Girls Trip {Monterey}

Late last week my Aunt flew into town and the four of us (my aunt, my mom, Claire and I) had a little girls getaway to Monterey! My Aunt always wants to go to the beach when she visits, so it was a great excuse to make it a nice long weekend!

Upon arriving in Monterey we checked in to our hotel and took a walk to the water, where Claire got her first taste of the ocean! She seemed to love it, even the sand which I wasn't sure she would (a girl after my own heart!)! What a precious blessing to be able to experience such simple things for the first time with my daughter! Seeing the world through her innocent eyes is so amazing!

{Look how light her hair is getting!}

{Helping my girl get her first feel of the sand}

{Toes in the sand-nothing better!}

After getting a small taste of the sea we indulged in a lovely dinner; Lobster pasta for me, plus a stunning view of the water (and Claire decided to take her late nap and slept through the whole meal):

 {I love Monterey}

Later that evening Claire joined the girls for a dip in the hotel's heated pool. It didn't last long as the breeze outside made it a bit colder than any of us could handle, so we went back to our room, turned on the fireplace and Claire got a nice long bath inside. What a life this little girl leads!

{Silly girl has her swim diaper on her head}

Friday morning we drove to San Simeon for a tour of Hearst Castle, as my Aunt had never been. The drive alone is worth your time! Highway 1 is, without a doubt, one of the prettiest drives I've ever taken.

This was my third time touring Hearst Castle, but definitely my favorite so far! A large part of it is probably my new found appreciation for the magnificent gardens (something I could care less about when I was 7 and 13). After our tour of the grand rooms in the castle, they allow you to walk the gardens at your leisure. As we're in the midst of landscaping our house, I was really inspired at the beautiful oasis they have created! If you've never been, I would highly recommend the trip if you're ever nearby. It really is something special!

{Stopping to smell the roses}

{Sign me up for a pool party here!!}

{Just outside one of the guest houses with a magnificent view of the coast}

Driving back on Hwy 1 we stopped at a few lookouts to admire this incredible scenery:

Amazing, right?! 

 Our last stop for the evening was in Carmel, where we got a bite for dinner and took a walk along the beach.

{Hello, white sandy beaches}

{Claire and I left our name in Carmel}

What an incredible few days to bond with the girls!

{26}

Last Wednesday I turned twenty-six and I would have to say it was my best birthday yet! Because Chris worked that day and already had plans to celebrate my birthday that weekend, most of the day was spent with my mom and Claire. It was completely wonderful! 

We (Me, Chris, Claire and my parents) started with breakfast at my favorite little restaurant, Awful Annie's. Chris then went to work and us girls went to get a mani/pedi and do some birthday shopping! The day was concluded with P.F. Chang's take-out and some of my favorite sweets from Whole Foods. Definitely a lovely and relaxing day spent with my favorite ladies!

The details of our weekend were kept from me until Saturday morning. The only bit of information that was divulged to me was that we would be away from Claire for the night, since Chris wanted to give me a chance to prepare and make sure she had enough bottles to get her through the weekend. I am a huge fan of being surprised and knowing that my hubby has taken care of all the details so my excitement and anticipation the week leading up to the weekend had me bursting at the seams!

Before I was given any details, Chris took me to lunch at Jack's Urban Eats where he then shared what the weekend had in store. 

One of the many reasons I love that man is that when I least expect it, he completely blows me away with his thoughtfulness. He knew how nervous I was about leaving Claire for the first time, so instead of going anywhere far, we stayed in Downtown Sac at the Citizen Hotel. For one, after going to a wedding at the Citizen last Spring, I haven't stopped talking about wanting to stay there and second, he knew that I would be at ease knowing that if Claire needed us for any reason we were a short drive away.  I adore him for being so intentional about details!

After a delicious lunch a Jack's, we spent the afternoon walking through Capital Park, taking in the beautiful gardens and enjoyed the amazing weather the weekend offered us! About an hour before our hotel room was ready we happened upon the most delightful little french bakery, Estelle's. So darling and a perfect setting to relax and share a few divine French pastries! And as if I wasn't already feeling spoiled, upon checking in to our hotel the front desk informed us that they took the liberty of upgrading us to the top floor of the hotel, which offers the best views of the city! 

That evening we got dressed up and headed to the Delta King, where we would be attending the Suspects Dinner Theatre! We arrived about an hour early and had drinks on the deck. The entire evening was a blast and such a fun, unique outing!

