June 2017 - Rave & Review

Corolle dolls are adventure-ready

Our vacations almost always include water, which isn’t that surprising considering we’re literally surrounded by water here in the Pacific Northwest. The one problem with spending so much time at the beach and lake is that there are certain things that just aren’t water-friendly, like electronics and toys with small parts. Thank goodness that Corolle … Read more

Matching Girls Monday: hello, summer!

I remember the glorious summer days of my youth spent pedaling around the neighborhood from morning until night. Days spent running from house to house and only stopping home to eat and grab swimsuits. I’m trying to give my kids a similar summer, and that means little or no scheduling is going on. Sports and activities … Read more

Summer fun with DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free

I received the DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free Friendship Activity Set from DreamWorks to facilitate this post. Some links may be affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% ours. My daughter is at the age where she loves getting lost in a book or a good series, and DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free was basically made … Read more

Living with a Supertaster – 15 foods and drinks to avoid and tips to make mealtime easier

Think you might have a picky eater? You might just be living with a supertaster. See what supertasting is, which strategies to try, and how to help your supertaster thrive.

Matching Girls Monday: remembering the beginning

This is my matching girls in one of my absolute favorite matching outfits they have ever owned. This was the second matching outfit set I ever bought them during a Gymboree campaign, and it's admittedly getting a little small for both, but we love it so much that we just can't retire it yet. Girls in Gymboree dresses 2

Ready, aim, fire with the Sky Rover Voice Command RC Helicopter

Have you ever wished that you could take the controls and command helicopters to take off, land, and fire? Now you can with Auldey Toys new Sky Rover Voice Command Missile Launcher. It’s basically a little kid’s dream present, amiright? The Sky Rover is a remote controlled gyro balanced helicopter that you can fly all … Read more

Strengthening the sibling bond with Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UltimatePitStop #CollectiveBias Disney Pixar Cars world Around here it’s been a mini construction zone for days. The kiddos have been busy repurposing toys, household items, and art supplies to create a little world for them to play in. This may look like any old kids’ project, but for them, and for our family, this isn’t just child’s play or a random assortment of things – this is how the siblings bond using Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3.

Interested in finding out what their newest Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 love is? Hover over the photo to click through to Amazon.com to buy!

If you know my older kids, you know they are exceptionally close, despite being different genders and over two years apart in age. They play together happily for hours and hours each day and for the most part agree on toys, activities, and things they enjoy. But, there has been one activity they have disagreed on since my son was old enough to communicate.

Matching Girls Monday: stripes and smiles

Girls in Hanna Andersson Fremont
My little matching girls wear these cute little dresses from Hanna Andersson at least a few times a month. So much so that they are one of the very few items that both girls have taken turns staining. I could freak out and start some serious stain removal, but honestly, it will probably get stained as soon as I get out the old marks.

The tablet that just might replace your laptop from AT&T

Remember a few weeks ago when I showed you a preview of the Microsoft Surface 3 tablet I’ve been dying to get my hands on? Well, thanks to AT&T, I’ve been using it for the past few weeks and it's been great to ditch my heavy weight laptop for a bit and go light, especially with all the traveling we've been doing.

I hate that whenever I travel it’s this big dilemma about whether I will take my 7” Android tablet that is hard to work on or I will cave and take the super heavy and way-too-large laptop that I use for editing photos and videos. Sadly, the laptop usually wins and it’s yet another thing I need to haul around with all the kids. If it's truly a vacation and I don't plan on working at all, the Android tablet is okay, but it’s definitely not a work substitute and it could mean a whole lot of stress if even a small issue comes up.

For everyone who is Windows-based like me, the Surface is the perfect answer to this dilemma. I need to have all my files and work documents while still being lightweight and portable, and the Surface is all that and more. They call it "the tablet that can replace your laptop", and for many that would definitely be the case if they don't need a ton of storage, an entertainment hub, or a large monitor screen for editing photos/videos or designing.

10 tips for summertime snacking on the go

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PrepFreeProtein #CollectiveBiasOne thing we are adamant about with our kids is that they grow up in an active family. With so many beautiful places to visit right near us, we make it a point to go biking, hiking, and exploring whenever possible. Our kiddos are well-traveled little adventurers at this point, and after the long winter we had, we're all excited to get out and play.

With summer weather slowly arriving in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been taking every opportunity to get outside and enjoy every last minute of the sunshine. I love being out in nature and being active as a family, but I hate that that sometimes means eating out more than I would like. So, I've started packing healthy snacks with us for our adventures that help us keep fueled up without weighing us down.