Home Maid Simple

Category: Indiana

Sprouts Cooking School in Carmel, Indiana

I attended a bloggers night at Sprouts Cooking School for Kids. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spring break is around the corner and not too far after that it’s summer! If you’re looking for a good activity for the kids in Carmel, Sprouts Cooking School for kids is a great place to look.

Related Content You May Also Enjoy: Riding the Nickel Plate Express

One of my favorite “chores” around the house is cooking good food. More than just doing it though, I love getting my kids involved in the kitchen too. Most of the kids love helping choose our meals, and then preparing them.

Sometimes we get so busy though, that I don’t take the time to really teach the kids how to cook. That’s where Sprouts comes in! As a gardener, I love the name they chose, but beyond that, they really make it quite an experience for kids from ages 3 to 13.

The first thing I noticed walking into Sprouts was the awesome wall decor! I kind of want to find something similar for my own kitchen wall now.

During our VIP night, I took the 2 oldest girls. I wanted to see what it would be like for their age group as I want them to be a little more helpful in the preparation of our meals. We learned how to marble fondant and then made fruit kebabs to balance out the sugar cookie. Some fairly easy things, but I learned a few tidbits in the process myself.

Well Rounded Learning

At Sprouts your kids won’t just learn how to cook, but they will learn about health and nutrition and the part food plays in that. The owner Stephanie has a degree in elementary education, but after her kids got into cooking with her and finding a lack of cooking schools for kids, she formed Sprouts!

While the kids worked on marbling their fondant, a few of Stephanie’s employees walked around answering the kids questions, and helping with anything they didn’t understand. Their smiles were welcoming, and attitudes patient as they helped all the kids. It’s exactly what a cooking school for kids should be like.

At the end of the night my girls were pretty thrilled with their creations, and I had renewed desire to really get in the kitchen with the kids. We walked out with some adorable fruit kebabs, and sugar cookies topped with marble fondant.

More than that, though, is that my girls had a great night out with me. one even changed her tune from wanting a tablet for her birthday to asking for cooking classes. That’s a win in my book.

Sprouts and Food Allergies?

On the top of my mind when I’m around food these days is always allergies. When our son was diagnosed a little over a year ago, I read labels like crazy, and question everyone that might give my kid food.

However, I want him to enjoy food and learn how to cook appropriate to his allergies as well. When I asked Stephanie how they handle kids with food allergies that want to come to Sprouts, I was pleased to learn they are a Peanut and Tree Nut facility.

Now my son also has peach and sesame allergies, so for that I would just have to note that when signing him up. Then Stephanie will take the time to go over all the ingredients used in the class, and make sure everything is safe for him. It’s Stephanie’s belief that food should be fun for everyone. For that I am truly grateful and impressed!

If you have a food allergy kiddo that loves cooking, Sprouts should be top of the list for summer camps.

March 22, 2019
Star Trek at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Where are my Trekkie’s? If you haven’t been to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis lately, you’ll want to make a trip out here. Open until April 7th, you’ll be able to check out the Star Trek exhibit featuring many items and experiences any Trekkie will love.

Before the exhibit opened, my family got a special invite to help film the commercial, b-roll, and pose for photos in the Star Trek Exhibit! I was geeking out.

As a kid, I recall sitting with my Dad watching Star Trek – Captain Picard was our favorite, with Riker and Data helping to run the Enterprise. I could not wait to get a pre-look at the newest exhibit with my family without all the crowds.

I worried a little bit how the kids would handle it. After all, despite my attempts, none of them were really interested in the Star Trek world. Add to that, it was taking a whole Saturday away from them and with 5 kids in tow one of them still needing a nap, I just hoped for the best!

My kids were awesome! Now it helped that the Children’s Museum served us breakfast, snacks, and lunch throughout the day, and these kids will do just about anything for food.

We started by checking out the Captains chair in the lobby between exhibits. As part of the commercial they had me stand and take photos of 2 of the kids as they ran and jumped into the Captains Chair. This was fun, and also led to many many photos on my phone of these two cuties.

