Ghost Alley Espresso is a cute coffee shop in Pike Place Market Seattle near the Gumwall

A not so spooky cup of coffee in Pike Place Market (Ghost Alley Espresso, Seattle WA )

February 12, 2016

If you come to Seattle to see neat little coffee shops, a teeny coffee house known as Ghost Alley Espresso needs to be added to your list.  I didn’t realize the historic value of this shop until I tried to figure out what the significance of Ghost Alley was and I read on their site […]

Read More
light display at granville island

A stay in my FAVORITE place in the world (Granville Island Hotel, Vancouver, BC)

February 11, 2016

Do you have a place that you love more than anywhere in the world? A place that evokes a happy tornado of memories of being little and growing up, of times with friends and family and good coffee, pastries, flowers and gorgeous views? For me this place is Granville Island in Vancouver, BC. I’ve loved […]

Read More
Kukai or Kizuki Ramen in Seattle

Being whisked back to Kangaroo Care and a pile of reading on a Monday

February 8, 2016

One of my littles has a fever today and it’s rattling his little body and making my heart hurt.  I am thankful I can clear my calendar so we can spend some time reading, snuggling and drinking lots of fluids but it makes me feel as helpless as I did way back in our early […]

Read More
Eat Fish in Pike Place Market

Grilled Salmon Special at Jack’s Fish Spot (52 weeks of eating in Pike Place Market, Seattle)

February 4, 2016

Pike Place Market in Seattle is famous for fish throwing, and I’ve bought fresh fish from the market before, but for some reason I’ve never eaten fish IN the market so I made it my mission this week to make my meal one from under the sea.  I have always noticed a big line at […]

Read More
Customized Valentine's Cards

Some things I Zazzled for Valentines day

February 2, 2016

Zazzle contacted me last week about some of the things they have for Valentine’s Day.  I couldn’t help but see their SLOTH selection and fall in love myself so of course I had to look into this site a little further. And because Valentine’s Day is about love and other people, I decided to make […]

Read More
summit at snoqualmie pass

When you’d rather be in the mountains on a Monday

February 1, 2016

How on earth is there SO MUCH SNOW just an hour’s drive away from Seattle?  It’s crazy what a difference a short drive to the mountains makes. The snow at the Summit at Snoqualmie has just been dreamy and I’m actually starting to love to ski again.  I didn’t realize how much terrain there is […]

Read More
pike place market public eating space

A hearty vegetarian lunch under $10 at Pike Place Market (La Vaca Burrito Express, Seattle)

January 28, 2016

I love trying new places, but in Seattle’s Pike Place Market where I already have some lovely dependable favorites, it can be a bit terrifying to eat somewhere new.  WHAT IF I CHOOSE WRONG??? What if this meal opportunity is RUINED?  And then I realize I sound like my 7-year-olds when they are faced with […]

Read More
a mom's review of the lexus ct fsport in seattle

Where to take a pretty red car in Seattle (Lexus CT Hybrid review)

January 26, 2016

With a car lover for a husband I have spent countless hours listening to him and his friends talk about this car and that car and why it handles this way and outpowers that way and if only this car had these things that another car has…. This is not how I choose cars. I […]

Read More
pike place market during the day for 52 restaurants in 2016

A quick and tasty Market Lunch (Country Dough, 52 weeks of Pike Place Market)

January 22, 2016

Sometime last year Country Dough snuck quietly into Pike Place Market in a cute little courtyard tucked behind the long and winding Piroshky Bakery line.  (I do love Piroshky Piroshky and alternate between the garlic, onion and cheese and apple cinnamon and I noticed that they are doing a Valentine’s Box if you want one […]

Read More
hello kitty Seattle at the MoPop museum in Seattle

EMP Seattle, Hello Kitty and should we go to Puroland?

