 4-H record book
- Peloton app 2x
- clean out the downstairs closet
- prep for a yard sale this Sunday
Highlights from the weekend…..
Thursday night Bailey wrapped up her 8th grade school year with a virtual promotion. Crazy proud Mama right here!
{weekend notes}
Monday, Monday, Monday! Why did you have to come so soon? We decided to spend Sunday at the beach, since it was 40 degrees cooler on the coast than home. It was THE most relaxing day ever. Which means, we got home pretty late. Which means Monday happened wayyyy too fast. Which means I’m running on slowwwww today. Hope you all had a great couple of days. The summer days dwindling down and I want to enjoy every last minute till school starts. And life gets cray AF!
BIG thank you to everyone that messaged me to let me know my website had been hacked. I reached out to WordPress and it was taken care of within minutes. Thanks for lookin out homies!
Intentions for the Week:
- Order Bay’s pictures (so many to choose from, it’s so hard)
- Get my Fair Hair (it’s totally a thang..lol)
- Spending freeze for the week
- Plan a weekend hike
- Pick up flowers and plants for the house
- Share an Old Navy Try-On
- Get caught up on laundry..I’m so behind
- Indulge in a night of ALL THE THINGS self-care
- Lunch date at the Davis Arboretum
- Dinner with girlfriends
This week on xoxostacyb: Trader Joe’s haul. ALL THE THINGS TJ’s that we buy over and over again. Was supposed to share last week and never got around to it. Bay Bakes or a new recipe…still undecided. And an Old Navy post with some cute new arrivals.
Highlights from the weekend……
Continue reading{weekend notes}
Happy Monday Friends! Not sure what it is about today, but it feels so festive. I guess we are officially kicking of the first week of the Holidays!!! I’m at work though…ha! Just knowing we’re going to finish off the week with turkey + pie…lots of shopping! Oh, and we’re headed to Tahoe to cut down our tree this year. Stay tuned, we’ve never done this before. I’m sure it will be a shit-show. I have my heart set on a couple of trees this year. I know, crazy. Considering I live in a tiny ass condo!
Okay, hold on tight, this week is gonna be over before you know it!
Intentions for the Week:
- work on some gift guides
- cut down out Christmas tree(s)
- american eagle try-on
- set a cute kids Thanksgiving table
- drink more water than chardonnay…this is gonna be a hard one!
- tackle outdoor Christmas decor
- a new spin on the classic pumpkin pie
- host Thanksgiving
- head to the cabin ♥
And here’s a little recap of some of the highlights from our weekend….
When you finally get to #chardsohard with your homegirl Nikki!
“make us look super hot and super skinny please!” HA! It’s been the saying for years now!
We celebrated this babe turning the big 4-0! Lookin hot AF + young AF! And still a damn good time!
Us ♥
You guys were blowin me up about my sweatshirt. It’s full-price, which I rarely do…but I made an exception for this one. It’s perfect for that, I wanna go out, but I also wanna be cozy AF! This is it my friends! Ha! Linked some other leopard-dot print items from Madewell too!
{weekend notes}
Hello + Happy Monday! Did you wake up motivated? Or are you dragging ass? I fall in the later category. Is too much sleep a real thing? I’m currently downing my second cup of joe ready to kick some ass, kinda! 
Intentions for the week:
Style my nightstand– (Did you catch the dets on {a little of this + a little of that})Get Bay packed for Tahoe– (Her closet is empty)Seka Hills Fireworks-– (Always a good time)Pull out all our red, white + blue decor– (Even thought there wasn’t a bike parade :()Make flag luminaries– (Coming Wednesday…stay tuned!)Create an appetizer with watermelon– (Has anyone tried the {watermelon bruschetta})- NO online purchases ALL week FML! – (Epic FAIL! Too many good sales to pass up)
70 oz water daily– (Killed it….till the weekend)Decide on one thing to give up for 30 days…this is tricky!– (I may be setting myself up for a massive failure)Track down some new foodie finds– (ohhhh, ACV drinks…sharing the details Friday)Pay Park Winters a visit– (Spent the most magical afternoon at my very first influencer event. We’ll be chatting more about that)
Last weeks Intentions: {weekend notes}
Highlights from the weekend:
Girlfriends //
Kicked off the weekend with dinner + drinks with this babes at Morgan’s!
