Leanne, Author at Rave & Review

One of a kind Jeep Ride Experience at the Seattle International Auto Show

This post is sponsored by FCA US; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I don’t remember exactly when my 6 year old son became obsessed with cars, and specifically Jeep, but it was somewhere in toddlerhood. Since that time he has reminded me every few weeks that he wants a Jeep when he gets older and then rattles off his preferred specs. I’ve been dying to get him in a newer Jeep for years now, and the perfect opportunity finally presented itself this week thanks to the Seattle International Auto Show.

Unique gifts for your Star Wars fan from the What On Earth Catalog

Do you have a Star Wars fan on your list this holiday season? Beyond the basics, like the movies, lightsabers, and a few collectibles, what else is there to wrap up? This year, I looked to The What on Earth Catalog to find the perfect Star Wars gift that is not only super cool, but also practical.

Introducing our newest, and already most beloved, kitchen gadget: The Star Wars Rogue One Darth Vader Lightsaber Handheld Immersion Blender. The Star Wars Darth Vader Lightsaber Immersion Blender is a sturdy saber made from red stainless steel that turns blending into a battle between good and evil. The realistic ABS handle will surely impress and the adjustable speeds can make short work of any blending job. Prepare to be the Sith Lord of your kitchen!

Where we were: Boston, Massachusetts

This winter, I got invited on a luxurious-sounding press trip to a winery in California, alone with my husband where we could relax and unwind from our hectic life. And, I almost went.

But, instead we packed up the kiddos and their million pounds of gear and hopped on a cross country flight to Boston. Once in Boston, we did without a fancy hotel and we crashed in the living room of a cousin who clearly didn’t know what he was getting into offering 5 people a place to stay and disrupt his life. Once we fully shook up their house and their lives, we then went all day long with four kids on very few hours of sleep trying to cram in all the sights, sounds, and history of the city together. And, honestly, it was the perfect choice for us.

You see, we’re kind of warrior travelers. We do overnight flights with infants, long international jaunts with layovers, and we do packed days and short nights. It’s just the way we travel, and it’s now how our kids are used to seeing the world.

Strange Magic: Marvel’s Doctor Strange opens today

Just when you think there are no original superheroes left, Marvel does it again by releasing what is arguably the coolest movie of the year and one that Marvel fans have been waiting years for: Doctor Strange.

The film introduces us to Dr. Stephen Strange {Benedict Cumberbatch}, an arrogant, world-famous neurosurgeon who is at the top of his game. But, when he experiences a life-changing accident that robs him of the use of his hands, he finds himself in the role of the patient, and it doesn’t go well.

After traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look elsewhere and hears rumors about a man who was healed from a horrible spinal injury using Eastern Medicine. His journey to find healing takes him to a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj where he learns that there is more to the center than meets the eye.

Convert any surface to a standing desk with the Lift24 laptop stand from ErgotronHome

At certain times of the year {and especially during the holidays}, I feel like I’m chained to my computer. Whether it is a large amount of wedding pictures, family photo sittings, or it’s an especially busy blog month, my computer use can get out of control. And, since I’m active and on-the-go by nature, the idea of sitting at a desk or in a chair just about kills me. There are many days during the holidays that you will find me hunched over the kitchen island on my computer, so sick of sitting that I would rather stand and stoop down to see my computer.

It’s this reason that I’ve been searching for a standing desk for the past few years to give me options when I must be at the computer but just can’t sit any longer. The problem was that I wasn’t ready to fully commit to the standing desk, and I really needed a sit-to-stand desk that gave me options depending on my needs and my computer usage. Even better would be if the desk fit within my home’s décor so I didn’t end up with a huge eyesore that was only used a few times a year.

And, then I found Ergotron and my search was finally over.

My GoGo squeeZ kids enjoy Goodness On The Go

It was back in 2011 when we became a "squeeZer" family, as the kids called them. Due to a dental issue, my son was unable to eat solid foods unless they were cut up in super tiny bites, and most hard foods were impossible for him to eat without having to deal with bleeding gums. Thank goodness it's also when we found GoGo squeeZ, because otherwise life with a hungry boy who couldn't eat most foods would have been rough for all of us.

That dental issue has since been resolved, but our love of GoGo squeeZ just keeps growing. And growing.

I appreciate that they are 100% fruit and veggies that I can feel good about the kids eating, and they love that they are delicious and easy to eat on the go. It's wholesome goodness I can carry with me, and it's a guaranteed way to get them to eat their fruits and veggies – all while thinking that they are winning the food battle.

Treat yourself to a steak dinner at Applebee’s for under $10

At some point in the past few years, we just stopped going out to eat. Three kids, one income, and busy schedules have us running from event to event so it became hard to do relaxing dinners out. As a result, I became queen of the quick and easy weeknight dinner that could have us out of the house and on the go. So, really, eating out at all is a huge treat.

But, a steak dinner out? It must be my anniversabirthday. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar doesn’t think that a nice steak dinner at a restaurant should be a once-a-year event and are giving you a chance to enjoy a well-deserved steak at an awesome price – no special occasion required. From now until November 13th, customers can enjoy Applebee’s famed wood-fired USDA Choice Top Sirloin steak and two delectable sides, all for just $9.99.

Visit The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes in Seattle

Remember earlier this year when I was raving about the Seattle Rep production of Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem? Well, I'm back raving about Sherlock Holmes in Seattle, only this time the fun was across the Center, past the fountain, in the shadow of the Space Needle at the Pacific Science Center. The new Pacific Science Center’s The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes brings the legendary Sherlock Holmes to life, showing backstory of his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as the history of those Sherlock was modeled after. You will be transported to the Victorian time of Sherlock Holmes to learn about the science, technology, and methodology of the time while solving a mystery created just for this exhibit.

Easy DIY picture frame monogram wreath

I've been looking at the door and thinking I needed a new wreath for a while now, but every time I would see one in stores I would do that thing where I would talk myself out of it, convincing myself that I would make one instead. I finally made it to the craft store last week and was kind of bummed at the wreath form selection. I didn't love the green or white styrofoam mold, the hay-looking wreath is not really my style, and the wire ones weren't right for the wreath I had in mind. So, I ended up leaving the store empty handed {you know, besides the bags of crafts supplies I bought for my 200 other projects I'm perpetually working on}.

Side yard hopscotch with DIY stepping stones

I've been debating for years about what I wanted to do with our skinny side yard. We need to leave it unobstructed because it's the main pathway to our backyard, but I hated that it would turn into a wet and muddy mess every time it rains. Doing stones of some sort that you could walk over, wheel barrow over, and also keep the side yard from getting swampy made a whole lot of sense, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. That was until I visited Swansons Nursery in Seattle and started talking to their team about what made sense for a marshy yard. We decided we needed to dig the side yard down, add a weed barrier, and then add sand and fill dirt along with some stepping stones. After that was complete, we could add some ground cover plants that would help with drainage and keep the side yard from turning into a mud pit.Inspiration really struck when I started filling up Swansons` boxes with plants and ground covers and realized that the box I was loading them in was the perfect stepping stone size.More specifically, they were perfect hopscotch size. If we made our own hopscotch stones and laid them in our skinny side yard, we could actually utilize the space better to make it a play space as well as a pathway. With a smaller, urban yard I'm always looking for ways of maximizing space, and making it dual purpose is always a win.