Baby It’s Cold Outside + Lunch in Walnut Creek

I guess I’m still trying to figure out California’s winters because I expected it to be somewhat chilly and very rainy by now but instead it’s just really, really cold.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think it’s been above forty-five degrees for the past four days. I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking forty degree weather is a walk in the park but that’s way too cold for this chica.

It made it difficult to spend a lot time outside over the weekend but it didn’t stop us from going to get our Christmas tree!

Family Christmas 2013

My soon-to-be father-in-law and stepmom came in to town this weekend so before we went shopping for our tree, we took a short drive to Walnut Creek for lunch.

It can be a little tricky to find something to please everyone but after freezing our butts off about twenty minutes of walking around, we found a well-rounded menu at Lark Creek.

Larks Creek Walnut Creek

They had plenty of vegetarian options and their brioche French toast made me wish I hadn’t ate breakfast already. In the end, I went for the lentil veggie burger with fries and Brandon got a grilled veggie sandwich with macaroni salad.

Lark Creek

The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and we were all pleased with our meals so I’d say it was a win.

After we were full from lunch, we went to a favorite coffee shop of ours in Pleasanton, Juice & Java Express.

Juice & Java Express

Everyone else got coffee and hot chocolate but I’ve been feeling a little off since Friday so I ordered a beet juice to help the old immune system fight off the little buggahs. We chit-chatted for a while and then went home to get Stinky so that she could be a part of the Christmas tree fun.

We got our tree from a local Boy Scout Troop last year and it was such a nice experience that we decided to go back again this year.

Christmas Tree 2013

Coco, being the social butterfly that she is, demanded that everyone stop looking for a tree and pet her for at least five minutes.

It took us a while to find one that was both tall and full enough but eventually Brandon spotted a beautiful seven-foot noble fir tucked away in the back.

Christmas Tree 2013

Can you spot the Abominable Snowman near the top? That’s Brandon’s favorite ornament and he loves to make fun of the fact that I have a hard time pronouncing the word abominable. It’s such a weird word! And yes, I had to Google how to spell it.

We took advantage of the cold weather and lit a fire while we decorated our tree.

Fireplace

Then we finished the night with a warm mug of hot cocoa topped with vegan marshmallows which were quite enjoyable, if I don’t say so myself.

Hot Cocoa

So we had a nice, relaxing weekend with family and now it’s back to work for muah. Fun and fun. I’m not complaining though. I know it’s sounds like that but I’m not, I promise… ;)

I’m also a little behind my normal schedule because I haven’t quite figured out how to find time for blogging when we have guests. I guess it feels rude to be on my computer for too long, you know?

Anyway, I hope you all had a nice weekend and were able to stay warm!

Do you have your tree yet?

Do you what movie the Abominable Snowman is from?