From there we ventured into the actual exhibit where we saw the model enterprise that was actually used in the show, the original control panel from the first Star Trek season with Captain Kirk, and tons of costumes.

To really experience the exhibit though, the museum has included a few hands on places for the kids. Using a large touch screen, you can scroll through the different plans of each starship. Or head to a corner booth and give your best “KKKHHHHHHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN” impersonation.

Maybe you’ve always dreamed of beaming down to an alien planet? Just step into the transporter, hold still, and wait for Scotty to work beam you down. This was easily our families favorite part of the exhibit.

Before you leave the museum, though, make sure you head downstairs to the planetarium where you can see the actual Escape Pod used in the 2016 film, Star Trek: Beyond. Have a seat and listen to George Takei narrate the multimedia experience!

Here’s the final commercial, if you haven’t seen it yet. You’ll see my pig tailed child sitting with her brother in front of the escape pod. Yup. A whole day, and that’s what we got to do. Totally worth the whole experience!

Just to keep it all real, while we did make it through a fantastic day of shooting a commercial (bucket list check!), the kids did start to drop at the end. I snapped this photo while one of the girls was finishing up her role making gross faces at Data’s severed head.

March 6, 2019
Backyard Tourist: Riding the Nickel Plate Express in Atlanta, Indiana

Slow down this holiday season, and take a cozy ride on the Nickel Plate Express. We received a complimentary ride on the train in exchange for our honest thoughts.

Taking a train ride is a bit of an iconic experience in this country. Oh the trains are still there, but in our fast paced society, you’re more likely to hop in a car or take a plane.

One year as a small child, my family decided to take a train across the country to visit family. Normally we drove by car, but it was time to experience something else. I will always remember that ride. The swaying of the cars, and the gorgeous scenery of the country.

When I heard that the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad would be preserving a piece of track just 30 minutes north of Indianapolis, I knew I wanted to take my kids on their festive ride. So I reached out!

About the Nickel Plate Express

The train is a historic 1956 Diesel Locomotive built for the Erie Mining Company. The cars are Santa Fe Hi-Level passenger cars, originally used on the El Capitan Luxury train from Chicago to Los Angeles. This means you sit on an upper deck, and get way better views of the surrounding area then the lower floor.

Now we wouldn’t be able to call ourselves good Harry Potter fans is at least one of us didn’t wear their Hogwarts Robes for a train ride. Really now. All she’s missing is her wand.

While heading down the tracks, staff came around with candy, popcorn, and sticker activities. While the 30 minute ride didn’t warrant the need for these things, it made it that much more magical for my kids.

The train ride itself I thought was nice. We slowly crawled down the tracks, and the kids got to experience that swaying motion I remembered as a kid. Their favorite part was playing with the seats, and discovering all the different things they did. Footrest: check. Leans back: check. Tray: check.

At the End of the Track

We rode the fall express from the Arcadia Depot, near 105 Main Street, south to Noblesville High School. There the local FFA chapter had a fall harvest festival set up. We bowled pumpkins, did a little face painting, enjoyed some hot cocoa, and even brought home our own pumpkin.

After the ride was over I somehow got behind the rest of my family. This turned out to be a stroke of luck as I overheard there was an opportunity to check out the engine! So I let Mark take the kids up the road to check out the train museum, and I followed the Conductor to the engine. Climbing up into that was an experience in itself, but getting to sit in the conductors chair – just a neat experience all together.

While the fall excursion is past, currently the Reindeer Express is running. The train touts a look at Christmas lights along the track, and a visit with Santa for December riders. This sounds like the perfect time to hand out some “Polar Express” tickets to your kids, and read the best Christmas book with a train.

Who is the Nickel Plate Express For?

The Nickel Plate Express is great for families. Kids will love the experience of riding on a train.

