Treats for your Sweeties

With Winter almost here, I've been longing for those summer treats. I wrote about a new favorite of mine recently, for Red Tricycle, and wanted to share it.

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What’s sometimes messy, changes daily, but isn’t a diaper? Have we “peaked” your curiosity? Better grab the kids and skedaddle over to Peaks Frozen Custard. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 —literally. First, choose one of three flavors, with chocolate and vanilla always being a staple. The third flavor changes daily, ranging from Crunchy Vanilla Fudge Royale to Lavender. Next, chose a size, and third, if you feel adventurous, select a topping or two to crown the creation. Or, let the Peaks’ staff create something whimsically appetizing to suit your mood. Naturally, you can have your caffeine, too, and get a fix at the coffee bar. Lure the kiddies over to a fully-stocked play area with quaint toys, books, a kid-sized table and chairs, and a real wooden rocking moose! (Bring your laptop, as free wi-fi is a bonus.)
Think we’re nuts to be touting frozen treats in November? Think again—warm, comfy chairs, a fireplace, cozy couches and toasty coffee drinks will keep you coming back all season. And to make up for all that decadence, Peaks takes care of the environment and our community by using local produce and products, compostable containers and energy-saving appliances and lighting. Our favorite? The recycled doors on the bathrooms! Visit their Web site calendar and plan ahead!

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Don't just live, Thrive

November is here, and you might be feeling a little overdone just thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays. I've got some ways to lighten the month up a little, and the first is a short summary of a local shop I wrote about for Red Tricycle.

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When Little One started solids, you pureed concoctions of the freshest organic produce, but now those delicacies been replaced by Goldfish and Fruit roll-ups. Recommit yourself to a healthy lifestyle, which can be made easier with regular visits to Thrive café. This locally owned shop in Ravenna (1026 NE 65th Street, #A-102 ) promises to re-spark your interest in all things green, with a menu brimming with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, wheat-free, and dairy-free items. Sip some freshly minted water from the cooler and shop for raw nuts and seeds from the bulk bins, or sip a smoothie (Coconutty and the flavored Creamsicle varieties tempt our tastebuds) and peruse the eco-friendly totes. Have time to sit with Junior? Then dig into a salad or a warm grain bowl. But Thrive doesn’t stop with instant gratification. Dreading the overindulgence of the coming holidays? Revisit your menu items by educating yourself with a class at Thrive—Have a Rawsome Holiday, and Pies and Cakes, both coming up soon! They also offer private tours and field trips, and even would love to visit local schools. This might be your ticket to showing your new preschooler, or your PEPS group, that there’s more to life than O-shaped cereal. Don’t just live, Thrive!

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Turning over a new leaf? Try Maple.

The rain this week made me think of one of my favorite areas of town for rainy days. I wrote about it for Red Tricycle. I hope you find some useful info here!

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Fall is here — ready to turn over a new leaf? Try Maple. Seattle’s often overlooked Maple Leaf neighborhood features several must-dos for tots. Start at Maple Leaf Park and playground. No soggy wood chips here — brilliantly layered gravel simply drains the raindrops and keeps kiddos dry if they take a tumble. With a mix of retro steel climber toys and newer gadgets, this park has something for all.

Next stop, a short walk up to Cloud City Coffee. Its open floor plan, comfy couches, free wi-fi and kiddie play area make Cloud City a perfect place to recharge. Enjoy their wide range of tasty kid and adult menu items. No time to sit? We love the coffee honor bar, where drip coffee is just a buck. Green tip: Bring your own travel mug, drop in a dollar, and head out for more adventuring. Get craft items at Beadworld or stop by the Northwest Puppet Center for a weekend puppet show, or a weekday Puppet Museum tour. Ready for a full meal? Gluten-free and kid-sized pasta options available at Cafe Piccolo, or try Maple Leaf Grill.

Get a Move On....

I was sorting through the attic in search of some old dress-up clothes, and found a few boxes we never unpacked when we bought our home here 12 years ago. This made me want to share a little eco-friendly blurb I did for Red Tricycle. Hopefully you, or someone you know, can benefit from these Seattle solutions!

