"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 Katilyn, Boise's Friendly Photographer and mom of two. Katilyn specializes in branding and family photos, but offers an array of photography services - all of which come with a smile and a compliment or two. She builds her professional and personal foundation with kindness and community at the forefront. You can connect with her on Instagram.
Outside photography, you'll find Katilyn spending quality time with her husband, Stewart, and their two boys (4.5 years old and 1.5 years old). Katilyn and Stewart met in Boise in 2013, later moved to Thailand for a few years where their first boy was born, and eventually moved back to Boise in 2020. Before, between, and onward, they love to travel together, explore new cultures, and eat their way through Boise. You might spot them grabbing treats from Certified Kitchen + Bakery and running around Camel's Back most weekends.
Enjoy reading Katilyn's take on living life in Boise with kids!
Local Family Favorites:
We love to spend time at the Garden City Library. It's situated right off the Greenbelt and offers a lot of community events and a cute play space for young kids. They even borrow out fishing poles, toys, games, and other activities!
During the warmer seasons, our family likes to head to Green Acres Food Truck Park. They have some outdoor games, rotating food trucks and events. It's situated along the greenbelt, so we usually take a family walk too.
MK Nature Center is a big hit with our small boys, and it's absolutely free. It's a simple way to spend time outdoors together and their trails end at Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park (which the kids love, of course!).
Favorite Family-Friendly Places to Eat:
With our children being so young, we really love quick stops and patio dining. We often find ourselves at local smoothie shops like Boise Juice Co, Replenish, and Clean Juice Boise. Here's a tip: On Mondays, Clean Juice Boise offers a *free* kids smoothie with the purchase of an adult smoothie!
Best Park/Playground:
Stephen C. Guerber Park: http://www.cityofeagle.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Stephen-C-Guerber-Park-7
Best Part of Life in Boise with Kids:
Two words: Foothills and Greenbelt! Seriously, to us, this is what makes Boise. We live near foothill trails and the Greenbelt, and just being able to leave our home by foot or bicycle to spend quality time outdoors is invaluable. We love to pack picnics, spend time outdoors, and encounter all of the happy people spending time in nature too.
Best “parenting hack”:
"PICNICS." I pack on-the-fly picnics all the time for our boys. You know those mornings in the house when you just NEED to get out for your sanity? Tell the kids you're packing a picnic and going to XYZ - sometimes for us it could just mean to the carwash and they get a car-ride picnic.
Our little picnics often include a compartment tupperware of sliced fruits, berries, carrots, crackers and applesauce pouches. There is no glam to it. Our destinations are: hiking trails, driving around to find garage sales, the long way to and from the car wash, or a new playground. During the drives, my husband and I can actually talk to each other, uninterrupted, and sip on *hot* coffee that we poured to-go.
Getting out of the house and eating snacks never fails. Everyone's mood is instantly turned around.10/10 recommend.