A Runner's View In The Couve

"A runner's view" is just generally speaking. I'm not so sure I'd call myself a "runner" anymore though. If you want me to run 10 miles with you, I'll do it. However, I'm not running 10 miles often or frequently keeping up my mileage for anything in particular. And I kinda like it that way. In fact, I think I may have out ran myself in my early 20s, put in enough training for marathons, half marathons, short races, and racing against my own time. They were good days and now, I just take them as they come. It's what happens when you get old and achy ;-)

The few things that get me out on runs these days are these...

1. my friend Laura who can easily talk me into really long runs, 

although I'm really not too hard to convince!

2. days that are not super windy or down pours. Sun, light rain, & cold days, sure. 

But the rest, nah.

3. and views such as these:

-1/2 mile north of our house, the view of St. Helens.

(which apparently looks like just a cloud here, but I was not going to wait around for a perfect photo)

-another 1/2 mile west, the view of Vancouver Lake.

-3/4 of a mile east, the view of Mt. Hood.

-about 2 miles south, the Columbia River (and another view of Mt. Hood on a clear day).

Not bad, right? Vancouver needs a little extra credit for being kinda cool, so there you have it!

Come to the Couve for a mini tour around downtown & uptown on foot and get all sorts 

of views in various directions.

And on that note, do I dare get out  for a run right now?

♥

DIY Outdoor Lounger

I had this vision of a giant lounger for the fire pit area when we first moved in. All I knew was that I wanted a large piece of furniture either several people share or a couple people could lay on it. I called it a lounger because I have no idea what else to call it. It's almost like a couch, but there's no back to it since we put it up against the side of the garage. And it's almost like a bed since I did use a twin mattress pad for the cushion, but I didn't want to call it a bed. Instead, I called it a lounger because it's not a couch and it's not a bed. Fair enough?

I envisioned pallets stacked on top of each other, somehow having armrests on there, and some wheels on it so we could move it if we ever decide the firepit area needs to be elsewhere. Then we'd put a nice cushion and pillows on it to give it that comfy feel. With no idea of how to put it together and my poor explaining of "my idea," we somehow managed to pull something together. Check out our DIY lounger and how we scraped it together to make it work!

DIY Backyard Lounger

6 pallets (3'x4' -ish)

6 swivel caster wheels (your choice in size, we chose a medium size)

2 locking/swivel caster wheels (again, your choice in size)

scrap wood (mostly 1"x6" cedar plank fencing, taken down to 4")

nail/brad gun

nails/brads

stain

1 twin mattress pad

1 piece of scrap plywood (cut down to size of mattress pad)

enough fabric to cover the size of your mattress pad/plywood (you can make a slip-like cover for it or get just enough to wrapped around the nail to the other side of the plywood)

pillows (ikea/used and washed)

fabric to cover pillows

The How To

Step 1:

place casters on bottom pallets. Four on each pallet with the two locking wheels on the front far right and front far left of the lounger.

Step 2:

stack all of your pallets, three high and side by side 

(so two pallets added onto each of the wheeled pallets)

Step 3:

if you haven't cut your cedar planks down to 4", do it now. If you have, proceed to step 4.

Step 4:

begin placing the cedar planks around the stacked pallets, nailing them into the pallet boards securely.

Step 5:

build your armrests, one on each end. (from my perspective, it looked like making a box but what do I know. I can't find the dimensions of the armrests but essentially you want to build them a size in which your twin mattress pad will still fit and there won't be space between the pad and the armrests. You'll have to do the measuring, sorry!)

(hopefully this will at least give you an idea of what it looks like up close and in the process

if you decide to make the armrests, but like I said...sorry for no measurements at the moment!)

Step 6:

you can stain your finished product now or wait until another day. 

You choose.

Step 7:

cut your piece of plywood if you haven't yet. This is where you can decide if you want to make a slip cover for your mattress pad or in my case (I obviously didn't want to), so we wrapped the fabric around the mattress pad evenly and nailed it into the other side of the plywood.

Step 8:

make pillow covers for your pillows. If you don't know how to, Google it or find someone 

who can make them for you. Either will do.

Step 9:

place your mattress pad and pillows on your now homemade backyard lounger, take a picture of your work, and show it off.

Step 10:

start a fire, toast some mallows or get toasted (either or is fine, we won't judge), and relax!

(for those of you who know us, we both will eat many, many more s'mores before we

ever reach for a drink. But for all our friends who enjoy a drink or more, our fire pit

area and lounger are meant for whatever you so wish to do with your time back there)

I have to give my husband and his dad lots of credit for building the main structure of the lounger, of course. However, an even bigger thanks to my mother-in-law for making the pillow covers for me 

in a pinch when we were getting ready for our party. Couldn't have turned into a lounger without the

work of the whole clan!

