Four Best Travel & Adventure Documentaries on Netflix

March 16, 2015August 4, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Sneak in some travel on the couch or at your desk by reading these travel guides: State College, Bangkok, & Haystock Rock, Oregon.

Happy Monday chickadees! Are the birds chirping outside of your windows like they are mine? I truly hope so I had a relaxing weekend full of hikes, coffee, photos and putzin’ around the yard. I also lounged around and watched some Netflix. Sometimes I’m at a total loss as to what to watch, but this weekend I cozied right in with some adventure documentaries. In this post about saving money for a trip, I mentioned staying motivated by thinking of your future travels. I try to do this constantly by reading travel magazines, books (< freebies) and guides. I also love looking at maps and globes (right now I have three globes, two big maps and a world map shower curtain) and watching adventure documentaries for inspiration motivation.

I have a few favorite travel and adventure documentaries that are streaming now on Netflix and I wanted to share them with you. I’ve watched a bunch of documentaries and movies, high and low budget, and these are my four favorites. I won’t give you any spoilers, but I’ll let you know why I enjoyed each film. Also, I tend to always be doing something, even while watching TV. These films are listed in order from most to least multitaskability (Yes, I made that up. I think?) meaning you can probably multitask a little with the first and second suggestions, but watching every second is imperative as you move down the list.

180° SOUTH – watch the trailer

180° South follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. Do the companies Patagonia and The North Face ring a bell? Yep. Chouinard and Tompkins are the founders and owners and are totally badass rock climbers and environmentalists (you’ll see how amazing they are in the film). Back in ’68 the pair drove a van down to Patagonia, but Jeff decides to travel by sea from Mexico and south along the west coast of Chile.

The film opens with Chouinard and Tompkins’ original home video footage and continues with Johnson’s. Johnson’s adventure south includes surfing, sailing and climbing and an extended stay on Easter Island. I won’t tell you much more, but you’ll never guess who Johnson meets up with in Patagonia…

Watch 180 south if you want to be uber inspired to save up for epic travels. If you’re an ultra planner take some tips from this documentary; you’ll see everything doesn’t always have to go as planned.

Mile… Mile & A Half – watch the trailer

Mile… Mile & A Half is the story of five friends and their hike on the John Muir Trail, a 211-mile stretch from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous U.S.). The documentary is shot by the group over the course of 25 days. The trail scenes are breathtaking. Mile… Mile & A Half was created during a high snow year, which means the rivers were raging and the peaks completely covered with snow.

Mile… Mile & A Half immediately had my attention. I started backpacking around age eleven. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “about a mile… mile and a half.” It is the answer to every question. How far until lunch? How far to the vista? When do we get to the summit? Where is the swimming hole? Are we almost at the campsite? I loved living vicariously through the group. Mile… Mile and a Half actually got me on a John Muir reading kick. Speaking of kick – this project was partially funded by kickstarter.

Watch this movie when you’d rather be outside, but for some reason or another you’re stuck on the couch. I promise it will have you planning adventures ASAP.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga – watch the trailer

Happy People is a documentary depicting the life and work of animal trappers in Bakhtia, Russia. Bakhtia is a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century. This film is an amazing look at the ‘simple life’ which is complex in its own right. The documentary follows the trappers for over a year.

Happy People has subtitles so you’ll have to pay attention. As you should. Happy People gave me warm fuzzies even though it looked damn cold there. You’ll get to watch the trappers interact with their dogs and repair their tiny huts in the wilderness. We also get a glimpse of cultural traditions in the Taiga.

Watch this film when you really need to unwind. Watch it when life is a little too much or your routine is upsetting you a bit. Happy People helped me focus on simplifying

SAMSARA – watch the trailer

I have to admit it took me a good half hour to get into Samsara. I didn’t know anything about the movie before I pressed play and I was kind of dumb founded for at least twenty minutes. Samsara is a non-verbal documentary. Yep, there is NO dialogue. It’s not all scenic, areal shots though, there are people, just no dialogue.

Samsara was filmed over a five-year period in twenty-five countries. According to the website, Samsara is one of only a handful of films shot on 70mm film in the past forty years. The filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, had previously created BARAKA another film, which they describe as a guided meditation on humanity. That phrase actually perfectly describes Samsara too. I’m excited to get my hands on a copy of Baraka.

Watch this film when you’re really in the mood to cozy up on the couch and enjoy an amazing sensory experience. Turn on, tune in, drop out friends.

*All photos taken from the movie trailers linked above.

