Category: holiday

gift guide. for the runner.

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1. Garmin Forerunner. This is the best watch out there- in my opinion. It has just enough bells and whistles to tell you what you need to know without overloading your brain with way too much information.

2. Feetures Socks. These are my favorite. I have yet *knock on wood* to get a blister in these socks. They are thick enough in the right spots to protect your feet, but thin enough to not take up valuable space in your shoes!

3. Nike Compression Shorts. You know my love for these shorts. Say goodbye to any weird seem chaffing!

4. Orion Mesh Leggings. I love a fun pair of workout pants. These have mesh and lattice detailing!

5. Lululemon Shorts. I have several pairs of these. There are so many fun colors to choose from. They are just a classic workout short.

6. Nike Running Vest. This vest is so light and yet so warm. I have no idea how they do it! It is the perfect layer or stand alone on those cold days.

7. Yurbuds Headphones. You probably know by now that I don’t run with wireless headphones. It’s just one more thing for me to charge, and I honestly haven’t found any that I like as much as these. I’ve used them for 4 years now.

8. Nike Visor. When sunglasses alone won’t cut it, I throw on this.

9. Nike Sunglasses. I searched for awhile for the perfect running glasses. I love how light weight these are and they don’t have any weird pressure points that could end up giving me a headache. My husband actually started stealing these from me because he liked them more than his.. and then lost him! I think I know what I better be getting in my stocking!

10. Believe Training Journal. I’ve talked about this journal before. I enjoy being able to look back on my progress … especially during those running slumps where you feel like you just aren’t progressing or you can’t run anymore.

11. Flipbelt. I have turned countless people on to these! Forget those annoying bouncing belts or those arm bands that rub. This is a game changer.

12. Sarah Marie Designs tees. I love her stuff. She has great tees, sweatshirts, and a new varsity inspired jacket that is too cute!

13. Nike Running Jacket. Another win for Nike. A thin, but warm running jacket.

14. Lululemon duffel bag. This is the perfect gym bag. Room for everything and super cute!

xox

aj

ajLeave a comment

gift guide. for the man.

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1. Stance Socks. My husband loves their socks. Fun, but manly, colors and patterns to go with everything. Plus, I love to steal them.

2. Garmin Fenix 3. For the athlete in your life- this watch does it all. Swim tracking, biking, and running.

3. Apple TV. We have one and love it. Makes it so easy to hook our phones up to the tv, or just watch our favorite shows.

4. Magazine Subscriptions. I love giving magazine subscriptions. I order the subscription, buy one of the magazines and attach it to something that is relevant to it. Example: order Runners World Magazine and roll it up inside a new pair of shoes!

5. Jcrew Flannel. I don’t dare usually try and buy my husband clothes- he is way too picky; but, these are alway a winner. So, every year he gets a few of these under the tree.

6. UE Boom 2 Bluetooth Speaker. We love blasting music around the house or taking it with us to a family function. This is a great one for the quality and price.

7. Apple iPhone 7 Battery Case. For the man who works from his phone 247, this battery case will help keep him from having a panic attack when his phone drops to the dreaded red zone.

8. Wireless Headphones. No guy likes wires everywhere- especially when working out.

9. Jack Black Skin Care. A classic and there is a reason for it. Men love their products.

10. Amazon Dot. We don’t have one of these, but I am going to have to change that!

11. Beer Clubs. If your guy likes/drinks beer or scotch, then give a ‘club’ gift where they send new ones for him to try every month!

12. Tile. I am sick of looking for my man’s keys every time he blames me for losing them hah So, attach this to them and you will never lose them again!

xox

aj

ajLeave a comment

tree farm

With Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to decorate for Christmas!  First stop – find the perfect tree.  This year we made a day of it and drove down to Rancho Siempre Verde to choose and cut our tree.  Then before heading back we stopped at Pie Ranch for some festive provisions and topped the day off with a late lunch at Sam’s Chowderhouse.

If you live in or around the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend this little day trip!  And if you’re not in the Bay Area, have a google and find a tree farm near you.  Get outdoors and smell the fresh pine!

Rancho Siempre Verde is about an hour drive south of San Francisco.  Having researched several tree farms online (here’s a good summary of local tree farms), I chose RSV because for what it lacked in kitsch it more than made up for in beautiful surroundings, tree swings, and marshmallow roasting.  And it didn’t hurt that there’s a pie shop right next door.

wearing: dasher top, ruche long sleeve tee, hat, scarf, hunter travel boots

There are several tree swings scattered around the property that are just as much fun for adults as they are for kids.  And if you don’t feel like cutting your own tree there’s a selection of pre-cut ones ready to go.