Ended up doing the walk of shame down the alley to the Stag. Haven’t done that in YEARS!
Birds eye view
Friday night shenanigans //
When your phone has about 40 of these……
Thanks for all the laughs girls ♥
And one really blurry “good one” ha!
My dress from last weeks post: {10 habits by rachel hollis}
I really came for the nacho bar
Check out Jamie James + her no-fear crazy chicks
Always admiring the sun when it shines through my dungeon house
Playing with a new recipe…..watermelon + mint + feta are the main characters. Coming to the blog this week!!!
Saturday morning 79 degrees at 7:30 am! NOPE!
Heading for the coast STAT!
Just a few of my summer time favorites that I packed up.
Hat: Nordstrom
Slides: Target
Bandana: J.Crew
Cut-offs: Madewell
Peace Sign Tee: Madewell
Bamboo bag: Amazon
Still working on a Summer Staples blog post. Hopefully I can get it out this week or next!!!
Repeat Offender // wearing this chambray tank AGAIN! Please excuse the rookie tank lines…lol.
Dillon Beach //
Have you ever seen that many peeps posted on Dillon Beach? Me either. I’ve never endured that kind of traffic either! EVERYONE and their mother’s headed to the coast to beat the heat!
Crabbing + Bud Lights go hand in hand
I think I brought the guys luck! Ha! Can’t decide which one of these I like better.
Crab vs. Cory
Hmmm.
Beautiful day on the water
I pulled this crab net and let me tell you, it was heavy AF! No wonder! It was also full AF!
First time we’ve caught all Dungeness crab. Last time we only pulled rock crab.
Watching the sunset in Jenner, CA
Dinner at River’s End. Everytime we pass this restaurant I always say some day I want to stop. But there is NEVER any parking. Which must mean this place is legit.
There just to happen to be 1 spot. So we stopped! Bucket list CHECK! √
River’s End is perched on a bluff overlooking the Russian River where it greets the Pacific Ocean. It’s fucking magical!
Oh and the chard, it was fantastic too!
I didn’t take any photos of our food other than the butter, ha! As you can see, even the butter had amazing presentation. The food was to die for! I read that they prefer you save your phones + photos for the outdoors. Once I read that, I obliged. It was really hard though…lol.
The views from this place were seriously out of a magazine.
We set up camp at Casini Ranch. The ONLY campground with a spot left. Like I said, the amount of peeps at the coast was absolutely unreal!
Homeward bound lead us through Occidental. Which I’ve been to once. After a girls trip to the Happy Hideout. I think it was the time we left Bodega and stopped for breakfast? I got violently ill. I belive it was a possible case of the bottle flu. So this quant little town looked pretty new to me 🙂
Pit stop for Michelada’s + breakfast burritos at El Mariachi Cafe. Total dive Mexican restaurant, but their food was bomb.com
We went though Sepastopol, which I’d also never visited. Such a cute town. I want to spend more time and dig in to all it has to offer.
We took every back road we could find. Which lead us to another spot I’ve always wanted to stop at…..The Fremont Diner.
This place has been on my radar since Gal Meets Glam blogged about it back in March 2016,
I had no idea what I got myself into. I needed about 2 hours to check this whole place out. That cute trailer is where you place to-go orders.
I highly recommend the peanut butter shake!
{weekend notes}
Happy Monday! Did you know we are on week 18 of 2018? I read it somewhere and thought, WOW! That happened quick. This week is a busy week. Like real busy. I was updating my iPhone notes “shit to do” and it basically said: Spring Show shit. Monday – Sunday.
But, more importantly….how was your weekend? Did you get to enjoy some sunshine. Sleep in. Hang with your faves. And sneak in some relaxation + self-care.
I gotta say, we had a good one.
