Friday, December 18, 2015

Making Friends: Dating Edition

If you've been around here a while, you may recall this post. I just stumbled across it yesterday when I was looking at the stats on my blog. Someone ended up reading that from over a year ago. Crazy! And here's the thing, I didn't necessarily forget to write a follow-up post, but I didn't necessarily remember either. Sorry!

And as I promised at the bottom of that post, here's another installment of Making Friends. This time, it's the Dating Edition.

When Kyle and I started dating, we were transitioning from being friends into being...more than friends. It was an interesting scenario. We met sometime during the fall of 2009 while I was working at the Huges Fine Arts Center Music Library. Again, nerd much? I thought he was cute. So what did I do? I tried to figure out who he was. Duh.

As it turns out, he was a friend-of-a-friend. Okay. I know. Not the point.

Fast forward to February 2012. We started dating and we were trying to figure out how to make friends with others. I had my friends. He had his friends. We had our mutual friend group. How in the world could we make all three of those groups work together?!

It's chaos, I tell you.

Okay, it's not really. But what ended up happening is that we took turns spending time with different friends. Sometimes we would have a game night with my friends. Other times we would go out to eat with his friends. Even other times, we would make sure to see our mutual friends. And do you know what? Eventually my friends became his and vise versa.

It was magical!

The hardest thing for us as a couple, was making new friends entirely. Usually it would happen if one of us knew someone from work and we'd meet their S/O (significant other) and then we'd all be friends. This happened with Kyle's music colleagues.

The main thing that I recommend for making friends when you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, is to be open to new relationships. Sometimes your S/O's friends really are cool. Sometimes your S/O will be wary of meeting your friends. If this is a relationship that you want to make work, be open to involving your man friend or woman friend in your life. He/she will greatly appreciate it.

Happy Friday, all! 
Next week is Christmas!! Woo!



Thursday, December 10, 2015

Tis the Season!

You know what time it is, right? The time for joy. The time for laughter. The time for song. The time for Elementary Christmas Programs??

Can I hear a whoop whoop??

No?

Hmm. Okay. Well, tonight is the night, folks. Kyle's second 2nd Grade Christmas Program. I'm not entirely sure what the show is, but I do know there are jungle animals that will be appearing. Monkeys, cheetahs, giraffes, etc. They'll all make an appearance and I'm sure it's going to be adorable.

They'll sing and dance and generally be so cute.

Kyle's been stressed. It's not been a pretty sight at our house. He has programs every year and somehow, I manage to be surprised that he's stressed. Seriously. What's the matter? Duh, Kelly. Your husband has a program to put on and you're just worrying about yourself. Oi. Insensitive much?

But, seriously. My commendations to all elementary music teachers. You've got a tough job and working with children isn't easy. Plus if you've got an insensitive clueless forgetful spouse at home, your work is cut out for you. Thank you for all that you do.

This season, whether you have kids at home or your friends have kids, make sure to say thank you to an elementary music teacher. They are busy (and stressed) with getting their Christmas programs going. They probably don't sleep much the week leading up to the program and odds are, their spouse/SO is frustrated because they don't know how to help.

Not only are they getting their students ready for programs, they're probably rehearsing for their own performances. Here's the music teacher in my life, singing in the annual Sing Along Messiah.

 
As much as this is about Elementary Christmas Programs, it's also about being appreciative of those around you. I need to remember that in this season, it's not all about me. It's not all about what I want and how I think things should look.

And now that you're significantly bored and ready for this post to be done. I bid you adieu!

Happy Friday Eve!

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Tuesday Traditions: Tacos

I'm not sure about you, but our family loves tacos. I'm not just talking Kyle & myself. I mean, our family.

My mom's family has tacos for Christmas Eve. Every. Year. They've even discussed getting together every July 4th for tacos.

We. Love. Them.

Confession: I like tacos.

Notice I said "like". I'm not the aficionado that my husband and the rest of my family tend to be. I used to dread having tacos on Christmas Eve.

Can't we just have ham or turkey like everyone else? Gah.

But then I grew up. I love the tradition. I love the jovial nature that reverberates around the room as we're dishing up our tacos and getting ready to try Grandma's hot sauce and homemade tortilla shells.

I love sitting at a new table every year talking with my cousins or holding the newest baby while mom and dad eat.

