Holiday Archives - Pampers and Paklava

Four fun—and FREE—family holiday photo-op spots in Seattle

December 6, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season for holiday family photos. Yes, of course, there are always the usual spots to catch a photo session with Santa, but if you want to shake it up for a change, consider these four Seattle locations for fun—FREE—family holiday photos.

Pacific Place

Want to get a couple presents for the good kids on your list and snag a some fun photos at the same time? Then head downtown to Pacific Place and search each floor for the illuminated GIVE, LOVE , and JOY marquee signs!

Beginning December 2, for three weeks, a word will be “dedicated” each week. If you to take a photo in front of the marquee sign (by yourself, with a family or with a friend, or just of the sign itself), and upload to Facebook and/or Instagram (with that week’s corresponding hashtag: #PacPlaceGIVE #PacPlaceLOVE or #PacPlaceJOY, you will automatically be entered to win a $250 gift card to the Pacific Place store or restaurant of your choice. One winner will chosen each week. December 2-8: GIVE; December 9-15: LOVE; December 16-24: JOY.

And—If you’re visiting Pacific Place at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays, look out for snow flurries. Indoors! November 25th through December 24th you can enjoy the Snow Show in the Atrium.

Bonus: Want to practice your night and lights photography? New this year there is a 3D projection mapping show on the 6th Avenue street side of Pacific Place—a magical lights begin at night-fall each evening from November 25 – December 31st.

Last year, 2015, we had a blast going up and down the escalators (what kid doesn’t like that) to check out the creatively painted Nutcrackers hidden around each level of the mall.

Archie McPhee

Is Bigfoot more your bag than Elf on the Shelf? How about a snowy white unicorn? Got folks on your holiday list who thrill at a quirky gift? Archie McPhee is the place to be! On the corner of 45th and Stone Way in Wallingford you can get some great photos against the really cool murals on the outside walls of their building. And then? Head inside for all gifts bacon and cat lady!

We used the photo I took of our daughter against their glorious red wall (in her Santa mustache that we purchased inside the store) for this year’s holiday card.

Swansons Nursery

You can buy your tree and your poinsettia at Swansons Nursery in north Ballard. But did you also know you can see real reindeer, a camel (the famous Curley), and a model train with a unique theme every year (this year’s theme is the Grinch)? Plus you can take photos in one of their two decorated sleighs. Swansons’ annual Reindeer Festival runs from November 12 through December 24 at 3:00 p.m.

Bonus: This year, if you post photos of your Swansons’ holiday traditions on Instagram or Twitter through December 12th, (using hashtag #sharingswansons) Swansons will share the holiday spirit by donating one food item to the Ballard Food Bank for every photo posted. At the end of the 12 days of sharing, one lucky participant will win 12 fabulous Swansons’ prizes!

McCaw Hall

Love the classic feel of the Nutcracker but can’t count on your kids making it through a 2-hour performance? Then go check out the lobby at McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center which opens 2 hours before each performance! You can find cute photo-op spots like the enormous Mother Ginger statue with the “peek-a-boo” skirt, and giant mouse, three mini-stages, plus Seattle’s tallest Christmas tree.

Sometimes when the stress of holiday happenings gets you down, you need to think outside the box a bit. Wishing you a fun and photographic holiday season!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

It ain’t easy being Dada: Happy Father’s Day

June 19, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

Any man can be a father but it takes a special person to be a dad.

Father's Day

Being a dad is a complicated adventure. When to nurture and love? Where to set boundaries and rules? How to instill morality and values? How to know when it’s time to have fun and when it’s time to draw the line. Before you’re in the thick of parenthood, you imagine days with your child at rapt attention as you share the wonders of the world. You daydream about laughter and smiles, spending hours of playtime together.

But being a dad means you will also experience tears and tantrums. You will have to grit your teeth through difficult days and dole out tough life lessons. You will wind up making decisions you know are right but that your kid won’t be happy with. Being a dad ain’t easy! That’s why I have so much respect for the men who really commit to fatherhood and give it their all.

