FAMILY TRAVELS

cute coffee in Seattle from la reve in queen anne

To the two guys in my life I can always count on to read my posts

June 22, 2015

I watched an emotional video put out by a marketing company in my hometown-an old classmate of mine is actually in the video-and it made me tear up and realize how much I take the time I have with both of you for granted.  We do take a lot of people for granted in life, […]

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A spoonful of sugar in bucketlisting form helps the Last Day of School Eve not sting so much

June 16, 2015

We watched Mary Poppins at school today, my guys told me while we after-school snacked. So of course I took the opportunity to screech sing my rendition of “A Spoonful of Sugar” at the top of my lungs. Why are those kids taking medicine?  Are they sick?  Why doesn’t it taste good? And how does […]

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belize with kids

A perfect resort and some nearby adventures (Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge, Belize with kids)

Before kids, when the hubby and I traveled, where we stayed wasn’t totally important. We cared about location, price and cleanliness but everything else was a bonus and if something didn’t work out we could always figure out something that could make do. But now with kids, I pour hours into our itineraries-sometimes where we […]

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Alta Lake at Rainbow Park in Whistler in Summer

A run, a beach and stops along the way to Whistler with kids (Rainbow Park, Whistler, BC)

June 14, 2015

The North Face Whistler run is becoming a bit of a family tradition; this is the 2nd time we’ve headed up north to run the 10km and the kid’ run and hang out with friends and once again we had a wonderful time. This time we stayed at the Sundial hotel, and it was perfectly […]

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a book about endangered black rhinos for kids

Because the world needs more black rhinos and amazing human beings (Chizi’s tale, a review)

June 11, 2015

My kids don’t know Jack Jones, but I wish they did.  He’s a senior in high school in Connecticut and I think he must love animals as much as my guys do because he has written an amazing book about a black rhino and when I heard about his book “Chizi’s Tale” I knew we […]

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belize travel with kids

A remote Belize island without remotes is perfect for a family’s soul (South Water Caye with kids)

June 6, 2015

“Are you sure this is the place?” our driver asked as he pulled up to a somewhat dilapidated dock in Dangriga, Belize.  And the hubby looked at me and I looked at him and we both knew that we actually weren’t sure and we had two kids and a whole bunch of suitcases and three […]

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where to pick strawberries near Seattle

A U-pick strawberry patch that’s not too far from Seattle (Al Duris Strawberry Farm, Kent, WA)

June 5, 2015

(PS. the Duris Strawberry farm in Kent just opened for U-Pick for the 2022 season June 15.) I was not supposed to go strawberry picking.  I am picking out cabinets for our cabin and with all the end of school things I didn’t realize kindergarteners do, it was not high on my priority list.  But, […]

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animal travel experiences that kids won't forget

We’ve been licked by a jaguar and now we love them even more (an inspiring visit to the Belize Zoo with kids)

May 28, 2015

We are so lucky these days to have the world at our fingertips when we plan for our travels.  We can buy tickets, research places and send emails across the world late at night without even leaving our homes and I am so thankful for the travel blogging community and how amazing and responsive people […]

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An easy hike If you wake up in Seattle and want to go on a small hiking adventure with kids or grandparents in tow

May 23, 2015

Hikes to me mean an excuse to eat trail mix and junky foods while walking through a forest.  Sometimes a little drive to get there also heightens the adventure.  The Snoqualmie Pass area is usually one of our first choices because of the cabin project and it’s only about an hour drive from Seattle and […]

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Belize Zoo with kids on a tour with Sharon Matola

A little Tease of our Trip to Belize (Belize with kids)

May 15, 2015

In the next few weeks you’ll be hearing a lot about our recent trip to Belize with kids.  It was a really eye-opening trip and I’m thankful for all the trip-planning help we had before we went.  And I can’t wait to tell you more. We stayed at the Belize Zoo’s Tropical Education Center and […]

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cruise ship in seattle

Imagining we’re cruising to Alaska for the first time (with Holland America in Seattle)

May 13, 2015

Every summer in Seattle we see the shiny white cruise ships sail into their berths at the pier and I always wonder what it might be like to get on one, cast off and drift away to Alaska.  Our family is curious to know if we’re cruisers: I am a free-spirit and the hubby likes […]

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and there is ample parking near this playground in Vancouver BC

When a bakery you love now has a park next door! (Beaucoup Bakery, Vancouver BC)

May 11, 2015

Oh my goodness.  I love Beaucoup http://www.beaucoupbakery.com/bakery but it is so close to my favorite place in the world-GRANVILLE ISLAND-we’d often pass it by because Granville Island is a lot more kid-friendly to sit and stop.  But not anymore. Hello perfect playground. (And it’s right across the street!!) The kids can alternate getting out their energy […]

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giraffes at the Dallas Zoo are fun to feed with kids

A place where you can take a zillion pictures of giraffes without needing a passport (Dallas zoo with kids)

One of my sons has had a giraffe huggie he has loved since birth and if it’s not his spirit animal I don’t know what is.  So the giraffes at the Dallas Zoo made him and us extremely happy.  They were so majestic and interactive and they seemed to have a lot of free space […]

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watching the fort with cows with kids

Because I heard cows roam freely in the roads in Fort Worth

May 7, 2015

When I told people I was going to Dallas, everyone told me about the cows in Fort Worth.  You need to see the cows!  THE COWS!!!!  Kind of like that. So of course I was intrigued. I looked it up and found out the cows everyone was talking about are in a herd that gets […]

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places to visit with kids in Dallas

A rainy day at The Perot Museum (Dallas with kids)

May 5, 2015

Before I even realized this building was the Perot museum I was quite taken by it. We ate at a delicious Moroccan restaurant nearby (you might want to eat there too!) the night before our visit and I found the shape so intriguing that I was really excited when I realized this was actually the […]

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wrong way in dallas for bluebonnets

Where not to find Bluebonnets in Dallas (Dallas with kids)

May 4, 2015

I wanted to do something “very Texas” in Texas and I noticed everyone posting pictures of bluebonnets when I was there.  So I asked around and apparently spring is bluebonnet season and you need to get your picture sitting in the bluebonnets and the best place to see them near us was the “Bluebonnet Trail” […]

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dallas arboretum

Coffee, Donuts and the most kid-friendly Garden Visit you can Imagine (visiting the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden with kids)

April 29, 2015

We were a little bleary-eyed the morning of our Dallas Arboretum visit but I was excited to see the gardens and glad we could bring coffee in.  We stopped in at a lovely coffee shop called Cultivar Coffee (they have a few shops but this one was the closest one to the Arboretum and we […]

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A really secret menu item at Whataburger (Dallas TX with kids)

April 27, 2015

I had a few ideas of what I wanted to see in and around Dallas, Texas with our kids when we arrived there for a short trip a few weeks ago.  We would go to the Art Museum (it’s FREE!), the Dallas Zoo, the Perot Museum, the Arboretum and we would spend a day at […]

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Sticks and Swings at Stanley Park (Vancouver with Kids)

April 15, 2015

We hang out in Vancouver often since it is only about three hours north of Seattle and while it’s a city totally full of neat activities and food, some of our most glorious days have been made from simple and impromptu stops in the beautiful parks that are all over this city and its suburbs. […]

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places to take pictures in seattle

A place in Seattle you might have heard of but never been (Fisherman’s Terminal, Seattle)

April 13, 2015

We have a bunch of places where we like to take out food in Seattle when we just don’t feel like cooking.  And waiting for our take-out from Chinooks at Fisherman’s Terminal is one of our favorite things to do.  Apparently the boats from Deadliest Catch come here or used to come here-I’ve never watched […]

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