I love seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter as we take bets on when Grandma will ask, "Is the hot sauce hot enough?" (It happens every year, folks.)

Mostly, I love the tradition and the sense of unity we have as we enjoy our tacos on Christmas Eve.

And the real reason I have tacos on the brain? It's Tuesday. Taco Tuesday. Every other Tuesday we go to the Krueger's house to eat tacos with them. Tonight is the night.

You may be thinking, "Why only every other week?" And that's because they're at our house on the opposite weeks. We make something and they make tacos. It's the best of both worlds, because Kyle would eat tacos every Tuesday if I made them. Granted, I probably could be convinced. But there's just something about sharing tacos with other people.

Just like Christmas Eve, it's the unity and friendship that you share over a meal that makes it special.

Enjoy your Taco Tuesday! I know I will.

 

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

21 Day Fix: What is it?

Here's the thing. I've struggled with exercise and portion control for years. I don't like exercise and I usually eat until I'm full. Unfortunately, that's not been a good habit to fall into. I just keep giving myself excuses to eat what I want and not exercise as much as I'd like.

Well, this summer a friend and I both decided to try Beachbody's 21day Fix. It's not a diet, it's a meal plan and a workout regimen. You get portion control containers and a booklet to help you get started. There are lists of foods that are better for you and which foods qualify for each container. There are also 2 workout DVDs. There are 7 workouts (one for each day of the week...in case you didn't figure that one out) and they're only 30 minutes long. It's hard to complain about only 30 minutes...especially since I could have another tv show on at the same time.

One thing I couldn't get past was the fact that it's $60+ and I had to spend more money to buy the Shakeology meal replacements at $130! Yikes.

But the more I tried to talk myself out of it, the less ground I had to stand on. Yes, I'm spending $130 on a meal replacement for only myself for only one month. BUT! I'm also going to be spending less money all around on groceries, because we'll be eating healthier all month long. Instead of buying snacks, we were buying carrots and eating cucumbers right out of our garden.

The skinny is, in order to feel better about myself and have a better attitude, I had to change something. Thank goodness for my supportive husband, because he said, "Go for it! If it's going to help you feel better, that's what's important." So. I did.

And I'm so glad I did. I've completed two rounds since July and while it's hard to stick with it, I've felt better each time.

If you want to know more about the 21day Fix, let me know. I'm more than happy to talk to you about it. And in a few days/weeks, I'll be sharing a few of my favorite recipes with you!

It's snowy and chilly here, so I hope that tea and blankets are on the agenda for the evening.

Happy Wednesday!


 

Monday, November 30, 2015

One Last Chance

Oh man. Not only has it been ages since I've posted anything here (10 days to be exact), but I've also dropped the ball with our Second Chance Book Club. I was supposed to be writing and discussing The Catcher in the Rye with you, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

So. That being said, Aubrey is going to host our final Book Club of the year. She's going to be discussing A Christmas Carol on December 26. Check out her newest post for more details.

https://www.penguin.com.au/jpg-large/9780451532022.jpg


Also, please take our survey for next year's Book Club! This year we (clearly) focused on classics and even though we didn't make it through all of them, we still enjoyed our time.


This next year, 2016, is a time for us to explore other genres and styles than we have previously read. When you take the survey, don't be afraid to suggest specific titles you'd like to read. If you're a fan of certain time periods, don't hesitate to request those! I know there are some books on our list already that focus around WWII. If you love graphic novels and there's a new one you want to read, suggest it!

We will try our best to accommodate something from all of the surveys. If we don't, please don't hold that against us. We're trying our best!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know and we'll do our best to get back to you in a timely manner!

On that note, HAPPY MONDAY!


http://k2entzel.blogspot.com/p/the-second-chance-book-club.html

Friday, November 20, 2015

Five on Friday: Home Improving?

I really, really, REALLY wanted to have some great renovation/home improving photos for you. Alas, it isn't so. So...this will be Five on Friday: Misc edition.


one | home improving updates

Our kitchen is painted (?!). I know. Big steps at the Entzel house.

