Earlier this week, I sent my older sister, Sarah, to cover the #GreatMNBlogTogether sneak preview at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds earlier this week. Here’s a little peek at what she learned and saw [and TASTED] while there. In just a short period of time, the Great Minnesota Get Together begins. I am one who always goes for the food. THEN I received a text that asked it I wanted to step in and go try some of the foods coming out and share my experience and I was excited to say the least. The event was held in the History and Heritage Center and if you haven’t been in this building I’d hi ..read more

It’s almost that time…back to school. Time to stock up on new clothes and shoes and gear to start the year off. I don’t know about you, but it can be overwhelming making a list of all the necessities. This one needs new shoes, this one needs a new backpack and lunch box and this one has grown out of all of their clothes. Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka has put together a fun back to school shopping event to help parents check off as much on their back to school checklist as they can in a day. In a sense a way for families to start the new year with some “good vibes”. Event details: Ridgedale C ..read more

Winner has been chosen and contacted- congratulations ELIZABETH!  Last weekend we celebrated J’s 45th birthday with a little staycation at the Sheraton Bloomington. Located the perfect distance from both downtown Minneapolis and the airport and Mall of America- it was a perfect location for us to zip up to Target Field for the Def Leppard and Journey concert for the evening. [That was my husband’s idea and birthday gift, by the way.] Just last summer, Sheraton Bloomington underwent a 15 million dollar renovation and it is clear that not a detail was spared- the hotel looks exquisi ..read more

Last weekend, Miss E and I had the privilege of attending opening night of The Best Summer Ever at Children’s Theatre Company. This is probably the first time I’ve gone to a show knowing literally NOTHING about it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but have yet to be disappointed at a CTC show so knew we were in good hands. I really enjoyed it and so did Miss E. Though a good amount of the humor was funnier for me than her, mostly because it brought me back to my own childhood summers. The Best Summer Ever is at CTC until July 29 and tickets are still available. If you’re interested in attending o ..read more

I’ve fallen a little bit behind in sharing but figured it was time to share my May and June reads! In case you missed it, here’s what I read in January, February , March and April. As always, you can also follow along on Instagram with #SamaraReads2018. Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser This was a March Book of the Month book. The story follows an investigation in a close knit neighborhood after a mother and her twins go missing in the midst of what seems to be an amicable divorce. The neighborhood women are speechless of where she’d gone and why she’d leave and if they should be conc ..read more

Frannie just turned 5 and to celebrate she wanted a Greatest Showman themed birthday party. It is hands down her favorite movie and soundtrack and she has watched it so many times she could probably recite most of it to you. We held her party at her local dance studio which was fun because the instructor assigned to her party was able to create a little routine to one of the songs from the movie and have the kids perform for their parents. I wanted to share some of the things we did for her party as of all of the parties we’ve ever thrown I think this was the simplest and also likely the low ..read more

It’s time to share my April reads! In case you missed it, here’s what I read in January, February and March. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman This was another Book of the Month* club book. The story follows 30 year old Eleanor Oliphant who lives a rather boring life until she meets a new coworker and they happen upon an elderly man in distress. This book went in different directions than I expected and at times was slow but I enjoyed it over all.  The Year of Less by Cait Flanders At 29 years old, after spending two years paying off $30,000 of debt, giving up alcoho ..read more

It’s time to share what I read in March. In case you missed it, here’s what I read in January and here’s what I read in February.  The Broken Girls by Simone St. James This was a February Book of the Month* book. The story follows journalist Fiona Sheridan as she works on uncovering why anyone would ever want to restore the rumored, haunted boarding school, Idlewood Hall. The story goes between 1950 and 2014 and was a really good book with an ending I didn’t see coming. Sex, Jesus and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom In a world that is so saturated with sex, author Mo Isom ..read more

Here’s the books I read in February [and if you missed my January reads, you can see those right here.] As always, you can follow along book by book on Instagram- #SamaraReads2018 After the Eclipse by Sarah Perry I learned about this book on the Smartest Person in the Room podcast- coined as one of the best books of 2017, I knew I had to read it. It was a really hard, devastating read but also important. When the author was just 12 years old, her mother was brutally attacked and ultimately murdered while she slept in the room next door. Now in adult hood she writes about waking up, what she h ..read more

At the request of several I decided that this year I’d recap my books each month [likely with a top ten post to still come at the end of the year] but this way you can get an idea of the books I’m reading throughout the year. In January, I read: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng This was on all sorts of top ten lists for 2017 and was a September 2017 Book of the Month* Club book. The story follows Mia and her daughter, Pearl, who are living a nontraditional life in a very traditional neighborhood.The story delves into transracial adoption, surrogacy and abortion. It was really good- I cou ..read more