Play: World’s Tastiest Frozen Yogurt in Mill Creek

We took the kids to World’s Tastiest Frozen Yogurt in Mill Creek yesterday for a little treat. We've been meaning to check them out since they opened up a few months ago.

Given the name I kind of wanted to go in and shout, "You did it! Congratulations! World's tastiest frozen yogurt!" I didn't want to embarrass my family so I kept it to myself!

World's Tastiest Frozen Yogurt did live up to it's name though. It was pretty darn tasty. They let us sample a few flavors before we decided on what we wanted. They had loads to choose from so it was pretty hard to choose. And lots of toppings like strawberries and mangos and gummy bears (or teddy gums and Finley referred to them!) and brownies and M&M's and much, much more. Finely and I went for pineapple, strawberry and cheesecake topped with M&M's, teddy gums and strawberry sauce. I don't remember what flavors Daniel and Grady got because I was too busy stuffing my face.

After our frogurt we took a little walk on the North Creek Trail. The kids were super cute holding hands and skipping together.

We even spotted a cute little mama duck and her baby ducklings. Such a fun summer evening!

Play, Stay Away, or Just Okay
I think anything covered in gummy bears gets a Play rating! Especially when there are coupons involved!

Before we left I did my usual google search for a coupon and found an article on $20 Dollar Date Night. They mentioned something about a Pirq app that had coupons so of course I had to check it out. App + coupons = my favorite things!

So this Pirq thing is pretty cool. It hooks you up with discounts at local area restaurants. You see what discounts are available, "reserve" the one you want, and show it when you check out. You don't have to pay for them like a Groupon, you just reserve it and use it. World's Tastiest Frozen Yogurt had coupons for 30% - 50% off. I snagged the 50% off coupon! Yippee! I definitely recommend downloading the app.

If you need a fun and inexpensive activity, you should head to World's Tastiest Frozen Yogurt. And if frogurt isn't your thing you can pick up a latte at the other half of their shop - The ABS Coffee Company. Or get one of each. Just go for a little stroll on the trail afterwards and you'll work it all off.

Play: KidsQuest Children's Museum

We finally got a chance to try out KidsQuest Children's Museum in Bellevue. I've been posting about events at the museum for a few months now and it was nice to finally put a "face to the name".

I took advantage of the Free Museum Passes program through KCLS and picked up a set of tickets two weeks before we wanted to go. You should definitely check out this program and snag some free tickets, too. It's a great way to try out a museum to see if you'd be interested in getting a membership.

We got to KidsQuest right after 10 a.m. after circling the parking lot trying to find the best entrance to use (the entrance next to Target works well). There was a group or two of preschoolers and a moms group already there. But even with a few groups it wasn't too busy or crowded. We've been to Imagine Children's Museum on a very busy field trip day and it was a little overwhelming for both me and Finley.

The museum is just the right size - not too big that you're worried about losing a kid but it has more than enough to keep your kids busy for a few hours or more.

We started off in The Garage Exhibit. Grady was IN LOVE with the big truck. No surprise there. He is  totally into cars and trucks and anything with wheels these days.

While Finley was busy playing with all the other displays...

...Grady was doing laps through the truck.

Next it was time for some water play at the Waterways Exhibit. This was by far my kids' favorite part. They had so much fun trying out all the areas. They only made it through about half of the displays before they were pretty wet, so we tried out The Backyard so they could dry out a bit.

The Backyard is an enclosed area for kids 3 and under. There were kids of all ages playing. Crawling babies up to big kids like Finley.

There are cute little birdhouses with different displays and games.

And a nice big train table. They also have a puppet theater, blankets and chairs to make forts with, and a little climbing structure.

Next it was time for some more water fun. Finley and Grady could have stayed here all day long.

 It was around lunchtime so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves.

Finley had a great time playing on the pipe fountain table. Though by the end the water was just flowing straight onto her. And then I found Grady with the pockets of the bib FULL of water.

So when the kids started shivering we called it quits and headed to Target for a new set of clothes. My biggest piece of advice if you're headed to KidsQuest Museum, or really any museum with a water play area --- bring an extra set of clothes!

