Have you ever felt like you were born in the wrong decade? For me, my heart has always belonged to the ‘50s. My parents were born in the 1950s so I grew up hearing stories of the way things used to be and I always felt a connection to the decade that shaped their generation. I spent countless hours listening to their 45s, exploring their childhood closets for clothing gems left behind when everyone moved away from home, and pining for a decade I never personally experienced. 
My love of the ‘50s has only been renewed with the arrival of the newest American Girl’s BeForever™ character, Maryellen Larkin. Only now it’s better because I get to share that love with my children. 
I don’t think it’s possible to be more in love with Maryellen. With her gorgeous strawberry blond hair, her brown eyes, and her authentic 1950s outfit featuring a striped dress, a lacy-knit shrug with a monogrammed "M", black shoes, and a ribbon bow for her hair, she’s exactly what I think of when I picture my mom and my aunts during the ‘50s. Classic and all-American, Maryellen is even more beautiful in person than she is online and in catalogue. 
Leanne
Where we were: soaking up the last of summer in Edmonds, WA
As much as we love to explore new towns, we definitely have our favorite local towns we could visit over and over again and probably never get sick of. One such town is Edmonds, WA, located just 11 miles north of Seattle but worlds away in terms of pace of life. Even with a busy train station, a popular ferry route, and an abundance of city-wide festivals, markets, and holiday celebrations, Edmonds still manages to feel like a small, close-knit town.
In fact, some of our most idyllic nights as a family take place along the Edmonds waterfront and it has become one of the kids' very favorite places to swim and play in the ocean. 
Admit it, it's pretty hard to top this view of the Edmonds-Kingston ferry on a beautiful summer evening. Whether you are enjoying the view while sitting on the beach and listening to the waves, or you are dining at one of the handful of restaurants with an awesome waterfront view, this view never gets old.
Happy harvesting – Pay It Forward
By Leanne, editor and founder
This girl should have been born on a farm. She’s never more at home than when we’re planting, sowing, and harvesting. But, unfortunately for her, our small urban lot means that the bulk of our fall bounty can’t be planted in our backyard. 
Thank goodness for the kindness of neighbors and family as well as local u-pick farms that allow us all to get our farm life fill, without all the work of actually owning a farm. Because can you imagine me owning a farm? It would basically become one big honey-do list for hubby who is decidedly much more handy than I am, and a whole lot less squeamish.
But, I love that in our glimpses of farm life we are teaching our children the simple goodness of harvesting fruits and vegetables. There is something so beautiful about preparing foods you picked earlier that day and canning and freezing for later. And, there is something even more beautiful about watching your kids devour healthy foods they previously wouldn’t touch.
Rain City Box – Seattle {and beyond} delivered right to your door
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Pacific Northwest here at Rave & Review. Having grown up in the Seattle area, our whole lives are here and it’s the only place we can imagine calling home. We show our Pacific Northwest pride with hashtags, Seahawks gear, and our “we don’t care if it rains, we all have hoods” attitude, but if only there was some other way.
A way to buy local, show our PNW pride, and a way to keep our favorite local companies in business. Even better if all of this was in one place and could be delivered right to your doorstep. 
That’s the mission behind the new Rain City Box. By working with Pacific Northwest vendors and artisans to share the taste, sights, and wares of this city we call home, Rain City Box makes it easy to order up some local pride, or gift it to other PNW fans.
Back to School ROCKS with AT&T – LG Tone wireless stereo headset
It’s back to school time, and you’re probably busy checking off lists consisting of pencils, glue sticks, backpacks and rulers. All of which are necessary for back to school, but I think we can all agree they really aren’t fun, are they?
So, what if you want to get them something they will be excited about for back to school? For all that fun stuff, look no further than AT&T. 
By now you know that the AT&T store carries everything you need to make the most of your mobile devices, and back to school time means everyone is going to be a whole lot more mobile with school schedules, sports, and extracurricular activities. Whether you are looking for a new smartphone so you can keep in touch, speakers for a dorm room, a tablet so they can do homework when they can’t be at a computer, or an activity tracker to keep up with all those extra steps they will be racking up on campus, AT&T has you covered.
