The 3/50 Project in Action

In the spirit of Project 3/50 we had a big day of shopping local last weekend. We started at our favorite lunch spot, Stone Soup, for yet another delicious meal. The back patio flowerbeds are bursting with color, in many shades of lavender and green. It sets the mood to slow down and enjoy. The lunch was excellent, asparagus-red and pepper-blue cheese whole wheat quesadillas.

And the coconut-lime cake we shared for dessert was terrific! Very dense yet delicate. It is definitely becoming one of our favorite local eateries.

We then headed east, over Afton Mountain to Critzer Farm, home of pick-your-own-strawberries. The berries were looking gorgeous and we picked up a couple of pre-picked quarts. We'll head back next weekend to pick-our-own for homemade jam and strawberry pie. (yum!)

Then we headed south for some thrifting at Rockfish Community Center. The old elementary schoolhouse has been converted into a thrift store, a gathering space and the Earl Hamner Jr. Theater. It's a lovely little spot with a great view of the mountains to the west. From there we headed south to the SPCA Thrift Shop in Lovingston which has moved to a new location just south of town. We were greeted by the nicest ladies there. It made us feel especially good knowing that our money from what we bought went to help pay for the care of all the sweet pets at Almost Home Animal Shelter. The new thrift store is huge, very clean and well organized. We picked up some great deals, recycled castaways and helped the furbabies all in one visit. Nice!

After that we headed up to Wintergreen to meet the hubs at the pool. The kids enjoyed the pool while J'Daddy and I caught a little sun on the deck. Employees families can hang out for free which is a very nice bonus for us. We had a picnic on the mountain overlook and from the pic above you can clearly see why they are called the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are beautiful!

I encourage you to explore and enjoy the treasures that are right around you. Shop Local. All told, we really didn't spend that much but every little bit helps. These shopkeepers and workers are our neighbors. Helping them helps all of us.