Tag: Vacation

• Cleveland Streets and Souvenirs

  Posted at 10:20 AM by Brittany, on September 26, 2015

  If you’ve been a long time reader of my bliss-ed out blog, you’ll know I’m a sucker for beautiful architecture. I find myself drawn towards older looking buildings, along with cathedrals and anything unique. I’m fascinated by the different styles of houses between the west coast and the east coast/Midwest.

  I suspect I’ll turn into a pile of love struck mush when I make my way to Europe.

  

  

  The colonial style houses on the east coast have stood the test of time, and have given me hours of visual stimulation. I ran 12 miles while in Ohio which was just enough to keep my legs loose, and just enough to soak in the surrounding sights.

  Running is one of my favorite ways to explore.

  

  Morning runs give fantastic views of the city.

  

  I haven’t had a running partner in years, so it was a real treat to run with Meghan even if it was just once. Plus she picks things up on her runs too. I love looking around me while I run, but sometimes there is beauty to be found right underneath our feet.

  

  

  PC Meghan.

  Despite running on my own the remainder of my miles, I wasn’t really alone. Each day I was running in what felt like a squirrel sanctuary. Grey squirrels, BLACK squirrels, and unseen white squirrels. Those are like the unicorns of the squirrel world.

  Who knew there was such a variety of colors, they were literally EvErYwhEreeEEe.

  

  Check out his buddy in the background.

  I tried to summon them to run behind me, like my own squirrel tribe, but they were more interested in the plethora of acorns on the ground. Maybe next time.

  

  Catholic school.

  

  The oldest stone house.

  I think what I adore the most about these houses are the stones. There is something comforting and rustic about a house built from stone opposed to wood.

  I find safety in the fact that the big bad wolf huffed and puffed all the live long day, but couldn’t blow down the stone house. Solid.

  

  I loved the new to me surroundings, but I missed my PNW trees. This vase inside Meghan’s house made me feel fuzzy and warm.

  I took a lot of mental and physical snap shots of my trip to Ohio, but I was convinced I was going to leave with no actual souvenirs (cinnamon rolls don’t count.) Then, as if those magical white squirrels waved their fluffy tails in an act of fate I found myself inside an outdoor shop where I found my souvenir.

  

  I’ve been searching for new Vibrams for a long time, without any luck. Not only are these the EXACT same style I was running in, (which have been discontinued for years, leaving my soul empty and alone) but they were MY SIZE.

  The best part? They were 1/4 the price I payed over six years ago for my last pair. It’s like running barefoot atop a giant cloud filled with sparkles and cupcakes. I shall now think of Ohio each time I slip these magical slippers on my feet, which makes these the best souvenir I’ve ever purchased for fun and functionality.

  

  Even better than the bottle of tequila I brought back from Mexico when I was 17. I’ll have you know the bottle is STILL closed, but there was something thrilling about buying alcohol as a minor despite the trouble it brought me with my parents.

  I’d bet they’d be shocked to know I never drank it. 😉

  Q: How do you prefer to explore new areas?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Architecture, Cleveland, Explore, Ohio, Running, Vacation, Vibram

• Cleveland Eats

  Posted at 7:35 AM by Brittany, on September 23, 2015

  I discovered a new hashtag last week, which led me to conclude that if you put the word “eats” after any large city you’ll find photo after photo of delicious looking food.

  I also discovered #SeattleEats is amazing and I’ve been missing out. For this post though, all attention goes towards Cleveland and all my delicious eats.

  

  Cleveland Vegan decor.

  It should come as no surprise that one of the highlights of my trip to Ohio (second of course to the wonderful company I had) was all my exploration through food.

  I was fortunate enough to try a handful of new to me eateries, which is naturally the first thing I’m posting about. Food is life after all.

  

  

  “Beet” still my heart.

  First up to bat is this quinoa, beet, and sunflower seed burger from Cleveland Vegan. It knocked my socks clear into next week. The food was fresh and full of flavor, the staff was friendly and fun, and the decorations were absolutely adorable.

  

  Young love in a sea of plants.

  Root vegetables everywhere just like the carrot shown above.

  

  This place was so legit I had to go twice. Once for “real food” and once for “the best food.” Also known as dessert. Also known and my life force.

  Also known as triple chocolate cupcakes.

  

  Sigh.

  Cleveland Vegan wasn’t the only place with too legit to quit desserts, oohhh no. I made my rounds to a cafe down the way for brunch with a side of sugar.

  I’d love to give a hug to the person that coined the term brunch. It’s fantastic, and when I participate in the event known as brunch I feel fancy.

