Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

Are you looking for a fun new place to hike and you’re interested in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park? Maybe you’re looking for a waterfall to check out, or maybe you want to have a challenging hike for a good workout. Read on to find all about it!

Last year, we had a lot of fun doing a 5 Week Workout Challenge. For 5 weeks we visited a bunch of parks for hiking and also did a couple indoor workouts. It was a lot of fun!

Although I’d love to try another challenge this year, I’m not sure what yet. I have a few fun ideas already! This year though, we have already started visiting new parks! Our first new park was Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.

We’ve seen some amazing images of the waterfall at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. We also noticed on the website that they had a campground. Since we love camping, we decided to check it out.

The drive out to Nerstrand was about 45 minutes. We weren’t disappointed by the scenery, There were lovely rolling hills of farmland broken up sporadically by patches of woods and walls of rock cut through the hills.

I found it amusing that a place called Big Woods could be found in the middle of so much farmland. So many times, I could see nothing but fields as far as the eye could see, and I couldn’t imagine how a huge forest could be hiding somewhere.

As the fields turned to denser and denser trees, we all became excited at the newest adventure before us. Driving up to the park, we noticed a huge solar panel, awesome! Thankfully our state parking permit was up to date. If you don’t have a state permit, you can find current prices here.

We drove through the campground to check out the sites to see if it seemed like a place we could stay at. The campgrounds are a thinly wooded area and are moderately spaced apart. Some of the spots did not look like they could fit our large tent. Many did have adequate room, given it is an RV friendly park. So if you’re tenting, make sure to check the tent ffot print.

We parked at the entrance to the walking trails and checked out the map. The park was huge. Hidden in the dense trees, I could almost forget we were surrounded by farmland and miles upon miles of fields. On the map, the park looks like a little green dot in the middle of nowhere. In the park, you find yourself in a precious oasis of trees and trails.

We chose a shorter hike since it was our first of the season. We decided to head to the waterfalls one way and back another. Both were listed as extremely difficult.

I found out that the difficulty was most likely related to the incline. Down was easy, up, was not. Unrelated to the map, we also had to navigate the mud and puddles left behind by the winter melt. I think this was probably the hardest for our family. Trying to keep the kids from playing in the mud! Ha!

The day we came was incredibly busy. Everyone else must have been equally excited to get out of the house. Everywhere we turned on the way down were people and dogs. People in front and behind us. Given that most Minnesotans are cheerful folk, we had a lot of small chit chat and friendly greetings.

The falls were beautiful. There was still snow and ice all around. I can only imagine how they must look frozen over. The falls themselves aren’t very large. I wasn’t worried about the kids drowning in the creek, should they fall in, just that they would get wet and make a mess. I did have to constantly reign them in due to the pent-up excitement of being outside.

Our way back was pretty not so crowded. Although we could hear the gleeful sounds of children echoing throughout the park intermittently. I had to have Nate drag me up one steep hill, but other than that, the rest was a relaxing stroll.

We really enjoyed our visit. We might have to come back another time to check out some of the other trails and to see what the park looks like when it turns green! Or maybe even come back in the fall! It looks like they get a lot of beautiful color!

Have you been to Newstrand Big Woods State Park? What is your favorite hiking trail in Minnesota? Let us know, we’d love to check it out!

Check out our video!

May 16, 2018July 18, 2018

7 Summer Challenge Ideas

Although spring has had a late start this year, these last few weeks have really warmed up! It’s almost hard to believe that a few weeks ago, we had a huge blizzard! If you are anything like us, you are probably itching to get outside and enjoy the warm, fresh air!

Last year we had so much fun doing a 5-week workout challenge! Every week we made it a goal to move our bodies. I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of a traditional work out session. I have a hard time getting motivated to stare at a TV and watch other people work out. Or worse, go somewhere public to work out with strangers.

Hiking is my favorite way to get exercise. Being outside, in nature, makes me happy. Getting a change of scenery, enjoying a new adventure, exploring a new location, what’s not to love?!

