DAILY LIFE

Orla Kiely quote at the Epic Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin

If you have Irish heritage and have a chance to visit Dublin make sure you go to the Epic Irish Emigration Museum

December 22, 2022

There are many things to do in Dublin and we found out that you can probably do them all if you really want to even if you are only in Ireland for 5 days but you can also choose just to do a few and take your time and even go to Butlers for hot […]

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Lomi home composter unboxed

Unboxing and using our Lomi Home Composter for the very first time

December 14, 2022

I was gifted a Lomi Home Composter and this post contains affiliate links and as always the viewpoints in this post are my own. I also have a coupon code for a free skylight with purchase. Add Lomi and a Skylight to your cart. Apply code: emeraldcitylife at checkout. We are trying out the Lomi […]

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noir lux candle company seattle

My most favorite Seattle thing from 2022: Noir Lux Candle Company

December 12, 2022

Maybe we can people again. It has been so hard not to people in the past couple years. And thankfully this year it finally feels like we’re starting to be able to make plans to meet friends and family and there is so much hope. We’ve been able to have so many first-time-in-way-too-long reunions and […]

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holiday lights and snow at Snowflake Lane at the Bellevue Collection

Things to do in Seattle in December

December 5, 2022

This year, I don’t know if I’ll get my Christmas cards out on time. I can’t believe we’re in December and I don’t know how many activities we’ll actually get to this year. We don’t even have a tree yet. Is this you too? And maybe it’s okay to not do it all this year. […]

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best view of Seattle skyline taken from Argosy Cruises 2022 (Harbor Cruise)

Our Seattle favorite things of 2022 for all of your holiday lists

November 30, 2022

Who says that the holidays need to be hectic? I love December for celebrating and reflecting on all the joys of the year. This year I’m really thankful to have partnered with many local shops and activities that have become part of my family’s daily life in Seattle. And many of these places will be […]

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what the constitution means to me at Seattle Reperatory Theatre

A play you need to see in Seattle : “What the Constitution means to me” (and when it goes beyond our city you need to see it too!)

October 6, 2022

Have you ever watched as much news or followed as much politics as you have in the past 3 years? Sometimes I feel like all I hear is sadness and scary things and I just want to turn it off and make it stop. But it won’t stop even if we don’t pay attention and […]

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homemade advent calendar project

Best Advent Calendar 2024 Watchlist

October 4, 2022

Just like Halloween and Christmas start slowly sneaking into summer, annual advent calendars start popping up earlier and earlier every year too. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing for this year’s calendar yet but there are a few that have caught my eye. I’ll add the ones I see to the list below and […]

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direct flights from Seattle including Hawaii Airport for family travel

Finding all the places that have nonstop flights from Seattle at Seatac airport now that we travel with teenagers

October 3, 2022

The hardest part about travel now that we travel with teenagers is that we don’t have all the time and flexibility we used to have when they were younger because of school and sports. One of the main ways we choose the places we go to is by if they have nonstop flights from Seattle. […]

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seattle in October

Things to do in Seattle in October

September 28, 2022

Suddenly it’s October isn’t it? I was just reminiscing about our October last year where we started the month with a last minute trip to Disneyland (October was a great time to go by the way-we pretty much did it all in one day)and escaped a bit of the smoke we had. This year there […]

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Conrad midtown Manhattan hotel

Staying a the Conrad Midtown Manhattan NYC (and yes we booked with Amex Fine Hotels again too)

September 20, 2022

At the beginning of the summer our teenage boys went on their first solo trip with their school. It was at the height of the June pandemic outbreaks where people who hadn’t got Covid for two years were all getting it and we were a bit worried that they might get Covid too but we […]

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Scout the yorkie poo jumping at the Beach at Expedia Group park on Seattle Waterfront

Where we park in Seattle to go to the beach at Expedia Group (Scout’s Favorite Park)

September 13, 2022

If you follow along on my instagram, we tend to visit the beach at Expedia group with Scout quite frequently. It used to be where we parked to go biking with the kids when they were small. It’s near where the cruise ships dock and it’s also where you’ll find the closest lupine patches growing […]

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Why booking with Amex Fine Hotels is pretty perfect at the dog-friendly Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Why booking with Amex Fine Hotels at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Resort is more than “worth it” for families

September 12, 2022

Whistler, BC has become a really popular destination for Seattle families-it’s about a 4-5 hour drive away and it’s easily combinable with a Vancouver trip for shorter travel days and a longer vacation too. Over the years it feels like we’ve stayed at nearly all the properties on the mountain and our favorites so far […]

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farm tours on the big island of Hawaii

All the Hawaii farm tours and factory tours you might want to visit on the Big Island (Island of Hawaii)

September 10, 2022

We have been visiting the Island of Hawaii as a family for years now and one of the things we love most about the island is visiting the coffee farms. Greenwell Farms is a place we constantly go back to and we’ve noticed more and more varieties of farms popping up over the years. This […]

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September in Seattle

Things to do in Seattle in September

August 31, 2022

September is when school goes back in Seattle and the cruise ships finish up their last trips from this port for the year-our city really feels a lot less busy than in the summer months. Because the weather is usually pretty nice and the days are still longer, it’s one of my favorite months in […]

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#summerinslu pop up in South Lake Union Seattle

#SummerinSLU and how you can too! A list of fun and free pop-ups in South Lake Union in Seattle Washington

August 12, 2022

This is a sponsored post on behalf of South Lake Union for #SummerinSLU and as always the opinions in this blog are my own It is summer in Seattle, and possibly one of the best times to be in our city. The weather is sunny and perfect and the city is bustling. And if you […]

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FEND everyday airway hygiene and airway cleaning mist

What is the deal with FEND Everyday Airway Hygiene?

July 27, 2022

I received FEND everyday airway hygiene for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. This post may contain affiliate links.” As someone who has been a Seattle blogger for years, I’ve tried out a lot of cool products with Moms Meet and this one sounded really unique. A spray for […]

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Kenmore Air flight at Paine Field to San Juan Islands with Pilot Christina

Kenmore Air adds a new way to get to the San Juan Islands with a short flight Paine Field

July 21, 2022

How incredible is it that we can fly? I often forget that small planes are also an option in our area when we are trying to get to local places. We’ve used Kenmore Air before for their seaplane to Vancouver Island. I just learned that they also have land planes too. And now there is […]

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Wildflowers on Lodge Lake Trail a hike about an hour from Seattle in Snoqualmie Pass

A hike to Lodge Lake a trail about an hour away from Seattle that has easy parking and is nearby food

July 18, 2022

Every time we do the Lodge Lake hike I think it’s going to be a lot longer than it actually is. From the trailhead, it’s about 2-2.5 hours round trip if you don’t stop much. But Lodge Lake is one of my favorite Snoqualmie Pass trails especially for the first half an hour-I don’t even […]

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Things to do in Seattle in August

Things to do in Seattle in August

July 14, 2022

I blinked and July is over, so I need to make sure I look ahead for next month. We usually create a bucket list, but haven’t in the past couple years-time has become a blur. So here are a few things I know we’re going to do in August in Seattle. This is not an […]

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California Travel: walking near the Santa Monica pier at sunset

California Travel : All the places we’ve visited over the years and absolutely loved

July 11, 2022

When the hubby first moved to California years ago before we were even married, I never imagined that I would one day live in the United States. But now over 20 years later, we’ve been here now nearly half my life and California is still one of the places we visit often and it’s a […]

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