With that being said – I probably wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. Why you ask? Well, the prices are pretty high, especially for such a short little trip. They are still new, so the experience could definitely have more interactive parts during the ride. Some local people believe it’s just a gimmick, and would rather see it become a continuation of the Monon Trail.

So, while I thought it was a blast, I have a special love for anything historical. If my parents were going to come visit, I would suggest we go for a ride. However, if my mother-in-law were coming for a visit, I’d say this is something we would skip.

If you have a child who loves trains – go! You will excite them, and encourage their love.

If you enjoy getting hands on with history – go! Climbing aboard a Hi-Level and heading down the tracks will be enough to fill that love.

If you don’t mind things being a little pricey, and somewhat gimmicky – go! You can say you’ve done it.

November 29, 2018
A Visit to Piney Acres Farm and a NinjaZone Academy Giveaway

A few weeks ago we attended Piney Acres Farm Influencer Event sponsored by NinjaZone Academy.

One of my favorite parts of fall is the opening of all the farms. They always have fun things to do, and it is the perfect weather to get outside with the family.

Piney Acres Farm is located in Fortville, Indiana – approximately a 40-minute drive from downtown Indianapolis.

We went to Piney Acres for the first time 2 years ago when Grandma and Granpa were visiting. During that visit we mainly went for the epic corn maze. The kids all got lost and I even wondered if I could find my way out without some help.

This year, I went with the purpose of learning more about the farm and checking out the many other activities like the hayride, gem mining, and duck racing.

We started our night hitching a ride in a wagon full of hay and learning about the Christmas Tree Farm. I had no idea that Piney Acres was predominantly Christmas Trees! With 50 acres of trees, and 1000 trees per acre, this farm can grow 50000 Chrismas Trees. I have fond memories of cutting our own Christmas tree growing up and am excited to now make Piney Acres the spot my kids remember getting their tree.

The gem mining became the kids all time favorite activity of the night. As the sun set, I quite literally had to drag them away to go home. Even Mark didn’t want to leave the gem mine, and Harold had found a nice little spot to do his favorite activity – play in water.

You can see more of the farm in this Facebook Live.

OK so here’s the really fun part for you! Since NinjaZone Academy sponsored this night out, they want to give one of my readers a month trial!

There’s a few catches though. First, you have to live within driving distance of one of their locations – Westfield or Geist. You can enroll all your kids, as long as they are age 11 and under (though they must be old enough to be walking). Finally, the free trial must take place during October!

Interested in winning a free month at NinjaZone Academy? Enter on the rafflecopter below. Winner will be contacted 9/29/18 to ensure you get your full month of ninja training.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 26, 2018
Our Urban Adventure Quest in Indianapolis

Have you ever wanted to go on a self-guided walking tour that’s also a scavenger hunt? If the answer is yes, then Urban Adventure Quest is for you! I received a complimentary Urban Adventure Quest in exchange for this post.

You may also enjoy – A Trip to the Limberlost

Urban Adventure Quest is like a real-life Amazing Race, mixed with a 3-hour walking tour of your city. And by your city, I mean they have over 60 locations including Hawaii!

Seeing as how we live on the north side of Indianapolis, obviously we chose the Indianapolis urban adventure. The first part I loved, was that I could sign us up for an urban adventure, but we could go on it whenever we were ready. After sign up you receive a log-in, so when you’re ready to play you just have to log in to your urban adventure and push start!

20% off your Urban Adventure Quest! Use code FGBLOG

Did you know?! Indianapolis devotes more acreage to honoring the nations fallen than any other U.S. city and falls just short of being the leader in war memorials – D.C having the most. I had no idea until this family adventure.

We started our Urban Adventure Quest at the City Library, moved along a walkway to visit the many war memorials, made our way to the capitol building where we attempted to see inside but forgot someone carries a pocketknife on their keychain so we were turned away…oops…next time. We enjoyed a walk along the canal, a stop by the Indiana State Museum (a place I highly recommend checking out), and took a break along the quest for both donuts from Jack’s and restrooms in the State Police Headquarters.

