Valentine's Day in a box

Valentine's Day in a box

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
"Home"

As my friends have spread out across the globe I find myself wanting to send little surprise packages to them in the mail every now and again. Although distance permits us from seeing each other often, I want them to know I am still thinking of them. For Valentine's Day I thought it would be fun to put together a few packages to send to some of my favorite ladies. I like to think there is nothing more exciting then receiving an unexpected package in the mail and I hope these ladies feel the same way. 

A birthday celebration in the North Cascades

A birthday celebration in the North Cascades

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

The North Cascades are my happy place. The moment I set foot in that valley or hike through those mountains I feel calm and at peace. It is the place I look most forward to visiting year after year and the place I most often find myself day dreaming about.  When Cameron mentioned he wanted to go there for his birthday this past month I was eager for the day of our trip to arrive. Unfortunately, good health has alluded us so far this year so Cameron had the privilege of celebrating his birthday instead with two "sickies".

Out and About with Kids: Olympic Sculpture Park

Out and About with Kids: Olympic Sculpture Park

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle, Parenting

In my opinion, each day should consist of six things: fresh air, inspiration, exercise, creativity, meaning and play. When a day feels off it is usually because it is lacking in one of these categories. It had been a long time since we last visited the Olympic Sculpture Park and during our couple hour visit I was reminded why it is such a fantastic place- especially for children. At the Olympic Sculpture Park you will find large scale art pieces to interact with, sweeping vistas of the city, mountains and water and most importantly, for this little two year old hills to run up and plenty of space to run free. The train tracks which run parallel to the park and the constant air traffic overhead provide additional entertainment.

Valentine baking

Valentine baking

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Food

If one thing is for certain I have a little guy who loves to bake. Now every day while I am fixing his breakfast or lunch he goes to our bookshelf, finds my Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, gently takes off the jacket and brings it to me in the kitchen. He looks up at me with his large doe eyes and says "ginger ba ba" which means "gingerbread" which translates to " Can we please make some cookies?" Most days, I can resist his pleas to bake by distracting him with the mail truck outside or asking him if he would like to help me with the laundry instead. However, on this particular day I was feeling in the mood to bake myself and so Valentine sugar cookies it was. 

Northwest Trek

Northwest Trek

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle, Parenting

Most days when I take Jasper on an adventure I have a series of events planned out in mind. There are certain elements of the day I am certain will excite him and then I leave all the rest to chance. However, most days the memorable moments typically happen during the in between periods, the pit stop at the park before nap time where we are almost mauled with kisses from an adorable new puppy or on the walk to the car when we encounter a road construction crew. Time and time again I am shown there is wonder and awe in the mundane as much as the majestic. So when we took Jasper to Northwest Trek this Fall I thought he would be really excited about the tram ride, but in actuality he was equally pumped about the information signs on the walking paths, pine needles and being a rebel by not walking on the pavement. Kids these days, they are just so easy to please!

Land's End and Sutro Baths

Land's End and Sutro Baths

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

In all my visits to San Francisco I have never visited Land's End before. From the moment I laid eyes on this place I loved it. From the fresh sea air, to the window blown trees, and the beautifully rugged landscape. I can only imagine how spectacular it was to have a swimming pool right here. If I lived in San Francisco these trails would become woven into the fabric of my life. 

Weekend Adventures: Island hopping

Weekend Adventures: Island hopping

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Seattle

We are fortunate to live near hundreds of islands, but the thought has never really occurred to me to go island hopping for the day. Usually, we have a destination in mind and the ferry is the means to get there, this time we decided to try something we had never done before and go island hopping. We knew we could head to Vashon Island and then hop on over to Tacoma but we have never done so. We live so close to the Vashon Island ferry within minutes we were cruising across the water and heading toward our island adventure. No traffic, no waits, perfection on a sunny Saturday with an antsy toddler in the back seat. 

