Kids' stuff

Historic Downtown Snohomish Living

As the Antique Capital of Northwest, Snohomish, WA is home to nearly 450 antique dealers. Snohomish, with a population of 9145, was founded in 1859 and is listed in  National Register of Historic Places. This quaint river-side towne is famous for its Historic Homes and Gardens. Snohomish architecture contains a delightful variety of styles.  As an example, Blackman House is a must see. A Dutch colonial style with Queen Anne Towers, it is located on the corner of Fourth Street and Avenue D. Snohomish architectural collections reflect Queen Anne Victorians, English Tudors and Dutch Colonials as a testament to the diversity of Snohomish pioneer residents. Historic Homes Tour are offered for those who appreciate a stroll among gorgeous historic homes.  Snohomish Garden Club held its 25th Annual Snohomish GardenTour on July 26th 2009 featuring gorgeous gardens among Historic Snohomish Homes on a lovely Sunday afternoon.  Do not miss this Summer’s 2010 Garden Tour. Historic Downtown was a busy hub for milling, timbering and farming in 1860s. Today, there are delightful varieties of charming shops on First Avenue where visitors can take a day and…   Discover antiques, collectibles... 

Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah great kids’ activity

There may be more variety at the Seattle Zoo but certainly there is a lot to do at the smaller Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah.  For kids who love to see unusual animals, explore wildlife facts, and especially see their favorite tiger or reindeer, it’s a winner.  The  location is good too, even though it’s admittedly out from the city of Seattle a half hour or more.  For families coming from Seattle a trip could be coordinated with going to a honey shop or farm stand to get fresh produce and see a farm atmosphere (I’ll blog about local farms that invite visitors later this week). For kids living more locally, this is a great resource as, if you get a family membership, you have a park with animals and other fun elements that you can visit again and again.  As the novelty of running around looking at the animals wears off a bit the animal track library, the mini lectures, and the “Cougar Encounter” “Lemur Encounter” “The World of Wallabies” and “Tiger Encounter” start to draw attention.  The “Fountain of Tomorrow” will be a must-stop every time, and can become a wonderful tradition (take a moment and... 

Shoreline – Lake Forest Park Magical Strings Concert for the Holidays!

On Sunday, November 29th the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council presents Magical Strings Celtic Yuletide Concert. Now in it’s 31st year, Magical Strings will be performing at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center at 3 p.m.  As many families and fans in the community have made this a holiday tradition, tickets will go fast.  Phil and Pam Boulding, the center of this musical whirl of Holiday sparkle, are magical at holiday time.  Yuletide Concert Magical Strings Ensemble The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park concert is the first of their holiday series (which goes from Portland to Mount Vernon) and is, according to Phil, “always exciting, the energy is up and high because it’s the first show of the season.”  This year is specially special…Brittany Boulding, one of their five children, has returned from NYC where she lived for years performing with major orchastras.  It’s her first year back and she is busy as she’s the Concertmistress of the Bellevue Philharmonic, as well as playing with the Seattle Symphony.  She will appear with the Magical Strings group and play a special solo as well as fiddling along with the Celtic music and jigs! ... 

Everyone Loves Queen Anne

The City’s Favorite Neighborhood and the Reasons Why You might say that any sentence that starts out with “everyone” has to be an exageration.  And I suppose it’s true that if you were to ask 20 Seattleites what their favortie neighborhood is, they would not all immediately blurt out “Queen Anne.”  In fact we are blessed with a number of wonderful, quirky, downright fantastic places to live in this laid-back, high speed Pacific Rim city, not to mention some equally popular and beloved Eastside and Northside areas.  But Queen Anne is special to the heart of Seattle, even for those who might choose to live elsewhere.  In one of the eleven parallel universes that exist according to String Theory, everyone lives in Queen Anne at least once. Why is it so beloved? Paragon Restaurant Well, perhaps it’s the winding streets lined with flowering trees, or the gorgeous restored vintage houses, or the walkability with some of the city’s best restaurants and shops.  Or could it be the proximity to Seattle Center with all it’s offerings, and the every-so-easy commute (only 2 miles but as much as 20 minutes in rush hour traffic) to downtown? ... 

Dairygold Dairy in Issaquah an Interesting Stop

Issaquah is one of the treasures of the Eastside for a lot of reasons.  Small town friendly but with an air of sophistication and a lot of lifestyle amenities, it attracts families for it’s atmosphere and good schools.  There are a One of the familiar sights on Main Street in Issaquah lot of things of interest, including the recently built library and the salmon hatchery.  There are lots of culinary choices, Jak’s Grill is wonderful cuisine and delightful atmosphere (however they don’t accept reservations) and another great choice is the Issaquah Fish House.  Both are on Front Street very close to the Train Park.   There is also a Chocolate Facotry, Zoological Park, and operating trollys!  One of my favorite spots along Main Steet is the Dairygold Dairy which has wonderful huge murals and those sparkling white milk towers.  I know my son is always facinated when I point it out as we go by.  

