Honestly, this might be the coolest idea I’ve ever heard of: a personal shopper at a thrift store. Let me repeat, in case you disbelieve: a personal shopping appointment at a thrift store. For real. This phenomenal idea is the invention Michelle Dustin, who worked at Arc’s Value Village when she was younger. After college […]
A Saturday adventure, a few blocks from home
March 12, 2013 by
A few weeks ago Scott had to be gone all day on a Saturday and the boys and I did our usual lounging around in pjs all morning. Before noon they were restless and bickering and tattling and I’d had enough. That’s it, I said, we’re outta here. Now. I’d seen the announcement that the […]
Summer Camps & Activities in the Twin Cities
February 25, 2013 by
It’s February, and for parents everywhere that means it’s time to register for summer camps, summer sports leagues, and all manner of enriching activities that often double as child care for the summer and certainly protect against constant requests for electronics privileges. If you know this drill, you know you’ll soon be sitting by the […]
Borealis Holiday: Trip to the tree farm
December 4, 2012 by
Every year for the last four years we’ve gotten our Christmas tree from a tree farm. This is something I’d always wanted to do, but when we had babies and were both working we just opted for the greenhouse, where it is warm, quick, and they shake, bag, and tie your tree to your car […]
A day of rest
October 21, 2012 by
I’ve been hitting the to-do list really hard. Too hard. I don’t know why I feel so anxious about Getting Everything Done this time. Maybe it’s a mistaken belief that if I get everything done, everything will go well? The revamping of our basement (thanks to water damage) and guest room/nursery shuffle kicked off a […]
Flour made fun: Mill City Museum
August 3, 2012 by
Minneapolis is Mill City, dontcha know? For fifty years, Minneapolis was the largest producer of flour in the world, and the Washburn A mill along the Mississippi river was the world’s biggest mill. It closed in 1965 and nearly burned down in 1991. The Minnesota Historical Society’s Mill City Museum is built into its ruins. […]
Little farm in the city
August 1, 2012 by
How many times did you read the Little House on the Prairie series? Ten, twenty? I don’t remember my total times through the nine books, but so many scenes are perfectly vivid in my head: Ma making cheese, Jack turning around three times in his bed and then dying, finding baby pickles and saltines in […]
Finding my farmer’s market home: Market in the Valley
June 25, 2012 by
To find my perfect farmer’s market, I had to head to the suburbs. We live fairly close to such Minneapolis gems as the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market (a giant affair in the shadow of a highway), the Mill City Farmer’s Market (a smaller, cozier market with a focus on organic and sustainable agriculture in the heart […]