Shelly – Page 24

by Shelly on August 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

Fall Fun at The Indiana State Museum

Fall fun for everyone at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.– It’s almost September, and that means one thing: Fall is nearly here.

This autumn, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites has everything your family needs to get into the fall spirit. From beautiful leaf-viewing destinations to spooky nights out, it’s time to grab your boots, throw on a cozy sweater and hit the road.

We’ve got your fall checklist covered – and we promise these are events and opportunities you won’t want to miss.

You can learn about all of our historic sites, including hours and locations, at this link.

Fall foliage? Check.

Nothing says fall like the spread of gorgeous fall colors across the trees, and what better place to see the colors of autumn than Brown County?

This location is a destination for lovers of fall leaves, and T.C. Steele State Historic Site is the perfect place to take in the beauty so breathtaking it inspired Hoosier artist T.C. Steele himself. Just over an hour south of Indy, your family can visit the gardens for free, or take a tour of his home and stuio with purchase of general admission.

If you’re looking for more fall foliage photo ops, travel north to Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site or Limberlost State Historic Site. The sight of the leaves across gorgeous Sylvan Lake at Gene Stratton-Porter or in the woods surrounding Limberlost isn’t something you’ll want to miss. Plus – admission to the grounds at Gene Stratton-Porter is free as well.

Hayride? Check.

It’s not fall without a hayride – or a full-on Halloween festival.

At Angel Mounds State Historic Site, attend the Halloween Hullabaloo on Oct. 20 and 27 for just $5 per person. Take a haunted hayride and enjoy games and crafts, plus see if you can escape the Mummy’s curse in “The Tomb.” Visitors are invited to dress in costume and collect candy in trick-or-treat bags throughout the night.

PS: You can also take a haunted hayride at Vincennes State Historic Sites during Fort Fright.

Costume contest? Check.

For some, fall is all about Halloween – and the costumes. On Oct. 5, strut your ghoulish stuff in a costume contest during Family Fright Night right here in Indy at the Indiana State Museum. During this night of spooky fun, you can compete in a costume contest, conduct spooky science experiments, create your own monster mask and more. Admission for this event is just $10 for members, $16 for non-members, and free for children age 3 and younger.

Haunted house? Check.

Most haunted houses may be totally fake, but we’ll do you one better with “Literally, A Haunted House” at Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site. Here, visitors have been scared since 1985 as they explore the haunted Carriage House of Culbertson Mansion. After the mansion was auctioned off years ago, it fell into disuse, and dark legends abound concerning tragic fires, spiritual activity and even demonic possession. This haunted house is not for the faint of heart, and it’s recommended for attendees age 10 and older – if they dare.

Or, in a twist on the usual haunted house, visit Fort Fright at Vincennes State Historic Sites, where visitors of all ages can explore the haunted trail around Fort Knox II. During no-scare hours, visitors can enjoy games, a hayride and more. But, once the spookier hours hit, be prepared to test your courage with dramatic scare scenes around the fort.

Spooky stories? Check.

Maybe a haunted house just isn’t your scene – and that’s okay! Instead, enjoy spooky story programs at two of our locations, with tons of Halloween fun for the entire family.

Limberlost State Historic Site will offer spooky stories in a Spooks and Spirits program on Oct. 20 at the Loblolly Marsh, where visitors can enjoy Halloween-themed stories, roast marshmallows and take a night hike through the marsh. At Whitewater Canal State Historic Site on Oct. 13 and 20, visitors can take a Halloween-themed boat ride on the canal while hearing family-friendly spooky stories from a professional storyteller, all in conjunction with the Haunted Village of Metamora.

Ghost walk? Check.

For die-hard Halloween lovers, several of our events take the spookiness to the next level by featuring haunted happenings about real historical events – or even, possibly, real spirits.

You can investigate the paranormal for yourself at New Harmony State Historic Site during after-hours tours where you can use real paranormal equipment. Or, take a ghost walk at Lanier Mansion State Historic Site or Corydon Capitol State Historic Site. At Lanier Mansion, you’ll tour the home and hear the chilling tales related to the house and its former residents. At Corydon, staff will tell you about their own supernatural encounters and take you on a tour to the alleged haunts throughout the town.

Fall-themed date night? Check.

Adults need fall fun, too – and we have two date nights perfect for a fall night out.

“The Dark Parlour” at Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site is sure to entertain, with an evening of “spirit theatre” that will make you question what you see – and what you believe. This event is open to all ages, and cocktails are available for purchase for those 21 and older.

