Bit of Betsy

Desert Daisy Face Oil

I spend a lot of time in the hot desert sun, which does a number on my skin, this has lead me to be a sucker for all things natural skincare. Give me hydrating creams, serums, and body oil, and I will treat myself to a beauty routine that would make Aphrodite proud. It seems…

The New Normal

Thank you to all the first responders, medical worker, and service people who keep going to work. You keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and fed during this difficult time. I know that this is a very hard time for so many families, everyone has their own struggles, and no matter how much we…

Fun in the Sun

Finding ways to enjoy the sunny weather from home.

Missing you

These are strange scary times. I hope everyone is staying safe, and staying at home. It’s been hard knowing that our adventures will be put on hold for awhile. We had lots of plans for camping in the desert this spring, but for now I will just had to imagine myself in the Mojave. We…

Death Valley is better with family

Death Valley is one of our favorite places to visit. We have had many adventures within the National Park. They include such epics as, backpacking cross-county up sheep canyon, driving miles of 4×4 trails, entering the park from almost every direction, including the infamous Titus Canyon, and who can forget the flat tire fiasco of…

Desert Season

Its that time of year again. When the temps drop to a bearable level the desert becomes our favorite playground again. Living in Southern California has its drawbacks, the traffic and crowds being two big ones. However, no matter how crazy the greater LA area gets you can always find a vacant stretch of desert…

Oak Glen

My favorite time of year is autumn. Southern California may still feel like summer but you can start to sense a bit of crispness in the air. The mornings are a bit cool and you may even be able to don a sweater before the sun fully comes out! To celebrate the fall equinox we…

Our Birth Story

Even before I knew I wanted to have children I loved to hear women’s birth stories. The journey to meeting that little being who was inside you for 9 months is so amazing. Now I am able to share my own story. On Thursday at around 230 am I woke up feeling a little crampy,…

Emma’s First Hike

I have been quite negligent on my blogging lately and that is because I have been busy with our new baby! Little Emma Sherrock came on June 14th, and she is perfect. I would like to get around to writing about our birth story, until then I wanted to share a few moments from her…

Santa Rosa Plateau

Have you ever wondered what Southern California looked like before the freeways, houses, and Starbucks showed up. How about what it looked like before Europeans came on the scene with cattle, plows, and agriculture? One of the best examples of native California landscape can be found at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. The Reserve…