March 2018 Tacoma Living Local

MARCH 2018

LIVING LOCAL

Travel & Leisure

Envirohouse ALL THINGS GREEN

St. Paddy’s …

Tacoma style

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Northwest Living pg. 10

TACOMA IN FOCUS

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THE TEAM MARKETING

Washington Director | Julie Reed 253.273.8524 | julie@livinglocal360.com Washington Marketing Director | Emily Maze 253.282.8862 | emily@livinglocal360.com

Meet the team

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor | Jillian Chandler jillian@livinglocal360.com Senior Editor/Staff Writer Patty Hutchens | patty@livinglocal360.com Staff Writer Colin Anderson | colin@livinglocal360.com

DESIGN

Creative Director Senior Designer | Graphic Designer Graphic Designer

| Whitney Lebsock Rachel Figgins | Maddie Russo | Darbey Scrimsher

ACCOUNTING/OPERATIONS

Managing Partner | Kim Russo Executive Director | Steve Russo

JULIE REED

EMILY MAZE

WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT DREAM HOME BE?

WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT DREAM HOME BE?

“My perfect dream home would be placed on waterfront of any kind. I love lakes and beaches. I wouldn’t go for anything too expansive but definitely something with a ton of natural light and bright neutral colors, high ceilings and character. Lately, A-frame architectural styles have been on my mind because of the open, simple floor plan and exposed wood beams.

Wood always feels like nature to me, and I love the outdoor feel. My artwork would be the window scapes. The dream home would have to include the most important elements of course—family!”

“My perfect dream home would be one that cleans itself. When I was little I always wanted a white picket fence, but as I grew up I realized that home is where your heart is. As long as I am living in the 253, it is my dream home.”

JULIE@LIVINGLOCAL360.COM 253.273.8524

Proud To Partner With

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EMILY@LIVINGLOCAL360.COM 253.282.8862

Contributors Annie Nye • Brett Marlo DeSantis • Bri Williams Kenny Markwardt • Lawrence Larson Cathy Herholdt • Troy Louis Chandler Andrea Johnson • Marguerite Cleveland

TACOMA LIVING LOCAL MAGAZINE is brought to you by LivingLocal360.com. To submit articles, photos, nominations and events, email us at events@livinglocal360.com.

Living Local Magazine is published monthly and distributed freely throughout the Pacific Northwest and Inland Northwest; Tacoma, Edmonds, Gig Harbor, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Dover Bay, Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Rathdrum and the Spokane Valley. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.

Living Local Magazine is not responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine.

Living Local Magazine is produced and published by Living Local 360, and no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the permission of the publisher.

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I HAVE LIVED in the Northwest for nearly 15 years and am continually amazed at the beauty that surrounds us each and every day. My wife had family who lived in both Gig Harbor and North Idaho, and we visited from Southern California often. But after living in California for my entire life, it was time to make a move. With three young children, we packed up and began our new life in Sandpoint. I have not regretted a single thing about that life-changing decision.

But there is much more to living in the Northwest than the opportunities for recreation. I am constantly blessed by meeting so many amazing people. The friendliness is unmatched, and it is an honor to meet all the small-business owners who we partner with to help them market their business. I have also had the opportunity to learn much about the nonprofit organizations and individuals who do so much to make the communities in which they live a better place.

In less than a day we can be on the water overlooking beautiful Puget Sound, taking in a Mariner’s game and enjoying the freshest fish available.

In North Idaho, we have amazing outdoor opportunities year round.

With Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort literally in our own backyard, we can enjoy world-class skiing that offers breathtaking views. In the summer, we can hop on the boat and go to one of the many waterfront restaurants on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille.

Coeur d’Alene is no different with Silver Mountain Ski Resort just a short drive away and Lake Coeur d’Alene beckoning on a beautiful day.

Yes, I am blessed to live in the Northwest. As for our kids, they were too young to remember much of San Diego. This is all they know, and they absolutely love it!

And while many may complain about their in-laws, I only have high praise for mine. After all, they introduced me to paradise!

Steve Russo Steve Russo Executive Director steve@livinglocal360.com

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TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 9

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CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE Emily Maze 253.282.8862 emily@livinglocal360.com Julie Reed 253.273.8524 julie@livinglocal360.com

IT’S A GREAT TIME

to make a move with us!

Call Andrea for a free market analysis and no obligation credit review.

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Broker

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TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 11

Contents

pg. 54

pg. 26

10

Get Featured

Join our Facebook page Northwest Living for a chance to see your photos, recipes, ideas and more!

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Essentials

The latest tips and trends perfect for your

32

Health & Lifestyle

Tips and informational articles about living a healthy, active lifestyle.

48 Travel & Leisure

home and lifestyle.

Travel and discover the Pacific Northwest.

Love where you live!

21

54

Life & Community

Prepping for a party? Try these 4 tips to make it a success!

Food & Drink

Serving up the perfect recipes for this St. Paddy’s Day!

30 Business Spotlight 58 Arts & Ampro Builders: Three decades of experience, quality service and products.

12 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

Entertainment

Calendar of great local events, music and shows.

WE’VE GOT A REBATE FOR THAT.

pg. 18

54 | 38

(253) 502-8363 MyTPU.org/Rebates

pg. 48

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 13

ESSENTIALS

Feeling Cramped?

Maximize your small space

BY ANNIE NYE, INTERIOR DESIGNER, SELKIRK GLASS & CABINETS, A DIVISION OF PONDERAY DESIGN CENTER

E

veryone has a space either in their home or office that is too small for their liking. Being able to maximize storage, keep it organized and create the illusion of a larger space are ideal. So, how do you maximize your small space and make it feel larger?

First of all, eliminate clutter.

Clutter is only a distraction and makes you look disorganized and unkempt. Surfaces that are clean and well thought-out displays with limited things to trip over will make your space much larger.

Trick your eye into thinking the space is larger than it really is.

- Create the illusion that the window goes from floor to ceiling by mounting curtains or blinds above where the window actually starts and allow it to expand all the way to the floor.

14 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

- Use open furnishings like bookshelves, taller tables and skinnier items that aren’t bulky or boxy and take up a lot of surface area.

- Strategically place mirrors so that light is cast in many directions, making the room appear brighter and more open than it really is.

- Use items that have multiple purposes.

- Things like murphy beds or sleeper sofas allow an office to become a guest room with little or no re-arranging.

- Hassocks, ottomans or cubes can double as coffee tables, side tables or additional seating when needed.

- Floor lamps instead of table lamps allow additional counter space.

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TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 15

Clean, Crisp & Verticle Choose wisely.

footage.

- Use bigger items that are necessities and forget trying to accessorize with smaller items.

- When they are part of the wall, you don’t feel like things are cluttered either because they are out of the way.

- Utilizing a small space with a few needed largescale items provides good function (think large poster bed and nightstand), but aren’t distracted by small cluttered pieces (vase, end table, chair, etc).

- Use neutral colors.

- Walls look further away with neutral color tones instead of bringing colors closer to you with bold in-your-face brightness.

- Choose even-toned paint colors such as taupes, tans, creams or light greens, blues or grays. Avoid oranges, reds or any bright patterns on wall surfaces.

Maximize storage space.

- Utilizing wall space for storage with bookshelves or even customized closed shelving units frees up floor space so you don’t lose much-needed square

16 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

Utilize vertical elements.

- Using vertical to your advantage will help elongate the space. Think tall storage units that take advantage of the whole floor-to-ceiling area.

Don’t waste that space between your countertop and the wall cabinets if you don’t need the counter surface.

- Using stripes to create the illusion of length in a space will also help draw your eyes upward and make the space feel more expansive.

If you can accomplish most of these things, your space will be bigger in no time. If you don’t have a lot of money to work with, that’s easy. Simply by de-cluttering, organizing the space and if you can eliminate the closed-in feeling by painting, that’s a great start. Then as you can afford it, replace bulky, underutilized items with more efficient ones.

Use open furnishings like bookshelves, taller tables and skinnier items that aren’t bulky or boxy and take up a lot of surface area.

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TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 17

ESSENTIALS

Beauty + Bounty GROWING LOCAL EATS

Part One

BY BRETT MARLO DESANTIS

I

n 2012, the United Nations reported that 67 percent of the world’s population will live in a city by 2050. As our population doubles, so will the infrastructure in our built environment. Urban agriculture is a growing movement to provide beautiful solutions to our growing challenges.

“Urban farming is the way of the future,” assures urban gardener Sass Ruthven. In addition to the ability to feed people locally, the energy saved is enormous in terms of eliminating the need to transport goods. “There is virtually zero carbon footprint for growing and consuming your food,” she says.

