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General Porpoise

7:46 AM / BY aki!
I love doughnuts.  And I almost left the post at that, but there's not that much else that needs to be said, is there?  I especially love doughnuts by General Porpoise, which are light, sweet, soft and sugary. They specialize in custard filled doughnuts that I crave without fail, every time I think about them.  If I'm being super extra, I have it with a mimosa.  General Porpoise has several locations in the greater Seattle...

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Camping at Kalaloch Beach

7:00 AM / BY aki!
I'm not sure why I like to travel to cold places during cold times. I think I always have the best intentions, but never get around to actually planning a trip until June or July. Then I can't ever go on the trip until after August. But long story short, I visited Kalaloch Beach near the end of August when it was already frigid cold at night. I've heard that it's warmer here during the...

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Q1 and Q2 Goals Reflection

8:00 AM / BY aki!
And just like that, half of 2019 is over and we are well on our way to another decade. I started the year with a few well defined monthly goals which quickly devolved into one undefined goal.  January  I had left my last job in the last two weeks of January and had two weeks of a break. During this time, I wanted to relax, write up some blog posts, and train my new dog....

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Spring Reads

9:04 AM / BY aki!
I'm surprisingly still going strong on my reading kick. There's something about only having 2 weeks to finish a book from the library that actually makes me finish that book. Or... you know, finish it the literal day before it's due. But hey, that still counts!  Why Not Me, by Mindy Kaling  This is Mindy Kaling's second book, and it's a collection of personal essays about her life. I originally wanted to read her first...

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Duza's Kitchen

9:00 AM / BY aki!
When I went back to Phoenix over the winter holidays, I knew I wanted to go to brunch at Duza's Kitchen. I had read it was an up and coming brunch place in the cutest neighborhood - the Coronado neighborhood, by Central Phoenix.  When I got there, the food didn't disappoint. Though the wait time in the restaurant was a bit longer than I'd like, we did go during a fairly busy morning.  My french...

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Q1 Purchases

7:00 AM / BY aki!
In line with so many minimalism authors and some of my favorite youtubers, I wanted to keep track of what I purchased, and how often I used it. To see more about my minimalism journey, read here. I don't include food on this list, because I go through a lot of food and it's a split expense in my family. This also doesn't include all the dog toys, of which we have... a lot. Lastly,...

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First Time in Portland

7:00 AM / BY aki!
This March, I went to Portland for the first time. Learning my lesson from staying in expensive cool hotels, I opted for a Marriott hotel downtown. It was clean, comfortable and in the middle of downtown.  Since it was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, I didn't have a set itinerary, but I knew I wanted brunch. I didn't have to walk far! Imperial looked like a trendy bar located just a block from my...

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Rattlesnake Ridge Hike

7:43 AM / BY aki!
Rattlesnake Ridge is on the east side of Issaquah, about an hour east from Seattle. I'd say the hike is medium difficulty. It's not too long at 2.5 miles, but it consisted almost of all uphill switchbacks. I thought about giving up several times before reaching the top. But with views like this before reaching the top, I knew I was in store for a breathtaking view.  And I wasn't wrong. The view of the...

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Another KonMari Post

7:00 AM / BY aki!
I feel like at this point, you've either fully embraced Marie Kondo, or, are completely sick of her and her related content. But before you click out... I'm not rehashing her basic lessons, or taking issue with her popularity, but exploring the "spark joy" concept further.  If you're not familiar, Marie Kondo is the best selling author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and the star of the Netflix show Tidying Up with...

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Il Corvo - Pasta in Downtown Seattle

7:20 AM / BY aki!
Il Corvo is a fabulous pasta joint in Downtown Seattle. It's near Pioneer Square, at every day at lunch time, the line is out the door by 11:45.  I worked right by this joint, but I didn't find a good time to visit until lately, when I popped in right before it closed. And now I understand why people wait in lines. This pasta is truly delicious.  I've had a lot of dried pasta in...

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Winter Reads - Mystery and Memoirs

7:00 AM / BY aki!
via weheartit It's been snowing in the Seattle area, and the roads are closed and the walkways are slippery. I've been entertaining myself by reading...   The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie  As many of you may know, I absolutely love mystery stories. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie in my line, but I've always found her works delightful. After so many years of mysteries, the start of this story isn't original anymore. There...

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Don't Call it a Comeback

7:00 AM / BY aki!
This blog is almost 10 years old and something I started in college. So it's desperately needing a refresh. But what makes now a good time to do a refresh?  So I'm looking through a lot of my blog posts from 10 years ago, and it's easy to tell how the camera quality has improved over time. Some of my pictures from back in the day straight up look like crime scene photographs. I didn't...

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