A Collective Vision Board

Over these past few years, I have put together a few Vision Boards, including my personal visions for the new year, along with the aspirations of others I know who could use some extra prayers and good intentions for something they wanted to have come to pass in the new year as well. I placed cut outs for the depictions of these intentions in a location where I could see them daily and at the end of my morning meditations (something I’ve dropped in the last year after having Monkey and would really like to start up again), I would also go through a map in my mind of all of the people I know that I wanted to send my love to. As my friend Jules taught me, I would literally picture the Earth in my mind and slowly begin making my way around it, stopping off at the various destinations to give my love and good intentions to those people in my life who are both near and very far.

I’ve long been a fan of the power of intention and feel that great things can and have taken place through collective thought. Over the past year, I have witnessed so many wonderful things unfold (large and small triumphs that are equally important to the different people in my life – each which had begun with a focused thought). And with that, I am all about championing not only our own visions, but also those of the people we love!

I am sharing this story with you in hopes to inspire you to get together with friends and family and build Collective Vision Boards together! Here are some simple instructions:

1) Start by putting together your own Vision Board for the new year either by cutting out images in magazines or pasting some of your own photography to a poster board. You can even do this on Pinterest, which makes things fun and simple.

2) Next, select one picture that you think really wraps together the bulk of your overall vision for the new year.

3) Copy that image and share it with your friends and family who are participating in forming a Collective Vision Board – everyone’s Collective Vision Board will be a little different depending upon the network of people in each person’s individual lives who will be participating.

4) Each person participating will them have two boards – one Personal Vision Board, and one Collective Vision Board with people’s names or photos next to each corresponding image.

5) Finally, you will hang the boards you’ve created in a location where you can see it every day and send your intentions out to both your dreams and those of the people you love! If you’ve created your boards on Pinterest, print the boards to hang so you actually look at them daily. 

Happy dreaming dreamers!

A Crafty Halloween

Time has seemed ever so much more precious and valuable after having our son. Productive free time also seems to be rare anymore between our work schedules and time with Monkey. Not that our time spent with him isn’t productive…it is just productive in an entirely different way Often times, by the end of my work days or days at home with Monkey, all I want to do is sit in front of the television and veg out. And, for those of you who know me, this is definitely not part of my usual M.O. I have never before been big on television watching on a regular basis, and I hope to be able to change this again.

So, that is my excuse for such a long delay here on the blog. Lack of time.

I have, however, somehow managed to carve out a few little windows here and there to craft some Pinterest finds. One in particular is Monkey’s dinosaur tail for his Halloween costume.

We will be answering the door for Trick or Treaters as dinosaurs tomorrow, which should be fun for him to experience and for us to take in.

It is really adorable to see him walking around with his tail on. He seems to enjoy wearing the thing.

Have a fun and safe Halloween everyone! We will be looking forward to seeing some of your photos and costume ideas.

And, I will try to get on here more than once a month too!

 

 

Salishan Getaway & Evergreen Aviation Museum

I accidentally posted a teaser picture from my phone of our trip to Salishan last weekend during Glammy and PacMan’s visit to Oregon. Some people emailed me a bit confused. So, here is a full posting of our visit together this past week.

Although traveling with a little one isn’t always easy, we still love being able to get away when we can, and this time around we were able to head out to the coast for a stay at Salishan, which is such a lovely place.

On our first day there, we got out onto their complimentary putting course for a little family fun. Perhaps Monkey found his new favorite sport…

…or at least he enjoyed tending the flags as we putt the course. But then there was the Sand Volleyball court…

…and the Basketaball Court!

Something tells me this boy got his dad’s jeans when it comes to interests in all things sports related. Is it too early to tell at 11 months?

We had absolutely gorgeous coast weather during our stay with clear skies, warm days, sunsets, and starry nights. And one of the greatest gifts is that Josh and I got to have a few hours together each evening while Glammy got Monkey to bed and monitored him through the open door to their adjoining room. What a treat!

It meant an evening cocktail, sliders and truffle fries in the lounge before they closed each night (I am not a french fry person, but those truffle fries were darn good!)

I love when resorts plan their architecture and interior design to blend and compliment the natural and historical beauty of an area. The dark wood of the lodge and rooms allow you to fully take in the landscape. This nautical art was everywhere, along with beautiful wooden sculptures, which I enjoyed.

A room with a view. And a great one at that!

A few days after our stay at Gleneden Beach, Glammy and PacMan came through Portland for a few nights. It was humorous to me that there were two things PacMan wanted to check out while in Oregon. One being an Animal House tour while in Eugene on the University of Oregon campus, which my In-Laws happily took them on, and the other to check out Evergreen Aviation Museum while in Portland…with enough time to get home for the Packers vs. Bears game (hence, his nickname PacMan).
I hadn’t been to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in quite some time. At least, not since they built their water park (Wings and Waves), where you can “jump out of” a 747 located on the roof into their biggest slide, which you can see in the picture below. One of these days, when Monkey is a little older, we will head there. Especially now that he has completed his Angelfish Swim Classes this summer through Portland Parks & Recreation. The great thing for Oregon is that the waterpark is indoor so open year-round!

