Veater Family

Explore: Whidbey Island!

2012-01-23T01:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the last of our summer trips from 2011. . . a weekend with the family on Whidbey Island! I had been wanting to go see it since we moved here, so we packed up the car and the kids and off we went!

There are two ways to get to Whidbey Island. . . take the ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton, or drive north to Anacortes and then over the Deception Pass bridge to the island. I recommend doing both, since Deception Pass is gorgeous and you won't want to miss that! We decided to drive over the bridge on our way there, and then take the ferry on our way back.

Definitely bring your camera and stop and get out at the Scenic Overlook just before the Deception Pass Bridge. The views are stunning!

Brooke got to ride in the baby backpack. :)

You can also walk out on the bridge, which is pretty cool! Keep a close watch on young kids, since cars are whizzing by and it's usually windy up there too.

This was the view from the bridge!

After we crossed over the bridge, we drove down into Deception Island State Park and spent some time at the beach! It was a gorgeous, sunny day and the kids even got to go swimming in the shallow lagoon we found! Here are some shots of the girls having fun in the sand. . .

Brooke was so happy! She loves crawling around in the sand and trying to get to the water!

Haha, love this one!!!

Kirsten and Natalie loved playing with their water floats in the shallow water!

Kirsten LOVES the beach!

Natalie loves the beach too!

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

And our view of the bridge from the beach!

After the beach we headed to the tiny little town of Coupeville. It's so cute, it actually has false-front wooden buildings!

Nice views of the water!

We ate at Mosquito Fleet Chili, and the grilled cheese sandwiches there were delicious!

We stayed on Whidbey Island for two nights, at Oak Town Cottages in the town of Oak Harbor. It was such a great place for a family to stay! It had two separate bedrooms, a main living area with a TV, a good-sized kitchen with a microwave and everything you need for cooking, and a bathroom. The town of Oak Harbor isn't very charming, but it's a really good jumping off point to go explore the rest of the island. The town also has plenty of grocery stores and fast food restaurants. It was so nice that the kids got to sleep in their own bedroom so we could stay up later and watch TV and read after they went to bed. High-speed internet and cable was included too!

After a good night's sleep, we headed to the Whidbey Island Kite Festival! We didn't stay there long, but it was fun to see all the kites!

Next we headed out to explore Fort Casey! This was a seriously cool place, and I never would have known it was there. It's huge, over 400 acres, and filled with old barracks and concrete buildings that are abandoned, but you can walk around and explore them as much as you want. The buildings are full of tunnels, old artillery, ammunition storage rooms, seriously cool stuff!

The girls wanted to play hide and seek!

Aren't those tunnels awesome? Ready to explore!

I can just imagine how much fun little boys would have at this place.

And there's also a charming lighthouse! It wasn't open when we were there, but I read that you can go inside and climb the spiral staircase to the lighthouse.

We ate dinner at our cottage that night, walked into town for some ice cream, and then got some sleep before driving down to the south part of the island on our last day there. South Whidbey Island is beautiful! A lot more forested than the northern part! We also got some strange weather that day, with rain and lots of wind, so I was glad we got our beach day in while we could.

We stopped at such an awesome place for lunch. . . Greenbank Farm! It was such an adorable place. They didn't have any animals for the kids to pet, but the Whidbey Pies Cafe is there and the food was so yummy!

They had such a cute pond with ducks, and the landscape was beautiful!

If the weather had been sunny, we would have gotten out to explore Useless Bay. It's a great beach for exploring, at the southern tip of the island, and I'd love to take the ferry over there on a warm Saturday sometime and play at the beach with the kids!

I'm lucky to live in a city surrounded by so many beautiful places to explore!

Explore: Butchart Gardens!

2012-01-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs to go see Butchart Gardens! Add it to your bucket list, right now. It's on Vancouver Island, BC, outside the city of Victoria, and completely stunning! Take your kids and your camera and enjoy a beautiful day there!

And make sure you go on a Saturday in the summer! All summer long, they do a fireworks show at night and it is spectacular! I didn't know what to expect, but it was much cooler than pretty much any fireworks show I've seen in the USA on the 4'th of July. It was a long fireworks show, over a half hour long, and all set to music and themed with awesome fireworks designs. It was SO cool, and included with your admission to the gardens!

Now feast your eyes on all the beautiful flowers and beautiful little girls I took pictures of! :)

The gardens are huge, so give yourself plenty of time to explore them! You don't want to miss any sections!

The girls loved the carousel! They had this statue, perfect for photos, and then a real old-fashioned carousel too.

They had tons of different animals in the carousel. I thought the giraffe was the coolest!

Some of my favorite things there were all the different fountains! Some were timed to music, and they add lights to them for nighttime and for the holidays.

Acres and acres of gorgeousness!!!

And my beautiful Kirsten in the flowers! :)

We laid out blankets on the grass, and Brooke got to practice her crawling and the kids got to run and play. It was a relaxing, wonderful afternoon!

LOVE this shot I got of cute little Brooke at 10 months old!

Where do my girls get such blue eyes?

More fountains!

There were so many unexpected, gorgeous things around every corner. I never thought spending a day at a garden could be so much fun!

Are you convinced yet? GO to Butchart Gardens with your family!

Explore: Victoria!

2012-01-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

I'm constantly BLOWN AWAY by all of the amazing places there are to go and visit in the Pacific Northwest. As part of our stay-at-home summer last year, we took the kids for a weekend in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, BC.

It's only a ferry ride away, and the kids had a great time on the ferry.

Victoria isn't the most kid-friendly city around, it's a little more geared towards adults and couples. But you certainly can take kids there and have a wonderful time! We found a hotel to stay at close to the waterfront that had a separate bedroom and a pull-out couch in the main living area. The girls had a blast swimming in the pool, and we had a nice view of the city from our window!

Because of Vancouver Island's location, they get a LOT more sunny days than most of the Pacific Northwest does. We enjoyed lots of bright, sunny weather while we were there! The city of Victoria has a European feel to it, and it's very beautiful!

Eating is a bit challenging there with young kids, since the food is kind of pricey and most restaurants don't have kid menus. We had lunch one day at an old-fashioned soda shop right on the waterfront, and we shared a banana split afterward. We paid too much for it, but it was delicious!

Some more gorgeous views of the city of Victoria!

We spent the majority of Saturday at the stunning Butchart Gardens (separate blog post about that, we got lots of beautiful pictures!), and that is a MUST-see!!!

I felt like we were quite the spectacle, checking out of the hotel on Sunday with the three girls and ALL our stuff!

Lots of people don't even take a car when they go, and just take the Victoria Clipper straight from Seattle and walk off the boat. I think that would be fine when just going with adults, but I really enjoyed having our car with us since it gave us the freedom to drive around the island and see Butchart Gardens and some beautiful views of the ocean and mountains!

Where are all the pine trees??? It really was a whole different climate there, even though it's not very far away!

If you take kids to Victoria with you, you definitely need to spend some time at Beacon Hill Park. It's right in the city and has several ponds and fountains, big forested grounds, a fun playground for the kids, and even a really awesome petting zoo! We spent all of Sunday afternoon there before catching the ferry back home.

The girls loved the water and all the ducks and geese!

Brooke loved hanging out in the swings! And Kirsten was even pushing her in the swing, which was adorable!

The Beacon Hill Petting Zoo was impressive! It was huge, with tons of different animals to see and pet, and it's donation-only, so you can pay whatever you want and spend lots of time there! They had piglets, llamas, turkeys, peacocks, chickens, donkeys, horses, goats, sheep, seriously everything!

I think all the girls loved the goats the best!

These goats were playing with each other and butting heads, it was hilarious!

Victoria was such a fun place to go for a family weekend getaway! We all had a wonderful time there!

Adorable Etsy Shop Alert. . . iMO Shop!

2012-01-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

DSLR cameras are stylin'! But there's nothing less stylish than the camera straps that come with them. I remember mine... black with huge letters spelling out 'Nikon' in school bus yellow across the entire thing. Ugh. I knew right away I needed an alternative. And found exactly what I was looking for with iMO Shop... gorgeous, high-quality camera straps, handmade in Hong Kong!

Here's the one I chose. Check this beauty out...

I never thought a camera strap could be sexy, but... this is! The leopard-print fabric is even furry, with short, soft fur. I'm enamored with it! And their shop is full of so many other beautiful patterns and fabrics.

The high quality of the materials used and the attention to detail are what set this shop apart from all the other camera strap shops out there. The straps are thick and durable, with neoprene backing, and the ends of the straps are made from real leather.

The prices are so great too. . . $26 each strap! And only $3.80 for shipping, even internationally!

So style up your camera with one of these gorgeous straps! It's the accessory that goes with me pretty much everywhere, so it might as well look awesome!

Deal Alert: You get can a 30% discount at !MOshop from now till Jan 23, just type the following words in the coupon code:
veater

Our Year: 2011

2012-01-01T23:55:00.000-08:00

Our year in review! Plus photos from our family photo shoot we did in October!

{I like the new Facebook timeline layout that makes it possible for me to easily look back at all my posts and status updates by month!}

January:

*My first status update of 2011: "Happy 1/1/11!!! Best moment of my new year's morning so far. . . definitely Brooke smiling at me a ton when I woke up. You just can't get mad at her for keeping you up so much after seeing those smiles. :)"

*Enjoyed our southern California theme park vacation... stayed a couple weeks after New Years and took Kirsten and Natalie to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and two incredible days at Disneyland and California Adventure! And then Stephen and I got a day at Universal Studios and our own day for Disneyland! Loved that Southern California City Pass we got!

*Back to Seattle on the 15'th... "One airplane. Three small
children. Way too many bags and carry-ons. Two adults who are wishing we could just fast-forward through the whole airport experience and be home already! Wish us luck!" All I know is... we did survive!

*Kirsten started her first ever dance class at Dance Elite, half tap and half ballet. It was completely cute and now we are still all hooked!

*Took the kids sledding at Lake Wenatchee, and here's what happened:

"Today Natalie (21 months old) ran FULL-speed into a freezing cold lake in the mountains!!! Then she tripped and fell face-first into the water! I had to haul her out by the hood of her coat, and the poor girl was drenched and freezing. But she wanted to go back in! CRAZY kid!!! It certainly made our sledding adventure interesting!"

February:

*I joined a brand new mom's group and met some of the greatest friends I've found since moving to Seattle! I started taking my kids to all kinds of playdates and planning fun activities, and it made the dreary winter days so much brighter!

*Enjoyed our Valentines day! "Happy Valentine's Day indeed! So far I've made Brookie bites (cookie inside a brownie), a white chocolate popcorn snack, pizza with heart-shaped pepperoni, gumball necklaces, and heart doily crafts with some little kids. Whew!"

*I turned 29! Had a girl's night out at the dueling piano bar, and a yummy dinner (or two or three), ice cream cake, and love from my little family. And we got some late winter snow. :)

*{Chuckling over this one}... "Whoo-hoo! The landscaping guys cleared away the dead, dry Christmas tree that was still sitting behind the house (embarrassingly, yes it was). Nice to see the homeowner's association fee be put to some good use! :)"

March:

*My birthday present arrived... "My Christmas/birthday present is finally here and all set up in our house! The Yamaha Arius YDP-181! I'm SO happy to have a piano in our house at last!!!"

*We moved Brooke into her crib in her own room, and we discovered the joys of having an almost 4 year-old and almost 2-year old sharing a room. There were many, many nights of noise and tears. "Red-letter night. . . Kirsten and Natalie will be sharing a room for the first time ever! I finally finished organizing all the toys and the room is ready! How long do you think they'll keep each other awake tonight??? :P" {Answer: LONG time}.

*St. Patrick's Day passed me right on by... "realized AFTER I got everyone dressed this morning that I didn't put a stitch of green on me or my kids. Oops! Wasn't worth changing all the outfits though, especially since nobody goes to school yet. And we don't have any fun food planned either. I usually do a ton of fun stuff for holidays, but today I'm LAME."

*Stephen turned 31... "Going to start dinner soon. . . Pan-fried chicken, twice-baked potatoes, and homemade rolls! Add a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake and you definitely have a meal for a special occasion!"

*Discovered one of our favorite dinners... "Had the BEST dinner tonight at the Space Needle. Chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and Beecher's Flagship cheese. Delicious!!!"

April:

*I joined the YMCA! I don't really know why, but having three kids totally kicked me into gear. I started going to the gym around three times a week, and the kids got used to the childcare and started to enjoy going. And discovered my favorite form of exercise ever invented... ZUMBA! "Went to my first Zumba class ever! And learned that I haven't lost all the moves I learned in my latin dance classes in college. :) Loved the class, and whoever says Zumba isn't a great workout must be in WAY better shape than me!"

*We finally did something that was LONG overdue- got rid of the bedtime binkies for Kirsten and Natalie at the same time. Completely awful, completely necessary, and took about a week before all the crying stopped. "Tonight is the long-awaited and much-dreaded night. . . the binky fairy is finally coming to our house. Wish us luck!!!"

Also related... "Last night Kirsten told me she needed the doctor to fix her binky (since it's "broken" and the end is cut off). When I told her doctors don't fix binkies, she said "Well how about some tape?" Aww, breaks my heart a little bit."

*Kirsten had her first swimming lessons! And loved them! But didn't pass the level because she wouldn't put her face in the water. She took another session later in the year, and still didn't pass.

*Went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival! It was a muddy, cold, windy day but I got some beautiful pictures of the kids in the daffodils and flowers!

*Natalie turned 2! And was promptly moved into a toddler bed... "Barely 2 years old, and Natalie is climbing out of her crib. Thank you SO much, Kirsten, for teaching her that trick. Grrrrr. . . ."

*First dentist appointment for the girls... "First dentist appointment was a success! Natalie hated hers, but Kirsten went back with the dentist all by herself and even got xrays done and did great! And yet she cried and wailed like a baby when I took her to the child adventure zone at the gym yesterday and tried to leave. I don't get it!"

