I mean, c’mon. That little elephant is out of this world cute. If this doesn’t put a little pep in your step, I don’t know what will!

Full House legend, “Uncle Joey,” …er David Coulier is in Kirkland with his stand up act beginning tonight and running through Saturday (two shows).

Thursday, April 25th @ 8:30pm

Friday, April 26th @ 8pm and 10pm

Saturday, April 27th @ 8pm and 10pm

Doors open at 6:30pm for the 8pm show and 9:45 for the 10pm show. Seating is 1st come and 1st serve (general admission). Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. 8pm and 8:30pm shows are 18 years of age and older the 10pm show is 21 years of ago and older. There is a two item minimum menu purchase.

Dave’s story is a refreshing one for Hollywood – nice guys can finish first. As an actor, comedian, and voice-over artist, his many talents are much in demand. Dave is perhaps best known for his work on the long-running hit ABC television series, Full House, which aired for eight seasons, with 192 episodes produced, and can now be seen as part of the popular Nick At Nite and ABC Family network lineups.

Good clean funny stuff, check it out!

Ok, we may not all be naturally fit, cross-country runners like Forest, but there is no denying that Seattleites take their physical to the wide open roads the second the spring temperature hits 55 degrees. We see bike and running commuters galore once the days get longer (and supposedly less wet) and believe it or not there is “proper” gear for these kinds of activities.

photo courtesy of brazorunning.com

If you’re a fashion forward city gal, like the Belles and love buying gear, the 2013 REI Running Shoe Expo is for you.

This Saturday, April 13 from 10am-3pm, REI will host you and all your running buddies for shoe fittings, running form and gear extravaganza!

According to event organizers (REI):

“Have your gait analyzed on a treadmill to determine which shoes will best support you, try out free demo pairs for a jog around the block, speak with vendors about their products, check out the new minimalist footwear, and share in the energy of other running and walking enthusiasts. Maybe you’re training for a 5K or the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll, or are hoping to do some trail runs this year; maybe you’re curious about minimalist running, or simply looking to keep yourself fit.”

Here’s to pounding the pavement!

The Moisture Festival will present comedy/varietè/burlesque performances featuring the best in local, national, and international artists at these venues across the Seattle area including Hales Palladium, the Broadway Performance Hall and Siff Cinema at the Uptown.  Stay tuned for additional venues as we confirm them.

Look out for aerialists, jugglers, comedians, dancers, rope acts, bubble acts, clowns, acrobats, can can girls, strong women, strong men, tap dancers, drill teams, musical numbers, the weird and the wonderful all keeping the tradition of comedy/varietè/vaudeville alive.

Check out the full calendar of events here.

The troop has come to realize that it is impossible to define “family friendly” since it depends entirely on the particular family, but there is a way to gauge which show is right for you and your family and friends.

• 3:00pm shows: Ideal for children of all ages
• 7:30pm shows: Geared for all ages, but not guarantee to meet everyone’s expectations of “family friendly”10:30pm & Burlesque shows: 18 years and older with a more adult orientation

After yesterday’s tearful love fest for the city of Seattle, its fans and (believe it or not) the Seattle Mariners, Felix is my Valentine today. He doesn’t know it, but he will in about 30 seconds.

In a Seattle Times article that ran yesterday afternoon after Felix signed a $175 million, seven-year contract with the Seattle Mariners he said, “I don’t do this because I care about the money. I do this because I care about the people in Seattle. I do this because I love this city.” Complete with tears and a message that he will not disappoint anybody. Great!

So for you, Felix, here is a small Valentine’s Day poem:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Thank you for signing on for seven more years.

And if you could, give us another perfect game, too.

Thanks, Felix! And Happy Valentine’s Day from all the Belles!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day – just in case you’ve been living under a rock! While I’m not a huge proponent of sending flowers or chocolates, I do enjoy letting the people whom I care about know that I love them. Which is why I wanted to pass along this adorable idea from the Woodland Park Zoo.

Rather than purchasing a card, you can send an e-valentine to a loved one! For free! How cute is that? They have four options featuring either a peacock, a monkey (sorry I have no clue what kind this is!), lions or meerkats. The process is made so simple, too, so there are no excuses.

SO, I encourage you to get out, share the love, and have a splendid day!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Belles!

My penguin mug. So festive!

We have made it through Thanksgiving and that means we have officially passed  into  the “Holiday Season.”  From now on you will be bombarded with the sights and sounds of the season and it’s best that you just start accepting it now.  Fight the holidays and everything that comes with them and you will only be hurting yourself.  It’s best if you just relax and give in to the magic and joy around you.  To that 3end I have compiled a series of helpful tips to really get you feeling the magic.

• Put on some music: Tune your radio (or your internet) to Warm 106.9 and get absolutely nothing put pure holiday cheer pumped into you ears.  Better yet put in some headphones and you can feel like it is being injected directly into your brain.  You are sure to start feeling mighty jolly.  You will get everything from Christmas classics,to that one Mariah Carey song that everyone likes,  to less classic songs like “Sippin in Seattle’s Latte Land”, a truly terrible song set to the tune of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” but about, you guessed it, lattes.  You can also hear the world’s worst Christmas song which may have adverse effects on your mood.  It is called “Christmas Shoes” and it is the worst.  Listen if you dare, and then definitely listen to this because  it will make the horror worth it:Patton Oswalt – Christmas Shoes
• Have fake snow fall on you:  If you wait for it to actually snow in Seattle it may be well past the holidays before it happens and it will be too late.  This is about feeling festive right now.  Head over to Pacific Place where you can be dusted with some faux snow every day at 6:00PM and then to Bellevue’s Snowflake Lane at 7:00PM to get yet another sprinkling.
• Eat a Christmas dessert:  Whether you bake it yourself or get it from a store you are sure to feel more cheerful once the sugar kicks in.  May I suggest a Peppermint Bark cupcake from Cupcake Royale?
• Set the mood with some Christmas scents: Buy a nice holiday candle or get some actual evergreen branches to give your home a merry aroma.  Or just buy a bunch of those tree-shaped car air fresheners and hang them around your home.  This should have roughly the same effect.  As a bonus you can also put one  in your car.
• Put peppermint schnapps in everything: You can probably buy it in bulk at Costco.
• Watch Love Actually: Or substitute your own cheesy Christmas movie.  And then watch Love Actually as well.
• Drink from a Christmas mug:  Mine is a penguin.  Fill it with peppermint schnapps.

