Travel, vacation, trip, getaway – all describe wonderful

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Is there anything more memorable then travel? I have been blessed to have been able to travel some in my lifetime, but there are places that I can’t wait to visit in the future.

1. Tree house Costa Rica friends trip. By the time the ski season was over in Utah, everyone was itching to get out of town to somewhere warm. I know that I’m going to feel the same way living up here in the Northwest,  let’s start planning a Spring 2013 Costa trip. I’m thinking the Costa Rica Tree House Lodge is the perfect place to set up camp for a week or so. Proximity to beaches, yoga classes, and it’s a tree house!

photo: Costa Rica Tree House Lodge

2. Ireland/Scotland Whiskey and Scotch tour. Alright this one is for R, but I think I could learn to appreciate the flavors of scotch and whiskey as long as some wine was mixed in. What’s this I see? The Irish Whiskey Trail. Oh boy.

photo: Jameson Whiskey

3. Colorado Ski Trip. I am a die hard Utah fan, because well Utah skiing is far superior to Colorado’s. But the truth is, I don’t actually know if that is the case because I’ve never skied in Colorado. Utah was easier to get to for family vacations growing up, plus we had friends there. And then, I lived in Park City, and the only time we went to Colorado was for Broncos games and to visit my comrades at Skinet, Freeskier, and Mountain Sports+Living publications. I can’t wait for R and I to cruise into Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, or any of the above to see what all the Colorado hype is about.

photo: RottenTomatoes.com

4. Skagway via Juneau, Alaska. Our good friend lives in Skagway during the summers and we have been talking about a visit for years now. Right now, we’re saving our airline miles and pennies to make it happen.

photo: Mike Schmeling

5. New York City, baby. R’s never been east of Montana, and I think it is about time to change that. First east coast stop – NYC. Not to mention a couple of my good friends from high school live in Brooklyn adding some incentive.

photo: google.com

We’re talking 2 year plan here, so that about wraps it up. I want to take R to San Diego, I haven’t been to Vegas in years, not to mention more wine country….we have a lot of places to see, and I’ve barely even touched on International spots.

It doesn’t matter how many places you explore, there are always more around the corner. Where are you going on your next trip?

-h

P.S. Who is in for Costa Rica 2013?

Perspective

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes positive and negative thoughts become reality. I have grown a lot in 2011, but can see that in 2012 there are changes that I would like to make. I think that everyone goes through phases in their life where they feel like things need to be truly re-evaluated. I’ve never done resolutions, but I’m into goals, so here is what I have planned for 2012.

1. Exercise with conviction. We all have days where we get to the gym and half ass our way through 20 minutes of cardio, while it may be better then doing nothing, it certainly isn’t making the same mental impact as putting your nose to the grind, and pumping out that 20 minutes as a high heart rate. My tool: the New Balance HRT Fit Monitor – it counts calories, your bpm without a dorky chest strap, and supports breast cancer if you get the Komen version.

photo: NewBalance.com

2. Accept where you are and be proud of what you are doing. My former job was fun, lots of hard work, and glamorous at times. I haven’t stopped looking for a new job, however, it is important for me to realize how much of a learning experience my current position can be, and how I can take steps to conjure more responsibility. My tool: local networking events to meet new people in order to feed potential business.

3. Save more, spend less. Easier said then done. I love shopping, eating out, fine wines, and I have an affinity for shoes. R and I have decided to spend some time this year looking at houses to buy which necessitates money saved for not only a mortgage, insurance, utilities and other things, but also furniture. I’ve never owned any piece of furniture larger then our bed so once we make a move, I guess we’ll have to buy a chair or something. My tool: inspiration.

photo: Sarah Richards Design

4. Bake, but with less butter. I love butter, it makes anything taste good. And that is what makes baking with it so easy. For Christmas I received a KitchenAid mixer and by golly I am going to put it to good use, however, I’m going to do so while learning about baking and cooking with less fat, recipes to come.

photo: bloomingdales.com

5. Take social chances. Meet up with old friends, say yes when I don’t feel like it, and have a friendly face. I haven’t lived in this area in 5 plus years, I miss my friends from Utah, but it’s time to step out of the ol’ comfort zone. My tool: the trusty iphone, no excuse to not find someone on Facebook, connect on Twitter, or just make a phone call.

photo: Apple.com

Lets do this 2012 and lets do it big. I’m ready for what you have in store for me.

What are your goals for 2012?

-h

Slow Cookin’ is the Good-Oh Cookin’

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I love cooking, so when my sister bought me my first Crock-Pot last year for my birthday, I was ecstatic.  However, being a slow cooker newbie, I found myself constantly making pulled pork or sweet and sour meatballs.  These classics are of course delicious snacks that everybody loves but I knew there was more possibilities out there.  This year I was gifted a Crock-Pot recipe book that has more than 500 recipes in it!  I went Crock-Pot Crazy.  Lemon and herb chicken, warm Moroccan-style bean dip,  Italian-style pot roast, tarragon carrots in white wine, apple and granola breakfast cobbler and wake-up potato and sausage breakfast casserole, just to name a few.  I don’t usually consider myself a stew person, but some of these recipes look too good to over look, such as the chipotle chicken stew.  Did you know that you can even make cereal snack mix or bread in a Crock-Pot?  Well you can!  Pictures to come, I will keep you updated on the feats and failures of the slow cooker!

