What up, KC?

If you've known me for some time, you've probably heard me say, "There are hidden treasures everywhere." I say this because it's remarkably true! You don't have to be in New York, Las Vegas, or Chicago to find something awesome to do. Kansas City was the perfect case in point...

Our second day in the city started with a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. As sports fiends, we enjoyed wandering through the museum and learning about the history of the Negro Leagues and its notable players - names like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Rube Foster, and of course, Jackie Robinson. By happy accident, we happened to be there on the 107th birthday of Buck O'Neil, a famous player for the Kansas City Monarchs who later became the first African-American coach in Major League Baseball. In honor of his birthday, the museum was hosting an event with speakers that discussed him and his impact on baseball.

Once we'd worked up an appetite, we made our way to the next barbecue joint on our list - Gates BBQ. We definitely preferred Joe's, but it probably means something that I'd already eaten half of my food by the time I remembered to take a picture. Oops.

With full stomachs, we decided to check out the Power & Light District, a dining and entertainment district downtown. It should come as no surprise that our first stop while there was The College Basketball Experience, the interactive home of men's college basketball that also houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. This place was half museum, half basketball gym and we spent most of our time shooting around and doing drills. Wheat loved the exhibit on Cinderella teams, which, of course, highlighted Davidson and Steph Curry.

After working up a sweat, we decided to cool down with a stroll through one of KC's crown jewels - the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I had no idea, but this is one of the best art museums in the country and it didn't take long to figure out why. I was absolutely blown away by the world-class galleries and the beautiful grounds (which included the famous shuttlecocks). We arrived shortly before closing time, so we vowed to make a return visit before heading home.

There was a special exhibit on the Day of the Dead that really hit home for me. You could leave messages for your departed loved ones and we made sure to leave a couple for my mom. In fact, she became the first person to know we were expecting. There were butterflies and flowers, two of my mom's favorite things, all over the display and it truly felt like we stumbled across it for a reason.

When the museum closed, we went back to our hotel to rest before heading to Chuy's for dinner. We ended the night with another soak in the whirlpool while watching Saturday Night Live.

As promised, I'll condense the next two days into one post. I told you - Kansas City has a lot to offer.

New parks of all kinds.

I'm not entirely sure how this happened, but the trip to Spain that we booked over a year ago is suddenly next week, which means I'm running out of time to recap all the cool things I've been doing. If you've spent any amount of time around here, you know it'll probably take several weeks for me to write about our trip, so please allow me to kill two birds with one stone and write a hybrid post about our last day in DC and our recent trip to Santa Claus, Indiana.

I'm nothing if not weird.

We had a late flight out of DC, so we decided to cross a new ballpark off our bucket list by watching the first game of a double header between the Nationals and the Giants. We took the metro to the park, which was surprisingly easy, and found our seats. We only half paid attention to the game, but we were able to try Shake Shack for the first time. Waiting in line took at least a full inning, but it was worth it.

The Nats lost, 4-2, and Bryce Harper didn't play, but the mascots more than made up for the lackluster performance. Where else can you see big-head Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Teddy Roosevelt race each other and throw t-shirts into a crowd? Comedy gold. All in all, it was the perfect way to wrap up our busy, but wonderful trip to DC.

Fast forward a couple weeks.

In hopes of distracting me from personal stress, Wheat organized a spur-of-the-moment trip to Santa Claus, Indiana for us to check out Holiday World, the holiday-themed amusement and water park. Have I mentioned how dreamy my guy is? On the way down, we spent the night in Louisville, which has never disappointed us. We ate dinner at Mussel & Burger Bar (so delicious!) and wandered around the downtown area on foot. We stopped at Fourth Street Live!, checked out all the baseball plaques near the Louisville Slugger Museum, ate ice cream, and stayed up too late watching Mayweather vs. McGregor.

After breakfast the next morning, we made the one-hour drive to Santa Claus. For those who don't know, I grew up ten minutes away from a massive theme park called King's Island, so I have been a bit spoiled in that regard. Needless to say, as we drove through cornfield after cornfield in southern Indiana, I had very low expectations for what awaited us at Holiday World. But I have to tell you - I was completely wrong.

With the exception of a couple bouts of motion sickness, we had the most amazing time. I still can't believe that such a hidden treasure exists, sprouting up unexpectedly in the middle of miles and miles of farmland. First of all, admission, which includes access to both the theme park and the water park, was reasonable, especially in comparison to other parks. Food prices were also reasonable and, best of all, drinks (and sunscreen) were free. Read that again. I was in absolute heaven with unlimited access to fountain soda all. day. long. No wonder I felt nauseous by the end of the day...

I'm a total sucker for themed things (hello, Game of Thrones pop-up bar) and the whole amusement park was spot on. There are four sections to the park - Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving - and each section has rides, food, decorations, games, music, and characters that fit that theme. Thanksgiving food (turkey, mashed potatoes, etc.) was served in said section, while Christmas cookies, nativity scenes, and Christmas trees could be found in Christmas land. Even the Dippin' Dots booths were decorated differently in each section! A game in Halloween was called The Raven's Ring Toss while a ride in Fourth of July was called Liberty Launch. You get the picture...and that's exactly what I took - one million pictures.