We opted to cut our own of course.  I gave sawing a go, but called in Pavel to finish the job.  Once cut you can either haul it yourself to the baling station, or have one of the workers give you a tractor pulled hay ride to pick it up and haul it back.  (TIP:  Trees look smaller out in the wild than they do in your house… found that out when we got home.)

tf-tree-bale

There are also wreaths for sale, or you can opt to make your own!  Making a wreath from scratch was a first for me, and like it or not – I’m pretty proud of it!

There is an bonfire going for marshmallow roasting, and feel free to bring your own sausages to roast too!  And mind the sign warning that unattended children will be given an espresso an a puppy.

Next door to the tree farm is Pie Ranch where we picked up a fresh baked apple pie, an mini honey nut oat pie, and some shortbread cookes.  Hey, it’s the holidays!  They also have a variety of fresh produce, pickled vegetables, and preserves.

Sam’s Chowder House is one of our favorite spots.  It happened to be raining by the time we got there, but on fair weather days it’s nice to sit outside by one of the firepits and dine while overlooking the ocean.  And they have s’more kits if you feel like making your own dessert!

Though the rain kept us inside at Sam’s this trip, it gave us a beautiful rainbow on the drive home.

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The scenic route.  All 3 of these places are located on Cabrillo Highway aka Highway 1 and the drive has some terrific views of the Pacific Ocean.  There are also tons of produce stands and wine tastings along the way – so take your time and make a day of it!

Tree farm and Pie Ranch

Happy Holidays!
xoxo
-ash

ash2 Comments

JL holiday shopping guide

Looking for some holiday gift ideas for the ladies in your life?  Your mom, sister, aunt, girlfriend, wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter, niece, cousin, brunch club — did I leave anyone out?  Well, look no further!  Some suggestions…

… a necklace!

gold ball necklace;  gold jewel necklace;  pendant necklace

Our necklaces make the perfect gift for any gal!  A dainty, go-with-everything, every-day necklace is sure to be a winner.  All our necklaces are gold fill and handmade right here in the USA (by a jeweler in Marin County, California to be exact).  And for those needing to travel with or mail gifts, our necklaces come in little boxes that will easily fit in a travel bag or small mailer.

… a sweater!

hadley sweater;  remi sweater

Looking to give something warm and cozy?  The ‘Hadley’ and ‘Remi’ sweaters are both solid options.  They’re soft, super cute, and the casual open front styling suits all body types.  There’s a reason they’re among our best sellers!

… something festive!

dasher-top

dasher top

The dasher top is a light-weight pullover with a hint of sparkle.  A metallic thread woven into the fabric gives this festive hoodie a subtle glimmer fitting for the season.

… something glam!

audrey dress;  carol dress;  catherine skirt

Have a big night out planned?  Maybe a holiday party, theatre outing, or date night?  Whether dressing yourself or your special someone, the ‘Audrey’ dress, ‘Carol’ dress, and ‘Catherine’ skirt are all great picks!

 

Happy Holidays!

xoxo

 

ashLeave a comment

Black Friday Sales!

You know from here that I will be hitting up the sales Thursday night in an attempt to check off some items on my kiddo’s Christmas lists- and come Friday, my daughter and I will grab Nana and head out for some shopping! The son and husband would prefer to occupy anything BUT a mall. Here are a few of the stops I will make in my Thursday/Friday shopping extravaganza!

You can find most everything in the above pics at the stores having sales, below!

Beckam’s outfit: old navy | My sweater: juniper lemons. | My dress: asos (see 3v3) | Beckam’s nursery animal heads: anthropologie. Crib sheet: lwph, | Couch throw, pillow, candle, mug, plates, serving board: anthropologie | Hadley’s jammies & kitchenaid mixer: target | My leggings: juniper lemons. Slippers & dyson cordless vacuum: target. Owl, tree skirt, grey pouf, moroccan pillow: west elm

Target. This will be my first stop. TV’s, BOGO 1/2 off toys, Dyson’s $150-200 off, Kitchenaid mixers $70 off, and 30% off all apparel, accessories and shoes for the family- it better be your first stop as well!