We also have a new door on the front of our house. It's an $800+ door that we scored for $200! Thank you, scratch and dent!


two | fall

The fall is wrapping up. Every day I sit at my desk and look outside at the sad, sad, sad trees lining the street and our building. And there are NO LEAVES. Boo.


three | snow

It's November 13 and we've not had an accumulating snow yet! How awesome is that?? We live in North Dakota, so snow is a staple in our wintry lives.

Two weeks we had some large, pretty, fluffy snowflakes. Unfortunately fortunately they didn't stick around long. It was a bummer for hunting and tracking (not that our hunters needed it), but it's not keeping me up at night.

I originally wrote this post for last Friday. Unfortunately we now have snow on the ground. So, scratch all of the information above.

four | upcoming projects

I really want to redo our front entry way. I'm thinking about tearing all of the wallpaper down and  some tile for the flooring and a nice storage bench for future littles to store their shoes and hats and mittens. I'm thinking something like...

 
five | Friendsgiving
Tomorrow we are celebrating our first (hopefully, annual) Friendsgiving here. I've been asked to bring the dessert. What should I make? Cupcakes? Carrot cake? Pie? Help!
 
As always, head on over to see who else is participating in today's Five-on-Friday
 
 
alizadventures.blogspot.com
 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

MIA

I'm sorry I've been absent this week. Life has been absolutely crazy. Last weekend, as you know, we hand our last wedding of the season year. It was a blast and we are so thankful we got to spend time with friends and family.

In addition to that, we had our Christmas cards taken by Carissa Pic Photography on our way back home on Sunday. I can't wait to share them with you!

Carissa and I went to college together and shared a few education classes. And instead of teaching, she opted to go the photography route. Seriously though, aren't these photos just lovely? More on that later.

I also finished up Parent/Teacher Conferences last night. It was niiice when all was said and done. Bonnie over at The Life of Bon wrote about conferences a few months ago. Go see.

I'll be back more in the next few days. I hope. If you want to get in contact with me when I'm not around here...check here, here, or here.

Happy Wednesday!

Also, don't forget to take the book club survey here.


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Here Comes the Bride...

...all dressed in white.

You know what that means, right? You've got it. Another wedding. Since the beginning of 2015 we've attended weddings in Fargo (1), Bismarck (1), Mayville (1),  Grand Forks (2), Montevideo (1), and Hudson (1). We were also invited to three that we couldn't attend in Fargo (1) and Grand Forks (2).

We are rounding out our 2015 wedding season with a wedding in Jamestown.

The awesome thing about the wedding this weekend, is that we don't have to pay for a hotel! We are fortunate enough that we'll be able to stay with Kyle's parents and celebrate til the cows come home (or buffalo, whichever). 

Family will be in town and it will be glorious. One thing I love about spending time with Kyle's family is that the weekend will be filled with baby snuggles from our niece, late night games, lazy mornings, and lots of coffee. All things lovely.

The thing I struggle with most when it comes to weddings is, "What do I buy them?" I know, I know...just follow the registry. And as easy as that is, some of our favorite gifts weren't on our registry. 

I mean really, how cute are these??




I don't think you can register for hand embroidered flour sack towels. Maybe somewhere, but I've never seen it.

I also loved this pitcher that we got.





We use(d) it frequently...and then someone found out that really hot water shouldn't run in/on it. Don't look at me. 


And even though we loved most of the stuff that wasn't on our registry, we did receive some things that we've not even taken out of the box yet. And because I'm not sure who all reads this here blog, I won't even show you what those items are. 

Check in on IG, Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat for updates this weekend. 

But seriously. What's your go-to wedding gift? 
I know my mom's...a glass pitcher 
like the one that broke at our house. 


Monday, November 9, 2015

Hunter or Hunted?

It's that time of year again. The time when the blaze orange and giant thermos bottles come back. If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, I'm very sorry.

It's a tradition in our family to gather during one or both weekends of the deer hunting season holiday. This year we went home for deer opener and had a fabulous time. On Saturday we spent time with family, waited hunted some deer, ate potato klub, and were in bed and asleep by 10 pm. Then Sunday, we got up and did it all over again.

I don't know how you feel about family time, but weekends at my parents' house are some of my favorites. Even though I have my own home and it's nice to get back after a weekend away, I relax so much better out at the farm.

I'm so thankful for a husband who is willing to spend time with my family and even enjoys being there. I hope and pray that Hunting Holiday is a tradition our children will learn to love as much as I do.

