First Hike of the Season

Note: this is NOT the summit.

We convinced the boys to go on a hike yesterday. The weather was perfect for hiking. We chose Little Si (near North Bend) since we've never been on that trail before. It is rated as a moderate hike. I found it pretty challenging since I've gotten out of shape.  There was plenty of shade on the trail.

The road we walked along to the trailhead.

We didn't make it to the summit. We were OK with that. My oldest son A could have made it a lot farther. We hiked for 90 minutes before turning around to go back. We considered it a training hike. My husband J wants to work up to a more challenging hike. I'll stick with the "moderate" hikes, thank you!

We had heard that this hike was super popular so we wondered if the trail would be crowded. Yes, we saw plenty of people but it was not crowded. This was at 2:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon. Parking was tricky. The actual lot is small but we found parking not too far away.

We also enjoyed watching some rock climbers that we saw along the way.


Pin It

Middle School Day of Service

This past Wednesday I chaperoned and drove a car full of kids to work in the community. There were at least 12 different groups sent out from our school to do various acts of service. The other groups went to senior centers, food banks, and shelters.

Our group went to East Side Baby Corner in Issaquah. Who are they and what do they do? Here's a quote from their website:

In 1990, Karen Ridlon, a local pediatric nurse practitioner, became concerned about the large numbers of babies in her practice that began life without adequate food, clothing, beds or safety equipment.  Eastside Baby Corner collects community donations, purchases and distributes children’s and maternity items to families in collaboration with organizations helping families in our area.

There were 6 boys and 4 girls in our group, with 2 moms (including me) and a teacher as chaperones. I had four boys (including my son) and the teacher in my car.

We sorted sandals into size and gender, we sorted "the mountain" which was a gigantic pile of bags full of donations,

we also helped unload a truck and load it up again with bags.

The bags we sorted were full of clothes and we did "rough sorting" into these categories:

- infant
- little girl clothes
- little boy clothes
- big boy clothes
- big girl clothes

I found it interesting that the largest piles were infant and little girl clothes. One sad thing was throwing donated car seats into the dumpster. The laws on carseats are very strict.

It was hard work but my son said that he enjoyed it. I was very happy to hear that. I came home exhausted but satisfied by what we had accomplished.



Pin It

Sunny Spring Weekend in Victoria

We visited my parents in Victoria this past weekend. My oldest son had just arrived back from his big adventure to the East coast so it was a bit of a stretch for him to travel again. We took the Anacortes to Sidney ferry on the way there. This is a relaxing, aka, slower paced ferry. The scenery is terrific. I was too tired (from getting up early) to take any photos, though. :)

On Friday we had lunch at the Five and Dime in Sidney where the ferry arrives from the US. Good food. Our first outing in Victoria was to the Oak Bay Marina. Here the seals are the entertainment.You can buy a small bag of herring to feed them.

We took advantage of the exchange rate (one US dollar is worth 1.33 Canadian) and stayed in a fancier hotel - the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

The outdoor pool and spa area was gorgeous.

On our first night,  after dark J, C and I went into the hot tub and pool and were surprised at how many stars we could see. The pool was very warm, even after being in the hot tub. Swimming in a warm outdoor pool at night, gazing at the stars above. That was my highlight!

On Saturday, we went to Saxe Point (in Esquimalt) which is a favourite spot of my parents. It is fun to watch the waves crash against the rocks.

spot the climbers in red

We also visited Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University. I was hoping to see the gardens but there was an entry fee which seemed silly since not much was blooming yet. I took the photo (at the top) here.

For lunch we went to Ogden Point - the Breakwater Cafe, right next to the Sea Wall.

The view here is terrific but the service was terrible. I paid for my lunch using American cash and they did not give me the correct exchange rate or even mention this. That is basically adding a 33 percent tax on top. We asked for a refund and then paid with a credit card.

In the afternoon, J and I enjoyed the warm sunshine and the outdoor pool at the hotel. You can order food and drinks poolside. Here is me - living the luxurious life.

white legs!

On Sunday morning we breakfasted at The Village in Estevan Vilage, near Oak Bay. We attended my parents' church and appreciated the solid teaching on the Holy Spirit by their pastor. We posed for some photos.

For lunch we went to Swiss Chalet and had rotissiere chicken. We returned back to the mainland via the Tsawwassen ferry.


