Last Saturday was a beautiful fall day, so we decided to explore a new spot in the Twin Cities – the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Founded in 1907, the Wildflower Garden is the oldest public native plant garden in the United States!
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There is no charge to explore and hike, but there is a minimal parking fee.
Most days the park is staffed by naturalists and volunteers who are happy to tell you what’s blooming, where to explore, and to answer other questions you may have about birds or flowers.
There were ‘scavenger hunt’ sheets available for kids at the entryway, and my boys loved being on a ‘hunt!’
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The boardwalk was so really cool.
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Once inside, there’s a marked out “trail” for you to walk. I was grateful for this because I have a tendency to get lost if I’m allowed to wander aimlessly. The marked trail is less than a mile and even our youngest son walked all the way through without complaint. (There is also a longer trail for you to explore, but we took the short cut.)
There were so many things to enjoy – different trees, small animals, lots of birds and so many plants. The signs throughout the gardens teach you about the various wildlife.
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Eloise Butler Garden and Bird Sanctuary is beautiful and I look forward to exploring it in the spring when the flowers are blooming!
Since the world seems to be enveloped in ugly unrest, we could all benefit from getting outside and surrounding ourselves in nature. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is the PERFECT place to go. The Arboretum is made up of 1,200 acres of natural beauty, professionally-maintained gardens, rare plant collections, and accessible trails.
When I told my boys that we were going to the Arboretum, they weren’t as excited as I was, especially since the most kid-friendly parts of the park (the hedge maze and the giant willow tree fort) are closed due to Covid. So how did I get them excited about going? I came up with a contest…
Whoever could take the most beautiful picture would win one dollar.
My competitive boys were all in!
When we arrived, I was thrilled to see that there is a paved, 3-mile loop around the Arboretum, with parking spaces every half mile or so. We drove the loop, and when the boys or I would spot something we wanted to see up close, we’d park and get out to explore.
The fact that my boys were on a hunt for something pretty and unique, made this visit so much fun! They were pointing out and capturing the most fascinating things! (See pictures below)
I appreciate that the Arboretum has something special in every season. Currently, the fall colors are in full bloom and they are breathtaking (our pictures don’t even do it justice). If you come in the winter, you can enjoy the light display. The spring and summer are full of floral beauty.
Below are a few of my favorite photos.
We let the neighbor kids vote on who should win the photo contest. Read the captions in each picture to find out which kid won. Leave a comment to tell us which picture YOU think is the best.
Pictures I captured:
Clark enjoying the view while he rests on this slanted tree.I love this pumpkin tree!My boys thought the Flintstones vehicle was pretty cool!
Luke was intrigued by this stone harp in the Sculpture Garden
My boys wanted to play in this amazing fort made of willow tree branches. It’s currently closed due to COVID.
Clark and two friends under a beautiful Gingko tree
Luke loved the little housesClark
Paul was on the hunt for flowers – he found some! Unfortunately, the lighting in this picture isn’t ideal.
Luke
Pictures by Clark, my 11 year old:
The boys spotted this wasp nest and asked me to stop.
Clark asked me to stop the car so he could take this picture – and it’s the one that WON the contest!
Pictures by Paul, age 8:
Mushrooms
I love the reflections in the water (This is my vote for best picture)Paul pointed out this amazing curved treePaul was on the hunt for flowers and found some!
Pictures taken by Luke, age 6:
Since I asked him to smile for a picture, he asked me to smile for one too!
Looking up!
This ‘contest’ made me realize what good photographers my boys are! I’m especially intrigued by Paul’s pictures.
Review: I enjoyed the book, but thought it was a little too wordy. Ted recommended I read just the parts he highlighted. I couldn’t do that, but I did skim through some of the book.
The book uses ancient wisdom to discover the source of Happiness. I’m all about finding sources of happiness in 2020!!! Here are a couple points and quotes that I enjoyed most from the book:
Activities connect us to others, objects often separate us. Work less, earn less, and “consume” more family time, vacation, and other enjoyable activities.
Children need plenty of failure to learn that success takes hard work and persistence.
Work more on your strengths than your weaknesses.
Something about the vastness and beauty of nature makes the self feel small and insignificant. Anything that shrinks the self, creates an opportunity for a spiritual experience.
Just like plants need water, sun and good soil to thrive, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger.
Studies that have assigned people to perform a random act of kindness every week, or to count their blessings regularly for several weeks, find small but sustained increases in happiness.