*I learned to avoid stores with all 3 kids at all costs... "Want to see a 3-ring circus? Just come along and watch as I take all three kids by myself to Joann's. Holy cow. Won't be doing THAT again anytime soon!"

*Easter! "Orange roll dough. . . done and rising! Pistachio pudding salad. . . done! Lemon angel pie. . . done! Ooooh I'm excited for Easter dinner tomorrow!"

{Wow. April was busy.}

May:

*Brooke... six months old and starting on baby food... "Just fed Brooke her first baby food. . . squash! We're now in the most expensive six months, when we'll be buying formula, diapers, AND baby food!"

*Memorable trip to the zoo... "Saw the coolest thing at the Zoo today. . . an orangutang was sitting there with two pieces of colored chalk, one in each hand, and he had a few pieces of paper and he was coloring! He colors better than my kids do too!"

*Kirsten turned 4! At last!!! "Kirsten is 4 years old today! Wow, never thought we'd make it out of the 3's alive, but we did. :)"

*Started to enjoy some gorgeous spring weather at the parks! "I'm constantly amazed by the beauty at all the parks around here! Today we went to Idylwood Beach Park on Lake Sammamish, and it was so gorgeous. I couldn't keep my two little fish out of the water though. Swimsuits next time!"

*Went on a family trip for our anniversary and Memorial day weekend to Portland and the Oregon coast! "Getting ready to go on our first roadtrip with all three kids for Memorial weekend. I'm a little nervous and hope it all goes well, but also excited to drive someplace new!!!"

June:

*Beginning of summer! "Mmm, the air outside smells like a thousand BBQ's all happening at once. It finally feels like summer! We spent a gorgeous afternoon at Newcastle Beach Park. Oh wow, where has that park been all my life? Love this day!"

*We went camping at Steamboat Rock State Park with friends! The kids had so much fun playing in the lake and swimming!

*A few firsts accomplished... My first whitewater rafting trip, and my first Mariner's game!

*Had such a terrific Pony Party for Kirsten and Natalie's combined birthday party. Adorable ponies dressed up as princesses, llamas, bouncy houses, and firepit included!

*Father's day! "Father's day dinner was so delicious even I had seconds! Pretzel-crusted chicken with cheddar mustard sauce, and twice-baked potatoes!"

*Kirsten performed in her first ever dance recital, and it was the most adorable thing EVER. "Headed to Kirsten's dress rehearsal for her very first dance recital! Let the craziness of tons of little girls in fluffy, sparkly costumes and all the stage moms begin! ;)"

*The North Sound Explore and Play group was officially born! My friend Michaela and I organized the group and a whole LOT of fun playdates and mom's nights out began! I've had SO much fun planning things for it all year!!!

July:

*We got some perfect weather for 4'th of July! We took the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and enjoyed a parade, some crepes, and sunshine! And then had a fun BBQ and fireworks show with friends! "Natalie LOVED the fireworks tonight! I think she's a whole lot like her mommy... a night owl who doesn't want to miss out on all the fun and excitement!"

*Went to the best concert of the year! Blew my expectations out of the water! "I touched two of the Backstreet Boys last night!!! (Insert girly screaming and swooning here) The Backstreet Boys and New Kids On the Block put on a seriously amazing show last night! And Matthew Morrison from Glee opened for them!"

*The end of an era... the last Harry Potter movie.

August:

*Went whale watching and saw killer whales in the wild! "Saw lots of orcas, some seals, and a bald eagle today! Whale watching through the San Juans was absolutely Gorgeous!!! Again I say, the Seattle area is underrated."

*Kirsten came home from her summer vacay to Grandma's house... "Kirsten is back! I've missed her so much! It's nice to have someone in the house again who will tell me I have beautiful toes... even when I haven't had a pedicure in over a month! ;)"

*Roadtrip to the Olympic Peninsula! SO much fun!!! "Headed to the Olympic Peninsula! Highlight of the day should be the Olympic Game Farm, where you drive through and feed the animals who come up to your car. We're also hitting Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent! Should be a fun two days!!!"

*Lazy summer days {haha!}... "My vision of today: Relaxing at the beach and chatting with friends while my girls happily play in the sand and the water after a nice picnic lunch. My actual day: Dealing with whiny, crying girls who all wanted to sit on my lap, hardly ventured out to the water, and dropped all their food in the sand. Followed by a grueling uphill walk back to the car pushing the double stroller. Some ideas just sound better than they actually are."

*{Too good not to mention}... "Our day started out at 6:30 with all the kids crying simultaneously. The cat was and is still sleeping blissfully on my bed. Can I pull a change-up here and switch lives with the cat? Just for one day???"

*Evergreen State Fair! "Busy, fun, but exhausting day! Spent the morning at Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park and then the afternoon and evening at the Evergreen State Fair. I feel like I might have done almost enough walking around to cancel out all the calorie-laden fair food that I ate."

*Finally figured out how to use Pinterest. Addiction born!

September:

*Labor day weekend spent in Victoria, on Vancouver Island! Took the car, the ferry, the kids, and saw the incredible fireworks show at the Butchart Gardens!!! Loved all of our fun little trips we did last year! "Whenever I leave the country (yep, I'm in Canada, a whole ferry ride away!) I'm reminded that the USA is the land of free refills and glasses full of ice. It's crazy how NO other country does either of those things!"

*Natalie started her Tiny Two's dance class! She's so excited and thrilled to be finally getting to dance like Kirsten!

*Kirsten started at the Edmonds Co-Op Preschool! I help out in the classroom once a week and got my job as the Class Photographer. :) It's been such a great class and Kirsten loves her teacher! "Today's my first work day at the co-op preschool! Kirsten gets to bring something to show and tell that starts with the letter "A". She's totally bringing the furry alpaca that I got in Peru. Bet a kid hasn't brought an alpaca before!"

*FALL is here! "I can tell it's almost fall because. . .the nights are getting cooler, football season is back, and there's more good new TV shows than my DVR can keep up with! My favorite season! :)"

*Discovered some amazing places for fall family outings! Spent a Saturday at Remlinger Farms, and took a weekend roadtrip over Deception Pass and exploring Whidbey Island!

October:

*Decorated for Halloween and ordered Halloween costumes! Kirsten was SO excited about her bumblebee costume... "Ordered Kirsten's Halloween costume! I got such a great deal on it too! I ordered it but it hasn't arrived yet, and she asks me at least 20 times a day if it's here yet and wants to see the picture online. Holidays with kids are so much fun. :)"

*Pumpkin patches, fall festivals, and petting farms galore! LOVE the Seattle area in October! Of course it helps when you have some sunshine and take an extra adult with you... "Whoa, talk about a rainy and cold day for Kirsten's preschool pumpkin patch field trip! After lugging the 3 kids all around there, I'm officially exhausted!"

*Danced the night away on my girl's weekend in Vancouver with my friend Char! We found the best 80's dance club EVER!

*Finally entered the modern age and got a smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S2! And of course don't know how I lived without it now! ;)

*Baby Brooke turned 1!!!

*Took the kids and friends to the Microsoft Halloween party this year! "Trick or treating at microsoft today! One year ago I was getting into my costume to head there when I went into labor. Wow, that year flew by!"

*Got a bit Halloween-ed out this year after several Halloween parties, trunk-or-treat, trick-or-treating at Country Village, and trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Whew! "I never thought I'd say that I'm ready for halloween to be over, but I kind of am. Four days of it is a LOT!"

November:

*Breaking Dawn! "Midnight Breaking Dawn tonight! Can't wait!!!!! It'll be me, my mom's group, and all the screaming teenagers!"

*November kind of got away from me... "So where did November go? I'm so behind that I still have my Halloween decorations up! At this point, they'll just stay up until the day after Thanksgiving and then time to haul out the holly!"

*Thanksgiving! "Making orange rolls and apple pie, watching the parade, and getting ready to share yummy food with good friends! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!"

*And one of my favorite shopping days of the year by far... loved Black Friday and shopped from midnight until 7 am! "Still shopping! The mall has been great, no long lines! And yes, I am the smart one pushing around a baby-less stroller so I don't have to cart all my stuff around!"

*We got all the Christmas stuff up on Thanksgiving weekend too... "My house is happy! It looks and smells like Christmas! LOVE the scent of the tree combined with my favorite 'Winter' candle!"

December:

*LOVED this month! Lots of Christmasey adventures...
"Popcorn, sleeping bags, and classic Rudolph by the Christmas tree! It's their new favorite movie!"
"Two things checked off the December to-do list... Pictures with Santa and Snowflake Lane in Bellevue! Done and done in one day!"
"Never thought I would pay $45 for a used toy. Darn you, Pat Pat Rocket! Well I'm glad I at least found it on craigslist and didn't have to pay even MORE plus shipping on ebay!"
"Such a nice, clear December we're having! Makes it easy to go do all the outdoor Christmasy stuff and not get rained on! On the agenda for tonight... driving around the Eastside seeing all kinds of Christmas light displays with the family!"

And then our San Diego adventures...
"Off to the airport to pay $100 for luggage, whoo-hoo! California, here we come!"
"In-N-out for dinner last night... Rubios for lunch today!!!! Ohhhhh I have missed them! Washington needs to get with the program!"
"Now I know I'm really a Seattleite... walking around Magic Mountain where it's sunny and in the high 70s I got way too hot and am now taking a break in the shade with a cold drink. Just call me a wimp!"
"Good times and good food at Old Town Mexican Cafe! I still love this tradition!"
"Enjoying this gorgeous San Diego weather on my dad's boat with the kids!"
"I just danced to Cotton-Eyed Joe for the first time in about 8 years. I completely forgot about it! It's totally exhausting but wow, so much fun!"

Natalie:

"I think Natalie might be starting the terrible 2's a little early. ALL day long she was throwing stuff, climbing stuff, aggravating Kirsten, and laughing at it all like it was the funniest thing in the world. I'm exhausted!" {That pretty much sums up the year. Haha!}

"Whoa, Natalie was SO mad at Kirsten's first swimming lesson today. She wanted to go in the water too, and I had no way to make her understand why she couldn't! Holding a screaming toddler in your lap for a half hour is NOT fun. Might have to rethink how we do this swimming lesson thing. On the up side, Kirsten had a ton of fun. :)"

"Natalie has opinions about music now. When we're listening to CD's in the car she'll say "More!" after certain songs but not others. Today her favorite was "We Are Who We Are" by Ke$ha. :P"

*{Wrote this back in June} "Natalie is well on her way to being potty trained much sooner than Kirsten was! Fingers crossed that it keeps going well, because I am about ready to be DONE with two kids in diapers!" {Haha... well... we're still working on getting the potty training done. She still goes through lots of Pull-Ups, way too many. UGH!}

"‎(Taking my moment to complain) Seattle traffic and parking were AWFUL today! And there were a million day camps and school buses all over the Seattle Center. Such a mess! Then, as an added bonus, Natalie smacked the top of my head with her balloon flower the whole drive home. Of course it popped when we were almost home, and then she started sobbing. Just another beautiful day in Seattle. ;)"

"I was rushing around getting breakfast ready this morning and forgot to say a prayer, so Natalie said "Fold arms" and reminded me. I had no idea she would do that!"

"‎2 year-olds are so predictable. The first words out of Natalie's mouth every single morning: "I wan' eat food!" And she says it over and over, like it's breaking news and I don't already know what she wants."

Kirsten:

"Ha! Love what Kirsten shouted out the window tonight. . . "Heavenly Father, you need to make it snow!" She's just dying to play in the snow again. She kept talking about how Heavenly Father made the snow melt and he's the only one who can fix it and bring the snow back. :)"

"Me: "Daddy goes to work so he can make money." Kirsten: "I have no money. I need to go to work and make some money." Me: "What would you do with your money?" Kirsten: "Buy all the dragons from the museum." ?????"

"You know those guys who dress up as the Statue of Liberty and stand out on the street advertising for tax places? We drove past some today and Kirsten got so excited and said, "I just saw TWO Santas!" Ummm. . . they show absolutely zero resemblance to Santa so I don't know what the kid is thinking!"

"Still laughing over Kirsten's latest: "Xander kissed me on the cheek and I said 'Yuck!" :P"

"I was just sure I'd never have juice-addicted kids. But I just gave Kirsten some water and she said, "No. . . water makes me sad but juice makes me happy." (Sigh)"

"Here's what I overheard Kirsten saying to Natalie yesterday when they were coming up the stairs: "Let's try to sneak this past Mommy. She doesn't like us to have scissors." Yikes. Thank goodness she hasn't learned the art of subtlety yet!"

"When I asked Kirsten who she wanted to marry when she gets older, she said, "Daddy!" Then when I said I was already married to him, she said, "I can marry Daddy, and you can marry Chance." Not everyone has a kid so willing to pick out a new husband for them! ;)"

"I never thought I'd see the day. . . Kirsten fell asleep on the couch while she was watching her "quiet time" movie. I guess four nights in a row of not falling asleep until 10:30 at night and waking up around 7:30 with NO naps finally caught up to her."

"I can't help but laugh when Kirsten tells me, "I don't like Natalie. . . I love Brooke." That's because Brooke can't steal your toys yet! :P"

"Kirsten is obsessed with dandelions. She loves to blow on them and make wishes. Usually she says something like, "I wish I could eat some cake!" but yesterday was her funniest wish yet. . . "I wish I could get married soon, when I'm bigger." :)"

"Me: "Wow, I have a huge bug bite on my arm!"
Kirsten: "Maybe I bit you when I was a bug."
Hahaha!"

"Proof that there IS a bright spot to bathing your kid at 2 am after they threw up everywhere: After I told sick, miserable Kirsten that Brooke is sick too, she said, "Ohhhh, poor baby!" Kirsten is such a sweet girl."

"You KNOW your child is from Seattle when you hear them say this: "I don't like the sun! It's too bright!"

