Len Foot Hike Inn

Both my mom and Chad's uncle Jay asked for time - not things - for Christmas. They wanted to DO things with us and how could we argue with that? Since they are pretty hilarious when gathered together in the same company, we decided that it would be fun to pick something that the four of us could do together.

Enter: The Len Foote Hike Inn at Amnicolola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, GA.

Mom suffered through a hike to Mt. LeConte with us a couple of years ago when we all swore we'd never go again and Jay suffers through that hike most years, with us in tow at least once more and probably again this fall. We knew that hiking would be something they would both enjoy as long as it wasn't too strenuous (me neither!) and it was something that was on my mom's bucket list.

Off we went last weekend and enjoyed a hilarious, cold, invigorating hike up the mountain!

Good fun these folks are. 

I would HIGHLY recommend this hike to pretty much anyone. It is about 4.8 miles of rolling hills. There were only a couple of places that made me lose my breath or where we needed to take a break. It is generally very flat or gentle slopes, crossing a couple of little creeks, and hills. 

The Inn itself is SUPER nice...think hot showers, great food, mostly comfy beds, and an incredible view of the GA mountains. Quite a shock to our Mt. LeConte hiking systems. 

The cost includes a bed, dinner, and breakfast - plus snacks and hot/cold beverages all day. Lots of games to play in the Sunrise Room or you can hike around nearby. 

Go make some memories with folks you love!

Quilt #3.

I finished my third quilt! This one is a bit smaller than the first one I made but would be perfect for a baby quilt! It is a little masculine but I spiced it up with some red and yellow to mix it up some.  I really like it because it is the first quilt that I "designed" myself by drawing it out on graph paper and then figuring out the layout. 

Here is a closeup of the fabrics. A yellow hounds tooth, a small red floral, solid light blue, a really simple dark blue circle print, and the veggie print which I am absolutely crazy about. If I could find more of it, I would totally make a veggies skirt. 

 I sewed the blocks together and then quilted in a primary red so it would show up on the back really well. I quilted diagonal lines across in both directions and I am really glad I took the time to go both ways. 

The edges of the squares don't meet up perfectly all over - lots of quilting lessons continue to be learned around here - but overall it looks pretty good. I'm proud of it either way because I'm learning so much and finishing projects (a.k.a. burning through my fabric stash so I can buy more!). 

I hand made the binding out of a bright yellow multi dot fabric and I'll never go back to buying store bought bias tape ever again. If you make your own, you have ALL the choices in what it will look like. 

I love the binding color and print. I am not incredibly pleased with the way I sewed the binding on. I think that I probably twisted it a bit as I was holding it to hand sew the back so it looks like it twists all the way around. While it isn't intentional - and I will figure out how to not make THAT mistake again - it looks OK now that it has been washed and dried. 

I really like how the quilting turned out like diamonds on the back. 

If you know someone who is having a baby anytime soon, this would make a great quilt for them! I'd be willing to sell it if someone was interested. Otherwise, I'll just give it to the next baby that I know coming along...or keep it for myself and snuggle under it on the couch. 

Just some details:

cotton fabrics

100% cotton batting

finished size is about 46"x46" square-ish :)

April Birchbox!

It's April Birchbox time!

Yay!

I've been waiting for it to come...it is a few days later than my box usually comes and the email came 9 days ago. Eeek.  

Chad and I have actually already purchased some Kind brand granola bars at the grocery store so I was excited to see a different kind in my box. This is this month's lifestyle item and usually I am kind of annoyed about tea samples instead of cosmetic samples but this one is OK. :) 

I had been thinking that it would be fun to have a light green color for spring so I am super excited to see this one. Color Club does a lot of partnerships with Birchbox and this is a pretty good one. I think the color is called "Breakfast at..." and it has a little bit of a pearl finish. Might see this one at Easter! 

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry - cell phone pictures cause I got a little excited. This is Anastasia's clear brow gel. I am not entirely sure how to use this but I will definitely try it....since I have unruly brows anyway. :)

This is Camille Beckman's body butter. It smells really good and has a beautiful butterfly on the because the scent is Morelia Monarch. It smells like almonds and a little like vanilla and almonds. I already used it on my hands and it feels reeeeally nice.  

This is the Keims brand energizing shampoo. I love getting haircare samples in my box so I am excited about trying this one. I haven't ever heard of this brand so it should be fun. Peppermint and macadamia? Mmmmmm... 

