Category: Personal Style
SCHEEL’S Eden Prairie Grand Opening
Visiting SCHEEL’s Eden Prairie
I was invited to attend a preview event of the grand opening of the new SCHEEL’s store in the Eden Prairie mall. I didn’t know much about the store ahead of time – just that it has a ferris wheel inside. That was enough to lure me out of bed early on a Saturday morning – plus it was a great chance to get outside the house on my own (I had a baby recently)!
Here’s what I wasn’t fully expecting: the scale of this outdoors/sporting goods store. It’s massive, and it really does have a full size ferris wheel inside. More on that later.
The aquarium inside a retail store
As I mentioned, one of the big draws for shoppers and what sets the store apart in the retail sphere is the ferris wheel and also the aquarium. You can see live divers in the aquarium a few days a week in the store. It’s impressively sized and is home to 500 fish:
The SCHEEL’s Ferris Wheel
The other main attraction is in the center of the two-story store – the ferris wheel! It’s not currently operating during COVID times, but eventually it will be open for rides. This is a place I can see taking the whole family – there is something for everyone. Other draws include a cafe and candy shop, a Viking created from 77,000 legos, a golf shop and simulator, a synthetic rink to test hockey skates on, and an interactive archery shop.
Shopping
This sizable store has tons of shopping for the whole family including home decor and outdoors apparel for men, women and kids.
SCHEEL’s Eden Prairie Taxidermy Mountain
I thought I’d seen everything the store had to offer when I discovered the taxidermy mountain on the second level. It has a really impressive display of animals. I’m not really a fan of hunting, but I can see that the display has educational value for learning about local wildlife. I did read that SCHEEL’s gets the animals on loan from local hunters and taxidermy artist. I couldn’t resist getting a photo with the moose.
Planning a visit to SCHEEL’s
SCHEEL’s Eden Prairie is located within the Eden Prairie mall, so there are plenty of amenities nearby if you’re ready to spend a day out. It takes a couple of hours to see the entirety of the store, but if you wanted to just stop in to see the aquarium it would be worth a short visit too!
Stay Warm and Cozy this Holiday Season
This post is sponsored by Isotoner but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
This week, I’m cleaning and getting ready for a visit from my family along with a Thanksgiving trip to see even more family. But as excited as I am for the upcoming holiday season, I have to be honest: I’m also cold. Like, my fingers could be used as ice packs cold. You see, my house is older and not well-insulated at all. So tea, blankets, sweaters, slippers and a warm dog are pretty intrical parts of my holiday decorating.
Warm up with along with me as we take a little peek into my winter world, which includes these fuzzy sponsored slippers from Isotoner with 360 Surround Comfort™. With everything going on, a cozy respite from the holiday happenings is just what’s needed don’t you think?
No other slipper has all-around memory foam that hugs your feet! It’s a lifesaver when you want to stay warm and cozy in the winter. Other brands may have memory foam in the sole, but this has it all throughout the shoe design. And they’re cute enough to pair with even a fancy party outfit (they are called the Microsuede Basil Hoodback if you want to snag your own with my discount code)!
There’s no reason not to be warm and comfortable while dressed in your holiday best. I thought that the gray slipper design looked good with my red and cream wool sweater-skirt combo that I’m wearing to a sorority alumnae service event tonight. One of my holiday traditions is giving back in some way, so my alumnae chapter is assembling birthday bags for foster children in our area. I’ll wear my slippers while we work!
They’re the perfect go-to indoor footwear for any occasion and make a great gift for pretty much anyone. I know from experience that it can take hours to make shopping lists, find the right stores, buy and ship gifts. And after all that you might end up gifting something useless that goes to waste. So I like the idea of finally finding a gift that can be good for anyone, since it’s comfy and super useful! I like quality items that seem like they will last, because that’s best for the environment, and these fit that requirement. If you’re curious about the brand or want to shop ASAP, check them out here.
Other equally cute styles include the Marisol Closed Back. Ya really can’t lose!
Dog-approved. Now if only he would fetch them…
Summer in Pacifica
Pacifica is a pretty, beach town destination just south of San Francisco that’s popular for surfing. When I pictured going to Pacifica, I envisioned the whole Instagrammable scene unfolding like this: me, sitting on the warm, soft sand in a light breeze for hours in the shade of my sun hat.
That didn’t exactly happen. Why? Because it’s not SoCal, that’s why. Pacifica in the summer is windy, chilly and best experienced in a wetsuit. I’m not a Pacific coast newbie by any means, but I’m honestly still a little disappointed by the lack of warm beach weather in NorCal. But I did manage to get some pictures of the coast, the wildflowers and my straw hat (a summer must-have essential).
The views from Pacifica are lovely, as are the sunsets. It’s a great little daytime destination when you want to get away from San Francisco.
