Seattle Picks

There aren’t enough ways to say “thank you, Mom” for all the gifts she has given us.

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:36:39 +0000

All those years spent shaping us into decent human beings. All those times she said “no” for our own good when we wanted to hear “yes.” All the love and support she gave us through school plays and SATs. All those times she told us we were pretty and our

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Theo and the Chocolate Factory

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:35:38 +0000

Charlie has got nothing on this Seattle chocolate factory! Sometimes while wandering Fremont, we are nearly bowled over by cocoa aromas bitter and rich wafting down the street, and then we are rest assured that something good is in the works.

Since 2006, Theo has been producing high-quality caramels, bars and other confections from some of the globe’s best cocoa beans, grown in highly sustainable ways. Those with a sweet tooth rejoice at the factory’s Phinney Avenue retail shop; here samples are aplenty, and gift-giving has never felt so sweet. Visitors can purchase individual bars of flavors like salted almond dark chocolate, spicy chile and toasted coconut, or select “libraries” that offer a variety of flavors. “Fantasy” bars include unexpected tastes like bread and chocolate, coconut curry and chai. Other temptations at the shop range from cookbooks and Caffe Vita gift sets to “Taste of Washington” boxes.

Shoppers can even go behind the scenes on daily factory tours to see where the magic happens. In our opinion, life’s too short to not indulge.

Theo Chocolate
3400 Phinney Ave N
Seattle, WA
www.theochocolate.com

Getting Comfortable In Your Own Skin

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:30:30 +0000

We admit it can be daunting to see the words “face” and “peel” side-by-side. But spend just a few minutes with the kind, serene Hari-Prakash Boyd (who happens to have impeccably flawless skin), and your fears and preconceptions will be quickly washed away. The self-proclaimed “clinical holistic esthetician” hails from Bend, Oregon, and has been fascinated by herbs, aromatherapy and skincare since she was 14. Boyd loves researching ingredients found in commonly purchased products and finding effective yet natural, non-harmful alternatives to help others overcome challenges like acne and hyper-pigmentation.

Boyd opened her own skin boutique a year-and-a-half ago and recently relocated to a tranquil corner office on Stone Way where soothing light filters through glass-cube windows. Here, she offers free skin health analysis plus holistic skin treatments, plant-based chemical peels (with names like “blueberry smoothie”), waxing, tinting, even face massages. In her boutique, she also sells CosMedix products, used for her treatments, and items from Colorado-based company MyChelle.

Although we all know our beauty is far from skin deep, Boyd will show you that this is certainly a good place to start.

Grace Face Body
4037 Stone Way N
Seattle, WA
206.307.6952
www.gracefacebody.com

The Art of Gifting

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:13:59 +0000

We’ll admit that giving gifts in this day and age can be tricky. What to give those who whip out the credit card the second they spy something they want? Our experience tells us that there are few better places for finding unique, thoughtful presents than museum gift shops.

At the Bellevue Arts Museum, an inspiring institution that focuses on art, craft and design, creativity spills onto the shelves of the splendidly-stocked gift store. Find delightful items for the home range like “Rippled Sapphire,” a handwoven basket by Dorothy McGuinness, or Sea Life Goblets by Carol Gouthro. For kids, find design-it-yourself placemats, “Ugly Doll” mugs and hats and Folkmanis puppets. For art-minded adults, find exhibition catalogues like the American Tapestry Biennial Six, Edge of the Sublime: Enamels by Jamie Bennett and Gord Peteran: Furniture Meets Its Maker. Treat yourself (or others) to funky scarves by Chirstine Chaney, nature-inspired necklaces by Iris Guy Sofer and notecards by Nikki McClure.

In our opinion, being a bad gift-giver is one of the worse offenses. Let the Bellevue Arts Museum make you a star.

Bellevue Arts Museum Shop
510 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA
www.bellevuearts.org

We’re Thankful

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:12:30 +0000

We all know her from her award winning radio and as an author, and now Sue Lundquist is at it again. With 20 years of personal development research and experience she is launching her latest gem of a book…”Inner Critic Got your Tongue? Proven & Sustainable Tools for Get’n Back to THANKFUL.” Sue is a Healing Practitioner and Personal Development Coach with a focus on Awareness & Clarity.