Two Bits

March 13, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same. You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here:

Actually Katie isn’t here, I think she’s off being a mom somewhere. Who knows, maybe she went into labor early?! JUST KIDDING. Don’t get excited ~~mom~~ readers!

Sarah here:

I had an awesome week space cadets! I’m feeling a little zapped right now so I’ll let these photos tell most of the story 🙂 Above you can see my haandy work. Which is your favorite color? I think mine is fog or celadon. Starting from the bottom: pollen, celadon, lake, white, clementine, robins’ egg, coral, fog, sand, sea foam and white again.

Catahoula_Cash and I went on a hike every day this week! We even went some place totally new. We hiked along the Haw River and Cash even took his first dip of the season. I was a little bit worried that he would try to jump into the river, which is high right now, but he’s a smart pup. Instead he rolled around in a stream and hopped into a pond!

I also found a family-owned dairy farm on the way home from the pottery studio. I bought a dozen eggs for $3. Major breakfast plans this weekend!

Nut & Fruit Bars

March 12, 2015January 18, 2016 by Katie | Leave a comment

Nuts are our ingredient of the season. If you’re as excited as we are with this selection, you can get a head start with some of our past nut recipes, which we’ve added to the archive.

We end up eating a lot of snack bars in our house, most often packing them for hikes and days out, but also as a little treat at the moment when you realize that there’s too many hours between now and the next meal. I’ve never made a homemade snack or granola bar before, but have wanted to try for a long time because of the opportunity to personalize the ingredients. When I saw today’s recipe on Food52, I was excited to try it, partially because it’s simple enough, that it’s the perfect base for experimentation. Lo and behold, just six short months later I’ve finally put a batch together! We’ve been snacking on these all week, and I’ve quickly decided that this recipe is a keeper. Even little Alex, with his mouth full of teeth has no trouble eating these and always requests another.

This couldn’t be a better first recipe for our nuts category, since it’s packed with walnuts, almonds, nut butters, coconut, and pumpkin & sunflower seeds (we’re being liberal with our nut category!). Consider this nut & fruit selection below a suggestion and feel free to swap in your favorites and/or change the ratios to your liking. Of the few changes I made to the original recipe, I was most excited about my decision to add a touch of spice with the Baharat spice mix, which adds a bit of complexity and depth to the nutty flavors. I’ve included a link to our previous post with the Baharat blend if you want to try it, but using it is not necessary. You can completely leave out the spices or modify them to your liking ~ adding a pinch of whatever spice you like!

Nut & Fruit Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp Baharat spice mix
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Line a baking dish with parchment or wax paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir until everything is well blended.
Dump the mixture into a backing dish and press down to flatten.
Freeze the mixture overnight, then cut into bars, and store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers in either in the freezer (my preference) or the fridge.

https://liveseasoned.com/nutty-snack-bars/

The original recipe recommended keeping the finished bars in the fridge, but we first sampled them straight from the freezer (when I was cutting them), and we really liked how firm they were then as opposed to their softer texture after we moved them to the fridge; in the end we decided to keep them frozen. And really, that would be my one complaint with a recipe like this ~ that the bars have a tendency to crumble and fall apart if they get too warm. As a result, I’m still on the hunt for a homemade bar that’s just like this one except with a sturdier disposition for taking on hikes. If you have any recommendations, send them our way!

Bedtime Stretches To Relieve Lower Back Pain

March 11, 2015April 16, 2018 by Sarah | 24 Comments

Want more yoga and exercise? Become a woods warrior, try this lower body workout, then end the day with bedtime stretches that relieve lower back pain. Check out my 200hour yoga teacher training experience and read about the school I attended here.

Ohhhh lower back pain and pressure. How many times have I groaned, moaned and cursed at you? In fact, here I sit, back throbbing and hips aching, worrying about my future. I have to admit, I don’t stretch or do yoga each day like I should and it’s evident in the way I feel when I lay down at night. While these eight bedtime stretches are not a cure for lower back pain they help sooo much! Instant relief. My tightly, tangled ball of rubberbandy back muscles relax into alignment and allow some comfort before bed. If you’re in the same back pressure ~~out your ass~~ predicament, go stretch out!

Preparing for Baby #2

March 9, 2015March 8, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

As the months and weeks wind down, we’re starting to *think* about how we’ll prepare for our new little guy. When I was pregnant with Alex, I really enjoyed reading other people’s lists of necessary baby gear. Just as each pregnancy/labor/baby is different, so are these lists. Some are over the top with gadgets and gizmos, others are relatively tame. Luckily, Calder and I are on the same page about many things, and minimal baby gear is one of them, so I thought our list might be helpful to other minimalist parents.

