The Starbucks Reserve in Seattle never disappoints ☕️
We went right before Christmas to try some of the holiday flavors, like the Starbucks Reserve peppermint mocha, which by the way was delicious! The eggnog cookie was a fun treat that had the sprinkled star, the raspberry cornetto was delish , and my husband always looks forward to the Whiskey Cold Brew when we visit.
Check out how they serve the Whiskey Cold brew with the old fashioned ice cube.🧊
Want a tip on to save for parking? Comment coffee below and I’ll send you how we save on parking ❤️
Wow! What a year we had! As you can tell we read all genres this past year . I definitely came through these with some of my new favorite authors ❤️ So many of them gave such different perspectives into my faith.
Each book was unique and I love that! Just an FYI on how we decide as a book club what to read – Our curator gathers 3 books for our whole club to vote on when we gather once a month to discuss the current book we have read. We then announce the next months book once we have taken a paper vote. Some months , there is a clear winner and others we need a tiebreaker .
Below you will find a few highlights of things I loved about each book or that I found challenging . Think of it as a quick review of each book. ⬇️
⭐️ The Prophetess -Loved how the author brought a full story to Deborah which gave me something to ponder. It was fictional but made me see her in a whole new light.
⭐️ The Italian Ballerina -One of my favorite reads! It gave me a glimpse into WW2 that I had never explored with the Syndrome K sickness and the London ballet stage. Loved all the historical references throughout and the beauty from such heartache.
⭐️ Yesterday’s Tides – Another one of my favorite picks from 2024. I discovered something I had never heard of , Okracoke Island . I loved how the author combined WW1 to WW2 in such a beautiful way. We also had the opportunity to zoom with the author during our book club which was a fun treat!
⭐️ The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip – Wow! I want to be a Mrs.Kip! Such a great read and left me feeling that it is never to late to share Gods love❤️
⭐️ The Forgotten Life of Eva Gordon – This one started out slow but I was so thankful that I stuck with it. We all need a neighbor like Mabel . I may just one day step into a funeral to celebrate the life of someone I have never met because of her .
⭐️ Drawn in Ash– This one was out of my comfort zone but I’m so glad I read it. It took a bit to understand all that was happening, but gave a glimpse of how things can change when we spend time talking to others instead of going with preconceived ideas. It is based on the story of Esther.
⭐️ The Number of Love – A beautiful story of the secretive Room 40 during WW2 and the power of prayer.
⭐️ Blink of an Eye– Thrilling but left me wanting a better ending . We discovered in book club that there are two editions of this and the first was better in our opinion
⭐️ Daughter of Eden – This fictional story of Adam and Eve gave me so much to ponder ! It gave me lots to think of with how pride and selfishness separated the relationship with God and left me yearning to have what Adam and Eve had before the fall.
⭐️ The Screwtape Letters – This is such a deep book . I have read it several times and each time get something different from it. It really highlights the spiritual warfare that is all around us and from the enemy’s perspective.
⭐️ The Last Exchange -This is such a beautiful unexpected love story . It is thrilling and just when you think it is all predictable. Watch out the turn you never saw coming is right around the corner. One of my favorite quotes of the book is “A life laid down is better than one picked up.
⭐️ We Three Kings -This Christmas Novella follows three generations of the Weise Family as they seek Jesus throughout each one. This was the perfect Christmas Book.
I hope our Book Club list from 2024 helps encourage you to start your own Book Club or gives you some new books to read ❤️ I would love to hear if you already do a Book Club and how yours works or if you would like to hear more about how we do ours send me a message .
And yes our 2025 Book Club has already started! Looking forward to a New Year and some new reads!
85°C Bakery Cafe was a fun place to grab coffee at Westfield Century City in LA. The Bakery is loaded with delicious pastries all throughout the store.
We picked up a few pastries to try and I ordered a cappuccino w/ cream . I was in disbelief when it all came to under 10$ .
Looking into the company, I discovered why. Here’s what their website says ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In 2003, the founder of 85°C Bakery Cafe, Mr. Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a 5-star hotel. While enjoying gourmet pastries and drinks, he realized that the prices were set way too high for people to enjoy on a whim. From that moment, Mr. Wu has envisioned a cafe that provides premium coffee, bread, and cake at affordable prices. Thus the 85°C Bakery Cafe journey begins. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ❤️ Totally could go here on a whim at any time!! So yummy! . I was also wondering how the Bakery got its name and here’s what the company says on their website ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ WHY 85ºC? The name 85ºC comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius. For us, the name symbolizes our devotion to provide coffee, breads and cakes of the highest quality to every guest. . If you haven’t visited before … Go!! Grab a friend and enjoy ❤️If you have been here before , what is your favorite thing to order or should I say things :) Leave a comment ⬇️ I want to try everything!!