To my husband and all the amazing fathers out there–you rock the Dada role! Where would our kids (and us moms) be without you?

Happy Father’s Day!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

What’s in the picture for my birthday? Decadence, delight and daring

June 15, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

Today is my birthday and I’m upping the ante on my celebration. The tragedy this past week, one of way too many in recent history, reminds me that while I might bemoan my aches, wrinkles, or expanding derriere, I am lucky to get another trip around the sun. So I’ve decided to ring in the day of my birth with a decadence, delight and daring.

Four candles No, I’m not 4

Decadence: Not much explanation needed here. There will be wine. And dessert. Both go hand-in-hand with birthdays, mine anyway. But I also made an appointment for a pedicure, a rare treat for me. There is something decadent, especially for moms, about sitting undisturbed for an hour, unable to do anything while someone pampers you!

Delight: Surprises. I delight in surprises and I know a few are in store. For one, I don’t know where my husband is taking me to dinner other than it’s “someplace new.” There might be a present involved, who knows? My daughter has also said she has a couple surprises for Mama. Granted, she’s five and doesn’t have the best track record as a surprise-keeper, but I think she might have one or two things up her sleeve she hasn’t told me about.

I’m also going to spend an hour or so of uninterrupted time with my camera, in one of Seattle’s lovely locales. There’s nothing like some peace and quiet, a pretty scene and my trusty camera to put a smile on this girl’s face.

Daring: Long ago, maybe ten years now, my husband gave me a silver paperweight inscribed: what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? I’ve done one or two daring things, like adopting a kid and becoming a mom in the fifth decade of my life (both daring and daunting at times).

So this year I decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for most of my life. I filed for my state and city business license, formed my LLC (Limited Liability Corporation)….and Beth Shepherd Photography made the switch from fantasy to real life! I realize it’s a bit late in life to start a new career, but Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie at the age of 64 and Grandma Moses started painting at 76! Why not become a professional photographer in my 50s? Maybe I’m just a late bloomer? I don’t where this path will take me, but I’m glad I’ve dared to walk down it.

LLC Certificate

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Mother’s Day: Mama’s IN the picture

May 7, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

I am always behind the camera, especially these days as I continue to work on my 366 Project, taking one photo every day for a year. Much as I love taking pictures, sometimes it’s nice to be on the other side of the camera. Last week I got my chance, in a pre-Mother’s Day event called Mama’s in the Picture, a benefit for Soulumination, a wonderful organization that celebrates the lives of children and parents facing life-threatening conditions by providing professional photographs of these special individuals.

The event was organized by two of the most amazing photographer moms I know, Wenmei Hill and Mary Balmaceda. They are the founders of Mamas with Cameras, a Seattle group with workshops and meetups for shutter happy mamas. Like me.

I’ve been an active member of the group for over five years–Wow! Has it been that long? I joined over a year before we adopted our daughter and used to joke that I was the only mother there who…wasn’t a mother. Now I am! I look forward to each monthly meetup because I always learn something new. Plus I get to hang out with some of the coolest photog mamas in Seattle.

Since I am so rarely in the picture, I frequently wonder what my daughter will think when she gets older about my role in the family. Where was Mama on that trip to Hawaii? How come so many of the family photos have me, Papa or the cats in them but not Mama? Why are there so few pictures of Mama with me.

I believe this is something moms wonder about a lot. Our jobs are largely behind the camera. We schedule and organize, plan for parties and play dates, shop for clothes and food, make meals and shuttle kids to sports events–we use our mama superpowers to stealthily make it all happen–behind the scenes. And that is why I was so excited for the opportunity to be IN the picture. Years from now, when my daughter looks back on these shots, I hope she’ll know that even though mama might not have been in many of our family pictures, she was always there.

A HUGE shout out to Wenmei Hill and Mary Balmaceda for giving us a mamas a chance to do something we rarely get to do; to Soulumination for the stunning venue; and, to Mamas with Cameras. You mamas are my inspiration in every way!

Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Dyeing Easter Eggs

March 26, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

Our daughter dyed Easter eggs for the first time this week. Her BFF ‘Bunny’ was her faithful art project companion. He helped choose colors and pick out stickers, and sat beside her while she dyed her eggs and decorated them. Voila! Five ‘Hello Kitty’ Easter eggs. And then, of course, she ate one.

HAPPY EASTER!

May the Bunny treat you well.

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

St. Paddy’s Potatoes: How to grow container potatoes

March 10, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

Have a small garden? Maybe just a sunny porch? Love potatoes? If you are a small space gardener, like I am, growing potatoes in a container is the way to go! Tupperware bin or even a burlap bag, it’s easy to grow your own spuds. I like to grown mine in big garbage bins!

You’ll want to start your plants after all danger of frost has passed. I live in the Seattle and the climate is somewhat mild, so St. Patrick’s Day is when I plant. Yes, I admit there’s a twisted irony to planting potatoes on St. Paddy’s because, well, there was that potato famine. But for me it’s a good reminder: St. Paddy’s—->Irish potato famine—>plant potatoes.

Want to try it? Start with seed potatoes, not the leftovers from Sunday’s dinner. You can buy them at most garden stores and they are preferred because there is less chance of disease (again see Potato Famine).

Select a potato variety that works with your growing season. There are three basic categories: early, mid and late season. You can find suggestions on which varieties to try, based on your growing season, in this great article about potato varieties. This year I’m growing Germain Butterballs and Ozettes. German Butterball potatoes are tender and, like their name, buttery. The flavorful, but lumpy, Ozette potato is our local star. Brought to the Pacific Northwest from Peru by Spanish galleons. Even if they won’t win any awards for beauty, I love their rich, nutty flavor!

Small seed potatoes can be planted whole, but cut larger ones into 2-inch pieces, making sure there are several eyes on each piece. Plant the pieces in your container-of-choice by placing them about 5-7 inches apart on about 4-inches of free-draining soil mixture with a small handful of fertilizer added in.

Cover your potatoes with more soil and then, after the plants grow about 6-inches, continue to cover the them until you reach the top of your container. You have to do this somewhat carefully, in my opinion, so as not to break the newly growing plants. You’ll want to keep your plants watered but don’t over-water lest you end up with soggy plants. Also, be sure to cut or drill holes for drainage into your container if it didn’t ‘t come with drainage holes to begin with.

For best results, place your container where the plants will get six to eight hours of light and temperatures of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll know it’s time to harvest when your plants flower and then turn yellow. You can also remove new potatoes before flowering. Once the stems turn yellow, stop watering and wait a week.

Dig out the potatoes or just dump the container and sort through the soil for the tubers. Brush dirt off the potatoes (but don’t wash them in water until you’re ready to eat them) and let them “cure” for two weeks in a cool, dark spot (like a basement). Our family has a great time at our annual “potato dumping.” We haul out a tarp and tip over the cans. It’s great fun for little kids to dig around in the dirt, collect and count their haul.

Important note: You can reuse potato soil in your garden, just NOT in vegetable beds (flowers and other plants are okay). This is because they are in the nightshade family (like tomatoes) and the spent soil is more likely to cause disease in other vegetables, if you use it again.

Go forth–plant potatoes! And Happy St. Paddy’s.

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Happy Leap Year

March 1, 2016 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

In 2012, the last Leap Year, our daughter lived in another country. Her home was an orphanage. She was nine months old. She wasn’t walking.

Flash forward four years. Our daughter is a U.S. citizen. Her home has a mama, a dada and two cats. She is almost five years old. She walks, talks…and leaps.

In honor of Leap Day 2016, what’s a girl to do? Practice leaping, of course.

Happy Leap Year!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Favorite things: Valentine’s Day cards

February 13, 2016 by Beth Shepherd 2 Comments

Giving and receiving Valentine’s Day cards is definitely one of my favorite things from childhood. I remember the anticipation I felt as I wrote the names of my classmates on cheery red cards, licked the envelopes and delivered them to my classmates. And I also remember the excitement of tearing open the cards I received.

