Jeff Kinney says parents and teachers rave about how his Wimpy Kid series got their "reluctant readers" hooked on books. "Reluctant readers," it turns out, is code for "boys." As a boy mom, I will tell you this is 100 percent true. Thank you, Greg!

Scoring Jeff Kinney tickets was tougher than scoring Taylor Swift tickets, but King's Books came through for me. (He's swinging through the Seattle area on a book tour Nov. 5-8.)

We made the spookiest little Halloween clay project at Gather Pottery, a new pottery studio right by the Magnolia Bridge (next to Champion Party Supply).

Gather offers classes for adults and camps for kids, and now I'm seriously eyeing the wheel throwing class...

Really well planned, and easy enough for all ages. I was impressed.

People are intimidated by interior design, but it doesn't have to cost buckets and buckets of money. Using nature as decor — pine cones, driftwood, shells — is beautiful AND budget-friendly.

I wrote the cover story for this week's At Home section in The Seattle Times about design inspired by nature.

• Remix Design Co., whom I love talking to because she is smart and she keeps it real
• MAPLE & PLUM, whose design is absolutely dreamy (paired with the ultimate work ethic — she called me from Berlin!)
• Conservatory Coastal Home, whose shop I always visit when I'm on Bainbridge because I wish my house could look exactly like that

If you know me, you know I am a person who loves good food. Here are The Best Asian restaurants in Seattle, for ParentMap.

Many thanks to the foodie friends helped me put this list together. Let's eat!

Final Queen Anne Farmer's Market of the season.

The giant bubble station was such a hit at the pumpkin patch, and it's so easy to make this yourself at home. You only need three ingredients (four, if you count water).

Here's the recipe:

• 1 tablespoon guar gum (from Amazon)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup dish soap; Dawn Ultra works best
• 1 gallon water

Combine everything in a big bucket for the best bubble solution ever.

I have been to a LOT of pumpkin patches over the years and our favorite is Swans Trail Farms in Snohomish. There are just SO many fun activities, the other places can't compare.

Here's what's new at Swans Trail this year:

• Major cow train upgrade! The new rides are two side-by-side cars and a much smoother ride.
• New ropes course for your best ninja moves
• New giant bubble area
• Petting zoo animals are now behind pens, instead of you wandering amidst the animals. A little less access, but probably better for the animals.

Plus the hay slide, rubber duck race, kids' corn maze, hay wagon ride, duck races, pig show, barn hay maze, apple picking, pumpkin patch, hay pyramid, corn bin, zip line, fresh cider and doughnuts...

We first visited this brand-new indoor playground on Alki in January 2020... Now we're on the other side of the pandemic, OUTER SPACE Seattle is back open for all day open play!

The place is SUPER CUTE and SQUEAKY CLEAN. (The entire playground and all the toys get cleaned every night.)

Here's a link to my story on ParentMap:
https://www.parentmap.com/article/outer-space-indoor-play-space-kids-west-seattle

Saw this leaf on the walk from school, ran home to grab my macro lens.

Spotted the sweetest little farm stand on our way to Point Robinson and couldn't help stopping for a closer look. The ferry ride to Vashon is over all too quickly. Fifteen minutes from Seattle takes you to this rural escape.

My story for ParentMap here.