Did someone say glamping?

As soon as D and I settled in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I pretty immediately knew that my lack of camping experience was going to be something needing a remedy. There are just so many beautiful places to camp, backpack, and otherwise explore all year long. I know that a camper is somewhere in our future, and I look forward to exploring all of the PNW via our own little private home on wheels, but until that time, I wasn't really feeling the love regarding sleeping on the ground and really roughing it. So, what's a girl to do --- go glamping!

1. glamping. noun. a form of camping in which participants enjoy physical comforts associated with more luxurious types of holiday. C21: blend of glamorous + camping.

As I'm sure is the case with many of you out there, glamping options have been popping up on social media for a while now. You can really go all out, spending more on a glamping getaway then a luxurious beach vacation, but there are also some options that fall somewhere between traditional tent camping and your own tent butler (not that I'm opposed to the latter). I'd been keeping my eye out, and when a new resort popped up near Bear Lake in Utah (another destination on our list), my glamping future was set. 

Conestoga Ranch is a new resort destination near the shores of Bear Lake that offers both deluxe couples tents (basically a really nice bed in a tent with our own seating and campfire) and grand tents (that include a bathroom, shower, electricity and even a/c). They also have some cool wagons, which seem like they would be really fun for families or large events. After checking it all out, I decided we needed to at least camp a little bit, so I went for the deluxe tent and booked us for my birthday weekend. Glamping must be really popular, because a couple of days after I booked, they were sold out for the summer. Hmmmm, must be on to something.

Bear Lake deserves its own blog entirely, because it is the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen. Dubbed the “Caribbean of the Rockies,” you absolutely feel that you are on the shores of a calm ocean when you are visiting. Unfortunately for us, August is a bad month for wildfires, and we dealt with a lot of smoke and haze. But, even with that, the views were absolutely stunning. Garden City, UT is the home of Conestoga Ranch, and after our 5 ½ hour drive, we were immediately rewarded with the charm of the area. Zipz was our first stop in town for some snacks and rest, and it set the tone for the “beach-ish” vibe of most of the towns surrounding beautiful Bear Lake.

Once we made our way to the ranch itself, we were impressed with the quality of their canvas tents, bedding (hello high thread count sheets and luxurious down comforters), as well as their “bath house,” which provided really, really nice bathroom and shower facilities. Their grounds included an outdoor Campfire Grill, a gameroom, the aforementioned bathhouse, as well as individual firepits and picnic tables at each campsite. They also had on-site bicycle and water toy rentals. This was definitely some upscale camping! We ended up having a couple of breakfasts and a dinner at the Campfire Grill, and their presentation, food and live music was very, very impressive. 

                     

We were able to get firewood each night (props to boyscout Dave who does the best job ever at building campfires), and they provided LED lanterns for use in the tent and outside if you needed to walk around after dark. They had an awesome little General Store on site for snacks and basic provisions. The town of Garden City also provided some stunning public beaches and a lovely Mexican food dinner. (This was my bday weekend after all, and yes, D, you can get good Mexican food in Utah.)

                     

Now that we have a lay of the land, we are anxious to return next year (before fire season) and bring a few more camping essentials to make the stay even more fun. Glamping is officially on my radar, and there are a few places in Montana that are next on the list too. In the meantime, there’s always an RV show to get us looking forward to the future!

3 Things I've Learned in my 40s

Well here we are. The big 4-2 ... coming right up. I remember the anxious countdown to the big 4-0. It is such a very grown up milestone after all. I had just moved to Idaho and made some major quality of life changes, and I got to celebrate the big day on the beach. 40 was looking awesome, and then time seemed to pick up speed, and I have started waking up a little more sore each day. And, boom, I'm full on embracing this decade now. But, as many have said before me, with the physical challenges has come some true mental rewards and lessons learned. So, my topic today is the top 3 things I've learned so far in my 40s.

