Traveling with Kids in California // The Yuba River

One of the big perks of being wedding photographers is that we get to travel a lot for weddings all over California and the country. And we bring our family! And we also bring along Nana and Patti to watch the little ones -- best babysitters ever!

Before diving into a full day of wedding photography, we spent Friday afternoon at the Yuba River, swimming, doing water painting and skipping smooth stones. It was a lovely afternoon and super kid friendly. Even though the Yuba River is a powerful force of water, it mellows out in a calm pool below the bridge and is safe for baby play. Just a 2.5 hr drive from the Bay (or 3-5 hrs if you have little ones -- hehe!). Hope you make the trip too!

A big thanks to our great fashion partner included in this blog post!

Juniper's romper: Pikka Baby

xoxo,

Ariel, Sam, Juniper + Wilder

Camping with Kids in California at Samuel P. Taylor SP and Swimming in Bolinas

On the last few days of summer, we decided we just had to get in one last camping trip... and see if we could camp with a three month old and a two and a half year old ;) We started the journey with a picnic by the water with Nana and Babo. After a delicious apple-almond cake, Juni spent hours "fishing" in the river with a piece of twine dangling on a stick. As dusk approached, we headed off to find our campground, and our camping buddy, Alex. As we set up our site, we marveled at the redwoods towering over us and the still peace they held. Would the silence be shattered with the wails of an infant? How quickly could we pack up the tent and make it back home?

Turned out, Wilder LOVED camping! He especially LOVED the fire. Couldn't stop gazing into it. The night went beautifully. Then, after a hearty breakfast of strong coffee and oats, we headed to Bolinas for a dip in the ocean and a wild pelican feeding show! There must have been a huge fish run because the birds were having a food convention, diving in and taking off. Slurp!

We did it! Camped with an infant AND a toddler! It was the best! YAY!

A big thanks to our great fashion partner sponsoring the outfits in this blog post!

Juni + Ariel's knit tops and Wilder's Hat: My Aqua

Thank Alex for the sweet family photo :)

xoxo,

Ariel, Sam, Juniper + Wilder

Traveling with Kids in California // Palo Alto and the Magical Bridge Playground

Part of parenthood is being a professional playground explorer with your kids. We're always on the hunt for a super fast slide, a wonderful tree house and a sleek new swingset. We were meeting our friends G + R halfway between our houses in Palo Alto and came across this gem, Magical Bridge Playground, an inclusive playground for all :) So cool! Juni LOVED it and we were there for over four hours, with a mini picnic break (read G's crazy good cookies! haha) in between. A MUST visit! Enjoy!

A big thanks to our great fashion partners included in this blog post!

Ariel's outfit: notPerfectLinen

Juniper's dress: Pikka Baby

xoxo,

Ariel, Sam, Juniper + Wilder

Wilder's 100 Day Celebration

Hi Loves,

We want to invite you take part in a special celebration for Wilder, similar to the one we had for Juni in 2015. He's going to be 100 days old soon, and we're launching him into this beautiful life, boosted by the love of friends. This is an invitation for you to be part of his life, to join him on his journey as he grows up and forges his path. 

How are we going to do this

We're asking you to make one promise to Wilder that he can claim when he is older. This may be a skill you share with him, the pledge to spend quality time together, or some other contribution of your unique passions and talents. These promises can range from the frivolous to the practical, from the absurd to the meaningful, from the rare to the common. Some examples include: teaching him to surf, taking him to work with you, introducing him to a new cuisine; teaching him a guitar riff; reading him a book; learning to whistle; backpacking in the woods; proof-reading his resume; helping him with geometry; discussing feminism, class and race; inducting him through a rite of passage; road tripping, or .... you get the idea!

With Juniper, we were BLOWN AWAY with your creativity and generosity. In the playroom, there is a cloth bag containing all your letters, rumbling with magic. We're planning on letting her dig into them in a few years and it would be amazing for Wilder to have a similar treasure trove.

Start brainstorming. We'll bring paper to the celebration, and you can write your note to him describing what he can count on you for, and we'll collect them and put them in a box for him to tap into once he is a little older.

Why are we doing this

With a new life in our community, what better excuse is there to celebrate our friendship, the love we have for each other, and for Wilder!

xoxo,

Ariel, Sam, Juniper + Wilder

Photo Diary: A Summer Day in Sonoma

We're holding on to every last drop of summer, especially since the weather is still warm and sunny here in California. We spent a dreamy afternoon in Sonoma at our dear friend Alex's house, picking figs and swimming in the pool. Life is sweet.

A big thanks to our great fashion partner included in this blog post!

Juni + Ariel's knit tops: My Aqua

xoxo,

Juniper, Wilder, Ariel + Sam