20 Fun FREE Date Ideas

Sometimes, life gets busy and money gets tight. Having a list of 20 fun free date ideas can help keep the romance alive. From going to the library to having a backyard bonfire, there are so many fun ways to spend time together that don’t break the bank.

1.Go to the Park

This idea is kind of a three in one idea. You could have a simple picnic if you’d like a more intimate and relaxing date. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could go hiking or biking. We love hiking at our favorite local parks and exploring new ones in nearby cities. Fresh air, exercise, beautiful scenery, what’s not to love?! Well, maybe bugs. Don’t forget to wear bug spray!

2.Movie Night at Home

There are so many ways to watch movies at home now! Browse through your old DVD collection for an old favorite. Check out Netflix, Amazon or Hulu for something new if you have a subscription. Go to the library to check out their selection. Snuggling up to a good movie is a great way to relax together after a long day.

3.Board Games

We have a lot of games, but we don’t often get to play them. Back when we were first dating, we loved to play different games together, like Scrabble for example. Taking the time to have a game night can give you something fun to do while allowing you to have a playful conversation.

4.Go to the Library

The library is a lot of fun with the kids, but it’s also a lot of fun without them! Browsing the books together, picking out a fun movie, laughing over the music section and reminiscing, browsing through the exercise equipment, even if we don’t pick out anything (how can you not?!) the library is always a blast!

5.Puzzles

I LOVE puzzles! Whenever I get a new one going, the whole family loves to spend time tackling it. Spending time alone on date night working on a puzzle is a fun challenge! I find puzzle nights are great for the times when you don’t want to say much. Puzzles can be a stress reliever. So if you’ve had a rough day/week/month, this might be a great way to tackle some of life’s anxieties by doing something you CAN solve.

6.Video Games

If your spouse loves video games, but you are not a fan, it might put you out of your comfort zone a little at first. Playing together can be a lot of fun though! If you’re not into violent games, like me, there are so many other fun ways to play. Many game systems have physically active games that allow you to get up and move, like Fruit Ninja. If you’d rather sit down, Tetris is always a fun challenge.

7. Take a Walk

Sometimes, a simple walk around the neighborhood can be a lot of fun. It’s just you and your sweetie, walking, talking and getting some fresh air. I find a simple walk can take the pressure off of date planning and allow you to just relax.

8.Cook and Clean up Dinner Together

I’m usually the one who cooks at our house. Sometimes, Nate will take over for a night if I’m not feeling well. Cooking together though, makes the work go faster and is a lot of fun! Cleaning up together means that no one is stuck doing the dishes alone. If cooking dinner is too intimidating, try making a simple dessert or appetizer.

9.Museum

We have a lot of museums in our area. Many of them have free days or free sections. Most history museums have a fee to help pay for upkeep, but sometimes they have a free day. Often, you can get a free pass at the local library. Many art museums are free. A few of the bigger ones do charge a fee, so always check before heading out.

10.Window Shopping Downtown

Our town has a cute little historic downtown strip. It’s full of antique stores, boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s a lot of fun to check out all of the unique items in the antique stores and window shop some of the newer boutiques.

11.Backyard Bonfire

Summer doesn’t last very long here in Minnesota, so bonfires are only optional a few months a year. We love to take advantage of this time to sit outside and enjoy the warm night air, under the stars, cuddled up next to the fire.

12.Tea/Dessert on the Porch

If you have a porch, like we do, it’s nice to sit out early or late on hot summer days. Taking a little time to enjoy the quiet solitude that comes with dawn and dusk with a nice cup of tea or a shared dessert is a lot of fun!

13.Fishing/Boating

Here in Minnesota, we have over 10,000 lakes. (11,842 lakes of 10 acres or more. 21.871 if you count the lakes under 10 acres!) We also have 69,200 miles of rivers which gives us many opportunities to enjoy some time on the water. We’ve gone fishing as a family, but fishing as a couple can be fun too! If you are vegan or don’t like to fish, sightseeing is also a lot of fun! Don’t forget to take binoculars for a little bird watching!

14.Study the Bible Together

There is nothing else like putting God first in our lives. Spending quality time together, with God, is one of the most important things a couple can do together. God can help draw a couple closer and give peace and contentment.

