Festive and fun last-minute shopping for everyone on your list at Seattle Premium Outlets
Can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? It seemed like I had things under control and then late last week I checked I still had a dozen of presents left to buy and the days were flying by. Instead of stressing out, I decided to take an afternoon off and head up to Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip, WA for a day of shopping, meeting up with friends, and ultimately, crossing off my list once and for all. 
Baby and I set off on an epic shopping trip that started with meeting up for coffee with a long-lost friend, and then ended with her falling asleep clutching an empty Coach shopping bag, a Tigger bracelet, a handful of stickers, and a notebook – all of which were given to her on our shopping trip for being such a delight. 
We stopped by guest services where we were greeted with beautiful holiday decorations on the fireplaces flanking the food court. This is where you can pick up mall gift cards as well as shop their huge selection of restaurant, store, and experience gift cards at the gift card kiosk.
What I wish I knew going into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated, first-ever standalone Star Wars adventure, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is in theaters today! So, I bet you’re wondering what the probability is that you will like Rogue One? It’s high. Very high.
In an effort to be surprised by the film and not have it ruined by spoilers or fan theories, I have stayed away from social media for the past few days after the LA premiere. Waiting until I got a chance to see it this week at a prescreening in Seattle was torture, but I’m happy to say that I went in knowing absolutely nothing about the film other than the character’s names {which I couldn’t shield myself from since they are fully saturating the toy department and have been for weeks}. 
That being said, I do wish there were a couple of things I did know going into watching Rogue One, and they are as follows:
The perfect Christmas gift: The new and improved Lundby Dollhouse
As parents, we categorize toys into four main groups:
- novelty toys that are fun for a bit and then get abandoned within hours
- toys that kids play with for days and then ditch before they have even been in the house a month
- toys that don’t get played with every day but are still returned to month after month
- and, finally, those special toys that are an essential part of play nearly every single day, year after year.
As you can imagine, there are lots and lots of toys that fall in those first two groups, and not so many that fit in the third group. As for that fourth group? It’s like a rare unicorn and you never know when, or where, you will find it. 
For us, the Lundby dollhouse is one of a handful of toys that squarely fit in that fourth group without ever wavering. From the moment the kids opened the Lundby dollhouse all those years ago, they were hooked. And then, with all the redecorating, DIYs, and crafting we have done on it throughout the years, the Lundby dollhouse just kept getting more and more beloved as we all added our personal touch to the house. 
So, when we got home from Boston and were greeted with a huge package from Lundby that contained a brand new Lundby dollhouse, the sideboard/TV set, and the awesome Lundby remote, it was declared as the best.day.ever. Ever since we saw a sneak peek of the newest Lundby items on social media and got wind of the remote, I was dying to try it out.
The perfect gift for the impossible to buy for: Snake River Farms steaks
Everyone has that one {or four, or five} people on their holiday list that are impossible to buy for, and you spend all month running around searching for something – anything – before you give up and buy them a gift card. How about this year you do something different and give them a gift they truly want, and something to look forward to opening and enjoying?
That gift is American Wagyu beef from Snake River Farms. Used by some of the country's most renowned chefs like Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck and Michael Mina, as well as at popular spots nationwide, a gift from Snake River Farms is sure to impress even the toughest critic. Founded in 1999, Snake River Farms has been passionate about delivering the finest foods directly to consumers to bring you world class restaurant quality in the comfort of home.
We got to try a few American Wagyu steaks from their Steak Flight gift set this month and I can tell you, they are like nothing else I’ve ever eaten. Fancy steakhouses aren’t in the cards for us right now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a quality steak just as much as I used to. In order to enjoy a quality steak, Hubby and I didn’t have to don fancy clothes, get a sitter, and then make the trek to an expensive restaurant to enjoy a meal that is truly decadent and memorable.
Playing and learning with American Girl: Melody’s microphone and piano playsets
After spending so much time this year learning about the new BeForever character, Melody Ellison, I wanted to get the kids something special this year to celebrate. With so many awesome choices in the Melody collection, I debated for a bit whether I wanted to go with one of her playsets or an outfit or two.
