Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana this Weekend

Cute drawstring Vera Bradley Bag

Who: Vera Bradley is from Fort Wayne, IN!

What: The big Vera Bradley Outlet Sale featuring purses, luggage, and accessories like stationery, glasses cases, headbands, etc!

When:Thursday, April 29, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
          Friday, April 30, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
          Saturday, May 1, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

          Sunday, May 2, 10am-5pm

Where:Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

           4000 Parnell Ave.
           Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805
           (260) 482-9502

Why: Score 40% to 75% off retail prices!

Good to know: There is a $5 registration fee at the door. What a fun little weekend get-a-way! Fort Wayne is about 3.5 to 4 hours away from Seymour, but this would be a fun overnight trip.

Check out the video or visit the website for more info.

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New Jackson County Moms Group!

New Jackson County Moms Group

Want to meet more moms with kids the same age? New to the area? Want to get involved in the community? Looking for a playgroup? Then Jackson County Moms is for you!

Jackson County Moms is a social group for moms with children of all ages within the Jackson County area. (This includes the cities of Seymour, Brownstown, Crothersville, Medora, Uniontown, and Vallonia). We connect online and in-person through offline members only events and groups.

Jackson County Moms strives to help members enrich their lives through cultivating new friendships and community involvement. We have an online forum, various playgroups and other small groups, events, a free sophisticated classified area, great give-a-ways, plus more planned. We are happy to be growing so please join and then invite all of your friends! You can start with a FREE trial membership today!

Join the Jackson County Moms Group by clicking this link.

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It's Earth Day - Let's Recycle in Seymour Indiana with a FREE Bin!

Happy Earth Day! If you haven't done so, make today the day you go pick up a recycling bin for use in Seymour Indiana. Your recycling will be picked up at the curb on the same day that your trash is picked up. All recycling bins are to be placed on the curb, not in the alleys. A free bin may be obtained at the department of Public Works, located at 1100 E. 4th Street, or at City Hall downtown. You can call 812-524-1100 for more program information or keep reading.


Here is more information from our Seymour city website.


Recycle:
Seymour residents are strongly encouraged to participate in Seymour’s FREE curbside recycling program by calling 524-1100.  At no cost, you will receive a blue and a green recycling bin, along with information on the program. Items accepted include: plastics 1 & 2 bottles only, tin cans, kitchen glass, aluminum cans, which should be placed in the blue bin, and newspaper, clean pizza boxes, mail, magazines, office paper, and hard and soft back books, which should be placed in the green bin.  Please place your bins at curbside, no alley pickups, by 7:00 a.m. on the day of your trash pickup. Large amounts of clean and broken down corrugated cardboard can be dropped off or called in for special pickup.



Pick up your Recycling Bin today Seymour! It's easy, free, and good to the Earth. ;0)


Also, for another way to get in the recycling spirit, here is some info about the Seymour Chamber of Commerce Tour de Sox


Tour de Sox

(formerly known as Ride-to-Recycle Bike Ride)

Cost: $20 (pre-register), $25 (day of event)


For over fifteen years the Chamber’s Recycling Committee has hosted this annual major bicycle ride.  The ride consists of choices of 25, 50, 75 or 100 mile routes through Jackson and Bartholomew counties.  Dressing rooms, showers, SAG stops along the routes, bicycle maintenance and entertainment, food and massages at the end make this a fun annual event.  Proceeds from the event are used to fund recycling grants by the committee to organizations in Jackson County.

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I went to Dairy Queen in Seymour and got a Blizzard for 25 Cents!

Dairy Queen in Seymour, Indiana

 My family and I went to Dairy Queen today here in Seymour, Indiana and I was pleasantly surprised to find out they are running a "Buy one Blizzard and get the 2nd for 25 cents!" special. DQ is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the blizzard with this awesome deal. This is a national program but not every DQ will participate. Most will though!

By the way, my husband and I totally remember when the blizzard came out so we are officially old. ;) I think the "Love is Cool" graffiti message is even older. This message has been on a garage in the alley of our DQ here in Seymour for years! I would be sad if they ever get rid of it. Anyone know how long it's been there?