Brooke:

"I'm SO grateful for such a good baby. Right now she's sleeping longer at night (and sometimes for naps) than the two older girls do. . . not bad for a 3 month-old!!!"

{Six months old} "Got soaked to the bone giving Brooke her bath tonight. That baby sure loves to KICK in the water. The entire bathroom floor was covered in water from her little tub! Crazy baby!"

"Brooke celebrated turning 9 months old by learning how to clap! It's SO cute! My other two didn't learn how to do that until quite a bit older."

Love me some TV... {TV throughout the year}:

"Quote of the day: After seeing some of the Biggest Loser weigh-in, Kirsten said, "He needs to put his clothes back on!" :)"

"Ha, I am SO stealing Kevin's new year's resolution from The Office: "To eat more vegetables this year. I haven't done it yet, but it's okay. I've still got time. . . since last year I ate none." Sounds a little too much like me. :P"

"I've been catching up on the Glee episodes from this week. Oh, Warblers. . . I ♥ you! They NEED to put out a whole CD of the Warblers!" {Which they did do... and I bought... and I love!}

"American Idol tonight. . . WOW! So many talented singers! So far I'm really liking this season." {I totally called it that it would be an all-country finale, and figured Scotty would have to be the winner. Even though my fave was James!}

"When I shop for clothes by myself, I try to imagine Tim Gunn is with me. Sounds silly, but it works! I can totally hear his voice when I try stuff on saying "That's a lot of look!" or "The fit isn't very flattering."

*I was pretty happy with the Boston Rob win... "Any other Survivor fans happy about last night? SO awesome!"

*BACHELORETTE! "To all my fellow Bachelorette-watchers. . . who were your early standout favorites from last night? Mine were William, Ben who spoke French, and Ryan who got the first impression rose. I guess I like the smiley, cutie blonde ones. :)"

Whew, what a year!!!

A Big Splash of Summer!

2011-12-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, 2011 has been a fabulous year! I can't believe how fast it flew by and how beautiful it was. I'm wishing everyone a happy new year and a wonderful start to 2012!

We had all kinds of fun adventures in 2011 {I realize I have not blogged about many of them. I will remedy that soon! One of my new resolutions!} But here is a taste of our gorgeous, fantastic Seattle summer. We enjoyed SO many parks, lakes, and beaches with all my fun new friends in my mom's group. Enjoy this splash of summer to brighten up your winter blues!

For the majority of the summer, Brooke was pretty content to sit with me on the blanket or towel and enjoy the sun and all the company. But towards the end, she was scooting towards the water like a little seal! It was hilarious! She would go right into the water if I didn't swoop in and grab her!

Sometimes I let her get in the water, and then she was a wet, sandy, happy mess!

I love these pics of Natalie looking so happy!

We had a fairly cold, rainy summer and we had to cancel a whole bunch of playdates due to weather. But we still had some sunny, mild, gorgeous days to make up for it!

My favorite places to take the kids are by FAR the lake beaches. I never got to swim in lakes growing up, and they are perfect for young kids! No waves, calm and clean, and with beautiful scenery all around!

Fun in the sprinklers!

Riding in cars with boys! Haha! Kirsten and Blair... so cute!

We spent time at the Seattle waterfront on the Puget Sound...

We had ice cream bars and popsicles...

Visited a fire truck...

Rode the rides at the Evergreen State Fair...

{Both girls LOVE all the rides, even Natalie! At 2 years old Kirsten was scared of fast rides, but Natalie is fearless with them!}

And did LOTS of swimming! All my kids are water babies and would go swimming every single day if they could. Kirsten has taken two sessions of swimming lessons, but she hasn't passed any of them since she's still scared to put her face in the water. She loves to be in the water and swim with her arm floats on! Now she needs to learn to put her face in!

We had a great time at some summer birthday parties...

And hung out with great friends at my favorite Puget Sound beach... Golden Gardens!

And visited Snoqualmie Falls! We loved our summer!!!

Princess Dance Camp!

2011-12-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

Since I have three little girls, you can bet I'm getting a little tired of girly and frilly and doing hair and matching accessories. But one thing I have never gotten tired of is watching them in dance classes! It's definitely one of my favorite things about having girls! Over the summer Kirsten did a whole Princess dance camp where they focused on a different Disney princess each class, complete with costumes, a dance routine, a story, and a craft. It was A-DORABLE!!! And about time I posted the pictures of my little princess!

We have Ariel...

{These pictures crack me up. Poor Natalie wanted SO badly to dress up and dance too! But you have to be 3! Next summer they can do the camp together!}

Princess Aurora...

Cinderella...

{Awwww}

Jasmine... {I thought this costume was so cute!}

Cute little princess! She totally loved it!

Explore: Yellow Umbrella Coffee!

2011-12-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

I've lived in Seattle five years now, and I've learned a few things. One of the first things that was glaringly obvious within my first week of living here was that Seattleites LOVE their coffee. Drive-through coffee stands and coffee shops are as common here as gas stations, or probably more! Another thing I learned is that you need to find places to go during rainy, cold days where you can take your kids and meet up with friends. To keep your sanity! You need them!

There's a brand new coffee shop in Lynnwood, and I've been there twice already and am super impressed! I don't even drink coffee, but I sure do love drinking their big raspberry cream Italian sodas! Yellow Umbrella Coffee is located right on Highway 99, next to the DMV. It's the perfect rainy day hangout!

What makes it so great there...

*They have a cute little play area, stocked with a train table, an easel, and some toys, and a long table next to it for moms to sit at. I met there with my mom's group and it worked out well, especially for the babies and younger toddlers. And the play area is free! They're not specifically a kid's cafe, so you can definitely go there without kids and just sit on the other side of the cafe. The play area is in the back, so it's out of the way and not likely to bother anyone else.

*Helpful hint*- if you're meeting a mom's group or several friends there, you can call Yellow Umbrella and reserve the long table by the play area. I love that they do this!

*The service is super friendly! The girls who work there are all so nice and will accomodate any of your needs with a smile. I really enjoyed that! They are family-run and family-oriented.

*The prices and quality of the food are pretty amazing! Their menu has a wide variety to choose from, and sandwiches range in price from $3 to $4.25. LOVE it! They also feature baked goods, like my favorite, the delicious eggnog bread. Their pastry chefs bake throughout the day, so they have fresh goods even in the late afternoon!

*The prices of the drinks are also amazing! Their tall latte is $2, and they have a huge variety of flavors available. They use locally-roasted, 100% premium Arabica coffee beans. They also feature plenty of non-coffee drinks (great for me and for kids too!) like smoothies and Italian sodas!

*It's a really cute and cheerful place inside!

This is my 4 year-old enjoying the delicious eggnog bread! She ate an entire slice by herself, and so did I!

And my favorite sandwich so far... (simple but delicious)... the ham and cheese panini-pressed bagel sandwich! Really cheap and really yummy!

I'm so happy Yellow Umbrella is in Lynnwood! It's a great place to stop by for an hour on a wet, cold day! And if you don't meet up with friends there or have someone to chat with, they have free wifi!

Explore: The Olympic Peninsula!

2011-11-28T01:53:00.000-08:00

I'm constantly amazed by all of the beauty that surrounds us in Seattle! Just a couple hours' drive away is the Olympic Peninsula, and WOW is it incredible! I already posted about our wild encounter with the animals at the Olympic Game Farm, so now it's time to post about the rest of our one-night Olympic Peninsula getaway with the family...

A few years ago we went to the Hoh Rainforest, First Beach, Cape Flattery, and Ruby Beach, so for this trip we decided to focus on the places we hadn't been to before. There's just SO much to explore on the Peninsula! We picked a beautiful August weekend for our trip, and hopped on the ferry. The kids were nuts about the ferry ride, and we headed to our first stop... Hurricane Ridge in the middle of the Olympic Mountains!

There were such stunning views at the Hurricane Ridge visitor's center! I felt like singing "The hills are alive...!"

{There's Kirsten, saying, "I don't like the sun! It's too bright!" Can't you tell she's from Seattle?}

There were even some beautiful deer! And just a little bit of snow!

Since this was a pretty quick trip and we only stayed there for one night, we kept just to the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula. We spent an idylic afternoon at Lake Crescent, and the kids got to go swimming there! It was a truly gorgeous, peaceful lake and I didn't want to leave!

We ate a picnic lunch there, and the whole afternoon was beautiful.

*Added to my Bucket List: Stay someday at the Lake Crescent Lodge, or the Lake Quinalt Lodge further south!

After we left the lake, we broke out the baby backpack and did a really short little hike to see Madison Falls. This was really more of a walk than a hike since it was easily accessed from a short, paved road not far at all from the parking lot. I would have loved to see Marymere Falls or Sol Duc Falls, but those were longer hikes and would have been tough for our 4 year-old and 2 year-old. Madison Falls was small, but it was cute and very easy to get to, and our kids were amazed by it. So I'd call it the perfect waterfall to go see with young kids.

Our last stop was Port Townsend, a pretty adorable little naval town, for dinner before taking the ferry back home. There wasn't a whole lot in the town for kids to do (mostly antique shops, book shops, etc.) but we stumbled upon the perfect family-friendly place for dinner... Pizza Factory! Everything was really affordable, and they had a huge, casual space with a play kitchen and some other things for the kids to play with while we waited for the food. They even gave the kids balloons, and the pizza was yummy! I highly recommend!

*Memorable kid moment came during dinner at Pizza Factory. Kirsten (age 4) came back to the table, upset because a boy had taken over what she was "baking" in the play kitchen.

Me: "Oh no, what should we do?"

Kirsten: (said calmly) "We could kill him."

WHAAAAAAT????!!!!

Stephen: "How would we do that?"

Kirsten: "With a knife."

WHAAAAAAATTTTTTT????!!!!

Where do kids learn this stuff???

All in all, we had a great time on our mini-vacation to the Olympic Peninsula! I love living so close to such a gorgeous place!

Fun Finds... Lexi's Unique Boutique!

2011-11-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

If you've got little girls {and we all know I've got lots of those at my house!}, you will LOVE Lexi's Unique Boutique! She's got a whole ton of stylish and beautiful hair accessories for babies and little girls!

How CUTE is this candy corn bow? My very favorite Halloween bow I've ever seen!

My friend Jeanna makes each of her bows and hair accessories by hand, inspired by her own baby girl, Lexi. Her shop is brand new and she's offering all kinds of specials and deals to new fans and followers! Her prices are amazing!

She is always adding new styles to her shop, and she loves to create custom orders as well! If you see a bow you like and want specific colors to go with photos or costumes, just let her know and she will custom-make them for you! I can't believe she started making her bows so recently... they are completely beautiful and the quality is very professional!

I love anything red and white... so I was a sucker for this sweet Strawberry bow!

Natalie LOVES kitties, and she asks to wear her Hello Kitty bow all the time. And really it's adorable with SO many outfits too!

*DEAL ALERT: You'll be entered in a drawing to win a FREE bow of your choice if you "Like" her Facebook page and leave a comment on her wall telling her Ashley or Veater Family Adventures sent you. And that's all you have to do!*

She recently added flowers and headbands to her shop. Gorgeous!

In addition to the FREE bow you can win by commenting on her Facebook wall, Lexi's Unique Boutique is also offering $10 of boutique credit good towards anything in her shop as a giveaway to my readers! Enter below using my super-easy, handy dandy Rafflecopter widget!!!

Explore... Vancouver Weekend Getaway!

2011-11-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

Around the middle of October, I got exactly what I'd been needing... a weekend away with a girlfriend in Vancouver, BC! It was LONG overdue, and a whole lot of fun was had! If you live in Seattle, Vancouver is the perfect place for a weekend or overnight getaway with your husband or friends. It feels like you're far away (it IS a whole different country, after all!) but it's a short and easy drive and really not far from home at all!

I had been to Vancouver once before and really didn't know a good place to stay, and this time I definitely found it... The Burrard! This vintage, eclectic hotel was recently renovated and given a whole new facelift. Even though it's smack in the middle of all the downtown action, it offers all kinds of amenities that you wouldn't expect for the great price. Things like:

*Free wireless internet access

*Free phone calls to anywhere in Canada or the US (nice! Avoid those cell phone roaming charges!)

*Complimentary purified bottled water

*Flat screen HDTV's with premium movie channels

*Free passes to the Steve Nash Fitness Centre (I didn't use this, but probably should have!)

*Free Electra Cruiser bike rentals (it was too cold to use these, but I saw them and they are awesome! Next time I want to go in the summer and ride them all around town!)

*In-room safe

*Really nice bedding! (This was one of my favorite features! We each had our own double bed, and they were COMFY!)

*Free parking

The courtyard in the middle was pretty awesome-looking, with some sweet lounge chairs and tons of tropical plants. It made me wish it wasn't winter. But it definitely DOES need a hot tub! Do people actually lounge when there's not a pool or hot tub around? I don't know...

All the amenities and the great prices are enough of a draw to get me to stay there next time, and on top of that is the awesome location! The Burrard is an easy, short walk to tons of great shopping, movie theaters, restaurants, and dance clubs! It's so close to everything! A couple of times we took a taxi because we weren't sure how far away things were and then ended up walking back afterwards because it was so close!

The Burrard is offering a 10% off each room night code to all of my readers, good anytime! Just book through this link, or use the promo code PRS through their website!

If you're driving from Seattle to Vancouver and staying for a night or two, here are a couple of my DON'T MISS IT recommendations:

*The perfect stop for lunch along the way...

The Calico Cupboard Cafe & Bakery in Mount Vernon, WA

Oooh, just writing about this place is making my mouth water! They have the most delicious sandwiches and baked goods at this little restaurant! They are open every day for breakfast and lunch but they close at 4, so hopefully you'll be driving past there when they're open. It's right off the freeway, a quick and easy stop, and trust me when I say you'll be wanting to go back!

*The perfect night for any 80's music fan...

