Tag: Gathered thoughts

hiking, pnw, Review, travel

The Ultimate Family Stop After Exploring the Gorge ~ Thunder Island Brewing Co

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Mountain View from the patio

Looking for the perfect post-hike stop in the Columbia River Gorge? Thunder Island Brewing Co in Cascade Locks offers Mountain View’s, craft beer brewed with adventure in mind, and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re coming off the trails near Bridge of the Gods or just exploring the Gorge with your kids, this spot is the ideal place to unwind, refuel, and take in those incredible river views.

Brewery is on the first floor


This is one of our favorite stops when we are hiking in the Columbia Gorge area. The restaurant/ Brewery is beautiful and who can resist a staircase that reminds you of Dog Mountain? Love it!

Always the more difficult ! Love this reference to Dog Mountain



They offer a great mix of food .. burgers to tofu ! We were pleased with the many choices and having such a large group it really was great we could all order something we liked.


Thunder Mountain Brewery Co perfectly captures what we love most about the Pacific Northwest: community, craftsmanship, and the great outdoors. Whether you’re winding down after a family hike or planning your next mountain adventure, this cozy brewery is the perfect place to raise a glass to good trails and great company.

Restaurant is upstairs .. view down to brewery
Family activity, Gathered thoughts

Simple Ways to Enjoy Fall Together (Free Autumn Bucket List Inside!)

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There’s something about fall that invites us to slow down — the golden leaves, crisp hikes, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin-scented everything. It’s a season meant for togetherness and gratitude, and I’ve created something special to help you make the most of it! 🍂 My Free Autumn Bucket List is filled with simple, meaningful ways to enjoy fall as a family — from outdoor adventures and cozy nights in, to moments that remind us of God’s goodness in every season. Whether you check off every idea or just a few favorites, this list will help you savor the beauty of autumn .

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, may this season remind you to slow down, breathe , and find joy in the simple things — a walk through the leaves, laughter around the table, or a quiet moment with a cup of coffee and your Bible. 💛

If you’re ready to make the most of this beautiful season, download your Free Autumn Bucket List below! It’s a fun way to stay intentional and create memories that will last long after the leaves have fallen.

📩 [Click below to subscribe and get your Free Autumn Bucket List printable!]

I would love to see how your family is enjoying fall! Tag me on social media @redeemingbeautyfamilyadventures or share your favorite bucket list moments in the comments — let’s embrace all the cozy, joy-filled moments this season brings. 🍁

homeschooling

Gathering Words Like Leaves: A Cozy Fall Approach to Sight Words

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Ready for more fall fun in teaching? This is such a great way to teach sightwords . It’s hands on and easily works with any season …leaves for fall , trees for Christmas,etc.

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Word games give children opportunities to practice their sight words and build mastery while also keeping them engaged and having fun.So let the fun begin! I mean seriously, how can you not have fun building your sight words on these colorful leaves?

coffee, disney

Starting my day with a Snow White kind of cozy ☕🍎

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Getting cozy with the perfect cup of coffee as we snuggle up to watch the Snow White Movie 🍎
Any Snow White Fans ?

Gathered thoughts

Fall Bucket List 🍁

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Make time for some of your favorite Fall activities 🍁
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What’s the first thing you’re checking
off your fall bucket list this year? 🍂

American Girl Doll, Money Saving, Party ideas

Afternoon Fall Tea Party 🍁

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Fall Teaparty 🍁
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We had the sweetest fall tea party recently and ofcourse had to include @americangirldolls . Check out the little tea sets and napkins that coordinate .. so cute!


It was fun planning the details and working within a budget . I was able to keep it super affordable without compromising the theme of the party . So many little details that brought the tea party together and made it a beautiful party🍁


The leaves made cute place settings by just writing the name of the attendee on it and adding a glittered acorn to the plates. So cute!

Here is a list of all the things I purchased and a full budget to plan your own ⬇️

Doll tea sets with spoons set of 10 10$

Leaves, acorns ,pumpkins 4$

Napkins 3$ ( I cut one napkin to make the doll sized napkins )

Less than 20$ for the decor! I used our tea set and plates and serving items I already had on hand .

Food was mostly from Trader Joe’s and Target . I also made cucumber sandwiches and pumpkin pie was the treat! I spent around 30$ on food .

Total budget with food – 47$

homeschooling

Pumpkin Sight Word Hide & Seek

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Learning sight words is so much fun when you get creative . I picked up these pumpkin eggs and filled them with scrabble tiles. I hid them and then let my students seek them out . Once we returned to the classroom ,they opened them and worked on unscrambling the scrabble tiles to reveal the sight word. So much fun for the whole class!
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To get the link for the eggs and scrabble tiles comment 🎃 and I’ll send you the link to purchase :)

Gathered thoughts

Falling Leaves

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“In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.” — Unknown
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Beauty in all the changes. I took this pic last fall when we were on WSU campus and even now it reminds me of all the beauty ,pain and growth that has happened this past year. Would I change it? No. I know in all of it ,God is writing a story more beautiful then I ever could . So I will keep my eyes on him , trusting him as the author to my story…bringing beauty to my mess to glorify His name.

Gathered thoughts

First Day of Autumn 🍂

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Crisp air, cozy sweaters, and falling leaves 🍁
Happy 1st day of Autumn 🍂

Goals, hiking, pnw, travel

Colchuck Lake ~Gateway to the Enchantments ~Hiking in the Cascade Mountains

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Colchuck Lake has easily become a yearly favorite . The first time I ever had the privilege of doing this hike it turned into a crazy day . We had an injury in our group, we experienced bouldering for the first time , many of us ran out of water , it took us way longer then we planned  , and we met our first skinny dippers at the lake 😂 Since then, we have had so many laughs looking back at that first time. 

Here is some of the first boulders we experienced.. but stay to the right and you will find a path that makes it easy to get through.

This hike is so captivating that when you first get the glimpses of the water you are in awe that you have just stumbled on this hidden gem . It is surrounded by two of Washington’s tallest peaks ,Dragontail and Colchuck Peak. Literally, I could stay there all day ! So beautiful and the water is so clear . 

Colchuck Lake is one of the two gateways to the Enchantments. It’s an iconic hike in itself but if you want to challenge yourself more ,you can continue on to Aasgard Pass, the door to the Enchantment Core. Makes me think of a portal to another world , which now after doing Aasgards ,it actually does seem like a whole different world you step into . Look for that post later! 

Here are our stats⬇️

📍Colchuck Lake

🧭 Leavenworth, Wa

🥾 8.7 miles RT ( we came in at 10.55)

🏔️ 2342ft elevation gain ( we gained 2491)

⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple 

And now for coffee ☕️

Check out the full reel of our adventure ⬇️

And check out our post of the cutest Bavarian Starbucks we went to after our hike

Unique Starbucks in Bavarian Town of Leavenworth ~ Review