Seattle-Macy's Santaland

This year was quite a change from our normal routine of visiting Macy's Santaland. Unfortunately, the Portland Macy's closed its doors and sold their flagship/brick and mortar store here. So we had to make the journey up to the Seattle store in order to keep with our tradition. We were hoping to see just a grand put on as we did in Portland, but it wasn't at all the same. Of course, Macy's did try to keep it as grand as they could, but instead of an entire area devoted to Santaland it was just a small corner of the store. We were a bit disappointed, but the road trip up, the people putting on the Santaland, and the atmosphere was wonderful.  

The Seattle skyline as we arrived. 

Macy's is always so beautiful this time of year. They really do bring the magic.

The people they have putting on the Santaland are always in such great spirits. The Santa this year was a wonderfully cheerful man that fit the part well. He was also a Star Wars fan and that peeked Skylar's interest a lot. 

Letters to Santa. 

After leaving Macy's we walked around Seattle for a bit soaking in the holiday ambiance. 

Dock-less biking system through LimeBike and Ofo. This concept is amazing really. With less pollution on the streets and an easy grab and go technique. $1 for 30 minutes!

Five simple things

Hello.

Happy "after-Christmas?" How's the flu where you live? Here it's running rampant and our house was not untouched. We usually skate under the radar with illness each season, but this year it caught up to us. Of course, I can say we have only have a mild case of it, or so we think, but others are suffering quite terribly. The Mr. brought "something" home a couple of weeks ago and now it has worked its way through the house. I am currently writing bedside sipping hot tea and defusing tea tree and other essential oils in hopes that it will soothe my achy throat and ease coughing. The Bean is sleeping next to me cuddled up as if he were a baby again. This time of year is so tricky because those of us that don't want to get the flu shot end up being made to feel guilty by those that do. Injecting dead flu cells from whatever strain of Influenza they guess might pass through doesn't seem that appealing to me. Then there are those that get the flu shot and get sick anyway. Quite a gamble, if I do say so. We are on the uphill out of being sick, so we are mending. I do feel that this weekend will be a weekend of rest in this house.

Here are five simple things that made this week great.

1. Homemade vanilla.

Nothing better than homemade vanilla extract.

2. Waste-free decoration.

Made from the cuttings of our Christmas tree and it worked out perfectly. The bell is from here.

3. This sweater.

Drying them flat is the only way.

4. Space needle.

From our trip. It was a lovely night.

5. Hardy and Happy.

Two peas in a pod.

A few more things:

• Road tripping the Cascade Mountains.

•  One step toward plastic-free.

• For fun?

• Adventures through REI.

• A new broom and dust pan?

Road Trip: Snow on the Cascade Mountains

Longing for a bit of snowfall here in the valley we decided to cheat the system and go to the snow instead. The Cascade Mountain range is roughly a 20 minute drive from where we live and the peaks there are never short on some sort of snowfall before Christmas comes. This year was no exception and we were delighted to see quite a bit of it. Of course, it wasn't anything worth bragging about yet, but it was enough to appease us for the time being.

Three Finger Jack from Hoodoo Ski Resort.

Historical markers marking the history behind the first road constructed on the pass. You can read them up close here.

Warming shelters along the snow parks.

Even though it was a short trip up on the pass we had a rare elk sighting. First time living in Oregon that I've seen them in person, especially this many, and the size of the horns on some of them. Nature is so wonderful sometimes.

Five simple things

Hello.

Happy early holiday to you. Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend planned for yourself and your loved ones. We are gearing up to make our annual cookies and overplay our Christmas vinyl and movies. There's nothing better than the 1947 version of  Miracle on 34th Street. We still have our fingers crossed for a little snow to fall, but nothing as of yet. Bummer. Maybe we will get a few flakes soon. As for this week we didn't really do much at all, but we did have a few things that are worth mentioning. And the talk around these parts lately is the Amtrak derailment. Having rail fans in our house we can't be anything other than sad. Ironically, we took an overnight trip to Seattle the weekend before and came back on the same route where the train came onto the road. The tracks were new, but the train was in its first trip-its inaugural trip for a new route from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington that would take 10 minutes off the old route. Positive Train Control (PTC) needs to be in place for all trains, no matter what. This Amtrak train did not have it and speed has been determined to be a factor. The cost of PTC is worth human lives and this derailment should be proof of that. It should be a must before any train is allowed to run, especially trains carrying passengers. I never understand why the safety of lives is ever gambled with. Hopefully, this derailment and loss of life will prove that PTC is a must on all trains. On a positive note, train travel is one of the safest means of getting from point A to point B and we see an Amtrak train through here every day. Not to mention the AERC tracks traveled many times daily that run behind the home we currently live in. Let's just hope that these three that lost their lives this close to the holidays didn't die in vain and PTC will become mandatory in the months to come.

So here are five simple things that made this week nice.

1. Winter Solstice.

We brought in Winter Solstice by making some ice lanterns. We are going to set them out in the next few days. As for right now, in the freezer they sit.

2. These two.

A not so rare moment. Oddly enough, Hardy seemed to be okay with it "this time."

3. This tree.

For the past 14 years we've taken a picture next to this tree each year it's decorated and this year is no exception.

4. Frosty morning.

We had quite a few chilly mornings lately and the morning of Winter Solstice it was 21 degrees out. Burr!

5. This reminder.

Just a little reminder, especially this time of year.

A few more things:

• Dinner plans?

• For the love of a duck.

• 40 pictures over 40 years..

• One thing we all want; More time.

• Plants are Magic

Final thought: The holidays can sometimes be a lonely time for a lot of people. No matter how many people you are gathered with remember those that aren't surrounded by love and be thankful you have what you have. Reach out to those that could use a warm cup of coffee on a cold night, or those that just need a little extra to get by, but are too humble to ask. The holidays are also a great time to mend fences. Ego and pride sometimes are the only things standing in the way of making things right with someone. Perhaps it's someone you have shunned in the past, or harsh words made fences? Be the humble one to make them feel important this holiday season. An "I'm sorry" goes a long way and the holidays are the perfect time to make that happen. Remember, you are never too important to be kind to someone else.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful holiday.