Sass started as a garden educator at Lowell Elementary for 15 years, then seven years later worked for another seven years at Portland Ave Nursery while still educating Tacoma elementary students. She learned the art of successful gardening the good old-fashioned way, learning by doing it.

She began a CSA called Share the Wealth Organics (STWO) in the fall of 2012, with 2013 her first official season.

“My daughter was the first one to tell me to start a CSA when I was just growing so much food for our family; freezing a lot of it and giving a lot of it away. I had no idea what a CSA was,” Sass recalls. “My daughter explained that CSA stood for community supported agriculture, and soon we were borrowing an urban CSA model from Portland, Oregon.”

STWO just finished its fifth season. Sass reports that “last year, our season yielded 3.2 tons of produce from one sixth of an acre. That’s a phenomenal number that you’d never come close to with conventional farming. Typically, conventional farming is about one seventh of what I produced in the same amount of space, just because they require so much more room from row spacing.”

Adopting a basic square-foot gardening method, the CSA spreads across six urban sites amounting to one sixth of an acre combined. All, except

18 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

one site, are located along the same block, with the remaining site only a mile away.

Mel Bartholomew, author of the book “Square Foot Gardening,” describes this innovative gardening method first introduced in the 1980s. Small raised garden beds are densely filled to eliminate the need for circulation space within the bed. Therefore the beds stay safe from compaction, and this allows for huge yields from small spaces.

As Sass says, “You are using all the bed space, and everything is in a grid work. It’s all measured out; nothing is just thrown in here or there. It’s all documented and measured. So we are getting as much as we can possibly fit into a bed without overcrowding it.”

Sass recalls how STWO began: “The first yard who joined the CSA was my neighbor next door. The second yard was across the street. Usually people offer before I even ask because they think it’s really cool, and I maintain it all. They provide water and the space, and they get a full share or a half share depending on how many beds they have; it varies from location to location.”

One CSA block homeowner shares, “I just love coming home because every week things look different. It’s so much fun to watch everything grow!”

Inspired by Sass’s story? Create your own beauty and bounty. Simply plant the seed, start a neighborhood garden, work with others, share food and stories, preserve the produce while creating culture.

Don’t know where to start? Sass teaches free workshops at the EnviroHouse and is also happy to share her recipe for raised beds. Contact her at sharethewealthorganics@gmail.com for more information and a chance to tour and learn more about starting your own neighborhood garden.

This is part one of a two-part article on urban agriculture.

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LIFE & COMMUNITY

Prepping

For a Party?

(BPT) - IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO ALLOW the stress of entertaining large groups to become a burden. Below are four tips to help organize a kitchen and host with ease, creating a functional space for family and friends to enjoy.

Plan ahead Set aside time early in the week to plan the menu, from simple appetizers to the main entree. Grocery shopping apps allow the family to share and build lists together, which can help avoid any last-minute trips to the grocery store. Also, try to identify dishes that can be prepared in advance so more time can be spent away from the kitchen when guests arrive.

Maximize storage and counter space Optimize counter space by designing small stations for easy access to the necessities. A coffee bar “nook” complete with cups and mugs can help kick-start a busy day. Storage near the fridge should be stocked with foil and containers, ideal for packing up leftovers after a large party. Reserve the island counter for

Try these 4 tips to make it a success!

meal prep and the cabinets below for serving ware and glassware storage.

Keep all staples in arm’s reach Cooking can be made simple by organizing the essentials. Keep similar tools together, such as bakeware and cookie sheets in one drawer and pantry staples in another. Spices and herbs should be alphabetized and stored near the stovetop to effortlessly add flavor. For those with design in mind, opt for open shelves to showcase dishes and small kitchen accessories, such as succulents and cookbooks, while keeping everything within reach.

Simplify kitchen cleanup Cleaning is often the most time-intensive chore in the kitchen, but if designed right, can be a breeze for home entertainers and kids alike. The Delta Foundry Kitchen Faucet offers laser-like precision to contain splatter, meaning less soaking, scrubbing and shirt swapping.

Grocery shopping apps allow the family to share and build lists together, which can help avoid any lastminute trips to the grocery store.

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 21

GOOD NEWS

Women 2 Work

BY JILLIAN CHANDLER PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOODWILL OF THE OLYMPICS AND RAINIER REGION Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region and the Tacoma community are helping make a difference in women’s lives—particularly, single mothers—partnering together to not only support these mothers but their entire family as well. The intention behind Women 2 Work is to assist single mothers within the Tacoma community who are unemployed or underemployed, by taking a twogeneration approach to meet the needs of both the mother and child together, with a goal of guiding the whole family on the path to both well-being and financial security.

Helping single mothers with career training, family strengthening and financial success 22 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

The individualized plan of services is available to women who have at least one child who is 8 years of age or younger. Single moms in the community are primarily referred to the program through family support specialists at partner elementary schools, who know the children, connect with the parents and refer them to the program. From there, a plan

SHANNON DAVIS PICKS UP THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM WOMEN2WORK STAFF GALE HEMMANN, LUISA JENSEN AND KELLY BLUCHER.

is set, goals are discussed related to education and employment, with parenting peer support groups and assistance with basic needs offered to help during the process. In some cases, the mother contacts Goodwill herself to seek out opportunities to improve her circumstances.

Community partners work with Goodwill to assist with family strengthening skills, job training and employment, with the aim of, after completing short-term career training at Goodwill such as culinary and computer and office skills, placing mothers into a job within four months. Employed mothers also leave the program with clear career paths and strategies for future advancement in wages and benefits.

“It’s more than just a resume and a cover letter standing in the way of getting a job, “ says Elizabeth Hodges, Women 2 Work project manager for

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Peninsula students deserve safe schools.

Most of our schools are decades old, overcrowded and operate with outdated fire safety systems. In some schools, fire alarms and sprinkler systems need to be upgraded or completely replaced. In others, the amount of water available for first responders to fight a fire does not meet current code. Two schools have areas with NO sprinklers at all.

Easy Elegance For Life

11 Votingof YES 15 on the April school bond will help ensure our students attend safe, Penisula Schools up-to-date schools. don’t meet current fire codes.

Vote Yes for Safe Schools To learn more about the April 24th bond, visit standup4schools.org

Safe, Updated Peninsula Schools “In some schools, fire alarms and sprinkler systems need to be upgraded or completely replaced. In others, the amount of water available for first responders to fight a fire does not meet current code. Two schools have areas with NO sprinklers at all.”

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Savingsafe money only

Most of our schools are decades overcrowded matters WHEN you old, have with outdated fire safety systems.

In some the RIGHT protection. schools, and sprinkler systems need to be upgraded or com replaced. In others, the amount of water available responders to fight a fire does not meet current cod schools have areas with NO sprinklers at all.

Voting YES on the April school bo help ensure our students attend s up-to-date schools.

Schools not up to current code 1. Artondale 2. Evergreen 3. Harbor Heights 4. Minter Creek 5. Purdy 6. Vaughn

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“It’s been amazing.

This has opened my eyes to so much. I think the biggest difference is that there is finally hope for me and my family.”

- ROSALEE RONOCO Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region. “A single mom, living on assistance, completes the training, just starting to make ends meet, and then loses the supplement and is unable to make enough to support her family. [This program] can help give support and resources to complete this process to self-sufficiency and financial security.”

The Women 2 Work Program in Tacoma is part of a national STEPS (Support Transitions to Employment by Parents) pilot program.

Goodwill Tacoma was selected as one of seven sites in the country in early 2015, and after six month of planning (June through December of that same year), the program was implemented in January 2016, with the initial implementation extended to fall of this year. Their funder, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, designed the national program model.

“Our goal is to connect with at least 100 moms in the community to share this opportunity with them, and we’re very close to that goal,” says Elizabeth.

24 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

“GOODWILL IS AWESOME! I DISCOVERED SO MANY THINGS I NEVER KNEW ABOUT. I LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY.” -DONNA DUVERNE To learn more about the Women 2 Work program, contact Elizabeth Hodges at 253.573.6619 or elizabethh@goodwillwa.org, visit GoodwillWA.org/training/services/women-2-work or stop by Goodwill, 714 South 27th Street in Tacoma.

Feeling Good is Good to Feel

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 25

W

e have a tradition at World Concern. When someone makes a large donation, we ring a cowbell. Everyone comes out of their offices and we gather to celebrate the gift.

I remember a particularly chilly Northwest afternoon last December when the cowbell rang. A man named Doug, a father of two young kids, had just dropped off a check for $10,000. We’ve certainly received other big gifts like this, but what made this one special was how it came about.

It was a spontaneous gift, given from the heart of a dad.