"Love is Cool" Graffiti Seymour, Indiana

Back to the blizzard, I got the Reese Cup and my hubby got the Banana Split blizzard. Yummy! So, hurry in to DQ because this deal only lasts until the 25th. Or heck, go every night this week! Take a friend :)

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I guess Rok-Sey Arena is still Rolling! Let's Go Roller Skate!

Rok-Sey Skating Rink Today

I was taking some pictures for the blog and drove past Rok-Sey to snap a few. For some reason, I thought that Rok-Sey had been closed for awhile. I remember hearing they were hit hard by the flood in 2008 and never heard they re-opened. Or if I did, it didn't register. My sons are ages 6 and 13 and while taking pics I started thinking about the good ole' Rok-Sey days. How fun it would be to take them skating like my parents took me. I don't think my 6 year old has ever been! That's just not right. So, I called the number on the door and found out that they still have open skating from 6pm-10pm on Friday and Saturday night! We will be going soon! And did you know that Rok-Sey was owned by John Mellencamp's Grandpa, Speck Mellencamp, for many years? I knew that Rok-Sey was in one of his music videos but I had no idea it was in his family. By the way, Do any of you have any memories from Rok-Sey? I know I do! Here is one...

My Rok-Sey Memory:

Rok-Sey Skating Rink as I remember it in my youth

I remember fondly all the Friday nights skating at Rok-Sey Roller Skating Arena. Mom took me several times when I was younger and all I would do is hang on the rail all the way around. After a few weeks, I was brave enough to let go. Then, I was hooked. The music, the lights, the wind in my hair - I loved it all! I was so excited when my Grandma bought me my own cute lil' pair of skates at age 12. They came in this cool red suitcase-type thing. I lived at the skating rink every weekend. By 13, the main reason I went to the skating rink was to see who I would get asked to skate the couples song with. I would put on my cutest outfit, tease my bangs into a neat little birds nest (as my Dad called it) and smear on my favorite purple eye shadow. I think it was the early 90's...lol My Dad would drive me to the skating rink and it always felt like the longest drive. I will never forget the butterflies that would erupt as we got closer and closer to the bridge. I was able to go by myself so Dad just dropped me off. I would meet up with some of my best friends once inside. I usually went round and round with my friends several times scoping out the cute boys, then we would take a break and sit at the counter to order one of those square little pizzas. We did the hokey-pokey, we danced the electric slide in the corner, and we checked our make-up in the bathroom. When the time came for couples skate, I remember once being asked to skate by a much older (and very cute) boy. I think he was 17. I was thrilled! I was on cloud nine for about 4 minutes as we held hands and skated round and round. Afterwards, we sat on the long benches and he put his arm around me. I was so nervous that I was shaking! I find this funny looking back, but at that time, my perfect night was about to be ruined. The boy kissed me...and tried to slip a little tongue in there...and I FREAKED out. I pulled back and was like "What the heck are you doing!" Oh my gosh. I was mortified. He was embarrassed. Needless to say, we never skated couples skate together again.    

If you have a Rok-Sey memory, please share! Then, check out the history of Rok-Sey at http://www.rok-sey.com/Rok-Sey%20History.htm

(Photo credit for older photo goes to rok-sey.com)

I'm reading: I guess Rok-Sey Arena is still Rolling! Let's Go Roller Skate!

View the New Calendar Of Events Tab for Seymour, Indiana and Jackson County!

Wow, there are so many things going on this weekend in Seymour and the Jackson County area!

I have added the events to our NEW Google calendar! I just love Google, don't you?

You can find it by clicking the little "Calendar of Events" link right above this post. You can even add our listed events to your personal calendar if you have a Google calendar. In order to see the entire event details just click on the date and time and it will pop up for you so it is easier to read. It will show when, where, and a description plus a link at the bottom to copy to your calendar. If there are several events, you may need to click the +more link to see all of the days events. For instance, you can click on Saturday April 17th 2010 where it says +3 more to get this pop up below.

