0 In Travel

Our Third Anniversary in the Florida Keys

Spring break is here and that means we’re back in the Florida Keys! We realized this year that we’ve been traveling down to the Keys for a decade now. It truly is one of our favorite places on earth. We get asked a lot why we travel to the same place every year and our answer is always the same: we just absolutely love it there! Being able to celebrate our wedding anniversary in the place we got married is just the cherry on top.

First Three Days – Marathon

We flew into Miami, grabbed our rental car and took off for the Keys. The drive down is always exciting and it’s so beautiful. I recommend getting an island playlist set up beforehand to really make the drive special. We got groceries and stocked up on beverages and headed to our condo on Key Colony Beach. This is such a cute and walkable community. Their sunset celebration is something out of a movie (IYKYK). We relaxed that afternoon with cocktails by the water and had dinner at The Island – one of our must-stop favorites. Day two consisted of brewery day in Islamorada, hitting up Islamorada Brewery and Distillery and Florida Keys Brewing. These are two of our favorite spots in Islamorada and we try to go every year. We also stopped at newly opened Papa Joe’s Waterfront. They had just opened days before our arrival, so everything was a bit new, but this is going to be an every-year stop for us. The outdoor tiki bar is great with a huge lawn area to play bags overlooking the water. For dinner, we finally got to check out Burdine’s Waterfront. We’ve had this recommended to us a bunch and we finally got here! Beautiful spot right on the water and oh my gosh – get the shrimp sandwich + fries. Wednesday was a beach day at Sombrero Beach and clam chowder and fish dip at Herbie’s Bar & Chowder House. We also grabbed cocktails at Sunset Grille. We ended the night with lobster rolls and popcorn shrimp at Keys Fisheries.

Our canal view from our condo

Middle Three Days – Key West

On Thursday, we got on the road early and headed south to Key West. We stayed at the Caribbean House this year. We typically don’t stay in the same place year-to-year in Key West, but this is a place we’d stay again. Great location, great price and clean rooms. Lodging in Key West can sometimes give New York hotels a run for their money in terms of small sizes, but we don’t mind – we’re just looking for a place to rest our heads. We grabbed lunch at Garbo’s Grill (must stop) and just bar hopped the rest of the afternoon. We had happy hour at Alonzo’s (we stop here every year) and at Dante’s (first time). We bar hopped a little more and did late-night at Big Cheezees Pub.

On Friday we had a free day, so we decided to try a few Cubanos. Right down the street from our condo was Cuban’s Corner. This was our favorite Cubano of the trip! If you are looking for authentic Cuban food, I couldn’t recommend this place more. We also had to have the Cubano at Cuban Coffee Queen. We’ve had this one many times and it’s excellent. We bar hopped the rest of the afternoon and stopped at a few of our wedding spots to take pictures. We had happy hour at Old Town Mexican Café (get the chorizo nachos) and grabbed mojitos to watch the sunset in Mallory Square.

Sunset at Mallory Square

Saturday was our “try something new” day, so I worked with Kelly Hopkins, the concierge girl, to book a private sandbar charter for Saturday. I could not recommend this trip more. You can book a half-day or a full day trip and Kelly’s husband Keith takes you out on the water to show you all the sandbars. You can bring your own snacks and beverages and it’s just a nice way to get on the water without being on a huge charter with hundreds of strangers. We ended our night with a fun anniversary dinner at Hot Tin Roof. Make a reservation and watch the sunset from the balcony.

Sunset views from Hot Tin Roof

Last Three Days – Marathon

Our last three days of vacation were very relaxing. We spent a lot of time at the beach reading and hanging out. We had dinner at one of our favorite spots in Islamorada, Lorelei. We also have a hidden gem favorite The Lagoon on Grassy Key. They have a little bar and restaurant, Bongos that serves yummy food and has an excellent craft cocktail menu. They also have a great craft beer menu. Our last day of the trip was our wedding anniversary, so we started our day fishing with Tarpon Time. We do a half-day charter and this is an activity we’ve come to love doing every year. I also made reservations at Chef Michael’s in Islamorada. We’d never eaten here before, but thought it was so good and great for a special occasion.

