Fearless Friday at Rookie Moms

Today a little something I wrote is on the Rookie Mom's blog.  It's a part of their Fearless Friday series running this fall.  I love this site and all the great ideas it has to make being a new mom less scary and more fun.  I was honored to be chosen to share my story.  Thanks also to method for sponsoring this series.

If you're visiting Arrows Sent Forth from Rookie Moms, welcome!  Make yourself at home.  I blog about adventures our family takes, including longer trips, day trips, or just little outings.  Or sometimes I just write about whatever I want.  :)  If you like what you see, please consider subscribing and/or following me on Twitter.  Or just check in here once in a while.  We're always up to something!

Chicago's Millennium Park

When Big Arrow first started walking, he was quite the little explorer.  Since then, we've had lots of fun keeping up with him and helping him see more of the world.  A highlight of our camping trip along Lake Michigan was spending a morning in Chicago's Millennium Park. 

My favorite feature of the park was the Cloud Gate sculpture (or what everyone calls "The Bean.")  If you like taking pictures, you'll love all the interesting shapes and reflections you can capture. 

Insider Tip: If you visit early on a weekday morning, it will be far less crowded and great for photos! At 9 a.m., it was just us and a few joggers.

The Big Arrow's favorite was the Crown Fountain.  He loved splashing around in the water (even though it was about 60 degrees and windy... kids...) 

Insider Tip: If you visit with kids, I highly recommend bringing a change of clothes for them. We learned this the hard way, and Big Arrow spent the 2-hour train ride home with a wet bottom.

I love an oasis of nature in the midst of an urban environment.  It gives kids the freedom to run around and be themselves (especially toddlers who love a little bit of freedom), all while the vibrancy of tall buildings and city life surround you.  On your next trip to the Windy City, carve some time out for a stop at Millenium Park.

More photos of the Cloud Gate sculpture here, and more photos of Millennium Park here.

If You Visit:
Millennium Park
201 E. Randolph Street
Open each day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Free admission.
There are parking garages, but the park is served by many El lines, buses, and even has a train station beneath it.

Insider Tip: In 2012, from July 2 to September 2, each day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., a family fun fest is held in the park.


This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Breakfast at the Blue Plate

In my trip report on our recent vacation to Warren Dunes State Park, I briefly mentioned our delicious breakfast at Blue Plate Cafe (located in Union Pier, Michigan).  We had driven by this cozy spot the day prior, and I announced to the family, "That's where we're having breakfast tomorrow."  The next morning, we woke up to 40 degree temps that we were not prepared for, and so we were all happy to pile into the car (with heat) and head to the Blue Plate to warm ourselves with a hot breakfast.

Half-consumed Popeye's Pit Stop

The Blue Plate did that and more.  The menu is inventive, yet you'll find most of your favorite breakfast comfort foods.  They are particularly adept at baking, and they bring out a little sampler plate while you wait for your meal.  It reminded me of tapas in Spain. (By the way, why don't ALL restaurants do this?  Especially when dining with kids... the arrow loved a little treat while he waited.  And we loved what they served so much we bought pastries on our way out.  Win, win for everyone!)

When our meal arrived, we devoured it.  In fact, I forgot to take a picture of my beautiful Popeye's Pit Stop (a spinach, mushroom and cheese scramble) until I was already halfway through it.  (My husband thinks its gross that I'm posting pictures of food with my dirty fork in it.  Please forgive me.  But it was just that good.)


The arrow's Tuty Fruit Hot Cereal

I wanted to give the Blue Plate's kid's menu a standing ovation.  I hate seeing a kid's menus with nothing but chicken fingers, pizza and fries (I don't mind any of those things, per se, I just think we need more choices!)  The Blue Plate Cafe offers healthy yet kid-approved options.  The arrow couldn't finish his "Tuty Fruit Hot Cereal," so his dad and I got to savor it later in the day while he napped.  Yum.

Next time we're in the area, I want to try their lunch menu, order a smoothie, and buy more treats from the bakery!

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust & Lipstick.