Doug and his wife Mindy had taken their kids to see a Nativity display

26 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

in their North Seattle neighborhood. As their kids waited in line for hot chocolate, something caught Doug’s eye. It was a World Concern Global Gift Guide—a catalog of gifts people can give to those in need in honor of loved ones. The catalog is filled with photos of children and families served by World Concern in poor countries.

“When I picked up the catalog and saw the pictures of those kids, it spoke to me,” recalled Doug. “I got really emotional. I remember crying ... just seeing those kids, I thought, ‘We need to do something to help them.’”

That night, Doug talked with Mindy about his desire to help kids living in poverty. They’d been blessed with extra income that year from Doug’s

TACOMA IN FOCUS

A GIFT FROM THE HEART

WHY ONE FAMILY GAVE AWAY $10,000

BY CATHY HERHOLDT PHOTOS COURTESY OF WORLD CONCERN

job as a freelance director of photography and had set some money aside.

Doug told Mindy he wanted to donate the money.

“When I saw his reaction to the photos, I wasn’t surprised,” recalled Mindy. “I know his heart for kids and his compassion. But I didn’t know he was going to say anything about the money or giving. We had discussed what we were going to do for Christmas—giving in some way.

This just felt right. As soon as he said it, I agreed.”

Doug and Mindy shared their decision with their kids, 9-year-old Sophia and 7-year-old Elliott.

“The pictures were sad because they didn’t have stuff we have here,” said Sophia. One of the photos showed a young boy drinking dirty water from a pond through his T-shirt. “He drank through his shirt because the water was bad and had a lot of germs and bacteria,” she explained.

The kids enjoyed learning how their family’s donation would provide goats, chickens, clean water and other practical gifts to children in need.

“We’ve never given a donation like that before,” said Doug. “I’m a freelancer, so some months there’s no work and other months I’ll be slammed. God has always been so faithful to us in terms of providing.”

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Mindy said they’d been holding onto the money for some time. “I wish I could say we were just waiting for the right time, but it was holding on for us—for our needs,” she said. “There are other things I know I wanted and could have got for Christmas gifts, but this donation filled that need, whatever it was. I can’t even think right now of what I wanted.”

“We have such a good life. It just felt selfish not to do something more with our money,” said Doug. “Don’t get me wrong, I love stuff and buying new things, but we are called to be more than just consumers. It’s a test of faith. When our diligence with our money and work benefit someone besides ourselves, that feels good.”

The Irvines have been tested in that faith this year. They have a new baby, 4-month-old Preston, and one of their cars recently broke down. The repairs are more than the car is worth, so they’ll have to get a new car. But they still feel the sacrifice was worth it.

“When I see so much difficulty in the world ... neglect and hard conditions; it doesn’t take a lot of money to help a kid’s life. It feels cool that there are kids and orphans that I can be like a dad they’ll never meet—that I can provide for them in some way, help in some way,” Doug said.

“There are people around the world who are human, and no different than me, except they were born into these countries and these situations.

These families are real, and these problems are real, and these kids are real, and they have real needs and they need real help.”

Doug admits he tried not to think about the sacrifice he was making when he brought the check in on that chilly December day. “It takes sacrifice, whether it’s a thousand dollars or ten thousand,” he said. “But, it narrows

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the gap pretty quickly when you realize you’re changing someone’s life.”

Mindy agrees. “If someone was considering making a donation, knowing what I know now and the impact that a small amount can have, I would want to say to them, it’s a no brainer. Yeah, do it,” she said. “Take the leap of faith. Knowing what I know now about how we’ve impacted families and children, yeah, it’s worth it.”

This blog is part of the #GivingTuesday series, produced by The Huffington Post and the teams at InterAction, 92nd Street Y, United Nations Foundation, and others. Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday—which took place for the first time on Tuesday, November 27—is a movement intended to open the holiday season on a philanthropic note. Go to GivingTuesday.org to learn more and get involved.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Three Decades of Experience,

Quality Service and Products

LOCAL CONTRACTOR OFFERS TACOMA RESIDENTS TOP-NOTCH SERVICE AND RESULTS

BY JILLIAN CHANDLER

Ampro Builders LLC 2348 Fawcett Avenue Tacoma, Washington 98402 Seattle - East Side: 425.533.0626 Olympia & Kitsap: 360.754.1806 TACOMA 253.590.4425 AmproBuilders.net Memberships and affiliations include: BBB A+ Member in good standing since 1988, Washington Roofing Contractors Association supporting member, Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, CertainTeed Four Star Certified Contractor, IKO Shield Pro Plus Contractor, and Home Advisor Contractor of the Year 2014.

30 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

T

acoma-based home improvement contractor Ampro Builders is a licensed general contractor by the state of Washington.

Specializing in home exterior products, from window and roofing replacements to siding, patio covers and sun room/modular additions, deck build-outs and exterior door replacements, Ampro Builders has been providing their contracting services to Tacoma and the surrounding areas for three decades.

Owner Rob Chatham, who has been in the contracting business since 1970 (the third generation of family contractors), started the company back in 1988. Ampro offers a lifetime unlimited workmanship warranty as well as some of the longest and strongest manufacturer warranties in the business! The company emphasizes customer satisfaction, with payment due upon satisfactory completion—not up front.

Ampro installers are continually factory trained and certified to correctly install their products, and they only feature and sell the best systems from America’s most well-known, respected and trusted brand names.

Ranked among the most experienced and trusted names in the building

industry, each Ampro team member has a minimum of 20 years of building and design experience. “We are dedicated to your 100-percent satisfaction both during and after your installation,” says Rob.

labor, acknowledging that his hard work pays off, personally and financially.

He finds it fulfilling to be able to do what he loves while also earning a paycheck.

Each product they sell and install is guaranteed by the manufacturer for both labor and material. Their manufacturers’ warranties are transferable to the next owner should you sell your home. In addition, Ampro offers free service after the sale for as long as you own your home.

Rob has been a Tacoma resident since moving to the area in 1985. As he says, “I came here to visit beautiful Washington state.” And he’s been here ever since. When it comes to what he loves most about being a part of the Tacoma community, he says, “Tacoma is a beautiful place filled with friendly people.”

Whether you are planning a new roofing system, window replacement, siding replacement or a complete room addition or remodel, they have the right products to get the job done right. And at Ampro Builders, they offer free estimate and design appointments for all of your roofing, window and siding needs.

With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to get started on that next home repair project. What are you waiting for? Call Rob at 253.590.4425 and set up your free appointment today.

“Our success comes from years of experience, quality and highly trained staff, quality products and a love of building and improving,” says Rob. Rob has a passion for what he does and is grateful to enjoy the fruits of his

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 31

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Understanding Acne Your guide to clear skin

By Bri Williams, RN, BSN, Refined Aesthetics Med Spa PLLC, Sandpoint, Idaho nyone who has ever struggled with acne knows that it can be crushing to someone’s self-esteem and confidence. There are more than 60 million cases of acne in America (20 percent of them being adults), so chances are you or a loved one has been affected by it. But what exactly is acne, what causes it and how can it be treated?

A

the dead skin cells to the surface of the skin so they can be removed from the body. When the follicle gets plugged from excess oil or dead skin cells, the following can occur: blackhead (open clogged pore), whitehead (closed clogged pore), pimple (pustules/papules with pus at their tips), nodule (large, solid painful lump beneath the surface of the skin) or cystic lesion (a pus-filled lump beneath the surface of the skin) can form.

We all have thousands of tiny holes in our skin; pores that connect to our oil glands beneath the surface of the skin through a follicle. These glands make an oily substance called sebum that travels through the follicle and excretes through the pore. The role of the sebum and follicle is to carry

There are several factors that can contribute to the follicle becoming plugged. Hormonal changes can cause an increase in oil production.

This most often occurs in older children/teenagers entering puberty and during pregnancy or while starting/stopping birth control. Other

H E A LT H Y T I P

HEALTHY TIP

Keep your bedroom cool. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, setting your thermostat at around 68 degrees is optimal for sleeping comfort. High body temperatures have been associated with insomnia.

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Give yourself a facial

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Eat Your Stress Eat regular, small healthy meals to prevent low blood sugar as it can stress you out! Keep healthy snacks available such as bananas, nuts and unrefined carbohydrates to boost the formation of serotonin - the feelgood chemical.

34 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

contributors to excess oil production include certain medications (such as corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium) and diet.

While puberty isn’t something that can be avoided, and certain medications are necessary for health reasons, our diet is something that is well within our control. Eating a diet high in simple carbohydrates and sugar causes our blood-sugar levels to rise quickly. Our body then releases a hormone called insulin. As a result, there is increased inflammation within the body, causing our oil glands to produce more oil. The excess oil is the most common culprit of clogged follicles, leading to acne.

