Holiday Gift Guide 2015 | PDX Edition

2015 PDX Gift Guide

When it comes to holiday shopping we are pretty minimalist with our gift giving. We like to focus on gifting things that are of high quality, locally purchased and fit one of our categories: wear, want, read, create plus stockings (you can read more about that here). We have recently started doing a bit of holiday shopping and here are a few things that I have picked up from various shops around Portland. A few items for us an a few gifts to give to family and friends.2015 Portland Gift Guide

1. Fermenting Weight ($10) from Portland Homestead Supply.  If you are around Neil or I long enough we are bound to bring up Portland Homestead Supply. It is one our favorite shops in Portland and is filled with all sorts of things for DIYing at home from making soaps, lip balm, and candles to fermenting and preserving. Plus if you have little ones there are a few cute goats and chickens out back that you can visit; a weekly occurrence for our family. As for this item Neil actually purchased it for himself. This fermenting weight is perfect for anyone who is looking to get into fermenting. Pair it with a nice wide mouth jar, a lid and air lock and you have the perfect gift. 

2. Molly Muriel Lip Balm ($4), find at the Molly Muriel store front in Milwaukie, OR or at various shops around Portland. This lip balm is fantastic and it is made locally here in Portland. It would make the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone on your list. Molly Muriel also has a variety of other skincare products and some pretty amazing smelling candles. 

3. Folding Ruler ($10) found at Schoolhouse ElectricSo I’ll be honest this is the most exiting item you can find at Schoolhouse Electric but I still love it and think it makes a really great gift. Schoolhouse Electric is a beautiful shop and is filled with something for everyone. You won’t have a hard time finding something there. Personally I wish I just lived there. 

4. Portland Bridge Magnets ($10) from April BlackWe came across April Black at the Portland Night Market and just fell in love with her art work. We ended up picking up two sets of magnets and some cards to gift this Christmas. I’m wishing we had picked up a few things for ourselves as well but alas we didn’t so I’ll have to make an order sometime soon to get a few of her beautiful prints. 

5. I love Books Pin ($3-5) found at TildeI can’t remember who this pin is by but it was one of the things I picked up on a recent Tilde trip. Tilde is another one of my favorite shops in Portland. It is filled with beautiful locally made jewelry, beautiful candles, skincare, greeting cards, bags including Matt & Nat for my fellow vegans and so much more. We love to pick up gifts here. 

6. Soy Wax Candle ($15) from Wooly Beast Designs. I have known about Wooly Beast Designs for awhile because the owner was in a family meetup group I had a few years ago but it wasn’t until the Portland Night Market that I actually smelled any of her candles. Neil and I fell in love with The Bearded Man sent and we have been burning it for the last week. I am disappointed that I didn’t get in a Black Friday order to get a few more candles but I am still planning to pick up a few for friends and for myself. 

7. Seely Mint Patties ($8) found at Whole Foods. The Seely mint farm is located along the Columbia River on the way to Astoria. The Seely’s us mint oil they distill from their 450-acre mint farm to make these delicious patties. The patties are also gluten free and vegan so they would be perfect for most anyone on your holiday list.  I think they would make a perfect stocking stuffer.

As you can see there of great shops and products here in Portland. What are some of your favorite local Portland shops and/or products? Any local products that I should add to my gift giving list?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in anyway. I purchased all of the items with my own money with the exception of the box of Seely mints that was sent to me to sample. 

PDX Sites & Eats | Brunch at Harvest at The Bindery

We have wanted to go to Harvest at The Bindery since it opened at the beginning of this year.  But,  with our lack of date nights,  we just hadn’t been able to make it there for a date night dinner. I am not sure how long they have been doing brunch but we stumbled upon it by chance on Saturday. We were out and about Saturday late morning and decided that we should go out for brunch. After perusing Yelp, we saw that Harvest at The Bindery had brunch and Neil and I both squealed a little. Finally we were going to have our chance to give it a try without having to worry about getting a sitter. 