The crevalle jack I caught

I have our whole trip saved on a highlight on Instagram called FL Keys ’24. If you’re interested in other Florida Keys recs, I’ve written about many of our trips to the Keys. If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help make it your best trip ever!

0 In Lifestyle

Things People Say to Us When They Find Out We’re DINKs – Part 3

dink life

If you’re new here, Ryan and I are living the DINK (dual income, no kids) life. We talk openly about our choice to be childfree and we’re both an open book when it comes to questions about our lifestyle. I started this series two years ago with Part 1 and Part 2 and because people continue to say bizarre things to us – here we are with Part 3.

“I can’t believe you’d promote a childfree lifestyle. All children are a gift from God.”

I’ve received this comment personally, and I’ve seen it on a lot of childfree Instagram accounts. I’m not sure where these people have confused wanting to be childfree and not thinking children are gifts. I think these two things aren’t mutually exclusive. I think a common misconception of childfree people is that they must hate children. I’ve met plenty of childfree people who love children and love spending time with them. A lot of them who love being aunts or uncles. Just because we promote the positives of our lifestyle (and there are many) doesn’t mean we are encouraging people to hate children.

“But who will carry on your legacy?”

This always makes me laugh. Is every parent on earth leaving a ‘legacy’? Is every parent thinking of the legacy they’ll leave when they have a child? I truly think the legacy you leave can be based on so many things. Did you volunteer? Support non-profits? Read to elementary school children? Walk dogs at the humane society? Join a board? Fill a food pantry? Maybe you’re a nurse or a teacher. Maybe you build homes for Habitat for Humanity. Maybe you donate money to your favorite charity every year. Maybe your write letters to nursing home residents. ALL these things can be considered ‘leaving a legacy.’ I’ve also literally never thought about the legacy I’ll leave. Maybe I will as I get older, but I just try to live each day to make myself, my family and my friends proud. That’s enough of a legacy for me.

“Must be nice….”

I find the “must be nice” crowd comes out at very specific times. I recently was at a party, and someone asked about my travel plans for the year. I rattled off 3-4 trips that we had planned. One of the parents interrupted, “Wow… so much travel! Must be nice.” This comment stopped me in my tracks. There was a heavy insinuation that that much travel was only possible to me because I don’t have children as responsibilities. Was this comment coming from a place of anger? Jealousy? To be honest, either of those I can’t help you with, but what exactly are you looking for in a response? Yes, because I don’t have children, I can book travel several times a year. You chose your life. I chose mine. Let’s vow to stay out of each other’s business in 2024!

0 In Travel

Our Long Weekend in Atlanta

Random weekends away are the best. The idea of going to Atlanta came together quickly, pushed by the fact my sister recently moved there and my beloved Minnesota Vikings happened to be playing. Couple that with the weather in Minnesota is starting to turn for the worst, the idea of warmth and sunshine was appealing. We went in with not a lot planned, but ended up finding some gems. We didn’t even scratch the surface of things to do in Atlanta so here’s a (not so) comprehensive list of things to do while in Atlanta.

Centennial Park

Food

An overwhelming recommendation was Krog Street Market. I love food markets because your entire group can get whatever they want. So many food and drink options and eliminates anyone being upset for not getting the kind of food they like! Ryan and I definitely wanted to try Atlanta barbeque and ended up on a little patio at Sweet Auburn BBQ. The brisket was 10/10 and they had so many yummy barbeque options. I did a little research on good restaurants in Atlanta and stumbled upon Bon Ton, a Louisiana-meets-Vietnam restaurant where everything we ate was excellent. I could not recommend this spot more, especially if you love seafood. Highly recommend making a reservation beforehand. Sunday night, Ryan wanted to hit up one more brewery, so we had dinner at Wrecking Bar Brewpub. This space is SO neat and the food was excellent. I’d absolutely go here again – make sure to get the charcuterie board.

Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Fun

My husband would spend all day, every day at museums. I tend to differ greatly on that, however Atlanta does have several museums that would be worth checking out. We did head to Centennial Park to see the Olympic rings. In this area, you can also hit up World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. On Sunday, we went to Mercedes Benz Stadium to see the Vikings vs Falcons game. The game day experience is great, highly recommend getting to the stadium early to partake in the festivities.