Urban Adventure Quest Tips – Indianapolis

Is it family friendly? Absolutely! We took all 5 of the kids, and although they did get tired, and hungry, and thirsty, they were able to help solve almost all of the clues.

Is it stroller/wheelchair friendly? Unfortunately, no. As you can see in our pictures we did take our jogging stroller along for the youngest, and to carry our snacks. However, there were a lot of stairs, and very rarely were there any accessible ramps at these locations. We found ourselves carrying the stroller quite a bit.

What about parking? We parked right in front of the city library, in some metered parking. Make sure you pay for plenty of time to complete your quest because you will not want to hike it back and pay then get back to your quest. Better yet, download the mobile parking meter app, and pay as you go if need be. Don’t be like us and receive a parking violation (the kids were pretty torn apart by this).

How long does it take? That all depends on you. It took us, with 5 kids mind you, 2hours 50minutes. If you check the Leaderboard for Indianapolis, you will find us at the #2 spot for the last 30 days, and the #8 spot for all time. While here, you can also check out how long it took others to complete.

Will I learn anything new? Unless you’ve visited every single monument and statue downtown, I’d say yes. Even then, the Urban Adventure Quest makes sure to add in general knowledge. We learned about ciphers, astrology, and funny last names.

We were all completely exhausted at the end of our quest, but every step was so worth it. While driving back home, I added a new item to my bucket list of 100 dreams – complete an urban adventure quest in every city I possibly can!

August 2, 2018
A Trip to the Limberlost in Geneva, Indiana

For families on a budget, the best kind of summer vacation involves day trips to get to know their home state better. I received comped tickets to The Limberlost State Historic Site. All opinions are my own.

Check out these other places to visit in Indiana.

In an effort to be better at budgeting, and pay off some debt, we decided this summer vacation we’d stick close to home. With day trips around the state, I wanted to really get to know Indiana. The past, the present, and the future. For our first family day trip, we headed to The Limberlost and the home of Gene Stratton-Porter in Geneva, Indiana. At $6/adult and $3/child, it’s truly an affordable visit for large families like ours.

I recalled A Girl of the Limberlost as one of my mom’s favorite books so wanted to get a closer look at the author’s life, and the swamp that inspired her stories. I hoped it would lead to my kids enjoying our story time better, and give something they could talk to their Nana about.

Geneva, Indiana is a classic small town. Out in the middle of nowhere, with little cell service, it’s not a place you’ll just happen upon. It is, however, worth the drive out if you enjoy learning about authors, nature, and getting a dose of history.

The first thing I noticed as we pulled into the parking lot was the interesting rock wall fence. It seemed a bit haphazard, and possibly falling apart, with gaps between every stone. During the tour, we found out that Gene purposefully had the wall built this way so that creatures such as bunny rabbits, could easily cross her lawn. Coming and going as they please. We understood the delight Gene must have found watching these animals as we saw our first black squirrel scurrying around the yard, in and out of the rock wall, and up a tree.

As we toured inside the house, the kids loved getting to know this author and her love of nature in the Limberlost. From the stuffed birds that were a part of Gene’s and her daughters’ life, to the music they made together – our tour inside was made enjoyable and exciting by our knowledgeable guide. We sat around a replica of her dining room table as the guide read a passage from A Girl of the Limberlost that described that very room. Suddenly, the book had come alive for all of us.

I’ve never seen my children pay more attention to a tour then they did this one. Could it be because we had already begun reading A Girl of the Limberlost? Or perhaps our guide’s excitement was that contagious. Either way, we had a lot of fun learning about Gene’s life in Geneva.

The kids and Mark all loved taking a turn playing the pump organ (not Gene’s original) in the music room, and all of us enjoyed sitting on the back porch learning how Gene would collect cocoons then string them up near her bed so she wouldn’t miss the butterflies and moths as they emerged.

Any good trip ends with a visit to the gift shop. We got to see the largest moth hanging out in a butterfly habitat (I definitely should have written the name down…), tried to open a real bank safe that belonged to Gene’s husband, and enjoyed some other cool facts about the Limberlost.

