American Girl Doll, Money Saving, Party ideas

Afternoon Fall Tea Party 🍁

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$

Hotel, pnw, Review, travel

Hotel Leavenworth ~ Cascade Mountain Lodging

Hotel Leavenworth is the perfect place to soak in some relaxation vibes . We planned to stay here after hiking in the Cascade Mountain Range and it was such a blessing! It is on the Main Street in Leavenworth , has parking that is included, and is convenient to so many restaurants! One of our favs .. Gustav’s , is located directly across the street.


The hotel could be described modern ski lodge . We loved the common area in the hallway between rooms. There were places to read or grab a drink and just hang out.


The room was so spacious! We had a jet tub in the room ,but in a seperate area, a huge walk in space to unload our gear , and a beautiful sitting area with a fireplace. It was the perfect room after a long day of hiking.Check out our full video tour of our room below ⬇️


There is also a beautiful patio area that was one of our favorite places to hang out.


And if that’s not enough reasons to stay here , they also offer a romance package with wine, flowers and chocolate so perfect for a getaway ❤️

Gathered thoughts

Falling Leaves

“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.

history, pnw, Review, travel

Charm of Historic Fairhaven ~Bellingham , Wa

Visiting Fairhaven feels like you have just stepped into a hallmark movie. Unique shops and twinkle lights everywhere pulls you into the magic of this beautiful town.
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With its charm also comes history .Fairhaven was settled in 1853, and started out as a booming manufacturing hub , it has since been designated as a National Historic District.


It is also host to the annual Ski to Sea race which takes place on Memorial Day weekend. The Ski to Sea race is accompanied by the Historic Fairhaven Festival, a street festival in Fairhaven to celebrate participants completing the relay race.

If you find yourself in Washington State , this is definitely a stop to add to your itinerary⭐️

pnw, reading, Review, travel

Powell’s city of Books ~Bookstore

Powell’s City of Books in downtown Portland has just about any kind of book you are looking for. There are so many floors of books! You could stay there for a whole day and still want to go back the next day to see more.
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Located in downtown Portland ,the store pretty much fills up a city block . That’s kinda cool to think about….a city block of multiple floors of books. Wow! A book lovers dream.
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So grab your list of books you are looking for and go.. you are sure to mark a few off your list .If you have been there , let me know what you love in the comments ⭐️

Goals, hiking, pnw, travel

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

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

family adventures, pnw, travel

Jakob Two Trees ~Northwest Trolls : Way of the Bird King

“A thousand circle suns, not old
Time will stretch and loop and fold
So stop, breathe out, breathe in, behold
The trees have sung a story told”
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Jakob is located in Issaquah and stands around 14-ft. tall, looking as future friends come to find him . You will find him paused between two trees as if to say peek a boo to all who pass by. He is fashioned entirely out of recycled materials, and wears a necklace of birdhouses.

One of the unique things about Jakob,is he is the first troll who has a ponytail with the ponytail holder and bracelet he is wearing made by the Snoqualmie Tribe.I love how this connects and weaves Coast Salish tribal communities with Danish and Scandinavian traditions, all through the beauty of environmental art.

Jakob Two Trees is one of the six trolls that are part of the Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King created by Thomas Dambo .The other trolls are on Bainbridge Island; Ballard, Seattle; Portland, Vashon Island and West Seattle. Check out our post below of the other trolls:)

And here is the link for the Troll Map to find them all ⬇️

https://trollmap.com/#/jakobtwotrees

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family adventures, hiking, pnw, travel

Kamiak Butte Trail

Kamiak Butte Trail is a beautiful trail tucked into the rolling Palouse farmland and comes with some great view points that is near Pullman ,Wa.


It was the perfect trail to stretch our legs after a long drive and take in the beauty of the area. I love that the landscape is so differant there . It reminds me of parts of Texas with its rolling fields that look like a quilt of patched farmland everywhere you look.


There is also a beautiful park with playground by the parking lot if you are looking to have a picnic with views and want to skip the hike.


Here are the stats ⬇️
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📍Kamiak Butte Trail
🧭 Palouse , Wa
🥾 2.5miles RT ( we came in at 2.57)
🏔️ 715ft elevation gain ( we gained 704)
⭐️ Stats based on AllTrails and Apple
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coffee, Gathered thoughts, travel

Waking up to Beauty

I could wake up to this beauty every day ❤️ Even though you can’t see it , there was snow on the ground and the air was so crisp. I literally had to step carefully to not slip on ice on the deck.
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So thankful to get to be in this moment .. hot coffee in hand at a beautiful home with the Columbia George in full view and laughter and chatting all around me.
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Here’s to a year of many more memories like this❤️

Airbnb, family adventures, Review

White Pass Airbnb Review

Loved the bathroom

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


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Comment “Getaway “ below and I’ll send you the info on this Airbnb for your next getaway 🎿

Check out our reel below ⬇️