Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at The Olde Creamery in Rockwell, Iowa

Summer can feel like you're constantly on the go. So that's why a quick Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip pit stop is always worth the break!

This week, we found ourselves traveling between a 4-H workshop and a softball game with just enough time to grab supper. Instead of stopping at the gas station or grabbing some fast food, we made a stop at one of our family's favorite places: The Olde Creamery in Rockwell, Iowa.

Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at The Olde Creamery in Garner, Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa

It's June Dairy Month and our family loves to celebrate by going on an Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip. This year we kicked off our 10th annual road trip by checking out all three locations of The Olde Creamery in North Central Iowa in Garner, Mason City and Clear Lake (the Clear Lake location is now closed but you can get The Olde Creamery ice cream at Charlie's Soda Fountain in Clear Lake).

Enjoying The Old Creamery Ice Cream at the Clear Lake, Iowa location

Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at Charlie's Soda Fountain in Clear Lake, Iowa

Week Two of our Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip brought us to Charlie's Soda Fountain in Downtown Clear Lake, Iowa. Take a step back in time as you enter Charlie's in the recently renovated Corner Drug Store.

North Central Iowa Freedom Rock Tour

Our family loves a good road trip and one of our family's traditions is to visit the different county Iowa Freedom Rocks across the state.  By the end of 2020, all 99 counties will have unique painted murals, showcasing local heroes and stories honoring area veterans painted by Iowa artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II.  Here is a look at all of the county Freedom Rocks located in North Central Iowa.

Getaway & Relax at the Red Cedar Lodge in Charles City, Iowa

*I received a complimentary Glamping Getaway from the Red Cedar Lodge to facilitate this review.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Looking for a place to getaway with your family or your friends?  Then look no further than the Red Cedar Lodge on the outside of Charles City, Iowa for a relaxing and peaceful glamping experience, open all year long.

Enchanted Acres Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt

Fall has arrived and the pumpkin patch season has begun at Enchanted Acres in rural Sheffield, Iowa.  Our family is a frequent visitor to the patch every year so we decided to create a Scavenger Hunt filled with our favorite attractions and activities, perfect for regulars like us and first-time guests.

Girls Night Out: Enchanted Acres

*I received complimentary activities to facilitate my review.  

All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Last weekend I visited Enchanted Acres, located west of Sheffield, Iowa, with the North Iowa Bloggers.  My family and I enjoyed exploring the pumpkin patch and painting pumpkins.  We have had fun going on a family visit every year since its opening in 2012.  In fact - here is a list of our family's 5 Favorite Things to do at Enchanted Acres.

At the end of the evening, while we were all hanging out on their hexagon fire pit swings, I asked Enchanted Acres owner, Shannon Latham, what she was most excited for this year at the pumpkin patch.  Without hesitation she said, Art Box Painting!  And that got me thinking about all of the fun activities Shannon plans for the patch's season, not only for families, but also some for adults only.

So grab some of your girlfriends and head out to the Big Red Barn at Enchanted Acres and have a Girls Night Out:

• Saturday, September 23rd at 2 p.m., Pumpkin Succulent Class, prices vary
• Sunday, October 1st at 1 p.m., String Art Class, $35
• Saturday, October 7th at 1 p.m., Farm to Table Cooking Workshop: Pumpkin Butter-stuffed French Toast and Pork Breakfast Sausage, $25
• Sunday, October 8th at 2 p.m., Art Box Painting Workshop, $45
• Saturday, October 14th at 2 p.m., Creative Spirits Painting Class, $35
• Sunday, October 22nd at 2 p.m., Farm to Table Workshop: Herbs and Butters, $25

If you can't make a class, you can still go with your friends to Enchanted Acres to get pumpkins, gourds, mums and to check out their gift shop with lot of fun decor items and food!  The pumpkin patch is open Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  General admission is $5 per person (children age 2 and under are free), and on Fridays the admission is waived.

So which class would you love to go to with friends?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Top Posts of 2016

When people ask me about what my blog is about, I say that it is a lifestyle blog.  I say that because I share about my farm, I share about my family, I share about living in North Iowa, I share about different causes and organizations, I share recipes, and then sometimes I just share.  I feel like my blog can't be just nailed down into one category, so I put it in the category of lifestyle because I'm truly sharing about my life!

And now that it is the end of 2016, it's a great time reflect on the past year.  I felt like I couldn't just give a simple "Top 10" list or something like that.  I wanted to share with you my top 3 posts from each "aspect" of my blog.  I hope you enjoy looking back over the last year, as much as I did putting this post together 😊

Top 3 Farm Posts

1. Harvest of Thanks to our Farm Family:  This post not only shared a recap on this fall's harvest, but it also introduced you to some members of our "farm family".  We wouldn't be able to accomplish everything on our farm without help, and in this post I introduce you to three of our helpers.  I also share that we are a finalist for the Iowa Young Farmer Achievement Award in this post and I'm excited to report that we won this award and now will be representing Iowa in the national contest next month!
2. Knee High by the 4th of July:  Every year we take a family photo next to one of our corn fields for our annual "Knee High by the 4th of July" photo.  This post is always a favorite of mine and obviously for my readers too.  Check out our "over head high" corn from this past 4th of July.
3. What it means to be a FarmHer:  This is a post I wrote this fall in response to a conversation I had in the grocery store.  I am proud to be a woman farmer and I'm working hard, along with others, to ensure that my daughters can be women in agriculture too.

