Real Talk, Real Moms: Tips for Taking Family Vacations

Business of blogging

I’m not sure how it happened, but Memorial Day weekend is a week away. A week! The unofficial start to summer is upon us. Which means it’s time to hit the road! We’ve got a couple of summer trips up our sleeves so far, and of course, I’m a huge fan of the local weekend getaway, so I think our suitcases are about to get a lot of use. Now that my kiddo is two and we have a lot of traveling under our belt, I feel excited rather than anxious about vacationing as a family. While it can be incredibly stress-inducing, you can, in fact, hit the road and have everyone enjoy the ride. That’s why the mamas have decided to tackle family vacations for this edition of Real Talk, Real Moms. Given the varied experiences between us all, there’s probably enough here to write a book! So scroll down for my top tips and then be sure to check out the other mamas – between all of us, you’ll know every travel trick in the book.

Pack Less than You Think Need
I know kids clothes are really cute, especially vacation clothes, but you can really save yourself headaches by cutting down on all crap you haul on vacation. Outfits can be repeated. In an ideal world, you might have laundry where you’re staying. Plan looks for your kids and then cut the amount of stuff in half. Seriously. They’ll be in bathing suits 90% of the time. Also, pack your diapers in your car seat bag when you check it (it checks for free!) to save space in your luggage. Oh and if you desperately need something you didn’t bring (and you aren’t off the grid) there’s Amazon to save you.

Kid Friendly Schedules
Your children’s sleep is your best friend. If you can, try to plan your travel days around nap schedules. We typically try to fly between 11AM-1Pm to make sure we’re not too rushed in the morning and have a prayer of the kid falling asleep on the plane during nap time. Now that he’s two that’s happening less frequently, but a mama can dream.

Enough Time, but not Too Much Time
My husband would probably debate me on this tip, but see what you think. I like to plan our plane travel so that we’re always moving. No standing around and waiting. This can cause a little extra stress when you make the check-in cut off by three minutes, but I’m always thankful to walk straight from the desk, through security, to the gate, and onto the plane. Downtime just leads to crankiness and fidgeting and you run out of ways to entertain tiny people. Maybe I also like the adrenaline rush, I don’t know. But I say no getting to the airport two hours early and standing around. Keep your timing as tight as your stress levels can handle.

Have a Secret Toy
I cannot take credit for this tip. Another mom-friend passed it along to me, and it is genius for any plane trip or car ride. Find something little your child has never seen before. Something fun. Something with a bell or whistle or two that will attract and hold attention in your most desperate moment. Then and only then is when you bust out the Secret Toy. It will get used. It will save the day. You will be thankful.

Feed Often
Tons of stimulation, new activities, and unknown environments make littles way hungrier than you’d ever expect. So pack snacks where ever you go and feed at the slightest sign of crankiness. Crackers are also effective at bribing toddlers to sit in their seats during takeoff. Until you get held on the runway for an extra hour (see above tip).

Revel in Repetition
If you’re typically an adventurer, you might need to redefine the term. There’s actually something soothing about settling into a routine and it can definitely help your littles adjust to new places, new time zones and the unexpected. Embrace the slow and let it go.

Divide and Conquer
When it comes to traveling with your kiddos, your partner is your best friend. Or really anyone who is willing to lend a hand. Grandparents. Siblings. The random stranger on the airplane who will hold your baby while you pee. Take advantage of all the help you can get. Trade off meal preparation or bedtime duties so someone can get a break. Even on vacation child rearing is exhausting, so you want to make sure you build in some ways everyone gets their down time.

Nap When They Nap
‘Nuff said.

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Drink Wine
And if does start getting a little overwhelming, take a walk, take a mini meditation session, take a deep breath. And then order more wine.

Enjoy Every Minute
All the cliches are true. It goes so quickly. They grow so fast. The days are long but the years are short. Soak it up, people. The good, the bad and the ugly. Because ultimately, in the end, all of it is actually good. In fact, it’s great.

Bonus tip: When you get back home from your vacation, have a photobook made of your adventure. Our two year old loves looking through the book about our trip to Hawaii (details on that here), talking about what we did there and what we experienced. It’s a great way to build memory and it’s really dang cute too.

For all my favorite travel destinations CLICK HERE

For the rest of the mama’s posts, click below.