The theme this month is Rainy Days so the colors were really pretty. The muted teal paper was nice touch since the tissue is usually bright pink.

All in all, a fun month even though there weren't technically any makeup samples this month. Good stuff to try!

Yay Birchbox! 

FitBit

Over a year ago, my first Fitbit went through the washing machine and met an untimely demise. (FYI: a Fitbit is a fitness tracker that measures steps taken like a pedometer, calories burned, flights of stairs climbed, etc.) Fitbits apparently don't like swimming so I was just out until I could buy another one. It has been on my wish list for a while - I was busy doing other things with my moola - so I hadn't had one in a while. My sweet friend K got me the newest version for my birthday back in October - one that you wear on your wrist instead of your pocket.

I was super excited about it - this one was water resistant! - until the very next day (literally) when I got an email that the even NEWER version was coming out soon. This one also had a watch function (the other did not so I was wearing it in addition to my usual watch and my wrist was getting a little crowded). So, K and I chatted about it and I ended up taking it back and waiting on the newer one to come out. It finally did this past week and I picked up the Fitbit Force at Target.

I've really been enjoying it...on the small screen you can tell time, see how many steps you have taken and what that equates to in mileage, see how many calories you've burned, how many flights of stairs you have gone up (you get one for every 10feet in altitude you gain so you can climb a mountain or a skyscraper), and how many minutes you were "very active" during the day. It sort of helps you challenge yourself to park a little farther from the door, make an extra lap around the building during your lunch hour, etc. One of my favorite parts about this version is that it also vibrates to let you know when you have reached one of your daily goals...a fun reminder that you go there! You can also set multiple alarms on it and it will vibrate on your arm to wake you in the morning so your alarm doesn't wake your sleeping buddy. For this first shift wife with a second shift husband, this is extra nice!

Fun gift and helping me try to be a little more healthy!

November Birchbox!

It is Birchbox time again! I'm a little late getting it posted this month but it came right on time last week. This month's theme is "More Good" - sort of focused on the holidays.

 

 

This is a sample of Sampar's Equalizing Foam Peel. I am a little nervous about using a peel but it claims to be gentle so it is worth trying! The full size is $75 and honestly I don't think there is anything that could make me purchase the full size - there isn't enough here in the sample to make me fall in love with it - but I am excited to try it!

This is a Joie sample of their Folle de Joie perfume. I haven't gotten a perfume sample in a while since I updated my profile that I would like to receive fewer of them (I was getting one in every box!) but I REALLY like this one. It is a little less floral than others I have received - almost more "grown up" smelling, if that can define a perfume. I've worn it twice now and I like it a lot...

This is a Tiossan body cream sample. It is a nice thick cream that rubs in pretty well. Nice size to toss in the travel bag and it has lots of antioxidants in it - supposedly great for skin so that's a win in my book!

Another Color Club nail polish. The color is quite a bit darker in person - this picture makes it look bright blue but it is closer to a dark royal in real life. I think I will start with it on my toes and go from there. I usually avoid blue and green on my hands - personal preference - but this one is dark enough that it might fly!

Finally, this is - I believe - a full size product! It is a Chella brand highlighter pencil. Regular price is $18 and if the full size is bigger then that is awesome. I have already used it multiple times and I really like it. Perfect shade to brighten up brows bones, inside of the eye, etc. Goes on thick like a concealer but smooths easily. Really like this one.

 

All in all, this was a really good month! Great nail polish color, lovely perfume sample, and the highlighter pencil topped it off.

 

I actually used some of my Birchbox points to purchase full size items of things I received in previous boxes (the Benefit Fakeup concealer - AWESOME - and a dry shampoo) and only paid $4! Yay Birchbox points!!

Mt. Leconte - Picture Overload!

Total proof that Chad hiked miles carrying a smooshed box of Dunkin Dount Munchkins. This guys loves doughnuts.

Alum Cave Bluffs. About halfway to the top.

If you have a chance, read about how the mining of the bluffs has created an atmospheric phenomenon - incredibly dry, dusty ground in the middle of lush, humid forest. Its strange and beautiful!

One of the cabins at the lodge. Admittedly, this is a great time to hike to the top because the wildflowers are in full bloom at that elevation!

Proof that we made it and what day it happened!