I like this slightly eerie view of the Wings and Waves 747 taken through the Evergreen Vineyard. Yes. The museum also has a vineyard and my mom and I made sure to enjoy a glass of wine out in the courtyard while PacMan checked out the second building of the museum since he was driving us home.

Have you seen the Spruce Goose, built during World War II by Howard Hughes? That is one BIG BIRD! I can see how it only made it into the air for a mere minute. But, it is definitely a sight to see! Monkey certainly enjoyed checking it out along with the many other planes:

Look at how tiny the tale of that other plane looks up against the nose of the Goose!

Self Guided Toddler Tour

Now that monkey is walking and running everywhere I have my hands full so we probably spent about 2/3 of our time visiting the museum flying a paper plane in the grassy area in front of the main building, which he liked very much!

I cannot believe it but I don’t have one single picture of him with Glammy since I spend much of my focus on the little Monkey!

It was a visit that was short and sweet and I didn’t get the dates right on my calendar so Josh and I didn’t have the days off that we had planned for, but we had a great time when we were all together and I am sure that my mom enjoyed the toddle age with Monkey.

they grow up so fast!

I can hardly believe we are at that stage where we can now look back in disbelief that our little monkey has reached so many milestones over the past 10.5 months since he was born. It feels like only a few short months ago that we brought him home from the hospital.

People said it to us all of the time – “They grow up so fast. Too fast.”

I’ve realized this past year that most of the cliche parent comments came about because they are true.

Since he was born, he has experienced many firsts and reached many milestones: rolling over, crawling, and now…(gasp)…walking and even saying real deal words!

I find myself scratching my head, wondering where the time went. As we play and spend time with him, Josh and I notice how capable Monkey is of doing so many things on his own already. All this time, he has been soaking up his surroundings to show us that he is beginning to understand how things work. I have mixed emotions of feeling so joyous to be discovering his blossoming personality, yet sad that those firsts are behind us now.

But, life is about discovery and this is literally just the beginning.

Playing with his new buddy Julien in the tunnel!

In just over a month, it will be Monkey’s 1st birthday. And as parents, we know a small part of what we will be celebrating is that we made it!

It’s our own milestone.

A Buggy Adventure

Camping and being out in the wild woods is something I love and like most people out there, don’t get to do enough. I promised myself that we would take the Little Monkey to the woods this summer. Though we cheated a little by reserving a rustic cabin at Olallie Lake Resort, I’m glad we did because it protected us from the drones of Mosquitos that were out. Our little cabin worked out to be the perfect trial scenario for how real camping or…gasp…even backpacking might go in the future.

What was supposed to be a two night trip to Olallie Lake turned out to be a one nighter due to how buggy it was. I’ve gone there several times before and never had quite this problem but apparently I was there in August or September when the Mosquitos are not as bad.

The owners of Olallie Lake Resort had given The Monkey this handy little net hat which proved to be very useful on the hike. Josh and I didn’t get bit as much as we had expected to but we were also doused with Citronella oil. Despite the bugs, we still managed to get a good little hike in around Monon Lake, which we discovered is still a snowed in and flooded during one leg of the trail. I didn’t mind though…it was fun to put my Chacos to good use and skip through the creeks and shore.

As usual, The Little Monkey was a trooper…or in this case, a happy camper. It was all a good experience but we decided to head home a day early to perhaps head out on a less buggy adventure.

Men’s Day

In Germany, the Father’s Day tradition (or Men’s Day in Germany) is to fill wagons with wine, beer, and foods and pull them by manpower on a hike. For Josh’s first Father’s Day, Uncle Sterling helped Little Monkey and I to surprise Josh with this great All-Terrain Wagon by Radio Flyer filled with provisions. I think it was a hit.

After stocking the Man Cave with the goods from the wagon, we headed over to Pop Pops to welcome he and Sandy back after this year’s sailing adventures and to have a larger Fathers Day celebration. It’s so nice to have my dad close by and to get to know Little Monkey better now that he is a bit older.

Though we didn’t go on a hike, it was a great way to spend Men’s Day.

 

 

On the Move

Every May, Josh leaves for his annual fly-fishing trip on the Deschutes River with his step-dad (otherwise known here as Cool Dude).  This year, my brother was also in tow.

After many years joining Cool Dude and friends on the water, Josh decided he has become serious enough about the past time to start collecting his own gear. So for Christmas, I splurged and gifted him a pair of Simms waders, and his parents gave him a matching vest and some starter flies in a tackle box.

Take a look at his past trips here and here.

Meanwhile, back home Gigi and I spent some quality time with the Little Monkey who was on the verge of crawling every day his Papa was away…

It was as though he was waiting for his papa to see the exciting new leap in person, because today, at 8 months and a day, our Little Monkey is on the move!!!