  

  The Root Cafe was fully equipped with bearded men, fair trade coffee, and vegan food that filled my soul with rainbows and kitten whiskers.

  

  Breakfast burrito packed with sweet taters, beans, broccoli, and enchilada sauce.

  The inner vibe was equally fantastic.

  

  

  

  My lovely brunch date.

  

  Oreo like cookie.

  If that Oreo like cookie wasn’t enough to bring me back to Ohio, the vegan mac and cheese from Forage Public House is. I’ll be recreating this masterpiece VERY soon.

  

  

  I also got a salad. I think that counts as balance.

  

  Last, but most CERTAINLY not least was the vegan cinnamon roll I obtained from Natures Bin – “a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people with disabilities develop skills and confidence leading to sustainable employment.”

  There is so much yes about that mission statement.

  

  

  I needed a moment of silence while eating this roll.

  I ate so much more than this while on the other side of the US, but these were the highlights. All of these places had a common theme – sourcing local and organically grown produce for a true farm to table meal. It’s no wonder I loved the food so much.

  Still to come are my adventures in Amish Country, my trip to an apple orchard, wandering through sunflowers, riding trolleys downtown, and pretending to be Tarzan in a forest filled with trees. Until next time.

  Q: Do you eat the same when you’re on vacation as you do in everyday life? 80% yes, 20% treats.

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Cleveland, Cupcake, Dessert, Ohio, Vacation, Vegan

• Freedom

  Posted at 2:15 PM by Brittany, on September 15, 2015

  I feel very thankful to have a lifestyle that offers me a great amount of freedom. I have somewhat of a unique mindset in that I truly believe life is too short to be unhappy in any way, shape, or form, and I believe it’s up to us to create the lifestyle we want.

  Often when I have discussions with my parents about my future and my career desires I’m told: “think about the life you want to live, and how to make that a possibility with your job choice.” Well what if I’m currently living the life I want outside of work, but I know I’m not in my “end all be all” job?

  

  I admit that lately I’ve been feeling a bit burned out at work, but my job right now is allowing me to live the life I want when I’m not immersing myself in the world of coffee. I find with the proper adjustment of my mindset, the positives can always be found. Working this kind of job allows more time for…

  Running/Hiking/Exploring

  I thrive off of routine, and the one thing I don’t have while working at Starbucks is a routine. My schedule has been even wonkier since becoming a supervisor. I’ve tried to spin my up and down schedule into a positive by realizing it’s much easier to have a relaxing morning at times and go for a longer run when I have a closing shift.

  

  

  

  I’m also able to easily escape to the mountains should I feel the urge, which is often.

  

  

  Spending time with clients

  Aka my house sitting buddies. This has become a legit third job for me, and I spent a lot of my time taking care of other peoples fur babies. I enjoy the freedom of having certain weekdays off, or really any days I ask for off.

  

  This is Emma, she is a regular in my life these days. Her mom travels a lot, and one day I strive to be like that. A life full of love and travel sound fantastic to me.

  That haunch fluff kills me. So does the word “haunch.”

  

  Reading

  When I leave work, I leave completely. 100% gone mentally and physically. I don’t work a job that requires extra work when I get home, nor requires restless nights due to stressful thoughts about projects or deadlines. This opens more doors for other mental actives like blogging, and reading.

  

  My current read. A classic about a man that escapes to the woods to live off the grid before it was “cool.” A life of self sustainability and tiny homes is a life I would love to live.

  

  So much yes. I dig his style, I think we would have been great friends.

  Spending time on meals

  Piggy backing off the previous bullet point, I have time and energy to invest in the meals I eat. This is a key part of my life, because food IS life.

  

  

  Potatoes are also life.

  

  Cinnamon wheat bundles, cinnamon puffin squares, a spoonful of almond butter, a frozen banana, all on top of some homemade apple sauce. So good, but sadly my insides weren’t so happy. Worth it.

  When it comes to eating, I’ve taken a step away from my obsessive paranoia with trigger foods, and have focused on the foods that make me feel good. My food allergy test came back with results that didn’t help much, so the true test is how I feel after eating things. The foods that don’t cooperate will continue to be ditched, or moderated. Simple as that.

  Travel

  I have a fantastic boss, that gives great flexibility when it comes to the schedule. From school to travel, she has accommodated everything I’ve asked of her, and I am immensely grateful for her. I’ve planned some travels to balance my need for freedom.

  

  I’m off to Ohio tomorrow for a weekend of shenanigans with Meghan and I couldn’t be more excited. This has to be the biggest perk of my current job, the flexibility. Follow me on Instagram to see what shenanigans I get myself into on the other side of the country. Something tells me my Birkenstocks with socks will stick out like a sore thumb in the Midwest.

