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!

With social distancing, spring this year is a little…weird. The things I would normally do need some working around to make happen. I wanted to update my list to share things that you can do to bring some extra joy to your springtime and support our amazing local businesses.

Here are some of my favorite ways to celebrate the spring time:

• Go on tons of walks especially those that include ice cream or coffee. I definitely love going to the Greenbelt. Pop’s Ice Cream is near there and so is Villa and City Bagels. However, Community Park is really lovely too and Reed’s is over that way. Also, I really want to try the gelato at Manwaring Cheese.

• Spring clean your casa! With all the extra time in your house spring cleaning is an excellent way to make you feel productive or just make the space your in more enjoyable.
• Save your items and donate things you aren’t using anymore. Your home will thank you for it!
• Plant something. Sunnyside Gardens is bound to have what you need. I’ve been getting a lot of joy from caring for my indoor garden 🙂

• Try some seasonal recipes. Here are some on my mind:
  • Spring Cheesecake Cake
  • Creamy Spring Tortellini with Peas, Asparagus, and Bacon
• Go somewhere new! A couple new places that I want to visit are:
  • Pie Hole downtown
  • Burger Theory
• Read: I am rereading the Redwall series right now and it’s perfect. The feasts described in these books are mouth-watering. You need to get the Redwall cookbook too! These books might be possible to find at The Book Shelf.
• Plan your summer vacation. Thinking about future plans, in which life feels normal again is really important! I am dreaming about my trip to see Weezer, Green Day, and Fall Out Boy in CO this summer. Talk about nostalgia!
• Upgrade your bike and decrease your footprint while toning those calves, yo. I’m planning on getting a new bike from Dave’s this summer!

• Try a new look. I am thinking about adding some rose gold and chopping this mane. I love Urban Nook for this! I am really excited for salons to be open again…
• Get your mama something nice. She deserves it! Love at First Bite has some great gifts for Mother’s Day.
• Soak up as much sun as possible. This has been saving me with all the covid craziness. Get it wherever/whenever you can.
• Be kind to yourself and everyone else. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be doing all the things or be the most successful at home. Take it day by day. Some days you are going to bake some sourdough bread and work on your YA dystopian novel about covid times. Other days you are going to be like a human hot dog on the couch all day watching as much TLC as humanly possible. Both are fine.

Hope you all have a wonderful spring! Can’t wait to see you all out and about sometime 🙂

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Life is about to get sweeter, Boise! Revitalize Juice Bar is coming to town.

On Saturday, I attended the grand opening of Revitalize Juice Bar’s new location in Old Boise. I love going to their location in The Village at Meridian, and I am so excited for them to have a location that’s closer to where I live and work!

Revitalize offers a wide variety of nutrient dense juices, kombucha on tap, protein smoothies, lattes, and fruit bowls. They have pitaya bowls, acai bowls, and coconut bowls inspired by the owners’ trips to Hawaii, and they truly are a refreshing bit of paradise!

Both locations are welcoming and have plenty of seating to hang out with friends after a good workout (I recommend re-fueling with a lavender vanilla protein smoothie which is TO DIE FOR).

Or you can hang in the swinging chair at the Boise location and read (or blog!) while eating an Oregon bowl (acai, blueberries, strawberries, banana, goji berries, hemp hearts, honey, and bee pollen).

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Go do something that your tummy will thank you for, and grab a treat at Revitalize Juice Bar!

560 W. Main St. (Boise)

3505 E. Monarch Sky Ln. (Meridian)

Revitalize Juice Bar Facebook

Many thanks to Sharece Mecham, fellow Live a Little Local writer, for this piece!

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This is the final #Idahoicecreamsundaes post! Thanks so much for following along and hopefully eating a lot of ice cream with us. Our last post is about a fantastic shop in Stanley.

Stanley, ID is “Gateway to the Sawtooth Mountains” and home to Stanley Scoops, a cute little ice cream shop just off of Highway 21 on Wall St. Stanley Scoops has some charming locals running the shop, and they’ll be glad to scoop you up a classic Idahoan huckleberry cone as you head over to the majestic Sawtooth Mountains for a hike or some mountain biking!

But ice cream isn’t all they’re dishin’ out! Don’t miss out on their other yummy treats like cookies, cupcakes, and milkshakes.

615 Ace of Diamonds St.

Stanley, ID

Did you miss the other posts in this series?

