“Jill Emmer was always the girl with a camera on school field trips and family vacations. So Instagram seemed like a natural fit for this Edina mother of two. “I had a private account for a year before I started a public account,” Emmer says. Her private account is where she posts pictures of her family and where she followed others who post pictures of funny bumper stickers or their kid’s new shoes. “I thought that was all Instagram was,” she says. Then one day, Emmer captured a shot of a running deer. She posted the photo on Instagram but noticed her friends were uninterested even though she knew the picture was pretty good. So she started posting pictures on a public account, titled after a Pink Floyd song lyric, and immediately her work began getting positive feedback.”
In The Press: A day at the fair with CBS Minnesota: WCCO
I was invited by WCCO - the local CBS news affiliate - to spend the day at the Minnesota State Fair.
They asked if I would like to bring my sons and share our adventures on social media.
If you're not familiar, the Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the country. It is a showcase some of our state's most unique foods, hearty farm animals, tractors, trucks, arts, dance, live fresh water fish, crazy carnival rides, live music and so much more!
My boys, ages 6 & 9, especially loved the two Midways. There is a "Kidway" featuring smaller scaled rides and the Midway which has rides and all sorts of carnival games.
The fun house in the Midway was a hit.
We got there early and there were already plenty of people!
There is some great shopping at the State Fair. I always stop at the "I Love You" booth, the Sota Clothing pop-up camper store and the "Piccadilly Prairie" booth. All of them feature great Minnesota-pride products.
Even amongst the crowds, you can find solitude in unique places.
Stomach space is a valuable commodity at the State Fair. There just isn't enough room in one's stomach to try it ALL! So it is always a debate what to eat. The boys were drawn to the smells of fresh warm cinnamon rolls and they didn't disappoint.
Also, please note that my soon-to-be-Kindergartner is in a stroller. At first he scoffed and said he was way too big to ride in his old stroller... but within minutes he was in it & I was SOOO glad I brought it! Unless your little one can walk about three miles (seriously) - bring the stroller!
You can also bring in your own waters and snacks. We didn't bring in any food but we sure were glad to have our own water bottles. Finding a water fountain or waiting in line just to buy bottled water can be a bit of a time suck.
This year, there is a brand new giant Ferris wheel! It is named the "Great Big Wheel" and can be found over near the Kidway on the northeast side of the Fairgrounds.
Visiting and petting the animals is also a highlight for my boys.
I love the chance to meet some of our state's great farmers! (When they're awake.)
I grew up caring for pet rabbits... so every year I fall in love with the bunnies . When we leave the fair, I always seem to google the closest place to adopt a mini-lop... Haven't gone through with it YET though 🐰
One of my favorite parts of the fair - is the people watching. I love to find a nice quiet bench to sit, rest & watch the hustle of the crowd!
A little fun fact: the midway and kidway rides and games are all discounted before 1pm. If a game typically costs 5 tickets, it will probably be 4 tickets before 1pm. It is a nice way to stretch your dollar. I also suggest going to Cub Foods and buying a State Fair coupon book. If you plan to do the rides and games at the midway or kidway - the coupon book is a must.
Our last stop of the day: The boys wanted to surprise their dad by bringing him home his favorite fair food. The turkey leg! We picked up one to-go on our way out.
Ahhhh all fair-ed out! This is in the parking lot while loading up to go home. Lots of prizes. Lot of walking. Lots of great memories!!
Thank you so much WCCO for asking me to share our day at the fair! We had a great day!
Meet this "super" NE Minneapolis family!
Meet Tony, Emily, Frank and Louie! A free spirited, fun-loving family from NE Minneapolis.
I met up with them one serene Sunday morning at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. This was my second year taking their family photos and it was fun to see how much the boys had grown!
They have been enjoying their summer with lots of fun activities!
Frank's favorite spot is the Minnesota Zoo. He adores visiting the animals.
Louie is learning to bike so he enjoys tooling around their NE Minneapolis neighborhood and biking to the park for a picnic.
The family also has been spending a lot of time in their backyard, the backyards of their friends and family, visiting Grammy and other relatives with trips to the lake and the Jersey shore.
When I met up with the family, they were looking forward to wrapping up their summer with a trip to Otter Tail County.
Nearly 50 members of Tony's extended family had planned to be there. The family has been taking this annual family vacation for more than 30 years!
Sounds like such a lovely way to spend a summer! Thanks so much Tony, Emily, Frank & Louie for asking me to take your family photos. It was great fun to see you again and to play with your little superheroes! ❤️
