Holidays

Spooky swizzle sticks and chicken sliders for Halloween

Halloween spider swizzle sticks and spooky sliders

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

Reindeer In Here plush

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

Make your own mini envelopesWhen 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.

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Fail-proof cooking with Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Anova sous vide 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

Turn any doorway into an amazing gym for the whole family with Gym1

Rare is the present you can truly get for the *whole* family. Besides trips that cost crazy amounts of money or expensive game systems or electronics that encourage only passive play, there’s not much else that’s out there that the whole family can enjoy as a whole. On that short list is the Gym1 doorway … Read more

Classic design and creative play with Viking Toys

I love toys that inspire my kids to use their imaginations. So many toys these days have scripted storylines and built in backstories. I personally love it when my kids create the story, define the characters, and it’s an added bonus when they also have to build or construct something while they play. Viking Toys … Read more

Give the gift of history with Felicity from American Girl

It’s hard for me to picture Christmas time without American Girl. I vividly remember circling items in the American Girl catalog each year in my youth, then I remember shopping their online store with my nieces years later, and now I’m taking my own kids to the Seattle American Girl store for them to make … Read more