$10.00 off oil change for toy donation to Santa's Castle

I got this e-mail and wanted to share....

Dear Marie,

             As you know the holidays are swiftly approaching. We want to make sure that as many children as possible can enjoy this time, so we have decided to sponsor Santa's Castle. 

            This program assists our military men and women who may not otherwise be able to provide toys for their children. As of now, over 1,800 service men and women in our community have signed up for this service. We are offering $10 off a retail oil change to anyone willing to bring in a toy for the cause. We can credit this to you if you are not currently in the need for an oil change at this time.

            We will be collecting toy donations now through Sunday, December 1st. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for our progress! Santa's Castle is currently expressing a need for board games. 
                        We hope to see you soon! Thank you to all who decide to participate.

-Your Friends at the Harnish Auto Family

Mount Rainier

Before I start this post let me say that I know most of you have probably been to Mount Rainier at least once, however, that doesn't mean that there are people who haven't yet seen it.

It took me almost a year and half after I have moved to Washington to visit Mount Rainer, and I regretted not going there earlier, especially during the winter season. My brother and sister were visiting during the summer and we took them there, so our timing might not have been the best -check their website to see when is the park open and which areas you should go to, we went to Paradise-, but still we've enjoyed our short trip, which was mostly spent on the road.

To be honest we weren't really sure where to go, and we decided to just drive and stop whenever we felt like it. During our ride up the mountain different amazing sceneries have compelled us to stop and admire the breathtaking nature. However, my daughter, who was then only 7 months old, didn't really enjoy the amount of time we spent in the car, nor the short breaks we kept taking for photos. The poor thing, whenever she thought that we were finally there, we put her back into her car seat, and started driving. Her objections were loud and clear! So maybe if you are planning to go their with an infant, you should be a little more considerate than we were and try and get your little one to flat land as soon as possible, or wait till they're a little older and get to really enjoy the trip.

When we arrived at the top there was some snow, which made my little bother really happy since he'd never seen snow before (remember, we are from Saudi Arabia, where it snows ALL THE TIME!). So he went up the snowy hill and we lost him for an hour as he enjoyed bringing out his inner child. There was a hotel/lodge where you can stay for the night, which seems really fun to do during the ski season. When we arrived there, we were famished but the hotel's restaurant didn't open for dinner till 5:00 pm and it was still 3:00 pm, so we decided to hit the cafeteria where they sell some sandwiches,  pizza, salads and of course drinks! The food there wasn't the greatest but we managed to silence our hunger for the time being.




I don't think we've spent more than an hour at the top before heading down the mountain again. On our way down we stopped by a creek with running water that was really cold, with a tree that was tumbled over it to serve as a bridge. On a sad note, a Saudi kid fill into that same water a couple of months later and drowned, so parents should be really careful, that is why my daughter stayed in the car with my sister instead of coming with us. As you look around you, you'll notice some manmade rock assortments, which looked like sculptures, if I didn't have my daughter waiting in the car I might've spent some time working on my own sculpture!







We are planning on going there during the ski season because I think it is something we shouldn't miss, and I cannot wait to see my daughter's reaction when she touches the snow for the first time! Maybe I'll post something about it then.

Adventure Kids Playcare

I was set to start my first quarter at Seattle Pacific University in January 2013, at that time my daughter was 4 months old. So of course finding good care for her was my first priority. Because I knew if I wasn't comfortable with whomever is taking care of her, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my studies. luckily enough a couple of months earlier a new place opened next to us that would let you drop your kids at any time and go shopping or run errands. My husband and I were excited when we read that they take kids from 6 weeks till 12 years old, Plus, they open till 10 pm during weeknights and 12 am during weekends! which was convenient since my classes usually end at 8:50 pm!

 

Before committing to leaving my daughter there while I'm at school, I went in and took a tour of the place when she was almost 3 months old. The staff member that gave me the tour was really friendly and answered all of my questions. what I really liked about the place is that it is open with lots of windows, where you can check     on your kids without your little ones seeing you, and make sure that   the crying has stopped the minute they so all the toys that they've got!    The center is divided into three areas, one for infants from 6 weeks-    1 year old, the other area is for toddlers from 1 year old- 2 years old,  and then the "big kids area" which has lots of fun activities for    different ages. They also offer meals for Breakfast, Lunch and    Dinner.

So the idea is that you can come and drop your kid, but they do recommend that you make a reservation especially for infants and toddlers since they have limited numbers (1 staff member for each 4 kids). They have theme nights, movies, arts and crafts, and many more activities. However, I'm not going to bore you with all of this information since you can find it on their website.

I am going to talk about my experience with the AKP Bellevue location. As I mentioned before, the staff is really friendly, and always greets my daughter by name. When my daughter first started going there she wasn't the "easiest" infant to deal with, taking care of her needed extra effort, and the staff was really open to suggestions from us, and they didn't mind that I gave them a list of "instructions" on how to make their time and hers easier. The owners are there almost everyday, and try to be involved with the parents by having small talks whenever they can. I can tell that my daughter enjoys her time at AKP, because whenever I pick her up and head toward the car she cries and points at the center, which is her way of saying that she wants to go back.

So I am going to use this post to thank the staff at Adventure Kids Playcare for all the hard work they're doing!
THANK YOU!

Garden D'Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens

Every year , during the month of December, the Bellevue Botanical Gardens hosts the Garden D'Lights show.  The Botanical Gardens are owned and maintained by the City of Bellevue, WA, and the park is cared for primarily by volunteers.  In May 2013, the gardens started construction on an expansion project to allow for increased visitor traffic.  They are constructing a new visitors center, expanding the current parking lot, and doing landscape improvements.  The construction project is not going to interfere with this years Garden D'Lights event. 