I love that they do this on the front of the lodge...

Our group - minus Sandy (who was resting? photo taking?) plus J's friend who got us the tickets.

Dinner served family style, delivered by llama.

Potato soup, peach half, roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and a cookie!

It is exactly what you will have if you go!

View from cliff tops. Further proof that I survived. :)

My pink socks and hiking boots. Of course.

My guy - that puts up with a lot.

We went to Cliff Tops to watch the sunset and it was a little cloudy so this is about as much as we got.

Last glimpses of the sun...

This is Rainbow Falls - about halfway back down. Admittedly, if I had hiked 2.7 miles to get to this point - uphill - I would have probably been disappointed.

All in all, not as bad as last year. But I don't plan on doing it again. I think I'll pick some easier day hikes and find a place to shower at night. :)

Mt. Leconte

Sorry it has been a while again. It is just a busy, busy life.

Update on last weekend's trip to Mt. Leconte in the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park. Admittedly, it wasn't as bad as last year - that pretty much sums it up. I don't think I was in any better shape this year because I had not been able to train as much as I would have liked. Last year's hike in was about 8 miles and gained about 300-ish feet per mile. This year's hike in was "only" about 5 miles but gained about 500-ish feet per mile. So, yes, it was steeper but I think the second half was way worse than the first (which lulled you into a false sense of "oh, this isn't so bad"). Either way, we arrived at Alum Cave Bluffs about halfway in and I would totally hike that trail again - it winds along a creek for the first mile plus and it was cool, scenic, and lovely. The second hike was a little closer to torture so we won't get into that. The last .2 mile is level - rocky and slippery - but level and it is the most welcome blessing.

The hike out was a different story. Closer to 7 miles and downhill all the way. I know, you'd think that would be easy but downhill for that many miles is pretty hard on your body. Knees, hips, and toes can start hurting pretty fast. I did pretty good following along with the rest of our mixed-aged group but about 2.5 miles form the bottom I was really ready to be done. I sort of booked it and left the rest of them to fend for themselves (figuring they would catch up with me if something happened!) We - Meg and I - finished about an hour before the rest of our group but that hour was a take off your shoes and air out your feet miracle.

I had decided that I was going to make the best of a long uphill trip before we ever got started on Friday so I spent a lot of time trying to be intentionally thankful for things. I thanked God for my breath, my healthy body that could hike, the scenery, the family and friends I was with, the view...and for waterproof hiking boots. :) It was a nice test in determination and thankfulness. Sadly, I might do it again.

 

If you have never hiked to Leconte, I suggest you do it just once. It is a pretty cool experience. Super rustic, no electricity - just the folks you love and a nice view when there isn't lots of fog. Dinner and breakfast are included as part of your ticket along with beds in some pretty sweet cabins. Tickets sell out over a year in advance and they are closed during the winter because it isn't really accessible so get tickets now for the year after next. It's worth it...even the climb. 

 

In other good news, I sent in my Chacos to the "Re-Chaco" folks. The soles were coming off - like separating  from the footbed, which they should not do. I hoped it was a warranty thing and I wouldn't have to pay to get them fixed. Thankfully, it was. Their customer service is top notch. I was only without my shoes about 2 weeks from sending them off to getting them back. And they were repaired free of cost - I even got to pick which sole design they fixed them with. This is my "so happy to have my Chacos back the day we left for our hiking trip" face. :)



Final Camp trip #3

Looking back, I am thankful that I get paid mileage when I drive to camp near Knoxville since yesterday completed my third trip of the summer. I am always a little sad when resident camp is over because I know what a great experience it can be for our girls - it is a memory making machine, which is exactly what we hope for!

This week was a great week. I got to work with some girls that were working on an environmental/food based Journey book (set of badges, basically) and took them on a field trip to the farmer's market in Knoxville. These girls are the oldest girls we have had at camp for the summer - they are Counselor-in-Training aged - so it was good to get to hang out with them. I had a captive audience while we drove into town and back and I got some really good feedback about what events they would like to see us do in the next year. I told them about our tentative plans for travel and events and they seemed really excited about it! That makes me feel like we are on the right track and that is great news!

