This is part of a series about my trip to Scotland courtesy of Adventures by Disney
On a full-length tour of Scotland, we would spend some time in Edinburgh before heading up into the Highlands, but on our condensed tour we headed out of Edinburgh right away. It didn't ...
Our week in Scotland is past, and I'm still wading through mountains of photos and memories. I've struggled with how to share such a big trip with you - somehow a post per day of the trip seems like too much, but obviously the description I've been giving ...
My kids are delirious, and not in a good way. Our long haul flight from Newark to Edinburgh landed at 8am. They had done their best to sleep on the plane, making me jealous of the way their tiny foldable bodies snuggle into an airline seat. They successfully navigated customs ...
I have been in a mad rush for a week, but now I feel like I'm in the eye of the storm. With no packing or last minute errands left to do, I am sitting on a flight to Scotland. Everest, Darya and my mom are with me, and ...
When I filmed my video about Seattle for Expedia, the new Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum wasn't yet opened, and everyone (including the kids and I) was peeking through gaps in the landscaping and trying to get a view inside. So it seemed only fitting to go back and ...
No doubt about it. My kids are city kids. We're steeped in a daily life that includes freeway commutes, Starbucks drivethroughs, and access to every imaginable museum and afterschool activity. I love my city life, but sometimes I forget that living next to one of Seattle's "Emerald Necklace ...
With higher than average temperatures in much of the country, and kids headed off to spring break, it may seem like a strange time to be writing about skiing. If you're ready for some warmth, just file this away for next year, but if you're hoping to get ...
I don't think I play favorites, but I'll admit that I just can't get enough of Darya right now. At five, she's astoundingly capable, but still adorably naive. She smells sweetly sweaty when she sleeps, and for her there's still magic in the world. Most ...
This is a memory from last year's Family Trip to Whistler
Everest was done. Just through. He'd tried skiing for two days, and he hadn't quite gotten into a groove. To make things worse, his baby sister had surpassed him, speeding down the mountain on her first ...
This is a guest post written by Kristen Stewart. Kristen is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Parenting, Parents and AARP: The Magazine, and I feel very lucky to have her writing here. Kristen's kids are 13, 10 and 6.
If you're looking for a peaceful ...
Personal commitments kept me from attending the LEGOLAND grand opening in Florida last week, but I'm so lucky to have an East Coast friend with kids who was able to check it out and write about her experience! Kristen Stewart is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in ...
Personal commitments kept me from attending the LEGOLAND grand opening in Florida last week, but I'm so lucky to have an East Coast friend with kids who was able to check it out and write about her experience! Kristen Stewart is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in ...
Personal commitments kept me from attending the LEGOLAND grand opening in Florida last week, but I'm so lucky to have an East Coast friend with kids who was able to check it out and write about her experience! Kristen Stewart is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in ...
On September 11th 2001, my husband and I were in a remote are of Northern Vietnam. It took a whole day for us to hear the news about the World Trade Center, and without other Americans around, an internet connection, or even a quality news source, it was very difficult ...
Darya and I have been missing Everest and Eilan since we left Seattle, but Everest was most in our thoughts when we visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. You see, Everest has a dolphin obsession. He has dolphin stuffies, dolphin research books, and he'll probably be a dolphin for halloween ...
I've been promising Darya a "girls trip" ever since Everest and I checked out San Juan Puerto Rico for kids last summer. And while I recognize that not getting to come along on a solo getaway with mom is hardly a sign of deprivation, I've felt guilty that ...
I've been to Vancouver a dozen times or more, and yet, I've never visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Just across the Lion's Gate Bridge from Downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park, word has it, that the Capilano Suspension Bridge is Vancouver's number one attraction. Everyone else has ...
On our recent trip to Vancouver, we stayed in North Vancouver instead of Downtown. That suited us well since we wanted to focus our sightseeing in the North. Still, I couldn't resist the opportunity to take the kids across Vancouver Harbour on the SeaBus. After all, when you're ...
There's no good Persian food in Seattle. That might not sound like a big deal to you, but for my husband who grew up eating the rich savory stews and almost-buttery meat kabobs on a daily basis, it's like living in the desert. We've made a practice ...
"The airport is now closed, you'll need to proceed through immigration, gather your bags, and leave the airport." Those are just about the last words we expected to hear as we landed in London's Heathrow airport for a four-hour layover before heading home to Seattle. Our trip was ...
We were invited guests of the Four Seasons Resort Whistler on this trip. The hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view, and I always strive to present a fair and balanced review regardless of who is paying the bill.
It's always a thrill to ...
This trip was sponsored by the Tourism Whistler who generously covered our lift tickets, some ski lessons and childcare, ski rentals, tube park passes and breakfast, and by the Four Seasons Resort Whistler who provided us with three nights hotel accommodations, dinner, breakfast, and a spa visit. Neither organization requested ...
We were the hosted guests of the Great Wolf lodge two years ago, and decided to make this return trip entirely at our own expense. Nobody (except the computer reservations system) from the lodge knew that we would be returning or that we would be writing about our adventure, and ...
Last week I posted a picture of a Pirate Ship in the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in London, England. Here it is again
Believe it or not, we spent almost an entire day at this playground! Our transit home from Istanbul had been unexpectedly suspended due to an ash cloud ...