I didn't expect the park, which was practically empty on a beautiful Sunday in August, to have roller coasters that could compete with King's Island, but again, I was wrong. Wheat and I rode three of the four coasters in the park - The Raven, Legend, and The Voyage - and they were among the best wooden roller coasters I've ever ridden. In fact, The Voyage is considered the #8 roller coaster in the entire country and the other two rank in the top 100, as well. Fourth of July had a Coney Island-type feel to it with mostly carnival rides and a magic show. For some reason, Halloween had an impressive dive show where high divers performed dangerous stunts, like lighting themselves on fire before plummeting to the pool below.

During the magic show, we spotted Santa walking around, so I took a paparazzi shot, of course. Although it's much smaller than King's Island, Holiday World packed a serious punch and it was an absolute dream come true for this big kid. Despite its quirkiness, the park also had a very welcoming, family-run vibe and the staff was incredibly nice.

When we'd had our fill of roller coasters, we mustered up some energy, changed into our bathing suits, and headed to Splashin' Safari, the water park. We honestly could have spent an entire day there, but we only had time to do the lazy river, two water slides, and a water coaster called Mammoth. I'd never been on a water coaster before, but I think they're my new favorite thing. In full disclosure, I did feel very sick afterward, but I blame the soda, riding backwards, and not being able to see anything. It's a bummer to ride water slides when you need glasses.

After a short break to regain composure, we hit the road for Indianapolis, but not before eating some ice cream...because how often do you get to eat an ice cream cone outside, covered in chlorine, while admiring a decorated Christmas tree in Indiana?

Pacers & Racers

Blogging once a month is a good policy, right? I'd say I need another couple hours in the day, but I'm a realist. I know I'd just fill that time with sleep.

I have so many things to share and no time to do it. My niece turned one (OMG). I traveled to St. Louis for a dear friend's wedding. The Penguins have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. I found an amazing podcast, Terrible Thanks for Asking. I saw Magic Men Live (bonus OMG). For now, I'll stick with sports.

The Cincinnati Reds actually played the Baltimore Orioles in Ohio this year, so Wheat and I agreed that we'll sleep when we die and drove to Great American Ballpark for a Tuesday night game between our teams. We splurged for good seats right behind the Orioles dugout (because I love him) and he didn't throw a total fit when the Reds won, 9-3 (because he loves me). It was a beautiful, spontaneous night and the perfect excuse for some Cincinnati chili in my life.

The Pacers were swept by the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. In full disclosure, this made me pretty happy because it meant that Wheat returned to some semblance of a normal work-life balance. I know this is selfish of me, but it was also fun to see LeBron go into full-on cheat mode in Game 3. Seriously, if you ever get the chance, you must see him play in-person. It's like he's playing a completely different game than his opponents.

For Game 4 of the series, Wheat entered our niece, Scarlett, into a baby race that would take place on the court between the first and second quarters. After quite a bit of convincing on my part, my brother finally relented and agreed to allow her to participate (this might have been because FREE TICKETS to watch LeBron in the playoffs, but who knows?). Guys, I don't know how I'm going to handle being an actual parent because I was a total. nervous. wreck. right before the race started. I anxiously sat on the edge of my seat in the upper level, recording my brother and his girlfriend as they pleaded with Scarlett to crawl across the floor in her little personalized jersey.

Spoiler alert: None of the eight racers crossed the finish line. Scarlett did, however, make friends with Jagger, the racer next to her (and Wheat's co-worker's baby). Wheat was able to get his hands on the video board footage of the race and I don't think I'm being biased when I say that it's totally worth watching. I will be biased, though, and stress that my niece was obviously the star of the show.



Please note that the only progress she made was to crawl out and retrieve her headband to hand back to my brother, who had thrown it like a game of fetch. Tremendous. I don't think he was complaining too much - all the participants got a $50 Kroger gift card.

If you, too, think that Scarlett is the best human on the face of the earth (hi, Elizabeth, Wheat, and Mommles!), then you've come to the right place...because her first birthday party is coming in hot.

It's a Jurassic World. We just live in it.

On the life spectrum of dentist visit to new Vince Vaughn movie, there is always one thing I can do with my weekend that sends me into somehow-better-than-Vaughn absolute bliss: spend quality time with my mom. I'm not quite sure how she does it, but she makes everywhere feel like home. She listens, laughs, tidies up, feeds, and generally brightens everyone's day she encounters. Just ask the cook she tipped $10 on Sunday for the "best French Dip sandwich" she'd ever had.

Fortunately for me, she decided to spread her cheer by visiting us in Indianapolis and keeping me company while Wheat worked two Fever games this weekend. Friday, we booked it straight to Chipotle once she arrived because I was experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms. Are there support groups for this? After dinner, she and I headed to Victory Field to watch the Indians take on the Gwinnett Braves. The tickets were free, the view was great, the ice cream was delicious, and the post-game fireworks were awesome. The Indians lost, 8-7, but the impressive rally and girl talk more than made up for that.

