Megan Sharma's Blog: The Savvy Surgeon's Wife

8 awesome things to do with kids in Seattle: a local’s top attraction picks

4/12/2018

In honor of my upcoming hometown visit to Seattle, Washington, I’m sharing all the best kids’ activities and attractions in the Emerald City.

Starting at square one with your Seattle trip planning? Check out my guide to lodging and getting around town, the best outdoor activities, and my insider’s tour of Pike Place Market. It’s all part of my Seattle blog series.

Okay, back to the children. They are the future, right?

Here are 8 of the best kids’ activities and attractions in Seattle:

1. Seattle Children’s Museum: Located in the Seattle Center, this 22,000 square foot wonderland for kids ages 10 months to 10 years combines learning and fun.

Pro visitor tip: Grab lunch with the kiddos at the Seattle Center Armory (AKA – a fancy food court), right next to the Children’s Museum. Kids will especially love Lil’ Skillet Burgers at Skillet and the customizable, made-to-order pizza at MOD.

2. Pacific Science Center and IMAX theater: This mecca for science lovers of all ages is also located in the Seattle Center. Kids and adults will enjoy exhibits such as the Tinker Tank, the Tropical Butterfly House, and the Science Playground.

Pro visitor tip: Admission to the Pacific Science Center also includes free tickets to the Willard Smith Planetarium.

3. Seattle Aquarium: If your children love sea creatures, this is the place to be on the Seattle waterfront (Pier 59). Check out everything from Puget Sound fish to marine mammals to glowing jellyfish.

Pro visitor tip: Catch a feeding of the giant Pacific octopus daily at 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

4. Woodland Park Zoo: Seattle’s only city zoo is in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, a few miles north of downtown. Meet penguins, rhinos, lions, snow leopards, brown bears, lemurs, monkeys and more at this haven for animal aficionados.

Pro visitor tip: If visiting between June and September, catch a ZooTunes summer concert. It’s best to purchase tickets in advance.

5. Ride the Ducks of Seattle: If you’ve never ridden in a WWII amphibious vehicle, now is your chance! Ride the Ducks takes visitors on a land and sea tour of Seattle, with a healthy helping of singing, dancing and quacking, to keep things entertaining.

Pro visitor tip: Tours leave from Westlake Center (downtown shopping district) or just outside the Seattle Center. The Seattle Monorail will quickly shuttle you between Westlake Center and the Seattle Center, departing every 10 minutes.

6. The Seattle Great Wheel: The wheel’s location on Pier 57 of the waterfront offers jaw-dropping views of Elliott Bay, West Seattle, and downtown Seattle. The 10 to 15-minute ride (3 full rotations of the wheel) is fantastic on a sunny day or all lit up at night.

Pro visitor tip: Children age 2 and under ride for free, but they still require a ticket. This ticket can be obtained at the will call window of the ticket booth without waiting in line.

7. Miner’s Landing at Pier 57: Take a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel, and then stay for some fun on the pier. Check out the vintage indoor carousel, Pirates Plunder shop for your little buccaneers, food court, and Wings Over Washington flying theater ride.

Pro visitor tip: Eat like a kid at the adjacent Crab Pot Restaurant, where bibs and mallets for cracking into crab are practically required.

8. REI Seattle Flagship Store: This paradise for outdoor enthusiasts boasts extensive gear and clothing shops, rental equipment, gear repair, classes and the famous 65-foot Seattle Pinnacle Climbing Wall. REI supplies shoes and harnesses for all climbers. Take the challenge if you dare!

Pro visitor tip: Hungry after your climb? Head over to kid-friendly Lunchbox Laboratory at 1253 Thomas Street, a 3-minute walk from REI. You’ll love the legendary burgers, milkshakes and tater tots.

One last tip for parents. The Seattle CityPass includes admission to the Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, and Pacific Science Center, all mentioned in this blog. You can choose 5 included attractions to visit for a discounted admission price.

Enjoy these adult-approved kid activities and attractions in Seattle! Check out the full Seattle blog series here.

What are your favorite kids’ attractions in Seattle or in your hometown? Leave a comment!