  Now if only I could find a job that gave me both the freedom to do all the things I love, AND allowed me to thrive while working. It’s out there, I just have to find it. 🙂 For now, I’m just going to keep riding the caffeine wave. Unless any of you reading want to pay to me travel, make you food, take photos, and share it all online.

  Anyone…anyone…Bueller…

  Q: Have you found your passion? Are you living the life you want outside of work?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Coffee, Explore, Food, Running, Starbucks, Vacation

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:04 AM by Brittany, on August 24, 2015

  1. This post is being written because I feel like writing, yet don’t have anything of substance or structure to share. Story of my life.

  2. I got sick last week out of no where, and took three days off from running. I then lost all my morals and ate whatever the hell I wanted, because that’s obviously how you get better. The upside of it all was when I got back on track with running my pace had unexpectedly improved.

  

  Before the unplanned rest I was averaging 10min/miles. Proof that rest is key, and won’t destroy what you’ve built.

  3. Remember that time I talked about going to ASU through Starbucks? Yea, that ship sailed, was re-boarded, and then sailed again. I changed majors and have everything set up whenever I decided to bite that bullet. What I know for sure is I WILL have my degree finished before my 80th birthday.

  4. I still have the recipe for a delicious pie hanging out in my draft bin. Perhaps I need to share that. I ate the entire thing in like 3 days.

  

  5. I haven’t run a race in…ALMOST A YEAR!? I’m kind of in shock about that, but I haven’t had a desire to train for a half marathon, and haven’t found a 10K that aligns with my schedule. Anything less than a 10K I don’t like to pay for. Running has been very zen for me lately with no strict schedule, and I like it that way.

  6. Ever had cassava flour? It’s different, good, but different. It’s a great option for anyone that can’t have most traditional flours. It’s made from a root vegetable, so basically it’s friendly for all. I made pumpkin bread, and brownies from it and then proceeded to eat all of both.

  

  

  I used Otto’s cassava flour, which is different from others because it is said to be the closest taste and smell to regular flours. It’s a bit chewy, but flavor was fantastic.

  7. These next few months, are travel months. I’m going to Ohio in September to see Meghan, LA in October to see my twin, and Arizona in December to see my family. To ensure I am living life on my terms, this is a must.

  8. Once upon a a time I had a dream to run my first half marathon at Disneyland. I made this a reality, and it was absolutely magical. My next dream was to go to Disneyland for Halloween, because Halloween is my favorite. My trip in October is MAKING THIS DREAM COME TRUE.

  

  I did go last year JUST as they were setting up, but didn’t get to see it fully done.

  9. Starting today…I am going to try my damnedest to stay away from added sugars. That toxin is EVERYWHERE and I am straight addicted. Fruit is the only exception. Wish me luck, detox is an ugly beast.

  10. I’m currently drinking a cup French press of my favorite coffee, which is calming my soul about ditching sugar. On the flip side, I’m thinking about how well a piece of dark chocolate would pair with this. Thank God for raw cacao.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Baking, Coffee, Confessions, Disneyland, Run, sugar, Vacation

• Unplugged

  Posted at 6:57 AM by Brittany, on January 5, 2015

  I’m back from my week long Arizonian adventure, and I was almost 100% absent from anything and everything blog related. I did read some posts each morning to accompany my coffee in order to make room for my breakfast, and I even posted one measly post, but the rest of my time was spent…away from my computer.

  

  In typical recap format, here’s a count up of a few things I did last week.

  One – trip to the theater. This show was FANTASTIC.

  

  Two – mountains climbed.

  

  

  

  Three – lovely bike rides. I rode a tandem bike for the first time. Scariest moment of the entire trip and I nearly lost my lunch out of fear, which could go two ways.

  I’ll let you use your imagination for that last sentence.

  

  

  Four – pots of coffee. I use a French press at home, but without this I brewed my morning coffee in a pot. I drank about four pots this trip which is 2x more than my normal coffee consumption. No regrets.

  

  This is not a pot of coffee, rather it is a coffee roaster I saw at the Phoenix airport. Random, and photo worthy.

  Five – days of running. Loved kicking off my half marathon training in the flat lands.

  

  Six – Marvel movies. Last year my family and I had a Harry Potter marathon and finished them all. This year we started watching Marvel movies. Not in order, so I still have more to watch, but I greatly enjoyed oogling Tom Hiddleston in Thor.

  

  Other honorable mentions

  • I ate the best $2 tacos I’ve ever had .

  

  • I was gifted 20 pounds of food for Christmas that took up two giant shopping bags. Including multiple grains and pastas. I got it all home.

