Hey Seattle, it’s officially cruising season!
This weekend was an exciting one for Seattle as the first Holland America Line cruise ship of the season arrived, kicking off the cruising season. This year is especially exciting because Holland America is celebrating 70 years of Alaska explorations this year and the ms Eurodam is the first of five HAL ships that will be cruising into Seattle throughout the season, with 58 Seattle calls in total. 
And, the weekend was specifically exciting for me because I got to do something I have day dreamed about my whole life. I was so excited when I was invited to the media day to welcome the ms Eurodam, tour the ship and learn about the company, and I was even more excited when I walked aboard a cruise ship for the very first time.
Z Yang events this Saturday at American Girl stores in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, and DC
Have you heard the news? American Girl just released their newest contemporary doll, Z Yang last week. “Z” {short for Suzie} is Korean American and hails from Seattle {every girl in the PNW, including my two littles, is squealing right now}. 
Not only do I adore that she’s from Seattle, I love that Z is a stop-motion vlogger, which is my oldest’s dream job. Fans have come to know and love Z as the star of the American Girl’s immensely popular web series, Z’s Crew. In the web series, Z loves staying connected with friends and sharing a good story through her stop motion videos.
Matching Girls Monday: vacation style
My matching girls were comfortable and cute while traveling this spring. When we are traveling, I like to dress them in clothing that is comfortable to play in, sleep in, and can be layered for warmth.
During the day, they took off the leggings to wade in the water looking for fresh water clams, and later in the afternoon when the wind picked up, we added light coats and the outfit easily went from day to night.
Where we were: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Hey, Washington State, it's TULIP TIME! The tulips were at full bloom last week, so there isn't much time left to plan your excursion to Skagit Valley to see the tulips before they get harvested. 
10 tips for planning a simply perfect bicycle picnic
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AquafinaSparkling #CollectiveBias One of hubby’s and my very first dates was a picnic…
People Blocks first building sets allow little ones to create with the power of magnets
My little one is convinced that she’s as big as her siblings and should be able to do every single thing that they do. Unfortunately, this is most definitely not the case, which makes for some really frustrating play times when she insists on playing with the older kids’ toys but isn’t able to master the skills needed. 
This is why I’m always on the hunt for toys that seem older and more mature, but are easy enough for her to grasp the concept on her own so she can play without frustration. An added bonus is if they can keep her occupied for hours, but even better is when those toys also hold the interest of all of my kids so they end up playing happily together for long periods of time. People Blocks ticked all of these boxes and then some, and they are one of my favorite new toys to make their way stateside.
Matching Girls Monday: feeling springy with fun florals
It's finally feeling a little bit like spring here in Seattle, so we celebrated with a day on the riverfront in Fremont. The girls wore their new Floral Poplin Peasant…
The new and improved 2017 Britax B-Ready
Product for this post was provided by Britax, but the love for this stroller is all ours. As always, all opinions are 100% our own. Post may contain affiliate links to help support our travels!
Love isn't a strong enough word for how much we adore the Britax B-Ready stroller. We got the original B-Ready back in 2011 when it first came out, and it was the best choice we could have made for our family. Having gone through several strollers already with our two small children, we were ready for a quality-built stroller and had considered several double strollers, but something told us to wait for the B-Ready. The wait for the B-Ready was worth it because truly nothing compares to the performance and versatility, its luxury details and its 12 different configurations. 
Even now, 6 years later, I love the B-Ready stroller more every year as it has grown with our family. With the added bottom seat it proved to be the perfect double stroller for us – first as a mom of two little ones and now as a mom of three who sometimes has to cart around bigger kids as well as the baby. 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: Cherry Blossoms at University of Washington in Seattle
I'm sharing my favorite matching girls outfit of the week, taken at one of my favorite places. We visited the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington last week to take our annual pictures. It was pretty crowded {it always is}, but we were able to find a break in the crowds to snap some shots.
As a special bonus, my son and I are both joining in on the fun this week. My girls are wearing the Peek Feather Top with yellow sweaters from Hanna Andersson. My dress is from Target, my leggings/tights are from Yummie Tummie, and my boots are Born Shoes. My son is wearing an OshKosh flannel.
Design your own locket online at PicturesOnGold.com
You may remember how years ago we surprised my then-5-year-old with a heart shaped locket from PicturesOnGold.com for Christmas. Well, since the day she opened the locket three years ago, it quickly become one of her most cherished possessions. She wears it all the time, and it is her special comfort piece she turns to when she’s having a hard time being away.
Because she loves it so much, she has talked non-stop about how she wants me to have a necklace that matches her. Her dream is now a reality thanks to PicturesOnGold.com, where she designed a necklace for me that she {and her siblings} helped make special, including a sweet little message on the back.