Siouxland Families

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

In light of all the recent AI advances and their prevalence across the internet, especially on blogs and social media pages, I have investigated these tools and spent a lot of time and thought determining what place they might have in my writing and content. And upon this reflection, I pledge to: not use AI-generated images or written content on my blog or social media platforms to notify you my readers if I change this policy at some point in the future I have been watching AI explode as a tool in the blogging, advertising, and social media content creation spaces in recent months, and while it's impressive what AI can do, I also feel like its inherently incompatible with the core of what I want to offer as a writer, and what I like to consume as a reader and viewer. I haven't used AI to generate the images or text for my books, on this site, or for my social media channels, and I plan to keep it that way. I want to produce content that is authentic, accurate , and creative.

I'm thrilled to announce that I am the newest member of the  Shop Iowa Squad ! Each year, Shop Iowa looks for Iowans to help spread the word about the great finds available on the Shop Iowa site and I was chosen this year which means I'll get a few freebies, plus a lot of great info AND a coupon code for you! But what is Shop Iowa, what are these great finds, and what is Shop Iowa Day? I'm excited to tell you all about it: image courtesy of Shop Iowa What is Shop Iowa? Basically, Shop Iowa is a website that lets makers and stores from around the state list their items on their own pages, making it easier for the customers who want to shop local and the shops who want to sell to them find each other. Like a cool craft fair, but one that you can browse from your own couch anytime! What can you buy from Shop Iowa? ornaments from Donna Rae on Shop Iowa The myriad stores that sell on Shop Iowa offer a huge variety. Not everything sold fits nea

If the kids in your life are fans of tractors and farm themed books, they're going to love  The Tractor Squad by Heather Dawn Torres. In great news for Sioux City readers, Torres will be appearing in person at Book People so we can meet her and discover this cute book. Here's what you should know about Torres and The Tractor Squad : cover of The Tractor Squad, image courtesy of Heather Dawn Torres About author Heather Dawn Torres author photo courtesy of Heather Dawn Torres Heather Dawn Torres is an Omaha-based author and mom who grew up on a northwest Iowa farm and says she sometimes used books as a way to get out of chores!  The Tractor Squad is her first book, and a sequel, The Tractor Squad Saves the Day is scheduled for release in April 2025 You can learn more about Torres and her books on her author website . About the Tractor Squad The Tractor Squad is a brand-new picture book about a friendly group of tractors, released on September 3, 2024. It i

Sierra just opened a brand-new location in Sioux City on September 14th, 2024! This exciting brand is bringing fantastic deals on outdoor gear and other things active families want and need and I'm excited to share all about it in this sponsored post. Here's what Siouxland shoppers should know about Sierra:  What is the Sioux City Sierra store? Sierra is a new discount outdoors store from the same parent company as TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. Sierra features high quality apparel and gear for all kinds of adventures, like hiking, watersports, and camping. They also have pet care items, home decor, toys, and other surprise finds that are perfect for outdoorsy families. Expect top brands and quality for great prices at Sierra! Where is the Sioux City Sierra store? The Sierra store in Sioux City is located at 5751 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City, IA 51106. There is free parking in the lot that Sierra shares with Marshall's and Ulta. If you're travelling, t