  

  Kinda like this.

  • I got a new iPhone. Somuchfaster. I used it to snap multiple photos of the mountains on my flight home.

  

  

  Unplugging was great, and I’d like to give a shout out to my Arizona family for handling my “hanger” when it reared it’s ugly head. Similar to the Hulk in all those Marvel movies, I’m a different person when I get hungry.

  They handled me like a champ. Thanks guys.

  …and just like that, it’s back to school and work today. Happy Monday.

  Q: Favorite Marvel movie?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Arizona, Coffee, Explore, Running, Vacation, Vegan

• Brain Splurge with a Side of Fun Facts

  Posted at 6:43 AM by Brittany, on December 30, 2014

  Whole lotta random coming atcha in 3…2…1…

  – Christmas was great this year, calm and casual just the way I like it. I gifted my mom tickets to see one of my favorite artists, because he happens to be playing with the Seattle Symphony. I knew she would like the symphony, and I would like him. Win.

  

  Fun Fact: I’ve never been to a concert. Unless you count a local radio stations throw together of artists that I went to when I was 12 with my friend and her dad. All I remember is a light up pin and ear plugs. I’m not going to count that.– I escaped to the mountains on another solo hike last week. I decided waiting on other people wasn’t worth it, so off I went with my Mace and kitchen knife.

  

  Fun Fact: I LOVE the look of rustic, old, and tattered things. Buildings, cars, boats, you name it. I drove past that boat pictured above many times and finally stopped to take a picture. Look close and you’ll spy a chicken and a cow.– I have officially entered the world of plant based caramel sauce. I hesitate to say “vegan” because I do use honey, but it’s close enough folks. Here is is pictured with a recipe I plan to share later this week. I’m absolutely obsessed.

  

  Fun Fact: This recipe inspired me to start making more raw like treats.– I’m in Arizona until the 4th of January. Mountains no longer look the same as the above photo from my solo hike. Not a green tree in sight, just red red rocks.

  

  Entering desert land, last of the white mountains.

  

  Fun Fact: Sunshine is a drug, and I’m prepared to overdose.-I’ve started training for my next half marathon in March. Running in Arizona has been an ego boost of sorts. FLAT lands mean quicker paces. Busting out an average 9:20 pace after taking months off doesn’t happen in my area, much too hilly.

  

  Fun Fact: Arizona is having one of its coldest winters. Almost feels like home.

   Q: What’s your fun fact of the day?

  

  | 72 Comments Tagged Arizona, Fun fact, Half Marathon, Random, Run, Vacation

• What I Learned in LA

  Posted at 4:08 AM by Brittany, on September 18, 2014

  I’d like to dedicate this post to my homegirl Gigi, without her this post would not be possible. A fantastic host and friend, she drove me all over the place in order to satisfy my sweet tooth, and my Disney obsession. Mad love for you G. ❤ ❤

  Here’s what I learned on this trip to LA:

  1. Local coffee costs the amount of a small child’s root canal and despite being really cool, (personal pour overs that resemble a 9th grade science experiment, cool beans.) $5 for a drip coffee resulted in trips to Starbucks for the rest of my trip. $1.90 drip coffee is more like it.

  

  In all reality though the pourover I got from Coffee Commissary in West Hollywood was fantastic.

  2. Vegan and gluten free bakeries are just as abundant, if not more popular here than in Seattle. I felt right at home in this aspect. Breakaway Bakery takes the cake (pun very much intended) for my second favorite treats. The Bearded Lady will forever have my heart at the top.

  

  Java Chip Cookie, Maple Donut (OMG divine), Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie, and a Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcake. I wasn’t excited at all…

  

  Also delicious was Rising Hearts Bakery in Culver City. I balanced this bakery visit with a trip to Cafe Gratitude right before. I eat green so I can eat three desserts at once.

  

  Grain and Veggie Mix, Carrot Cupcake, Chocolate Whoopie Pie (UNREAL), and a Coconut Oatmeal Chai Creme Sandwich. Balance is bliss.

  3. Blog friends make the BEST friends. Never have I discovered such a perfect group of people to spend my time with. Gigi and I had such a great time together, and if stripping down for a couples massage upon first “meeting” in real life doesn’t scream best friends, I don’t know what does.

  Side note: my back is a wreck and I have knots for days. Help me, I pay in cookies.

  

  4. Starbucks green tea tastes better when consumed out of a Disney Parks cup. Real talk.

  

  5. The LA farmers market sells nut butters that are so good you will be willing to spend double on them in order to ship them to your house. I brought a carry on bag, and in order to avoid the possibility of the airport throwing my beloved jars away I mailed them to myself.

