Nothing quite like travel on the mind as the sun starts setting earlier and the air gets a little more brisk. I wrote five pieces for The Oregonian’s Fall/Winter Travel Guide, which had me dreaming of my next getaway. I hope it gets you thinking about options for yours, including embracing Leave No Trace, which was the focus of my favorite piece in this series.

Since its inception, the event has raised more than $8.2 million, with the ambitious goal of raising another $15 million over the coming years. Funds raised will go toward creating the new Olsrud Family Women’ and Children’s Hospital to help babies, kids, and families across the region.

“Amazing food, amazing wine, amazing people,” says Valot, “Everyone gets to try our wines and the whole time we are raising money for kids. It’s a win-win.”

In this second pandemic holiday season, many Portlanders remain steadfast in their commitment to shop locally. This year, to celebrate the resilience of Portland’s small business community and to showcase many of the city’s independently owned retailers, Shopify’s Power PDX Giveaway provided locals one more reason to avoid the big box stores.

The design for The Annex uses trauma-informed principals that inspire safe and healing social areas while maintaining privacy and security. Every unit opens to outdoor stairs and corridors; there are no dark or enclosed spaces. Selected materials such as natural wood promote positive health, intentionally avoiding a cold or sterile ambiance.

Ashland-based Southern Oregon University ramped up its academic and career development offerings with the addition of an array of “micro-credentials,” as well as a new certificate program in cybersecurity. Both opportunities are available to existing SOU students and to mid-career learners who aim to expand their knowledge and skills within a specific field.

“In a year where so many holiday traditions might have been squandered, the hunt for the perfect tree is a safe, outdoor option for families to spend time together making memories. Many of the u-pick farms go all-out for their holiday offerings, with animals, cider, crafts, and more. This year, it is more important than ever to support local farmers and businesses; consider making a day of it and enjoying the full experience with your crew.”

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to gather with family and friends… except this year. In true 2020 fashion, many of us are upending our plans and foregoing the typical Thanksgiving experience. With so much upheaval in this season, why not take one more thing off your plate (see what I did there?) by ordering your Thanksgiving meal pre-made by a local business? Support our local economy and give yourself one less item on your to-do list!

“I’ve often thought that if there was more of an a-la-carte photo service, I’d be game. Book a slot, whoever shows up gets some photos taken, and you pay for whatever photos you want to keep. Done. Enter Shoott, a new-to-Portland photography service…”

Springtime distance-learning was a hot mess in our house… As the unofficial family point-person for all things education, I made the executive decision that we needed to re-think our fall strategy. First step: create a new home environment for distance-learning, in the hopes of bringing some of that back-to-school magic into our family room, in lieu of the classroom.

“When I first heard that schools were transitioning to online learning due to the coronavirus, my first thought was, ‘But what about all the kids without home internet?’ While teachers are being amazing and reassuring families that we’re all in this together, I can’t help but worry about children getting left behind. Our partners at Comcast reached out to Portland Mom Collective because they are working hard to ensure that doesn’t happen to ANY students…”

“The narrator was charismatic and skilled at working with young audiences, regularly bringing in call-and-response moments to make the performance interactive. How many children can yell “lettuce” at the same time? Turns out, an entire auditorium.”