Category: Fun Things to Do

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I Bribed My Kids to Workout with Me

I Bribed My Kids to Workout with Me
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 2, Day 1

Starting week two of the workout challenge was a bit easier.  My muscles are still aching from last week, but some of that is allergy related.  The kids were really excited to workout again, which was a surprise.  I’m so happy they enjoy it!

We started the workout week with a new workout video! The kids and I had a lot of fun. I had to bribe them with a little bit of iPad time to motivate them to try and finish the entire workout with me.  It worked great!

What’s your favorite video to work out to with your kids?

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Day: Day 5: Spring Lake Park
Next Day: Week 2, Day 2: Old Mill Park

 

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A Park Merges Rich History With Green Design

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 5
Spring Lake Park, Schaar’s Bluff

Spring Lake Park is one of my favorite places to take walks with the family.  The views are breathtaking, the trails are very well maintained and there are bonfire pits at several locations throughout the park.

Spring Lake Park has an interesting history.  There are native american artifacts that show evidence of villages and campsites dating from 1000 B.C to A.D. 1400!  In the 1930’s, a dam was built, flooding the river basin and spring lake merged to join the Mississippi.  In more recent history, Schaar’s Bluff was a family farm that was eventually sold to Dakota County.

Since then, the park has been working on providing a place where visitors can learn about American Indian history.  Nine years ago, the park opened Dakota County’s first net-zero-energy building.  The Gathering Hall gets 90 percent of it’s energy from an onsite wind turbine.  This spring, it opened it’s recently expanded trail to merge with the Mississippi River Trail.

We had originally planned on hiking a hidden trail we hadn’t previously explored.  Upon arrival, we saw that the new trail had been completed.  We were really excited to check it out.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful prairie, full of wildflowers.  As we progressed on the trail, we could see several newly planted oak trees and strips of wheat bordering the path.  We took time to rest at the picnic tables overlooking the river and planned a future picnic.  The kids enjoyed climbing the rocks in the newly carved limestone wall.  The huge bridge crossing a ravine was an interesting design of plain lumber and rusted metal that made the kids question it’s age and safety.  I assured them that it was new and probably quite safe.

I have a feeling that we’ll love visiting and walking the new trail just as much as we love the old ones.  I really recommend this park for anyone interested.  It’s great for biking, hiking, picnics, outdoor gatherings, photo shoots, weddings, playing at the park, and watching the sun set.

Have you ever visited Schaar’s Bluff?  What is your favorite spot?

Main Park Info:
https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/SpringLake/Pages/schaars-bluff-trailhead.aspx
https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/SpringLake

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 4: Minnehaha Falls
Next Week: Week 2, Day 1: Workout At Home

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Minnehaha Falls

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 4
Minnehaha Creek Trail

I haven’t been to Minnehaha Falls for a while, so I was really looking forward to our hike.  Minnehaha Falls feels like home.  My Maternal Grandparents used to live not too far from the park, so we frequently enjoyed walks along the river’s edge, flying kites in the fields, family gatherings at the pavilion, family reunions, outdoor concerts and events, picnics, playing at the park and so much more.

I can remember being little and looking up at the huge oak trees with wonder.  I love oak trees, maybe because they live in so many of my happy memories.  I remember going on walks with my parents or grandparents and taking in the beautiful marvels that are everywhere.  I love being able to share its beauty with my children and allowing them to make their own memories.

As I walked the paths, I mulled over the memories of a lifetime at this park.  I saw myself grow up.  I saw my Mother, and my Grandmother, who also grew up here.  My great-grandmother would have seen the park when it was new.  I wondered about the Native Americans who lived here before us and the history of the park.  I hope someday my children will pass on the legacy of love of Minnehaha Falls and bring their own children here.

I found that that the park had more history than I could have imagined!  There is a great blog about the history of the falls here.  It was once the location to a zoo!  I knew about the mill that once was a bit further away from the falls because I had climbed down the remains once.  The dog park was once a limestone quarry, which ended up supplying much of the park with limestone for steps and walls.  I loved learning about the different bridges at the bottom of the falls and seeing images of how the falls have looked over the years.