In the end, I decided that adding to our Melody collection with a toy they could play with was the way to go. I chose Melody’s Microphone Set paired with Melody’s Electric Piano because the kids were specifically drawn to them at the Seattle American Girl store after they realized that they actually really work. 
The ultimate in versatility with the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ backpack to duffel
We’re on the go a lot around here. Whether it’s sightseeing around town, on vacation, or simply just during our day to day routines, we find ourselves packing a bag for our days out on the regular. Often filled with snacks, necessities, extra clothing, and all the gear needed for baby, but sometimes filled with technology for work, our needs change all the time and we need a bag that can adapt with us. 
We found the SOLO Velocity 17.3″ Backpack and I knew we had found the perfect hybrid bag that can go from work to travel and back again. It has a padded back and backpack straps that make it comfortable to carry all day while out and about. Since the compact backpack converts to a duffel and has a fully padded 15.6” compartment that can hold a laptop, tablet, or any small peripherals, it makes it the perfect bag for just about anything you can throw at it.
What’s new at Northgate Mall for the holidays
Last month, I joined some of my favorite local bloggers to tour Northgate Mall to show off all the newest happenings just in time for the holidays. We started our party at Mama Stortini's, where we dined on delicious appetizers and enjoyed a glass of wine. From there, we took a mini tour around the mall to see some of my favorite stores and places as well as some of the newer additions to the mall that I hadn't had a chance to enjoy. 
Fabulous photo blankets from Collage.com
When the holidays roll around, it’s basically a guarantee that at least some of the presents I give will be picture gifts. I’ve done the standard presents over and over – framed prints, photo books, calendars, and canvases. But, I’m always looking for fun, personalized photo gifts and love to venture into the world of photo pillows, metal prints, table runners, tapestries, and housewares. This is when I turn to Collage.com.
Last year, I posted all about how I love Collage.com for sending picture presents to loved ones all over the world, and this year I got a chance to enjoy one of their gifts for myself. I ordered myself the Custom Sherpa Photo Blanket that arrived just days ago and it’s now one of my most favorite things I own. 
That’s not even a slight exaggeration. The thing is, it’s not just one of my favorite things, it is also very popular with the whole family.
Masha electric vegetable masher
It’s basically mashed potato season, right? I think we can all agree that while the holidays may not be entirely designed around this delicious potato treat, it definitely is not the same without them. Can you imagine a turkey dinner without a scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes ready for topping with gravy? I know, I know, I don’t want to imagine that, either.
Luckily, we live in a world where potatoes exist, and even luckier that we live in a world where we can mash them up and enjoy them any day of the year – but especially this time of year. Now that we agree that mashed potatoes are the unofficial spirit food of the holidays, we have to agree how to prepare them. For this, there is the Masha Masher by Salton that combines the unique aspects of a ricer with specifically designed blades that give you the lightest and most fluffiest potatoes anywhere. 
So, how does it work? Many people don’t know this, but conventional hand blenders and food processors actually rupture the starch grains, giving them a glue-like consistency. The Masha is different because it although it looks a bit like an immersion blender, instead it uses a low speed rotor to force food through an outer mesh, much like a motorized ricer. The result is perfectly mashed foods without lumps, in just seconds.
The perfect personalized presents from Bunnies by the Bay
The first time I heard about Bunnies by the Bay was when I was pregnant with my first child. The grandparents brought her over some maryjanes made by Bunnies by the Bay that happened to be named the same first and middle name we had chosen. They had found them in their travels to Anacortes, WA and knew we just had to have them.
Since then, they have surprised all of my kids with gifts from Bunnies by the Bay for birthdays, holidays, and just because. So, when we decided bunnies were going to be our third child’s theme, it was just a given that Bunnies by the Bay would be how we filled her toy box and her special shelf in her room. Her Bunnies by the Bay obsession has only grown as she has gotten older, and now almost all of her cherished friends are from their extensive line of adorable plush toys. 
They really do carry some of the absolute cutest stuffed toys, lovies, blankets, accessories, clothing, and baby gifts for newborn on up. Every time she gets a box that looks like this, it's cause for celebration.