A TREAT for You! Free Custom Card for All

 Happy Thanksgiving-week to you! We're getting all excited for our annual Charlie Brown Thanksgiving outdoor movie night (Complete with a fun s'mores bar...chocolate graham + Andes mint, anyone? Or perhaps gingersnap + white chocolate is more your style?), a road trip to Dallas (which will include a Turkey Trot, a Polar Plunge AND a visit to the Ft. Worth zoo) and a surprise trip to Cirque Dreams (the holiday circus, don't you know) for the bigs once we get back to Austin next weekend. Good times!

Because I'm so thankful to each of you for hanging in there through my constant road trip coverage, I'm excited to bring you a TREAT (spoiler alert: it's a FREE CARD!) from one of my favorite card companies, a sister site to Shutterfly and Tiny Prints called Treat. Treat allows you to customize cards for any occasion. I make Treat cards for my kiddos' birthdays and they absolutely love them. (Hint: I'm pretty sure Grandmas and Grandpas like them, too!) See how cute?

 They're a fun way to mark a fun milestone or to send congratulations, such as this...

Or perhaps you're just so thankful for your Thanksgiving hosts that only a personalized thank-you will do.

Whatever the occasion (or non-occasion...everybody loves a thinking-of-you card!) may be, Treat has you covered. And today & tomorrow, Monday, November 19 and Tuesday, November 20 ONLY you can make a Treat card for free! Simply use the code TREATBLOGR at checkout to receive your free card + free shipping too. Hooray!

I hope you enjoy your free card and I hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving full of friends, family, food and of course, full hearts.

(Can't lose...that's for the Friday Night Lights fans out there.)

Christmas Cards From Tiny Prints: Winner!

Greetings from Austin! I'm here a) to give you a sneak peek at the location of this year's family pictures and b) to announce a winner of the $50 Tiny Prints credit, woot!

So here I am at the Greetings from Austin sign where we just tried so hard to get a decent family photo today. It was bright and...squinty. And let's just say that cooperation is never really the strong suit of a certain child of mine who shall not be named (rhymes with "Shymon"), so we shall see. We hit some other fun spots too and our lovely friend (the multi-talented Macy Robison) is quite magical with the kids, so I'm positive we will find an awesome shot in there. So look for it coming soon to a Tiny Prints card near...your mailbox!

And now, drum-roll please...the winner is Megan Brown who said:

I love all of the decorations! You can't help but be in cheer when everywhere you look it is festive. I love getting all of the holiday magazines; I dream of buying all of the cute decorations. Also, the treats!!

Ah, a girl after my own heart. I also like the treats...did you know?

Thanks to all who entered! I loved reading everyone's favorite things about Christmas. I'm looking forward to getting through Simon's birthday on Monday and Halloween on Wednesday so I can start thinking about the most wonderful time of the year! Bring it on, baby!

Tiny Prints for Christmas Cards + A Giveaway!

We interrupt this extensive (cough cough) vacation coverage to talk Christmas cards! (Don't worry, we shall still limp thru Idaho, Utah and New Mexico...never fear, I will finish this road trip...I will, I will!)

If I'm being more specific, let's talk Tiny Prints for Christmas Cards. Because they are fantastic. We sent out several different cards last year (the answer to my indecisive nature: get them all!) and the Tiny Prints tri-fold card really made a huge impression. The paper is fantastic, the colors are vibrant, the printing is gorgeous. And there are options! So many options.

Perhaps you'd like an ornament card? (We sent out some of these last year too and they were adorable.)

Maybe you like to include a little of the family news and a photo? Boom, both right here.

Maybe you have a little something extra to announce this year?

Do you like flat cards? Folded cards?

Or maybe a gorgeous tri-fold? (Again, my favorite!)

If you're indecisive like me, maybe you want to showcase more than one photo.

Or perhaps you have the show-stopping shot already picked out. (How much do I love the rounded corners?)

Are you a sucker for gorgeous typography like I am?

Maybe you're like me and take more Instagram photos than you do "real" photos. How prefect would this card be?