Basic Park Info: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks__destinations/parks__lakes/minnehaha_regional_park/
All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/minnehaha-creek-trail

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 3: Hay Creek
Next Week: Day 5: Spring Lake Park

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Cooling Off in Hay Creek

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 3
Hay Creek

For day three, we drove to Red Wing to check out the Hay Creek Cross Country Trail.  The kids loved playing with the tongue twister of a name after I accidentally mispronounced it Cross Crunchy Trail.  None of us had been there before, so we weren’t sure what kind of a trail we’d find.

As it turns out, there isn’t an exact address for the parking lot, or at least, it’s not easy to find.  Instead, we followed the directions on the state’s website.  On the way there, we hit some major road construction.  The entire road was closed to through traffic.  Thankfully, we were able to get through on a scenic dirt road which led to the park.

Once at the park, we could not figure out where the correct trail for the cross country trail was.  There were several trails all in the same area, all crisscrossing and none were clearly marked.  Several were not well maintained and looked overgrown.  We ended up finding faded hand-painted signs in the overgrown brush for a couple of the trails, but none of them was the cross country trail.  Eventually, we gave up and followed the clearest path.

The Goodhue Pioneer State Trail is a wide, paved walking path.  We encountered several bikers and a couple of other walkers, but it was relatively quiet and peaceful.  There did happen to be a lot of gnats, but that’s pretty typical for this time of year.  The trail was strangely covered with dead snails, perhaps from the recent rain storms.

At one point, we found a wooden bridge with a path leading down to the creek.  We took off our shoes and waded into the clear, shallow water.  It was ice cold and felt great on such a hot and humid day.

We walked a little further past the bridge till we had walked a mile.  We stopped in the shade and let the kids have a snack.  Then we turned around to head back.

At one point, the kids found a live snail.  They gave it some fresh water to drink before putting it in the woods.  I had no idea snails lived out of the water.

Although the cross country trail might not be good for summertime hikes, maybe it’s a good trail to check out for cross-country skiing.  I recommend the Goodhue Trail if you’re in the area and looking for a relaxing walk or bike ride.

Basic Park Info: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/facilities/cmp00040/index.html
Map: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_forests/cmp00040.pdf
All Trails Info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/hay-creek-unit-rj-dorer-memorial-hardwood-state-forest

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 2: Jensen Lake Trail
Next Week: Week 1, Day 4: Minnehaha Falls

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Our First Visit to Jensen Lake Trail

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 2

Lebanon Hills, Jensen Lake Trail

Originally, the weather forecast predicted thunderstorms.  We delayed our hike due to some destructive storms we’ve had recently.  I wouldn’t want to be halfway through a hike and have the children out in bad weather.  The weather was partly cloudy but mostly sunny throughout the morning, and extremely humid from all of the rain.  Since a storm seemed unlikely after all, we struck out for an afternoon hike.

Jensen Lake Trail is 2.1 miles.  All trails rated it as an easy trail.  (All Trails Info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/jensen-lake-trail)  It took us about 2 hours to complete the loop.  The more experienced hiker could easily finish it faster.  There was a guy who passed us going the opposite direction three times!

The kids really enjoyed this trail and would love to go back another time.  There was also a large park that we did not check out because it was too hot and we were exhausted.  We were all proud of ourselves for pushing through and finishing the trail, despite the heat.

If you’d like to visit the Jenson Lake Trail, check out their website for more information:
https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/LebanonHills/Pages/jensen-lake-trailhead.aspx

Have you been to Lebanon Hills before?

Check out our video!

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 1: Workout At Home
Next Week: Day 3: Hay Creek

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5 Week Workout Challenge

5 Week Workout Challenge

It’s almost summer!  With one week of school left for my kiddos, planning summer activities is a necessity.  If the summer isn’t planned, it flies by and nothing much happens.  For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on our calendar and researching activities.