15. Go Through Family Photo Albums

As the years roll by and memories add up, it can be a lot of fun to look back on some of those favorite experiences together. Sometimes, this can inspire new plans for the future, so keep a notebook and pen handy!

16.Play Cards

Playing cards can be as easy as Go Fish, Speed or even a little more challenging, like enjoying a game of poker. If you don’t know how to play any card games, you can easily google how to play! Even better, there are a lot of videos on Youtube showing you exactly how to play! Cards are simple, cheap and can lead to a lot of laughs.

17.Build/Make Something

Is there something fun that you’ve always wanted to try? Build a birdhouse? Make a garden? Make a Chalkboard? Hang up some framed family pictures? Make a fun date of it! If you don’t know how to do any of these things but want to, check out community education classes, your local library courses, or ask a friend who’s more experienced to help you plan the basics before getting started.

18.Exercise together

I’ve already mentioned hiking, biking and taking walks, but breaking out a workout DVD or pulling up a workout on youtube to try together can be a lot of fun! Just make sure to take it slow if you don’t work out on a regular basis!

19. Read Together

Did you find an awesome book at the library or do you have a favorite you’d love to read again? Make it a date night book. Take turns reading chapters out loud (or pages if the chapters are long). No cheating and reading without your partner on non-date nights though!

20.Pamper Each Other

Put on face masks, file each other’s nails, or paint them if you’re feeling adventurous! Take a relaxing bath together, if your bath is big enough! If you don’t have a big enough tub, have a detox foot bath. Give a nice back or shoulder massage. Both men and women love to be pampered!

I hope these 20 fun free date ideas have inspired you for a date night of your own! What is your favorite thing to do on a date night? Have you given any of these a try? Let me know in the comments!

May 22, 2018July 18, 2018

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!

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December 27, 2017

What I’ve Learned From A Year of Dedicated Blogging

I started my blog as a fun hobby. In the first few years, I only made a couple of posts. I knew I wanted to do more, especially since I was making the investment in paying for hosting. Letting my blog sit there seemed like a waste of money.

It wasn’t until my circumstances changed that I decided to dedicate time specifically to blogging. My health had taken a turn for the worse, I had to quit working. I was struggling with accepting my new life and the depression that came with significant change. I knew I needed to fill the void of work with a new hobby.

Blogging seemed like the perfect way to occupy my mind and fill my time with something positive. Since I stopped taking professional portraits for other people, I reminded myself that I could still be a photographer, only, I would be taking images for myself. I decided to challenge myself with something I have always wanted to do, a 52 project. It was a lot of fun and I love the way my images turned out. From there, it became easier to blog about things.

With the end of school nearing, I decided to add another challenge to my blogging, vlogging. This took my blogs to a new level, as I had videos to go along with my writing. I initially started vlogging for fun and as a challenge to warm me up to what I really wanted to do. I wanted to do a video series on the challenges of severe, life-threatening allergies. Along with this, I will have accompanying blogs that detail in writing the facts that go along with my videos.

Over the past 5 years of health struggles, I have done an extremely large amount of research. Some of the things I researched had little to no information and I had to really dig in order to learn. It was so hard to gain footing in the world of severe allergies. Not many people are allergic to nearly the entire world, and there isn’t a handbook that goes along with it.

I knew that I wanted to help people and make their journey a little easier, by sharing my story and experiences. I wanted to help someone avoid some of the mistakes I’d made in the beginning, or maybe find a new way to help them cope now.

I realized that I had found the purpose of my blog. I guess you could say I found my niche. This information isn’t only helpful for those with severe allergies. It is beneficial for everyone. I tell people that I am the canary in the coal mine. If my health takes a dive because of my sensitivity to chemicals, then It can’t be very safe for other people either. Even if they’re not having a life-threatening reaction to it. Toxic chemicals are not beneficial to anyone.

Holistic health and nutrition can benefit everyone live a healthier, more meaningful life. Living life without toxic chemicals reduces the risk of having cancer, heart disease, eczema, diabetes, and more.

I love sharing what I’ve learned with others. Blogging gives me a platform so I don’t have to drive my friends and family crazy by constantly talking about the latest medical article I’ve been reading. It allows me to share my photography. It allows me to be creative and give me an outlet for my lack of ability to work. Hopefully, someone out there will appreciate and enjoy my ramblings and my photography.

