We didn’t have swimsuits or flip flops but that didn’t stop you. We only had 15 minutes before we had to leave to catch our flight but that didn’t stop you. We parked and you jumped out of the car. “Are you as excited as I am?” you asked as you ran up the hill. Wind blowing your hair as if it was holding you back from jumping in the water with all your clothes on, you stood and watched as the gentle waves lapped at your feet. You turned and looking at the dunes of Tunnel Beach behind us you said, “Isn’t this beautiful?” Before I could respond you ran up the hill yelling for me to follow. You danced, and spun in circles while laughing the entire time. And for just 15 minutes, with no cares in the world, you helped us remember what it is like to simply have fun and what is really most important in life.
Today, no matter what it is you are doing, no matter what deadline you are trying to meet, no matter what flight you are trying to catch, and no matter how many other things are on your to do list, be sure to take at least 15 minutes to have fun today. Have an AMAZING Wednesday!!!
Do you ever find yourself saying, “I really want to do that” but never acting on it?!? Ok, all the time, right? We always catch ourselves saying we really want to do these things but then find ourselves adding something else to our to do list instead. However, this summer we are changing that thanks to the help of our friends Jenny and Josh Solar of The Happy Family Movement! The Happy Family Movement hosts a Summer Bucket List Challenge and this year we are IN! ;) We have come up with our Summer Bucket List and I am excited to say, we start tomorrow by crossing a BIG one off of the list! ;)
We are so incredibly excited to FINALLY be making a trip out to see my brother in Michigan. It has been way too long! We don’t have much planned, but have thrown around the ideas of exploring Detroit (for 5 minutes! ;) ), strolling around Ann Arbor, hanging out in Lansing (where Ben lives), watching Ben coach a HS Baseball game, and maybe even checking out the Holland Tulips! Who knows where the journey will take us, but we are just excited to visit! (Except when Ben told us yesterday it was going to be 40 degrees!!! WHAT!?!?! lol.)
Yesterday we had the incredible honor to guest post on The Happy Family Movement blog! Definitely go check out their site… there is definitely something for everyone! But if you have kids, it is like an extra special gold mine and you probably don’t want to go another second without visiting! ;) Sign up for their Summer Bucket List Challenge and write down those things that you always say you want to do! Honestly, just writing them down makes it more real. It is now a responsibility! ;)
On that note… we heard this quote the other day and can’t remember at all where it was from… but it went something like this: “It is the adult’s responsibility to have fun so that kids want to grow up.” SO true, right!? Now, go have fun!
Let us know what is on your bucket list! And if you see anything fun on ours that you would like to complete along with us… let us know! We would LOVE to have you join us for the fun! ;)
It’s funny how when you are busy busy busy doing work that you love, you can so quickly forget about the little things that bring you happiness. When Ryan and I are out and about traveling for work, our brains are occupied on the adventure. We love to travel, so that quickly fills our heart with joy!
Since we have been going going going and have not had any moment in 2013 really to be home and be still, we are finding it almost difficult to do just that! However, we know that is exactly what we need in our lives right now! We honestly are choosing to be super intentional about making time to just be. Our To Do list is now full of a mix of work and fun. In the past, I always thought we needed to get all of our work done before we could go play. Even if we had a project due in 2 weeks, I would have to have it done today before I could relax. It has only taken me 4+ years as a small business owner to realize that there will always be something else to do! Lol! When you love what you do, the thin line between work and fun gets even thinner.
Anyway… this past week we have been doing everything we can to train our minds to be still. Who knew that would be so hard! ;) We have been giving ourselves realistic deadlines and working working working to get the work crossed off our list so that we can do the fun… and then giving ourselves grace when there actually are still work things on the list! We have blocked off time on our calendar to take a few days off in May! WAHOOO! This weekend might be the first weekend in a SUPER long time that we are actually going to take two days to rest and just do the fun! ;)
It is my goal over the next few days/weeks to actually focus on what brings us happiness! DIYing, grilling out, hanging out with friends, visiting my brother, exploring new coffee shops, watching the clouds roll by, reading, etc… these are all on our new To Do list! Yesterday we started this new challenge off by making a few DIY Pallet Projects out of the old pallets we gathered a few months ago! It has been on our mind to make a sign for our guest bedroom and hang up those cozy robes we purchased months ago! After a morning of cranking out the work, we spent a few hours in the afternoon playing with some pallets and paint! ;) It took me awhile to just relax and have fun, but when I did… it felt pretty AMAZING! ;)
We hope you will join us this weekend and take some time to be still. Take some time for yourself and celebrate this AMAZING life!