Vikings-Falcons Game

Drinks

Head to the Atlanta BeltLine, a 22-mile multiuse trail that connects the city’s in-town neighborhoods. You’ll find many fun bar options. We first stopped at Brewdog because of course; Ryan needed to check out the local beer selection. From there, we headed to Lingering Shade, an upscale cocktail bar with Montauk vibes. We stayed there for a while and tried a ton of cocktail options. We ended our night at Ladybird where I ordered a cocktail served in a plastic pouch.

We were overwhelmingly recommended Ponce City Market. We did stop in quickly to check it out, but didn’t get any food or drinks. It’s basically Krog Street Market on steroids with tons of food, drink and shopping options. We’ll make this a priority next time we stop in Atlanta.

I have our whole trip saved on a highlight on Instagram called Atlanta ’23.

0 In Travel

I Planned My Husband’s 40th Birthday in Las Vegas: Here’s What I Learned

vegas group photo

My lovely husband turned 40 this year! I had decided earlier this year that I wanted to do something big. We both felt a little gypped when we got engaged because we did it right at the beginning of COVID-19 and didn’t get to do all of the fun celebrating we wanted to do. I swore from then on that I’d make sure to go big on all milestones in our relationship. Ryan loves Las Vegas and we haven’t been there since 2021, so this seemed like a no brainer. I decided to secretly invite some of his friends and it turned into a pretty large event. Planning a birthday party with multiple people in Vegas can be daunting if you haven’t done it before. I’m going to share a few helpful tips I learned.

  1. Find out your total number of attendees as soon as possible. I sent out invites 3 months prior to the event, but I’d encourage you to do it even sooner. Having a solid number of attendees will give you a better idea for outings, reservations, etc.
  2. Make dinner reservations AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If you’re looking to have a group dinner on The Strip, I would highly recommend making your reservations as quickly as you have your group together. If you have more than 12 people in your party, almost all restaurants require a signed contract. We had 18 in our group for dinner at Yard Bird and I was assigned an event planner, had to sign a contract, had to choose a dinner and cocktail menu, had to customize menus – there were things I needed to plan. They also required payment upfront, so be ready to pay before you’ve even stepped foot in the restaurant. Note: Yard Bird’s food and service was 10/10. I would absolutely recommend them for a large group party or even just date night in Vegas.
  3. Be up front about cost with your guests. We had several ideas for activities and some of them were going to cost several hundred dollars per couple. I made sure to clearly explain this to the group and allow for discussion. You don’t want to put any of your friends in an awkward position of not being able to pay or declining an invite due to cost
  4. Give your group a rough itinerary ahead of time. Once I had a solid idea of activities and reservations, I emailed our group a rough itinerary for the weekend. I left plenty of time for people to explore on their own, as we had quite a few first-timers coming to Vegas with us. After the weekend was over, the group was so thankful for having everything planned for them. No decisions needed to be made (if you didn’t want them!) and it made things easy for all attending.
  5. If you have a large group and want to travel to other places, the obvious decision is booking a Lyft/Uber/taxi. We decided to book a party bus for travel so we could all ride together. It’s a very affordable way to get around – easily the same cost as booking 3-4 Ubers – and you can bring your cocktails with you.

Our rough itinerary:

-Most guests arrived late Thursday evening. People checked into hotels (home base for us was The Flamingo) and then we went out for drinks for the night. Very casual evening as people arrived.

-Friday was breakfast on your own. We met at noon on Brewery Row, which is a fun area off the strip that has tons of breweries all within walking distance. After spending the afternoon drinking beer, we decided on a low-key place for dinner. This was a chance for the group to go to a show, go off on their own or just do their own thing. Friday night we went down to Freemont Street for cheap drinks and gambling.

-Saturday was big BIRTHDAY day. We booked a cabana at the Flamingo Go Pool – and before I continue, this was an expensive, but absolutely worth it, decision. We had roughly 18 people and we wanted a guaranteed spot at the pool, a designated waitress and shade. It was an awesome way to spend a 100° day. Saturday night we did the big group dinner at Yard Bird, which was fabulous.