After a year of dedicated creating every month, I can definitely say that blogging is something I enjoy and will continue to do. Thank you for those of you who have commented, shared, liked and followed me over this last year. I have loved hearing that you enjoyed something I shared. Hopefully, I’ll have more fun things for you in this coming year!

Love, Melissa

December 25, 2017December 25, 2017

52 Project, Week 42: Autumn Trees

Autumn is my favorite season. Autumn trees are part of why it is my favorite season. The colors of the leaves transform the world into a breathtakingly beautiful place for a short week or two.

Here is one of my favorite autumn trees poems. While googling the words for this poem, I found out that it is actually a song! I might have to learn the tune so I can sing it to my kiddos next autumn.

Come Little Leaves
by George Cooper

“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,
“Come over the meadows with me, and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew.

“Cricket, good-bye, we’ve been friends so long;
Little brook, sing us your farewell song-
Say you’re sorry to see us go;
Ah! you are sorry, right well we know.”

“Dear little lambs, in your fleecy fold,
Mother will keep you from harm and cold;
Fondly we’ve watched you in vale and glade;
Say, will you dream of our loving shade?”

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went;
Winter had called them and they were content-
Soon fast asleep in their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle over their heads.

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 41: Pumpkin
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December 24, 2017December 24, 2017

52 Project, Week 49: My Cup

I have an obsession with adorable cups. I love drinking tea out of cozy mugs and lemonade out of mason jar glasses. I drink water from a glass water bottle and kombucha in a little bit of everything.

I’ve worked hard to minimize the items in my kitchen. I find the more dishes available the bigger the mountain of dirty dishes to wash. My family would rather get a new dish than put a dirty one in the dishwasher or empty a clean load, or handwash something delicate. I did most of the work and it was neverending.

So I got rid of the majority of our plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. I gave everyone one complete set and got rid of the rest. I even gave them each their own special spot on the shelf in the cupboard.

One thing I didn’t minimize was tools for making food since I do a large amount of cooking and baking from scratch. The other thing I didn’t minimize was my cups.

I love my cups. I enjoy drinking from them. They’re part of my self-care routine because they make me smile. When I’m anxious, depressed or having a bad day, they help cheer me up and calm me down.

I also enjoy serving company tea or coffee when they come over. I love to share my cups. They’re usually a conversation piece and cause my guest to smile.

I heard a story once about broken cups. All cups have a lifespan. At some point, that life will end by being broken. Whether it is by our own hand or that of a guest, that ending is inevitable. If we should have company, and one of our precious cups should break, the natural inclination is to exclaim in horror over the loss. Doing so, however, might cause discomfort and the deep remorse of our friend. Out of a desire to be a gracious and hospitable host, we should smile and immediately put their mind at ease by saying something of the like of “Oh, that old thing? Don’t worry about it.”. Later, after they leave and we are alone, we can mourn the loss of our cup and maybe shed a tear or two. Yet knowing the end was inevitable, that all cups have the destiny to be broken, it makes the loss that much easier to bear. It makes forgiveness easier to give.

So though I love my cups, I don’t save them for a special day or hide them from my company to prevent accidents. I use them and enjoy them as much as I can.

My cups are a source of more than the ability to hold liquid. My cups hold personality and character. For me, they hold memories, joy, and great comfort.

Tell me about your favorite cup!

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Next Week: Natural
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December 13, 2017December 13, 2017

52 Project, Week 31: Love

I had been having a rough few months. The stress of my grandfather’s failing health and death. Regular life chaos and work. The return of the school year. Sending my oldest two back to school, which has always made my heart break from sadness and the beginning of homeschool work for my youngest two, which has its own amount of work and struggles.

On a regular grocery shopping trip, I stopped to smell the roses while passing by. I always try to stop and smell the roses. They are so beautiful and they smell so lovely. It’s a brief moment of joy in my day.

A day later, Nate ran some errands alone. I went to open the door for him since he had his arms full. He asked if I could please grab something from the trunk. I immediately went out to help and paused when my eyes caught sight of a beautiful bouquet of red roses.

I couldn’t help but laugh with joy as I hugged my flowers to my chest and took a deep breath of its fragrant perfume. Nate knew just the way to make me feel better.

