Family date to the Seattle Aquarium

Family date to the Seattle Aquarium

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle, Parenting

Now that Jasper is so mobile, it is fun to see what new things he discovers with each visit to the Seattle Aquarium. This time it was the little cut out in the window he repeatedly delighted putting his hand in and out of, last time it was the harbor seals and every time he is fascinated by the white spotted jellyfish. I appreciate how their is an indoor and outdoor area to the aquarium which makes it appealing for both rainy and overcast days. We love being outside and don't mind getting rained on, but it is also nice to be able to come back inside and warm up a bit before heading back out. Jasper has opened my eyes to a whole other side of the aquarium I would not think to appreciate it and that is its prime waterfront location. He loves standing on the dock by the harbor seals watching the cars zoom by on 99, the helicopters and birds fly around in the sky and the ferries and sailboats cruise by on the water.

Filson

Filson

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

For those of you who haven't heard Filson opened a new flagship store in the same building where they develop, sample, cut and sew their goods. This store is extra special not only for its location, but because they offer some limited edition items not available anywhere else. A couple weeks ago we finally paid a visit to the new Filson flagship store in SODO.  Once inside the large wooden doors we were greeted with a two story photo of Iditarod dogs. To say my dog obsessed son was delighted at this sight is the understatement of the year. Drawn into the space by this photograph, we made our way up the winding staircase to reach the main floor of retail. The vibe was masculine and moody, but I immediately felt at home in the space. Between the juxtaposition of steel against the exposed wood beams, the richness of the leather and coziness of the plaid it was a very inviting space. Even the taxidermy felt luxurious and thoughtfully placed.  As we spent the following hour searching high and low for the perfect gift for Cameron, I made note to return to this wonderful space soon.  My only critique would be that I wished they had a children's section. My little mountain man would look awful handsome matching his Dad in one of those plaid shirts.  

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. 

A snowshoe date

A snowshoe date

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Outdoor adventures

I don't talk about it much, but I am a big fan of the idea of dating your spouse. Although we have been married for over ten and a half years I still get excited at the prospect of getting dressed up, making reservations, buying tickets and have a concrete plan for an evening. However, lately I have equally enjoyed the "day date" which consists of anything we do minus our son. A couple weeks ago, we extended our staycation by heading directly to the mountains after checking out of our hotel. As much as I love bringing our son along for our adventures there was something very nostalgic and romantic about it just being the two of us together in the outdoors. While we were snowshoeing it brought back a flood of memories of our past adventures and made me happy how much we took advantage of our time together before children. 

Volunteer Park Cafe

Volunteer Park Cafe

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

There are so many places in Seattle I repeatedly hear about and the Volunteer Park Cafe is one of those places. Since we have never visited before, we made it a point to stop by last Saturday for brunch. When we arrived, I was surprised to see just how far the line to order stretched out the door. Once inside, the large, bustling communal tables gave the place a real sense of community. Parking was a breeze, the food was delicious and there were so many tantalizing options on the menu I am certain we will be back soon. I ordered the Bacon, Arugula and Fontina quiche, Cameron enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich, Jasper had a Cherry Almond scone and we all fought over the Chocolate Chip Toffee cookie. 

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. 

Lunch date to Oddfellows

Lunch date to Oddfellows

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

All of the sudden my little baby has turned into a walking, talking, dog loving, board book aficionado and I could not be prouder. Just when I think he has reached the best age, a month goes by and he becomes even more delightful. Last week, as I was admiring how his new haircut made him look older I reflected on the past fifteen months. Often, it is hard to imagine what life was like prior to his arrival. He fills my days with laughs, giggles, smiles and the occasional display of independence. It is an honor to have a front row seat to see the person he is going to become, to be his safe haven and the recipient of his endless affection.  He is the friendliest, most outgoing guy I know and for as little as he is he has a heart the size of an elephant. 

General Porpoise

General Porpoise

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

For months I have seen enticing photos of General Porpoise all over Instagram.  One Saturday morning, Jasper and I finally visited to see what all the hype was about. What we found when we arrived was a light and bright interior, friendly staff, tantalizing favors, delicious donuts and about one million other reasons we will be returning again soon. The moment we sat down at the counter and I gave Jasper his Vanilla Custard doughnut he was all business about devouring it. It was like he couldn't believe his good fortune in getting such a special treat all to himself. Little did he know I was silently savoring my Chocolate Marshmallow all to myself too. I love how social media has helped create a buzz of support for these little places dotted around the city. We can't wait to return and try all the other flavors very soon.

