Yurting

I am a day-hiker. I have never gone backpack camping.You may be wondering to yourself why I do not feel compelled to strap 30+ pounds on my back, sleep outside among the bears and cougars, and rehydrate my dinner?  It is quite simple: I want a toilet nearby, sleep in a bed, and be surrounded by solid walls. In my opinion, my avoidance of camping has made me a stronger and better hiker, because I want to see all the wilderness, so I increased my fitness stamina to be able to hike 20 miles in a day.

I have done several road trips down the scenic 101 Highway, and have hiked trails in Cape Disappointment State Park during those trips. While reading a recent article on upgrading your tent, I became aware that Cape Disappointment and many other parks have yurts that you can stay during a visit http://redtri.com/seattle/upgrade-your-tent-with-yurt-camping-in-washington/ Therefore, I found an available yurt, and planned to explore more of Cape Disappointment State Park. Cape Disappointment State Park is where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. This cape has two lighthouses; North Head (under construction during this visit) and Cape Disappointment. There are many hiking trails near the cities of Ilwaco and Long Beach (has the longest beach in the world). Hikers won't gain a lot of incline during their trip to the park, but you can definitely rack up the miles.

It was a positive experience staying in the yurt. Both nights, winds reached over 60 miles per hour, and it was great having solid structured walls that didn't cave in to the intensity of the wind. In addition, the yurt had heat, which came in handy at nighttime. Yurts are a great way for families to camp. This yurt came with a bunk bed that had a twin and full-sized mattress, a futon, two chairs, side table, and a table. Plus, there were bathrooms that had toilets and showers on the campsite. To operate the showers, you had to put quarters into the shower. Note to self: always have an emergency $5 stash of quarters in your car. Below I have attached some photos of the yurt and trip.

If you visit http://parks.state.wa.us/403/Cabins-Rustic-Shelters-Yurts, you can locate and reserve your yurt.

Gracious: A Practical Primer on Charm, Tact, and Unsinkable Strength

Back in graduate school, I began reading a blog, Adulting, by Kelly Williams Brown. A few years later, she published the book Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps. Recently, her second book Gracious was released. Throughout the book, she provides tips on how to deal with the people and circumstances that challenge even the most socially graceful among us, advice on how to practice graciousness in everyday life, and thoughtful discussions on being kind to those around you without ever losing your sense of self.

This was my airplane book that I read while flying to and from Colorado. For me, the most relatable chapters were "Gracious In, Around & Generally Regarding the Home" and "The Gracious Host & Hosted." In this blog post, I will just provide some notions that can help you think about living a more gracious life.

Gracious In, Around & Generally Regarding the Home

• Learn how to be reasonably tidy by providing definitive answers for the following for every object in your house:
• Do I love this?
• Why do I let this remain in my personal space?
• Where does this item live?
• Adjectives that Do and Do Not apply to a gracious home:
• Yes: welcoming, cared for, tidy, comfortable, lived in, full of interesting things
• No: spotless, minimalist, sterile, intimidating, hoardery, sticky, oppressively Pinterest-y
• Useful Dining Tips:
• It's immeasurably better to start eating 20 seconds later than everyone than 5 minutes before. Unless instructed otherwise, you should not start eating until everyone is seated, everyone is served, and the host picks up his or her fork.
• Napkins go in your lap as soon as possible.
• Touch both your index fingers to your thumbs. On your left , you will see a lowercase b, which stands for bread plate, and on your right is a lowercase d for drinks. Your bread plate is to your left, and your drinks to your right.
• There may be implements on the table for every course, just start with the ones outside and work your way in.
• Generally speaking, implements are arranged with forks on the left, then a plate, then knives, then spoons. FO(r)KS as an acronym: Forks, O (for a plate) Knives, Spoons.
• If you are not done with a course, your utensils should rest on either side of your plate. When you are done, the two utensils are set parallel to each other and pointing NW on the plate.
• Never go on vacation without taking all the garbage outside.

What does a yellow ribbon tied on a dog's collar mean?

Recently I went hiking at Soaring Eagle Regional Park, and on the trail post, there was a flyer titled "More Space Please," with drawings of many dogs wearing a yellow ribbon or bandana. This was the first time I had seen this caution before, and thought I would share this new movement with my fellow hikers, so you can also share and spread the word.

A yellow ribbon around a dog's collar is to help children identify that you need to proceed with caution because: the dog may not be child-friendly, may have fear or anxiety issues, or may be overly excited. The Yellow Dog Project is a nonprofit organization that is a global effort to help raise awareness and education around dogs that require a little extra distance upon approaching. This extra distance does not signify that a dog is aggressive or mean. Children have a lot of energy and often run up and pet a dog. Not all dogs understand this, and they can become fearful. With proper education, all parties are put in a less stressful environment, which in turn reduces opportunities for an unforeseen accident.