-Sunday most people took off. Ryan and I booked a late flight so we could relax and hang out just the two of us and decompress the weekend.

If you have any questions about booking a weekend or event in Vegas, please let me know!

0 In Travel

We Went to Summerfest in Milwaukee and Here’s How We Spent Our Weekend

I’ve committed a felony in terms of being a Wisconsin born-and-bred girl: I’ve never been to Summerfest. I know, it’s nearly unfathomable but I have never attended the world’s largest music festival that takes place in my home state. This summer, we decided to change that by seeing Eric Church on Thursday night of the festival.

I would 10/10 recommend attending a concert at Summerfest. It’s such an intimate setting, you feel like you’re getting a private concert at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. There are tons of options for food and drinks (alcohol or not) and the surprise of the night was the firework show that happened during Eric’s set. We took an Uber to the show, which I’d highly recommend. Parking seemed a little limited, so having a drop-off option would be ideal. Hotels are expensive during Summerfest. We stayed at a hotel that was a little farther away to pay a little less.

Eric Church concert

On Friday, we booked a food tour through Milwaukee Food & City Tours. We did the Brady Street Lunch tour and it was absolutely phenomenal. Our tour guide Larry was extremely knowledgeable and you could tell he absolutely loved the city of Milwaukee. We love doing food tours when we travel as it’s a great way to see the city and learn some history (all while eating yummy food). After the tour we stopped at Eagle Park Brewing, which my brewery-loving husband raved about. We wanted to have drinks on the water, so friends recommended a Key West vibes-type place called Barnacle Bud’s (get the buffalo shrimp). After drinks we had dinner at Movida, a tapas restaurant that was a short Uber ride away. We opted for an all-you-can-eat option for $50 for unlimited tapas. SO GOOD! We ended our evening by taking a short walk for drinks at Boone and Crockett, a lovely cocktail bar with beautiful views of the water and bridge.

Drinks at Barnacle Bud’s

On Saturday we had brunch at Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern. This is a hot spot, so expect to wait, but it’s absolutely worth it. After breakfast, we did the Lakefront Brewery tour. We’ve done this a couple of times, but the tour is always good and you get a couple of free drinks while you tour. They have a gorgeous spot right on the river to sip beverages by after. Ryan wanted to stop at a couple more breweries, so we hit up Company Brewing and Black Husky Brewing, which are within walking distance of each other in the Riverwest neighborhood. We had dinner at San Giorgio. If you’re into wood-fired Neapolitan pizza this place is a must. We ended our evening with a cruise down the river on the Paddle Tavern. This is essentially like the paddle tavern we did with Arizona Party Bike last summer, but on a boat! BYOB is encouraged and you do make a stop along the way at Boone and Crockett.

Bridge all lit up during the Paddle Tavern

Let me know your favorite Milwaukee spots in the comments!

2 In Travel

Top Things to Do in Duluth

What a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! Ryan and I wanted to do a road trip somewhere close by for the weekend and we landed on Duluth. It’s one of our favorite cities in Minnesota. We typically go in late July for a beer festival and find ourselves saying, “Why don’t we come up here more often?” It’s only 2 ½ hours from the Twin Cities and a very easy drive. I’m rounding up some of my favorite things we did.

Food

We ate so well this weekend! Tried a few new-to-us spots and a few tried-and-true favorites. Some of the standouts included Dreamland Supper Club in Superior. It was a little bit of a drive, but if you’re into the supper club scene I’d HIGHLY recommend checking this spot out. Another incredible spot we went to was New Scenic Café just outside Duluth. This place is perfect for special occasions and has a gorgeous view of Lake Superior. They also take reservations which is a plus during the busy summer months. On Sunday we wanted to check out a breakfast spot, but it was slammed so we ended up having lunch at Fitger’s Brewhouse. It’s a cool, historic building with lots of food, shopping and drink options. We topped off our stay in Duluth with delicious barbeque from OMC Smokehouse.