After sleeping in and leisurely enjoying our morning coffee, we decided to try out the hotel's restaurant, Grange, for their Sunday brunch and were delighted at the light, lovely fare they offered! Needless to say, we returned home that afternoon feeling so refreshed and recharged!

Everything about our mini stay-cation was perfect and I could not be more grateful for the way I am loved and cherished by my husband! I am so happy he planned for us to go away overnight because as much as we LOVE our sweet daughter, we recognize how immensely important it is spend quality time together in order to keep our marriage healthy! Despite my nerves over leaving Claire overnight for the first time, I couldn't be happier with our decision! She did wonderfully with my parents, which has given us a whole new comfort level now that we know she (and mommy and daddy) can handle it!

Cheers to another year and the wonderful blessing and adventures to come!

Daytriping In Tahoe

Happy Monday, friends! Can you believe the weekend is over so soon?! My cousin and her husband are visiting from the Midwest and we had so much fun with them that we're oh so sad to see the weekend go!

Since they had never been, we took them up to Tahoe on Saturday. Being outdoorsy people like ourselves, the plan was to pack a lunch, see some sights and take a moderate hike. It ended up being a gorgeous, clear day-perfect for said activities!

And yes, I hiked at 25 1/2 weeks pregnant, because that's how I roll. And for the most part it was great, though I definitely became aware of my diminished lung capacity in a whole new way. I can typically spritz up those trails with no problems, but Baby Girl made that a bit tougher this time around. That just means I needed a few extra breaks and that I didn't exactly go as far as I would have liked. But all in all, it was a great day spent with family!

Midwest Bound

Woohoo! This afternoon I am off to Illinois for my cousin's wedding. A highly anticipated trip because I get to see my extended family and meet my new baby brother! I am especially looking forward to "girls day" with my aunts and cousins on Saturday, where I'll be teaching a yoga class.

It should be a fun-filled few days, though I'm going to miss my sweet husband who is staying behind this time. But don't worry about him as his weekend will be occupied with the new Madden that came out Tuesday.

Have a lovely few days and see you next week!



image/via

Getting Away, Again

Get through the week: check
Pack up the tent and sleeping bags: check
Gather up food for 12 people: check

So what's going on this weekend, you ask? We're going camping! And I have to admit, as overwhelming as back-to-back weekend trips can seem, it's a wonderful thing to get away for a little R&R. Plus, Chris and I have been hankerin' to go camping since we've been married. That's two years, people!

I am anxiously anticipating catching up on some good reads, plenty of hikes, fishing (for the boys), campfires and of course, smores! And this weekend we get to bring our pooch. She's going to love it!

See ya next week!

image/cutestdateever

Weekend Getaway

Happy Friday! Are you as ready for the weekend to be here as me?

I am so excited to be getting away for another little weekend trip, only this time it's to celebrate my beautiful mother's birthday (we do love to celebrate birthdays in this family)!

The Hansens and both of our parents will be leaving for San Francisco early tomorrow morning for a day by the Bay. We're staying overnight and then making our way to Napa on Sunday for some wine tasting. Definitely looking forward to a little getaway with the family!

And to end the weekend, we will be going over to the {almost} Van Unen's new home for dessert!

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

image/horizon-virtuel

Needing a Tropical Getaway?

This delicately mild, yet impressively flavorful Coconut Pouchong tea by Golden Moon makes me feel like I'm on a tropical island enjoying an exotic delicacy reserved just for me. Experiencing it for the first time as a freshman in college and falling head-over-heels for the aromatic coconut is something I've never forgotten. Thankfully for me, a little birdie put the word out that I have been talking about it and I received some for my birthday! It is quite literally the most amazing tea I have ever tasted!

I was also given the Bodum Ceylon Iced Tea Pitcher with filter for loose-leaf tea, making it super simple to create an iced version. Just imagine indulging in a few glasses on a hot summer evening...now that's a tropical getaway on the cheap!


Have a lovely Wednesday!

Travel Fantasy

I've been inspired by several of my frequent blog reads who have posted about their travel fantasies. Naturally, I am inclined on dreary days like today to do a little daydreaming of my own about a lovely getaway to places far far away...

If money wasn't a factor, I would kidnap my husband from work and hop on a plane to Brazil where we could vacation at the incredible Uxua Casa Hotel!

I can already picture us sipping drinks by the beautiful Quartz pool, or by the beach for that matter, enjoying the local Brazilian fusion cuisine and then melting away every stress with a few body treatments in their spas tranquil outdoor treatment rooms. Oh, and I definitely call dibs on the hammock!

This definitely gets me hoping for a long weekend getaway soon!