FAMILY TRAVELS

Summer no Bucket List 2012

July 31, 2012

On the cloudy days pre-summer, I thought we were going to make a bucket list so we could make the most out of this summer, but somehow unexpectedly it crept on us full-force. How is it halfway done already? So no bucket list. Just buckets and buckets of awesome summer fun. The guys really know […]

Some things aren’t meant to be bought on ebay

July 29, 2012

I saw these frog balloons in a Chasing Firefly’s catalog and decided we had to have them but the 14 dollar price tag for one balloon sans helium seemed a little spendy. And then I found them on ebay. Not just the frog, but a whole conglomerate of 10 balloons with a ‘buy now’ price […]

Steveston Eco Tours and Valdes (Steveston, British Columbia)

July 27, 2012

This heavenly bit of wonderful can be a day-trip from Steveston, BC and it’s so serene and peaceful it can feel like days. Valdes Island is a very special place to our family because it’s where my brother-in-law “Roo” spent his childhood. We went with Captain Bruce from Steveston EcoTours to Valdes Island in the […]

It’s open:) Hello Seattle CityTarget!

July 25, 2012

Yes, you know what I’m talking about. It’s red and white and shiny all over! And we had a bunch of errands to run this morning so we headed to my new money swallowing hole Seattle CityTarget to see how shopping in our city is going to be. The parking at CityTarget is free if […]

A little bit of Hawaii in Seattle

Maybe if your kids are in Zoo Camp you have a few minutes for yourself. I took a moment to pretend I was alone in Hawaii in Seattle at nearby Fresh Flours. You can actually find me at Fresh Flours often, it’s such a delicious bakery. Hello Pineapple Coconut Danish delight (washed down with an […]

Berry Picking and a recipe

July 20, 2012

Every month I get a ton of magazines and one of my favorites is Sunset Magazine, so when a friend asked me to go berry picking a couple weeks ago, I thought it would be the perfect way to try out this recipe for a buttery raspberry lemon cake from the July issue. The boys […]

On finding Melona

July 17, 2012

On a trip to Hawaii a few years ago, we discovered a treat with a very odd name. Yes, it’s made of melons, but it just seems like an unfortunate sounding title for such a delicious ice pop (a friend recently told me it sounds like a skin disease.) But it must be popular in […]

Harbour Green Park (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

July 13, 2012

I love the Coal Harbour area of Vancouver, and on a recent trip, I bookmarked what I imagine would be THE BEST SPRAYPARK ever. It’s in the heart of the city, along a scenic seawall, and it has a yummy-looking restaurant nearby. What more could you want? I would love love love to go back […]

Fab Find: Tomy Constructables

July 10, 2012

I. Hate. Cleaning. I don’t really know why I bother at all. Messes in a house with kids just seem to happen the minute you make things spotless and then you have to clean them up again and it’s such a vicious cycle that I think would be so much better if you just stopped […]

Best 2 buck souvenir you can buy in Seattle

July 6, 2012

One thing my guys look for at every Seattle festival is the Center For Wooden Boats station. I think there was one at last year’s Folklife Festival and there was definitely one at the South Lake Union Block Party. (It’s happening in a few weeks on August 10th!) This year we built ours at the […]

100 hours in Paris

July 5, 2012

So maybe it wasn’t quite 100 hours in Paris, but I did spend nearly 100 hours kid-free on the whole journey from the time I left the airport to the time my sweet boys all picked me up. So what does a stay at home mom set free into the big big world with her […]

Chocoron (Aoki Bakery, Paris)

June 29, 2012

The boys are totally addicted to everything macaron, so I couldn’t help but squeal with glee when I found this lovely confection among the millions of macarons enticing shoppers in Paris. A chocoron. (English Translation: a heavenly macaron enrobed with chocolate). Oh and it was delightful. I wonder when we’ll start seeing these stateside. You […]

One of those hobbies I don’t really talk about

June 21, 2012

Normally, I wouldn’t really tell anyone about this hobby. It’s not glamorous, like, say rock-climbing or scuba-diving in your spare time. But, it was too precious watching my guys find their first ‘geocache’ that I had to share. Yes, we geocache (sometimes and not always on purpose, and this was our first time since the […]

A long time ago in Vancouver with baby twins

June 13, 2012

I’m feeling a little nostalgic because my guys are headed full-speed for their 4th birthday and it’s just making me wish that time would slow down just a little. I found some pics from a Vancouver trip we took when they were still teeny tiny and small and I can’t believe that time is so […]

seattle family adventures with baby twins

What to unexpect when you’re expecting twins

June 1, 2012

I’m dying to see that movie what to expect when you’re expecting, because I remember reading that book and feeling so overwhelmed-even before we knew we were having twins. Since the day we announced we were pregnant with the duo, the number one question we get asked is “Were you expecting twins?” Maybe it’s conversation. […]

Wordless Wednesday: Water Table

May 30, 2012

I head to Kidsquest at Factoria Mall when I don’t want the guys to play with the water table at home. They can play for hours on this part they call “Ballard Locks.” It’s pretty much an indoor water play area where the kids put on aprons and pretend they’re trying to stay dry while […]

10 thoughts running through my head when I run

I’ve been running just over two months now, and it’s been long enough to make it almost a habit. I’m up to 5 minutes running 2 minutes walking for about 45 minutes about 3+ times a week so that’s about an hour and a half where I just zone out, feel strong, run my route […]

A couple days in Lake Chelan

May 29, 2012

How have we never been to Lake Chelan before? It’s within 3 hours of Seattle and totally fabulous! The hubby had a conference there so we tagged along. I was a little nervous because I knew I was going to be alone with the kids for a day and a half while he was working, […]

Sanity savers for boy moms

May 25, 2012

Before last week I thought the three things every boy mom needed in her purse were: 1) band-aids. (I’ve been tempted to cart around a cooler of ice too and a small medic kit, but I think that is excessive.) 2) a cup. (The hubby wonders why I have all these old coffee cups in […]

Make your own Ipad baby monitor

May 22, 2012

When we first traveled with the guys we always carted along this cheap baby monitor so we could hear them in one room sleeping while we sat on the patio or vegged in another room. (We tend to get places with more than one room when we travel so we can actually zone out and […]