Baby it's Cold Outsid

It certainly hasn't felt like fall (or winter) here in Portland the past few weeks. Until these last few days, we had been having an Indian Summer with temperatures in the low 80s, so cold weather has been far from my mind..

The other day a friend posted a photo of herself in this amazing, printed "sleeping bag" like coat.
Given that I am ALWAYS cold, I had to know what it was and where she got it.

Say hello to the Poler Napsack. Katie actually posted on this product two years ago (here).

"The Napsack has zippers at the shoulders, so you can stick your arms out, and a cinch at the bottom so that you can open it up and stick your legs out. Hike it up to your waist, cinch it, and wear it like a puffy coat around the campfire, and then crawl right back into your tent without ever having to leave the warmth of your bag.

Perfect for summer trips, couch surfing, music festivals, jumping into after snowboarding, surfing or any other activity that brings your core temperature down. Its not too hot for inside and is awesome for wearing around the house in the winter.

The chest pocket fits a phone and has a pass through hole for your headphones to run internally, and it has pockets like a puffy jacket."

My friend ordered a small size and uses it just for wear, not for sleeping, so it comes slightly below her knees. I love the print, and I think I need one of these. It would be the perfect thing to keep me warm during the winter months. Because I am ALWAYS cold, and we live in a 1953 house and my husband likes to keep the heat much lower than I do. 

He says it's a "Snuggie" and that its ridiculous. Yes, so it's basically a Snuggie, but it's way cuter, and I totally want one.

C&C on the Move

This past weekend we packed up the car for a weekend of camping in Central Oregon. We knew that there were forest fires in the area, but we were hopeful that the winds would be in our favor.

Mt. Hood

Unfortunately, we drove over Mt. Hood and quickly realized that the winds WERE NOT in fact blowing in our favor. It was a tough decision, but after two hours in the car we decided to turn around.

This is the plume of smoke. We were still to the North of it. 

I mean, who wants to camp in an ash tray?

So, we decided to stay North of the smoke and camp on Mt. Hood. Well, that idea was good, in theory, but at 5:00 p.m. we found that campsite after campsite was full. Ughh!

So, nearly 5 hours after leaving the house we made the call....to head back home. What? Crazy, I know.

Thank goodness for popcorn and a movie

First we made a quick stop in Hood River to refuel and stretch our legs. It was by far the highlight of our day.

We dined right along the Columbia River at a great restaurant called Solstice, and right next door there happened to be the most amazing gelato stand called Cicci. I had the "Gorge Berry" and it was phenomenal. I could have gone back for seconds and thirds.

The Mini Fashionista enjoyed playing at the river park playground, and then we hit the road again.

Rock Climbing, her next sport

Eight hours and nearly a tank of gas later, we found ourselves back at home. Fear not, we still got our camping in. We pitched the tent in the backyard, made a fire, roasted some marshmallows and then went to bed. All three of us lasted the entire night in the tent!

We had to laugh at the whole thing....especially given that one of the Mini's favorite books, A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee, ends just as our camping adventure did.

For anyone with kids, I highly recommend this book as well as others by Chris Van Dusen. The Circus Ship is also one of our favorites.

A Camping We Will Go

We try to keep the blog focused on things related to fashion and style. However, as you know, there are times when we stray and update you on food, entertainment, and most frequently our personal lives. This past weekend my +1 and I took the Mini Fashionista on her first camping trip in central Oregon. I was a bit hesitant about taking a 15-month-old camping, but he really wanted to go, so off we went.

The car's all packed, and the Mini is ready to go!

Devil's Lake, our campsite.

The Mini Fashionista gives me a good "cheese" during a hike.

Hanging out at Elk Lake.

Evening at Devil's Lake

Her first ever S'mores...she had one bite of the graham cracker and that was about it!

All cozy!

There is nothing chic or fashionable about camping, but it sure can be a lot of fun...even with a baby!