At this point you should be feeling pretty damn cheerful.  If not, just add more peppermint schnapps.

Love the restaurant Tango?

Check out it’s sibling Rumba Rhum & Food, Seattle’s first rum bar located at 1112 Pike Street, on Capitol Hill right next door to Tango. It’s official opening took place just last week and already the rave reviews are flowing in. The new restaurant pairs rum-forward drinks such as daiquiris with Central/South American and Caribbean dishes such as empanadas, ceviche, and tacos. The decor and vibe feature old Havana details like leaf-shaped ceiling fans and amber wood shelves stocked with vintage accessories. Hard-to-find rum (Agricole, El Dorado, Lemonhart 151) is generously poured at the curved, bilevel bar.

You may enjoy a variety of tasty treats in cluding haved-ice daiquiris, fresh mojitos, baked empanadas (chicken, chorizo, vegetarian), Jamaican jerk pork shank with pineapple slaw, and smoked chicken wings in hibiscus marinade.

According to these folks, “Rumba is proud to have a crew of expert bartenders who have a passion for rum and have honed their craft at some of the top spots in Seattle. Rumba offers an wide array of island drinks including libations of Prohibition-era Havana, Tiki cocktails, Punches and Caribbean island classics. Rumba’s 12 foot arched, back-lit bar also holds over 200 rum selections for those looking for the pure rum sipping experience.

Sounds like it’s time for a cocktail!

There’s a ton going on in the music scene this Labor Day weekend, that’s never real news (Bumbershoot and Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge). But another event which highlights cool blues music, charity and sharing quality, organically grown food. Seattle’s Blues for Food Fest takes place on Saturday, September 1 at Magnuson Park.

The all-day, all-ages event celebrates food, music and community!

Enjoy live music by some of the finest blues bands in the Northwest, fresh tasty food from local vendors, a fabulous auction of luscious, homemade pies, children’s gardening activities..and free parking, too!

Blues for Food Fest raises money and awareness for the people and organizations in Seattle that grow food for the hungry. Proceeds from the festival go to P-Patch Giving Gardens, the P-Patch Trust and the Washington Blues Society’s Musicians Relief Fund. We welcome your donations of non-perishable food and fresh produce at the festival.

A little history…

• In 2007, Deb Rock, a local woman who has been running the Food Bank Garden at Interbay P-Patch since 1999, decided to remedy the lack of a blues festival in Seattle by creating one of her own. What made this festival unique was that it combined her lifelong passion for the blues with her other passion, growing organic food for the hungry. Local blues musicians were eager to perform for the cause and help raise money for the P-Patch Giving Gardens Deb cares about so deeply. With help from P-Patch Trust, she secured a venue, spread the word, printed posters, got people to bake pies to auction off, found friends willing to contribute time and energy, and pretty much pulled the whole thing together herself. She called it Blues for Food Fest and it was an instant success.
• Since then, Blues for Food Fest has grown into an all-day Labor Day weekend event that attracts hundreds of people and raises thousands of dollars. The money goes directly to support P-Patch Food Bank and Giving Gardens and blues musicians.

This year’s line up…

12:00   Little Bill Trio

1:30     Stacy Jones Band

3:00     Ben Rice

4:30     Lady A and The Baby Blues Funk Band

6:00    Teresa James and The Rhythm Tramps

7:30     Junkyard Jane’s 15-year Anniversary Party with Sue Orfield

Example of Seed delivery box. Photo via Full Circle Farms

I don’t know about you, but the number one reason I stray from diet is an absence of groceries in my fridge. If I don’t go grocery shopping, my diet goes out the window. And
the worst part is, I almost never go grocery shopping. I swear I don’t have time! I have plans almost every day after work and my weekends are booked through October with out-of-town excursions. I have to schedule downtime, for Pete’s sake. I mean’ schedule’ as in, “On Sunday, I will do nothing but sit in my apartment and recuperate from life.” And I know what you’re thinking: maybe I should trade a happy hour here or there for grocery shopping, laundry, exercise, etc. I know this. I’m just terrible at caring enough to change.

Given the miserable display of will power detailed above, you can imagine how excited I was to discover a service that will deliver produce TO MY DOOR. I wake up in the morning and it’s just sitting there. A box of healthy, organic, delicious, diet-friendly food that I put almost zero effort into acquiring. Amazing. My diet feels better already. The company behind the solution to my “problem?” Full Circle Farms, the West Coast’s leading organic produce delivery service. Full Circle Farms began 15 years ago as an organic farm outside of North Bend, Wash. Now they work with hundreds of organic and family farms on the West Coast to deliver fresh foods to homes in Washington, Idaho, Alaska and the Bay Area. Here’s how it works:

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