Top 3 Family Posts

1. A Week's Worth of Blessings:  My top family post was the post I wrote after our youngest, Miss R was born.  This was obviously a highlight of our family's year, so it makes me smile that this post is the top family post of the year.
2. Back to School Farm Kid Style with Carhartt:  I had a lot of fun partnering with Carhartt this summer to share their new line of children's backpacks.  Mr. K loves his Carhartt backpack and had a lot of fun helping me write a review for this post and giveaway.
3. When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Farmer:  My next top family post also involves Mr. K.  In honor of National Ag Day this Spring, I interviewed him on why he wants to be a farmer when he grows up.  This post makes me smile so much.  It's a lot of fun to take a look through a 5 year old's eyes on what being a farmer means.

Top 3 North Iowa Posts

1. 5 Family Winter Fun Activities in North Iowa and Beyond:  It probably isn't a secret, but I actually love the winter time!  There are so many great activities my family enjoys going to during the winter in our home area that I wrote a post about our favorites, so hopefully more people would enjoy and embrace the fun that winter brings to North Iowa!
2. Farmers Market Quiche:  This post could have fallen under a couple of categories but I decided to include it in my top North Iowa posts because it shares about my local Franklin County Farmers Market.  I love going to our local Farmers Market as much as possible during the summer and in this post I also share a delicious quiche I made with some of the fresh produce I picked up.  I actually made this quiche just last week for Christmas Eve brunch and it was a hit with our extended family!
3. Oh, what I'll do for charity - Cupid's Undie Run:  This post recapped my first experience running in my underwear for the Cupid's Undie Run this past February in Mason City.  I must have had a lot of fun, or I'm crazy, because I'm signed up to do it again this February!

Top 3 Comments for a Cause Posts

1. What it means to be a "Blue Family":  This is a guest post that one of my younger sisters wrote as a support piece towards my Comments for a Cause efforts for Iowa C.O.P.S.  This post has come into play a couple times I'm afraid this past year.  I encourage you to take some time to read this post to better understand and have empathy to know what it means to be a police officer family.
2. Lullaby Lane:  Lullaby Lane was such a neat local project that raised money to create a prayer pathway and memorials for those who have had a miscarriage in North Iowa.  I'm proud to say this project was completed in time for its dedication in October of this year on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
3. Make Our Day:  Sometimes you never know how a simple email and conversation can lead you to getting to know someone new and wanting to share their story.  That is how I got to know Katie, founder of Make Our Day, and shared her story of moving to Thailand and eventually creating this organization.  You'll have to check out the post to get to full story. 😉

Top 3 Recipe Posts

1. Back to School Caramel Crispix Mix:  I literally hear from people each week that they have tried this recipe and now are addicted to it like my family and I.  This is a great snack to make for any gathering.  If you're having a kid-friendly New Year's get together (or even if it is adults only) you should make a batch!
2. 3 Ingredient Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet:  Everyone must have been looking for something simple and refreshing this summer because this 3 Ingredient Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet using AE Dairy's Reduced Sugar Lemonade fits that bill.  Even though strawberries aren't in season, I'm thinking maybe I should get some frozen strawberries and make this soon!
3. #AppleWeek 1 Minute Caramel Apple Dip:  I had a lot of fun participating in Apple Week with some of my blogging friends this past September and my 1 Minute Caramel Apple Dip is my favorite recipe I shared.  So simple, good, and obviously fast!

Top 3 Can't Fit in Another Category But Still Want to Highlight Posts

1. The Influence of Millennials on Food Trends:  This Winter I was interviewed for an article on the topic of millennials and their influence on food trends.  As both a millennial and farmer I found this topic very interesting.  In this blog post I shared some of my thoughts from the article and more, and I guess my readers found the topic interesting too since it was my top viewed "other" post from the year.
2. New Year Goal - Making a Daily Routine:  What a great post to revisit just a couple days til the start of 2017.  I have to admit, I went through waves of being really good at my daily routine and times of just flying through doing whatever needed to be done.  I always feel better myself when I can do my daily routine and I plan on concentrating on this again in the New Year.
3. 5 Gardening Tips for Beginners:  I think more and more people are interested in planting their own garden every year, but a lot of times they don't know where or how to start.  I put together several tips for beginners so hopefully their first garden won't overwhelm them and be successful at the same time.