Jonathan Haidt
I love the following insight from the book and plan to add it to my post on 17 reasons to serve:
Review: I was picking up some “Who Was” books for my boys at the library and grabbed this one for me. It’s a super quick read and a good overview of Julia Child’s life.
Review: I read this book with my son, Paul. We enjoyed the book and thought it was a good overview of the brothers who invented the airplane. It showed how hard work and perseverance can make a huge impact on the world. Now Paul wants his Poppy to take him flying.
Review: This book is so incredibly inspiring. I could read it over and over. The book shares stories of Andrew bringing Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. He’d find a church with a hundred people all sharing one Bible. I read this book in 2019 and loved it so much that I re-read it with Clark. He enjoyed it too!
What have you been reading? Leave me a comment!
Disclaimer: All the books are linked to Amazon, if you choose to purchase one, I will earn a small commission for the recommendation.
The first time I ordered Gazpacho was almost 25 years ago. It was a cold, rainy day, and all I wanted was some warm soup. I ordered Gazpacho, not realizing that this was a COLD soup! I was living in Florida, so cold soup is a good idea most days of the year, but this was NOT one of those days. I wanted something warm. When I tasted the soup, I thought I was being pranked, or that the kitchen had messed up – why was this soup cold? I wasn’t expecting it and didn’t enjoy it.
However, now that I’m familiar with Gazpacho, I’ve grown fond of this soup. I’ve even been craving it this summer. It’s bright and refreshing, full of fresh, crunchy vegetables and perfect on a hot day – and it’s been hot here in Minnesota – about 15 degrees above normal for this time of year. The tomatoes I planted in May are finally ripening, and my neighbor brought over cucumbers from her garden. I used those two ingredients and a few more to make this delicious, refreshing Gazpacho Soup.
Ingredients:
1 round tomato, or two Romas – most seeds removed
1/2 red onion
2 small peppers or one regular size
1/2 cucumber, most seeds removed
1-3 slices of Jalapeño, depending on your heat preference
1-2 T of olive oil
2-3 T of vinegar – either Balsamic, Wine, Sherry or Apple Cider
1 tsp of Cumin
Salt/Pepper
Put everything in a blender or food processor.
Pour into one or two bowls. Crumble up some white bread or a croissant roll and add to the bowl. Allow the bread to seep for several minutes before eating.
ENJOY!
Feel free to double or triple this recipe! You’ll be glad you did :).
The kids and I said “Goodbye” to Summer and “Hello” to Fall! First, however, we reflected on all that we were able to do in spite of this crazy pandemic.
Here’s our TOP TEN from Summer 2020
1. Family Road Trips
Our Illinois Besties
Family love
Papa’s Ranger
Cousins
Great views of Duluth
Indiana, Illinois, and Duluth, MN
2. Camps
In spite of the pandemic, the boys all did a camp this summer. Luke did a mini sport camp. The 3 big boys got to do a basketball camp and a Survival Camp. The “Survival Camp” was to teach them how to survive if they found themselves stuck in the woods. They created shelter from whatever they could find in the woods, they learned how to start a fire, purify lake water, and use a compass to find their way around the woods.
They loved it, but Paul wondered why their teacher brought stuff into the woods that they wouldn’t really find in the woods (like flint, a fire starter and SMORES).
3. Simple summer fun
The pond at sunset
Buck Hill Hike
Kayaking
Fishing
Clark caught one!
In the land of 10,000 lakes – the boys spent a lot of time in and around the water.
6. Boys at Work
The boys were brainstorming ways to earn money this summer. They decided to start a weeding business. They went door-to-door to ask if the homeowner would like them to pull weeds. The homeowner could “pick their price.” (They did turn down one offer to do an hour of work for $1 – not kidding) Clark asked me how soon weeds grow back. He was thrilled to know that they would have business all summer long – and they did!
George and Clark continued their YouTube channel that started in Quarantine. I loved that it kept them brainstorming, writing, creating and working together. At the time of this post, they have 61 subscribers! George told me that they are putting their video creation on ‘pause,’ but will make more during school breaks. Click here to find their channel.
9. LOTS of yard games!
10. Surprise visit from Nana and Papa
Leave a comment and share a happy memory from summer. Thanks for reading!