Note: the front of this pink tee is so cute-It’s in the last picture so scroll down to see it!
Notice that I’m wearing a fleece in this next picture…in the middle of summer. Ha, you win this round, windy NorCal beach weather. And here’s another hot tip: stick a few bobby pins through that straw hat to keep it on in the wind.
Wildflower season in California
Spring through early summer in California has pretty wildflowers. It’s the dry season, so the pops of purple and yellow really stand out.
When I started traveling to National Parks last year, I began collecting patches to commemorate the parks I’d visited. I thought of affixing them to a bag or jean jacket as I’d seen some other parks patrons do, but I couldn’t find the right piece to put them on. The solution became clear-the dog would have to display them on his jacket. Perfecto.
Summer outfit details
A special shoutout to Parc in Minneapolis, where I bought this lovely Just Female brand tee. It looks like there’s one left in stock so someone should snag it! I’ve long loved shopping there for its ethically sourced brands, and the store will be moving neighborhoods to North Loop in downtown Minneapolis. The new location will be open soon and I can’t wait to visit.
The hat I found at DSW and I’m bummed that I can’t find it online to share with you, so I’ll use my affiliate linker to share a collection of adorable and very affordable summer hats below. I love the Anthropologie one with white flowers and I can’t believe it’s under $30!
Healthy and Fun Smoothie Bowl Recipes
Banana Chia Green Smoothie Bowl
Want to make art with your food? Smoothie bowls let you do just that. I first discovered the fun of creating smoothie bowls last year when my roommate at the time brought home a book about them. It’s creative because you can use any toppings you like to create designs and patterns on the flat surface. Then you can eat your healthy snack!
Above is a green smoothie bowl I created for Midwest Living. The smoothie is two cups of spinach blended with water and banana. The toppings include banana chips, chia seeds and coconut chips. As you can tell from the ingredients, smoothie bowls are a nourishing, healthy snack.
Blueberry Banana Chia Smoothie Bowl
This is the first smoothie bowl I ever made. The base is plain, whole milk yogurt and blueberries. Toppings are banana slices, chia seeds, blueberries and fresh peaches. As you can see in the picture, the ingredients have a tendency to sink if the smoothie is too watery. For a picture perfect smoothie bowl, don’t try to use a thin smoothie recipe!
How to create the perfect smoothie bowl
So now you know the first rule of smoothie bowls: blending thick ingredients such as banana, yogurt and avocado. Next you’ll need the perfect size bowl. Think low and wide. A tall, deep bowl will fit way more smoothie than you can really enjoy. But you do want a fairly wide bowl that maximizes surface area for decoration. I found my perfect smoothie bowl bowls at a farmers market booth. They were created by a pottery artist and they are the perfect dimensions. I just measured them for the sake of this post and they are 5 and half inches in diameter and 2 inches tall.
I did a little digging and found one at blog affiliate Macy’s that’s quite close to the one I use. It’s a durable design based on 1930s fiestaware.
The final step to creating the perfect smoothie bowl is the fun part: arranging the toppings. Creating stripes or half-moon patterns is an easy way to create an aesthetic appeal, as I’ve done in the examples pictured in this post.
Now you know how to create the perfect smoothie bowl! If you make one, be sure to let me know how it went! You can find me on Instagram, occasionally sharing pictures of smoothie bowls and other tips for living a conscious, beautiful life.
Mad for Blackwatch Plaid
Is blackwatch plaid in style? It’s a classic! It was especially popular this fall, but since I’m just getting around to posting about it now, there are currently tons of deals on blackwatch apparel. As far as I’m concerned it will never go out of style.
I was using blackwatch ribbon last year for Eco-friendly gift wrapping, I wore it this year to match Perry in this zip up vest, and I’ll surely be incorporating it in decor and style for years to come. As usual, I want to be transparent that the links in this post give me a very small (paper doll-sized) commission if you click a link or make a purchase.
When I saw Vineyard Vines had a blackwatch vest for sale I was interested-until I found a cheaper version for less than $20 and went that route instead. Plus, there was a matching blackwatch dog vest for Perry for 7.99! I’ve never actually matched outfits with my dog before and I was reluctant to do it because it’s a little bit too Elle Woods for me. Isn’t shopping with my dog enough? But I couldn’t pass up this opportunity for a matching plaid dog jacket, so here we are.
Deals and sales on blackwatch plaid styles
Here are the best in blackwatch plaid apparel sales that I’ve rounded up for you. Vineyard Vines and J.Crew are both clearancing out winter styles, including blackwatch items at great prices — extra 50% off final sale items right now.
Blackwatch plaid style for men
And men, I haven’t forgotten about you! Is blackwatch plaid in style for guys? Always! Here are some places to find your own deals on blackwatch plaid apparel.
Do you agree that blackwatch plaid is a classic?