Saturday, April 17

8am Houston Church Pancake Breakfast

9am 1st Annual "Walk tHIS Way" 5 Mile Walk/Run

9am March for Babies

11am Party in the Park for Special Olympics

12pm Cystic Fibrosis Fish Fry & Auction

Now you can see the days events and click on each individual link. It will even give you weather info.

Also, if you prefer to see events in a list form, click the Agenda tab. 

You can even print the calendar! 

As always, if there is an event you would like me to list just send an email :)

Email me at -

SeymourCommunity@gmail.com  

I'm reading: View the New Calendar Of Events Tab for Seymour, Indiana and Jackson County!

Thunder over Louisville - It's not just Fireworks!

What: Thunder over Louisville!


When: Saturday April 17th, 2010

11 AM to 9:30pm FoodFest and Ground Activities (some open after fireworks until 11pm)

3pm Airshow

9:30 PM Fireworks

Where: Downtown Louisville Waterfront

What is Thunder?

It is an awesome one of a kind event that we are lucky to live within driving distance of Seymour, Indiana and Jackson County! Thunder Over Louisville is the ultimate outside event, with six hours of Air Show acts and a fireworks show that will increase the heart rate of everyone who still has a pulse. Keep your fingers crossed for great weather on April 17! Rated as one of the top 100 events in North America, the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies is truly a sight to behold. And each year, more than 500,000 people turn out. There will also be a variety of on-the-ground activities to keep spectators entertained throughout the day. Some attractions require a 2010 Pegasus Pin admission, but most activities are completely free. Most are also open from 11 a.m. until the fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.

Airshow

Thanks to the generous support of the event's corporate sponsors - E.ON U.S., Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, Meijer and UPS, as well as community McDonald's Thunder Funders, the Thunder Over Louisville show will once again feature an exciting array of military and civilian aircraft, as well as elite parachute and demonstration teams.

Ground Activities Info

The Thunder FoodFest will offer a wide variety of tasty treats from more than 115 food vendors from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Chow Wagon, Great Lawn, West Belvedere, and along Witherspoon Street and East River Road. Beer Gardens, with Pegasus Pin admission, will be open at the Chow Wagon and West Belvedere.

Kid's Play Areas: The interactive attractions on the South Great Lawn include a Tiger Slide, Dragon's Castle, Moon Bounce, Putt-Putt, Roswell Obstacle, First Down, Fun Slide, Fun House, Rock-O-Plane and Midway Games.

Tumbleweed BoomTown: A new venue at Thunder this year at Tumbleweed Southwest Grill on the Waterfront, 1201 River Road. Outside activities include kids play areas, food, beer and margarita garden, live music, Thunder sound system and more! FREE ADMISSION to the public. No COOLERS OR PETS. For information call (502) 618-8323 or www.TumbleweedBoomtown.com

Fireworks!

The fireworks will feature the latest in pyrotechnic power from Zambelli Internationale, America's "first family of fireworks". Eight 400-foot barges assemble on both sides of the 2nd Street Bridge to form the stage from which the fireworks spectacular ignites. The breathtaking and mind-numbing 28-minute show includes Thunder's signature one-mile "waterfall" effect off the bridge, making the fireworks seem to rain down forever. And in the crowd's memory of the show, it does! After more than a decade, the show remains the largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America.

(excerpts from official site of Thunder - http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/)

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Dear McDonalds (the one beside Wendy's), I Miss You! Love, Staci

Stuck in line at McDonalds again.

It's so easy to please the kids with a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal and it's fast. I have been going to the same McDonalds for as long as I can remember. My mom ate there when she was pregnant with me, so even before I can remember! Imagine my horror when I got in that same ol' left hand lane to turn in and bam! The building was in piles of rubble. A big sign said they would be building a new McDonalds and would open back up in June. Ugh. My 6 year old son actually started crying. I think he was in shock or something. But I quickly reminded him that not all hope was lost for a Happy Meal because we also have another Mickey D's on the far end of town. It seems like it takes forever to get there but it's really only a few miles.