Intentions for the week:
Survive Spring Show– barelyTry to cook/eat healthy during the busy ass week– 1 minor pizza slip-up otherwise pretty damn good!Send back all the ugly shit I ordered/bought– thank god for free-returnsBlog: Currently Craving for May– What did you guys think? {currently craving // may}Kill it at Kaia. BRIK has officially begun. – Didn’t miss a class…whoop whoopChill on the chard….just a little.– didn’t have a glass…WTF?- Celebrate my oldest nephew’s b-day – Missed it due to Spring Show weigh-in 🙁
GATE Art Show– ♥At home pedi’s with Bay–Move around patio furniture– All the details coming soon!Make pickled red onions– OMG yumm!
Last weeks Intentions: {weekend notes}
Highlights from the weekend……
Casini Ranch 2018 camping trip was a blast!
You know it’s been a good weekend when your abs hurt from laughing so much. Never a dull moment with the family ♥
I never got around to blogging about our 2017 Casini Trip. It was equally as good! That’s what brought us back. The perfect campground for families. Daily activities for the kids. Ice cream social. Bonfires. Feeding the Casini horses. Panning for rocks. Bike rides. And of course the river. If you’re looking for a new place to camp, I suggest you try out Casini.
The Ukiah Brown fire-pit made its second appearance.
Messy camp
Burgers around the fire
Morning cuddle with my sweet nephew
He digs insta-filters
Queen of the castle
When Mom’s in-charge of breakfast….she doesn’t mess around.
Guernville has pretty walls
And so many fun spots
Guerneville Bank Club is the cutest. This place even has a photo booth.
Inside you find: Chile Pie Baking Co // Nimble and Finns Ice Cream // Jar Jam (local gems) // Tasting Room // Museum
Chile Pies Baking Co…..yummmm
I found my heaven! See ya later!
Ice cold $6 cans of chard can also be found here.
Home of the best town sign. I stop and snap a picture here every.single.time.
Ocean Trails
Necessities
Dead or alive? I have no clue.
Those succulents though
Our State Flower is breathtaking (excuse Callie ass for the photo bomb)
Scaling cliffs…in flip flops with a beer in hand! #skills
The fishing spots
Cory fishes
Callie + I collect coffee table treasures.
I came up with the best way to display these one-of-a-kind ocean finds. I’ll be sharing soon!
{friday 5}
Fri-Day! Planning on taking full advantage of the weekend and get some relaxing in. Next week is Spring Show….aka shit show. Only kidding. It’s just a very busy week. And a good week. Bay entered a baked good. Table setting. And has a pig. If you’re looking for us, we’ll be at the fairgrounds.
Weekend plans? We’re hitting the road. Camping on the Russian River. I love camping. It’s a lot of work and all, but being outdoors, roughin it a little bit. Drinking from sun up till sun down (the best part in my book) S’mores. Sitting around the campfire laughing till your belly hurts. That’s what we’ll be up too.
Ok, let the weekend begin!
One – Fruit Bowl // Found it. Actually my Mom found it, within minutes. I legit scoured Target.com for this wooden pedestal bowl I used in {orange table setting} for about 30 minutes. I search pedestal. Wooden bowl. You name it. But, fruit bowl? That’s just dumb Target. It looks very Pottery Barn-ish with a Target price tag. Anyway, I got lots of messages about it. So here ya go….
Turned Wood Fruit Bowl – Threshold
TWO – Polenta Croutons // Same idea as polenta fries. These crispy little things are the perfect addition to any salad. I still swear by Robin Nelson’s famous salad. Mixed greens. Brianna’s Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. Blue cheese crumbles. Sliced cherry tomatoes. Croutons. The only thing I’ve changed: thinly sliced red onion. And of course, polenta croutons. Shake it up in a big trash bag and pour into a salad bowl. It’s a crowd pleaser. When you make this salad, remember to give Robin a shout out!
Polenta Croutons:
- 18oz tube pre-cooked polenta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parmesan
- Salt + pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or a silpat.
Chop polenta into cubes. Don’t bother making them perfect….just try to keep them about the same size so the cook evenly.
Toss chopped polenta + the rest of the ingredients into a bowl.
Place polenta croutons on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Flip and bake an additional 15 minutes. Or until golden brown and crisp.
How many polenta croutons should one eat in a sitting? Asking for a friend.
These little fuckers are dangerous…just FYI!
Robin Nelson’s Famous Salad with polenta croutons.
