What to do in Boise on the weekends:
This weekend may have been one of my most favorite in a long long time. We have been debating going on a road trip to somewhere nearby but haven’t been able to finalize the destination yet, so instead we decided to act a little like tourists in our own city and explore a few spots where we haven’t taken H to yet and it was a blast!
Camel’s Back Park in Boise, ID:
On Saturday we hiked around one of my favorite spots that has some of the most beautiful views of our city from above. The hike is definitely a little different while wearing an almost 28 pound toddler, especially in the summer heat, but it was so worth it once we got to the top!
At the end of the hike we let H run around the park and field – his true happy place. The kid is such a goober, he cracks me up constantly with all of his silly habits. We skipped his afternoon nap to go hiking, so he was super tired but was fighting it hard. He would run around for a little while in circles, look at us and say ‘Ny Ny’ and then throw his body back in a ‘trust fall’-ish way onto his back in the grass and then lay there totally comatose for a few seconds before popping up and running around again.
We were all pretty pooped after a few hours and it was way past the point where either of us felt like making dinner so we picked up some sandwiches from the Co-Op (P.S. the Boise Co-Op’s sandwiches are bombdotcom – my favorite is the house made pulled pork YUM) and headed home to have a little picnic in our backyard before putting H to bed.
Local eats in Boise, Idaho:
We are really trying to be better about shopping locally, especially for produce, so Sunday we went to an indoor farmers market that unfortunately kind of ended up being a bust.
It turns out the food part of the market is actually more on Saturday and Sundays are more for the flea market portion so while we didn’t end up getting anything we had set out to get, it’s always fun walking around and checking out antiques and crafts.
Boise International Market
I had been to Boise’s International Market a few months ago with my mom right before their Grand Opening, but there weren’t many entrepreneurs set up yet so I suggested we head over to grab some lunch. If you live in the Boise area – run, don’t walk, now. The smells that greet you right when you open the front doors are heavenly and the cultural foods are delicious. We missed Saturday’s performances on the central stage, but there are still several beautiful ‘booths’ to explore and so many options for lunch or dinner. I highly recommend The Goodness Land’s chicken schwarma – the Hubs, H and I couldn’t eat it fast enough, and they have the most beautiful seating area to sit and relax and enjoy your meal. Salam, the owner, is incredibly nice and came over while we were trying to wrangle H into sitting with us just to tell us to not worry about H and just enjoy our food and to let him run free – it was so sweet!
After lunch we wove in and out of the other businesses to check out different ethnic grocery options and discovered the sweetest family at Loba African Fashion and Fresh Produce. Their organic produce is actually grown by them locally and is really affordable so we picked up some beautiful looking African squash (any recommendations on how to cook it before I hit up Pinterest and Google?) and Kale for meals this week. My favorite part, though, might be the brightly colored fabrics that are all authentically imported from Africa. After looking through all the glorious options, we ended up taking six yards home with us for a super special semi-secret project the Hubs and I are working on.
We’re usually so lackadaisical on Hubby’s days off, but this past weekend has kind of lit a fire under us to get out more to see what our town has to offer. The Hubs and I are already scouting out next weekend’s hike and scouring local places to explore next!
Here are some of our weekend must-haves:
Stroller // Nursing + Pumping Bra // Cup // Sunglasses // Snack Cup // Sunscreen // Carrier
BeliBea Nourish breastfeeding and pumping bra:
The BeliBea Nourish nursing and pumping bra is currently my favorite nursing bra. It is super lightweight and breathable for the hot summer days and makes hands-free breastfeeding in the LILLEbaby super easy. The fabric is soft and comfortable enough for sleep, but also supportive enough for hiking and jaunts around town. The best part about it though? There is an awesomesauce dual-panel design so I can unclip both to nurse or just unclip the top one and use the interior panel to hold my pump in place so I can have my hands free and I don’t have to worry about dealing with a secondary ‘pumping bra’!
