Siouxland Families

As part of the Shop Iowa Squad , I received from them several different gift ideas this past holiday season, including some treats from Purple Ribbon Beef, based in Britt, Iowa. I tried the beef summer sausage, and the cheese they sent me, and here is my full review: What is Purple Ribbon Beef? Purple Ribbon Beef is a family-owned beef farm in Britt, in north central Iowa. They have a Purple Ribbon Beef storefront on ShopIowa.com , they have their own physical farm store, and they sell at the Ames and Clear Lake farmers markets. They are known primarily for their delicious cuts of beef, but they also use many parts of the cattle to make innovative products, including beef tallow candles and soaps, and cowhide purses and bags. And they sell some fun items from other local producers, like cheese from WW Homestead and spices from Saltlickers, both on their Shop Iowa page and in their farm store. Beef Summer Sausage from Purple Ribbon Beef The star of the show from Purple Ribbon Beef was t...

If you're looking for a unique gift for your loved ones this holiday season, here are some ideas I love which you can get from ShopIowa.com. I'm on this year's "Shop Iowa Squad" and I received most of these items for FREE as part of that program--thanks Shop Iowa!! But some of them I bought myself, and the ones I received as a gift, I would definitely buy. I've written before about how much I love Shop Iowa , which is an Etsy-style marketplace website for Iowa makers, brands and stores. And I think it's so fun that they sent their squad these great gifts so we can see for ourselves how awesome they are. So without further ado, here are some great Christmas presents that I would buy for my friends and family (or for myself), all available on ShopIowa.com: Magnetic Bookmarks from  Iowa Paper Farm These cute bookmarks are great for the readers in your life. How fun would it be to pair one or more of these bookmarks with a great book by an Iowa wr...

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...