*Author’s note: these opinions are my own based on my personal experiences. I have not been paid to endorse any businesses, products or services in this blog

You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
Travel: Insider’s guide to the best Seattle outdoor activities
Your insider Seattle trip planner: lodging (where to stay) and getting around (rental car or no rental car?)
An insider’s guide to Seattle’s Pike Place Market
Vacation fun: 44 things you only do when you're on vacation or holiday
Baby/toddler travel guide series: the essentials!
Baby/toddler travel guide series: what to pack
Baby/toddler travel guide series: going international
60 fun and unique date ideas for the young at heart
21 Lies Parents Tell Their Kids to Save Their Sanity
Mom Life: Imagine a World Run by Moms
Boss baby: 22 traits shared by 2-year-olds and bad bosses
Parenting: A no-fuss guide to your toddler’s birthday party for Pinterest-fatigued parents
Why travel? 9 reasons I will never stop traveling
Cruise with kids: 20 secrets to a successful family cruise with toddlers (baby/toddler travel guide series)
Cruise with kids: Entertainment strategies that keep the whole family happy (baby/toddler travel guide series)
Cruise with kids: Travel tips for cruising with toddlers (baby/toddler travel guide series

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Warm holiday wishes to you and yours

12/20/2017

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Happy holidays from the Sharma family! Photo by Josh Cuzzort

Hello, there! I just wanted to take a moment away from the craziness to wish you and your family a joyous holiday season.

Okay, yes, I’ll admit it – I’m also procrastinating on making my final recipe and grocery list for hosting both sides of our family in our home over Christmas. Let’s just say that the list will not be short.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I look forward to catching up with you in 2018.

Cheers to the season! Photo by Josh Cuzzort

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15 Incredible Thanksgiving Hacks that Save Time and Energy

10/20/2017

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Thanksgiving is child’s play, right?

You simply prepare and serve a harvest-themed feast for a massive group of ‘eclectic’ relatives while keeping your home spotless and your children off the America’s Most Wanted list.

You tastefully decorate in shades of burnt sienna and copper. You burn pumpkin spice latte scented candles.

You do NOT burn your house down. I repeat – do not burn your house down. This is not part of the plan. Keep a watchful eye on that oven.

Each of your seven gourmet, scratch-made pies are ready to go before your guests arrive.

You, dear hostess, have already showered and even bothered to put on lipstick and some jewelry. The host donned a pair of pants. You’re ready to rock.

Even though more than half of your guests never officially RSVP’d, you’re prepared.

There is seating for everyone, including the dogs that are apparently coming to dinner. Because…these dogs cannot be left alone. Whatever.

All that is left to do is enjoy lively, non-political conversation and bask in the glow of your own awesomeness?

Ummm…Yeah…If you didn’t detect my overwhelming sarcasm, I’ll let you in on the secret: Thanksgiving only goes like this in your dreams!

Here are 15 awesome Thanksgiving hacks that save time and energy – For REAL people

1. Get thee a bucket.
Visit any home improvement store to purchase a 5-gallon all-purpose bucket, which you can use to brine your turkey for ultimate flavor satisfaction. Just don’t use your bucket for this, for the love of God. And check ahead of time that the bucket fits inside your fridge, or plan to store it in your garage if temperatures are cold enough.

2. Chop your chopping time.
Rather than spending hours chopping everything yourself, visit the fanciest grocery store salad bar you can find and load up on pre-chopped goodness: onions, celery, peppers, bacon, whatever you need.

3. Sleep on it.
Set your Thanksgiving table the night before, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. You can also do this with your Thanksgiving dinner outfit by choosing and then laying it out.

4. Print to prep.
Print all your recipes before T-Day, and arrange them in order of preparation timing. You may even like to secure the printouts to your kitchen cabinets with painter’s tape to keep the flow going while you cook.

5. Got fridge space?
When you’re feeding a crowd, it’s tough to find enough space to stow all that food until meal time. If you don’t have an extra refrigerator to act as a pinch hitter, lug out your summer cooler and fill it with pre-prepped Thanksgiving food or any food currently taking up too much room in your fridge.