Cat and I thought it would be great fun to have a 5-week workout challenge.  The little ones don’t really care what we do, but they love to be outside and active.  In order to keep all of us happy, I filled the calendar with primarily hiking.  Hiking is something that gets the body moving, the heart pumping and offers a change of scenery.  It can be done by anyone, young or old

We’ll also have days for indoor exercises at home.  This can be pilates, weight lifting, workout videos or another favorite workout activity.  If someone has plans to join us, maybe we’ll move our exercise plans to an indoor location, like the Mall of America for speed walking.

Hopefully, by the end of our 5 weeks, we’ll be feeling healthier and happier.  Plus, we’ll get the joy of exploring the great outdoors instead of being cooped up inside.

Our “week” is a little unusual.  We will not be doing a Monday through Friday week.  Sundays and Mondays are our days off.  Tuesdays through Saturdays are workout days.  Our goal is to workout 3 days Minimum weekly.  Anything more is extra credit!

I found a great app called All Trails which helps find local hiking trails.  It gives the length of the hike, maps, altitude, level of difficulty and more!  I suggest you check it out to see what’s in your area!

Check back to see posts about our adventures!  Hopefully, we’ll inspire you to make an adventure of your own this summer.  Go out and enjoy nature!

Week 1
Week 1, Day 1: Workout At Home
Week 1, Day 2: Jensen Lake Trail
Week 1, Day 3: Hay Creek
Week 1, Day 4: Minnehaha Falls
Week 1, Day 5: Spring Lake Park

Week 2
Week 2, Day 1: Workout At Home
Week 2, Day 2: Old Mill Park
Week 2, Day 3: Challenge at Home
Week 2, Day 4: 2nd Plank Challenge

Week 3
Week 3, Day 1: Hastings Riverwalk
Week 3, Day 2: 1st Convention Day, Rochester
Week 3, Day 3: Covered Bridge Park
Week 3, Day 4: 4-Year-Old Adventure

Week 4
Week 4, Day 1: Morning Workout
Week 4, Day 2: Fort Snelling
Week 4, Day 3: Night Walk Date
Week 4, Day 4: Afton State Park

Week 5
Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff
Week 5, Day 2: Kawishiwi Falls
Week 5, Day 3: Norberg Trail

Do you have a workout plan this summer?  What’s your favorite type of exercise? We’d love to hear about it!

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Rainy Day At The Como Zoo Conservatory

Rainy Day At The Como Zoo Conservatory
Over the weekend we took a trip to the Como Zoo Conservatory.  I had been wanting to go for awhile, and the fact that it was raining didn’t stop me.  I really wanted to visit the conservatory, and a short trip through the Japanese Gardens could easily be done with some umbrellas.


Princess tried to climb into the fountain.  She LOVES playing in water.  Thankfully we caught her before she jumped in!

There were a lot of prom kids getting portraits taken all over the place.  There was also a bride and a groom in the sunken gardens, so we decided to come back so we wouldn’t be in their way.  
The sunken gardens are very beautiful.  They’re also full of lilies, which I’m allergic to.  I had my face mask so I could walk through without getting a migraine, but the smell seemed to bother Cat too.  Sadly, I think she might have inherited an allergy from me after all.  Thankfully, lilies are one of the easier allergens to avoid.  The worst thing is that she’ll have a rough time at funerals.  Thankfully, many people have red eyes and runny noses there, so she won’t be out of place.


The North Garden is my favorite.  It’s full of edible plants!  Depending on the time of year, you might even be able to spot something familiar growing.  I love peeking carefully through the leaves to see what treasures they hold.  The vanilla seemed to be overtaking the wall by the door.  Nate and I were amazed at how big it was!  We bought two cuttings of it from the gift shop in hopes of growing our own.
Cupcake was not a fan of this room.  She said it smelled like cat pee.  To be honest, it does smell a little when you first walk in, but then you get used to it.

We had a lot of fun at the Como Zoo Conservatory.  It was a lot more fun than being cooped up inside, at home, in the rain.  I kind of wish I had a beautiful indoor garden like the ones at Como, but I bet it takes a very large team and a lot of money to keep it looking as beautiful as it does.  I think I’m happy settling for a visit once a year and a few clippings of vanilla to take home with us.