I hope that my children will love visiting their grandparents as much as I love visiting mine. I pray that they will long to invest their time in their grandparents' lives as much as I do. I long for the day that my children will anxiously await the next season of Deer Hunting and potato klub. And above all else, I hope and pray that my children will find comfort in enjoying time with family.

What traditions do you hold every year? I'd love to hear about them.




Friday, November 6, 2015

What We Watch: Five on Friday

I always feel like I'm the only person with bad habits. In this case, it's not just me, it's Kyle too. We have a bad habit. We watch a lot of television. Not only do we watch a lot of television, but we tend to watch it while we eat supper.

It's so easy to sit and watch an episode of one of our favorite shows and not think until it's suddenly 8:30pm and we have to get things ready for the next day. Amiright?

Does anyone else have this habit? We know it's not the best idea, but somehow it's so hard to break that cycle. BUT! We've been working on breaking this habit. We've set some guidelines for shows, times, frequency, etc. And even though we're working on it, we sometimes still watch too much tv.

That being said, for this week's Five on Friday, I'll be sharing the five shows we watch the most or are currently watching.

one | Frasier

We started watching Frasier quite a while ago. It's a show that's easy to watch one episode here and another two or three weeks months later.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106004/?ref_=ttmd_md_nm
 

two | Gotham
Honestly, I suggested this show to Kyle because I saw that Ben McKenzie stars in it. I mean, really. What fan of The O.C. wouldn't want to see Ryan Ben McKenzie star in another show.
But really, Kyle has decided that he actually really likes the show. Some episodes are a tad cheesy, but we like seeing how each character changes throughout the season.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3749900/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1



three | Psych
I've probably talked about it before, but we really love Psych. We just finished watching it all the way through for the second time. The antics, the jokes, the continuity, everything is just so well done that we catch something new each time we watch it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491738/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1


four | Parks and Recreation
Who doesn't love Leslie Knope and all of her nicknames for Ann? Let's be honest. We also love us some Andy Dwyer.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266020/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
five | The Office
I know The Office is old, but whenever we are stumped for what to watch, we will pull up a favorite. As long as Michael Scott is present and Jim is pranking Dwight, all is right in the world.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
So, not only do we have the bad habit of watching television more than we should, we also have five shows to keep us busy. As you've seen, it doesn't even matter if we've seen them before...we'll always have something to watch.
What about you? Do you have any bad habits? What are your go-to shows? We're always looking for suggestions!
www.alizadventures.blogspot.com


 

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Inked.

I'm not a rebellious person. Growing up, I never wanted to make my parents mad. Sometimes I did let them down and then I cried. Mom and I yelled many times, but when Dad told me he was "disappointed in me", I broke down.

For some reason, I really, really, REALLY, hate letting people down. When I wanted to get my belly-button pierced, my parents said, "No more piercings or any tattoos until you're on your own and you pay for them."

So...what did I do in my first two months at college? I got a new piercing.


After I transferred to UND, I decided it was time to get a tattoo. So I went to 46 & 2 in Fargo for my first tattoo.

I loved it!

I didn't let many moons pass before I decided to get another one. I made sure to return to 46 & 2 for my second.


The time has come where my itch for a new tattoo is too strong. My pal, carrie, and I are headed back to 46 & 2 for some fresh ink. I wrote about my upcoming tattoo, last week.

So if you've got me on Snapchat or if you follow me here, here, or here, be on the lookout for fresh ink this Saturday!

What do you think about tattoos? Do you have any?
I'd love to hear your opinions!





Monday, November 2, 2015

What to do: By the Numbers

Daylight Savings officially ended this weekend. I'm sure most of you already know that. If you don't know that, then I'm assuming you've been early for the last day and a half. Hah!

Since we "fell back" this weekend, I'm trying to scheme all of the things that need to get done. Winter is just around the corner *I know, don't shoot the messenger* and the Entzels have a lot of things to do. Some tasks are fun and others, not so much.

Here's a short installation in our By the Numbers series. As always, if you care to join in, go to my "Buttons" page and grab the button for this series and link back here!

Between now and the end of the month there are...