What post was your favorite from 2016?  Did you discover any new posts from the top 2016 lists?  If you want to see more "top lists" recapping 2016, check out my #2016bestnine on Instagram or my Facebook page.  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

4 Reasons to Visit Franklin County, Iowa This Weekend

If I could sum up Franklin County, Iowa (my home) in three words I'd say welcoming, innovative and genuine.  Franklin County is a rural area in North Iowa with only 10,000 residents living within its borders and one working stop light ;) but we don't let our small stature get in our way of being inventive and bringing in people to experience our slice of heaven on Earth (Cue Field of Dreams - Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa.).  I'm proud to call this spot in North Iowa my home and this weekend is one of the many reasons why it is such a great place.

Reason #1 - Main Street Hampton Restaurant Crawl, Thursday, Sepetember 22nd

Looking for a fun Thursday night out?  For just $10 you can dine at four restaurants in Downtown Hampton!  A first of its kind event for Franklin County, this Restaurant Crawl runs from 5 to 7pm and includes stops at:

• La Frontera - Appetizer/Nachos and Dessert/Pear Tart
• Breadeaux Pizza - two Salad options
• Willies Sports Bar - Brisket and Tenderloin Sliders
• Rustic Brew - Roast Pork Loin topped with Cooked Apples with a side of Fingerling Potatoes and Carrots

You can start at any restaurant and eat in any order.  Tickets are required for this event; contact Dawn Collins at mainstreet@hamptoniowa.org or stop in at the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce/Center One.  This event supports local food producers, downtown restaurants, Hampton-Dumont Bulldog Cafe students and Hampton-Dumont music students.  Students involved with the Bulldog Cafe have helped test the recipes that will be featured Thursday night.  They will also be the servers at each of the restaurants.  Music at each restaurant will be provided by the school music students and local musicians.

Reason #2 - The Geneva Market, Friday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 24th

Does anyone else love the "Only in Your State" lists?  Well, I sure do and I am proud to say that Franklin County's, The Geneva Market, made the 6 Must-Visit Flea Markets in Iowa Where You'll Find Awesome Stuff list.  

The best parts of this fun, antique, vintage, upcycled market is that it happens in both the spring and the fall (the fall market happening this weekend) and the money raised through booth rentals and the $3 admission fee goes to the Geneva Betterment Committee.  The Committee is currently working on repairing the Geneva School Auditorium, where they plan to host future markets, as well as wedding receptions, family reunions, etc. after renovations are complete.

The Geneva Market is located at Mayne's Grove (west of Geneva and south of Hampton) and will take place on Friday, September 23rd from 10am to 7pm and Saturday, September 24th from 9am to 5pm.  Be sure to check out their Facebook page to get a look at some of the up to 100 vendors that will be there this weekend.  I have always come home with something fun from The Geneva Market.  This spring I bought two, neat, metal art flowers for my yard.  I bet this weekend there will lots of exclusive buys for your home, especially fall decor.

Reason #3 - Make-A-Wish Fall Ball at Enchanted Acres, Saturday, September 24th

Now this third reason is very near to my heart.  For the second year, Enchanted Acres, located outside of Sheffield, is hosting a Fall Ball for Make-A-Wish Iowa from 9am to 5pm.  A $5 per person gate fee will be donated directly to the Make-A-Wish North Iowa Committee, that will go towards helping wish families.

Besides supporting wish kids, you also get to have lots of fun!  Everyone is encouraged to dress up as your favorite character for the all day costume party.  Special attractions exclusive for Saturday include inflatables for the kids to play on, face painting from 9am to 1pm and Dragonfire Dancing Horses performances at 11am and 1:30pm.  To learn more about all of the activities, check out the Facebook event.

Enchanted Acres is a favorite fall destination for my family and I.  There are a lot of fun opportunities, while still having that close-knit, comfortable feeling.  Thank you to Enchanted Acres for hosting this event for the second year in a row!

***September 23rd Update - Due to the rain and flooding at Enchanted Acres, Saturday's Fall Ball is being postponned to Saturday, October 29th.  Sunday's Farm Crawl is still going on as planned.***

Reason #4 - Fresh on the Farm at Enchanted Acres, TownsEnd Winery and Carlson Tree Farm, Sunday, September 25th

The final reason to visit Franklin County is happening this Sunday.  The Fresh on the Farm, Farm Crawl has been happening the last few years and looks to be another great way to enjoy a beautiful, fall day this weekend.

The Farm Crawl provides the public a fun, interactive opportunity to get to know some local producers and to taste the flavors of fall.  At each farm there will be tours, food samples, and products to buy from Noon to 5pm.  You can start wherever you want, but you'll want to make sure to visit all of the sites.  This year's farms are Enchanted Acres, TownsEnd Winery in Hansell and Carlson Tree Farm in rural Hampton/Coulter.