Happy birthday to my everything

Happy birthday to my everything

Lisette Wolter-McKinley

There aren't really words to describe my feelings for my husband, Cameron. If you made a list of every quality I lack these would be the very qualities which describe him. He is patient, kind, slow to anger, forgiving, flexible, easy to get along with, funny, generous and laid back. He has helped me carve out a life that is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. We adventure, dream, laugh, act silly, often stay up way too late, make plans and fiercely love each other and our children. He makes life a joy to live and makes every day special. 

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. 

A staycation at the Palladian

A staycation at the Palladian

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

I have recently learned the joys associated with a staycation. I used to think in order for it to be considered a "real" vacation it needed to include a plan ride or a long drive. Now, especially as a parent to a small child; I understand vacations in a broader sense. A vacation can consist of a day or two away and all that needs to occur is a break from your normal routine. Basically, it is the adult equivalent to a child getting a day off from school and really just a good excuse to play hooky. A few days ago, my husband and I packed a small suitcase, sent our sweet little boy off to Grandma's and Grandpa's and for a couple days and enjoyed the perks of hotel living at The Palladian and being a tourist in our own town. 

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. 

Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Weekend, Food

Some days the weather is crazy here. One minute it is pouring rain, the next sunshine and then wait another minute and a strong gust of wind will hit you in the face. Sporadic pretty much summed up the weather this past weekend which repeatedly shut down Snoqualmie Pass and halted our plans for a Saturday of snowshoeing. As a last minute change of plans we decided to spend an afternoon exploring closer to home by hiking down to Snoqualmie Falls followed by brunch at the Salish Lodge. The trail down to the falls is only one mile round trip so it is an easy hike even for little ones.  

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.

Vancouver Lookout

Vancouver Lookout

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

Vancouver Lookout is the perfect place to visit while you are in Vancouver, BC. Being up so high with a 360 degree view you are able to easily get your bearings of the city and visually plan out the rest of your visit. We could not decide if we wanted to visit the Vancouver Lookout during the day or at night, so we decided to visit at dusk. As a result, we were able to watch the city turn from day to night and catch one of the loveliest sunsets from the lookout. 

Snowshoeing at Cypress Mountain

Snowshoeing at Cypress Mountain

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Outdoor adventures

One of our primary reasons for visiting Vancouver was to go snowshoeing. There isn't one, but three fantastic places to go snowshoeing all within twenty minutes from the city.  However, between getting late starts each day and the extra holiday traffic we were only able to visit Cypress Mountain this time. On the day we were up there the glorious sunshine and blue skies combined with a fresh dumping of snow made for one heavenly day. The snow shoe route we took was one of those straight up the entire way. When we are out snowshoeing I am always thoroughly impressed with Cameron's ability to carry our heavy son on his back. He never complains and makes it look so easy. I am reminded time and time again how much fresh mountain air and family time is good for the soul. I am continually grateful for these two adventurous dudes and how much they make every single day special.

OPUS Vancouver- the perfect getaway from Seattle

OPUS Vancouver- the perfect getaway from Seattle

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Weekend

After Christmas, we were excited to spend time in one of our favorite cities- Vancouver, B.C. Although it had been a couple years since we last visited I was reminded how much I love Vancouver and the diversity of its surrounding neighborhoods. I like to think of Vancouver as the hip, more refined and established older sister to Seattle. Whatever characteristics I like about Seattle it seems Vancouver has in greater abundance or accessibility. My two great loves are the water and the mountains. Vancouver like Seattle has both, but in Vancouver the mountains are so easily accessible from the city it makes me envious. 

My little helper

My little helper

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Parenting

As many of you know, our first son, Asher's due date was Christmas day. This year we were suppose to find out the gender of our third child the week of Christmas, but an unfortunate miscarriage in October put an end to that. Ever since Asher passed away I have made it a tradition to make tiny little wreaths to put around our house during the holidays to remember him by. Initially, it was a good way for me to channel my sadness during that first Christmas. I distinctly remember that first Christmas when we so painfully felt the loss of our first born- I had a realization where I finally realized why some people could carry such disdain for the holidays.  In subsequent years, it has become a symbol of his ever important presence in our family and now the missed presence of yet another child. These little wreaths are also a good reminder to keep the holidays simple and provide a gentle nudge to focus on what really matters. The first year I made these because I was too grief stricken to do much in the way of Christmas decorating, but since then these little wreaths have brought me a lot of happiness and peace as I look at them each day whether it be in the bathroom, bedroom or on the refrigerator.  

Christmas 2015

Christmas 2015

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Parenting

There is nothing more magical than witnessing the excitement of a small child- Christmas this year was no exception. Jasper is the perfect age to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas without having any expectations for what the season might hold. Christmas morning was spent at home as a family of three and then later in the afternoon at my parent's home. My parent's home is the epitome of every child's dream with each room thoughtfully decorated and lavish meals abounding with food and flavor. Jasper, just like his parents are always impressed and inspired when we visits Grandma's and Grandpa's home.

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