TRAVEL
The time I drove a Ferrari in Tacoma
September 3, 2016A few months ago, the family and I visited Tacoma for a weekend and had a fantastic time. Although this city is only about an hour’s drive from Seattle there is so much to do that a weekend’s visit there felt like a perfect northwest ‘Staycation’ holiday. We really enjoyed visiting the Tacoma Art Museum […]
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A Pinterest Playground I traveled thousands of miles to see that is no more (Hakone Open Air Museum, Japan)
August 12, 2016This past year has been a whirlwind of travel and the trips I’ve planned have been done in more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants fashion where we only a pick a few must-sees in an area and then let the rest of the trip happen somewhat organically. I’ve noticed this works well for travel with my family […]
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When you just need to head out of town on a Monday
August 1, 2016Summer is for lazy days and getaways and someday soon we’ll be jetting off out of town on a last-minute family adventure and I’m pretty excited to share the destination with you but we’ll get to that later because you’ll probably be more interested in the amazing travel kicks I bought for the trip at the […]
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Dinosaurs and All the Foods at Richmond Night Market
July 16, 2016When people ask me about what to see in my hometown Vancouver, BC the first thing I always think about is the food. Vancouverites love food and there are so many fabulously interesting things to eat there that it is hard to choose what and where to eat. We love so many Vancouver restaurants but […]
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Build your Own Tomica Cars in Tokyo Japan, a perfect stop for families on a trip to Japan
July 13, 2016In another life, the only car I could have reliably named on the road was a Volkswagon Beetle but my husband has managed to pass on his passion for vehicles down to the next generation and now if I DON’T know the cars around me, I’d be totally outnumbered in the family. So I try […]
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Unexpected Chickens on an electric drive down the Chuckanut
July 6, 2016Windy turns and hidden bakeries, scenic pull-outs and switchbacks reminiscent of the old Sea-to-Sky highway from Vancouver to Whistler are all reason to drive the Chuckanut Route that hugs the coast from Mt Vernon to Bellingham for about a 30 minute drive. With small kids and family up north, we were always in a rush […]
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A new sweet treat in Pike Place Market (Choukette, Seattle)
June 16, 2016**Sadly, Choukette is closed! There is something new popping up in the space….we’ll just have to wait and see what shows up!** Every week I head to Pike Place Market and every week I could probably go to the same spots and be perfectly content. But because of my 52 weeks of market eating project, […]
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A simple Father’s Day idea near Seattle with Western Chief
June 6, 2016I am not always good at celebrating the people I love most on birthdays or greeting card days. I tend to stress out a little. What do I get the people so dear to me that will be special enough to let them know how much I love them? How do I make sure it’s absolutely perfect? […]
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Why visiting ART of the Brick is a good idea for families
June 4, 2016Remember when Lego used to be only bricks? I didn’t have a ton of it as a kid but I remember building a bunch of square shaped colorful houses that look a lot like all the modern architecture that is popping up in Seattle neighborhoods recently. We didn’t have specific pieces or sets like the […]
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A savory crumpet in the market (The Crumpet Shop, Seattle)
June 1, 2016Technically I’ve been to the Crumpet Shop in Pike Place Market before so it isn’t totally a place I haven’t been in the market, BUT because I’m usually at the market when the Crumpet Shop is closed, I haven’t been there FOREVER and I ended up visiting on a day when it was open and decided it […]
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World Burger Tour with Hard Rock Cafe
May 23, 2016It seems like every big city has a Hard Rock Cafe and Seattle is no different. Ours is right near Pike Place Market and it has some iconic Nirvana and Pearl Jam memorabilia and an awesome rooftop deck too! I was recently contacted about their World Burger Tour, a menu showcasing some Local “Legendary Burgers” […]
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A Fun Family trip to Imperial Beach thanks to Expedia
May 19, 2016I’ve said it many times before but I’m a total fan of booking through Expedia. This site allows me to consolidate my bookings in one place, cancel many hotel bookings without penalty and I’ve had some pretty great upgrades because of my VIP status. I’ve booked so many times with Expeida that I know what […]
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Cinco de Mayo, Qdoba and an easy way to bring home a feast
May 5, 2016Don’t you just love guacamole? I whisper in my kids’ ears as I tempt them to go out to dinner with me. They want to stay home for dinner and I DO NOT WANT TO COOK. Thankfully errands bring us to the Qdoba near Uvillage in Seattle (The “University Plaza” location) where the hubby and I […]
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Lego Dreaming at the Legoland Hotel California in San Diego
May 4, 2016I almost didn’t book the Legoland hotel. I had planned a beach vacation for the family and Legoland wasn’t even on my radar. I thought we’d laze on the beach, visit some museums and eat yummy food. But then we were invited to a Legoland event at our local Science Center and I realized my […]
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Going beyond bagels at Seattle Bagel Bakery (Pike Place Market, Seattle)
April 29, 2016Seattle Bagel Bakery is situated nicely between the Daily Dozen Donuts and Saffron Spice in Pike Place Market and there is a convenient seating area nearby too so this was an easy choice for my 52 weeks of new-to-me Pike Place Market restaurant project. I also happen to love bagels and cream cheese but I’ve […]
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Sound View Cafe in Pike Place Market
April 23, 2016I’ve been stalking the window seats at the Sound View Cafe ever since I started my 52 weeks of eating at Pike Place Market series. I’ve seen this place very crowded and I wanted to make sure that the day I visited I got a window seat. The cafe is very casual-you can order at […]
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Pondering the color of airplane sound and the meaning of indigo because of the Seattle Art Museum
April 21, 2016“Get ready for a crash landing” the boy ahead of me squeals. His mom promptly hushes him, “We don’t crash land. We just land.” And she looks around tentatively for reassurance that her son hasn’t cursed the plane. I meet her eyes and smile and though normally this type of ominous negativity jarrs my danger […]
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Lyrical Flowers at my Local Safeway Let Me Play Florist at Home
April 18, 2016Truth be told sometimes I used to get off the bus I rode to college just short of campus because there was a spectacular florist along the route and I couldn’t help but stop in and see what new things were going on in the store. Pretty flower arrangements are something I have always loved to […]
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A Book to read for Baseball Season in Seattle
April 15, 2016It’s baseball season again and now that we’ve played a few years, we’re starting to get serious. Practices are longer and we now have kid pitchers who throw the ball for part of the game. Coaches take notes on little pads of paper and I look around wondering which of the neighborhood kids might play […]
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A meal worth waiting for (Farvahar Persian Cafe, Seattle, WA)
April 8, 2016Pike Place Market in the spring and summer can get quite busy and navigating the market when you’re in a rush is not always the easiest. Being a local means I don’t need to knock off a bucket list of famous market places in these time periods and I try and use this opportunity to […]
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