Family Life

Panhandling for Sunscreen and More Spring Break Oddities, Part I

by Ann-Marie on April 10, 2013

Ft. Myers, Florida Like countless other Midwesterners, my family trekked to Florida for Spring Break last week. We visited my parents in Ft. Myers, and my husband and I were even able to leave the kids with Nana & Grandpa and take an overnight jaunt to Key West.

For the most part, our trip was super fun and we enjoyed a couple of beach days (our last two days were rainy, so we were glad to get in the beach days right from the start) and family fun.

But there were definitely some hiccups that either caused us to laugh or scratch our heads, or make us think we were the only sane people on the planet.

So throughout the week I made a couple of notes on my phone so I wouldn’t forget, and where I could, I snapped pictures. Such as this first one.

1. Asinine Move of the Day

Smoking near a gas pump Would anyone care to take a guess which state we were in, seeing a man smoking within 8 feet of a gas pump? Mmm-hmm, that’s right. While it could happen anywhere, this happened in Kentucky. My dad was born and raised in Kentucky, so he was the first one I was tickled to show the photo to. Now I haven’t read the little signs posted at pumps closely enough, maybe 8 feet is a perfectly acceptable radius of a lit cigarette from a fuel pump, but I kinda think it’s a bit asinine, myself.

2. Thirsty Calves

[click to continue…]

{ 4 comments }

From Tractor to Truck to Table: IN Agriculture Appreciation Month

by Ann-Marie on March 18, 2013

Little_Eataly_Pasta

When you think of Indiana, what comes to mind?

The Indianapolis Colts.
The Indy 500.
Corn.
Basketball.
And for many, Home.

What about these add-ons?

Duck.
Watermelon.
Wine.

Gov_Pence Huh? Yep, it’s true. Indiana is THE leading commercial producer of duck, in the top 10 states for watermelon and 13th in wine production! Who knew?! (Well if you’re an Indiana farmer you may ‘knew’).

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a Legislative Luncheon to kick off Indiana’s Agriculture Appreciation Month, hosted by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. The event included talks by Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann along with representatives from Indiana’s agricultural associations, farmers and (my favorite part of all) … food trucks (such as the divine dish above from Little Eataly)!

As I’ve worked with Indiana’s Family of Farmers over the past year, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for agriculture, and respect for the process of moving “from tractor to truck”, and I’ll add “to table”.

One of my kids’ favorite things to do in the summer is to pick berries, and I love visiting farmer’s markets to try new cheeses, herbs and tomatoes. I love that my kids are getting their hands dirty and willing to try new things when they’re picked fresh from a field. Last summer we grew tomatoes for the first time, and we’ll be repeating it with new varieties this year. We may not grow duck, or watermelon or grapes, but we can still involve our kids in planting, watering, picking and tasting.

Here are a few fun facts I have recently learned about the foods we eat:

Family farmers grow a whopping 90% of corn in the U.S.
Most milk travels only 100 miles from the farm to the grocery store.
Pork is the WORLD’s most widely eaten meat, and 25 million people each year are fed by Indiana pork producers!

So the next time you’re at the grocery store buying milk, remember it likely came from your own state, and remember the farming families that are responsible for providing your family’s meals!

Learn more about Indiana’s Family of Farmers, Indiana Pork Producers, Indiana Wine Grape Council and American Dairy Association of Indiana.

This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. All opinions are 100% mine. See my disclosure policy for more information.

{ Leave a Comment }

The New Normal and Slow Cooker Chicken & Noodles Recipe

by Ann-Marie on August 30, 2012

This week has been an “Aaah” kind of week. My two older kids are finishing their 2nd full week of school, and my youngest has started preschool. Need I say more?

This is my New Normal.

Four days a week, I now have about 3.5 hours completely to… myself? Hmm, let me think on that one:

What My Husband Thinks I Do

Blog. Play on Facebook. NOT clean the house.

What My Kids Want Me To Do

Go through toy catalogs searching for the price of whatever they’ve been asking for.
Research hamsters and bunnies, their ideas of the next family pets.
Coordinate playdates for every day that ends in “y”.

What I Do When The Kids Leave

[click to continue…]

{ Leave a Comment }

2012 Indiana State Fair: SuperDogs and Spaghetti Ice Cream

by Ann-Marie on August 13, 2012

Those of you that live in the Hoosier state, have you had a chance to visit the Indiana State Fair yet? You still have plenty of time to take in your fill of the fair, now through Sunday August 19th!

I took my three children last Wednesday, using my free ticket from the Indianapolis Star (plus my youngest was free!). And I’m going back today to enjoy another fun day (daddy joins us this time!) thanks to the folks at Indiana’s Family of Farmers!

