For our five year anniversary, Brian and I have wanted to do something a little bigger to celebrate and commemorate. We have talked about this over and over again, and we have been throwing around a number of options for over a year now. This is basically our top five travel wish-list.
1. Danali National Park, Alaska. Brian has been twice, but I have never been. We researched taking a ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway from Bellingham, WA, and then taking a train into Denali National Park. The ferry is not only expensive, (like, airfare expensive), but it eats away multiple days of travel getting there and back (like, 4-6). This would be difficult to justify since that would cut into the time actually at our destination.
2. Rafting the Grand Canyon. Brian has also done this twice and I have never been. Hiking the Canyon is one of our favorite activities which we've both done multiple times, but travelling via the Colorado River from Jacob's Lake to Lake Mead would be incredible. The issue here is that money is mostly due up front. It would be very difficult to come up with that kind of money in advance. Also, it's the canyon. We can get there in three hours. It's not going anywhere.
3. Europe. We have discussed various places in Europe a few times. I'd like to visit Amsterdam to see the Ann Frank house, and I think it's a city with a vibe we would both really enjoy. We've also considered London because I think Brian would really enjoy the history. After drinking some good wine, I always have a strong (inebriated) desire to travel back to Italy... but it always comes down to how expensive Europe is. First you have to get there, then you have to pay for accommodations.. .then what about public transport and tours? It just starts to add up too quickly. Hotels are just not our style, if we can help it.
4. Asia. This is where Vietnam comes in. Having lived in Asia, I know that the best part about Asia is that it's cheap. It's not that cheap to get there, but once you're there it's cheap to eat, cheap to sleep, and cheap to get around. It is a hugely popular and accessible destination for travelers of all kinds and nationalities. A backpacker haven. Then again, maybe too much of a backpacker haven. It will be very crowded and crazy, so that's something Brian and I have had to think about and weigh. It can be very touristy. Also, he hates beaches. (Weird, I know.)
5. Iceland. This is a recent development. First, the bad news: Iceland is expensive. It's expensive to fly there, it's expensive to eat there, it's expensive to stay there, and it's expensive to get around there. It's so expensive I often considered it well beyond the realm of possibility and so never even allowed myself to think about it. It was just out of the question. What has changed? Well... I have been following @thekitchenpaper via Instagram and saw that she was in Iceland. Even her out-of-this-world pictures and oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-this-exists-on-Earth commentary were not enough to move me. It wasn't until she posted a picture of her camper van that I went, wait. What? What's that?! She's camping??! You can tell I'm a camp kind of girl. The waterfalls did nothing. The camper van, though? Stopped me in my tracks. This was the beginning of the rabbit hole.
Since then I have visited mrandmrsadventure.com multiple times and have been truly inspired and definitely hooked. Move over Vietnam. I think we're going to Iceland!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Makeup Minimalism
I have cut back significantly on my personal care products, and considering that 2015 is my year of exploring minimalism and the ways in which it expresses itself in my lifestyle, I thought I'd ruminate on the topic a bit.
The biggest change I have made is in the makeup department.
Yes, like any other woman, I spent mornings through my teen years standing in front of the mirror for hours. Late to school, late to outings, late to start the day. My parents still hold me to this reputation, although in the last few years, this routine has been slashed - mostly out of laziness. But also partly out of awareness for the "things" I was constantly acquiring and tired of maintaining.
I am proud to say that my teeny tiny makeup bag holds everything I could ever need, which is a total of seven products. This part of my morning takes roughly five minutes.
1. Foundation
2. Shadow
3. Brush
4. Mascara
5. Eyeliner (special occasions)
6. Eyelash curler (VERY special occasions)
7. Chapstick
When my Bobbi Brown blush fell to the floor and cracked into a million pieces last winter, I decided it was a sign that I was done with blush, anyway. I'm also on a slow transition to replace all makeup with eco-friendly and natural options, so I considered it a win-win.
