by Sarah | Oct 29, 2012 | All About Family, All About Indiana, All of Us, Blogging Life, Indiana Family of Farmers, Table Talk, The Reluctant Hoosier
[flickr id=”5075549323″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Fall is my favorite season. I might be partial to summer because that’s when I was born – but it gets too hot (especially here in Indiana) and far too humid and I don’t have a pool anymore.
Besides – fall has all the gorgeous color, brief though it may be.
Fall is the season I start to bake. I start making Christmas cookies early & freeze them – but I also start baking bread. And pie. And anything else I can concoct. My family loves the influx of fresh food baked in warm oven. Only thing I wish for at this time of year is a lot more counter space.
Fall is also the season that the local farmers have the corn mazes, apple picking, pumpkin picking, and fall festivals. There is so much to do at this time of year – and my favorite is the apples. Apple pie and applesauce adorn our table regularly in the fall.
There really is no better season.
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This post was written as part of Indiana Family of Farmers Table Talk series. As a Table Talk contributor I received various products to help along the table talk. All opinions and stories in the post are my own truth.
by Sarah | Oct 22, 2012 | All About Indiana, All About Me, Blogging Life, Indy Geek Girls, The Reluctant Hoosier
Of all the things I thought I’d do in my life – scaling a pseudo-mountain wasn’t one of them.
This Friday I did just that.
Thanks to The Crag in Brownsburg I got to scale rock walls, challenge my pitiful out-of-shape body – and laugh at some of the best innuendos I’ve heard in years with my friends.
The Crag is a great indoor climbing facility tucked away in Brownsburg that has walls from “easy” to extremely challenging.
[flickr id=”8104337222″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”]A group of us went, within about five minutes we were trained on tying ourselves to the ropes and belaying. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and even clued us in on where to start for the easier climbs (although it wasn’t long until the dares for the harder climbs began).
I was a total newbie to the climbing thing, and sadly mistaken at how much I’d be able to do. It was super difficult, and I’m still feeling the aches in my shoulders and upper arms days later. Much as they tell you to use your legs, your arms get killed.
[flickr id=”8104322567″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Thing was, much as it hurt and tough as it was, every accomplished climb was a rush of adrenaline and pride. Every single one of us set forth to climb onto a platform, and we all did, making our strong pose – even those that were afraid of heights.
I’m ready to go back. I just need someone to go with me. Best part is that it’s not that expensive. A day pass for those over 8 is $20 – and for those under 8 it’s only $12. But there are weekly specials that are super worth it. Wednesdays are their canned food drive. If you bring in 2 cans of food, you get your pass for $12.
[flickr id=”8104333850″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”]Friday nights are Family night. It’s $30 for the first 2 members (a $10 savings) and then only $5 for each additional family member. That’s only $40 for a family of four. You can’t go to the movies for that folks – and rock climbing takes teamwork and communication.
The best night, of course, is date night. $15 for the two of you. You’ll be challenged, you’ll laugh, you’ll have to be there to support each other going up and coming down. Again, cheaper than a night at the movies and better for your marriage then sitting the dark for an hour and a half.
So if you’re in Indy…get thee to The Crag. Some tips – don’t wear heavy sneakers. Wear shoes cut closer to your feet so it’s easier to plant your feet against the wall. Wear pants – you need to have those harnesses nice and tight. And be prepared for sore muscles and possible blisters.
View all the pictures from our night HERE in my flickr acct
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*The Crag treated me and some of my fellow IndyGeekGirls to a night of climbing free. All opinions and achingly sore muscles are my own.
by Sarah | Oct 17, 2012 | All About Family, All About Me, Blogging Life, Random
I have a family of 5.
I know, duh, right?
To compound the family of 5, all 3 kids have special needs and my husband’s company – while providing a decent sense of job security has really crappy insurance.
I mean, seriously crappy.
So when I get a chance to score a deal on anything health related, I’m there.
Now considering we have a family full of dysfunctional eyes and the ability to get new glasses only once every TWO years, finding out about the chance to get free glasses at Firmoo? Well, you bet your sweet fanny I jumped on that sucker.
I’ve been needing glasses for over a year since the husband hated my last pair. Not because my glasses got messed up (I’m a contacts girl, so glasses last a while) & not because my prescription changed (It hasn’t changed in 10 years).
Firmoo is awesome about offering the first pair free to first time customers – you only pay shipping – and bloggers don’t have to pay shipping if they do a review. See their options at their site.
So I picked out a pair, sent in my info and within a week I had a new pair of glasses! That easy. I didn’t have any issues with my glasses (after I adjusted to the style – so different from my usual style, I decided to be daring), but I know if I did the customer service would have been great.