Look for these yellow ribbons on dogs in town and city parks too! I saw a different template, but same caution on a flyer at Marymoor Dog Park in Redmond, WA.

Summer Book Bingo

Summer begins next week; therefore, it is time for Summer Book Bingo at the Seattle Public Libraries. Each summer, I have participated in this challenge, but have yet completed a blackout card.

How does the Summer Book Bingo work?

• Spend your summer reading great books and you can win prizes. Fill in a bingo card with the titles and authors of the books you've read between May 17th-September 5th. Book titles may be used only once per card.

What if I need some ideas for books for my bingo squares?

• For ideas crafted just for you, head to your local library (or fill out a brief form at spl.org/yournext5), and the super smart team at The Seattle Public Library will recommend five books just for you.
• Also, your fellow readers on Twitter and Instagram are a great resource; find them at #BookBingoNW2017

How can I win?

• Complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line and you will be entered into a drawing for a $30 gift card to an independent book store.

Fine Print: You are on your honor to read books before adding them to your Summer Book Bingo card. Cheating will invoke bad summer karma, which may include sunburn, ants at your picnic, and marauding mosquitos.

What are topics of the bingo squares for 2017:

• Recommended by a librarian
• Choose a book by it's cover
• You've been meaning to read
• Young adult
• Biography or memoir
• Adapted into a movie (bonus: watch the movie too)
• Graphic novel
• By an author of color
• Recommended by an independent bookseller
• Set in another country
• Genre that is new to you
• Banned (need ideas, visit ala.org/bbooks)
• Collection of essays or short stories
• Published the year one of your parents were born
• Fiction
• About art or an artist
• A SAL speaker (past or upcoming)
• Reread a book you read in school
• Finish in a day
• Washington state author
• Poetry
• Science nonfiction or science fiction
• LGBTQIA author or character
• Recommended by a young person

The first book I am reading is to fill in a bingo square is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. Happy Reading!

Book: Minimalism Live a Meaningful Life

I just got back from a memorable week in Colorado. As I was packing for this week-long visit, I realized that I pack minimalistic. I am so used to utilizing my large checked luggage, that I realized, I could have just used a carry-on luggage. My luggage for a week-trip weighed only 17 pounds. For someone who is usually grunting as they lift their luggage onto the airline scale with both fingers-crossed that the electronic, red numbers will not go over 50lbs, that was a tangible metric for me of assurance that minimalism has become to be a lifestyle choice, and not just what I still possess inside my apartment.

The last book I read by The Minimalists, was Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life. Below are points that I insightful and wanted to share.

Items I decluttered in the last purge: extra pillowcases, socks, hair accessories (clips, hair ties), headbands, non-comfortable shoes, folders, binders, tote bags, coasters, jewelry, scarves

• Happiness is not the point--a meaningful life is. We must stop searching for happiness and instead start looking for meaning.
• Discontentment is a slow burn; it's a pernicious problem that creeps into your life after years of subtle dissatisfaction.
• To take inventory of our lives. To find out what was making us unhappy, and what we needed to change those things in our lives, so happiness, passion, and freedom were possible.
• Anchors: write down everything that could be identify as a problem
• Next, identify priorities (minor and major anchors)
• Major anchors: mortgage payments, certain relationships, car payments, careers, large debt
• Minor anchors: internet bills, unused clothes, unused household items, household clutter, unproductive peripheral relationships, and daily drive time.
• Minimalism looks different for everyone because it's about finding what is essential to you.
• Minimalism is a tool we use to live a meaningful life. There are no rules. Rather, minimalism is simply about stripping away the unnecessary things in your life so you can focus on what's important.
• Minimalism has helped us in several ways, including:
• Reclaiming our time
• Ridding ourselves of excess stuff
• Enjoying our lives
• Discovering meaning in our lives
• Living in the moment
• Focusing on what's important
• Pursuing our passions
• Finding happiness
• Doing anything we want to do
• Finding our missions
• Experiencing freedom
• Creating more, consuming less
• Minimalism is a tool to eliminate life's excess, focus on the essentials, and find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
• The Five Values that allow us to live a meaningful life:
• Health
• Living a healthy lifestyle gives you the optimum conditions to do so.
• Two main ingredients of living a healthy life: eating and exercise. In other words: what we put into our bodies and what we do with our bodies.
• A change in dietary lifestyle is not only a change in what you consume, but a change in how you think about what you consume.
• Relationship
• Three ways to create better relationships
• Find great new relationships
• Transform your current relationships
• Change who you are
• Additional readings
• Goodbye Fake Friends minimalist.com/fake
• Letting Go of Relationships minimalist.com/relationships
• Prepared to Walk Away minimalist.com/walk-away
• Passions
• Growth
• Contribution

By embracing minimalism in other apsects of life (your possessions, your work, etc), you can focus on the most important things in life (the Five Values).

