Marin Headlands

Marin is full of great little trails, some of which weave right down to the ocean. My favorite is the Tennessee Valley Trail, just shy of four miles round trip. Half way out the trail splits for a while, a beautiful but narrow path on the left leading you on a flatter route, and a wider more steep path to the right better suited for bikes and horses. The two paths reconnect before reaching a pebbly cove where I like to sit and watch the waves for a while before heading back. To the right of the beach there is a foot path zigzagging up the hillside that leads to an incredible view of the cove. 

I don't get across the Golden Gate Bridge as often as I'd like (hello $6 bridge tolls!) but as I've told you before, Grand View Park, which is just blocks from my house, is a great spot to run stairs and get a 360 view of the city.

Easter Weekend in Phoenix

I realize that my love of Phoenix seems rather unreasonable, considering it is a flat, hot, desert, but it's honestly one of my favorite places for a weekend get-a-way. One of my very dear friends lives there, as does most of my extended family, so there's always wonderful company to be had. And the food, oh my goodness, you can't help but stumble into good food in Phoenix! 

My absolute must-dos for every visit are brunch at Postino, where the bruchetta and bellini never fail me, and happy hour at Sandbar, which has a location conveniently located around the corner from my friend's house. Sandbar literally has a sand patio by their outdoor bar, surrounded by a DJ booth and cabanas for your Sunday Funday pleasure. Get the nachos, trust me... and the margaritas... there's a reason why they cut you off at three margaritas. 

Some people love the Scottsdale night life, which is some of the best in the state, but I'm generally more than happy to pass on that for the poolside sunshine, a baseball game at the Diamondback's immaculate new stadium, and shopping in the countless outdoor malls.

Hello, spring!

I'm a cold and foggy weather lover for sure, but for those first few days of blooming trees and parks filled with picnic goers and when the sun is shining but the air is still crisp, oh how I fall in love with spring! It was sunny and 60 in San Francisco last week, which is absolutely ideal, but I decided to head to Phoenix for a few days to enjoy warm weather, poolside girl time with one of my besties, opening weekend of MLB with a Giants vs Diamondbacks game, and Easter Sunday with extended family. It was such a lovely weekend of fun and festivities!

Here are some delightful spring things to send you into your weekend dreaming of all things pastel and pretty and soft and sunny!

cremecycles.com

www.chanel.com

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/eco-picnic-basket

Easter Treats

Now that I've done cakepops for my coworkers a few times, I decided to change it up for Easter and do a throwback to my childhood with chocolate nests! There was some initial disappointment when I didn't walk in with cakepops, but as soon as I started handing out these little goodies everyone was on board. They're so quick and easy you have no excuse not to throw a batch together tonight!

INGREDIENTS

1 bag of chow mein noodles (I used the Safeway brand, Asian food section)

1 bag of Reese's chocolate chips

1 bag of Cadbury chocolate eggs

1 package of Peeps

DIRECTIONS

Melt chocolate chips. I like to do this on the stove top in a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water as opposed to in the microwave. While you can use the microwave, it's very easy to burn the chocolate. If you need to thin the melted chocolate (with the Reese's you will), add a little bit of Crisco.

Gently fold in 3/4 bag of chow mein noodles, being careful not to crush the noodles, until they're all coated in chocolate.

Use hands to shape the mixture into little nests on wax paper. Place the eggs in the nests before the chocolate dries so they'll stick and won't roll off later in transport. Allow nests to dry completely.

Decorate any way you like! I cut squares out of a roll of cellophane, placed a handful of decorative grass in the middle, topped with the nest and a yellow Peep, and tied it closed first with a twisty and then a ribbon.

Recipe makes 10 nests.

Furniture From Suitcases

www.rossanaorlandi.com/

I've been seeing vintage suitcases popping up in blogs and on Pinterest and, I must admit, I'm in love with the idea of it! I'll have to start keeping an eye out for vintage suitcases at yard sales and antique shops and try out this new DIY trend.

trendland.com/katie-thompsons-recycled-furniture/

March Photo-a-day

Last month I continued on with the photo-a-day list by blogger fatmumslim. I posted my daily updates on Facebook and Instagram. Last month my mom joined in on the photo-a-day fun, and this month my dad decided to open a Facebook account and start posting his as well! Oh, what an adorably web-friendly little family I have! In the wake of Fatmumslim's popularity, plenty of other copycat photo-a-day lists have started popping up, but I'm sticking to this one. I've already started slipping on my timeliness, but here's hoping I can stick it out through the rest of the year. Here are some of my favorites from last month.