Sunshine Always Wins + Kate Spade Giveaway!

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do you ever have those weekends when you feel like it’s going to be super productive and you’re going to get so much accomplished and then…nope? that was my weekend to some extent. i will say that my husband and i (along with our besties) spent a few hours volunteering in vancouver with a great non-profit friends of trees!

for those that don’t live in the pacific northwest, downtown portland, oregon is only about a 20 minute drive into vancouver, washington. i know…geography is a crazy thing because it blew my mind at first too. also, it’s totally supposed to still be raining for forever in our neck of the woods but something about global warming?

see that little tree? our team planted it (along with 7 others) into the earth and it was pretty nifty.

blogs for wives chelsea avery

i even got to pound the stakes into the ground of this baby magnolia tree and i felt like a beast. i’m sliding some sort of metal-weight-pusher-thing onto the stake to help it drive into the ground. obviously you can tell i was really listening during training.

you best believe i will be creepily driving to vancouver every few months to see how this little guy is growing. maybe i’ll read to it, i’m not sure yet.

blogs for wives hard hat work

after planting trees like mother nature in the glorious sunshine (while the east coast and my family in colorado were dumped on with snow), i had high hopes of working the rest of the day but instead got pulled down deep into the world of organizing my pinterest boards.

my friend alison told me about pinterest when it was this brand new thing and it hadn’t become part of mainstream media (i’m telling you this like i bragged to the kids in the hallway of high school about obscure ‘shows/concerts’ i saw that were totally underground and it made me feel real cool).

well, we became obsessed with pinterest, to say the least. i’m talking like i would stay up late after my husband went to bed and pin all of these amazing and ridiculous realistic things i would do in the kitchen (i rarely cook), our home (we rent), and DIY crafts (i don’t own a glue gun anymore but i do like crafts).

i needed an intervention so i’ve stayed away from pinterest for the past few years. however, since i’m officially 28 with lots of things i know for sure, i realized it’s time to slowly get back into it so let’s be friends on there and we can compare recipes and DIY headboards!

Visit the new wifestyle’s profile on Pinterest.

yesterday i sat in my office and looked out the window, while the sunshine beckoned for me to bask in it. i told my husband “i’m going to go work outside!” and sat on my anniversary gift. i spent the next 47 minutes squinting to attempt to see my laptop with my jeans rolled up and my shoulders exposed to the sun for the first time in months. blogs for wives portland needless to say, the sun won, i called it ‘self-care’ and drank it in. that’s what mondays are for…getting back to work and getting back on track!

with that, i will put it out into the world on this fine monday that i will write 5,000 words for the next chapter of my e-book guide (exciting things to come) this week!

maybe you’re still not really into monday and you’d rather be shopping around for your next kate spade item?!

you’re in luck… i have teamed up with 9 other amazing bloggers to bring you a chance to win $125 to kate spade (or paypal money if you so choose!) enter in the rafflecopter below!

questions:
1) favorite thing about your weekend?
2) tell me one of your big goals on the horizon?
3) have you ever planted a tree before? (i have because my dad got his degree in landscape architecture so best believe that yard is impeccably landscaped!)

 

 

 

 

 

Aileen ~ Aileen Barker // Alison ~ Puppies & Pretties // Kaelene ~ Unlocking Kiki  // John ~ Shout John // Helene ~ Helene in Between

 

 

12 Comments

  1. Shelby

    February 23, 2015 at 7:42 am

    I very vividly remember planting a tree in elementary school for Earth Day…or as a class present.. I don’t know I was like 8. But I do remember throwing dirt in the ground and touching a shovel.

    I’m going to pretend this counts as planting a tree.

  2. Amanda Wood

    February 23, 2015 at 8:21 am

    And now I will call you the creepy tree mom.
    Amanda Wood recently posted…9 Things You Definitely Should NOT Give Up For Lent

    • chelsea

      February 23, 2015 at 8:28 am

      that seems fair and accurate amanda. i shall respond. ha!