The husband and I were able to getaway for a few days to @skamanialodge for a romantic getaway right before Christmas which at first I thought was terrible timing but turned out to be just what we needed❤️ . Skamania Lodge has so many things to offer not just for the two of us but for the whole family. There are two restaurants on property , coffee and tea service that is complimentary, Spa , game room set up with games ,adventures like zip lining , on property trails and their Holiday Walk during our stay.
Fireside w/view King
We were able to hike on our way to the lodge and then enjoy the hot tub once we checked in , which was so nice! There is an indoor and outdoor one .. the outdoor was our favorite!
Playing chess
. While we waited for our dinner reservations , we headed to the game room to play a game of chess. After dinner, we grabbed a complimentary umbrella and headed out for the Holiday Light Walk. It was an added treat and we enjoyed it . The best part was hearing an owl throughout the walk …so cool!
It’s no secret we love the Columbia Gorge area and Skamania Lodge is located in a great location to access so many different adventures . There are so many trails in this area to hike , so much history to immerse yourself in , and gorgeous views every where you look!
From our window
Have you ever visited the Columbia Gorge area? If so , what’s your favorite thing to do there?
Beautiful LobbyViews❤️Looking ahead to the New Year
One of my favorite gifts this year ❤️ . It has several things that I love . Prayer prompts for every day of each month, list of those I’m praying for , things I’ve learned this month , a place to record favorite passages, spiritual and personal goals ,answered prayers and what I’ve learned this month. It’s a great way to document my prayer life and see how God is moving over the year . . One of my favorite things to do is to look back and see how God has answered prayer request that sometimes are months or years in the making. . Do you use a prayer journal? I would love to hear what you use .. and If so, what’s your favorite thing about it?Drop a comment below ⬇️
Check out this cute Airbnb we stayed at on our recent trip to White Pass. It was the perfect spot to stay to refuel, rest and play games before heading back to the Mountain. The hot tub was amazing and we loved the fire and the cabin feel.
Cute living space Loved the kitchen ❤️Coffee Bar
. Comment “Getaway “ below and I’ll send you the info on this Airbnb for your next getaway 🎿
Check out this hidden gem @thirsty_coffeebar in the Cascade locks area. It was such a sweet reward of coffee after we finished hiking the Colombia Gorge area.
We loved so much about this adorable coffee shop ,like the puzzle that was set out to build , chess boards throughout, photo ops with the joy wall and seating areas ,the adorable water station ,and ofcourse the coffee ❤️ We could have spent our whole day here.
Sign in book
One of the other special touches that we really loved was the Bible verse on the floor, such a sweet touch❤️
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 ESV
They also have a punchcard to get a free drink ..yay! More coffee❤️ . If you are in the Colombia Gorge area, stop by and support this small business❤️❤️
Randonnee Coffee Co @randonneecoffee was a great place to stop and grab coffee on our way back home from our hiking trip. It was super cute and the baristas were so nice! They even tried to help us plan lunch by recommending a stop ❤️
They offered a great selection of drinks including matcha tea , cappuccinos ,Cortado and so many flavors of lattes …yum! And the food smelled amazing! We could smell bacon just going in the store ❤️
Add this to your list of stops on your next adventure when you are in the Columbia River Gorge area…it’s a must see and offers great coffee❤️
Bringing in the New Year on the Slopes 🎿 . We enjoyed our winter getaway @whitepass . It was the perfect family adventure to get out and enjoy the beautiful mountains and snow. We love White Pass because of how family friendly it is. They offer a variety of different options so that everyone in your family can have a great time. They offer a mix of lessons for all ages , they have 3 carpets that make it easy for our littles that are still learning , they also offer the more difficult runs like black diamond and double black for the expert skiers and snowboarders so no matter where you are there is something for you.
The main Lodge is beautiful and has a variety of yummy food. They also offer a water tap and hot water so you can refill water bottles or add hot water to tea or soup . We always grab a tray of fries for the family to share and they are huge!While the family is munching on fries, I always grab coffee :)
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The upstairs is adult only ❤️
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There is also a Nordic Track across the street that offers several routes for Cross Country skiing and snowshoeing. We went and did the Lake Loop at twilight and it was so beautiful!
A few things to note..
You do need a trail pass to do these. They start at $15 Ang go to $35. After 3:30 , it’s doggie hour and after 4 you don’t need a pass but you are on your own.
Do you plan winter getaways? Or have a favorite Ski Resort? If so share them! We would love to know ❤️
Such a great read! There are so many things to love about this book and I love when books teach me new things like this one. I had never heard of the Okracoke Island…have you? .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The story crosses two different wars and differant generations and the author keeps you guessing right up until the end.I love how she weaves family into the generations and brings the struggles within to life and the different angles of each character. It is packed full! . Our bookclub had the privilege to do a zoom with the author to talk through this book and it was awesome! We all loved getting her perspective and hearing about the writing process. A huge thank you to @roseannamwhite for taking the time to do this! We are looking forward to reading more of her books and if you haven’t read any of her books … pick up a copy!
