Switching it up, yo

I made a change. 

For reasons that might seem pathetic and/or lame, I moved my Nap Time in Naptown posts to my blog, Heart Gone Walking.

It was overwhelming to write two different blogs, leading me to be frozen at both places. Which I really didn't like because I blog to remember Madeline's childhood and I really do like writing about a great experience in Indy.

It just makes more sense to combine all my thoughts in one place.

So if you are looking for posts on Indianapolis (like how we do the Indiana State Fair multiple times on the cheap) and are interested in hearing how much I like Harry Potter and Big Brother, how my second unknown-gender pregnancy is rolling or how overjoyed I was to share my anniversary with Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo, I hope I'll see you over there.

Splashing Away at Riverwood Park

One of my favorite summer destinations is a splash park. Madeline loves them too (which is really handy) but I could visit one every day to wile away the hot, hot hours.

It's not that I don't like the pool. I really do. I also like a good water table or slip 'n slide. 

But when it comes to my preferred water choice, I will pick a splash park every day of the week and twice on Sunday. 

The number one reason why? I can talk with other moms or read a book and not worry about Madeline drowning. Kinda a big one to me.

Today, there was a grand-opening event for the brand spankin' new Indy Parks splash park at Riverwood Park. I have a feeling we will be spending a significant portion of the next several weeks there.

It was a big hit in Madeline's eyes.

(Oh, sweet naive reader, did you actually think I brought my camera with me? I totally stole these from the Indianapolis Parks Foundation's Facebook page.)

Even though the park is new, there are huge shade trees lining the grassy strip alongside the entire pad. Perfect for this momma to sit in the shade and watch her kid tire herself to exhaustion. (At this exact moment, Madeline is gloriously sleeeeeeeeeping!)

At splash parks, we always eat on a wet towel in the grass but if that isn't how you roll, there's also a nice shelter with picnic tables behind the playground. (Hey, I've never claimed to be classy, especially while wearing a tangerine cover-up.)

The park also has a HUGE playground but beware that the equipment can get really hot because it's not under any sort of shade. Your kids might not mind though because it's a pretty awesome sight to behold.

The only bummer about Riverwood Park right now is that the bathrooms aren't up and running yet. If you're potty-training your littles or have a tiny kid with a tiny bladder, you might want to bring a potty seat in your car. On a slightly more positive and very related note, we did discover this morning that the Broad Ripple Marsh has fantastically clean restrooms.

We will definitely be back. Over and over and over again.

Riverwood Park
7201 Crittendon Avenue, Indianapolis
Open dawn to dusk

Madeline goes to The Ruby Pear

A couple of months ago, I wrote this post and included a video of Madeline being enthralled by a brochure from 8 Great Towns. I posted the videos because I thought Madeline was acting super adorable and grown up. (What else is new?) (And yes, I totally just watched the videos again because I can't handle the adorbs.)

Well, the people at 8 Great Towns thought Madeline was pretty darn cute too and sent her some gift certificates to thank her for loving their brochure.

One of the gifts was to The Ruby Pear, a tea parlor in Noblesville. We invited our friends Andrea and Addie because I want to start a club of Ladies Who Lunch and Toddlers Who Tea.

If you need an hour or two to feel like a feminine woman again, a tea parlor will do that for you. Forget that yesterday I floated in the pool like a hippo, just minus the mud.

But today I sat in a little airy green room with flouncy white curtains and ate on mismatched floral china. I drank the hot Midsummer Peach tea and ate a cucumber cream cheese sandwich, a pecan chicken salad sandwich and a white chocolate cashew scone with Southern cream and lemon curd. Even the girls' apple juice was served in a little but heavy glass pitcher.

It's hard to describe how that fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine but it did. I am obsessed really like English movies and books and have heard about clotted cream with scones for a very long time. I've wanted to try it for just as long because anything with cream? Sign me up.

And today I smothered my scone in the Southern cream (their version of clotted cream) and then immediately ordered some scones and cream to go. When I'm eating breakfast tomorrow morning in my pjs (which are not a little sexy satin number but instead a ratty tank top and cotton shorts), I can eat my scone with Southern cream and imagine that Princess Kate is doing the same thing at tea time.

I believe in the soothing power of day dreaming, people. Don't touch that bubble. Don't even go near it.

I really loved The Ruby Pear. I always judge a place by whether or not they give me the stink-eye when I walk in with a kid. (Because, as every mom knows, this does happen and it makes you want to immediately walk out.) I was thrilled when the owners of The Ruby Pear passed that test with flying colors.