My Foundation was a huge switch for me. I went from Bobbi Brown foundation to Mineral Fusion All-In-One Beauty Balm. This is a tinted moisturizer, so it is thinner and lighter than traditional foundation, and also includes SPF 9. Since I'm convinced that sun screen causes cancer, I use this only when I'm working. Weekends and breaks are foundation-free.
My mascara is Lancome which I've been addicted to since a pre-teen because it is so amazing. I receive this from my mom every Christmas, so I try to make it last a whole year. I'm really looking to switch to naturally pigmented vegetable-based mascara, so when this runs out, I'm on the mission for that.
I once read how many tubes of lipstick a woman eats in her lifetime and it made me sick. I wear only Burt's Bees chapstick and if I want to feel really fancy, I use the tinted kind. That happens like, five times a year.
In terms of skin care, I use Mineral Fusion Facial Cleanser and Eye Makeup Remover. They are both mild and eco-friendly.
For my hair I use only a Bed Head hair wax and occasionally a light spritzer of the lightest-weight hairspray possible. Product makes my hair heavy, and also it's expensive to continue purchasing. I blow dry it, curl it with a wand, throw a little balm on it, and that's it. The whole curling process takes me ten minutes. Now that my hair is getting longer, it takes longer to blow dry than I like, so I've considered takings showers at night so I can skip that step.
We've been using Jason Shampoo and Conditioner which are vegetable based and biodegradable. Also I've been using Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild bar soup or all-purpose liquid soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I love that it can be used for everything from washing dishes to teeth.
And that's it!
I love the simplicity of knowing which brands and which products I like and knowing I don't need anything more than what's absolutely necessary. Everything fits in one neat little basket under the sink and in a tiny bathroom, that's a necessity, too.
The biggest change I have made is in the makeup department.
Yes, like any other woman, I spent mornings through my teen years standing in front of the mirror for hours. Late to school, late to outings, late to start the day. My parents still hold me to this reputation, although in the last few years, this routine has been slashed - mostly out of laziness. But also partly out of awareness for the "things" I was constantly acquiring and tired of maintaining.
I am proud to say that my teeny tiny makeup bag holds everything I could ever need, which is a total of seven products. This part of my morning takes roughly five minutes.
1. Foundation
2. Shadow
3. Brush
4. Mascara
5. Eyeliner (special occasions)
6. Eyelash curler (VERY special occasions)
7. Chapstick
When my Bobbi Brown blush fell to the floor and cracked into a million pieces last winter, I decided it was a sign that I was done with blush, anyway. I'm also on a slow transition to replace all makeup with eco-friendly and natural options, so I considered it a win-win.
My Foundation was a huge switch for me. I went from Bobbi Brown foundation to Mineral Fusion All-In-One Beauty Balm. This is a tinted moisturizer, so it is thinner and lighter than traditional foundation, and also includes SPF 9. Since I'm convinced that sun screen causes cancer, I use this only when I'm working. Weekends and breaks are foundation-free.
My mascara is Lancome which I've been addicted to since a pre-teen because it is so amazing. I receive this from my mom every Christmas, so I try to make it last a whole year. I'm really looking to switch to naturally pigmented vegetable-based mascara, so when this runs out, I'm on the mission for that.
I once read how many tubes of lipstick a woman eats in her lifetime and it made me sick. I wear only Burt's Bees chapstick and if I want to feel really fancy, I use the tinted kind. That happens like, five times a year.
In terms of skin care, I use Mineral Fusion Facial Cleanser and Eye Makeup Remover. They are both mild and eco-friendly.
For my hair I use only a Bed Head hair wax and occasionally a light spritzer of the lightest-weight hairspray possible. Product makes my hair heavy, and also it's expensive to continue purchasing. I blow dry it, curl it with a wand, throw a little balm on it, and that's it. The whole curling process takes me ten minutes. Now that my hair is getting longer, it takes longer to blow dry than I like, so I've considered takings showers at night so I can skip that step.
