A Socially Distanced Family Picnic on the Beach
While “Pandemic Fatigue” is clearly spreading through the country, I refuse to let it lure our family into relaxing the precautions we take to protect ourselves and our community from the spread of COVID-19.
We plan to stay home for the holidays. However, we set aside one evening in November to safely celebrate numerous special occasions with my closest friend and her four year old. Due to the pandemic, coupled with varying schedules and stringent safety protocols, our families hadn’t seen each other for nearly a year, despite the fact that we both live in LA. So we got COVID tests + results, and then meet up on the beach here in Venice/Santa Monica for a picnic— just the 5 of us. (We wore our masks except for when eating— click here to see my favorite masks and how I increase their longevity.)
The cozy, beautiful picnic setup— along with the delicious provisions included— were all supplied by Santa Monica Picnic Co. (Website / Instagram.)
Their service provided us with the table, rug and cushions, battery-operated lighting, a lovely tablescape, food and beverage, and even details like to-go boxes, a bluetooth speaker, a polaroid camera, incense, warm blankets, and an umbrella. (Textiles by Fragments Identity for Santa Monica Picnic Co.)
It was deeply therapeutic to reconnect in person with my best friend. And it was downright magical to do so as we watched our children play against the backdrop of crashing waves and the setting sun.
Thank you, Santa Monica Picnic Co. for the most memorable setting for our mini-gathering. I’ve lived by the beach here in West LA for 13 years, and this will forever be one of the happiest and brightest memories from my time living on the Pacific coast.
Learn about everything that’s included in the picnics here, as well as explore optional add-ons.
Note: This post was not sponsored, but the picnic was generously gifted by our new friends at Santa Monica Picnic Co, whose service we genuinely recommend.
Tiny Adventures: Laguna Beach
One of the things I enjoy the most about small space living is that it inspires us to seek new experiences beyond our four walls. This week, someone rented our cottage for a shoot, so we decided to turn our time away from home into tiny adventure and hop down the Cali coast a bit. We started off in Hermosa Beach, and ended up in nearby Laguna Beach.
We kicked off the trip by celebrating the cheerful #OhJoyxErinCondren collaboration in Hermosa.
From there, we headed to the Laguna Beach House.
It was a short but therapeutic stay. We walked on the beach, played in the pool, visited some local shops and restaurants, chased bunnies through the parks along the ocean, and West even slept through the night for the first time without making so much as a lil' peep.
These beachside communities along the SoCal coast are so stunningly gorgeous. I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to share them with our son in the quiet days before the busier Memorial Day weekend.
West broke in his new swimsuit from Alex and Alexa, and it was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. He's definitely a Cali kid.
Hermosa and Laguna-- we'll be back. Sooner than later, I hope. Thanks for all the gorgeous sights and colors, and for the relaxing, tiny adventure.