The tea parlor is in an old, renovated Victorian home in the historic downtown Noblesville. The layout is very private with tables in multiple rooms, more private than other tea houses I've been to. We had a tiny room of our own, the Garden Room, which was perfect for two adults who wanted to catch up and two kids who weren't in danger of ruining anyone else's special time.

While being everything a tea parlor should be, the atmosphere was far, far from pretentious or stuffy. Canvas paintings hung on three of the walls in our little room but the fourth wall had beautiful aprons strewn across a clothesline. Our mismatched chairs were oversized and cushioned so you sank back comfortably. P.S I just love mismatched style.

The Ruby Pear is a place where you could have a wonderful, lovely lunch with girlfriends and forget the mounds of laundry at home. Or a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party or a "I survived this week" party.

Or you could totally bring your kids if you need a nice afternoon to remind yourself that real plates (read: fragile) still exist and not just the Disney plastic ones. Just be sure to load them up on Fat Rascal cookies and chocolate-covered strawberries and they'll beg to come back. At least that was Madeline's experience.

My other favorite part was the little shop in the front of the house. The owners have selected the cutest collection of jewelry, handbags, china, doll accessories and the like. I found a drawer full of vintage earrings and couldn't pass up a set of big pearl-colored earrings for just $6. You know they're real vintage when they aren't even clip-on earrings but screw-back. (Since they don't require a pierced ear, Madeline has claimed them as her own.)

Thanks so much to 8 Great Towns for providing a wonderful afternoon with my girl and our friends. And thank you again to The Ruby Pear for not giving us the stink-eye. We loved it!

Pizzology in Carmel

I've kinda been putting off writing this post because it's on Pizzology and remembering their pizza makes me want to weep.

{I just clicked over to their twitter page and I'm pretty sure the background image is the pizza we had, the Lombardy. Not only did my stomach just growl at the sight of it but my heart also cried out, "GO THERE TOMORROW!}

If you need a restaurant that's classy for adults yet kid-friendly, I promise you will fall in love with Pizzology.

They make out-of-this-world Neapolitan craft pizza. I am so not a food critic so while I can't break it down for you and explain why I loved it so much, please believe me that I did. A lot.

But I am a mom so what I am fully authorized to discuss is how I didn't worry about being in a white cloth napkin restaurant with my 3-year-old.

From the crayons and white-paper tablecloth to the pizza-making window, Madeline was perfectly comfortable eating in a restaurant known for their wine selection. 

This has NEVER happened before, folks.

She absolutely loved hopping up on one of the tall chairs to watch the chefs work their magic and they didn't seem to mind that she was enamored with them for about 45 minutes straight.
Noticing the Eiffel Tower olive oil container confirmed her love and made her shriek, "RATATOUILLE!"

And I loved that my server didn't laugh in my face when I ordered the fancy-schmancy prosciutto, arugula, smoked mozzarella and parmesan reggiano pizza but then asked for one slice with pepperoni for my pepperoni-loving girl.

Our family of three got out of there for less than $25 including tip, salad, pizza and a take-home box.

We can't even do that at Olive Garden and this is owned by a Hoosier couple and tastes waaaaaay better.

{Tangent, when I think of Olive Garden, I always think of Mike Birbiglia who says his family is Italian but not real Italian. More like Olive Garden Italian. You're welcome for that tangent.}

So take the kids and go try out Pizzology. Just drop off your leftovers at my house.

:::

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Yogulatte on Mass Ave.

Last night I dreamed in a world of peanut butter and crushed Oreos. 

That might sound weird but if you had visited Yogulatte with me last night, then you would completely understand.

Yogulatte is a frozen yogurt and coffee shop located on one of my favorite streets in Indianapolis: Mass Ave. {Cue Hallelujah chorus.}

It's perfectly sized. Not too big; it's still a local shop that belongs on Mass Ave. Not too small; no panicking like when walking into tiny shops and realizing they only have two and a half seats for 17 customers.

Have you ever done serve-yourself yogurt? Because I hadn't before but now I can't go back. 

In Yogulatte, there is a wall of frozen yogurt machines and a bar of toppings. You pick whatever you want, serve yourself and pay just $.49 per ounce.

They have little taster cups so you can taste each flavor before you decide. {And I tasted each flavor, oh yes I did.} 

Cookies and cream. Cheesecake. Tart. Peanut Butter. I wanted to take them all home with me.

And then there's the toppings bar. Half is healthy with strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, etc. The other half is... not so healthy.

I scooped up Oreos. Clearly the bad half was whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

Next time Madeline and I go to Mass Ave Toys, I can guarantee we'll be making a frozen yogurt stop too. And if I can throw Yats in there too? 

Heaven on a street.

:::

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