So what's stopping you?  Be sure to visit my home this weekend for some great fall fun.  What event are you really interested in?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Get Inspired at Natural Plus Nursery + GIVEAWAY

This past Saturday a group of the North Iowa Bloggers, the kids and I got a special pre-Open House tour of Natural Plus Nursery of Clear Lake.  Natural Plus is the perfect place to get inspired for all of your landscaping, tree and windbreak needs!

The North Iowa Bloggers at Natural Plus
Katy of Learning As I Go, Quincey of
A Slightly Better Wife, JP and Me,
Sara of All in an Iowa Mom's Day! and
Mary of Natural Plus Nursery
(Photo used with permission from Katy Flint)

Mary Hopper of Natural Plus Nursery
with their dog Lena

Natural Plus Nursery got its start in 1978 by Dave and Linda Hopper after they left their jobs in Des Moines to start their dream of operating a nursery and landscaping business.  Their love of the business was passed down to their son Dave and daughter-in-law Mary, as they took over ownership of the business in 2013.  While things may have changed slightly through the business succession, the business's tradition of quality products and quality service remain the same.

Natural Plus carries a wide variety (over 400 to be exact) of trees, shrubs, perennials, pond plants, and more.  If you visit their nursery, located at 10075 263rd St on the east side of Clear Lake, south of Furleigh Farms, you'll be able to explore their large inventory of plants perfectly fit for North Iowa.  Their knowledge of each variety is great for helping you with your landscaping and windbreak needs.  I should know, they are actually putting in the first phase of a windbreak on our farm this week and are working on a landscape plan for our acreage.

The kids and I took a selfie by the Rhododendron flowers
during the scavenger hunt we took on Saturday
Follow me on Instagram (@PlaggeVal) to see more of our daily adventures 

I recommend you check out Natural Plus to get inspired for any of your landscaping needs.  With their large variety of plants, landscaping supplies, decoratives and metal art, I'm sure you'll find something that will be a perfect fit for your home.  And this coming weekend will be the perfect time to check them out!  Natural Plus Nursery will be having their Spring Open House Sale this Saturday, April 30th through next Saturday, May 7th from 8am to 4pm.  Everything will be on sale - one item 20% off and additional items 10% off!  

And wouldn't it be awesome to have some extra spending cash for your visit?  Dave and Mary are graciously giving away a $100 gift certificate to Natural Plus Nursery to one of the North Iowa Blogger readers, just in time for the Spring Open House.  Be sure to sign up below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What would you love to purchase for your home?  What are your plans for your yard this spring?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause!

5 Family Winter Fun Activities in North Iowa and Beyond

The last couple of weeks have kept most North Iowans at home due to snow, wind and below zero temperatures.  But this weekend looks to be changing the pace and is going to be a great chance to get out of the house.  Here are a few things that my family suggests you enjoy!

Support Make-A-Wish at Battle of the Badges

Every winter our family loves going to at least a hockey game or two, and one we always make a trip for is the annual Battle of the Badges that raises money for Make-A-Wish in North Iowa.  This is a friendly, charity hockey game that puts North Iowa police officers against North Iowa fire fighters.  It is a lot of fun to watch, and our favorite part is when they have North Iowa Wish Kids come out for the first puck drop.  This year's Battle of the Badges is tomorrow night, Friday, February 19th at 7pm at the North Iowa Ice Arena in Mason City.  There is a $5 admission for the game that is donated to Make-A-Wish.

Members of the Fire and Police Hockey Teams for the Battle of the Badges

Fly Away at the Color the Wind Kite Festival

Our family thinks kites are cool no matter the time of the year, but going to the Color the Wind Kite Festival on Clear Lake is really cool. Professional kite flyers from across the country come out to Clear Lake to fly their giant kites!  It is so much fun to see the huge variety of kites and see a kite dance show.  This year's Color the Wind Kite Festival is this Saturday, February 20th from 11am to 4pm on Clear Lake along the Downtown Seawall.  This is a free event.

The huge variety of kites at the Color the Wind Kite Festival

Go Roller Skating

I will always remember roller skating in PE at school growing up and have to admit, up until last year I hadn't laced up since I was a teenager.  To my surprise, my roller skating skills came back to me pretty easily.  Our family loves going to Roller City in Mason City each year for the Make-A-Wish Skating Party.  This is a great chance to practice your moves, play some classic roller skating games, and support local wish families.  The party is this Sunday, February 21st from 1 to 4pm at Roller City in Mason City.  There is a $5 admission that includes your skate rental.  $3 of each admission will be a direct donation to Make-A-Wish.

There are a lot of talented limbo skaters at Roller City

Eat Local Delicacies

We love going to different local town's food festival and events every year and this winter includes some of our favorites!

