Blissfulbritt
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  • Tag: Winter

    • Early Morning Confessions

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 20, 2017

      1. My skin has been an absolute troll this winter, but I cannot blame my largest organ alone for it’s rebellious ways. By avoiding sugar and grains I’ve been able to begin balancing out the dryness, along with some help from a superlative skin balm.

      I’ve also been doing weird things like blending carrots and broccoli and lathering it all over my face. Ain’t nobody got time for chemical laden face masks.

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      2. Two of my bathrooms are currently being renovated, leaving the showers in both of them inaccessible. I dabbled in the idea of not showering for a few days, but decided this was not the best approach for making friends. I’ve had to shower at the gym, which is fine, but I was not aware that they do not provide regular towels (they charge $2 – hard pass).

      Instead I gathered multiple mini towels to dry myself off because, free. 

      3. My hair has reached a length I quite enjoy. Showering at the gym is easy because I wash it maybe once a week and feel like I’m winning at life being able to do this. Also, I find my lazy eye to be prominent when I make the below face. No shame.

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      4. In my last post I mentioned how I was in my second to last semester of school. Well, things changed and I decided to adjust my schedule from full time to part time this semester. To help balance my stress out this was the right move. I have seven classes left, but I’m in no rush.

      5. I report with a heavy heart that my dear friend Gizmo is peacefully being sent onto his next adventure today. He has reached a time in his life where he is having multiple health issues and due to his age and suffering, his dad decided it was time to bring him to peace. I spent one final weekend with him last week, and am so thankful I was able to go on one more walk with him.

      We were still matching. Rest in peace my friend, you’ve brought much joy to my life even when you were too needy. What can I say, dogs love me.

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      6. Despite the above loss, I’ve been having the best week. This has been the kind of week where you spew happiness and positive vibes onto every one around you. Shout out to yoga, meditation, and avoiding grains and sugar.

      Ohh to have an autoimmune disorder. 🙂 

      7. I’ve been fascinated by frosted plants lately. The way the frost accentuates the life lines of leaves is like natures x-ray, helping the human eye get a glimpse of such a complex food making machine.

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      From my Instagram on the above photo: Today feels like an intensified October morning. The sun is shining bright, but frost cloaks over the land like a tight squeeze from your grandma. The cold air bites my face with a sharpness similar to well aged cheese, but without the fear of what’s to come in winter because winter is already here. The cold air today brings no angst like it might in October, just excitement for what’s to come in the spring. I can’t imagine living somewhere without all four seasons, I love it here.

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      8. I did some more planning for my Ireland trip this week. Aside from Clifs of Moher another outdoor highlight will be stepping foot onto Skellig Michael, an island off the southwest end of the country. Aka where Luke and Rey are in the final scene of The Force Awakens. I can’t, I just can’t.

      9. I got a new phone, which meant I needed a new phone case. This is in no way sponsored by Caseapp, I just legit love that I can take one of my own photos and put it on a case. I took a photo from this adventure and now whenever I look at my phone I am reminded of this weekend getaway.

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      10. Speaking of the above camping trip, the girl that convinced me to go that weekend, my tried and true hiking partner, has started a blog! I could not be more thrilled. Her first post chronicles an attempted camping trip to the Brothers, a twin peaked mountain in the Olympics.

      Her story telling is great, and I felt like I was with her on the adventure. My favorite line from her story is, “At 5:30pm, I rolled back over to face my dad. It was still raining and he was passing the time by sitting there with his reading glasses on, reading his bible. I began laughing hysterically. I had known his pack was heavy but now visible saw why. He had packed his whole room…”

      Go check it out, and give her some blogland love!

      Q: What’s your confession?

      brittany

      | 43 Comments Tagged Adventure, Early Morning Confessions, Gizmo, Hike, Ireland, Winter
    • S-NOOOOO

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on November 24, 2016

      My hiking adventures are coming to a stand still. Not permanently, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the snow and the white blanket of death is upon us.

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      He loved it. I did not. Snow was not expected when we ventured to the mountains last week, but neither was getting stuck in the mud. The weather was dreary, but that’s not enough to stop me from an adventure. The plan was to explore a new trail, but plans quickly changed.

      The gravel road to the planned trail head was in terrible condition. We’re talking multiple mini lake like potholes, and soft mushy earth. This spells disaster when driving a car not equipped for the mountains. Fear swept through my body the entire time we attempted to find the trail head, fear we wouldn’t get past the mini lakes, fear we would glissade in the soft earth losing control of the vehicle and plummeting down the narrow side of the mountain, and fear the car would get stuck.

