Our family recently moseyed down a dimly lit trail, cradling warm beverages, surrounded by over 5,000 intricately carved pumpkins at the Minnesota Zoo’s 2nd Annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. The 1/4 mile trail of glowing pumpkins features dizzying details and creatively carved designs. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular runs through November 3rd. Find tickets online for specific entry times….
Porcupine Mountains
Last year I turned forty years old. Unlike some, I didn’t dread the prospect. I saw it as an opportunity to celebrate all I’d accomplished. A mile marker beckoning me to continue to forge ahead carving out the life I hoped to lead. I took a couple of ‘life list’ trips. Scott and I climbed…
Pumpkin Patch
My favorite color is fall. Sipping cider, rustling leaves, bushels of mums and rusty wagons overloaded with pumpkins are my ideas of fall perfection. Every year, our family seeks out those sweet fall moments at a pumpkin patch. Hayrides, corn mazes and a chance to snag the perfect pumpkin were at the top of our…
Spooky Snacks
When the calendar flips to the month of October, I start planning and prepping for spooky snacks and creative costumes. I love Halloween and I love to decorate my house and make treats to celebrate this spine-tingling time to year. Here are a few creative creations I’ve made that will help you and your ghouls…
Honeymoon in New York City
When you think honeymoon, you most likely think of white, sandy beaches and warm ocean breezes. Not us. When planning our honeymoon in New York City we were looking to fill our days with museums, history, architecture, great food and nightlife. New York City was the perfect fit. The day after we said ‘I do”…
Minnesota Ice Cream Tour
Ice cream is the currency of summer. There is no better treat on a hot summer day than a stop at an ice cream shop for a drippy, double scoop cone. Our family set out to sample sweet treats at several different ice cream shops for a Minnesota Ice Cream Tour. We tried a few…
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore About a week ago, my long-time friend Kate and I strapped on our daypacks and ventured to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to explore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls. We’d spent little time mapping out where exactly our hiking boots would take us. We simply showed up at the…
Milk and Cookies After School Party
If you Give a Kid a Cookie…. The first day of school is filled with new experiences; a new classroom, a new teacher, new expectations and new routines. One of the new routines for our boys this year is riding the bus home. To celebrate this transition into more responsibility, I wanted to greet them…
Skol Vikings Party
Our house gets pretty excited for the start of the Viking’s football season. While the boys of the house focus on quarterback ratings and starting line-ups, I see the kick-off of the NFL season as a chance to get crafty. Break out the hot glue gun and scrapbook paper, this post explains how I put…
What to do in the Windy City; Chicago with Kids
Chicago is a city that doesn’t disappoint. Museums, sporting events, parks, theater and nightlife all make Chicago appealing. It’s the third largest city in the United States, yet it’s easy to navigate and most sights and attractions can be covered in three to four full days. With a seven and almost five-year-old in tow, our…