Rainey Creek

Sarsaparilla

The STIL and Reed’s Dairy

We are excited to start the Best Of Summer series and Explore Idaho series. Subscribe to know when those are posted!

Many thanks to Sharece Mecham, fellow Live a Little Local writer, for her love of ice cream and willingness to write about it.

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I’ve been camping in the Swan Valley area ever since I was a kid. One of my favorite memories of this time was stopping by Rainey Creek to get square ice cream. It was the first SQUARE ice cream I’d ever had and there was definitely something special about it.

This is still a tradition for me, and I love to stop by and get a waffle cone when I am in the area.

They have many different flavors from Huckleberry Cheesecake, Caramel Caribou, Moose Tracks, and one of my favorites Lime Rickey. I fully recommend getting your choice in a waffle cone. They put whoppers in the bottom of the cones which is such a delicious surprise!

2997 Swan Valley Hwy; Swan Valley, Idaho 83449

Rainey Creek Facebook

Congrats to Paige Aitchison for winning the National Ice Cream day giveaway to Reed’s Dairy! Follow Live a Little Local to participate in our next giveaway.

Do you live a little local?

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Week 2 of #IdahoIceCreamSundaes! I’m very excited to tell you about this wonderful ice cream shop.

Forty miles outside of Boise is the quaint little town of Idaho City (‘city’ being a misnomer). Idaho City is surround by national forest and beautiful mountain scenery and within the town is the cutest ice cream and gift shop called Sarsaparilla.

Sarsaparilla scoops up to five flavors on a cone, and they make their waffle cones in house! They’ll also mix you up a milkshake, or you can order a deliciously rich brownie sundae topped with hot fudge and peanut butter. There are around 16 different flavors of ice cream to choose from, including maple nut, butter pecan, cotton candy, and (my personal favorite) black licorice. You’re welcome to sample any of the flavors before you buy, but it’s going to be a tough choice! It’s the perfect treat to enjoy on their spacious front porch on a sunny summer day!

101 Montgomery St suite 2, Idaho City, ID 83631

Sarsaparilla Facebook

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

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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.

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I recently took a trip to beautiful island of Oahu. My husband’s family grew up there, and some still live there so we were able to visit.

I had a really amazing time trying to experience and eat my way around the Island 🙂

Experiences

Polynesian Cultural Center

The PCC let’s you learn about island cultures (Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, New Zealand, etc.) in such a fun and engaging way. My favorite thing was watching the incredible Samoan fire-dancing and drinking out of pineapples.

How PCC stole my heart

Kualoa Range

We went on a raptor tour of the Kualoa range that was really amazing. The Kualoa range is recognizable even if you haven’t been there, because it has been filmed in 50 First Dates, Jumanji, Jurassic Park, etc. When we went it was pouring rain…which made for a very memorable experience!

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Pearl Harbor

If you are on Oahu hands down I think you should go on a tour of Pearl Harbor. We went on a bus tour which was amazing, because of all the history and stories. Ferrying out to the US Arizona was a very humbling experience. You end up being right on top of the ship, and can see the oil leaking out which is crazy to me! Side note: I think that Arizona is shutdown right now, because they found a leak in the memorial. Very grateful that I was able to see it when I did.

Food

Ted’s Bakery plate lunches

Ted’s Bakery is amazing. They have a ton of different pies and baked treats (Chantilly cake, Haupia pie, dobash cake). My favorite thing from them was the teriyaki beef plate lunches though. Plate lunches are huge in Hawaii! You can find them every where. Plate lunches are made up of protein (teriyaki beef, chicken, kalua pork), macaroni salad, and rice, YUM!

Outside of Ted’s

Chantilly

Chantilly is something I’ve never heard of before travelling to Hawaii! You will find it on cakes, cream puffs, etc. My favorite chantilly cake was found at The Willows. It is similar to a German chocolate cake with no coconut, and covered in chopped nuts.

Chantilly cake from Ted’s Bakery

Shave Ice

If you are in Hawaii shave ice is a must! My favorite place was Matsumoto’s in Haleiwa. The flavors were on point. Also, we met Matsumoto and he is a super cool dude! Haleiwa is a must see too. It’s a very cool surfer town with fun shops and great food.

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I can’t wait to get back to Oahu. It is such a beautiful and unique place.

Mahalo for reading!

Links for you!

Polynesian Cultural Center

Kualoa Ranch

Ted’s Bakery

Matsumoto’s

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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.

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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

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