When I was young, my grandma and I used to play with a mini mailbox for hours. We would write each other notes and deliver them to her toy mailbox where the other person would come and collect them and read them aloud. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t read or write at the time, my grandma always translated my letters and read mine for me. The excitement and joy she got at reading each letter was matched only by my own, and these are some of my very favorite memories of her.
Holidays
Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts For The Impossible to Buy For
Everyone has that one person on their holiday list that is impossible to shop for. You know the kind. The person that buys everything they could ever want, the person who refuses to make a wish list, or the person who is impossible to please. For those people, I give you the following annual tradition: … Read more
The future is now: introducing the self-balancing Razor Hovertrax 1.5 hoverboard
Hoverboards are real, you guys. Decades of waiting was worth it, and self-balancing, self-propelled hoverboards are finally a reality. I was only a few years old when I decided that I wanted a hoverboard. Just like the rest of the kids from the 80’s, Back to the Future had sold me on hovering instead of … Read more
Back to basics with Quercetti Toys
With a 6+ year age gap, it’s a very rare toy that gets the stamp of approval from all three kids. But, we’ve recently found a common ground in Quercetti Toys this fall. No matter what age kids we’ve been entertaining, the consensus is that Quercetti Toys are amazingly fun. All the toys we’ve tried … Read more
Spooky swizzle sticks and chicken sliders for Halloween
I love Halloween so much. There’s something really fun about not having any set “rules” to follow or expectations that makes it really fun to host parties and entertain guests. Here’s two super quick snacks you can make that will disappear quickly at your next Halloween get together: the spider swizzle stick and the spooky … Read more
A different holiday tradition: Reindeer In Here
Yes, I know it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, but hear me out on this one. Call it Christmas in July, if you will. I’m talking about a new Christmas tradition for families that’s full of fun and friendship, without any of the stress of other “magical” holiday traditions. Last year, dad author … Read more
Mindful crafting with Sequin Pets to snuggle
Last week on a school field trip, I had a very earnest conversation with a little girl about all of the many things she loves about sequins. Specifically, reverse sequins {AKA mermaid sequins}, the kind that you can use to “draw” shapes with. It turns out she has been wanting products with these special reverse … Read more
Make your own mini envelopes in seconds using simple paper hearts
Fail-proof cooking with Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker
I’m a chronic over-cooker. I know this about myself and still I find that at least a few times a year I over cook to the point of being inedible because I get distracted with kids and life and leave food in too long. My husband is a chronic under-cooker. Which is understandable because he … Read more
Seattle: get your Santa pictures at Northgate Mall
Are you in the Seattle area? If so, you are definitely going to want to head to Northgate Mall, part of the Simon family of shopping centers, before the holiday season is over. While you’re there, find your way to their holiday display by Kay Jewelers to get your pictures taken with Santa. This year … Read more