We are not, we repeat NOT, succumbing to the false allure of the "Staycation". However, we do empathize with those who are choosing to enjoy the offerings of their own backyards, and our backyard is Seattle.

Everyone has her own list of favorites, and these are Holiday Golightly's Top 10 Best Things About Seattle:

1) Kerry Park - This is where most of your Seattle postcard photos are taken. The park sits on Highland Drive in the Queen Anne neighborhood, surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, and a sweeping view of Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. On a clear day you can see forever Mount Rainier.

2) Woodland Park Zoo - It's a zoo and a concert venue. It's a zoncert venue. One of these days we will resist the urge to combine words to make nonsensical labels. But Us Weekly will probably not. The zoo is a great day-trip, and a great diversion from "city life". The summer concert series' usually feature some good mellow, folksy artists, which are a nice compliment to your lawn picnic.

3) Greenlake - The 3-mile loop around Greenlake provides an open stretch of uninterrupted workout space for walkers, runners, roller-bladers, and bicyclists. Although we've said it before - the Greenlake bicycling should be left to kids under the age of 11. The lake also offers an actual lake, for rowing and the stray fisherman.

4) University Village Shopping - The city's premiere outdoor mall is a pristine, upscale playground for those in the mood to spend money. If it is raining, grab one of the mall's yellow courtesy umbrellas and continue on about your shopping. Mercer, Sephora, Blue C Sushi, and Crate & Barrel can keep us occupied for hours.

5) Theo Chocolate - A hometown favorite, Theo Chocolates creates organic chocolate treats in zippy, unusual flavors (like Chai!). They are located in the friendly neighborhood of Fremont, and offer chocolate tours. The word "tours" usually conjures up unappealing images of massive groups of badly dressed Septegenarians, but anything that starts with "chocolate" is okay by us.

6) Club Zum - No, it's not a dance club. But you could probably dance there if you wanted. Club Zum is a hip, quirky "modern day fitness mecca" in Belltown that offers the standard cardio machines, weights, spinning classes, as well as a few more creative options like the indoor sandpit, bungee cords, plyometric boxes, and a climbing rope.

7) Lake Union 4th of July Fireworks - okay, this one is fairly specific, and only happens once a year, but it really is one of the best things about Seattle. Lake Union is beautiful in and of itself, but garnish it with a spectacular fireworks display, on a clear night, and you have a recipe for pure visual bliss.

8) The view of Mt. Rainier when driving I90 from Seattle to Bellevue - possibly even more specific than #7, but chances are you can see it more often than once a year.

9) Mojitos at Cactus in Madison Park - Cactus is a solid restaurant, in the Madison Park neighborhood, with tasty offerings in the food arena. Their Mojitos deserve a category all their own. Delicious, refreshing, perfectly concocted, and very, very dangerous. They're so subtle, you forget you're imbibing. Until you try to stand up to use the restroom.

10) Pike Place Market - The most obvious, but also the most warranted. Pike Place Market offers a plethora of sights, sounds, smells and visual appeal with the myriad booths of produce, flowers, cheeses, pastries, you name it. And we can't forget the always-entertaining Fish Guys, who ham things up for the crowds while tossing 12-pound salmon across the counters.

If you are firmly opposed to the Staycation, and do not live in Seattle, we recommend checking it out!

Cupcake shops are popping up all over the place, and we LOVE it! You know how you see Starbucks on every corner (although maybe now every other corner...)? Cupcake shops are becoming as ubiquitous, and who doesn't want to be surrounded by cupcakes?

Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle is one such place. Their mission "is to provide beautiful and delicious cupcakes in a fun and creative atmosphere that inspires celebration." Sounds good to us.

Trophy is housed in Wallingford Center, in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle (where Dave Matthews and Eddie Vedder both have homes). Wallingford Center is a converted grade school, and Trophy is situated to the left of the main entrance when you walk in, so you do feel a little bit like you're loitering in the hallway, while waiting for your cupcakes.

Only the finest quality ingredients are used.  Think "sweet cream butter" and "pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla".  Is your mouth watering yet?  It would be highly amusing if they still used the school bells in Wallingford Center, and we could make some sort of pithy Pavlov comment.  But they don't use the bells, so nevermind. 

Trophy has their solid standards of Chocolate Vanilla, Triple Chocolate, Vanilla Vanilla, Vanilla Chocolate and Red Velvet.  We're pretty sure the flavors are not exactly proper nouns, and it is probably not necessary to capitalize them, but if you tasted them, you'd agree with us.  They deserve capitalization.  In addition to the tried-and-tested standards, they also offer 9 daily rotating flavors - you know, for intrigue - that include quirky flavor combinations like Chai Cardamom, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and one that sounds like it's calling our name: Chocolate Graham Cracker!

