• Cedar Mill Farmers Market: Summer to Fall
• Order your Pi online
• New business news
• Chair Yoga classes
• Market of Choice introduces private label supplements
• Paint with Jean: Fun with Watercolor
• The problem with Buy Now Pay Later Debt disguised as convenience
• Big Rocks Organizing’s 10 Year Anniversary Party

Cedar Mill Farmers Market: Summer to Fall

Saturdays, now through October 18, 9-2 pm, 1027 NW Murray Rd.

The Cedar Mill Farmers Market is in full swing! Now is a great time to stop by if you haven’t yet this year. We have seven market dates remaining this season and we’d love to see you.

Wondering what fresh produce you can find this September? We are at the tail end of summer abundance with the last of the berries still stocking our booths and peaches and tomatoes in full abundance. The beginnings of fall crops are just starting as well with corn, apples, and pears slowly sneaking in!

I’m Isabel Acker, and as the new Market Assistant Manager, I have greatly enjoyed meeting all of our wonderful vendors and many of our lovely patrons over these past few months. The Cedar Mill Farmers Market is a great place to foster a community, and I love seeing all of the familiar faces each and every week!

As always, a reminder that we do accept SNAP/EBT and offer Double Up Food Bucks at our market. Come to the info booth to get your market tokens or with any questions you may have.

Let’s make our fall market dates as fun and abundant as our summer dates have been!

Order your Pi online

Tuesday-Saturday, noon-8 pm, 15325 Northwest Central Drive

Radii Pi in the Bethany shopping center has a new online ordering system that makes it quick and easy to order and customize your artisan Neapolitan-style pizza for pickup or delivery. You can order pizzas, pastas and salads to dine in, take with, or have delivered. You can also order Bethany’s Table menu items using the same order page from 5-8 Tuesday-Saturday.

New business news

You may have noticed action in the space in Milltowner next to Mio Sushi. As we mentioned in April, a franchisee for Pure Green Juice Bar has leased the final open space and expects to open in November. We hear that the final open space next to Insomnia will be occupied by a northwest food chain shop, but we can’t tell you who until the contract is signed.

We’ve also seen the sign for a Mexican grocery in the space behind Haven Coffee Shop but we haven’t been able to connect with them to get more info. We’ll let you know when we can!

Chair Yoga classes

Tuesdays, noon, Oak Hills Church, 2800 NW 153rd Ave, $10

The classes will be taught in a chair and will be focused on developing strength, improving mobility, and getting gentle movement. These classes are ideal for people age 65 and older and/or individuals experiencing physical limitations.

Classes will be taught by Sydney Garl, BSN, RN. Sydney is a Registered Nurse with 18 years of nursing experience. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Sydney’s goal is to create a welcoming space where everyone feels safe to move. She believes that yoga and other movement practices are for every body and can be a powerful way to enhance quality of life, no matter where one is starting from. For more information, please visit: www.sydneygarlyoga.com

Market of Choice introduces private label supplements

Oregon’s largest independent, family-owned grocer, Market of Choice, is expanding its private label offerings with the launch of a new supplement collection developed exclusively for Market of Choice in partnership with Oregon-owned and operated Highland Laboratories, a trusted dietary supplement manufacturer based in Mt. Angel, Oregon.

Market of Choice’s private label line, called MoC Apothecary, is available in stores now. This new private label supplement line offers products that span three product categories: Single Ingredient: Pure and potent vitamins, minerals, and herbs in their most effective forms, these are ideal for customers looking for supplement stacking or targeted use; Condition-Specific: Comprehensive formulas containing multi-ingredient blends; and Multivitamins: Balanced daily nutrition that meets or exceeds daily requirements, often including trademarked ingredients.

Paint with Jean: Fun with Watercolor

Tuesday, October 14, 9 am-12 pm, Leedy Grange, 835 NW Saltzman Rd., $40. Please see a full description here.

Fun With Watercolor with instructor Jean Anderson is for beginners and intermediate watercolor artists who want to have better control of the medium. I start with an abstract approach to allow students the freedom to understand the medium without the added work of making the painting realistic. With this approach, I can quickly move my students on to more realistic material if they want.

I have taught watercolor for many years. My classes are fun, well organized, and packed with tons of information. Feel free to call me at 503-649-9097 for more information.

The problem with Buy Now Pay Later Debt disguised as convenience

According to Worldpay, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) exploded from $2 billion in 2013 to $340 billion in 2023. However, this type of purchasing is not budgeting—it’s a debt boom.

BNPL offers consumers the convenience of purchasing items now while making payments later, however this comes with a variety of problems: BNPL is not free. Even with 0% offers, you’re still on the hook for payments, and late fees can add up fast.

Credit bureaus are beginning to factor BNPL into your score (not all credit bureaus, but some like FICO are) and are treating it like a revolving loan. It can begin to normalize spending money you don’t have which can quickly drive you into debt.

To combat the BNPL cycle, try doing these instead:

Build a mini emergency fund so you can buy these items with less stress. Wait 48 hours before buying the item. Sometimes you need to give your brain time to figure out if it’s actually worth buying the item. If you can’t buy it with your own money, maybe you’re not ready to buy that item.

The bottom line is that financial freedom starts when you stop spending money you don’t have. So before taking part in BNPL, think if that item is really what you want because the impulse to buy a certain item could quickly impact your wallet and your credit score.

Sunset Credit Union is a full service, not-for-profit financial institution serving anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Washington County. You can learn more about them by visiting their website.

Big Rocks Organizing’s 10 Year Anniversary Party

Friday, October 10, 6-9 pm, doors open at 5:45 pm, Rose Haven Day Shelter and Community Center, 1740 NW Glisan Street, Portland, all ages. Tickets and more information here.

You’re invited to the home decluttering company Big Rocks Organizing’s 10th Anniversary Halloween Party! Join us as we celebrate 10 incredible years of making a difference. It’s the perfect chance to have some fun and give back to your community. All proceeds from ticket sales and raffle ticket sales go directly to Rose Haven. Your presence will truly make an impact!

Put on your costumes and get ready for a festive evening with a meaningful purpose. We will have food, drinks, a costume contest, and a raffle with great prizes! One free raffle ticket is included with your ticket purchase. Additional tickets will be available for purchase at the party.

Dress code: Recycled Chic—Wear your best costume made of things you already have, things you find, or things you craft. Use what is in your closet, your recycling bin, even your trash can to put together the perfect costume, no shopping required (it’s actually discouraged)! We will be crowning one crafty winner! Costumes not required, but strongly encouraged.