 

The Garden D'Lights reports that it uses over a half million lights to create mystical sea creatures, recreate the blossoming gardens that are present over the summer months, and local animal life.  The event runs from November 30, 2013 through January 4, 2014.  Tickets are normally only $5.00, and children under the age of 10 are free.  This show appeals to all ages.  You may want to bring some extra cash if you would like to take advantage of the barista bar at the visitor center. 

 

If you are concerned that the show may not be as great this year due to construction, there are always free nights.  This year, the free nights are December 2, 3, 4, 5, and December  9, 10, 11, 12.  Last year, we went on a free night and there were staff at the entrance asking for $5.00 donations.  After walking through the exhibit, I felt a little self-conscious for not having the cash to donate $5.00 to the effort.  The lights are put together by volunteers, and it the event is so well planned that it is worth the price of admission.    

 

The Garden D'Lights website reports that they are putting up new displays this year.  A Honey Bear is being added to the list of over 30 critters.  They are adding Charlotte's Web and Willie the Slug.  There is an Aquarium of Lights with a pulsing jellyfish, and octopus. 

Visitors should prepare for a cold winter night.  The Garden D'Lights is open from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every evening, including holidays.  Even though we are in the temperate Northwest, dress yourself and your children in winter closing to make the visit more comfortable.   The parking lot is downhill from the park and you may want to limit the amount of items you are willing to carry to the park.  You may want to consider a stroller for the kids.  The park does provide an ADA parking lot at the entrance.  I recommend arriving early as the parking lot fills-up quickly.  Once you are in the park, the walk will transverse you down hill again, so it is a easy stroll through the park.  I plan on attending again this year and I hope to see you there!

 

Marie

 

GIF Shows Most Popular Baby Names for Girls Since 1960

Check-out this article in The Atlantic, A Wondrous GIF Shows the Most Popular Baby Names for Girls Since 1960.  If you are patient enough to watch the years tick by, you can see the most popular baby names for each State from 1960 to 2012.  I found it interesting and wanted to share.

Marie

Halloween Family Fun Fest

For this Halloween I was really excited to get my baby into a costume and take her trick-or-treating, yet, I was a little unsure if at her age she'll really enjoy all the festivities. That is why I first took her to Gymboree's Pumpkin Patch party, which wasn't bad. But I think that I chose the wrong party to go to, I should've chosen the one with the older kids, all of their energy would've balanced out hers. The other activity that I was looking forward to was the Bellevue Square Trick-or-Treat event.

As you know, exams are one of the "perks" of being an MBA student, so of course, I had to study for a midterm on the same day as that event! However, I didn't let that stop me from going there even if we were late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we arrive there, and the mall is packed!!! I've never seen anything like it, maybe it was because we were late or maybe it was crowded from the start, I guess I'll have to wait till next year and see which one is true. So some shops participate in giving candies and other treats to kids, and depending on the shop you might have to wait in a line. It seems that Disney, and Lego stores had the best treats. Since my daughter was already tired and wouldn't have any of the candies she'll get anyway, we decided to skip trick-or-treating between stores.

 

 There was also live music by a band that I have never heard before, but they were really good. The band was called Brian Vogan & GBs. They sang a couple of songs and asked the kids to participate, which was kind of fun to look at. You can find their debut album on cdbaby.com.

 

 

This is Brian Vogan's first music video, and it is done in a very professional and interesting way, that I'm sure will be a hit with the little ones.

                                          

On the second level they had a mad science booth, and a balloon tying clown, which unfortunately had packed her stuff by the time we got there and we couldn't get a balloon. Another nice thing they had, were photo booths, which they had four of them at different sides of the mall. Some had long waiting lines because they were located at areas that had high traffic, ex: in front of Macy's. While others didn't, like the one on the second floor.

So if you decide to go there next year, you might want to try and go early. also if your kids are under 2 they might not be really interested in trick-or-treating, but I'm sure they're going to love the live music and all the costumes around them.

Holidays at The Landing in Renton, WA



Mouse in a Mouse Trap!



The weekend prior to Halloween, my toddler and I attended the Trick or Treat event at The Landing in Renton, WA. 

 

Opening in 2009, it is one of Western Washington's newest multi-dimensional urban areas.  It is a retail center with 880 residential living units.  It is conveniently located off exit 5 of I-405. It is close to Coulon Park and Lake Washington.  Coulon has one of my favorite playgrounds, a great place to launch boats, and have a meal at Ivars or Kid Valley food concession stands. 

Where's Waldo?



The Landing has plenty of national stores, but it is set apart by its local-only shops like Creative Mom Toys, Fresh Way Pizza, and C'est La Vie.  If you sign-up for Creative Mom Toys updates, you get notices as to when they are having sales and events in the store.    

 

All stores normally open on Sunday were handing out candy.  There were lots of families and even the adults dressed-up for the event.  It was a very relaxing and family friendly environment.






















On 11/23/13, The Landing is scheduled to have the local tree lighting ceremony.  There will singing by local school kids, reindeer, and the Santa Train. 

Last year, we went to holiday festivities in December and my 1.5 year old rode the Santa train with Dad.  The Trackless Train was brought down from Mt. Vernon by a local business, The Shop.

We also visited Santa at the Re/Max Select Real Estate.  He as a healthy, age appropriate Santa!  (I have experience Santa shopping, and some look like they are just shy of a heart attack.)  The $5.00 I paid for the photo was donated to the Seattle Children's Hospital. 

The holiday festivities will continue through the month of December, but it does not appear that the schedule is up for this year.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I will update you once I know more.

Marie