The Highlander Hotel Iowa City is a must-stay location whether you’re planning a short mini getaway, a staycation or for doing college visits. The massive pool and hot tub, games, music, plenty of eats and on demand hot beverages you’ll never want to leave this newly renovated 1970s throwback hotel. We had the tremendous opportunity to spend the weekend at the Highlander Hotel as their guests. Our room was comped. All opinions expressed are my own. Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a tiny percentage if you buy something using them. I only recommend places and pr ..read more

Discover Stillwater, nestled along the  Sr Croix River, has all the personality with a little bit of everything to explore with something for everyone. These 5 best things to do with kids in Stillwater is only the beginning of all the fun you can have as a family. It’s the perfect destination, whether you’re looking for a fun day trip with the family, a weekend of fun, or even a week long escape! There are trails, parks, state parks and water adventures to explore. A beautiful, walkable downtown includes fantastic dining options and some of the best shopping experiences you’ll find anywh ..read more

Whether you’re looking for a fun day trip with the family or a weekend of fun, the Iowa Scenic Byways have a ton of socially distant, family- friendly activities for any budget. It’s a great way to get out and explore new sites with the family plus the people with Travel Iowa have created an awesome online checklist (complete with prizes and freebies as you go!) We spent 2 full days exploring the Glacial Trail Iowa Scenic Byway and can’t wait to check out the other byways. Note: We were hosted on this trip by Travel Iowa and did not have to pay for our experiences. That being said everything ..read more

Prior to beginning my goal of visiting all of Minnesota’s State Parks I had never heard of Split Rock Creek state park, so I didn’t know what to expect upon arrival, but I definitely didn’t expect to be blown away by it. It was an incredible summer setting. We sat under the shade of a dozen beautiful trees, at the edge of a sandy beach as the breeze blew through (thus keeping the bugs and humidity far, far away) and wished we had planned ahead and brought stuff for camping. It was even perfect for our 5-week old, as he laid out on his blanket and intermittantly watched the leaves wave in the ..read more

No backyard barbecue, picnic or celebration is complete without a good pickle relish. Pickles tend to be too long to really sit nicely inside a hot dog or brat bun, but relish fills in all those empty spaces just perfectly- but it’s so hard to find dill pickle relish (good or otherwise). There aren’t a lot of pickle relish options available on the market- and the ones that are are usually sweet pickle. As an ardent dill pickle lover, I am, perhaps unjustly so, a ferverent sweet pickle hater. That means that I can’t relish at the relish at most backyard grill-outs. My solution? Bring ..read more

Driving along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick as the as the tide recedes is breathtaking. A massive “river” of water becomes a deep, muddy valley with a stream trickling through the middle in less than 4 hours. The Bay of Fundy located along the Canadian coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is the home to the world’s highest tides. Dramatic changes from low to high tides can be as much as a 52 foot increase in some places of Nova Scotia! Bay of Fundy New Brunswick Hopewell Rocks, NB Erosion caused by the amount of water flowing through the rock beds along the Bay of Fundy has ..read more

Blue Mounds State Park has so much to offer, from experiences to see where the buffalo roam, to native prairies and grasslands, to a line of rocks that marks the sun’s rise and fall on the equinox (!!). Blue Mounds State Park Watch this beautiful video of the bison being rounded up at Blue Mounds State Park Bison Herd The number one reason to visit Blue Mounds State Park is for the bison. These bison are very special because they are in the 1% of all buffalo within the USA that have ZERO cattle-influence in them- Absolutely incredible to behold. There are currently 73 bison living at Blue M ..read more

Nothing quite says the weekend is here like a Clamato Bloody Mary over brunch. Add on at least a few pickles on the side, with a whole bunch of other ingredients and it’s a full-on meal! *This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase an item I will make a tiny percentage of the sale. I only recommend products which I think you would enjoy and those that I know and love. Clamato Bloody Mary A true bloody mary should be all about the flavor and the toppings. Clamato Juice does a great job as a base for the bloody mary- not too thick, not too tomato-y, but it also ..read more

Several of these tips can be helpful when reselling on any platform but are geared specifically to selling on Poshmark. This has been one heck of a roller coaster year where starting new things (or doing things in new, socially-distant ways) and purging the old has become the norm. Travel has been limited to a jaunt from the living room to the yard and back so I thought it would be fun to guide you to try something different that is good for you and the environment – and maybe put a bit more money into your travel pot! This is part of my series on Purging Sustainably. 10 Tips for Selling on P ..read more

Purging sustainably is easy if you plan before you start. There are so many good options other than “tossing it”. Once you start thinking outside the box the possibilities are endless; Donating, selling, or upcycling are just a few. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a percentage if you buy something using them at no cost to you. I only recommend places and products that I know and trust which I believe you will love and enjoy as well. Purging Sustainably This has been one heck of a roller coaster year where starting new things (or doing things in new, socially-distant ..read more