"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 Tamara: I love Boise. It's where I attended college, got married, launched my photography business (going on 12+ years full-time), and became a mother.
It is here–in our foothills, beside our river, throughout our vibrant neighborhoods–that my personal life unfolds. In turn, it’s where I raise my camera and capture the moments, people, and places that are important to you.
Becoming a mother helped me see the world from a new and exciting perspective. Recently, I’ve begun exploring ways photographs can deepen a child’s world; to them, everyday objects are enchanting. My Montessori-inspired books contain bright, beautiful photos of familiar objects. The bulk of my work will always feature people, but I find great joy in these still-life projects meant to invite observation and conversation. I recently added cute little wooden vegetable toys to go with my book "Fruits and Vegetables." Head to my book Instagram to check it out! And enter the giveaway to win a set for your little one!
Local Family Favorites:
MK Nature Center: Great walking paths, lots of bridges, several little fish viewing windows, and tons of fresh vegetation for exploration.
Harrison Hollow: Very dog friendly (so bringing our pooch is a huge plus), one of the less-visited Boise trails and there is a great tree-covered area that our 3yo loves exploring.
Boise Bike Park: There are 3 different areas for different skill levels and the "easy" area is always filled with young kids and toddlers.
Favorite Family-Friendly Places to Eat:
10 Barrel: Noisy, lots of space. They serve kids' food on a frisbee that they can take home. Lulu's: Not necessarily geared toward kids but my son will only eat their pizza.
Best Park/Playground:
Gordon Bowen: 1013 Ofarrell St, Boise
Elm Grove: 200 W. Irene St., Boise
Bowler Park: 4403 S Surprise Way, Boise
Catalpa Park: 4516 W Catalpa Dr, Boise
Best Part of Life in Boise with Kids:
We love the endless options for outdoor play - foothills, parks, trails, greenbelt. There is so much to offer here. Boise is growing but still has that small city feel.
Best “parenting hack”:
For families on the go, I've learned to always carry a backpack with snacks, sunscreen, games, coloring books, and a handful of toys. It seems like an obvious one, but I've found that as your kids get older, you start to leave this stuff at home. I take this backpack with me EVERYWHERE and it has helped make our on-the-go lifestyle pretty seamless. We don't have a lot of meltdowns or major issues that require us to head back home.