And because life is happier with bright yellow flowers :)
We have been talking about the gorgeousness of Veritas Winery since our first visit there with Amanda and Bobby! I call it my “happy place” because as soon as we pull into the driveway, I can feel the excitement coming from my smile. Yes, the wine is good… well, great, actually! But, the gorgeous surroundings and the super fun décor bring about an AMAZING sense of comfort and excitement for me! I could not wait to come back to this happy place and when we did, I knew it would be even more magical than we had remembered it!
A few weeks ago (actually, I am pretty sure we started talking about it before we even got off the bus in January), we dreamed of this fun adventure to soak in this beautiful life with Justin, Mary, Jeremy and Ashley. After living with them on a bus for 3+ weeks, we find it hard to be apart! Lol. Let’s just say, we will be planning many adventures to reunite and soak in this beautiful life with them! ;)
Our first What’s Next Crew reunion took place in Charlottesville, VA on Wednesday! In the mix of this adventure we are on, filming the videos for the AMAZING Life Together Webinar, this little escape to soak in this beautiful life was EVERYTHING that we needed! Reuniting with these friends is always a special treat. Honestly, we could probably all meet up at a random hotel in the middle of nowhere and be overjoyed… but meeting up in the gorgeous Charlottesville was like a dream come true. Actually… it was a dream come true complete with the magicalness that we hoped for! We spent the day frolicking (lol… not really kidding! ;) ) around the gorgeousness of Pippin Hill Farm and Veritas Winery. Both places are literally breathtaking! As we sat on the beautiful patio overlooking the AMAZING mountains… we enjoyed some tasty wine and incredible food while soaking in this beautiful life.
We could not be more grateful for these AMAZING friends who always remind us of what is most important in life!… Spending time with those we love and soaking in this beautiful life are definitely two of those things! ;) Check and Check! ;) Wednesday was definitely an AMAZING day!
BTW… both Pippin Hill and Veritas are gorgeous wedding venues! ;) GORGEOUS! As you may be able to tell, we made our way to the bridal suites at each location to scope everything out and dream of the AMAZINGNESS of shooting a wedding there! All of us were crazy excited about the possibilities! I am just saying… if you are interested in having your wedding at either of these locations, we know a few photographers and cinematographers who would be happy to take care of your needs! ;)
With less than 24 hours in Portland, Oregon, a city that has been on a our must see list for quite a few years, we were so determined to seize the day! We could not wait to take it all in!
Knowing we only had a limited amount of time in the city this trip, we wanted to make sure we hit up the best of the best. We are firm believers when traveling that the only way to make sure you hit up the best spots is to ask the experts (the locals and/or anyone else who has spent some time in the city before!) Both Ryan and I put a message out on Facebook seeking recommendations for the best of the best… and within just a few hours, we had enough suggestions that we could have spent 5 days in Portland and would never have been bored… or gone hungry! ;) I think that says something about the city! ;) It is definitely a MUST SEE!
We embraced the AMAZING suggestions of the “experts,” and decided to seize the very limited time we had in the city! Our 24 hours went a little like this:
Arriving into Portland around 9:30 p.m., we picked up our rental car and made our way directly to a brewery! We found ourselves surrounded by other traveling friends and locals at Rogue enjoying a flight of beer around 10:00 p.m. on Monday! (As soon as we sat down at the “cell phone free” bar, we heard someone behind us say, “Go Orioles!” We met a few new friends who were also visiting from the Baltimore and Central PA areas!! Small world, for sure!) After some beer and a few tasty snacks, we decided to embrace the late night with non other than VooDoo Doughnuts… by far the most highly recommended location to visit! ;) At 12:00 a.m…. who doesn’t want a doughnut to go along with the beer? This place was CRAZY… seriously, I never could have imagined a doughnut with so many different toppings! They all looked AMAZING… but we decided to go with one that had oreos and peanut butter on top and another with chocolate and rice crispys! Yes… they absolutely met the hype! ;) So so so tasty and the perfect way to end our first evening in Portland!… and start off the next morning too!
