An Afternoon in Woodinville

Thursday we both had the day off for Juneteenth so we decided to head over to Woodinville to run a few errands and enjoy the sunny day.  We started off at the park, wandering over to The Schoolhouse District where everything was closed up but looked like a fun place to taste wine and have a yummy meal.  After driving around a bit we stopped in at the Hollywood Tavern for lunch where we snagged a table outside and enjoyed a yummy meal before heading over to Costco to spend all of our paychecks {kidding, kind of}.  Though we hit a bunch of traffic on our way home it was fun to get out of the city on a weekday and explore some new to us parts of Woodinville.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Day Trip {Portland}

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early for a day trip down to Portland as we had a few errands to run and wanted to take advantage of some tax-free shopping and a day out of our normal routines.  It was smooth sailing down to Oregon besides a few rainstorms and we arrived just in time for a yummy brunch.  We grabbed food at Paiku which had great reviews and was nearby where we needed to be, and after a very long wait we inhaled our delicious brunch and vowed to not need anymore food for the rest of the day.  We never even made it to downtown Portland, instead stopping off at a BBQ store, Costco, and Target, but it was a fun day spent doing something different and out of the ordinary.  I love that in a few short hours we can be in a totally different state - but I think next time we'll make a whole weekend of it :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Day Trip to Wenatchee {Part II}

After naps we got ready and headed to downtown Wenatchee to stop in a few shops before dinner - sweet little Jack even offered to hold my hand as we walked around town :) For dinner we headed to the Wenatchee Valley Brewing Co for some outdoor pizza with beers for the adults and a playground for the kids {though Jack was a little shy once the big kids got there to play}.  I got to spend some quality snuggle time with Henry who was the calmest, chillest baby and when Jack got a little jealous of the Henry & Auntie Tephie time, he hopped right up for some snuggles of his own.  After dinner we headed back to the house so I could get my car and Jack, not wanting to say goodbye, tried all the tricks in the book to get me to stay {and man, I wanted to!}.  It was a way too short but awesome trip and I can't wait to get back out there again soon!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Day Trip to Wenatchee {Part I}

The best thing I did during my week off was head over to Wenatchee to spend the day with my two favorite little guys {and their parents, of course}.  I headed out bright and early for a gorgeous drive over the pass and when I pulled into the driveway was greeted by little Jack running into my arms and giving me the biggest hug.  After gobbling up a muffin I had made him the night before, we proceeded to spend the morning swinging, going on a "bear hunt", shoveling, playing with dump trucks, cooking, and lots of laughing.  After he went down for a nap I got to spend a little time with baby Henry before brother and I took Ruby to Home Depot for a field trip while the boys slept.  I love watching their little personalities grow and we had the best morning, followed by a wonderful evening which I'll share tomorrow!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Ba Sa

When Christian suggested we head out to Bainbridge Island on Saturday, I immediately started looking up restaurants to try for lunch.  The Eater pointed me to Ba Sa, one of it's 38 Essential Seattle Restaurants that boasts modern Vietnamese food with locally sourced ingredients.  Since we basically ran off the ferry, we were able to get to Ba Sa before most people and score an outdoor table on their super cute side patio.  We immediately ordered drinks {the spicy margarita was delish!} then ordered what our waiter said were his favorite items on the menu {see below}.  Though it took a little while to actually get our food, once we did we were blown away by the intense and yummy flavors of each dish - when I said it rivaled Monsoon, Christian immediately said he thought it was better!  Each bite was better than the last and made me itching to try more off the menu.  I'd highly recommend checking this place out next time you're on the island - I guarantee you will not be disappointed :)

avocado spring roll with shrimp

bun cha ha noi with the most delicious dipping broth

chili oil prawn noodles

xoxo,

stephanie marie