When doing research for local parks online, I found so many! I felt like the ones I had seen were just a drop in the bucket. I wanted to see them all! Is it crazy and over-ambitious that I’m not exaggerating?!

We had only scratched the surface last year. I knew, without a doubt, that our adventures would continue. Should I do another workout challenge?! I don’t know. It did motivate me last year. Honestly, many days I felt like sitting on the couch and being lazy in the air conditioning. Knowing I had made a commitment kept me going.

Maybe this year is time for a new challenge. There are so many options! I might have to try one or all of these.

7 Summer Challenge Ideas

Get Outside Every Day Challenge-For 3 months… for a year?!
How many parks can we hit in the summer? 30? 40? 60?!
Around Minnesota in 80 Days
Exercise Every Day for a Month
Art Challenge
30/60/90 Day Planking Challenge
100 Days of Gardening

Get Outside Every Day Challenge/ 100 Days of Sun

People Are spending more time inside than ever before in history. With the air inside polluted and stale, getting outside is vitally important to our health. AT LEAST an hour outside every day is the recommended amount for every age.

There are literally hundreds of things to do every day, all year round! I made a list of fun things to do, outside, in summer that you can check out for ideas.

30 FUN Parks in Minnesota That You Have to See!

Visiting Parks is one of the most fun things to do in the summer. Parks are full of activities for every age. The whole family can go for a hike. The kids can play at the playground while the adults relax and chat. Biking, swimming, sightseeing, bird watching, there are so many options!

Although the title is just an idea, you can set your goal for as many or as little parks as you think you will visit. Obviously, you will change Minnesota to your own local area.

Around Minnesota in 80 Days

This title leaves the window open for future fun expeditions. If you don’t have an exact plan of what you want to do, but you know you want to start a challenge, this might be a good starting point.

I might make a fun list soon about traveling ideas within a region. To get you started with a few ideas, you could visit local parks, check out small historic towns, visit a museum, check out a historic site, go to a zoo, smell the flowers at a conservatory, and so much more!

Exercise Every Day for a Month!

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time getting motivated to exercise. Making it a goal is a great way to keep on track and get your body moving. Last year we did a 5 Week Workout Challenge. It was a lot of fun!

Working out doesn’t have to be just exercise videos or hitting up the Y. Exercise can be so many different things! You could go hiking, ride a bike, go kayaking, go swimming or even try rock climbing!

Art

There are so many options with this one! Art is near and dear to my heart. My Grandfather was an artist. He inspired me to be a creative person. I’m working hard to instill a love of being creative in my children. This would be the perfect project for us all to enjoy together.

If you didn’t have an artsy Grandpa, here are a couple of ideas to get you going! I’ll make a more extensive list in the future too. Paint on canvas, visit an art museum, draw with chalk, paint rocks, make a birdhouse, do a photography project, color with crayons and so much more!

30/60/90 Day Planking Challenge

Last year, during our 5 Week Workout Challenge, we tried planking for two of the days. Planking is HARD! It was so much harder than I thought it would be. It’s such a great way to build muscle FAST though! I’d love to try a 30-day plank challenge to see how long I would last at the end of the 30 days.

I think it would be fun to plank in different places every day for different visual content. The kids would probably love that too!

100 Days of Gardening

I started my first vegetable garden last year. This year we have been expanding, growing new things and learning more and more about gardening. Doing a 100 days of gardening challenge would be a perfect way to learn about gardening faster and get a lot of fresh food!

I would love to know how you are going to challenge yourself this summer! Let me know in the comments!

December 5, 2017January 14, 2018

52 Project, Week 23: Green

I love the color green! It’s thrilling when the sun warms the earth in spring and everything seems to pop with green overnight. The world comes alive with energy and excitement.

When I see garden centers set up outside local stores, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I always want to stop and peer into their shady depths to see what treasures lie within. I fall in love with all of the things growing around me. Usually, choosing just one thing is difficult. During the end of the season sales, I end up splurging on a variety of plants, trying new things that have caught my eye.

A few years ago, an asparagus fern was one of these purchases. I knew nothing about it other than the fact that it was a cute little fern. I put it in a pot and it survived my brown thumb days.