We pulled in the drive thru lane and found we were about 15 cars down the line which is a long line for our town. Then I remembered it was one of them fancy two laner drive thru's. You know, the ones where the cars fight to merge first and the money takers get everybody's orders switched around because a bunch of meanies pulled out in front of the nice lady in the maroon car who had a 6 year old screaming he was "sssoooo hungry" in the back seat! Grrrr. All I know is nobody would let me pull up. I must have seen 8 cars go by me after I ordered. I was on the inside lane so I made a mental note to never ever get in that lane again. We finally got our food and I felt confident that our BBQ sauce would be in the bag and didn't check like I usually do because the boy assured me the sauce was in the bag and I just wanted to get outta there! There was no sauce. Call me picky but I don't like nuggets without sauce. It's just not the same. They never forgot the sauce at my old McDonalds.

Fast forward to yesterday. I went to McDonalds again. I did not get in the inside lane. I made sure they gave me sauce. But I didn't make sure I had a straw. Grrrrr. No straw in a car while driving = no drinking. This never happened at my old McDonalds. Fast forward to today. I know, I know. Two days in a row. Sue me. I got in the correct lane, made sure I had sauce AND a straw, and merrily went on my way. But I didn't count the nuggets!    

Dear McDonalds (the one beside Wendy's),

I Miss You!

Love, Staci

I'm reading: Dear McDonalds (the one beside Wendy's), I Miss You! Love, Staci

Spring Clean and Make Seymour Shine!

Don't forget that it's Make Seymour Shine week! The great thing about this week is that on your regular trash day you can get rid of all that "stuff" cluttering up your home and garage for free. Yes, free! It doesn't even have to fit in the new robotrash containers. Just sit it out and they will take it. Ah, the good ole days ;) You can get rid of furniture, appliances, yard waste, extra trash, etc. Get that spring cleaning done now that you have a reason and a deadline (your trash day)! Some items do need to be separated. You can read more details here -> Tribune Article - Make Seymour Shine

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Fun things to do in Seymour, Jackson County, and surrounding areas!

Hunter and Shawn at the Newport Aquarium

The Akemon family's favorite places to go and things to do in Seymour. This is what our typical weekends are spent doing. (The pictures are from our trip to the Newport Aquarium) PS. Please click on the FUN page at the top of this site for enabled links and to easily find this post again.

•Take the family to the movies at the Great Escape theatre. 

•Play putt putt at Construction Zone (See my blog post for more info and website)

•Visit the city parks. Shields park is our favorite but you can also check out Gaiser, Kasting, freeman field, and more.

•Swim at the city pool! Seymour City Pool! I actually met my husband there when I was 12 years old.

•Visit Kids Pizza Kingdom (when the games are working...lol) But then again the pizza is so good it makes up for the often out of order games.

•Go fishing out at the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Fishing is hubby's favorite hobby. (He really likes Hardy Lake in Scott County off 256)

•Take fitness classes such as Zumba or gymnastics. I am a member at Seymour Health & Fitness Club. Their website is http://seymourhealthandfitnessclub.com/ See my blog post for additional locations.

•My 6 year old takes gymnastics classes through Girls Inc. and loves it! http://www.girlsincjackson.org/

•My mom loves to play Bingo. It's offered at the American Legion, St Ambrose, & the VFW.

•We all like to go bowling at Starlite Bowl for cosmic bowling Fri and Sat night. Visit their website at http://www.starlitebowl.com/ for cost and details.

•My best friend and I love to go karaoke. Our favorite place to go is Brewskies and our favorite karaoke DJ is Chad from Nightcrawler Karaoke. Good Innocent fun. No, really! :)

•Hubby likes to go golfing with his grandpa at Shadowwood near Cracker Barrell, Ash Hollow at Leslie lake, or Seymour Country Club near Riverview Cemetery. He also likes Hickory Hills in Brownstown off 135.

Other great places and things to do in Jackson County, especially for visitors. If you live here and have not visited these places, shame on you! No, just kidding ;) But check them out, many are part of our history and yet are overlooked.