Acne is categorized as either non-inflammatory acne or inflammatory acne, and the treatment varies depending on the type. Blackhead and whiteheads are categorized as noninflammatory acne because they are clogged pores that do not allow bacteria to get inside the pore and thrive. Pimples, nodules and cystic lesions are categorized as inflammatory acne because the clogged pore has become infected with bacteria. Non-inflammatory acne is best treated with topical products that either kill the bacteria on the skin or decrease the production of oil. The topical medicine may contain a retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotic or salicylic acid. Inflammatory acne is better treated with a combination of topical medication but also oral medications that work to heal the acne from within, such as an antibiotic. The course of treatment should be determined by a medical provider to ensure the best treatment for you.

Avoid touching your face with your hands and, whatever you do, don’t pick at blemishes.

Lastly, only use skincare products and makeup that state they are non-comedogenic, meaning they will not clog your pores.

There are also easy things you can do at home to help prevent acne or keep it from getting worse: •

Change your pillowcase frequently (every other day).

•

Use a clean towel to dry your face after cleansing.

•

Don’t allow your cell phone to press against your skin.

•

Cleanse your face every morning, night and after working out.

These simple changes can prevent your pores from becoming clogged and save you from a breakout.

Whether you are a teenager struggling with acne or an adult who gets the occasional blemish, it is important to understand that it can be treated. The emotional distress from acne can be diminished by a visit to your provider for guidance in a treatment plan and by making lifestyle choices to promote clear skin. A clear complexion will help you to feel better and give you the confidence to truly shine.

HERE COMES ALLERGY SEASON PREVENTATIVE STEPS TO AVOID ALLERGIES

Don’t let seasonal allergies slow you down!

BY DR. LAWRENCE LARSON, PEDIATRICS NORTHWEST, P.S.

T

he Pacific Northwest is such a terrific place to live. Each season has its benefits, but I am always excited to get out of the dark, cold days of winter and into the warm spring months.

Springtime also brings allergy season. In the early spring, we get tree pollen, starting out with the alders that typically peak in February and March. Then comes summer’s grass season, which lasts about four months beginning in May, and finally fall’s weed season in August and September. Our wet climate is also a perfect environment for mold in the outdoor air, most pronounced in the spring and fall months. So our allergy season is really allergy seasons!

We can’t avoid exposure to allergens—it’s important that we get outside and enjoy all our region has to offer! Inevitably, you or your children will experience a runny nose, nasal congestion or itchy red eyes. Generally, allergies can be managed with simple medications and avoidance if your symptoms: • Are mild and don’t limit attendance at school or work.

• Don’t interfere with your ability to sleep at night.

• Don’t interfere with your daytime activities.

These are preventative steps you can take to minimize the effects of pollen exposure: • Wear a hat and sunglasses when outdoors.

•Wear goggles and a pollen mask when gardening.

• Close your windows during pollen season and use air conditioning in the car.

• Remove your shoes and outer clothing when coming indoors.

• Do not dry clothes outside during pollen season.

• Avoid being outside in the morning and on windy days if possible when pollen is more prevalent.

• Use an antihistamine before exposure to allergens.

• Wash your face and rinse your eyes as soon as you begin to experience a reaction.

• If you are very symptomatic when coming from outside, take a shower and wash your hair.

Some suggested treatments for seasonal allergies include: • Saline (salted water) nasal wash • Over-the-counter oral antihistamines. All work well but some have fewer side effects (loratadine and fexofenadine) or have faster onset of action (cetirizine).

• Intranasal steroids, like fluticasone (Flonase Sensimist) or triamcinolone (Nasacort), are safe and effective for treating persistent nasal congestion and allergic eye symptoms.

Use these intermittently or daily through your peak allergy season. Minimize nasal bleeding with proper administration and use of Vaseline to septum before administration.

Avoid nasal sprays with scents or alcoholbased preservatives to minimize nasal irritation. Young children can be challenging to administer therapy; try using the spray when asleep.

• Nasal antihistamines and anticholinergics (such as Montelukast) can be prescribed by your doctor if symptoms are poorly controlled with other medications.

If your life is impaired by allergies, it may be time to consider allergy immunotherapy.

Visit a board-certified allergy/immunology specialist for an evaluation and appropriate treatment. Today’s allergy immunotherapies include sublingual (under the tongue) or subcutaneous (allergy shots) treatment for long-term management or cure. Both options are effective and safe.

Our board-certified allergists, immunologists & pulmonolgists specialize in diagnosis and treatment of: • allergies/hay fever • asthma/respiratory disorders • food allergies • eczema/hives • sinus problems • immune disorders • chronic cough • lung disorders

So enjoy the warmer weather knowing you have options when it comes to minimizing allergy symptoms.

Dr. Lawrence Larson is the co-founder of Pediatrics Northwest where he has practiced since 1980. He is board certified in pediatric and allergy/immunology care. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis and fishing.

Schedule an appointment today!

253-383-5777 • pedsnw.net Tacoma • Federal Way • Gig Harbor

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 35

What s in a number?

Focus on how you feel and look; not what the scale says

By Kenny Markwardt, CSCS, Owner, CrossFit Sandpoint “YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD ANOTHER ITERATION of this story before, but my ear is to the ground, and the moral of the story doesn’t seem to be sticking, so I’m going to tell you my version here.

matter? Do you advertise that number to employers, friends, spouse or potential suitors? (I literally have no idea what my wife weighs. I know she’s physically fit though!)

The other night, I had a conversation with a client about her progress. It’s a conversation I’ve had hundreds of times.

If you can identify 20 markers of progress, and you’re hitting 19 of all 20, but you put so much weight on the one that it completely depresses and unmotivates you, you should recognize that something isn’t valid about that one number.

In the six months that she has been working with me, she has completely and utterly transformed herself. She’s stronger, faster, more confident and has much less body fat. In addition, she carries herself with more confidence and has a presence about her that she knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to.

If you asked me, I’d say that her journey has been a rousing success. In fact, I’d imagine that she would agree 90 percent with that opinion. What’s the last 10 percent? That silly scale.

Though her clothes are fitting better, she is visibly leaner and more defined, the number on the scale hasn’t really changed that much.

Now, I understand it (as much as a 33-year-old male can understand the lifelong relationship with the scale that women are faced with). When you’ve spent your life determining your health by a number, if that number isn’t what you want it to be, or what you think it should be, it makes it seem fairly black and white.

Unfortunately, when there are a million other markers that are telling you the opposite of the scale, you need to trust those numbers and just throw the darn thing away.

At what point does it not matter?

If you look better, feel better and perform better, does that number still

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To take it a step further, what if the opposite were true?

What if you were able to step on the scale and see that magic number, but in trade, you felt terrible, carried more body fat, performed worse, looked worse, were weaker, less capable and just plain miserable? Would you make that deal with the devil?

Sadly, I imagine that answer isn’t as obvious as it should be on the surface. So, what’s the answer?

Well, if we can agree that it’s far too simple of a solution to say to just not care about what the scale says, then we just need to abstain from it altogether.

Just get rid of the scale and refuse to get on another one-period.

If your doctor asks you to, tell him/her “No.” If you absolutely have to for health insurance or other purposes, cover your eyes and put your fingers in your ears. There’s nothing that number will tell you that other things cannot.

Take your psyche back and take control of how you feel about yourself.

Move better, feel better, look better and be more confident. That success will breed more success, and you’ll stay motivated by how you feel rather than respecting the opinion of three integers.

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deck a new feel. Bold colors are also in style. If you want to save a little time in the future, consider acrylic deck restoration coating, available in several brands. Applying these products takes a little more time and effort but typically last longer than stain and helps smooth out splinters that might be emerging.

GET OUTSIDE!

Outdoor remodeling ideas that will brighten your summer

By Colin Anderson

Y

ou’ve made it through the holidays, and hopefully tax season hasn’t been too rough on you. Summer is right around the corner, and you’re already seeing many of the weekends fill up with trips, visits, parties and more. For many of us it’s the shoulder season where we aren’t quite as busy.

If you’ve been considering home improvement projects or putting them off again and again, this is the time to get going and start bringing your plans to fruition. Why spend the summer doing projects when you could be enjoying the fruits of your labor instead?

Your Deck and Patio – Snow, rain, cold and gray tend to keep us from utilizing these spaces during the darker months. Come summer, it’s the perfect place to relax and read, absorb some much-needed vitamin D or enjoy after-work beverages or an outdoor meal with the kids.

