Friday Favorites: Can I have s'more?

To me, the end of August also means the end of summer. Soon the days will be shorter and the nights cooler. Maybe because I grew up in Newport Beach, but the end of summer always makes me think of bonfires at the beach. We would grab a fire pit and roast marshmallows as the sun set surrounded by all of our friends and family. And we always made s'mores which are pretty much my favorite sweets on the planet. There's something perfect about the combination of chocolate, graham cracker, and toasted marshmallow... it's sweet, crunchy, and gooey all in one bite. When we took Cayden to the beach a few weeks ago we planned to have a bonfire that night, but all of the fire pits were taken by the time we got there. So I was left with all the necessary s'more ingredients and decided to try this recipe from Fahrenheit 350.  These s'mores cookies are amazing! You take a chocolate chip cookie, add marshmallow, and bake them right on top of a graham cracker. It just tastes like summer! There are so many creative s'mores treats around lately, I wanted to dedicated Friday Favorites to the yummiest summer dessert as we say goodbye to another season!

 I love the idea of s'mores pops! Pre-roasted marshmallow, dipped in melted chocolate, and coated in graham cracker crumbs already on a stick and ready to devour? Perfect!

Okay, how creative and original is a s'mores cake? This cake found on The Sweetest Occasion looks amazing! Layers of chocolate and graham cracker and topped with a toasted marshmallow buttercream... Heaven!

 You knew there would be a cupcake somewhere in this post right? I have to try these chocolate s'mores cupcakes from Glorious Treats. You just can't go wrong with a moist chocolate cupcake topped with marshmallow frosting and a piece of baked graham cracker! YUM!

These s'mores bars are about as close to the real thing as you can get! I love how she mixed both chocolate chips and mini Hershey bars for double the chocolate-y goodness. Now get in my mouth!

Want to skip the whole open flame and stick hassle? These homemade s'mores candy bars might be the perfect solution, especially if you have young children. Just layer the chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and graham cracker pieces and let set and you are good to go!

Okay, I can't get over these s'mores in a jars from How Sweet It Is. I love anything in a jar (it's true). She layers a graham cracker crust with double chocolate chip cake, and then tops it off with big puffy marshmallows. AMAZING. How cute would these be as desserts or favors at a camping themed birthday party?

Obviously these are all wonderful ideas, and I think I need to make all of them by the end of the month. What about you? Are you ready for summer to end? I, personally, can't wait for fall... sweaters, pumpkin spice, and the holiday season! It's going to be amazing! XOXO

Family day at the Orange County Fair.

Going to the Orange County Fair is a summer tradition for me. I've been going every year since I was a little girl and I love it more and more each time. The food is fried, the rides are dangerous, and the carnies are missing teeth... what could be a better Summer tradition? We first took Cayden when he was only 3 weeks old and with a possible out-of-state move in our future, I knew I had to take him again this year. We had so much fun walking around and eating! I have an obsession with fair food, and photographing fair food. I can't get enough of those colorful booths! We took the boys to the petting zoo where Cayden almost got trampled by a llama (true story...) and we walked around the arts and crafts expo. The only disappointment was that every ride in the kiddie land had a 36" height requirement (which we realized after buying the tickets) so the boys couldn't go on any. Lame! But thankfully we brushed it off and had a great time!

Another thing checked off our Summer to-do list! Can you believe Fall is almost here? I can't wait!! XOXO

Oregon Itinerary, yay!