Newport, KY on the Levee

•Go to a production by the local theatre or participate in the Jackson County Community Theatre group. I have been in several plays and musicals and love it. Check out http://www.jcct.org/

•Visit the covered bridges in Jackson County. http://www.jacksoncountyin.com/bridges.htm

•Go to the Jackson County History Center and Museum http://www.jchistorycenter.org/

•Check out the John Mellencamp Driving Tour. Call the visitor center at 888-524-1914 for info.

•See the exhibits at the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts or sign up for classes http://www.soinart.com/exhibits.html The antique printing press is really very cool.

•Visit the local winery and do some tasting! http://www.chateaudepique.com/

•Head to the races at the Brownstown Speedway (see my blog post)

•Brownstown also has a very nice city pool and I really like their Dairy Queen. Their DQ is open year round. We go there on our way to see our daughter Savannah in Bedford.

•Go camping or fishing at Starve Hollow http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/4819.htm in Vallonia or at the forestry in Brownstown, also known as the Jackson-Washington State forest. Check out skyline drive for sure! See more info at http://www.stateparks.com/jacksonwashington.html I remember having cook-outs here as a child and they are some of my favorite memories!

How cool is it that we live so close to Indy, Louisville, and Cincy? Take advantage of it! Fun things to do within driving distance:

 

•Take a day trip to one of the go-kart, laser tage, putt putt, arcade places. We liked LazerBlaze near Louisville http://www.lazerblaze.com/generalinfo.html and then there's http://www.rascalsfunzone.com/

to the north in Whiteland, IN.

•Spring Breaks and Summer Vacations inevitably lead to Holiday World (http://www.holidayworld.com/) and/or Kings Island (http://www.visitkingsisland.com/). Younger kids will probably prefer Holiday World while older kids will love Kings Island. Both have waterparks. Although Kings Island has a new Peanuts kids area and the new Great Wolf lodge which is an indoor water park.

•There is the Newport Aquarium http://www.newportaquarium.com/ and the levee. This is a really fun and relaxing trip. The pictures on this page are from our trip to the Newport Aquarium.

•In Louisville, there is the Slugger Museum http://www.sluggermuseum.org/ , the Zoo (http://www.louisvillezoo.org/) and the Science Center/IMAX theatre (http://www.louisvillescience.org/)

•In Indy, check out the best Children's Museum in the USA at http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ and the Zoo at www.indyzoo.com/ Throw in a little indoor water fun at Caribbean Cove Water Park http://www.caribbeancovewaterpark.com/ and you've got a very full weekend if not more.

•For the parents, we like to visit the casinos. We enjoy the new Indiana Live, Horseshoe, and Belterra.

Hunter took this pic ;)

If I ever hear "there's nothing to do around here" again I might scream. This list should come in handy for you. Please bookmark, save it to your favorites, and share it. Remember to link to http://www.seymourcommunity.com/ Thanks!

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Boys and Girls Club of Seymour

Boys and Girls Club of Seymour

I always have the hardest time finding information for the Boys and Girls Club online. I realized today it is because they do not have a website online other than the national program site. So I decided to put together a post for all the parents out there like myself who like to use the internet more than hunting phone numbers and calling for information on hours and programs.

Boys & Girls Club of Seymour
Email: bgcsey@verizon.net 
Address: 950 N O’brien St Seymour, IN 
Phone: 812-522-2434


Club Hours


During the School Year:


Mon-Fri 3pm-7pm
Sat/Sun Closed


On most School Holidays, the club will be open 12pm-6pm


Summer Hours


Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
Sat/Sun Closed


Upcoming Events for 2010


May 10-21st  Swim lesson sign up for grades K-3
May 24th       Club CLOSED for Memorial Day
June 1st         Last day of School
June 2nd       First Day of Summer Hours
June 7th        Swimming lessons begin
July 5th         Club CLOSED


Reminder: Homework help is available daily from 3:30-5pm
                       Teen Center open daily for grades 6-12


I hope this helps!

