It was difficult crawling out from under a million blankets and being blasted with a space heater on Saturday morning, but it was Neil’s birthday! Lattes and pastries were consumed, the rain finally stopped, and we headed out to a nearby trail. After our hike, we drove up the coast to Carmel for lunch.

Carmel is a charming little town and we enjoyed hypothesizing on what the people there do. I imagine you make all of your money first and then move to Carmel. We had the most delicious seafood lunch at Flaherty’s and then walked down to the water. Our plan was to drive back down for drinks and the sunset at Nepenthe, but as you can see, the sun wanted to set during our drive. We still had a couple drinks at Nepenthe before going back to the Yurt and having dinner at the Big Sur Bakery. Such a wonderful day. I think Neil was pretty happy with how it turned out.

Neil happens to be one of those unlucky people with a birthday sandwiched between Christmas and New Years, so I’ve been trying to do something special for him the last few years. This year I decided to surprise him with a weekend trip to Big Sur, on the California coast. Both of us had driven through Big Sur, but neither had ever stopped to explore and take it in. I am so glad we did. This place has got something magic. For lodging, I went to Air BnB and found this amazing Yurt. We arrived late Friday night, in the rain, with no cell service for google maps. Luckily I recognized other landmarks and we found the Yurt no problem. Our first impression? It was very cool and different. And freezing! We turned on every space heater, opened a bottle of wine, and huddled under all the blankets we could find.

The Big Sur Bakery was conveniently located next door to our Yurt, so we enjoyed lattes (the best) and pastries Saturday morning while praying the rain would stop so we could go hiking. God finally got the message it was Neil’s birthday, the rain ceased, and we set out for the day. More pictures coming soon. But first, here are some photos of the Yurt, in case you were wondering…

The last picture is the toilet and shower…down the path from the Yurt…completely open to the winter air. I could not even fathom taking a shower there in the freezing cold, but I know someone does regularly because it looked like a personal shower with full bottles of products. I’d like to meet that person. And shake their hand.

More coming soon!

For your Sunday morning leisure…

Here is What Happens When You Cast Lindsey Lohan in Your Movie

What Happened to Downtime? The Extinction of Deep Thinking and Sacred Space

Paul Salopek: Going For a Seven Year Walk

P.S. My friend Kait did a killer post on organizing your budget HERE

Image via The Wandering Girl

Last year I made a lot of resolutions (like, uh, 10) so I was a little scared to go back and see how I did. Turns out…dang, I did pretty good. Sure, I didn’t learn french (good example of an unrealistic, time-consuming goal). I did not blog everyday, because that would make for a very bad blog. I also used my credit card more than I should have. Hey! I was ambitious, but I actually accomplished most of the things I set out to do. Things that improved my quality of life. The biggest disappointment for me, though,  was not learning to sew. I definitely made the initial commitment, but I hit a roadblock and gave up.  Not this year. I’ve got a shorter list, and I’m ready to fully commit myself. Are you ready?

1. Learn to sew – buy sewing machine, take another class, boom.

2. Pay down credit cards – as fun as buying new tires, but necessary.

3. Try to be more mindlful about the food/products I consume – I’ve gotten pretty lazy about the food I eat and products I use on my body and in our home. Time to clean it up.

4. More movin’, less boozin’ – I love a pre-dinner cocktail when we’re out, a glass of wine while I cook, or a Sunday afternoon beer after cleaning. However, I’ve learned that if I indulge too much, for too many consecutive days, I am a total grouch. Just completely miserable to be around. Like a toddler that needs a nap. Moving forward, I want to focus more on getting outdoors, using our new tent (!), hiking, and doing things that nourish my body.

5. Volunteer – this one is more personal, but you get the idea

What are yours? I would love to hear!

These are from Christmas morning in San Diego with my family. During the Christmas/Holiday/Hanukkah season, we managed to spend quality time with all the wonderful people that make up both of our families. But Christmas morning, in this house, with these people, was how I grew up. It’s a comfort unmatched.

Highlight definitely being Neil and Jeff trying to install the car stereo we got for my sister. She may or may not have taken her car to Best Buy the next day.

Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. It’s a new year and The French Toast is getting a little make-over because, you know what? This girl lacks patience and serious computer skills and trying to DIY my blog was driving me bonkers. So I got a theme from Milk Blog and I’m thinking it looks pretty classy. This is just a quick hello, but I’ve got so much coming. Christmas photos (I know, I’m super late), our trip to Big Sur for Neil’s birthday, New Years resolutions, and more!

When I was about 11, my mom married Jeff. You can go ahead and start hating me now because I had a truly wonderful step-child experience. What really set it apart was my new aunts and grandmother. They were, and still are, big readers. I had always enjoyed reading, but they gave me books that kept me up at night. Books that I still count as my favorites to this day. Illusions: The Adventures of A Reluctant Messiah, The Kin of Ata Are Waiting For You, and Honolulu, to name a few. I looked forward to their gifts every year and still think that books are one of the greatest things to give and receive because they are not only a tangible object, but they offer an experience as well.

Here’s a few book guides I’m eyeing:

The Atlantic: The Best Book I Read This Year 

NY Times: The Best Books of 2012

LA Times: Books – A Holiday Gift Guide (something for everyone)

Huffington Post: Editors Select The Best Books of 2012

So, any good recommendations?

Image here

I feel so blessed to take part in the latke making tradition with Neil’s family. This year was even more special because we had Neil’s brother and his boyfriend joining us, and we hosted everyone at our apartment. It’s quite the improvement from last year when Neil and I didn’t even have a couch. We drank wine, watched Neil and his brother assemble the potato pancakes (which was hilarious), and enjoyed the company. I’m excited to one day pass this tradition on to my kids.

The Ambition Myth: Debunking A Common Excuse for the Gender Wage Gap

Is This Grade School a ‘Cult’? (And Do Parents Care?)

Hey, Girls, ‘Modesty’ Is Bullshit

It’s not about Angelina Jolie quitting acting

Seven Foods, Genetically Engineered

Image here

Just days ago I was being so annoying, talking about how I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done, I have a dress for this party in a couple weeks, I’m the holiday master and all that. Well, I neglected the two parties I have this weekend. No dress. No white elephant gift. Oy. Anyway, I’ve been running around all week feeling very much unlike the holiday master.

Enough about me, how about this house? Don’t you want to go for a visit? It belongs to the designer Dorothee Schumacher in Mannheim, Germany. It feels so magical and definitely in the holiday spirit.

And this pup? Oh my god.

Hope everyone is surviving. And drinking gingerbread lattes. Are you? You should be.

All images via The Selby