FAMILY TRAVELS

Something 2014 to bring into the New Year (Classpass, Seattle)

December 17, 2014

I’ve been known to complain about exercising and I definitely prefer sloth.  But I’ve been trying out Classpass since my birthday and it hasn’t been horrible.  I actually even signed up as a real customer after my free trial expired.  The nice thing about this pass is it’s a commitment that’s non-committal so it’s perfect […]

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A splurge and a steal at Canada Place and some other neat things with kids in Vancouver at Christmastime

December 13, 2014

The other weekend, the hubby had to work in Vancouver and I got to tag along with the kids.  So while he went into work bright and early, we woke up leisurely, had an easy breakfast in our room of cereal and milk (this was first breakfast-I had bigger plans for 2nd breakfast) and got […]

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family travel richmond bc

The only thing an aunt-to-be needs to buy on a Monday

December 9, 2014

Rewind me back to when my twin baby boys were born and I’d definitely be doing everything I could to find a deal to buy the city mini select stroller if only it had been invented at the time. It’s the perfect combination of our two favorite strollers in one: the city mini double which was […]

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storytime on stage at wildlights

Wildlights 2014 (Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle WA)

December 3, 2014

Wildlights at Woodland Park Zoo might be a newer light show in Seattle-it’s only on its third year-but we’ve been going since it started and it has become one of our family’s favorite Seattle holiday traditions.  The other night when we visited, the sky was bright and clear and there was still a dusting of […]

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The awesomest park in the world is 3 hours away from Seattle (Terra Nova Rural Park, Richmond, BC)

November 21, 2014

Hopefully this got your attention if you like visiting parks with kids because this one is totally worth it.  We’ve been to many parks around the world and we sometimes travel just to see playgrounds like this one in Copenhagen that I saw on pinterest, or this one in Japan in a monkey forest and […]

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Why I’ll be visiting Science World a lot more this year (Vancouver, British Columbia)

November 15, 2014

Yes, science museums are a good thing for kids.  They help with STEM building (a word that’s super trendy in kid education lately that just means Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  I had to look it up because I thought it meant brain surgery or rocket science or something way more revolutionary, but really it […]

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Finding Fall at Gold Creek Pond (A great hike for kids near Snoqualmie Pass)

November 5, 2014

Everywhere in Seattle the leaves are putting on the best show they can and I’m trying to snap as many pictures of my kids as possible because it is just too beautiful to stop and one day they probably won’t want me taking so many pictures any more.  I’ve also decided that because of this […]

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the fremont troll is a must see with kids in seattle

The Fremont Troll and where we eat nearby (Fremont, Seattle)

October 29, 2014

The other day we were heading out for a simple dinner (we often eat at Tutta Bella with the kids and if we get there before 6pm it’s happy hour and dinner is even more awesome) when we decided to take a little detour up Troll street to say hello to our favorite Seattle neighborhood […]

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Apparently there are a million fixtures out there (A cabin-building update)

October 22, 2014

I think that I’ve reached the point in the cabin project where I wish it was more like buying a dress because we’re starting to ACTUALLY pick out fixtures (like sinks, faucets and shower parts) and that’s where what I dream about and what I really can afford or need becomes a reality.  In dress […]

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corn mazes with kids near seattle

Sorry to be corny but there’s something a-maze-ing at The Farm at Swan’s Trail (near Seattle, Wa)

October 16, 2014

Last year we went to the Farm at Swan’s trail because I saw it in my instagram feed and it looked like the most idyllic place ever to pick apples.  And then this year a friend and her family wanted us to go because she knew they had the most amazing corn maze.  Now things […]

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A loaf of bread I often think about from Iceland (Bergsson Mathis, Reykjavik, Iceland)

October 3, 2014

The other day I bought a loaf of my favorite Seattle bread, a dense and delicious potato loaf at Dahlia Bakery. “Best bread in Seattle,” I espoused to the lady at the store helping me. “Totally.” She replied. And these weren’t just pleasantries. This bread needs to be admired. (So do the pastries. Oh the […]

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Getting away from it all with our family on the Olympic Peninsula (Kalaloch Lodge, Washington)

September 26, 2014

Every September, the whirlwind of real life catches us up to us after dreamy, long summer days playing at the beach. We get trapped in a spiral of school and sports, lessons and work and I start to feel spectacularly stuck. And this year with the cabin-building project and the kids starting kindergarten, we have […]

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The Britannia mine museum and a bakery that is worth a long drive

September 17, 2014

I can’t deny that most trips we go on as a family are triggered by a bakery, store or a coffee shop; it’s always some delightful little place I’ve seen and have to visit because time as I know it has threatened to stop until I figure out how to get myself there as soon […]

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Island living and our best summer memories (Valdes Island, British Columbia)

September 12, 2014

Do you ever wonder how your life would be completely different if you didn’t meet certain people? I know without my brother-in-law we would definitely have had a void-he’s always teaching us new things about the outdoors and exploring. And he’s always trying to get me to push my nature boundaries to help me be […]

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whistler with kids in the summer riding the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and canoeing the River of Golden Dreams

Getting stuck in a Whistler Gondola and Finding my youth on the River of Golden Dreams

September 7, 2014

Oh Whistler.  You are always a bundle of fun every time we visit, but I think this summer was the best visit yet.  (We’ve been a bunch of times now and even forgot that we visited when the guys were one.  That’s what happens when you have twins.  The first two years are definitely a […]

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Oh you can’t go to the Oregon Coast without stopping at the Tillamook Cheese Factory

September 3, 2014

You just can’t. Years ago I remember telling my husband we needed to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory when we went to the Oregon Coast for our honeymoon, because they have delicious cheese samples and we had a really fun visit sampling cheese, watching the factory go about its business and eating ice cream.  […]

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looking for puffins at cannon beach with kids

Looking for Puffins in Oregon (Our Impromptu Oregon trip with kids part 2!)

August 18, 2014

The hubby and I honeymooned through Oregon on a drive from British Columbia to California just over 12 years ago and we couldn’t believe that after all this time living in Seattle, we haven’t been back to the coast. And then my friend Jamie heard me whining at a mom’s night that I hadn’t seen […]

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Impromptu Oregon Coast Adventure (Part 1)

August 13, 2014

I’d like to think our recent trip to the Oregon Coast was totally impromptu but as with most trips I have dreamed up in my head, this one was in the making for a while.  The only problem was we didn’t book far enough ahead, so the hotels I thought we’d stay at were all […]

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kids haircut at Gene juarez

Spa Day with my Boys (Gene Juarez at Uvillage, Seattle)

August 6, 2014

I have to admit I let out a little joyous squeal when I received an email inviting me to come visit Gene Juarez in Uvillage, Seattle with my guys for haircuts. I have enjoyed many haircuts/colors/mani-pedis at Gene Juarez( and even at their Academy) over the years so of course, this one was a no-brainer.  But […]

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delicious bakery in vancouver bc

Scenes from a Northwest Summer

August 3, 2014

How. Hot. Can. It. Get??  Is this really Seattle?  Is this really what a Northwest Summer looks like? Have you been loving this crazy weather as much as we have? I swear the few people in Seattle who actually OWN umbrellas are using them to shield them from the sun.  This is a conundrum.  Do […]

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