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A couple of weeks ago, J and I were lucky enough to travel to a new special place right in our backyard – Stinson Beach.  With our work schedule, weekends tend to be the best time to get our traveling in, so destinations that are a couple of hours away are usually our favorite.  Just when we thought we’d exercised all of our options (Carmel, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Cordevalle, etc.) – we found a new amazing place to add to our line-up.  Here were some of the highlights:

Seashells by the seashore

Morning views don’t get any better than this!

 A fun mug to start my new warm lemon water habit

Brunch in town at the Sand Dollar

Rosé and chicken wings. Can Saturday get any better?

Followed by J’s famous Hummingbird shots

… and then an impromptu game of basketball.

Soft serve for the beach walk home.

Happy hour apps… then turned into dinner.

Happy pups

Watermelon mimosas

Paired with the most gorgeous brunch spread

The prettiest view on the drive home

Sorry I’ve been (and will be continuing to go) dark this week.  I’ve been kicking 2015 off with a lot of fun trips, Barre classes and clean eating, and sadly, blogging has taken a back burner.  BUT when my girl Kelsey reached out to me with this fun update, I had to share…

Do you that remember that fun giveaway with Elsie Green I did this summer?  Well their Semi-Annual Sample Sale at the studio starts tomorrow!  You’ll find great prices on samples, amazing finds and vintage treasures!

Details are as follows:

Thursday, March 12th 9am-9pm

Friday, March 13th 9am-5pm

Saturday, March 14th 9am-5pm

Elsie Green Studio

2954 Treat Blvd., Suite C

Concord, CA

866.575.4437

And if you can’t make it to the Sample Sale, be sure to check out the latest and loveliest in home goods at www.elsiegreen.com – Happy shopping!

I’ve had a lot to be happy about lately… fun trips, great food, and amazing friends!  Here were some of the highlights this past month:

Cheering on the Sharks Coors Light Stadium Series Game at Levi’s

I was lucky enough to enjoy my first “spa day” at the Wynn when tagging along on J’s business trip.  I’m converted!

The hibiscus champagne cocktail at lunch didn’t hurt either…

Grabbing something sweet at my favorite bakery (can we tell my clean eating has been placed on the back burner… sigh).

We celebrated one of our favorite people – Craig – at one of our favorite places (smores included.)

Beach walks (and instagram pictures) in Carmel

The yummiest treats from our amazing neighbor’s Oscar Party

A recent dry-cleaning pick up (I think J has a problem.)

Sundays are my day for food prep – shopping, washing, chopping… and using up the ingredients I didn’t get around to using the previous week.  One of my favorite methods for saving leftover produce is roasting.  I wanted to share a few of my easy go-to recipes for healthy snacks that pretty much require an oven and a little bit of time…

First up? Kale Chips. Yes, I have posted about them before… but these have a fun spin!

• Coconut Kale Chips with Soy Sauce
• coconut oil
• soy sauce
• unsweetened coconut flakes
• kale

1. Wash kale and rip into large pieces (removing center stem)
2. Dry with paper towel and arrange on a foil lined baking sheet
3. Toss with equal parts coconut oil and soy sauce (you don’t want leaves drenched, just lightly coated).
4. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.
5. Bake at 300 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

In Hawaii, one of my favorite spots – Honu – serves roasted chickpeas (in lieu of bread) when you arrive.  They are so addicting, but I’ve never tried to make my own. When I came across a Buffalo version, I knew I had to give them a try!

Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas 

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir in hot sauce and stir until combined.
3. Spread out dried chickpeas on a foil lined baking sheet.
4. Pour hot sauce mixture over the beans and toss until coated.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 30-35 minutes until browned.

Beets are one of those things that I buy and while I enjoy them, only get around to cooking them half the time.  Once I discovered beet chips, my fridge became a happier place.  I spiced this version up a bit with flavored olive oil.

Blood Orange Beet Chips

• beets, sliced thinly with a mandolin
• blood orange olive oil
• Maldon sea salt

1. Toss beet slices with flavored olive oil.
2. Arrange on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Valentine’s Day is a day to share love with your favorite people… but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank.  Here a few of my favorite gifts – under $20 – to share with your favorite people!

Orchid – while floral shops and Whole Foods have orchids in the $15+ range, be sure to check out your local farmers market, where I find $5-8 orchids on a weekly basis! Nothing better than a flower that lasts 3+ months!

Dish Towel – While a dish towel doesn’t sound super romantic (or romantic at all), it always makes me smile to see little holiday reminders around my house.  Being able to “fun up” the mundane – aka doing dishes – with this fun towel, makes it a great gift choice!

Lollipop– Who says little kids have to have all the fun?! You know you secretly want to get that giant lollipop at the candy shop, so now is the time to get one for yourself and “a friend.”

Mug – Everyone needs a friendly reminder with their morning cup o’ joe… and it doesn’t get any sweeter our favorite 3 word phrase.

Dish – I love having a little dish on my bedside table to store my jewelry while I’m dreaming… and these little dish is sure to do the trick.

Notebook – For an avid note taker like myself, the flashier the notebook, the more fun the note making.

Pajamas – Giving lingerie to a coworker can get you fired. These cute PJs will be sure to put a smile on your work friend’s face AND keep HR happy.

Candy – I’m a sucker for cute packaging and these festive candies fit the bill.

Pencils – You’re sure to write the best love notes with these bad boys!

And while money can’t buy you love, it can buy you some of these sweet treats!