Get summer barbecue season off right by getting a fresh coat of stain on your deck. While not always the most fun job, staining is a fairly simple task you can do to brighten your home’s exterior without having to drop big bucks on outside labor. Try a new shade this season to give your

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Outdoor Kitchen Space – Once you’ve gotten the surface of your deck looking fabulous, you’ll want to spend more time on it dining and entertaining family and friends. One of the hottest trends in home improvement today is creating outdoor cooking spaces. A lot of outdoor cooking revolves around the grill, and many higherend models come with multiple cooking features including infrared grilling surfaces, separate smokers and attached burners to assist with creating side dishes. Consider adding concrete countertops around your grill for a modern durable surface to prep and serve on. A mini fridge is an easy addition to keep from running in and out of the house for beverages, and a sink built into the countertops helps ease cleanup time. A truly unique addition is an outdoor pizza oven, where you can create your own woodfired pizzas and quickly toast breads and appetizers.

Backyard Pathways – After dinner it’s nice to get out and enjoy the backyard with the kids. A stone pathway linking your deck or patio area with your outdoor seating or fire pit creates a nice flow to the space. Landscaping around this pathway is entirely up to your tastes and preferences. If you enjoy growing plants, grasses and flowers, use smaller stones or pavers and line the walkway with your favorite plants, allowing the greenery to take center stage. Pea-sized gravel is an easy and cost-effective fill in but can be difficult to clean out debris and will need to be raked occasionally so bald spots don’t appear. Large pieces of slate or other solid rock also make for a great look, especially as they sink slightly down into the lawn. When designing your pathway, make sure it includes turns or a bit of a bend as curves and soft edges create a more natural look than perfectly straight lines.

Designated Kids’ Area – Let’s face it, for those who like a lush green and wellmanicured looking lawn, kids can be a nightmare. Tackle football, slip ‘n slides and sprinklers, and the occasional off-road biking, can wreak havoc on a lawn. Give the kids and yourself a break by setting up a designated play area for them. Easily separate the play area from the main lawn with a natural barrier of plants or mulch. To keep

which is especially helpful if you have difficult growing conditions. It can take up to two months for a hydroseeded lawn to take shape, and weeds will also sprout during this time, so keep that in mind if you have young children or pets, as they can’t go on the lawn for several weeks.

Installing a Sprinkler System – If you plan on hydroseeding your lawn, you’ll need to install a sprinkler system before spraying the seed, and even if you don’t plan on creating a new lawn, underground sprinklers are a worthwhile investment. New systems can be controlled from smart phones and can be set to run virtually any time of day and for any length of time. You’ll have better control and consistency with a finely tuned system compared to constantly moving around hoses and portable sprinklers. Underground systems are again a bit of an upfront investment, but the time saved in the long run is well worth it. It is also a big added value if you eventually decided to sell your home.

them in their special area, give them as many play options as possible including something to climb and swing on, a sandbox or area to build, and some green lawn as well for them to stretch out, run and roll around in. Have children help mow or pick weeds at a young age to show them how much work goes into keeping the lawn up and looking good, and perhaps they’ll think twice the next time they go digging for worms with a shovel.

Hydroseeding the Lawn – If your lawn is in rough shape and has uneven color, and watering and sprinkling seed hasn’t seemed to help much, there are still solutions out there without having to fork over big bucks to re-sod. If you have a large yard, hydroseeding can save you a good amount of money as the amount of labor that goes in to it isn’t nearly as much as spreading out roll after roll of sod. Through hydroseeding you can also choose a specific style of grass or seed blend,

Power washing the siding – If your home is 20-plus years old, your siding probably is not looking as bright as it was the day you bought it.

While it might just look like fading, most of the dullness on vinyl and other siding is caused by dirt and debris that’s built up over the years.

Utilizing a power washer to remove that grit and grime will help your home ‘pop’ again, and you’ll be surprised how much more curb appeal is added with this simple weekend task. Pressure washers are available to rent at many local retailers, and you’ll also want to get a siding specific detergent, and if your home is two stories, spray tips and extensions to avoid using a ladder. Gently apply the detergent and wash the siding clean, avoiding windows and exterior vents.

She/he shed for Entertaining – While the term ‘man cave’ is well established, the ‘he shed’ or ‘she shed’ is another trend in turning space usually used for storage into one meant for entertaining. A little spring cleaning and organizing might help you realize you no longer need your shed. While keeping the outside appearance of a typical storage shed, transform the interior into a walk-up bar, game room, sports bar or quiet reading nook. While you might need to call in a plumber, other projects like adding a bar top, shelving, wood or laminate flooring and interior decoration can typically all be done by homeowners with a little guidance from your local hardware shop. Your friends will be stunned the next time you take them to the backyard to relax in your shed.

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REMODELING THE INTERIOR OF YOUR HOME When to DIY vs. Hiring a Contractor BY: ANDREA JOHNSON

Your home is where your heart is, but it can feel a little less like love when you’re not crazy about its interior. Perhaps you loved it once, but time has aged it and dated it, leaving you wanting something a bit more fresh and modern.

Maybe you prefer something a little different as your tastes have changed, or maybe you bought a home in a desirable neighborhood for an unbeatable price and need to put a little sweat equity into the home.

Whatever your reasons for wanting an interior remodel, you can do it yourself or choose to hire someone to do it for you. Depending on your budget, you can have the entire interior of your home gutted and remodeled by professional contractors or you can hire contractors only for the most intricate details of your remodel.

Whether to DIY or hire professionals is the biggest question you must ask before you begin this process.

What Can You Do Yourself?

The DIY process of your home remodel might depend entirely on your budget. If you have a lot of money to work with and want to go the route of hiring professionals, you can. However, if the amount of money you have to spend on the remodel is limited, you can do a lot of your remodel yourself. It’s best to save your money to hire professionals to handle very specific things you aren’t qualified to do.

The next most important question you can ask yourself is what kind of handyman experience do you have? Are you learning as you go? The Internet makes it easier for you to learn how to do things most people can’t do, and that might help you do a lot more on your own. Here are just a few things you can do yourself without spending a big chunk of your money in one area.

Your Kitchen Remodel: A kitchen remodel is one of the most expensive aspects of any home, but it’s not always as expensive as you might imagine. If the footprint is good, you need not move any electrical wiring or plumbing. That’s a huge savings. If the cabinets are nice but you’re not a fan of the color, there is no reason to spend tens of thousands of dollars on new cabinetry when you can spend a few hundred dollars on paint and give yourself a major upgrade.

Updating your counters, your sink, your faucet and your handles and pulls are easy projects you can do on your own.

Floor Remodels: You might not know how to lay tile or hardwood, but there are instructional

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videos all over the Internet to help you learn.

It’s not as difficult as it looks, and you can do it yourself to save significantly on the cost of new flooring.

Paint: Painting is one of the most dramatic changes you can make to a home without spending much money, and you can do it yourself without any prior experience.

What You Can’t or Shouldn’t Do Yourself You can do a lot on your own if you have the experience, but there are some interior remodeling projects you simply shouldn’t tackle if you’re not properly trained or don’t have ample experience working with them.

These are the things you might want to take your money and spend hiring a professional to ensure the job is done correctly, safely and as inexpensively as possible. If you try to do some of these things yourself without any experience, you might find it’s more expensive when you need someone to come out and fix your mistakes.

Plumbing: Plumbing is important, and it’s not something you want to tackle on your own. You can install a sink and exchange some fixtures without any help, but any plumbing upgrades, replacements or changes should be done by a professional. If you plan on changing the layout of your bathrooms or kitchen, you should hire a plumber to move the plumbing for you.

Electrical: Unless you are a trained electrician capable of working electrical panels, there is no reason you should try this on your own.

Electrical wiring, if done poorly, can cause significant damage to your home and life. You could electrocute yourself, cause a fire by wiring things incorrectly, or seriously damage your home or put your family at risk. It’s not worth it.

Roof Repairs: This might sound relatively easy compared to moving plumbing or handling electrical work, but roof repairs are dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not only could you fall and end up

44 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

seriously hurt without the proper equipment and knowledge, you might not do the job correctly and cause serious damage to your home in the meantime.

The good news about remodeling your home is you can do so much of it on your own. You might not even need as much work as you think, which is why it’s a good idea to start small and work your way up. Try painting the house first to see if that makes a difference. If it does, you might find everything else looks a little better in your eyes.

Once you’re ready to start the interior remodeling process, you should ask a contractor to come in and give you an estimate on the work that does need to be done professionally. Unless you have experience, it’s never worth the risk to take on a job that could have devastating effects.

Remember, it’s always less expensive to have a job done right the first time than it is to have it repaired after the additional damage is caused by shoddy work and a lack of experience in the remodeling department.

Whether you’re working with $1,000 or $100,000 to remodel your home, you can make big changes. All you need to know is which changes you can do yourself and which ones you should leave to the pros. It makes life a lot simpler in the long run.

