Duluth day trip

A week ago, Zach and I spent the weekend up north at my parents cabin.  Somehow I managed to not take a single picture, which I'm pretty bummed about.  But, it was so fun to spend time with family, breathe fresh air, spend time on the lake, and even sleep in a tent. Actually there was a huge storm, so the tent part could better be described as "terrifying" than "fun".  

But we made it.  

Zach had never been to Duluth before (my birthplace!), so we decided to spend the day there before heading back to our city life.  Here are a few photos that probably don't require much description. :)

Recipe: Healthy Mango Lime Ice Pops

I love ice cream.  And I mean love.  I would eat it every day if I could (which seems to be a trend this summer...), but I realize that probably isn't the healthiest.  So, I made a fun summer treat that's a whole lot healthier. Ice pops are all over pinterest right now, and they're so easy to make, you can really add anything you'd like to them.  

I made these last week and was really happy with how they turned out.  They are dairy free and don't use any sweetener besides the natural sweetness of the fruit itself.  I'd call that a win.

Here's the recipe!

To a blender or food processor add:

Half a bag frozen mango chunks (about 12oz)

Half a bag frozen strawberries (about 8oz)

One can coconut milk (typically I would use full fat, but this light coconut milk from Trader Joe's was all I had on hand)

Juice of 5 limes (These were pretty tart, which I love, but adjust according to your taste)

Blend all of this until smooth, then taste it.  More lime? More strawberries?  Even adding honey would be good to give the ice pops more sweetness.  Then, fill your ice pop molds.  I got mine from Crate and Barrel last year, but I know you can find them more places now.  I've found that tapping the ice pop mold on the counter helps to ensure there aren't air bubbles in it.  Then just put them in your freezer for several hours.

I had extra "batter", which I kept in the fridge and just ate as a smoothie later.  But you could also just keep it until you eat one or two pops, and then refill them. :)

Once they're frozen, they are ready! It works well to run the whole thing under warm water for a bit, and the ice pop should come right out.  

These were husband approved, and I'm excited to experiment with other flavors all summer long.  If anyone has any favorite combinations or recipes for ice pops, please comment! I would love to hear.

Weekending: Johnstock!

Hello! Thought I would do a little recap of the craft fair we did over the weekend.  It was so fun! This was our first one, (and Little Winter Shop is still a wee baby in all senses of the term), so I feel like this was a great first experience.  Johnstock is a smaller craft fair in Northeast Minneapolis, so it was a perfect starting point for us.  We learned a lot, and really enjoyed the day. We would for sure do it again!

The weather started out great, but some very dark clouds rolled in during the afternoon, and brought heavy rain and wind. (Not ideal when you're under a 10x10 foot canopy and are selling light weight headbands!) But we made the most of it and so did the great people of northeast.  

Some very sweet friends were visiting us at this time, and we were thankful for their company while the rain poured down.  (Hi Brennecke's!) Also thankful for the two women we had just met, and their poor dog who hid under our table. :)

Some takeaways: People loved the clippies! Which I'm so happy about, because I love them too! I will definitely be making more of those, and will list them in the shop.  Also, the thicker elastic was a hit for headbands.  It makes sense - it's super soft for a little one's head.  Lastly, I had a lot of requests for headbands for older girls and adults. I had several adults buy headbands and clips for themselves, and also got requests for bigger sizes for adults.  What a compliment! I'm happy to make headbands for girls of all ages. :)

Overall, it was a really great day.  Thanks so so much for all of our sweet friends and family who came out to support us! We feel so loved by all of you.  Seriously, so many of you came out of your way to stop by and hang out, purchase things for yourselves or as gifts, or even bring us hot coffee when we were shivering. We love you guys.  You're the best.

And thanks to all who were encouraging us from afar! We felt the love from your texts and calls and comments on instagram. :) Thanks friends!

In the next week, I'm going to try to post lots of new goodies in the shop, as well as make some exciting changes to my existing listings.  Stay tuned!

Retreating

Although it was supposedly gorgeous over the weekend in Minneapolis, we packed up our little hatchback and headed north where there was still snow on the ground.  We spent the weekend in McGregor, MN with about 40 other couples from our church for a marriage retreat.  

The theme was stories of marriage on mission, which was so great to hear about and learn from.  Different couples ranging from about 10 years of marriage to 49 years (!!) shared their experiences of marriage, struggle, joy, sin, grace, and hope.  Although each couple's story was so different, God's faithfulness was evident in each one.  

It gives me such encouragement to hear from other couples, wise with experience, who have endured trials and triumph in their marriages.  We're so new at this, and learning so much.  God's grace is covering us now, and He will continue to prove himself faithful for years to come.  

I'm so grateful for other couples who have walked ahead of us, and can offer guidance.  I'm also grateful for the couples who are in the same place as we are, walking through similar seasons, trying to navigate this new experience.  

It was a good getaway for Zach and I.  We came home yesterday to a very messy house, tons of laundry that smells like a campfire, no groceries in our fridge - but nonetheless lots of thankfulness in our hearts.  (And our nice neighbors made us dinner) :)

    

Speed walking/run backwards race 

Puddle reflections  

Pro packers