I’ve been MIA for quite awhile. I don’t have to say how odd this last year and a half has been and how it’s changed local events and the food scene. It also made it really difficult for me to feel creative or make time for it. I’m slowly getting back there. This is a step!

My favorite time of year is fall. I love all the traditions and coziness. Here are some of my ideas to live local this October:

Go see the changing leaves. I usually go up towards Kelly Canyon and walk about. It’s generally where I get a favorite family photo.

Go grab a to go coffee and walk around the Green Belt. Villa Coffeehouse is always delicious option.

Watch a fun seasonal movie. The Colonial Theater usually puts on a couple showings of fun Halloween movies. We were able to bundle up to see Adam’s Family 2 at the Motor Vu drive in which was fun.

Go grab some pumpkins at U-pick and carve them! This year we had my mom and little brother stating with us and it was really fun to share this tradition with them.

Get soup belly from a new favorite of ours Hokkaido Ramen House. My go to is the Tantanmen ramen. It has a really rich ginger and sesame broth, tender noodles, and salty pieces of pork on top. It all comes together so well!

We attended the masquerade and murder mystery event at the Idaho Falls Zoo this weekend. It was such a good time! They had drinks and delicious appetizers to enjoy while solving the mystery. I didn’t think you could do a party like that with 30 or so people, but it really worked! After the mystery we walked around and enjoyed the lights in the zoo. Highly recommend trying one of these events the next time it comes around!

I’m looking forward to checking out the ghost tours offered by the Museum of Idaho this year. We’ve done this tour in the past and it’s been a lot of fun.

Also, it wouldn’t be a celebration without Diablas in the mix! Diablas is hosting a Halloween Carnival brunch this year and I definitely don’t want to miss that.

I’m still catching up on trying some of the new places that are opening, but am looking forward to trying Mama Fla and the Cuban Table. Comment and share any of the places you’re looking forward to trying!

I’m sure I’ll also spend a lot of time reading and baking/cooking this month. I am doing #fantasyfall and reading a bunch of fantasy books. I’m really enjoying The Court of Thorns and Roses series. This time of year is also the best for cooking, because of all the yummy comfort foods.

Hope you all have a great month and find some ways to live local this October!

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a Scotch Pines obedience class. It is a 9 week course that covers everything from sit to off-leash exercises around a live goat!

I really enjoyed the trainer, Sarah Crozier, who was incredibly knowledgeable and easy to work with.

The class was definitely a challenge. Our pup is a year old hound/collie/shepard mix, so high-energy is her game! But with all the practice and awesome training advice from Sarah we have actually been able to walk her on a leash without constant pulling! It’s truly amazing considering where we started (my arm felt like it might fall off).

Scotch Pines class gives you the tools and the help that you need to successfully train your dog. I am so happy that I took our pup Willow there and plan on stopping by again to keep up with the progress we made.

Check out Scotch Pines on Facebook to know when their next classes are and get any information you need to enroll.

Hey all! Did you know that July 15th is National Ice Cream day!?

I really dig these national days for food, and could there be a better way to celebrate than a waffle cone?

There are way too many wonderful ice cream places to let all the recognition fall onto a single day. So, we will be using the hashtag #IdahoIceCreamSundaes to celebrate one or more shops every Sunday in July.

This post is a two-fer!

The STIL (Boise)

The STIL (The Sweetest Things in Life) in downtown Boise is the place you’ll want to be when that craving for something sweet hits. This ice cream shop offers unique, vegan, and booze-infused flavors so there’s something delish for everyone. Flavors rotate often, but I recommend Picnic in the Park (raspberry+goat cheese+walnut), Idaho Wilderness (berry+local lavender from Red Chair Lavender), or Pool Days (mint+lime+rum+mojito). The STIL also gives you the option of pairing your ice cream with local and regional beer and wine options OR you can have them scoop you some ice cream onto local cookies from Sugar Whipped and Gluten Free Galaxy for an ice cream sandwich! Cookies also come in vegan and gluten free options.

786 W Broad St, Boise, ID 83702
ilovethestil.com

STIL Facebook

Reed’s Dairy (Idaho Falls and Meridian)

Oh, the whole-milk goodness. This is not the shop to go to if you are looking for almond, soy, alternative ice cream, ok? This shop houses fresh, flavorful, and creamy treats that are sure to bring a smile to your face. You’ll be sure to see flavors like strawberry or huckleberry any time of the year. However, watch out for some rotating flavors that aren’t always in shop (coconut almond fudge, honey comb crunch). Honey comb crunch is definitely one of my favorites! It’s a blend of cinnamon, chocolate pieces of honey comb, and graham cracker.

