Exploring the Seattle Pacific Science Center, by Edy Kizaki and assistant Madeleine Anthony

The Seattle Pacific Science Center is packed with fun and adventures for people of every age.  From school field trips to just plain old family fun, the Science Center is always a blast.  Babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, as well as our school children of all ages, enjoy  playing, exploring, and learning about such wonders as ocean life, reptiles, and the human body.  In fact, the adults have just as much fun as the kids as there is something for everyone!  Many times you’ll see Seattle visitors without kids there with unmistakable expressions of interest and pleasure. I know I learn something new every time I go! The Science Center is huge, with four buildings packed full of different exhibits surrounding the central water park which also has its own experiments about hydrogen energy, bicycling, and sculptures of animals and dinosaurs.

There is never enough time to completely enjoy all that the Science Center has to offer.  Two IMAX Theaters (the Boeing Theater being six stories high!) show all kinds of 3D films ranging from tornados to Sea-Rex. Learn about our solar system in the Planetarium and enjoy a hypnotizing laser show in the Laser Dome.  Check their IMAX THEATER WEBSITE  for current showtimes. Currently the butterfly house is a favorite attraction of most of the kids I know.  The humid exhibit is filled with exotic plants from jungles and tropical forests where hundreds of butterflies flitter past, sometimes to land on your shoulder or shoe.  Before going into the Butterfly House, you must pass through the yucky, creepy bug exhibit where you can observe live tarantulas and scorpions.  Sit at a picnic table where a lunch of fried beetles and bug cookies await.  In another exhibit you can learn about prehistoric dinosaurs and watch the life size models munching on plants and tearing apart fresh meat.   My little guy loves the toddler play area with indoor climbing toys, computer room, musical instruments, and water park (great for the Seattle wet winters which keeps us inside). There are endless experiments ranging from DNA blocks to the chemistry lab, balance and levers to trains and other locomotives.

The Science Center is located in the extensive Seattle Center in the north part of downtown. It would be a mistake to think you can see the whole Seattle Center in one day, split up the museums for several different trips.  You can spend the whole day at the Seattle Pacific Science Center and still not see it all. Bring a sack lunch, some snacks, and take your time exploring all of the scientific wonders and activities at the Pacific Science Center.

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

“Childish Things” a third in a series of kids resale shops, by Edy Kizaki and assistant Madeleine Anthony.

Right off the busy Holman Road in Greenwood you will find Childish Things, a small high quality children’s and maternity store.  After struggling to find parking in the small lot outside the store, I walked into a most organized and clean resale boutique.  It is such a nice little store, at first glance it seemed like all new items.  New toys racks are the first you see in the store, and as you continue to browse, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the used toys as they are of such high quality. Not only the toys are in such nice condition, but even the used clothes are steam cleaned and ironed every day so as to appear new when hanging on the racks.

The girls that work here do an exceptional job at choosing items to buy from consigners and they believe this is because their consigning system is different than other resale store in Seattle.  Childish Things “buys outright” which means that they offer people store credit or 75% cash on the spot. In this system, they must be really selective on what they put on the racks in this store otherwise they would lose too much money for the business.

The girls that work here love the fact that they are all so different because their differences allow them to choose a wide variety of toys and styles of clothes to resell in their store.  They also have a great selection of used and inexpensive maternity wear.  There is a whole separate room filled with maternity clothing as well has shelves above filled with educational books for both parents and kids.  It is important to have such a resale store in this neighborhood because families come from all over the Seattle area to visit Carkeek park which is just a few blocks up the road from Childish things.  You might even consider making a day trip out to Greenwood—do some shopping at Childish Things and then go play at Carkeek Park.

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

A report on one of my favorite parks, not far from our home in Ballard, by my assistant Madeleine Anthony:

Having spent my childhood in Seattle and now a mother, I must say that Carkeek Park is a favorite park in the north Seattle area.  Between the Ballard and Greenwood neighborhoods at the edge of Puget Sound, lies the huge 220 acres of Carkeek Park.  Hiking trails offer adventures in the wilderness right in the city; explore forests and wetlands, cross bridges and duck under fallen trees.  Barbeque areas of different sizes, all with views of the sound and Olympic Mountains, can be reserved through the Park’s Department for larger parties.

Two great playgrounds serve people of all ages on one side of the giant field where you can find people bathing in the sun, playing soccer, and Frisbee.   Beware of the giant Salmon who eats small children and shoots them through a tunnel slide to land in the play area with mosaic art replicating the Piper’s Creek watershed and beach life of the Puget Sound.  Climb down the stairs to the beach front below and explore the wildlife awaiting. When the tide is out, you will find tide pools full of anemones, crabs, and starfish.  Piper’s Creek meets the Sound to create shallow wading areas which are great in the summer for a cool down in the heat.  Several parking lots are found scattered around the park; depending on what you want to do, you can park at the top of Carkeek and hike in or drive down the windy roads and park closer to the play area or the stairs to the beach.