1. Health should be your top priority
I didn't focus on my health until my mid-30s, and I wish almost every day that I could go back in time and learn that lesson sooner. There is nothing more critical that learning to nourish your body and be active in a way that will bring you stress reduction, disease prevention and overall happiness. There is nothing that tastes as good as being healthy feels, and there is nothing on my to do list that is more important than moving and feeling my stress melt away and my happiness vibes going up. I may have learned the lesson late, but I did finally learn it. I appreciate every opportunity I have to move and thank my 42-year old body for allowing me to do these things and take care of myself. It's been a long journey, but I'm happy to keep working at it every day. And, oh yeah, thank you 40s, because I do have to work at it every day.

I want to feel like this all the time.

2. Stop apologizing
Many of us fall into the category of people pleaser. That one REALLY describes me. Something so positive can turn so negative when you focus all your energy on pleasing, to the detriment of yourself most of all, but also important folks in your life that should be a priority. As we mature, I think all of us learn the lesson of quality, not quantity, but I see many friends still struggle with apologizing if we cannot be all things to all people. We need to stop that behavior! Do what you can, be honest and earnest, and the rest is just what it is. No apologizing. This creeps up in so many parts of life, but it ultimately lessens you and your efforts, so I say, no more. (And I'm not sorry for that.) I could write a whole blog on the other side of this coin, apologizing too much in the business world, but I'll save that for another time. Let's just say, the same rules apply.

3. Wear sunscreen but lay off the regrets
My fair skin has been asking for this one for a long time, and I finally have gotten the message over the last 10 years or so, which is WEAR SUNSCREEN. Just Google some images of skin cancer if you aren't convinced. But seriously, I so wish I would have done this religiously for so much longer than I have. If I had, I wouldn't be checking out my girl Heather's lovely Periscope recordings all the time for great makeup tricks! Better late than never, but the lesson within the lesson on this one is also about regrets. I've always had a huge problem with re-visiting the past for any reason (large or small) to think about what I could have done differently. That behavior is so exhausting and really hijacks your present moments. So, as with the sunscreen, do your best, and if you screw up, leave it in the past and do better next time.

Now I'm going to prepare for tomorrow. It's going to involve eating some cake, going for a run, and not being sorry about a nice, living in the moment day for the big 4-2.

Puppy Love

I love puppy dogs. I'd pretty much rather hang out with a room full of doggies than anything (or anyone) else. To sum it up, this shirt explains my life goals:

So, when Dave and I recently had a conversation with our financial advisor, and he was talking about how he and his wife have taught their children from the beginning about the principle of giving, it perked up my need to look into a cause. His example was simple. When their kids get allowance, they are required to split the money into three categories: spend, save, and give. This was also coupled with another conversation I had recently about a friend who requires her child to pick a volunteer project both during the school year and over the summer. I did some volunteer work in school and always found it rewarding, but as an adult, I've honestly found a hard time finding the right opportunity with an organization that was willing to take advantage of the time I was offering. After having a few of these inspiring conversations, I decided to give it another go and tried again by exploring some options on the web site volunteermatch.org. I had heard good things about the site, and after some searching, I came upon on opportunity with a local humane society that looked like it might be just perfect for me. I did my research, reached out for more information, filled out an application, and after a couple of weeks and a background check, I was selected to move forward to their training program and start volunteering. Yea! 

What I like most about this organization already is that they rely heavily on volunteers. They are very organized in their training, scheduling and how they care for these dogs. They are also a private organization, which means they are privately funded based on a true love of dogs. This fits all of my personal criteria and seems to be a good fit in that they actually want to take my offer of time and greatly appreciate it. I've already had my first training session, with a mentoring session set up this week and then a little more training over the weekend. After that, I'm all set to do walking shifts, vet transportation and adoption counseling on nights or weekends that fit into my schedule. 