Ryan & I with our Old Fashioneds at Dreamland

Fun

If you’re into breweries, Duluth is a place you’ll definitely want to check out. We hit up several during our weekend, including Clyde Iron Works, Ursa Minor, Blacklist, Bent Paddle, Hoops Brewing and Earth Rider (Superior). This isn’t even all that Duluth has to offer, but with limited time we tried to hit up as many as possible. We also had a few cocktails at Vikre Distillery. This is such a cute spot with craft cocktails that are delicious.

Ryan & I at Bent Paddle

Other questions I’ve received about our weekend in Duluth:

  • Where do you stay?
    • We always stay at the Holiday Inn Downtown. It’s a little cheaper than staying in Canal Park but yet still walkable to most of the fun spots.
  • Did you drive up from the Twin Cities?
    • Yes! We actually made a couple of stops on our drive up in Mora, Minnesota. We stopped at the CUTEST winery, Ann River Winery with one of the best charcuterie boards we’ve ever had. We also stopped at Beer Club Brewing for a few beers.
  • How was the weather?
    • Definitely cooler than the Twin Cities. The proximity to the lake cools Duluth off considerably. It was upper 60s and sunny pretty much the entire weekend but the nights cooled down a lot so pack a sweatshirt (or two).
0 In Home

St. Paul Abode Boasts Farmhouse Fresh Design – Midwest Home Feature

Last fall, Midwest Home reached out to do a feature on my home and my life as a home decor influencer. I had an amazing conversation with their team and really enjoyed being a part of this. This is my second magazine feature, as I was featured in VoyageMinnesota in 2021. Check out the entire conversation with Midwest Home here.

Teele Schneider, also known as Atypical Teele on her digital blog and popular Instagram account, is a social media creator with a natural knack for design. But when she and her now-husband moved into this Cape Cod-style abode in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood in 2016, much of the major remodeling was already done. The previous owners renovated and removed nearly all the original features but luckily kept the original hardwood floors—something that Schneider will never replace, no matter how squeaky and creaky they may be, she says. Although some elements of the home are brand new, Schneider preserves its old-fashioned ambiance by incorporating antique pieces she finds in local stores like Missouri Mouse and the Mall of St. Paul—both located on Selby Avenue in St. Paul.

To make the farmhouse-inspired space feel fresh and bright, much of Schneider’s century-old abode is primarily white, flaunting a few pops of color infused through indoor planters, patterned wallpapers, or neutral throw blankets and pillows. She says that although she uses a lot of white, she wants her house to feel “cozy, warm, and inviting” and encourages her guests to make themselves feel at home. Her biggest tip for anyone who wants to elevate their own space is to “stay true to your style. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and make your home a place you are happy to be in.” Follow Schneider on social media at instagram.com/atypicalteele, or read her blog at atypicalteele.com for home, travel, and lifestyle content you’re sure to love.

0 In Travel

2nd Anniversary Trip to the Florida Keys

…and we’re back! We spent our 2nd wedding anniversary in the Florida Keys and despite windier and cooler weather than normal, we had such a fun and relaxing trip. It’s so fun to get to spend our anniversaries here. After getting married in Key West in 2021 and spending our first wedding anniversary in the Florida Keys in 2022, we felt so lucky to be back again in 2023. This year we flew into Fort Lauderdale as the rates were a little better than our usual Miami flight.

First Three Days – Marathon & Islamorada

After what has felt like the longest winter in Minnesota history, it felt SO GOOD to get into shorts again and get a little sun on our skin. Our first full day of vacation we went parasailing out of Robbie’s of Islamorada. This was our second time parasailing with Robbie’s and we have enjoyed it each time. The price is really reasonable and you can add on a photo package if you want the boat captain to take some great high-res images of your flight. Since we were already in Islamorada we also hit up our two favorite breweries: Florida Keys Brewing Company and Islamorada Brewery & Distillery. Both are must-stop spots if you’re in this area. On day two we did a half-day fishing charter with Tarpon Time. We’ve fished with them several times and it is such a good experience.

