by Pam | Jul 24, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, Relationships, Relaxation, travel
Thinking of taking your teens to Las Vegas? When I think of Las Vegas, I think of an adult vacation. We’ve been going to Vegas every summer for our annual “grown-up” trip without fail and have always promised the kids we would take them when they turn 21. So why on earth did we take them with us this summer? Would I do it again? What in the world did we do to entertain them? Why we chose to take our kids Last year around Christmas time, we discovered that my daughter’s all-time favorite band (Aerosmith) was going to be playing in Las Vegas. She immediately began a campaign to see them live. Her arguments were reasonable (it’s all I want for Christmas and my birthday; Steven Tyler is 71, who knows how much longer they are touring, it’s a super small venue so it’ll be a great show, etc.). As we also love Aerosmith, we decided to give in and booked a trip. I will say I had a lot of trepidation on this one – I’ve never thought of Las Vegas as a family-friendly location, although I do know many families who love it. We picked a summer date for the concert and then built the trip around it. Luckily for us, the new ParkMGM (old Monte Carlo) was doing some really amazing room deals, and that is the location of the theater, so we were able to snag a great rate on an excellent room. We were on our way … What to do with teens in Las Vegas Our normal Las Vegas trip consists of...
by Pam | Jun 26, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, moms, parenting, Relationships, travel
Road trips are a constant in my life – the majority of our trips are taken in the minivan! Tanya from Traveling Tanya has some excellent tips for your next road trip with young kids. If you have a trip planned in the near future, be sure to take in her words of wisdom … For some, the thought of loading the family into the minivan for a cross country adventure sounds like the trip of a lifetime. Yet others dread the thought of a long road trip. No matter which camp you are in on this issue, an extended amount of time in the car with young children can test even the most patient person! As a mother of teenagers, I’ll admit I’m happy to be beyond the toddler stage. Although raising teenagers creates its own unique challenges! But I can still clearly recall the struggles I experienced in the car when my girls were little. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve (and in the diaper bag) that I am now happy to pass along to other moms with wee ones in tow. My best advice for traveling with young kids: Be prepared and have reasonable expectations. While every child is different and their needs may vary, here are some practical strategies to try on your next road trip with toddlers, preschoolers and beyond. Pit Stops Even though you may want to get to your final destination so your vacation can really begin, kids require frequent stops. Be prepared to stop at least every 2-3 hours. Regular potty breaks and diaper changes are a must...
by Pam | Jun 5, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, Food, Frugal Fridays, Indiana, Relationships, Relaxation, restaurant, travel
Is a movie and dinner your standard date night? Or a typical weekend outing for the family? We actually only do dinner and a movie a few times a year, but recently we decided to not just complete this common night out, but kick it up a notch by enjoying it in a nearby small town. Since I love old theaters (my current favorite is the Artcraft in Franklin), we decided it was time to introduce the kids to the Diana in Tipton, IN. Tipton is a small town of around 6,000 just 30 minutes north of Indianapolis. The Diana has been showing movies since 1926 and has been family owned the whole time. There is only one theater, but the shows change frequently. Typically the Diana will show one movie for a week or two, with two showings a night at 7 and 9:30. They are all first-run movies. The best way to discover what is playing is to call the theater or check out their Facebook page. We were lucky that Aladdin was showing the night we decided to go. It is a movie I had been wanting to see and although my family doesn’t all love going to the movies, they do all love adventures and since this wasn’t our normal local theater, they were in for the experience. Our goal was to hit the 7:00 show and have dinner before. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten it does take some time to drive up there, so it was a movie first and THEN dinner. Thank goodness the prices at the Diana are amazing. I was able to offer...
by Pam | May 29, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, Exercise, Food, healthy tips, moms, parenting, Relationships, Relaxation, restaurant, travel
In the mood to spend a day exploring but only have a few free hours? Why? Because there is no one to let the dog out. Ever happened to you? We love our dog, but he does cramp our style. When there have been weeks where it seems like he has been alone too much – or we just find ourselves with a full free day and want to run around without having to stop back home mid-day, we find a way to bring him along. It’s a little more work but can definitely lead to a fun and different way to spend the day. Luckily there are many places these days that allow dogs. I’ve had good luck at local restaurants and breweries or wineries with outdoor seating, parks of course; ice cream shops, coffee shops, farmer’s markets, outdoor concerts and sometimes an outdoor tourist attraction (like a walking tour – self-guided or not). A few tips to make for an easy day: Call ahead to make sure your pup is allowed. Combine a variety of activities – some food, some walking, maybe just some hanging out Check the weather – nothing worse than a wet dog in the car! Be a good dog owner – bring along water and poop bags and pick up after your dog Ready for an example? If you live in the Indianapolis area, here is a fun day with your dog: The day must start with coffee, right? Luckily most coffee and bagel shops are happy to have your dog join you. Once everyone is fully charged, a little walking seemed like...
by Pam | May 22, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, Food, Goals, Indiana, Relationships, restaurant, travel, Uncategorized
Think you live in a place where there is nothing to do? I hear that all the time regarding my state and I disagree. With the right mindset and a little creativity, you can find adventure wherever you live. You don’t need to travel out of the country or even out of your town. I’d be willing to bet you can find something fun and interesting to do wherever you are. Once you learn that adventure-seeking skill you can use it wherever you go to create more excitement in your life. To prove my theory, I’m embarking on a really long (like probably a few years) experiment to find something enjoyable to do in every county in Indiana. Let’s face it, Indiana isn’t a vacation hotbed – most people head to a big city or the beach for their annual vacations, so I figured if I can prove that my middle of the country state has something interesting to do EVERYWHERE, my point will be made! There are 92 counties in Indiana, so it’s a pretty daunting task. You can expect to start seeing posts each month covering a county or two (or three). I’ll still continue to share other trips, travel info, ideas for things to do, etc., this will just be a fun little addition. Luckily for me, I’ve already covered a few so I have a bit of a headstart. I’ll come back to this post and add links as I complete each county. I’ve broken down the state into regions and to keep it simple, I just followed how Visit Indiana categorizes them. Ready to...
by Pam | May 8, 2019 | Everyday Adventures, Relationships, Relaxation, travel
A big thanks to Bi-State Development and Explore St. Louis for sponsoring this trip. All suggestions and opinions are 100% my own. Ready for another adventurous day in St. Louis? Hopefully, you’ve planned your trip to the Arch and a fun day of Blues and BBQ in St. Louis. Don’t let your adventures end there, spend another day in the city exploring St. Louis’s newest attraction along with one of the most unusual. Personally I love a beautiful old train station, but unfortunately in many cities, as train travel has dramatically decreased, the old stations start to deteriorate from lack of interest and use. Instead of letting this happen to Union Station in St. Louis, the city has decided to completely revitalize the entire area with a new 100,00+ square foot aquarium and several other fun activities. Once completed, visitors will easily be able to spend a day enjoying it all. The aquarium is set to open later this year (2019) and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the construction. With multiple touch tanks (stingrays!), and 43 other exhibits including otters and a super cool shark tank, this aquarium will be entertaining for visitors of all ages. After talking to the folks immersed in creating this new experience, I learned a few things that will set the St. Louis aquarium apart from aquariums of similar size. First, the aquarium is housed inside a historic building – tell me that wasn’t a challenge? So it’s automatically going to have a very different vibe than a standard aquarium. Secondly, the focus is on customer experience – there will...