Go to the Seattle Parks and Recreation for directions as it can be a little tricky to find.

By Madeleine Anthony and Edy Kizaki.

“Kids on 45th” is second in a series on Seattle Kid’s Resale Shops by Edy Kizaki and Madeleine Anthony.

The highly desired Wallingford neighborhood is full of resources for a family lifestyle, and N 45th Street, the walkable shopping corridor through the heart of the neighborhood, offers a great kid’s resale shop!

For twenty four years now, this tiny store in downtown Wallingford has been jam packed with great new and used items for kids.  Although a whole lot smaller than other resale stores in Seattle, you can be sure to find good stuff at Kids on 45th.   Larger items are more limited than other resale stores and are sometimes lost under the disorganized chaos of the used clothing racks, but with such a small space it’s hard to expect much better.

One of my favorite things about this store is the dollar rack.  When clothing items do not sell in thirty days they go straight to the dollar rack no matter the quality.  In wandering the store I spoke briefly with a grandmother who lives in the Wallingford neighborhood and is a regular at Kids on 45th.  She walks everywhere in the neighborhood so stops in all the time to check the dollar rack.  On this particular trip she found several cute tops for her two granddaughters in almost new condition.  I also love the mixed up toy bin in the way back by the shoes.  Here you will find bags of miscellaneous toys for super cheap deals.  Sometimes these bags have toys that are missing parts or have some other minor defects however, they are often filled with great learning tools such as blocks or fun musical instruments that are loved by kids just the way they are.  Kids on 45th is located at the perfect location especially for pedestrians.  It is smack dab in between the two most frequented parks in Wallingford (Wallingford Playfield and Meridian Park) and less than a mile from the Woodland Park Zoo.  If you’re out walking through the neighborhood and you’ve forgotten a ball or lost a shoe, it is really easy to stop in and find something good on your way.   Although a little more chaotic than other children’s stores in Seattle, you can find great deals here with just a little patience. Visit their website for more information .

Me N Mom's in Ballard

Me ‘N Moms, a Labor of Love in Ballard, First in a series on Seattle Kids’ Resale Shops by Edy Kizaki and Madeleine Anthony
It’s incredibly hard work but totally worthwhile to run the largest children’s resale store in Seattle. With over 9,300 consigners and over 500 new items to go through every day, Me ‘N Moms has by far the largest volume of resale children’s products in the area.  According to Wendy, the owner since 2001, it is really important to have such a “recycling center” in the neighborhood.  “To have a resale store with high quality products allows families to save as much as 70%, and that really helps many people,” she

from A to Z, everything you may need and more

tells me.   It is tons of work going through all the junk people bring in, but Wendy picks out the best stuff as she aims to move along 70% of the items she takes in within two months.  She refers to her work as a labor of love and in talking with her it is clear that she truly loves what she does.  She’s really proud of the community and the concern for recycling.  Shoppers and consigners of Me ‘N Moms are “down to earth people who really care”.
Located at the north end of downtown Ballard on Market street, Me ‘N Moms boasts the most extensive and most organized store I have found yet.  Lots of street parking as well a large parking lot make it easy to pop in and out stress free.    If you know what you are looking for, it will be easy to find in this store.  Furniture and larger items such as strollers, cribs, and rockers are found on the upper level immediately when you walk in.  Little neon colored signs are posted all around the store indicating which area you are in.  New and used toys are found in abundance.   Of all the resale stores we’ve visited Me ‘N Moms has the largest and most organized selection of clothes with sizes clearly marked and separated.   Along with stylish items for all seasons there were some really great Halloween costumes as well.  We left with a handful of nice books from the $.25 book bin.  The labor of love has surely paid off with the success of three other stores around the Seattle area all owned by different members of the same family.  Check the website Me N Moms for more information on any of their three stores .

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

Holiday Things to do in Seattle 2011

Holidays in Seattle are packed with fun festivals and events, and memorable experiences.  The cold weather doesn’t slow us one bit during the holidays.  There are many things to do in Seattle for people of all ages so there is absolutely no reason to stay home!  Bundle up, grab your hot cup of coffee, and enjoy all the holiday things to do in Seattle 2011!

Follow me on my journey to introduce and navigate through all the holiday festivals and events happening in Seattle and all around the Sound!

All of these holiday festivals and events are happening between now until end of the year!