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We checked out the brunch menu and instantly wanted to order almost everything on the menu. If I could have justified the cost and had three or four stomachs I just might have. But, nevertheless, we only ordered a few things and they were all delicious. 

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We started off with the biscuit and jam. The biscuit, while a bit dense, was really tasty and the jam was housemade and delicious. Neil and I snagged a few bites but the kids devoured most of it.

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Neil and I also shared one of their spicy dilly bloody marys and it was easily the best bloody mary I have had in Portland. We followed this one up with the spicy smoky one to share as well and while it was good the dilly was so flavorful and refreshing and the pickled veggies were amazing.

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For one of our mains we shared the hazelnut french toast and it was incredible. There is something about french toast that is made with baguette that I just love. The chocolate hazelnut spread tasted better than nutella and that coconut cream on top was amazing.
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On the flip side we also chose one of the savory options, the benedict. For me the true test with a benedict is how good the hollandaise sauce is and in this case it did not disappoint. I was sold just based on that. The kale and the housemade seitan were fantastic. The only thing I didn’t love about the benedict was the butternut squash. I felt like it didn’t add a lot of flavor to the dish and roasted mushrooms or a slice of tomato would have been a better addition. 2015_11_14_HarvestatTheBindery-benny

I didn’t get a photo but we also had one of the herbs hasbrown casserole but compared to everything else it fell flat. It was mushy and bit bland. I wish it had been crispy on the outside but it was essentially a mashed potato patty.

Overall we loved Harvest at The Bindery. I would recommend ordering the french toast, the benny and a spicy bloody mary with the dilly mix. 

Now we just need to get a sitter so we can go on a dinner date there! 

Have you been to Harvest at the Bindery? What did you think? What is your favorite thing to order out for breakfast/brunch?

Celebrate the Summer Solstice 2015 | Portland, OR Edition

Summer officially starts this Sunday! Whose excited? I know I am, although I feel like summer has already started and that for some reason it already feels like it is flying by. Here are a few ways to get out and celebrate the Summer Solstice; which is at 9:39am on June 21, 2015 for those who live in PDX. 

Celebrate the Summer Solstice 2015 | Portland, OR Edition |  Athleta Porltnad

Looking for a fun way to kick of summer? If you are in Portland the Athleta at Brewery Blocks​ (and I think Althleta’s across the country – check your local store) is hosting a Summer Solstice event on Sunday 6/21 from 9-11am. Join instructor Jasmine Ziska for an invigorating sun salutations class celebrating the beginning of summer.  Greenleaf Juicing Company​ will be in house sampling fresh juices.  Since this is a special day for Dads, bring the kiddos and let them have fun at our Father’s day card making station while you take class! We are camping but are planning to stop in to join the fun and have Edith join in the card making. 

Celebrate the Summer Solstice 2015 | Portland, OR Edition

Once your done celebrating the Summer Solstice at Athleta grab your bike and head across the river to North Portland for the North Sunday Parkways. Enjoy 9.5 miles of care free (except local traffic) bliss as you bike, walk or roller blade around North Portland. Plan to stop for some free ice cream, a concert in the park or a jump in the bouncy castle or maybe a little disc golf or zumba. 

Celebrate the Summer Solstice 2015 | Portland, OR Edition

If yoga and biking aren’t your thing than just get out and spend some time in nature. You don’t need to live in Portland to do this but if you do why not head to Forest Park and explore the trails? There are so many beautiful trails and it’s the perfect way to celebrate the start of summer. Might I suggest starting at the Audubon Society and heading up the Wildwood Trail to Pittock Mansion for beautiful views and if you time it just right you just might be able to fit in a few sun salutations at 9:39am to ring in the Summer Solstice. 

Disclaimer: Athleta provided me with a free top and yoga mat in exchange for sharing their event. I think it’s a great event and was happy to share. All other events are ones I chose to share. I received no compensation for this post.