Our resident sixth-grader was delighted to learn recently that he is eligible for admission to all Minnesota Historical Society sites for FREE this academic year. The 6th Grade Minnesota History Pass gives all sixth-graders free admission to more than 15 historic sites across the state. To kick off this season of soaking up Minnesota history,…
Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam is considered an engineering marvel. Impressive considering the dam was constructed in the 1930s, prior to the design of many engineering tools and techniques that would be made this work easier and safer. In a five year span, approximately 21,000 workers would place 5 million barrels of concrete to construct the dam….
Joshua Tree National Park
Though called trees, the spiny plants that grow in abundance in Joshua Tree National Park are actually members of the agave family. The name Joshua Trees comes from a small group of Mormons who were passing through the area in the 1850s. They thought the plants looked like the prophet Joshua pointing them to the…
Petrified Forest National Park
One way to make a cross country road trip more enjoyable is to explore sights in route to your final destination. This is how we found ourselves at Petrified Forest National Park. On our first camper van adventure, we used a 3 hour stop in the park as a way to stretch our legs and…
Eat to Explore: Spain
My kids are not adventurous eaters. They subsist on chicken nuggets and pizza. Despite this, I have hopes of International travel with them in the near future and have often worried they will starve to death when forced to eat outside their comfort zone. So when I found the Eat to Explore program, I thought…
Birthday Pie Bar
Our guy celebrated a birthday a few weeks back. This birthday pie bar was a great way to bring together his love of pie and his addiction to coffee. Using several decorations from previous parties, I was able to put together this pie bar and left the baking to a pie shop. Here’s how it…
Date Your Spouse: Cooking Class
Scheduling time away as a couple is so important. We love taking our kids on adventures but we also understand the need to connect as a couple. This understanding led to a date night that involved more than going out to dinner. We learned to make the dinner at a cooking class. This Date Your…
Minnesota Pizza Tour
Mommy Baggage and the boys have been across the state sampling pastries at donut shops, ordering up flavorful scoops at ice cream parlors and dining on delicious burgers and fries at various drive-ins around Minnesota. This year we decided to chow down on the best slices of pizza our home state has to offer. Here’s…
Gnome Valentine Party
For this year’s Valentine’s Party, I’m planning a hot cocoa and cookie party for my favorite gnomies. I was able to recycle a lot of the decorations for this party from previous festivities. I love when a new party takes shape out of old pieces I already have. The gnome valentine party was simple to…
New Year’s Eve Party
A New Year’s Eve party with kids can include glitz and glam and fun for the entire family. This party is decked out in sparkle and bling plus serves up dessert meant just for kids (and the kids’ at heart). Below you’ll find all the details to create this kid centered spectacular celebration. Party Table…