  

  Not my photo, because mine are still in transit from CA to WA. Patiently waiting for my fruit and nut spread AND pistachio butter. Yes..pistachio. Click this photo to visit the website!

  6. Disneyland is better when littered with pumpkins. I can’t think of anything better than combining two of my favorite things: Disneyland + fall/Halloween = pure bliss.

  Disneyland photo explosion in 3…2…1…

  

  

  Starbucks Mickey Cookies!

  

  CliffsNotes version of this post – I eat a lot of sugar (currently on a week long detox because…balance?), I love exploring new places through coffee and food, I open my mouth much too wide for photos much too often, Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, I’m obsessed with pumpkins, and I have the BEST friends a girl could ask for. Life is good.

  

  Q: What’s your favorite ride at Disneyland? If you haven’t been, please tell me why. 

  

  | 69 Comments Tagged Bloggers, California, Coffee, Disneyland, Starbucks, Vacation, Vegan

• Post Vacation Blues

  Posted at 9:40 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2014

  I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of an aircraft to take me from a place that looks like this..

  

  Brown, dry land.

  To this..

  

  Green, snow-capped land.

  Airplanes are fascinating, but that is beside the point of this post. Despite the wonder that was the fog line on the evergreen trees upon my arrival in Washington, this post is dedicated to some of the amazing adventures I encountered while away in Arizona.

  

  This will never get old. Fog laying on the tree line is my favorite.

  One blogger meet up. I met up with a fellow plant based blogger and had a lovely time talking blogs, food, life, and of course…coffee. =)

  Two big decisions. I researched and purchased my first DSLR camera and it should arrive in my arms sometime this week. I also set up my 401K..boom, big girl pants ON.

  Three  mountains climbed. Self explanatory.

  

  Four trips to Sprouts…in less than a week. We don’t have one in Washington!

  Five toppings on my grilled pizza. Spinach, pineapple, potatoes, rosemary, & brussels sprouts. It’s January and I was able to stand outside by the grill in shorts/tank top.

  

  Six packs of sugar in my dads coffee. I was one proud daughter when my dad attempted to get away from Splenda after I told him real sugar was “better” (your body recognizes real sugar and can properly digest it, fake sugar..not so much), however we need to figure something else out because six packs of sugar for one small cup of coffee is not good!

  This article breaks it down perfectly. I’m just happy he tried..baby steps. Love you dad!

  Seven family members attending The Sound of Music together.

  

  

  This is why I bought a DSLR..this quality is horrific.
  

  Eight Harry Potter movies watched. After a complete HP marathon, I have finally seen EVERY movie and after the last one ended I felt a piece of my soul die. I’m still recovering.

  

  Nine *plus six* miles run with my Garmin. Gary held out for 15 miles of casual running.

  Ten days without my retainers. If you know me, you’ll know I wear my teeth huggers EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. Very rarely do I miss a night, and when I discovered I left my retainers on my bathroom sink in Washington I was DISTRAUGHT! Convinced my teeth were being shifted by tiny gnomes every night, I was so happy to be reunited with them.

  Until next time Arizona, keep it classy.

  Q: What was the last vacation you went on??

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Adventure, Arizona, Family, Hiking, Random, Running, Vacation, Vegan

• Home Again

  Posted at 9:38 AM by Brittany, on January 11, 2013

  My trip to Arizona was a short but sweet ten days. I had a lot of fun with family, running, eating, and adventuring. I rode on a train, I ran on new streets, and I tasted my first Moscato. For the things I haven’t mentioned, here are some bullet points for easy viewing.

  • I watched horses dance like people. 
  • I ate garden grown spinach the size of my hand.

  

  • I ran 26 miles in unknown flat land. The best part about running in Arizona is the lack of hills. It felt like a vacation from running too.
  • I tried new food.

  

  • I ate at Pei Wei.

  

  • I watched a new blogger blossom. My younger brother has started a blog, and I had a blast being around to watch him write a post.
  • I had awesome family time.

  I’ve been home for five days, and am missing the flat roads of Arizona. Running on hills is supposed to make you a better runner..right? It’s good to be home.

  By the way, I have become completely engrossed by Instagram. I think the only bandwagon I just can’t get on is Twitter. At the rate I am going I will have a Twitter by the end of the year. Ugh. 
  

  Q: Do you have all the bells and whistles of social media? I just can’t do it..

  

  | 41 Comments Tagged Arizona, Cats, Food, Instagram, New food, Running, Vacation, Vegan

• 

• 

• Search for:
• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.

• If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

• ¿Quieres Más?

  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

  Email Address:

  Follow the adventure

  Join 4,725 other subscribers
• 

•