Seattle Spotlight: Bottlehouse

Here in Seattle we are in the middle of abnormally wonderful, warm weather. This week Patrick and Myles picked me up from work and we had a delightful happy hour on the deck at Bottlehouse in Madrona. They have the cutest little garden patio that is perfect for outdoor dining on warm days. I couldn't believe there weren't more people there! They also had not one, not two, but THREE Rosé's on happy hour special. 

I think this place would be a wonderful venue for a party, shower, or any type of event in the summer. Added bonus, it's about three doors down from the original Glassybaby store where you can watch them blow the glass right in front of your eyes. 

 (Image & Image)

Springtime Fireplace

After cleaning out my fireplace, it was looking pretty lonely. Knowing it wouldn't have a cozy fire in it for months, I piled as many interesting looking clothbound books in there as I could find scattered throughout our house. Decluttering the house of random piles of books was the added bonus!

I wish you could see all of the book titles, I really do have a odd variety in there- from a beautiful old copy of Jane Eyre to the the 1980's personal style classic Color Me Beautiful (what season are you?), some beautiful gold gilded books of poetry and some newer hardcover books with the dust jackets removed.

If you're looking for old books in Seattle, I recommend hitting up Seattle Public Library book sales! 

Myles: Nine Months Old

Better late than never right?! Myles will actually be 10 months old on the 20th. As you can see he is loving the warm weather we have been blessed with in Seattle this spring. He is a happy baby who loves being outside, playing with his blocks and toys, munching on all types of food (especially blueberries, oatmeal, carrots and bread), laughing, and "playing" with Rafa. He still has no teeth (!) and is working on crawling but not quite there. The older he gets the more fun we are having, we love our little "butter bean."

Monday Motivation

via Alice & Oliva

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. I'm hoping for sun on Mother's Day so the picnic I've planned can actually be a picnic!

30/30 met it's initial $100,000 goal. Yay! Thanks to all of you who supported it! And if you'd still like to give, it isn't too late, we're working on the next $100,000 so we can build another clinic.

A man and his ducklings

Wooden Car that is roadworthy

A better way to share airplane armrests

Swimming with pigs and other vacations for animal lovers

Mother's Day DIY, you're never too old to make her something!

Top-sellers at Trader Joe's (I recommend that guac!)

Simple ginger beer recipe that I've been meaning to try

Handy charts for petting your pets


Photo by Kate Price

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Locally Made

Still looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift? Here are a few suggestions on local shopping in Seattle. A great way to love your mom and support local artists and small business owners, many of which are moms too!

The Ballard Art Walk is this Saturday. That gives you a lot of great options.
While your in Ballard, check out Velouria, which features beautiful clothing, all made by independent designers including many from the Northwest and other beautifully designed gifts like the journal above. Lucca Great Finds is the perfect place to pick up a beautiful card among other things.

The U-District Farmers Market is also on Saturday. The perfect place to grab some locally made wine and cheese or how about kombucha, smoked salmon, kim-chee, truffles or honey for the foodie mom.

Melrose Market is great for flowers and gifts and meats and cheeses to make your mom a great meal.

Paper Delights in Wallingford is fun to browse through for the perfect card.

There's always the Seattle staple gift, Glassybaby. Pick out one with meaning like "gratitude"(above). Check out their Mother's Day suggestions. Not only is this an ever-growing small business started by a mom, they give 10% to great charities.

Nube Green on Capitol Hill is filled with wonderful finds, all sustainably made by artists all over the U.S.  I think the "Call Your Mother" pillow (above) is hilarious. 

Baby Gear: Six to Nine Month Favorites

1. Bumkins Bibs: We LOVE these bibs. They are cute, easy to wash in the sink or laundry, don't stain and keep the food off baby. 

2. Baby Led Weaning book: BLW was a huge success for us. I wrote about it here. This book provided basics on what to feed him, how to be safe, and some good recipes. 

3. Halo Sleep Sack: As soon as Mylo graduated from his Summer Infant Swaddles we started him in a sleep sack. We use the fleece one from Halo which enables us to turn our heat down at night and save money. Beware the XL size though, I just ordered it and it's so big I swear I could sleep in it!

4. Blocks: We have this Fisher Price set from Patrick's aunt and Mylo loves opening the box and taking things in and out. I love toys that will last for a long time and grow with him. He doesn't understand shapes yet but I can see this being a great toy for a while. (Bonus: Patrick's aunt said she had this when her kids were young and the uncles used to have a few drinks and time who was the fastest with getting blocks in. Ha!)

5. Zara pants: I wrote here about how much we love Zara baby clothes. Their pants in particular are THE BEST. I have been giving them as gifts right and left. They are stylish, super soft, not too tight (Mylo is a big boy!), and actually fit the size they say they should. I need to get Mylo the shorts version for summer. 

6. Happy Puffs: These little "O's" as we call them are a LIFESAVER. We bring them everywhere with us and they keep Mylo happy while waiting for food at restaurants, on the ferry, waiting for his oatmeal to be done in the morning, etc. They only have 25 calories for 75 O's so they are basically air...wonderful, wonderful air. 

7. JellyCat books: These crinkle books from Jellycat are a crowd favorite at our house. I love the cat one obviously. 

8. NoseFrida Snotsucker: This thing is genius. When Mylo had a cold I was using it multiple times a day, it's very simple but amazing at what it does, snotsucking. Ha.

9. Ergo Carrier: I tried sooooo many carriers from when Mylo was born. He hated them all. He hated the Ergo with the infant insert. Then finally when he hit six months he miraculously started loving it! We use it every day and leave the stroller behind a lot now. I also use it around the house since carrying around at 24 lb baby is no joke!

PS. 4-6 Month Favorites, 2-3 Month Favorites, & 1st Month Favorites.