6. Put your crockpot(s) to work.
Your slow cooker is a great place to stash those perfectly buttery mashed potatoes or sugary sweet potatoes in a warm and cozy environment without sacrificing a stovetop burner. You could even warm green beans or stuffing in the crockpot on keep warm mode.

7. You’d butter try this.
Oh yeah, I went there. Instead of manually cutting in butter for biscuits and pie crusts, grate that butter stick right into the mix.

8. Roll with it.
My mom taught me this trick (because she is THE GREATEST!). To roll perfect pie or biscuit dough without the mess, grab a piece of parchment paper about the size you’ll eventually want the pie to be, and put it on top of your dough ball. Then roll it out with the parchment between the rolling pin and the dough. It works like a charm.

9. Create your own pie weights.
If you’re baking pie, you will need some sort of pie weight to prevent the shell from puffing up during pre-baking. Pie weights are expensive and rarely used. Instead, line the dough with foil or wax paper and use dried beans, uncooked rice or uncooked pasta to do the job.

10. Get a jump on dessert.
It’s just not realistic to have fresh pies right out of the oven after you’ve already cooked enough for the whole neighborhood. Make your pumpkin or pecan pies a day or two ahead of time and keep refrigerated. You can do the same with cranberry sauce. On the big day, remove from the fridge and let the pies come to room temperature.

11. Make an organic turkey rack.
You don’t need a fancy-schmancy roasting rack for your turkey. Elevate your poultry on a chunky bed of carrots, celery and quartered onions. The flavor addition is a nice bonus.

12. Keep that gravy warm.
This is pure genius: keep that luscious gravy warm in an insulated mug/thermos until serving time, then transfer it to a gravy boat.

13. Save your dry bird.
If you overdid it on the turkey, don’t beat yourself up. Just drizzle it with warm chicken broth to bring back moisture and add flavor.

14. Pretend your guests are your temporary personal assistants. Think of a few easy, out-of-the-way tasks that can be done by guests who (inevitably) ask how they can help. Examples: filling water glasses, opening wine bottles, taking coats and purses to a designated area, passing appetizers, entertaining kids, smuggling vodka to you on the sly. What? Who said that?

15. Get your gourd on.
No official ice bucket for your white or sparkling wine? Carve out the inside of a pumpkin (no, not your spongy Halloween leftovers—a fresh one, dude). Throw a glass or metal bowl in there if it will fit. Add ice. Add alcohol. Voila! Festive pumpkin ice bucket.

Onward, Thanksgiving experts! On this day, ye shall reign supreme.

What Thanksgiving tips and tricks do you swear by? Leave a comment!

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Why travel? 9 reasons I will never stop traveling

10/13/2017

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I’m not one of those people who can say they have visited 100 out of 195 countries. Not even close.

So far, I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, India, Spain, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, St. Martin, and Germany (airport only, which doesn’t really count). Next month we’ll visit the UK for the first time (yay for London and Bath!).

A small fraction of this big, beautiful earth.

There is always more to see, more to do. Here’s why I will forever answer that call for adventure.

9 Reasons I Will Never Stop Traveling

1. Exotic food.
Okay, truth time: Food is one of the primary motivations for anything I do, but I especially look forward to sampling local delights when I travel. Buttery naan and expertly cooked curry in Agra. Hand-made and freshly caught squid ink pasta in Venice. Decadent churros con chocolat in Madrid. Hearty lamb stew in Killarney. OMG, I’m hungry.

2. New languages.
When I travel internationally, I enjoy challenging myself to learn some of the local language. At least enough to order food in a restaurant (see: reason #1 for traveling). I rely on phrase books and audio tapes to help guide me.

3. Unfamiliar terrain.
New landscapes are a fantastic change of scenery (pun intended), especially if the natural beauty or architecture is unique to the city or region. I’ll never forget the gracefully rolling hills and ancient castles of Ireland or the intimate cobblestone streets of Madrid. We can all use a break from what we see day in and day out.

4. History in abundance.
Here in the United States, our history doesn’t stretch as far back as other civilizations. I love getting lost in the history of another culture, imagining what life was like hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

5. Breaking with routine.
It’s healthy to break through the monotony of our daily lives, to mix it up. It can open our eyes to new possibilities and recharge our spirit.

