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 […]
Glad to have done it: Camping with a toddler
July 16, 2012 by
Scenic State Park, near Big Fork, Minnesota We finally fulfilled our much-talked about promise to take Beatrice camping. Like when we backpacked her in to a winter cabin, I was sort of half hoping that having really low expectations would mean that it would end up being easier and more fun than I thought. But […]
Summer on Superior
July 11, 2012 by
Hello! Wondering where we’ve been? Breanne and I were both on vacation in this beautiful north last week and have some stories and photos to share with you. Here’s the first installment: my trip to Bayfield, Wisconsin with my boys and grandparents. I really need to spend more time on Lake Superior. It is just […]
Summer fun with kids in Saint Paul
June 24, 2012 by
This is my second summer at home with my kids (after 10 years as a working mom) and I feel like I’m getting in my summer mom groove a bit better this year. A kid’s summer should be about freedom and unstructured time and play, but too much of a good thing is just . […]
Tent camping with a toddler: the right gear
May 31, 2012 by
Remember when I sketched out our summer adventure plans, and going camping was high on our list? Well, we’ve been having trouble getting started. We decided to start with a test night in the backyard and haven’t even managed to do that. I just couldn’t get beyond the knowledge that we’d all have a terrible […]
How to do a Minnesota cabin weekend right
April 30, 2012 by
Raucous weekends with your college buddies, family get-togethers, quiet weekends with another couple—there is nothing better than a good cabin weekend. To the unfamiliar it sounds a bit strange: load up your car and drive 2-4 hours on Friday evening. Spend the weekend in the middle of nowhere in a cabin with limited amenities. Haul […]
The Minneapolis park you’ve never heard of — Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
April 21, 2012 by
It’s hard to believe, but one of my favorite Minneapolis parks actually bans running. No tiny shorts here. No huffing puffing runners thundering behind you, no sweaty elbows pushing you aside. Also: no bikers, with their startling cries of “On your left!” And even though I love them: no dogs, either. Instead, the place is […]
Roughing it: Traveling to the Bahamas with a one-year-old
April 12, 2012 by
So if Jen’s pooh-poohed her Anna Maria Island trip as unadventurous, wait until you hear about my spring trip. On the one hand, yes: we traveled with a one-year-old on four, two-hour flights (two each way). We subjected her to nightly two-hour dinners at fancy restaurants. We let her run around in the pool (and […]