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lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

Shelly

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What to Do and Tips for A Merry Prairie Holiday at Conner Prairie

It’s no secret that Conner Prairie is our favorite Indy attraction. We try to go to all of their big events throughout the year and this year they’ve started one of our new favorite holiday traditions. Because this is such a big event (similar to Headless Horseman) I am going to share what to do and tips for A Merry Prairie Holiday at Conner Prairie.

Tips for A Merry Prairie Holiday

  1. Wear the proper gear. December in Indiana could mean 55 and sunny or 15 and snowy so be sure to dress for the weather. The majority of the event is outdoors so you’ll also want to wear good boots to trek through the snow (or mud in our case!)
  2. Get there early. We made the mistake of getting there around 6p (gate open). There was a line down the sidewalk to get in just like at Headless Horseman. Thankfully they’re super efficient at getting people through the doors. If you have young kids with an early bedtime, get there 45 min early. If your family can stay out late, come an hour after the gate opens. The festivities last until 10pm. Do not plan on doing all of the activities unless you are going to be there for the entire 4 hours.
  3. Choose 2. Choose two must-do activities and anything else is a bonus! Again, like Headless Horseman, this is a huge event. It will be busy no matter what night you go, so that means waiting in line for special attractions. The tubing hill was a 45-minute wait all night. That being said, if you can, go two nights. Splitting it into two nights will ensure you have enough time to really enjoy what you’re doing. Being able to stop for cocoa or to sing with the carolers will make your trip better for the whole family. With two young girls (1 and 6) we liked the Winterland Wonder Ride with Santa and going through the homes in Prairietown the best.
Merry-Prairie-Conner-Prairie-Corn-Bin-1

What To Do At A Merry Prairie Holiday

  • Step into the wonder of the season as you stroll through Reynolds Christmas Lights display.
  • Journey around the Clowes Common where you will find holiday treats and eats, artisans working on their seasonal crafts, and special photo ops.
  • Visit the North Pole Village.
    • Enter the toy workshop and make a holiday gift with the help of Santa’s elves.
    • Zoom down the Polar Bear Plunge dry snow tubing hill.
    • Test your skill at the Reindeer Games Midway.
    • Visit the Claus’ Cabin where you can visit with Mrs. Claus and drop off your letter to Santa.
    • Hop aboard the Kringle’s Carousel to take a ride.
  • Enjoy local entertainers and musicians performing throughout the evening on Blitzen’s Bandstand while you enjoy some fresh, warm holiday treats and beverages, under the glow of holiday lights on the Conner House and Animal Encounters Barn.
  • Visit Prairietown where you will be wrapped in the warmth of Holidays through History:
    • You can visit the 1860’s Hoosier Homefront, and Soldiers Camp to learn how they are celebrating the season during the troubling times of the Civil War.
    • See classic Conner Prairie by Candlelight favorites, like Dr. Campbell’s Soiree, the disgruntled Mr. Fenton, and Mr. Whitaker’s Store, and the Curtis family making Christmas preparations.
    • Witness the power of a second chance with a live reading from Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol and enjoy the sounds of Christmas Carolers.
    • Sit down and warm up a spell while you hear holiday stories told through the use of historic Crankies.
  • Climb aboard the Winterland Wagon Ride across Conner Prairie’s Historic Grounds through thousands of twinkling lights.

For more FAQ check out Conner Prairie’s list about weather cancellations, where to get tickets and ADA accessibility. When you go, let me know your favorite events during the night!

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‘Twas the Night Before… Performance at Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

Last night we were invited to attend a special holiday event downtown. ‘Twas the Night Before… performance at Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site was a walk-through theater performance throughout the historic home. I hadn’t been to Benjamin Harrison’s home since I was in second grade so I was very excited to have the chance to visit again.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

I’m no history buff, but I thoroughly enjoy learning about history through musicals (Hamilton) and being at historic locations. A little background of 23rd President Benjamin Harrison that I found fascinating:

Elected Indianapolis City Attorney in 1857
Elected Supreme Court Reporter in 1860
Breveted Brigadier Civil War General in 1865
Appointed by President Grant to defend U.S. Government in Milligan case in 1871
Argued five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court (the most of any lawyer-President)
Elected U.S. Senator from 1881-1887
Elected U.S. President from 1889-1893
Set aside 13 million acres of public domain land for national forest reserves

And the list goes on! He was quite the accomplished man so it was very special to be able to walk the halls he worked and lived. The home was stunning. Over 80% of the furniture in the home was used in the home. I couldn’t get over how high the ceilings were. My thoughts drifted to how difficult it would be to keep the home warm during cold winter nights!