...at least fifteen cabinets to prime and paint.
...at least eight school meetings.
...five exercise classes for me to attend.
...four Bible Study meetings to attend.
...four gifts to hand make.
...three meals hosted by us.
...three batches of cupcakes to bake. 
...two days of deer hunting to celebrate.
...two dressers to sand, prime, and paint.
...one friends-giving to partake in.
...one GFEA social.
...one wedding.
...one teacher date.
...one tattoo to get.
...one front door to install.
...and one house to ready for Christmas.


I know it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but by the time the end of the month rolls around, we're going to be ready to start decorating for Christmas.

What do you have to get done by the end of the month?


http://k2entzel.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Friday, October 30, 2015

Five on Friday: Looking forward to

Here's another edition of Five on Friday! It's been a while, so here. we. go.


One | Tattoos

My pal, carrie, and I are going to Fargo to get new tattoos next Saturday(!). How is it that we've already arrived at November 7th (next Saturday)?! It's been a long time in coming and Aubrey and I were supposed to get our next tatts together. My goal was to lose 20lbs before getting my next tattoo and we were supposed to go this last June when Aubrey was in town. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I hadn't lost 20lbs and she was busy finishing her Master's and I was busy working. Hmmph. So. No tatt.

BUT! Then carrie mentioned that we should go get tattoos this fall. (I felt like a traitor to Aubrey...sorry!) And I've officially lost those pesky 20lbs. So tatts next Saturday it is!


Here it is!


Two | Deer Hunting

In my family, deer season is a holiday. For as long as I can remember, as many of us gather at Grandpa and Grandma's farm and we eat potato klub, drink coffee, tell stories, and laugh. Opening weekend of the deer season is November 7. Yep. The same day as the tattoo shindig. It's going to be a fun weekend!

As we've gotten older, it's been harder and harder for all of us cousins to get together at the farm. This year, Aaron and his family will not be able to make it (as far as I know), since they now live in Alabama. For many years, Josh, Aaron, and Aanders would tell stories about their adventures tracking, dragging, cleaning, loading, hauling deer. One year Aaron shot two deer with one bullet (!). This information has still not been corroborated, so don't shoot the messenger (ba dum tss). Sorry, bad pun. Another year, Josh was driving the jeep with Aaron and Aanders inside and apparently it was so rough, Aaron thought he was going to fall out. To that Josh replied, "Hold on and look savage."

It's even a great opportunity to take 
photos for your Christmas cards!
 
Three | Veterans Day

This year we have Veterans Day off! I think this is the first year since I've been teaching (I know...not many years, but still) that we've had Nov. 11 off. Not only that, but Kyle and I have the day off together. How awesome! Maybe we'll go have breakfast at our favorite diner and find a 11/11 service somewhere.


Four | Friends-giving

Friends-giving is a concept that I've been familiar with for a while now, but I've never participated in one. Kyle's sister invited us to a shindig that they're hosting with another couple friend of ours. When the six of us get together, we genuinely have a great time and I'm so thankful to have been invited. We asked what we could bring and she told us dessert. So now the question becomes cupcakes or pie? Who am I kidding, or both?




Five | Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with my family is always a big deal. One year we are with my mom's family and the other we're with my dad's family. It just so happens that we only see my mom's family with the rotation we've been on for holidays. This year Thanksgiving is at my uncle and aunt's house and I've been asked to bring dessert. What do you think? Cheesecake? Mini cheesecake? Cupcakes? Pie? The options are limitless. Well...except that one aunt doesn't eat chocolate and two of my cousins can't have protein, so there's that.

What are you really looking forward to? Happy Halloween tomorrow!


http://alizadventures.blogspot.com/2015/10/five-on-friday_30.html

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Second Chance Book Club: Revival?

Aubrey and I tried, tried, TRIED to get a virtual book club off and running this year and unfortunately it just. hasn't. happened. That being said, would anyone be interested in joining us if we revived TSCBC (what an obnoxious acronym...sorry!)??


http://k2entzel.blogspot.com/p/the-second-chance-book-club.html

We've decided that we want to revive, resurrect, rekindle, or any other synonym that you'd associate with bringing this Book Club back to life.

That being said, we're going to pick up with November's book, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
From GoodReads: "Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation."

Try it out. We'll discuss here on November 28...that's the Saturday after Thanksgiving. So, I know I'll be trying to finish up either my last few pages or my post on my drive home that week. Thank goodness for car rides to see family!