Today I wanted to talk about what we needed/will need for the baby in the first few weeks after his arrival, and I’m leaning heavily towards the notion that you don’t need much for a few reasons. I think some expectant parents may find it useful to hear a voice saying that those long lists of “necessary” baby gear, may not be necessary. You don’t have to empty your wallet in order to prepare for a baby. We care deeply about our impact on the environment, and by default, the more you buy, the bigger your environmental footprint. That said, so much early baby gear gets lightly used, and you may be able to find some great second-hand sources for clothes, furniture, swings, and seats; that choice saves you money and saves resources.

When planning for the new baby’s arrive, I keep two questions in mind : 1. what does an actual newborn do/need? 2. if we don’t have it, but find that we need it, can we easily buy it?

Two Bits

March 6, 2015 by Sarah | 2 Comments

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same. You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here:

Oh boy, I know it’s been a crazy week when I barely have a photograph to show for it! Other than the photo above, even little A was spared from the spotlight this week. Somehow our days went from long and lazy to crazy. It’s not going to slow down anytime soon, but don’t take any of that as a complaint – we have so many exciting things going on over here. As Sarah mentioned yesterday, our newest little family member should make his appearance sometime over the next couple of weeks. AND in just two short weeks we’re scheduled to close on a house! (wow!) It’s the house we hope to stay in for a long time, with many exciting features for our little fam, like a large lot size (on the side of a mountain) that we’re hoping to make into a little wonderland with meandering trails, hidden swings, and other bits of fun. And, of course, I’m excited to do some gardening. We have plans for berries and other fresh veggies along with plenty of flowers. I can’t wait to share pictures and tell you more about it when everything is finalized.

Sarah here:

Whewww. So glad it’s Friday. I require LOTS of sleep and unfortunately I had to wake up early every day this week. Rough life, I know. I started working at HAAND, an amazing ceramics studio, way out in the woods of North Carolina. I’ll be taking over their instagram so follow along if you like pretty haandmade dishes, bowls, mugs, vases and such.

I also helped #cashthedog create his own instagram account, so that you’re not inundated with Cash pictures on @LiveSeasoned. You can see his cute and crazy moments by following @Catahoula_Cash. I promise I do other things besides post to instagram all day. Fortunately/unfortunately that is the nature of photographs these days. *Insert old photojournalist’s geezer rant here*

This old geezer is going to make a cup of tea and take some photographs today. Happy Friday errrrrrbody!

@Catahoula_Cash

March 5, 2015March 5, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Hey kitty cats! This week has been a little ~~hectic~~ tiring for me and we all know Kate is weeks away from giving birth so there are your excuses. I figured we would just get that outta the way right now. Why? Because today’s post might be a little underwhelming unless you’re a dog lover.

Welcome March!

March 4, 2015March 3, 2015 by Katie | 1 Comment

On the first Wednesday of each month we like to pause and take a look at what’s going on in the world around us, with a particular focus on animal activity, celestial events, and our farmers’ fields.

Wow, our first monthly welcome post took place one year ago, and we had just started Live Seasoned a couple of weeks before that, which means we’ve had our first anniversary and didn’t even acknowledge it! Sarah and I make the perfect old couple.

Bee Business:

March is a tricky month for bees. Bee colony activity usually starts up again during late February or early March depending on the temperature. Temperature is the determining factor as far as honeybees are concerned. As the weather gets warmer, the days lengthen, and pollen becomes available, the queen starts laying eggs, and the bees become active gathering nectar and pollen from early flowers and storing honey in combs.

If you’re backyard beekeeping, March is the month when colonies can die of starvation if their honey stores aren’t big enough. There is a lot of activity and lots of hungry bee bellies to fill, so you may want to take a peek into your boxes to make sure there’s enough sugary syrup for your bees to feed on. Later this month, bee colonies increases brood combs and populations reach their peak capacity. The brood combs are the beeswax structure of cells where the queen bee lays her eggs. When the hive gets too crowded, the colony gets ready to swarm, which sounds terrifying, but it is actually the natural method of reproduction of the colony.

