Kamik #freeyourplay campaign helping kids have more free play outdoors with warm winter boots

Time to put a little more free play into our days thanks to warm Kamik boots

October 19, 2018

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kamik and as always the thoughts and opinions in this expressed are my own. My 89-year old grandma came to visit us from Canada recently.  She bravely made the nearly 4 hour drive from her home to our cabin in the mountains where she […]

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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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Eyelash Extension from the Lash Lounge Bellevue near Seattle WA a review

When you get eyelash extensions at the Lash Lounge and life will never be the same again

October 16, 2018

Maybe it’s because I have kids who love to wake up pre-dawn even after 10 years of being on this earth or maybe it’s because I’m getting older but I am always on the look out for things to make me look more energized, fresh and awake.  I love all the skincare things.  I’m into […]

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Working and eating brunch at Eques Restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Washington

Brunching on a weekday at Eques in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Washington

October 5, 2018

Why do we think weekends are the only days that are made for brunch? I spent a weekday with Missy Palacol, an amazing local photographer at the Eques restaurant in The Hyatt Regency Bellevue last week and we had a blast sampling nearly everything on the menu. It was such a dreamy way to bring […]

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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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Hawke's Bay in New Zealand with kids and Rotorua are places to add to your New Zealand Bucket List

We almost missed Rotorua and why you need to put this place on your New Zealand Bucket List with your family

September 19, 2018

It almost seems like a dream that last year we spent 6 weeks out of our life traveling and adventuring in Australia and New Zealand with our kids.  We have busy lives in Seattle and it was difficult to think about just packing up and leaving but we didn’t want to wait until the kids […]

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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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Explorer and adventurer book recommendations for boys 8-12 years old by National Geographic Kids

Adventure books for kids to dream about exploration now that they’re back in school

September 8, 2018

How is summer over?  I dropped my kids off at school this week for their first day and I’m not sure any of us were ready for school to start. We have had a great summer of adventures and it’s hard to go back to daily routines and I wonder how hard it’s going to […]

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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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Follain is a store for clean beauty at Uvillage in Seattle they also have refillable soap

A vending machine you need to know about at Uvillage Seattle along with a few fun new stores

August 30, 2018

I love Uvillage. It’s been my favorite Seattle shopping area since we moved here about 15 years ago and I still can’t help but get swept up in the excitement of all the new stores and fun shopping experiences that keep arriving! New stores and restaurants at Uvillage in Seattle seem geared to shoppers who […]

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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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Predator Ridge Resort in Vernon BC is a great road trip by Tesla from Seattle for an outdoor family vacation

I’m already making my summer plans for next year thanks to Predator Ridge Resort in Vernon

August 16, 2018

Summers are for the Pacific Northwest and we do our best to explore this area as much as possible from June until the days get darker and the snow starts falling in the mountains. When there is a good chance of sunshine, there is so much nature here to see!  And from Seattle, if we’re not […]

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kids learn to cook while you shop at Uvillage in Seattle at Froglegs Culinary Academy

An awesome way to shop at UVillage while your kids learn to cook at Frog Legs Culinary Academy

August 6, 2018

“Auntie Tee, remember what we made with Mrs. Froglegs?” my 3-year-old nephew asked me the day after we took an evening cooking class at FrogLegs Culinary Academy at Uvillage.  “Yes, homemade Tortillas.  And salsa.  Did you have a fun time?”  And yes, he did.  We all did when we made and ate some yummy food […]

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Howler's Peak is a hit with kids-make sure to check your height and wear closed toe shoes

Let’s Talk a Little on Why you might want to go to Great Wolf Lodge sooner than I did

July 30, 2018

My kids have bugged me for years to go to Great Wolf Lodge and for years and years I have ignored them and made other plans. Our family tends to like outdoor things and nature-ish things and Great Wolf Lodge seemed like it would be the kind of chaotic, kid-filled place I would surely need […]

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tips for camping with kids at Golden Ears Provincial Park

Ps there really isn’t any WiFi in the wilderness (camping at Golden Ears park)

July 29, 2018

I didn’t really believe there would be no internet on our recent camping trip. We live in an era where it seems that you can find anybody hiding almost anywhere in the world. I can shop while I’m at a baseball game. An internet void is almost incomprehensible. But no, if you are looking to […]

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trying out new Pentel Pop pens when we go out to eat with kids

Making our travel memories “PoP” with Pentel #PentelPoP

July 19, 2018

Do you love pens as much as I do?  When I was in college, I had a job in our school store and I totally fell in love with all things stationery because I would see it everyday: pens, cards, erasers, EVERYTHING!  This job was dangerous because all the pens always wanted to come home […]

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places to eat in Florence with kids on a family trip to Italy

Lovely things we will remember forever from our family trip to Italy

July 18, 2018

Have you noticed that when you get back from a trip everything that you did kind of blurs in your head so that when people ask you what was the best thing you did on your adventures, it’s impossible to remember?  I was looking on Google Maps the other day because someone asked about a […]

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Perfect beach front paradise in Pacific City Oregon at the new Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa a fantastic Oregon Coast getaway for families seeking the perfect pacific northwest weekend trip

Can we talk about all the windows at Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa in Pacific City Oregon?

July 2, 2018

A few weeks ago, my family had an incredible opportunity to stay at the Headlands Coastal Lodge and Spa in Pacific City Oregon.  I have to admit when I first read about the hotel, I thought it was in Cannon Beach, another city we love to visit with our kids on the Oregon Coast, because […]

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