We've been using Jason Shampoo and Conditioner which are vegetable based and biodegradable. Also I've been using Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild bar soup or all-purpose liquid soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I love that it can be used for everything from washing dishes to teeth.
And that's it!
I love the simplicity of knowing which brands and which products I like and knowing I don't need anything more than what's absolutely necessary. Everything fits in one neat little basket under the sink and in a tiny bathroom, that's a necessity, too.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Disneyland: Summer 2015
First Timer Button!
We drank the kool aide. He loved it.
The "brothers from another mother."
Junior Ranger? Hey! That's me!
Very fitting in my Big Bend shirt from our road trip earlier this month.
Dresden's first time on Dumbo!
Ceiba's first "Big Boy" ride.
"That was not very fun, Mommy!"
OMG. Couple Twins. Need I say more.
Cousin Twins!
#mcgowandisneyvacation2015
Happily Ever After!
Happily Ever After!
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
2015 Summer Trip Part II: Big Bend Birds (& Bugs!)
Believe it or not, Big Bend has one of the largest concentrations of bird species in all of the National Parks. We endured temperatures over 105 in scorching sun, and bodies dripping in sweat to make our way through deep snake-paradise grasses, muddy river banks, and bug-infested tree canopies to catch glimpses of birds we'd never seen before. And when I say bugs, I don't mean little ants or the occasional bee. I mean the professionals. Like these tarantula hawk wasps, for example.
Armed with Sybley, water bottles, binoculars, and wildlife lens in hand, (I forgot the bug spray!), we trudged and chased and stalked. But it was worth it. We saw close to 50 bird species when it was all said and done.
Armed with Sybley, water bottles, binoculars, and wildlife lens in hand, (I forgot the bug spray!), we trudged and chased and stalked. But it was worth it. We saw close to 50 bird species when it was all said and done.
 |
| Turkey Vultures are everywhere! |
 |
| Greater Roadrunner. State bird of New Mexico. Also everywhere! |
 |
| Summer Tanager (F) |
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| Yellow Billed Cuckoo |
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| Vermillion Flycatcher (M) |
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| Common Black Hawk |
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| Northern Mockingbird. State Bird of Texas. |
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| Painted Bunting (F) |
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| Varied Bunting (M) |
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| Cactus Wren |
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| Black-Headed Grosbeak |
2015 Summer Trip part I: Texas
Texas is an unlikely place for Brian and me to end up on our annual summer trip. Generally speaking, we crave forests and bears so seek out colder or wetter climates during our coveted time off, but the reality is that we're starting to run out of unexplored places in the West - at least in terms of National Park sites. For the first time, we were pushed East.
Many times in preparation for this trip we considered dropping it all and just driving to Montana. It always, inevitably, comes back around to Montana. It was difficult to stick with the plan, and in the end the only reason we may have stuck to it was due to circumstances outside of our control involving transportation. We ended up having to take my mom's little VW sedan and it just won't cut it in the rough back country roads of Glacier, so we were stuck. With Texas.
For what it's worth, Texas did surprise us. Actually, it was the mountains and Chihuahuan Desert landscape of Texas which changed our minds. The rest of Texas can go ahead and keep its distance, but the Chisos and the Guadalupes were beautiful. They ended up being totally worth it.
Our trip to Big Bend was hatched sometime this winter when we watched the movie "Boyhood." You have to watch the entire movie to get to Big Bend's cameo, which is the very last scene of the movie. But when it was over we both looked at each other and knew. We need to go there. It started literally at that moment.
We endured some pretty insane weather, but stayed dry and standing while others around us flooded or flattened out. This was our reward.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Minimalism II
The culling of the streams of paperwork, possessions, and expectations which find themselves clogging up our daily lives is constant. It is amazing to me just how much work it takes to continue to pair down, to throw out, to donate, to let go, or to re-prioritize. Simplicity takes a lot of work.