Have you been to the Como Zoo Conservatory?  What is your favorite part?

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Homemade Bug Spray

Homemade Bug Spray

With summer right around the corner, I decided to whip up a batch of homemade bug spray.  With 4 little ones, I needed something that was 1.Safe to use on kids, 2.Safe for those of us with allergies 3.Non toxic, 4.Affordable and last but not least 5. It needs to actually work.  If it could also not smell horrible, that would be a plus.

I set about my project as I do with most new tasks to tackle, research, research, research.  I wanted to be sure that whatever I chose, it would meet all of my expectations above.

Safety

I have read a lot of differing information about the safety of using essential oils on children.  Some say that essential oils are natural, therefore go nuts!  As someone with allergies to a lot of “natural” things, I know that it is better to err on the side of caution.  Since essential oils are highly concentrated forms of the original, it only makes sense to me that less is more.  After reading about an alarming number of injuries and deaths from essential oils, I knew I wanted to proceed with utmost caution.  I joined a few essential oil safety groups on Facebook to learn about what books, websites, and companies would aid me in my search.

I found this awesome site that lists oils that are and are not safe for children:
http://www.usingeossafely.com/essential-oils-and-children/

Allergies

As with any new product that comes into our house, oils and accessories need to be safe for our unique allergies.  I wondered 1. How are they processed 2.What hidden ingredients are there 3. Has anyone else in my allergy group had any reported reactions?

Corn Allergy Statement
This recipe is unfortunately NOT corn free.  Thayer’s witch hazel uses citric acid as a preservative.  Princess and I do break out in mild hives if applied to the skin, so I try to spray mostly on our clothing, with a light application on exposed skin  Since we live in a high mosquito area, a few small hives are preferable to having entire limbs swell up from mosquito bites. Thankfully using this has not created any breathing problems, but we will always stay on alert for safety since the severity of allergens can change at any time.  I’m, hoping to learn how to make my own witch hazel in the future.

Non-Toxic

This is a no-brainer for me.  If it has ingredients I can’t pronounce, it’s off the list.  I believe part of why I am allergic to so many things and have been so sick in the past is due to the fact that I have been exposed to too many toxins.  I want to decrease the bucket load of toxins for my family and me.

Affordable

We live in Minnesota so we get a lot of mosquitoes.  I need something that I can afford to use a lot of.
Let me break down what making homemade bug spray costs for you.  I’m using Young Living, and also NOW for the prices.
8oz Bottle $2.00
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil at 9 cents a drop $1.35YL or >2 cents a drop $0.23NOW
15 Drops Cedarwood Essential Oil at 5 cents a drop $0.75YL or >1 cent a drop $0.13NOW
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil at 17 cents a drop $1.70YL or >3 cents a drop $0.28NOW
20 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil at 10 cents a drop $2.00
Young Living does not sell vanilla essential oil because vanilla is not an essential oil.  I instead used the price for the vanilla oil I got from my local health food store.
4oz Witch Hazel $3.03
4oz Distilled or Boiled(and Cooled) Water Free!

This ends up being $10.83 for the first bottle and $8.83 for each refill with Young Living.
Or $7.67 for the first bottle and $5.67 for each refill with NOW.
For a price comparison
Burt’s Bees Outdoor all Natural herbal Insect Repellent 4oz bottle $13.50= $27.00 for 8oz
Honest Co Bug Spray 4oz $11.69= $23.38 for 8oz
BabyGanics Shoo Fly Deet Free Natural Insect Repellent 2 oz $4.99= $19.96 for 8oz

So there you have it!  Homemade bug spray wins the price comparison again!

Effective

I sprayed the kids at the beginning of mosquito season as they went out to jump on the trampoline at dusk.  They came in with one bite on one kid.  Earlier this week we had a bonfire.  Cupcake and I stayed out the longest.  I sprayed myself an average amount of spray.  I was wearing a skirt, so my legs were pretty exposed.  I did get one bite on my foot and after that, I made sure to spray my feet too.  I didn’t get another bite after that.  I was lying in a lounge chair and I saw several mosquitoes fly around me and close to my skin before changing their mind and flying off.  Incredible!  I’d definitely say that it’s effective!

