I feel so bad right now. I completely abandoned my blog last week as work was just so hectic. I need to come up with some kind of editorial plan to keep this fresh when life slips away. We all lead busy lives so tell me: what works for you?

As promised, I wanted to post about my recent experience at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store. If you live in the Portland area, I guarantee you know someone who knows someone who works at Columbia Sportswear. Please snag a pass and get there soon! And even if you can't get a pass, treat yourself and head to its downtown store. You won't regret it.

First off, I had no idea its corporate offices and employee store was just down the road from my house. Makes sense as so is Nike and Intel. Before heading over, I honestly expected a small store with low inventory in odd sizes. You can imagine my surprise when I walked into a normal sized store, packed with clothes in all sizes. And prices were anywhere from 50 to 70 percent off. Drool. I geared up for the hiking and fishing season ahead. Who knew they made shirts specifically for fishing? It's made with Omni-Shield Blood 'N Guts technology for "when fishing gets messy." Lovely.

I did give myself budget, and stuck to it, but I could've easily purchased everything in sight. Here's what I snagged for myself: