The Enchantments, located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington, is a hiker's paradise. The jagged peaks, Gatorade blue alpine lakes and other-worldly splendor draws crowds every year. It's a bucket list destination for many (myself included). This area is my favorite in all of Washington state - the North Cascades being a very close second.

To camp in the Enchantments, you need to secure a coveted permit, which can be obtained through a lottery system. There's a catch though! The lottery is exactly what it sounds like - thousands enter, and nearly everyone loses. I think I read somewhere (so don't quote me), the odds of scoring a core permit, which means you can camp anywhere throughout the Enchantments, is around 2%. That's not very good odds. Every year, the outdoor community holds their breath, and most of the time, we commiserate together. 

Then, the planning begins.

Since getting a permit is nearly impossible to get, many opt to still go, but they do an absolutely grueling through-hike. From start to finish, hike is more than 18 miles (I clocked 22 miles when I did it), and you'll gain around 4,500 feet in elevation if you start at Stuart Lake trailhead. It's worth it though! I would recommend doing this more popular route, Stuart to Snow Lake, because you'll save yourself some elevation. Personally, I also very much dislike the trail from Snow Lake to the core. 

After losing the lottery again and again, I decided (like many do) to just do it. So, I set out on my birthday last year in hopes of finally checking the Enchantments off my hiking bucket list. 

Was it amazing? Yes! Are there things I wish I would have known before going? Also, yes!

Here are a few things I wish I would have known before I went, so you don't make the same mistakes I did. 

When I was a little girl, I loved writing imaginative stories and whimsical (sometimes melancholy) poems. The vibrant, intricate worlds I created in my notebooks were a beautiful escape.  
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I dreamed about being an author. 

Wildflowers are blooming across hillsides; the sun is hanging longer in the sky; snow is melting in the high alpine; spring is a beautiful time of year to hike in the Pacific Northwest. if you're like me, you may consider spring a bridge season. It's always sad to hang up your skis and say goodbye to cold winter days hitting the slopes, and summer is still months away, with high elevation hikes still covered in snow. Spring is the time of year for waterfalls and low elevation hikes.

Here are a few of my favorite spring hikes around the Pacific Northwest. 

The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful wonderland. Just hours from Seattle, you can find winding switchbacks that lead to craggy peaks, pristine alpine lakes the color of sparkling gems, and meandering trails through lush forests blanketed in moss. Living here grants you access to hikes plucked from fairytales. 

​With so many trails to explore, you may be thinking, "where do I begin?" Well, don't worry, I have rounded up my favorite hikes in the Pacific Northwest just for you. 

Whether you're exploring the great outdoors, or you want to be cute and cozy in the pick-up line at school, I've linked some of my favorite winter Amazon finds. 

​Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining - spring has sprung in Seattle. It’s time to step outside and shake off those winter blues. To help sprout some inspiration, I’ve rounded up a few ideas for family outings. From farms to forests, fairs to florals, check out our list of fun, spring activities below. 

Do you ever wake up in the morning, walk into your closet and feel like you can't find anything to wear? I am right there with you. Most days, I stare absentmindedly at the clothes hanging haphazardly from their hangers trying to will an outfit idea to pop into my mind. That usually doesn't happen. What does is a pile of clothes strewn about my bedroom floor, much to my husband's chagrin.

To save our marriage (joking of course) and give myself more peace of mind, I've decided to endeavor on a mission to create a capsule wardrobe. I've been doing a lot of research, mostly scrolling aimlessly on Pinterest, and I've started curating a few key pieces. Where did I begin? Trousers! 

As a mom of three, I need clothes that can transition from work to play. They need to be comfy, and it's a huge bonus if they are also cute. That's one of the biggest reasons I love trousers. They are comfy, easy to dress up, look stylish, but they can also be dressed down with a pair of sneakers. 

So, what is a capsule wardrobe? It's a collection of items that can be mixed, matched and intermingled to create many different outfits from a few, carefully selected pieces. Rather than suffering from decision fatigue, capsule wardrobes help decrease the clutter in your closet, make styling outfits easier, and reduces waste. Theoretically, it can also save you money since you don't need as many trend pieces, but that remains to be seen given my spending habits recently.

Here are a few items I've picked up to start my wardrobe collection. Happy curating!

I love exploring the great outdoors with my kiddos. Seeing their faces light up with excitement when we hit the trails is one of my favorite things in the world. As a kid, I loved being outside, but Ohio didn't offer the towering mountain views, sweeping coastlines, vast old-growth forests and pristine alpine lakes the Pacific Northwest does. It's been such a joy meandering trails with my kids. It feels like I'm giving them an invaluable gift by fostering their imagination and allowing their adventurous spirits to blossom. Does that mean it's easy to get outside? Certainly not! But it's worth it. 

If trekking through the wilderness with your little ones in tow feels intimidating, that's okay. It was for me too. Planning a trip, packing all the gear, driving to the trailhead and then trouncing through the woods isn't always an easy feat. There is good news though. It's doable, and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

So, where do you begin? Here are a few tips and tricks.

I'm not going to lie; I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon. I love the convenience, ease of ordering, speedy shipping and the vast array of products only a click away, but there are also downsides. What do I hate? Impulse shopping! It's a serious problem.

If you're like me, you have spent hundreds of dollars adding products to your cart in hopes they will solve a problem - or you heard an influencer say it was the perfect dress and you opted in. Don't worry, we've all been there. 

Do I need another ceramic vase, faux tree or basic white tee? No. Will I buy them on Amazon if they are on sale? The likelihood is pretty high. What comes with buying a copious number of products all to be strewn about on my front porch much to my husband's chagrin? I'll give you a hint: it's not frugality. It's a keener eye for good products.  

Currently, Amazon's big spring sale is on, which means you can find hundreds of steals and deals a two-day shipment away. That's why I put together this post. Let's talk about which products I can't live without. If any of these things are currently in your cart - hit buy now!

These add-to-cart impulses are worthy of a splurge. 
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Don't let the title fool you; I care very, very much. I don't mean you should not care about anything. In fact, I would argue that you should care deeply - but you should choose those things thoughtfully. I care deeply about my family. I care deeply about my career. I care deeply about myself and fostering a relationship with the person I am, and who I want to become.

What I mean by care less, is that you can't care about all the things, for everyone, all the time. That Sisyphean task is pointless. It's exhausting and impossible, and it has taken me a long time to learn that lesson. I used to care about EVERYTHING. I cared what random people in the grocery store thought about me. I used to replay benign conversations over and over in my mind. I used to go out of my way to say yes to everything and every task. I used to apologize for things even when I wasn't at fault. I used to be afraid to try new things because I didn't want to fail or look like a novice.

I used to limit myself because of all the things I cared about. Eventually, I didn't want to care at all, and that didn't serve me or anyone else well. 

Today, I care, but I'm purposeful about the things I care about.

Should it matter if someone looks sidelong at me in the grocery store. No. I have no idea the struggles they are facing, and I can't control them. What I have control over is how I treat others. 

To worry about everyone and everything. That goal: to please everyone. It is unattainable. That woman, she is fictious. But most importantly, that woman shouldn't be the standard for what makes a woman good. 

I am trying to be unapologetically myself. I am setting more boundaries. I am speaking up when I feel uncomfortable. I am trying new things and immersing myself in activities that used to feel scary. 

I want to be someone my daughter wants to grow up to be. 

I want her to feel comfortable being herself. I want her to be goofy. I want her to be brave. I want her to face challenges with determination. I want her to stand up for herself. I want her to be proud of who she is. 

I want a million things for my daughter. And, I want those things for me too.