Seattle

Marriott Hotels partners with TED to inspire new perspectives

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about curiosity. With an into-anything-and-everything toddler, an active little boy, and an 8 year old who thinks she has the whole world figured out, I unfortunately spend a huge amount of my time discouraging their natural curiosity. Log Cabin Resort sightseeingBut, even while having serious discussions with them about why moving a 10+ lb. dollhouse up bunkbed ladders with jump ropes by yourself is a bad idea, suggesting that they not dig up my garden just to see what’s below, or even by answering their 300th question of the hour, I do love that they are so busy being curious about everything, and I hope that never changes. First microscopeIt’s this curiosity that will keep them wanting to “science” the things that they find in our backyard and beyond. It’s this curiosity that will keep them seeking answers to the questions that seem unanswerable and always asking “what if…?” It’s this curiosity that will encourage them to read so they can learn about worlds that are near, far, and make believe. And, it’s this curiosity that will fuel their love of travel and challenge them to visit as much of the world as they possibly can.

Since travel and curiosity go together hand-in-hand, it only makes sense that Marriott Hotels is exploring the theme of curiosity in their recent partnership with TED, the non-profit devoted to ideas worth spreading. If you love listening to and watching TED Talks as much as I do, you’re probably as excited as I am. This relationship will be a whole new way to experience TED – with creatively curated TED Talks, blogs, and original quotes available to hotel guests worldwide. WP_20160907_18_31_01_Pro

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Cruising in luxury with the Mazda CX-9

Sponsored post 04_mazda_cx9_1608.ts.1608050646444530You zoom zoom? We zoom zoomed this past month in a fancy-schmancy new Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV with seating for 7. After reading about and hearing from friends for so long how fun and engaging Mazdas are to drive, we had high expectations, and the CX-9 didn’t disappoint. It was quiet, big {but not too big}, and powerful enough that it was super fun to cruise in, whether it was around town or on long trips. Maxda CX9 sideHere’s what we learned from our week of zoom zooming in luxury:

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Darigold Farmalicious tour at Coldstream Farms in Deming, WA

Sponsored post Coldstream cows with mountainsIt’s just after noon on a beautiful August day and I’m traipsing through countryside, photographing cows, taking in the beautiful scenery, enjoying the company of some of my favorite local bloggers, and feeling at one with nature in so many ways. Thanks to Darigold, I’m getting my first real introduction to farm life while learning about the innermost workings of a family-run dairy farm at Coldstream Farms in Deming, Washington, and honestly, it’s just a lot more nature than I’m used to. But, in some ways it oddly feels like home.  Coldstream cow up closeAnyone who knows me is laughing really hard because no one has ever mistaken me for someone who was cut out for farming. Urban farming even sometimes seems like too much work for me, so when you add in the fact that I’m notoriously squeamish and I prefer to not get dirty, it is abundantly clear that farm life was really never in the cards for me. Coldstream Farms sign

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Embrace the magic with Pete’s Dragon – in theaters this week

Sponsored post
PetesDragon575f03319ec3fWhen I think of my own childhood, I definitely wouldn’t describe it as magical. Sure, it was a good childhood, and I have some really awesome memories, but it was always rooted in reality. Since I was the fourth of five children, it meant that if the older siblings figured out something, I did to. I honestly never remember believing in Santa, in fairies {tooth or otherwise}, or anything else that would be described as magical, and I knew that there were some serious limitations to our finances that meant sometimes we went without.

In parenting my own children now, I’m experiencing the magic of childhood through them. And, I’m always surprised by how that magic really makes everything more fun. It’s not that I now believe in Santa or fairies or that I don’t worry about finances anymore, but there is something really amazing about watching the magic of childhood right in front of you, and it makes me long for that type of magic in my everyday life. Teepee photo shootSo, when choosing films, TV shows, and books to read with my kids, I always struggle with the balance between reality and fantasy. I figure they have their whole lives to explore reality, so while they are young I am very much enjoying exploring fantasy with them in ways I never did as a child. But, because I’m an adult, over-the-top fantasy and make believe is hard to get into, so this means walking a fine line between the two worlds and finding things we can all enjoy together. Image017Since my son is obsessed with dragons and both kids love magic and adventure, I knew they would be thrilled to see “Pete’s Dragon” at the Seattle media preview. But, even though I knew the kids would love it, I honestly wasn’t expecting that much from the film. Maybe this is because I was picturing a very cartoonish dragon based on the quick previews I had seen, and I was thinking it was going to be one of the movies that leaned too far toward fantasy for my liking.

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20+ kid-friendly activities in Olympic National Park {and 20+ tips to make the most of your stay}

Exploring and enjoying Olympic National Park with kids Sponsored postCan you believe that I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest almost my entire life, yet I had never been to Olympic National Park? We travel a lot as a family, but somehow the National Park just hadn’t made it on our radar until earlier this year when our oldest got excited about rain forests and we realized how overdue we were for a trip to ONP.

For this past Father’s Day weekend, we decided to do a somewhat last-minute trip to the peninsula so we could explore the Olympic National Park as a family and finally see what we’ve been missing. It turns out we’ve been missing a lot.

For one, there are actually 4 parks in one in Olympic National Park. From glacier-covered peaks, gorgeous lakes, miles and miles of Pacific Ocean beaches, old growth forests, waterfalls, hot springs, and ancient rain forests, there truly is something for everyone.

21+ things to do with kids in Olympic National Park

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Gearing up for a safe and fun summer with SafeSplash Swim School

Sponsored post SafSplash Swim LessonsI’m sure you’ve seen all the articles circulating about drowning, and how it doesn’t look like what you think it does. I saw an article about the dangers of drowning a few years ago and promptly purchased some life jackets for all the kiddos because there is no way I can keep them out of the water when we spend our summers at lakes, rivers, pools, and beaches.

So, for the past few years they have been safe, yes, but unfortunately they haven’t gained any actual swimming skills. I knew I needed to get them out of their jackets and was thrilled when I heard about SafeSplash, a company that believes swimming is a life skill. I love this concept and I couldn’t agree more about the importance of learning swim skills. SafeSplash swimming is a life skill

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Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR is now in theatres everywhere

Earlier this week, I got to attend the pre-screening of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR at the Seattle Science Center IMAX theatre, and it was amazing. That may seem like an canned response because at this point we’re all pretty familiar with how superhero movies work, and I always appreciate a good Marvel film. But, with … Read more

Seattle date night: Sherlock Holmes and The American Problem now through May 22nd

Sponsored post Header_SHTonight we used one of our rare nights out to see a production at The Seattle Repertory Theatre that I’ve been looking forward to for months. Admittedly, we don’t make it to the theatre as often as we used to now that we have young kiddos, but I knew this one was one we couldn’t miss. Seattle date nightI mean, c’mon, it is Victorian England meets the American Wild West in R. Hamilton Wright's highly anticipated Sherlock Holmes and The American Problem. How could you go wrong with that?

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