Did you get as depressed as I did when you realized that Seattle was going to be hit by stormy weather just in time for Halloween? While many holiday celebrations take place indoors, Halloween is one of the few nights that can be quickly ruined by inclement weather. I don't know about you, but I don't want to take three kids out in the cold and the rain to get candy. This little garden gnome was hoping for sunshine on her first Halloween, but it was not to be. 
Thank goodness Northgate Mall is here to save the day with their Boo Bash today from 3-5 pm. Instead of clomping around the neighborhood wearing parkas instead of costumes, we’re excited to spend Halloween afternoon in the warm comfort of the mall while we celebrate and shop. 
Holidays
Seattle: Have dinner with Chef Tom Douglas on November 5th
Someone once heard I was from Seattle and exclaimed, "Seattle, WA the land of Tom Douglas? You're so lucky!" This makes me so happy for a variety of reasons.
First, I love that Seattle is becoming well known for having great food. Tom Douglas is often described as the chef who put Seattle on the culinary map, and his numerous restaurants around the Seattle area are some of my favorites. Second, as anyone who has ever met Tom or heard him on the local radio shows will tell you, he's a great guy. 
Dress up with official NFL kid’s costume sets from Franklin Sports
Are you sick of the Halloween costumes made to last one night before they get abandoned? In my house, we won't even consider a costume unless we are sure the kids will use it for dress up even well after the pumpkins have been tossed. This means no cheapie costumes that will rip and fall apart after one use, we need stuff that is kid tough and made to be played in. 
So, this year we're going with something we know the kids will wear every Friday and Sunday during football season as we cheer on the Seahawks, the Franklin Sports official NFL deluxe helmet with uniform. Definitely not a one night use item, these make for a fun-filled Halloween and a festive football season.
Designed for game day as well as costume parties, we've already gotten good use out of our set and we've only had it a few days. Clearly, this is one costume that is definitely not going to be buried in the dress up bin or tossed after one night. 
The set comes with a play helmet that looks just like the real thing, a team jersey, pants and iron-on number kit so you can customize with your favorite player's number. And, whether the kids wear it all together as it was intended or they mix and match so they can wear the jersey to school for Blue Friday, or the helmet with whatever Seahawks clothing they have in their closets, you can bet it's going to be a hit.
Think Portrait Innovations for family pictures this fall
Did you read my post last month about our awesome photo sitting at Portrait Innovations and have been meaning to make an appointment? Do it now, seriously. Trust me when I say that the holidays will sneak up on you and before you know it you will be ordering holiday cards wondering why you don't have one single picture of your family with everyone smiling {nicely} at the camera with their eyes open. I know this because that was me last year, and the year before, and the year before…
But not this year, because I thought ahead and scheduled a fall sitting at Portrait Innovations that gave me lots of pictures to choose from when it comes time to order holiday gifts, prints to frame, and finally, holiday cards. 
The family photo shoot was easy, it was professional, but most of all it was actually fun. Yeah, I said fun. With three kids under 7 you rarely hear the words "fun" and "photo shoot" in the same sentence, but it was surprisingly enjoyable and the pictures really speak for themselves about what kind of shoot it was.
Enjoy the season with the new Glade® Limited Edition Fall Collection scents
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GladeForFall #CollectiveBias 
My grandma always told me that they ended up in Washington for a number of reasons, but the big selling point for her was that it had all four seasons. Like my grandma, I love the changing seasons so I am very appreciative that they decided to put down roots here. But, as much as I adore spring, summer, and even winter, my favorite is fall.
Fall is bursting with promise. The promise of crisp air and cooler nights, colorful nature walks, road trips to see the foliage, and of family days spent walking corn mazes in tall boots and enjoying this beautiful place we call home. Fall is the month we get to enjoy all of that and more, and we get to do so with a steaming mug of coffee and a knit cap. 
Upgrade your walls with photo art from AdoramaPix
Oh, AdoramaPix, where have you been my whole life? My walls have never been happier. 
Ever since I was little, I have loved photography and have taken way too many pictures. But the problem has always been getting those pictures printed. Back when film was my medium, I would save up money to get rolls of film developed at the drug store and whatever teenager that was on duty would process them, which was mostly awful. Then, once everything went digital, I would order prints either from kiosks or online, but either way, the quality was always subpar.
Other labs, pay attention. This is how you do it. 
Happy Fourth of July from Portland
With back to back vacations scheduled that had us running for two weeks straight, we decided we needed a low-key Fourth of July holiday. Instead of rushing back up to Gasworks park in Seattle where we normally watch the fireworks, we decided to stick around the Portland area after my cousin's wedding last week and … Read more
Happy Father’s Day from Rave & Review
I was looking through some pictures today and I started to get teary thinking of how OLD my babies are getting. It seems impossible that I have a seven year old {and a four year old, and a newborn} as I swear it feels like only yesterday that I was bringing them home from the … Read more
Great gifts for Dads and Grads from AT&T
When it comes to gifts for dad, you really can’t beat awesome tech accessories, and you can find all sorts of great tech gifts at AT&T. This June AT&T retail stores are offering a variety of gadgets under $100 that make great gift ideas for Father’s Day and Graduation that we adore, and I’m sure your dad or grad would as well.
One of our favorite items on the gift guide is the Braven BRV-1 speaker. We got one of these awesome Braven speakers from AT&T earlier this year and we absolutely adore it. It can go anywhere, do anything, and it sounds amazing. It’s rugged enough for camping and can even handle damp conditions. You can check out our full review here. 
Kid tough dress up gear from Aeromax {Junior Fire Fighter Suit review}
In our house, dress up day is any day that ends in a "y". We don’t merely have dress up time – pretty much all play time these days is done in costume. And, for us, dress up isn't limited to just inside play. My kids wear their costumes to stores, to parks, walking to and from school, and so much more.
This is just a small snapshot into the last year with my little man.
Obviously, we can't get by with cheapy costumes designed for one day use; we need Get Real Gear from Aeromax. My son has become so famous for his amazing Aeromax costumes that I swear I could sell their dress up clothes right out of my car and retire for life. 