Despite the oppressive heat and humidity on Saturday, the three of us decided to brave the crowds at the Talbot Street Art Fair. I'd never been before and I was very impressed with the incredible lineup of artists and their wares. We even ran into one of my friend's parents, who are potters that traveled from our little Ohio hometown, at their booth. Had the day been 20º cooler, we probably would have stayed for a few hours, but the heat was something even a Lemon Chill couldn't fix. So, we cruised our way through the fair (and the nearby Independent Music + Art Festival and INDIEana Handicraft Exchange) before decompressing on the couch at our apartment.

Once our body temperatures finally normalized, we had a quick dinner at Fresco before going to the local movie theater to see Jurassic World. At this point, I should probably share that the real reason for my mom's visit to Indy was to see this movie with me...because we're obsessed with all things Jurassic Park. Needless to say, we had high expectations and the latest installment in the series did not disappoint. The movie was chock-full of action, new dinosaurs, and some seriously impressive special effects. Chris Pratt was absolutely wonderful as the franchise's new leading man and there were some awesome, subtle references to the original film. If you liked Jurassic Park, I highly recommend checking it out. Right now. I honestly might see it again in theaters, due in part to the reclining chairs at our local spot.

The rest of the weekend was filled to the brim with sleeping in late, fruit salad, wedding discussion, dipping our feet (or in my mom's case, her whole clothed body) in the pool, the Game of Thrones season finale (ugh - anyone else?), dinner at Bourbon Street, and lots of hugs. She always knows how to soothe my homesick feeling. Now if only they sold Mommles patches to ease the pain of her leaving...

Hey, Batter Batter!

Over drinks a couple weeks ago, my friends learned that I haven't seen several classic baseball movies. I saw Field of Dreams for the first time last year, but I haven't seen The Rookie, The Natural, Bull Durham, or Major League. So, being good friends, they decided that a baseball movie night was in order. I jumped at the opportunity to host a theme party and the date was set for Sunday night (after the Bengals travesty).

I might have gone a little overboard with the planning. I wanted to have a hot dog and nacho bar, so we boiled the hot dogs and set out the toppings (sour cream, onions, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, queso, guacamole, refried beans, ketchup, mustard, Skyline chili, and barbeque sauce). I bought some Cracker Jacks, peanuts, and Big League chew to give our apartment the ballpark feel.

I made a banner sign that said 'Concessions,' filled Wheat's old baseball glove with peanuts, and printed out a cute sign for decoration. Wheat helped with the decorations by hanging some of his old Orioles and personal memorabilia around the apartment. I really can't handle his cute little league baseball card from 1996. I also bought the guys small packs of baseball cards and they had fun proposing trades that weren't accepted.

My favorite part of the night, however, was busting out my french vanilla baseball cupcakes.

We decided to watch Major League and if I'm being totally honest, the movie was just alright. The company, though? They're pretty awesome.

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This #Blogtober prompt deserves a post of its own, but I'll do my best to be succinct. My Dream Vacation is almost impossible to narrow down, but I'll go with one I've been fantasizing about recently. You might think I'm cheating, but my dream vacation is a blitz through western Europe with Wheat. I'd really love to see Greece, but I think that'd be a trip on its own.

I may or may not have already planned out a loose itinerary.

Okay, I have. Here it is:

- We'd start in Amsterdam, enjoying all that the city has to offer. We'd tour the Anne Frank house, rent bikes to cruise along the canals, check out the Van Gogh Museum, take a cruise on a canal boat, and walk along the Red Light District.

Amsterdam via

- Next, we'd make our way to Germany. We'd stop in Berlin to learn about the Wall and see Checkpoint Charlie. We'd admire the gorgeous feudal castles, take a cruise on the Rhine River, and walk through the tiny villages in the Rhine Valley. We'd stop in Munich for some history, some beer (I would force myself to drink it here), and a trip to the Dachau concentration camp. We'd get pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle (the inspiration for the famous Disney castle) before heading to Venice.

- We would spend a decent amount of time in Italy, of course. Venice would be filled with getting lost along the canals, admiring St. Mark's Basilica, and taking a gondola ride. Next, we'd travel to Florence, where we'd admire David in the Accademia, eat gelato, peruse the markets, and tour the Uffizi Gallery. We would do so much in Rome and the Vatican. Wheat would give me lessons while visiting the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican Museum.

- We'd spend a day in Cinque Terre to lay on the beach and take a proper vacation. But then we'd head straight to Switzerland to see the gorgeous Swiss Alps. We'd spend a day hiking through the mountains before traveling to France.

- We would explore Paris, admire the works of art in the Louvre, tour the Notre Dame Cathedral, share crepes, walk along the Champs-Elysees, and of course, kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower. After a couple days, we would board the Chunnel to London for our final stop.

Paris via

- London would be filled with even more history - trips to the London Bridge, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. We'd see a Broadway show, take in the view from the London Eye, and take a cruise on the River Thames.

I'm not opposed to staying in hostels along the way, but money isn't an object in this fantasy vacation. That's the beauty of daydreaming.