• Resources
• Website: Exile Lifestyle by Colin Wright
• Website: Zen Habits by Leo Babauta
• How to Start a Successful Blog: minimalists.com/blog
• Essay "How to Get Smarter, Sleep More, and Get More Sex," by Julien Smith at inoveryourhead.net/sleep-is-awesome/

The Secret Life of Your Trash

Through minimalism, each item I get rid of, I then have to decide where it should go next: in the trash, consignment store, Goodwill, or repurposed to someone else's household. Seattle already strives to be a very green city, with recycling and composting laws to reduce the amount of trash in landfills. Seattle Residents can view their Seattle Public Utilities newsletter this season to read about, "Where Does It Go? The Secret Life of Your Trash."

On average, each person in Seattle generates 2,200 pounds of recycling, food waste, and garbage each year...yikes! I know through recycling just old school papers and photos, that I had 200 pounds.
Transporting, processing and disposing of garbage is expensive. Therefore, it is important that we all understand where our trash goes, and our continued need to reduce the amount of waste that we generate. For those individuals that live in Seattle, you can use the new "Where Does It Go" tool for up-to-date information about which items go in the recycling, compost, or garbage bin at seattle.gov/util/wheredoesitgo

Ideas for reducing waste and ways to recycle and compost even more:

• Cleaning out your closets? Visit the Threadcycle web page: kingcounty.gov/threadcycle
• You can now donate ALL your unwanted clothing, shoes, purses, and linens. 
• Items that are ripped, torn, stained or worn out can be recycled into industrial wiping rags, insulation, sound-proofing and stuffing
• Borrow and share: borrow that specialty baking pan from your neighbor and lend a ladder in return.
• Organize a clothing swap to refresh your wardrobe without sending any items to the landfill.
• For Seattleites, you can borrow tools, kitchen appliances, and extra chairs from one of Seattle's five tool libraries at seattle.gov/util/reducereuse
• Neighborhood tool libraries have more than the typical repair tools. Unique tools you can find cider-presses, food dehydrators, and candle making kits.
• Most tool libraries also offer classes: bike repair, earthquake retrofits, fixing appliances, chainsaw safety, and more.
• Located in West Seattle, Southeast Seattle, Captiol Hill, Phinney Ridge, and Northeast Seattle neighborhoods.
• Declutter your mailbox: stop clutter at the source by opting out of mail you don't want
• Visit seattle.gov/stopjunkmail for links to FREE opt out services
• Instead of buying brand new items when your favorites wear out, visit your local tailor, upholsterer, or shoe repair. They can give new life to your old stuff.
• Reuse and second use: shop at second use stores:
• Reuse: Thrift and consignment stores extends the life of shoes, clothes, and furniture.
• Remodeling: find vintage door knobs, floor tiles, countertops, and more at salvaged building supply stores.
• Re-fashion: Stained t-shirt; make it a DIY rag rug. Have a tear in a bed sheet; use it as a drop cloth for painting projects.

Many of you may be embarking on spring cleaning; therefore, I ask that you pause a moment before you instantly throw something in the trash, and consider if it could possibly be reused or recycled!

The Minimalists: Everything That Remains

"Imagine a life with higher standards. Imagine a life with less clutter, less stuff, fewer distractions. What would that look like? Imagine your life with less--less stress, less debt, less discontent. What would it feel like? Now imagine your life with more--more time, more contribution, more elation. Imagine better, more interesting relationships. Imagine sharing meals and conversations and experiences and smiles with people who have similar interests and values and beliefs as you. Imagine growing with your peer group and your loved ones. Now imagine cultivating your passion until you can't imagine a day without pursuing it. Imagine creating more than you consume. Imagine giving more than you take. Imagine a consistent commitment to growth. Imagine growing toward your limits and then past your limits and waving back with a smile. Imagine still having problems, but better problems, problems that fuel your growth and excitement, problems you want to face. Imagine getting everything out of the way so you can love the people closest to you. Imagine the myriad ways you can show your love, not just say it, but really show it. Imagine holding hands and exchanging hugs. Imagine making love with the man or woman you love, unencumbered by the trappings of the noisy world around you. Imagine making your priorities your Real Priorities. Imagine real success. Imagine feeling lighter, freer, happier. What you're imagining is a meaningful life. Not a perfect life, not even an easy life, but a simple one."

The second novel I read by The Minimalist was Everything That Remains. This book continues documenting Joshua Millburn's pursuit of embracing simplicity and getting himself out of debt. The message of getting rid of excess stuff can be liberating. I definitely admire individuals that are able to become minimalists instantly. For me, it has been a slower process, but the end goal of living more deliberately is still in my sights.