Last, but not least, please take the following survey. You do not have to put your name if you do not want to. But please take the survey so we can start choosing books for next year! Wowza. How crazy is it that next year is only weeks away?! Uff-da.

As always, please add the button to the bottom of your post if you join in!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

What's Happening: Sick Edition

Yikes. Where to start? What do you all do when you're under the weather?

Kyle has been sick for much of the start of school (probably at least half of the first 8 weeks). I just got sick last week and I don't see the end of it until at least this weekend.

So to help us sleep at night and to hopefully help us feel better, I've been diffusing like crazy. It started with Young Living's Purification to help with the sore throats and to help keep the air in our house fresh.




I recently received my newest Young Living order and so now I've been diffusing Thieves right before we go to sleep and right as we wake up in the morning to help kill some of these cold germs floating through our house.




 I'm not entirely sure if it's working or not...but only time will tell. These have been my two go-to oils for the sickies in our house (both of us). 

But, what do you do when your house is sick? Help a sister out!

Friday, October 16, 2015

It's time for a party!

I know, I know. I've been slacking on the whole, "I'm going to blog twice a week" thing. It's already Thursday and this is the first you've heard from me. I am ashamed.

So, here we go.

Growing up, I remember many things vividly. Three such things are coloring Easter eggs at Grandpa & Grandma's house, carving pumpkins at Grandpa & Grandma's house, and Deer Hunting at...you guessed it...Grandpa and Grandma's house.

I have many, many fond memories from that house and with those people. Once grandchildren started growing up and moving away, some of these events started being just memories. The two that turned into memories were Easter egg coloring and pumpkin carving.

Eventually, my parents started hosting a pumpkin carving party. It was a blast! My brother even put a pumpkin on his head. Here's photographic evidence to prove it.


The attendees usually changed from year to year. Some years we would have family friends, other years we would invite young families from church, still other years we would just have our friends and their parents over. We always had a good time and it was frequently pretty chilly in the garage.

As I've gotten older, I've longed to have a house where I could carve pumpkins and set them on our stoop. I've wanted to invite people to our house to carve pumpkins, eat snacks, and enjoy being together. Well folks, this is the year!

We are hosting the First Annual Entzel Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza! Okay...it's not that exciting, but it's the first pumpkin carving party we'll ever host. Hopefully it won't be the last...

I'm trying to figure out some sort of menu, but I'm not sure what I'll have time to make. What about chex mix and/or puppy chow, veggies (?), possibly some pumpkin bread, maybe some soup to warm everyone up, and beverages?

Help a friend out! What kinds of snacks would you like to see at a pumpkin carving party?

Happy Friday!

Friday, October 9, 2015

5 Items You NEED for Camping

As promised, I've got my second post up for this week. And here's the thing...since I'm on a camping kick lately, I'm going to share some of our camping secrets. I know, I know. Some of you are better campers than we are, but for those of you who don't backpack and who like to have a shower nearby, then folks--you're like me. So check this out!

Click on the photos for direct links for you to purchase each item for YOUR camping tote.





1 | Lantern
 Coleman makes a fabulous gas lantern. My dad had one while we were growing up and we couldn't wait to find our own lantern. I found one like this at a garage sale...for $5! This lantern on Amazon isn't that good of a deal, but this is a great one to have. If you're like us, you'll frequently get to your campsite after dark, so you'll need one of these bad boys.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Premium-Dual-Lantern-Carry/dp/B0009PURIQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1444275406&sr=1-4&keywords=coleman+lantern

2 | Coffee
If you've read this blog long, you'll realize how much we love our coffee. You could say it's one of our love languages. Even my post earlier this week talked about the horror of forgetting our coffee.
That being said, here's our sweet set-up for our camping coffee.