Taking two soaking wet kids shopping for clothes (while of course scouring the clearance racks for the best deal) is not so much fun. And then trying to change them both in the public restroom while they're putting their hands into every dirty space possible... yeah, not so much fun either. But, two dry kids in cute new outfits and a bag of popcorn and all was well!

Play, Stay Away or Just Okay
This museum gets a Play from me! We had a great time here. After writing this up and looking at their website a bit I realized that we didn't even play with half the stuff there. (They have a great treehouse but I just couldn't swing it on my own with two kids.) I'm sure we'll be back again for another soaking soon!

If you're looking for more outings with your kids, check out the Play Reviews page.

Play: Lynnwood Library Toddler Play & Learn Group

The kids and I checked out the Toddler Play & Learn play group at Lynnwood Library last week. This play group is sponsored by both the library and The Little Red School House, a community-based service provider for Snohomish County families with children, ages birth to three, who have developmental disabilities, developmental delays, or are at risk of falling behind their peers.

The kids and I had a lot of fun at this play and learn group. They had lots of toys, each set up at various stations. There was a dollhouse, trays of Mr. Potato Heads, a small slide, music toys, trays of play food,  fishing poles and fish, trays of playdough, and more.

The kids played for about 45 minutes. Then they all put the toys away on the tables and the instructor led circle time with songs and little music shakers. It was just the right balance of play time and circle time.

I think we went on a pretty busy day. There were probably over 20 parents there and even more kids. But the kids were actually very civilized with each other. I think the play stations help quite a bit.

Play, Stay Away or Just Okay
The Lynnwood Library Play and Learn Group gets a Play rating from me. I know the library's main mission is to encourage reading, but I love that they have a group that's about playing as well. (I'm sure my kids aren't the only ones that have trouble sitting still for story time!) We will definitely be back for more playing and learning!

Play: My Garden Nursery

After spending 3 weeks fretting over what kind of damage our very active 18-month-old boy would do to a Christmas tree (I imagined him pulling a Buddy the Elf stunt and jumping on the tree from the couch), we decided to bite the bullet and just get one. So we headed to My Garden Nursery to pick out the perfect tree.

I'm sure most of you already have your trees up and decorated, but if you're from the future and you're wondering where to get your Christmas tree, I want to tell you about this great shop. The service here is fantastic. Every single person I talk to there is super friendly and super helpful. (They were kind enough to help us with our slug problem in a eco-friendly manner a summer or two ago.)

It's no different at Christmas time. They are more than happy to help you pick out your tree, give it a clean cut, trim off any branches, put it in that netting that I'm sure has a name but is totally escaping me right now, and the best part - tie it to the top of your car. Talk about full service.

I have no idea if other places do all this. But I love to support a local business rather than going to a big name store or tree lot.

There's lots of other fun stuff to see while you're there. They have a very fun gnome display. I don't know why, but I have a thing for gnomes right now. They're so cute and round and lovable, dontcha think? Or maybe it's just me.

There's a little gnome that's looking a little guilty. I wonder what she's getting into.

They also have a fun train table for the kiddos to play with.

And a new toy section with lots of great garden-themed toys. This store is a lot like Molbak's. With the toy section and the trains and indoor plant area to explore, it's a great outing for you and your kids any time of year.

We got our tree home and decorated. And after all that fretting, the boy has barely touched it. I think he's forgotten it's even there.

Finley, on the other hand, has been decorating and redecorating the tree and making little forts under it. I'll be keeping an eye on her!

Merry Christmas!

Just Okay: Santa Story Time at Redmond Town Center

I've been trying to find my Christmas spirit so I took my kids to Redmond Town Center this week for Story Time with Santa. I called beforehand to make sure it wasn't an outside activity since it's an outdoor mall (brrrr!). They told me it was inside Santa's house so it shouldn't be too cold.

When we got there, there were lots of other moms and dads waiting with their kids and one tiny, little Santa house. (Santa's not livin' large this year!) They opened doors around 11 and we all parked our strollers outside and tried to cram in. I think there were probably over 25 kids and parents in a pretty small space. Santa read two stories and then gave candy canes to all the kids.