If you're there on a Saturday night, you HAVE to go to the weekly The Affair Saturdays: 80's Dance Party at the Library Square Public House. I had no idea how much fun I would have here! It was such a blast! Before 10 pm it's a restaurant and there is no cover charge, so we got there around 8 for dinner. Their food was really good, and then at 10 the tables went away, the disco lights turned on, and the DJ cranked out the greatest music! There was a really fun crowd there with all different ages, and oh my gosh, I literally danced till I dropped! I can't wait to go again!

(The Library Square Public House also has a 90's dance party every Friday night. I'd love to try that one out sometime too!)

I now fully understand why Canadians love their city of Vancouver. :)

Fun Finds... Entertainment, Family-Style!

2011-11-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

Our family got to do a whole lot of FUN stuff for free this past week! Sometimes the perks of being a blogger are GREAT! And now I can recommend some awesome family entertainment for this upcoming week... If you've got some days off work and a little extra time for relaxing with your family, take the kids to go see one of these:

*Happy Feet 2!

Super cute movie, just like the first one. The baby penguins are too adorable for words. The plot line was unpredictable and the music was great! My absolute favorite was their version of "Under Pressure" towards the end. I'll be downloading it! I took my 4 year-old and a couple of friends with me to see it, and all of us enjoyed it! I'd say it's worth the few extra dollars to see it in 3D too. :)

*The Muppets!
I'm smiling right now just thinking about it. The whole movie is just bright, happy, colorful, and a whole lot of fun. This one really does appeal to ALL ages. I think I'll be downloading some of the songs from this one too!

And... Yo Gabba Gabba Live on the stage!
Okay, I don't know if this one will be playing live in your area soon, but if it does and your kids love the show, you will ALL enjoy this! Our entire family went, and the older two kids (4 and 2) are still talking about it. In fact, Natalie who is 2 and a half asks for "Yo-Dab-Dabba again" almost every day, and we have to explain to her they're not on the stage today. Even Brooke, who just turned 1, was absolutely mesmerized. This is a baby who never will sit on anyone's lap for more than 2 minutes, but she sat on my lap for almost the entire show staring at the lights and the characters. I was amazed!

Our whole family at Yo Gabba Gabba Live! And yes... my husband even enjoyed himself!

I hope you all enjoy this Thanksgiving week with your families and friends!

Adorable Etsy Shop Alert... Bossy's Feltworks Review & Giveaway!

2011-11-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! In less than a week we will be getting our Christmas tree and decorating for Christmas! Where did November go? I still have my Halloween decorations up! (Embarrasing, but true!) Yikes...

So here's my first holiday-themed giveaway of the year, to get us all in the Christmas spirit! Check out my newest obsession... these absolutely gorgeous felted Christmas ornaments from BossysFeltworks! I want this Santa sooooo bad!

Everything from BossysFeltworks is handmade in Orcas Island, Washington (right in my neck of the woods!) The attention to detail and the quality of these little ornaments is amazing! There's also some holiday decor in addition to ornaments. And all of them beautiful! This is seriously the cutest Nativity I have ever seen! BossysFeltworks collaborated with Alkelda Dolls to create this beautiful set.

I received such an adorable little Circus Lamb Ornament to hang on my tree. Can't wait to put it up later this week! It's whimsical and unique, unlike anything else I already have. And my young children will be able to hang it, since it's soft and unbreakable!

BossysFeltworks is offering up a duo of Circus Lamb Felted Ornaments to one of my blog readers! Use my handy Rafflecopter widget below to quickly and easily enter this giveaway! This adorableness could be hanging on your tree this year!

Enter here!!!

Winner!

2011-11-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

There's going to be a lot of disappointed people, since I have the winner of the area rug from Mohawk home... and here is the winner:

174 Teresa Young Tweet About the Giveaway

Name: Teresa Young
Email: tmyoung@rochester.rr.com Send Email
Option: Tweet About the Giveaway
Extra Info: http://twitter.com/#!/tmy56/status/126021656115281920

Congratulations to Teresa! And sorry to the rest of you... Rafflecopter picked the winner, not me! ;)

Explore: Remlinger Farms!

2011-11-14T01:14:00.000-08:00

Ever since we moved here, I have been wanting to go check out Remlinger Farms. And WOW, I'm glad we finally did! It's pretty much a paradise for kids! We picked a nice fall day in September, and went there armed with our half-off tickets from one of the daily deal sites (made it $6 each! Seriously! For an entire day of fun and unlimited rides! A steal!!!)

Whoever had the idea to turn this huge farm into a little kids' amusement park is a genius! It pretty much has everything you could want for a fun family day with young children... a bunch of cute rides, a real steam train, pony rides, animals to pet, fun photo opps, a puppet/music show, and a kid-friendly restaurant and bakery!

They had the place decked out in full harvest theme, with scarecrows everywhere that the kids thought were the greatest!

{Be aware that if your child is over 1, you'll have to pay for them. Luckily Brooke hadn't turned 1 yet!}

First stop... had to be the pony rides, of course!

Then on to the old-fashioned steam train! This was such a fun, relaxing ride, and even Brooke was able to enjoy it!

Our friends met up with us there, and ALL the kids (ranging in age from 11 months to 8 years old) had a total ball!

They have a really awesome hay maze and then just a big covered area filled with hay that the kids can jump and play in as much as they want!

And rides, rides, rides galore! All of them were appropriate for all ages, so even our 2 year-old could ride everything! After going to Evergreen Fair a month before and paying a small fortune just for enough ride tickets to pay for four rides, it was NICE to have all the rides included in the admission price here. If your kids love rides as much as mine too, this is the place for them!

The hanging carousel ride was a big hit with my girls!

Natalie got a huge kick out of feeding the goat!

And we had to hit up the pony rides one last time before we left!

Remlinger Farms is SUCH a fun and adorable place, and I'd love to bring my kids back here every single year! I wondered if it wouldn't live up to the hype, but it absolutely did! Take your kids and GO!!! :)

Explore: Olympic Game Farm in Sequim!!!

2011-10-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

Haven't you always wanted to come THIS close to wild animals? Face to face, and stare straight into the eyes of a buffalo?

If this sounds like your kind of fun family trip, then you better hightail it over to the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim, WA! It's on the Olympic Peninsula, kind of in the middle of nowhere, and wow, such a hidden gem of a place! I have been to a lot of different Zoos in my life and honestly never did anything as cool as this. It's a complete RIOT and your kids will have a blast!

So you drive your vehicle into the Game Farm, and tell your kids all the animals are going to come right up to the windows and they can help feed them! You can buy loaves of bread right where you buy your entrance tickets for $2 a loaf, or you can come prepared with lots of even cheaper bread from the grocery store. Bring more than you think you will need! Trust me, these animals LOVE bread! {If you do bring your own, make sure it's wheat bread. White bread isn't allowed}.

You can't get out of your vehicle while you're in the park (for obvious reasons!), but we quickly realized that the real fun comes when you let your kids sit on your laps in the front seat and help you feed the animals. Their reactions are priceless! And you're moving sooooo slow through the park, so the kids are safe. Natalie was squealing and laughing and had the best time ever feeding the animals bread!

You get to feed all kinds of animals! Mostly llamas, deer, elk, caribou, yak, and buffalo. We even got to feed zebras!

And you can feed their BEARS too! The bears don't come up to your windows, but they actually do tricks for you to get the bread! I read online that the bears do tricks, but wasn't sure if I believed it. They really do! It was so cool! Just hold up the bread and wait for a minute, and they'll do tricks for you!

So if you're squeamish, you'll want to sit in the backseat with the windows rolled up. These animals are NOT shy and will shove their noses in your windows as far as you'll let them! We kept our windows about halfway up so they couldn't get their entire heads inside the car! Yes, their noses are slippery and you will get slobber all over your car. Prepare to drive through a car wash afterwards. :)

Now get ready for the most disgusting part of the day... the buffalo's long, black tongue, which he will stretch into your car to grab the bread. Gross! Kirsten was scared of the buffalo and retreated to the back of the van and even Stephen was disturbed, but I thought it was hilarious!

The buffalo baby was a bit cuter though...

After you pay the entrance fee ($12 per person, and kids 5 and under are free) you can stay in the park as long as you want and drive through as many times as you want. We kept going until we ran out of bread!

It was amazing to pet and feed such beautiful animals! Seriously, where else do you get to do something like this??? And it's only a few hours' drive away from Seattle!

The Olympic Game Farm also has a big cats section you can drive through with tigers, lions, cougars, etc. The cages are a little sad, since the animals really don't have a lot of space to roam around. And then they have another area you can walk around in with a big aquarium, some goats and sheep you can pet, and some cute caged raccoons. My kids loved being able to stretch their legs after driving around so long, and they were mesmerized by the fish!

It was an unforgettable and completely unique experience! You need to take your family and GO! Any animal lover would have a great time there, but it's especially fun with kids!

Fabulous Finds...Mohawk Home Rug Review & Giveaway!!!

2011-10-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

I am completely addicted to my new area rug. COMPLETELY. It's gorgeous, soft, and makes me embarrassed that I lived with the nasty carpet that is my living room for for such a long time. I always toyed with the idea of covering up the cheap-o carpet with a nice rug, but wasn't sure if it was necessary. So I was thrilled to be able to review a rug from Mohawk Home, and I picked out a cuddly, creamy white Shag rug. Wow, what a difference it makes in my home! I actually find myself wanting to get down on the floor and play with my kids now. I put this rug in our main living area where we spend most of our time, and now it's hard to imagine how the room looked and felt before I got this rug.

{Hard for a picture to do a large rug justice, but this is the rug I picked!}

Mohawk Home offers a HUGE variety of rugs in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles! And one of my lucky readers will WIN their own area rug! Their rugs are stain resistant, durable, and easy to clean. {I have yet to test out the validity of this statement, since I have now implemented a strict "no food or juice on the rug!" policy that has been working pretty well so far!}

Mohawk Home is the largest manufacturer of area rugs in the US, and their commitment to the style and quality of their rugs really shows bright and clear! You can browse all of their different products at a whole bunch of major retailers here. Their rugs are sold at Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, Lowes, Target, Sears, Walmart, and more!

Here's the really exciting part... The winner of this giveaway will get to choose ANY rug you want, as long as it's 5x8" or smaller (a nice, big size) and with a value up to $150!!!

It's sooooooo easy to enter using this Rafflecopter widget, and you'll want to take a couple extra minutes for the extra entries for this one! Good luck!!!

More winners!

2011-10-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

Giveaway winners! Ready? Here we go...

The two winners of the $25 gift certificates to HDMedia are. . .#14 & #3!
Kim and Corey Nasfell said... Your button is on my blog
Dan and Michelle said... I liked HDmedia on facebook.

Winner of the Laurie Berkner Band DVD is. . . #1!
Mommydoll13 said.. follow you gfc

Winner of the $25 gift certificate to reuseit.com is. . . #9!
Jessica Holman said... I follow you via GFC!

Thank you to everyone who entered! All winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond. :)

Crawling, Scooting, Climbing, and 11 Months Old!

2011-10-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

It blows me away that Brooke is almost 1 year old! Didn't I just have her???

It's so awesome and fun to see her grow and learn, and she already wants to follow her sisters around and do what they do! At the same time, I'm really sad that she isn't a little baby anymore. Still a baby, but almost a toddler really! And Brooke was the sweetest little baby. And now that stage is gone... Brooke will never again be a little baby. {Sniff!}

But no more sad stuff... Introducing Brooke at 11 months old!!!

*She's always been my smallest baby. Brooke is in the 80'th percentile for height (both of the other girls were always in the 90's) and she's only in the 20'th percentile for weight. She's 18 pounds! Still easy to carry around. Except... she never wants to be held anymore! Just wants to be down on the floor exploring the entire world!

*She's always on the move! Crawling! Scooting around! Exploring! So much that she doesn't really want to go to bed and has a hard time falling asleep. She usually only takes one nap each day, and it's less than two hours. Doesn't seem like enough to me! But she goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps through the whole night!

*Brooke has a really unique and funny crawl. She started scooting around at 9 months, and she has kept up the same scoot-slide style. She looks like a baby seal pulling herself around, especially when she's headed toward the water at a lake or beach the way she loves to do. She's gotten fast at it too! She can crawl the regular way and sometimes switches off between the two, but she seems to prefer pulling herself around rather than crawling. It really looks funny!

*She goes NUTS for water. As long as she sees water, no matter where it is, she goes for it! She loves baths, swimming pools, absolutely anything, and she'll splash and squeal and just have a total ball!When it comes to water and just trying to dive right in, that girl has NO fear! It's a little frightening!

{Brooke the baby seal!}

*Diapers- Size 3

*Clothes- She's kind of in between sizes. She still wears 6-12 month clothes but also fits into 12-18 months. She's just now starting to wear the Carters 12 month outfits. Pants tend to be too big and will slide right off her while she's crawling around.

*Shoes- I really don't put shoes on my babies until they're walking. So I don't know her shoe size.

*She's still a very social, happy girl! She loves to make eye contact with people, and she laughs so easily. She's still easygoing as well, and doesn't have stranger anxiety. She likes exploring the baby childcare area at the gym, and isn't afraid of babysitters. Score! :)

*Her new favorite trick is... climbing ALL the stairs, bottom to top, over and over again! She automatically heads for the stairs every chance she gets. And she climbs them fast! She gets really excited while she's climbing and makes funny babbling noises. She also pulls herself up to stand while holding onto things, and then cries because she thinks she's stuck and hasn't figured out how to get back down.

*She loves car rides and still loves being in her infant seat! Pretty sad that she only has about a month left in it, because she calms down quick if she's upset and then gets put in her infant seat. She's always quiet and good in the car. SUCH a blessing!

*Brooke loves bathtime, of course! Now that she sits up on her own so well, all 3 girls get to take baths together. It's a party in that tub, that's for sure!