First, you need this sweet percolator. This particular one is from Amazon for only $12.00. I think we got ours from Walmart for $15.00?

http://www.amazon.com/Granite-Ware-6006-1-3-Quart-Coffee/dp/B000RA3Z0K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1444275955&sr=8-6&keywords=camping+percolator

But because we actually used the percolator system once and HATED it, we love our pour-over system. Thank you, Melitta, for the happiness! And for only $5.42, how can you go wrong?

http://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Ready-Single-Coffee-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444276274&sr=8-1&keywords=melita+pour+over
But of course you can't forget the actual coffee! My favorite coffee of all time comes from The Coffee Company in Grand Forks, ND. Call Sarah on a Monday and if you buy one pound of coffee, you'll get the second pound 1/2 off! They'll even ship the beans/grounds for you.  
*No, I'm not being compensated for this plug*


3 | Cast Iron Skillet(s)

We have two that we bring with us every time. One is your standard, run-of-the-mill 12 inch cast iron skillet. Well seasoned.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet-12-Inch/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444325417&sr=8-1&keywords=12+inch+lodge+cast+iron+skillet
Kyle has converted me to the cast iron skillet. Not only do we swear by them when we're camping, but we use them daily at home. We have the lovely 12 inch pictured above and we also have a 10 inch, more manageable one also. We always bring the 12in with us camping because it works well for everything. It easily handles 4 hamburger patties, many (8-10?) slices of bacon, a whole package of Brown-n-Serve sausage, or our favorite, a heavy duty breakfast skillet.



The second skillet we bring with us is by Le Creuset. They don't make the same skillets anymore, so we are grateful to have it. Kyle's uncle, David, selflessly loaned it to us last summer when we went camping on our summer road trip. Since we tend to be a little unprepared for our camping adventures, we left a skillet at home and Uncle David came to our rescue. He let us borrow one of his skillets and we love it. Here's a similar one by Le Creuset.

This is the current skillet/frying pan that you can buy on Le Creuset or on Williams Sonoma. What we love about this skillet/fry pan is that the handle is wooden so it's never hot to the touch. Okay...maybe never is the wrong word. It's only hot to the touch if you have the handle over the fire. It's the perfect size for one enormous pancake and since it's enameled, it's super easy to clean.
The enameled skillet we have looks like the one below.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/301753772528?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

Again. Love. Go get one for yourselves. You'll fall in love too. If not, you can come back and blame me.

4 | Coconut oil

Who doesn't love to cook with butter? If you're raising your hand, we can't be friends. Okay, I'm just kidding. But for real. We swear by butter. It's our favorite fat to cook with. Olive oil is good too. But what are the problems with butter & olive oil for camping?

Anyone? Anyone?

Bueller?

Okay, I'll tell you. The big problems with butter and olive oil are storage and transportation.

Butter needs to be refrigerated. And unless you're camping in the fall (like us), your butter will spoil and/or melt. Boo.

Olive oil? Have you ever tried to transport a bottle of olive oil? They're slippery little suckers. Uff-da. The seal on the oil tends to be weaker after it's opened and the bottle never stays clean. And if you're like us, your olive oil is in a bottle with a spout for cooking ease.

I'm sure you're thinking, "Well, what about coconut oil? That's like olive oil but just with coconuts." And I'd say, "You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

The thing about coconut oil is that it usually comes in a jar with a pretty decent lid and it is a solid until it reaches 76 degrees! Seriously, we always use coconut oil when camping. Sometimes the oil melts during the day, but if you have a cooler you can throw it in there. Or you can just leave it as a liquid because it tends to solidify through the night when the temps drop.

http://www.amazon.com/Carrington-Farms-Organic-Virgin-Coconut/dp/B00CPZPYLS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1444413806&sr=8-3&keywords=coconut+oil


Plus, there seem to be some pretty good health benefits right now? Also, if you're like Kyle, you can put a little in your coffee too (and we all know that you'll have your coffee with).

5 | Pocket Knife

And last, but certainly not least--the handy dandy pocket knife. If you're Shawn Spencer you have a Swiss Army Knife and if you're Henry Spencer you have a larger Swiss Army Knife. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you need to drop what you're doing right now and go watch Psych from Season 1 Episode 1 through to the end.

But for real, we have found that pocket knives come in extremely handy when camping. They're handy for cooking, peeling branches for 'mallow roasters, cutting rope, opening packages, and really anything else you could ever need a knife for. 

Kyle has a SOG fixed blade that he loves and he bought me a Kershaw pocket knife that I love. *Links will be added as able* Seriously, check it out. 

And as much as you may doubt me, I'm serious about all of these items. They're super helpful and if you've got them, your camping trip is bound to be a success. Unless you happen to forget the tent. So, don't do that.

