Do you remember your first time? I certainly don't. It was probably Baskin Robbins, but who knows. Gates will remember her first time. Gates first tasted ice cream at San Francisco's Bi-Rite Creamery.     I remember summer evenings as a kid. We'd all pile in the car and head down to the Baskin Robbins at Bayhill for an ice cream cone. I was supposed to eat sherbet, a refreshing dairy-free alternative to ice cream, but could never bring myself to what I felt was settling. Orange wasn't as yummy as a real orange. And who knew what was in Rainbow? My favorite scoops were Bubble Gum Ice Cream (not for the ice cream but for the gum), Rocky Road, Chocolate Chip, and later Mint Chip.   What's your favorite ice cream?     It was slightly overcast the day we headed out to Bi-Rite Creamery for Gates' first taste of ice cream. I'd incorrectly assumed that the lack of sun would mean a short line. I was wrong. The line snaked around the corner and up the hill. We...

A funny thing happened a couple of weeks ago. I went out to buy ingredients for a Thai dinner, got sidetracked by a stoneware bowl in a store front, and came home with a Danish Modern dining room table.     Until we moved to The Station, none of our San Francisco apartments or flats had room for a dining room table. I'd had two when I lived in Austin. One, a cozy round, Italian pine, pedestal table that sat four and expanded into an oval to comfortably fit eight even made the trip with me back to California. It didn't make the trip from the South Bay to San Francisco when in 2009 I finally abandoned the suburbs for a studio in the city.     Our new dining room table is Danish Modern. I love that style of furniture because it's practical yet pleasing to the eye. We live on the second floor; all furniture has to be carried up a flight of stairs. We're currently renting, which means at some point we're going to be moving. Yes, you can hire movers to transport your ...

Life at The Station has been crazy. Gates is changing rapidly. If it wasn't for monthly portraits and weekly iPhone snapshots as well as my mom's daily notes, I'd miss a lot. Trying to stay in the moment often seems like an unobtainable goal.     Fourteen months was full of milestones for Gates. First airplane trip. First time meeting her paternal great grandmother. First time meeting her cousin. (Unfortunately, documenting her first trip to NY is a project that requires more time than I have at the moment. If you want to see what Gates wore as well as photos of her with her Great Nan and Grand Aunt, check out this month's Flashback Fashion post.)     Fourteen months also marked the appearance of two new teeth, a third tooth on the bottom left broke through on May 10th with a fourth tooth on the upper left a few days later. Gates has never let the absence of teeth stop her from attacking food (she'll reach for and consume your sandwich if you're not paying ...

This summer I'm excited to announce that I'm a contributor to The Find Your Voice Summer Storytelling Workshop. Why another project you ask? The Find Your Voice Storytelling Workshop is a logical next step in my journey of self-discovery that started last year shortly after Gates was born.     Have you used storytelling to help you dive deeper into your life?  

SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with La Crema Winery for their dedication to handcrafted wines at reasonable prices. All opinions presented are my own.   Events that are fun to be at have a few things in common: a stress free hostess, thoughtful details, and the right mix of outgoing individuals and introverts. Planning (before and during the event) is the the secret to a stress free hostess. And key to getting guests to mingle and relax is a theme that's emphasized with carefully chosen decor and party printables such as name tags and decor. There's something about planning and a theme that ties an event together, even a casual get together, and takes it to the next level and ensures everyone has fun.     Choosing a Mascot With events at The Station, a mascot of sorts is developing: an elephant. For Gates' birthday, it was a Tuppertoy elephant . For last Tuesday's Girls Night In, it was an elephant candle holder.   Th...

SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with La Crema Winery for their dedication to handcrafted wines at reasonable prices. All opinions presented are my own.   For entertaining, I love to serve Thai food. Why? After you do all of the preparation (slicing and dicing of vegetables) it's one of the easiest cuisines to make. Also, if you don't finish your prep before guests arrive it's easy to find distinct tasks to delegate.     When I entertain I always make or prepare too much food; one of my pet peeves is having anyone leave my table hungry. It doesn't matter how many people are coming over, I almost always have enough to feed twice as many. Last Tuesday was no exception. We had leftovers of everything and never made one of the planned stirfries, the Jumping Shrimp, a specialty of the Thai restaurant I worked at.     For interactive meals where I have guests helping in the kitchen, I like serving one or two dishes that...

SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with La Crema Winery for their dedication to handcrafted wines at reasonable prices. All opinions presented are my own.   Time gets away from the best of us. Long periods of it can pass in between seeing friends. I don't know about you but it's a constant juggling act handling the day-to-day activities, work, blogging, family, and friends. One or more things, often getting together with friends, falls by the wayside. To maximize time with friends and reduce the planning and organizing and cost, I'm all about activities that get everyone involved. Lately my favorite girls nights are girls nights in where we gather in the kitchen.     I first stumbled on the benefits of having your guests help you in the kitchen when I lived in Texas. I'd lost track of time and hadn't started three of the four courses we'd be eating for dinner. My guests, Texas Hill Country vintners, opened a bottle of...

Alt Summit NY is this week; in fact, sponsor dinners are tonight. A bunch of my friends from all over the country are headed there, without me. Turns out not going to Alt is like not going to Burning Man. Unlike Burning Man where there's a way to get tickets, even if completely sold out like last year, there's no chance with Alt. But this post is not about missing out. This post is about how Alt Summit SLC has changed my life and continues to impact my life positively whether I'm attending or not.     Setting Myself Up for Success at Alt A quick summary of how I prepared for and maximized my Alt Summit experience. Last August a reminder on my phone went off and I scrambled to my laptop to secure a ticket (after two and a half years of dreaming of going).   I then spent the Fall attending Alt Channel classes polishing my skills: writing, graphic design, photography, editorial calendar making, social media, SEO, and more. After taking Tough Love: What Brands Really Thin...

Today I'd like to introduce you to Nate Bagley, "a 20-something single guy ... [who is] on a mission to find out if true love really exists... and if it does, exactly how to obtain it." Nate is the force behind The Loveumentary , a project that focuses "on the couples who are doing it right," those "dynamic duos who make [you] salivate for a relationship."     I met Nate virtually through The Summer Bucket List Challenge , and I felt you should get to know him because we all need positive role models when it comes to relationships. So, if like Nate and me, you have questions about healthy relationships, follow his blog and tune in to his podcast. In the meantime, Nate shares a snapshot of his Good Life with us. -Eden     1. How do you define The Good Life? The Good Life is living in a way that enables you to experience the most of what makes you happy. For me, that means minimising possessions and maximising experiences. It means working on projec...

SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with La Crema Winery for their dedication to handcrafted wines at reasonable prices. All opinions presented are my own.   Ever notice how parties always seem to end up in the kitchen? So, why fight it? If you have girlfriends who like to cook, invite them into your kitchen and start the party there.     Two of my favorite appetizers that lend themselves well to an effortless Girls Night In and accommodate a variety of allergies are Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Tom Yum Soup. The key to this effortless Girls Night is the flexibility of both appetizers. All ingredients can be prepared the night before, or earlier in the day. Store each separately in air tight containers in your refrigerator to preserve the flavors. If you're running short on time, set up chopping stations and have your girlfriends help wash and slice the ingredients.     About ten minutes before your guests arrive (or ...