This last weekend, both my little brother and sister ended up in town visiting. She lives in D.C. and he goes to school at the University of Utah, so having them here together was so special for me. We joked about how different their visits are now than they used to be – I feel self conscious about the fact that we move a lot slower with the babies. But I also take pride in how much we are still able to do and the adventures we do take!! Keep scrolling to see how we do it…California Super Bloom | Palms to Pines  California Super Bloom | Palms to PInes

California’s Super Bloom

On Monday we decided to go see what’s called the “Super Bloom” in southern California. It’s the second California has had in two years, which is extremely rare. It happens when we have a year of heavy rain (we’ve had soooo much this year!!) and the wild flowers bloom like crazy. It’s actually even better this year than it was two years ago! I went in 2017 with my friend Courtney, and posted about it here (you can find tips and directions in that post). This year, we went back to the same spot, except luckily Lo has grown up a bit and didn’t eat the poppies ;). It’s super easy to get to, and we went on a Monday again so that the crowds would be mellow. I definitely wouldn’t go on a weekend if you can avoid it. If a weekend is your only time to go, get up early and go at sunrise! That’s when the poppies are the most open and also your best bet to deal with less people/traffic.

California Super Bloom | Palms to PInes California Super Bloom | Palms to PInes California Super Bloom | Palms to PInes

California Super Bloom | Palms to PinesOne huge bonus of going this year – we had my little brother with us to get drone footage. I was SO excited to see the footage from above, and Caleb did not disappoint! He travels the world and gets such amazing footage – if you’re into that you gotta follow him here and keep up with his feed/stories. Watch the edit he made for us below:

Bringing the Babies

Whenever I know we are going somewhere with the babies, I plan ahead as far as their schedule and what to bring. The goal is always to maximize the time spent adventuring and the fun and minimize any disasters (aka melt downs, but I hate that term! Ha!) For our trip to the see the super bloom, I mapped out how much time it would take to get there, which was 45 minutes from our house with no traffic. The girls wake up from their morning nap around noon, so we planned to leave around 1. This didn’t end up happening because of the time change – they are still adjusting. They went down for their nap late so they didn’t wake up until 1! I tried not to let that bum me out or stress about traffic, and worked hard while they were napping to get myself ready, pack their diaper bag with what we needed, and load the car. It really helps to be completely ready to go when they wake up so that all I have to do is feed them, change them, and get them in the car! 

Here are some more tips, along with a list of what we brought:

  • Be completely ready to go when the babies wake up (whether thats in the morning or after a nap) so that you’re not scrambling to pack while you’re also taking care of the babies.
  • Plan around their normal sleep schedule whenever possible. If they need to sleep in transit, create a sleep environment for them (we bring their sound machines, loveys, and carseat covers when we want them to sleep on the road, along with our airpods so that we can listen to music/podcasts without bugging them)
  • Try to keep meal times the same as well. I pack food and try to remember to feed them at the normal time they would be eating, even if we are on the road or in the middle of an activity, like hiking or sledding.

California Super Bloom | Palms to PinesThe Stuff

  • Thule Backpack Child Carrier – we LOVE our backpacks from Thule! So comfortable for us to wear from long periods of time, and I think the babies are so much more comfortable and happy in them than other packs we’ve tried. You can use them for tiny babies and up to 45 lbs, and the seat height is adjustable so that you can get the perfect fit for them. There’s lot’s of storage to throw in your extra stuff, and it’s super easy to adjust the waist belt and shoulder straps if Blake and I switch backpacks back and forth.
  • Diaper bag (we used this backpack) filled with diapers, wipes, extra outfit, a couple of toys and books for the car). I posted these lids in my story and they were a hit – they screw on to most water bottles to make it easy for babies to drink out of. Results in a lot less wet shirts ;).
  • Cooler bag (we use a bottle cooler bag) with snacks and foods for lunch – turkey, string cheese, veggies straws, mandarin orange, and fruit/veggie baby food pouches.

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My outfit details: Black Hoodie | High Waist Black Leggings | Knit Sneakers | Sunnies  

Romy & Piper’s Outfit Details: Jeans & Hoodies are from Zara but now sold out | Sneakers | Socks | Piper’s Jacket | Romy’s Jacket (on sale!)

Let me know if you go!!

xx

Jen

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