I'm reading: Boys and Girls Club of Seymour

Head to the Races this Saturday

Photo Courtesy of BrownstownSpeedway.Com

Take the family out to the races this weekend! Family fun can be found right down the road in Brownstown. Brownstown Speedway, located on Highway 250 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds, and one mile southeast of Brownstown Indiana will be hosting the following show on Saturday April 10th, 2010:

Regular Show

ILMS Late Models

UMP Pure Stocks

Bombers

UMP Super Stocks 

Regular Show Times

Position Draw ends 5:15.

Hot Laps at 5:30.

Qualifications/Racing

after Hot Laps.

 

Regular Show

General Admission

$10 for adults -

Children 12 & under

Free with paid adult.  

For information, call 812-358-5332 or

visit Brownstown Speedway Website

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El Nopal of Seymour, Indiana - A Review

El Nopal, a mexican restaurant in Seymour, Indiana

The newest restaurant in Seymour is El Nopal, a mexican restaurant located near the new Goodwill off of Tipton Street. It was my husband idea to go which is a big deal because he typically doesn't enjoy mexican cuisine all that much. There are several around town and we don't frequent any of them. El Nopal is a chain restaurant as in there are many El Nopal's to be found in the surrounding areas, especially closer to Louisville. We had been to another El Nopal in the Sellersburg / New Albany area and really enjoyed it. I have read that this El Nopal is a sub-sidiary of the Louisville and other southern Indiana locations. We definitely weren't disappointed in the experience at the Seymour location.

The first thing I noticed was how friendly and professional the staff was. It made me smile when the gentlemen who took our order kept calling me seniorita :) I don't know why. It was just cute. My 6 year old has decided it's time for him to start ordering for himself so I was relieved when the waiter addressed him personally and asked for his drink order. That was nice to make the young ones feel special.

The menu is varied and full of choices. I wished I had a listing of what some of the things were like a chile relleno or a chalupa. I figured a chalupa at Taco Bell probably wasn't the same as their chalupa at El Nopal. Hunter decided he just wanted to eat some of my food and that fine with me. My husband ordered a shrimp quesadilla ($11.99) and I had a combo meal with a taco, burrito, and chalupa which was only $7.99! The waiter was very good about explaining what everything was. I was right! Their chalupa is a flat corn tortilla topped with beans and other item like lettuce and guacamole. I wanted to try it anyway. They served us warm chips and two different types of salsas in the cutest little pourable serving glasses. You could mix and match the salsa in your bowls. We also ordered the cheese dip for the chips ($3.99) and I think it ended up being my favorite part of the meal. You have to try it!

Our dinner arrived and the portions were huge. We both really enjoyed our meals as a whole. But I personally did not care for the chalupa. It seemed bland but in fairness I ordered it without guacamole. The burrito had a delicious red sauce and the meat was seasoned perfectly. Aside from the cheese dip, the burrito was my favorite. My husband scarfed down the shrimp quesadilla and said nothing but good things when he wasn't chewing. The waiter kept the refills coming and even brought me a drink in a to go cup without my asking for it. Now that was impressive. Overall, a big thumbs up!

Tip: You pay up front at the cash register instead of at the table. They will bring you a bill and some mints. (I love the chocolate mint.) Then just head up to the front.

El Nopal Mexican Cuisine

1863 East Tipton Street, Seymour, IN 47274.
(812) 523-3399

Hours

Mon-Fri 11am -10pm
Sat 12pm-10:30pm
Sun 12pm-9pm

See more information on menu and pricing at http://www.elnopalmex.com/index.html Menu and specials may vary!

I'm reading: El Nopal of Seymour, Indiana - A Review

The Kensington Tea Room of Seymour Indiana - A Review

Kensington Tea Room & Butlers Pantry Coffee Shoppe

My mom called me today and was feeling a little down so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to pamper her a bit by taking her out to the Kensington Tea Room for a nice lunch and tea. The owners of the beautiful restored 1880 Victorian home located at 403 S Chestnut St. in Seymour have made some rooms open to the public by offering the Kensington Tea Room and the Butler’s Pantry Coffee Shoppe. We visited the tea room today but will be back soon to try out the coffee shoppe.

