Free Museum Days - First Thursday Free Admission

A trip to the museum is always high our list of things to do.  Whether historic (MOHAI, Museum of Flight) or artistic (SAM, Wing Luke), our family has a great time.  And the best part is, that most of them are free on the first Thursday of the month.  Every month we choose one museum to go to (sometimes more if we start early enough) and make a day of it.  Discussing and observing art and history from two different perspectives (4 year old and 11 year old) is an amazing and satisfying experience. http://www.freemuseumday.org/sea.html

Epic Snowball Fight! - Seattle Snow Day 2013

For those of us looking forward to some winter shenanigans, Seattle often lets us down.  We've learned that when you want to play in the snow, it's best to head on a short drive to the mountains.  Not this year.  On Saturday,  January 12th,  the Seattle Center will be hosting an attempted world record snowball fight.  Over 162,000 lbs of snow will be trucked into the Center grounds to ensure there will be plenty for everyone.  The day will start with snow fort building and will culminate in the largest snowball fight you have ever seen.  The entire event is a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, so every perfectly aimed snowball is for a good cause.  http://www.snow.co/ 

Kale Chips - I Will Create Food!

Kale chips are another staple in our snacking routine.  The boys love chips, we all do, and will devour a bag in one sitting if you let them.  So as a way to give them the salty and crunchy they desire, while adding in a little something healthy, I started making them Kale Chips a few times a week.  They are super easy to make and pretty good to boot. 

You'll need:

1 bunch of Kale

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of Olive Oil 

Seasoning of your choice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and dry the kale.   Separate the leaves from the hard stem and any thicker center ribs, cutting them into bite-sized pieces. (I just tear them off but you can use kitchen shears or a knife if you want things a bit more uniform.)

 

Toss the kale in the olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning.  We're partial to salt and rosemary, but we've also used Old Bay, seasoning salt, and malt vinegar. 

Spread evenly on a cookie sheet.  You can line the cookie sheet with parchment paper if you like, but I do it without with great results.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges start to brown. 

Let cool, eat them all straight from the pan, make another batch and repeat.  They do store well in a Tupperware container for a week or so, but they never make it that far around here.

Transcending Dimensions - Easy 3D Drawing

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 3D has invaded and it seems to be winning.  Movies, video games and even television have all put their collective toes in the Three Dimensional water and it seems soon it may be hard to avoid.  So perhaps it may be best to go with the old adage: If you can't beat them, join them.  Rather than bemoan the inevitable march of technology, I have been using it as a way to introduce my boys to 3D rendering and, of course, optical illusions. One of our favorites is the 3D Drawing.
It's very easy to do and only takes a moment.

Start with a blank piece paper and a recognizable object. (we traced our hands as they are easy to see and readily available.)

 

Trace around your object lightly.  You don't want it to be obvious in the finished picture.

Now start drawing lines across the paper.  When you come to your traced image, draw a nice curved line.

 

Continue over the entire page.

Once your page is full of lines, go back through and add some more. The more lines you have the better the 3D illusion will be.

Once finished, you're ready to show off your trippy 3D artwork.  It's that easy.  Enjoy!

I Will Create Food! - Peppermint Bark

Chocolate.  Who doesn't like chocolate?  It is always a favorite around here.  One of the easiest treats we create is Peppermint bark.  It only requires two ingredients (unless you are layering different kinds of chocolate) and I can pretty much leave it to the four-year-old to make with a little supervision.  And because it involves destruction AND creation he loves it. 

First take all of your peppermint candies out of their packages and add put them into a large freezer bag (we used candy canes because, well, they're everywhere right now)

 Now comes the best part....Smash them!  We use a rolling pin to make sure that we get them all.

The youngest could do this all day.   After they are crushed to your liking, line a pan or casserole dish with wax paper and pour them in.

Spread them out as even as possible.

 Now melt your chocolate.  Since there are various ways to go about this depending on the type/brand of chocolate, I'll leave it to you to check into the best way.
After your chocolate is melted, pour it in.

