Getaway Weekend :: Scootin' Sonoma

Monday, March 31, 2014





I love the strong (and completely unintentional) focus on blues and greens in these photos. It must be spring!

Last weekend, Jimmy and I hopped on our Piaggio and scooted our way from the East Bay, up through Sonoma to Sebastopol, through Guerneville to Armstrong Redwoods, to Dry Creek Valley, back to Sebastopol, to Bodega Bay, down Route 1, to Stinson Beach, over the Golden Gate Bridge, over the Bay Bridge, then home. I thought about adding up the miles and decided against it - but let's just say that's quite a lot for an open-air ride!

We tasted wine, we ate the good foods, we enjoyed nature. But first and foremost, we enjoyed the time on the scooter, zipping through the breeze and sunshine, able to soak every last piece of the ride in. There's something so wonderful about traveling this way, especially for me as the passenger. I get to see, hear and smell everything as it flies by, making every last moment of the road trip feel like part of the fun rather than a means to an end.

Here's a little instagram-vid that I took from the ride:
[Click here for on-scooter instavid]

Where we stayed: The Sebastapol Inn was a great place for our weekend stay. We liked that it was affordable but better than your average chain, and very central to much of what Sonoma County has to offer. Also, Sebastapol in itself is a worth a stopover - it's a very "groovy" little town with a strong community vibe.
Where we ate: This weekend was all about "what looks delicious?", rather than my usual focus on "what's healthy and/or cheap". This was a very fun change. Favorites:
  • Angelo's Wine Country Deli in Sonoma is the perfect place for a casual lunch between tastings. Check out the jerky tasting bar (you can't miss it) with complimentary bite-size pieces of every kind of jerky under the sun.
  • Ono'z Cafe in Guerneville for Hawaiian - who knew you could get Hawaiian food in wine country? Yummy onion rings + lumpia + an enormous shaved ice will stick in my memory.
  • We found the HopMonk Tavern in Sebastapol so enjoyable that we went here twice. Great food eaten with local beer in a friendly-stranger filled beer garden next to a fire. How can it get better? Add a perfectly grilled ham and cheese + chunky tomato soup...that's how.
  • The Bodega Country Store (in Bodega) is always a must for us; we find ourselves passing by strangely often and we love it each and every time. There is AMAZING chowder, lots of local knickknacks and flavors, and our favorite kind of gluten-free cookies which is what we grabbed this time on our way home.
  • We stopped at the Parkside Cafe snack shack at Stinson Beach for some burgers and chili fries (I told you we weren't focused on health...), which we took over to eat on the beach in the sunshine. 
  • The Community Market in Sebastapol is the adorable place where we stopped for morning breakfast and coffees - I wish we had one of these in our town!

What we drank:
Though Sonoma and Napa are closer to us and renowned for their wines, we tend to venture out to the Dry Creek Valley / Russian River Valley wineries more often. They are a bit less pricey in general, there's less traffic, and since there is less packed into the area, you can't beat the views. We're wine club members of both Dutcher Crossing and Truett Hurst, which are both amazing, delicious, off-the-beaten path wineries in the area. Check 'em out!

What we did: Besides eating and wine tasting, we had an awesome time exploring Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve (I just can't get enough of those majestic trees), walking around Stinson Beach, and spending time on the scooter, stopping every 5 minutes to get a view of this or a photo of that. 
Have you been to Sonoma County? What was your favorite stop? 

Mindful 02 :: Deep Breaths

Thursday, March 20, 2014


"Pause for a few seconds to observe the flow of your breath. 
Become aware of a silent but powerful sense of presence."


Happy Spring everyone! I'm so happy to get back in to the Mindful thang. I am ready. My workaholic stress-case has subsided. Spring is shining over here, and us East Coasters are bred to be happy and relaxed on sunshiney days.

Today I wanted to keep it simple by talking about Mindfulness of Breath. As you're starting your mindfulness practice, this is one of the easiest things to focus on. The more you practice, the more you'll do it. I find myself focusing on my breath now occasionally throughout the day, and each time it brings an enormous sense of calm over me. In a boring or irritating meeting? At the dentist? Having trouble shutting off before bed? These are all wonderful moments to try a discreet mindfulness of breath meditation.



Preparation
Like last time, you will sit or lie in a comfortable position. Usually I recommend sitting up with good posture to keep you alert (especially if you're tired!). You may choose to close your eyes or keep them open (if I feel distractable, which is almost always, I keep them closed).


Practice
Begin by gently moving your attention onto the process of breathing. Simply observe each breath as it happens. Without feeling the need to alter your breath, just notice everything that's happening. Is your chest moving up and down from the breath? Can you feel the air going in and then out of your nostrils? Notice how the breath is always changing. One moment it might be deep and slow, the next it might be shallow, the temperature of the air might change. See if you can notice the changes while you practice.

