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Tag: ian anderson

Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge

Caves Branch is a once-in-a-lifetime typa thing that should be experienced again and again. What is it, you ask? Give me two minutes… Let me start by saying that the website of Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge heeds the following warning, “Please Remember, Caves Branch is NOT a resort-we are a unique Jungle Adventure…

Meet The Vias

We kissed on a bus once back in September 2010. Luke was a bit tipsy and I was wearing an 80’s prom dress (it was not a themed event). We said ‘I do’ under the trees near Yosemite, California back in August 2016 and have been adventuring ever since. Nothing we type here is going to change the world but maybe it will inspire you to do something beautifully stupid. Ey, we’re livin’ proof that life takes funny turns sometimes.

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Babies need a lot of stuff... but here’s the thing, only some of it turns out to actually be necessary. First, there’s the baby registry. You’ll create a list of items you’re 80% sure will be useful after doing an embarrassing amount of reading on the subject but, hey, you won’t really know until the squish arrives to test it all (including you). Next, come the toys. Half the toys and bouncers will give your child a thrill for exactly 2.4 minutes, some they’ll ignore completely until one day their eyes widen to this same toy they’ve flung across the room 56 times and decide no, no, THIS is their favorite toy and and it has always been their favorite toy. After that are the more costly accessories everyone told you you’d love and you really WANT to love but regardless of reviews, you somehow wish you went with another brand. This is the most irritating because you did the research but didn’t actually get the chance to check it out in person because #covid or #life. This week I had the incredible pleasure of spending a few days in Tomales Bay for my mother’s birthday. Wakely and I were slated to share a room 😳- something we haven’t done since she was three months old. It didn’t occur to me to research options of how to deal with this until four days before my arrival when I discovered something called a Slumberpod. I took to the Facebook mom groups to see if anyone had one I could borrow: nope. Mom friends? Nope. Enter Google. Suddenly up popped @rents4baby - a baby gear rental company. THE CONCEPT OF RENTING GEAR HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO ME AND I WILL RECOMMEND IT TO ANY PARENTS NEW OR OTHERWISE. Travel will one day return but until then, I strongly advise you try out some of the gear you think you’ll use before buying. @rents4baby currently operates in parts of California, Florida, Utah, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, and Texas. They offer contactless drop off right to your door and Paige, the owner, happens to be the wonderful human behind the company doin’ a happy dance when you choose @rents4baby. Give ‘em a look! #sponsored

"Life is like the sea – it moves us, shapes us, supports us, and awakens us to new shores. And ultimately, life teaches us to be like water ourselves – strong yet calm, steady yet yielding, subtle yet beautiful."

It's hard to comprehend just how much time you're going to spend with your offspring as a stay-at-home-mom [during a pandemic] until one day you catch yourself humming "Best friend" by Doja Cat and Saweetie during diaper changes. Never thought my bestie would be one to eat my hair or claw at the inside of my nostrils and yet here we are.

Okay but what is it about the second photo that makes it look like an ad for homeowners insurance? Is it the fence? It’s the fence isn’t it. Luke’s currently taking an avalanche safety course and I’m over here marveling at cherry blossoms and finding any excuse to wear a dress (note the puffys worn by my colleagues). TEAM SUMMER FOR LIFE.

Had a snow day with this little crew of mine and got to watch Lucas in his ultimate dad element: putting Wakely’s outdoor equipment to use. Anybody else know someone (or are that someone) who couldn’t wait to try out all the baby gear?

Little squish is eight months old today!! Yup, my sweet Wakely girl is four months away from turning one... HOW?! It’s not that time is zooming by. It is and it isn’t. This last year has been the longest and slowest of my life (anybody else?). The biggest surprise is really that each stage is so brief. Babies change so swiftly sometimes you only have a week with a particular version and nothing can prepare you for how frequently you must say goodbye and hello. All we can do is take a big whiff of their baby scent, squeeze their glorious rolls, give in to every staring contest, and try to remind ourselves that today is the oldest they’ve ever been ❤️.

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