Monday, January 17, 2011

indie mama in Ogden

 

*To follow our guest blogger Mikki.

mojos kjhk

My life was all in order. I had a job i liked, a rad daughter, an amazing husband, a close circle a friends and i knew my city like the back of my hand. Then out of nowhere it all changed. my husbands job transferred us from the indie oasis of Portland, Oregon to where the heck Ogden, Utah.  I was crushed, confused, scared and most of all i wondered where i would get my perfect coffee.


I moved to Utah with an open mind and a heavy heart and i made a vow to put myself out there and  learn to love it. Within the first week of living there it became clear, loving Ogden would be easy. This small town nestles against beautiful mountains is like a secret island. The people are friendly and they love to support local. Downtown is one street packed with local treasures, great food and friendly faces. I can take my daughter anywhere even to music shows at several all age venues that sport toy boxes and coloring books for your little one while you rock out. Weekends for me are always a new adventure and not having to stress about finding a sitter has been a great relief.


last Friday night was the usual- The papa gets home and we eat dinner, dig out our clothes that don't have peanut butter on them and bike over to Mojos for the Friday night acoustic show. Our daughter runs to the toy box and we grab ourselves a couple coffees and sit in one of the vintage couches and enjoy the show. It's warm and cozy and it  feels good to just sit and listen and relax while the little one plays with the assorted robot dogs and entertains the locals.The warm coffee, warm air and cushy couches is a recipe for sleepy time so before we fall asleep in public we load up the caravan and head home. Cuddling and late night cartoons is in order and soon were all asleep.


Saturday I'm up early distracting the girl child and trying to let the husband sleep in. i  fail and so we lounge in our pj's debating whether or not to clean today.It's saturday so of course we opt out of cleaning and instead throw on our snow gear and  tromp over to Grounds for coffee (both local franchises are run by rad mamas) for some local brew and a steamer for the youngin'. By the time we get back home the snow has defeated us, it burns a lot of calories trudging through that icy mess and a heaping plateful of homemade biscuits and gravy is necessary. After our bellies are full the husband and i rock paper scissors to see who gets to go out. I win and so i scan my list of events to decide which one to go to.  Fashion show benefit for make a wish? yes please! Finally, an event i can utilize my ancient lipstick for. I head over to Borrowed earth emporium and grab a chai and head upstairs to see the show. Local designers and shops display their wares on smokin' hot mamas trotting down the runway as their little ones wave on the sidelines. Great fun and a great cause but alas i am not equipped for late night fun even with the help of caffeine and I'm ready for bed.


Sunday its my turn to sleep in but i wake up at my usual time with the help of the little one yelling for cookies. Oh dear! Fearing a catastrophic meltdown i distract her with the rugrats while i make some oatmeal, mamas are experts in the art of distraction. Today is going to be a lazy day  so i prepare myself by getting cozy on the couch with my cup of coffee in a spot ideal for both cartoon viewing and adequate foot support provided by the ottoman. Sundays are ideal days for ordering in food and we have one place that is our go to lazy day dinner- PIZZA RUNNER! Dread head pizza topped with assorted fresh veggies and pesto sauce and of course our favorite jalapeno cheese bread slathered in garlic....oh yeah! Before the days over we make sure to run around the yard throwing snow at each other getting soaking wet and cold, retreating into the house and jumping under blankets.


So far Ogden has proven to be more than i ever expected and i am loving every minute. Ogden is a small town that is rebuilding itself after an economic slump by encouraging local businesses and preserving historic building. The views are amazing, the locals are inviting and for a small town its a pretty happening place. Come visit some time and enjoy the abundance of outdoor sports, local music and food and amazing weather and remember to say that Indie Ogden sent you!

6 comments:

  1. That sounds like such a great place! I'm glad you are happy after your move. It can take a long time to get settled in a new place!

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  2. Ogden is the best! I love downtown eats and treats!

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  3. Grounds for coffee sounds like a pretty amazing place!!

    Um, yes.
    I would be worried about where to find "my perfect coffee" if I moved drastically like that too!!

    That is such a cute picture. :)

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  4. I love this photo of you and your family! You look so artsy.

    I'm glad you're adjusting well and loving it thus far! I'm going to be moving at some point this year - to wherever my husband gets a job. I think I'll be relatively open-minded though because I've wanted to get out of GA since I moved back five months ago.

    Only been to Utah once. . . used to live near Portland when I was younger. . . and would love to visit again. Maybe I should put Utah on my list of roadtrip destinations as well. . .

    - Lauren

    Ladaisi Blog

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  5. What a fun, exciting, and great adventure for the 3 of you!
    I would love to move somewhere new since im a native of Colorful Colorado ( which i love ) but want to experiance more out there. I really want to mve to alaska fir a few year. Keep trying to win that lottery so we can and i can open a fun and funky coffee house filled with books and such. Enjoy your new adventure, you are blessed to get this experiance.

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