DAILY LIFE

Terumi from An Emerald City Life with her son and Jett the SEA mascot

When you spend the day at SEA (Seatac airport) and don’t even go anywhere and it’s awesome

February 20, 2025

I am often invited to SEA (our airport formerly known as SeaTac and still kind of known as SeaTac but it’s moving towards SEA now) for events because of the blog and instagram and the other day my son and I went for the opening of the last new N concourse shops and restaurants but […]

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ACT theatre in Seattle

The Last 5 years and going to a play at the ACT theatre in Seattle

February 14, 2025

Theatre has such an interesting unspoken contract that we don’t seem to have anywhere else anymore. Without explicit instructions, we know to find our seats and tuck ourselves carefully into place without jostling the chairs around us all the while clutching jackets, handbags, and programs quietly into our laps. When the lights darken we grow […]

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pool at intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile

Most unexpected Pool in Chicago at the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile

February 12, 2025

I was not expecting a pool to be the reason I want to go back to Chicago and stay at this exact hotel again one day. And I never realized that as a grownup that pools would be so important to my hotel stays-it was so important when our kids were small. But there is […]

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Alexander Hamilton Custom House photo and Hamilton musical in Seattle

Hamilton is back touring in Seattle and a few things you might want to know about the show

February 5, 2025

Hamilton is back in Seattle until March 2nd 2025 and this Broadway in Seattle musical is always a favorite in our city. This musical at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle runs 2 hours and 45 minutes including one intermission. It is recommended for kids 10 and up. My guys first saw it when they […]

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broadway in Seattle 2025/2026 season including Lion King

Broadway in Seattle 2025/2026 season musical list (and who else is so excited about the Notebook?)

February 2, 2025

I still remember when the Notebook was the opening night movie for SIFF at a fancy theatre downtown and I had no idea I would cry my eyes out and neither did the group of mascara stained ladies I met in the bathroom at intermission either. So I practically squealed when I saw that the […]

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Alderbrook resort in Union Washington on a mom and me trip

A mom and me trip to Alderbrook Resort in the winter

January 28, 2025

The time between November to the end of year seems to go a zillion times faster than the rest of the year (and especially January. Why is January the longest month of the year?!) and it doesn’t always feel like you can add anything more, but I think I need to remember this is why […]

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cirque du soleil kooza Seattle Premiere night in January 2025

Behind the scenes with Cirque Du Soleil Kooza Seattle (at Marymoor Park)

January 26, 2025

Just an FYI before you go, Cirque De Soleil Kooza Seattle is not totally in Seattle but in Redmond about 30-ish minutes away (or more) depending on traffic. Also, know before you go that there is a $25 parking fee that can be paid by card or cash and really no other place to park […]

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Oahu Outrigger Reef with teenagers and a sunset on the beach

Oahu Outrigger Reef with teenagers revisited and a few nights on the North Shore

January 21, 2025

There was a time when holidays consisted mainly of trips to Hawaii and California when our twins were small. These are both very popular vacation destinations for Seattle families and both have nonstop flights. We still go to California often and Hawaii Island the past couple years for multigenerational trips. Last year we realized we […]

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Broadway in Seattle Kimberly Akimbo

Kimberly Akimbo a Broadway Seattle musical you should see

January 8, 2025

I don’t really want to tell you all about Kimberly Akimbo the musical so that you can go and have it wash over you with hope and joy and love in spite of all the tough things we have to face and live and can’t do over or redo. So if you want it all […]

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robot nails in Seattle at Clockwork nails at Fairview Market in South Lake Union

Clockwork Nails at Fairview Market Hall: Robot Nails in Seattle in South Lake Union

January 2, 2025

If you’ve been following along with my blog for a while, you know I love robot made things in Seattle. Robot Cotton Candy. Robot Coffee. Even Robot Pizza (I will post this soon, I can’t believe I forgot to post this!). So I’m very excited we now have Robot Nails in Seattle with Clockwork Nails […]

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last minute gifts in Seattle

Last minute gifts in Seattle just in case you need some ideas

December 18, 2024

Kenmore Air Flight training in Seattle I saw “introductory flight lessons” pop up in my instagram feed and it felt like something my guys might like as a gift and the more I thought about it the more I thought it might be something I would like too. Who wouldn’t want to fly a plane […]

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back to the future musical in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre

The Back to the Future Musical at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle

December 12, 2024

Did you love the Back to the Future movie in the 80’s as a kid? And then of course there was the Back to the Future sequel and maybe there were even more but I’m not too sure-everything in that era ended up with at least a Part 2. But we first saw signs for […]

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stay Vancouver Hotels holiday giveaway

Gift yourself Vancouver with Stay Vancouver Hotels

December 2, 2024

If you’ve been following along with my instagram you’ll know that I recently helped promote their Stay Vancouver Hotels holiday contest where everyday from November 25th-December 15th they gave away hotel stays and activities in Vancouver BC, my beautiful hometown. ( the contest is now closed but they have a lot of great promotions to […]

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adidas neuclassics dress that's kind of like the neuclassics hoodie pattern

Shopping hoodies for the holidays with adidas

November 25, 2024

This post featuring hoodies is sponsored by adidas. All opinions are my own. I kind of love that the holidays feel like they’ve come a bit early this year. Normally I wait until after Thanksgiving to get the decorations up, but this year I really want to savor all the festivities. I’ve also started shopping for presents already […]

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2024 Seattle Auto Show (photo from prior show year)

2024 Seattle Auto Show at Lumen Field

November 13, 2024

It’s been a minute since I’ve visited the Seattle Auto Show and this year it’s in town from November 14-17th at Lumen Field. I’ll be at the media preview before the show opens and I’m excited to see what is new this year especially because the twin teenagers got their licenses this summer so we’ve […]

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Wicked the musical in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre

Wicked the Musical in Seattle

November 10, 2024

If you ever needed a reason to go and see a musical surrounded by people in a theatre and feel hopeful, maybe it’s now and Wicked the Musical in Seattle is the one you want to see. Wicked the Musical is in Seattle until December 1st at the Paramount Theatre and it’s here for multiple […]

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walking near mimaru hotels Asakusa Station in Tokyo Japan with teenagers

Staying at the Mimaru Hotels Asakusa Station on a trip to Tokyo with teenagers

September 30, 2024

We’ve traveled to Tokyo several times with our kids over the years but Japan travel has changed a ton since pre-2020. We finally made it back this August as part of a trip to see family in Singapore and the south of Japan and it turned out that this kind of trip with teenagers is […]

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Seattle Space Needle with the C3 Seattle CityPass

Visiting the Seattle Aquarium and Space Needle with a Seattle C3 CityPASS

September 25, 2024

My niece had been wanting to see the Space Needle forever and we promised her that one day we’d go. This summer we finally made this happen on a beautiful sunny day when my sister and her twins came to Seattle. I looked up various admissions for all the things we wanted to do (and […]

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Japan in August rainy weather in Fukuyama

If you go to Japan in August you might need waterproof hiking shoes

September 20, 2024

Sometimes there are things you don’t always think about needing on a trip when you go to a place with weather vastly different from where you are coming from. On a recent trip to Japan in August my family found out about the typhoon season and how summer rain there can literally come out of […]

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transformers one and an interview with Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry

Transformers One: an Interview with Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry

September 16, 2024

Childhood me who just-a-million-times-more-than-a-teeny-bit wanted to be a reporter one day would have screamed a little if I told her I interviewed Optimus Prime and Megatron this afternoon. And I even got to chat with the two of them in the same room not trying to kill each other. It feels like so many of […]

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