High Spirits at T.C. Steele State Historic Site will explore the Victorian fascination with ghosts and spiritualism, and attendees will also see a magic show. Plus, enjoy cocktails and hors d’oervres, as well as a twilight stroll through Steele’s studio and home.

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The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It is Indiana’s museum for science, art and culture, offering a place where you can celebrate, investigate, remember, learn and take pride in Indiana’s story in the context of the broader world. Even the building is a showcase of the best Indiana has to offer in architecture, materials and sculpture. Easy and convenient parking is available in the attached underground garage.

by Shelly on August 22, 2018 9 Comments

Preschool Sewing Kit

Preschool Sewing Kit- perfect quiet activity for my little one. Helps with her patience, fine motor skills and giving Mom a few extra minutes to do my thing. It’s even more helpful now that I have a new baby and she’s feeling left out with how much time the baby requires. Activities like this are perfect for keeping her mind and hands busy but still be able to hang out with us. The first time we did this sewing activity she spent two hours happily singing and sewing with me!

Preschool Sewing Kit:

(these are affiliate links but feel free to find your favorite supplies at your local store)

This would make an awesome Christmas gift or Birthday gift for any preschool aged child. I surprised our daughter with it as a Big Sister gift and had her help me put it all together. One of her favorite things is to see what’s in my bags when I get home from the craft store or party store so she was super excited that it was all for her! She loved sorting all of the colored thread in rainbow order and that there were little compartments for each thing. I’d found plastic mesh canvases that were in little shapes at the craft store but also bought a large sheet that we cut up for larger projects.

As I mentioned, she sat for two hours sewing her first project for her sister (this was a few days before she was born) and couldn’t have been happier to hang it up in her room for her. Such a great memory for me to be able to work on a new craft with her and start her love of sewing. It also sparked her interest in making thread bracelets which lead to beaded bracelets. I dusted off my huge container of beads and we made tons of jewelry for all of our friends and family.

I will be doing a second post once we’ve graduated from this preschool sewing kit and have added embroidery hoops and real needles. Is there anything I’m forgetting to add to her sewing kit or any other activities your kids love doing by themselves?

Posts related to ‘Preschool Sewing Kit’:

Quiet Activities for Preschoolers

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by Shelly on August 18, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Best Diaper Bag

The Best Diaper Bag- We have a four and a half year old daughter. I was just beginning to really know how to get out of the door within five minutes for spontaneous adventures. Then we had another baby. The struggle of getting out the door on time is real. I hate being late anywhere. I hate knowing people are waiting for me or that I’m missing the beginning of something. I also hate starting the process an hour before we have to leave. Que the most amazing diaper bag. I’ve learned over the past few weeks that if we have the diaper bag packed and ready to go we can cut our time of getting out the door in half!

Eloise & Lolo

I partnered with Eloise & Lolo to help make our parenting life just a little bit easier. They are the makers of some really beautiful and practical diaper bags. Our previous diaper bag was still in perfect shape but I really wanted a backpack style diaper bag since I knew I’d want both hands free for both girls. The heavens parted when I spotted their City 2.0 backpack. My requirements were that it be a backpack and have ridiculous amounts of pockets. I don’t carry big purses because I can’t stand not being able to find things within two seconds. Some might call it being OCD but I just call it impatient. Having a place for everything has nothing to do with tidiness but rather getting super frustrated when I can’t find something.

My favorite things about the City 2.0

Along with the million pockets, the City 2.0 has clips on the outside to hang from your stroller. I am currently using the straps to hold diaper bags and hand-sanitizer for quick accessing. One of my jobs is to be an influencer and with that I’m using my phone to do live videos or share in real time on social media the events I’m covering. Making sure my phone has a full battery is crucial and this backpack has a spot for a portable battery and an outlet to easily plug your phone in! Genius! The front pocket is insulated which is perfect for prepared bottles or a juice for my other daughter. We love that the straps can be easily adjusted to fit both my husband or I and there is a nice large handle on top so we can easily grab and go.

Eloise & Lolo has got it all in the way of baby gear. I’ve got my eye on their monthly growth blanket. What are your must-have items to make parenting just a little bit easier?