Two coffemakers in one: BLACK + DECKER Café Select Dual Brew Coffeemaker with Travel Mug
The last time we owned a coffee pot was before we got married. It was a cheap model we got at a discount store specifically for guests that drank coffee because neither of us were big coffee drinkers at the time. That pot got used 3, maybe 4 times, and we ended up getting rid of it in favor of a single brew machine that we could use for making individual coffees.
Fast forward over a decade and we are now big coffee drinkers, but we still don’t own a coffee pot. Since we each get up at different times in the morning, we typically each make our own single serve brew each day so that neither of us get stuck with old coffee. 
This all works out great until we have a house full of people and we're making cup after cup of coffee. Then, single serve k-cups feel very wasteful… and pricey. We thought about buying a new pot for this purpose and in the end it just didn't make sense to store an extra coffeemaker that only got used when we have company.
If only there was a coffeemaker that could brew individual cups as well as carafe brewing…
Well now there is thanks to the BLACK + DECKER Café Select Dual Brew Coffeemaker that brews full 12-cup carafes of coffee as well as single serve portions in 6 different sizes.
Raising kids: beating body issues and focusing on health
By Leanne, editor and founder
Obesity is an epidemic these days. One look around the local park or school yard and it’s clear that it is affecting kids younger and younger these days. Every parent wants their kids to beat the odds and to not deal with weight issues at a young age, but there is a fine line you must walk so your child doesn’t develop body image issues.
So, what’s a parent to do? I first need to be as healthy as possible and maintain a healthy weight to set a good example. I need to model an active lifestyle that will encourage my children to get out and stay moving. And, finally, I need to not let them see me obsess about my weight… and especially not theirs.
There are some things on this list I feel like I’m doing a good job with, like discouraging laziness by limiting TV, tablets, and games that the kids zone out in front of. Instead we do lots of walking, biking, and we play lots of sports together. But, I also know there are some things on this list I do need to work on, and that is taking care of myself. 
Today my baby is already 7 months old {sniff, sniff}, and it’s time for both hubby and I to get back into the shape we were in before baby. We were talking the other day about making healthier food choices and staying active. We came to the decision that we need to do it now while the kids are young, and while we still feel young. But, we were careful not to say things like “diet” or “lose weight” around the kids. The focus is always health, not weight.
Back to school fashion with Lee Jeans
When you think back to school must-haves, you’re probably picturing this, right? 
I’m going to argue that getting ready for back to school is not just about kids. Us moms have to wake up every morning, make breakfasts, pack lunches, get everyone out the door in time, and deliver our little darlings to school safely. We could stand to go back to school shopping for the necessities that will get us through the school year as well.
Our back to school must-haves look a bit more like this: 
Stress-free family photos with Portrait Innovations
Introducing our new family portraits, thanks to Portrait Innovations. We got so many great shots that this is just one of many that we fell in love with. 
Do you have any idea how hard it is to get three young kids to look at the camera at the same time? If you happen to want all of them smiling, you're in for a very intense standoff and someone is bound to leave in tears.
This is the reason we've gotten exactly one photo of all of us looking and smiling in the past 6 months since our new baby arrived. It was taken spur of the moment when hanging out with my cousin when I set up the shot and just handed her the camera, and we just got lucky. After posting it on Facebook everyone had basically the same reaction: Better buy a lottery ticket with that kind of luck. 
The perfect camera for all of our many adventures: the Lumix G7
I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Panasonic. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
If you know us, you know we’re always on the go as a family. We pack in as much adventure as we can with the kiddos, and we are always down for vacations, day trips, and even just every day exploring. On these adventures, I have certain things that I must have at all times.
Aside from the essentials like water and food, another non-negotiable item is my camera. But, with 3 kids and all of their necessary gear, I can’t be saddled with camera stuff that needs its own luggage. I need a compact camera I can use, and then put away so I can enjoy these adventures without always being stuck with a camera in hand. 
Because I have better things to carry. Like this little bundle of joy.