Ota Tofu in Portland Oregon might be the oldest tofu maker in the United States

The oldest tofu maker Ota Tofu in the USA is in Portland just in case you want to go there too

June 27, 2024

I had no idea the significance of tofu in Portland until I walked into the door of Ota Tofu last month. And Ota Tofu was not in my plans at all. I was at a travel conference and I only had about 24 hours in Portland and I found a mural nearby I wanted to […]

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easy breakfast ideas with Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt

A quick and easy breakfast with Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt

June 24, 2024

This post is sponsored by The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). All opinions are my own. For more inspiration during #JuneDairyMonth, be sure to check out delicious ideas from NFRA at EasyHomeMeals.com #JDM2024 Can we talk about all the things us parents need to get done throughout the week? And breakfast is one of those daily tasks […]

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strawberry fields near Seattle where you can u-pick

All the Strawberry fields near Seattle I was recommended on Threads

June 21, 2024

My friend and I took our boys berry picking together maybe 10 years ago and wanted to recreate the day before our giant teens can drive together without us. I thought we would go to Duris Farm, a farm that feels the closest to where we live in Seattle. Unfortunately it wasn’t open the day […]

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waiting in line for treats on a trip to Japan

Ultraman, an Otamatone and a trip to Japan

June 17, 2024

If I talk to anyone about travel lately, it seems like they’re planning to go or have just returned from a trip to Japan. (Have you been to Japan?) And our family actually has a trip to Japan booked later this summer too and I’m excited to revisit since we haven’t been in so many […]

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lounge at the Westin Grand Frankfurt

Staying two nights at the Westin Grand Frankfurt on a Five night trip to Germany

June 10, 2024

How do you choose where you go on a trip and where you want to stay? Our five night trip to Germany from Seattle was planned based on a school schedule, a football game and the ability to use airline miles to book the trip as well as Frankfurt having a nonstop flight from Seattle. […]

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A trip to Frankfurt Germany with my teenage son

The time I took my teenage son to Frankfurt Germany by myself

June 7, 2024

Ever since our twins were babies we’ve tried to do as much together as a family as we can. My husband had just started as an attending at a busy hospital when our guys were born and after years of residency and med school it now meant even more call, more presentations, and more responsibilities […]

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ichiban special at Matsumoto's shave ice in Haleiwa on Oahu's north shore

A shave ice in Haleiwa on Oahu’s North Shore where you can even eat the bowl

June 4, 2024

There are many things our family looks forward to when going to Hawaii and one thing is definitely the food. We’ve visited various Hawaiian islands over the years (especially Hawaii Island) and each island has specific treats we like to have in each place but shave ice is one thing we have on all our […]

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cheapest flight destinations from Seattle this summer 2024

The top 3 cheapest flight destinations from Seattle this summer (according to Kayak)

May 24, 2024

I get so many emails about our city it’s hard not to get overwhelmed or keep up. But one from Kayak really caught my eye this morning and I thought it would be something we all would want to know about Seattle especially because so many of us here love to travel. Any guesses where […]

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puzzles for mom for Mother's Day

Books and puzzles for mom for Mother’s Day

May 6, 2024

What to buy mom for Mother’s Day? I feel like throughout the year I see a zillion things that would be perfect for my mom, or aunts or special women in my life and then the week gets here and I usually I panic and start searching for something more ‘perfect’. But what really is […]

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condor airlines from Seattle to Frankfurt

Flying Condor airlines from Seattle to Frankfurt nonstop for the first time

May 2, 2024

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, I’ve talked a lot about how my twin boys started high school this year at different schools and have had different holidays for the first time. So this year we had different spring breaks and one of them went to see stars in Tucson with his dad who […]

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Idea of you movie

What I wish I asked Robinne Lee about the Idea of you

I feel like I become a nervous fifth grader when I go to interview someone on Zoom. I’d much rather chat it out with someone over coffee than wait my turn as maybe the 4th spot of 7 people who get to ask a question in a press round table through my screen. Will the […]

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Disney's Aladdin the musical in Seattle

Something very cool and inclusive about Disney’s Aladdin the Musical in Seattle and I hope we see more of this kind of thing

April 25, 2024

Disney’s Aladdin the musical opened last night in Seattle and it’s only here for a very short time and I’ve heard from a few people that it’s really difficult to get tickets right now. I was invited to go for opening night and the theatre was the most bustling I’ve seen it in a while. […]

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view from balcony at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver BC

A stay at the Paradox Hotel Vancouver with the best unexpected breakfast at Urban Fare

April 18, 2024

I booked the Paradox Hotel for our family during the holidays. I used Expedia ( a site I often use because of its easy cancellations and good hotel deals) but saw recently on the actual Paradox Hotel website they have a Washington Residents’ rate. (I often google “Washington residents rate” for Vancouver hotels and they […]

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space from the Kitt Peak Telescope in Tucson dark sky area

Deep Sky in IMAX and another movie you might want to see if you have a teen who loves space too

April 15, 2024

Sometimes I wonder if 8 years old is around the time you discover who you really are and what you love, and I remember it being one of my favorite years with our twin boys. It’s also around the time I think one of our guys really got into everything airplane and space, so much […]

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inari sushi at Motonobu Udon a place to eat Japanese food in Vancouver BC

Where to eat yummy Japanese food in Vancouver BC

April 6, 2024

My heart still lives in my Bachan and Jichan’s kitchen in Vancouver on Friday nights where I could be content forever devouring heaping bowls of rice, nimono, little plates of fish and pickles, and drinking tea with the grownups until way past other kids’ bedtimes. When I go home to visit now, I’m lucky that […]

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Beetlejuice on Broadway in Seattle

Beetlejuice on Broadway the musical at the Paramount in Seattle a parent review

April 3, 2024

I brought my fifteen year old son with me to the media night for Beetlejuice on Broadway in Seattle the other night. We came from an intense soccer game, and a busy day of work and literally slid into our seats minutes before the musical started. And then I realized it is all about death. […]

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montreal trip with kids at Hotel Alt Montreal

Hotel Alt Montreal is a great hotel if you go on a trip with one of your besties and their family

April 1, 2024

Funny that it’s almost summer and I’m just getting to this post now. And I wish we had time to do a trip like this for summer too as we’ve also been to Disneyland, Vancouver Island and a bunch of other places together over the years but now all of our kids are involved in […]

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spring afternoon tea at Cafe Flora in Seattle

A spring tea at Cafe Flora and maybe more afternoon tea for Seattle?

March 28, 2024

My family loves afternoon tea. Maybe our gateway tea was the high tea up in Vancouver at Secret Garden Tea Company (isn’t the name magical too?). And over the years we’ve even traveled for tea around the world, like one in the smallest house in Amsterdam, and of course the famous Empress tea in Victoria. […]

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Greenheart TreeWalk at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver

Greenheart TreeWalk at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver BC

March 25, 2024

I recently tried to explain to someone about the Greenheart TreeWalk and realized I never wrote this one up for the blog. If you are visiting Vancouver and you’re in the University of British Columbia (UBC) area around April to October, this is such a great place to visit. And maybe if you miss out […]

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Woodland park zoo is one of the best zoos we've visited in the United States you can see brown bears swimming up close

The best zoos we’ve visited in the United States and beyond

March 14, 2024

Learning about animals has always been a big part of our travels and we’ve planned many of our trips around adventures to see animals especially when the kids were little. We live near Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle which I truly believe is one of the best zoos in the United States and I think […]

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