      Then, the latter happened. 

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      After ten-ish minutes of heightened driving, the car got stuck in the mud. Momentary panic passed through our bodies, and after a few pedal to the metal attempts we were able to slip and slide out of the mud. We decided it was best to go to a trail we knew would be less sketch. With Jesus music blasting, and only a few external screams (with many, many internal screams) we made it back to the main road.

      Praise. 

      A tried and true trail, Mount Zion is not a difficult climb. 4.6 miles RT and a mere 1300′ gain, with the max elevation at 4274′. Typically I find that snow hits around 4500′ and above, but I stand corrected. Among all the snow was an abundance of Usnea, aka Old Man’s Beard. Known for its effects against certain bacterium, it can be used to fight sore throats, skin infections, inflammation, and more.

      So we ate some, because why not? 

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      and yet, he’s wearing shorts.

      Quick and to the point, this trail provided just the right amount of burn. The snow covered the top completely (more so than in these photos), but there was only about an inch. Nothing we couldn’t trudge through. Any higher in elevation and a change of shoes would have been necessary. I begrudgingly accepted that winter is here.

      One perk of winter – my Friday evening commute, which gives me the below view. 

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      We shall see how many more hikes I attempt above 4k’ this winter. Never say never.

      Q: Do you like snow? 

      brittany

      | 70 Comments Tagged Hike, Mount Zion, PNW, Winter
    • Going with the Flow

      Posted at 6:13 AM by Brittany, on December 2, 2014

      Sometimes unexpected things happen. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned how to (mostly) accept unplanned situations that arise. Case in point: last Saturday I had plans to see Mockingjay at 3:45, any later & I turn into a walking zombie. Come to find out the universe had alternate plans for me, and I noticed I had a flat tire.

      I knew my chances of making the 3:45 movie were impossible once the man at the tire shop told me it would take 3-4 hours to fix. This also happened to be the day of our first snow fall, and freezing temperatures causing every hermit and their moms to crawl out and prep for the winter season. To make matters worse my house lost power.

      My room was as dark as this brownie...darker even.

      My room was as dark as this brownie…darker even.

      No power means no heat.

      So there I was at home (thanks to my wonderful mother swooping me up from the tire shop) wearing enough layers to give a blubbered elephant seal a run for their money, with no car, and no movie. I was calm, collected, and OK with this unexpected change in plans. Why? Because I am the only person with the power to prevent negativity.

      Something like this, but inside, and with no bike.

      Layers like this, but inside, and with no bike.

      I chose optimism and spewed positive thoughts. I now have a fixed tire, and made it to the 6:30 movie (no zombie), which was fantastic by the way. It’s natural to be upset when things don’t go as planned, but choosing how to react is entirely up to you.

      Go with the flow, it requires less energy.

      Q: Who saw Mockingjay? Thoughts?

      b

      | 67 Comments Tagged Life, Random, Winter
    • No, I Don’t Even Lift

      Posted at 7:47 AM by Brittany, on November 15, 2014

      It’s cold. Not Midwest cold, but IT’S COLD!

      Elsa, is that you?

      Elsa, is that you?

      The drop in temps has resulted in any running being swapped out for spin classes and a Jillian Michaels DVD. I’m being a wuss and staying inside.

      I follow a good number of people on Instagram that lift weights. They are toned, tiny, and pack away a solid amount of “comfort foods.” I on the other hand lift nothing but my cats, and the occasional cookie to my mouth. After seeing bowls of nut butter cereal cookies with ice cream and so on, I decided to make my own version.

      I took my morning oats and jazzed them up a bit with some toppings.

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      Whole grain oats with pumpkin, cinnamon, a blob of peanut butter, and CINNAMON PUFFINS! How I’ve never experienced this cereal is beyond me, this is my new favorite breakfast combo. This is as crazy as I get though, the thought of eating Oreo’s everyday makes my brain go into a diabetic coma.

      No...no I do not.

      No…no I do not.

      I also lift 5lb bags of coffee daily, real talk.

      Speaking of coffee, I was so jazzed by a coffee tasting my coworker put together. I delegate one barista a week to do a coffee tasting with the crew in an attempt to broaden coffee knowledge. This barista took it to the next level and I was so proud.

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      He made a poster board, and bought VEGAN cinnamon donuts from a Seattle company to pair with Christmas Blend. I usually have to make my own treats for tastings, so this was a real treat having him buy something Brittany friendly.

