Two new apps let you enjoy the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade whenever you want

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Macy’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.Macy's Parade 1935Thanksgiving was always a busy holiday for us growing up with so much family to see and so far to drive, so I never got to experience a lazy Thanksgiving morning as a child. It wasn’t until I was a teen that my husband {then my boyfriend} insisted that I sit and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with him. I was expecting something like the local parades with a few marching bands, some done up parade floats, and lots of parade waving from people I had no idea who they were.

But, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade just blew me away. With tons of giant character balloons, elaborate floats, the nation’s best marching bands and performance groups, celebrities and favorite television personalities, and, of course, the official entrance of the one-and-only Santa Claus.

From that year on, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade became our annual tradition and we would watch it every year – sometimes live and other times after we got home from running around to see our families.

I’m happy that now the tradition continues with my kids. They look forward to the parade as soon as anyone even casually mentions Thanksgiving and they ask about it daily until Turkey Day finally arrives. The day of, our family tradition always starts with snuggles in our bed as we watch the first part of the parade, and by the middle we’re dancing like the Rockettes in the middle of the living room.

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Seattle: Have dinner with Chef Tom Douglas on November 5th

Sponsored postSomeone once heard I was from Seattle and exclaimed, "Seattle, WA the land of Tom Douglas? You're so lucky!" This makes me so happy for a variety of reasons.

First, I love that Seattle is becoming well known for having great food. Tom Douglas is often described as the chef who put Seattle on the culinary map, and his numerous restaurants around the Seattle area are some of my favorites. Second, as anyone who has ever met Tom or heard him on the local radio shows will tell you, he's a great guy. Tom Douglas picture

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Macy’s Great American Grilling Guru is leading up to the Sizzle Showdown Finale

The Everywhere Society and Macy’s Culinary Council invited me to attend this event and provided me with compensation for this post. However, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.Grilling Guru up closeWhen I think of summer, one of the first things I think of is firing up the grill. When the weather gets warmer, I look forward to spending extra time outside instead of the kitchen and I really love not heating up the house by cooking with the oven and stove.

I know I’m not the only one looking forward to grilling season this year because there was a very excited crowd this past weekend at the Grilling Guru event that happened at the Alderwood Macy’s in Lynnwood, WA. Macy's is looking for America's Greatest Grilling Guru and they have sent chefs from their Culinary Council around the US to pick the best of the best. Macy's Grilling Guru Tom Douglas

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The Secret Garden emerges in Seattle

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Here in Seattle, spring has officially sprung. Sunshiny days spent at parks and beaches, late sunsets, and sprouts popping up flower beds everywhere tell me that warmer weather is quickly approaching. And I, for one, am thrilled.

However, my wardrobe still thinks it is winter. When I open my closet I’m greeted by greys, blacks, dark patterns, and sweaters… so many sweaters. Obviously, a spring wardrobe update is in order.

When I heard that Macy’s in downtown Seattle was being transformed into The Secret Garden as part of the Macy’s Flower Show, I knew I needed to stop in.

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Clinton Kelly came to Seattle, and it was awesome.

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You wouldn't know it by searching my closet, but I love the show What Not to Wear. I found the show during my early 20s as I was making the awkward transition between teen and adult, and I'm very glad I did. Clinton Kelly and his cohorts taught me all I know about fashion, and I find myself still heeding the advice of how important fit is when choosing clothing – style isn't everything.

So, when I heard that Clinton Kelly was going to be at the downtown Seattle Macy's and the event was going to be catered by Macy's Culinary Council Chef Tom Douglas, I knew I couldn't miss it. I planned a girls’ day shopping event with my step mom to celebrate since we were both big fans of the show and it only seemed natural that we go see him together.

But, even before the day of the event we were trading texts about what we should wear. Not knowing how the event was going to be run we weren’t sure what kind of attire was going to go over best. In the end, I decided to go with the safe route. My step mom went adventurous. In hindsight, I wish I would have put a little more thought into my outfit but I really didn’t want to land myself into a What Not to Wear situation.

Waiting for Clinton KellyAs I said, I was a big fan of What Not to Wear, but up until last Saturday I didn’t think that I was a huge fan of Clinton Kelly himself. Sure, he was funny and he knew his stuff, but he also dispensed criticism for a living. Talk about a rough gig.

But, what I found out is that I adore Clinton Kelly. He’s one of the most entertaining and fun speakers I have ever seen {and that’s saying a lot}. Clinton Kelly at Macys

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