♡T&C

Beat The Heat, Have Fun In The Sun: Part 3

Your WOD...

10x
30 second handstand
30 second wall sit

Then do...

250 double unders
or 500 singles for all you newbies

So go do it. Like now.

Your local outdoor activity, again with options for both kids and adults:

1) pack your bikes and head to Sauvie's Island. Bike around, stop at stands for fresh fruit and/or veggies, or go to a U-pick. Don't forget a backpack or two for all your purchases!

2) pack a pair of good shoes to hike/walk in and take to the Warrior Rock Lighthouse trail. It's Oregon's oldest Fog Bell and smallest lighthouse. Then head back to your car and stop about any of the farms for fresh fruit and veggies. Pick or don't pick, you decide.

Note:

please Google search Sauvie Island for times the u-picks and stands are open as well as info on the biking and hiking, depending on which you choose so you can be fully prepared.

Happy Sunday!
Soak it up before you all have to go back to work tomorrow ;-)

♥T&C

Beat The Heat, Have Fun In The Sun: Part 2

Your WOD for today...

100 burpees

1 mile run

5- 45 second holding planks with 30 seconds of rest in between
Ready, set, GO!

Your outdoor activity you're wondering about?? Well I've got two options for you.

1) Take the long path and hike Hamilton Mountain Loop (approximately 7.5 miles)
OR
2) Take the short hike to Pool of the Winds (about 2.2 miles), then head back to Portland
for the Puckfest on Belmont. Click the link below to check it out. And if you're not interested
in the brews, wander down to Dick's for some paleo lunch/dinner options and enjoy the shops
in and around the SE Portland area.

Puckerfest at Belmont Station

For Kids
If you have kids, Vancouver is having their Big Shindig Car Show today at 12pm on 12th and Main St.
If you've got a little guy or know of some who love cars, spread the word!

As always, enjoy yourself and keep cool. I don't want to run into any of you guys at the hospital or
I'll be concerned you didn't listen to me...drink water and/or the drinks I posted the other night, find some shade, and catch up on those naps. Stay out of the hospital. My only rule.
Have fun!

♡Cori Lou

Thanksgiving In Westport, WA

Many of you probably have no idea where Westport, WA is...but let me promise you that it is a 

cute little town you all need to visit! Aside from the beautiful views that surround the land, the beach, and the quaint beach town feel, our family has a great little restaurant (called The Blue Buoy) 

you need to stop in and check out! 

I got more obsessed with the town and its vibe that I ended up with way too many pictures of us 

in the scenery and skimped out on photos with all the family. Silly me! I will apologize ahead 

of time that you'll be over us by the end of this post. My bad. I'll at least show you a few of 

Westport before I give you the overload of Ty, me, Curt, Steve, Staci, & Ty and me.

At the end of the walkway, there's a great lookout tower...climb to the top and you've got one 

of the most amazing views on a clear day! Then have a photog hay day on the rocks because

as you can tell, we clearly did so ourselves.

Half Moon Bay

One quiet marina on Thanksgiving night...nothing but the ripples from the sea lions.

Goodnight Westport!

And then there comes the overload of the Cosby/Stanley/Savage crew.

  

Are you guys a band or something? This could be your album cover.

Please note the crashing wave behind us in the picture below...Steve you timed that out just right.

Credit to you and your skills.

And yes, this is also the same photo of us but please forget we're in the picture below

because I am trying to highlight the sunset. Definitely not highlighting us.

And PS-is that a bird in the photo? Steve, you did it again. 

Going and impressing us with your timing.

Ty posing while I'm attempting to do a pistol on the rocks in heels...or what

appears to look like taking a dump on the rocks. I'm promise that's not what I was doing.

And then to sum us up...

Best Dad in the world!

(No bias either)

Good ol Samantha dog above and the crazies below (Kira & Carter)

The Blue Buoy is where Pat and Gary have poured lots of time and energy into, but credit is due to 

all of their kids as well. The kids continue to help keep this place running on a day to day basis. If 

you ever happen to be in the area, you just may get lucky and get the chance to try out a piece of Jordyn's cheesecake...better than any cheesecake I've ever had in my life. That says something 

because I use to be queen of cheesecake and I sure know my cheesecakes!

Such neat pieces of decor to give it the real beach and marina feel! 

The whole competitive family trying to win a game of left, right, center...

And if you can get any more lucky, you may get to meet Erika, Emily, and Liam.

They are all the sweetest, most adorable kids you'll ever meet!

Thank you Pedersen and Snider families for having us up for Thanksgiving. What a treat

it was to do something so unique and much different than our norm of having a

turkey day at home! You have done an amazing job with The Blue Buoy

and we cannot wait to do it again!

♥The Stanleys, The Cosbys, The Savages, & The Hunters♥