An urgent opportunity arose last night where a momma and her three, 3-week old infants had been rescued in Gooding, ID and needed to be transported back to the Boise area to be placed in a foster home until they can be adopted. The shelter needed someone to step in and make an almost 4-hour round trip drive. Dave and I were able to help, and we drove this sweet girl back to town to her new foster mom last night. What a rewarding experience. And man, what a shout out to Dave for helping out when this wasn't his idea. :)

I'll get to work my first shift as an adoption counselor this weekend, and I've been told the experience is so rewarding, as we get to help these sweethearts find their forever homes. I'm really looking forward to that, as well as spending time doing something meaningful outside of my Game of Thrones binging. So, fine, I'm almost all caught up on GoT, but you get the idea.

And when I'm not helping these new doggies in my life, I'm still catering to this crazy head and her bone addiction.

Check out www.volunteermatch.org if you are interested in finding some volunteer opportunities in your area. And, please please please, adopt - don't shop.

Travel keeps me sane(ish)

Ahhhhh, travel. There's no better word for me. Okay, maybe "cupcakes" sort of ties, but cupcakes will wait for another blog. As a matter of fact, I had a Key Lime cupcake on my trip last week that deserves its own blog entirely. Nom, nom. So, anyway...

I never traveled much growing up. As a matter of fact, my first time on a plane was for my honeymoon trip to Disneyworld. But, for Dave and I, we started early (even in those salad days) with the dreams and plans that we would sneak in any trip (big or small) whenever possible. For me, this quote sums it up.

So, considering I want to read very far into my book... have suitcase, will pack at a moment's notice. Since I just finished a really fun trip to San Francisco, I thought that a travel topic was in order, and since I'm the sucker who clicks on every link on the Internet that starts with "Top Ten ..." (or 5 or 12 or ... you get the drift), I thought I'd stick with that theme, and cover my Top 10 Travel Must Haves. Are you in? Okay, let's go.

10. Coolio bag that folds up in a tiny little pouch.

So my friend Kate hooked me up with this little gem as a birthday gift right before my last trip to Italy. I've seen lots of different styles since then, and this little guy sure is genius. It folds up so tiny, but so nice and roomy for carrying things around while you're traveling.

                     

                   Tiny travel bag takes Tuscany

9. Best lip balm evah

I should say that this guy is on the list thanks to how drying air travel can be. But, the truth is, I love me some lip balm. I've tried them all, and this one is my number one fave. It's thick and creamy and a great nude tint. And....and, it tastes like a glazed donut. You're welcome. But seriously, it comes in several shades, and I will be trying them all. 

8. Travel docs holder

So, everyone out there loves Etsy as much as me, right? This little gem is an Etsy find, and it's as practical as it is cute. Even in our electronic age, there is still so much paperwork with travel: passports, confirmation pages, etc. It all fits in this little guy, including a pen for filling out those international travel documents mid-air. It's inexpensive and comes in a bunch of different prints too.

7. Big bag for cords

While we're on an Etsy roll... you can find a fun, new little bag there, or use a makeup bag, large wristlet, etc. The idea is that you can have all your cords in one place! I got so tired of mine finding their way all over my larger travel bag or purse, and invariably, sinking to the absolute bottom when I'm scrunched up mid-air, that I decided to start putting them all together. Big win. Next I'm on the lookout for a cord organizer to go in the bag. (Rejoice all my Type A friends.)

6. Cashmere travel set

So, it's time to sneak a little wish list item into the mix. I don't own this one, but if a bunch of gift cards dropped on my lap, I might add this to my travel collection too. COZY!

5. Sunblock 

Have you seen me? I'm a fair-skinned chick. I have embraced the "sunblock is my life" mantra. I have a close relationship with my dermatologist. :) So, I know all things sunblock, and this keeper (found in one of my monthly Birchboxes) is a GREAT sunblock for the face. It's mineral-based, so it goes on very sheer, not greasy at all, and it has a nice tint. It has great staying power too. 

4. Maxi dresses

Comfort, comfort, comfort. Comfort is muy importante for air or car travel. Enter the maxi dress. I recently found some super cute ones at Target. Wherever you find your faves, these things are awesome. You can layer a jacket or sweater and be super comfy (and cute) while traveling with usually no wrinkles at your destination. Off the plane and onto an excursion and no need to change.