A little hope of Spring: Pike Place Market

A little hope of Spring: Pike Place Market

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

It is easy to forget about places like Pike Place Market when it is cold outside and rainy days become the norm. However, Pike Place Market is still a vibrant, thriving market place even when the thermometer drops. The biggest appeal once the crowds thin are you can easily find a parking space and you are no longer elbow to elbow with tourists. In between appointments we made a quick pit stop at Pike Place Market for the essentials: Ellenos yogurt, a bag of fresh green grapes, a couple apples and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Most importantly, amidst the fresh produce and tchotchkes I was able to find a little hope of Spring.  Often when I think about heading downtown I can talk myself out of it. However, these type of spontaneous trips remind me how much richer life is when we approach life with a little bit of wonder and fill each day with adventures that make our heart sing. 

Out and About with Kids: Never give up!

Out and About with Kids: Never give up!

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle, Hiking

After a tough day of snowshoeing with Jasper a couple weeks ago we both felt like throwing in the towel on future trips this Winter. However, later that week we were able to take him and have such a fun time. At the spot where we took our break Jasper insisted on me lifting him high in the sky over and over again. All while telling Cameron "one more cheese" meaning take another photo please. There are so many highs and lows when it comes to parenting, a happy day on the trail is such a high for me! One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get out from behind the camera more often and these photos of Jasper and I are such treasures to me. 

Best places to eat in San Francisco

Best places to eat in San Francisco

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Food

When we go on a city vacations the food is always what gets us the most excited to get out of bed in the morning.  The best part of traveling to a world class city like San Francisco is there are always more places we want to eat than meals in a day. Especially now that we have a perpetually hungry toddler, our city vacations go a little something like this: walk, eat, sleep, repeat. 

Out and about with kids: The perfect day "date" with your little valentine

Out and about with kids: The perfect day "date" with your little valentine

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

Last year I came to the realization of how wonderful Volunteer Park is for little ones. Volunteer park is diverse and spacious with plenty of room to run around, things to look at (from the sculptures to the water tower) and spots to picnic at. One of my favorite places in Volunteer Park is the children's playground which we often find empty and has a designated area for little ones. Between the Volunteer Park Conservatory, the open spaces, the playground and Volunteer Park Cafe nearby it makes for the perfect morning out with your little one, best friend or mother.

Flying with children

Flying with children

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Parenting

I always appreciate hearing different point of views on parenting because usually that means I can find something which resonates with me. Traveling with kids was one of those big question marks for my husband and I. We had traveled extensively before having children and we weren't certain how it would be after having them. It wasn't until my son was 1.5 years old that we took the leap of faith and brought him on his first flight. However, in his first year and a half of life we did a lot of traveling starting when he was just shy of two months old. I remember the first time we packed the car with baby stuff and we were like. "Wow, this is a lot of stuff for one tiny person!" In that first year and a half of his life we went to the coast, the mountains, the city and everywhere in between. Although we did not fly anywhere we took him on a ton of road trips and learned loads about how to keep a baby and then eventual toddler entertained while in the car. 

Out and About with Kids: Snowshoeing at Snoqualmie Pass

Out and About with Kids: Snowshoeing at Snoqualmie Pass

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Parenting, Seattle

The one question I get asked the most often is "how do you keep a toddler happy while you are hiking/snowshoeing?" Aside from my amazing husband who willingly carries our little heavy weight around the answer is pretty simple, sometimes we do and other times we don't. Early on we decided we did not want to stop doing the things we love because we had children. That being said we have had to curtail the length and frequency of our hikes in addition to having our moments where we question why we brought him along in the first place.

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

Up until our most recent trip to San Francisco I had spent very little time in Golden Gate Park. Now, it is pretty much the one place I want to spend all my time when I visit San Francisco. There is so much to see and do in Golden Gate Park from the De Young Museum, to the Japanese Garden, California Academy of Sciences, Stow Lake and the Old Dutch windmill to name just a few. Golden Garden Park reminds me a little bit of Central Park largely in part because they both feel like a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. As you walk throughout the park there is so much to look at and enjoy from gardens, to fountains, pathways and even an ice cream truck here or there. 