Please sign up for her newsletter and be a fan on Facebook and Twitter so you are kept in the know regarding her upcoming fabulous workshops, book signings & events at www.ImThankful.com. Interested in a Healing Session or 1:1 Coaching, please see her website or call at 206-300-2227.

www.ImThankful.com
www.SueLundquist.com

Between You and Me

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:10:54 +0000

We have the most meaningful, unique and personal gift idea for Mom, Grandma, Daughter, Sister, Honey… Between Me and You Books. Just fill out a SON or DAUGHTER journal and give that to Mom along with a blank MOM book to be completed and returned to YOU. (There are fun questions inside each journal!) You’ll cherish these handwritten keepsakes for years to come.

Click this link to get $2 off each when you order 2 or more and a free upgrade to priority shipping!

www.betweenmeandyoubooks.com

Relish the Thought

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:09:13 +0000

As busy moms it’s so stressful to decide what’s for dinner…but not anymore.

Relish! dishes up dinner that gets yays not nays. For just $7 a month, Relish! will load us up with healthy, delicious, can-do dinners that even we can make. CHOOSE your weekly menus, the grocery list is automatically populated and can be emailed directly to you. No more last minute kitchen blunders, all Relish! recipes are kitchen tested and mom approved. Awesome!

Visit RelishRelish.com and enter the code PORTLANDPICKS to receive 15% off your subscription cost.

www.relishrelish.com

Rain and Shine

editorsp — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:06:43 +0000

Don’t let the sun fool you. Mom’s going to need her stylish raincoat any minute, and all Hillary Day coats are 50% off, online or in the studio. But you have to hustle before these gems are gone! These fetching raincoats bring sunshine to a cloudy day…yay!

What: Hillary Day 50% off Outerwear Sale
When: Now Through May 31st
Where: Shop Online at www.hillaryday.com
Contact: 503.913.0933

We get the strange sensation that at times life is exactly like a classic game of Monopoly.

editorsp — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:31:26 +0000

We picture ourselves as the tiny silver Scottie dog, just making our way round and round the square. It’s two steps forward, two steps back. So perhaps Monopoly meets vintage Paula Abdul.

You take a Chance card, maybe even find yourself falling a bit for someone, and then boom—it ends in one single text message. (Um, is it just us or did technology kill the radio star, and like everything else?) You get a new job, make more money. You buy a new car, pay more bills. Round and round, trying to own Park Place which gets scooped up by the silver thimble. Who also happens to be your new boss, who coincidentally you grow to loathe. And here you are, chasing another top hat type who ends up being a total skeeze when all the while you really should have been after that nice, harmless wheelbarrow that sat next to you at work and had solid family values and a nice bum.

And ya wake up, collect $200 and do it all again. Oh, Parker Brothers, when will our net worth be more than a few game pieces and pair of dice?

Serenity Now

editorsp — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:30:58 +0000

Our New Year’s resolution to relax isn’t going so well. Our job is driving us crazy and the kids are still, well, kids. We need some Zen ASAP! Thankfully we know just the place.

The Yoga Tree on Fremont is the perfect spot to find the light on any gray Seattle day. Classes explore a range of approaches and practices (from Hatha and Vinyasa to Nidra), and the studio invites participants of all levels to test their strength—both physical and mental. Special workshops often spice up the curriculum, too, with topics like “The Paradox of Practice – Focus on Balance Poses,” “Advancing Your Practice: At the Edge of Evolution” and “Vibrant Body, Warm Heart.” Students can purchase sessions as part of a series (for example, through an unlimited monthly pass), or they can drop in for individual classes.

So if you’re feeling the need to stretch your body and mind, Yoga Tree is just the place to come back to your center. In this harried world, couldn’t we all use some time on the mat?

The Yoga Tree
4250 Fremont Ave. N
Seattle WA 98103
206.545.0316
www.yogatree.com