Milkshakes with local strawberries, brown cows (ice cream and chocolate milk floats), and grilled cheese sandwiches are other items you don’t want to miss.

If you can’t stand to leave without taking some deliciousness home —don’t worry! Reed’s also offers tubs of ice cream to take home, milk, and cheese from their farm, or you can have milk delivered to you!

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Reed’s Dairy has locations in Ammon, Idaho Falls, and Meridian. (In Idaho Falls you can visit the farm.)

http://reedsdairy.com/

Reed’s Facebook

Many thanks to Sharece Mecham, fellow Live a Little Local writer, for her contribution to this piece.

Do you live a little local?

Have you seen our new t-shirts? Soon to have tank tops and tote bags!

Make sure to follow Live a Little Local on Facebook and Instagram (livealittlelocal) to keep up with fun things going on in our community!

I got to mark “ice cream shop” off my Idaho Falls downtown wish list this last week.

We have a local ice cream shop now! I am so excited. Downtown is the perfect place for an ice cream shop, and I can’t wait to add Pop’s to all of my summer time routines.

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 Poppin’)

Over-all Tastiness: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Experience: 5

Taste

Pop’s offers a wide spectrum of flavors, so whether you want to play it safe with a classic flavor (rocky road/ bubblegum) or try something new you can find something that you’ll enjoy. They also have Italian ices that will satisfy your cravings and are dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

When I was there I tried the Lime Rickey (one of my favorites)! It was perfect.

Atmosphere

Pop’s has a really sweet retro vibe to it. The first thing you notice is the bright pink walls. It’s very fun, and the black and white photos are a great touch providing some nostalgia.

Experience

Absolutely wonderful. The owners, Jennifer and Steve, are very friendly and helpful. They also own Idaho Escape Rooms (check out my review) downtown. Which would be a perfect activity to pair with your ice cream.

Couple of new Pop’s fans

I’m very happy to have this great new addition to Idaho Falls. Be sure to check it out on your next bike ride or visit to downtown!

Keep up with Pop’s Ice Cream by following them on Facebook.

Do you live a little local?

Have you seen our new t-shirts?

Make sure to follow Live a Little Local on Facebook and Instagram (livealittlelocal) to keep up with fun things going on in our community!

Hands down Martini Mayhem is my favorite event of the year.

May 19th will be my 4th consecutive time attending. I don’t think I’ve had such good attendance to anything in my life 🙂

Let me tell you why I love this event so much!

Bottomless martinis for $40 ($50 at the door)

This pretty much explains itself. Martinis are expensive, so you can justify your drinking habit with this amazing deal!

Access to IF’s best bartenders

Martini Mayhem is a competition between participating bars to see who has the best martini in several categories. I’m convinced I need to get myself on this judge’s panel! After the judging is over the public is invited in to try the martinis. It is so much fun to see what all the different bartenders had in mind, and to try martinis that you won’t find for sale in Idaho Falls bars.

Over-all amazing event

The event is always beautiful, and well put together. I’ve never had a bad time. Afterwards, you can get dinner at The Bee’s Knees which is delicious! Then if you still have some kick in ya shimmy over to The Shilo to dance like you had at least $40 worth of martinis.

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Get your tickets at The Bee’s Knees (cash only). Hope to see you there!

The Bee’s Knees Facebook

Do you live a little local?

Have you seen our new t-shirts?

Make sure to follow Live a Little Local on Facebook and Instagram (livealittlelocal) to keep up with fun things going on in our community!

A visit to Diablas Kitchen is about more than eating fantastic, hand-crafted food. It is an experience! I attended the Idaho Classics themed dinner a few weeks ago, and was so impressed. I have been a fan of Diablas for awhile now. I mainly go for delicious brunches on an ever-changing menu. The space is unique, a juxtaposition of things: Mix-matched chairs, vintage creamer pitchers, and salt shakers.

The atmosphere is comfortable and homey.  The owners and staff are so kind. At the Idaho Classics dinner I sat at the bar which is right next to where all the food is prepared. It was so great to watch them work!

  So, let’s get into what was served here.

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