Annual salt dough ornament event

Our annual salt dough ornament making day. It's the holiday activity they look forward to most each year.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of flour
  • 1 cup of salt
  • 2 cups of hot water (keep adding until it gets to dough consistency)
  • food coloring

Stick the baking sheet in the oven at 325 degrees for 45 minutes so it dries and hardens.

That's it!

Swanson’s holiday train

The people at Swanson's always do such a nice job with their model train display! This year's theme is treehouses. Swiss Family Robinson is represented, as are Jack and Annie, Shrek, Star Trek, LOTR... and the Mojo Dojo Casa Treehouse. Runs through Dec. 31.

Downtown Seattle scenes

Scenes from a walk through downtown Seattle...

Ethereal creations at Luly Yang
Globe lights and mirrored walls above the escalators at the Fairmont Olympic hotel
4th floor at the downtown library
Smith Tower, once the tallest building west of the Mississippi
We thought we'd walk the book spiral, but it took too long so we opted for the elevator.
Spotted a Taiwan flag!
More Luly Yang, *swoon*. (Boys were unimpressed.)

Holiday lights at Westlake Center

Will Enchant Christmas ever come back to Seattle? There's a FREE version in Westlake Park through Jan. 9. Beautiful light installation with giant snowflakes, candy canes and a 13-foot reindeer.

  • Where: Westlake Park, downtown Seattle
  • Cost: Free!
  • When: Daily through Jan. 9, rain or shine

Teddy bear suite at the Fairmont Olympic hotel

Holiday outing must: the annual Teddy Bear Suite at the super swanky Fairmont Olympic Hotel. After getting our cuddles in, we stopped in the café downstairs for a free cookie.

  • Where: Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St.
  • Cost: Free to visit, donations accepted for Seattle Children's Hospital
  • When: Through Jan. 3, 2024
  • Times: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Ice skating in Occidental Square

Last weekend, the Downtown Seattle Association sponsored FREE ice skating in Occidental Square. The "ice" was actually sheets of plastic, and it was slick! I'm pretty sure I spent more time lacing up our skates than actually skating, but hey, the price was right.

When I first moved to Seattle, I used to come to Pioneer Square for First Thursday art walks.
They added a tent over the rink this year, and the size of the skating surface doubled.
Faux snow made from bubbles.
Don't know how the pros spend all day in skates. Our feet thanked us when we changed back into sneakers.