The 100 Day Project

Day 39 - Bike Rides #the100dayproject #100daysofreebeckibwphotography

A post shared by Rebecca Mongrain (@reebecki) on May 12, 2017 at 6:22pm PDT

While on vacation, I completed a HUGE project - the 100 Day Project which I started back in April. I took a black and white photo everyday for 100 days. I've tried to complete this project two other times but failed miserably after about 40 days.

Day 4 - Watching the Ducks #100daysofreebeckibwphotography #the100dayproject

A post shared by Rebecca Mongrain (@reebecki) on Apr 7, 2017 at 5:42pm PDT

After successfully completing this one, I decided my previous attempts were too ambitious. The last two times I tried to knit a swatch a day which sounds doable but takes at least 20 minutes. This time though was a grand success and so much fun! The key this time around was keeping it simple and a less than 10 minute daily commitment. This meant that some days I spent forever getting the perfect shot and other days, I'd sneak into my kid's bedroom after bedtime to quickly snap a shot and upload it to Instagram.

Day 100 - Norris Basin and THE END of the 100 Day Project! #the100dayproject #100daysofreebeckibwphotography #mongrainroadtrip2017

A post shared by Rebecca Mongrain (@reebecki) on Jul 12, 2017 at 4:38pm PDT

I had so much fun completing this project and plan to make a book out of it for myself. I love looking at the photos I made over 100 days. You can see all my photos here: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/100daysofreebeckibwphotography/

Week in Review 7.29.17

We were home all week and it was fabulous! We're still settling back into our routine and conquering the laundry. Today is a bittersweet day. Today marks three years since my Dad died. We miss him everyday and the girls talk of him often. I know he would have loved adventuring with his grandkids. Today is also my good friend, Meg's birthday! Happy Birthday Meg! 

Exercise

I eased myself back into exercise this week with three boot camp classes and one SHIFT class. SHIFT just kicks my ass in such a good way. I can only handle about one of them a week. Next week I plan to get back to my usual 5-6 workouts. I currently have four classes scheduled and need to figure out the other 1-2 classes. 

Food

I spent so much of this week in the kitchen and I LOVED it. I started a sourdough starter on Monday and a batch of Kombucha on Thursday. My kitchen is a fermenting haven. I made pretzels with some discarded starter. My CSA gave me a huge bunch of tomatillos so I made a batch of salsa verde and canned it. I also bought a flat of blueberries that I need to cook up into jam. 

I did not receive a One Potato order this week which was frustrating since I was positive that I ordered one. I'm trying again this week so we'll see if it works out this time around. Luckily I was able to order from Acme Farms and Kitchen to fill our dinner gaps. 

I did however get my August Menu done and plan to do a big Costco shop next week to stock up for the month. 

The Girls

Molly lost one of her top front teeth this week and we also saw the dentist for their 6 month check up on Friday. The dentist said she has a mature dental mouth and that we might need to do some ortho work in a year or two. $$$$$! 

The girls marched with their preschool in the Greenwood Seafair Parade. It was a last minute decision to go so I was unprepared. The girls did great and turned around when we said it was time. It ended up being a fun evening, if a late one. 

Maggie had her face painted on Thursday at school and now on Saturday, I am still wiping paint off. She's gone swimming twice and had two baths and yet, the paint continues! 

Other Goings On

I'm still reading a lot and started 1984 this week. I can't believe I haven't read it before. It is AMAZING. I neglected to share this earlier but the Seattle Refined book club reviewed Elizabeth Strout's "Anything is Possible" and I had thoughts to share.

Stories Published

Seattle Refined: A guide to exploring Glacier National Park in Montana

Week In Review 7.22.17

We spent this week in Palo Alto as Scott had to work. The girls and I enjoyed staying in one place for 5 nights and loved the hotel pool! It was a fun week full of relaxing, adventures and connecting with a dear friend. 

Exercise

Formal exercise returned this week and guys, I am so sore! I went to two barre3 classes at the Los Altos location and they were pretty good. My hips were so angry at me though after spending a day at the Monterey Aquarium that I cancelled my third class on Friday morning. I was practically limping after a day at the aquarium and had shooting pains down my leg. Not good! I've had hip problems for awhile and think all the hiking and car time in the last two weeks have not been helpful. I'll be working to get back on my hip exercise program and am going to go get some acupuncture when we get back to town. We also spent so much time swimming in the pool this week. We were out there every single day except Tuesday when the pool was closed. 

Food

Food was so much better this week since we were in Palo Alto, CA for Scott's work. We stayed at a Hilton Home Suites which allotted us a small kitchen. I went grocery shopping on Monday and picked up lots of greens and fruits for salads and snacks. Our vegetable intake was on the up and up this week! I also got some of my beloved kombucha but none of it was as good as my Puget Sound Kombucha! Additionally our hotel provided a really good breakfast and "nibbles" at night. The "nibbles" were literally a full-fledged meal. I took the girls down one night when Scott was at a work dinner and found a huge spread which took care of my "what are we going to eat for dinner" dilemma. 

