Love Is Love - Pride Parade

Every year we head downtown to celebrate our LGBT community and love with thousands of other people at the Seattle Pride Parade.  The parade has an energy of it's own, driven by the music, sights and spirit of the attendees.  The overall mood is one of joy and celebration, unabashed revelry, happiness and, simply,  Pride.  Pride in who you are, who you surround yourself with, who supports you.  These are important themes in how we are raising our boys. This year's pride served as a counterbalance to the tragedy in Orlando which also opened a dialogue about love and loss.  It was invigorating to be around so much delight and  emotion. 

Cinema Under The Stars - Outdoor Movies In the Greater Seattle Area

There is something amazing about watching a movie outdoors.  The sounds and sights are amplified by the openness of the venue.  Add in a crowd that is unfettered by the limitations of the theater and you have a spectacle that is unlikely to be recreated at your local Cinerama.  Luckily in the Seattle area there are several locations where you can watch a film with the sky above you.  The Fremont Outdoor Cinema is the longest running of the bunch with Seattle Parks and Recreation (at both Westlake and Occidental Parks), Magnuson Park, Marymoor Park and  the Seattle Center all hosting their own movies within the last few years. With this many venues, there are movies playing 3 to 4 nights a week. As an added bonus, many of the showings encourage dressing up and several showings have movie trivia or other activities before the show starts.  So gather up your low beach chairs, pack yourself some snacks and spread out a blanket under the stars....

Wednesday, July 6: Back to the Future – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 7: Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Magnuson Park

Wednesday, July 13: Jurassic World – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 14: Labyrinth- Magnuson Park

Friday July 15th:  Movies in the Park: Inside Out - Westlake Park

Saturday July 16th: DEADPOOL | 21+ - Fremont Studios

Wednesday, July 20: Inside Out – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 21: Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Magnuson Park

Friday July 22^nd: Movies in the Park: The Goonies - Westlake Park

Saturday July 23^rd: Pretty Woman 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Wednesday, July 27: Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Marymoor Park

Thur. July 28: The Incredibles- Magnuson Park

Saturday July 30^th: Mad Max: Fury Road 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Saturday July 30^th: The Princess Bride Quote-Along - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 3: Aladdin – Marymoor Park

Thursday, August 4^th: Guardians of the Galaxy – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 5^th: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 6^th: Grand Budapest Hotel 21+ - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Saturday, August 6^th: Mad Max: Fury Road - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 10: Singin' in the Rain – Marymoor Park

Thur. August, 11^th: Zootopia – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 12^th: Spaceballs - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 13^th: Galaxy Quest - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 17: Zootopia – Marymoor Park

Thur. August 18^th: The Sandlot – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 19^th: Dudefest V - The Big Lebowski - South Lake Union Discovery Center

Friday, August 19^th:  Barbarella - Cal Anderson Park

Saturday, August 20^th: West Side Story - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Wednesday, August 24: The Princess Bride – Marymoor Park

Thur. August 25^th: The Goonies – Magnuson Park

Friday, August 26^th: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Cal Anderson Park

Friday, Aug 26^th:  Movies in the Park: Labyrinth - Occidental Square

Saturday, August 27^th: Life of Pi - Seattle Center Movies at the Mural

Friday, Sep 2^nd:  Movies in the Park: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Occidental Square

Come Sail Away - Model Pond Boat Sailing @ Lake Union Park

Have you wanted to feel the wind in your hair and the sun in your face while commanding your own ship?  We recently were able to make those dreams a reality ...on a smaller scale. Every Saturday and Sunday from May to November, The Center for Wooden Boats rents out model boats for at the model boat pond.  Sailing the boats is as easy as pointing it into the wind and giving it a little push. The hard part is running around to other side after each voyage to sail it back. Pairing sailing with a visit to the MOHAI and a picnic makes for an amazing day out! Boat rentals are a $5 per hour suggested donation and the rentals are open from 11a.m. - 2p.m.

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Scream For Ice Cream - Free Scoop Day @ Cupcake Royale

Wednesday May 1st is Free Scoop Day!  Go to your local Cupcake Royale and get your ice cream needs met...For FREE!!!

Hustle and Bustle Of The Market - A Day Trip To Pike Place Market

Seattle provides us with many great niche markets, neighborhoods, stores, parks, and restaurants; but sometimes a trip to our most well known attractions is well worth the visit.  Pike Place Market is an excellent example of a location hidden in plain sight.  We see and hear about it so much that we sometimes "forget" that it's there.  Recently we've made a goal of getting to know our city better, becoming tourists in our hometown.  The Market has become a favorite starting point for this. The market has all of our favorite fruits and veggies...

And our favorite donuts...

 Some awesome tchotchkes...

Giant candy bars.... (yes that's a pound of York Peppermint Patties!)

A magic shop...

 

And a brass pig!

And what visit would be complete without a trip to the notorious Gum Wall.

With more than a days worth of sights, sounds and smells, The Market has proven time and again to be a great day trip.   http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

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/ 

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

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.

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/

MUSIC! MOSTERS! ROBOTS! - Experience Music Project/ SciFi Museum

Since the 1950's Science Fiction and Rock-N-Roll have gone hand-in-hand.  From the 1950's portrayal of the Greaser and Rock-a-billy stereotypes to the amazing sci-fi soundtracks of the 70's and 80's(Queen's soundtrack for Flash Gordon comes to mind) the two pop culture branches have been firmly entwined.  Which is why the EMP/ Science Fiction Museum is such an amazing place.  One half of the museum is dedicated to music with a special focus on the musical history of the Northwest (including great exhibits on Jimi Hendrix and the Grunge Era).  There are also opportunities for hands on exploration in the Sound Lab which features a variety of instruments and private recording room to experiment with.  The Science Fiction Museum contains a large collection of sci-fi memorabilia ranging from early pulp novels to current film and television.  Supplementing the permanent exhibits are rotating exhibits at both the EMP and Science Fiction Museum.  Past exhibits have included The Muppets, AC/DC, The Beatles and Alien Encounters.  Admission to one museum gets you into both.   http://www.empsfm.org/

Tasty Architecture - 20th Annual Gingerbread Houses

For the past 20 years Seattle’s top architecture firms have teamed up with the Downtown Sheraton's culinary team to create amazing gingerbread houses.  Each year a theme is offered (this year's theme is Once Upon a Time) and these teams pool their imaginations and skills, building massive structures that embrace the whimsy and wonder of youth.  Each of the structures is fantastic from a distance, but they truly shine up close.  Each of them is packed full of fine details and hidden sights.  The display will be up from November 20th thru January 1st.  http://gingerbreadvillage.myevent.com/