Daily

Adventures in Palo Alto: Stanfords Arizona Cactus Garden

No Comments

I’m a little behind on blog posts so bare with me. I am going on my 3rd cold/illness since Halloween and all of last week we had all 3 boys home for the Thanksgiving break. So, of course we HAVE to get out of the house – as a boy mom x 3 if you know you know. Life is better outside than in with the constant fighting.

Last Monday the first day off of their full week at home we ended up driving up to Palo Alto and staying the entire day there. The initial mission was first to return a top at Free People Stanford (their store is so much bigger than Westfield’s Valley fair. Then walk over to the beauty spot of Arizona Cactus Garden which is on the grounds of the Stanford University campus. I’ve only been there once before almost 3 years ago to take this pregnancy announcement pic with my third baby. So I knew my two eldest boys didn’t remember exploring in here.

Cactus Patrol and Christmas Cards.
Watching the boys this time was a whole new experience… they were incredibly protective of their toddler brother. My eldest knelt down and sweetly explained that the cacti were sharp and not to touch them. They walked right beside him, acting as bossy little bodyguards, ready to intervene if he got too close. It was pure sweetness.
For the outing, I dressed them in these specific matching tees from Spunky Stork (we have SO many of their tees!!), hoping to snap some great photos for this year’s Christmas cards. However most of our Christmas Cards would’ve been sent to our Canadian friends and family, and I’m pretty sure the Canada Post strike is still ongoing, those might just end up being social media posts instead. We shall see!
After our scenic stop at the cactus garden, we fueled up with Happy Meals at McDonald’s for lunch. From there, we drove up the road to Redwood City and hit up the Savers thrift store. I scored a fantastic find: a teal Santa Cruz hoodie for my middle son for only $6!
When we got back from the thrift store, I noticed my car had been bumped in its parking spot. It was minor, but I had to report it to the non-emergency Redwood City PD to get an incident report. I do NOT want to be blamed for that. Still urks me that it happened even if my car is nearly 20 years old.
I google mapp’ed the time back to our house and it was going to take way too long so off we went back down to Palo Alto and headed over to Nealon Park. Spent a great bit of time there and google maps was still in the red zone. Another detour? Sure! Let’s do it. I knew we were somewhat close to the not-so hidden gem, Redwood Grove in Los Altos. Honestly, we only stopped for about fifteen minutes before it got too dark to safely explore anymore…and I get incredibly sketched out exploring the woods after sunset!
Finally, we made it home. Dinner was easy: pizza. I tucked the two younger boys into bed and enjoyed some needed quiet time, hanging out and watching a movie with my eldest. It was a long, full day, and the perfect start to our time off together.
Continue Reading

Daily

From Santa’s Workshop to adventures at sunset

No Comments

Day three of the boys’ break was packed with two of my favorite things….visiting Santa for some holiday magic and beautiful nature/snapping shots of my 3 beautiful little boys.

For some reason this year Santa must’ve been on a limited schedule and I had a hard time securing a spot for visiting him at Bass Pro Shops. My five-year-old calls Bass Pro Shops: Santa’s Workshop (adorable) and with the impressive setup they have each year I can’t blame him.

After visiting Santa and since the boys looked so sharp with their combed hair and matching/coordinating tops I wasn’t about to let all that go to waste so I drove to Guadeloupe Oak Grove in San Jose during the perfect time. This spot is one of my absolute favorites. Since the boys were already looking so nice, my main mission was to capture more pictures.

They always head up the hill to the gigantic boulder and it’s perfect since all three can fit in what I call the “nest” of the boulder, and it always makes for a gorgeous backdrop. The contrast between their sharp little outfits and the colour of the outdoors and beautifu boulder AM I RIGHT? Pure magic….thanks to my cell phone, ha.

What a day!

Continue Reading

Daily

What I’m Sending in My New Mom Care Package

No Comments

I’m putting together a New Mom Basket for one of our Canadian couples who now live in California. We don’t see them often since they’re down in SoCal, but they recently welcomed a new baby, and I wanted to send a little bundle of my favourite things…items that have been tried, true, and well-loved since I became a mama myself nearly 8 years ago.

For the Baby

Tubby Todd All Over Ointment
This has been a staple in our house for years. I use it on myself and on my eldest son, who has sensitive skin. It’s thick, nourishing, and honestly a miracle worker for dry patches.

Zinc Oxide Baby Bum Cream
There is nothing like a good zinc-based cream for diaper rash. At one point it was in every corner of the house for diaper changes.

Baby Sound Machine
A friend gifted me one when I had my eldest, and it’s still going strong 7.5 years later. My middle boy uses the exact same model every night…it’s become part of his bedtime routine to listen to it.

Parade Organics Zip-Up Pajamas
These are made from the softest organic cotton, and the zipper (especially the two-way zipper) makes nighttime changes so much easier. They’re honestly just adorable. I’ve saved some of ours as keepsakes because they were such favourites.

For the Mama

Plain Jane Loungewear Pants
A new discovery this year and an instant favourite. I grabbed a pair during their Black Friday sale, and they are incredible. Soft, flattering, cozy … basically the perfect “new mom uniform” for those early weeks.

Anything Else I Should Add?

Before I seal up the parcel, I’m thinking about adding a few more little comforts. Some ideas:

  • A really good lip balm (postpartum dehydration is real)

  • My favourite hand cream

  • My favourite protien bar?

Let me know if you’d add anything else!

Continue Reading
1 2 3 … 978