Siouxland Families

The Sioux City area is full of great local stores, brands, and makers who have items for sale that would make amazing presents for Christmas, Hannukah, or your favorite winter holiday. I love that spending some of our holiday dollars with them makes it possible to get unique gifts for friends and family while also supporting our neighbors. There are too many Sioux City and Siouxland local gifts to list all of them, so I definitely encourage you to shop your favorite local places even if they aren't on my list of personal faves yet. Best locally owned stores in Siouxland for toys and gifts: Thinker Toys 4400 Singing Hills Blvd The iconic castle toy store just south of the Southern Hills Mall features a wide variety of toys and games, from well-known brands like Lego, Corolle, Brio, Playmobil, Schleich and Melissa & Doug, to quirky independent brands you won't find elsewhere in Siouxland. They also have frisbee golf equipment, which is perfect for Sioux City's various cou

When I heard that Taco John's was testing out a new menu item in just three cities and that one of them is Sioux City, I immediately wanted to try it out! So, we headed to Taco John's to try their brand new "walking taco" style dish, which they are calling the Fritos Taco Mixers. Based on that trip and trying them with my tween, here's my full review: What is the Taco John's Frito Taco Mixer? The Taco John's Fritos Taco Mixer is a brand-new dish available only in three test markets (Sioux City, Iowa; Paducah, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana) as of Mid-November 2024. The Taco Mixers come in two varieties: regular and double beef. Both options are walking-taco style entrees consisting of Fritos corn chips, ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and some of Taco John's iconic Potato Oles.  Our thoughts on the Taco John's Frito Taco Mixers I ordered one of each variety of the Taco John's Fritos Taco Mixers from a Sioux City Taco John

President-elect Donald Trump made an announcement with huge implications for Iowa! In 2026, the United States of America will be celebrating its 250th birthday, and President-elect Trump plans to make it an epic party.  A video of President-elect Trump from Memorial Day 2023 shares a specific part of his plan: the "Great American State Fair" which President-elect Trump suggested could consist of pavilions representing each state in the nation, in coordination with the 50 governors. He also mentioned sporting events for high schoolers from around the nation as part of this event, which he called "Patriot Games." And the part that may excite Iowans most is the intended location:  The Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa! I've posted before about how much I love  visiting the Iowa State Fair  with my family and so I can definitely see why President-elect Trump proposed the fairgrounds as a venue. Plus, the event itself sounds really fun, so I'm excited t

La Juanita is one of the most iconic restaurants in Siouxland. The taqueria was opened in 1998 after owner Christina Bautista moved to Sioux City from LA at the recommendation of her brother. Now, the cash-only restaurant, named after Bautista's older sister Juanita, is so popular that the line to order is often literally out the door. But how does the taqueria stack up as an eatery for families with kids? Here's what parents should know: * this post was originally published in 2016 and was updated in November of 2024* Where is La Juanita? La Juanita is at 1316 Pierce Street near downtown Sioux City. There is a small lot with free parking behind La Juanita, and free street parking on Pierce Street in front of the restaurant. A second Siouxland location is under construction, and I'll be sure to post about that location too once it opens. There is also a La Juanita restaurant in Storm Lake, which is owned by Bautista's daughter, Jennifer Calderon. Atmosphere at La Juan

November 1st is "National Toothbrush Day," and after eating way too much delicious candy on Halloween, I sure need a great toothbrush to celebrate with. But there are so many toothbrushes out there that all claim to be the best, and it can be a challenge to figure out which toothbrushes are actually the right ones for my family.  To find out more about how to choose the right toothbrushes for our kids and ourselves, I reached out to Dr. Josh Hindman, DDS who, full disclosure, is my brother-in-law. He had some great tips on choosing toothbrushes for all ages, and I'm excited to share them with you all too:  Meet the Expert: Dr. Josh Hindman, DDS Dr. Hindman is an experienced dentist, with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Iowa, who started his professional career by serving as a dentist for the U.S. Air Force, and now also has several years of experience in private practice. He's also a dad of 5 kids and loves celebrating holidays, including some

If agile footwork to the beat of an Irish drumbeat makes your soul stir (it does mine!) you do not want to miss A Taste of Ireland  when it comes to Sioux City this fall! Thank you to A Taste of Ireland for sponsoring this post.  This October, Sioux City fans can discover A Taste of Ireland live at the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre! Here's what families should know about A Taste of Ireland before the October 23rd show in Sioux City: image provided by A Taste of Ireland What is A Taste of Ireland? photo provided by A Taste of Ireland A Taste of Ireland is a new off-Broadway production featuring Irish dance and music. The talented cast includes performers with experience in productions like Lord of the Dance and Riverdance  and the audience will love classic songs like Danny Boy , Tell Me Ma , Wild Rover , and many more . Modern Irish dance, contemporary dance, tap, and imaginative storytelling make this show a captivating experience. Throughout the show, the cast puts these classic I