3. Steamer-style luggage

Okay, one more wish list item (David reads this blog after all.) I saw this collection (and Website) in one of my travel magazines, and holy schmoly are these things awesome. This is steamer style luggage, but with modern conveniences like the pull handle. Mama really likes. (Especially the Carry On from The Entrepreneur collection David Fox... ahem... I mean in case anyone was looking for more detail.)

2. Easy groceries for when you get home

This isn't exactly a fun tip, but you'll be glad you listened to me when you get home, tired and full of post-vacation blues and you are stuffed from eating out, and you have a little something to tide you over until reality has to fully set in. Cooking extra before you leave and freezing a few leftovers will work or just buying a few things that will last until you get back to whip up a quick dinner. Dave and I did this last night for our first night back. I made extra pasta sauce before our trip that I had frozen and also had some fresh ravioli I had picked up from the store and froze before we left. I took them both out when we got home late Sunday night, and it took about 10 minutes to whip up a nice pasta dinner, so we could put off the grocery store for another day. Nothing says vacation is OVER like the grocery store.

1. Travel books for photos

This is my favorite tip and something I wish Dave and I had done since the beginning of digital photography, but we are catching up now. Many of you know this and probably use it, and that's the Shutterfly photo book. Our first big project was the book that recounted our trip to Italy in 2012, but since then, we've started a yearly tradition of picking just a few photos to make a smaller book. I find that I look back on these pictures so much more than I thought I would. To go find all the past vacations that are saved online or on CDs... well, it's just too much trouble. Plus, it's fun to show others your trip in this way, rather than scrolling through a bunch of small digital pics on Facebook. 

Thanks for hanging in for my Top 10 Travel Must Haves list. There's one little tip I'll leave you with as a bonus, and that is Have a Great Travel Buddy. Unfortunately mine is taken, or I'd loan him out. He's great at taking pics, carrying shopping bags, general entertaining conversation, and most of all, genuine support of my wanderlust. Time to book that next trip!

Take a vacation in your soup bowl

Back in 2012, Dave and I had the good fortune to take a trip to Italy for our 20th anniversary. It's probably not hard to believe that the food was tied with the scenery as the most amazing part of our trip. One dish in particular, that we enjoyed in Sorrento, was a simple Italian-style tomato basil soup. I'm sure everyone is familiar with this goodness, because a good tomato soup (with a grilled cheese of course) is quite popular here too. The biggest difference with the Italian version is that ingredients are fresh, and there is no cream. It is a bowl of goodness that is healthy and yummy and totally worth the time.

Since it's tomato time and my herb garden is overflowing (and I needed a lazy Sunday activity), I whipped up a batch this weekend and wanted to share.

Before you get started, the most important part of this recipe is to have a yummy beverage to enjoy while you're cooking. For summer, a good local Rosé did the trick for me. :)

Once you've got your beverage in hand, the next important step is good, fresh tomatoes and basil. I have found that Roma or Plum tomatoes work best for this recipe.

Here's what you're going to need:

For Step 1:

3 lbs. tomatoes

2-4 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP salt

1 TBSP cracked black pepper

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and slice the tomatoes (lengthwise) and put them on a shallow sheet pan or roasting dish. Sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper and ensure all your halves are cut side up. Once the oven is ready, roast for 45 minutes (and enjoy the yummy smell!).

Okay, sip some more wine and peruse a nice magazine while you wait. Once the tomatoes are done roasting, put them on the stovetop to cool a bit, and work on the next step.

For Step 2:

1 shallot

6 gloves garlic

2 TBSP butter + 2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 TSP red pepper flakes

4 C basil

1 28 oz. can whole Roma Tomatoes in their juice 

1 TSP fresh thyme leaves

1/2 C leftover red wine from your fridge

1 QT chicken stock

Salt to taste

The most important part of this step is to get that nice, fresh basil ready to roll. You are going to need FOUR CUPS, which is a LOT of basil. If you are buying from the store, this is going to require several packages. Basil grows fast, so if you haven't already, consider planting it in a small pot at home. I cook a lot of Italian food, so I find I use it plenty, and for a small up front cost, it's a great investment (and makes the planting area smell so yummy too).