Design for Mankind || Oh Lovely Day || Natalie Borton || A Daily Something || The Fresh Exchange || The Effortless Chic

5 Key Ingredients for a Welcoming Guest Room

Bedrooms

With the arrival of Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer travel season, it’s time to get ready for guests. Thankfully, creating a tranquil visitor-ready space is much easier than you think. Even if you don’t have a lot of space (or are just getting settled in your new house!) just a few thoughtful details came make your visitors feel like they’re getting the royal treatment.

Even though we’ve barely gotten our footing, I’m excited to host our first guests. After living in less than 1,000sq ft, having a guest room feels like such a luxury. Yet my guest room, like the rest of the house, is not even close to being “done.” That’s going to be a loooong process. But if you get creative, you can pull together a totally inviting space.

Obviously, the key to a good stay anywhere is an excellent night’s sleep. If there’s thing you should always invest in, it’s your bed. For our guest room, we went with the Wyatt bed from Room & Board in a soft gray velvet. It has a hotel bed look, which I love. And our Cocoon by Sealy mattress is already getting rave reviews. But it’s how you make your bed that will make visitors feel extra special. I’ve been a bit obsessed with the various bed making styles. My current favorite: sheets tucked in nice and tight, layered blankets folded down almost to the bed’s foot to expose all the colors and textures and then a good stack of pillows. I like just two decorative pillows for a crisp clean look.

Since we don’t have much furniture yet, I had to get creative to make the guest room functional. No bedside tables? No matter! A pouf and a cool decorative ladder (ladders are having a moment) are all you need to give your guests a spot for a glass of water, their phone or a book. This were I also put two of my other key ingredients for a the perfect guest room – fresh flowers and good smells. A lovely candle, or in this case my favorite room spray from le labo, is a luxurious touch.

I repurposed our floor lamp to serve as a bedside light, at least for now. A basket for extra throws is always nice should your guests get cold in the night.

I also think it’s a nice touch to offer your guests a supply of toiletries. A toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, lotion and even shampoo and condition. I’m notorious for getting things (since I’m usually rushing to catch my plane) and this way your visitors don’t even have to ask to borrow something.

Finally, leave out some good reading material. It’s always nice to read a little something before bed and this way you guests to have to sit under the goal of their phones. That is not conducive to a good night’s sleep!

And there you have it. If you add just a few thoughtful details you can have the ultimate guest room. Warning: you may end up waiting to sleep in a room like this yourself.

Room sources: Throw pillows, pouf, ladder, leather basket, throws, p0mpom coverlet, floor cushions Jessie Black / Wyatt bed from Room & Board / Cocoon by Sealy mattress / Flaneur sheets / West Elm floor lamp / Morgan toiletries / florals by Natalie Bowen Designs

In case you’re curious about details of our house here are a few: Benjamin Moore paint in White Whisp / adorne by Legrand switches & wall plates / emtek glass door knobs

original photography for apartment 34 by suzanna scott

Summer’s Signature Drink – the Aperol Spritz

Entertaining

Well friends, it’s official. The first day of Fall is here! But it has me feeling a little torn. Now I luv summer as much as the next girl. Long days, warm temps, dreamy afternoons spent on a beach {or at least dreaming of one}. But I also love when the seasons change. It always feels like a breath of fresh air. A new beginning if you will. And just because summer is saying see ya, doesn’t mean entertaining season is ending. Oh contraire! We’ve actually been enjoying a seriously gorgeous Indian Summer in San Francisco right now. So I say set aside a little time to gather friends and enjoy that waning evening light while we still can! In fact, we did exactly that last weekend and the results were equal parts yummy and lovely – if I do say so myself!

Our mission was simple. Gather some of our favorite ladies for an impromptu happy hour. The ingredients for a successful happy hour aren’t complicated either. Copious amounts of easy to snack on food, a killer outdoor patio and a fabulous drink of course. But remember, just because something’s impromptu doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty! Today we’re revealing our tricks to creating a stunning little feté in no time flat {seriously!}.

Step 1: Set the scene. An outdoor patio decked with a farm table and bench seating is easy and relaxed. We were lucky enough that our table happened to be marble-topped but any wood table would be just as pretty. A string or two of cafe lights are extra nice touch. You can leave them up pretty much all year ’round. A few simple flower arrangements plucked straight from the garden are also a thoughtful detail.