*She's started becoming fascinated with all the food we eat. She wants to grab everything and try it herself! So far she only eats soft things like crackers, bread, bananas, stuff like that. And still lots of baby food!

*Brooke finally had 2 teeth break through (her bottom teeth) just a couple of weeks ago. So she was almost 11 months old before she got any teeht at all! She's working on the top teeth too now. She's a much calmer teether than Natalie was!

{Me & my baby!}

She hates. . .

*Being left all alone in a room. She doesn't want to miss any of the action!

*Getting her hair combed, especially after a bath {sigh... it never fails. All my girls hate having their hair combed. I'm getting tired of it!}

*Too many kids getting in her face. A baby boy kept giving her kisses at a playdate a couple of weeks ago, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She cried every time he came close to her. It was pretty funny!

*Not being able to climb something she's just dying to climb.

*She sleeps with a binky most of the time, but never uses it during the day at all. Each of my babies is becoming less binky-obsessed than the one before!

*She's very independent, confident, and not much of a cuddler. She doesn't want to be held very much, and is always on-the-go. Kirsten thinks she can carry her around because she's "so strong!" (her words, not mine!), so she'll pick Brooke up under the arms and carry her short distances. You can imagine how thrilled Brooke is by this!

*She gets annoyed with having things on her head. She pulls hats right off, and tries to pull off hairbows, ponytail holders, and bibs. I have to use the bibs that snap, or they're gone quick!

*She's a photogenic baby, that's for sure! It's easy to get her to smile and laugh and pose for photos! {Wouldn't it be great if that lasted??? By the time Natalie was 18 months old, she was done smiling for photos!}

*She has a total blast on the swings at the park! Doesn't want to get out! She'll crawl around an entire playground, just exploring it all, and she always sees the swings and heads straight for them. Unless there's water at the park, and then it's a whole different story! We had such a nice summer of the older two girls playing at the playgrounds while Brooke sat on a blanket with me and I chatted with friends. It's a good thing summer's over, because I sure do have to keep a close eye on this little one now!

*Fun fact: When Natalie was the same age as Brooke is now, I was already pregnant with Brooke! That seems so crazy, I can't even imagine being pregnant again now! I was a little freaked out when I found out the two of them would be so close in age, but Brooke has been such a blessing in our family. From day one, we love her and need her so much! Can't imagine life without her!

Fabulous Finds: Christmas Cards!

2011-09-27T00:22:00.000-07:00

It's time to start thinking about Christmas cards again! And that means (yikes!) family photos!

With the arrival of Brooke smack in the middle of the holiday season last year, we didn't do family photos. Our Christmas card was completely adorable, but only had photos of the kids. So I'm feeling the pressure to get a beautiful family portrait done this year. I'm discovering that the bigger your family gets, the more there is to worry about when it comes to family photos. How will we get all the kids to even look at the camera, let alone smile at it? How will we schedule around the unpredictable weather at this time of year? And what on earth are we all going to wear?

I'm sure I will be stressed out no matter how prepared I am, but here are a few of my tips to minimize your worry just a little bit when you take those family photos...

*Start thinking about it and scheduling it NOW if you haven't already! As the weeks creep closer and closer to Christmas, your stress level will climb higher and pictures are just one more thing you don't want to worry about.

*Really...REALLY...go with outdoor photos in a natural setting. In almost every case, these will turn out so much better than photos in an indoor studio. Let your kids run around and play and get comfortable in the setting before you try to pose them. Everyone will be much happier!

*Don't try to be too matchy-matchy with your outfits. Layers always tend to photograph well! If you're in doubt about what to dress everyone in, start with an outfit that you feel confident in and want to be photographed in. Then build the rest of the family's outfits around yours. The kids can look cute in anything, and the husband will wear whatever. Make sure you feel good in what you're wearing!

*As soon as you get your photos back, order your cards! It's nice to have plenty of time to get them addressed, stamped, and sent off.

I hope those tips can help some of you! Last year I absolutely LOVED our Christmas cards from Tiny Prints, and I'm pretty thrilled about their collection again this year. I love the thick, matte quality of their paper and the way their designs really stand out from all the generic Christmas cards. Check out some of this year's beauties. . .

{One of these years, I really must do a snowy family picture!}

{Note to self: As much as I might love them, do NOT order square cards again this year. They are perfect if you'll be handing out most of your cards by hand. But if you'll be mailing lots of them, the extra postage for square envelopes can really add up!}

{Which one will I choose???}

{Seriously bright and fun!}

{Great colors! I love the untraditional Christmas cards!}

So what are you waiting for? Go get crackin'!

Kirsten's Summer Vacation!

2011-09-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

This year, Kirsten was the lucky duck... she was the only one in the family who got to take a summer vacation to San Diego. After Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for her birthday party and dance recital, she got to fly down to San Diego with them. Yeah... I might have been just a tiny bit jealous.

But she had so much fun! She loved all the attention she got, and since she doesn't like talking on the phone we really didn't get to talk to her much. But I loved knowing what a wonderful time she was having. She got pretty attached to this Snow White dress. So attached that she had Grandma send it up to us a few weeks after she came back! She's always looking for who will be her "Prince Charming", and she usually tries to make Natalie do it. That's why we need a little boy next... so the girls can dress him up as Prince Charming. ;)

My Aunt Lani and Uncle Jon with my four little cousins also visited, and the whole crew got to camp at the beach. (Okay, fine... LOTS jealous). I wish I had been there to see Kirsten and Caleb try kayaking for the first time ever! They look so cute in there!

I'm glad her first boat experience with my Dad wasn't as traumatic as my own was. The first time he tried to take me out on the ocean, he had an old canoe and it tipped over! When I came up, I was underneath the boat and I remember being scared and sobbing on the beach afterward. I was afraid of boats for a few years after that. Funny, since I love them so much now!

All that fun in the sun with family! Love it! See... I can still raise my Seattle kids to have a little bit of California girl in them too, can't I? :)

Now I can't wait for our WHOLE family to head down there for Christmas!

Fun Finds: Gear & Goodies Sale at Diapers.com

2011-09-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite online sales is going on right now. . . the Gear & Goodies Sale at diapers.com!!!

If you haven't shopped at diapers.com before, now is the best time to try it out! Here's why I like it:

*It's a one-stop shop for your baby's needs! They have such a huge variety of products. Over 25,000!

*Everything has free shipping, and gets to you within 2 days!

*They have a full-service baby registry for new and expecting parents.

Check out all the awesome brands they have on sale right now!!!

And hurry, because the last day of the sale is tomorrow the 21'st!

Here's a few of the highlights. . .

*20% off all BabyBjorn gear

*20% off Zutano Cozie Collection (love Zutano!)

*20% off select Graco carseats

*10% off DaVinci cribs

*25% off NeatSolutions

*Get a $10 diapers.com gift credit when you spend $50 or more on Huggies products

*My disclaimer: This post is sponsored by diapers.com. But the opinions are mine!

Explore: Whale Watching Through the San Juan Islands!

2011-09-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

This summer, our family didn't go on any big vacations. No San Diego, like we usually do. It was kind of weird... but also kind of nice. I decided I'd focus on exploring the beautiful, amazing Pacific Northwest that we are lucky enough to call home. And we've had some great adventures!

I finally got to cross something off my list that I've been wanting to do for a long time. . . see killer whales in the wild! I bought us some Groupon deals for half-off a whale watching trip through the San Juan Islands!

We set sail from Anacortes. Kirsten was still visiting her grandparents, but we had Natalie and Brooke with us! I'd better post the proof that there were actual people on this trip, since most of my pictures focus on all the beauty and wildlife surrounding us instead.

{Natalie saw the whales!}

And I now present. . . why the Seattle area is seriously underrated. The scenery was spectacular!!!

I seriously LOVED standing out on the deck, surrounded on all sides by ocean and sky and mountains and bright, glittering sunshine, hearing only the waves, smelling only the salty breeze, and looking for whales. I'll never forget it!

And did we ever find some whales! We didn't see any breaching, but we saw lots of fins and some families swimming together!

{In another life, I'd be a wildlife photographer. So much fun!}

And we saw seals!

And bald eagles!!!

And more gorgeous scenery! It was an unforgettable day in the Pacific Northwest!

Winner for the Blog Hop!

2011-09-18T01:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered the Mompact Blog Hop! It was lots of fun! And here is my winner:

#30- Adelina Priddis

Congrats! You have received an email!

Thank you so much for the support of everyone who entered!!!

First Dance Recital!

2011-09-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

This year I discovered one of the greatest joys of having little girls... watching them dance and twirl around in fluffy pink costumes and tiaras! Kirsten loved going to her dance class at Dance Elite each week, and we were ALL excited for her first ever dance recital! Grandma and Grandpa even flew in to see it!

Go ahead, tell me you've seen a cuter and more girly costume than this one. ;) Kirsten adored it! The second we put it on her, she became a performer!

Her class did awesome at the big dress rehearsal!

One of the cutest things was the huge group number at the end of the recital. They do it every year, and it's easy enough that even the little kids could pick up on it without practicing it beforehand. Kirsten loved jumping and dancing to "Lollipop" with the whole group!

I can't believe how well she did at the performance! She definitely is growing up so fast! She was absolutely thrilled to be onstage and perform with her class! We gave her flowers after she was done, and she and her friend Saide were so happy. :)

It was an awesome day that I will never forget! We love our cute little dancer!

Fun Finds: Packing School Lunches! Plus a giveaway!!!

2011-09-15T01:47:00.000-07:00

Kirsten is in Pre-K three times a week, and I've now ventured into the world (that I will be in for QUITE a few years ahead of me!) of packing school lunches. Her school strongly encourages parents to pack a "litter-free lunch" with no individually packaged snacks and ideally nothing that has to be thrown away. This was a great new challenge for me, since I've become a bit too reliant lately on the handy Ziploc baggies. But I love the idea! So great to save money by not buying pre-packaged stuff and Ziplocs, plus we get to teach our kids how to reuse and reduce waste. :) In my quest to find litter-free lunch packing supplies, I have come across some GREAT stuff!

One amazing place to find supplies is from Mighty Nest! Their website has all KINDS of safe and non-toxic products, with a really awesome reusable lunch gear section. All products they sell are guaranteed to be BPA free, phthalate free, PVC free, melamine free, and lead free! And they offer free shipping on all orders over $50!

Some stuff I'm loving that I found there includes...

The Lunchbots Stainless Steel food container!

This is my first ever stainless steel lunch supply, and I'm super impressed! It's healthier and better for the environment than plastic, and it's dishwasher safe! It's also cute and the perfect size. I love the divider so it can contain two different kinds of snacks! I want to get these in all the different sizes now.

I am also loving the Bigger Bites Silicone Storage Jars!

The bright, fun colors are adorable, and they come in a set of 2! These are so unique and inventive! They are microwave-safe (tough to find with food storage containers that aren't glass!), freezer-safe, and dishwasher-safe, and the silicone material is bacteria-resistant.

It's so easy to find fun and reusable lunch supplies at Mighty Nest!

Another handy little supply I've found that is seriously genius is the Tiny Bites Food Shears! These food shears cut absolutely everything! They make it insanely easy to cut food into bite-size pieces for little ones, or into fun shapes, letters, and numbers! These won the National Parents Center Seal of Approval and the Mom's Choice Awards in 2010.

Created by parents, these Food Shears have stainless steel blades and come in a pack of 2, so you can take one wherever you go in your diaper bag and stop asking for knives to cut your child's food at restaurants! They come with childproof protective blade covers, and are dishwasher-safe, BPA-free, and lead-free.

And such a super deal, at $9.99 for a set of 2 including free shipping!

They will cut through pretty much any food you'll want to feed your child, and they have a great page with feeding tips and ideas for what you can use your food shears for! See how handy these shears are?

And another place to find great reusable supplies for lunches or all aspects of your life is reuseit.com. They also offer free shipping on orders over $50, and they have a rigorous selection products for which items they will sell. If products earn their seal of approval, they will sell them! So you can rest easy knowing that everything you buy from their website has been thoroughly tested for high quality.

I absolutely adore what I selected to test out from their shop. . .

the Slice of Summer Dabbawalla Lunch Bag! Seriously, how cute is that???

Why it's so great:

*It's made of neoprene! This material is incredibly insulating and keeps cold foods cool for hours. It's also lightweight, so it protects food without adding bulk. Plus it's soft and really easy for kids to carry!

*It's freaking adorable! I love the watermelon design!

*It's really big! It's the perfect size to fit all those cute little reusable lunch containers that I featured up above, plus a drink! And it zips up easily too.

*It folds flat for easy storage!

*It's actually machine-washable!

This is just my favorite lunch bag I've ever seen! You can get one for your kids (or anything else from the reuseit.com website) if you enter this giveaway. . . One winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to reuseit.com!

I'm using Rafflecopter again (loving this! It's SO easy to enter stuff! If you have feedback about it, please leave me a comment!) So comments made on this post will not count as entries. To enter, please use the widget!

Mompact: Review & Giveaway of the Seatpak by babybindle!!!

2011-09-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to be participating in the Mompact Blog Hop!!!

Over 120 bloggers are participating, and all are giving away awesome products and prizes, all from businesses that are owned and created by mom! This is such a great way to support mom-owned businesses! And the products are seriously amazing!
You have until September 17'th to visit each blog and enter to win them all!

The product that I chose to review and giveaway is the SeatPak by babybindle!

All of us as moms know what it's like to feel weighted down by a huge, massively heavy diaper bag that puts dents in your shoulders and is overflowing with all kinds of stuff. But sometimes you're just running someplace with your baby for a short amount of time, and you need something small! Something compact! The SeatPak fits all of these needs, and the coolest part... it attaches right on to your infant carseat or stroller!!! Totally genius! No wonder it was a Huggies Award-winning product!