      Terrible paragraph transition in 3…2..1…I discussed my love for curled up chips a few posts back and discovered many of you also enjoy the curled chips. I thought about how genius it would be to create an entire bag that was just curled chips.

      Well, Target stole my idea. Rude.

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      I “lifted” this entire bag to my face in less than 2 days. So good. Also good…

      This also finds its way into my morning oats sometimes.

      This also finds its way into my morning oats sometimes.

      Q: Is it cold yet where you are? Did I mention how excited I am to escape to Arizona next month!? GIVEMEHEAT

      atterned-n

      | 63 Comments Tagged Coffee, Nog, Starbucks, Vegan, Winter
    • Finding Beauty

      Posted at 6:25 AM by Brittany, on February 12, 2014

      I’m a snow hater. I think snow is gorgeous when it coats the mountains, or the trees near a cabin in the woods, but I hate when it blankets the streets near my house. I don’t know why, possibly because I’m too proud to ever call into work unless I am dying, and driving in the snow gives me premature hemorrhoids. That’s a joke, but you get the idea.

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      When it snows and I have to drive (OK so I never HAVE to) my knuckles grip the wheel so hard they match the snow. I am one of few in my clan of friends and family, because most people around me get just as excited about snow now as they did when they were 12.

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      When it snowed Sunday morning, my plans to go out were quickly changed. I got 2 minutes from my house and saw multiple cars in ditches, one sticking almost straight up.

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      You better believe I turned right around and planted my fanny back in the safety of my house. Then I grabbed my jacket, my boots, and my camera. Snow may irritate and scare me, but it sure is pretty. The perfect excuse for some photography.

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      This elementary school was the perfect spot to experiment with the ISO of my new camera. It’s like night and day (literally) with the different settings of light exposure.

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      I stumbled upon some old pallets sitting in a yard, and this turned out to be my favorite shot. I am a sucker for all things wood!

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      I had no where I had to be until 7 that night, so I made peace with the snow and enjoyed the beauty around my neighborhood. Until next time snow…this time you win.

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      Quite frankly though, I am ready for spring. My skin can’t handle any more of this dry air!

      Q: Do you like the snow?

      b

      | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Photography, Snow, Winter
    • Love/Hate Relationship

      Posted at 8:19 AM by Brittany, on December 2, 2011

      The transition from fall to winter is a beautifully painful one for me. Perhaps it is still too early for me to mention the word winter, but in my lovely state of Washington we experience the beginnings of winter a tad bit earlier than some of you more fortunate states.

      What is wrong with this photo?– Besides the fact that my brights are on, and I am taking a picture while going 46mph.. the thermometer reads 27 degrees. This painfully cold weather brings many good things. Such as frost on trees and flowers, providing for beautiful scenery and photography. 

      This also provides more excuses for tea breaks. 

      I’ve obviously had a hard time saying goodbye to Halloween, my favorite mug will be used year round regardless of the holiday. Plus I like pretending my cat is with me at all times. 

      Although this transition can be gorgeous, it is slightly painful for my limbs. A lot of this will be happening. 

      Thanks to my terrible blood circulation, I soak my mitts in hot water to assist the flow back towards my heart. As if this weren’t enough, I get terrible dry skin on my hands when the weather gets cold. This happens a lot..

      As much as I’d like to say that this is bird poo from a bird that ate too many beets, that is indeed blood due to the crack-age of my hand skin. I am hopeful this year because thanks to my beloved soap from TJ’s, my soft skin has been prolonged into the colder days. 

      This stuff is like liquid crack..for your skin. 

      There is one more thing that happens to many people that I can’t prevent. I must carry a ton of tissues with me in order to cope with this hindrance. 

      There are a few reasons as to why your nose runs when the weather is cold, but my favorite is the paralyzing of your nasal cilia. This cilia is in charge of containing your nasal liquids, but when it gets cold outside and you breathe that air in, the cilia becomes paralyzed..thus cannot do its duty of containing your liquids. Long story short..out comes the liquid for all to see. This picture does not do my nasal drippage justice..trust me that I leak like a broken faucet. 

      I do love bundling up and preparing for Christmas with a warm beverage and a snogging buddy…which is usually my cat. I live a very tough life. 

      Q: What do you love/hate about winter?

      | 19 Comments Tagged Cold, Dry skin, Frost, Runny nose, Trader Joes, Winter
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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