Firmoo has a great option on most of their frames to “try on” the frames on the website. My biggest suggestion is make sure that you use your own picture to make sure you get them fit to your face, not the models – because it’s a guarantee that they don’t have a face just like yours and those glasses aren’t going to look the same on you as they did on the site.
So head on over and get your free pair now.
Seriously, I love never having to leave my chair to order a pair of glasses.
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I received a free pair of glasses in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. You can’t buy me with a sweet pair o’ lenses. I only respond to chocolate, eye candy, and lovely yarns.
by Sarah | Aug 13, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Kennedy, All About Learning, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Clever Girls, The Teenager
School starts tomorrow for my kids. We did the school supply lists provided by the teachers. Pencils, pens, notebooks & more. Spent hours in the store fighting the crowd of other parents and realizing that the store was sold out of quite a few needed items. In the end, headaches abounded and we headed home.
Of course, that only got us the necessities the SCHOOL declared necessary.
I still had three kids to make happy. What makes kids happy for school? Getting all the clothes considered ‘cool’. The most important requirement for a new school year.
Which I find hilarious considering at Christmas they all sneer at the ‘clothing box’ shaped presents. What is it about the new school year that makes buying clothes more than acceptable when any other time you dare to buy clothes you’re the devil?
Ah well, my favorite part about shopping for clothes that we don’t have to fight the stores. The teenager doesn’t want me to ‘help’ him shop for nothing, my girls are chaos in a store and I know their sizes.
Online I can find great deals, clothes on clearance that have been wiped out at the stores (believe me I’ve tried).
I can get ‘cool’ clothes for my kids that they pick out (like the “Awesome” shirt above – tailor made for the teens level of attitude and confidence…and the adorable dress over here -> that fits with my girls obsession with dresses, both at Old Navy).
So easy, convenient and doesn’t waste my gas driving into town for a stress filled afternoon of attempting to shop with a teen and two girls – one of whom gets over-stimulated in our backyard and is oh-so-fun when we get to crowded stores.
My kids are happy. I’m far less stressed, and saved a few bucks.
No wonder I’m addicted to the internets 😉
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
by Sarah | Aug 11, 2012 | All About Indiana, Blogging Life, DigIN, Indiana Family of Farmers, The Reluctant Hoosier
I’ve taken to calling myself the Reluctant Hoosier because when I first moved here my freshman year of high school I loudly proclaimed then, and for years to follow, that I would never ever be a Hoosier.
In my old(er) age I’m softening to the Hoosier State. With every new thing I learn about the state, the more I come to love it.
Like the sheer number of food and livestock grown and produced right here in Indiana. It’s staggering, and it makes me proud that so many farmers are working hard to keep our nation fed with healthy meat and produce.
DigIN is a great way to meet some of the farmers, and many of the local businesses that not only run locally, but buy locally.
Indiana Family of Farmers is playing chef at the event and wants to give you TWO tickets to come see (and taste) the Heartland on August 26, 2012 at White River State Park.
I’m going to make it even easier than usual to win, just two ways to enter.
- Visit the DigIN site and leave a comment here telling me what part of the Event you’d like to “dig in” to.
- Tweet about my giveaway w/ a tag to me (@sadiecass) and leave a comment here saying you did so.
That’s it!
Giveaway ends on Tuesday, August 14 at 10:59PM. Winner will be contacted first thing August 15th & will have 24 hours to reply or I will pick another winner.
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*Disclaimer: As an Indiana Family of Farmers Ambassador I received two free tickets to DigIN. As always, all opinions and reluctance to be called a Hoosier are all mine.
by Sarah | Jul 31, 2012 | Blogging Life
[flickr id=”6846761662″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]A few months ago I started to revamp this website to bring in my writing blog and combine it all into one.
It’s been confusing and overwhelming and really once I merged and got my new layout up, I sort of backed away and didn’t touch it again.
Recent events have spurred me back into life. Things changing at home, in my professional blogging & writing life, and just in the way I organize my day and the blog; have all led to me tackling this beast again.
Over the coming weeks and months things will be changing. Some of them are minor and are happening as we speak, or have happened already. Others will be major and alter the look of the whole site or just pages.
In the interim I’m also building a website for my husband. He wants to blog about movies, books, whatever strikes his fancy that isn’t the kids (if he does that he’ll do it here). He’s already on Twitter, although he’s still figuring that stuff out.
Oh, and I’m working on building a facebook page or two tying in to a few things around here.
In the end, I hope this place will make far more sense. Or at least as much sense as I do (which isn’t always that much).
So excuse the dust and some of my vague comments. In the coming weeks I’ll have news and posts and fun stuff. Life is changing around the Cass house hold…it’s been a chaotic year that promises to get more so as we enter the second half of the year!!