Why I love the SeatPak:

*It's got just the right amount of space for quick trips out with your baby! It fits some diapers and wipes, binkies, a bottle, my wallet, and some small toys. And I love the outside pocket, it's the perfect place to put your cell phone and keys!
*I'm no longer bogged down by my huge, heavy bag AND the carseat! I can just put a few things into the SeatPak, grab the carseat, and go!
*It's a breeze to use, and attaches so easily onto the handle of your carseat.
*It looks sleek and cute. Comes in chocolate brown or black!

The SeatPak would make such an awesome baby shower gift for a new mom! It's so clever and original!
And one of my readers will WIN one!!!

I'm also excited to introduce a brand new way to enter giveaways on my blog. . . Rafflecopter! I've heard tons of great things about Rafflecopter and how much easier it makes it for my readers to enter my giveaways! So here goes!!!
And when you're done here, hop on over to Yankee Texan Mom to check out her review and giveaway of BeeStractors!

Please use the widget below for your entries (comments on this post will not count as entries). Thank you so much for stopping by and entering and good luck!!!

Winners!

2011-09-11T00:44:00.000-07:00

Here are my newest giveaway winners, chosen by random.org:

Winner of the HALO ComfortLuxe Sleepwear is. . . #42!
Shannon said...I would get the pink pony silky 2 piece in 18m for my daughter

Winner of the Rio Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack is. . . #10!
leanne_mac said... I follow you on GFC

Winner of the Rubbermaid Glass 8-piece set is. . . #50!
Anne-Marie T said... I have your button.

Winner of the Applegator Designs $30 gift certificate is. . . #10!
Mommyof2girlz said...OMG so adorable! I am already a follower :)

Winner of the Capezio and Wisharoo Park package is. . . #3!
Kimbuckjr said... I shared this giveaway on my Facebook page

Thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to the winners!!!

Fun Finds. . . Laurie Berkner Band DVD Review & Giveaway!

2011-09-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

It's a party in your living room any day with the Laurie Berkner Band's new DVD, 'Party Day!'

My little girls LOVE dancing around to this DVD! Especially 2 year-old Natalie brings me the case often and asks me to turn it on. What little kid doesn't love balloons and birthday cake? And this is full of those things and lots of seriously fun songs!

I love finding videos for my kids that are actually interactive, and this one really is! My girls are always moving, jumping, and dancing throughout the entire show. The characters are really engaging, and they travel to a costume party, a birthday party, and then a pajama party throughout the show.

If your kids are Nick Jr. fans, they will already be familiar with this band, since many of their songs are featured on Nick Jr. Their music is a ton of fun, and very catchy!

One reader will win a Laurie Berkner Band 'Party Day' DVD!!!
Here's how to enter to win:

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 9!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Check out the Laurie Berkner Band website and tell me what you like about them or their music!
3. "Like" The Laurie Berkner Band on Facebook here.
4. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
5. Join their mailing list !
6. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
7. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
8. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
9. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on September 25'th. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: I received a DVD in exchange for writing an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own!

Fabulous Finds: HD Media Services Video Transfers Review & Giveaway!

2011-09-11T00:06:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you have a whole pile of VHS tapes or miniDV tapes sitting in your closet. They're unwatchable but full of great memories! I've had the idea for a really long time of converting them to DVD's, but I just kept forgetting about it and never actually doing it. So I was thrilled to review the video transfer services offered by HD Media Services.

I love the DVD's I received from them! It's so great to actually be able to watch all my videos from college and my travels that I took with my video camera onto miniDV's. HD Media Services worked fast and sent each DVD along with all my miniDV tapes. It was like Christmas when I opened it and started watching the DVD's! The quality of the DVD's is great, and they include a plastic case for each one. They use image stabilization and color correction in their transfering, and they'll also clean and repair your tapes! And it's a great deal too, at $12.95 to transfer most formats of tapes to a DVD. Extra copies are only $4.95!

HD Media Services offers many other services as well, including transferring tapes to hard drive or AVI files for your own editing, or editing discs for you with music and even putting them onto a Blu-Ray disc! They have a 365 day money-back guarantee, and very easy-to-follow instructions about how to box up your tapes and get your order in. It was much easier to get those tapes of mine converted than I thought it would be!

HD Media Services is giving two of my readers the chance to try out their services, by giving away 2 $25 gift certificates for video transfer and conversion services!

Here's how to enter to win:

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 9!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd love to try out HD Media Services!
3. "Like" HD Media Services on Facebook here .
4. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
5. Follow HD Media Services on Twitter.
6. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
7. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
8. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
9. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on September 25'th. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: I was able to try out these services for free in exchange for writing an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own!

Pinterested?

2011-09-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

I've got to share one of my new favorite things. . . Pinterest!
I've been signed up for awhile, but finally figured out how to use it within the last two weeks. It's super easy, fun, and maybe just a small bit addicting. ;)

It's such a great way to save and share images that inspire you, recipes and crafts you want to make, places you want to visit, pretty much anything! You can create boards for all your stuff, and just pin anything you want to on there!

So I'm curious about how many of my readers are also obsessed with Pinterest, or use it at all! Come follow my boards and I'll follow yours too!

Here's a sampling of some inspiration from my boards. . .

{from Crave-Worthy Treats}

{from My Dream Wardrobe}

{from Travel Dream Board}

{oh, I love the travel dream board! I could pin stuff onto there all day!}

{from Favorite Places I've Been}

{from I'm Dreaming of a New House}

{from Makin' Me Happy!}

{from Photo Inspiration}

{from Crave-Worthy Food}

{from My Little Girls Must Have...}

{from Fun Food for Kids}

{from Halloween Ideas}

{from Christmas Ideas}

{from Crafty Inspiration}

And there's SO much more! You'll be able to click on the links for all those things from Pinterest too, and not just see the images. Let me know if you're on Pinterest too so I can follow you! And come follow me! :)

Fabulous Finds: Music to make your summer last a little longer!

2011-08-31T23:45:00.001-07:00

I love discovering new music to replay over and over. Right now I need some tunes that will extend our summer that's slipping away all too quickly. And Mat Kearney's brand new album will do it!

'Young Love' is such a great, chill-me-out, drive on the coast, take on summer vacation type of album. I love it! I turn it on in the car and listen to the entire thing. It creates a surf and beach type of vibe, and the songs are both catchy and laid-back at the same time.

This album debuted at the #1 spot on iTunes, and I totally get why! I recommend downloading or buying the entire thing because you'll love every song, but if you're going to just download a few here are my faves:

*track 1* Hey Mama
*track 2* Ships In the Night
*track 7* Down
*track 8* She Got the Honey

ALL awesome songs! Summer fun, bottled up into music!
What are some of your favorite new tunes?

My disclaimer: Thanks to the One2One Network for providing me with this album in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are completely mine!

Pony Party!!!

2011-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Back in June, we partied it up in Woodinville. . . pony style!!!

Natalie and Kirsten have April and May birthdays, so I did a combined party for the newly 2 and 4-year olds at this amazing horse farm called Pony Paradise Rides! It was soooooo adorable, they even dressed the ponies up in princess garb for the occasion!

Kirsten was a little apprehensive, but she was ready to ride!

Isn't that just the cutest little pony you've ever seen???

I was just SURE that Natalie was going to be thrilled to ride the ponies. After all, I have proof that she rode a full-size horse just a couple of weeks before the party! We were at Country Village, and Natalie was the happiest 2 year-old you'd ever see on a horse!

Happy. . .

Happy. . .

{Day of party}. . . Crying and refusing to even sit for one little minute on a pony! Wouldn't ride them at all!!!

Weird. Oh well.

This was the only horse she wanted to ride that day. . .

I thought we could count on nice weather in June {silly me!} but we had a gloomy, rainy day. Luckily the horse farm had a whole tented area so everyone could stay dry!

All the kids LOVED the two bouncy houses, especially the one with the slide. It was probably a bigger hit than the ponies were!

Fun with friends!!!

At the bottom of the bouncy slide there was a big ball pit. It worked great, because all the babies and toddlers could play in the ball pit and stay contained in there!

We feasted on hot dogs, chips and dips, fruit, berry lemonade, and s'mores!

A big thank you to my mom and dad for flying up for the party and then hanging out at the fire pit helping to grill up all the food!

And what does every pony party desperately need?

Of course! An incredible, detailed, totally adorable cake that I didn't have to make!!! I only had to order it! :)

Everyone sang happy birthday to the girls!
{Apparently Kirsten thought it was too loud}

And we blew out the candles and dug in!

"Hi! Aren't I cute? Come and pet me!"
{I think he probably is the cutest llama I've ever seen}

Because princess ponies and bouncy houses aren't enough, the place also had a cute little petting farm with a spotted llama and some pygmy goats! The kids had so much fun feeding them and petting them!

Awwwwww!

SO many friends came and everyone had such a blast! This will definitely be a party to remember forever!!!

Happy birthday, Kirsten and Natalie!

It's still grilling season!

2011-08-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd highlight the still-wonderful days of summer while they're lasting and share some grilling recipes that we really enjoy!

I'm just curious, do any of you girls reading this know how to man a grill? I guess there's a reason why it's called "man" the grill. I have never grilled a single thing before in my life! I can prep all the stuff, but it's my hubby who gets the grill ready, grills the food, cleans up afterward. Sound familiar to anyone else? We have a small gas grill that fits pretty well in our tiny little patio area we call a backyard, but we would love one of the nice electric grills when we get a house with a bigger yard, for sure!

For a fresh and yummy dinner on the grill, you should try out the recipe for Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers!
{I'm not a big fan of mangos, so I prefer my skewers with pineapple instead. You could cook up some of both for a colorful, delicious dish!}

These would be so great to take on a camping trip! Just do all the prep work before you go, wrap the skewers in plastic bags in the cooler, and then stick them on your portable grill!

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites, one of my very favorite food blogs. Everything I have made from these girls so far, I have loved!
They have a few other very useful grilling tutorials on their site, plus tons of other recipes for the grill! Here are a few of my favorite resources:

*How to grill pizza on the BBQ here
*How to grill corn on the BBQ here
*How to grill the perfect steak here (still need to try that one out!)

So get out there and enjoy a few more grilled meals before fall weather starts rolling in! And visit CSGrills.com if you're looking for some great deals on new grills!

Back to School... Time to Get Organized!

2011-08-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else blown away by how fast the summer flew by? I can't believe it's almost time for school to start again, and some kids have already started! Where did our summer go???

I don't have kids in traditional school yet. Kirsten is 4, and she'll be in preschool 3 days a week for a few hours, and that's it. But I'm definitely starting to realize that the older your kids get and the more they're involved with, it's ALL the more important to have some good organizational strategies in place. When Kirsten was 2 years old I didn't even have a planner or calendar that I looked at, and now I pretty much live on my Google calendar! Learning how to get organized is tough for every mom! I struggle with not having enough space on the Google calendar to record all the info I want, and also with not knowing how to share it with other family members like my husband. And don't even get me started on how to declutter! Paperwork just kills me!

When it comes to staying organized, I try to get as much ready as I can the night before. Outfits picked out, lunches packed, anything like that I can do makes mornings so much less hectic! I recently got to try out an awesome online tool that organizes everything called AboutOne. It's a calendar, planner, digital filing system and more!
This video overview is a great way to learn about the system:

Some stuff I love about the service:

*You can scan and upload anything (medical records, child's artwork, photos, important school paperwork) and email it from your smartphone or scanner. It eliminates the need to worry about documents getting lost!
*They handle backup and security for you, for even more peace of mind!
*The software is really easy to use, and it's got a great layout that makes it easy to find any info you're looking for.
*(One of my favorite things!) The technology automatically creates family newsletters, hardcover photo books, health and education summaries, caregiver information sheets, alerts and reminders. It also creates paper greeting cards that mail themselves! Way cool!

All of my readers can get a free 17-day trial, with no expiration date and no credit card required! You can use each of your days whenever you want!

After you sign up for your free trial, you can also enter an awesome giveaway! Here's the prize up for grabs. . . a $500 AMEX gift card and an upgrade to a free subscription to AboutOne.com plus a $250 donation to a school of your choice!
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{Please note that you must sign up for the free trial to be eligible to win the grand prize!}

AboutOne.com has a wide variety of organizational resources that can be used throughout the year to help get all aspects of your life together in one place. Good luck to all my readers with your back-to-school plans!

My disclaimer: I was compensated by the Global Influence Network for my participation in this program.

Explore: Camping at Steambock Rock!

2011-08-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Behold the beauty of Steamboat Rock State Park, four hours away from us in Eastern Washington. . .

I tend to love forested and mountainous landscape better than desert ones, but this is a GREAT place to camp! The campsites are big and clean, and the lake is just unbeatable. We camped for two nights, which is just about right with young kids.

Our good friends Megan, Rob, and baby Rennan came with us. It was Megan's birthday too! She made and brought her own birthday cake, and we went and saw the Grand Coulee Dam laser show! That was quite the experience, a laser show out in the middle of nowhere. Crazy and educational at the same time!

Isn't Rennan unbearably cute? I LOVE this shot I got of him! Such a photogenic little guy!

The kids had a complete ball playing in the sand. . .

And of course swimming in the wonderful lake! It's the perfect lake for small children. It's very shallow for a long way out, so the kids can splash around without going too deep. The sand under their feet is super soft, and the beach is great for playing with sand toys. Perfection! My kids would play in the water with their "floaties" all day long!

And who's the best person to have with you when you have tons of beach gear to carry? Chance, of course!

He also comes with a pretty sweet motorcycle...

Our weather was so great! 70's and 80's, with beautiful, clear nights! We had fun hanging out with the kids and friends around the campsite.

Natalie roasted her own marshmallows for the very first time! She loved it! Kirsten and Natalie both love to roast marshmallows, but they usually won't eat them gooey. They like eating regular marshmallows.

