Have you passed by the Teatro ZinZanni historical spiegeltent on Mercer Street in Seattle and wondered what on earth went on beyond those brightly colored walls? 
Now is the perfect chance to check it out with the whole family with Teatro ZinZanni’s new family show, Lighter Than Air. Featuring Seattle’s own kiddie rock band, Recess Monkey, this new show has something for everyone. 
As soon as you enter the lobby, you know you are in for a treat. The lush lobby of Teatro ZinZanni is full of color and excitement, just begging kids to dress up, relax, play pretend, and even grab a snack from the old fashioned snack bar before the show. 
And, then you step inside the gorgeous theater – a lofted tent filled with booths, chairs, and for this show, a “mosh pit” where kids can enjoy the show while they dance.
News & Reviews
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.
One whole hand big – happy 5th birthday to my sweet boy!
5 years. FIVE YEARS. How on earth is my baby boy FIVE? I remember announcing his birth on this site like it was last week, and I remember thinking that the baby stage would last forever. Two in diapers will do that to you. 
But, now I know better. I know that even the most stubborn kids are potty trained eventually, and the diaper stage is over quicker than you know it. Even the "I do it myself" stage doesn't last forever and soon you find yourself needing to use Google for all their questions because even you don't know all the answers to the things they think up. 
And, just like that, five years goes by in a blur. Even though I'm very much back in the baby stage with my youngest, I know better now than to wish time would pass quickly. 
Gearing up for fall with the Lumix G7
I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Panasonic. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. 
Like all good things, summer must come to an end sometime. While it’s only officially fall as of today, it’s easy to get in the mindset that summer is over as soon as school starts. I get it, trust me. As much as I love fall, I really don’t look forward to the back to school season. At all.
So, how was the first two weeks of school? It actually hasn’t been so bad because we still say it’s summer until the weather gets cold and the days get short. Even after school is back in session, we make a point to keep up with our summer activities as much as possible so we can enjoy the beautiful fall weather.
Happy harvesting – Pay It Forward
By Leanne, editor and founder
This girl should have been born on a farm. She’s never more at home than when we’re planting, sowing, and harvesting. But, unfortunately for her, our small urban lot means that the bulk of our fall bounty can’t be planted in our backyard. 
Thank goodness for the kindness of neighbors and family as well as local u-pick farms that allow us all to get our farm life fill, without all the work of actually owning a farm. Because can you imagine me owning a farm? It would basically become one big honey-do list for hubby who is decidedly much more handy than I am, and a whole lot less squeamish.
But, I love that in our glimpses of farm life we are teaching our children the simple goodness of harvesting fruits and vegetables. There is something so beautiful about preparing foods you picked earlier that day and canning and freezing for later. And, there is something even more beautiful about watching your kids devour healthy foods they previously wouldn’t touch.
5 fall activities for families
By Tyler, editor and reviewer
This week we say goodbye to summer and the freedom that comes from not having school to wake up for. From now until late spring we will be on an earlier schedule, packing lunches, and spending evenings doing homework and getting ready for the next day. There won’t be as much time for late evening walks once the sun starts setting earlier, and it's going to start getting too cold for shorts and t-shirts soon.
But, it’s not all bad because it’s also the week we officially say hello to fall. Oh fall, how we’ve missed you. As much as I enjoy spring and summer and all the adventures we go on during the warmer months, there is something really special about fall. 
Boots, falling leaves, scarves, sweaters, coffee, pumpkin everything, and crisp, cool nights are coming and I cannot wait. Another bonus? Being able to get outside and stay active without overheating. No more worrying about slathering on sunscreen numerous times for even tiny walks to the park, and no more staying in shade most of the day to avoid direct sun. Fall is the time when we can finally bring the kids outside and just a daily sunscreen does the trick.
Here are just a few ways we like to stay active on a beautiful fall day:
Back to School ROCKS with AT&T – LG Tone wireless stereo headset
It’s back to school time, and you’re probably busy checking off lists consisting of pencils, glue sticks, backpacks and rulers. All of which are necessary for back to school, but I think we can all agree they really aren’t fun, are they?
So, what if you want to get them something they will be excited about for back to school? For all that fun stuff, look no further than AT&T. 
By now you know that the AT&T store carries everything you need to make the most of your mobile devices, and back to school time means everyone is going to be a whole lot more mobile with school schedules, sports, and extracurricular activities. Whether you are looking for a new smartphone so you can keep in touch, speakers for a dorm room, a tablet so they can do homework when they can’t be at a computer, or an activity tracker to keep up with all those extra steps they will be racking up on campus, AT&T has you covered.
Staying active as a family – 5 dad-approved activities
By Tyler, editor and reviewer
We don’t get to a gym much these days. As much as I would love to blame gym prices or the fact that we don’t have much time for gym workouts, the truth is that we’re not really gym people. We want to be, we really do. But, we like to go new places and explore different areas around us too much to spend our free time in one room or running a specific path. Our gym now happens in backyards, on playgrounds, and at parks, for better or for worse.
Recently we’ve been taking advantage of all this gorgeous sunshine and warm weather to get outside with the kids as much as possible. But, all of this getting out and walking means that we’ve exhausted all the parks near us and our need to explore new places starts creeping in. There are only so many times I can stand on the edge of the neighborhood park or in our backyard and cheer them on while they show me that they can go down the slide… again. These two adults? We want to move and play, too. 
Clearly, our evening routine needed a shake-up if we’re going to get serious about getting healthier, so I took it upon myself to make up a list of games for the family that are fun for everyone and get us all moving.
Raising kids: beating body issues and focusing on health
By Leanne, editor and founder
Obesity is an epidemic these days. One look around the local park or school yard and it’s clear that it is affecting kids younger and younger these days. Every parent wants their kids to beat the odds and to not deal with weight issues at a young age, but there is a fine line you must walk so your child doesn’t develop body image issues.
So, what’s a parent to do? I first need to be as healthy as possible and maintain a healthy weight to set a good example. I need to model an active lifestyle that will encourage my children to get out and stay moving. And, finally, I need to not let them see me obsess about my weight… and especially not theirs.
There are some things on this list I feel like I’m doing a good job with, like discouraging laziness by limiting TV, tablets, and games that the kids zone out in front of. Instead we do lots of walking, biking, and we play lots of sports together. But, I also know there are some things on this list I do need to work on, and that is taking care of myself. 
Today my baby is already 7 months old {sniff, sniff}, and it’s time for both hubby and I to get back into the shape we were in before baby. We were talking the other day about making healthier food choices and staying active. We came to the decision that we need to do it now while the kids are young, and while we still feel young. But, we were careful not to say things like “diet” or “lose weight” around the kids. The focus is always health, not weight.