I read that adding vanilla oil increases the duration of the effectiveness of oils.  In bug spray, the longer it works, the better!

Comforting

What is more comforting than not being eaten alive?  Seriously, I have been bug bait my whole life, mosquitos love me.  I’m so happy I’ve finally found something that works!

I was worried the smell would be gross after mixing everything in the bottle.  It’s actually quite pleasant.  It smells better than all of the chemical ones I’ve been using my whole life.

First Homemade Bug Spray Attempt

Ultimately, I decided to give one of the oil blends from this site a try:
http://blog.oneessentialcommunity.com/diy/diy-bug-spray-works-kid-safe-options/
After assembling all of the supplies, I waited anxiously for my daughter to arrive home from school.  I promised her we would make the first batch together.  I had everything set up and ready to go on the table and I pretty much sat at the table waiting for her to walk through the door so we could play.  Ahhh, big kid toys are just as fun and exciting.

We started by dropping oils into our bottle, stopping to smell each one as we went.  Cat helped me count in case I lost my place.  I had already boiled and cooled the water before she came home, so we added that in and topped it off with witch hazel.  After we shook it up we both excitedly took a whiff of our new concoction and grimaced.  It didn’t exactly smell awesome.  It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t very pleasant either.  Oh well, it is supposed to repel bugs after all.

Next time, we are going to try lavender scented witch hazel instead of aloe vera.  I believe this might have contributed to the weirdness.

Homemade Bug Spray

Homemade Bug Spray

8oz Bottle
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
15 Drops Cedarwood Essential Oil
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil
20 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil or 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract*
4oz Witch Hazel
4oz Distilled or Boiled(and Cooled) Water

Add Oils to bottle first.  Add in water next, then top off with witch hazel.  Test a small area of skin on each person before using liberally.  Spray on clothes and especially ankles and wrists for adults.  With small children, avoid spraying hands or near faces to avoid accidental ingestion or rubbing eyes.

*Vanilla oil is not an essential oil

Thank you for reading!  What do you use for bug spray?  Have you tried ours?  I would love to know how it works for you!



As always, this is not medical advice.  Please consult your own medical practitioner for any health-related concerns.  Everything shared in this blog is based on my own personal experiences and are what we do for our family but may not necessarily work for yours.  Please do your own research to find out what works best for you.  An informed and educated choice is always best!  🙂

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15 Fun Chalk Art Ideas

It’s chalk art season, time to check out our 15 fun chalk art ideas! The snow has melted, the sun is shining and it’s warm enough to go outside without snow pants, mittens, and hats.  

One of our favorite summer activities is to make chalk art.  Maybe we’re artistically inclined.  Or maybe we’re rebels and we enjoy defacing public property.  Really, though, we love making art to share with others.  What greater way is there to spread a little cheer to your neighbors?

My children love when I break open a new package of chalk.  The rainbow of colors, the excitement of possibilities, the opportunity for art! I love seeing their excitement.

My kids aren’t the only ones that love to draw with chalk!  I usually join them and create a fun doodle or two.

There are so many different things that can be done with chalk.  From simple to extreme, there are many beautiful examples out there to inspire us.  Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

15 Fun Chalk Art Ideas

15 Fun Chalk Art Ideas

  1. Family Portrait
  2. Stencils
  3. Flowers
  4. Name Art
  5. Wings
  6. Beach
  7. Super Hero
  8. Celestial-Suns, Stars, Moons, and Planets
  9. Quotes
  10. Outlines
  11. Crowns, Hats, & Hair
  12. Rainbow
  13. Camping
  14. Flying Away in the Clouds with a Balloon
  15. Sunsets
  • Chalk Crown
  • Chalk Crown
  • Chalk Outline
  • Chalk Art
  • Chalk Sunset
  • Chalk Words

What are your favorite things to do with chalk?  Were you inspired by this post?  Share some of your art with us!

Check out our fun Chalk art video!