Tag: boise life

5 Ways I Dress Warm in the BOI Winter

by boisebucketlist, posted in How-To Guides

Anytime I tell someone I’m originally from West Palm Beach, Florida I’m greeting with this automatic “oh dear, how are you holding up in the winter?” Great question.

Fortunately for me (or unfortunately, depending on your mindset), I lived in Portland, ME for 5 years. During that time, I gained firsthand experience of what it means to dress warmly. Such is a foreign concept for Floridians — unless that 3-day cold front we usually get in January.

Thankfully, lessons learned in Maine helped me transition to life during this BOI winter. Here are the 5 ways I dress warmly:

  • L.L. Bean Boots. For those who don’t know, the founders of L.L. Bean are from Maine. If you ever visit Freeport, make sure to snap a photo in front of the famous Bean Boot.With all my Mainer friends talking about their “beans,” I took note and decided to do some research for myself. I immediately became hooked after purchasing my 1st pair. Yes, I have more than one! The ones I wear for winter are the L.L. Bean Boots with the shearing-lining. They keep my feet extra warm, which is necessary for me! They can be a bit costly upfront, but it’s a lifetime guarantee with their products. I’ve had mine for over 6 years, and they still look good as new.

 

  • Wool Socks. Understandably, I had NO CLUE what wool socks were prior to moving to New England. Once winter came around, I overheard a classmate of mine talk about his wool socks and how they made him itch.  Say what? What are wool socks? Rather than asking and being embarrassed, I did the usually thing: Google search. I have no clue how I survived my first winter without them! I try to keep it colorful with these wool socks. 

 

  • Parka. I tried my  hardest to refrain from pulling out the parka here in Boise. I wanted to show that I can handle the cold temps. Then I was (re) introduced to 20 degrees F. That made me change my mind real quick. I have a few parkas, but my favorite is my North Face parka. 

Here’s a tip: if this is your first winter and costs of jackets are wearing you down, I recommend visiting the local thrift stores such as Idaho Youth Ranch and Goodwill. I received this tip when in New England because I was worried about costs, particularly since I never had to spend over $20 for any warm piece of clothing. At the thrift stores, I found everything from brand new jackets still with tags to gently used high-end jackets. My first winter in New England was manageable because of those 2nd hand L.L. Bean jackets.

`

  • Gloves. A few weeks ago, I made the terrible mistake of leaving my gloves at home when I volunteered at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Boy were my hands freezing! Moving forward, I now I have 2 pairs — one I keep in my jacket pocket. My go-to gloves are those with a buckle closure and those which are  touchscreen-friendly.  Prior to these touchscreen-friendly gloves, it was annoying to have to remove my gloves to answer my call or text.

 

  • My winter hats. I have my fair share of winter hats. Some hats are more appropriate to wear when my hair is straightened; others times I wear hats made to fit my entire head of curls. My when-my-hair-is-straight winter hat is the standard beanie. It’s comfortable, keeps my head warm, and it compliments my face. Now, when my hair is too curly, the only hats that can handle it is the ski caps with a visor. I wear this all the time — even at home! Makes me feel warm and toasty.

 

With what appears as this record-breaking winter for snow, I’m glad I’m equipped to stay warm. What are some of your must-have winter items?

Appetite @ Addie’s: 10 Day BOI Bucket List Challenge 

by boisebucketlist, posted in BOI Bucket List Challenge, Food & Cuisine

I’ve heard about Addie’s.


My coworker mentioned she has lunch here on a weekly basis. With her recommendation, I decided to checkout Addie’ for a (late) breakfast.
Addie’s is located in Old Boise, on the corner of 5th and Main Street. It has the most decorative window art I’ve seen so far (excluding all the window paint for the holiday season). My favorite is the painting of two ladies sitting at a table, sipping tea.

With Boise Weekly in one hand and my wallet in the other, I headed into Addie’s. After being greeted with a warm smile, I was instructed to find my own seat. I chose a comfortably-sized  booth facing Main Street.

Before I even had the chance to sit, a young man with framed black glasses, dressed in a vintage-styled sweater covering a joker tee-shirt, with his hair pulled up in a ponytail asked me if I wanted coffee (bottomless coffee, by the way). I quickly responded with yes! and sat down.

The table over had college students talking about:

–  earning Dean’s list

– happy finals ended

– talked about skiing with family

While perusing the menu (and overwhelmed with the delicious choices), I overheard one college student order the meat skillet.

Hmm, meat skillet?

I thought that sounded rather scrumptious (well… Maybe my mind didn’t use the word scrumptious, but it’s a good word for this blog).

When the young waiter walked over asking me what did I decide to order, I responded with my usual:

This is my first time here; what do you recommend?

Waiters, you probably hate this question but I like to know what is the most standard meal at a restaurant I’ve never been to.

He graciously smiled, and recommended:

– Waffles

– Eggs Benedict

– Skillet

Oh, that word skillet. What the hell is a skillet?

I embarrassed myself and asked what it was. Believe it or not, I never knew that hash browns mixed with meat & veggies was called a skillet! My parents have made that before on our Sunday mornings.

I’ll take the meat skillet please!  I said enthusiastically. Maybe too enthusiastically.