I rolled in from camp around 5pm yesterday and went straight to the yacht club where Chad's parents are members. (Yacht club uses loosely...more like sailing club...which is more like, a bunch of retired guys getting together and fiddling around with their boats.) We were filling in for Chad's dad on the race committee, meaning we were to help set up the Wednesday night fun races, run flags, timers, etc. but of course, we've never done it before. Thankfully, the woman in charge gave us lots of instructions and was super sweet and knowledgeable - in a "I want to share with you what I love to do so maybe you'll love it too" kind way. Sadly, some storm clouds blew over and took all the wind with them so sail races were not to be had.

I will be living in budget land for the next 2 weeks or so as I write my team's first budget so I am pretty nervous about it. I want to do well so that we will have plenty of funds for an entire year of programming but I also am not so great with numbers so yeah...knowing that I am choosing budget amounts for events that are over a year away and not planned yet is a little stressful. I wish I could just write up my entire plan - since I am a words girl! - and give it to someone and have them put numbers with it. But alas, that is not how it works.

July Birchbox!

My sweet sister reminded me that I had not blogged about my July Birchbox yet and by golly...she was right!! All the pictures were taken on my cell phone because I was too lazy/excited to wait the day it came to go get my camera out of the car. :)

The theme this month was "Power Play" and was somehow connected to the TV show "Suits". It is probably good that I delayed/forgot to write this blog post because I have actually been able to use some of these products now and I can give an accurate opinion on them!

 



This is the ModelCo. Party Proof Lipstick in the Peony color. It is actually a matte lipstick which is a little different than what I am used to but I just put a touch of gloss over it and I have been really happy with it. The color actually does last most of the morning for me so "party proof" might actually be accurate. It is pretty bright on me so I use sparingly. It says that the full size is priced at $19 but I can't imagine that this isn't the full size - it seems like the same size as my other lipsticks (product goes all the way to the bottom of the tube, etc.) so this in itself pays for 2 months of boxes!

(See! Way more opinion!!)

This is Dr. Jart's Ceramidin Cream. Supposed to be a great moisturizer but I like my moisturizer/have break-out prone skin that I don't want to put strange things on so I used this on my hands. I really liked it there - great light scent - but I am never excited about the sample size of any of the Dr. Jart stuff...sorta skimpy? It would be hard to try it enough days in a row to decide if it was worth purchasing at a $48 full size!

This is the Caudalie brand Divine Legs, the only item that I have not tried yet. I sort of got a little tiny sunburn on my legs last week so I was waiting for that to go away and for me to stop going to camp so much so it was worth having lovely shaded legs. Excited to try it...

This is the second bottle of this Color Club Birchbox exclusive color. Truth - I traded the off-white that I got last month for a super fun bright orange/color that a co-worker got (perks!) so I was excited that I didn't get that color this month! This shade is called London Calling and is one in a set of 4 if you purchase in the Birchbox shop. They call them "neon pastels" - an oxymoron in my opinion - but it is ok because I am really liking the shades (on toes!).

I think this beauty extra of patterned giant bobby pins is my favorite thing I got this month. Great for my thick hair and adds a little funky color to a hair do! I feel like I have to wear them with things that match - cause I am weird like that - but I have really enjoyed them! A LOT...never had cute bobby pins before so they are pretty neat.

So, here's the month's box! I love that they have started doing a little chevron on the inside of the boxes. Cute and so "in" right now.

Thanks sweet sister!

Camp - Trip #1

I left for camp yesterday morning at 6:45am. I was trying to NOT get involved in Knoxville traffic and arrive at camp at a decent hour to actually be helpful throughout the day. I got there just after 9am which was making pretty good time and immediately jumped in to hanging out with some great girls. I spent the day learning the ropes of camp since I haven't ever actually spent the night (or even a day!) at this particular resident camp; it is always super fun to see what camp traditions get carried over/through the years and are exactly like I remember them. And then those that...aren't. :)

My goal in being there was to get some feedback from our middle school aged girls about what activities and events they really love and might like to do over the course of the next few years. I didn't get as much feedback as I would have liked to get but it was good to also see what things they enjoy the most about camp and think about how we can tie those things into the larger program ideas.

I stayed up far too late last night doing "stealth van" with the leadership staff...while they do their nightly rounds to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, they bring along a box of snacks for the staff. The staff has to "stealthily" approach the vehicle, sneak their snacks, and sneak back. It is fun for them and let's us see that everyone is in the unit they are supposed to be in....fantastic idea. However, our late night stealth mobile and this morning's 6am to chaperone a horseback riding field trip have left me with a seriously sore rear end and a desperate desire to go to bed early. (full disclosure: I had to pull off the highway halfway home and take a 15 minute nap for my safety and that of other drivers. You're welcome. I think I really am turning into my mother.)