2200 Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration – December 1, 2011, 5:30 – 8:30 pm

Tons of FREE entertainment and holiday themed events

The Nutcracker at the Pacific Northwest Ballet – November 25^th to December 27th

Winterfest @ Seattle Center – November 25^th to December 31^st

This is five weeks of FREE or affordable activities and entertainment at the Seattle Center.  There is miniature train and village, holiday lights, ice rank, ice sculpting, high school jazz bands and orchestras, Dicken’s Carolers, and much more!

First Friday Family Fun Night at the Cascade People’s Center in South Lake Union Neighborhood

FREE celebration of the season with arts and crafts, hot drinks and snacks, and much more!

Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna Neighborhood – Through Dec 26th

Garden d’Lights 2011 at the Bellevue Botanical Garden – November 26^th to December 31^st  (Over half a million lights!)

 Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium – Nov 25^th to Jan 1st (About half a million lights brightens the entire zoo!)

16th annual Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park – Nov 24th – Jan 1st

The largest holiday drive-through display in the Northwest, featuring nearly 300 elaborate displays and thousands of sparkling lights.

Snow Flake Lane at Bellevue – Nov 25th to Dec 24th

Dazzling lights, music, dramatic drumming from live toy soldiers and magical snow.

Holidays at the Leavenworth

Celebrating the holidays at the Bavarian Village with Christmas lighting festival, carolers, horse-drawn carriage, and much more!

A Victorian Country Christmas

Holidays Things to do in Seattle 2011

ABOUT CHRISTY KIM

Seattle.  Ballard.  Shilshole Bay.  The marina at sunset.  Welcome to one of the still, luminous moments to be experienced here in the Pacific Northwest.

Next to Puget Sound, in the old Ballard neighborhood, lies Golden Gardens Park and Shilshole Bay Marina.  These days Ballard is one of the cool Seattle destinations, and locals treasure the restaurants and shopping on Market St NW and Ballard Ave.  But then there’s Sunset Hill, the neighborhood just over Golden Gardens Park on the bluff.  Stairs down from 34th Ave will take neighborhood walkers down steep flights to the Sound, or you can drive down.  Or if you go down Market St past the Ballard Locks, you can drive along the Marina north (past two great eating spots, Ray’s Boathouse and Anthony’s) till you get to the park and the beach at Golden Gardens.  Either way the views of the sunset are quietly breathtaking.

Today was the first day of the Yule Fest at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard.  Happy crowds thronged the grounds under a bright blue November sky.  Inside the impressive brick museum musicians performed, bakers served traditional Norwedgian cookies and drinks, and crafts were offered in a number of the little rooms where normally all that is on view is sets showing the old time life in the Ballard area of Seattle.

What a day, full of interest and a good way to get a jump on Christmas shopping.  Several of those on my list are going to be pleasantly surprised by glass butter dishes, silver antique teaspoons, boiled wool jackets, hand made bright red candlesticks, little wooden flying horses, and other Nordic special tolkens of the season.  Not to mention the yummy Christmas cookies, ceramics, earrings, and traditional wheat sheaves.

Tomorrow is the 2nd day of the event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Santa in attendance!  For more information, please see the Yulefest website.

There could not have been a better day for our Corn Patch adventure in Snohomish. The maze seemed to go on for ever, the patch full of pumpkins to choose from was wide and there were red wagons to pull over the ruts and between the rows.  We loaded up with four pumpkins including a big one, all for $16.  Of course, everyone over 2 also was charged $9 each to get in, but it was declared worth it by all!

There were rubber duck races, round cage rollies, pony rides, pot banging stations (presumably to scare away the ghosties), trout fishing, a jumping place, a wonderful train that went on and on, around and around, until some of the moms on board were seen to put their heads onto their arms in despair of ever getting onto their own two feet again (the driver really seemed to be enjoying himself).  There was fantastic roasted corn, hot apple cider, hot dogs, and other goodies to munch.

Highly recommended, you still have Sunday!

This is the Pacific Northwest.  It’s teaming with fresh local produce and game, and perhaps above all, it’s Salmon Country.  Heading into fall we are in the fall season for an abundance of natural local produce and all that implies, and just around the corner are the harvest moon, falling leaves, Halloween, and finally, Thanksgiving.  And yes, school started yesterday!  That makes this upcoming Saturday the perfect day to get out there and enjoy the tag end of summer here by Puget Sound.  SAM is sponsoring the Salmon Return Festival.  There will be lots of art making, kids’ tours and games, and promised “lots lots more”.  REI, our locally based star outdoors recreational supply store, will be there featuring a learning experience on how you can protect our public lands.  At 2 o’clock there is live music by a local band, Recess Monkey.  And before lunch (11 a.m.) there will be storytelling by awardwinning master Turtle Island storyteller Roger Fernandez (see you there!).