Quinny Yezz Stroller:
Our Quinny Yezz Stroller is H’s new BFF for those times when baby wearing just isn’t in the cards. We seriously have only used the Britax stroller that came with the travel set a few times, and primarily only when H was actually small enough to fit into the infant seat because he has always started crying as soon as we strap him in. He HATED being pushed around in the stroller, no matter what we tried – so we gave up. It was fine because I have always worn him around in some type of carrier, but as he gets older and heavier it’s nice to get a break every once in a while.
The Yezz has to be coated in miracle unicorn and rainbow juju – because H seriously lights up every time we pull it out of the trunk. There have actually been mornings where he will grab it from next to the door and push it into the middle of the living room so he can climb into it just to hang out and sit in his seat – while indoors. He also thinks taking his Owl or Moose for walks in it is just about the most fun thing ever and it’s so stinkin’ cute!
Setup out of the box is so easy and folding it up takes seconds and I don’t have to wrestle or break a sweat to get it to break down. It’s so lightweight I can carry it over my shoulder while I’m wearing H in the front with no troubles. I’ve raved about this stroller before (here) and definitely recommend this Quinny brand stroller to anyone and everyone who will listen.
AllSeasons Lillebaby Carrier:
I can’t stand the ‘hiking backpacks’ because they’re way too heavy and hurt my back, but this AllSeasons LILLEbaby is so comfortable. When it’s this hot out, I definitely prefer my All Seasons to the Original Complete. It’s more breathable so we don’t end up two sweaty messes, and I don’t miss the bigger pocket on the front because the Hubs will wear a small backpack for water and snacks. I typically wear H on my front for the first while that we’re out and about so he can nurse and then switch him over to my back for the last part so he can look around a little more and so my center of gravity isn’t in front of me while I’m walking down an incline!
How was your weekend? Have you ever played ‘tourist’ in your own town?
Lydia Birtwistle-Sawyer says
Looks like so much fun- glad to read about the essentials as well. Very useful for future trips. Sarah x
Aishwarya Shenolikar says
Great post. I loved those cool t-shirts, again. Amazing pictures. 🙂
Cynthia says
Beautiful pictures!
Emilie Talks says
Your little one is so cute! And I love your style!
Melody Pittman says
Sweet. So nice to see a young couple enjoying the outdoors and local entertainment with their toddler. 😉
Maureen @ Organically Mo says
What beautiful pictures! Sometimes it's nice to just stay in town and explore!
Vanessa says
I love seeing those little weekend recaps. They almost always celebrate the good moments in life and so they bring a smile to my face.
Clare Speer says
Really sweet post and LOVE LOVE the family pics!!!! Looks like you had some fun hiking!
Rebecka says
Might have to check out the baby carrier you like, mine doesn't have enough support so after 20 minutes my back starts to hurt.
MAPLELEOPARD says
Lovely post, cute little one! The orange shirt is just so darling! Thanks for sharing!
Valerie
Jane H says
What a fun day! It's always great when you can explore your own backyard. Enjoyed the photos!
Chari says
Such a beautiful family! I love the pictures!
sara says
We had a nice weekend at the family cottage. When it got unbearably hot we ventured to the new outlet malls to cool down and did some shopping and baby wearing. I love our local market and I am definitely going to try to explore our own town more 🙂
Shannon Hall says
Looks so fun! The view from that hike looks gorgeous and I love that H would lay down to rest and then keep going, haha. What a cutie.
Donna M says
Oh this sounds like the perfect weekend – I LOVE hiking and I LOVE farmers markets even more – sorry that yours was a bust, but it sounds like you made up for it with the international market! H looked like he had a great wee time 🙂
Courtney LeFan says
Sounds like a lot of fun! I love being a tourist in my little hometown. And I really love his bright orange shirt!
Natalie A says
The view from your hike is amazing!
Hodge Podge Moments says
Looks like such a fun time! I love the view from your hike! And your Back to Yer Roots shirt – where'd you get it?
Ashley S says
I love being a tourist! It will be fun once we have kids to re-explore our town.
lane says
This looks like such a beautiful place to live and explore!