My First Giveaway! Win a Yo Gabba Gabba CD

Over at the Indiana Insider, where I've been guest blogging from time to time, I outlined what I consider to be the perfect, kid-friendly evening along Mass Ave, a great cultural district in the heart of downtown Indy.  We lived just a few blocks away for 7 years, including the arrow's first 9 months of life, so it holds a special place in my heart as the home to many of our first outings with a baby.

Next week, the arrow and I are heading to Mass Ave to see a live performance of Yo Gabba Gabba at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre.  I'm grateful to the folks at Bohlsen PR for providing these tickets to me.  I'm a middle-of-the-road parent when it comes to letting my son watch TV.  I would never plop him in front of the set for hours on end, but I do think it has its place.  I know for us, an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba or Sesame Street has been a lifesaver when the arrow has been sick, didn't nap well, or when I needed to take a really important phone call.

A live show is going to make for such a fun outing, and I can't wait for these characters to come to life for the arrow.  I'm looking forward to sharing our experience with all of you.  If you're in the Indy area and want to join us, tickets are available via many major ticket outlets.  The show is scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on October 13.

Regardless, I want to let all of you in on the fun, too.  So I'm hosting my first giveaway--if you can't make it to a Yo Gabba Gabba show near you, then listening to the music is the next best thing, right?  Bohlsen was kind enough to supply me with the Yo Gabba Gabba Music is Awesome Volume 2 CD .

Here are the rules:
On October 31, I will randomly draw one lucky winner.  I will do my best to contact that winner (so make sure you provide some contact info!)  You will have one week to respond to me, and if I don't hear from you, then I will move on to another.  So on and so forth.

There are four ways to win:

• Please leave me a comment telling me your favorite kid-friendly outing.
• Subscribe to my blog feed and leave a comment here to tell me you've done so.

• Follow me on Twitter at @arrowssentforth and leave a comment here to tell me you've done so.

• Please share a link to this giveaway through a social media outlet of your choice, and leave me a comment here to tell me you've done so.

Can't wait to see who will be getting their dancey dance on to these spirited tunes!

Going places strollers never will.

Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing is calling attention to recent efforts to ban nearly all baby carriers, slings, etc.  I'm all about keeping our little ones safe, but I also firmly believe in babywearing when done correctly.  Not only has it been super cuddly and comforting to our little arrow at nearly every age, but it has allowed us to do so much more as a family.

So to support Stephanie's declaration of International Babywearing Month, here are a few of my favorite photos of the arrow in various babywearing products.

Love those babywearing daddies too!

Favorite Posts of the Week: Making Travel Fun

I've been too busy the last few Saturdays to share my favorite posts, but I'm finally catching back up.  I stumbled upon some really fun travel tips this week.

Our Vacation with a Stuffed Chipmunk Named Chip at 4tunate
I have loved this blog forever and ever.  Jen is a great mom to 4 boys--quads!  She and her hubby just took a parents-only trip and brought along one of the boys' prized possessions.  Too cute, and such a great idea.  (If you need another reason to visit 4tunate... Jen is a fellow Butler grad.  Oh yeah, THAT Butler.)

Travel Tip of the Day at Fodor's
Fodor's recommends finding fun places to stop along the way when traveling with kids.  We love that idea, and have incorporated some very fun stops on our drives around the Midwest, including Notre Dame, Fair Oaks Farms, the Louisville Zoo and the Indianapolis Zoo.  Getting there really can be half the fun.

And, finally, just because I like pictures of little baby bottoms, this post:

What a VIEW! at Traveler's Barista

This post is a part of Saturday Stumbles at It's Come 2 This.

Hi Sheep! XOXO, The Arrow

One of the reasons I love Midwest living is the glorious seasons we experience, and fall is one of the best here in Indiana. This week, my mom's club traveled to Trafalgar, Indiana to tour the beautiful Apple Works Orchard there.  I blogged about our visit over at the Indiana Insider.  The arrow loved romping around the apple trees, and my only challenge was keeping the dirty apples out of his mouth.

He also loved the petting zoo.  I mean, reeeeeeally loved the petting zoo.  You can't tell from this shot, but he did in fact make lip to lip contact with that sheep.  His first kiss?  Not exactly the way I pictured it.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.