After you've got the basil ready to go, rough chop your garlic and shallot. You'll be processing the final product, so no need to fine chop anything.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the olive oil, and saute the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes just until the shallot is turning brown on the edges. Once that's done, add the rest of the ingredients (except salt), plus your roasted tomatoes and all the juices in the pan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer (uncovered) for 40 minutes.

    

Once the simmering is done, you are ready to process your soup. The options are a food mill or food processor. What to use will depend upon your preference for the consistency of the soup. For a chunkier soup, the mill is the way to go. I think the finest mill setting makes a yummy product. If you want the soup super smooth, the food processor is definitely your best bet. Just be prepared in either case to do the soup in batches, as you will have a lot of soup to process! A note on the salt. I prefer to wait until this step to add salt to taste. The stock is quite salty, so taste and add until you are happy with the end product. For me, this is typically only about 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Once you're done, it's time to eat! I prefer some fresh cracked pepper, shaved parmesan and a little basil garnish. Sit back, relax, and daydream about the beaches of Sorrento. You're almost there!

Tall Mountains and Warm Tushies

I'm thinking there aren't going to be many opportunities for blog posts that allow for the word "tushie" in the title, so I'm glad I've got your attention and maybe a smile. I'm not sure about everyone else out there, but with Summer officially upon us, my concentration level is all over the map, and my fantasies of travel and adventure are hitting the roof. Luckily, I recently had a wonderful adventure to kick off the season, and I thought I'd share. Besides, the old memory isn't what it used to be, so this blog is serving multiple purposes. 

My good friend Jen and I have had the pleasure of many fun girls' trips, both back when we were neighbors in TX, and since we both relocated. As we were discussing options for this year's trip, we were looking for a location where we could both fly direct and one that offered some outdoor fun. Enter Colorado Springs! Denver was a direct for both of us (a miracle out of Boise), and of course, Colorado has so much opportunity for outdoor activity, so it was a no-brainer to serve as the 2015 destination. After a few months of counting down, the time was finally upon us.

The Garden of the Gods resort was going to serve as home base for our five days, and upon checking in and finally finding our room (hey, some travel brain was involved), we were STUNNED by the beauty of our view off the back balcony. 

After pulling our jaws off the floor and settling in a bit, along with a walk around the area, we stopped by the "activity concierge" (jeez, how awesome is this place) to get some recommendations on an activity for the following day. Since the weather had been very rainy leading up to the trip, we weren't comfortable booking something in advance, so we had decided to wing it for this trip (for those who know us, aren't you proud?). The concierge quickly recommended the "The Incline." A tough, but do-able hike well-known in the area and something we'd be glad we did. He told us how to get there and park and the inside tips, and, after looking him in the eye and making him swear he thought we were enough in shape for this, it was done. Crossing fingers for weather, we dove into our first night's in-room dinner and vowed to make it happen. 

For anyone interested in the details of "The Incline," feel free to Google. All I can say is that we learned over breakfast that you could actually see The Incline from our view of Pike's Peak at the hotel. Oh crap, we saw it... a completely vertical "staircase" on the side of the mountain in front of Pike's Peak. 2000 ft. incline in less than a mile... oh, and something like 4000+ steps. Sure, we can do this. As we drove toward the town of Manitou Springs, where we'd park, we watched as the thing got bigger and scarier in size and scope. I cannot confirm nor deny whether phrases like "there's no shame in turning around if we change our mind" and "there's no tshirt at the end; we better take our time" occurred as we drove. After parking and getting winded JUST WALKING TO THE TRAILHEAD, we took this tentative pre-hike selfie.