The kids slept pretty good together on a queen-sized air mattress. And we got the BEST thing for Brooke to sleep in this year. . . the KidCo PeaPod Portable Travel Bed! It was awesome to not have to lug the huge portacrib around, and Brooke slept really well in it! It has a tiny little blow-up mattress that goes inside it, and you can zip the whole thing shut. Awesome! I highly recommend it!

Lots of people don't want to camp with young kids, but we have so much fun whenever we go! No doubt that it's more difficult, but you'll create lasting memories and get some great photos to look back on. My number 1 tip is to camp near a place where your kids will have lots to do, like playing in a lake.

We actually hope to go camping one more time this year before the weather gets bad... hope we'll get to do it!

Fun Finds... 3 in 1 Cribs

2011-08-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

If you're in the market for cribs right now, there sure are some gorgeous ones! I love the 3 in 1 convertible cribs that function not only as a baby crib but also as a toddler bed and then a twin bed or daybed when your child gets older! It's such a smart way to buy it!

Baby Crib Station is a great resource for finding cribs in all styles and colors. I love it when they don't look babyish at all and look like a really beautiful piece of furniture, like this one:

Go check out BabyCribStation.com to find cribs that will match any style of your decor!

Fun Finds... Duckle Dance Capezio and Wisharoo Park Package Giveaway!!!

2011-08-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Starting in just a few weeks, I'm going to have two of my daughters in dance classes! My 2 year-old can't wait to finally be in her own class! So I'm pretty excited about this fantastic promotion and giveaway that Capezio and Wisharoo Park are offering on my blog. . . a prize package with a value of over $100!

Here's what the gift package for the winner includes:

*One pair Capezio Daisy Ballet Shoes. Retail value: $18
*One pair Capezio Junior Tyette Tap Shoes. Retail value: $25
*One Wisharoo Park 2-Disc 13 Episode DVD set. Retail value: $19.99
*Six Wisharoo Park Wish Star finger puppets. Retail value: $19.98
*One Capezio Logo Drawstring Backpack. Retail value: $8.50
*One Limited Edition Do the Duckle Commemorative T-Shirt. Retail value: $12.99

{The winner will provide ballet and tap shoe sizes and gender preferences}

Capezio and Wisharoo Park partnered up to come up with the fun and easy Duckle Dance! Any little girl who likes to dance will enjoy watching it with you, seeing the cute duck characters and the trained dancers. The dance is a little bit of tap, a little bit of ballet, and a whole lot of moving and grooving family fun for all!

After your kids become familiar with the video, they can follow along with the steps or create and perform their very own dance moves to the Duckle Dance (using either the ballet or tap music on the website.) If you'd like a chance to win dance scholarships and special prizes provided by Capezio and Wisharoo Park, you can videotape them and enter your child's performance in the Duckle Dance Sweepstakes!

Entering is really easy. I plan on having my girls learn the dance and entering myself! You simply upload the video to your Facebook or YouTube account, and then visit the Duckle Dance website where you can submit the Facebook or YouTube video link as part of the easy entry process. It's worth noting that dance ability will not have any effect on who wins this contest. It's all about fun, and little dancers of any age or ability are encouraged to enter. The prize winners will be chosen by random drawing.

Check out the Duckle Dance!!!

Wisharoo Park is dedicated to promoting positive self-image and self-esteem in preschool age children. It was originally introduced by airing as a children’s TV series on PBS stations across the country and is now rolling out as a dynamic multimedia program which includes the interactive website WisharooPark.com, DVDs and more!

Unique among preschool programs, Wisharoo Park is designed to help children age 3 – 6 recognize and appreciate their individuality. With its groundbreaking technology-based curriculum, Wisharoo Park helps children discover and understand their personal strengths and put them on the road to developing greater self-esteem. The Wisharoopark.com enchanting online community stars a whimsical cast of loveable animated, puppet and human characters who are featured in games, videos, music and more! Each week exciting new activities and content are added that are sure to keep parents and their kids coming back again and again.

Wisharoo Park is proud to partner with Capezio. Dedicated to the art of dance since 1887, Capezio revolutionized the dance world with dancewear and footwear products for every dancer from beginner to professional. Capezio operates retail stores carrying the full lines of all Capezio/Ballet Maker Inc . brands in New York City and several major cities nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.capeziodance.com/.

Now here are the instructions about how to enter to win the Gift Package valued at over $100!

{You don't have to enter your children in the video sweepstakes to enter my giveaway, although you do get a whole bunch of bonus entries if you do!}

*Become a follower of my blog! Just join my Google Connect followers on the right sidebar, and leave me a comment letting me know that you follow me!

Get extra entries when you:

1. Send a tweet out encouraging your followers to enter the sweepstakes and include a link to the Duckle Dance.

2. Post information about the Duckle Dance Sweepstakes on your personal or blog Facebook page, and tell your friends to enter!

3. Send out an email to your friends and/or RSS list asking them to enter the sweepstakes and include the link to the Duckle Dance.

4. Visit and like Wisharoo Park's Facebook page here. When you like their Facebook page you can download 3 free songs (a $2.97 value!)

5. Receive TEN extra entries into this giveaway if you enter a video into the Duckle Dance Sweepstakes Presented by Capezio and Wisharoo Park!!!

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on September 1'st. September 1'st is also the last day to enter the video sweepstakes. Good luck!!!

4 Years Old!

2011-08-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Kirsten is 4!!!
{Yes, she's been 4 since May, but I realized I never did an official blog post about it. I also still need to blog about the girls' pony birthday party. Watch for that soon too!}

Some days I never thought we'd make it through the 3's alive... but we did! 3 was about a million times worse than 2, at least for Kirsten. And now, 4 is SO much better! Here are a bunch of fun facts about my cute little 4 year-old:

*She LOVES to dance! Her ballet/tap class is pretty much her favorite thing ever. She wants to wear her leotard and skirt all around the house every day so she can dance, and she was completely adorable in her dance recital in June {yep, also need to blog about that}.

*Her other favorite thing in the world is swimming! Kirsten would go swimming every single day if I let her. She also loves to wear her swimsuit around the house. She's still afraid to put her face in the water, but she adores splashing around and playing in the water.

*She's finally not in the 90'th percentile for height. But she's still in the 80's and a very tall girl. She grows out of all her clothes way too fast. She wears 5T clothes already and most of her size 9 shoes are now getting too small.

*She's suddenly VERY inquisitive. She's reached the age of asking "Why?" about absolutely everything. "Why do I have a mouth?" "Why do I have a Mommy and a Daddy?"

*Her imagination is also starting to take off. She loves to pretend she's an animal or something else. The other day she put two balls under a blanket, sat on it, and told us it was her nest and she's laying her eggs. When Natalie got close to her "babies", she acted like she was pecking her. It was hilarious!

*I crack up often at all the random, funny "Kirstenisms" that she says. Example. . .
Kirsten: "Can you tie this balloon around me so that I can fly?"
Me: "I don't think it will really make you fly."
Kirsten: "It's okay, I can pretend!"
Then I tied the balloon around her, and she was really disappointed when she jumped off the couch and didn't fly.

*Kirsten is such a great big sister to baby Brooke! Ever since she was born, Kirsten has just been enamored with her. She loves to hold her, play with her, and make her laugh!

*She alternates between playing and having a great time with Natalie, to fighting and crying and stealing toys from each other. Another Kirstenism. . .
Me: "Natalie smells like. . . Febreze???"
Kirsten: "I sprayed her!"

*She loves to get out and explore! She's not a girl who's content to sit at home and quietly read books or color. Not at ALL. She loves to play outside, run around playgrounds, go down slides, explore new things.

*Ohhhhh, the drama! Everything just always has to be a big deal, and she's always been a very sensitive child. If other kids are too loud, she cries. If another kid starts crying, she cries. She's getting better, but still very sensitive. She's slow to warm up to new situations and new people. When she's waiting for something (like a snack) and hasn't gotten it yet, she'll sigh and say, "I'll never get a snack!"

*She's much more polite now than she was at 3. She often says please and thank you without being reminded.

*Another Kirstenism:
"I want to be a princess. But I don't have a princess face. . . I just have a Kirsten face."

Some of her favorites. . .
*Color: Yellow! It changes pretty often but has been yellow for quite awhile now.
*Food: She loves tacos, cheese, burgers and fries, hot dogs, popsicles, ice cream, and chicken enchiladas. She's very picky and would rather snack all day than eat meals.
*Beverage: She's a juice fiend. She's nuts over juice and also chocolate milk. It's tough to get her to drink water, she acts like I'm trying to poison her! So I do half-juice, half-water and often buy the V8 Fusion juices that include fruits and veggies.
*Animal: She's a dog person. Just was born that way! I'll never forget when she held the adorable Cavlier King Charles puppy at the mall at Christmastime and asked, "Can we take her home with us?" I was ready to say of course! {Stephen said no}
*TV Shows: She loves Little Bear, Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, and So You Think You Can Dance.
*Movies: {She loves movies, and enjoys seeing them in the theater too} Tangled, Toy Story 3, Tinkerbell movies, Aladdin, Rio, Cinderella, Enchanted, Mama Mia, Little Mermaid, and Up. Naps are a long gone thing of the past, so she usually just has "quiet time" although it's not very quiet, and watches a movie.

*It's probably rare to have a 4 year-old who doesn't insist on wearing certain outfits and refuse to wear other things, but Kirsten doesn't! Other than wanting to wear her leotard and swimsuit a lot, she never complains about the clothes or shoes I pick out for her. She does love rocking the sunglasses whenever we're outside!

*She has a thing for dandelions, and making wishes. Her wishes are pretty funny. One day she said, "I wish I could have some cake!" Then another day it was, "I wish I could get married soon... when I'm bigger!" That one was my favorite. :)

*Kirsten loves her sisters (well, especially Brooke), her friends, grandma and grandpa, and all the special people in her life. She prays for them all and gets very sad when she goes a long time without seeing them. Our friend Chance is another one of her favorite people.
Kirsten: "I think I will get married."
Me: "Kirsten, who do you want to marry?"
Kirsten: "Daddy!"
Me: "Then who will I marry?"
Kirsten: "You can marry Chance!"
Problem solved. :)

*Another of my favorite Kirstenisms. . .
Me: "Wow, I have a huge bug bite on my arm!"
Kirsten: "Maybe I bit you when I was a bug."
Haha!!! She also says other funny things, like "When I was a grandma I used to sew" and "When grandma was a little girl I used to her push her on the swings."

We love our sweet, smart, adorable girl! Sometimes I can't believe she's already 4 years old! She lights up my life and I love to make her smile and laugh. Thank you for blessing our lives so much, Kirsten!

Adorable Etsy Shop Alert. . . Applegator Designs Giveaway!!!!

2011-08-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh... get ready to die of cute little girly adorableness overload! Meet my 2 year-old, Natalie. . .

She's wearing the TOO cute for words ruffle sunsuit, handmade by Applegator Designs!

My little girls have a whole lot of cute outfits, and I can honestly say that this is one of my very favorites. Applegator Designs treats every piece they design as an individual work of art, and it shows! Every tiny little detail of this outfit is just impeccable, and almost too adorable to wear! I love everything about it, from the fabric to the monogramming on the front to the rick-rack trim to the fun ruffles. Just look at the back of this outfit!

Applegator Designs loves to make custom sunsuits and outfits for little girls of all ages! Her talent is incredible and each outfit is truly one of a kind and SO special. I love the way she mixes contemporary fabrics with vintage designs!

And one of my readers will win a $30 gift certificate to Applegator Designs!!!

Here's how to enter to win this gift certificate:
*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 9!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Look around Applegator Designs and tell me which design is your absolute favorite.
3. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
4. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
5. Become a fan of the Applegator Designs Facebook page here.
6. "Heart" the Applegator Designs Etsy shop.
7. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
8. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
9. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open worldwide, and will close on August 18'th. Good luck!!!

Fabulous Finds. . . Rubbermaid Glass with Easy-Find Lids Giveaway!

2011-08-04T00:40:00.000-07:00

Does your food container cupboard look anything like mine? Gosh, mine is a complete disaster. A messed up mish-mash of various plastic and glass food storage containers, with the lids shoved into all different places and nothing matching, nothing together. It's my least favorite kitchen cupboard, that's for sure.

I now want to replace ALL my flimsy, mismatched tupperware with Rubbermaid Glass with Easy-Find Lids! I received an awesome 8-piece set to review (the same set one of my readers will win!!!) and I completely love them!

*The Easy Find Lids system helps keep your cabinets organized by having the lids snap to the bottom of the container and to each other to make finding the right lid quick and easy. No more messy cabinets! Seriously!

*I love their versatility! You can take them from the fridge to the microwave and then straight to the table, and not use multiple containers that you later have to wash. They're made with tempered glass that is oven safe up to 425°F (lids are not oven safe). The lids and containers are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe.

*The glass bases are designed to stack neatly, which saves space and prevents them from getting stuck together.

*They look really nice on a table, so there's no need to switch food to a separate bowl for serving. Less dishes to wash!

*The quality of these are really the best I've seen for food storage containers. The glass is heavy duty and the lids are sturdy and don't bend at all in the microwave or dishwasher.

Deal Alert: Go here to print a coupon for $1.50 off 1 glass food storage container!!!

The winner of this giveaway will win an 8-piece food storage set of Rubbermaid glass with easy-find lids!

Here's how to enter to win this awesome set:
*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 9!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Tell me your favorite feature about Rubbermaid glass.
3. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
4. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
5. Become a fan of the Rubbermaid Facebook page.
6. Follow Rubbermaid on Twitter.
7. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
8. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
9. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on August 18'th. Good luck!!!

My disclaimer: I received a set of Rubbermaid glass to review. I was not obligated to write a positive review, and all opinions written here are my own.

Fun Finds. . . Rio Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Giveaway!

2011-08-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to be giving away a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack of 'Rio' on my blog!
This movie is GREAT!!! I took my 4 year-old, Kirsten, to see this in the theater in 3D and both of us loved it! It's such a great family movie, because it really does appeal to both kids and adults. The movie was funny, touching, and visually gorgeous. I loved all the scenery. . . it will absolutely make you want to go visit Rio!