A few extra favorite stops: Herbie’s Chowder House, The Island Fish Company, Keys Fisheries

Parasailing at Robbie’s

Middle Three Days – Key West

We drove down to Key West bright and early from Marathon on Thursday and did another tour with Key West Food Tours. This is one of our favorite things to do in Key West! We’ve done them multiple times and each time we try a new restaurant or learn something new about Key West. We also hit up our favorite happy hour spot on the water: Alonzo’s Oyster Bar. We topped off the day with a sunset in Mallory Square. Friday was St. Paddy’s Day and it was HOT so we went to Dante’s pool for the day. We tried a new spot for dinner on Friday, Louie’s Backyard. I’d recommend getting a reservation (we didn’t have one) if you want to sit on the patio by the water. We were able to sit on the upstairs porch and had a beautiful view of the Atlantic and the most delicious food. On our final day we walked around Fort Zachary State Park and Beach. We’d never been back on the beach and it’s a great hidden gem if you’re looking for something off the beaten path in Key West.

A few extra favorite stops: Garbo’s Grill, First Flight Brewery, General Horseplay, Sunset Pier, Misohappy, Durty Harry’s

Sunset at Mallory Square

Final Three Days – Marathon & Islamorada

After our three nights in Key West, we drove back to Marathon to celebrate our second wedding anniversary! Because we weren’t down in Key West, I made reservations at Pierre’s Restaurant in Islamorada. A spectacular spot! We had never been here but were interested in a more romantic, elegant setting and Pierre’s did not disappoint. Our final two days were very relaxing. We spent a lot of time by the pool and checked out a few of our favorite bars and restaurants including Lorelei, Sunset Grille and Bongo’s Botanical Beer Garden.

A few extra favorite stops: Sparky’s Landing, Hog Heaven, Sombrero Beach

Dinner at Lorelei

I have our whole trip saved on a highlight on Instagram called FL Keys ’23. If you’re interested in reading more about our favorite things to do in the Florida Keys, I’ve written several posts previously on our favorite restaurants, bars and activities. If you’re planning on a trip, I’d love to help make it your best trip ever!

0 In Travel

Teele’s Top 5 – Work Travel Edition

I started a new job in early February that has included a lot more work travel. A common misconception about work travel is that it’s glamorous. I’m here to say: it’s really not. It’s exhausting and sometimes lonely. However, there are SO many things that can make it easier and I’m here to share them all with you. While I’ve titled this work travel edition, I also did a round-up of travel items for fun travel as well.

Noise Canceling Headphones These were actually a Valentine’s Day gift from Ryan and boy, did they come at the right time. My first day on a plane with these there was a baby who cried for nearly the entire flight so these came in handy. They’re affordable if you don’t travel often and the quality is great. I’ve even worn them at the gym and they worked great during my work out. Really love the rose gold color, too!

Wireless Earbuds Most newer phones don’t come with a headphone port anymore, so these are necessary for travel if you want to listen to audio/video on your phone. I’m mostly a podcaster while traveling, so these are essential when I tune into Crime Junkie mid-flight. These are also the earbuds I wear at the gym. They’re comfortable and easy to use.

Small Crossbody Purse I hate lugging my purse with me when I travel, but I like to keep my essentials close by. This is a great crossbody option that is cute and functional. It can hold my credit cards, cellphone, earbuds and other small essentials. It comes in a ton of color options and can be dressed up or down depending on your needs.

Kindle Case I always bring my Kindle when I travel in case of flight delays or down time. I was tossing my Kindle into my laptop bag and it was getting scratched up, so Ryan purchased this case for me for Christmas. It’s super affordable, comes in a ton of color options and keeps my Kindle safe. It comes with a handle on the back for ease-of-use as well.

Tile Or, some may be more interested in an AirTag depending on your phone, but I’ve found lately that this is a must-have when traveling. While I typically carry on my bag when traveling for work, I have found if I jump on a standby flight, I may have to check my bag due to boarding last and the plane running out of storage space. I don’t have to worry about my bag at all because I’ve got a Tile hidden inside. I would absolutely recommend this for your checked bag every time.

These are just a few of the things I can’t live without while work traveling. What are some of your favorite travel must-haves?

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