THREE – Mascara Primer // New Product alert. I know I say this all the time, but you guys…I found an amazing product. Mascara Primer. I’d honestly never even heard of it till last week. Used this product everyday this week and the only thing I can say: So pissed I didn’t know about this sooner. It’s life changing! I coat my eyelashes with primer. The primer is white, just fyi. Let it dry for a sec, then top with my STILL fave mascara (L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise) You’ll never guess how much this primer costs?
{push-pin map // travelogue}
I’m a weekend explorer. But, you already knew that. Nothing better than getting out and finding new places. Hiking trails. Restaurants. Lots of bars. Parks. Beaches….you know I love a good beach. Vista points. Waterfalls. Random stops on the side of the road for oohs and ahhs.
That’s where this push-pin map comes into place. How fun is it to document where you’ve been on a map? Using little push pins to marks all the spots you’ve stopped.
Maps are so incredibly gorgeous. And the sad thing is, we rarely use or look at them anymore. I mean really, when is the last time you held a map and actually looked at it?
Look below…all the colors. Lakes. Counties. Freeways. Waterways.
Fucking beautiful, right?
Bay + I made a push-pin map for our home years ago. We’ve been pinning our fave places since. It just gets better and better as it ages ♥
We recently moved and it’s become my favorite wall art. Without fail, every time someone new comes into our home, we end up in front of this map.
Maps make great icebreakers. Not that I’m inviting strangers over…lol. But, as soon as you start looking over a map, inevitably, you start reminiscing. The town you grew up. The yearly family camping trip. That time you stopped and had the best meal of your life in such and such town. “This one time I picked up a hitchhiker”……
I love the conversations maps start.
(excuse my toter in the background)
So for Valentine’s Day, Bay + I decided to make Cory his very own. He’s been in love with ours for years.
I snapped some pictures on insta-stories and I was going and got lots of DM’s asking what I was up too. So here ya go. Another easy + cheap diy from xoxostacyb.
Here’s what you’ll need:
{ojai // travelogue part #1 }
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.
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
{friday 5}
Hi guys! Happy Friday! I’ve been a MIA the last couple of days. I was starting to come down with a cold, tired AF and busy AF. I knew I had to lay low the rest of the week in order to feel better. Went to bed super early. Drank tons of water. Emergen-C’s. And I’m back to feeling good. Just in time for our backpacking trip this weekend. Can you imagine backpacking in the middle of nowhere, sleeping outdoors being sick? No way Jose. But, I’m back for a quicky Friday 5!
5 things on my mind…..
ONE – Backpacking // We are hitting the road tonight for our second backpacking trip. Saturday morning we will arrive in Ojai, CA and set off into the mountains. With everything we’ll need for the next 30 plus hours on our back. Tents + sleeping bags + food + water + cooking tools + toiletries + wine! Obvi lots of wine. I’m so excited that I hardly slept last night. Our last trip was one that I’ll never forget. And I can’t wait to do it all over again and make more memories with these chicks (minus one).
I wrote all about our first backpacking trip back in October 2015 here: {weekend notes}
TWO – Cheerios // Hey fellow Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fans, Cheerio’s just release a new flavor. The best one yet, in my opinion! Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios! Did you know Cheerios now offers 15 flavors? Crazy, right? I broke my diet last weekend to eat a handful of these and hot damn, I don’t regret it for a second. They are everything you’d want them to be. Chocolaty, peanut buttery, and so so good. Trust me!
The ONLY store I’ve been able to find them at is Target in Woodland.
GO GET SOME!
Oh, and next week I’m making a fun treat with this cereal. Think rice krispy treat, but with chocolate peanut butter cup Cheerios. OMG, doesn’t it sound heavenly? Stay tuned!
THREE – J.Crew Top // My new favorite shirt. It’s so preppy, and I dig it. The little tartan plaid pocket got me. I kinda forgot about J.Crew Factory for a minute. Then remembered why I used to love it so much. They have so much cute shit. Check it out and I promise you’ll find something cute that you must have.
They are offering 50% off all clearance items
Long-sleeve shirt with tartan plaid pocket
Wanna see something crazy?