There's also a really cool-looking Rio coloring app available on Android Market and iTunes App stores with two characters from the movie and one background for coloring. When you buy 'Rio' on Blu-Ray (or win it from this giveaway!), it includes an insert that will unlock the additional 10 characters and 4 backgrounds within the app. When you combine all the characters and backgrounds it creates 60 unique coloring pages!

The coloring app looks like a lot of fun for kids, and a great way to keep them entertained. First I need a Smartphone! ;)

Here's how to enter to win a Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack of 'Rio':

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 7!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Leave a comment letting me know whether you've seen the movie and what you thought of it!
3. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
4. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
5. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
6. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
7. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on August 18'th. Good luck!!!

Blog Hop Giveaway Winners!

2011-08-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

Those two giveaway hops were lots of fun! And now we have some winners!!!

*Winner of the Paper Pot from Uncommon Goods is. . . #80!
Nan said... Shared on FB

*Winner of the custom tutu from Social Salutations Etsy shop is. . . #70!
DealiriousMama said... follow your blog via gfc as Roxanne

*Winner of the $25 gift certificate to Dayspring Dresses Etsy shop is. . . #193!
Stacey said... I already "like" Dayspring Dresses on Facebook!

*Winner of the Tea Collection $50 gift certificate is. . . #106!
A Helicopter Mom said... Mentioned this giveaway on Facebook

*Winner of the $25 gift certificate to PoshLily Etsy shop is. . . #133!
Tabathia said... heart posh lily on etsy

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered! My Christmas in July giveaway hop got 354 entries! Sweet!!!

All of my winners have been contacted and have 48 hours to respond, or I will have to choose new winners.

Happy 9 Months, Baby!

2011-07-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that 9 months ago I was having a baby! And now I can't imagine life without sweet little Brooke. It's making me a little sad that she's 9 months old today and has now been out in this world longer than she was in me.

I don't know her 9 month stats from the doctor yet, but here are a few details about Brooke at 9 months old:

*As everyone who knows her will tell you, Brooke is such a happy, easygoing sweetheart ALL the time! We definitely needed her personality in our family!

These photos are all from her 7 month photo shoot at Picture People. I apologize for the quality, since we received the prints and had to scan them into the computer. The colors are not nearly as good when they're scanned. And my favorite photo from the shoot, the one that we framed and put on the fireplace mantle, is too large to scan. So I can't even show the blog world my favorite photo!!! Guess these other cute ones will have to suffice...

*She's not quite crawling yet, but oh so close!
She loves to be down on the floor exploring everything and finding new toys. She gets up on her hands and knees, rocks back and forth on them, scoots and rolls around the room, and wants so badly to crawl! Soon!

*I don't know her weight or length, but she still fits into size 2 diapers! However, she's long just like all my kids are, so she outgrows her clothes in length pretty quickly. She wears 6-12 month clothes still for now.

*One of her favorite new tricks is shaking her head. She'll shake her head really hard so her hair flips all over her face, and then laugh. She thinks it's the funniest thing ever, and so do her sisters!

*She really likes to connect with people. She makes great eye contact with everyone, and she loves it when people smile and interact with her. She's never had stranger anxiety yet and is happy with anybody holding her and playing with her. (Hoping that continues!)

*She loves car rides! She's usually very quiet in the car and likes to look out the windows. I'll be sad when she outgrows her infant seat, because she actually enjoys being in it.

*She also loves bath time, and she kicks and splashes violently in her little tub and completely soaks the bathroom floor and whoever is bathing her!

*Brooke sleeps from about 7:30 or 8 pm straight through the night until 8 or 9 the next morning! Maybe because of all that good nighttime sleep she's getting, she is already only taking one nap per day. She started doing that at 8 months old, which seems really young to me. But it works out well, because she often naps at the same time as Natalie and will take a long 2-3 hour nap and then be pretty happy the rest of the afternoon until bedtime. So it's young to be down to one nap, but it works for us!

*She's a good little eater! She still eats only baby food, but she seems to like all varieties we've given her except for one. . . peas. None of my babies have ever liked peas! They eat green beans though.

*She's such a sweet and wonderful baby! It makes me really sad to think of a day in the future when I won't have a baby Brooke to smile at me and laugh. I would just love to freeze her at this age forever if I could! No growing up!!!

Christmas in July Giveaway Blog Hop. . . Tea Collection $50 gift certificate!

2011-07-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Christmas in July Giveaway Blog Hop!!!
125 blogsare participating, and there are a whole ton of prizes and great stuff up for grabs! This giveaway hop runs from July 25-31'st.

I absolutely love finding high-quality and beautiful clothes for my kids, so I am super excited about my sponsor. . .

Tea Collection is offering my winner a $50 gift certificate to be used on anything in their beautiful online shop!!!

I received some Tea Collection girl's clothes from their new fall line to review, and they are gorgeous!!! I completely love the quality. The fabric is so soft and comfortable for my kids to wear. And the designs are just adorable! Modern and fun, unique and inspiring!

My very favorite piece that I received was this Bird of Paradise dress for my 4 year-old daughter. The fabric was inspired by the exotic Bird of Paradise flower that blooms all over Mexico, and I'm in love with it! I had never tried the Tea Collection children's clothing before this, and now I wish I could outfit my kids in their styles from head to toe!

The Tea Collection designs distinctive apparel inspired by beauty they discover in their travels around the world. (Just what a travel addict like me loves! I've got to check out their women's collection next!) Their new Fall 2011 line is inspired by Modern Mexico. I really have never seen another collection like it for children, and that's why I love it so much. I'm always drawn to children's fashions that are unique and have a wonderful personality to them.

You can buy Tea Collection clothing for all ages of kids, from newborn up to size 12! Their baby clothing is just the cutest, perfect for photographs, special occasions, or to wear every day.

Winning $50 to spend at Tea Collection truly would be Christmas in July to me!!!

Here's how to enter to win this $50 gift certificate from Tea Collection:

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 5) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Look around the Tea Collection website and tell me what you'd love to spend the $50 on if you win!
3. "Like" Tea Collection on Facebook here.
4. Follow Tea Collection on Twitter over here.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
5. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway will close on July 31'st at 11:59 pm and is open worldwide. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: This is a MamaBuzz Media Review. The product was provided by Tea Company for this review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

*Be sure to check out all the fantastic prizes offered by the other Christmas in July blogs!

Fireworks!!!

2011-07-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

If you know anyone who lives in the Seattle area, chances are good you've heard a lot of complaining lately about our un-summer. (And yes, I'm guilty of it too. Today didn't get above the 50's. In July!!!) But if there's one thing Seattle got 100% right this summer, it was our 4'th of July weekend. Perfect. Amazing. Beautiful.

4'th of July itself was SO beautiful we took the ferry from Edmonds over to Kingston.
{Yep, that's from my camera! Took it of the passing ferry going the opposite direction!}

It was Natalie and Brooke's first ferry ride! They loved it!
{Kirsten had her own 4'th of July in California with grandma and grandpa}

Mount Rainier was out in all its stunning glory!!!
{This photo doesn't even look real, it's so pretty! But it's real!}

Pulling into Kingston. . .

Kingston is the perfect little half-day trip from my house!
We ate crepes outside from a cute little crepe place, got some ice cream, and watched the Kingston 4'th of July parade!

{Yep, this is all right by where I live! Seattle's pretty underrated, isn't it? I certainly think so!}

It REALLY was a grand and glorious 4'th!!! I couldn't have asked for better!
We spent the evening at a BBQ with friends, good food, and tons of fireworks!

It's pretty new to me, shooting off fireworks right there next to all the houses, since I grew up in California where that's illegal. Our friends had HUGE fireworks that shot up right over us and around us! Pretty amazing! Natalie had been talking about fireworks for several days and was really excited, but I thought she might be scared to be so close to them. Nope. . . she LOVED them!

"Fireworks!!!!" One of her new favorite words :)

It was a perfect night! Brooke the happiest baby fell asleep inside our friends' house, and Natalie stayed up and watched fireworks to her heart's content! It seems that Natalie's a night owl who doesn't want to miss any fun or excitement. . . a little bit like someone I know. ;)

And she's been asking for more fireworks ever since that night.
Happy 4'th indeed!!!

Fun Finds: HALO ComfortLuxe Sleepwear Giveaway!

2011-07-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

I'm so thrilled that I found some awesome new pajamas for my baby! I always loved the HALO Sleep Sacks, and now they've come up with something brand new and very innovative. . .
Comfortluxe sleepwear!

So how is it different from other pajamas?

HALO Comfortluxe is a revolutionary new fabric that breathes much better than cotton and helps promote healthier skin. It works by regulating body temperature and wicking moisture away from the skin where it evaporates quickly. This helps babies to stay cooler when it's warm and warmer when it's cool! The fabric is breathable and lightweight, and very comfortable for babies. The fabric has been awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the National Eczema Organization. Babies who wear the ComfortLuxe can have their sensitive skin soothed, since the fabric reduces the itch/scratch cycle that can lead to irritation, discomfort, and flare-ups.

This has been perfect for my baby Brooke, who has sensitive skin and has suffered from eczema for about six months now. In the past we've put her to bed in regular pajamas and when she wakes up we find scratches all over her poor little body! But she has slept in the ComfortLuxe pajamas many times and never scratched herself on those nights!

The Coverall for babies comes in pink or blue up to size 9 months, and then they also offer 2-piece pajamas for toddlers up to size 4T!

You can buy a pair for your baby or toddler on Amazon!

HALO is offering one of my readers a ComfortLuxe sleeper in any size from newborn to 4T, and in your choice of pink or blue! I'm sure you will love these pajamas as much as I do!

Here's how to enter to win:

*Become a follower of my blog! Or let me know if you already follow me. Either way, leave me a comment and tell me you're a follower! (Just click 'Google Friends Connect' on my sidebar!)

Get extra entries (up to 8!) when you:
1. Like me on Facebook! Just click the button on my sidebar to become a Facebook fan!
2. Tell me which color and size you'll choose from HALO ComfortLuxe, and who it will be for if you're the winner!
3. "Like" HALO ComfortLuxe on Facebook here.
4. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status, and be sure to link to this post!
5. Tweet about this giveaway and link to me.
6. Mention this giveaway on your blog and link to me!
7. Grab my button off my sidebar and display it somewhere on your blog.
8. Leave a new comment on any of my other recent blog posts (doesn't matter which one, I just love to read your comments!), and let me know you did.

*Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry, and make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner! This giveaway is open to the US and Canada, and will close on August 3'rd. Good luck!!!

My Disclaimer: I received a product free of charge from HALO in exchange for writing an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own!

Fabulous Finds. . . Storkie Cards!

2011-07-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's July and that means. . . Christmas cravings!!!
I always get Christmas cravings around this time of year. I really enjoy summer, but in July for some reason I start wistfully thinking of Christmas cookies, decorating trees, the music, the snow falling, and all the wonderful things I love so much about the holiday season.

One of these years I vow to actually get my Christmas cards ordered early! As in really early, like September, so that all I'll have to do in December is mail them out. I'm curious. . . what do all my readers do with old Christmas cards? Do you get rid of them or save them? Do you ever display them when they're a year old or longer? So far I save most of them in my closet in a drawer, wondering what to do with them. Here's one of my favorite ideas I've heard, and would love to do someday:

Get a sheet of glass cut to fit over the top of your kitchen table or dining room table. Drape a red tablecloth over your table, and then arrange all your favorite old Christmas cards over the table. Then cover it all with the sheet of glass, and voila! A great conversation starter as well as a fun way to display cards and relive memories. For the rest of the year, you could display old vacation photos that way, or any photos you're just dying to display!

I'm already on the hunt for some stylish Christmas cards this year. . .

I just discovered all the different types of cards from Storkie, and am seriously impressed by the unique and beautiful designs! Just check out the gorgeousness:

We're Having. . . Life-Changing Homemade Alfredo Sauce!

2011-07-16T01:10:00.000-07:00

Call me presumptuous for calling this alfredo sauce "life-changing", but for me it really was! As soon as I got my first taste of it, I said "I'm never buying jarred Alfredo sauce again!" And I haven't!!! This sauce is SO easy to make and so delicious, I just make this every time!

This recipe comes from my good friend Oscar Hunt's mother, Martha Hunt. So Martha, I don't think you're reading this, but thank you for this awesome sauce!

All you need are 5 ingredients!!!

Life-Changing Alfredo Sauce:
1 cube butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan and asiago cheeses (I usually use more than this, I just buy the pre-shredded bags and then keep adding cheese until it has enough!)

Melt butter and cream cheese together in a saucepan. Add milk and cheeses, and stir until well mixed. The sauce will look very buttery, but it will taste fabulous! I love it tossed with grilled chicken and penne pasta. Enjoy!!!

Fun Finds. . . Boumy Baby Shoes!

2011-07-15T23:39:00.000-07:00

Wow. . . baby shoes that actually stay ON my 8 month-old baby's feet!!!

Boumy baby shoes are super cute shoes made of 100% soft leather. I'm thrilled with them because they come in several bright, fun designs and colors. And the elastic around the ankle makes them very secure! My baby kicks her legs all the time, and most shoes fly right off her feet in a matter of minutes. Boumy shoes stay on!

I also love the softness of these shoes! The bottoms are roughened so they'll get a good grip on the floor, making them a good flexible, soft-soled option for new walkers. Their new collection has a bunch of fun designs for boys and girls, sized for ages 0-2 years.

Deal Alert: Get 20% off your total purchase from Boumy Shoes! Use this coupon code: MAB072011. (This code expires July 31, 2011, and can be used once per customer).
Be sure to "Like" Boumy shoes on Facebook!

My disclosure: I received a pair of Boumy shoes at no charge to provide my thoughts in this review. All opinions are my own!