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your

BACKYARD GARDEN Raised Beds Whether you consider yourself a gardener or not, raised beds can help you succeed in having a plentiful harvest. Here are just some of the advantages that gardening in raised beds offers: A higher quality of soil – A raised bed, as opposed to supplementing the soil in your yard, allows you the ability to plant your vegetables with the perfect soil blend, something that will go far to achieving a plentiful harvest.

Less weed growth – Raised beds are typically planted more densely than those that are planted in the ground. This means there is less room for weeds to grow, and if they do find the space, they are easier to pull from soil in raised beds.

More growth in less space – Whether you use succession planting or vertical supports, you are able to plant more food in a small space, resulting in an abundance of fresh vegetables.

Edible Landscapes Do you consider yourself more practical than creative? This is an opportunity for you to be both! Edible landscape techniques allow the integration of your plants into a decorative setting. Whether you plant herbs, seeds or berries, the result is not only beautiful but useful as well.

A popular practice is utilizing onion and garlic chives as a perennial edging or border plant in an herb garden. Chives are part of the lily family and are grown in large part for their leaves and flowers. And the best part is they keep coming back year after year!

When choosing a spot for the chives, keep in

46 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

Functional & beautiful

BY PATTY HUTCHENS

mind that they do best in full sun. When planting chives, start in early spring using soil that has much compost or a slow-release fertilizer. For best results, plant them 8 to 12 inches apart and use rich, well-drained soil.

If you choose to grow your chives near peppers, there is the benefit of deterring insects. It is also said that it can improve the flavor and yields of nearby plants.

Planter Walls Creating a vertical garden offers an opportunity to add color and vibrancy to your yard. All you need to start is a blank wall or a bare fence. Plant edibles, annuals and even perennials for a burst of color.

If you don’t have a place to create your planter wall, a wood palette makes a perfect starting point to construct one, and you can gain inspiration simply by logging onto Pinterest. Or if you simply want to order one, there are “living walls” that can be custom made. A couple starting points include LivingGreenPlanters.com or your local garden store.

You can even make your wall portable by placing a planter box on wheels and attach vertical lattice to provide a place for plants. This is a great option if you want to use your wall as a privacy barrier or move it around to optimize sun exposure.

tip

Don’t smother your new plants with too heavy of soil! Most flower seeds should barley be covered, make the soil layer just 1/4inch thick.

Whatever you choose, take the opportunity to be creative!

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 47

TRAVEL & LEISURE

Randall J. Hodges Old- School Photographer

BY MARGUERITE CLEVELAND PHOTOS BY RANDALL J. HODGES

I

n the age of digital photography where any image can be manipulated in Photoshop or jazzed up with an Instagram filter, Randall J. Hodges stands apart as an old-school photographer. He uses a style referred to as “All in Camera.”

“I do all the work right in the camera without the use of Photoshop, Lightroom or any other post processing programs. This means I set up the color palette of my digital camera to mimic the old films I used to shoot with Kodak Ektachrome, Kodachrome and Elite Chrome films. What this means is, the image you see in my gallery, on social media or in calendars and magazines is exactly the same as what you would have seen in the back of my camera if you had been standing next to me when I shot it,” said Hodges. He takes great pride in the fact that his work is all his skill and technique and not the result of computer manipulation.

“Walks Far” is his tagline, and it fits Hodges, who on New Year’s Eve 2015 hit 24,901 miles hiked, which is the equivalent of walking around the circumference of the earth. “Hiking is what got me into photography. I have always considered myself to be a hiking photographer. When I first started out I just carried a point-and-shoot film camera and would snap photos of the locations I hiked to. I would often backpack deep into the wilderness for many days and then bring home my photos to show everyone. I found myself always explaining how much better the views were than my pictures could convey, so I decided to change that. I bought a real camera and learned how to use it, and soon I did not have to explain how amazing the places I visited were; my images could now do that on their own. When people started telling me they looked like postcards and I should do something with that, I decided to become a professional landscape photographer, and as they say, ‘the rest is history,’” he said.

Hodges is just starting his 18th year as a full-time photographer, and he continues to hike between 1,000 and 1,300 miles a year. “I really love to hike,” he said.

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rave reviews, and I am very proud of it. This is the first book I have ever published that is all my work, but I have been published over 4,500 times worldwide in books, magazines, calendars, greeting cards, postcards and so much more. I always enjoy being published, but having my own book out is a real dream come true,” Hodges said.

Hodges is a well-known regional photographer, and his work has been published in National Geographic, Outdoor Photography magazine, Nature Photographer Magazine, Photo Professional Magazine, Popular Photography, Seattle Met Magazine and many more. His work has been published more than 4,500 times. He recently fulfilled a long-term dream when he published a 208-page, full-color, coffee-table book, “Images of the West, Hiking Photographer’s Adventures in the Western United States and Canada.” Renowned photographer and conservationist Art Wolf wrote the foreword to the book. “I dedicated it to my hiking partner and gallery greeter, Shyla the dog and super hiker, who has hiked about 7,200 miles herself in her 13 years as a professional hiking dog. It covers all my favorite areas of the West with my inspirations for each region and some light photography tips techniques woven in. The book has received

Hodges’ dog Shyla is a German shepherd mix and a loyal hiking companion. “We have never known what the mix is, so I have always said she is shepherd plus awesome,” he said. Shyla has hiked over 7,200 miles with Hodges carrying her own food, water and bedroll during many backpacking adventures. “At the age of 11, I retired her from that duty and now carry the load for her. At the age of 13, she can still put in an 8- to 10-mile day.”

Hodges is very popular in the local area for his photography lessons, which are conducted out in the field. Many of his classes for 2018 are already sold out, especially his Tulip seminars. “My students can expect to learn everything needed to shoot like I do, right in the camera. I will help them get their camera set up correctly, teach them the “old school” techniques, and work with them on composition and light. Many of my students have told me they have learned more from me in four hours than they have learned in their entire life. I get a lot of repeat students. Many, who started with a local class, got their camera set up and learned how to use them, figured what kind of teacher I am, then come out for one of my

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 49

50 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

HODGES IS JUST STARTING HIS 18TH YEAR AS A FULL-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER, AND HE CONTINUES TO HIKE BETWEEN 1,000 AND 1,300 MILES A YEAR. “I REALLY LOVE TO HIKE,” HE SAID.

bigger adventures. I have some students who have taken over 25 classes with me. Not only am I your teacher on my longer adventures, but I am also your tour guide, and I put you in the right place at the right time over and over again! We have so much fun out in the field,” he shared.

Starting out as a photographer you have to pay your dues to build a following. Hodges spent 14 years on the Northwest Art Circuit doing 26 shows a year. A huge dream was to one day open a photography gallery. “I finally realized that dream when I opened the Randall J. Hodges Photography Gallery at 317 Main Street in beautiful Downtown Edmonds. We have now been opened for four years, and I absolutely love having and running the gallery. I have just signed a lease in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and am very excited to open my Second Gallery, Images of the West, the Randall J. Hodges photography Gallery,” he said. Hodges’ gallery in Cannon Beach is tentatively scheduled to open in March 2018.

With his experience as a hiking photographer, Hodges has plenty of favorite places in the Pacific Northwest for photography and hiking.

He breaks them up by the seasons. “My favorite areas in the Pacific Northwest can be divvied up into time of year. In the winter I love to shoot the Oregon and Washington beaches. In the early spring it’s tulips,

tulips, tulips! Mid to late spring it’s forest trails, creeks and waterfalls, and the spring greens are alive and the water is flowing high. In the summer, the only place you will find me is up high in the alpine wilderness of the mountains searching for wildflowers and lakes. My favorite areas for fall color are the east side of the cascades and the Columbia River gorge.

Some of my very favorite hikes are Shi-Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, The Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier, The Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and Park Butte, Skyline Divide, Sahale Arm and Yellow Aster Butte in the North Cascades,” he said.

Hodges’ gallery in Downtown Edmonds is open daily. To find more information on his artwork and to learn more about his photography classes, visit RandallJHodges.com.

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 51

TRAVEL & LEISURE

EnviroHouse

All things green

BY COLIN ANDERSON PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF TACOMCA

F

or some, going green in their home is a desire to have a smaller impact on the environment and, for others, saving money on heating and cooling or removing potentially hazardous chemicals or gases is the primary reasoning. Whatever your reason might be, if you are looking at any green housing remodel project, your first stop should be the EnviroHouse in Tacoma.

The city has a permanent residence set up at 3510 South Mullen Street where you can wander through a home in which just about every detail and design is environmentally friendly.

The EnviroHouse is open to the public from 10am to 3pm Wednesday through Friday and

52 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Inside and out you’ll find roughly 150 green products and solutions to whatever home build, remodel or landscape project you have coming up. You can learn not only about energy efficient windows, appliances and lighting but see examples of beautiful floors, decking and countertops all made from recycled materials.

