Ballard at 22nd Ave, Seattle, WA

Several people have recommended a visit to The Ballard Farmers Market and it’s easy to see why.This friendly street fair boasts fresh produce, bright flowers, seafood, meats, wines, baked goods and more.

I can personally recommend the fresh donuts, the incredible Pete’s Perfect Toffee, the selection of delicious cheeses from Mt. Townsend Creamery, sourdough from Tall Grass Bakery, and the local green onions.

It’s such a pleasant environment that even the gimmicky street musicians have a certain charm.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Ballard Fairs/Markets Seattle

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Posted on June 2, 2013

Computer Animations

Van found these videos by Cyriak on YouTube, starting with Kitty City. He continues to be mesmerized by them, and who can blame him with the clever animation and catchy songs?

A boy could do worse for a creative inspiration than Cyriak, who seems genuinely interesting and has been picked up by rock and rollers to make awesome videos.

See more: Songs,Spend a Couple Minutes Animated Electronic Viral Videos

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Posted on March 7, 2013

Great Apps for Kids

I’ve been meaning to recommend the catalog of charming, well designed and fun toddler apps from Toca Boca for some time since they are an invaluable resource for parents.

I’ve downloaded all of them and find each one delightful but am personally partial to Toca Tailor (where you makes clothes for quirky characters). Van’s interests rotate but he has always loved Robot Lab and playing Toca Kitchen Monsters with his dad.

Some games like Toca Doctor and Toca House have objectives, while others like Toca Salon are more open ended.

I never feel guilty about letting Van play with these games for a bit, in fact, I usually join in the fun. With so much junk targeted at kids it’s nice to find a company that seems to actually think of and enjoy children when designing for them.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Apps Children’s Games

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Posted on January 31, 2013

Yay!

When the last space shuttle launch was announced, a spark of wonder and excitement died in the world. Space travel used to be the stuff of little kid dreams and now I’d never see one launch again.

But wait! Before we sadly mope away from NASA, there’s something new to get thrilled about: The Curiosity, the most advanced rover yet, landed on Mars!

The spacecraft touched down successfully last night and a room full of scientists that had been working on the risky project for a long time, cheered, hugged and even cried.

I missed it live – well most of us probably did since no major network found it worth interrupting their scheduled reruns for but you can see video and photos online.

Plus there’s a Mohawked young scientist who’s become an overnight internet heart throb. Yay!

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Science

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Posted on August 6, 2012

“Adorable Shoes for Adorable Feet”

Van needed sandals. I asked my moms’ group for suggestions and read online reviews. In the end, I am almost ashamed to admit, I was swayed by cuteness.

Rocket ships! And such an adorable design!

Lucky for us, the maker Livie and Luca is also globally conscious and the shoes are completely comfortable and fit perfectly.

Hooray for form and function!

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Children’s Shops

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Posted on June 14, 2012