Kara P.

  • Lavender: Love It or Eat It

    Lavender is one of those things that people love or hate. It took me awhile to appreciate it since I always associated the scent to the women’s restroom at the Elk’s Lodge my grandparents went to. But lavender is more than lotions and sachets. Below are a few books in our collection that contain some… Continue reading

  • Pregnancy During Pandemic

    The pandemic was a very odd time to be pregnant. All the ideas I had about community and gathering and connection was very different, but also in a way I didn’t have to share this time with anyone besides just my husband and I. I had a small bubble I could reach out to, I… Continue reading

  • Watch and Read: Stranger Things

    While I can honestly watch Stranger Things over and over and over again we have so much material that adds on to the Stranger Things universe to quench your nerdy hearts. As well as a few reads to give you the same feeling the show did – for all ages! The Stranger Things Field Guild… Continue reading

  • Rest and Retreat

    I know solitude seems like the opposite of what you want to do right now, but solitude with a purpose, such as rest, could be highly beneficial especially after this difficult year. There are also many forms of rest. Resting the mind for better sleep, retreating to rest and recharge, and finding solitude to create… Continue reading

  • Seattle Hygge

    This has been a year when I have found my sense of cozy vibes becoming more amplified in my home. Between nesting for the arrival of our child, working from home, and just settling in to the Pacific Northwest winter – cozy is front and center of all we do. New couch purchase means piling… Continue reading

  • Watch and Read: The Queen’s Gambit

    Just like with books, shows will also leave me wanting more. While The Queen’s Gambit is based on a book by Walter S. Tevis it’s also pretty darn popular right now, as anyone who has seen the show can probably imagine. So here are a few other diamonds in the rough to get you through…and… Continue reading

  • Tales (and Recipes) for a Winter’s Night

    Thanksgiving, Christmas, Yuletide, Winter Solstice – no matter the form it takes – tales and food so often play a part. Stories of memories, tales passed on from generation to generation, and recipes too following down the line from grandmother, to daughter, to granddaughter, to great-grandson. The ties that bind us during the holiday season… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Two Books by the Same Author

    Can’t believe this is our last Book Bingo square post! It’s definitely been an added challenge to stay focused. I’ve found with two books by the same author that you can go back to some of those authors you love. Re-read your favorite novel of theirs and grab one of theirs you haven’t read yet… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for June and July: Quarantine Edition

    I’ve been trying to stick with physical books while working from home, mostly from my bookshelves or from our local bookshop here in Tacoma. I did manage to snag an ebook with my library card from Overdrive that was a very quick read. Quarantine reading has been pretty slow going compared to my commute reading… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for May: Quarantine Edition

    My main form of reading on the bus was audio books, then that changed to long walks with a pair of earbuds, but as the weeks go on it’s been physical books on my shelf that have been getting more and more attention even though my reading habits have drastically slowed. Here’s what I read… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW: Published in the 1920s

    Book Bingo is taking us back in time to the 1920s! Books published in the 1920s made up most of my English curriculum and though it was often hard to love a book that was assigned, that century on its own has held a lot of fascination for me, especially now, a hundred years later.… Continue reading

  • Slowing Down

    For me March was always the kick off to camping season. Finding a cabin early in the season then in April heading to our family campsite on the Olympic Peninsula for opening day of fishing; May and June to Eastern Washington before it gets too hot and that itch to go and explore is still… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for April: Quarantine Edition

    I’ve found that commuting by bus gave me a lot more time to focus on my reading and being at home creates so many more distractions, I have less time to focus on a book in my hand. My few little escapes to walk the neighborhood have really been the only time I can slow… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2020: Uplifting

    What better way to announce Book Bingo 2020 then with a teaser square?! Not to mention a square that is much needed. Here are a few books to get you started on completing your Uplifting square! And keep an eye out for the full downloadable card in early May.   We have to start with… Continue reading

  • Bus Reads for March: Quarantine Edition

    Commuting to Seattle by bus five days a week gives me a lot of reading time, but in the world of quarantine being home does too! Here’s what I read at home in March: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman. Sad and beautiful. I tend to shy away from any books that have… Continue reading

  • Move That Body

    One of the things I noticed the most about being home the first few days of self-isolation was my lack of movement. With gyms and some parks and playgrounds closed, and with more people sheltering in place, innovation began to occur. My local yoga studio started doing free yoga classes online via YouTube. Talking to… Continue reading

  • Kanopy Has You Covered

    Kanopy is a library-provided movie app I have on many devices. I have it on my phone, Apple TV, and our iPad, but it’s not an app I’ve used very often… until now. One of the things I enjoy the most about Kanopy is what it offers breaks me out of my comfort zone. Kanopy… Continue reading

  • St. Patrick’s Day and Chill

    This St. Patrick’s Day we may find ourselves hunkering down with a movie and drinking at home. That made me think of some of my favorite films over the years that I’ve watched around this time of year. My absolute favorite when I was a kid was Darby O’Gill and the Little People. My godmother… Continue reading