Love. The beautiful, perfect gift that we humans are so fortunate to experience in immeasurable depth on so many levels. It is boundless, knows no language and acknowledges no borders.
To honor this magnificent gift, we chose one day out of the year to celebrate it by purchasing chocolate, flowers, and greeting cards featuring naked cherubs armed with impractical bows and heart-tipped arrows. Paul and I decided early on in our relationship that Valentine’s Day would not be an obligatory day of gift-giving and dramatic romance. It’s not for us.
[That being said, if he put a chocolate in front of me, there is a 100% chance that I would eat it.]
Judge me if you must for poo-pooing a Hallmark holiday, but I’m not a total fun-hater. The heroic writers at Parks and Rec popularized Galentine’s Day on February 13th, and this is a cause I can get behind! I figure if I’m going to spend money this holiday, it will be in support of some amazing local female entrepreneurs. Without further ado, I give you my 2020 entrepreneurial Galentines in the five arbitrary categories that I created based on the things that I love most at this very moment!
My Sweet Galentine: The Calico Bean Market
Noodles, coffee, spices, soup, candy, pretzels, chocolate, dog treats, fresh peanut butter, every color of cupcake sprinkles imaginable. You will find all of these things and more neatly packed into the four walls of The Calico Bean Market. Every Friday around 2:00 PM, my sweet tooth leashes me up and walks me down the street to Calico Bean to grab a bag of the most delicious licorice on this earth, Kollisions (pictured above), which I proceed to eat with fury until I’ve given myself the sweats from a sugar overdose. This has happened on more than one occasion and I wish I could say it wasn’t true.
I have to admit failure here, I do not know the hero’s name who owns Calico Bean, she is very friendly, but I tend to avoid eye contact and just grab my stuff and get out so that I can get to eatin’ my treats. Spoken like a true addict, I know. Here are some of my other favorites from Calico Bean: Raspberry Jalapeno Jam (great with cream cheese and honey wheat pretzel sticks!), freshly ground peanut butter, gummi rainforest frogs, and Monkey Munch. Clearly, my taste buds favor the sweet end of the spectrum, but there are plenty of options for the savory-inclined, as well.
Visit Calico Bean at 352 Bluff Street in Dubuque or online at www.calicobeanmarket.com
My Clothing Galentine: The Midwest Girl®
I am in love with this brand. The two sisters who created The Midwest Girl® have perfectly threaded nostalgia into the comfiest t-shirt you’ll ever wear. When I see my third grader sporting her “Midwesty®” baseball tee, my heart warms and a flood of memories from my childhood stream like a glitchy movie reel before my eyes. I can feel the humidity of a Kansas summer night, and smell the spent shells and sparklers from the Fourth of July. A cultural legacy is captured on and in that one little garment.
Marah and Marissa are geniuses. The quality of the clothing, the atmosphere of the shop, their honest presence on social media, the plaid tissue paper that your purchases are carefully wrapped in, and (if you’re fortunate enough to have someone who loves you enough to ship you some goods) the Twizzler that comes with your order all convey a congruent genuineness and reliability that just so… Midwesty®. It makes you feel right at home wherever you are.
Side note: I’m noticing a pattern with licorice.
Visit The Midwest Girl® at 471 W. 4th Street (for a little while longer—they’re moving to the Millwork District soon!) in Dubuque or online at www.shopthemidwestgirl.com
My Sushi Galentine: Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar
I’m not going to limit my love for this restaurant to sushi exclusively, because everything at Ichiban is incredibly delicious. Sushi just happened to be the selling point for my first trip, then I was hooked. Why did I have to be lured there by the promise of “the best sushi in Dubuque”, you ask? Because hibachi grills were never really my jam. But, I’m happy to report that I’ve had a corrective hibachi experience at Ichiban! We took the entire family for our son’s 16th birthday and it was an exciting and fun-filled night for all of us. Everyone left with full bellies, even our pickiest eaters!