The Kensington Chicken Salad Sandwich with Garden Salad

Bacon, brie, and cranberry panini with spinach salad.

Kimm Mitchell and her favorite tea pot :)

The home is absolutely gorgeous.  The beauty of the maple woodwork and charming visual presentation of the seating area with tables covered in white linen, fine china, and fresh flowers is quite stunning. My mom whispered “Can we afford to be here?” and I just laughed. This was my first visit but I had already been told by a few friends that it is quite affordable and not to let the white linen scare me. We were warmly greeted by staff member Kimm Mitchell who seated us and took our orders. My mom ordered a chicken salad sandwich, garden salad, and hot tea. I ordered the bacon, brie, and cranberry Panini with a spinach salad.

Hot Apple Spice Tea from Kensington Tea Room in Seymour

The food was just wonderful. It was unique and delicious. I never would have thought cranberries and bacon would go together but it surely did. Kimm said the chicken salad was one of the most popular items and after a bite of my mom’s sandwich I knew why. Scrumptious! She said it was made with chicken, curry, apricot jam, mayonnaise, and raisins. The spinach salad was tossed with craisins, pecans, cheese, and was served with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. We also enjoyed sharing a dessert called Death by Chocolate which was a firm mousse molded in a cute flower shape and topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.  Kimm also mentioned that Kensington has teamed up with Grandma Carols to offer a selection of pies. You might remember Grandma Carols from downtown Seymour. They are no longer there but the pies are now available through the Tea Room! I will be trying the sugar cream pie next time ;) Hot apple spice tea topped off our meal perfectly.We had a wonderful time.

The cost for our sandwich and salad was $7.50 each and dessert was $3.00. The total was just $22 plus tax and gratuity, a tremendous value. I recommend visiting between 11am-2pm for lunch through the week and making reservations for large groups.  (By the way, they also offer children’s plates if you have kids along.) You can order food after 2 pm but will most likely be seated in the coffee shoppe. For more information, please call 812-523-1300. Ask Kimm about high tea service, catering, and private parties.  

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Construction Zone Mini-Golf - A Review

Construction Zone Mini-Golf is an indoor putt-putt course with 18 construction themed holes located off of Ewing Street near Rockford. It is the big orange building that used to house Spencers and was most recently a Church. They opened in October 2009 but my family and I didn't get a chance to visit until recently. Every time we drove by on our way out of town we would say we wanted to try it out but it just kept slipping our minds when the time came. Unfortunately the same thing happens with Rockford Ridge (formerly Rockford Place). Why is it that a lot of us forget about the businesses that are anywhere but along the main drag of Tipton Street? It's a shame really because I must tell you we had a blast at Construction Zone. I personally loved the atmosphere from the sign above the entrance blessing all who entered to the friendly and helpful staff. Rates were reasonable at $6 per person. Each hole was sponsored by a local construction company and featured items you might see at one of their sites. There were signs naming the various companies and their phone numbers hanging on the walls. Many I hadn't heard of before so this was surely a win/win situation. Very clever, I think! The holes were challenging enough for my husband and I but not too difficult for my 6 year old. We ordered pizza from Brooklyn Pizza Company and they delivered it within 30 minutes which was perfect timing as we were about halfway through the course. We took a break and had some pizza (which was delicious I might add). My son was so excited to get to the 18th hole because you get a cool free t-shirt if you made a hole in one. None of us were able to get a hole in one but my son insisted on buying a t-shirt for $10. It was a neat neon green-yellow color. (see pic. Please note that kool-aid stains are not included and added post purchase..lol) It would look great under a black light! Actually, I told my husband that if they made it a cosmic course it might really make it an even better experience. I am so glad that Seymour has a wonderful place like Construction Zone now!