As we got started on the lower section (not quite as steep), we were feeling pretty good. We weren't taking many breaks, and we weren't feeling the altitude (check and check). We also started realizing that we were ascending with the same groups of people (soon to be our Incline BFFs). The grade got worse and worse, and some sections were so steep (and steps so short) that they required crawling with your hands to avoid falling backward. Let's just say that I quickly appreciated the fact that I am not afraid of heights. Upon one of our breaks, we met Allie, who was heard saying "I'm hiking ahead of my sisters; they are in their 30s and 40s and way back there." Insert Brandi and Jen asking "say what little girl?" :) We soon welcomed Allie into our 40-something fold, and after reaching the halfway point (where there is an option to turn off the trail and go back down, known as Wimp Out Point), we decided (Allie included) to go for it. This while there were dark clouds and thunder building, but hey, we had made it this far, and we were not turning around. The second half was tough due to a "false summit" at the 2/3 point, but once we hit the last section, and could actually see the end (and the flag), there was no stopping us. I literally hung my head down and just counted the steps and wouldn't let myself look up again until I'd made it to the top. This was one of the tougher mental and physical challenges I've taken on, but wow, the finish was just as amazing. Sweeping views, celebrations, and a feeling that we'd conquered something listed as "extreme" for outdoor adventures. Also, I must clarify that Jen and I beat BOTH of the 20-somethings that had joined our group to the top.

                      

Due to pending weather, we kept our celebration short and headed down the Barr trail, which is a much gentler, although quite steep itself, 2.8-ish mile trail that also offered some great views and time to reflect on our feat, which ended with some cheese fries, nachos and margaritas in the lovely town of Manitou Springs. 

For those still reading, there were two other blog-worthy adventures still on tap, the first of which was a spa day trip to The Broadmoor. We had heard many great things about this place, and knew we had to at least spend the day here in their very well-known spa (even dudes all over Co Springs had been ooohing and ahhhhing when we mentioned this part of our itinerary). Okay, seriously. THEY WERE NOT WRONG. I am a spa-loving girl who has checked out spas everywhere, and this place was on my top 5, okay, probably top 3, list. 

After checking in and being given our WARM robes and slippers, we took a tour of the quiet areas. Let's see, there was an oxygen room replete with magazines and chairs to recover from any altitude sickness. There was a Mountain room that came complete with the comfiest loungers I've ever seen, warm, soft blankies, snacks and a view of the mountains. Oh, and a fireplace room that had a crackling cozy fire and all the comfy amenities also described above. We made our rounds checking pretty much everything out, but the Mountain room, hands down, became our home for most of the day.

We both had the most amazing massages while visiting the Broadmoor spa, as well as a truly memorable, decadent lunch in the French-themed tavern restaurant, but the HIGHLIGHT of this place.... wait for it, because I know you've been wondering, was the spa bathrooms. Drumroll to a ............ warm tushie. That's right folks. Those bathrooms had a heated toilet seat, as well as controls that rivaled anything we'd ever seen. 

If you don't get it, well then chances are you've never sat on one. :)

So, last but not least on the adventure front, was our train ride up to Pikes Peak, at 14k+ elevation. The train trip takes a little over an hour to go 8 miles up to the Summit House. We left Manitou Springs at about 75 degrees, and when we reached the Summit House, it was snowing! What a journey. They prepped us by scaring us into drinking lots of water, getting warm clothes and even some oxygen, but in the end, Jen and I faired well and didn't have any issues with the altitude change (which was over 6K feet for the journey).

I am the proud owner of some new, bear-themed hiking socks.

To celebrate our journey, I had the world-famous high altitude donuts (when in Rome, you know). Tasty, warm and worth the hype. (They really need these donuts at the top of The Incline, but I digress.)

As the chapter started to close on another girls' trip adventure, we happily reflected on all the fun. Co Springs turned out to be a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, good food (they have Tex Mex y'all) and, as the most important ingredient, wonderful chats and good times with a cherished friend.

So, 2016 planning begins. Hey, Jen, I did just see something about a Jaws-themed shark diving vacation. :)