I enjoyed trimming my stems and leaves and arranging my flowers perfectly in my favorite vase. Princess enjoyed smelling several of the flowers herself and happily played at my side as I worked. Once my bouquet was just so, I cleaned the table well so that it was worthy of the beauty that graced it.

For the next week, I enjoyed gazing fondly at my roses as I washed the dishes or helped the children with their homework. I stopped often to smell them, enjoying the butterfly soft caress of the petals on the tip of my nose and my lips.

It wasn’t just the beauty of my lovely roses that warmed my heart. It was the thought and love behind them. Nate saw the joy that stopping to smell the roses brought me in the store. He remembered it and took the effort to surprise me with some. A grand gesture in a melancholy week.

As for love, it isn’t always big grand gestures and flowers that make love so sweet. It is the little things, like helping carry in groceries, cooking dinner together, helping with homework, a hug, a kiss, and time well spent together. Love makes life worth living. Sometimes a rose is a great reminder of that.

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What does love mean to you?
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December 12, 2017December 12, 2017

52 Project, Week 29: Summer Trees

Summer is such a brief time in Minnesota. It’s a few short months of sunshine, warmth, and greenery. We can temporarily shed our many layers and don clothing that exposes our skin. We wear sandals and flip-flops or even luxuriate in wearing nothing at all and going barefoot. We can spend a considerable amount of time outside without fear of frostbite.

June, July, August, and September. These months we welcome weather anywhere from the 20’s to the 100’s. June and September are prone to the occasional frost and even a chance of snow. Yet most often, weather in the 50’s and 60’s makes these months the fairest of the year. July and August you are most likely to find the weather in the 70’s and 80’s with an occasional few days in the 90’s or higher.

The rest of the year, all bets are off for how cold it can be. It could be warm in the 40’s or it could drop to -60. Usually, it is cloudy and dark. On average, we spend those 8 months indoors, hiding from below freezing temperatures, bundling up to hide skin and protect from frostbite It can be beautiful. There are a lot of fun winter sports. Overall though, most activities are inside where it is warm.

This is why summer is so often looked forward to. We try to soak up every minute of fresh air, sunlight, vitamin D and outdoor activities that we can. In that time, the world erupts in color.

The most prominent color to be found is green. Beautiful, bright, vibrant, rich green. Carpets of green grass, fields of green crops, and mountains of green trees.

Trees in the summertime are the happiest of my childhood memories. Climbing up in their strong, rough branches to heights not reached anywhere else by a small child. Hiding behind the cover of leaves from the sun and from people. Feasting on its fruits. Using imagination for endless hours of fun. Sometimes just lying below and gazing up adoringly at my friend, the tree. I can’t think of anything happier in my memories than of the time I spent in the trees.

As an adult, trees still fill me with love, admiration, and wonder. These gentle giants do so much for us. They give us oxygen, shade, protection from wind, wood for our fires and to build our homes, fruits to feast upon, and beauty to behold. They give a boring landscape character. They fill me with wonder at the majesty of our God.

When I look at trees, I can see the wonder of creation. Trees clean our air and give us oxygen. They have the ability to draw water up to heights that man has been unable to replicate and or even understand. They convert sunlight into energy! Their leaves are mathematical works of art. Each one is different and unique. The bark, leaves, pine needles and even the shape of the branches are as varied as the people on this planet. Each tree seems to have it’s own personality and temperament.

I can’t imagine living in an area void of trees, I love them so much. Trees give me joy. Trees fill me with hope for the future. Knowing that a tree I plant will likely outlive me fills me with awe. When I find a large and old tree, I wonder who has seen and loved this tree. What stories could this tree tell?

What are your favorite tree memories? What is your favorite thing about summer trees?

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November 30, 2017

I Photographed the Four Seasons From One Spot

One of the things I love about living in Minnesota is the joy of seeing the seasons change. Winter, spring, summer and autumn, they each have their own special beauty and wonder.

Watching them change, I’ve always wanted to pick a spot to capture that beauty and show how unique they are. I’ve found that the same location in a different season can seem like an entirely new world.

Winter is cold, cloudy, quiet, muted, bright, invigorating, calm and peaceful. Seeing this image makes me think of warm winter boots, being bundled up with a coat, hat, mittens, and scarf. I can remember the muffled woods and the whisper of snow falling. I can remember the crunch of snow underfoot and the delighted peals of laughter from my daughter as she bounced around the snow drifts.

