TRAVEL

wander your way at the Loews Hotel 1000 Seattle in downtown Seattle near the SAM and Pioneer Square

Wander your Way and Live like a Local at Loews hotel 1000 in Seattle This Spring

March 12, 2019

As a Seattle family who lives close enough to bike to the heart of the city, we haven’t stayed at a ton of Seattle hotels and I keep getting asked by visitors who are heading here about where they should stay.  I was totally excited to be invited to the Loews hotel 1000 with my kids […]

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waterfront dining and a new menu from Chef Nick in Seattle at the Fisherman's Restaurant at Miners Landing

Why you want to dine at Fisherman’s Restaurant at Miners Landing if you haven’t been there in a while

February 22, 2019

Did you know your stomach is made up of two halves-the dessert side and the food side? Sometimes the food side gets full but then the dessert side might still be hungry too. This is what chef Nick Novello told us when my friend and I were hosted at Fisherman’s Restaurant in Seattle at Pier […]

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club lounge access at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel is great for families visiting vancouver bc

The Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre hotel: another fabulous place to stay if you’re in Vancouver BC with kids

February 6, 2019

I can’t figure out if I call Vancouver my hometown or my home away from home nowadays but it’s where we spend a lot of time and it’s where the hubby and I grew up.  We usually hang out with family in Coquitlam or Richmond BC when we’re not at Granville Island, or reminiscing at […]

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Richmond BC is a great place for families to stay near Vancouver BC

Why Richmond might be a great home base for families traveling to Vancouver BC

January 27, 2019

Is Vancouver BC on your travel bucket list?  As someone who grew up in the city I can’t believe how much it has changed and grown over the years.  We now live in Seattle, about a three hour drive away, and we head back to Vancouver often to see family and it’s still one of […]

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Testing out the Whispbar Tesla Ski Rack on a trip to Whistler with kids and stopping to charge at the New Whistler Supercharger at the Fairmont Hotel

Using a Whispbar Tesla Ski Rack and Supercharger from Seattle to Whistler

January 16, 2019

Thank goodness for Craigslist because my husband was able to purchase a barely used Whispbar Tesla ski rack for  less than the heftier price tag it usually comes with which is so nice when you’re dealing with anything Tesla and we wanted to add a ski rack so we can do some winter road trips.  We […]

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Fun at the Audain Art Museum with kids a delicious breakfast at the Wildflower Restaurant and finding the best hot chocolate in Whistler

Brunching with little kids at the Wildflower Restaurant and an adventure in art at the Audain Art museum in Whistler

January 9, 2019

What do you do with little ones who don’t yet ski when the rest of the family is out adventuring in Whistler?  My sister and I were visiting friends at their cabin in Whistler over the holidays and everyone else went out skiing and we stayed back to adventure with her three year old twins. […]

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florence with kids on a family trip to Italy

Family Travel Planning for 2019 with #emeraldcitylife

January 3, 2019

Thank you 2018, you taught us to be grateful and savor our days a little more.  Do you take a bit of time to think about the year that just passed before starting to plan the next year’s adventures?  I’m currently in the process of travel planning for 2019 and so far I’m almost certain […]

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Happy Lady Happy Card Review-trying out the Happy Lady gift card at Cheesecake Factory Seattle and other merchants

Yes you can buy happiness with Happy Cards

December 17, 2018

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Happy Cards and as always the ideas and thoughts in this post are my own. So here’s a happy way to buy a great experience gift! I recently learned about Happy Cards and not only are they gift cards but they are gift cards that pair your […]

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my 12 fans visiting Santa wearing their Seahawks jerseys

Last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers that you can still order today

December 14, 2018

This Last-minute gifts list includes some items I received as samples and also contains affiliate links where I might receive a commission.  It’s the last sprint before Christmas and if you are getting really sweaty and frazzled trying to dream up gift ideas I have a last-minute gift ideas list that might help you out […]

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10 best Vancouver spots with kids a list of things to see if you're in Vancouver Canada with your family

Next time you head to Vancouver with kids, here’s a list of my 10 best Vancouver spots

November 23, 2018

We are a Seattle family.  My kids’ blood is the requisite blue/green for Sounders, Seahawks, Mariners and our one day Seattle hockey team.  I think when the hockey team finally gets here, I’ll be the one most torn about who to cheer for because I grew up in Vancouver and my childhood self would be […]

