wildtalesof.com

October 7, 2015

15 Western Washington Farms, Parks + Hikes to Enjoy this Fall

Our family has a special love for fall in Seattle. For Slaed, it’s the cooler temperatures, for Bergen (4 years) it’s all the collecting he suddenly gets to do–leaves, acorns, nuts, and fruit all falling from our regions’s trees, for me it’s the fall foliage–I just can’t get enough of the glowing display of yellows, oranges and reds, and Georgia (9 months) isn’t so sure what she loves most, but maybe it’s just seeing everyone so happy to be out and about.

Over the years, we’ve enjoyed fall in the Seattle Area (and beyond) in so many different ways, so I’ve compiled all of our favorite experiences together here to keep track of all the fun and in hopes to inspire and equip some of you to make your own autumnal memories!

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October 6, 2015

Seattle Scavenger Hunt (with printable) for Kids

We love exploring our city and especially love seeing the sights we’ve known and gone to for years through the eyes of our children. Seattle has so much to offer for the entire family. At least from our perspective, there are landmarks, attractions, museums, and parks that we can enjoy just as much as our kids.

For Bergen (now 4 years old), the more we involve him in our everyday adventures around town and in our travels around the country, the richer the experience becomes. When I saw how engaged he was recently as we completed a scavenger hunt together at his school, it got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be fun to hunt for various items that identify our city and make it unique? Why not create our own Seattle Scavenger Hunt?

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October 5, 2015

Kowalli’s Joey Jacket Review: Maternity, Babywearing & Beyond

All of last winter, Georgia and I stayed warm and cozy using Kowalli’s comfortable baby carrier cover. We dealt with some pretty cold conditions here in Seattle, and I loved the simplicity of just throwing on the fleece cover over the ergo to protect us.

Brand-new this fall though is Kowalli’s full babywearing coat called the Joey Jacket. Since receiving the jacket from Kowalli, Georgia (now 9 months) and I have had the chance to test it out on walks around the neighborhood, chilly mornings dropping Bergen off at forest school, and at an evening soccer game cheering on our beloved Seattle Sounders.

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October 1, 2015

2 Days in Missoula, Montana with Kids

Missoula, Montana was the last leg of our big Idaho-Montana road trip this past summer. Missoula is near and dear to our hearts. Slaed went to college there at the University of Montana, and for me, Missoula was the very first town that I visited in Montana. That may not seem like a big deal, but Montana was high on my list of places to see, so I have fond memories of crossing the border from Idaho, where I was volunteering with Americorps after college, to Big Sky Country.

For this particular visit, we stayed two nights, and as usual managed to squeeze in quite a bit of fun and activity into our days. This was our first time bringing the kids to Missoula and so much nostalgia comes along with visiting your old college town, so we had a lot to show them! My guide of what to do, where to eat, and where to stay with kids will hopefully give you an idea of what we were up to, and provide you with some possible plans for when you decide to visit!

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September 29, 2015

Micro Kickboard Mini Scooter Review

Bergen’s balance bike now has some competition when it comes to getting out and about. For his 4th birthday, he received the micro mini scooter, and after just a day or so of learning, he’s been zipping through the neighborhood and around our local parks. I believe his balance biking skills carried over to make the transition to scootering easy, but I also attribute his success to the design and engineering of the scooter from Micro Kickboard.

We’re loving this new form of mobility. Now he’ll often ride his scooter when we take our daily walks, which allows Slaed and I to actually carry on a conversation instead of constantly “encouraging” him to keep up. We’ve also started to run/walk/scooter to school instead of driving the mile or so distance making for a much more active and productive start to our mornings!

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September 22, 2015

Hiking without Kids: Lake Valhalla near Stevens Pass, WA

It took some advance planning, and a bit of preparation, but this past weekend, I got the chance to hike without my kids. While I love hiking along side my children, well..carrying one of them, and either chasing after or encouraging the other to keep up, I needed the chance to trek at my own pace.

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