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First Snow

by 35 Comments

larkspur snow top
A sudden cold front passed through the Bay Area!

Yes, it snows in the Bay Area!

Well…thanks to technology. But it has/does actually snow real snow on occasion (the last time I remember real flakes floating down from the sky was in the ’90s), but you can usually find snow machines and man-made snow playgrounds all over the place.

This one is at the outdoor Marin County Mart mall in the town of Larkspur about 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s the same mall that has my favorite SpaceNK store.

Kids and adults can go from sunny, not a cloud in the sky and mid-60s, to running around and falling on their butts in the snow (and throwing snowballs at unsuspecting nearby adults, ahem).

It could have been spring if not for the red velvet bows and the run-in with Santa.

I think Connor got a kick out of the snow… Actually, I’m not sure. She awkwardly walked around on it for a bit, but then she found a random lime sitting on a wooden bench and was more interested in smothering it with hugs and kisses than playing in the snow.

Babies are so weird, man!

While she played in the snow with her dad and clutched her lime, I checked out a nearby spa called International Orange.

They have two locations — the one in Larkspur and one in SF. It’s a full spa, minimalist style, with massages, facials and body treatments, and they carry lots of skin and body care lines I’ve never heard of, like In Fiore, Mommentto, Luzern Labs and Orgaid.

The only thing I recognized was Vitner’s Daughter, which is cool because NEW BRANDS.

larkspur snow
Watch out for random snowballs…
larkspur christmas food truck view
A beautiful day in the Bay Area
larkspur christmas sunny
Cheerful decor and sunshine FTW!
karen and santa
Dear, Santa. This year for Christmas I’d like 20 kittens. Thank you!
connor lime
When babies love limes…

Seriously obsessed
cushion shop
One of the cute shops at Marin Country Mart in Larkspur
international orange spa marin
International Orange Spa
international orange marin inside
Minimalist and zen…
international orange marin in fiore
In Fiore body products
vitners daughter
Vitner’s Daughter Serum
mommentto candles
Mommentto Candles
luzern orgaid
Luzern Labs and Orgaid

Parts of California really do get snow every winter, but not out here in the Bay Area. We get snow machines, and we get to wear sweaters and play Christmas music.

It’s fun. Just a little different.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. I love it! Connor and the Lime are too adorable for words. 🙂 It’s fab that you have some “snow” for the holidays. I’d be very sad without snow on Christmas. Btw, we have real snow here. About 3″ accumulation; it’s been on and off since yesterday. I’d take your 60s over 13 F, which is our temp today, though. Shivers!

    PS I think we have the same sunglasses. Maybe we already established that. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Rachel,

      Babies are SO weird. I just found that lime in my bag, by the way! I forgot that I put it in there for “safekeeping” for her. I hope I remember to take it out. LOL

      Hope you’re having a nice Wednesday. We just got back from the Bay Area Discovery Museum, which is a children’s museum at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our library has free passes for library card members and we met a friend and her son there and DUDE. I’m exhausted. You wouldn’t think that chasing a couple kids around would be *that* tiring but now I’m ready for a nap! Whatcha been up to?

      Reply

      • I hope Connor Claire was just as exhausted so you both could nap! I’ve just been working and holiday baking/candymaking in the evenings. I’m going to give little treat bags as gifts to some folks this year. So far I’ve made biscotti, toffee, peanut brittle, and Oreo truffles. It’s fun to come home and bake but I need to get my a$$ to the gym!

        Reply

        • GIRL. She’s in the room next to my office singing the chorus to “What Lovers Do” by Maroon 5 in baby babble. I NEED THIS CHILD TO SLEEP!!!

          That’s so cool that you’ve been baking a lot lately. I have a gingersnap recipe from Jaclyn here in the comments that I’ve been dying to try but haven’t gotten around to doing it yet. I’m hoping to get to it tomorrow night (I thought I had all the ingredients but I’m missing ground cloves).

          For some reason I’m *really* intimidated to bake biscotti. Is it hard? You’ve got to bake them twice, right?

          Reply

  6. We’re getting 6 to 8 inches of snow today! BUH! My mom had to cancel her visit down here, and I have a final exam right in the middle of the snow storm.

