Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
Roche Harbor is a great little day trip from Friday Harbor. A short little drive and you feel as though you have been transported to another place. The Hotel del Haro is a popular spot for weddings in the Summertime, but during our visit it was relatively quiet. We enjoyed delicious sandwiches, fish and chips and fresh donuts from Lime Kiln Cafe and then spent the better part of an afternoon walking around, soaking up the sunshine and looking at the various boats and yachts in the harbor.
Each Spring we make it a point to head over to the University of Washington to view the spectacular cherry blossoms in the Quad. And each year just like clockwork I have the same thought- why don't we come here more often. With the days getting longer and warmer weather upon us it seems like the perfect place to allow your child to explore and run free on a beautiful Spring day. These particular trees are over eighty years old and are well maintained and loved by students and Seattle residents alike. Here is a little Q & A about these particular cherry blossoms.
One of the most beautiful places on San Juan Island is Cattle Point. Cattle Point is located at the south end of San Juan Island and consists of low rolling hills, and cliffs covered in prairie grassland. Cattle Point is a short drive from Friday Harbor and yet it feels as though you are miles and miles away from everything. On a clear day you can see all the way to Canada. The southern shoreline of Cattle Point has long gravel beaches, rock outcroppings and protected sandy coves; it reminds me of the California coast in many spots. Cattle Point is a prime example of how easily accessible some of the most breathtaking places are. A ten minute drive and a five minute walk later we were able to witness more bald eagles than I have ever seen at once in my life. Washington is such a beautiful state filled with rich diversity and plentiful beauty; I am fortunate to call this place home.
While staying in Friday Harbor we enjoyed a leisurely dinner at Coho Restaurant. The restaurant was intimate, the service attentive, and the food was delicious. The owners Anna Maria and Dave could be seen bustling about as they took orders, served food and chatted with guests. This is the type of place if you visit more than once they would remember your name, greet you with a sincere smile and treat you like their best friend. While chatting with Anna Maria in between courses I was reminded why I am such a big proponent of small businesses. I admire people like Anna Maria, who have carved out a life for herself where she can do what she loves on her own terms.
On our visit to Friday Harbor we went whale watching with San Juan Safaris. Although it was a little early in the whale watching season; Brian and his team expertly navigated us to see the whales. During our whale watching tour we came upon two transient whales who eventually met up with another two transient whales. One of the most exhilarating experiences on our tour was being able to witness one of the whales spy hop. Spy hopping is when a whale comes straight out of the water to look around and then goes back down. This was a thrill to witness and something I won't easily forget anytime soon.
Several months ago we planned a trip to San Juan Island. Little did we know back when we booked it our timing would be perfect and we would have spectacular weather all weekend. Since we wanted to stay in the heart of Friday Harbor, we decided to stay at the Bird Rock Hotel. From the moment we stepped foot into the Bird Rock Hotel we were given the royal treatment. Tory, the manager, was not only eager to share his love of the island with us, but fill us in on the best places to eat and things to do during our stay.
This Winter has been epic. Mild, dry and for the most part sunny. We are starting to feel spoiled because we have enjoyed several sunny Saturdays in a row. Although we have desperately missed being in the snow up in mountains, we have embraced the slower pace our Saturdays since Jasper has arrived. More often than not we find ourselves at Serious Biscuit to get our biscuit fix; followed by a sunshine filled walk. After brunch we walked along the Seattle waterfront as we made made our way down to Olympic Sculpture Park. Sunshine in Seattle it truly is a beautiful thing!
One of our favorite long weekend getaways is to Long Beach, WA. We enjoy biking along the Discovery Trail, eating at thePickled Fish, staying at the Adrift Hotel and in general having the beach to ourselves. Since welcoming our little guy four months ago this is only the second trip we have taken together as a family, the first we took a few days before his two month birthday to the North Cascades. I will be the first to admit traveling with an infant is a game changer, but I will also be the first to encourage all you homebodies to take the leap of faith and travel with your little one. With a little planning ahead of time, altered expectations and flexibility it can prove to be a wonderful experience and create lasting memories for all.
After our lunch at Shake Shake Shake we walked over to Stadium High School. We have seen it featured in the movie Ten Things I Hate About You, but have never seen it in person. I cannot imagine attending such a beautiful high school. It reminded me more of a building you would see on a college campus. On this particular day, the sun was shining and it was a balmy sixty five degrees. We ended up doing an impromptu photo shoot of two of my favorite guys. I think these are some of my favorite photos of them to date.
