Ugly Baby and La Ru + Bunny Party

Ugly Baby and La Ru is a shop in Pike Place Market that is home to creative handmade gifts made by two talented artists: Rosalie Gale (the Ugly Baby part of the duo) and Lauren Rudeck (creator of La Ru). It is a great place to find gifts for children (think cute screen printed clothes, create your own sock monkey kits, and beginner sewing sets ) and adults (think t-shirts, fun greeting cards, and home decor), plus it's great simply because of that name. 

If you aren't in the Seattle area, you can shop for their goods on Etsy. Find them at Ugly Baby and  La Ru.

La Ru 

Ugly Baby 

We felt a little guilty when we first wandered in, I mean calling a baby ugly? Pretty low. But after asking the shop owners about the name we found out that the baby in the logo is actually Rosalie's husband, who has since grown into his forehead. Phew, now we can shop without worrying about the baby's self esteem. 

Ugly Baby and La Ru hosted a Bunny Party this Easter to support Seattle Animal Shelter and Special Bunny. Visitors got to play with bunnies and check out the Ugly Baby and La Ru workshop, where they create most of the items sold in their store. Going to be honest, we were the oldest people there to play with the bunnies, but that didn't stop us from crawling into the bunny pens and hogging a few of the fluff balls from the toddlers (adults are allowed to enjoy bunny snuggles too). 

Who doesn't want to go to a bunny party?

Friendly faces to welcome everyone to the Bunny Party.

Benjamin the Bunny

Ollie receiving a snack!

Alice loved having her ears rubbed. 

Check out the ears on George.

It isn't an Easter party without sidewalk chalk. 

We never miss a good photo booth and we DO love bunnies.

Haunted Coke Machine

On an unassuming corner in the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill is a worn down, 1970s Coke Machine. This thing does not encourage you to give it money. You take one look and think it probably fell off the back of a truck accidentally. But for those who look a little closer you will see the buttons read "Mystery" and for just 75 cents it will throw a random soda product out at you. 

Who owns this coke machine? Where does it pull its power from? And who is refilling it? All mysteries that add to the joy of walking to the corner of John St. and 10th to get an ice cold, refreshing mystery beverage. 

5 Best Cocktails of Pike Place Market

Whether you are a local getting off work at 5:00 PM or a visitor looking for a great drink to unwind after a day of sightseeing, there is no better place in the city to go for a cocktail than Pike Place Market.

We spent the last month sampling drinks at all the restaurants and bars around the market to find the best to recommend. It was trying at times, talking to nice bartenders and sampling different artisan concoctions, but we did it for you, readers, we did it for you.

Left: Rachel's Ginger Beer Boozey Float, Top Right: Jarr Bar El Cochino, Bottom Right: Place Pigalle La Salle

Here are our top five cocktails of Pike Place Market:

1. Radiator Whiskey: Guns and Rosemary

This gin-based cocktail is great for any time of year. Bonus points for its name.

2. Jarr Bar: El Cochino

The El Cochino is a hearty vodka cocktail and the chorizo-wrapped pipparas doubles as a nice snack.

3. Place Pigalle: La Salle

This (pink) cocktail is served with a view of Puget Sound. A favorite for the ladies!

4. Jarr Bar: Westside

The Westside is refreshing and light. Cucumber, basil, mint, and lime make it a bright green.

5. Rachel's Ginger Beer: Dark & Stormy Boozey Float

Do ice cream floats count as cocktails? We don't care. It is making this list because it is De-licious. 

Honorable Mention:

Best Bang for Your Buck: El Borracho's El Cheapo

This margarita costs $4 and packs a punch!

Seattle St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl

Rejoice, the calendar has brought around another holiday devoted to drinking. We will dye the beer green, and in some really Irish cities, we will dye large bodies of water green as well.* 

[Green heart + Beer mugs clinking]

If you are planning on going out and toasting a delicious green lager to your Irish brethren and St. Patrick for all he did** we have put together a downtown Seattle Pub Crawl that is guaranteed to show you a good time. 

First stop, Fado. 810 1st Ave. Seattle, WA 98104

Doors open at 7:30 AM for "Kegs and Eggs." If you aren't there with a beer in hand, well then you just aren't fully committed to this holiday. Live entertainment all day plus a cool atmosphere makes Fado one of the best spots in the city to "Paddy hard."

Next up, Owl N Thistle. 808 Post Ave. Seattle, WA 98104

Just down the alley is your next bar, Owl N Thistle. This one is the smallest and dirtiest, but that might make it the best. Live music starts at 1:30 PM, so mosey on over after you've drank your way through lunch at Fado.

End the tour at Kells. 1916 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101

People come from all over the world for Kells' St. Patricks Day so be ready for crowds. The good thing is, everyone is usually drunk before mid day, so you are bound to make some friends! This party keeps going until the early morning so come prepared for a late night.

*Is that bad for the water? We always wonder but never want to be Debbie Downers on our Chicago friend’s Instagram posts, so we just always put the green heart emoji with a beer clinking emoji.

**Let’s be honest no one knows who St. Patrick is. Luckily we have Wikipedia. Keep reading, it gets really interesting when he banishes all the snakes from Ireland.