They’ve (sort-of)seen London, They’ve (sort-of) seen France (Family Travel Europe Research)

March 24, 2014

Long ago when I was pregnant with my guys, we visited London and France to see my two besties who were living overseas.  I can’t believe how much life has changed since then!  Then last year, I went back to see S who was still there for a quick 3 night trip, my first away […]

Read More

A little love note to my boy (x2) when I get a lunch alone and can think about life

March 23, 2014

Slow down little man, There is so much time to grow. There are parks to play at And trees to climb. Hands to hold And moments just to savor. So whatever anyone tells you Don’t grow up just yet. Don’t speed this time up. Don’t give it away. You don’t need to be bigger, faster, […]

Read More

Dating on the fly (London Plane, Seattle, WA)

March 21, 2014

It is really hard to plan dates with the hubby now that all of our schedules (the kids’ included) are so much more complex. But this doesn’t mean we just mope around and give up hope.  We just have to live a little more spontaneous and sometimes we catch the luckiest breaks. The other day […]

Read More

One really awesome thing: Mini Metropolitan Market at the Children’s Museum (Seattle, WA)

March 19, 2014

I would have loved this as a kid and I bet you would have too.  At the Seattle Children’s Museum they have an area where the kids can scan items on a real cash register like they have in real stores. We played blow-out sale at Mini Metropolitan Market this morning with our shopping carts […]

Read More

Things I love this Green Monday

March 17, 2014

Somehow holidays sneak up on me.  Everything sneaks up on me lately because things have just become so busy and between the kids’ school, the cabin plans, our upcoming Europe trip, the hubby’s work and just trying to survive daily life stuff, it sometimes feels like I just can’t keep up. I didn’t have grand […]

Read More

Because I was curious: a brave and healthier version of a shamrock shake

March 14, 2014

I admit I do crave a shamrock shake every March.  It’s festive.  It’s green.  And it tastes absolutely dreamy.  But it’s a whole lot of calories and it’s not really exquisite enough to waste running 10 miles for.  And I hadn’t really thought about one at all this year until the other morning, a shamrock […]

Read More

Proud Mama moment at the Seattle Thunderbirds Game

March 11, 2014

I can barely keep this one in, I am SO excited.  Ever since the hubby and I started going to the Tbirds WAY back when they were at Key Arena and long before we had kids, I remember seeing these cute mini hockey players skating at intermission.  They were so fun to watch and I […]

Read More

Coffee Table Shopping and garden musings on a Monday

March 10, 2014

It is so hard to buy furniture on the interwebs.  I’ve had my eye on this table for quite some time and it’s now 20% off thanks to a sale that ends TONIGHT.  But I have no idea what it’s going to actually look like, so I’m a little worried but I have a feeling […]

Read More

C is for Cookies EVERYWHERE in Seattle

March 7, 2014

I’m a little biased when it comes to cookies. My sis is an amazing baker/decorator and she and her husband started a successful Canadian cookie business called the Steveston Cookie Company and I can always count on her to create ANY kind of cookie I can imagine. I also grew up sampling cookies in my […]

Read More

Seattle Memberships you might consider if you like to travel with your family

March 5, 2014

We have memberships to many of our local museums and I think we’ve even been zoo members for nearly 10 years now.  (Yes, we were members even BEFORE having kids.  I absolutely love our Woodland Park Zoo!)  Seattle memberships are one of the ways we get to do so many things with our family in […]

Read More

Pedicures and Shopping on a Stormy Monday

March 3, 2014

It is very luxe to spend a Monday out of the cold and I can’t imagine a better place to do it than a lovely place where my toes come out all shimmery and divine. My go-to nail parlor is always Julep-I’ve been going here for years for pedicures.  I love their colors and their […]

Read More
toppings for days

Trying out Papa Murphy’s Pan Pizza (a sponsored post)

I know I talk a lot about the foods we eat out on this blog, but I don’t always talk about what we eat in.  I do like to cook and try new recipes.  Sometimes they turn out amazing and sometimes they turn out horribly.  And sometimes, I don’t have time to make a full […]

Read More

Photo Friday: I heart Haleiwa town

February 26, 2014

Haleiwa town on the north shore of Oahu is such a fun place to visit with kids. There is good food, lovely beaches and the Turtle Bay Resort is about a 15 minute drive away and it’s such a gorgeous place to stay. The beach there is sandy and calm and we could just hang […]

Read More
where to hear manoa dna

A train you want to visit just so you can eat pineapple and see hungry fish (Dole Pineapple Express , Oahu)

February 25, 2014

This is a train we’ve done over and over again, just like we’ve heard a zillion versions of Ka’a Ahi Kahului (Hawaiian Train Song) since we first rode the Dole Pineapple Express.  (PS. THAT song is about another ride-able Hawaiian train, the Sugar Cane Train on Maui, and our family’s favorite version of the song […]

Read More

Rainy Shopping on what should be a snowy Monday and a new direction for next year

February 24, 2014

There was a little piece of me that was hoping for snow today instead of liquid sunshine, but at least the warmer weather means that we’ll be able to start planting outside soon.  I’ve been successful with my old food garden-you can grow all sorts of vegetable tops-except I can’t get avocado seeds to grow […]

Read More

Bishop Museum and a yummy lunch nearby (Oahu with Kids)

February 23, 2014

I didn’t realize there could be such a thing as too much sun, beach and pool, but on vacation my kids literally wake up as soon as the sun rises and they could spend the whole day in the sun and in the water until it gets dark.  I thought a good way to make […]

Read More

High Tea with kids (Urban Tea Merchant, Vancouver, BC)

February 22, 2014

There are so many lovely bakeries and restaurants in Vancouver, but for her birthday, I wanted to take my mom for high tea and I had the kids in tow.  I was surprised at how many places offer a high tea with kids: the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel has an intriguing sounding Bubble Gum tea, and […]

Read More

Lillikoi, Malasadas, Coco Puffs, Shave ice and Pie (Oahu with kids)

February 18, 2014

Who am I kidding with that Lillikoi in the title? Our travels are usually full of food adventures of the bakery and dessert kind and while we did stop at a lovely roadside fruit stand near the Turtle Bay Resort (recommended by the Gypsy Guide app I bought that had a running commentary/tour of the […]

Read More

Wheel-y Awesome Find on a Monday

How have I never seen this before? And how has the hubby not seen it and tried to buy one yet?  For the longest time in college, my husband commuted by scooter and then he finally joined the Seattle bike commuter ranks last year.  But this? I saw this on our drive to Costco this […]

Read More

Saved the best for Last (Paradise Bay Resort, Kailua, Oahu)

February 16, 2014

We just got back from a trip with the kids to Oahu and it was such a welcome bit of paradise in all the cold we’ve had in the last little while.  We usually don’t spend more than three nights in one place so we’ve stayed at three places over the course of this trip […]

Read More