 

-s

The Uncommon Gift…

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Do you get an insane amount of catalogs? My parents definitely do, I can’t help but think it is such a waste of paper, that is until something completely unexpected shows up in the catalog repertoire. This week it was from Uncommon Goods. This catalog is stocked full of gifts that would actually fit for every single person I would ever need to buy gifts for. (I’m not endorsed by them, they have no clue who I am.) I know there is someone on your list (Dad) that is really difficult to buy gifts for, and I’m telling you this place has everything. Here is my top picks from Uncommon Goods of items that I giggled, pointed out, or put in my mind-pocket for later.

photo: Uncommon Goods

1. The Shark Socks: “Oh excuse me while I cross my legs, AWWW there is a shark eating my ankle!”

photo: Uncommon Goods

2. For my favorite penguin lover, the Zenguin Tea Cups, not just for sipping tea these could stash hairbands, paper clips, or whatever. So adorable.

photo: Uncommon Goods

3. The Spiky Owl Balancer Stake: I have a minor obsession with owls as is, I love how cute they are, and I can picture this as something unexpected in someone’s front yard.

photo: Uncommon Goods

4. The State Kitchen Towel, for someone who lives away from home, or has lived in a different state, or for the couple that met someplace random. A simple, yet memorable way to incorporate a meaningful spot into their home. Also available in region or city.

photo: Uncommon Goods

5. For the prankster on your list, the Glass Water Faucet, the mature way to induce a double take.

I could spend all day adding to this list – I would totally recommend checking out the site to find something for that person that is a little difficult to buy for.

-h

Local food, local heart, local health…

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We can’t turn a corner these days without hearing about a restaurant that is going local. This is not a new concept, our grandparents were the actual founding fathers of this concept. The hard part is, what does buying local actually mean? For me, it is an obsession with finding new ingredients at the farmer’s market and learning about what they can be used for. It is about planting a very small planter box with some basic easy grow veggies. It is about harvesting every single tomato possible that is ripening on my parent’s bushes and learning what to do with the squash that was supposed to acorn squash and is so obviously not. Last weekend R and I had the privilege of visiting S and hitting up the Bellingham Farmer’s Market.  A market that should not and cannot be reckoned with, the amount of local produce represented is truly amazing. We didn’t buy much, as I had enough local 7.1% alcohol content Chuckanut Brewery Vienna Lager pulsing through my veins, that I also was a force to be reckoned with. But I did snap this pic of mushrooms that emulates the Bellingham market.

photo: hh

Much to my surprise when I got home last night, my dad had a supply of morel mushrooms that his friend gathered nearby.  We crafted the mushrooms into a red sauce that was delicious and good for you.

There is no time like the present to take the opportunity to invest in your local farmers. Whether it is picking produce grown in the US while you’re at the super market or hitting up your nearest farmer’s market, co-op, or fruit stand – commit to learning where and how the things that you are putting in your body are grown.

So I challenge you – buy something adventurous that you have never cooked this week and use it. Have you ever sauteed beets? Put wild mushrooms on your pizza? Added goat cheese to your salad? These are ingredients that I know you can utilize.

Be well.

-h

Fire Christmas trees!

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We spent this weekend at the cabin, which is on Priest Lake in North Idaho. We were there for some friend’s wedding and also to help my parents close the cabin down for the winter. Part of the clean up included a massive beach fire to get rid of a pile of fallen tree remnants. I was tossing big pine cones into the fire and they were burning to look like tiny flocked Christmas trees. Awesome.

Did you guys have a good weekend? Spend any time outside?

xx -h

Gurgle

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What do you do when you’re feeling blue?  From now on, I’m going to bust out my gurgle pot because it makes me smile.

photo: gurglepot.com

This pitcher doesn’t just pour liquid, it also makes a wonderful gurgle noise as you pour it.  Maybe you’ve seen these before, maybe you haven’t.  But for me, clever decorative items like this make me giggle.

-h

Ombre for Fall

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I love a great transition piece and right now, I can’t stop looking at ombre items, both inside and out. It all starts with a scarf, and before I know it, I’m noticing ombre dahlias too.

Fall Casual

Scarf - Nordstrom, Shirt - J.Crew, Jeans - Madewell, Boots - Frye, Necklace - JohnLewis.com, Tote- Banana Republic

Interior, exterior, between ombre, chevron print, and stripes, I’m getting excited about transitioning into fall. New season, new beginnings.

photo: hh

I think it’s the bajillion years of school, but fall truly means getting back in a routine. So bring it on, and bring on the ombre transition pieces because they are inspiring.

-h