When I was young, basketball was life. Us kids spent so many hours a week watching siblings play basketball at rec centers and cheering on the occasional game with the dads. Some of my favorite childhood memories are practicing layups, playing H-O-R-S-E, Around the World, and more with my parents, siblings, cousins and friends. There’s … Read more
If you told me a few years ago that I would belong to a gun-friendly family, I would have never believed you. Growing up with three sisters and one brother meant that pink and girly were hot topics and guns were almost non-existent in our world. Fast forward 20 years and most of us sisters … Read more
Remember last year when we raved about the Eitech Classic Construction Vehicles Set? Not only do we still love it and look forward to building with it every chance we get, now we’ve added to our Eitech love with the addition of the newly released Space Needle model. To commemorate the building’s 50th anniversary, Eitech … Read more
Every year I look forward to reading holiday gift guides as much as I look forward to creating one. I love reading about what others are excited about this year, finding new products, and seeing old favorites make the list. This year, I was especially excited about a very specific brand releasing their holiday picks … Read more
It’s a rare activity that keeps a 4-year-old, 12-year-old and 30-{something}-year-old entertained for hours, but I think I’ve finally hit on the holy grail of all ageless activities – building stuff. I figured this out this Thanksgiving with the help of Zometool and our holiday gatherings will now never be the same again. Thanksgiving up … Read more
My son almost always has a car in his hand, and that goes for all waking and sleeping hours. For the past year, everything has been all about “vrooms”, and his love for miniature cars seems to grow each passing month. At first I had strict rules for keeping them out of his bed and … Read more
A few weeks ago I got to go see chef Tom Douglas speak in Seattle and prepare a holiday meal. Watching him slice and dice all the ingredients was mesmerizing and I spent most of the time staring at his cutting board trying to remember his technique. As he was cooking, he said that he … Read more
This week, the kids got a surprise when they found our Elf Magic elf, Ryan, sleeping outside in the milk delivery bin. Although they knew he would be coming to stay the holidays with us again, they didn’t expect him quite this early as he usually shows up some time after Thanksgiving. Also a surprise … Read more
With Thanksgiving a mere days away, I know many of you are putting the finishing touches on your menu and getting all ready to celebrate the holidays the way it was intended – by hanging out with friends and family eating too much turkey and fixings. With prep in full swing at our house, I’d … Read more
Here at Rave and Review we clearly like our stuff. It’s really great to find that item that just blows you away with how well it works, or with some simple but brilliant design feature. But truth be told, we really only consider all the gear around us as items that make our days easier … Read more