 

Smooth it out.

 

 Chill

 Break and eat

It doesn't last long, but at least it's easy to make. (And you can probably get your kids to make it for you!)

The Family That Plays Together... - Card Kingdom/Cafe Mox

Games are an integral part of our family dynamic.  We love settling into classic favorites such as Candyland or trying something new like Fortune and Glory.  And there's no better place to find and play these games then Card Kingdom.  Located in Ballard, Card Kingdom has an incredible selection of games and an amazing staff that are ready with just the right recommendation.  And when you're ready to try out that game, step over to the connected cafe, Cafe Mox.  Cafe Mox offers a great selection of food and beverages in a cozy setting.  But the best part is the ability to bring a game over from the game library and give it a test run.  We have discovered many family favorites after giving them a try at Mox.  http://www.cardkingdom.com/    http://www.cafemox.com/   http://www.cardkingdom.com/static/storeinfo/events

Free Arts and History! - Seattle Public Library Museum Pass

Library cards are known for taking you to amazing places and showing you the fantastic.  Now, with the help of The Seattle Public Library Foundation, it can take you somewhere closer, but no less amazing.  With a bit of planning, you can gain free admission to many of the museums in Seattle using your library card.   You are able to pick from about a months worth of dates at a time and, after entering in your card number, you can print out free passes to the museum of your choice.  You can get one pass per week and can't visit the same museum more than once in a 30 day period.  Most of the passes are good for several people so it's a great excuse for a family outing.  And if you do it right, you can cycle through a year's worth of exhibits for free. http://www.spl.org/library-collection/museum-pass

I Will Create Food! - Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Snacks at our house go fast.  In an effort to cut down on the amount of crackers and chips that stream through our house, I have started making a few different snacks at home.  These roasted Garbanzo beans are a house favorite and are very easy make.

First preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Next drain and rinse 2 cans of garbanzo beans (you can can use dried beans, but I stick with canned for the sake of time)

Toss the beans in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add your favorite seasonings (I tend to stick with simple salt and pepper)

Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and toss in the oven for 35-40 minutes. (check after 30 minutes to make sure they're not burning.)

And that's it.  Simple as that. 

I generally have to make these twice a week as they disappear rather quickly around here. 

You Spin Me Round - Holiday Carousel @ Westlake

If you already feel like you're going in circles this holiday season, then stop by the Holiday Carousel at Westlake Park to have a few enjoyable turns for a good cause.  The Holiday Carousel is a Seattle tradition that benefits Treehouse, a wonderful support program for foster children.  The best part is how quickly a few turns on a galloping horse can reinvigorate your holiday spirit and create a lasting tradition that will make you return year after year.  The carousel is open through January 1st.

Holiday Carousel Hours of Operation*
Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Special Hours
Dec. 24, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dec. 25 Closed
Dec. 31, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Jan.1, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

I Will Create Food! - Pumpkin Pie

Desserts are imperative at our house.  Whether it's ice cream, fresh fruit or cake,  it would border on revolution if we didn't have something sweet after dinner.  I love simplicity in homemade desserts as I can recruit my boys to help out.  This pumpkin pie is perfect in that respect!(The four-year-old more or less made this one on his own.) 

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 (14 ounce) can Nonfat Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl. 

Then pour it into the unbaked pie crust.

Pop it into the oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes lower the temp to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes more.(A knife should come out clean about an inch form the edge.)
Voila!  A pie that your kids can make for you.

Snuggle up - Teddy Bear Suite

 

Everybody loves teddy bears.  Even the most jaded of teens will not not walk away from a Teddy without a soft pat to it's head.  That's what makes the Teddy Bear Suite at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel so special. An annual event for many years, the Teddy Bear Suite converts a suite at the hotel to a wondrous place full of 

teddy bears of every size.  The suite is open daily from 10a.m. - 7p.m. through December 26th. It's free to go, but donations are being accepted to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital. http://www.fairmont.com/seattle/promotions/festive-events/