An Indoor Birthday Paradise: Ocean5

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An Indoor Birthday Paradise: Ocean5

I am here to talk about birthdays...again. It feels like my kids have back-to-back birthdays. Oh wait, they do! My younger son has an early December birthday (see post), and my older son has a birthday at the start of January. It's wild. It's hectic. We have a birthday, we have the holidays, we have another birthday. Once January rolls around, I am ready to be done. But I have to power through that last birthday. 

I need something easy but fun. And indoors because, hello, it's January. Oh, where or where can his birthday be? Oh (light bulb), Ocean5. 

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Review Time: National Geographic Crystal Growing Kit

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Review Time: National Geographic Crystal Growing Kit

My son, Caleb, is 4.5 years old and his latest interest has been in rocks and gems. He found this triangle-shaped rock at the beach and was so excited because he found a gem rock. Do you know what a gem rock is? I only just learned of these magical rocks. They give you three powers; the power of strength, the power of speed, and the power of knowledge. The most awesome thing about it, he really believes it.

Given this newfound power (and love) for rocks and gems, I started to search for ways to promote his rock and gem interest. I was browsing Amazon and came across the National Geographic Mega Crystal Growing Lab kit, and knew this would be a hit. I added it to Caleb’s Amazon “wishlist” until a good reason popped up to purchase it. The lucky kid didn’t have to wait long because the grandparents saw me add it and sent it at as “just because” gift. Aren’t grandparents great?

I thought I’d give you the rundown on this kit experience to help in case you’re wondering if you’d like to get it for your kid(s). I always love a good insider view of a toy or activity. So pretend I’m your mom-friend and we’re trying to chat over our kids playing in the background and let me share my experience.

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Coffee Crawl: Searching for the Best Pumpkin Latte in Tacoma

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Coffee Crawl: Searching for the Best Pumpkin Latte in Tacoma

It’s fall y’all, and you know what that means: Pumpkin everything time! This makes me so incredibly happy. I am a pumpkin fanatic. I get a bit crazy in the fall for all the foods and flavors. And this is silly, but I almost get anxious because I love it all so much and there is so much I want to eat and drink that I feel I have to keep baking and eating or else I won’t get to have it all. Serious problems.

Of all the fall flavors, though, pumpkin is my favorite. Wow, that’s a bold statement. I’m not sure I’m ready to make such a statement. I mean there is also apple. Apple is definitely a favorite. Oh, gosh. Well, for now, let’s say pumpkin because I’m about to talk to you all about pumpkin in our coffee. That’s right, the drink made famous by Starbucks, the pumpkin spice latte. Everyone is doing it now. It’s pumpkin and spice and it’s everything nice. Let’s drink it!

I took it upon myself to go around and try as many pumpkin spice lattes as I could. I’m looking for places that make their mix and not just using Torani syrup (not that there is anything wrong with that, but…). I’m looking for:

  • Flavor: What’s the pumpkin versus spice ratio? Is there a lot of pumpkin taste or more spice?

  • Texture: Sometimes with pumpkin it can feel heavy or grainy with too much actual pumpkin. Or many all those spices are grainy?

  • Toppings: Is there whipped cream or spices & sprinkled on top?

  • Sweetness Level: Is it sweet, or not sweet enough?

  • Coffee Presence: Is the coffee still there?

Mind you, I do tend to like things on the slightly sweet side when it comes to coffee. Not majority sweet like a white mocha, but a smooth subtle sweetness. Also, I must tell you if there are any good noshes to go with the latte. That is always a plus!

Let’s take a coffee tour together!

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Brick by Brick: RT's Guide to Legoland

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Brick by Brick: RT's Guide to Legoland

I had this plan to post at least once every month. And now I’m looking at the calendar and July has almost come and gone. I started this blog with just one toddler who napped and that gave me time to post. Now I have a toddler that doesn’t nap and an infant. Having two kids is a whole other ballpark, friends. I went to sit down to write this yesterday and popped right back up because I realized I had laundry. I think the time before I had to make dinner. Then before that, the baby woke early crying. So hang with me, I’m sure I’ll get to a time where I post more, but for now bear with me. I love writing and sharing but this phase in life is a busy one.