When it was just the kids and me, we took things a bit slower, knowing we’d be back at least once more. Here are the fun things we hit up:

SuperDogs in Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park: This was a must-see for my kids! We were able to grab a spot on the ground near the back side, and even my 3 year old sat in awe at these amazingly fast dogs (as noted by the red arrow pointing to the black & white blur)! The show was about a half hour, and although I was itching to move on to something else, my kids were really enjoying it so we watched until the end, and even were able to pet a few of the dogs afterward.

Mapapa African Acrobats at the Free Stage: High energy abounds with this group in the 20-minute show. I’ll admit the beginning could have moved a little faster – there was a bit too much dancing in between turns at the limbo stick, but it picked up quickly and the crowd loved it. There are picnic tables so you can even grab your lunch at one of the nearby vendors and eat while you watch.

Sheep, Horses, Cows … and we’ll be back for more!

Spaghetti Ice Cream: This delectable won the 2012 State Fair’s “Signature Food”, and it was To. Die. For! Despite my son’s wretched face when I mentioned it (he’s not a pasta fan), I assured him there was no actual pasta involved and he was on board. It’s vanilla gelato in spaghetti-like strings, with strawberry “spaghetti sauce”, shredded white chocolate “parmesan” and chocolate malted milkball “meatballs”.

Today we’ll have a fun day with other bloggers, enjoying Indiana Dairy, Indiana Beef and Indiana Pork plus some behind-the-scenes of the livestock barns and more family fun. Oh and we are SO meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog!

When you go, be sure to follow along the Indiana Family of Farmers Recipe Trail, as one pound of food will be donated to a food bank in Indiana for every person completing the trail, with hopes to donate 3,000 pounds this year! Visit the Indiana Family of Farmers booth in the DuPont Food Pavilion for more information.

Don’t forget tomorrow is $2 Tuesday, just print this voucher from Turkey Hill for $2 admission to the Fair all day Tuesday, August 14th.

Take advantage of more Indiana State Fair discounts and deals so you can experience the fair with your family, and browse around here for some great local Indiana deals too!

{ Leave a Comment }

Spotlight: Indy-area Photographer & Children’s Book Author

by Ann-Marie on August 6, 2012

My MOPS group has not only been a place that I treasure for spiritual growth and fellowship, but also for the wealth of resources I’ve found! Carrie VanAlstine of Adeo Arts is one such gem.

I enlisted Carrie’s help in new family portraits, and let me tell you, working with Carrie was easy, working with my children is not. My children are high spirited, feed off of each other’s energy, and drain all of ours. So I was delighted to nab one of Carrie’s “mini-sessions”, an easy 20-minute block of time that was just long enough to get what we wanted (plus a few new headshots because ya know, I’m so vain), but not so long that I was beggin’ for mercy for the children to Sit. Still. And. Smile!

Little did I know before meeting her that Carrie has been a busy little bee, having just published her first children’s book, Frizzy Izzy Yelp!. You can find it on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. “Sprinkled with lessons in zoology, horticulture, and geography this rhythmic story inspires and reminds us to be kind to our world and those we share it with.”

A little more about Carrie’s background…

Carrie VanAlstine is a teacher, photographer, dancer and mother of two. Her passions for the Earth, biology and family unite in her book about how to live peaceably with one another. She is a licensed educator and taught high school biology, zoology and Earth and space classes. She is also the owner of Adeo Arts Photography Company. VanAlstine was inspired to write and advocate for endangered species when she was teaching. After the birth of her first child she felt even more driven to speak for those amazing creatures who had no voice but were striving just as she was to provide a safe and healthy life for their babies.

You can browse Carrie’s photography gallery and schedule your own full session at Adeo Arts or on her Adeo Arts Facebook page. And learn more about Frizzy Izzy and even see some of the cutest “Furry Friday” photos on the Frizzy Izzy Facebook page.

Find more home-grown Hoosier deals mentioned here lately!

This post was sponsored by Adeo Arts, however as always all opinions are 100% my own. This post may contain affiliate links. By using these links you support my site – thank you! See my disclosure policy.

{ 1 comment }

Keeping My Family Healthy

by Ann-Marie on July 17, 2012

We are extremely lucky in the health department. None of my family has allergies, and generally my kids only see the doctor at their annual checkups.

I know I can’t attribute our good health to a clean house. I *know* that. Quite the opposite, I look at it as a little dust will build up their tolerance for dust mite allergies (not intended as medical advice, it’s just what I’m going with to make myself feel better about my infrequent dusting).

We don’t even take vitamins. Not even my kids. We just haven’t developed the daily habit of vitamin-taking, and while I know it’s an area we should be better at, I also look at our overall general good health and think “ehhhh, someday.”

So what, pray tell, is the formula that has helped my family stay healthy? Just the basics (possibly with a little luck)! Nothing earth-shattering you haven’t already heard about:
[click to continue…]

{ Leave a Comment }

← Previous Entries