I thought it'd be fun for me to show you guys where/what exactly we'll be doing on our road trip up the coast so I put together a little Oregon Itinerary! We have 4 stops between Orange County and Portland and I seriously can't decide which one I'm most excited for. Here's the breakdown of our trip:

1. Depart Orange County on Sunday at about 7am. Drive 5-6 hours until we get to...
2. Big Sur. We'll stop and stretch our legs and have a long lunch at Nepenthe, a restaurant on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. One of my Twitter friends told me about this place and the reviews on Yelp are fantastic! I can't wait to see that view! We'll let Cayden explore for awhile and then back on the road for another 2ish hours until...
3. San Francisco. We'll probably get there around 4 or 5 which gives us plenty of time to check into our hotel room and hit China Town for dinner. We will probably walk around and explore for awhile and in the morning go to downtown to see Fisher Men's Wharf and Alcatraz. We'll leave San Fran around 4 and drive until we get to...
4. Ferndale, which is a small town in Humboldt County loaded with antique shops and sweet Victorian houses. We'll shop, have dinner, explore the town and then spend the night in the cutest little hotel. The next morning we'll be up bright and early to explore the redwoods and the avenue of the giants. There's hiking trails, campgrounds, and spectacular views of the redwoods. The forest goes on for like a 30 mile stretch so we'll spend the morning driving around and seeing everything there is to see. Around noon we'll go for the longest driving stretch, and the one I'm most nervous about with Cayden. It's about 7 hours until we reach...
5. Eugene. We'll stop here to have a long dinner and rest, and let Cayden out of the car for a few hours. We don't have any definite plans other than explore the town and possibly meet up with Lindsey, who just moved there! From there it's a 2 hour drive until we reach...
6. Portland, our destination! We'll probably just check into our hotel for the night, because the next 3 days will be spent at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Japanese Gardens, Mount Hood, Multnomah Falls, and the Rose Gardens.  Of course we'll also explore the restaurants, antique shops, and the houses around town to see if it's a good fit for us to move there next year! Eeeeek!

Our trip home isn't so planned out, but we'll leave Friday evening and try to see Crater Lake, Gilroy (the garlic capital, can you say heaven on earth?!), and Monterey Bay on the way back. I'm really bummed out that the Treesort (which is like a treehouse hotel!!!) is completely booked. Who knew they booked a year in advance? Even though we won't be able to see it this time, I am definitely planning another trip there soon!

So that's our trip! I'm dying of excitement, and can't believe it's only 3 days away! I am really nervous about Cayden because he's not the best traveler, but I got some brand new car toys for him to play with, his favorite blankie and stuffed animal, and tons of books and snacks for him. We also tried to plan plenty of stops for him to run around and stretch and eat. If you have any tips for traveling with toddlers I'd love to hear them!

I've scheduled some posts for next week while I'm gone so make sure to come check them out! Have a fantastic weekend everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Wonderful one-pieces

I love Memorial Day because it's recognized as the official start of the summer. It represents the beach, BBQ's, and bathing suits! Sure enough, we spent the holiday weekend in the pool with some friends. Now, I'm not ashamed of my post-pregnancy body... after all, it's what grew Cayden and that is no easy task! I am however 100% positive that I will never be strutting around in a bikini again which is why I've been spending my time scouring the internet for a cute one-piece that I won't be embarrassed in. Luckily, I've found a ton of cute, vintage inspired suits on Pinterest like the REAL vintage ones above. Aren't they amazing? Here are a few of my absolute favorites. Now to actually buy one!

This ballet pink is becoming one of my favorite colors. It's flattering on my pale skin and it's girly while still neutral. I love the criss-cross detailing on the front!

This black halter bathing suit is my absolute favorite. I love the fabric over-lay, sweetheart neckline, and the halter looks super comfy and flattering. If it didn't cost hundreds of dollars and come from Europe I would totes buy it! ;)

This bathing suit is bright, girly, and fun. I love the little ruffle detail along the bottom and the bright color!

This pretty gray suit looks comfortable and effortless! I love the side gathering and the shape!

I like nautical anything, so when I saw this sailor swimsuit I instantly loved it. The plunging neckline is pretty without being TOO revealing and I love the bow detail (of course)! The only thing that concerns me is the horizontal stripes!

Polka dots, vintage cut, halter top... this bathing suit is everything I could ever want and need!

That's all for now! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend full of warm weather, water, and cute bathing suits! Happy Friday! XOXO

*All image sources can be found on my Pinterest fashion board here.