For now, I've started mainly with possessions. What we have vs. what we need vs. what we want. If it has not served a purpose in a year or more, out it goes. I'm finding that the reasons it's so hard to let go are usually out of guilt or sentiment. But if it doesn't suit our lifestyle or our needs, then it's only taking up space which in turn just leads to a life of clutter. Once gone, I find I've soon forgotten what it was in the first place, anyway. Getting rid of "stuff" is a ruthless endeavor.
I find it's easier to determine what to keep and what to throw (or donate) based on where it's kept. If it has a home, a specific place that it belongs, then it's likely to be kept so long as there aren't a million of the same thing. This is also how I deal with the books we accumulate month after month and year after year. I have two bookcases. If it doesn't fit, it's time to cull. Those that we really want to keep, remain. Those that we kept for a while but are ready to pass on, are taken out to make room for the new.
Clothing is another story entirely, and when I've solved that dilemma I'll write about it. Right now I have pared my closet down to only what I wear day in and day out which actually means I don't have much of anything in there. I need to replace some items that are simply too worn and I'm not sure how to do it yet. Do I shop every summer for cheap tanks knowing they will only last a season? Or do I shop a few times a year at a high end boutique and slowly build pieces that will last several years? I have no idea. I will continue to weigh, readjust, and report back.
I am finding that if I don't really love something, it's likely I'll merely replace it with something that I really do and out goes the old with the Goodwill pile. I'm trying to do away with this "in between" stage and only buy things I really love the first time around thereby being able to hold on to things for many years and only replace when they are in need of repair, not just because I came across something else. For example, when we were first married I didn't really know any better or think about it so I bought this horrible dish set which I hated almost since the day after I bought them. They were bulky, and dark, and chipped easily. I've held on to them out of necessity, but I finally found what I wanted at Ikea and this time, I was smart about it. Instead of buying the "set," which comes with dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and mugs, I bought only what I know we use and have space for. I bought 8 dinner plates and 8 bowls. It is perfect for our needs and our lifestyle, it suits a "need" but also fulfills a "want." The point is to buy something I "want" to fulfill the "need" so as not to be running through many different "things" that will only end up in the trash pile anyway, year after year.
I have also found that minimalism and simplicity go hand in hand with systems and organization. The better I become at creating a simple, habitual system, the easier it is for me keep things under control and in line with our needs and wants. The simpler things are, the fuller and richer I feel.
That is, after all, the whole point.
For now, I've started mainly with possessions. What we have vs. what we need vs. what we want. If it has not served a purpose in a year or more, out it goes. I'm finding that the reasons it's so hard to let go are usually out of guilt or sentiment. But if it doesn't suit our lifestyle or our needs, then it's only taking up space which in turn just leads to a life of clutter. Once gone, I find I've soon forgotten what it was in the first place, anyway. Getting rid of "stuff" is a ruthless endeavor.
I find it's easier to determine what to keep and what to throw (or donate) based on where it's kept. If it has a home, a specific place that it belongs, then it's likely to be kept so long as there aren't a million of the same thing. This is also how I deal with the books we accumulate month after month and year after year. I have two bookcases. If it doesn't fit, it's time to cull. Those that we really want to keep, remain. Those that we kept for a while but are ready to pass on, are taken out to make room for the new.
Clothing is another story entirely, and when I've solved that dilemma I'll write about it. Right now I have pared my closet down to only what I wear day in and day out which actually means I don't have much of anything in there. I need to replace some items that are simply too worn and I'm not sure how to do it yet. Do I shop every summer for cheap tanks knowing they will only last a season? Or do I shop a few times a year at a high end boutique and slowly build pieces that will last several years? I have no idea. I will continue to weigh, readjust, and report back.