I also had the opportunity to meet up with a friend from Junior High (I like to keep friends forever!) and we had the most amazing (and un-photographed) Tea Leaf Salad with Burmese tea leaves, fried garlic, yellow beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers and dried shrimp. It was so good! 

We tried Creamistry for dessert one night. They make your ice cream using liquid nitrogen in front of you. It was a bit gimmicky but fun. The ice cream was tasty too!

We'll be back home on Sunday night so I've planned out our meals for the next week and got my grocery shopping done online. I'm trying out One Potato this week so some of our meals come from them. We'll be having: 

• Monday: Sausage and Slaw
• Tuesday: Tacos
• Wednesday: Tofu Stir-Fry 
• Thursday:  One Potato Veggie Chicken Fajitas
• Friday: Pizza 
• Saturday: One Potato Steak Fajitas

The Girls

The girls were much better this week which I attribute to staying in one place, eating healthy food and getting good sleep. We had some adventures but we also had days where we just hung around the hotel and chilled out. We took in Happy Hollow Farms and made the trek to the Monterey Aquarium. Both were fun experiences!

Healthy Travel Tips, Intentions and Saying Goodbye are This Week's Links From Around the Web

12 Healthy Travel Tips To Keep In Mind On Your Summer Adventures

Shutterbean Intentions

How to become a better writer

Dear Gabby

Week in Review 7.17.17

We spent the last week traveling to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons. It was a week of driving, excitement and fun. I plan to post more about our vacation later but wanted to get a quick week in review done first.

Exercise

Exercise was so great this week because I didn't consciously do any! We went on hikes, explored the national parks and I racked up the steps on my FitBit. I was exhausted by the end of every day and thrilled to have seen so many sites.

Food

Food was not great this week. I was grateful that I had packed two rubbermaid bins full of food because it meant we had some healthy options available. We had PB&J sandwiches at Glacier National Park and ate cereal out of cups in Yellowstone. By eating one of our daily meals in the hotel room, it saved us some money and time. The food in Montana and Wyoming tended toward BBQ Western Cowboy food which is certainly tasty but man, made my system complain. 

The Girls

The girls were hard this week. They were wild with excitement. Tired from all the traveling and completely off their schedule. They, however, had an excellent time and keep telling us that they love vacation. They also the hotel carts and were practically falling over themselves to ride them along with our luggage.

Other Goings On

It was vacation all the time around here so nothing much else went on. I did get out one morning and hit up Yellowstone Falls at 6 a.m. It was so lovely to be out in nature, alone in the silence. I got some pretty great shots too!

Stories Published

Seattle Refined: Yes, you CAN eat healthy on a road trip. Promise!

Eating Habits, #100dayproject and Recess are This Week's Links From Around the Web

Creating Healthy Eating Habits

#The100DayProject

San Francisco Color Palettes

In Defense of Play

Adults need recess too

Heading out for Vacation

We're off on a vacation to explore the Western National Parks and have some family time. I can not wait to see what the girls think of Glacier National Park, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. 

Week in Review 7.8.17

This week had a long weekend and lots of vacation prep going on. We enjoyed our four day weekend with Scott. I used his time off on Monday to get new tires for my car and run some errands while he dropped the kids off at school. We figured it was best if they went to school to have fun with their friends instead of staring at us, waiting for us to entertain them.

Exercise

Exercise was great this week! I wanted to get all I could in before vacation so I went to four boot camps and took a long hike on the Fourth of July. The kids were amazing on our 5 mile hike. It was a pretty easy hike but we've done easy hikes before and they've turned into quite the episodes. The kids only started to complain about being hungry when we were less than a 1/2 mile from the car. I had lunch waiting for us so we noshed in the car before heading home.

Food

I took a pre-vacation approach to food this week which meant we ate out more than we normally do. I also worked hard to use up the food in the fridge. I ended up making Beet Pickled Eggs since I had lots of beets in the produce drawer and eggs from my chickens. I also grated up a bunch of carrots and froze them for future meals.

I tried the Money on Honey chocolate from Starbucks and it was so good! Wildflower honey caramel with dark chocolate and french sea salt. DIVINE! 

The Girls

The girls are full of summer excitement. All they want to do is be outside. They want to ride their scooters, go swimming, frolic and play. I can't say I'm against any of these plans. I love their zest for life.

We did our annual family hike on the 4th of July at Tiger Mountain which went really well. It made me hopeful for more hikes! Scott had the day off on Monday so we found Molly's class at Carkeek Park which she loved. She loves showing her Dad what she does during the day while he is at work. 

We had my brother and his family over on Sunday. Maggie loves her baby cousin. She says he is "baby tiny" which cracks me up. Molly spent a ton of time playing with her other cousin. They love seeing them. 