6. Experiencing another culture.
As Americans, we occasionally forget that we don’t *NEED* unlimited refills on our 64-ounce Cokes or drive-thru access to our meals. Other cultures are often better at slowing down, enjoying the moment, and appreciating the little things.

7. New experiences for our children.
What better way to see how other people live than to experience it for oneself? I treasure the way travel gives our daughter a broader perspective and empathy for other people.

8. Using that old rusty brain.
When you’re plunged into an unfamiliar place, you put your brain to work by navigating, communicating with locals, and absorbing the sights and sounds.

9. Treasured memories rather than things.
If I had to choose between a memorable trip and a bar of pure gold, guess which I would choose? Memories and experiences are priceless, and stay with us throughout our lives.

What do you love about travel? Which destinations are on your bucket list? Leave a comment!

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Cruise with kids: 20 secrets to a successful family cruise with toddlers (baby/toddler travel guide series)

9/18/2017

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Dreaming of a family cruise? You’ve come to the right place.

We recently took our first cruise as a family from Seattle to Alaska, and it was spectacular!

Since I love to share family travel tips, I’m spilling all our seafaring secrets on the subject.

First, check out my advice for nabbing a killer deal and for entertaining your toddler on your cruise.

Now, here are 20 more secrets to totally nailing your family cruise experience:

Planning your trip
1. Request a Pack N Play or portable crib for your room, if you need one.

2. Choose open seating for dinner. Some nights you’ll end up at the buffet, some you will make it to the formal dining room (call ahead for reservations). And other nights you may be seasick and order room service (been there, done that!).

3. Splurge on a room with a balcony so that you can sit outside and revel while your toddler naps or sleeps for the night (be sure to bring an audio monitor).

4. Bring your e-reader so that you can read in the dark while your toddler snoozes.

5. Keep your kiddo’s stuff organized with packing cubes like the ones from Eagle Creek. We use these for every trip for our daughter and for ourselves! Simply throw them in the closet or drawer and you won’t have to worry about piles of clothes forming everywhere.

6. Pack a favorite blanket or stuffed animal to help nap and bed time go more smoothly.

7. Bring a lightweight and compact stroller for excursions and walks around town. We currently use the Chico Liteway stroller and used the Summer Infant 3D Lite stroller when our daughter was younger. The Summer Infant model is perfect for younger, lighter kids but the Chico works better after 18 months or so, and handles better on corners.

Food and milk
8. The easiest way to get your toddler’s milk is to grab a few cartons from the buffet once or twice a day, and then store them in your in-room fridge. On Holland America Line, they keep the milk out at the breakfast buffet, and then at lunch and dinner you can ask for it at the ice cream station.

9. You could also order milk via room service (although this generally takes 30-45 minutes).

10. If you’re grabbing a latte for yourself, you can also get milk from the café.

11. Make peace with the fact that your kid is going to consume a ton of sugar, as will you. Just try to avoid it right before sleeping time.

12. That said, chocolate milk or the chocolates from your nightly turndown service can be your biggest bargaining chips with your toddler!

While on board
13. Take advantage of toddler nap time by getting some reading or work done, or snooze along with them.

14. If your child is not yet potty-trained, beware that Holland America Line has zero changing tables in bathrooms, at least on the Oosterdam ship. When it was time for a diaper change, we went back to our room every time.

15. Don’t expect to catch any of the evening entertainment (8:00 pm or later), unless you have babysitters traveling with you or the cruise line offers babysitting services.

16. Use the on-board laundry services to pack lighter. For $20 on Holland America Line, you get a fully stuffed bag and each piece is promptly washed, dried and ironed to perfection.

17. If the dining room is too crowded or you need a change of scenery, plan to eat by the pool.

18. Your toddler will love the towel animals created by your room stewards. See if they can guess which animal they’ll meet next.

19. Take family photos on board, but expect some your toddler to make silly faces in them.

20. Even if you don’t like to go crazy with shopping, you can look for a special book that your child will treasure for years to come, like “Goodnight Alaska”, and you can always find room in your suitcase and budget for magnets.

