Joshua Tree Birthday Weekend

For my last birthday, I didn’t want a big party- it’s been a long (and rough) year so I just wanted a fun girl trip with close friends. We ended up taking a quick, super chill roadtrip to Joshua Tree for the night and it was honestly the perfect, relaxing trip I needed!

My friend Jet has a big Jeep so the four of us piled in and it was the perfect roadtrip car for our group! We found a shortcut to Joshua Tree that cuts through the Mojave Desert and basically cut out all freeways after Primm. It was so much fun!

The drive was super cool and the weather was perfect so we got to enjoy all the desert vibes and the crazy hills along the way (us the added bonus of no traffic). I wouldn’t suggest that route at night because there are very few service stops and absolutely no lights so it might not be the safest (I’m guessing desert wildlife is a lot more frequent out there too). 

We arrived so much faster than expected so we headed straight for Joshua Tree National Park. I have the America the Beautiful pass which was a great deal- it’s $80 for the whole year and gets me into all the national parks for the year. We started at Skull Rock and did a little climbing.

Then we hiked around the Barker Dam trail which was gorgeous.

After this we headed out for lunch and grabbed pizza at Pie For the People- it was some of the best pizza I’ve had in forever! The pie was MASSIVE and they let us do half and half- we couldn’t even decide which half was better!

By the time we finished lunch it was time to check into our Air BnB. We got a super cute room close the the main road and it was perfect for our overnighter.   We grabbed a super chill dinner and some supplies (key lime pie instead of cake and some chips and salsa) and then just hung out in the room. My friend, Cielo even brought her karaoke machine so we had an absolute blast! If you missed the Instagram Stories- they're saved in my story highlights!

The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast at the Frontier Cafe and then headed to Pioneertown! This stop was so fun- it’s got all the cute kitschy pieces from an old Wild West set and it makes for some really cute photos (well, usually). 

After this we decided to grab brunch in Palm Springs since we were pretty close and I’d told the girls all about the bacon flight at Cheeky’s. We got there with plenty of time before the restaurant closed and had one of the most fun brunches I’ve had in forever. I love Palm Springs and I can’t wait to do another girl trip here and show them around all the other cool spots!

Our last stop on the way back was at the Cabazon Dinosaurs. We had a little too much fun here!

A huge thanks to my girls for the awesome birthday weekend!!!

Pardon the Dust

Happy 2019 y'all! 

I know it's been a little quiet on here lately but I'm working on some new content and the blog is undergoing some SERIOUS construction. 

Stay tuned!!!

Holiday Gifting & Fun with Nordstrom

I’ll be honest- I love shopping for Christmas gifts but I hate holiday crowds! I like to get what I need and GET OUT. Fortunately, our newly remodeled (and adorable) Nordstrom at Fashion Show Mall makes it so easy to do just that. They have gifts for everyone on your list no matter what the interest and Fashion Show Mall does so much to make holiday shopping a breeze!

Each Thursday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Fashion Show Mall will have special local priority parking on the second level at Nordstrom and Dillard’s. They’re also offering free gift wrapping for up to five gifts with a receipt so you don’t have to do a thing!

In addition to buying online and picking up (or even just trying on) in store, Nordstrom will hold your bags for you so you don’t have to be weighed down! They also have curbside service- how great is that? Best of all- they’ll even help you get your bags to your car!

We had so much fun exploring the store and checking out all the gifts! Here are some of my favorites that we saw and a few that I found while wandering!

This gorgeous jewelry from Monica Vinader was a bit of a show stopper at the event! They have all the gorgeous metals and a variety of price points for everyone too. 

The one thing I really love about holiday shopping is checking out all of the new holiday gift sets! The beauty department at Nordstrom has a TON of really gorgeous gift sets and some great exclusive pieces as well! It's such a great way to try stock up on favorites or try out some new pieces at a fraction of the price! Fresh has the cutest holiday sets this season- they all look like suitcases! They're also perfect for keeping your skin in great shape throughout all of the holioday travel and insanity!

  

It's also a great time to try out new fragrances since there are so many great sample sets like this one from Le Labo! It's a fun unisex brand with a lot of great options.
 

 Nordstrom has a fantastic assortment of home pieces from advanced tech to the more practical.

I've added these three pieces to my wishlist!




 
There are so many great gifts for the homebody in your life- anyone who loves comfort (like me). These Jo Malone holiday crackers are so adorable and there are so many cozy Barefoot Dreams pieces!

 

 

There are also so many great home pieces for homebodies too, like these faux fur blankets and throw pillows. I really love this heart shaped one- it's super cute! I got two really nice faux fur throw blankets from Nordstrom last year and a fun pom throw and I've been using them ever since the temperatures dropped! Even Roger loves them and is constantly trying to steal them from me!

Ever since I moved into my new place, I've been loving scented candles. I just received a great one from Voluspa and I love that they have a variety of candle sizes and really reasonable prices. 

This set of mini candles is definitely on my list!

I love seeing all the fun holiday crackers in the beauty department! If Jo Malone isn't really your thing, there are some super cute ones from Winky Lux too!

The holidays are a great (or stressful) time for entertaining as well! Stock up on any of the bar cart pieces your missing or pick up a really awesome hostess gift!

Last but not least- I'm in love with all of the gorgeous holiday dresses and styles at Nordstrom this season! Nordstrom has a full-service tailor shop on-site as well to nip and tuck and make your brand new clothes look like they were made for you! They also do fun customizations like monogramming and embroidery!

Here are some of my favorite holiday dresses from the season!

What are your plans for the holiday season??

A huge thank you to Nordstrom for hosting us at the blogger event! This post contains affiliate links so if you purchase through them, I will receive a small commission. All opinions are my own!