Other Goings On

Other than vacation prep, cleaning the house and running a lot of errands, not much went on around here. We did catch up with some friends and the girls got to meet their sweet dog. I got new tires on the car and worked hard to finish up some projects. Whew! I love going on vacation but I am not a fan of prepping for it. I always prep too hard. I've also been doing more Instagram Stories. I'm kinda obsessed. 

Stories Published

Seattle Refined: Summertime is Popsicle Time

June Book Report

I was a reading machine this month and got through 6 books. The 2017 Summer Book Bingo is helping to keep my head in a book which I love! I also discovered a few new authors and read some really interesting books. 

For the LGBTQIA author or character" category, I read "Every Heart A Doorway" by Seanan McGuire in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo. I LOVED this book. This was a beautiful book with so much packed into its' slim pages. It is the story of children who attend a special boarding school made up of kids who have visited other magical lands. I wasn't sure how she was going to pack so much information in to so few pages but it was perfect. 

 "The Call of Cthulhu" by H.P. Lovecraft fit into the "Genre that is new to you" category in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo. This was a crazy and awesome story of horror. I can see why H.P. Lovecraft was inspirational to so many writers. Creepy story!

My super quick read was "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman for the "Recommended by a young person" category in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo.. This was recommended to me by the students of a middle school teacher and I loved it. Each chapter is told by a different person but it all revolves around an empty lot that is slowly turned into a garden. I loved the short chapters about various people involved in the transformation of one vacant lot. 

• In the "Washington state author" category was "A Year Right Here" by Jess Thomson in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo. This is the story of a Thomson's pledge to explore the world where she is rather than far-flung places abroad. I started the book excited to discover more about the food and locations near me. Kirk Thomson, I live in Ballard and love food. Unlike Thomson, my children do not have a disability. This book chronicles both her journey and her family's journey as they work to help their son with his disability. I do wish there has been more adventures in the here. Due to life circumstances she didn't go huckleberry picking and never ventured east of the mountains to see what most of Washington's farmland has to offer. 

Last year, I read "My Name is Lucy Barton" and this year Elizabeth Strout wow'd me with "Anything is Possible" for the "Recommended by an independent bookseller" category in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo. This was the Refined Reads pick for June and the discussion was way more fascinating than I expected.  This is a story of small town people and how they cope with their devastating pasts, love and losses. I read this book so fast and always love all of Elizabeth Strout's books. I felt heartache and joy for all the characters.

I read "Ways to Disappear" by Idra Novey for the "Set in another country" category in the 2017 Summer Book Bingo. An author goes up into a tree in Brazil and disappears. Her American book translator arrives to help her family find the author, shenanigans happen from there. This was a very entertaining book.

Yearly Book Total: 23/52

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something from a link, I receive a very small percentage back. 

Popsicles, Movies and Saying Yes are This Week's Links From Around the Web

Popsicle Week  Wit and Vinegar puts together Popsicle Week every year and every single year, I start wanting to make all the popsicles in the world. 

Healthy Summer Recipes because I can always use new healthy recipes in the kitchen. 

Regal has $1 Summer Movies!

5 Tips to Preserve School Memories

B3 Anywhere Who is in?  

Dance it Out!

Things Moms Never Hear from Their Kids

Summers are for saying Yes

Monthly Goal Check-In (June)

We are officially more than halfway through the year! Life continues to move at a rapid but extremely fun pace. While Fall is truly my favorite season, I do love the playfulness of Summer and all the swimming. Oh, I love the swimming! 

2017 Goals

1. Workout 217 times in 2017 - I worked out 19 times in June. I'm at 122 workouts with 95 more workouts to complete this year. I'm tracking well on this goal. 

2. Participate in the Year of Creativity -  This month was all about space, specially making space for our creativity. I am terrible about making space for writing. I write in the midst of the chaos. I write as children climb over over me and shout at me. I write and photograph as the craziness of life overwhelms me. I have space downstairs but it is in our cluttered guest room and will soon be remodeled. 

3. Shoot one roll of film a month - I slid in with this goal at the very end. I shot my roll of film on June 30th at the pool. Now to get it developed along with my other rolls of film. 

4. Complete TKGA Master Knitting Level I - I worked on my primary swatch and some of the questions related to it. 

5. Finish my Miter Square Blanket - I worked on a lot of squares this month. I want to say that I got 4 done. I can see my blanket growing! 

6. Read 52 books. - I read 6 books this month. This means I have 24 books to read this year and 28 under my belt. Book Bingo is already helping me crush my book numbers.

7. Finish up various House Projects - This month was spent keeping things together with Scott gone so I did not get to any of my house projects. 

8. Catch up on my yearly photo books of the girls - I'm still gathering my images. Five years of images takes a lot of time to gather and put in the appropriate albums. These books are going to be epic! 

9. Become more politically active and work to be the change in my community - Ermmm, yea about that... 

10. Learn how to make a really good stock 

Bonus Goal: Grow two new crops in my garden and add some chickens to my flock.