Outside you can also learn about the benefits of landscaping with native plants and natural grasses, synthetic turf, weather-controlled irrigation systems and solar-power options.

You’ll be surprised at the amount of money you can save each year by making a few green improvements to your property.

Clinics and classes are held nearly every Saturday as well. In March you can learn how to make a rain barrel, build a chicken coop and how to compost yard waste, just to name a few.

Class registration and schedules are available at CityofTacoma.org/EnviroHouse.

Whether it’s a new deck, replacement of outdated HVAC or you’re considering a move to solar power, you’ll find the answers you’re looking for in this unique and hands-on environment. You’ll definitely learn something new and perhaps find inspiration for another project on your to-do list.

Your Urban Getaway

South Kitsap scenic route

Josephine Redeemed Revival Kitsap County Fairgrounds ~ March 2-3 Green Monster Dualthon - Bremerton ~ March 10 Poulsbo Beer Run ~ March 11 Kitsap Carvers Show - Bremerton ~ March 10-11 Peninsula Home & Garden Expo Kitsap County Fairgrounds ~ March 16-18

...stunning vistas, places to play and stay— all just a short scenic ferry ride or bridge away. You’ll find many family and pet friendly attractions, great places to eat & drink, shops and galleries to explore. Lots of things to see & do. Visit our website for escape plans to the Kitsap Peninsula.

SAVE THE DATES

JULY 12th-15th at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley

Enjoy A Ride on the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail

For more event details visit

CraveNW.com

Arrive by Ferry, Bridge, Boat, Bike or Vehicle

for lodging, dining, and events

Visit Kitsap.com TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 53

FOOD & DRINK

Corned Beef and Cabbage

By Chef Troy Louis Chandler

Serves 4

To corn the beef

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

5 lbs. beef brisket (not corned) 2 quarts water 1 cup kosher salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp. saltpeter or curing salt 1 Mexican cinnamon stick, crushed (Mexican is flakier and stronger) 1 tbsp. onion powder 1 tsp. celery seed 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1 tsp. black peppercorns 8 whole cloves 8 whole allspice berries 12 whole juniper berries 2 bay leaves, crumbled 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Method:

Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot except the beef. Leave the beef on the counter to watch you perform your culinary magic. Bring all of this to medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Turn off and let cool. I throw a couple pounds of ice in because I’m impatient.

It can still be warm just not hot. Dunk your little meat baby into the pool or use a Ziploctype bag or plastic container. Place in the refrigerator or outside if it’s between 30°F and 40°F out (no more than 41°F), and let your baby brisket relax for 10 days checking that it is submerged from time to time. You can weight it down or flip it. See you in 10 days!

THE DAY OF

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • •

1 corned beef (5 lbs.)

2 cups red wine 1 tbsp. black pepper, coarsely ground 1 tsp. allspice, ground 2 bay leaves 2 tsp. kosher salt 4 carrots, diced large 2 onions, diced 1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 4-6 pieces each 2 stalks celery, diced 1 head cabbage, chopped (cut center out)

54 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

tip Method: • • • •

Oven on 300°F = 3 hours Stove top on medium-high = 3 hours Crock pot = 6 hours Insta-pot on meat/stew setting = 1 hour and 10 minutes

Place the corned beef in your chosen weapon and add wine, black pepper, allspice, bay leaves and salt and fill to the shoulder of the beef with water. Follow the above cooking times. Thirty minutes before the oven and stove top methods are done, add your veggies and finish. One hour before the crock pot method is done, add your veggies and finish. When your Insta-pot timer is up, release steam, quickly add veggies and set timer for 5 more minutes.

Serve with bread and whole-grain mustard like Inglehoffer.

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FOOD & DRINK

Shepherd’s Pie

BY CHEF TROY LOUIS CHANDLER

Ingredients: • 3 Ibs. Idaho russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (don’t be afraid to substitute half yams) • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil • 1 large onion, diced

When I was a kid, I unknowingly created this dish on accident. I would go over to my friend’s house for dinner, and sometimes his mom would make “kitchen surprise.” She was so proud of the nights that she could take every leftover cooked and hidden away in Tupperware containers of random scary things from the previous week’s ‘70s experimental cuisine. Well, we kids were left with a plate of mashed potatoes and some random Hamburger Helper scrapings, peas and some who knows what. Oh, and a bottle of ketchup—the original ranch. I would slowly sneak my hodgepodge of meat stuff under my mashers to make them go away.

One evening, I put some ketchup on my “surprise” but still slid it under its familiar fluffy potato comforter. I was hungry, starving. Couldn’t help it. I scooped up a heavy load and for the first time at this table, my fork touched my mouth. Surprise? Pure heaven!

• 1 large carrot, diced small • 1 Ib. ground lamb (or substitute with another meat like venison or elk, beef if you must … boring) • 1 cup beef stock • 1 tbsp. tomato paste • 1 tbsp. flour • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped • 1 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped • 1 cup frozen peas • 1 cup frozen corn • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter • 1/2 cup heavy cream • Kosher salt to taste

method: • Preheat oven to 375°F. • You can do all this in a sauté pan and transfer to a casserole dish, but here we are going to keep the dishes to a minimum and use a 14-inch or larger cast-iron skillet.

• In salted cold water, bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

• Have your butter and heavy cream on the stove already warm. (This lets them incorporate into the potatoes faster without cooling them. Mash your potatoes adding salt as needed.

• In your cast-iron pan, sauté over medium-high heat oil onion, corn, carrot and meat. Cook until browned.

• Add flour, tomato paste and herbs. Sauté for about 2 minutes then add the beef stock.

• Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, then add the peas.

• Spread the mashed potatoes over the cast-iron skillet and make some cool fork marks here and there that will brown nicely.

REAL homeMade

• Throw it in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

56 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

St. PaDDy’S

CHEF TROY LOUIS CHANDLER gluten free

The Irish Mule

21 +

I was trying to think of some kind of green drink for St. Paddy’s Day. These are the type of drinks that have you waking up the next morning wondering why there is an evil leprechaun driving your pet yard gnome’s ceramic hatchet through your skull. So I decided to go a different direction. No green dyes, no sugary madness. No multi-layered beers with shots dropped into them only to be consumed like a pelican swallowing a herring. I wanted something classy and nice that I could enjoy while everyone else started falling down around me.

Mediterranean Cuisine, Tapas, Flatbreads, Gorgeous Sunsets!

“I’ll have what the man on the floor’s having!”

INGREDIENTS: • 2 oz. Irish whiskey (Jameson for this guy) • 6 oz. ginger beer • Juice of ½ a lime

• Lime slice for garnish • Mint for garnish • Ice

Located on the Edmonds Waterfront, Demetris offers delectable food, a full bar and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

METHOD: 1

Fill copper mug with ice.

2

Add whiskey, lime juice and ginger beer. Stir.

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3

Garnish with mint and lime slice.

There you have it. Simple, delicious, refreshing. “Sláinte Chugat!”

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TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 57

ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT

THIS month

St. Paddy’s …

TACOMA STYLE

BY COLIN ANDERSON

W

hen St. Patrick’s Day lands on a weekend, the festivities tend to ramp up a bit, and with March 17 a Saturday this year, you can bet the celebrations will be going day and night, all weekend long!

Begin your celebration with some exercise and a distance comfortable for all levels.

The annual St. Paddy’s Run Tacoma features distances of 1k, 5k, 10k and half marathon, all in the heart of downtown along Ruston Way. The gun goes off at different times between 8am and 9am, with the post-race party open at 9am for early finishers. Walkers are welcome to do the 5k, but half-marathon runners need to maintain a 13-minute mile.

There is no race-day registration, so be sure to sign up in advance.

If live music is what you are after, you’ll find it all weekend long at two of Tacoma’s most popular Irish pubs. O’Malley’s Irish Pub will be serving up food and drink specials as well as live music from local and regional artists

58 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

both Friday and Saturday. There is no cover, but get there early to make sure you get a seat.

Food and drink will be flowing at Doyle’s Public House as well with at least 10 local and regional bands scheduled to perform throughout the weekend. Check with Doyle’s Facebook page for ticket information and band schedules.

If you don’t want to worry about driving, let the Puget Sound Firefighters Pipes and Drums be your St. Patrick’s Day guides. Your ticket in gets you aboard a luxury tour bus with complimentary beer while you travel from stop to stop. Also included are all your venue covers, and you won’t wait in any lines at the most popular St. Patrick’s Day destinations. This year, once again, features an all-day event but with fewer stops and longer times at each location.