First of all, I haven’t abandoned my love for Target! Target has my heart…but there is ONE item that I can ONLY find at Aldi. So…I keep going back to grab this ONE thing….plus a few extras while I’m there.
Read the very bottom to find out my very favorite item from Aldi. The one item I can not find ANYWHERE else!
Here are some of our favorite things to buy at Aldi:
1. Bacon
Aldi’s Turkey Bacon – tastes great and is the best price around.
2. Bread
Sliced Bread – only $1 per loaf!
3. Crackers
Savoritz crackers – Their version of “Ritz” crackers. Your kids won’t know the difference, but you will save money. $1.99
4. Mayonaise
Mayonaise – tastes the same as any name brand Mayo, yet it’s only $1.99
5. Lunch Meat
Salami is what we always buy from Aldi
6. Cheese
Cheese – they have a huge variety. I love the sharp cheddar with cranberry, my husband loves the goat cheese, my kids like their string cheese.
7. Aldi Brand Cereal
Their cereal prices can’t be beat. My kids think their “Marshmallows & Stars” tastes just like Lucky Charms and their “Cinnamon Crunch” tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And they are HALF the price!
Finally, My favorite Aldi item that I’ve just discovered…
This item is the inspiration for this entire post. It is something that tastes better than any other brand. It’s the…
12. Gluten Free, Cauliflower Crust PIZZA
This pizza is Amazing! It comes fresh and is best baked fresh, not frozen. The crust is super crispy and the pizza is delicious. My kids love it. We’ve all decided it’s our favorite pizza. Not our favorite ‘cauliflower’ pizza…it’s the best pizza you can buy from a grocery store. My kids have no idea there’s cauliflower in the crust. When I make pizza everyone asks: “Is this the one we like?”
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What NOT to buy:
Brand Name Items – they often cost more than buying elsewhere.
Here are some popular recipes we make from Aldi ingredients:
Aldi brand Crispy Rice and Marshmallows make the most inexpensive Rice Krispy treats!
George making his favorite treat!
3 simple ingredients
This recipe makes a LOT of treats!
This recipe makes a LOT of rice crispy treats. I filled one 9×12 inch pan and one 9 x9 inch pan. Cut this recipe in half if you are not serving a large group.
In a large pot, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir occasionally until completely melted.
Remove from heat and stir in crisp rice until evenly combined. Transfer pan. Spray hands with cooking spray and press mixture into pan.
Cool for 15 minutes at room temperature and cut into 20 squares.
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Here’s a simple snack my kids love:
Salami Snacks:
Ingredients:
Savoritz Crackers
Mayonaise
Salami
Cheese
Directions:
Set out crackers. Spread a tiny bit of mayo on top of each cracker. Put a small piece of salami on top. Put a small piece of cheese on top of the salami. Serve with a smile!
Here’s a video where I show a couple of their items!
What’s YOUR favorite thing from Aldi? Leave a comment!
This post was NOT sponsored by Aldi, all opinions are mine.
When my mom suggested we have a sister/mom reunion in South Haven, Michigan and my sister offered to let us use her family’s camper – I was all in.
I did have to jump through a million ‘mom’ hoops to get things organized so I could be away. You know, just the usual –
child care while daddy worked,
rides to and from practice for 3 kids because dad can’t be in 3 places at once,
laundry done,
make a few healthy meals so they aren’t living on chips and candy for 3 1/2 days, etc.
When all the details came together, we met on a Thursday evening and started our weekend on the beach.
Sisters in South Haven
Listening to the waves, smelling the fresh air, watching the water roll in and out, and feeling the sand under my toes was the perfect way to relax and unwind. It allowed me to take a deep breath in and just be in the moment.
My sisters and I used to spend summers in South Haven when we were children. This was our first time back there together in 30 years!!
After sunset, we drove into town to have a late dinner at a restaurant called Taste. We loved getting to chat and eat – with no interruptions from all our kids (there are 12 children between the four of us).
Friday, we got to sleep as late as we wanted but were all up before 8 am. We slowly drank our coffee, read, and chatted.
Eventually, we left and got quiche and breakfast sandwiches from a cute local bakery. After breakfast, we explored downtown South Haven – reliving some of our childhood memories. We found the house where dad lived, we walked inside an old steamboat/restaurant he used to take us to (The Idler), we saw the beach stand where we used to buy hotdogs and Blue Moon ice cream, and the local store where we’d stock up on junk food (because #dadsrules are different than #momsrules).
