FAMILY TRAVELS
Bug-Proof Clothing
January 22, 2013I’m not sure why, but bug-proof clothing is one search I get a lot on this site, and as someone who puffs up into one giant mosquito welt if I get bitten, I thought I better share some of my real faves: I love this shirt. That might even be an understatement. If I hear […]
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We’re 6C and we know it (A travel tip)
I wish I could say I only do this when we travel, but I learned this trick when the boys were babies and I got so scatterbrained that I would lose the “Silver bus” everywhere we went. Thank you to my handy smartphone (I swear this is the most mom-friendly invention of all time), I […]
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An unconventional breakfast (San Isidro, Costa Rica)
January 19, 2013Years ago, my pregnant self would never have imagined anyone would ever be able say to my kids “so you know how to collect eggs?” and have them answer “yes!” but something about having two boys who love adventure changed everything. Thanks to Farmer Jayne at Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue (two years ago we […]
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Lovely Place to Pack a Lunch (Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle WA)
January 13, 2013Okay, in a perfect world we might have been nibbling on something a bit different, but today it was the guys’ choice and Big M won. I always dream about the day I can discuss art over cappuccinos with my kids-today we talked about waves while eating nuggets at the Olympic Sculpture Park. I […]
Read MoreDessert Thali (Poppy, Seattle Wa)
January 9, 2013(PS. I’m so sad to say that Poppy is now closed in 2019….) Maybe 2013 is the year for food in this household, because we’ve been eating around Seattle the last week and a bit like we’re on vacation and it’s been lovely. Perhaps our best meal happened when we popped into Poppy, (aka best […]
Read MoreDelightful food finds in Vancouver BC
January 3, 2013A long time ago, I’d return to the motherland on a quest to find ketchup chips, Smarties and Mackintosh Toffee: grocery store treats from my childhood that just can’t find their way south of the border. But now, with kids in tow my time for food sleuthing is short and I have to be a […]
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How I amuse myself while the kids learn to ski
December 30, 2012I don’t know what I imagined when I signed the guys up for ski lessons. I think a little bit of me thought they’d be whisked up the chair-lift and zooming down the mountains in no time and I really wanted them to learn to ski. But the reality is that it takes a little […]
Read MoreRaise a glass-making juice with kids
December 28, 2012A couple weeks ago the Bean walked into Williams Sonoma and decided he wanted a juicer. I asked him why and he said he just really wanted to make juice. So I saved a couple hundred dollars and bought him this one at Ikea. […]
Read MoreKidsquest Museum and a little bit of shopping time (Factoria Mall, Bellevue)
December 21, 2012A block of dry ice in our Amazon Fresh order this morning sparked something in my brain. Today’s question: If I take you to go to the truck museum (Kidsquest Museum in Bellevue for us grownups) for a little while, can I go to Target? They played in the water. They experimented. They drove the […]
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Five books that will make your kids want to go to Australia
December 18, 2012Thanks to some lovely friends, Australia is now on our radar for a future trip and they even sent us some books to help us get excited. Wouldn’t you know that reading about a place is our best way to get our kids prepped for a trip especially when a country is so different from […]
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Two easy reindeer crafts
December 17, 2012My kids love their teachers. They talk about them all the time like they’re the biggest heroes in the world. (Which I truly believe they are!) And when it comes to saying thank you I really want my kids to take some ownership in the things we do to say ‘thank you’ to the people […]
Read MoreSweetest Mini Donut Shop (The Outpost, Steveston BC)
December 14, 2012The world can always use more happy, lovely places and The Outpost Mini Donut Company is one of the sweetest I’ve ever been. I never imagined that a donut store could be so adorable, but this is a MINI DONUT store and there are so many thoughtful touches in this store that make the already-yummy […]
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Homemade Snowglobes
So everyone is making snowglobes apparently so I wanted to try and make them too. I had visions of making little ballerina ones like a scene out of the Nutcracker (we’re going to see it next week and I’m a little worried the guys might find the mice part scary so I’m playing up the […]
Read MoreIf your kids are scared of Santa
December 13, 2012or maybe just obsessed with their Playmobil Advent Calendars, you might consider just going for a pose with a plastic Santa instead. (We found this one outside the Splash store in Steveston BC Canda, which by the way has a great play table and awesome toys if you need a place to stop in while […]
Read MoreSomething cuddly and something not so cuddly in Richmond BC
December 11, 2012If you are into Once upon a Time apparently this building is a big deal for you and you might want to visit Steveston to go and see it. Steveston is a little water village part of Richmond BC where they do a lot of movie filming. For me, I heart this lovely place near […]
Read MoreSnowstorm with packing peanuts
December 10, 2012Friday morning I needed to pack for a trip up north and I got distracted by the UPS man and a big box of snow. It was so full that I could barely find the items I ordered inside the box with all the packing peanuts they had piled it with. Maybe I was hit […]
Read MorePhoto Friday: Denver Art Museum
December 8, 2012I’ve been meaning to talk about this one for ages because it’s one awesome place for kids that shouldn’t be overlooked. I never really thought about art museums as being super-kid friendly but I really love the kid-focused spots at our Seattle Museum has and thought we’d check out the Denver Art Museum when we […]
Read MoreFive great stocking stuffers for 4-year olds who travel
December 6, 2012One week into December and I’ve pretty much finished the bulk of my Christmas shopping. (This is not a brag, I’m just constantly shopping and if I didn’t have a focus, it would be dangerous.) So now I get to think about fun stocking stuffers-and just what are some fun finds for the small traveling […]
Read MoreCoal, Kale Chips and some cute cards at Trader Joe’s
December 5, 2012Oh, I love coal at Christmas time! Trader Joe’s has such cool-looking coal and this one seems like it might even taste good-I wonder who on my naughty list is going to get to try it? (Btw Is coal becoming obsolete? You’d think Santa would start threatening old cell phone batteries or giant unusable computer […]
Read MoreSomething to contemplate while you travel or maybe just sit in your car
December 4, 2012The hubby always thinks I’m a little paranoid neurotic but strange things always happen to me. Like today at Costco I was just sitting in the car while the kids napped and he ran in to pick up a few things when the car door opens and I’m like “wow you’re back…..whaa???!! The man getting […]
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