All set to go exploring? Me, too! See you on the flip side.

*Author’s note: these opinions are my own based on my personal experiences. I have not been paid to endorse any businesses, products or services in this blog

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Cruise with kids: Entertainment strategies that keep the whole family happy (baby/toddler travel guide series)

9/7/2017

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Keeping a toddler entertained. No easy task, without the help of a tablet.

Fear not, parents everywhere! You CAN find fun for the whole family on your cruise!

Now that you’ve snagged a super deal on your cruise adventure, you’re ready to start planning your itinerary and building your arsenal of things to do.

Ideas and Tips for Entertaining a Toddler on a Cruise

Children’s activities and programs vary significantly by cruise line. Disney cruises, for example, offer character experiences, waterslides, themed deck parties, and more. Most other cruise lines are not as kiddo-centric as Disney.

We recently took a cruise to Alaska on Holland America Line (HAL). Holland America offers Club HAL, a supervised space for children ages 3-17 with age-appropriate activities and toys. Unfortunately, we could not take advantage of this free offering, since our daughter isn’t yet three. We asked the staff if we could allow our daughter to play in the club space while we watched her, but they said it was against corporate policy. Bummer.

Since we couldn’t use the Club HAL space and there was no playground on the ship, we had to get creative to keep our daughter happy and active on board.

A few things we did that worked well

Sought out interesting and varied common spaces
Frequented the observation deck and café (Explorations Café on HAL), which featured an assortment of board games and books (our daughter loved Connect Four and looking through the oversized coffee table photo books)
Walked on deck three (loop around the ship)
Pawned her off on Grandma and Grandpa for a change of scenery (highly recommend this—it kept everyone happy!)
Slowly revealed new small toys, like stickers, coloring books, a Rubik’s Cube, etc.
Read and read and read and read. Our daughter loves books, so we were constantly reading to her on our trip. I bought a few new lightweight paperbacks, which are lighter than board books, and therefore easier to travel with.

What didn’t work

We knew that the children’s pool on board was covered and heated, so we planned to pass the lazy afternoons swimming. That did NOT work out for us—it was simply too cold! We tried one day, and we were shivering in a pool that should have been at least 10 degrees warmer. If we had been in the Caribbean, it would have been a different story. Don’t bother swimming on an Alaskan cruise (of course, adults can hit the hot tub).

Another idea for next time

We didn’t take advantage of the basketball courts or ping pong tables on board. There’s always next time!

Planning excursions

Assume you will want to leave the ship. Exploring ports is one of the best parts of the experience.
Check out the descriptions of all available excursions before you set off. See your cruise line web site for details. It’s best to book ahead, especially for popular outings and those with limited capacity.
We were fairly light on excursions on this 7-night Alaska cruise. We specifically avoided scheduling every minute of our time, as you never know when a meltdown or long nap is going to occur.
Generally, we avoided any excursions that were more than two hours in length.
We considered nap and meal times in our planning.
We carefully evaluated the safety of the activities for a toddler. If you have questions, feel free to contact your cruise line’s customer service professionals.
We pinpointed activities that we could easily do on our own at our leisure, like eating at a crab shack in Juneau when we felt like it, rather than booking a crab feast that we would have to be bused to.
Here’s what we actually did in Alaska: the Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau (suitable for all ages), and the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan (1 hour 15 mins, enjoyable for everyone). My husband and I also did a sea kayaking trip in Sitka while my parents watched our daughter.

Photo by Megan Sharma. We grabbed some delicious, fresh halibut fish tacos at the Alaska Fish House in Ketchikan while it dumped rain outside

What to do when you’re desperate
We don’t allow screen time for our toddler unless she’s on a plane or train, or if it’s a special occasion like a party.

But if you’re desperate for a way to calm your toddler, HAL has en-suite smart TVs that feature an impressive selection of kids’ movies, including “Moana”, “Sing”, “Finding Dory”, “Pets”, and more. The interface was incredibly easy to use.

You may also want to bring a tablet.

Easy as pie, right?