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Whether you are moving next door, over the bridge, or across the country, preparing to bundle up those toys and treasures you’ve gathered over the years can be a nightmare. Shuddering at the thought of bug-infested boxes your S.O. picked up off Craigslist? Seattle now has not one, but two solutions to this pesky problem — enter Frogbox and karmaboxx.
Reusable plastic Frogboxes offer eco-friendly, shiny green moving containers, totes and wardrobes, while blue-hued karmaboxxes made from recycled materials are regularly disinfected and reused hundreds of times. Both companies let you order online and deliver boxes ready for you to pack — no assembly required. And talk about full-service—they’ll even pick them up at your new digs after the move.
In keeping true to their names, Frogbox donates 1% of gross revenues to frog habitat restoration, including our very own Woodland Park Zoo, and karmaboxx donates 2% to a variety of community-suggested local charities.
So, when your kids take over the home office or your start-up begins expanding, set a good example by enlisting these companies for your corporate needs. Motivation bonus: You can’t delay unpacking knowing the boxes need to be returned. Clean up those carbon footprints and get a move on—literally.
http://www.frogbox.com
http://www.karmaboxx.com/

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Green Halloween

That time of year is upon us, and every year for the last few years, I've been trying to spread the word about a local trend turned nation-wide. Below is a blurb I contributed to Red Tricycle, and I hope it helps make your Halloween 'greener'...

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For many of us, Halloween conjures up memories of orange and black decor, and sticky-sweet treats. True, Halloween is a holiday heavy on sugar, not to mention waste, but what if it didn’t have to be? Thanks to Seattle-area’s Corey Colwell-Lipson, founder of Green Halloween®, (greenhalloween.org), Seattle is abuzz with ways to make your Halloween a little easier on the environment. Start by escorting your goblins to one of Seattle’s thrift stores—or visit a virtual swap (http://www.mamaswap.com/) to pick out their haunting attire. Feeling crafty? Help Junior whip up a handmade costume, from, say, treasures in the kitchen junk drawer or remnants of your old costumes.

Green Halloween’s Web site offers many resources, including their own marketplace (new this year), where you can purchase costumes, decorations, treats, and more. There are also downloadable action kits to help spread the word. One option is  to organize a playdate to visit a participating local vendor, such as Bellevue’s Whole Foods.

Like the idea, but can’t give up the treats? Tasty organic lollipops (http://www.yummyearth.com/) are better for children and the planet and some come in compostable wrappers. A complete list of greener treats is available too, natch.

RRR tip: When your kids toss aside this year’s costumes, pack them up in reusable bags (http://www.reusablebags.com/), and have a recycled but complete costume ready to hand down to the next little ghoul.

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We were lucky enough to run into Corey at this year's Zoo Pumpkin Prowl! Still a few days left to see her!

Pumpkin Party

This time of year, we are bombarded with Fall and Halloween ideas for the kids. Hard to pick, isn't it?

Do you love the idea of picking pumpkins and Fall-ish photo ops amongst the Halloween and October images you see everywhere, but hate the idea of a full-day event and way too much slogging through mud and bales of hay? Enter Fairbank Farm -- the perfect solution for all your pumpkin patch needs, just north of Seattle. This farm is very small, easily accessible, and for those of us with more than one child -- very stroller and yes, even double-stroller friendly! Wide cement trails wind through the entire area.

Fairbank features affordable weekday tours (minimum 8 students), led by wonderful staff who speak to the children in their most preschool-teacheresque voices, asking simple questions and providing tiny bits of kid-friendly information. Weekends are open for anyone to visit.

The day I visited the Farm, we ventured through animals a plenty, petting some, feeding others, and even saw newborn piglets!

The tour ends in a 'pumpkin patch', which is a delightful field strewn with tiny tot-friendly pumpkins just the right size to carry home and carve, or simply display as a happy memory of this event. Did I mention you'll be home in time for nap?

Ravenna is ready for us!

One of my favorite multiple-friendly areas of Seattle is Ravenna. I wrote about it for Red Tricycle. I hope you find some useful info here!

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Get revved up and ready to romp through Ravenna with your kids. The renovated Ravenna-Eckstein park & playground (6535 Ravenna Ave. NE) is equipped with the standards, but we think you’ll be tickled by bonus features. There are now ample cement paths for tots to trike before the sunshine becomes scarce. Lure older siblings with the elaborate rock-climbing structure towering over a set of ‘big kid’ swings a few yards away from the littles’ area. Tip: Show your S.O the pix you’ve snapped on your cell while Junior plays, and you’re sure to get some “me” time while he or she takes the kids to do a little climbing of their own. When pesky fall drizzles threaten, head indoors to the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center; the entire playroom has been renovated to include a climber with slides, and oodles of ride-on cars, motorcycles and trikes—perfect for the 0-5 crowd. Starving yet? Zip over to Bagel Oasis, or grab some tasty Mediterranean fare at Vios Cafe, nestled conveniently in the back of Third Place Books.  Let the toddlers snack and then dive into the enclosed, toy-filled oasis while you sip your espresso. Vios features a Kids Meze plate with grilled chicken, hummus and fresh fruit. Visiting on Saturday? Enjoy story time at Third Place.