The first Friday in 
The first Friday in March was a day we've had circled on our calendar since October. It's the day that Penguin's Snoballs on Little Creek, in Norfolk, opened back up again for the season. Penguin's was our summer 2016 hangout with friends, and when it closed it felt like that episode of 90210 when the Peach Pit is in danger. What would we do without it?

But luckily Penguin's is back and just as great as ever, with the same fluffy New Orleans shaved ice, the dozens of interesting flavors (red velvet cake? cherimoya?), and delicious toppings (condensed milk! Chili lime!) The staff is so friendly and will gladly let you taste test to find the perfect flavor combination. We were so surprised that they remembered us and all of our little munchkins (or maybe we just really did go there all. the. time.)

In any event, we are looking forward to another spring and summer full of deliciousness.

Every time we go to the Outer Banks we come home with a new favorite place to find eatable treats and for this past trip we took in June, the highlight was Zen Pops in Kitty Hawk. I have a milk allergy that makes it difficult to find a place where we can all enjoy (quality) frozen treats together (nobody wants the sad token sorbet. nobody). Luckily, the majority of Zen Pops' menu is dairy free and there are tons of vegan options, so there is something there for everyone. Hooray!

Oh, there's so much to love about this place and I am not just talking the salted caramel pops (my fave) or the coconut lime pzletas (Anouk's) or the made-right-there-in-the-back vegan ice cream cookie (James's). Zen Pops uses organic ingredients (including cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup) and oh, speaking of sugar, all of their recipes feature just 3-5 grams of sugar per serving, so you don't have to worry about the kids bouncing off the walls. All of the packaging is eco-friendly, and even the popsicle sticks are cleaned and recycled and donated to the nearby kids' museum to be used in crafts. Whew!

So yes: we ♥ Zen Pops, forever and ever, and can't wait to visit them again. If you're heading to OBX, stop by!