As mentioned in our post on Monday, we have decided to make “happiness is a journey, not a destination,” our theme for the month! (or, well, every day of our lives!!) As we started our stroll through Portland, we took some time to just soak in the beauty! The luscious green grass and the beautiful old trees within the city! Seriously, who knew that green grass and old trees could leave such a lasting impression on our hearts?!! They definitely did in Portland!
Next stop… Stumptown Coffee and the Ace Hotel! Ohh my goodness! Yes, the coffee is AMAZING! However, hanging out in the lobby of the Ace Hotel was pretty darn awesome too! ;) As we got the work done that we needed for the day, we were surrounded by locals who were having business meetings or just decided to make the Ace Hotel lobby their place to work for the day! The hotel had so much character and charm that made us feel right at home!
Ok, Portland DOES Food Trucks! ;) (Or Food Carts as they call them!) Literally, 2 city blocks dedicated to these carts that represent any type of ethnic food you could possibly imagine! As the lines started to back up, we knew that this was definitely our stop for lunch! The many options were a little overwhelming…. ;)… but that just means we have another reason to go back and visit another time!! ;)
We wandered through the streets of Portland and made our way down to the waterfront area! So gorgeous! And again… that green grass!!
Just before checking out the new home of Stillmotion and meeting up with our friend Amina for a SUPER fun meeting that set our hearts on fire (I am sure we will share more on this fun in another post!!), we found ourselves with just enough time to try out another brewery! ;) Why not!?! ;) The first one we came across… Cascade, which just so happens to specialize in sour beer. I don’t know much about beer, let alone sour beer, so that was every reason to check it out and learn more!! Definitely not something I could drink a full glass of because of their crazy bold flavors, but the sour beers we tried in the sampler glasses were pretty tasty!
We had our super fun meeting with Amina and then made our way up to the Nob Hill area of Portland. This was a neighborhood that everyone was recommending we had to check out for the cute shops and the AMAZING food! (people know us pretty well, huh!?) As soon as we turned the corner onto NW 23rd Ave, we knew this was going to be our favorite! ;) The little shops are adorable and the food was seriously some of the best we have ever had!!!!
We went to Papa Haydns’s for some desserts to bring to our friends Karen and Isaac and then made our way to Salt and Straw for THE BEST ice cream and ice cream experience we have ever had! We definitely like our ice cream and have found ourselves at quite a few creameries along our travels, however there was nothing quite like this experience! I am not sure I can even describe it! But, if you are in the Portland area… this is our definitely do not go home without visiting place!!! After sampling about 6 different ice creams with our friend Ada, who had so much excitement for introducing the favorites to us, she recommended we try the Ice Cream flight so that we could have a more substantial tasting of a few others! YES, please!!! The flavors in these ice creams were inspired and sourced locally (LOVE THAT) and were seriously put together like a piece of art! So so so good! Definitely go check it out!
Salt and Straw was like the icing on the cake… Papa Haydn’s AMAZING cake! ;) It was the perfect way to finish up our less than 24 hours in Portland!
We definitely will find ourselves back here sooner rather than later! Honestly, even just for the Salt and Straw experience! ;) Everyone that we ran into throughout the day was so excited to welcome us to their city and learn why we came all the way from Baltimore to visit! ;)
This trip was such the perfect reminder to Seize the Day and embrace the happiness that comes along with it! I have a feeling we will be planning ore trips like this… last minute and leaving it up to the “experts” in our lives to guide us to the best of the best! They definitely did not lead us astray this time!! Thanks so much to everyone who offered their suggestions and gave us the perfect tour of Portland, OR! We can’t wait to come back soon!