Ichiban is perfect for a quick lunch date, or a birthday party with the entire family. Here are some of my favorite choices: Dubuque Roll, Fantastic Roll, Angry Dragon Roll, literally everything you can get on the hibachi grill is good, and the tempura Oreos… because licorice isn’t an option. 😉
Ichiban is always hopping so I would recommend making reservations, especially if you have a large party. The brilliant women who own and operate Ichiban keep things moving smoothly. AND here’s a game-changing tidbit for your crazy schedule: you can order online and carry-out!
Visit Ichiban at 3187 University Ave. in Dubuque and check out their menu online at www.ichibandbq.com
My Music Galentine: Elizabeth Mary
As a hometown girl from Dubuque pursuing her dream as a full-time musician, you may have heard Elizabeth Mary’s music making rotations on the local country stations. Her single “Sweatpants and Wine” was voted the Iowa Country Song of the Year. Meet Me in Madison, Elizabeth’s debut album, is streamed and downloaded all over the world. She has opened for acts like Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan, Sara Evans, and later this year, Air Supply! Her powerhouse vocals, empowering lyrics, and unique sound span genres. My kids love singing along to all of her songs, but their all-time favorite is “Breathe in Girl”.
Very few people have the courage to pursue their dreams whole-heartedly and without apology. Elizabeth is not only an excellent musician, but a fierce, independent woman who is taking the reins and creating her own reality while inspiring the rest of us along the way.
As if her musical talent were not gift enough for us mere mortals, she also has an adorable line of merchandise available on her website or at a local shop called Carol Ann Boutique and Body. The Sweatpants and Wine hoodie I got from my husband for my birthday always wins many compliments when I wear it out and about! Download Elizabeth’s album, follow her on Facebook and Instagram, check out her website, get out to one of her shows—you will NOT be disappointed!
Visit her website at www.elizabethmarymusic.com, on Facebook @musicbyelizabethmary, on Instagram @elizabethmarymusic.
My Wellness Galentine: Three Willows Wellness Center
December 5, 2012 was the day I met the woman who I credit as the stimulus for the growth and success I’ve had in my life over the last seven-plus years. At 26 years old, I was a mother to a 20-month old, six months pregnant, married to a man who was committed to nothing besides his own impulses, acting as an Interim Director for a division in my organization during a time of instability, waiting for a new Director to take over so that I could start the job I had been hired for in a different department two months earlier. To say that I felt powerless and completely out of control of my life would be an understatement. I was a shell; I felt nothing, I demanded nothing. I accepted the situation for what it was: the bed that I made and now had to lie in. It was my destiny to be a doormat because I had surely done something to deserve this at some point. I carried the burden for all of the shame in my relationship, and let me tell you, it was heavy.
Fast forward to current day, I have gained color into my world again. I have an amazing husband, a happily blended family, a good job that I love, stronger relationships with my parents and brothers, and a sense of strength and hope that I didn’t believe I would ever recover. Unpleasant as the journey was that brought me through the doors of Three Willows, it has delivered me to this beautiful place. This story spans pages, so it will be explored in greater depth another day.
There are several great providers at Three Willows. My therapist is Brigid, she is the bomb. The perfect combination of loving and sassy, and phenomenal at what she does. She will kick you in the teeth and make it feel like a hug. I make the most gains (in terms of healing) with hypnotherapy, although I am very resistant to it. Truly, I can’t imagine where I’d be today had I not stumbled into her office. The investment in yourself, in your mental, spiritual, and emotional health is 100% worth it.
Three Willows Wellness Center is located at 160 W. 10th Street in Dubuque and you can visit online at www.3willowswellness.com.
And that’s a wrap on my 2020 Galentines! This list is in no way exclusive, in fact, there are dozens more incredible women that I would love to highlight. I just need to visit their businesses or know them a little better before I get all lovey-dovey on them… don’t want to come on too strong, ya know. Maybe I’ll bring them a chocolate first.