Rose Hill Chocolate Factory and Shop in Mukilteo

 This sunny week we stopped by the Rose Hill Chocolate Company for a truffle and some samples of their famous fudge. I liked the Chocolate Ammeretto, my son opted for the Walnut Chocolate Fudge. Probably the most decadent was the black current truffle with white chocolate! Dan Straub, the owner, was behind the counter and we learned a lot about where the world’s best cacao beans come from (Tierra del Fuego) and some chocolate making trivia. There were a lot of other temptations including gummy spiders and numerous Halloween goodies available. Yum! We thought next time we’ll leave the kids at home and stop by the Leely’s Day Spa & Wine Tasting next door to the Chocolate Factory to sip some local vintages. Rose Hill Chocolate Company, 700 3rd Street, Mukilteo, WA, (425) 353-1183 Leely’s Day Spa & Wine: 700 Third St., Mukilteo; 425-268-6004, leely@ahanmail.net. Wine tasting available with spa services anytime; regular tasting 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, $5.  

Imagine Kids’ Museum in Everett

What a happy crisp clear day it was, and time to do some family stuff!  We went to the Imagine Children’s Museum, in Everett.  It was our first time at the Imagine Children’s Museum, and we LOVED it. Each exhibit seemed more fun than the last, and being in the rooftop play area was like heaven. The Water Play Room was full of spinning wheels and trickling streams, the Neon Room was dark and glowy (very Halloween!!) and the Treehouse, the Theater (act out your own plays!) and the Vetrinary Clinic were intriguing to say the least. I also loved the Farm Patch with a horse and tractor to ride, and the Airplane where you could pretend to piolet it… and the Fireman’s room for under 5’s. Right across the street was a great Goodwill with lots and lots of costumes… found a perfect Stitch costume (cute space alien with 4 arms, from Lilo & Stitch) for Daniel for $6…fun! If it still fits in October I bet we are going to have Stitch for Halloween! Imagine Children’s Museum, 1502 Wall StreetEverett, WA 98201(425) 258-1006 Edy Kizakai Realtor, Team Leader  

Short Trips From Seattle

There are so many exciting places to go to get out of the Seattle Metro Area for a weekend or a week that it would take a whole server to gather all the great vacation stories.  But just to give you a taste I have collected a couple recent travel blogs and articles that will showcase some great places to start your explorations.  Have fun! The  Puget Sound islands all within practically a stone’s throw, or at least a ferry ride, of the city are full of unique places and experiences.  Whether you are in the mood for artist colony (Salt Spring Island), historical bounty (Victoria) a camping adventure (in British Columbia) or laid back resort (San Juan Islands) there are choices and to spare.  Perhaps closest of all (there is no bridge from Seattle or the West Sound, though, so it’s still a Ferry ride, is Vashon Island.  Carol Pucci of Seattle Times (online travel section rocks) wrote a great trip description and I’ll be heading out that way with my family to enjoy the summer atmosphere of what she describes as “The Heart of the Sound.” Many Seattlites trek on a yearly basis to the Olympic Peninsula where camping and beaches offer timeless pleasures... 

Mother’s Day at the Washington Park Arboretum

This year marks the 75th  anniversary of the Washington Park Arboretum.   It was officially established then in a “joint agreement” between the city of Seattle and the University of Washington.  Hardly a month goes by without at Washington Park Arboretum Celebrates Mother's Day least a quick visit for our family as the seasons bring ever changing beauty to this spectacular urban green space.  The Arboretum is located just east of downtown Seattle on the shores of Lake Washington (south of UW).  This lovely area is the home of an internationally recognized “woody plant collection” (trees and stuff like that) which includes maples, hollies, oaks, camellias, and of course the conifers.  (If your visiting friends are always pointing at a tree with needles and saying “what kind is that?” and you never know, here is where you can find out.) What is happening here on Mother’s Day?  I wondered about it as we are still in the formulation stages of our plans (part of life as a real estate agent is that kids learn to fit into the schedule on weekends).  It seems there is an annual Mother’s Day tradition at the Arboretum, the Azalea Walk. ... 

Snapdoodle in Kenmore…the Perfect Toy Store!

It’s not every day a toystore has a birthday.  When Snapdoodle, just turning one year old in Kenmore, announced the Snapdoodle Toys in Kenmore provides brilliant fun! festivities, my seven year old and I could not resist visiting on the big day. A toy store in Kemore, on the north end of Lake Washington, Snapdoole shows oodles of both heart and soul as it provides the high end of what’s available in the toy world for learning and fun. This is a shopping destination for anyone with kids in their life. There are some very wonderful toy stores in the Seattle Metro area.  How could it be otherwise with our highly educated Welcome to Snapdoodle! highly motivated kid population?  After all, Seattle is not the “best educated city in the U.S.” for nothing.  Still, with all the choice and variety, I would find it hard to choose any of them over Snapdoodle, our new favorite place to play and dream.  There is a Doodle Zone art corner where classes and events are held during the summer, (why not go to the Snapdoodle Website for information on their art classes starting in May and their summer programs?) and other projects and festivities take place (including birthday... 

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