Step 2: Don’t skimp on your place settings. When you want to up the ante for your gathering, paper and plastic just won’t do. But again, you don’t need to slave away. We relied on the services of Mrs. Peasy Party Box Rentals who provides gorgeous plates, flatware and glasses for rent! She’s got pre-designed boxes featuring gorgeous items like Heath Ceramics dishware and vintage cutlery. Or you can do what we did and simply mix and match your own set up. The best part? You can drop it all off dirty so your end of party clean up is pretty much done before you even start. It’s genius.

Step 3: Create a humble feast. For our happy hour we decided to create the charcuterie board of champions. But again the task required little else than a power shopping trip at Trader Joe’s and an epic 3-foot long wood board. Cured meats, crackers, cheese, olives, pickles, fresh berries & figs, dried fruit, nuts and our little trade secret – fresh flowers created a truly stunning display. Piling everything high makes your board so pretty you almost don’t want to dig in and mess it all up. Almost.

Step 4: Serve a signature drink! The true star of our party was our cocktail – the Aperol Spritz! Now this drink is near and dear to my heart. A traditional Italian apertif, Chris and I enjoyed a Spritz (or 5 or 6!) in Venice – the drink’s actual birthplace – during our honeymoon and I’ve loved them ever since. They’re totally refreshing – a true before dinner sipper. And the best part? They’re super easy to make. No professional mixologist skills needed here. You’re not concocting homemade syrups or adding tinkshers with eye droppers. The recipe is so simple every party guest can whip up one for themselves – yet another way to take some pressure off of you! Don’t worry – we’ve got the recipe for you at the bottom of this post!

But first we have to give you the final step in our happy hour master plan.

Step 5: Sit back, relax and have a grand old time!! There’s nothing better than some quality catch up time with girl friends. Even with today’s overly packed schedules, offering a chance to enjoy a refreshing drink, a bite to eat and some great conversation is pretty irresistible. We’re quite confident your girls will show up for a gathering like this #squadgoals.

Recipe: The Aperol Spritz

3 parts prosecco
2 parts aperol
1 splash of seltzer

Add a few ice cubes to a wine glass. We actually used oversized square cubes in our drinks. Pour in your prosecco. Then add your Aperol. Top with a generous splash of seltzer. Give your drink a swirl, garnish with orange slices & an orange peel twist if you like. Betcha can’t enjoy just one!!

FOR MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES, CLICK HERE

FOR MORE ENTERTAINING IDEAS, CLICK HERE

original photography for apartment 34 by ashley batz // florals by natalie bowen designs // dishware by mrs. peasy // styling by apartment34

This post is in partnership with Aperol. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% our own. Thanks for supporting partnerships that help keep Apartment 34’s doors open!

5 Modern Outdoor Spaces That’ll Make You Say “SUMMER!!!”

Decor

Outdoor living is our favorite thing this time of year. With these lovely long days, it’s all about drinks on the patio, dinners on the lawn and morning coffees on the deck. The following beautiful backyards are what our summer dreams are made of!

Too often outdoor spaces are left to the weeds, literally, and it’s probably because home owners, myself included, forget that they can look like this. But if you put your back into it, even just a little bit, your outdoor space just might become one of the best seats in the house!

We’re loving these modern backyards and patios so much. The monochrome color palettes are serene and the perfect way to seamlessly extend your floor plan into the great outdoors.

Looking to update your backyard space? As you can see, a few modern touches are all you need to create a minimally inspired monochrome oasis! Let the summer spent outdoors begin!

GET YOUR SHOP ON:

> 1. Linear Stem Watering Can
> 2. Glass Ceramic Lantern
> 3. Ferns
> 4. Iris Planter + Chevron Stand
> 5. Haven White Bird House
> 6. Garden Gnome
> 7. Outdoor Grid Stripe Pillow
> 8. Gray Garden Hose
> 9. Charcoal Grill
> 10. Walter Lamb Lounge Chair

What do you think of these modern outdoor designs? Don’t you just love the way these minimal pieces don’t take away from the beautiful greenery and surrounding landscape?

Who’s ready for sunshine, warm evenings and dining al fresco?!

image 1 via Est Magazine // 2 via Arch Daily // 3 via Garden Drum // 4 via Est Magazine // 5 via Hecker Guthrie, photography Eve Wilson

3 Star-Studded Memorial Day Recipes

Entertaining

If you’re planning to throw any type of backyard party this summer – which you should be! – you’ll want to have the following three recipes safely in your back pocket. They will quickly become your secret BBQ weapons of choice, guaranteed to wow anybody walking by the potluck spread. We love that these recipes will come in handy all season long – Memorial Day, birthdays, 4th of July, no problem! They’re so simple, yet sophisticated you’ll never sign up for potato salad again!