January 20, 2016

How I managed to miss the Hello Kitty Food Truck in Seattle bewilders me but I know I’ll get my Hello Kitty fix in Tokyo later this year.  I am excited though to have my favorite little cat in OUR city and the exhibit at the Experience Music Project or what we Seattleites call the […]

Read More
Michou: 52 weeks in Pike Place Market

Eating in the New Year at Pike Place Market: Michou Deli, Seattle

January 14, 2016

Few things catch my eye like tasty pastries and whenever I walk by Michou Deli, I am intrigued by these round donut-like desserts in the window and I’ve been meaning to try them for a long time. But because this place is right next to Le Panier, I always go there first for the macarons […]

Read More
52 weeks of eating at Pike Place Market

52 weeks of Pike Place Market Eating

January 13, 2016

Everyone who visits Seattle knows about Pike Place Market.  It’s one of our city’s most bustling and popular tourist attractions but it also does so much good for the people in our community.  There is a Food Bank, a Senior’s Center, a Preschool and a Health Clinic that are all part of this market and […]

Read More
playing in the snow near seattle in snoqualmie pass

If you can’t beat them, join them on a Monday

January 12, 2016

In another life, I must have been a rock and the boys in my family must have been rivers, or waterfalls or oceans.  I know this because as much as they all love to move and adventure, I like to sit still and be at peace.  While my husband and seven-year-olds wouldn’t be able to […]

Read More
skiing in whistler with kids and staying at the Sundial Hotel

Whistler with kids in the Wintertime at the Sundial hotel with your own hot tub

January 8, 2016

Everyone I know has been talking about going to Whistler lately and it is such a fun place to go-especially with kids-there is just so much to do.  When we were MUCH younger the hubby and I used to wake up early, pack his two-seater gold Fiero to the brim, and drive off with his […]

Read More
fairy tales lice prevention shampoo review

Fairy Tales and Frog Urinals, how I’m going to win at Aunting in the New Year

January 6, 2016

If I could make a list of things that freaked me out about my kids going to school, getting lice would probably be on the top of my list.  So I’m thankful that Fairy Tales sent me an arsenal of lice prevention that we’ve been using since Christmas to get ready for going back after […]

Read More
family snowshoeing in the pacific northwest

Adventuring in the New Year

January 4, 2016

Who else is going to grab 2016 by the reins this year and see what adventures unfold?  I am so excited for this year and normally I like to temper the excitement with a little apprehension to even it out, but I’m learning that life is too short for that.  Let’s just bring it this […]

Read More
northwest christmas

What day is it Wednesday and getting back after the holidays

December 30, 2015

Oh-isn’t having ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD the best part of holidays?  I have had to check a zillion times over the past few days what day it actually is.  We’ve been hanging out with family, exploring the Pacific Northwest and eating, and gifting and playing. But today I’m tackling laundry mountain. And dish […]

Read More
christmas tree craft made by kids

When you learn a little more about your mothers through an advent calendar

December 19, 2015

Would you believe my mom and mom-in-law can both play accordions? I deeply regret that I didn’t force them to play a duet at our wedding ages ago because we so rarely hear this instrument anymore and to have TWO in a family is mind-blowing.  This thought came to me when I was sitting in […]

Read More
homemade gluten-free peanut butter cake

When you stop to ponder your AAA membership, how safe Canada is and what this all means for family travel on a Monday

December 15, 2015

I met a few angels this weekend on my drive to Vancouver.  What started out as a mission to celebrate my grandpa’s 91st and my sister’s 30-ish birthday made for a bit of a disaster. My car almost broke down on a big bridge in Vancouver, but thankfully crawled and spluttered a little farther and […]

Read More
winter wonderland at seattle center

Books for the Holidays make a Great Tradition for Kids

December 12, 2015

My advent calendar is halfway done and it’s been so uplifting to hear all the wonderful messages from friends and family about what this season means to them.  My friend Heather, who we met years ago in a birthing class for multiples, sent me a tradition she has in her family that I absolutely love! […]

Read More