Last night we traveled down to Conrad, Iowa for their American Legion's Lamb Nut Fry.  It takes places the third Wednesday of every month with a "R" in it.  It starts at 5pm; adults are $20, which includes all the nuts, fries and salad you can eat.  Come early and hungry though, because a few hundred people show up to each Nut Fry.  The money from each Nut Fry support local scholarships.

We are looking forward to St. John's Annual Aebelskiver Dinner on Sunday, March 6th in rural Hampton, Iowa.  Aebelskivers are delicious Danish "pancake puffs".  They serve the aebelskivers with sausage and all the fixings!

Lastly, the Annual Coulter, Iowa Fish Fry is a must!  This year's Fish Fry is Thursday, March 31st at the Coulter Community Center.  This Fish Fry has been going on since the 1950's and not too much has changed since the original, including their delicious fish batter recipe and secret tarter sauce.  The Fish Fry raises money for different community projects.

Some Aebelskivers cooking on the stove top

Explore the Ice Castles

This is where the "and beyond" comes into play...  I couldn't make a Winter Family Fun list without including our family's annual tradition of going up to Eden Prairie, Minnesota to check out the Ice Castles.  The Ice Castles are built by placing icicles by hand and running water.  In the "growing phase" they make 10,000 icicles each day.  The end product is amazing and a great place for kids, and adults, to let their imaginations run wild.  Our favorite parts of the Ice Castles this year was the giant slide and maze area.  Our tip is to wear snow pants and plenty of layers so you can fully enjoy everything the Ice Castles have to offer!

LP and MP choosing what "door" to go through in the Maze at the Ice Castles

So why wait?  Get out and explore this winter with your family!  What is your family's favorite winter time activity?  What would you add to the list?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Girls Night Out: Christmas Edition

* I received a discounted rate to facilitate my review.  

All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Between spending most of my time with people ages 4 and under, getting ready for taxes, and making sure I'm keeping up on my holiday check list, I was in desperate need for a Girls Night Out!  Luckily for me, the North Iowa Bloggers had a fun night planned this week at the Carlson Tree Farm in rural Coulter, Iowa, which is only 6 miles away from my house.

The North Iowa Bloggers at the Carlson Tree Farm
Mary of Natural Plus Nursery, Katy of Learning As I Go, myself,
Donna of DonnaHup.com and Alicia of The Pork Diaries

For the second year in a row with the North Iowa Bloggers, and third year in a row for me, I made a wreath as part of the Carlson Tree Farm's weekly Wreath Workshops.  The Wreath Workshops begin in mid-November and wrap up in mid-December.  They announce the workshop times and dates in the fall on their Facebook page and this year all the spots were filled in literally just hours!  From an idea that started five years ago as a fun thing for Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm's Moms Group to do, to having 250 people participate this year, I'd say the Wreath Workshops are a success!

Wreath in Progress

And why wouldn't they be?  In an hour and a half you go from a wire wreath frame, to picking out your favorite combination of evergreen branches to clamp down on the frame, to picking out your favorite ribbon, cones, berries, ornaments, etc. to make the wreath personalized to you and your home.  The atmosphere is casual, fun, and dare I be corny by saying merry!  Cathy and Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm are great leaders in both stages of making the wreath and want to see you succeed and have a good time.

Me and my wreath!

And I have to give a special thank you to Michelle of Carlson Tree Farm.  The North Iowa Bloggers have changed a lot in the last year.  There were a few of us that participated both last year and this year in the Wreath Workshop, but we were without some great members from last year - Beth Ann and Jeni who both moved to North Carolina and St. Louis respectively, and Amy who passed away in a car accident.  Amy left an impression on Michelle, as she did with so many people, so she made a wreath for this year's group to decorate that was then donated and given to Amy's parents.  This meant so much to all of the North Iowa Bloggers and Amy's parents.  We had fun decorating the wreath with "Amy's style" and reminiscing about our dear friend.

The North Iowa Bloggers with Amy's Wreath

So thanks to the North Iowa Bloggers and Carlson Tree Farm for helping me have a great time at a much needed Girls Night Out.  Have you ever made a wreath before?  What is your favorite "Christmas" Girls Night Out activity?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Comments for a Cause - North Iowa Christmas Cheer Fund

Thank you to everyone checking in on me about what my new cause for the month of December is!  I apologize for just now getting my new Comments for a Cause post published.  But have no fear, just as if it was December 1st, I will start counting this month's donations at the beginning of the month.  Now before I get into the details of December's Comments for a Cause, let's talk November's No Kid Hungry Campaign donation.  In the month of November I had 46 comments equaling a $23 donation.  Thank you to everyone for their comments and support!

In the month of December, I will be donating $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to the North Iowa Christmas Cheer Fund.

The North Iowa Christmas Cheer Fund is a special program established by North Iowa's regional newspaper, the Globe Gazette in Mason City, Iowa.  In 1927, Globe Gazette Publisher Lee Loomis set out to collect donations from people across the area so that every child in North Iowa could have a present on Christmas morning.  Through the years, the Cheer Fund has come to help bring Christmas Cheer to people of all ages in the form of gifts, to food, to Christmas trees, and more.