Pulled Pork & Brie Sliders (serving size 6)

Ingredients:

– 3 cups pulled pork
– cut of your favorite brie
– 6 sesame seed slider buns
– radish slices for garnish
– arugula for garnish

Method:

Prepare pulled pork and heat in crock pot {we love this marinade!} or buy it from your local grocery store. Toast slider buns and dollop spoonful of pork onto bottom bun. Slice a thin piece of room temperature brie and add to top of pork. Garnish with arugula and radish slices. Enjoy!

Pea Shoot & Radish Salad (serving size 6)

Ingredients:

– 1-3 radish bunches
– 1/2 cup watermelon radish
– 3 cups pea shoots
– 1 avocado
– 1/2 c – 1 c of whole English peas
– Manchego cheese for garnish
– lemon vinaigrette
– salt to taste

Method:

Lay pea shoots on serving platter. Use mandoline slicer to achieve thin radish slices. Add radishes to pea shoots as well as whole peas. Slice avocado over top with shaved Manchego cheese. Drizzle with your favorite lemon vinaigrette and sprinkle sea salt to taste!

Sparkling Star Spangled Sangria (serving size 4-6)

Ingredients:

– 1 bottle white wine
– 1 bottle champagne
– 1 cup blueberries
– 1 cup sliced peaches
– 1 cup cherries
– 1/4 cup Triple sec
– sugar to taste
– rosemary to garnish

Method:

Mix chilled wine, champagne and Triple sec into pitcher. Add sugar to taste {about 1/4-1/2 cup} and stir until dissolved. Top off with chopped fruit. Let chill in fridge for at least 4 hours. Serve over ice.

If you’re looking for more summer entertaining ideas, be sure to check out all our favorite outdoor entertaining ideas.

Summer fun, here we come!

produced by bianca sotelo // original photography for apartment 34 by to wander & seek // food styling by natasha kolenko // illustrated recipes by bright room studio

A Chic Twist on Memorial Day Entertaining

Entertaining

Did you realize that Memorial Day is this weekend?! Yeah, we didn’t either! But we couldn’t be more excited because the holiday weekend means feel good times are right around the corner. But instead of doing the typical Memorial Day BBQ – hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and beer – we’d like to treat our guests {and let’s be honest, ourselves!} to what we like to call BBQ’ing Chic.0. Whether you’re spending the holiday glamping in the woods or planning to let the good times roll in your own backyard, we guarantee you’ll throw the best Memorial Day party ever by adding a few twists your guests won’t forget. The best part? It’s a whole lot easier than it looks. It’s simply a matter of setting the picnic table with a little extra flair and cooking up the weekend’s traditional dishes with a touch of elevated style!

Entertaining starts with the table decor and when you’re outdoors, we say embrace it! Nature has so much to offer, there’s no need to over think it! Our favorite and probably easiest styling trick is to collect pretty river rocks or wood pieces to adorn your tabletop. Picnic tables can also be rather blah, but tablecloths are a bit formal, so a super simple sprucing-up idea is to hand paint paper placemats. On thick paper, Kim from Bright Room Studio created summer night’s sky themed placemats. We love the way the splatter effect turned out! Even simpler, make a placemat statement by painting thick stripes inspired by the American flag.

We glammed up the natural elements on our table with gold lanterns, gold silverware and with pretty all-white flowers. These touches instantly elevate a picnic. And there’s no need for fancy flower arranging – simply pick blooms straight from your bushes leaving the stems long and the greenery on for a beautiful organic look!

With a simple tablescape as our base, we really let the colors and presentation of the food do the talking. In this setting, garnishes go a long way in elevating traditional barbecue dishes. Everyone’s favorite pulled pork sliders are brought to an epic level with a little brie and arugula. A salad is a must and our radish and pea shoot salad is definitely a stunner. It’s also surprisingly just as easy to make. For sides and snacking, corn nuts and blue corn chips ease salty cravings while the season’s first cherries and sweet white corn give you that fresh summer taste! Tip: leave the husks on the corn while grilling and sprinkle with a little parsley to add flavor and sophistication to your cob.

And a barbecue wouldn’t be complete without guests getting a little boozy! Our favorite warm weather drink is a perfectly chilled sangria! Easy to make in big batches, it’s the ideal cocktail for a party and our white wine based recipe is especially refreshing. It’s packed with a sparkling punch aka sweet summer fruits and bubbly champagne! Yum.