So when you find a style or color scheme you like, be sure to investigate further. For example, the Instagram-ish card comes as a flat square card, as a square folded card or as a traditional size folded card. Many of the flat cards you see here come in the ornament style. Most can have one photo or many. And did I mention the rounded corners? Go check out some different options and play around with it. The results will definitely be gorgeous!

Be sure to check out their awesome special offers page for discounts throughout the holiday season and year-round!

And for one lucky reader, Tiny Prints is offering a $50 credit toward your order! (Shipping not included, can't be used with other offers or promos.) Simply leave a comment telling me: What is your favorite thing about Christmas? (Confession: receiving Christmas cards is HIGH on my list of Christmas faves.) I'll randomly draw a winner a week from today, October 26. (One entry per person.)

Want to connect with Tiny Prints? (You totally should!) Check them out here:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram: Tiny Prints
Pinterest
Google+
Blog 

And now, back to your regularly scheduled travelogue...:)

*This post is sponsored by Tiny Prints; they are providing the $50 prize and compensated me for my time. All opinions are mine, mine, mine!*

And Then, In Portland

We are lucky that Chris' parents live in Portland, so we get to visit often(ish). What a fabulous city! This visit was no exception...we had a blast.

We rode the aerial tram...which about gave me a nervous breakdown. Does fear of heights get worse with age? Because I'm turning into a mess. But we prevailed, enjoyed the views and the kids thought it was the coolest. After that we enjoyed a grilled cheese at the super fun Grilled Cheese Grill. The kids loved eating in a school bus...I loved eating a peanut butter & banana sandwich with BACON aka the Fat Elvis. Come to Mama.

See, I look happy, don't I?

We also got to visit the Portland Temple (they have a great visitor's center, too, if you're ever up that way)...

...followed by a trip to Trader Joe's woot woot! So excited we're getting our very own at some point. Also, the Beverly Cleary Children's Library at the downtown library was a must-see for the book-nerd in me.

We LOVED Silver Falls...holy gorgeous!

Mason & Maya both caught the waterfall in Maya's purple fedora. Tricky, right?

And we just enjoyed some fun family town, downtown Portland and beyond. Oh, and look behind Simon: Goodwill! But I didn't go in. I was juggling too many crazy kiddos in an unfamiliar city.

We spent one lovely afternoon and evening with some legendary Cottam family-friends (friends of the family...and also, friends who are almost like family!). Chris has known these guys since he was a skateboard riding grade-school hooligan in San Diego. Andrew is his oldest friend that he's still in contact with, I believe. They are some of the best peeps for sure!

We had a super yummy picnic at a gorgeous park on the Willamette River, complete with splash pad, playground, delicious food and fabulous conversation. And somebody (Mason?) got hold of the camera and provided us with some EXTREME close-ups. I love these shots!

Unbeknownst to anyone, there was a carnival set to open the next day in this park so the carnies were out in full force, waiting to set up their rides. It was an interesting crowd, one could say, and just added an element of memorability to the whole event. I love it when something out of the ordinary happens.

One of our last orders of business in Portland was to experience the awesome Portland institution of Oaks Park, an old-school amusement park. It was fabulous! All of the kids had a blast.

And there were BBQs and picnics and pizza and s'mores and fun with Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Audrey, Uncle Adam, Anna and brand-new-baby Avery. Being with family is the best! Can't wait to visit again.

Hitting the Highlights: Seattle

It seemed like everywhere we went we had just enough time to hit the top 1 or 2 things we wanted to do, and Seattle was no exception. On my list: the Space Needle and Pike's Market. Both were awesome.

So no time for the Twilight tour of the Pacific Peninsula, haha! But we did get a quick glimpse of the Seattle temple on our way past. Chris' parents met up with us at the Space Needle for some good old fashioned Northwest fun!

 Chris spotted an awesome VW BBQ at the market. Want! And we also saw the first-ever Starbucks. Good times. 

The space needle was impressive. We didn't go up to the top, in spite of Simon's persistent requests (read: tantrums galore).

 Pike's Market was pretty much my dream come true. Oh the food! I am dying to go back without my kids (and with an extra stomach) so I can experience it all. Yum and YUM!