When the colony preps to swarm, the drone population increases and a few queen cells are built to produce a new queen. A few larvae that would normally develop into worker bees are fed a special gland food called royal jelly, their cells are reconstructed to accommodate the larger queen, and her rate of development increases. If you’re new to this bee business, a drone is a male bee and the product of an unfertilized egg. If the egg was fertilized it would be a worker bee not a drone. Worker bees are female, they have stingers and they help collect pollen and nectar. Drone bees exist primarily to mate with a fertile queen, which brings us back to swarming. Swarming usually occurs in March to June. The old queen leaves the hive with about half of the bees to a new home elsewhere. The remaining bees in the colony continue their work rearing brood and collecting pollen. When a virgin queen emerges from her cell, she stings the remaining queen cells and kills any other queen she finds – real nice lady that queen. Six to eight days after mass-murdering the other queens, the virgin queen flies out to mate with drones and return to the colony as the new queen. A few days after mating, the queen bee will start laying 1,500-2000 eggs a day.

Night Sky Watch:

As you may know, I’m lunar obsessed and while I remind you guys all the time to check out the moon, THIS IS THE MONTH! Ok, every month is the month, but during March the full moon hangs out in the sky all night long. On March 5th we’ll see the full crow moon rise around sunset and set around sunrise. During the rest of 2015 the moon will spend some time in the daytime sky. It’s no super moon (it’s actually the smallest full moon of 2015), but it will be glowing allllll night long. So take a night hike or at least spend a few minutes gazing up!

Venus is visible as an evening star in the southwestern sky this month. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, Mercury is your morning star during March. Last month, Jupiter was in opposition (meaning opposite the sun) and this month it will still be shining brightly most of the night!

Starting on March 8th and continuing for a couple weeks, a faint zodiacal light will be visible just after sunset. Find Venus and Mars (I use Star Walk for help) and you should see the zodiacal light that’s being reflected from interplanetary matter.

In a few weeks we all celebrate the Equinox, which means the start of Spring or the beginning of Autumn depending on which hemisphere you reside. Friday, March 20th is a day for celebration as the sun crosses the celestial equator – pull on your rain boots and go splash around in the snow melt. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, appreciate each and every Autumn day this year 🙂

Venus and the moon buddy up in the western twilight sky on March 22nd.

On March 24th, the first quarter moon passes close to the red giant star Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster. The moon passes in front of Aldebaran if you’re an observer in northern latitudes: Kazakhstan, Russia, northeastern Scandinavia, extreme northeastern China, northern Greenland, northwestern Canada, and Alaska. More on Aldebaran and the Hyades cluster here.

Earth Days:

There are a handful of great environmental holidays to celebrate this month! I plan on participating in each one, wanna join me?! I am so thankful for water and woods that I feel like every day is international river, forest and water day, but I’m going to try to do something extra special on those specific dates this year.

March 14th : International Day of Action for Rivers
March 20th : Meatout. Eat vegan for a day!
March 21st : International Day of Forests
March 22nd : World Water Day
March 28th : Earth Hour

Do you have kiddos? Teach them the importance of forests and rivers this month. At least read The Lorax or watch the video! During the Meatout, I plan on eating these scones, cold oat salad and maybe a rice pulse. I can’t wait to relive my days without power (when I first moved into my current apartment) during Earth Hour. Maybe we’ll make it a whole Earth Night in our household. Whatever you do or don’t do, at least spread the word to your family and friends about these environmental holidays this month. The bottom line is getting the word out, someone needs to speak for the trees 😉

Ingredient of the Season : Nuts

March 3, 2015June 1, 2015 by Katie | 2 Comments

Every season we like to pick one ingredient and find a variety of ways to love it and use it. You can find our complete ingredient archive here.

That’s right, nuts, and we’re so excited about this pick. As you are well aware, we love varying our diet to take advantage of the freshest foods each season. At this time of year, as we’re anxiously waiting for the first spring spring markets to start up, our diets can become particularly boring if we aren’t careful. That’s why focusing our attention on nuts, which store well and are readily available year-round, can be a lot of fun and get us out of any creative ruts that we we were having in the kitchen!

Of course, we’ll do quite a bit of dessert baking with nuts, but we’re also excited to stretch our culinary muscles by finding more ways to incorporate them into main dishes. It’s likely that there will be some more nut milks in our future and some condiments too. As well as a lot of general snacking: in our trail mix and on our cheese plates. What about you, do you have a favorite nut recipe that you’d like to share?

Seasoned View

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Each month we share our Seasoned View. Snapshots of nature and daily life taken by the Seasoned sisters. Find last month’s here and past months’ here.

Happy Monday! Hope you’re having a good start to the week! Here are some sweet treats for your desktop enjoyment. If you don’t feel like looking at donuts all day there are also nature shots to feast your eyes on 😉

You can upload one or all of these photos to use as your desktop background or as phone and tablet wallpapers. Simply click on the download link below each photo and save the image. Enjoy!

Click for A Frame.