10 tips for summertime snacking on the go

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PrepFreeProtein #CollectiveBiasLorissa's Kitchen platedOne thing we are adamant about with our kids is that they grow up in an active family. With so many beautiful places to visit right near us, we make it a point to go biking, hiking, and exploring whenever possible. Our kiddos are well-traveled little adventurers at this point, and after the long winter we had, we're all excited to get out and play.

With summer weather slowly arriving in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been taking every opportunity to get outside and enjoy every last minute of the sunshine. I love being out in nature and being active as a family, but I hate that that sometimes means eating out more than I would like. So, I've started packing healthy snacks with us for our adventures that help us keep fueled up without weighing us down. 

Walt Disney Signature Collection BAMBI arrives in stores tomorrow

Bambi movieSponsored post
I think everyone can remember when they first laughed, cried, and sung along with Disney's classic tale, Bambi. Whether that was 75 years ago when it was first released or it was on Disney Movies Anywhere just this past week, Bambi is one of those movies that touches your heart and stays with you forever.

Matching Girls Monday: my little redheads

Girls Gymboree hugIt's hard to see in pictures, but my little one has the most beautiful strawberry blonde hair. My oldest and I would love to be redheads {sadly, my red isn't au natural… I only have reddish tones in my hair}, so this spring we decided to dye our hair together. Girls Gymboree piggyback 2

Changes to the new 2017 Britax B-Ready Stroller

2017-b-ready-black-fr-300rgbSponsored postBy now, you know how much we adore the Britax B-Ready stroller. But, maybe you have a question about the older B-Ready as compared to the new 2017 B-Ready we shared last month? If so, this post is for you. As B-Ready owners for nearly 7 years, I can't even tell you how many people I have spoken with about the stroller and our immense love for it, but it is definitely in the hundreds. Britax 2017 B-Ready at ZooI can also tell you that I have been personally responsible for dozens of people buying their own B-Ready throughout the years. You just can't beat all the different configurations or the fact that it grows with your family. Start with the infant car seat{s} and then graduate to the in-line double seater as you need it. Since we walk everywhere with our three kiddos, we have put hundreds and hundreds {and hundreds} of miles on our beloved B-Ready stroller throughout the years, over three countries and countless cities and towns.

Matching Girls Monday: lake time with my girls

Matching girls Hanna Andersson dresses Affiliate linksSisters are special to me. As someone with 3 sisters of my own that I've always been close with, I always wanted girls of my own one day. So, these two? They are a dream come true. Matching Girls HAThe love these two share is immeasurable, and I love watching them explore and play together everywhere we go. My oldest loves being able to teach her sister all about the world around her, and my youngest adores everything about her sister. These two are already such great friends.

How to rock the class auction project photo shoot

Final Class Project BWEvery year our school has a school auction and each grade is responsible for creating a class project to be auctioned off during the live portion of the event. This year, I was in charge of our third grade class auction project. I honestly had no idea what I was agreeing to when I volunteered, but I ended up having a lot of fun researching, planning, and then executing our class project with the help of the students.

Since photography is my thing, I was looking for a photo project I could do, and someone suggested we try an aerial shot where the kids hands and arms make the larger design. The most popular shapes are circles, hearts, squares, and crosses and they are popular for classes because they include everyone and are a fun piece of art that is a great conversation piece. Sometimes they have text inside the shape or designs that play off the main shape, but the basic idea is the same. I gave two ideas and our class did an informal vote for a heart shaped image made by the students and we scheduled our photo shoot. Class auction project finished

Matching Girls Monday: Mother’s Day Edition

Happy Mother's DayIn honor of Mother's Day this week, the girls and I were rocking the matching Mommy-and-Me plaid. I had been stashing these shirts away waiting for a day to surprise my girls, and Mother's Day seemed like as good of day as any. You should have heard the squealing that ensued when I brought them out of my closet and presented them to my daughters.

Fresh from the PNW: Wild Roots

Wild RootsIt's no secret that I love farmer's markets. I love finding local brands that I love and can support, and I love meeting the people whose products I swear by. Such was the case when I visited a Oregon farmer's market while visiting family and I happened upon a Wild Roots booth. Vodka samples? Count me in, right?

Interview with Sydney Paulsen from @5HensandaCockatiel at American Girl {plus our Z Yang photo shoot}

Z Yang riding bikeSponsored postLast month, American Girl released their newest contemporary doll, a Korean American doll named Z Yang. "Z" {short for Suzie} hails from Seattle, which of course makes us very, very happy. To celebrate her release, we took Z around our city and took pictures of her in some of our favorite places, including the Fremont Sunday Market {our favorite farmer's and craft market}, a Seattle food truck event, the Woodland Park Zoo and even on a Seattle bike ride. Z Yang at Farmer's Market