This was my daughter’s first year at school where kids exchanged Valentine’s Day cards. She picked out one of her treasured Armenian dresses to wear to school for the festivities. When I picked her up a few hours later, she proudly displayed her personally-decorated supersized Valentine’s envelope, that her teacher secretly stuffed with surprises from her fellow schoolmates. It was a BIG deal–as evidenced by the smile on her face!

Later, back at the ranch, envelope opening commenced after she changed into her princess costume, because why wouldn’t you want to dress up to open your Valentine’s Day cards? This was a special occasion!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Six ways to mend a broken heart on Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2016 by Beth Shepherd 2 Comments

Three years ago, on Valentine’s Day my sister, Caren, passed away. She was only 50-years-old. My sole sibling and, like me, an adoptive mom.

As Valentine’s draws near, I want to enjoy the day for what it represents–a day to show those we love just how much we love them. But for me, Valentine’s Day is also a day when I nurse a broken heart. If you’ve experienced the loss of someone you loved, here are a six things you might try:

Keep yourself busy. Get out of the house, if you can, and do activities you love. Try to be in the company of friends and family. Go somewhere beautiful.

Mentally prepare yourself. In the U.S. it is impossible to go anywhere during the month of February without seeing Valentine’s Day reminders. But, for all the build-up, it is just one day.

Let yourself feel. Grief can take over when you least expect. Things aren’t always okay–and that’s okay. Remember the person you loved and give yourself permission to feel emotions that arise.

Avoid the obvious. Listening to “your song,” watching romantic movies, going to places that were your “your places”–probably not the best idea. Likewise, think twice before dining solo at a restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Get take-out instead or cook something simple–but maybe not the foods that were “your favorites” together.

Celebrate your relationships–all of them. Friends, kids, grandparents, co-workers–remind yourself love is a “many-splendored thing”–and Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day to say “I love you.”

Love yourself! Sometimes the person who needs the most loving kindness is you. Don’t be stingy. Take stock of everything that still brings you joy. Cut yourself some slack. Treat yourself to something special. Count your blessings.

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.

Ernest Hemingway

~In memory of my sister Caren~

It’s all about the journey,

Beth

Wait! Don’t take down that tree. It’s Armenian Christmas.

December 29, 2015 by Beth Shepherd Leave a Comment

Just about the time some of us put away our decorations and take down our tree, Armenians ramp-up for Armenian Christmas! The Armenian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 6, not December 25. This day is also known as Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus being God’s son. For most Armenians Christmas is a religious holiday and families will go to church on both Christmas Eve, January 5 and Christmas morning, January 6.

Armenian Orthodox Church steeple

Many Armenians fast the in the days leading up to Christmas and also abstain from eating meat. Instead, they eat traditional braided bread, rice pilaf, fresh vegetables and fruit. They also enjoy a wheat-based pudding with nuts and dried fruits called Anoushabour (Anoush Abour).

Armenian trout

On Christmas Eve, Armenians might eat a traditional fish dish called Ishkhanatsoog, or “princely trout.” For dessert dried fruit and nuts appear on the table as well as rojik, or whole walnuts encased in grape jelly and hanging on a string. Family and friends gather for a large family meal when meat is finally introduced at Christmas.

Rojik

Gaghant Baba/Kaghand Papa is Father Christmas, the Armenian version of Santa Claus. Traditionally he visits on December 31, New Year’s Eve.

Father Christmas puppet in Gyumri, Armenia

Families who put up a Christmas tree might decorate it with fruit, white doves, and golden bows. Many Armenians like to use the three colors of the Armenian flag on the tree – red, orange and blue. A crèche or nativity scene is also something you might see in an Armenian home.

Shnorhavor Surb Tsnund–Wishing you a Happy Armenian Christmas!

Take the road less traveled, Beth

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