WORLD CLASS WINES TASTING ROOM VINEYARD TOURS WEDDINGs & EVENTS

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253-851-4949 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 59

ENTERTAINMENT

GLASS MADNESS MAKE A PAPERWEIGHT IN YOUR FAVORITE BASKETBALL TEAM’S COLORS

2018

BY COLIN ANDERSON • PHOTOS COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF GLASS

If you’ve ever wandered through the Museum of Glass (MOG) in Tacoma and were inspired to create your own piece of art, you’ll have your chance on Saturday, March 24.

To coincide with the NCAA basketball tournament, the Museum of Glass is putting on a one-day event called Glass Madness, where participants will get to enter the hot room and manipulate molten glass. Each person will get to choose two colors, preferably of your favorite college basketball team, and will shape the colored glass into a paper weight they will take home with them.

“It is such a fun and unique experience,” says Jana Marcelia, MOG Marketing and Communications director. “There aren’t many opportunities to be right on the floor of the Hot Shop, working in the same area where famous glassblowers have been.”

Hilltop Artists will be guiding you along the way and teaching you techniques. Hilltop started as a small summer program in the mid-90s and has made a big impact in the local arts community, serving some 500 students each year in creating everything from large-scale public installations composed of blown glass to intricate flame-worked sculptures and beads.

No experience is necessary, but there are a few things you should know before you go.

“You will be very close to the furnaces that are used to heat the glass and make it pliable so you can shape and form it. Participants in the workshop should wear closed-toe shoes and stay away from polar fleece or other synthetic fibers in their clothes,” said Marcelia.

The event is open to those ages 12 and older. Cost is $60 for non-museum members and $45 for current members. Sessions are available between 10am and 5pm with each running about 30 to 45 minutes. Preregistration is available and is highly recommended.

Register online at MuseumOfGlass.org.

60 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

REAL COOL FITNESS & WELLNESS CONFERENCE 24th annual wearable art sale & show

Many

han ds

March 10 ma ke

k th i s wor

24TH ANNUAL WEARABLE ART SALE & SHOW Your purchase of new wearable art benefits the YWCA Pierce County’s life-saving domestic violence services.

GALA PREVIEW March 8th 6PM – 9PM $80 per person

SALE & GALLERY March 9th & 10th 10AM – 6PM March 11th 10AM – 4PM Admission is free

March 8 - 11

GALA TICKETS Call: 253.272.4181 x 352 Visit: ragswearableart.org MERCEDES-BENZ OF TACOMA 1701 Alexander Ave. East Fife, WA

Head to the Center at Norpoint at 9am for the first annual free Fitness and Wellness Conference. This four-hour community event features fitness classes, wellness seminars, healthy cooking classes, complimentary personal training consultations, vendor booths and more!

Call 253.404.3900 for more information and register online at MetroParksTacoma. net.

March 17

RAGS Wearable Art Sale and gallery competition takes place at MercedesBenz of Tacoma in Fife, raising funds for the YWCA Pierce County’s lifesaving domestic violence services.

Unique wearable garments, jewelry and accessories from more than 75 artists will be for sale with artist giving 33 percent of each sale to RAGS. YWCAPierceCounty. org Titus Will Families Foundation

DREAM BIG BENEFIT AUCTION & DINNER

ST. PADDY’S DAY RUN TACOMA Celebrate the luck of the Irish with the 10th annual Bud Light St. Paddy’s Day Run. Featuring a race for every runner, choose between a half marathon, 10k, 5k run/walk and 1k for the wee ones.

Grab your fellow Leprechauns! New this year ... three-person relay teams for the half marathon. To register, visit StPaddyRunTacoma.com.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL 2018

FIELDHOUSE FLEA MARKET

March 10

March 16 & 17

March 17

This is an important night to celebrate and support Catholic education in the Tacoma community. Make plans to attend Bellarmine Preparatory School’s biggest fundraiser of the year! The proceeds from this event help cover the school’s operating costs and fund special needs such as equipment and curriculum upgrades. Tickets can be purchased online at StNicholasCS.org.

Enjoy two days of music and celebration under the big top tent at Doyle’s Public House in Downtown Tacoma. Like any good festival, they will feature a savory stew of raucous Irish flavor, plenty of awesome local bands, nationally touring gunslingers, serious Seattle mercenaries and a TV personality or two! Call 253.272.7468 for more information.

This is a popular community event and the Women’s League’s largest fundraiser of the year in support of student scholarships. 2018 is their 50th anniversary. Held at University of Puget Sound Memorial Fieldhouse, admission is $10 for early entry, $5 for regular entry and free for children 2 and younger.

PugetSound.edu

18 March

STAR CHEFS ON BROADWAY At Star Chefs on Broadway: The Lalapazaza Speakeasy, you’ll enjoy decadent dishes, tasty drinks and auctions featuring local and one-of-a-kind items 5 to 11pm. Star Chefs is a benefit event for the Broadway Center’s Arts Education Programs, which serves more than 40,000 students, teachers and families annually. Tickets can be purchased online at BroadwayCenter.org.

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 61

ENTERTAINMENT

THE GRAND CINEMA SHOWING IN MARCH 03/02

FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

03/06

HUMAN FLOW

03/08

THE LIVING FIRE

03/09

THE ROOM

03/13

ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS

03/15

THE WOMEN’S BALCONY

03/17

THE LAST STARFIGHTER

03/20

IN BETWEEN

03/21

LIFE OF BRIAN

03/22

DAVID HOCKNEY

03/22 ATLANTIC. 03/30

HISTORY HAPPY HOUR TACOMA

March 21 Tacoma’s Historic Preservation Office and Tacoma Historical Society brings you the most intriguing, exciting and outright weird trivia about your city and state! Test your knowledge and compete for prizes and the Washington trivia throne in this all-ages trivia night!

The event starts at 6pm at The Swiss.

WashingtonHistory.org

62 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

ISLE OF DOGS

3RD ANNUAL MAKE THE CONNECTION BREAKFAST

22

Enjoy breakfast, 7 to 8am, at St. Leo Parish while learning about how the Food Connection is fighting hunger in Pierce County and to help honor some of their community partners. There’s no cost to attend, but there will be a request for donations to help build a bigger table for our community. Call 253.272.5136 to find out more.

Check out TacomaLivingLocal.com for more events and information!

SWAN CREEK MUD RUN

March 24 This family friendly 2-mile event takes participants off the city streets and sidewalks and onto local trails with a course designed for dirt-tromping, mud-loving children and adults as well as those who plan to puddle-jump and keep their feet try.

Obstacles include fire jumping, belly crawling, wire leaping, log climbing and mud tromping. Register at MetroParksTacoma.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 5 - Opening Day 5k at Cheney Stadium April 7 - Tacoma Wined Up at Tacoma Armory April 13 - LeMay Wine, Spirits & Chocolate April 21 - Scuba & H2O Watersports Expo 2018 at

Greater Tacoma Convention Center April 21 - Tillman Honor Run at Cummings Park April 22 - 11th Annual Gala Fundraiser Dinner & Auction at Hotel Murano April 25 - 35th Annual Celebration Luncheon at Hotel Murano May 2 - 3rd Annual Rise and Shine Breakfast at Foss Waterway Seaport

25-29 March

RESTAURANT WEEK Experience the tastes of Gig Harbor’s Waterfront during Waterfront Restaurant Week, March 25 through 29. Participating restaurants will offer special meals at fixed price points of $20 or $30. It’s a great way to try that new place you’ve been curious about, support your longtime favorite spot, and experience new and creative menu items at each location. Visit Gig Harbor’s Waterfront Restaurant Week on Facebook for participating restaurants and menus.

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 63

CHENEY STADIUM OPENING MATCH MARCH 16

S2TACOMA.COM

WE

TACOMA CHENEY STADIUM OPENING DAY APRIL 5

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Happy Hour everyday 12pm-6pm!

Where Drinkers go to camp!

“I don’t need therapy, I just need to go camping” - Anonymous

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CampBarTacomaWA/

1310 Tacoma Ave S | Open 7 days a week | Karaoke Friday & Saturdays 64 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

de Recat PHOTOGRAPHY Outstanding Unique Portraits

Carlie Parker Flight Attendant

Call Today for a Free Consultation TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 65 253.514.6447 derecatphotography.com

Making Your Dreams of

www.mvcsandpoint.com 208.263.1058 66 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

a new custom home a Reality!

Our home is absolutely beautiful and we will spend many wonderful years sharing our home with friends and family. The effort made by all parties involved is appreciated by Richard and myself. It's amazing how everything finally comes together.

We wish you well in the years to come. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness. —Richard and Betty B.

TACOMALIVINGLOCAL 67

de Recat PHOTOGRAPHY Outstanding Unique Portraits

Carlie Parker Flight Attendant

68 TACOMALIVINGLOCAL

Call Today for a Free Consultation 253.514.6447 derecatphotography.com