Bohemian by the Bay

A life + style guide for the modern bohemian woman

Best Weekend Hikes in SF

If there’s one weekend activity that I would do every weekend if I could, it’s hike. Being from Colorado, I am very fond of the outdoors. And very fond is an understatement. Part of the reason I moved to California was to explore new landscapes and see what the state has to offer. I haven’t been disappointed thus far.

Last weekend, Jack and I went on a hike in Muir Woods near Mt. Tamalpais. We hiked the Matt Davis trail from the Mountain Inn to the Westpoint Inn and back. It was a bit of a large hill on the way up (only uphill, actually) so your booty definitely gets a workout. I wore my new Vince & Vic yoga pants, which are actually great for hiking since they are thick and provide great coverage. I love the mesh inserts as well, sorta like these. This trend is popping up everywhere!

Some of you may be asking, how does a native Colorado girl know what are the best places to hike in SF? Well let me tell you, I’ve got my sources… And my friend Alex gave me the best Refinery29 article I’ve ever read. Here are some of my recommendations:

1. Stinson Beach- haven’t done this one yet, but anything with the word “beach” in it- count me in!

2. Westpoint Inn to Mountain Inn- this is the one we did this weekend. The views from the Westpoint Inn are incredible and the hike up really works your booty.

3. Land’s End to Ocean Beach- if you have people visiting from our of town that enjoy nature, this hike needs to be at the top of your list. The cliff views are stunning.

4. Tennessee Valley Trail to Pelican Inn- a bit of a longer hike, but my favorite I have been on so far. The Pelican Inn has such a yummy brunch so you can fill up before the hike back. Ocean views that will make your heart jump too 🙂

5. Pfeiffer Falls Trailhead- down in Big Sur, but another one of my favs that hugs the coastline. A must if you are down in that area.

Let me know if ya’ll know of any more that I can add to this list!

Love,
Lauren

PC: Jack my Adventure Buddy

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Modern Desk Accessories

My desk has always been a place of clutter. I keep everything from jewelry, notes, perfume, candles, magazines, to cards on my desk and organize it in a way that makes me feel okay with it (all spread to the corners, pretty much). That’s precisely why I did a reorganization of my desk- I got rid of the clutter and picked out a few essentials that made my desk look and feel cleaner. There’s something about throwing things away that makes me feel cleaner immediately, but that’s a whole different topic, I can feel my OCD kicking in…

I found these gold pineapples via LUX, an app that is beautifully curated to with modern home goods and accessories. This made the search quite easy for me because I immediately fell in love with all of their items! The ring holder and candle are from LUX, and the rest of the pieces are mine. I think they fit in quite nicely, don’t you think?

I love helping creative and upcoming brands and apps get the recognition that they deserve. It makes my blogging job worth it!

You can use the code BOHEMIANBYTHEBAY (valid till end of July) to enjoy 25% on all LUX orders over $40!

Love,
Lauren

*Thank you to LUX for sponsoring this post

5 Essentials for a Beach Kickback

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExpressUrSelfie #CollectiveBias

I hadn’t heard the term “kickback” at all until I moved to Southern California. And I remember the first time I heard the term I had no idea what it meant. But it makes sense though, as kickback in general means to relax and unwind. Long story short, for those of you who haven’t heard of the term, it’s a small gathering of a few close friends to just chill and listen to music. That’s how I got to thinking, how should I put together my own kickback?

This weekend for Memorial Day was the perfect time to have a summer kickback. In the spirit of honoring America’s veterans, I chose an American-themed music playlist for this kickback, with Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA” at the top of the list. Coupled with Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke® music-themed bottles, music was the theme of this kickback. My favorite bottle has “Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun” or “This is How We Do It” printed on them. They’ve got some cute ones, go find ’em!

Enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the American Music Awards® and more.

1. Snap a selfie with your favorite lyrics on a Share a Coke® bottle or can*

2. Upload your selfie to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ShareaCokeSweepstakes

3. Enter up to 12 times to increase your chances of winning a trip for 2 to the2016 American Music Awards®, along with hundreds of other great prizes! Including: wireless headphones, wireless speakers, a 1 year Premium Music App Membership or a $50 Music Gift Card

How to have a successful beach kickback:

1. Get a beach blanket- preferably multi-colored, heavy-duty and sand repellent like mine I shopped for at Iron & Resin.

2. Bring your sunglasses- mine are seventies style circular Ray-Bans via Shop Ditto (use code BOHEMIANBYTHEBAY for your first month free!)

3. Select the tunes- I chose an all American-themed playlist with a few tunes from Spotify’s “Summer BBQ” Playlist (check it out!). The Eagles and Kings of Leon were some favs.

4. Bring a small beach bag- I only brought the essentials in my Rebecca Minkoff mini bucket bag… Keys, my ID, credit card and lipgloss. I rented this little beauty through VogueTote, a monthly designer handbag and jewelry subscription service where you can pick from some really cute stuff! Marble ring, necklace and bag are all from VogueTote. You can use the code “LD25” for 25% off your first month’s subscription!

5. Pick the right refreshments- I don’t usually drink soda, but when I do it’s Diet Coke®. I picked mine up at Safeway! I love the kick of caffeine in the afternoon- it’s essential to have the energy for kickback activities, including dancing to the tunes mentioned above.

Enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the American Music Awards® and more.

Hope all your Memorial Day Weekend’s were fantastic!

Love,
Lauren

PC: Jack Van Leeuwen

*Disclosure- thanks to Collective Bias, Inc. and other affiliate programs, blogs like mine can keep running! I will fully disclose when posts are sponsored, but reviews will always be for products I genuinely use and from yours truly 🙂

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Retreat at The Bay Club

I had one of the best Fridays I’ve had in a while last Friday. I spent the entire day at The Bay Club Redwood Shores in Redwood City, about an hour drive south of San Francisco for a day of rejuvenation. And let me tell you, I needed it; between full-time work and blogging, I don’t have much downtime. The itinerary of the day was as follows: tour, yoga, post yoga smoothie, facials, relaxing by the pool, eating and shopping! It was hard to pick a favorite activity, but considering how much I love to eat, mine would probably the eating part. We ate at their Seventy-Seven restaurant in the club for lunch and the food was great- I would have to say the shrimp tacos took the cake. Here’s a little peek inside what The Bay Club has to offer…

What I like about The Bay Club is that there is something for everyone- whether you want a place to meet or work for business, let your kids play (or be babysat!), exercise by yourself or in a group, play tennis/squash, swim, eat, etc. The Club just has it all. Definitely pay this club a visit if you are in the area to see what they have to offer!

Love,
Lauren

PC: Alicia Hotson of

*Big thanks to The Bay Club for hosting such a fabulous event!

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