Cozy Fall Mornings with Starbucks

What are your favorite things about fall?

That question might make you roll your eyes and groan, but nobody can deny that fall is truly a season of change. Like clockwork, the first few days of Pacific Northwest fall have been punctuated with crisp mornings. I'm already gravitating away from salads and cold smoothies in favor of warm broth soups and hot, fragrant drinks. 

Cozy fall morning in the FJ household

This morning was especially crisp on the outside and cozy on the inside - just like the banana pancakes I decided to whip up. :) I bust open my fall care package from Starbucks to enjoy some of it with my breakfast.

I was really excited to see some VIA Instant Coffee packages in the 'it' drink flavor of the season - the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Just as creamy and smooth as one that's made for you in-store! Jacob's mornings have been powered by this seasonal Fall blend as of late; we're already through one and a half of these bags!

Starbucks included a simple syrup kit and some cinnamon potpourri along with our coffee drinks - but what I really want to talk about is this spoon from Milk & Honey Luxuries:

How. Freaking. CUTE.

I'm all set to be huddled under blankets with a cup of warm coffee watching Seahawks games this season. Thanks Starbucks!

View all of my Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community Posts here.

Disclosure: I am a member of Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community. Products were provided by Starbucks Coffee Company for this post. All opinions are mine!

The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop @ MOHAI - 9/19/15—5/1/16

I've never been inside the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)'s new home on Lake Union, but I have a feeling this exhibit will definitely be the one that brings me in.

MOHAI Presents The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop, September 19, 2015—May 1, 2016. Curated by Seattle natives Jazmyn Scott (The Town Entertainment) and Aaron Walker-Loud (Big World Breaks), this interactive exhibit will immerse visitors in the sights and sounds of our region’s growing Hip-Hop culture through audio recordings, photography, artwork, artifacts, and more.

The exhibit will explore many facets of the Seattle HipHop scene including graffiti, deejaying, break dancing, production, and emceeing, linking our region to the continuously evolving global Hip-Hop movement. 

"The opportunity to curate this groundbreaking exhibit is a crescendo of our personal and collaborative journeys as members of the Northwest arts community,” said Scott and Walker-Loud of the process of bringing the exhibit to life.

View iconic clothing from the closets of some of Seattle’s most well-known Hip-Hop artists such as Macklemore, Raz Simone and Massive Monkees, and vintage production equipment from legendary producers Jake 1, NastyMix Records and Tribal Productions. Highlights from the careers of Seattle’s world famous breakdancing crews along with long forgotten or never before seen mix tapes from the vaults of Seattle deejays with an international following – DJ B Mello, DJ Topspin and Kun Luv will also be on display.

This exhibit will have an interactive production studio where visitors step behind the scene to mix their own tracks using unreleased beats from Grammy Award Nominee Jake 1 and the venerable Vitamin D of the Pharmacy and a dance floor on which to bust a move and breakdance.

In addition, local artist Specs Wizard has created a custom mural as an exhibit centerpiece that will hang alongside rare graffiti pieces by DVS, Keep One and King Khazm of 206 Zulu.

Check out The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop at:

• Opening Family Day, Saturday, September 19 from 10 am—5 pm;
• at the Hip-Hop History Café, September 17th, 6:30 pm with Dr. Daudi Abe, a professor, writer and historian who has taught classes on culture, race, gender, communication, education, hip-hop and sports; or
• Saturday Spin Second Saturday of the month, 1 – 4 pm with local Seattle DJ’s spinning records in The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop exhibit starting in October through May 2016.

Visit www.mohai.org/hiphop for additional information and programming.

This exhibit is made possible in part by generous support from the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle, ArtsFund, 4Culture, and in part by a grant from the Washington State Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. MOHAI thanks exhibit partners 50 Next: Seattle Hip-Hop Worldwide, The Town Entertainment, and Big World Breaks for their support. MOHAI also thanks media sponsor KUOW Public Radio. 

See you there!

Happy Seahawks Sunday!

I know, I know. I really need to update my Where to Buy Seattle Seahawks Gear guide. I was on strike until Kam Chancellor reached some kind of agreement on his contract needs but since that's not happening anytime soon, send me your updates and I'll get to work.

In the meantime, happy first Seahawks Sunday and first football Sunday of the season. I tried to watch the game on Thursday but they were my two least favorite teams and I fell asleep instead.

If you haven't watched Marshawn Lynch hawking Skittles on this faux home shopping channel, you are missing out on a lot of laughter in your life. Get it:

Oh nothing, just MARSHAWN LYNCH SELLING SKITTLES IN THE MOST PERFECT VIDEO TO START FOOTBALL SEASON EVER, no biggie.

Summer on Ice with Starbucks

When I wasn't chipping away at this new site this summer, I was probably hanging out with Jacob and Spike over on Alki. Alki is the perfect place to enjoy beach vibes and some of the most spectacular views of the Seattle skyline. It's just a short drive for us and yet it feels so far away from the downtown hustle and bustle. Spike loves the water, so we're out there a lot. Catch us walking along the beach or enjoying spam musubi, pulled pork sliders and yummy cocktails on the patio at Marination Ma Kai!

Coffee fuels almost all of our adventures, whether that's out on Alki or hard at work. I'm in the midst of a year as a part of Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community, and they sent us a package that's fit for any Seattle summer activity.

I love the Starbucks Iced Coffee in all of its flavors, so naturally I was very heart-eyed emoji when I saw samples of four different flavors! Those went quick. Jacob isn't one for the flavored coffees but is all about the DoubleShot Protein Coffee for a pick-me-up in the afternoon. He also got me hooked on the Starbucks VIA Instant packets. We keep a couple of packets on us at all times!  This care package came with the VIA Instant Iced Coffee, which was especially great for road trips or on the ferry.

That picnic basket got a ton of mileage this summer, and that blanket was the perfect picnic & beach seating. After a good cleaning, it's now on heavy rotation for naps on the couch. :)

Thanks Starbucks for a iced coffee-fueled summer!

View all of my Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community Posts here.

Disclosure: I am a member of Starbucks Coffee Blogger Community. Products were provided by Starbucks Coffee Company for this post. All opinions are mine!