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A Long Weekend in Bend, OR

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I grew up spending a lot of summers in Sunriver, just outside of Bend, OR. It'd been awhile since I'd been back to the area, so Amanda and I took a road trip to explore Central Oregon. Here are some photos from the long weekend. 

First Ski Tour on Mount Rainier

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I was excited for my first ski tour on Mount Rainier this past Saturday. My friend Jaclyn was celebrating a birthday snowshoeing on the mountain, and I decide to try out my skin set-up. I just put Marker Baron bindings on my Salmon Rocker 2 122s. I got new Scarpa Maelstre RS boots and G3 skins. For snow safety, I picked up a Black Diamond/Pieps set-up and BCA Float 22 backpack. I really didn't need all of that gear, but it was nice to put it all on and figure things out in a low-risk environment.

All that gear made for a slower climb due to the weight of the skis and loaded backpack, but I obviously had a faster descent than snowshoeing! The snow was nice and powdery, which made for some tasty turns.

I loved the work-out, and it was a great way to get on skis for the first time this season.

#HeySwansons: Christmas Tree Shopping at Swanson's Nursery

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This post is sponsored by Swanson's Nursery. Swanson's Nursery in Seattle, WA, invited me to help kick off their "Pick the Perfect Tree" program for the Holiday season.

For those of you who want to save time on your Christmas tree shopping, or just want someone to pick the best tree for you, this is your ticket. All you have to do is tweet #HeySwansons (my choice) or post on Swanson's Facebook page requesting the type of tree you want, and the good folks at Swanson's will pick your tree out for you and have it ready for pick up Monday-Thursday. Get all the details on at www.picktheperfecttree.com.

I tweeted #HeySwansons requesting a 6-foot "Burton Blue" Noble Fir. The next day, Amanda, Greta and I went out to Swanson's and sure enough our tree was ready for us to pick up. Robin at Swanson's helped us out and made everything easy, from finding our reserved tree to installing the stand to loading it on top of our car.

On top of the great service, Swanson's has an awesome Holiday vibe. It's a one-stop shop for wreaths, poinsettias, visiting Santa and seeing a camel and reindeer. Sorry, Santa, but the reindeer really stole the show for me.

Thanks for the great tree, Swanson's! We'll be back.

(Most) Photos by Amanda Mottola.