 After that we jumped on the ferry across the Puget Sound to Discovery Bay...

 ...where we were greeted with it's trademark gray skies and constant drizzle, but we didn't mind! (It was the first cool temps we'd gotten on the trip so we were excited!)

 The kids & Grandma & Grandpa collaborated on a sandcastle, we swam in the indoor pool and the kids discovered some sort of crab/octopus hybrid...ew!

On our way out of Washington we were able to spend an afternoon with Chris' Grandma & Grandpa Jones, his Uncle David & Aunt Bo and his cousins Emma, Eric and Catherine, who are closest to Maya's age. Maya and Catherine bonded quickly over knitting/crocheting and all the kids had fun running around together. We enjoyed a fantastic picnic (homemade fried chicken, homemade rolls, homemade lemon bars...I was in heaven) and Uncle David even wow'd the kids with his awesome rocket. Such fun. There's nothing like being with family.

And our Washington adventure comes to a close, but we still have almost a week to enjoy the Pacific Northwest in Portland...coming up next!

Uncharted Territory: Washington!

I love being somewhere I've never been! Washington was definitely as awesome as I was expecting it to be.

First of all, they have an awesome park right downtown. With a massive red wagon. There are few things I love more than an over-sized anything, so the wagon was a big hit with me.

 Plus there were carnival rides. Who doesn't love a ferris wheel? Well, me. But I stayed safely on the ground and took pictures!

 And a fountain, too?! It was a dream come true.

 Also: a train ride (to make up for Simon's missed ride back in BC) and a spin on the oldest running carousel. It was a beauty. A biggest and an oldest in one park?! I was loving it.

Added bonuses: sharing an elephant ear with my bigs, checking out the awesome Spokane Falls (amazing, seriously), a giant totem pole and cotton candy. Color me satisfied. Thank you, Spokane!

Next stop: Seattle!

I am going to really try to wrap up the trip quickly. I was doing so well and then lost steam, but I want this all on record! :) Plus, I have so many other things I want to post, just trying to do my due diligence and do this trip justice. So onward bound!

Beautiful British Columbia

 After leaving the familiar territory of Lethbridge, we were excited to see some new sites in "Beautiful British Columbia", as they say. And let me tell you, that is not just a clever catchphrase. British Columbia was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Amazing! The first thing we did in BC was stop off at a rest stop which I was pretty sure we would not be leaving alive. Peeing in a hole? Check. Creepy cobwebs? Indeed. Jason hiding behind a tree, ready to slaughter us? Most likely, but we booked it out of there. Yikes. I would have expected more from the self-proclaimed "best place on earth".

In Simon's opinion Sparwood, BC WAS the best place on earth, as it is home to the world's biggest truck. Majorly impressive! I love a biggest, oldest, weirdest anything, so I was stoked. Very fun pit stop to enjoy our PB&Js that day!

 From there it was on to Ft. Steele, a restored pioneer town where we did laundry the old-fashioned way, panned for gold and experienced a one-room schoolhouse.

 Hands down the saddest moment of the trip came in the form of a missed train ride. By the time we got there there were 2 train rides of the day left...one leaving pretty soon and one leaving later on in the afternoon. We figured we'd check out the town for a bit, then head back to catch the train. As we were leisurely cooling off in the gold panning troughs (We could NOT beat the heat on this trip...so hot almost everywhere we went!) I offhandedly asked how we were doing on time. It was then Chris realized that the train was leaving in 4 minutes. "You'll never make it", said the downer of a gold-panning host. But Chris took off with Simon and Lucy in hand, Maya sprinting right along (Mason & I were skipping the train ride from the get-go.). A bit later back they came, Simon sobbing. They had missed it by moments. Saddest day of his life so far. 

 There was no consoling Simon that day. We headed back to the car and up the road a bit to Fairmont Hot Springs.

Fairmont is easily one of my favorite places ever and comes in as my #2 favorite trip memory. Sitting in the hot springs with my family surrounded by the mountains as the sun set was just a little bit of heaven. I loved it. And Mason's maiden voyage off the high dive is probably the epic shot of the trip. I only wish I'd taken more pictures. But I guess some moments you just have to experience and appreciate without snapping photos of every second. It was fabulous.