Wherever you go…there you are

Tonight, I was having a conversation with a friend about the fight or flight reflex we have as humans when we are up against difficult scenarios or overwhelming sense of emotions. I mentioned that when I was younger, anytime something felt out of my control, I’d start planning to move abroad in hopes to get as far away from that strong sense of anxiety, sadness, or stagnancy.  I shared with a friend my plans to flee when he said to me,

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

He was right.

I could go to New Zealand or Spain or Brazil, but no matter the destination, my feelings would be right there with me…..to deal with once the temporary distraction subsided. No matter how long I put them off or mask them, my problems would be right there waiting for me.

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I have learned that every little thing I go through sticks around until I take the time and energy to understand how and why it affected me — no matter how difficult it was to face.

If there is one thing we can promise ourselves to stay true and honest in this life, it is that we own our emotions and our reactions to our greatest battles so that we can begin to understand ourselves that much more and to move to our next lesson or life experience.

As far as we know….or as far as has been scientifically proven, we only have one go at this life, so we might as well make it worth while by delving deeper into the abyss and by growing with every hurdle.

Spring is Here Again!

There is so much to catch up with on here! It has been a busy few weeks. I used to feel guilty when I’d go even a week without posting, but between my days with the little monkey and work, my spare time is usually spent trying to catch up on sleep or chores.

Every year, we have a little Easter gathering, which used to be so much more adult focused (with a beer hunt in the mix), but I have to say that there was a very clear shift this year with only a few people decorating beers and a whole lot more eggs and items for the kid hunt and more people focusing on baking and preparing really beautiful foods for the brunch spread.

My brother and Nancy did a really fine job at decorating though and I have to give them props on here so their beer decor can live on!

Yes, this is indeed a Mr. T beer!

One of several garden gnome beers they made!

And, the adult hunt was still a hit, but, you can’t beat this kind of cuteness:

This was the Little Monkey’s first Easter, so we dressed him in dapper spring colors!

The Little Monkey loves his uncle Ster!

It was such a great day and the weather cooperated too! I don’t recall the last Easter when we were able to do this:

Showing off my dirty feet...

Spring is here and all we can think about is gardening, hiking, bike riding, fishing, strolling, lounging…on that note, I am off to enjoy more of this sunny day we are having!

A Good Ol’ Fashion Scavenger Hunt!

OKAY PORTLANDERS — I am helping to organize this event and it’s going to be AWESOME! So, get your teams together and register at NO COST! This is by far the best way to get out and explore the city we all love. I’ve been a participant in a scavenger hunt in years past and it is SO MUCH FUN! Plus, I think CHARLIE HALES is THE CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR and I’m confident that you will be on the same page with me if you come out and get to know him! That is, if you don’t already think he’s wonderful!

A uniquely Portland Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, April 14, 2012

3PM Check-In | 8 PM Dance Party

Holocene | 1001 SE Morrison Street

 

Explore the City you love! Whether you’re a bonafide politico, scavenger hunter hero or just looking for a creative way to spend a Saturday, On the Hunt is a fun excuse to explore Portland and better get to know the city you live in!

Former City Council member and Mayoral Candidate Charlie Hales helped shape our fine city into the place we are all proud to call home. Pick up points as you better get to know the history of Portland’s prominent, funky & obscure community landmarks—all while galavanting around Portland.

After you’ve zipped about town, meet back at the Holocene to claim your prizes, get to know Charlie…and then strap on your dancing shoes and shake your thang to some sweet tunes courtesy of our sweet DJ.

 

Here’s how it works:

1.      Invite 4-6 friends, co-workers, neighbors, family members to join your team
2.      Choose a team name
3.      Pick a team mascot (an quirky object or creative item that you can easily bring with you on the hunt—a bouquet of roses, a collection of Portland ballcaps, a birdhouse…whatever suits your fancy!)
4.      Should you feel so inclined (and we think you should), wear costumes or team-themed outfits

 

Teams will be provided a list of locations from all 5 quadrants of the city; each location has a corresponding points value.  Using bikes, foot travel, MAX, buses and the streetcar you’ll criss-cross town racking up points by checking in using Instagram* photo app. Teams with the most points win prizes, along with those top out in other categories, such as most creative costumes!

*Please note that each team will need one smartphone equipped with Instagram (free app) and preferably an unlimited data plan.  Don’t have an Instragram account or unsure how to set it up? Not to worry — we have an easy solution for that! Just make sure to arrive at Holocene a little early and we’ll get you all set up with a way for your team to submit photos

COST: Suggested donation at the door of $5-20 per player. Registration is free. A donation will pay your cover for Holocene’s 8 1/2 DJs: SOUL AND R&B EDITION.

Don’t have a team but still want to play? No problemo!  Register as an individual and we’ll get you teamed up with others ahead of time–a great way to make new friends!

 

Questions? Call us at (503) 567-9430 or email contact@charliehales.com

 

Your kiddos are welcome! This is an all-ages event until 8pm.

 

 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER!