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
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
We end up in Bellevue at least a few times a year and every single time we have a blast. Recently, Bellevue has welcomed quite a few new stores, restaurants, and family-friendly features that we were dying to check out, so we made a weekend of it and headed out for a Bellevue staycation to … Read more
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
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
As a parent, I’m always looking for toys that aren’t *just* toys for my kids. I want toys that inspire learning, ones that will resonate with the kids, and mostly I want toys that won’t get abandoned as soon as the shiny luster wears off. Well parents, I found the holy grail of presents for … Read more
Have kids, tweens or teens you’re buying for this holiday season? Here’s a pro tip: go with the art supplies. Unless you are *absolutely positive* of what games they are wanting, what movies they don’t have, what brand is still “in”, or what clothing is and isn’t popular this week, just do yourself a favor … Read more
It’s now been four years since we surprised our oldest daughter with a heart shaped locket from PicturesOnGold.com for Christmas. Since the day she opened the locket four years ago, it quickly become one of her most cherished possessions. She wears it all the time, and it is her special comfort piece she turns to when … Read more
My kids love LEGOs. They could play LEGO for hours and hours each day, building their own custom homes, businesses, cars, and even mini figures. I love how creative they are and how they can occupy themselves quietly for long periods of time designing, building, and then playing. Basically, it saves my sanity a few … Read more
Back in the summer, my kiddos fell in love with DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free. They love a good series that they can really get into and follow along with the characters, and horses are a huge deal around here, so Spirit Riding Free was basically made for them. Since we limit our kids’ screentime, I … Read more