After this our Canadian adventure comes to an end but lots more fun awaits us in the wonderful state of Washington.

Taking It International! You Know, to Canada

 Back on the road, this time off-roading through torn-up Montana highways. Such a crazy drive! We partook of the first Corn Nuts of the trip (a must-have), crocheted away down bumpy dirt roads through massive wind farms, finally got a very ticked off Lucy to sleep and ultimately ended up at a Great Falls hotel with a waterslide (see Grandpa's feet out of the water?). There is a hilarious bathroom story from this leg of the trip that may or may not be suitable for the world wide web, so I'll have to share that one on an individual basis, depending on how well I know you...

 The next morning we took the party international...Canada, baby! Also known as Wild Rose country, allegedly. Gorgeous scenery, Timbits at Tim Hortons and a Canadian delicacy: Poutine, i.e. french fries topped with cheese curd and smothered in gravy. It's delightful.

 Lethbridge, Alberta is my Mom's hometown and one of my favorite places to visit. We loved visiting with Grandma and Grandpa. They are still so feisty and fun to talk to in their late-80s. I am very inspired by them. I enjoyed talking to them about their friends and lives...they've done so many interesting things. They are full of faith, and I'm so thankful for their example. We also got to see my also-awesome Aunt Val, Uncle Keith and cousins Ian and Eric who are now both proud-Papas with adorable boys and beautiful, fun wives. 

 Ft. Whoop Up was a fun stop in Lethbridge. I remember coming to a different part of this park as a little girl and getting stung by a bee. I guess you never forget bee stings... Lucky us, no bees on our visit, just a bunch of cool old stuff, a Tee Pee, a cannon firing and pony rides!

 We stayed in another memorable waterslide hotel on this trip...the best one yet, with 2 slides, a wave pool and an in-water jungle gym. Canadians know what's up. Also, there's the house my Mom was raised in (my grandparents moved out just a few years ago), we visited the Cardston temple where the groundskeeper invited Simon to sit in his tractor when he saw Simon admiring it. He was delighted!

 A couple of my favorite shots from the whole trip: the ultimate family picture (enlarge to see details): Chris ready to string Mason up for insubordination (common at picture-taking time), Lucy poking Maya in the eye and me in a snit. Ah, but just seconds later we managed to pull it together for an almost-decent shot. Good times. Also, Simon face-down on the sidewalk is a trademark of this trip and/or Simon's life in general. We definitely get used to him jumping up and down and stomping his foot like a little troll, whirling around like the Tasmanian Devil and ultimately landing face down on the ground in tears. He's got drama, that one!

 From the Cardston temple we headed up to Glacier National Park to Waterton. A little best-of here: that view (!), Cameron Falls, riding a car-bike down Main Street and ice cream (the site of yet another of the aforementioned extra-special Simon tantrum).

 The Prince of Wales Hotel is always a must-stop. My Mom worked here during the summers when she was in college, so it has great memories for her and I've been coming here since I was little. The view is absolutely amazing!

 It's the perfect place to chase your kids around and do your best "The hiiiiiils are alive...with the sound of music.". Oh, you better believe I did! "My heart wants to sing every song it hears."

 Picnicking down by the freezing-cold lake and eating an ice cream cone on Main Street are both pretty-much perfect and always required on a visit to Waterton. The bike car was a new one, though. Trust my Dad to show up riding that thing...he was just so pleased with himself! It was pretty darn fun, that is for sure!

We finished off the day taking turns checking out Cameron Falls while a spent-Lucy snoozed in the car. Gorgeous, gorgeous!

Visiting Lethbridge definitely tapped into the "back to our roots" theme of the trip. So many wonderful memories, and I'm so glad I had the chance to bring my children along and help them create some good memories of their own. Plus, we left with big bags of our favorite Canadian candy. Not that it lasted long...mmm, I could go for some mini-Mackintosh's right about now! Yum and yum. Canadian candy is the best.

On our next leg, we continue the Canadian adventure into British Columbia where we visit one of the most beautiful places I've been in my life...