We Are Having Our Second Baby and I Do Not Remember What to Do

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TrustInGentle #ChooseGentle #CollectiveBias

We Are Having Our Second Baby- Having a baby is stressful. The process of getting pregnant, pregnancy and postpartum can all be extremely stressful situations. Personally, I do not like being pregnant or giving birth. I do, however, really love being a Mom and having a family of four. Having little ones to teach, love and play with is the best and I wouldn’t change my current life for anything. I’m surprised to say that it is taking a little while for me to remember how to care for a new born.

We just had our second baby four and a half years after our first born. That seems like an eternity ago. While I can remember certain aspects of pregnancy, the birth and postpartum, I did a pretty great job of eliminating the negative and holding on to the sweet parts. Now, having just brought our new baby home from the hospital, I don’t have a clue of what I’m doing. It feels worse than being a new mom because as a new mom, you’re allowed to not know things, ask for help and mess up. As a veteran mom you are supposed to have it all together. I don’t. That’s why I’m so thankful I have so many great tools and baby products that help us out. Knowing what products worked with our first born has made us more confident in the difficult tasks like sleeping, feeding and keeping our little one clean.

One of our favorite products is the JOHNSON’S® Baby line available at Walgreens. My parents used the same products on my sister and I when I was young and we used it on our first born because we trust them. Their products are 100% gentle and free of parabens and phthalates as well as dye free! They’ve relaunched their line and now even have cotton touch products specifically designed for newborn babies.

Nothing smells better than a newly washed baby, and for me, that smell is JOHNSON’S® Baby Shampoo or their Bedtime Bath Liquid. We still use the JOHNSON’S® baby lotion on our oldest daughter who is four because it is such a great product with over 90% naturally derived ingredients.

Both Walgreens and JOHNSON’S® care about the needs of our family. One of my favorite things about shopping at Walgreens for our JOHNSON’S® Baby products is the convenience. Does anyone else now volunteer to run out to the store? Just to have those 20 minutes to be able to listen to a podcast or even hear ourselves think? Walgreens is right down the street from us so it’s just far enough to be convenient as well as a little break at any time day or night (open 24 hours!) If you want your baby smelling fresh with a brand you can trust, check out this link for a savings of buy 1 get 1 50% off with balance rewards card at your local Walgreens between 7/29- 8/25.

Sharing a Bedroom With Baby

This post has been sponsored by The Clorox Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sharing a Bedroom with Baby- When our daughter Sophia (age 4.5) said she wanted to share her room with her baby sister, our hearts melted. Then we realized what that meant for everyone! Those first few months with baby waking up every couple hours to eat makes for sleepless nights which we do not want to impose on our daughter. Our compromise was to set up her room to make it ready for the baby to join her once she’s sleeping at night after about six months. She was pleased with this compromise and has been very excited to get her room all set up to make her baby sister feel welcome.

Sharing a Bedroom with Baby

Being type A, my first thought was dealing with organization in a small room with enough stuff for two kids. My second thought was about cleanliness, keeping both girls as healthy as can be. I was so glad to see Clorox’s amazing line of Free & Clear cleaning supplies were safe for kids! On our weekly jaunt to Target, we picked up three of their products to test if they’d still work harder than natural products but be just as safe. We got Clorox Free & Clear Multi-Surface Cleaner, Clorox Free & Clear Stain Remover and Clorox Free & Clear Hard Surface Daily Wipes.

We’ve already been using the Clorox Free & Clear Hard Surface Daily Wipes while getting ready for baby. I’ve been using them to wipe down the table after craft time, and I know it’ll come in handy when wiping down Sophia’s toys that the baby gets ahold of. Each product in the Clorox Free & Clear line is fragrance free with no harsh chemical residue, so it won’t irritate either of my daughters’ skin. To learn more about the products, go here.

In order to give enough space to each child, we re-did the girls’ walk-in closet to be more accessible for Sophia. We moved her 4-by-2 shelving unit to the basement to make room for baby’s crib and added shelves in the closet for her books and toys. We also hung her dresses and sweaters low so she is able to easily get them down and put them away. By moving some clothes to the closet, it freed up two drawers in the large dresser for baby’s clothes and other necessities. The only other change we made was to secure all picture frames in the room so there was no way they could fall on baby. We added a changing pad back to the dresser and it was all ready for both girls to enjoy!

The Clorox Free & Clear Multi-Surface Cleaner, Clorox Free & Clear Stain Remover, and Clorox Free & Clear Hard Surface Daily Wipes products are currently in the baby aisle near the cleaning products at Target stores so you can pick them up next time you’re there. You can also use this Cartwheel offer to save in the Target App! Keep peace of mind while maintaining a grime-free space for your little ones.

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