If you go camping and try any of these items, please let me know how it went. Did you like any of these items? Do you have anything to add to the list?

I'd love to hear from you!
You can find me here, here, and here.


And even though it was coincidental, I'm linking up with A.Liz Adventures for Five on Friday. Go say hi!

http://alizadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/five%20on%20friday

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

A Weekend Away: Camping Edition

Since I kind of fell off the bandwagon with my writing for Brave Love Blog's 2nd Annual Blogtember Challenge, I'm going to try my darndest to post two times a week this month! (Shhh...don't remind me that we're already a week into October...I know.)

Because of this new resolution to writing twice a week for a month, I figured I'd start with our most recent #k2eadventures--a camping trip to a state park! (Yes, it used to be #k2adventures, but then I saw so many other people were using that one...) If you follow me on IG or Twitter, you already saw a few pics, but I did promise a post all about it. So, here we go!

Bear with me...this post might get a little long.
Growing up, my family tried to camp a few times every summer. Usually we would tent and meet up with some friends. Our tent looked something like this:


Granted, this wasn't our exact tent, but it's pretty close. Once our tenting phase passed (it didn't take long), we upgraded to a pop-up camper. Since this is a pretty predictable progression, you're probably figuring out that we moved on to a hard sided camper. That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of camping.

Some things I don't love about camping...

...heat.
...bugs.
...vault toilets.
...dirt.
...heat.
...bugs.

You get the idea.

So after we were married, Kyle asked if we could buy a tent and go camping. I immediately thought about camping growing up. While I do have fond memories of those summer trips, I also remember the heat, bugs, vault toilets, dirt, etc...you get the picture. But...because we were just married and I wanted to make Kyle happy...I said okay.

Under one condition. We had to use the tent at least three times. Three.

And you know what? I didn't hate it. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Since that first camping trip together, Kyle & I have visited a few different sites. Most frequently, we visit MN State parks.

 
We've been to Lake Bemidji, Hayes Lake, St. Croix, and Lake Carlos. It's not an overly impressive list yet, but we plan to add to our list every year. We also stayed at a KOA in Maple Grove, MN and we tented in Montana a few times last summer. 

Once place we've visited every year since we've been married is Lake Bemidji State park. We love the location, the scenery, the convenient distance from home, and the town it's located in/near. Bemidji is a quaint little town--my old stomping grounds from my High School days. 

This year, Kyle and I did not have the opportunity to go camping by ourselves, so this last weekend we carpe diem-d. We took our "free-ish" weekend to spend a few days camping at Lake Bemidji State Park. And it was glorious!

Our sweet little set-up

But our wonderful little getaway wasn't without hiccups. As we were leaving my parents' house, we Kyle realized that he forgot our tent...at home! Oi. Thank goodness for my brother, we borrowed a tent and set it up in the dark. Doesn't it look cute?
 

 


Sometime soon I'll write a post about camping essentials. Maybe that will be my second post for this week. We'll see.

Not only did we leave our tent at home, but we left our coffee (!!) at home too. An awful crime! What did Kyle suggest? That we go to The Cabin. So cute. So tasty.



 
And my sweet husband let me go shopping too. I found a few gems at The Yellow Umbrella & 218 Gift. They're sister stores and only a block away from each other. If you're ever in Bemidji, stop by.


Yellow Umbrella Shop
 
218 Home + Gift
 
I adore this Minnesota necklace. I've been looking for one like this and even though I'm not a gold fan, this is absolutely darling. Paul and Babe on the other hand, are an iconic landmark in Bemidji. I've visited them many times and when I saw these dudes sitting on the shelf, I fell in love. 
 
Since we forgot our coffee, we needed to get our fix. So, we bought coffee at Dunn Bros and went back to camp to brew coffee in our new mugs from 218 Home + Gift.
 

And while our weekend wasn't as we planned, we definitely had a lovely time. Kyle and I were able to spend time together and really invest in each other. We had time to bike, read, and genuinely just be together. For that I'll always be grateful.

Lake Bemidji
  

Even though I live in North Dakota, Minnesota will always be my home. I love going back and spending time in the wonderful state I hail from.

 
Stay tuned for more photos & the Entzel's Guide to Successful Camping.
 
Follow along here, here, & here to see what we're up to.
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