Leanne, Author at Rave & Review

The Joovy Scooterx2 made Disneyland the happiest place on Earth

When packing for Disneyland this month, there was one thing I was really stressed about. Not clothes or shoes or something else we could buy once we got there, what I was mostly worried about was how we would get around with kids. Planes, cars, buses, taxis, trams and more are great for traveling to Disneyland, but what would we do with three kiddos once we got to the park? Side note: No, we didn't steal a baby. We were watching a friend's son during the conference and needed something that would be versatile enough for our older two, but also could be used for the little guy when we had him alone without his stroller.

And, even with our two, we’re still very much in the naps stage {or, at the very least, rest and downtime} during the day. With a schedule that had us out from early morning until well after midnight, we knew that a stroller could easily make or break our trip. Whatever stroller we brought would need to be versatile enough to go all day long and comfortable enough for them to sleep in when necessary, but it would also have to be easy enough to push and maneuver for hubby’s and my sake.

We knew we would be pushing a Joovy double stroller, but then the question was whether we go with the super Qool new double {see what I did there?} or if we wanted a more traditional side-by-side. Pictured: Joovy Caboose Vary Light, Joovy Scooterx2 and Joovy Qool

Got seasonal allergies? Get Visine-A for allergy relief

Just when you start celebrating that the end of winter is finally here, you are reminded all over again that spring comes with its own downfalls. No, I’m not talking about rain, which Seattle has seen more than its share of. I’m talking about allergies that come along with blooming flowers, growing grass, and all the dust and dander the kids and pets bring indoors after an afternoon of playing outside.

Mother’s Day: A day for mom to Indulge at Northgate Mall in Seattle

We go to a lot of events at Northgate Mall in Seattle, our local Simon Mall. We’ve been to story time, to Girls Night Out events, to an event with live bunnies and goats for the kids to hold, to holiday events, and even to Seahawks events, but the one event I look forward to all year long is the Mother’s Day event.

If you’ve never been to a Northgate event, then you’re probably picturing a few tables running down the middle of the mall selling you siding and giving you pamphlets about having parties in your home. I know that’s what I was picturing the first few times I saw a note on Facebook about one of Northgate’s parties. But, since we had a mall trip planned anyway, I figured I would swing by the event at some point while we were there to check it out. And, I’m oh so glad we did. Since that day, we’ve gotten our faces painted, got free henna tattoos, colored our hair pink and green and blue {but not all at the same time} and we’ve been introduced to so many companies and services in the Northgate Mall and surrounding areas.

I’ve now learned something very important: When Northgate throws a party, you should show up.

Spin into Spring with TwirlyGirl dresses and skirts {with coupon code}

My daughter will only wear dresses. Not shorts, not pants, not even skirts most days. All she wants is dresses. She’s clearly a little fashionista, but even with her eye for fashion, she won’t compromise with clothing that is uncomfortable and isn’t fun and girly. So, of course she fell in love with TwirlyGirl when she saw they carried cute dresses for girls like these, which just so happened to speak to her fashion side as well as her inner dancer. When I was growing up, my sister and I had a special spot in our closet where we kept dresses that were “spinny” {AKA cut so that they flare out when you spin}. Those dresses were the ones we returned to over and over again and I can still vividly remember the details in both dresses. Sadly, we only ever owned two of these dresses as spinny dresses are hard to come by. Apparently, boring and flat is the norm for clothing.

But, once I saw TwirlyGirl, I realized I was looking at what I would have designed back when I was a girl, you know, if I was any good at designing. Oh, what we would have given to have a dress from TwirlyGirl, a company designed to make cute dresses for girls that would put all of our spinny dresses to shame.

Every year we go see the tulips with the kids, and every year I am suprised by how much they still love it. We’ve gotten our route down perfectly to avoid traffic {and no, sorry, I’m not telling you our secret}, we pack just enough snacks and hand sanitizer, we wear big rubber boots for the inevitable mud, and we plan for fun stops on the way home.

Here’s a few pictures of our trip up to Tulip Town this past weekend:

Where we were: Tips for Disneyland with young kids

This past week I got to do something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl. I got to go to Disneyland. Having never been to Disneyland before*, I knew I didn’t want to wait for the perfect Disneyland age with my own children and possibly miss the window of opportunity. I wanted to take my kids early and then try and get them back again once they were older and, presumably, more fun.

So, I began to save money. I socked away my year-end bonus, I hoarded birthday and Christmas money, and I started, literally, saving my pennies. The plan was that we could go as a family in July this year after BlogHer, and although it was going to be tricky timing-wise, crazy hot, and super crowded, we were going to get to Disneyland. Somehow, some way.

Budget-friendly grocery shopping with kids at Grocery Outlet

A few years ago I realized that saving money on groceries was going to be an integral part of our financial plan. Eating out, dropping $150/week on food, and impulse buys at the store were going to have to be a thing of the past. Either that, or I would need to shop at different stores than I had previously frequented.

I started noticing many friends sharing their couponing successes online and started clipping myself, but some weeks I simply did not have time to fully plan for each shopping trip. And, then I noticed that a friend of mine was posting shopping success stories without ever clipping a coupon.

Her secret? Our local Grocery Outlet store that she swears by for great deals and steals. What surprised me most wasn’t the low prices she paid, but the quality of the food she was buying. I’ve always known her as someone who was the picture of health – organic preferences, homemade whenever possible, and foods with as little ingredients as possible, so I was shocked to find out that she got nearly all her groceries there each week.

Cherishing the small moments with Gymboree

In some ways, parenting is exactly the way I thought it would be, but in some ways I can’t believe how different it is than I imagined. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do lists and the days that fly by, and sometimes I look at my kids and wonder how on Earth I have a five year old and a three year old. Nothing could have prepared me for how quickly my babies would grow into full-fledged kids and how much I would reminisce about days gone by.

SchoolKidz by Staples makes back to school easy

Oh back to school, how I dread you! More than just having to give up my sweet kiddos for hours every day, I also dread the whole back to school process of each new school year. This next year is going to be even harder for me as I will officially be without my firstborn all.day.long. The thought is enough to bring me to tears, so I have no idea how on earth I’m going to cope once Kindergarten is a distant memory and serious school starts. But, while I can’t do anything to ease my growing separation anxiety, I know where I’m going to turn to make our transition as easy as possible: SchoolKidz by Staples. Designed to make back to school easier than ever for busy parents, SchoolKidz handles all the supplies and school lists, including all the tissues I’m going to be needing come September.

It may seem really early to be talking back to school because the kids are still in school for a few more months, but some things are worth planning ahead for. By setting your account up now and encouraging your child’s school to get involved, you can make back to school not only easier for yourself, but also for the entire school by making shopping for school and classroom supplies as easy as a few clicks.

ROCK a mini Jambox from AT&T this Spring

Unlike most households that keep the TV on during family time, our family bonds over music. And, our dance parties have been pretty epic these past few months thanks to this little bad boy.

AT&T sent us the MINI JAMBOX from Jawbone for Valentine's Day and since then it has gotten a ton of use all throughout our house, and even on the road with us. At a mere 6.61in x 1.65in x 5.43in and just over 9oz, the aluminum body Mini Jambox is small enough to fit in your pocket, purse or briefcase, but powerful enough that it can create full and beautiful sound wherever you go.

With spring break vacations happening for many of you this week, I bet you'd love to have one of these little speakers to make anywhere a dance party, right?