Spring is cool, cloudy, anticipatory, damp, soft, new, refreshing and hopeful. Looking back on this image reminds me of my children, all dressed in their Sunday best, excited to be out and about again on a beautiful spring day. Although they were mostly hiding in the van for this photo shoot. It was still cool, but warm enough to go without hats, mittens, and scarves. The buds on the trees were all starting to swell before they would burst forth tiny new leaves. The ground was turning from a subtle latte color to a growing green as tender new shoots popped up everywhere.

Summer is hot, bright, sunny, colorful, green, energetic, lively, active and cheerful. This image reminds me of wearing flip-flops, short skirts, t-shirts, ponytails, and sunglasses. I can remember my children running around, exploring everything, happy to be outside.

Autumn is colorful, warm, cool, crisp, exciting, busy, cozy and fun. Autumn is the time of year for dress boots, cozy sweaters, and cute scarves. Autumn is a time for bonfires, garden harvesting, food preparation, school planning and winter prep. It’s the busiest time of the year! This image reminds me of the kids waiting in the van for me to jump out and get the shot. We had to hurry because we had so much to do that day! I love watching the seasons change and enjoying every unique and wonderful thing about them. I don’t think I’ll tire of the excitement of watching one season shift to the next bringing all of the changes of life that come with it. Thank you for joining me on my adventures this year! I look forward to the next!

What do you love about each season?

November 13, 2017December 11, 2017

Dear Mom Of A Child With Hyperactivity…

My son has always been on the go. He’s always been fast, energetic and too curious for his own good. Unfortunately, he inherited this from both his father and me. My brother and I were energetic and curious as children and I know we drove our poor Mom crazy. I’ve heard stories from Nate’s Mom about when he was little too. One about taking off to the local park alone as a toddler comes to mind.

There is a difference between a normal energetic child and a child with extreme hyperactivity. Although Mr. Awesome could run circles around me on a normal healthy day, there are days when he is abnormally “crazy” energetic. When he was 5 years old, he developed an allergy to food dyes and preservatives. My little guy cannot tolerate them. They make him hyperactive to the point where he can’t focus or slow down. There is no reaching him, he’s gone.

I can remember one time when he had been exposed vividly. He was running around, making loud incoherent noises and banging into things. I grabbed him into my arms to try to get him to stop. He flailed around while I tried calling his name. As he flopped backward across my lap, with a crazy wild grin on his face, his eyes rolling wildly, joyfully screaming, arms and legs waving about, I remember feeling my heart break for my son. I will never forget that.

Another time, when he was older, we did something we never usually did. We were running late to meet family and we stopped at Mcdonald’s. We don’t normally eat at Mc D’s, but we were out in the middle of nowhere and it was the only place to eat for many miles. After my son ate his food, he told me, “Mom, I feel like I’m going crazy.” After that he did. He went into his usual hyperactive world where we can’t reach him.

To us, watching from the outside. It looks like he is wildly out of control. He looks like he’s had a gallon of sugar. It’s frustrating, especially in public with other people watching and judging. It’s hard worrying about my son and caring for him, but it’s also hard because I know others simply think I can’t control my son.

Over the years, we’ve found that avoiding food dyes and preservatives is what he needs to be functional. We know when he sneaks candy from his sisters because he goes wild. Because of this, we’ve stopped buying things that can cause him to react. I try to find him treats that are safe as an alternative so he doesn’t feel left out. Unfortunately, we’ve found he also reacts to perfumes and artificial scents in the air since he has an allergy to corn. So reactions in crowded places are common.

With my own allergies. I have the unique perspective of being able to walk in my son’s shoes. With exposure to corn, I develop anxiety. If my allergy bucket is really full, or I get a big dose of corn, I get extreme anxiety and hyperactivity. It’s not fun. I’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding corn, but every once and awhile I accidentally get exposed. Last week was one of those times.

Normally, if this happens, I try to minimize the damage as much as I can by drinking bentonite clay water and fasting until the feeling has passed. I try to stay productive and channel my energy into cleaning. Sometimes I distract myself by playing games on my phone (1010!, Word Cookies and Sims Freeplay) or watching a movie or listening to soothing music. This time, I used the opportunity to write a letter to myself.

