Yay New Blog!

Yay New Blog!

My friend and beautiful mama, Grace is starting a new blog, The Libby’s Urban Homestead! I "met" Grace years ago through blogging, and when I moved out to Oakland, we found out we were neighbors! I've been so lucky to watch her belly grow and meet her daughter Harry, witness her and Pat wed in an amazing location, and now they're expecting their second! I'm so excited for her! So she launching a website launch party on August 25th! There will be giveaways daily, including something from me, and to hear about the giveaways first you can sign up for her newsletter now! Link for it is here (http://eepurl.com/0xj8T).

Here's a brief description of the new site "The Libby’s Urban Homestead is a new blog and website dedicated to PAGAN MYSTICISM - HOLISTIC LIVING - RADICAL PARENTING - VEGAN COOKING/NUTRITION - DIY ETHICS - EARTH MAGICK - TAROT & INTUITIVE READING - GYPSY STYLE - HOMESTEADING Are you intrigued yet??? Sign up for The Libby’s Urban Homestead’s Newsletter for sneak peeks into what to expect during the launch party! Subscribers will also get an exclusive discount code to the Wild Weeds Tarot shop on Etsy!"

I'm really excited, since Mike and I have really gotten into homesteading. I've preserved and canned all of the peaches from our tree in multiple forms (peach salsa, jam, canned in bourbon, and peach brandy), we have been eating lots of veggies from our garden, and I've even started neighborhood foraging, so far only got limes/lemons from my awesome neighbors, and prickle pear cactus fruit from a friends yard. This area is amazing, there's so many fruit trees that are established and don't need watering like a veggie garden. Anyway I'm getting carried away, all that stuff is for another post. So yeah, this site will be awesome-sauce, cause it will!

Follow Grace on instagram! #libbyshomesteadgiveaway @wildweedstarot @rosemaryx

Exploring: Big Basin State Park

Exploring: Big Basin State Park

A few weeks ago I drove down to San Jose to meet up with my friends Elle, Clark, and Alex to drive to Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz mountains. The drive was crazy, hair pin turns up and down side of the mountain, then down to a non-divided road going into Big Basin... So the inside car had to get close to allow the outside car to pass. All in Elle's manual car. Damn. The views on the ridge were incredible, I'd almost say way cooler than in Big Basin, I mean once you've seen a redwood they all look the same yaknowwhaddimeen? I kid. Seriously the only time I've seen the mountains look like this was in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Absolutely gorgeous with the blue backgrounds and the golden foreground.





We all weren't feeling incredibly adventurous since we all had never been there so we chose a 2 mile loop near the visitor center. It might've been short but the inclines were brutal... well for us four tech workers.







There was an incredible bridge over a ravine made with a fallen tree, it was so cool. Seemed like something from a movie about childhood... that makes perfect sense, trust me. I was surprised comparing this redwood forest to others in the area. There were so many more fallen trees then anywhere else I've been, and a lot more undergrowth. You had to be real careful with all the poison oak around the paths too.





After our hike/walk we went to the visitor center where I bought some knickknacks, cause I like that stuff. They had these cute little cabins by it that were surrounded by redwoods, it was out of a fairy tale, I wonder if they were built like that or built before the trees were large. Next thing to find out if you can stay in them.





All in all it was a wonderful day. The park has a skyline to shore path with camping along the way which could be an amazing two day hike. I'd like to try that sometime... when I have a moment that isn't already taken over by household chores or existing plans... or laying around being lazy.

Till next time I remember to post a blog,
Lauren