West Elm. When you walk in to my home, you can pretty much bet that everything you see is from one of four places- and West Elm is one of those places. They are having a buy more, save more sale this year! 15% off $100. 20% off $500. 25% off $1,000. 30% off $3,000. It’s the time to buy the stuff you’ve been eyeing all year!

ASOS. UPDATE: 30% off everything! Now, ASOS has not released their official sale announcement yet, but I could not skip them- Last year they did 20% off everything. I bought my Christmas dress, a New Years outfit, and my Easter dress during the sale last year. Load up your cart now and come Friday, apply the code (rumor has it, it will be 20-30%) and you won’t have to think about finding a holiday outfit for the next several holidays!

Old Navy & Gap. These two are some of my go-to’s for my kid’s clothes. They have some of the cutest clothes and at such great prices already- throw on the Black Friday 50% off EVERYTHING and it’s a no-brainer where I will be on Friday with a cart full of kids clothes.

Anthropologie. Need I say more? You know Anthro is a favorite of both Ashley and myself- and last year, they did not disappoint. This year everything is 30% off! It starts today! I prefer to go in-store on Black Friday so that is where you will find me! I already have my list of items.

And, of course, don’t miss the first ever Juniper Lemons Black Friday sale! 25% off EVERYTHING!!
* don’t forget about Jcrew! We posted about their sale here.

 

happy shopping!

xox

aj

 

ajLeave a comment

Thanksgiving

mini pies;  cheese board; caligrapher plates

Thanksgiving is nearly here!  It is one of our favorite holidays and we thought we’d share just a few reasons why we love it.

Ash’s reasons to love 

There are so many reasons to love Thanksgiving, but I’ll narrow it down to just a few and save the rest to share in years to come!  In no particular order…

1.  What’s better than getting together with friends and/or family and eating good food?!  Not much.  And even if all of the food isn’t all that great, the bottle of wine or dessert that you brought is sure to be to your liking.  HINT HINT – don’t show up empty handed!  If you need some host give ideas, check out Aj’s recent Gift Guide post for some inspiration.

2.  Pie.  Apple pie, pumpkin pie, strawberry pie, key lime pie, pecan pie – I love pie.  When I was younger we’d spend a few weeks every summer in Los Angeles and my dad would make regular stops at Polly’s Pies, bringing back several at a time.  I remember always getting to pick my own (whole pie, not piece!) from the long list of fresh baked pies.  When Thanksgiving rolled around and our family gathered, there was always a turkey, green bean caserole, and sweet potato bake; but dessert was when the eating got serious.  The pies outnumbered the guests, and an assortment of cookies filled the side table.  Having a small gathering but still want variety?  Opt for mini pies like the ones pictured above from Peasant Pies in San Francisco.

3. The Official kickoff to the holiday season.  Sure Starbucks started using their holiday cups a few weeks ago, and Target started putting out its Christmas decorations with the Halloween candy; but Thanksgiving is, IMHO, the official start of the season.  Time to put on some red lipstick and something sparkly because the holidays are here!  Cheers!  (PS.  Need something sparkly to wear?  Check out the Glitz, Glam, & Velvet post.)    

Aj’s reasons to love

 1. Food. Let’s be honest, any excuse to get together with all the family and friends I love and eat great food is an amazing day. I’m already drooling thinking about a few of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes: brussels sprouts, mile long dessert spreads, homemade cranberry sauce, and fancy fall salads.

2. Seeing my kiddos play with all the cousins. Every year growing up we would drive down to our MeeMaw & PeePaw’s house and have Thanksgiving. It was one of the few days a year that all the cousins would be there and we looked forward to it! My son & daughter are one of 19 cousins on my husband’s side and I just love seeing them all get together and play. It brings back so many fun memories from my childhood.

3. Black Friday. Ok- so I have a love hate with this one. I hate that it has now encroached on Thanksgiving because now it is taking away from family time for some and that makes me sad; but, I do love black Friday. The reason I love it is probably different from most- it’s not because of all the deals {even though there are some great ones this year and I’ll be posting about some of the ones you need to snag, soon!} but instead, it’s because it’s become a tradition for a couple of my sister in laws and I to load up in one car and tackle Black Friday sales together. We make a plan and attack a store together so that we can cover more ground. We stay out late and end our victorious night with popcorn and a movie- I love it and I love my family.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo
– ash + aj

ashLeave a comment