There is this burger place I have wanted to visit for awhile called Shake Shake Shake, so the other day we took a little jaunt down to Tacoma for the day. Although it has only been around since 2013, the restaurant has a retro feel to it as if its been around for decades. The menu is pretty basic: burgers, fries and drinks, but the best item on the menu in my opinion are their shakes. I ordered the Nutella while Cameron ordered the Peanut Butter Chocolate. Shake Shake Shake has an awesome color palette of turquoise, orange and white and a gigantic light up sign over the dining area which reads "EAT". Shake Shake Shake would be the perfect place to take your children to for a special treat or a fun little day trip from Seattle. In the end, we were stuffed and Jasper was mighty pleased to sit and chomp on his hand. A good day for everyone!
This we held a Cookie Decorating Party at my church. Once a month we gather as women to learn, socialize, serve and sometimes just have fun. This month it was all about sugar, sprinkles and love. Aside from decorating cookies each women was given a name tag and assigned a number. Then each women was asked to write an anonymous compliment about all the other women present. At the end of the evening each women was able to take home a stack of compliments about herself.
There is no better physical record of the passage of time then watching a baby grow. It seems everyday is full of new achievements, interesting discoveries, firsts and clothes to be outgrown. Since welcoming Jasper into our family I have tried my best to document the everyday moments from lying on a blanket, to snuggling post bath, our family outings and being playful in the morning. Here is a look back at the first three months of our time together. Although we have waited awhile to share our home with a little one and it feels as though we have reserved a piece of our heart for him and have always been waiting to love him.
Weekends, in particular Saturday, is the day we set aside for adventures and exploring in our family. I like to leave the house in the morning and return home at dark with a heart full of memories and a camera full of photographs. This past Saturday was rather stormy and rainy, so we boarded the Southworth Ferry and spent a leisurely day driving to Union and then Hoodsport, WA. We made a pit stop at Alderbrook for brunch and witnessed one chilly polar bear swim. Then we went onto Hoodsport for ice cream. I love this little family of mine and I am grateful we are able to spend days like this together.
You have all heard the expression, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" and with my man these words could not ring truer. When thinking of gifts he would enjoy chocolate (and peanut butter) always come to the forefront of my mind. But don't be fooled by his slim physique, this man loves to eat! Give him a box or bag of his favorite kind of chocolate and that is all he needs to be happy. I lucked out with a man who is easy to please, so for his birthday weekend he had two requests; a chocolate and peanut butter cake and brunch at the Salish Lodge. For the cake I used this one bowl Chocolate Cake recipe and this peanut butter frosting.
For Valentine's Day I enjoy putting together fun little packages for friends both near and far. I like to stick with the traditional Valentine colors of pink and red because what is more fun than receiving a girly box of goodness? Target, The Confectionery and the grocery store are my go to places for putting together these simple, but sweet packages of love.
During the first few weeks of Jasper's life we tried just about every brand of diaper and wipe out there. After lots of leaking diapers, soiled clothing and frustration we finally found a diaper that worked- Honest diapers. Not only do Honest diapersfit well, but you can sign up for a diaper subscription where a box of diapers and wipes comes to your house every four, five or six weeks. Honest diapers have adorable patterns you can choose from and are a company who strives to help families in need.
When its pouring rain on a Saturday in Seattle what else is there to do but take a quick trip down to Portland. We realized it had been far too long since we visited our sister city, so we hopped in the car and introduced Jasper to one of our favorite places. Our favorite thing to do in Portland is eat, so the wet weather did not impede any of our plans. We spent a leisurely day shopping, eating and crossing a couple of new places off our list. We had heard good things about Blue Star Donuts and their old fashion buttermilk donuts did not disappoint.
When we stay in Mazama we like to make a day trip to Winthrop. We find it is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon. We enjoy winding our way through the various boutiques and having lunch.
When Cameron went back to work after his paternity leave I was left with all the my normal responsibilities and commitments in addition to caring for a newborn. Needless to say, a majority of the time I felt exhausted and a tad overwhelmed as I adjusted to my new normal. Whenever I had a free minute I was either cleaning up the house, doing laundry or trying to find a quiet moment to myself. The time and preparation it took to plan a meal, go grocery shopping and make dinner felt like an impossible task. This is where Munchery saved me. Munchery is a unique service which delivers healthy, locally made, ready to eat food at the click of a button right to your front door. You can browse their ever changing menu each day and select entrees such as Miso Black Cod, Eggplant Parmesan or Grilled Steak Cobb Salad.
As the fog hung low one Saturday morning we resisted the urge to stay cozied up inside all day and instead went out for an adventure. We took Jasper on his first ferry ride to Whidbey Island and then drove to Coupeville and then Langley. We didn't have any particular plans rather a destination in mind. We spent the day walking around, browsing some of the shops, ate lunch, then dinner and most importantly were together. It always takes a little extra effort these days to get out of the house, but whenever we do we are glad we did. Aaahhh Saturdays my favorite day of the week.