Cash donations are collected and then every penny received is returned in the form of gift cards to applicants in need of help this time of year.  This year's goal is $125,000.  Please help me help the Cheer Fund reach that goal by commenting on any and all posts this month.  If you would personally like to help as well, donations may be dropped off or mailed to the Globe Gazette Christmas Cheer Fund, Box 271, Mason City, IA 50402.  People can apply for help from the Cheer Fund by filling and dropping off applications at the Globe Gazette, located at 300 N Washington Ave in Mason City during weekday hours.

What help makes your home feel like Christmas?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip at North Iowa Drive-Ins

As June Dairy Month comes to an end, I thought I'd better share about my family's last two stops of our 2nd Annual Iowa Ice Cream Road Trip.  The final stops are similar in many ways.  They are both located in North Iowa where we live.  They are both "drive ins".  They are both open only seasonly during the summer.  And they both serve soft serve ice cream.  They are the Viking Drive-Inn in Ventura and Stan's Drive-In in Osage.

The Viking Drive-Inn is located in the town of Ventura, which is located on the west side of Clear Lake.  Did you know there are more than one town that Clear Lake goes through?  We finally visited this local ice cream shop for the first time earlier this month and it lived up to its popular status.  When arriving we had to park down the road and then once the kids and I got to the front door, we could barely open it up to get in, to order.  Like I said, the place is very popular and on a nice, Saturday afternoon, the place was packed.  Inside is room for six people to sit up at the bar, but there is lots of seating outside, where there are several picnic tables to sit at.

The small Black Raspberry cup offered
BIG flavor and a BIG serving

I made ordering simple by asking what their most popular flavor was.  The gal who assisted me said, "Black Raspberry".  So that is what I got, a single Black Raspberry for myself and classic chocolate cones for the kids.  I liked the Black Raspberry ice cream's unique and rich flavor.  The kids' chocolate cones also had a nice, smooth chocolate soft serve flavor.  I ordered small portions for everyone, but the sizes were anything but small.  I'm not complaining, I love ice cream, but just so you know, their servings lean to the large side of the scale ;)

If you are biking or driving around Clear Lake be sure to stop by this little ice cream shop.  They also have a classic drive-inn food menu too if you're hungry for more than ice cream.

MP and LP enjoying chocolate ice cream cones

Stan's Drive-In in Osage is also another popular ice cream stop in North Iowa.  This is a fun place to eat and have ice cream with your family with a little bit of nostalgia.  I mean, how many drive-ins can you drive to today where you can have a car hop come to your car, take your order and deliver it to you in minutes?  The first thing that really impressed me about Stan's was the speed of service.  The place was packed of cars under the drive-in awning and back by the picnic table sitting area.  No matter where you were, the two car hops got to everyone fast and friendly.

Just like at our other ice cream destinations this summer, I asked the car hop what their most popular items were.  She told me the chicken breast filet sandwich with their special sauce and their arctic delights (think DQ's blizzards).  So that is what I went with.  My chocolate cookie dough arctic delight was exactly what I was looking for.  The soft serve ice cream was thick, rich and smooth.

Have you been to either of these popular drive-ins in North Iowa?  What's your favorite flavor of soft serve ice cream you've ever had?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!  Also be sure to check out our other destinations this month to Snookies Malt Shop and Heyn's Ice Cream.

2015 Family Summer Bucket List

Each Summer one of my favorite things to do with and for my family is create a Summer Bucket List.  We have had a lot of fun the last couple of years (2014, 2013) making memories (some of which have even become traditions) crossing items off our Summer Bucket Lists.  I'm sure this year will be no different!  Something a little different for this year's list, it is all centered on things to do where we live in North Iowa.  It is always fun discovering your backyard!