So who’s ready for a season full of gorgeous outdoor parties?? We hope this is getting you in the summer spirit!

And be sure to check back in tomorrow. We’ll be sharing all of the recipes and how to whip up the gorgeous sangria for yourself!

produced by bianca sotelo // original photography for apartment 34 by to wander & seek // floral + food styling by natasha kolenko // placemat art by bright room studio

Happy Memorial Day!

Decor

As we celebrate the unofficial start to the summer season, we’re really hoping the coming months are filled with moments exactly like this.

Sweet sips of lemonade, lazy afternoons in the hot sun, followed by cool dips in the pool…I think the painter Josep Moncada captures the feeling of the season rather perfectly, don’t you?

I hope you have a wet and wild {or wet and mild! if you prefer} day off! We’ll be back to our regular posting schedule tomorrow!

art by josep moncada

Happy {WTF! It’s Memorial Day} Weekend

Business of blogging

Well hello Memorial Day Weekend, what the hell are you doing here already?! I think 2014 has to go down as the fastest year on record. Oy! Things are certainly moving at lightening speed around here with many changes in motion – but you’ll have to wait a little longer for the details about all that. But with nearly six months of 2014 down, we’re ready to shake things up – both on the blog and in life. Because really, the only thing that we can ever count on is change, right!

But for now, we’re going to focus on enjoying the long weekend. I’ll be celebrating a family friend’s wedding in the city so be sure to check in on Instagram for a wedding outfit sneak peek! Next week is chock-a-block full of fun stuff too, including an all new Business of Blogging feature, my Mykonos recap {finally!} and the first look at the Team Apartment 34 office makeover. On the edge of your seat yet?? For now, I hope you’ll be marking the unofficial start to summer with some fabulous outdoor fun, but we’ve also gathered fabulous finds to keep any unscheduled hours occupied!

PS: There’s still time to apply to be one of our SUMMER INTERNS! CLICK HERE for deets.

> Emerson Fry Athletic Now Available. Working out never looked so good- shop this new collection!

> Electric Feathers Makes Us Dance. Check out the movement in this lookbook!

> #FromWhereIStand. Our latest Instagram hashtag obsession.

> When Can We Move In? These walls and floors are everything you’ve ever wanted.

> Mykonos Alleys. New friend, My Paradissi, captured the island like none other in this gorgeous series!

> J.Crew x Paperless Post. J.Crew’s new line of stationery launches today and we’re obsessed. Bravo!

> Shadows on Cool Chairs. This has me rethinking pesky shadows in pictures- time to embrace them!

> Yes, It’s Scary- No, It’s Not Easy. This blogger babe dishes her blog to business story.

> Not Your Average Mommy Blog. Not a mom? You’ll still read this new site from beginning to end!

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And in case you’re doing any shopping this weekend, there are HUGE Memorial Day sales going on all over the interwebs. Here are the top ones we’ll definitely be taking advantage of:

> 25% Off EVERYTHING at West Elm {hello, new brass lamp!} with code SUMMER- their biggest sale of the year!

> 30% Off Loeffler Randall. Pulling the trigger on these open toe booties!

> 40% Off at Nordstrom– Bring. It. On.

Happy long weekend lovelies!

photography by hannah lemholt

Put a Sophisticated Spin on your Memorial Day Cocktail

Recipes

We’re rounding out our May cocktail series with a sophisticated sipper whose recipe comes straight from famed San Francisco bar, Trick Dog! If you want to impress your guests at your next dinner party, definitely bust this baby out for the cocktail hour.

The Fortunate Few

2 oz gin {we prefer locally distilled St. George Spirits}
3/5 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz lemon juice
3 kumquats
1 sage leaf

Cut kumquats in half and lightly muddle at bottom of shaker. Add all ingredients and shake with ice, well. Pour into glass {this can be served in an up glass, but we went with coups to up the fancy factor} – add kumquat slices. Garnish with sage leaf.

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This cocktail harnesses seasonal ingredients and bright citrus flavors that are perfect when enjoyed on a hot summer afternoon. Yes, the various components are a bit esoteric, but if you’re a budding mixologist, you’re definitely going to up your game with Lillet Blanc and Yellow Chartreuse in your repetoire!

We can’t wait to hear what you think of this guy!!

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // recipe by Trick Dog // art direction + styling by Apartment 34

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