My little fern has grown up quite tall and is beautiful. I’ve learned a few things through experience. Asparagus ferns have thorns like roses and must be navigated carefully. It loves to be watered and will start to die if it dries out. If part of it dies, all of the soft feathery “leaves” turn into a million sharp needles. Out of personal safety, I opt to always take especially good care in watering it frequently.

I have had great fun photographing all of my plants this year. One of my favorite all-green images is my asparagus fern. It might be an acquired taste to love, but I truly adore my plant. It’s got a feisty personality and I have a soft spot for feisty things.

Do you have an asparagus fern you love? What is your favorite green thing?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 24: Words
Main Page for 52 Project

Join us for the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here:

Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52
Need inspiration for your green project? Check out my inspiration board on Pinterest!

I recommend clicking on the images for full view for these.

September 23, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity

When I think of the word “simplicity” I think of nature. Nature is an incredibly complex system, but being outside, in the woods, is where I feel peace and quiet. When I am outside, surrounded by God’s creation, life seems simple, and less stressful.

I marvel at the diversity and beauty of all of the things growing and living in the woods. I like to stop and capture some of my favorite finds. Mostly, I photograph flowers. I also really love finding mushrooms and different types of moss.

Trees have always held a special place in my heart. There’s so much to love about them. They are the lungs of the Earth, cleaning our air. Some even look like lungs! They give shade on a hot summer day. Their leaves are beautiful and ever-changing. Watching them grow from buds in the spring, to big leaves in the summer and seeing the brilliance when they lose their green in autumn is a marvel to behold. Pine needles create a soft carpet underfoot when they shed or give a bit of color to a landscape in the winter. Even the bark of trees is a unique style for each tree.

When I came across this leaf in the woods, I was instantly stopped by its brilliance. The green popped out on the dark path. It was decorated with either drops of rain from the recent storm or morning dew.

Editing the image, I could imagine it as a large print on my wall. The image itself didn’t need editing as it was already beautiful, just as it was. However, I do take all of my images RAW, so I had to make a few adjustments before converting it to JPEG, as I do all of my images.

I hope you enjoy my leaf in its simple splendor! If you were to capture something simple this week, what would you choose?

Join us in the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here:
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait
Main Page for 52 Project

Join us for the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here:

Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

September 5, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees

The spring trees challenge was a lot of fun to photograph. After choosing to photograph the same spot of trees for the winter, spring, summer and autumn challenge, I already knew where one of my locations was. As my main image for the challenge, I’m choosing some beautiful crab apple blossoms.

I’m always amazed at how fast the trees turn green. In what feels like a few days, the trees go from bare branches to tops full of leaves. Catching that moment when the trees are softly budding with baby leaves is a race against time. As soon as the surrounding hills took on a soft subtle green, I knew it was time to head out and start shooting.

All of the kids came with for this challenge. It was a lovely, warm Sunday, with a scattered sprinkling of rain showers throughout the day. After our meeting at the Kingdom Hall, we stopped by home to pick up our cameras. We took the scenic route to the park and enjoyed the lovely views of our changing world.

Mr. Awesome and Cupcake chose to wait in the car, but Princess hopped out with Cat and me. Princess is my little shadow, she follows me everywhere.

Cat’s Spring Trees

The following Sunday was a clear, warm, sunny day. We met some friends at the park for a walk. In just one week you could really see the difference in the trees. In the picture of the children below, the kids are walking toward the back of the trees from the previous week.

On our walk, we saw a kayaker in the river. We went down to our favorite spot where the children were able to wade and splash in the water. It was a beautiful, spring day.

What is your favorite thing about spring?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 17: Light
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry
Main Page for 52 Project

Join us for the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1451661678252387
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

July 14, 2017July 14, 2017

How to Make Slime

Cupcake begged me for months to make slime. With busy school schedules, we barely had time to breathe, much less, attempt a new, potentially messy and time-consuming craft. I promised her that we would make slime once school was out.