I’ve switched it up a bit so that it applies to any parent with a child with hyperactivity and/or anxiety. Although boys, girls, men and women struggle with hyperactivity, I’ve written this as I’ve written it to myself about my son. If you’d like to write a letter to yourself and add your name and your loved one’s name, please feel free to do so.

Dear Mom,
The next time your child is going a million miles an hour, remember this.
For your child, having their mind race is not fun, it’s intense. It’s hard to focus, hard to be still, and hard to remember what you were doing. It’s like a video that has been sped up really fast and is dragging you along with it.

You can help him.
Be kind.
Be calm.
Speak slow and clear.
Give him one task at a time.
Be forgiving and help him remember when he forgets.
Get down to his level.
Show your love through actions.
Be the rock of stability is his rushing river.
Play slow, soothing music to help calm him and help him focus (The Guild of Ambience or Weightless)
Have a clean, calm environment.
Go outside and and let him run around and soak up vitamin D, it’s good for both of you!
Give him tablet time and take a time out if you need it.
Pray.
Love him.
Breathe.

You can do this! It’s hard for you, but it’s also hard for him. Thank you for loving him enough to care to try.

I hope this helps you. Being a parent is tough, but being a parent to a child with hyperactivity can be extremely challenging. Sometimes taking a minute out of our day to remember what they’re going through can help when we feel our patience slipping.

What do you do when your child has a hyperactive episode/meltdown? What are your child’s triggers?

October 2, 2017June 26, 2018

Checking Out Ely, Minnesota

Checking Out Ely, Minnesota
3rd Day of Camping

I woke up to the sun making glowing shadows on the roof of our tent as it passed through the leaves on the trees. Already I could feel the sun warming the chilly air.

Since it was so lovely, we thought it would be a perfect day to explore Grand Marais. We had a fun day checking out all of the little shops. I would have loved to have stopped at every shop, but there just wasn’t enough time!

I got an amethyst bracelet at a rock store, Loony’s Northwoods Emporium. Each child got to pick out a rock of their choice. We also visited Ely’s Old Fashioned Candy where we got a bunch of rare (for us) treats. I was thrilled to be able to visit Jim Brandenberg’s Art gallery. At the local Goodwill, Cupcake and I got a few books, Princess got a few sweaters and a cute pair of sandals. Nate found 4 packs of kinetic sand for 99 cents. Mr. Awesome found a toy airplane.

In between two cute shops (Mealey’s Gift & Sauna Shops), there was a well-maintained flower garden with a waterfall and fish pond hiding in the corner. It reminded me of the fish pond my Grandpa used to have in his backyard.

On the recommendation of the receptionist at the Brandenburg gallery, we decided to visit Kawishiwi Falls. Since we still had some 5 Week Workout Challenge days left, I thought it was a great idea! Plus, getting to explore another waterfall sounded like a lot of fun.

The hike was quite beautiful. It was a short 1.5-mile hike. There were large boulders everywhere. Birch trees grew on and around the large rocks, their roots hugging them like cozy pillows. Planks made paths through the low ground where it probably gets muddy when it rains.

Climbing the last hill before the falls, we could hear the roar of the water as it tumbled down the rocks. Once at the top, the view was breathtaking. If we didn’t have the little ones, getting closer to the water might have been a neat area to explore.

After our hike, we went back into town to see the local farmer’s market. It was in the town’s park and slightly larger than our farmer’s market. There was a lot of stands set up selling a large variety of goods. For people who didn’t have cash, they had a stand set up selling wooden chips to pay vendors. We saw candles, kombucha, fermented foods, jams, fruits, veggies, live music, maple syrup, carved wooden spoons, handmade bath and beauty products, a stand advertising the U of M dental school, and more! It was almost like a small fair!

The kids found a painted rock and hid it for someone else to find. We’re always excited to find rocks. This one had a fish on one side and said Ely Rocks FB on the back.

After the Farmer’s Market, we picked up some tent sealer to make sure our tent was leakproof. The forecast predicted rain on Wednesday and we wanted to be sure we were dry. While there I found a cute mug that has a moose on it and the words Ely, MN. I like useful souvenirs. It was another fun day of vacation!

Have you been to Ely, Minnesota? What’s your favorite thing to do there?