While waiting for my food, I read the newest Boise Weekly, marked down a few events for my reference, like the Humpin’ Hannah’s Fugly Nightmare B4 Christmas Party (which I’m going to anyway) and the Treasure Valley Children’s Theater: Little Women showing).

What seemed liked only a few minutes, the young waiter approached my table with a plate topped with some fried eggs & a meat skillet covered with melted cheddar cheese.

OMG! So delicious.

Basque chorizo sausage mixed with crispy hash browns, and the soft texture of melted cheese was a party in my mouth. Seriously. Let’s not  forget about the fried egg on the side, which I kept forgetting to eat because the allure of the meat skillet kept my attention.

 

If you’re looking for a diner with its fair share of comfort food, add Addie’s to your Foodie #boisebucketlist.

So 1 down, 9 to go! What should I do next…?

And don’t forget, if you want to party & dance with me this Friday night, let me know! Email me at theboisebucketlist@gmail.com. If you’re new to Boise & looking to explore, I’m your person.

 

BEER-ific Review: Top 3 Things of Boise Brewing

by boisebucketlist, posted in Breweries, Uncategorized

Last night, I checked out Boise Brewing for the 1st time. Although craft beers weren’t as popular in South Florida while I was living there, I picked up this interest in the craft brew scene when I lived in Maine.

Disclaimer: I am not a beer connoisseur whatsoever. That said, I don’t necessarily judge the craft beers based off substance. Some critics have mentioned to me breweries are all the same.

Uhh, no not really.

How I view going to breweries is that it’s an experience, because I usually:

  • Take my time to review the menu (if you’re a newbie like me)
  • Check out the decor
  • Interact with the server, asking for suggestions
  • Hang out in the tasting room
  • Take a brewery tour (if available)
  • Hang out with friends, co-workers, boyfriend (when I had one), or like yesterday — young professionals of Boise

Based on yesterday’s visit, here’s my BEER-ific review of Boise Brewing:

 

  1. Private Room is worth a visit: I was impressed on how quaint and comfortable the private room was. It comfortably fits 30+ people, fair share of places to sit (including a ledge with a view of downstairs), and a staircase with a straight shot to the bar. That’s always a win. If you’re thinking about a cozy place for a gathering, whether it’s for your office or group of friends, I suggest you checkout Boise Brewing’s private area upstairs.
  2. Active Calendar of Events. As I mentioned above, part of my brewery experience is checking out the decor and my surroundings. While waiting for the lovely server to prepare my pint of Broad Street Blonde, I used that time wisely to look around the bar. My eye caught the attention of the bright Yellow and Blue calendar of events for December. Below are some of the events listed:
    • Frequent Food Truck visits (I have a thing for food trucks!) by Westos Locos, B-Town Bistro and Rusty Dog
    • Free Comedy Night
    • Daily Happy Hour specials

Time to mark my calendar!!

3. Responsible for annual Hoptober Freshtival I’m pretty bummed that when I first moved to Boise, I wasn’t aware of this FRESHtival. Otherwise, I would have attended and scratched it off my #boisebucketlist.

Oh well. There’s always next year.

According to their website, over 60 fresh hop and season beers from 30+ local/regional craft breweries are featured. Over 2,000 (yes 2K) patrons attend each year.

 

I plan on going next week to take advantage of the $1.00 off the featured food truck.

Have you checked out Boise Brewing? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!!

 

 

Get Juiced, Boise!

by boisebucketlist, posted in Health and Wellness

I’m feeling under the weather.

Is that a surprise? Probably not considering this weather. It doesn’t help that my colleague’s son is sick, causing her to be sick, and now the rest of the staff is down! I’m going to fight this, no matter what I have to do. I have a date this Friday night! Another (potential) story to add to my other #datingintheBOI moments.

Rather than pumping some ramen noodles in my system (which is fine, but I’ve been eating healthy these past few weeks & don’t want all that sodium in my system), I decided to finally checkout Boise Juice Co., a local company which makes cold-pressed juices, whole-food smoothies, and acai bowls. No better reason (at least for me) to visit a juice bar is when I’m under the weather.

It’s about 5 miles away from my job — not much of a drive.


I pulled up and saw Boise Hot Yoga. I thought hmm, I should add this to my #boisebucketlist. Duly noted. After being greeted by a nice gentleman, I proceeded to the counter and asked the young lady about what’s good for a cold. I kind of put her on the spot, but I wanted to maximize my first visit to Boise Juice Co. 

I ended up getting:

  1. The Popeye: an acai bowl mixed with blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, banana, kale, spinach, and apple juice. It’s then topped with organic hemp granola, banana, strawberries, and pineapple honey.
  2. Turmeric Tonic juice: pineapple, orange, carrot, turmeric and ginger
  3. Nice Melons juice (help with my immunity): red apples, cantaloupe, orange, carrot, and lemon

I plan to drink the juices throughout the day until I get home for some delicious soup. Most likely, I’ll lay out on my couch, turn on some Vanderpump Rules, and veg out.

C’mon people, I need to get better before Friday!

 

Want to checkout Boise Juice Co. yourself? Visit their website here: http://boisejuice.com/.