From the time Harrison purchased the empty lot in 1868 until the last room was painted in 1875, his Northside home had cost $29,000. With H. Brandt as the architect and Petrie and Cummings as excavators, the 10,000 square-foot-home, complete with 16 rooms, three stories and a basement, was finished in one year.

bhpsite.org
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Holiday Performance
Photo courtesy Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Photo courtesy Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

The Performance

The performance was put on by Candlelight Theater who acts in plays at BHPS throughout the year. Currently, there are four plays throughout the year, including the holiday performance we saw. We had so much fun going room to room hearing tales of old that we were familiar with through present-day movies and books. We heard Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Snow Queen, The Little Match Girl, and several others. The actors were captivating and the intimate performance made us feel like we were a part of the story.

In December 2019 patrons will join us in creating new holiday memories at a special Candlelight Theatre event! ‘Twas the Night Before… written by James Trofatter, offers a heartwarming interactive theatre experience for all ages. Guests meet holiday figures from tradition and folklore, as well as jolly new friends.

bhpsite.org
Photo courtesy Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Photo courtesy Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

Tips for the Event

The performance is around an hour with shows starting every 30 minutes. You start out in the carriage house sipping hot cider and listening to live carolers. You’ll then be lead into the home by hosts that will take you throughout the home for each performance. The artifacts in the home are antique so do not bring children in strollers. I thought 6 was an excellent age to start coming because our daughter was familiar with the stories and knew how to be respectful to performers by that age. The home is ADA accessible. There is a ramp in the front of the home and they have an elevator and Elevette that go all the way to the third floor.

Get your tickets online before the performance (the earlier the better because they sell out quickly with only 4 days of performances). If you can, leave your coat in the car. The carriage house is heated and there is not a lot of space in the rooms of the home with everyone’s coats. We went during the week so there was plenty of free street parking outside the home. There is no photography or videography during the performance. The home is open daily so you are able to take tours of the home and there are many events throughout the year.

Do let me know if you’ve been to this stunning historic site or any other presidential home! I’d love to add it to our list of historical places to visit.

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11 of the Best Gifts for Grandchildren from their Grandparents

Christmas is coming up quick! My parents require a wish list for the girls in October. Lilly (1) has all of her sisters and cousins hand me down toys so she’s impossible to buy for. Sophia (6) gets overwhelmed with where to put all of her toys but has a hard time giving any away. Is this sounding familiar? Gifts for grandchildren can be tough.

I wanted to be prepared this year and have a good list mixed with subscription ideas, experience ideas, and big-ticket item suggestions.

I’ve rounded up 11 of the best gifts for grandchildren from their grandparents, keeping in mind a large age range from 0-40 (grandkids grow up too!)

Gifts for Grandchildren

Subscriptions

Adopt a Fairy.

Adopt a Fairy Co. is a monthly subscription that comes straight from the Fairy Mountains. There are several levels but we really liked the monthly Fairy Flags. We would get a hand made flag to put in our garden and other areas around our home showing that fairies are welcome here. They came with fairy dust that we would sprinkle around the flag which would send our message of kindness to the fairies. This gift is great for boys and girls of any age that has imagination and wonder in their hearts.

Adopt A Fairy Co.

Atlas Crate.

Atlas Crate is a monthly box subscription by Kiwi Co. Sophia started getting Kiwi Crate last year for Christmas and she loved it so much it will forever be on her Christmas list. Kiwi Co has various themed boxes for age 0-104 years. The Atlas Crate is a geography subscription that includes hands-on projects, creative learning, an atlas adventure book and a world of kid-friendly content.

Bookroo.

Getting packages in the mail is still such a joy for me. Combine that joy of receiving a gift with reading and you’re setting your little ones up as life long readers. With Bookroo Each book is hand wrapped and geared towards the ages of the children. There are 2-3 books in the picture book subscriptions and a chapter book for the 7-10 age group. With these books also comes an overview of the books and talking points to start a discussion with your child about the books.

Experiences

Goldfish Swim School.

I am a partner of Goldfish Swim School because I love their philosophy of safety being the main focus during each lesson. I think it’s so important that kids take swimming lessons throughout the winter to brush up or improve on their swimming skills for the summer ahead. Lessons begin as early as 4 months old and continue until they’ve mastered the skill. The 30-minute lesson has a 3:1 child to coach ratio making sure each child gets the attention they need to improve. Both my girls look forward to getting into the pool each week!

DIY Audiobooks.

If you’re looking for a DIY gift, you could record yourself reading their favorite picture books. My daughter looks forward to The Night Before Christmas each year because it has audio of her grandparents reading the book. If you don’t like the recordable options, put the audio on a CD so they can play them while they look through the books. Amazon has several options as does Barnes & Noble.

