Category Archives: get outside

Seattle Weekend Getaway and Day Hike to Colchuck Lake – Central Cascades

by Sarah | Leave a comment

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If you’re looking for an amazing autumn getaway near Seattle and you’ve already visited the beautiful crystal clear Blue Lake, head to Colchuck Lake as it is just as gorgeous! Another alpine lake, Colchuck Lake is surrounded by mountains and lined with plenty of boulders to sit on and snack the afternoon away. Take a dip if you dare, but remember your quick-dry towel and warm puffy jacket because Colchuck Lake sits at an elevation of 5,570 feet. We hiked Colchuck during the final weekend of September when the undergrowth was popping with color, the air was crisp, the sun was hiding, and the breeze encouraged a quick pace to the top.

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Colorado Hiking: Devil’s Thumb Trail

by Katie | Leave a comment

If you want to read about more of our hiking and camping adventures, you can find them here. And if you want more Colorado hikes, they’re here.

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Last weekend I went on my first big hike in years, and it felt amazing. Click on to read about my little day hike across the continental divide from one Colorado ski-town to another. Continue reading …

Daily Dose of Exercise

by Sarah | Leave a comment

Katie mentioned in our Welcome May post that we have an exercise initiative this month. We are challenging ourselves to a bit of exercise every single day. Remember when we were encouraging you to Get Outside? Well, it’s as easy as that. We’re not running marathons or working on a squat max, we’re simply trying to sweat a little bit each day of May and beyond. I made a simple goal in my phone for the month: be too busy for Facebook and sweat enough each day that a shower is necessary.

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Exercising is as simple as leaving your house and going for a walk. Start easy, start free.

You don’t need an intense workout plan and a protein smoothie to consider your activity exercise. Ease into this goal if you’re new to exercising on the regular. Make it enjoyable so that you stick with it.

  • Step out into your backyard or onto your city block and start walking. There you go, today’s exercise goal is started. Now keep going!
  • Pick activities that are free. You don’t need to pay for a walk. Shooting hoops doesn’t cost a dime. Dropping down in a plank while your kid is playing on the playground is free and potentially inspiring to other moms and dads.
  • Get to know your neighborhood. Where are there hidden opportunities for exercise? Maybe there are monkey bars at a nearby playground or a trail that needs to be hiked. Maybe it’s finally time to check out that rock climbing gym or the local yoga studio.

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Retreat With Me in North Carolina

by Sarah | Leave a comment

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Hi friends! I’m hosting a retreat in the blue ridge mountains on June 21 – 23 and I want to invite you to come along. The retreat is mainly focused on enjoying nature and decompressing from life’s stressors. No crazy hand stands or hour-long meditation sessions included, simply relaxing and reconnecting with yourself among the trees. Learn how to adopt small changes throughout your day to attend to each moment with new love and appreciation.

I’ll guide a few meditations, and introduce you to breathing techniques. These are mindfulness tools you can take home to create a deeper connection with your true self. We’ll also work on soaking in the present moment. Allow yourself to disconnect and focus on the now. Leave your phone turned off, gather around the fire, and just be. Make new friends or dive into a good book or craft. Enjoy ample free time in the forest. This is what a weekend in the blue mountains is all about.

We’ll be preparing meals as a group, but obviously, no pressure if you don’t feel like cutting or cooking. By making meals from fresh ingredients as a group, we can discover new ways to enrich our diet, improve our everyday wellness, and adopt a loving relationship with whole foods.

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The schedule is a little something like this:

DAY 1 – FRIDAY JUNE 21

Arrive & settle in. Self-guided grounds wandering. Welcome dinner and sunset gazing. Fire circle and marshmallow roasting. Evening guided meditation under the stars.

DAY 2 – SATURDAY JUNE 22

Meditation and pranayama (breath work) on the deck. Big delicious breakfast. Rest time. Guided hiking to a nearby waterfall & outdoor exploration followed by a picnic lunch on the deck. More rest time. Dinner and discussion. Stargazing + Yoga Nidra meditation. Fireside hangs.

DAY 3 – SUNDAY JUNE 23

Tea + coffee ritual crafting. Meditation and pranayama. Big brunch followed by outdoor exploration and closing circle. Check out early afternoon.

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So what do you say? Ready for a weekend in nature? Looking forward to relaxing while also moving about in the woods? Enjoy a guided day hike, a dip in the river, fire circles, star gazing, and sunshine lazing. Experience the positive and lasting effects of nature on your being. Retreat with me!

Find all the info about what is included and how to sign up right here.

 

FriendRaising – Start a Facebook Group

by Katie | Leave a comment

Since the start of the year, we’ve been focusing on monthly initiatives. A theme that sets the stage for some of the posts we’ll be sharing throughout the month. In January, we focused on good habits. During February we kept those good habits going with a particular focus on taking care of our mental health. This month, we mentioned in the Monthly Welcome that we want to put the focus on relationships, and in particular, to something called “friendraising” like fundraising, but with friends, ya dig it?
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The communities we love to insert ourselves into are usually built around shared interests: cooking, hiking, parents, etc. Normally we find out about these groups through friends, community calendars, our city’s free weekly paper, or the internet, and sometimes we start our own groups.

