Lifestyle

Winter Isn’t Over Yet
Why now might be the best time to take your kids skiing.
For many avid skiers in the Pacific Northwest, this winter has been a bust. Drier-than-normal conditions and a lack of snow have put a real damper on powder days, lift operations, and access to the mountains. As an avid backcountry skier, I’ve noticed the lean conditions and have not made it a priority to get…

Umbrella Policy
Northwest threads.
Nine years after meeting at Bumbershoot, Cam Russ and Marcus McFall launched a clothing company with Northwesterners on their minds. Called It’s Always Wet in Seattle, the line of sweats and beanies is available in colors reflecting the locale—Orca Black, Lake Union Blue, and Cascade White. Fun details include upside-down umbrella zipper pulls (a wink…

The Neighborhood Gym Effect
Inside Seattle Strength and Performance’s small-group training model and welcoming approach to fitness.
On a regular Seattle Wednesday morning, a little wet and dreary, I walk into a small gym feeling unsure of what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s late January, a time when many New Year’s resolutions are failing and motivation to keep exercising may be going out the window. I work out consistently—lifting weights, going to…

Settling In, Not Just Moving In: How Seattle Newcomers Find Their Footing
Photos courtesy of Royalty Moving & Storage Seattle. Explore: Seattle Relocation Resources Moving to Seattle is rarely just about transporting belongings from one address to another. For many newcomers, it marks the beginning of learning a city that operates on its own terms, shaped by distinct neighborhoods, changing weather, and an unspoken culture that locals…

Fave Five: Little Winter Escapes
Places to go when the weather turns cold.
Winter is a time to reset. The holidays vanish overnight, leaving frigid mornings and fewer lights in the windows. And it’s almost as if the sun has a lampshade over it—which I don’t mind. We all need a break from the bright overheads. Still, we are fighting the urge to hibernate. Maybe that means tea…

I Experienced a Skincare Treatment on the World’s Most Expensive Bed
A Hästens pop-up is currently running at Penelope and the Beauty Bar.
Last week as I was heading out the door for an appointment at Penelope and the Beauty Bar—the spa inside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel—my fiancé yelled up the stairs, “You better not fall in love with that mattress!” I was on my way to experience the spa’s Oxygen Dome Facial as part of a pop-up…

To Market, To Market
Start small.
Known as a hotspot for independent businesses and one-off boutiques, Ballard recently doubled down on the “Shop Local” mantra with a new collective shopping experience. “Smål Market was created to help small retailers overcome the financial and logistical barriers of opening a business in Ballard’s competitive commercial district,” says Mike Stewart, executive director at Ballard…

Seattle Businesses Rally Support for Minneapolis Ahead of National Shutdown
More than 30 local businesses are donating proceeds to help Minneapolis businesses close this Friday in solidarity with a nationwide economic blackout.
If you’re looking for something concrete to do right now, this is it: eat out, grab coffee, or shop local on Thursday, Jan. 29. Across Seattle, dozens of businesses are turning an ordinary day of commerce into a way to support Minneapolis businesses that plan to close on Friday, Jan. 30 as part of a…

When the News Feels Like Too Much
A moment to pause and take care of ourselves right now.
The recent news out of Minneapolis has been hard to watch. No matter where you live, it’s heavy and destabilizing. Staying engaged when things start to feel hopeless—and when it feels like there’s nothing you can do—is really difficult. At our staff meeting today, we talked about how many of us are feeling this same…

Serving Holistically
Suzana Sakay leads the Washington Athletic Club into its 95th year.
From answering phones to overseeing more than $1 million in fundraising, there’s no job at the Washington Athletic Club that’s too big—or small—for Suzana Sakay. Fourteen years ago, she began her journey with the organization as a merchandising manager in the spa, and has since moved through the ranks, helping improve membership experience and club…

We’re in a Pickle
Kings of the court.
Unlike some trends, the popularity of pickleball has only increased with time. Here in Washington, the birthplace of the game, we’ve seen a recent wave of new facilities dedicated to the state’s official sport. Last October, Sideout Tsunami Pickleball Center opened in Mt. Baker with 26 state-of-the-art courts that offer instant video replays sent straight…

How Hosting Is Changing in 2026
Seattle event planner Reneille Velez on the end of champagne escort walls and the return of thoughtful hosting.
Reneille Velez spends her days thinking about how people arrive in a room. Not just where they hang their coats or grab a drink, but how those first moments feel—the lighting, the sound, the sense that someone thought carefully about what it would be like to walk through the door. As the founder of GIAN,…

The Rise of the Experience Economy
REI brings back guided travel, betting that memories matter more than stuff.
In my household, with two young boys under the age of five, we often have to remind them to take things back. Did you really mean to tell dad that his dinner isn’t good? You might want to take that back. Did your brother deserve to be hit? Let’s rethink that one. Extreme analogies aside,…
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