Speaking of busy, summer has been busy for us. We went down to Cali for almost two weeks during June for my sister’s wedding in Pasadena and then some time with my parents in San Diego area. Fun fact: I’m born and raised in North County San Diego. My home was in Encinitas and I loved living there. My parents have since moved to a neighboring town called San Marcos and we get to visit frequently, which is awesome. Yes yes, I know you might be wondering this very moment why I ever moved away. I agree it’s heavenly there, but that’s a story for another day. Right now I want to share how great a place San Diego is to visit with kids.

So yea, San Diego rocks for kids. There is just so much to do there - San Diego Zoo, Old Town, Sea World, Seaport Village, Safari Park (formerly, Wild Animal Park), Balboa Park, and….LEGOLAND. The only thing I will say, is that all these places are not necessary located close together. But no problem, who really can (and wants) to do everything everyday with kids. For instance, you could do Legoland and beaches and that would be a fabulous vacation. And that’s what we did. Spent time with the family, spent time at the beach, and then went to Legoland. Besides the scary stridor (croup) that landed us in an ambulance and ER for the night, it was an awesome trip.

Gosh, I might be boring you with all this jibber jabber. You probably just want me to get to the nitty gritty of Legoland. You saw the title, and just really want the deets. I get it. Let’s do it.

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Tacoma Gem: Curious Bear Toys & Book Shop

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Tacoma Gem: Curious Bear Toys & Book Shop

Well well well, look who’s back on the blog. Raising Tacoma lives on. I’ve been pretty good at keeping up on Instagram (follow me) and Facebook (like the page), but the blog has been sadly neglected. Sorry about that, friends. But I wanted to break my blog silence to tell you about the best toy store around, The Curious Bear Toys and Book Shop. It opened fall 2018 and has been such a great addition to the community. I always leave the store so happy…as does my toddler.

Here’s what I love about the store:

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The Pod Works: Calling all Working Moms

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The Pod Works: Calling all Working Moms

I feel sheepish at how long it’s taken me to write this post. My pictures are from April, May, and June if that gives you any indication on how long it’s been. Yes, I say “I’ve been meaning to write” comment a lot, as in every post, but life is busy. Are you with me? Now, let’s get down to it and chat about The Pod Works. I’m super excited to be sharing this unique place with you.

What is it?

The Pod Works is a co-working space for moms. For instance, if you own a small business or work remotely, you could use The Pod Works as a space to do your work. You bring your laptop, mobile phone, and anything else along with you to do some work done. I have worked from home in the past, and it can be hard to be productive at home, so find a place outside the house can be very beneficial. What’s so cool about The Pod Works is that they have a great setup for working moms. You can bring your kid(s) along with you and still get some work done. There is a play space with all sorts of toys for kids and then you can find a separately space to hunker down and get some real work done.

What’s even cooler is that you can meet other working moms and even network and collaborate. Perhaps you’ll be working there one day and another mom comes along to work. You start talking and realize you could both benefit from each other’s services or product. Boom, connection made. The Pod Works has what they call The Pod Collective, which is there to support your business with workshops, outings, and a community of moms.

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Stitch Fix Maternity Box Cuteness

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Stitch Fix Maternity Box Cuteness

Fashion, turn to the left
Fashion, turn to the right
Ooh fashion

Does a word ever trigger a song in your head? Well, I often find this happening. And I'm singing the above lyrics to myself. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then check out this David Bowie's Fashion song. The only funny thing is that I only know these three phrases of the song, so those just repeat in my head. Anyhoo....

I want to talk a little bit about fashion with you guys today. I'm by no means a fashionista, and it's for this reason I often find myself seeking help from others who I think are more fashionable. In this case, it's the folks at Stitch Fix. 

I've gotten Stitch Fix boxes before - probably about six or seven boxes total. My first box was all the way back in April 2014. The first few boxes I received were great, but then I started to see a decline. I think they got popular, and grew too fast, and may have lost some quality control. However, I think it might be back under control since the past two boxes have been better. And more interestingly, the best boxes I've received have been maternity. 

You probably saw my exciting news about a new member of our family that's on his way. I'm currently 19 weeks along and the bump is starting to show. I've been pulling out my maternity wear from last pregnancy, but I needed a few more summery pieces. Maternity clothes that are both cute and affordable can be tough to find, and all stores seem only to sell maternity online these days. I was happy with my previous Stitch Fix maternity box, so I thought I'd give it a whirl again.  

Good news: I was happy with this maternity box as well. Woohoo! 

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