Strolling Through Hayes

Last week my guy, Rex and I were all back in the Bay for work.  Tanner had to be in Menlo Park mid-week (staying at the Rosewood Hotel which meant Rex and I raised our hands very high to tag along) and I had to be in San Francisco so it worked out perfectly.  Rex has been doing this Sacramento-Palo Alto-San Francisco work commute / routine with us since he was two weeks old so he’s used to our on-the-go lifestyle.  In fact he totally prefers San Francisco’s cooler temps so he’s way happy to be in the city whenever I have to go.  While in Palo Alto we hit up the downtown Blue Bottle Coffee, waited for over an hour for some iPhone help at the Apple Store, popped into Jenni Kayne at the Stanford Mall and killed time people watching at the Rosewood Hotel bar.  Just a typical day in Silicon Valley.

Thursday Rex and I made our way into the city and spent the day strolling around Hayes Valley before an event I had that evening.  Whenever I head to Hayes I always hit up the same spots.  I guess I’m a creature of habit but there are a few stores I just have to pop into.  I’ve shared snippets of my fave Hayes spots in past posts as well but not in an official Hayes post so here it is now.

My Hayes Valley Faves:

Eat |  Little Gem for a super yummy and healthy salad.  Souvla for Greek.

Shop |  Reliquary.  Dish.  Metier (jewelry).

Drink |  Blue Bottle (in the alley).  Birba (glass of wine).  Riddler (champagne bar).

One aspect that has made our on-the-go lifestyle easier is our UPPAbaby Cruz.  My mom gave us the Vista before Rex was born and we’ve since been given the Cruz which is slightly smaller.  We love them equally as much and I would say they’re worth every penny!  Do you need two strollers?  No, probably not, but the smaller size is awesome for traveling.  We keep the Cruz permanently in the car and it’s what we flew with to Palm Springs (although now an umbrella stroller is next on the wish list for flying).

I originally chose the Vista as it came highly recommended to me by a couple girlfriends, and I liked that it can be reconfigured to accommodate up to three kids as our family grows.  But a few other aspects I really love about UPPAbaby: 1) Spins on a dime.  I swear every city mom is strolling this bad boy around so they’re obviously all onto something there.  It’s easy to maneuver those SF hills with and is just an all around great city walking ride.  2) The large basket underneath means I can pack along everything I might need for our outings.  3) They’re totally stylish.  Okay selfishly, and rather obviously, I wanted something stylish.  We use our strollers every day if not multiple times a day so this was pretty important for me.  I love the hunter green with leather straps!  Feels especially perfect for a boy baby.

My Mom bag of tricks |  Cheerios, diapers and wipes, something new to play with and a book.

The Look |  Isabel Marant Top (similar on sale! in black and white another cute peasant blouse under $100).  AMO Jeans (on sale!) also avail here.  Gucci Loafers (affordable look-alike under $100).  Raen Sunglasses.  Janessa Leone Hat.  Chloé Bag.

Photography | Stephanie Russo

Thank you to UPPAbaby for sponsoring this post! The opinions and text are all mine.


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