So far in 2017, I have had two big "donating" trips to Goodwill. Below are photos of some of the things that I was finally able to part with, because they no longer served a purpose, and I could no longer justify keeping them in my apartment. Also, below are some advice from the book that showcases how minimalism can be a life choice.

• American Tragedy
• Important topics/issues/concerns that should be discussed when in a relationship:
• children, short-term goals, long-term goals, interests, values, beliefs, and desires.
• I don't want this life. I want something different, a deliberate life, not some nightmare that I've been sold as the American Dream.
• Open Windows
• How Colin Wright became a minimalist and said goodbye to his old life, and said hello to traveling the world.
• Being a minimalist is not just having very little with you; it's actually about owning very little. Because the act of ownership is what stressed me out, kept me from feeling free.
• Having this realization is one thing, making the change is another.
• Keywords "becoming a minimalist," "living with less," and "minimalism" yield results for three different websites: Becoming Minimalist, Be More with Less, and Zen Habits.
• Be More with Less
• Runs Project 333, a minimalist fashion challenge that invites people to dress with thrity0three or fewer items for three months. Many have found immense benefit in slashing their wardrobe, reducing their closets down to the essentials.
• Zen Habits
• Website about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives; delivering easy-to-digest messages about clearing the clutter so people can focus on what's important, create something amazing, and find happiness.
• I hadn't focused on what I'm passionate about. I haven't made writing a must. Instead it's been a gigantic should in my life. I should write, I frequently remind myself. I should, I should, I should. I've said it more times than I can count--just shoulding all over myself.
• What do you do?
• What we are really asking is:
• How do you earn a paycheck?
• How much money do you make?
• What is your socioeconomic status?
• And based on that status, where do I fall on the socioeconomic ladder compared to you? Am I a rung above you? Below you?
• How should I judge you?
• Are you even worth my time?
• Passion isn't followed, it's cultivated.
• Strong Moves Slow
• I started, small, asked myself: What if you removed one material possession just one, from your life each day for a month. What would happen?
• What we're not told is that decluttering by itself doesn't solve the problem, not long term anyway.
• Discussing how to get rid of our stuff answers only the what-side of the equation, but not the why; the action, but not the purpose; the how-to, but not the significantly more important why-to.
• Each of my belongings--my kitchenware, my furniture, my clothes, my car--has a function. As a minimalist, every possession serves a purpose or brings me joy.
• The Sound of Minimalism
• Those three delicate words: just in case. I know them too well. For the longest time I had an intimate relationship with just in case. I held on to hundreds--maybe thousands--of things, just in case I needed them.
• Personal anchors--all the circumstances that keep me from realizing real freedom.
• ex: material possessions, mortgage, car payment, bills, all debt, relationships
• As a kid we use to ask " what if" with so much optimism (What if we could fly), but now the only time we seem to ask it is out of fear.
• What if has become disempowering.
• Clarity
• "Follow your passion" is crappy advice.
• What's important to consider, then, is this question, "What is my mission?
• Like passion, one's mission is not preexisiting. And it's not always easy to find or pursue. Ultimately, I believe that anyone can be passionate about virtually anything, so long as it aligns with his or her values and beliefs.
• A well-curated life
• Deciding to live with no goals for a while
• Breaking free from goals changed my life in at least three ways
• I am less stressed
• I am more productive
• I am happier
• Success=Happiness + Growth + Contribution
• Encourage you to take five-steps towards a meaningful Christmas
• Avoid holiday doorbuster sales
• Gift your time
• Gift experiences, not stuff
• Ask for better Christmas gifts (raise funds for your favorite charity)
• Soup-Kitchen Christmas (local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, foodbank, or any place that needs volunteers)

Yes, this is a container for Pringles chips. When I was in elementary school, I use to put chips in my lunchbox. And I have kept it ALL these years.

The kitchen is a room that I am constantly re-evaluating the items in it. Have I used them yet? Are there other items that have multipurpose that can get rid of items that have only purpose. In addition, I found so many items that I just used once or never used and they still had price tags on it.

The dream of having a Beauty and the Beast library has been seared in my head since I was a little kid. However, rarely do I reread books, and books take up a lot of space and are heavy to move. Therefore, I finally parted with more books that I have already read, and know I will not reread. I still have 100 books on my 4-shelf bookcase. However, I am deliberately reading more books from my shelves, instead of borrowing constantly from the library; therefore, the decluttering of my personal collection of books will continue throughout the year.

This round of decluttering, I removed canvases and pictures from my walls of my apartment that no longer brought me enjoyment. In addition, I tackled my DVD collections and got rid of so many DVDs and TV series. Also, in this photo are a lot of "just in case" items that I was holding onto for that sole reason.

When you get rid of 12 pair of shoes, you will also be able to get rid of a shoe rack. Ta-da!