On this trip, we were invited guests of Disneyland. The Disneyland Resort paid for the cost of our air tickets, hotel, activities, and some meals. They did not require that I express a particular point of view.
When we visit Disneyland, I spend as much time reliving the past as ...
This is a guest post by my friend Robin. Her three kids and mine are all almost exactly the same ages, and you should totally check out her blog to read more of her excellent adventures in Seattle and beyond. Plus, she's funnier than me!
It wasn't my ...
This trip was sponsored by the Hawaii Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously covered our accommodations, a portion of our transportation, and some meals.
I'm always on the lookout for local foods with kid-appeal. It's not only fun in the moment, but also a great way to ...
This trip was sponsored by the Hawaii Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously covered our accommodations, a portion of our transportation, and some meals.
Crowded sidewalks, bustling stores, goods of all kinds excaping out of the stores and onto the surrounding sidewalks. Growing up in San Francisco, this is ...
This trip was sponsored by the Hawaii Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously paid many of our expenses on this trip
Every parent knows the feeling. You've been on vacation with the kids for a few days, and you are desperately in need of an evening that feels ...
This trip was sponsored by the Hawaii Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously covered our admissions and a tour of the Bishop Museum
Last week I wrote about our family visit to the Bishop Museum's Hawaiian Hall. At the end of the story, the kids were stretching their ...
This trip was sponsored by the Hawaii Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously covered our admissions and a tour of the Bishop Museum
Some parents would balk at the idea of taking time out from their sun-and-sand filled Hawaiian vacation to take the kids to a museum. Most kids ...
The things that kids pick up from their parents are (almost) always cute, and Everest and Darya have really gotten into the idea that it is their "job" to find out whether the hotels we stay in are "good for kids."
Here are Everest's notes about the Embassy Suites ...
Whenever I arrive in a new place, I Iike to get the "lay of the land," so we spent the bulk of our first day in Hawaii exploring Waikiki. I've never been here before, and though I had a vague image of skyscrapers, high end shopping, aloha shirts and ...
Hawaii is sort of a fantasy world. That's especially true here in Seattle where fall can last from September until July. I don't need to tell you what the fantasy is about, do I? It's about long lazy days on the beach, tropical drinks, and smiling happy ...
I promise I'll start to post about Hawaii next week, but I just couldn't resist posting this one last snippet from our trip to Puerto Rico.
Everest missed his sister terribly on this trip. The two of them are only 18 months apart in age, and they are ...
We were invited guests of the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. The hotel paid for the cost of our air tickets, hotel, activities, and most meals. They did not require that I express a particular point of view.
Sunshine! Finally! Lots of it! Of course Everest, the poor sweet ...
We were invited guests of the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. The hotel paid for the cost of our air tickets, hotel, activities, and most meals. They did not require that I express a particular point of view.
We woke to rain. It's starting to become a theme ...
Corrinne of Have Baby Will Travel and I had a fun (if mildly embarrassing) conversation on the bus ride to the airport about how little we had known about Puerto Rico before visiting. We figured that if we were "in the dark" some of our readers might be wondering too ...
A few weeks ago I was invited to take part in a Mom Blogger's trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico with my two boys. Our host, the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino paid for the cost of our air tickets, hotel, activities, and most meals. It was a ...
Right in the heart of downtown Seattle, in front of our Benaroya Symphony Hall is a war memorial called the Garden of Remembrance. That might seem like a strange place to stop with kids, but it's one of our favorite detours when we're out and about.
You can ...
At home in Seattle, I often find myself rushing the kids from one activity to another. On vacation we can take the time to check out thing the kids are interested in. I suspect that's why they're willing to go into so many tourist sites with us - they ...
I paid for everything described in this post at my own expense and nobody at the Olympic Park Institute knew that I would be blogging my experiences.
It will either be a complete disaster or one of the kids favorite trips ever, I told my husband as I mailed off ...
Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences.
According to every Istanbul guidebook and website I checked out before we arrived in the city, the Spice Market is one ...
Of all the ideas I got from friends, family, and folks on the internet, the Grand Bazaar was by far the most frequently recommended place for me to take my kids in Istanbul. Perhaps it is because the Bazaar is so iconic, or perhaps it's because it is easy ...
Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences.
Istanbul's Topkapi Palace is supposed to be one of the hilights of any trip to Istanbul, and the kids were ...
Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences. E and D were treated to complimentary desserts at the Four Seasons Hotel in celebration of E's fifth birthday. I ...
Posting has been very light lately, as I have been on a big adventure. We spent 10 days in Istanbul, exploring the city and generally having a lovely time. Flying back home, we were scheduled for a three-hour layover in London. Imagine our surprise when the captain announced after landing ...
Everything described in this post was paid for at my own expense, and I did not let anyone know in advance that I would be blogging about my experiences.
Lost bags seem to be a way of life for us. At least one bag has been damaged or delayed on ...
We were guests of the Clam Cannery on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view. We paid our own way at each of the activities and restaurants we visited on this trip, and ...
It's difficult to write about returning to the place where you grew up without resorting to cliche. We left Monterey when I was 8, and yet everything looks so familiar. There are few things that I remember explicitly, yet at one point we were driving down the a windy ...
