Seattle

Summer vacation shopping tips {BlogHer shopping at Northgate Mall}

It is summer vacation time, and everyone knows what that means: shopping. Whether you are ditching the rain and heading somewhere tropical or you are beating the heat and heading for cooler weather, chances are you need some new clothing and gear for whatever climate you’re headed to.

I like to view this as an invitation to splurge a little bit on myself to make vacation packing easier. Since I love vacation shopping more than any other kind of mall trip, I tend to plan one a few weeks before any big trips to refresh my wardrobe before fully deciding on what I will be packing. So, amed with a complimentary gift card, my daughter and I headed to Northgate Mall in Seattle to prepare for my upcoming Chicago trip for BlogHer.


Girl time at Northgate Mall
Packing for BlogHer is a bit different than any other vacation for me, because I need to be professional and put together in addition to staying cool and comfortable, so it’s not like I can pack a few shirts, a pair of jeans and some shorts and skirts and call it good. I need fancy dresses for at night, put-together outfits for day, and coordinating pieces that can do double-duty so I don’t end up with three suitcases.

Naturally, I was really excited to get my shopping started at Northgate Mall, but before I started shopping, I did a little pre-vacation prep. Having become a pro at shopping for trips in the past, this time I knew exactly what I was doing and I followed these guidelines:


Read more

Gymboree Play & Music classes are a hit {free class thru 8/31!}


Gymboree play and music class
Everyone who has ever said “throw like a girl” was probably referring to me.  I’ve never actually seen myself throw a ball, but I imagine it looks somewhat like this Volkswagen commercial that makes me laugh hysterically every time it comes on. 

Since my lack of athletic prowess is something I hope to not pass on to my kids, I took the first preventative step this summer and signed them up for sports classes at our local Gymboree Play and Music center with a complimentary month-long membership.  While they aren’t in the big leagues, or even in Little League for that matter, I love that they are learning the basics of different sports in a cooperative and fun environment with other little kids. 


Gymboree classes room
The class is a little over 45 minutes one day a week, but even in that short amount of time I have seen a huge improvements over the past three weeks.  Not just with athletic ability, but also with confidence and a desire to be more active. 

Gymboree fun

Read more

Disney Social Media Moms Seattle Event

During every school break, my Facebook stream is full of friends taking their kids to Disney parks.  I can’t help but be a teeny bit jealous because it really hasn’t been possible for us to do a Disney vacation.  Of course, I know I will eventually make it there with the kiddos, it just might not be as soon as I would like. 

And, then I saw a little blurb on one of my friend’s Facebook feed who was at the Disney Social Media Moms event last year.  It was something to the effect of how you only have 18 summers to take your kids to Disney, and it made me panic a bit.   

7_13_DL_00577Banner

Picture taken from DisneyParksBlog.com

My parents took all of us kids to Disneyland when I was 6 months old.  I’m sure it was a blast, but I don’t remember a single thing from the trip.  My husband has a similar story as first his family was waiting for him and his sister to be able to ride on the rides, and then their younger cousins.  Long story short, they never made it to any of the Disney parks.

In 1999, we finally made it to Walt Disney World together, and we still talk about how magical the trip was.  We went on every rollercoaster together, indulged in all the Disney treats and goodies, and spent our evenings at Pleasure Island doing what we could since I was underage at the time. 


ScanDisney
Circa 1999 in Disney World. I'm second from the left and hubby is on the right. Those two beautiful girls with us are my sisters.  Aren't we adorable?

But, it’s been 14 years since that Disney trip and I’m very ready to go again, this time with our kiddos. I am so excited to be able to share that magic with the kids and experience it again through their eyes, as well as all the new attractions that have gone in since 1999 {which, apparently, is A LOT}. 

While I can appreciate the idea of waiting until the kids are older and can go on all the rides, I also think there's something really special about a kid growing up Disney.  It's like they say, "there's something for everyone" and I don't want to miss taking them in the stage of awe and wonder just because they might not be able to do every single thing at the parks. 

And, I’m looking forward to it all: pictures with the princesses, the obligatory Mickey/Minnie ears, kid’s rides and grownup coasters and the magic that happens when the sun goes down and the castle comes alive for the evening.  Every. Single. Thing.  I don't want to try and find that magical "perfect age" for Disney parks that you hear so much about and instead want to see it as a great excuse to go as many times as we can while the kids are still under our roof.


Kerri, Cristi and me
Last week I got a chance to get in on the Disney action, albeit briefly, when Disney Social Media Moms came to the Seattle area as part of their Disney on the Road tour and now I’m even more excited to get to the Disney parks… any of them… all of them… or even a Disney cruise.  I'm not picky. 

Disney Seattle

Read more

Enjoying the sun and making smart Steps with Walgreens #BalanceRewards

This is a sponsored post. One thing we are adamant about with our kids is that they grow up in an active family.  We try and go biking, hiking, and exploring whenever possible, but when we’re not able to do that, we simply walk everywhere.  With spring weather slowly arriving in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve … Read more

#SeattleBaby Blogger Event at Northgate Mall

Were you following along on Twitter and Facebook a few weeks ago as I hosted the #SeattleBaby shower for new and expecting mom bloggers in the Seattle area?  I was so grateful so many local bloggers turned out at the event to welcome all the new little babies and thrilled that so many of you … Read more

Oz The Great And Powerful – in theaters today {Review}

Earlier this week, I took a trip to the Emerald City {AKA Seattle} to see a prescreening of Disney’s Oz The Great And Powerful in 3D.  After years of anticipation followed by months of checking out every trailer, poster, and interactive feature for the new Wizard of Oz film, I was a bit worried it would be somewhat of a let-down after all the hype.


Oz the great and powerful
But, as it turns out, the power of Oz to enchant knows no bounds.   I think every single person in the packed theater that night was equally transfixed as we were transported back to the land of Oz in a time before Dorothy and her cohorts, before houses flew through the air, and even before the Wizard himself made Oz his home. 


Read more

Wordless Wednesday: Guess where we were

This last weekend we had a mini vacation at "the best place, ever", according to my daughter.  She will tell anyone who asks that she wants to go "for 18 days next time, not a measly 1 day".  Can you guess where we were? Here's a few more clues: And, one of my favorites of … Read more

Windows 8 + Urbanspoon Luncheon at Seattle’s Luc Restaurant

A few weeks ago, I got to do something many people only dream about: dine with a famous chef in a beautiful setting surrounded by fun and fabulous people.  The intimate event took place at Seattle’s Luc, a French-American restaurant owned by Top Chef judge and Top Chef Masters contestant, Thierry Rautureau {AKA The Chef … Read more