If your mind wanders, know that this is okay. Simply notice the distraction (this is a moment of mindfulness!) and gently bring your attention back to the breath. One thing that helps is to use noting phrases to keep your attention on the breathe. I often say in my head "in...out....in....out". 

Zoom in and out during the exercise. Increase your curiosity - how detailed can I feel this breath? Then zoom out and feel the expansive nature of your breathing.


Ending and Reflection 
Take a few moments to yourself, just to feel connected with the present moment. Expand your awareness from the breath into the room around you, and as you feel comfortable to do so, take a deep breath, stretch, open your eyes and bring the exercise to a close.


You can practice on your own, but if you would like a guide, here is a 5-minute Mindful Breathing Meditation.

Enjoy your mindful breathing! I hope you all give it a try this weekend. 

Sunshine Weekend in SF + Links

Monday, March 17, 2014



Charcutière at Baker Street Bistro
Tasting wine at The Vine

The Deadly Gentleman and Railroad Earth at The Fillmore



Did everyone enjoy some sun this weekend? We were pretty lucky with the weather out in SF - so I did a few of my absolute favorite things: ocean viewing, music listening, scooter riding, wine tasting, and city exploring. Hopefully you got some Vitamin D too!

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Here are some links for your Monday:



This is a really interesting article about how marriages have changed over time, from the institutional marriage (focus on food , shelter, protection), to today's self-expressive marriage, where we increasingly look to our relationship for self-esteem and personal growth.

Speaking of relationships, I love the idea of this 10 Day Marriage Challenge (which I believe would be wonderful for even us unmarrieds).

Have you ever wondered where in the States we drink the most wine? I hadn't either, but here it is anyway :). Is it shocking to anybody that I've only ever lived in NH, MA, and CA (the bright pink states...)?

I love this list of the 10 best secret spots in San Francisco! Does anyone know how the hell to get on that hot tub list??

This makes me happy. Adorable.

I'm craving New England after flipping through this lovely winter ISSUU of t.e.l.l. 

Want some new goals for the spring? Here are 5 Intentions to Set This Spring from Free People.

Happy Birthday to Jimmy!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

It's Jimmy's birthday today! In honor of him entering his 30th year on this earth, I wanted to make sure to post some pictures of his adorable face. And I figured I'd mix in a little #throwbackthursday action by taking a walk down memory lane. **Alert** this might be cornier than my usual post. If an overload of coupley photos makes you gag, turn back now!

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The Story of J & A


Here's the day I realized my crush was for realsies - camping with friends at Acadia National Park 2010. Can you see that lucky-in-love grin on my face?? His face isn't quite as promising...but he came around ;).


Playing hooky from work to go cross country skiing in Western MA. This is when we're both like "aw, you're cute. Let's do this thing."


Jimbo pays me a visit in Boston from his program in Washington state and we overload on alcoholic whipped cream (yuck!) before going out with friends in Southie. Also known as, the first night Jim told me (and the whole bar) that he loved me. Magic cream = love potion.


Then we meet up from our respective sides of the country in Mexico! This was our first real getaway together. And we're both like, "traveling with you is super fun. Let's do more of it".


It's time for Jim to come home to Boston after his time in WA, so we take a long road-trip across the country and have one of the best adventures of our lives.


After a year in Boston we're like...let's road-trip again. But this time in Europe. Cobblestone streets, beer and brezeln here we come!


That spring we also decide to move to the West coast. And if we're going to quit our jobs and move our lives across the country...why not do something awesome in between? We sign ourselves up for the summer of our lives at Fattoria Barbialla Nuova in Tuscany.



Finally, Winter 2013, we move to the Bay Area. Now we've been here for just over a year, exploring all of the beauty that California has to offer
photo cred: Danny Indiana!


Happy birthday, Bobe! Can't wait for a thousand more adventures with you.

Not Feeling Mindful

Friday, March 7, 2014


***Radio Silence***

I've been out of the loop. Usually I'm not one to log just for the sake of logging, but in this case I know it will make me feel better. So, selfishly, I'm doing it anyways even though I know I have nothing much to add right now to these here interwebs. I've been a workaholic lately. I haven't been doing nearly enough of the things that recharge me: sleeping, exercising, traveling and laughing to name a few.  I can't preach what I'm not practicing, which is why I've taken a break from my mindfulness posts. But I know I'll be back at it soon! This weekend Jimbo and I are getting away to snowy woods of Tahoe with some of our besties. I know that it's exactly what I need. 

See you on Monday with a new week and new mindset. Enjoy the weekend, amici!