Finally, we couldn’t leave without purchasing the Limberlost series. I’d been trying to read A Girl of the Limberlost on my phone to the kids, but it just wasn’t holding our attention that way. With fantastic prices, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. After a week of reading from the physical book, and the visit to the Limberlost fresh in our minds, story time got 100% more exciting with this purchase. I might have a slight book problem when it comes to things like this…but it’s all in the name of learning!

June 22, 2018
Visit the Reel West at the Eiteljorg’s newest Exhibit
Love Hollywood’s Westerns? Then you will thoroughly enjoy yourself at the Eiteljorg’s newest exhibit: The Reel West. I received tickets and lunch in exchange for my honest thoughts on this exhibit. All opinions are my own.

When we first moved to Indiana, as I searched for new experiences, I came across the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. At the time they had a train exhibit I knew my son would love, but as we tried to settle into our new life in a new state, I never made the time to get downtown for that exhibit.

Well this year, the Eiteljorg has a new exhibit that was something I was interested in – The Reel West. With parents who grew up on farms in the west, Western culture was part of who I was. Since I didn’t grow up in the west and have the real-life experiences of cowboys, I settled for watching old Westerns.

June happens to be my birthday month, so Mark found a sitter, and for my birthday we visited the Eiteljorg’s The Reel West exhibit together. Since it was a midday date, we started with lunch in the onsite cafe. This buffalo burger was fantastic!

After lunch I was ready to walk around, and immerse myself in one of my favorite cultures – the good old west. Gunfights, cattle drives, train robberies, and saloons. There’s the good guys and the bad guys, and you always knew which side was which. There was no grey area to get lost in – or so I thought!

See watching westerns as a kid is quite different than watching them as an adult. It’s even more eye-opening to go to the Eiteljorg and see how westerns have been viewed, the messages they were meant to convey, and how they have evolved over the years.

While Mark busied himself seeing how westerns have evolved over the years, I got sucked into the stereotypes and truly how poorly the different races were portrayed. From Native Americans to Mexicans, to the Asians – all these races played a big part in real life western culture. However, in Hollywood they’re given a side seat. They play the sidekicks, the bad guys, the uneducated, the servants, and even the comedic relief.

I found it absolutely fascinating to read about the different roles these races played in Westerns. I mean I knew it, but really had never given it more thought. After reading about the portrayal of American Indian’s I decided I had to check out some silent westerns featuring Lillian St Cyr or Princess Red Wing. She was the first Native woman to star on film.

Now, I’m not saying we have to analyze movies every time we sit down to watch. Just because my eyes have been opened a bit to how western Hollywood culture has shaped the view of the west, doesn’t mean I won’t still enjoy a good John Wayne.

Speaking of John Wayne, the Eiteljorg has some pretty cool costume pieces on display. Including one of John Wayne’s hats, Gene Autry’s guitar, Roy Rogers and Dale Evan’s hats, and so much more! There’s even a life-size cutout of John Wayne for some fun photo ops.

While the exhibit isn’t specifically for kids – there’s a theater showing clips that may not be appropriate for the younger audience – there are a few areas I could see kids enjoying. So if you can only visit with kids in tow, check out these displays. An emoji board where you can share what you think of westerns, and a storyboard with all kinds of fabric, color, and people swatches to mix and match for your perfect western.

After visiting The Reel West, I walked away with a list of movies and TV shows I felt deserved some screen time. Some of these are newer, some are old. Some do a better job of portraying the different races with respect, others are more for fun.
- Walk Like A Dragon
- Deadwood
- Hell on Wheels
- High Moon
- Westworld
- Woman Walks Ahead
Next time you plan a visit to Indianapolis, I highly suggest stopping by the Eiteljorg. The Reel West exhibit will be throughout 2018, so don’t miss your chance to see some iconic Western scenes, and learn a bit more about how these movies have shaped our western culture.
June 15, 2018