I am finding that if I don't really love something, it's likely I'll merely replace it with something that I really do and out goes the old with the Goodwill pile. I'm trying to do away with this "in between" stage and only buy things I really love the first time around thereby being able to hold on to things for many years and only replace when they are in need of repair, not just because I came across something else. For example, when we were first married I didn't really know any better or think about it so I bought this horrible dish set which I hated almost since the day after I bought them. They were bulky, and dark, and chipped easily. I've held on to them out of necessity, but I finally found what I wanted at Ikea and this time, I was smart about it. Instead of buying the "set," which comes with dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and mugs, I bought only what I know we use and have space for. I bought 8 dinner plates and 8 bowls. It is perfect for our needs and our lifestyle, it suits a "need" but also fulfills a "want." The point is to buy something I "want" to fulfill the "need" so as not to be running through many different "things" that will only end up in the trash pile anyway, year after year.
I have also found that minimalism and simplicity go hand in hand with systems and organization. The better I become at creating a simple, habitual system, the easier it is for me keep things under control and in line with our needs and wants. The simpler things are, the fuller and richer I feel.
That is, after all, the whole point.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Day Trip: Verde Valley
Over spring break, we opted for a few quieter, more domestic activities such as buying new furniture, catching up on spring cleaning, and spending time with family and friends. We did manage a day trip on Wednesday to the Verde Valley where we spent our time in Cottonwood birding, picnicking, and exploring Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Verde River Greenway, and even indulged in some wine at Arizona Stronghold and Thai food for an early dinner before heading home.
I spent a long time on the banks of the Verde River observing a pack of sunning cormorants, saw my very first ARIZONA Bald Eagle, and identified over 18 species of birds throughout the day. The highlights were a Bewick's Wren and a Bank Swallow bringing my overall 2015 bird total to 65.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
If you woke up to this, you wouldn't remember that it was Valentine's Day, either. Or that Valentine's Day even exists as something important. This spectacular desert is far more worthy of our time, attention, and love than anything I can possibly imagine. I know my husband agrees with me. I mean, just look at it.
The weather was so perfect we slept basically open-air in our new tent which both of us are insane for. If this isn't a picture of the best day of your life, we will need to agree to respectfully disagree because I can't think of anything better.
I'm not gonna lie, we camp like kings these days. Our new four-person almost all-mesh Big Agnes tent that is tall enough to stand up in is about as good as it gets. We have a killer REI double sleeping bag system that I scored a few years ago which is two mummy bags of different temps that zip together to create a 20 degree or 35 degree heaven. On top of that, we got a queen-sized three-inch memory foam mattress topper for Christmas from Brian's parents which is like sleeping on clouds. We do camping like rich women do Manolo Blaniks. In spite of these luxuries, this gear (while bulky) has cut our packing time since I have fewer "pieces" to pack. I love how simple it is.
It wouldn't be a true wilderness experience without birding. Fortunately we had my sister and brother-in-law to join in the fun. This is at the Quitobaquito springs which has been closed to visitors for ten years due to border politics. Thankfully it opened in September and we were happy to claim our right to this public land, even if it meant driving alongside this for many miles.
Thoughts of work we left behind and exhaustion from the hurried preparations for the trip took time to shake, but within a few hours we were on Cactus Wren/Gila Woodpecker/Phainopepla time. Waking with the sun, riding in the sunset, basking in the starlight. Wish we could stay there forever.
The weather was so perfect we slept basically open-air in our new tent which both of us are insane for. If this isn't a picture of the best day of your life, we will need to agree to respectfully disagree because I can't think of anything better.
It wouldn't be a true wilderness experience without birding. Fortunately we had my sister and brother-in-law to join in the fun. This is at the Quitobaquito springs which has been closed to visitors for ten years due to border politics. Thankfully it opened in September and we were happy to claim our right to this public land, even if it meant driving alongside this for many miles.
Thoughts of work we left behind and exhaustion from the hurried preparations for the trip took time to shake, but within a few hours we were on Cactus Wren/Gila Woodpecker/Phainopepla time. Waking with the sun, riding in the sunset, basking in the starlight. Wish we could stay there forever.
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