    Reply

  7. There was a time it snowed in the Marin Highlands in I think late December 2010 or January 2011. Like real snow! It was a couple of inches or so and it stuck for the weekend. The hubs and I drove up there and not a lot of people knew about it so we had a nice area to ourselves and had a blast making a snow man, snow balls and took photos for posterity. I am waiting for that to happen again. This morning all we got was a frost in the front yard. ?
    Btw, its a girl!
    ~cha

    Reply

    • Hi Cha,

      I have a vague recollection of that time; I remember it being cold and kinda remember seeing snow up on Mt. Tam. Lucky you that you guys got to play! Who knows if it’ll happen again soon, the weather has been cray.

      And YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! It’s a girl!!!!!

      Reply

  8. What a cute place to visit! This would be my ideal way of experiencing snow. Miss Connor is so cute! Another great outfit.

    P.S. Have you ever taken Tabs to get a pic with Santa? The pet store where I go has an event with Santa and there are a lot of dogs that look so cute. I think the cats would kill me in my sleep for even trying. 🙂

    Reply

    • I bet if you took Mingus to this little snow playground he’d have the best time!

      Soooo I’ve looked into pet pics with Santa (big surprise!) and found out that a couple places have them. I checked one of them out and the whole place was overrun by dogs. Poor Tabs would probably have a fit! I would love to take him though. If only he wouldn’t claw my eyes out, haha!

      Reply

  9. Karen,
    Hi. OK, those pictures of Connor Claire with that lime killed me! So cute!
    You have to save and show them to her when she gets older.
    I remember my mother telling me I was obsessed with potatoes when I was her age.
    She would find potatoes in her dresser drawers in her bedroom–I guess I put them there as gifts or for safe keeping! LOL!
    xoxo
    Anne Marie

    Reply

    • Hi Anne Marie,

      That’s so cute! Connor Claire would probably hide limes and oranges (she loves them, too) everywhere in this place if we let her.

      Give Rosie a kiss for me.

      Reply

    • Hi Kellly,

      Thank you. 🙂 She’s a lot of fun (most of the time) and has a big personality.

      How’s your week going? I can’t believe that Christmas and then New Year’s will soon be here, it seems like we were just chatting about Thanksgiving.

      Reply

  11. Hallo Karen,

    i whrite you from North Germany, today we had a Little Storm with very big Snowflakes, it looks fantastic when you can stay inside 😀 but outside *brrrrr*
    your Daughter is soooo sweet^^ thanks for the beautyful Pictures.

    greatings from the danish Border, Birgit

    Reply

    • Hi Birgit,

      Hello from the San Francisco Bay Area! I love the idea of snow and how it looks in pictures but I don’t think I would do to well if I lived in it. I hope that you’re having a wonderful holiday season so far! How long have you lived in Germany? I’ve never been to your country but would love to go someday.

      Reply

  12. The lime! I laughed out loud at that one. Kids really are so weird.

    I wish I could go to a spa right now! Some friends are going tomorrow but I’ll be staying home… I’m spending all my money on grad school applications. A massage would be fantastic right about now! At least in a week final exams will be over, half of my applications will be done, and I can relax for a little bit.

    We got some real snow up here, but it was all gone within a day or two, except for a few shady patches. It’s weird, we usually have at least a little by the end of October, but this was the first snow of the year! Not even any flurries.

    Reply

  13. Connor is priceless in her plaid and contrast darling sweater! I get that she became enamoured with the lime over the snow. The lime was small and hers. She could take it with her..put it in her bag, beside her bed and look at it. You made a memory Mommy Karen !! Besides lime looks good on her..she wears it well ❤️?

    Reply

  14. Connor and the lime are hilarious! Toddlers are such strange creatures. When my daughter was around her age, she picked a tomato off one my mom’s plants and carried it around for a day. She sent it down the slide before her and swung it in her swing. They had a great day! ?

    Reply

  15. Connor Claire and the lime is seriously the cutest thing ever! (Made my day!) My nephews have a weird obsession with the vacuum cleaner and opening/slamming doors- not sure why!

    P.S. Long time reader/lurker- hi everyone!

    Reply

    • Hi Danielle,

      It’s so nice to meet you. 🙂 Thanks for popping in today!

      Toddlers and fruit are hilarious together, I agree, LOL! How old are your nephews? (Like them, Connor also enjoys playing with doors, too.)

      Reply

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