A BREATH OF FRESH AIR INTO AN OLD DREAM

Annie Milliken 

My quest to share all things wonderful in our community is getting a breath of fresh air as I consider how this endeavor can serve my newest, heart-led endeavor as a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern in private practice.  So many ideas are washing over me as to how I can craft this space as a positive place for community, shared ideas and information.  My work as a therapist provides me exposure to many wonderful resources, experiences and outlooks that are so worthy of sharing.  As I ponder integrating an old dream, this blog of community and sustainability, with my new passions, I invite suggestions of my community in creating this process.  Your thoughts and input are greatly appreciated as I move forward with this project.

Suggestions and feedback for reconstruction of my blog and future topics can be emailed to annemillikentherapy@gmail.com.  More information regarding my private practice can be found at annemilliken.com.

Autumn Hiking in North County

This beautiful weather we've been having lately inspired my friends and I to get out and go for a hike. Many of you here in North County may have forgotten about the Elfin Forest where a short drive, (30 minutes in considered short here) leads you to an area that has 11 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. We took the main Way Up Trail, which is 5 miles round-trip and an elevation gain of about 600 feet up to the Olivenhain Dam.

As you can see from the above photo, dogs are allowed which stoked out Molly dog since she's been in a perpetual state of wonderment as to where the heck all the nature went since we moved from Wyoming.

The switchbacks ease the elevation gain and halfway up you get a great view of Escondido. Once you're at the top there are picnic tables to relax and have a snack on overlooking the reservoir.

Overall the hike took around 2 hours which included snack breaks for my cute companions (who ruled the hike at the ages 4 and 6) and a chance for Molly to catch her breath after being done in by a squirrel chase.

We barely made the 6:00 pm closing time just as dusk fell so make sure you're at the trailhead by about 4:00.

The drive to the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve left the city behind and opened up to numerous beautiful horse ranches along Harmony Road.

Next time, I'm taking the Lake Hodges Overlook Trail which is less than another mile at the top. For driving directions and more information about the reserve, you can click here.

Written by contributor, Misty Andersen

Gavin & Grandma Meg ascending!

Carter & Molly over-looking Lake Hodges

Gavin & Carter: "time for another rest"

Gavin & Carter

Misty, Lauren, & Molly (looking for squirrels to chase)

Gavin & Carter taking a rest and checking out the sites

Molly, Carter & Gavin: leading the pack

The Mindful Method: Misty Andersen, Pilates Instructor

I am honored to feature my friend and collaborator, Misty Andersen in this post! In so many beautiful ways, Misty embodies the essence of organic community that we are striving for in our lives and with this blog. Misty is also an inspired Pilates instructor in Our Community, the heart of Carlsbad Village. I recently had the opportunity to start my Pilates journey with Misty...


Walking into a Pilates studio for the first time, with total ignorance of the process, I feared I had just entered a torture chamber as I scanned the room full of masochistic looking machines. Looking at Misty’s sweet face, it is hard to imagine she could be the administrator of such punishment, but I have always thought it is the sweet and innocent faces you must beware of!


After some cautionary first movements, under Misty’s expert instruction, I quickly realized these machines were actually really cool. For a 7:00 am workout, lying on your back for most of the hour playing with moving gadgets is not such a bad thing. Although, I must advise, these seemingly insignificant movements, in a prone position, do catch up with you the next morning!


It is a special treat to see a dear friend in their professional element. It often unveils components of their essence that you have not yet had the opportunity to experience. Training with Misty in Pilates, I was able to witness her in a role of expert, professional, and skilled instructor. As awkward as it is to take on a new exercise regimen in unfamiliar surroundings, I felt surprisingly comfortable with her calm, relaxed, and attentive approach to coaching. Misty also brings her subtle, spot-on sense of humor to her Pilates instruction, which makes your training session glide along with laughs, as you feel the burn.


Health and wellness are so vital to our individual sustainability, as it is to our community’s sustainability. Finding a fitness routine that you can maintain is a must! One of the gifts of working out under Misty’s tutelage is she compels you to keep coming and to keep striving for your own health and fitness. If you are in the North County San Diego area, I highly recommend trying Pilates with Misty Andersen and supporting a LOCAL, small businesswoman. You will feel stomach muscles you never knew you had!


Check Misty’s website out at www.themindfulmethod.com for more information or call 310-698-2256 to learn about her new client specials.

Fair Trade: What, Why, & Where

Fair Trade: What, Why, & Where

We are all aware of the endless issues we face socially, economically, and environmentally in our world today. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and in response throw up our hands and say, “what can I do, as one person, that will make a difference.” It is our intention to embark on a journey of empowerment and share this journey with our community, so that we may each step forward knowing that we can and do make a difference both individually and as a collective community.

First stop on this journey, Fair Trade. We both start our days, as many of you likely do, with a good ‘ol cup o’Joe. The sound of the beans grinding, the sweet aroma of it brewing, the steam rising off my foaming soy, and the delicious, invigorating first taste are such fundamental necessities to a day starting off just right. Our simple daily rituals, such as enjoying a cup of coffee, can have significant implications, socially, economically, and environmentally.

Americans consume one-fifth of the world’s coffee, making our country the largest consumer of coffee in the world. Coffee is the United States largest food import and the world's second most valuable traded commodity, behind only petroleum.



Fair Trade: What is it?

Fair Trade is a world-wide collaborative system to ensure producers receive a fair price and a living wage for their commodity. Fair Trade is not exclusive to coffee, and continues to expand its reach.
The following are highlights cited on www.globalexchange.org regarding Fair Trade:

• Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
• Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
• Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
• Sustainable production techniques are encouraged
• Working conditions are healthy and safe
• Equal employment opportunities are provided for all
• All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability

Fair Trade: Why?

Understanding the significance of your purchase power allows you to wield it with ethical intention, that can have far-reaching results. When you choose Fair Trade coffee you are ensuring that participating farmers receive a living wage, and that they are provided loans and assistance with transitioning to organic farming. Coffee purchasers must pledge to pay a minimum of $1.26 per/pound for Fair Trade coffee beans. Without Fair Trade guarantees, farmers have been known to not only go into poverty, but to take their children out of school to work on the farms. One cup of coffee costs us more than the farmers get per pound! When you choose that cup of coffee, consider the sustainability of that purchase for the grower and for our environment.


Fair Trade: Where can I use my purchasing power?

The following area some locations in our are that serve or sell Fair Trade products. Please join us in highlighting other companies that are participating in Fair Trade in our area or yours, in the comments section.

Panniken Coffee & Tea
www.pannikincoffeeandtea.com
Encinitas Café
510 N. Highway 101
Encinitas CA 92024
760-436-5824

Vinaka Cafe
300 Carlsbad Village Dr Ste 211
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 720-7890

2Spoons Coffee Company
www.2spoonscoffee.com/
3829 Plaza Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760) 724-1220

Hill Street Coffee House
524 S. Coast Highway
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 966-0985

Naked Cafe
www.thenakedcafe.com
300 Carlsbad Village Dr.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.720.7866

E Street Cafe
www.estreetcafe.com
128/130 West "E" Street
Encinitas California 92024
(760) 230-2038

For more information regarding Fair Trade, visit www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/.