On a VERY cold January day, my son and I decided a day trip was the thing to do. Cabin fever had set in and we needed to get out of the house. We were both in the mood for some comfort food, so we headed Northeast from Indy to check out Winchester in Randolph County as we had heard that was the place for pie. And was it ever! The Wick’s Pie factory is located just outside of Winchester, IN and they make thousands of pies each day. This family business has been making delectable pies since 1934 (the first few years the pies were sold out of a truck!). Now you can buy them all over or have them shipped straight to your home. We stopped in Mrs. Wick’s Restaurant for lunch, as it doesn’t only serve the famous Wick’s Pies, but also a full menu of delicious, homemade Indiana comfort food. After chowing down on a mushroom swiss and a pulled pork sandwich, we reviewed the menu to select the perfect pies. We learned from our server that the pies served in the restaurant are made fresh every day by one lady. She makes them each by hand, using fresh ingredients and ensuring that the quality is up to her standards. Talk about some delicious pie. I enjoyed the blackberry and it was bursting with berries. With a slightly tart, slightly sweet flavor and a delicate homemade crust, it was amazing. Exactly what a fruit pie should be. My son picked the apple crumble a la mode and licked his plate clean. Yum! After filling our...
When I was a little girl, my dream job was becoming a travel agent (or librarian, but that’s another blog post …). I would research and plan vacations for my family and future me. For fun. We even went on some of them. Fast forward many years and I decided this was the year to actually fulfill that dream. Since traveling to Disney is one of my sweet spots, I decided to become a Magical Vacation Planner. It made perfect sense to start with an area I know really well and let’s face it, I was already planning trips, so why not make it official? Now I get to help other families plan their perfect Disney vacation! It is so much fun. And since we’ve been to Disney so many times I have TONS of insider tips and secrets to share. Insider Tip: I know all the best restaurants, easiest ways to get around the parks and some fun things to do aside from the typical rides. So how can I help YOU plan the perfect Disney trip? If you are thinking about Disney, head over to my Magical Vacation Planner website (click HERE) and let me know – I’ll work with you one-on-one to help you make it fantastic. There is NO additional cost to you, and you get the benefit of someone who knows Disney well. It’s a win-win for both of us! I get the fun of planning more trips and you get the benefit of having an expert make your trip planning easier and efficient. Insider Tip: Other trips I can help you with include...
A big thanks to Splitsville for hosting our bowling and dinner! All opinions and pictures are my own. By now, you know I love doing more than just going out to dinner, so bowling and dinner was a great choice! On our latest trip to Disney, we discovered the PERFECT break in the day and way to escape the heat – a visit to Splitsville in Disney Springs. If you’ve ever visited Disney in the summer, it’s hot. I mean REALLY hot. However, for families with kids, sometimes summer is the only option for a Disney vacation. If that’s your situation, taking a break in the afternoon to visit Splitsville will turn an exhausting day into a fantastic memory. For several years now, we’ve walked by Splitsville and talked about how fun it would be to check it out. We even walked in one year and looked around but didn’t take the time to stop and play. What a mistake! Insider tip: We learned from the manager, Don, that Splitsville actually has a few other locations, so even if you aren’t visiting Orlando, you can visit a Splitsville. Current locations include Anaheim, CA, Foxborough, MA, Fredericksburg, VA, Miami, FL and Tampa, FL. Splitsville isn’t just bowling, it’s also great food, live entertainment, and good old-fashioned family fun. On our recent visit, we spent several hours bowling, laughing and enjoying an early dinner. Although you don’t have to bowl to visit Splitsville (you can just enjoy dinner or drinks there), it really is a fun family activity. As soon as you walk in, you’ll be greeted at the front counter...
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...
Hard to believe this trip is almost over. Time certainly flies when you are having fun! To start the day off on a light note, we decided to create a challenge. This isn’t new for us, but the rules do change every year as we think up new ideas. This year, we started at the Cosmopolitan and worked our way up to Excaliber. We each had $20 to gamble at every casino and either spent it until we won or lost as much as we were comfortable with losing. Then we met back up and compared notes. The winner for that round (casino) got 1 point, second place 2 points, and so on. At the end of the walk, we compared scores for the winner. The winner got bragging rights the rest of the day. These challenges are a fun way to do something a little different in the casinos – and helps your money go further! It’s fun too – we are all competitive and like to win. Do you ever create challenges like this when traveling? What do you do? Late afternoon, my friend and I went to see Menopause the Musical. It was hilarious and the theater at Harrah’s was a great place to see it – small and so any seat was great. The boys spent their time watching baseball in the sports book. For some reason, they weren’t interested in seeing this show … We ended the day with a bit more gambling and wandering the strip. Then, at about 10:00 it started raining! I’m not sure I’ve ever been to Vegas in the...
Welcome Facebook Live Viewers! Ready for a super easy, super effective all purpose cleaner? Grab your oil of the month (tea tree) and give yourself five minutes and you’ll have an affordable and natural way to get your spring cleaning started: Tea Tree All Purpose Cleaner 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup distilled water 20 drops tea tree essential oil 15 drops lemon essential oil Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. Use as a regular cleaner (spray and then wipe away). Store in a cool, dark place and shake bottle before using. I’m slowly weeding out the rest of my chemical laden cleaners and plan on sharing some more ideas next week along with a before and after picture. What I love about doing this is that not only is it healthier, it’s also easier – less bottles and cleaning “stuff” to deal with! If you haven’t signed up already, be sure to check out my NEW opt-in offer “7 Ways to Become Healthier & Happier THIS Week.” It’s a terrific jump start to a healthier and happier year! *This post contains affiliate links*...
Hi! I’m Pam. I’m a busy mom of two teens who loves to travel and enjoy each and every day. My hope is to inspire other busy moms to create family memories and discover everyday adventures wherever they are! Check out my About Pam page for more details.
