Weekend Recap {Fun on the FarmStead}

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"I'd rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world."  George Washington

George was definitely on to something.  There's something so honest and pure about being on a farm.  In this day and age we have become so accustomed to everything being easy and convenient that it's easy to forget where our food comes from and how much work goes into it.

This weekend was all about getting back to the roots, so to speak, of good, wholesome food.  Saturday we spent the afternoon in the valley.  We stopped in Los Olivos for a quick mini cupcake (did I say wholesome food? oops.) and then made our way to our favorite U-Pick farm, FarmStead (formerly known as Classic Organic).  This little gem, tucked away on the coast just north of Gaviota, has been a favorite spot of ours for years.

 FarmStead operates on the Honor System, just as it did when the original owners began all those years ago.  (They recently retired and moved out of state, leaving the farm in the capable hands of the new owner.)  Inside the market are loads of fresh picked veggies and fruits from their fields, or if you're in the mood to get hands-on, you can walk outside to the main field, grab a basket and pick your own produce!

The farm is home to several very friendly goats, pigs, chickens and llamas and we spent a good amount of time making friends with them while Ayden pointed and said "Fff!!  Fff!  Fff!"  That boy loves animals.  As soon as his feet touched the ground he marched right up to the fence and stuck his hand in to pet the pigs.  One of the pigs had two tiny baby piggies at her side.  They were absolutely darling!

Oink.
Alternate caption: Pigs don't eat baby fingers, do they??

There was another family with children visiting as well, and Ayden instantly made friends with them.  Isn't it interesting that children can be complete strangers yet find common ground with their peers in a matter of seconds?  I often wonder what life would be like if adults were the same.

cutie pies!

The most delicious berries in the field: my boys!

Sometimes you need to just get dirty.  Ayden had no qualms about that and was quite comfy sitting in the dirt being a messy little boy.  I love that about him.  We loved our time at the farm and will definitely be spending more time there as the summer goes on.  If you find yourself in the area definitely make a point of visiting this tranquil little spot!

XO

Our Weekend {A Wedding + I Madonnari}

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Well, hello there, June!!  You sure snuck up on me, just like all the other months.

We've had a lovely couple of weeks/weekends and I've been soaking up every minute with my boys without really taking the time to put a blog together.  Let's chalk it up to Writer's Block ;)

On Saturday we attended a beautiful backyard wedding for some friends, which meant date night for Mommy & Daddy!  Abuelito and Lita came to hang out with ADogg for a few hours so we could sneak away sans diaper bag.  Nick and Kelsey's wedding was absolutely gorgeous!  You know those weddings you see on Pinterest with the spectacular flowers, perfectly strung patio lights, lanterns around the pool, candles in mason jars and hand-lettered chalkboard signs for the drinks?  Yeah, this was that wedding.  Absolute perfection.  I was trying not to be a total weirdo taking photos of everything.

I think this is my favorite detail of the whole wedding!

Husband says, "You look like a Baron."

After an ice cream date on Sunday we stopped by Old Mission Santa Barbara to check out the finished I Madonarri drawings.  For those who are not familiar with it, I Madonarri is an annual street painting festival.  Hundreds of artists spend several days working on their drawings and the end results are astounding.  I can barely draw a stick figure and these artists make their drawings come to life on a large scale on asphalt!  It's incredible.

Eyes on the prize... Nom nom nom

After wandering the art for a while we posted up on the lawn and relaxed in the sun while A ran out his wiggles like the little wild man he is. :)  A guy drove his RC car up to him and A was fascinated and chased that sucker like a lion chasing a gazelle.  He also got to meet two pups who covered him in kisses.  Needless to say he was pooped out when we got back to the car.

Have a great rest of your week! XO

.swoon.

PapaLounger

Ayden + the Jellies, 2.0

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Another weekend has come and gone, my friends.  But it was a lovely one.  It was sunny and summery out all weekend (my apologies if your area is still stuck in winter mode) which called for a family ice cream date :)  Then it was off for our adventures!

Several months ago we took Ayden to the Sea Center down on the pier.  He was only 6 months old at the time:

iPhone pic + low light, sorry.  But those arm rolls!! 

We took him back this weekend and had so much fun.  While he enjoyed checking everything out the first time, he could only ride around in our arms as a spectator.  This time he had a blast!  He was walking around like he owned the joint and thought the touch tanks were the greatest.  things.  ever.  The very first stop was the shark tank where he met baby Jaws ;)

They were actually pretty cool, albeit a bit spooky-eyed, and they feel like wet sandpaper.  Ayden's thoughts on meeting a shark?  "Ooooh!"

"Oooh!"

The jellyfish exhibit is so cool; the whole exhibit is dark, only lit with blacklight (fun for the inner hippie!) and is home to some really neat creatures.  Watching the jellyfish float around is oddly relaxing.  I feel like I could lounge in a hammock and zone out watching them, sort of like a real life screen saver.  Ha!

smurfs.

Kiddo had some serious wiggles to get out when we were done at the Sea Center and he took the pier by storm.  I told Hubby we need to put a pedometer on Ayden, as I'm pretty sure he walked close to a mile on the pier that afternoon!  When we got home he crashed out and slept in late Sunday morning.    We were hoping to get out on the water, but the wind had picked up and the water was pretty choppy.  Hopefully this weekend we can!

Sunday there was a car show downtown.  The owner of Hubby's company is an auto enthusiast and always has one of his classic cars in the annual show.  We like to make a point of stopping by to see him.  He was busy collecting his awards when we made it to his spot, but his car was gorgeous!  Definitely worthy of the awards :)

As soon as we got downtown I grabbed the camera to start snapping away and found a dead battery instead.  WOMP.  So, Ayden's first car show = all phone pics.  Such a bummer.  Note to self: make sure to check the camera battery before you leave the house.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend!  How will you be celebrating?  BBQ on the beach?  Maybe at the lake?  If you need a beverage idea for your Memorial Day gathering, here's a great one.  To date it is my most popular and most pinned recipe and was even featured on BuzzFeed!

In our day-to-day it is so easy to forget that we owe our very livelihood to thousands of brave men and women who have given their lives for our country.  It is truly the ultimate sacrifice and one that they make for complete strangers.  I can't imagine that kind of selflessness!  Without their courage we would not know the freedom we have here.  America is the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!!

Have a great week and long weekend!  XO