1. Have a family date night by going mini golfing, golfing, swimming or roller skating.  Instead of just going out to eat, we're vowing to doing a little entertainment too.  We have enjoyed going mini-golfing at North Iowa Golf in Mason City; it is a fun course and an easy activity to do with all ages.  We also are planning on golfing more this summer at our local Latimer Golf Course; this is a nice 9-hole golf course and the kids always like getting cheese balls and a juice box from the Bunker (aka the club house) while we golf.  We also want to go swimming as a family some evening at the Hampton Aquatic Center, which has fun water slides for all ages and has a zero entry side of the pool which is great for little ones.  Lastly, we're looking forward to improving our roller skating skills at Roller City in Mason City sometime this summer.  We went once this winter and I was pleasantly surprised how, dare I say easy, my roller skating feet came back to me after probably a 15 year hiatus.  Plus there are always veteran skaters there willing to help young (and old) get going on their skates.  Ron, who is 75, most likely will be there.  He is a great helper and is fun to watch skate himself!
2. Have you ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt?  Well, you should try Letterboxing.  Letterboxing is similar to geocaching, except you follow directions or clues to find a Letterbox (usually a small waterproof container) that has a rubber stamp, and sometimes more clues, in it.  We heard about this family fun activity last month and found our first letterbox yesterday.  The kids had a lot of fun!  To get started, check out the AtlasQuest or Letterboxing North America websites to see if there are any hidden letterboxes in your area.  We're looking forward to finding letterboxes all summer long around North Iowa and starting a letterbox journal, so we can document all of our finds.
3. Summer wouldn't be complete without going on a picnic.  One of our favorite Picnic spots in North Iowa is City Beach in Clear Lake.  We usually bring something from home or pick up some sandwiches from Starboard Market, and pick out a picnic table right next to the shoreline.  We then love cooling off at the Splash Pad at City Beach, and if you stay long enough, the ice cream truck will come by and you can get dessert!
4. Our family loves being outside, so we look forward to going on nature walks this summer.  Central Gardens in Clear Lake or Beeds Lake in Hampton are great spots to take some photos, make some rubbings or play "I spy" with your family.
5. My Farmer and I use to go camping a lot, but I have to admit, since we've had kids we haven't went camping beyond in a tent in our backyard.  But this summer we are planning on going camping at Beeds Lake or Clear Lake!  It should be a lot of fun!
6. I love to cook for my family and I love to use seasonal produce.  (Right now we've been eating a lot of asparagus and I'm working on getting some morel mushrooms...)  Anyways, I love supporting my local community and we're planning on checking out our area Farmer's Markets.  North Iowa is home to several including Franklin County, Clear Lake and North Iowa in Mason City.
7. Last year LP participated in Rock 'n' Tots at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake and this year we're planning on going again and having MP join in on the fun!  Rock 'n' Tots is a fun musical program where kids ages 5 and under dance, play instruments and make instruments.  It is every Monday at 9:30 a.m. from June 8 to July 20.  You can come for just a class or two, or you can come for the whole session.
8. We are looking forward to celebrating June Dairy Month again this summer by continuing our Iowa Ice Cream Trip.  One stop has to be at a North Iowa ice cream place!  Last year we went to Birdsall in Mason City.  This year we're thinking Stan's Drive-In in Osage or the Viking Drive-In in Ventura, or maybe we should go on a Drive-In tour and include going to the Barrel Drive-In in Clear Lake...  
9. There are a lot of great festivals and events all summer long in North Iowa.  This year we are planning on going to Cannonball Day on June 27 in Mason City.  We have never been to this family fun event that is centered on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad steam locomotive #457 in East Park.  Both LP and MP love trains, so this is the perfect summer celebration to check out!
10. Last on our North Iowa Summer Bucket List is attending the Franklin County Fair, July 15-19.  Yes, this is our home county fair, but it really is the best in the area.  There is free parking and admission, plus a lot of fun and free games, activities and shows.  And each evening there is great grandstand entertainment.  This year's lineup includes Hairball, Montgomery Gentry, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, PRCA rodeo and Cruiser Car/Go Cart/4 Wheeler Races.  Plus, you have to end your day with some homemade ice cream from Pleasant Hill.

What is on your Summer Bucket List?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

#PizzaTasteOff2015 - Who has the best pizza in North Iowa?

It's Friday!  Which means it is pizza night at our house, but I celebrated early with the North Iowa Bloggers on Wednesday night by participating in the #PizzaTasteOff2015.  So what is/was the #PizzaTasteOff2015 you might ask?  Well, it all started a few weeks ago when one our North Iowa Bloggers, Beth Ann, admitted that she had never had Casey's breakfast pizza on Twitter.  Now, if you are from Iowa or the Midwest you might be wondering how could anyone living in Iowa never had Casey's breakfast pizza - afterall Mila Kunis even mentioned that it was her favorite "junk" food earlier this year.  Well, Mila or Casey's weren't the first to respond to Beth Ann's tweet, instead it was Kum & Go, Casey's competitor, and they said she needed to try Kum & Go's instead.  So after some tweeting back and forth as a group with Kum & Go, Casey's and even Godfather's in Mason City, before we knew it we had several donated pizzas to determine who the true pizza king was in North Iowa, henceforth becoming the #PizzaTasteOff2015.

There were nine pizzas that were apart of the #PizzaTasteOff2015 on Wednesday:  Casey's Cheese, Casey's Hamburger, Kum & Go Taco, Kum & Go Sausage, Mushroom, Onion and Black Olive, Kum & Go Breakfast, Godfather's Chicken Bacon Ranch, Godfather's Combo, Pasta Bella Italian Restaurant's Margherita, and Udi's Gluten-Free Margherita.  (A special thank you to Casey's, Kum & Go and Godfather's for donating all of their pizzas.)  Now, to start off, I will have a full disclaimer, I didn't try every pizza.  I am not a fan of olives and saw no point in having a slice of cheese.  But I did try six of the pizzas.  I asked my Twitter followers what criteria I should judge the pizzas on and they suggested sauce, flavor combination, crust, proper ingredient ratio, general appearance and overall experience - so I took all of those into suggestion as a pizza critic for the night.  And I must have had a similar experience as everyone else because my top three pizzas were the top three voted pizzas from the group.