  3. Paula Howley

    February 23, 2015 at 9:27 am

    Man, I had an awesome weekend. We are getting the same freaky sunny weather here and the cherry trees and daffodils are blooming. Saturday my daughter’s soccer team played the dreaded “Cherry Bombs” and managed to tie them with an exciting game. The REF actually gave me a warning! I am VERY vocal at games, but always encouraging. I’m not one of those crazy hockey parents. I was shouting “Come on girls! Be aggressive!” and he gave me heck for that!
    He goes “Hey- it’s U-10, take it easy.” I felt about 6 inches tall but I didn’t back down. I changed it to “Come one girls! Be assertive!” lol We’re trying to get girls to take ownership of their GAME here people! Probably wanted them all to sit down to tea instead of booting the ball. Anyway!!!
    In the afternoon, a newish friend of mine interviewed ME for my book- the LAST interview- and it took 2.5 hours. Holy cow. Talk about emotionally draining. Anyway, we really bonded over it and our kids all played together and had a blast.
    Sunday I went to the pool with Meg and played water basketball with her and she totally killed me at 21.
    I think my favourite part was my kid’s soccer game. Our whole family was there and the sun was shining and it was just glorious. They all played really hard too, and there is nothing like watching a little girl celebrate after scoring a goal.
    Geez, talk about long winded eh?
    Big goal- finish my book! Just transcribing and editing to go now!
    I’ve never planted a tree despite the fact that my husband is a landscaper. Our yard also looks like crap because we never get around to our own. I HAVE planted a rosemary bush however. Oh wait! I just remembered, we found a ‘helicopter seed’ that had a little shoot sticking out of it a couple of springs ago so we DID plant that little maple and it is in a pot on my deck getting taller and even BUDDING right now and eventually when it is strong enough, we’ll put that puppy in the ground.

    • chelsea

      February 23, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      hahah i cannot believe the ref got after you, paula!!!! i have a hilarious mental picture of this and i’m glad you stuck to your guns and kept encouraging them! sounds like a glorious time all together and that makes my heart happy for yours.

      well done on finishing the last interview for your book-how spectacular! i cannot wait to see the finished product and i’m already in line to get a copy 🙂 really well done, you are inspiring me!

      also good to know that those little ‘helicopter seeds’ actually sprout-how fun.

  4. Audrey

    February 23, 2015 at 11:22 am

    I wish Ohio had some warm weather! At least we’ve got a sun today! And I love being productive, but lazy weekends (especially Sundays) are the best!

    My husband and I planted a tree on my parents’ farm for our first anniversary last year and we plan to take a picture with it every year to chart its growth AND our growth as a family!
    Audrey recently posted…I Love Sundays

    • chelsea

      February 23, 2015 at 2:36 pm

      that is THE sweetest thing ever, audrey to plant a tee on your parents’ farm for your first anniversary! i really love that metaphor for growth together. i’m swooning. glad you have sun today-hip hip hoooray!

  5. Vivien

    February 23, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    My friend and I went ziplining! Never went before so it was new experience all around (and I’m almost sure I got a bit of whiplash as today my neck is stiff) but I would do it again in a heartbeat…once my neck feels better. We ziplined to a gorgeous sunset too, but I didn’t take too many pictures as I didn’t trust myself to keep a grip on my camera at ridiculous heights.

    When I first read you and Ryan went to Vancouver to plant trees I thought Vancouver, BC, haha! But mind blown it is only a 20 minute drive?! It feels WAY further than that!
    Vivien recently posted…Speaker’s Showcase: The Morning After

    • chelsea

      February 23, 2015 at 2:39 pm

      that is TOTALLY cool about ziplining, vivien! i’ve never been before (mostly because it looks terrifying). how amazing that you got to zip into the sunset! hope your neck feels better soon. hah yup, vancouver, WA is super close to us…but vancouver, BC-that’s another story 🙂

  6. Melissa C

    February 23, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Look at you planting trees! that’s great! 🙂 we had a lazy weekend, and it was wonderful!!
    Melissa C recently posted…Rambles on Exercising.

    • chelsea

      February 23, 2015 at 9:32 pm

      i felt pretty cool afterwards, melissa! glad you had a lazy and wonderful weekend wooohooo!