Leanne 
Did you watch the solar eclipse today? We didn’t go out of our way to see it, but we did step out onto the porch to watch it. We were only 93% eclipsed here, but it was still pretty cool and I’m glad we got to see it with our neighbors. It was the first of my lifetime in the Pacific Northwest and I wasn’t exactly sure what the expect. It didn’t get nearly as dark as I thought it would get, but it was still pretty spectacular.
This last week we escaped all of our day-to-day obligations and headed east into the mountains for some much needed family time. It’s been a hard few weeks for my family as we said goodbye to my family matriarch. We have been dealing with the pain of losing a beloved grandma {and great-grandma}, and I … Read more
It’s now been three years of blueberry picking and pie contests with our fun-loving neighbors*, and to celebrate we headed off to Mountainview Blueberry Farm in Snohomish, WA. Our annual tradition usually just includes picking berries together and then making pies later to share, but this year they invited us over after picking to bake … Read more
My first time really hearing about a solar eclipse was while reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with my third grade class. The solar eclipse is a fairly big plot point in the story, so we spent a day or so going over what happens during a solar eclipse.
My teacher had experienced the last time the Pacific Northwest had a total solar eclipse, back on Feb. 26, 1979. No one in the class other than him was alive during the eclipse and I remember we all had a ton of questions for him. Hearing him talk about seeing the sky darken like that seemed like a life changing experience. Ever since then, I've wanted to see one for myself, and I'm super excited that the August 21 solar eclipse will be partially visible in Seattle. The first in my lifetime, and it just might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Want to know what to expect during the total solar eclipse that will cross the United States on August 21? Here's a quick primer:
Debating whether you should vacation with your kids at Great Wolf Lodge? Maybe you are worried that your kids are too young or too old {they aren’t – trust me, there are activities for every age}. Or, maybe you’re worried about the last 15 pounds you want to lose? Whatever it is that is holding … Read more
Summer time cute with Hanna Andersson mermaid shirts, white Salt-Water Sandals, Minnie Mouse jean shorts from Kohl’s {bought for our Disney World trip last year}, and light silver sweaters from H&M. This was clearly before the Seattle heatwave that has rendered sweaters unwearable. Or, as I like to call them “the good old days”.Want to know … Read more
This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have kids, which means it’s a constant struggle to balance the sometimes not-so-clean activities of young kids without becoming the anti-bacterial gel wielding mom. This year has been especially bad and while I’m tempted to sanitize every surface they … Read more
Oh summer, how I love you! Seattle has been having the most beautiful summer and we’re busy out exploring every day and especially on the weekends. In one of our trips up to Seattle Premium Outlets this month I hopped into the Hanna Andersson outlet and I found these gorgeous red dresses on the $10 … Read more
Back in 2007 we bought our house from a local builder and got to make numerous choices, but the basic house design was fairly set and didn't allow for many changes. This means that our house has very little built-in "character".
The good part about that is that we got to create our own "character" as the years went on, but the bad part is that it sometimes takes a decade to make my visions come to life. Some stuff was easy, like having the builder agree to do wainscotting throughout the main floor or adding a simple pressed tin backsplash instead of learning how to lay tile. But some things seemed easy and instead became a project… like my mantle I had been dreaming of since we first moved in. 
I hope you enjoy this sponsored post on behalf of Bush’s Beans. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Having a large family living in close proximity is truly amazing. The kids have built-in best friends, I am never lacking for friends to hang out with or to help with kiddos, and when we all … Read more