School is out, and, Kids, it's snacktime.

Trophy Cupcakes

1805 N. 45th St. Ste. 209- in Wallingford Center

206.632.7020

Sure, you can kick back with the girls and have beer or wine, but great summer cocktails make everything seem slightly more festive. Possibly because of the fruity drink colors, or possibly because you've garnished them with a lit firecracker. To each her own! Here are our Top 10 Summer Girlfriend Getaway Cocktails.

1) MOJITO - a personal favorite, and the ultimate in refreshing summer cocktails. Which we also drink in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

* 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 lime, juiced
* 1 sprig fresh mint, crushed
* 1/2 cup crushed ice
* 2 fluid ounces white rum
* 4 fluid ounces carbonated water
* 1 sprig fresh mint, garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. In a highball glass, stir together the confectioners' sugar and lime juice. Bruise the mint leaves and drop into glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour in rum. Pour in carbonated water to fill the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

2) MARGARITA - or as we like to call her "Old Faithful".

* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
* 6 fluid ounces tequila
* 2 fluid ounces triple sec

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill blender with crushed ice. Pour in limeade concentrate, tequila and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

3) MUDSLIDE - the milkshake's naughty older sister. We love hanging out with her.

* 4 cups crushed ice
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers vodka
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers coffee flavored liqueur
* 2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers Irish cream liqueur
* 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
* 1/2 cup whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, combine crushed ice, vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur. Drizzle in Chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream.

4) SANGRIA - por supuesto, que si!

* 1/2 cup brandy
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
* 1/3 cup orange juice
* 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
* 1/2 cup triple sec
* 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
* 1 orange, sliced into rounds
* 1 lime, sliced into rounds
* 1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
* 8 maraschino cherries
* 2 cups carbonated water (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar. Float slices of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. For a fizzy sangria, add club soda just before serving.

5) BELLINI - our most refined cocktail, which is perfect for brunch.

*1/2 ounce peach liqueur
*1 ounce peach juice or nectar
*Chilled champagne or sparkling wine

DIRECTIONS

Pour liqueur and juice into a chilled champagne flute. Slowly top up with champagne or sparkling wine.

6) LEMON DROP - Vitamin C is very important!

* 4 fluid ounces fresh lemon juice
* 2 fluid ounces vodka
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* crushed ice
* 1 lemon, sliced
* 4 sprigs fresh mint

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing glass, combine lemon juice, vodka and sugar. Stir until dissolved, then pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and sprig of mint.

7) BOURBON SLUSH - we loved 7-11 Slurpees when we were kids, and this is our reward for getting older.

* 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
* 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 cups strong brewed black tea
* 2 cups bourbon whiskey
* 1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl or container, mix together the orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice, sugar, tea, and whiskey. Transfer to shallow bowls or dishes, and freeze overnight.
2. Remove the frozen mixture from the freezer and let stand for about 10 minutes. Chop with a wire whisk or potato masher to make a slushy consistency. Place scoops of the frozen slush into glasses, and top off with the lemon-lime flavored soda.

8) KEY LIME MARTINI - the perfect substitute for the pie you're always avoiding.

* 5 ounces of Ciroc vodka.
* 1 ounce Rose's Lime Juice.
* 1 ounce heavy cream.
* 1 lime cut in half.
* 2 thinly cut lime slices.

DIRECTIONS

Pour the vodka, and Roses into a shaker 3/4 full of cracked ice and let stand for a minute.
Rim 2 frozen martini glasses with lime flavored cocktail candy and rub 1/2 a lime around the bowl of each glass.
Shake for several minutes. Add the heavy cream to the shaker and shake for another minute. Strain your Key Lime martini into your two glasses, and garnish each glass with a lime slice.

9) WATERMELON DAIQUIRI - watermelons are synonymous with summer, and should be incorporated into as many drinks as possible.

* 4 cups peeled, seeded, cubed watermelon
* 1/2 cup light rum
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 1/4 cup orange liqueur
* Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. FREEZE watermelon in a shallow pan at least 6 hours.
2. PROCESS frozen watermelon and next 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Add enough ice to bring mixture to 5-cup level; process until smooth. Repeat procedure, if necessary, until mixture measures 5 cups.

10) WOO WOO - we couldn't have a complete drink list without at least ONE with a completely ridiculous name, that becomes more and more fun to say the more you drink.

*2 ounces vodka
*1/2 ounce peach schnapps
*Lime wedge
*Cranberry juice
*Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Squeeze in lime, then add the vodka and schnapps. Shake, then strain into an old-fashioned glass half filled with ice. Add the squeezed lime wedge and top up with cranberry juice.

As always - drink responsibly!