"Real Life in Boise With Kids" - a weekly series where Boise With Kids will feature real, relatable, normal parents doing awesome things across the Treasure Valley. It'll be a space where local parents can share about their passions and give real, honest, tried and true feedback and tips for living their "best (family) life" in Boise. Hopefully it'll give you a chance to learn more about our community, inspire you to try out new places and activities, and get hooked up with pertinent, useful stuff that will help you and your family to thrive in Boise.
Get ready to meet the "Real Parents of the Treasure Valley" - 😜
If you'd like to share about yourself and be featured in this new series email Becca at becca@boisewithkids.com. We can't wait to learn more about you!
Meet Becca: Hey friends! It's me, Becca. The one who runs this whole Boise With Kids thang! I thought I'd use this space to re-introduce myself a bit.
Here's my life history in one long, run-on sentence (my former teacher mom is gonna hate this)... I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska where I, along with my three brothers were homeschooled until high school, went to college in St. Paul, MN, spent two years living and teaching in Los Angeles, CA while working on my Masters in Education, fell in love and moved across the country to Petersburg, VA for a year, moved back to Minnesota where I got married and worked as a college admissions counselor, uprooted our life and moved abroad to Santiago, Chile to teach English and travel around South America, moved BACK to Omaha where we lived for four years and had our first two boys before sort of sporadically moving to Pocatello, ID for a job opportunity, had our youngest there in 2020, then in July of 2021 moved over to Boise where the rest is history. That's the short and sweet version. If you want to know all the nitty gritty details, just ask! I'm an open book.
When I'm not obsessively working on Boise With Kids you will likely find me driving the struggle bus, being a coffee snob, drinking cans of Underwood or crafting cocktails with my husband or friends, outside adventuring with my crew, baking the world's best chocolate chip cookies or compulsively eating my children's ears off ("cute aggression" is a real medical diagnosis, okay?!).
I have a passion for connection and it is what dictates so much of what I do with Boise With Kids. I want families to feel connected to our amazing city and to one another. I have a heart for supporting moms and believe to my core that we are better together and that better moms make a better world. This is why I created Boise With Kids back in January. I wanted to create a space that families could turn to whenever they had a local kid-related question. Questions like: Where can we sign up for swim lessons? What parks are good for toddlers? Where can I find affordable kids clothing? What is there to do downtown? How do I meet "mom" friends? And so much more.
As Boise With Kids continues to grow, the more answers you'll be able to find here. So please, PLEASE spread the word! The more families we get involved, the better this resource will become. Promise.
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If you're a local business or organization that is looking to reach local families - get in touch with me! Let's work together to promote all of the amazing opportunities available to our community. My email is becca@boisewithkids.com
Anyways, back to the real life tips and tricks... Here are some of our family's favorites that I hope will help inspire you and your family to get out and get connected across the Treasure Valley.
Local Family Favorites:
The Greenbelt: We couldn't love it more. Our favorite little walking or biking route is starting at Push and Pour, taking a right at the Greenbelt entrance then making a loop back around and over the bridge by Esther Simplot Park, walking past the surfers and back to our car. (I made a little reel about it over on Instagram so go check that out.) I'm super pumped to try out a few spots right off the Greenbelt where we can sit by the river and play in the water this summer. The boys and our dog are gonna LOVE it.
Hyde Park: We lived in the "Historic University Neighborhood" when we lived in Pocatello so we have a thing for older neighborhoods lined with big trees. Walking through the streets of the North End/Hyde Park area never gets old. Plus, our favorite restaurant/bakery, Certified, is in the middle and grabbing a treat and walking to Camel's Back is definitely a favorite family activity.
8th Street: I just love the approachable hustle and bustle of this pedestrian only street. We've tried, and thoroughly enjoyed, a good handful of restaurants there and walking through Freak Alley never gets old. Make sure to print out our Freak Alley Scavenger Hunt to take with you when you go there next!
Favorite Family-Friendly Places to Eat:
Let's be real... my kids' favorites are McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A and anywhere they can get some plain cheese pizza or a corn dog. EYE ROLL. But here are some other Boise favorites that my kids and their foodie parents can agree on.
Boise Fry Company: We love a good burger and fries and Boise Fry Company doesn't disappoint. With so many custom options it is definitely a crowd pleaser.
Blue Cow Frozen Yogurt: Okay I know this isn't a full on restaurant but it's definitely one of our kids' favorite places. On top of offering all kinds of fro-yo flavors and toppings they also have a great setup with lots of space to sit and enjoy some quality family time. My boys love playing board games together there!
Best Park/Playground:
After with my friend Holly (@allweatheradventuring), I might just be the Treasure Valley's Parks' biggest"hype girl" - I just love all the parks here so much. They're all so dang nice!
Camel's Back: It's definitely our go-to since there are so many ways to enjoy it. The boys love the big playground, the hiking trails are beautiful and the "Sand Mountain" on the side is so fun to play in.
Castle Hills: I love how unique the play structures are and the cozy feel of it being surrounded by green space and nice homes.
Guerber: Can't wait to get back there when the Splash Pad is on! BONUS: It's walking distance to Coffee and Supply Co. (which has delicious drinks, snacks and is super kid friendly). Read more about it here.
Best Part of Life in Boise with Kids:
I've traveled all over the world and spent time in plenty of cities and y'all... Boise just can't be beat. It's no wonder it's booming. To us, it's just the perfect mix of all the things we want for our kids and our family. It's accessible, clean, friendly, beautiful and will hopefully forever be our Idahome.
Best “parenting hack”:
One thing I'll never pretend to be is an "expert" when it comes to parenting. The longer I've been a parent, the more I've realized that although we go through similar things, we are all so different and "do" this whole parenting thing in our own, unique way. What works for you might not work for me and vice versa. And on top of that, what works for ONE kid might not work for another.
That being said, I think my best parenting "hack" is to lean into this sentiment. That you're never gonna be an "expert," have all the "right" answers or feel like you totally and completely have your you-know-what together. That's okay. That's just the way this parenting gig works. Give yourself, and all the other parents in your life, some grace. We got this.