After exploring, we spent the rest of the day on the beach – searching for unique rocks and sea glass like hidden treasure. We swam, walked, and read some more (I was reading BoyMom and Prevail).
We stayed until the sun set, then got takeout from our favorite local Mexican restaurant (Su Casa). I love their homemade tortilla chips and spicy green salsa.
Saturday morning, we enjoyed the South Haven Farmer’s Market. We got local berries and picked up a cinnamon roll from 6 chicks. One roll cost $5.95 and was as big as a dinner plate. We went back to the camper and shared the warm Cinnamon Roll, topped with the fresh berries we had just purchased at the Farmer’s Market. YUM!
Saturday was incredibly windy, so we went to the beach (with sweaters) and watched the Kite Boarders and Surfers ride the waves. Have you ever seen this before? I had not – and it was so fun to watch. Check it out in the video below.
For dinner, we went to Salt of the Earth. We shared a wood-fired pizza and delicious appetizers!
Sunday morning, we walked the beach one final time, then packed our things, cleaned the camper, and headed home. I felt relaxed, refreshed, and wishing the weekend hadn’t passed so quickly.
I’m so thankful to my mom for organizing it, getting us there, and feeding us all weekend. Thank you to Krista for letting us use her family’s camper. And for our husbands, who cared for the kids and encouraged us to get away. It was so nice to have a break from quarantine life and relax with people I love so much.
My sister’s RV
One last picture together
Thanks for reading! I hope you get a break from #quarantinelife too!
I have four young sons – four rumble, tumble, fearless sons. I have often said that I wish I could wrap them in bubble wrap to keep them safe.
My son Luke wrapped himself in bubble wrap (AFTER a fall from his bike and a cut on his forehead)!
I think we could all use some bubble wrap right now. This year has us feeling a little beat up.
As I read scripture, I see that God already has us in “bubble wrap!” The Bible tells me that He goes before us, He is with us, in us and behind us. We do not have to let the world beat us up! We are wrapped up in His LOVE, GOODNESS, and protection!
Scripture tells us that God goes BEFORE us:
“The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
He is WITH Us:
“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” Psalm 73:23 NIV
“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
His name, Immanuel, literally means GOD WITH US!
He is IN US:
“Do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” 2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV
His Goodness FOLLOWS behind us:
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6
He watches over us:
“The Lord will keep you from all harm— He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:7-8
God’s word not only “wraps” us, it strengthens us from the inside out!
When you are feeling afraid, overwhelmed, or plain “beat up” – read God’s word! I’ve been reading Psalm 91 or Psalm 121 nearly every day.
Remember:
God goes before you, He is with you, He is in you, and His Goodness follows you (and your children)! You can relax in His “bubble wrap!”
For 12 verses to combat fear and build faith, click here.
Sometimes people ask how or why I read so much. So here’s the answer to that:
I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love.
I have books everywhere. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car.
I take 10-30 minutes to read in the morning. I usually take about 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d rather read than watch TV. If my kids or husband are watching something, I’ll sit with them on the couch and read next to them, OR, I’ll read for a little while after the kids go to bed.
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. This is a little challenging with FOUR boys, so I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with more than one child.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
My increase in reading may also be related to the fact that I’m new-ish to Minnesota, so I don’t have as many social commitments, also #MinnesotaWinter and #QuarantineLife! 🤔
They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked into her life story from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!
The author shares a wealth of information on everything from presidents, to war, to religion and theater. She wants her readers to be able to have intelligent conversations on many topics. Overall – the book was just okay and I skimmed through parts of it.
She includes a few ‘charts’ which contain a wealth of information – I enjoyed the chart on the presidents. She listed when each president served and highlights from their presidency. I thought that was incredibly informative! Now I want to read more about many of our presidents. You can skim or just skip this book.
Review: This is the story of the author telling us about teaching a college level world religion class and what she’s learning from her students and studies of various religions. There were some gold nuggets in the book, but overall, I found it a little boring – as if I was back in my own World Religions class – some head knowledge but not much depth.
Review: I was so excited to read this book because it’s written by another mom with FOUR boys! Her youngest son is the age of my OLDEST son, so she’s just a little bit ahead of me and I wanted to hear what she’s learned and how she’s parented her boys. This book is incredibly practical and inspirational. I have enjoyed reading her blog for a couple of year now, and am so happy she’s written this book. I recommend it to every #boymom!
