

Central West End (St. Louis)
This week my oldest daughter is on a mission trip, so my little one wanted an adventure with mommy! While I love visiting one of St. Louis’s many awesome attractions, I felt like exploring a neighborhood with my audacious little girl. Since I adore Jeni’s Ice Cream (I rated it as my fave in my St. Louis ice cream post), we decided to check … Continue reading Central West End (St. Louis)

Hiking Creve Coeur Lake
Recently the St. Louis heat fell to an unseasonable high of 70 degrees. I shoved my kids in the car and headed for my favorite nearby hiking spot: Creve Coeur Lake! Creve Coeur Lake has several trails, but the one that circles the lake is my favorite. Something about being near the water and watching gentle waves lap a beach, is just good for the … Continue reading Hiking Creve Coeur Lake

St. Louis History Tour (See STL Walking Tours)
So some time back I raved about Renegade Tours as part of my Couples Weekend post. If you clicked on their site, you might notice some changes! They have partnered with the Missouri History Museum to become See STL Walking Tours. This means easier booking, and you’re more likely to have others with you on the tour, bringing down the cost. Recently, my awesome husband … Continue reading St. Louis History Tour (See STL Walking Tours)

Juneteenth, Cathy’s Kitchen, and Cupcake Fetish
Juneteenth is an official holiday! Our house wasn’t that aware of the holiday until Blackish made a fantastic episode about this celebration of the end of slavery. We were very inspired and I am thrilled to see it recognized nationally. We decided the best way we could celebrate would be traditional red drinks (symbolizing perseverance and the blood of the African Americans who suffered) and … Continue reading Juneteenth, Cathy’s Kitchen, and Cupcake Fetish

Pere Marquette State Park
Growing up, going for a nature hike often meant a visit to Grafton, Illinois to walk the trails of Pere Marquette. I always felt so proud of myself for climbing the bluffs that characterize the Grafton area and later felt regret when as a day camp counselor I dragged a dozen 5-12 year olds on four miles of mostly uphill climbing… Anyway, now my … Continue reading Pere Marquette State Park

Missouri Botanical Gardens
I’ll admit when I first heard of the Botanical Gardens, I pictured my grandparents wandering around talking about crocuses. Now that I have visited several times, I can say it’s way more exciting than that! Whether you are a huge flower lover, like beautiful walks, or are looking for a fun play area for the kids, the gardens offer a little something for everybody! … Continue reading Missouri Botanical Gardens

Jilly’s Cupcake Bar and Cafe
How have I not talked about Jilly’s Cupcakes? This two time Cupcake Wars winner resides about fifteen minutes from downtown in University City at the corner of Delmar and 170 and is a go to in our household. I am a cake snob and only like it when it is amazing, so trust me when I say these cupcakes are fabulous! I don’t remember just … Continue reading Jilly’s Cupcake Bar and Cafe

Park Avenue Gooey Butter Cake
In much the same way as in New York, New York style cheesecake is just cheesecake, I grew up not knowing gooey butter cake was a “St. Louis” thing. In fact gooey butter cake was a Great Aunt Ruth thing (people always talk about grandma’s homecooking, but for me it was Aunt Ruth’s cooking) . Whenever she said, “Do you want something to eat hun?” … Continue reading Park Avenue Gooey Butter Cake

Sheltering in Place STL Dining
So during quarantine, I have the time to cook, but I want to support local businesses and I just want to switch it up sometimes! Birthdays and just now Mother’s day have encouraged my family to bring some restaurant meals home. There are a couple of good lists of restaurants now offering curbside or delivery included in the links here: https://www.kmov.com/news/list-st-louis-area-restaurants-open-for-carryout-curbside-service/article_fa68b1d0-6dfc-11ea-a332-13cbfa6220b6.html https://www.stlmag.com/dining/st-louis-restaurants-carryout-curbside-delivery-coronavirus/ Recommendations Now … Continue reading Sheltering in Place STL Dining

Independent Bookstore Tour
So things have changed since I first started this article. Right now we’re all on stay at home orders and going to visit these bookstores is out of the question. However, I’m publishing this post now, because we all need books right now and all of these stores offer curbside pick-up and shipping. Some have even done well at keeping up with online content! This … Continue reading Independent Bookstore Tour