Local Attraction Membership.

This will vary depending on where you live but around Indianapolis, our favorite memberships have been Conner Prairie, The Indianapolis Zoo, The Children’s Museum and Defy Indy.

Bigger Ticket Items

Consumable art supplies.

I thought this was the most brilliant suggestion. It can get tedious to keep buying construction paper or play-doh or finger paints or stickers or watercolors or markers, but it’s the perfect gift from a grandparent!

Lego Sets.

There are Lego sets for everything these days! Our daughter especially loves the LEGO Friends sets because she was able to follow the instructions starting at age 5. These are great sets because once they build them they can have an imaginary play with them as shops and treehouses.

Outdoor Toys.

Think about what you liked playing outside as a kid. What kind of activities can get them outside? Maybe a basketball hoop, soccer goal or trampoline? These are great gifts that last a long time.

Dance Lessons.

I’ve found, with little kids, it’s difficult shelling out a lot of money for a dance class where they’re leaping over circles on the ground and twirling and not really ‘learning’ a lot. But it’s not about learning technique. It’s about learning how to listen to a teacher, stay quiet, follow directions, make friends and so much more. So many little kids see adults doing cool dance moves and want to be dancers. Give them the chance!

Piano (or another instrument) Lessons.

This is the longest-lasting gift you can give a child (aside from the love of reading). Sure, she may not be Motzart or Eric Clapton but giving them the chance to see is so cool. Again, they might not be great at it, or even really like it at the time, but they are learning valuable lessons in patience, grace, and practice. And who knows, maybe they’ll pick it up again later in life like my husband did!

So what do you think? Did any of these spark an idea? I’d love to know what you end up gifting, or as a parent, what you’ve received and loved?

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7 Tips for a Solo Disney Trip

This year I was able to take a solo Disney trip for three days that coordinated with a blogging conference. I was excited to learn at my conference but I was ecstatic to add on a couple days to do Disney by myself.

Flying makes me nervous and I wasn’t thrilled about taking Ubers alone but having worked in Disney I felt very comfortable being in the parks alone. It felt like home and I’m so glad I had that experience.

Tips for Solo Disney Trip

These were the types of questions I was asked when I told people I did a solo Disney trip:

1. How long of a trip?

Because I am very extroverted a shorter 2-3 day trip was perfect for me. Not having people to share the experience with was the hardest part. I would have been too lonely past that amount of time. However, if you’re fine being on your own, I always suggest a full day for each park.

2. Where to stay?

I’m a huge believer in staying on property with family vacations. The ease of transportation and luggage transfer makes the trip much less stressful. However, because I was trying to save as much money as possible, I used Hotwire.com to get a hotel room off property for $55/night. The downside was taking Ubers cost about $20/trip so at the end of the day I could have opted for a stay at Pop Century for around the same price. The upside, Ubers are much faster than the Disney bus system and I had free breakfast at my hotel each morning. So it’s really what you prioritize. If you are doing a luxurious solo trip, try staying at a new resort in a studio that you would otherwise not fit in with your family. My favorites are Disney’s Boardwalk and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

3. Which parks are best for solo travelers?

All the parks are great for solo travelers so I recommend doing all four. If you’re staying a shorter period, try doing a park hopper to get the most out of your days. While I was there I did the Animal Kingdom (AK) and Hollywood Studios the first day and the second day I did the Magic Kingdom (MK), Hollywood Studios (HS) for a little and back to the Magic Kingdom. I did it this way because I was meeting people at certain parks, otherwise, I would have done the Magic Kingdom one day and the second-day Animal Kingdom in the morning and Hollywood Studios at night. I opted out of EPCOT this trip because I like enjoying food and culture with people. If you’re a huge Star Wars fan, make Hollywood Studios a full day park and split AK and MK.

4. How to move past the awkwardness?

My favorite part of doing a solo trip is talking to other guests and cast members. I learned so much from people by talking to them about their tips on the parks and about their cultures. Look for people with an Annual Passholder slider on their Magic Band. They’ve got the most experience coming to the parks frequently and will know the best places to eat and hacks to save time. I also saught out families who were speaking other languages to talk to them about their trip. It’s fascinating learning how month-long travel is the norm for so many cultures. I also love talking to first-timers and kids who are worried about rides. There is never a shortage of people to relate to at Disney World.

5. How to stay safe?

If you are sharing on social media, do not post live on a solo trip. Wait until you get back to the hotel to upload everything. If you have a bad feeling about an Uber driver or anyone at the parks, listen to your gut and remove yourself from that situation. I make sure I only accept Uber drivers that are platinum and have tons of great written reviews. The nice thing about staying off property is that you’re dropped off right at the hotel entrance. If you’re staying on property you’ll likely have to walk to your room at night which is the only time I think I would have felt uneasy. In this case, just be aware of your surroundings and stick with families.