Sarah started this series by discussing how and why to start a meetup group and do a little friendraising for yourself. Today’s post is very similar in nature. I want to talk about starting a Facebook group. BUT as you’ll see, my group is NOT about hosting events…

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FriendRaising – Start a Meet Up Group

by Sarah | Leave a comment

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Since the start of the year, we’ve been focusing on monthly initiatives. A theme that sets the stage for some of the posts we’ll be sharing throughout the month. In January, we focused on good habits. During February we kept those good habits going with a particular focus on taking care of our mental health. This month, we mentioned in the Monthly Welcome that we want to put the focus on relationships, and in particular, to something called “friendraising” like fundraising, but with friends, ya dig it? Here’s how to start a meetup group and do a little friendraising for yourself. Continue reading …

Getting Outside : Set a Park Goal

by Katie | 2 Comments

Unless you’re hiding under a rock, you’ve likely seen the headlines and reports that getting outside and into nature is good for us… and if you’re under a rock, then getting outside is the least of your problems.

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This past fall, we did a mini-series sharing ideas, big and small, for getting outside. Our first post shared a few ideas for getting outside at every energy and adventure level. Sarah followed-up with suggestions for week-day doses of outside time. We also wrote another post that suggested taking advantage of the awesome national and state park programs.

Today we’re encouraging you to create your own park adventure…

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Environmental Holiday Calendar Printable

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Happy Monday friends! Do you celebrate Earth Day? What about World Water Day and Bike-to-work Day? Well now you can because I created a calendar comprised of only environmental holidays. And Library Lovers Day because come on, why not?

If I didn’t check my environmental holiday spreadsheet on a weekly basis, I would miss more than half of these. Ok, I forget to check it and I do miss half of these. But, why celebrate environmental holidays? Earth days remind me of all the intricate beautiful pieces that come together to create our environment. Earth-centric holidays have nothing to do with consumerism, which is a plus. Lastly, environmental holidays are a great time to gather with other nature-loving peeps. If you’re in the Raleigh area, check out all the events I planned around earth days in March alone.

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Simple Date Ideas for Fall

by Sarah | Leave a comment

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Fall has arrived on the east coast. Seize the fleeting light and perfect weather by planning simple dates that encourage some nature time. Each of these autumn-inspired dates can take place outdoors. Bonus points if you pack tea, wine, or some other delightful beverage to elevate the experience.

  • Take a walk in the park, botanical garden, around a pond, through a forest, etc whatever you do, lace up and cover a few miles.
  • Pick a bouquet of flowers together at the farmers’ market.
  • A warm beverage alfresco at your favorite coffee shop or teahouse. Sit, sip, chat, enjoy.
  • A bottle of wine, your bestie, and a front porch is never a bad combination.
  • Book club for two. Cozy up on a bench or in a hammock and spend some quiet time reading together.
  • Simple deli picnic and people watching in the park. Any snack and a soft blanket will work.
  • Drive to watch the sunset at a nice vista or near a body of water – if it’s cold you can enjoy it from the car.
  • … and since today’s Election Day, you could always grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and VOTE TOGETHER!

Anything else to add? Comment below.

Autumn Adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains

by Sarah | Leave a comment

Hey y’all! Happy weekend! In need of an adventure this autumn? I’m (Sarah) hosting two camping retreats in North Carolina during October and November. If you’d like to learn more you can visit my website where you’ll find the dates, details, pricing, and itineraries for two epic outdoor weekends in beautiful North Carolina. I’ll explain them briefly here too.

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HIKE! For this two night adventure, we’re rustic car camping (no electricity, but we do have showers + bathrooms) at Lake James State Park. Due to park rules, you’ll need to make your own campsite reservation ($40 total), but otherwise I have you all taken care of. Not only will I feed you and build your fire, I will lead you on four separate day hikes totaling about 12 miles, all with breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Think expansive vista views, interesting rock formations, and the height of fall foliage, and that’s where we’ll be hiking.

This adventure is perfect for those completely new to hiking and camping, but it’s also perfect for those wanting to transition to overnight backpacking trips. I will demonstrate the type of gear needed to sleep on the trail overnight and even point out some possible first trips on the trails that we hike together.

Here’s a link to all the info about HIKE! + how to register for this event.

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CAMP! Camp is an overnight at Jordan Lake. Camp is meant to bring you out into the changing yet not too chilly forests of North Carolina during early November. Between day hiking, paddling, hammock hanging, and fire building, we will do a fair amount of conversing about set ups, gear, and best practices. We’ll also share our experiences and learn what works for others and what works for us. Camp will also encourage you to craft easy and delicious camping meals in the future for your own crew as I help demystify camp stoves and cooking over a fire.

CAMP! is perfect for those completely new to hiking and camping, but it’s also perfect for those simply wanted to decompress in the woods for a night. Join us at CAMP! and meet other awesome locals like yourself.

Here’s a link to all the information about CAMP! Dates, pricing, and all the details.