Play, Stay Away or Just Okay
This was the first Santa story time I've been to, so I don't know for sure if there are better ones out there. But this one was Just Okay. The space was super small, though it could have been extra busy on the day we went. And Santa may have been photogenic, but he certainly wasn't the most animated storyteller I've ever heard.

If you're at Redmond Town Center on a Tuesday or a Thursday at 11, I would definitely stop by and listen to the stories and get a candy cane (this was probably the best part for my kids!). But if you live 20 - 30 minutes away like I do, I wouldn't make a special trip for it.

Play: Molbak's Garden + Home

The kids and I met up with a friend and her daughter at Molbak's on Thursday. If you've been following my posts you've probably seen the free danish kringles and free Santa photos they have going on right now. They're really doing it up this Holiday season and I loved it. It was a very fun morning for the two moms and the kids.

We started with a (pretty quick) stroll through the home part of the store. It is FILLED with Christmasy stuff. So pretty!

Oh, how I wish I could decorate a tree with all of the beautiful ornaments in this store. I love all our odd-ball ornaments we've picked up over the years but part of me also loves those themed trees with gorgeous ornaments. Maybe one year.

The kids were super cute and posed for a few pictures for us. If you're looking for a frugal way to get some beautiful holiday photos, get yourself and your kids dressed up, grab a friend or a tripod and head to Molbak's. They have a beautiful poinsettia tree and a few areas set up with great backdrops for some awesome pictures. I might take my kids back (after I've scrubbed them off and combed their hair) and try to get a few pics.

For this trip I was a little too nervous to let Grady run loose amidst all the breakables in the store. So he stayed in the stroller for most of the time. He doesn't look too pleased, does he?

After our tour through the store it was just about time for our free danish kringles. These were a huge hit! Yum! They also had some delicious apples to sample, too.

By far the best part for the kids was running through the trees outside. I had no idea that Christmas trees plus a few kids could equal 30 minutes of pure fun. They had a blast running through the trees, playing hide and seek and picking out their favorite tree.

Finley wanted to take this one home. It's just her size!

Play, Stay Away or Just Okay
Definite Play for this place! I was a little on edge in the store part, but with Grady strapped in and Finley on her best behavior it wasn't so bad. The plant section is a lot of fun and you won't have to be on high alert as much. While we were trying to distract the kids we played a little game of "Find the yellow plant. Now find the red plant." It worked to keep them busy so I could chat with my friend for a second or two.


If you go this month, don't forget about the free Danish Kringles and Santa photos. We'll definitely be going back and not just during the holidays. They have lots of fun stuff all year round that I will continue to tell you about!

Play: Lakeshore Learning Free Crafts for Kids

My sister is in town visiting from Australia, so we left the boys at home and took Finley to Lakeshore Learning for their Free Crafts for Kids on Saturday.

The only problem with going to craft/toy stores like Lakeshore Learning and Bellevue Art & Frame is getting through the store to the crafts.

Everything Finley touched was her new favorite thing and it just had to go on her list for Santa Claus.

I was even having a hard time getting to the craft table.

Look at all those lovely storage bins. Those clear ones near the top were only $2.95!

When we finally made it to the craft area, Finley had a great time making her Terrific Turkey Centerpiece. They had all the supplies set up on a couple of tables and an employee to help show the kids how to do it.

Here's the end product before it was stapled together. I think Finley liked the feathers the most.

Play, Stay Way, or Just Okay
I give this free craft a Play rating. Finley had a lot of fun and it held her attention until she was finished. This is definitely a craft for older kids (3 or so and up). I wouldn't be able to control the boy and help Finley out so this will be a girls only activity until Grady gets a bit older.

The store alone is a great outing with the kids. They have so many cool things, and not just teaching type stuff. They have lots of toys (and lots of toys on display to keep the kids happy so you can look around).

Just look at all those stickers!

If you're planning to do a little shopping, don't leave home without printing out this coupon. It's good for 25% off a single non-sale item through December 31, 2011. You can also sign up for the teacher's club and save 15% on classroom items every day. They also have special sale promotions each month. This month children's books are 15% off as well.

The best part of the whole day was this...

... a sleeping 3-year-old (who never takes naps)! We really tired her out!