6. How to maximize time?

I could talk all day about various ways to save time in Disney but the two biggest are Mobile Ordering and line hacks. I took a course through Wish Upon a Planner to learn about line hacks and maximizing the number of FP+ while in the parks. While in MK I rode 8 rides within 4 hours and ate and rested during that time.

Mobile Ordering is free on the My Disney Experience App. While you’re in line at an attraction, log into the app, choose a restaurant and order your food. When you get to the quick service location, check-in and within minutes you can pick your food up at the designated Mobile Ordering location with no waiting in line. While I was by myself I didn’t like not being able to share my food with my family so I was happy to order whatever was close, cheap and quick.

7. what to bring?

There are so many blog posts about this out there. Some people like to over-prepare so they don’t have to buy anything while at the parks. I’m more of a minimalist and like to pack very little. The few things I highly recommend for a solo trip are water bottle to refill, large portable battery pack and fanny pack.

Water Bottle

Water is $3.50 and with how much walking you’ll do you need to stay hydrated. There are water fountains everywhere so just keep refilling. When I go with my family we take a Camelbak so all of us can drink while waiting in line.

Portable Battery

I suggest a large portable battery because you’ll be using the My Disney Experience App during the day and will likely have your brightness turned up. You don’t want to be stuck alone at the end of the night with no phone to call an Uber. Be sure to bring different ways of charging it because my hotel did not have a USB port for charging.

Fanny Pack

My fanny pack was how I kept my sanity. I wore a backpack to carry my sweatshirt, poncho, water bottle, and battery pack. However, while I was there I wore my poncho a lot so it became frustrating to take off my poncho to get into my backpack every time I needed a credit card or phone (most women’s pants don’t have pockets). I was also able to carry my mini portable charger in my fanny pack so I could continue to charge my phone but get it out quickly when needed. Most people don’t need their phone that much but I was constantly documenting for my blog.

I’d love to know what tips you have used for a successful solo Disney trip (or if you’d even consider taking one!) It’s not for everyone but I do think, if you are Disney obsessed, it’s worth trying once. You’re able to do tours your family might not enjoy. You can take your time or go as fast as you’d like. It’s really a cool way to experience the parks.

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Christmas Nights of Lights Holiday Family Event in Indianapolis

Indy’s holiday events game is so strong. You could easily do a different event or attraction every night in December. The best part, they’re all awesome! This past week we were invited to check out the Christmas Nights of Lights display at The Indiana State Fairgrounds. Not only has it been added as a definite must-see but we’ll be going back to see it again this year.

Our entire family was singing along and pointing out our favorite parts throughout the 30-minute drive-through experience. Thankfully Triton Light Shows has a multi-year commitment to return to the Indiana State Fairgrounds again and again!

Tips for Christmas Nights of LIghts

Before you go:

  1. Make sure you know how to turn off your headlights. There is plenty of light for you to see to drive through the paths marked with signs and orange lights. You don’t want to ruin the experience of the car in front of you by having your lights on.
  2. Know your radio. There is a specific radio station that plays the music that syncs with the lights. You’ll definitely want to be able to tune to their FM station.
  3. Go to the bathroom before you head out. The show is about 30 minutes and the only restrooms are the port-o-potties at the very start.
  4. Bring your own hot chocolate. We made the anticipation exciting by making puppy chow to take along with us. At the last second, I wanted hot chocolate so we took that instead and it was well worth it!
  5. Make it a tradition. You can get a carload of people in (up to 9 people) for $30! There were families with huge vans and their sliding doors open so everyone could see!
  6. Make sure to use Gate 12 off 42nd Street. 42nd Street is off of Evanston Avenue which is a light where you’ll turn right.

The Details

Dates

November 8, 2019 –
January 1, 2020
Dusk to 10:00 P.M.
Extended hours on weekends.

Location

Indiana State Fairgrounds 1202 East 38th Street Indianapolis, IN 46205

Pricing

$7.00 per person Children Age 3 & Under: FREE!
OR a Carload Special $30 (up to 9 passengers)

Group Rates:
10 – 15 Passengers $50
16 – 35 Passengers $75
35+ Passengers $100

Plan Your Visit

During our busier hours, you may experience a bit of a wait. To avoid the crowds, we recommend guests plan their visit on a weekday or weekends after 9 P.M. Any cars still in line at the time of closing WILL be permitted to enter and enjoy the show.

Let me know what you think once you’ve gone! Personally, we think it’s well worth the money. There are so many different songs you could go a few times in the season and see different shows!

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