Baby is here! Our sweet baby girl arrived almost a week ago and all of us are already crazy about her. So far, she’s been a dream. She has spent most of her time sleeping or cooing quietly in our arms while everyone begs to hold her next, and has proven to be quite the good little traveler. She's already slept through a few hours of road trips, a ferry ride, a day exploring the islands, and even made it in time to see our beloved Seahawks in the Super Bowl. All that in 6 short days. 
The kids especially are over the moon about her and every time she makes even the tiniest noise they come running to help. I know this super helpful phase won’t last forever, but I’m enjoying it immensely right now. What makes me the most happy is that based on what I’m seeing they are going to be truly good helpers when I need them to be, and that’s more than I expected from a 6 and 4 year old. 
As for her actual birth, it was quick and went smoother than I ever could have dreamt. Even the nurses who helped me deliver her were commenting that her delivery was absolute perfection and exactly what they want for themselves when they have babies. I haven’t seen hundreds of births every year, or even more than a handful, but based on the stories I hear and have read from other moms, my births are what everyone hopes for and this one was the easiest yet. 
Our birth story:
Where we were
Pack for a Purpose with the Sandals Foundation
Oh, packing. Packing is usually my most dreaded part of traveling, especially now that I have young children I need to pack for and must anticipate all that they might possibly need in the length of time we will be away. But, this fall I was able to pack and make a difference when traveling to Beaches Turks & Caicos with Pack for a Purpose and that made packing fun and rewarding. 
Where we were: Beaches Turks & Caicos Caribbean
Were you one of the dozen people leaving messages and texting wondering where we were last week? Sorry about that, I must have forgotten to mention that we were IN THE CARIBBEAN. 
That’s right, while all our friends and family back home were braving high winds, record-breaking rainfall, and low temps, we were sitting in sundresses in the sand, swimming with fishes, partaking in exotic beverages and enjoying world class cuisine.
Oh, did I also forget to mention that our resort in the Caribbean wasn’t a quaint hotel or bungalow – we were enjoying the all-inclusive luxury that only a Sandals Resort can offer? Now, I’ve been wined and dined throughout the years with lavish parties at Sundance and BlogHer, but I have truly never experienced luxury quite like what we saw at the family-friendly Beaches Turks & Caicos. 
To say that we were excited about this vacation is a huge understatement. We’ve been looking forward to October ever since last April when I got one of the best blogging emails I have ever gotten inviting me and my family to the Social Media on the Sand conference at Beaches Turks & Caicos. Well before the itinerary was released and plane tickets were purchased I was dreaming of white sand and crystal clear water and couldn’t wait for fall to arrive. 
Can you blame me? This is what was waiting for us after our international flights. 
Our Beaches Turks & Caicos Babymoon
I can’t even count how many people asked if our recent trip to Beaches Turks & Caicos was a “Babymoon”. Although I had heard of the idea of a Babymoon before, I honestly had no idea that they were such a well-known thing. As it turns out, Babymoons are a very big thing for the travel industry and many parents are using the opportunity score special packages and discounts to take one last big trip before baby.
In our case, our Babymoon happened by accident as our Turks & Caicos trip was planned mere days before we saw the positive pregnancy test. But while the pregnancy didn’t play much into the planning of the trip other than getting the okay from the doctor that travel during the 3rd trimester was fine, I’m still calling this a Babymoon.
And, why not? Babymoons are a relaxing time to reconnect as a family before sleeping in and diaper-free travel are a thing of the past. Of course, there were a few things I couldn't do while pregnant, like indulge in their adult beverages or go scuba diving, but I honestly didn't miss them with all the other amenities I could enjoy. For us, Beaches Resorts was a great way to celebrate as well as holding numerous luxuries I couldn’t have even dreamt up on my own. 
Amenities at Beaches resorts that pregnant moms will love:
Where we were: an Urgent Care rite of passage
Yesterday my daughter wakes up and comes into my room saying, "What should you do if you have a rock in your ear?" as if it was hypothetical. I was all "DO YOU HAVE A ROCK IN YOUR EAR?"
Seattle getaway: La Conner, Washington in the fall
I was talking to a Seattle resident a few weeks ago and I mentioned that I was taking a roadtrip to La Conner, WA to sightsee. She admitted that she had never been further north than Lynnwood, and I don’t think I hid my shock very well. How could you possibly limit yourself to just … Read more
Where we were: the new See’s Candies in Woodinville, WA
This past week we took a break from our crazy busy summer schedules to hang out with some of our local blogging friends at the opening of See's Candies in Woodnville. While they had me at "candy", I was also excited to see behind the scenes, sample some treats, and let the little ones learn how to pack chocolate boxes like a pro. 
See's Candies stores feature a candy counter where you can try a sample and create your very own custom mixed box of chocolates and candies. Along with the delicious candies that they are famous for like boxed chocolates, truffles, nuts and chews, lollypops, and sugar free candy, they also have seasonal favorites and new recipes to try.
We've been fans of See's Candies for as long as I remember, introduced to the brand at a very young age by an aunt who couldn't visit Washington without leaving with a sampler or two, but it's only been recently that the kids have fallen in love with the brand. It *may* have something to do with the fact that their Kidgit's Club membership gets them free lollypops. 
Seattle getaway: Lake Chelan, Washington in spring
Lake Chelan is one of my absolute favorite places. You know when someone says to close your eyes and go to your happy place? For me, that’s Chelan. It’s got an average of 300 days of sunshine {!!}, a gorgeous lake, water sports galore, a fun downtown, and it’s one of the best sandy beaches in Washington. 
My family has been going to Lake Chelan since I was little, so I’ve been to the lake over 25 times in my lifetime, which includes 15 times with my husband. We’re now continuing the tradition with our own children by making Chelan our extended family vacation with cousins and grandparents. At this point it holds so many memories and good times that it truly feels like my home away from home. 
Seattle getaway: Tulips in Skagit Valley Washington
Every year we go see the tulips with the kids, and every year I am suprised by how much they still love it. We’ve gotten our route down perfectly to avoid traffic {and no, sorry, I’m not telling you our secret}, we pack just enough snacks and hand sanitizer, we wear big rubber boots for the inevitable mud, and we plan for fun stops on the way home.
Here’s a few pictures of our trip up to Tulip Town this past weekend: 
Where we were: Tips for Disneyland with young kids
This past week I got to do something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl. I got to go to Disneyland. 
Having never been to Disneyland before*, I knew I didn’t want to wait for the perfect Disneyland age with my own children and possibly miss the window of opportunity. I wanted to take my kids early and then try and get them back again once they were older and, presumably, more fun.
So, I began to save money. I socked away my year-end bonus, I hoarded birthday and Christmas money, and I started, literally, saving my pennies. The plan was that we could go as a family in July this year after BlogHer, and although it was going to be tricky timing-wise, crazy hot, and super crowded, we were going to get to Disneyland. Somehow, some way.