As summer approached, Cupcake happily reminded me frequently of the approaching slime adventure. Once school was out, I went to the store and bought a giant jug of glue. We gathered the remaining supplies at home and all of the kids excitedly assembled around the table for the project.

We had a lot of fun playing with it plain, but we also added a bunch of fun things into it for sensory play. We added a couple different glitters, food dye, cut up straws, craft eyeballs, kinetic sand, and beads. The kids also used straws to blow bubbles. I also added some child-friendly essential oils to a couple batches. Really, you could add anything you want!

Slime Recipe
1/2 cup glue mixed into 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp borax mixed into 1/2 cup warm water
Slowly add borax into glue, one spoonful at a time until mixture isn’t sticky.
Knead with Hands.
Add glitter, beads, dye, etc.
Play!
Store in zip lock baggies or another airtight container.

Check out our video for an example of how to make it!

Have you made slime? What did you add to it? Share in the comments!

June 8, 2017May 8, 2018

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!

June 7, 2017

This Little Girl Went From Hating Water To Loving It

When Princess was born, a nurse offered to fill the tub for me at the hospital. They had the longest, deepest tub I had ever seen. I could stretch my legs all the way out without bending my knees. I could get in and the water and it could cover me up to my neck. I took a bath a few hours after birth, but I had to get out fast since Princess woke and started crying.

Several times, my nurse offered to fill the tub for me so I could relax with my wee baby and give her, her first bath. At the time, I was very dizzy and tired from high blood pressure. Plus, I had visitors coming and going, so rest was not an easy option. By the time the sun went down, the nurse shift changed. I had a tiny bit more energy and I thought it would be the perfect time for a bath. I asked my new nurse to pour the water for me.

As I climbed in, my legs burned. I could handle it, but it was uncomfortable. I was debating on getting out when the nurse entered with my naked baby girl. I mentioned that the water was too hot. She handed Princess to me and added a few seconds of cold water to the tub. Not feeling it was much cooler I didn’t lie back in the water. The nurse took princess from me and set her on my lap in the water, where Princess immediately began to wail.
“It’s too hot!” I exclaimed anxiously.
I don’t remember what or if she said anything in response, but I do remember being frozen in horror as she roughly and vigorously scrubbed my poor baby girl down with a large amount of soap. Princess screamed and shrieked and I was rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to determine what to do. Before I could make a decision, she dumped water all over princess to wash off the soap.
“It’s too hot!” I said again, unable to think of anything else to say. Later I would obsess over all of the things I could have said and done to protect my baby. Before I could do anything else, the nurse wrapped her in a towel and brought Princess wailing into the room to diaper and dress her. I stood up and got a towel, unable to bear the heat any longer.

Since that traumatic incident, Princess hated water. She refused baths completely, and would wail for sponge baths. The only way to wash her was to hold her to my chest in the shower and lightly let the water over her back for a few seconds at a time.

Princess was always tiny, especially compared to my other three. I could easily carry her in a sling for her entire first year. She was my little shadow and joined me in every activity. I can remember a day where I stood at the sink, washing dishes, when a little hand reached out towards what I was holding. I was so startled I nearly dropped the dish! Princess was normally silent when she was with me, watching everything with her big blue eyes and taking it all in. Sometimes I would forget that she was there, such as this instance.

I did a little experiment and let Princess play with the sink water. She LOVED it. After that, I encouraged her to play in the sink with me, as I washed dishes. One day, when she was fifteen months old, I discovered her playing with the water in the bathroom sink. After that, she let me put her in the bottom of the shower to play with toys.

Today, my little Princess LOVES water. I have to fight to keep her away from it some days! She hops in every puddle she can find. So when I saw a pair of pink galoshes on sale at Walmart, I knew I had to get them.

The next rainy day, she was thrilled to be able to put her new rain boots to good use. She jumped and splashed till she was a muddy mess. When she was done, she had a nice warm shower and a cuddle with Mom before having a nap.

Moments like these are why I’m so thankful I’m a Mother. My children make everything new again. Every puddle is a fun, new adventure.