Five Joys

Happiness is there for the taking--and making.

--Oprah

I got to explore a state park in Florida! The trees, vegetation... it was all so different than Oregon. Plus, those signs to stay away from the alligators!

Toes in sugary white sand, enough said? :)

There is something overwhelmingly joyful about being close to the ocean. This is the Gulf off Siesta Key in Florida.

Yes, the Magic Kingdom gives me joy. I got the excited tingles just driving through the parking gate at Disneyworld. Also, how pretty is that castle? 

Sprinkles cupcake for breakfast? If you know me... you know I love Sprinkles.

You can see from the photos above, my joyful moments surrounded a trip to Florida to hangout with an awesome, supportive group of women I met online through MoneyTalks. Travel most definitely brings me joy. There is something about exploring a new place or re-visiting old stomping grounds that is so healthy. It's important to get out of your routine and travel is a great way to do this. Also, friendships are so important. Trust me, I understand people can be frustrating, but it's very important to have a community of people to connect with--find that wherever you can. 

I wish you the very best week with lots of joyful moments! Share one of your joys in the comments.

Photo: Becky Adams

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Bauman's Harvest Festival in Gervais, Oregon

If you love fall or Halloween, Bauman's Harvest Festival is a must-do. It's a short drive from the Portland Metro area near Woodburn. The festival is open until October 31 so you still have a couple more weeks to check it out.

The Bauman family started farming back in 1894 and continues to do so today. They welcome you to the farm during their harvest festival and it's a pretty epic event. It's definitely the best harvest festival that I've ever visited.

There are plenty of activities to keep you busy! This is really just a partial list. You can get in for $5 or upgrade to an unlimited activity wristband for $12. We went with the wristband which included a dark maze, kids maze and corn maze--we did them all. If you have kiddos, you could make even better use the wristband.

Bauman farms is huge. There is plenty to keep you busy for a full day or half day.

A couple bloggers from Blog to Taste--Warren and Holly--and I enjoyed the festivities along with a giant pumpkin drop.

Last year, Warren and I stumbled upon the Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off. It was amazing and we were hooked! There is an entire community devoted to growing giant pumpkins. They share seeds, go to meetings... it could be reality TV show, well maybe. This year we even set a new world record with this giant squash! See a new world record happen? Check. Also, the giant squashes are still on display for the next couple weeks.

There is fun Halloween decor everywhere. Be sure to bring your camera for photo ops.

The Dark Maze is my favorite. It's a fun twist on the usual maze because it's in almost pitch black! Don't cheat--it's way more fun in the dark.

Stop by and see the petting zoo. If you bring quarters, you can buy some food to feed to the animals. I always love a petting zoo.

Take a stroll through a full size corn maze. It's a short walk or even better take the hayride to the corn maze. We got through amazingly quick this year, but if you make wrong turns it can take you a while.

The corn maze is right by the pumpkin patch! This was so fun. There is something awesome about picking out your pumpkin in a patch. I got a collection of tiny pumpkins (and gourds) that I love.

Finally, don't forget to stop in the adorable country store. The sell fresh apple cider donuts--a crowd favorite along with tons of other goodies and amazing zucchini bread. I was disappointed the zucchini bread was sold out this time.

Have you ever visited Bauman's Harvest Festival? What did you think? Do you have a favorite harvest festival to attend?

12989 Howell Prairie Rd NE, Gervais, OR 97026

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Greece Vlog

I recently traveled to Greece. From Athens to the Greek islands Crete and Santorini. This vlog gives you the first glimpse into my travels. I also plan on doing some in-depth blogging...coming soon! Have a great day.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://goo.gl/d1N4ZH
Music: Fly - Fransis Derelle (Feat. Parker Pohill)

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Meriwether's Restaurant in Portland, Oregon

I headed to brunch recently, a favorite weekend pastime with Warren and Holly. We went to Meriwether's Restaurant, which is in NW Portland in the industrial area. It's quite close to the NW 23rd area in Portland, but it's a little easier to find parking. The restaurant is super cute and so pretty. Meriwether's is located in a historic building that remains mostly unchanged since the 1920s. It reminds me a little bit of a fairy tale. We sat in the sunken patio, which is covered and absolutely beautiful decorated with a fountain and intricate birdhouse. 

2601 NW Vaughn St. Portland, OR 97210

fried chicken & waffle

The best thing about this restaurant is that they take reservations! If you've tried to go to brunch on a Saturday morning in Portland, you know how crazy the lines can be. A reservation can help make brunch simple and nice and you can even make it online. The whole point is to enjoy good food with your friends anyway, right? The service at Meriwether's was okay. Everyone was really friendly, but our server was busy (i.e. waters could have been refilled). The food arrived quickly after we placed our order. I had the fried chicken & waffle served with apple compote and glazed pecans for $18. It was most definitely tasty. I thought the waffle could use some butter to balance out the sweet unique syrup and delicious apple compote. The chicken was dark meat--crispy and delicious. If you want to order this selection, go hungry! Overall, I would give the food high marks, but it's not life changing. My friends had the skillet dutch baby and biscuit & gravy, which they gave their thumbs up approval. Have you been to Meriwether's? What did you think? I think it would be fun to go back for dinner sometime.

I'm going to be doing a few different types of posts in this section. It might include restaurant reviews or blog posts about my travels. Most of my blog posts will still primarily focus on style and beauty, but I wanted to add this section so there is a place to include some different posts too. Especially, since I'll be going to Greece this summer and I definitely want to blog about that experience. 

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