Out and about with kids: Best places to take children in San Francisco

Out and about with kids: Best places to take children in San Francisco

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel, Parenting

When traveling with children it is important to do three things: lower your expectations for the amount of ground you can cover in one day (one big activity per day is the goal), make the earliest dinner reservations you can (usually right when they open for dinner ie. 5pm) so you can eat at trendy/fun/popular/nice places without feeling like you are crashing the party. This way you never have to wait for a meal or worse yet roam around the streets looking for a place to eat. Lastly, make certain to give your children plenty of time to run around and be free. Once you have realistic expectations for traveling as a family and they have the freedom to be kids your trip will go almost as smoothly as those pre children vacation days.

Christmas in San Francisco

Christmas in San Francisco

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Travel

This year for Christmas we did a little something different and went on a vacation just the three of us. We had a wonderful time exploring one of our favorite cities and soaking up as much sunshine as possible. Upon arrival, we made a quick stop at the farmer's market for greenery for wreaths, Britex for ribbon and CB2 for some twinkle lights. Within a couple of hours I was able to put together a simple, yet festive environment for our stay.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Outdoor adventures

Today, we are slowly getting back into the swing of things after a nice, long sunny holiday in San Francisco. We lucked out with a streak of warm weather and sunshine while we were there which resulted in entire days spent outside, zipping around the city by foot, bus, street car or trolley. Eating almost every meal outside and basking in every possible ray of sunlight. It was so nice to get a break from the cold and the rain. When we arrived home to a dusting of snow and then spent the following day in the mountains I was reminded real life isn't so bad either. 

Cookie Decorating Party

Cookie Decorating Party

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Food, Kid Style, Parenting

This year we hosted our first annual Cookie Decorating party. I have wanted to host one of these for awhile, but Jasper's recent enthusiasm for baking encouraged me to finally do so this year. We kept the guest list short and made stacks of delicious gingerbread ahead of time. We had a fun filled morning with friends and I was reminded how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends. The amount of joy seen on these children's faces while they were chasing each other around or decorating cookies made all my efforts feel so worthwhile. Children are the best and watching your friend's children grow to love your own children is truly the best!

Trimming a tree

Trimming a tree

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Seattle

Every family does their Christmas tree shopping a little differently. Some people like tall trees, some people like short fat trees and other people like to find the saddest little tree they can and bring it home. Some families go to tree lots, tree farms, out in the woods, nurseries or even the grocery store. When Cameron and I were dating we selected our tree based on price, ease and convenience. We found the best looking tree the closest to Cameron's apartment and walked it home. Once we were married we continued this tradition for several years until we moved to a different place. That year, the closest place with trees for sale was Home Depot and once again we continued the tradition of walking our tree home. The following year we lived in a condo which was located near our local nursery and for a couple years we walked our tree home, shoved it in the elevator, took it for a ride up six floors to our place leaving a trail of pine needles as we went. Once we were in our house for the first time in our life we drove our tree home. After moving into our new home last year we decided to keep things simple and selected a tree we could easily put in the back of our car. Even though our beloved nursery delivers there is something so gratifying in selecting a tree, bringing it home and decorating it in one evening. Over the years, our Christmas trees keep getting smaller and smaller, but I think that is in large part because we are partial to the small and slightly chubby type. This year since we will be out of town for Christmas we decided to forgo getting a tree, but the Christmas spirit and one enthusiastic little boy quickly changed my mind about that. 

Out and About with Kids: A day at the zoo

Out and About with Kids: A day at the zoo

Lisette Wolter-McKinley
Parenting, Seattle

Even though we have an annual membership to the zoo we tend to visit rather infrequently. Although I like the idea of my child being able to see animals he might not normally see, I oftentimes leave the zoo with mixed emotions. On some visits all the animals are sleeping and I always worry they are depressed or unhappy living in such cramp quarters. About a month ago, we visited the zoo and had a fun filled afternoon watching many active and seemingly happy animals. The penguins and hippos were the highlight of the day, but riding the carousel is always Jasper's favorite part. 

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