Pin It

Tulips on a Tuesday

I convinced my family to drive up to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival today. Actually, the official festival hasn't started yet. It is supposed to be in April but the flowers had other ideas! The majority of the tulips are in bloom, as you can see above.

I was very thankful to have beaten the crowds. Tuesday morning is a great time to visit! My boys are on Spring Break but I don't think many other schools are off right now. C wasn't thrilled about going to see flowers but he enjoyed the mud.

I was able to get C to pose for a photo. His brother is away on a school trip.

In the photo above you can see that some tulips haven't bloomed yet. We got a (partial) family photo taken. We had lunch at the Calico Cupboard in La Conner.

More tulip photos. Remember to click on them to enlarge.

Pin It

A milestone for my oldest son

This week my oldest son (age 12) is travelling with 49 other middle schoolers to Arlington, Virginia, Washington, DC, and New York City for a history trip. This is his first time away from both of his parents. So far we are surviving. Ask me again at the end of the week!

The trip is very well chaperoned. There are 30 of them - teachers and parents. I considered going but decided against it once I saw the schedule - pretty jam packed. Too fast paced for me. I am fortunate enough to have visited both DC and NYC with my husband.

A has a camera with him so I'm hoping to share his photos.



Pin It

Spring Mantle 2016

Spring is so full of excitement. The days get longer and I'm eager to get gardening again.
Here's my spring themed mantle. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.

Some close ups:

Sources:
- the pink and green fabric banner I made a few years ago. Tutorial here.
- Spring sign - Home Goods
- Faux boxwood - Marshall's
- framed robins image - found by searching Pinterest for vintage bird images
- ranuculus - Marshall's

Everything on the mantle was pulled from my collection, except this garden sign.

I bought it yesterday at the Spring Market at The Farm at Swan's Trail. It was a vintage market, which I love, of course.

Pin It

Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2016

I love the Northwest Flower and Garden show! It is such a feast for the eyes and it smells great, too! Every year there is a theme for the display gardens. This year it was "America the Beautiful." The photo above shows a recreation of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.  The name of the display is "Tiny Tetons." As soon as you enter the show you are bombarded with the sight and smell of spring bulbs.

There is a section with floral arrangement which are always creative and intricate. This one was my favourite.

The designer of this arrangement used magnolia leaves to form the trunk of the "tree."

This display garden had me dreaming of Summer!

Garden art is so fun, like these fish which were a little out of my budget.

I love these flowers made of old glass.

There is a vintage market inside the show. I should have invited my friend Denise who would've loved this section. Next year! The booth that made a garden in a shopping cart won the award for best booth. It is Pine Creek Nursery in Monroe.

I took this photo of succulents for my friend Elizabeth.

The vendors are terrific at this show. Here's what I brought home:
- a large pink pillow for $10. What a deal!
- new gardening gloves
- a new hat crocheted out of cotton that is washable.

- a half apron made of oilcloth. I plan to use this while gardening.

- a pink toolbox that came with primroses.

If you'd like to join me next year, the tickets are $17 in advance. There is a free parcel check which comes in very handy.

Pin It

Seahawks Wreath

I know, I know. The season is over. I started making this wreath when the Seahawks were still in the playoffs. I was determined to finish it, no matter what. I got the idea from Ben Franklin in Redmond.

Basic directions are as follows. Get a wire wreath form(or find one in your stash like I did). A similiar size to mine can be found for about 3 dollars at Michael's.

Pick your fabric and ribbon. Fat quarters are great for this project. Cut fabric and ribbon to approx. 1 1/2 inches wide and approx. 8 inches long.

Tie them onto the wreath form. Note: my wreath has only 2 circles. I noticed that purchased ones have 4 circles therefore you would have a much more bushy wreath and have to do a lot more tying.


Pin It

New Year shelf

I have a little shelf by the front door that I like to decorate for the seasons or holidays. This one is self-explanatory. The numbers are paper mache from Hobby Lobby. I spray painted them gold then glued the patterned paper on them.

The  New Year printable (in the black frame) is from eighteen25 blog.

The "do dad" is a Christmas ornament that was originally purple. I found it on after Christmas clearance at Michael's for 80 cents. I sprayed it gold.

Happy New Year!!Pin It