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Staying with kids in San Francisco and renting a car is an easy way to get around. We stayed at the Courtyard Larkspur Landing Marin County Hotel and it was a perfect base to visit San Francisco with kids

Why Marin County is a great home base if you want to visit San Francisco with kids

November 9, 2018

We’ve visited San Francisco a bunch of times and it feels like we’ve done all the downtown city things.  And while downtown San Francisco is definitely a must see, sometimes when we travel with kids we need a little more space to explore.  We like to rent a car and we like to combine city […]

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Best things to do at Seatac Airport in Seattle-where to eat, shop and get your nails done while you wait for your airplane

Best things to do when you have some hours to spend at Seatac Airport

November 7, 2018

A couple weeks ago the hubby and I went on our first without-kids airplane trip together in about 10 years.  We’ve done a bunch of close to Seattle and Vancouver staycations like a couple nights at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler or the Salish Lodge near Seattle but this was the first time we left […]

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Marshmallow Pit at Candytopia in San Francisco a ten minute walk from Parc 55 by Hilton Hotels- I had a free day alone in the city and decided to check it out

Yes you can Candytopia alone in San Francisco and still have a party

October 24, 2018

Last week I found myself in San Francisco with one free day to do whatever I wanted to do.  Now, usually a free day in a place when I’m traveling means I have kids in tow so I usually look for a children’s museum or beach or something to keep them entertained.  But me-all alone? […]

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What is the 12 status program from Delta Airlines and the Seattle Seahawks

Things you should know about in Seattle if you are one of the 12’s

October 18, 2018

The other day, I got a huge surprise in the mail that reminded me I need to get my Seattle Seahawks spirit glowing a little brighter now that we are well into the routine of being back at school.  It’s all Seahawks all the time in our house right now (when it’s not all Sounders […]

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chez panisse Cafe also uses Heath Ceramics and we visited because my kids read Fanny at Chez Panisse when they were small

On not breaking any of the things at Heath Ceramics Factory in Sausalito and eating lunch at Chez Panisse

October 3, 2018

We have a thing for pottery in our house and we like to visit pottery and ceramics factories.  When the kids started kindergarten, I took a senior’s pottery course at the local community center but soon realized that I’m better at buying than making pottery.  One of my favorite places to buy pottery is at […]

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travel books and other things we're loving for family trips

Travel books and other things we’re loving in our house right now

September 27, 2018

Every time we fly with my kids I look for travel books that inspire them to learn more about the place we’re visiting.  Like when we recently visited Italy, I looked for books for them to learn more about Rome and Florence so they would be more excited when they saw these places in real […]

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mini kitchens at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville BC makes mornings easy for families and multi-generational travelers

Revisiting Tigh Na Mara and Coombs Market in Parksville BC with friends

September 24, 2018

Are you the type of traveler who revisits the same place over and over again?  Or do you like to forge new paths every time you go on an adventure?  For my family, even though we try not to visit the same place too often there are still a few places we’ve revisited over the […]

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Glamping at Safari West in Santa Rosa with a family of 4-inside a tent

Glamping in the closest almost-Serengeti to Seattle at Safari West in Santa Rosa

September 10, 2018

Anyone else think a private bathroom would make camping absolutely perfect? That feature alone makes glamping at Safari West a dream come true because the tents here all have their own showers and bathrooms and feel a lot like hotel rooms. But if you think waking up to giraffes and flamingos is magical and you […]

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An officially licensed NFL cake from a local bakery for a party in Seattle

Upping my quick and easy Seahawks party game plan for #Kickoff2018

September 6, 2018

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Decopac and as always the thoughts and opinions in this expressed are my own. When fall routines start up it’s hard to predict exactly what we’re going to be doing on any given day.  We have soccer and biking and all the events that […]

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The Estates Wine Room in Seattle's Pioneer Square has a wine club that includes Double Canyon wines

A visit to Estates Wine Room and a wine club you might want to know about

August 27, 2018

A few weeks ago the hubby and I were invited to a wine club dinner at the Estates Wine Room.  A chef from a Seattle restaurant we love called “the Tillikum Place Cafe” was creating a meal to pair with some wines from Double Canyon and the winemaker Kate Michaud would be there as well. […]

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