All tagged washington

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

Jasper has reached the age where he is super engaged and interested in all the places we go. He is no longer interested in napping in the stroller or being carried in the Ergo so rather than an accessory to my every day he is an active and interested partner in crime. In an effort to capitalize on this period of time in our lives and engage his brain in new and exciting ways I have made it a point to devote two days a week to outings. Living so close to downtown Seattle we have a wide array of interesting places at our disposal ie. parks, outdoor markets, museums, children theater etc. I have decided to invest in a few annual passes and then just try my best to make the most of what is around me. We can only visit the local park for an hour or two a couple of days a week before we are both bored and in need of additional stimulation. 

Washington Park Arboretum in the Winter

Washington Park Arboretum in the Winter

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

It is easy to think in the middle of Winter that everything is brown and dead at the Washington Park Arboretum, but with our temperate climate nothing could be farther from the truth. The Washington Park Arboretum has 230 acres of land with a wide assortment of plants, many found nowhere else. The Washington Park Arboretum is operated jointly by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle and is immaculately taken care of. There is a beautiful camellia garden bursting with different shades of pink and white and the crocuses are beginning to pop up along with the magnolia trees getting their flower buds. It is a fragrant time of year too and if I knew a bit more about flowers I could tell you exactly what I was smelling. The other fantastic part of Winter at the Arboretum is that its relatively vacant in comparison to Spring and Summer, so if you don't mind donning a warm coat and hat you can have the place pretty much to yourself. 

Rainy mornings at the Seattle Aquarium

Rainy mornings at the Seattle Aquarium

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

As of late, we have made a concerted effort to use of our Seattle Aquarium membership. When we purchased it I thought we would go all the time, but before we know it months have gone by and we are missing out on all the fun happenings at the aquarium. On any given day there are animal presentations, scheduled feedings and tank dives. In the handful of times we have visited we have seen both the octopus and otters feed, been able to touch a sea anemone or two, watched a scuba diver dance, feed the fish and give Jasper a high five and have learned more about fish and water mammals than I ever knew before. I know taking a toddler downtown can often be a bit of a hassle, but the expression on Jasper's face when he happily plays in the tide pools, or is a bit caught off guard when the seals swim is not something I can replicate at home. The Seattle Aquarium also offers Toddler Time a few times a month and I am looking forward to taking him one of these days. 

Ebey's Landing

Ebey's Landing

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Weekend

As the sun hung low in the sky we set out on the Ridge Trail which intersects with the Bluff Trail at Ebey's Landing. We walked the picturesque half mile through rolling farmland to the bluff where we watched the sun quickly dip below the horizon. Watching the sunset in the Winter always feels like a rare treat for a number of reasons, but primarily because the skies are usually shrouded with thick gray clouds and because it occurs so early in the day it is easy to miss.  

edit.

edit.

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Weekend

A few weeks ago I stumbled across the most charming little shop in Langley called edit. I know we are often told to not judge a book by its cover or a store by its storefront, but I was immediately drawn into the space from the curb. Upon stepping into edit.it was as if someone had hand picked the items specifically for me. Every item was so thoughtfully curated, each with its own purpose, and beauty. It is rare I can enter a shop and find something for myself, my fourteen month old son and my husband, but at edit. this occurred. 

A mountain getaway with Glampinghub.com

A mountain getaway with Glampinghub.com

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Weekend, Outdoor adventures

Awhile back I mentioned we were partnering with Glamping Hub for a little family adventure. We finally went on our adventure and stayed in a modern cabin in the woods. We enjoyed the solitude and location of our cabin, but most importantly the time we spent together as a family. Our time there reminded us how we feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air, but also how we hope to one day have a cabin of our own nestled in the woods.

Wandering through the snow

Wandering through the snow

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Weekend, Parenting, Outdoor adventures

During the Winter I am constantly checking the weather report up in the mountains. If we receive substantial snowfall during the week then we make it a point to head up to the mountains on Saturday. Saturdays have traditionally been our day set aside for being together as a family and having fun. I am not a fan of chores, errands or work on Saturdays and I avoid it at all costs. I once read an article which stated from the time your child is born until the time they turn eighteen you have 940 Saturdays. Particularly now that we have Jasper I want to make the most of these days and give him memories of hikes, camping trips, catching snowflakes on our tongues and enjoying picnics by the water. During the week in between work, laundry, and to do lists I try my best to squeeze in the chores and errands. 

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Outdoor adventures, Parenting

A big storm rolled into the mountains this weekend which meant lots and lots of new fluffy white snow. We decide to head up Saturday afternoon to check it out and get our first real taste of snow for the season. We were also interested to see how Jasper was going to react to it all. It was cold, blowing at times and the snow was coming down pretty hard, but as always Jasper was a trooper. We kept him bundled up pretty well, and overall he was delightful, but it came as no surprise he was not a fan of snow blowing directly into his face. Like each new experience we have with him, it is a learning process. We are constantly figuring out ways to adapt, be better prepared and make certain it is a fun experience for us all.  

The North Cascades

The North Cascades

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Weekend

In my opinion, one of the prettiest areas in all of Washington state is the North Cascades. It is breathtakingly beautiful at every turn, more hiking trails than you'll ever have time for, and feels remote, yet is easy enough to get to. Our first encounter with the Freestone Inn was a couple days after our son, Asher passed away. Unaware of our circumstance, we were greeted with a warm welcome, a friendly smile and a cozy room complete with a large soaking tub, stone fireplace and lovely views of the property. Since then, we have made it an annual tradition to return to this special place year after year. The Freestone Inn is located on Wilson Ranch on a gorgeous piece of property. We have been fortunate enough to visit the property during the Summer, Fall and Winter and there are different things we enjoy about each season in the North Cascades. 

Port Townsend

Port Townsend

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Weekend, Travel, Seattle

This past weekend we wanted to go on a little family adventure for the day, so we hopped on the Southworth Ferry and drove up to Port Townsend. Port Townsend makes for a great day trip from Seattle because there are cute shops, a few fun places to eat and gorgeous views of the Puget Sound and ferries breezing by. Whenever we hop aboard a ferry we always feel like we have gone somewhere exciting!