First place (and my first choice) went to a local Italian restaurant, Pasta Bella, with their Marherita Pizza.  This pizza had great flavor and I loved the seasoning and tang of the sauce.  I felt like it was the most "authentic" pizza in the taste test.  Whenever I've been to Pasta Bella I've always gotten a pasta dish but I'm going to have to check out their pizza menu next time!

Photo from Beth Ann Chiles of It's Just Life

Second place (and my third choice) went to Kum & Go with their Breakfast Pizza.  Now, I will admit, being a fan of Casey's Breakfast Pizza, I had some doubt on how Kum & Go's could ever stand up to the classic Casey's version, but it was good!  With its nice, thick and fluffy crust, paired with a good surprise of string hashbrowns as one of the toppings, it was a very filling pizza.  Another reason I loved Kum & Go's pizza was because of the service we received from both corporate and our local station.  They all went out of their way to make the North Iowa Bloggers experience a positive one.

Third place (and my second choice) went to Godfather's of Mason City with their Chicken Bacon Ranch.  This was another filling pizza as it had a thick crust and was loaded with toppings.  I also loved that there was a lot of cheese on this pizza, because who doesn't love a nice helping of cheese on their pizza, right?  One of the North Iowa Bloggers, Loni, was very passionate about Godfather's you could say...  Check out this video to fully understand.




In the end, we had a lot of great food, great conversations and a lot of fun.  And we think we'll need a second installment of the North Iowa Bloggers #PizzaTasteOff2015 because we've already heard from the local Pizza Ranch and Little Chicago that they need to be in the next challenge.  So what is your favorite pizza place?  Who do you think should be apart of our next #PizzaTasteOff2015?  What do you look for in a good pizza?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Also, be sure to check out these other reviews from the #PizzaTasteOff2015:

• #PizzaTasteOff2015....in PANTS?!
• #NorthIowaBloggers + #PizzaTasteOff2015 = Epic
• The Great #PizzaTasteOff2015

Comments for a Cause - Battle of the Badges

Happy New Year!  It is not only a new month of Comments for a Cause, but it is a new year of my Comments for a Cause program!  I will admit, it takes a lot of work to put this together every month and I considered making it a year-only program, but the people, organizations and causes that I have gotten to know through this program made me want to continue for another year.  So, if you have ideas for future Comments for a Cause causes, please contact me!  I love it when readers have reached out to me with ideas!

In the month of December I loved hearing stories of families and students that have participated in Dance Marathon!  Thank you for the 94 comments last month, resulting in a donation of $47 to Dance Marathon and the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.  I hope all of those participating in the Iowa State University's Dance Marathon on January 23rd & January 24th have a fun and successful event, especially Courtney and the Graber family.

In the month of January I am excited to help a local event that will be celebrating it's fifth year, Battle of the Badges, that supports Make-A-Wish Iowa, by donating $0.50 for every comment during the month.

North Iowa Fire and Police participating in the Battle of the Badges

Battle of the Badges is a friendly hockey game that puts firefighters from across North Iowa against law enforcement from North Iowa, all in an effort to raise money and awareness for Make-A-Wish Iowa.  This year's game will be held on Saturday, January 17th at 7pm at the North Iowa Ice Arena in Mason City.  Admission is $5 and 100% will go to Make-A-Wish!

Wish Kid Puck Drop

Make-A-Wish is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart and I am proud to be a volunteer and wish granter for the last seven years.  One of my favorite Wish events over the last few years has been the Battle of the Badges.  This is a fun event that brings many Wish families from across North Iowa together and who doesn't like to watch hockey!  The firefighters and law enforcement make this event so special for the Wish families in attendance.  They get to sit in a special seating section, get a personal meet and greet with the hockey players before the game and get to go out on the ice before the game for the official puck drop.  I know the Wish families look forward to this event every year to not only have fun, but have a time for fellowship.

Wish families in their private, special seating section

Since this year is the fifth year of the Battle of the Badges, the firefighters and the law enforcement have made a goal to raise $50,000!  You can help with that goal by buying your ticket today from the Mason City Police Department or Fire Department, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office, Coffee Cat or Matt Dodge American Family Insurance, or at the door the day of the event.  You can also talk to any of the firefighters or law enforcement participating in the event about being a sponsor.  And of course, you can comment on any of my blog posts all month long to help with this event's efforts.  So be sure to Comment for a Cause!