Another load of laundry, a day at the office tomorrow, and then leaving at 7am on Friday morning to drive to Richmond, VA. I will be glad to arrive in Columbus next Monday night and be finished driving for a few days.

April Birchbox!

It's April Birchbox time!

So glad that this came today because I was checking the mail at my friend K's house over the weekend while she was out of town and I discovered that hers came. I was experiencing some Birchbox jealousy so glad it was here when I got home. :)

 

Women's Health Magazine was the partner for the month and the theme was "tiny tweaks, big results". I have been seeing them blog about it for a couple of weeks so I was waiting to see what the box would include. I also watched the sneak peak video, which I should learn NOT to do because I get excited about things that end up not being in my box.

This is what it looked like when I opened it...they are still a big fan of those little inner boxes.

This is an anti-aging hair serum by the Nexxus company. Admittedly, I have never heard of anti-aging hair products. I guess because I haven't really even delved into anti-aging skin care yet so this is a whole new world!

Excited to try this...

These three little lotion samples were my "lifestyle extra" for the month. This Weleda company says that they sustainably harvest plant oils and natural hydrators so I think it would be neat to try it.

This is a anti-shine mattifier that I am looking forward to using on my oily face. It is also a mineral based product which should go well with my current mineral foundation. Fun!

This is another anti-aging product by the StriVectin company. I have never tried any of their products but this is supposed to be great for eye wrinkles so I will try to be dedicated and try it long enough to see a differences. It says that you can see results in 2 weeks and that there is enough product to do that so it might be worth the try!!

 

Fun! This was a good box with a couple of good anti-aging products which has made me think a lot about taking care of my skin a bit better. Loving my monthly surprises...

Dreams.

My husband dreams of one day owning a piece of land that is big enough to have some farm animals - ducks, chickens, a cow, and some goats. I was all for it. Until today. When I saw this video for the first time. And I watching it with tears of joy streaming down my face.
Enjoy.

(Original video found here)

 

 

 

and then there is this:

 

You are so welcome.

February Birchbox!!

My February Birchbox was pretty good. The theme was Red Carpet Ready so everything was supposed to be focused around that; some items might have been a stretch but it was still fun so here goes!

 

Here is how it looks when you open it. As always, I avoid turning the card over until I actually see the items in the box (it lists them all and explains each one...sort of ruins the surprise).

This is what it looks like once you open the tissue. Birchbox has also become a big fan of these little inner boxes. I guess it makes you think you've gotten more stuff? I say ditch the box (which I won't reuse for a gift because it has a logo on it) and send me more samples!!!

Another Color Club nail polish. Birchbox loves this brand - this is my 3rd polish. This picture is NOT true to color. It is NOT teal but in fact a lovely emerald green, which is hear is very on trend for spring (or maybe all of 2013??). It will probably make it on my toes first but I tend towards pinks, reds, and neautrals for my fingers. I might just branch out and try it - we'll see.

A bit blurry but of course, the Ghirardelli chocolate was a big hit. It is gone already.

This is Beauty Protector's protect and detangle spray. I am pretty excited to try this. I switched gyms to go back to the YMCA so I can swim again and while I love the pool for exercise, it does a major number on drying out my hair and making it crazy tangle central. I shall deposit this in my gym bag!

 

After being less than pleased with my last Dr. Jart sample, this one is much better. This is a BB cream but it has a SPF of 25 and a nice matte finish. I tried it on my hand but I might actually bring it to my face one morning! It pays to update your beauty profile with your correct skin tone too - this one matches much better than my last sample!

Juice Couture's LaLa perfume. It is described as a mix of mandarin, red currant, lily, and orange blosson and I actually really love this. I am always a fan of citrus scents and red currant so this was a hit with me. I have used it the past two days and I am always a big fan of a perfume sample that is an actual spray bottle instead of the traditional stopper cap. Win!

 

So there you go! I enjoyed this month's box lots!

Want to order a Birchbox of your own? Click here (and I earn an extra 50 points towards more awesome stuff!)

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you remember to give love and that you are loved the other 364 days of the year too...