For Hours and more information, check out their website at http://www.constructionzoneminigolf.com/home.html

I'm reading: Construction Zone Mini-Golf - A Review

Taco Bell Take Home Taco Bar - A Review

Taco Bell "Take Home Bar" Bag 

I kept seeing the commercial for Taco Bell's new "Take Home Taco Bar" and I couldn't wait to try it! My family loves taco night. I loved the idea that I don't have to cook or cut up tomatoes but we still get to make our own taco's. At first I thought why in the world did Taco Bell come up with this idea when you can just buy the big pack of taco's already made up. But then I remembered all the times I tried to heat up a taco after it already had lettuce on it. It would come out all gooey and the lettuce would be super slimy. Yuk! Plus it's just "fun" to make a taco yourself, especially as a kid. So tonight was the night. The menu said the price was normally $16.99 and would feed four people. I happen to know that on Tuesdays, they drop the price to $12.99. It's really a great deal. You get 1 pound of taco meat, beans with cheese, seasoned rice, 5 taco shells, 5 tortillas, 2 servings of nacho chips, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, salsa, and reduced fat sour cream. I also asked for two cups of the fiesta salsa which is what they use to top their fresco taco's - love it! I don't care for onions normally but the fiesta salsa is dynamite even with the onion. When they handed me the bag I was surprised at how huge it was! It was a cute little bag, too.

Taco Bell Beans, Meat, & Rice

Taco Shells and Tortillas

 Is it crazy that I was actually excited to see how they packaged everything? Then call me crazy because I couldn't wait to get it all laid out. I even told Hunter he could invite his little neighbor friend over to eat with us. While he ran to his friends house I opened everything up. They serve the meat, beans, and rice in a big black tray with 3 sections. Then the cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, and sour cream in another identical tray. They give you the shells and tortillas in a mexican pizza box (I wondered where they were!) and the 2 servings of chips in a bag. The serving sizes were decent except for the sour cream. (oh and the 3 napkins??...lol) We needed at least twice the amount that was given. There was a ton of rice and beans. If you like a lot of tomatoes and cheese, there may not be quite enough. Just think of how much they put on regular taco's and taco supreme's. If that's ok with you, you will have plenty. We decided to put a box of store bought taco shells in the oven as well. Everyone enjoyed their meal! Later, it was great to be able to heat up the meat, beans, and rice in the microwave. The other tray was easy to just store in the fridge until we wanted more.

Taco Bell Take Home Bar Toppings

Tip: If you like Nacho Supreme's - ask for a little cup of nacho cheese too. You can easily make your own nacho supreme, which is one of my favorites.



I have to give the Taco Bell take home bar a thumbs up! Tuesday night might just be our new taco night :)

I'm reading: Taco Bell Take Home Taco Bar - A Review

Focus on Fitness - Let's Get Moving Seymour!

Here are a few different ways to get fit in Seymour, even if you have children in tow! Have you tried Zumba? It is sssoooo fun! Many Zumba classes offer childcare! And, try buggies-n-motion by Girls Inc. and take your child with you! Attend weight watchers meetings to track your progress.

What is Zumba?

Zumba® fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. Come join us for the most fun you will ever have while exercising and burning calories. Maribel Enrique will lead you through a 45 minute Latin dance workout that will have you jumping, twisting and clapping your way to a healthier you! A per class fee applies.

Zumba Schedule

MONDAY
5:30 Central Christian Church
7:15 Brownstown Nazarene Church

TUESDAY
5:30 Girls Inc.

WEDNESDAY
6:30 Jackson Elementary School

THURSDAY
6:30 Jackson Elementary School

SATURDAY
9:00am Girls Inc.

Zumba is also offered at Seymour Health and Fitness Club during am and pm hours by instructors Katrina and Laurie. (not sure of last names) I have been to classes by both women and they are phenomenal and encouraging instructors. You must pay a fee to attend classes only or join the gym.


Child care available ONLY at Central Christian Church and Girls Inc. (Tuesday) classes or at Seymour Health and Fitness.
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BUGGIES-N-MOTION

"Fitness for Mommies, and Fun for Babies!"

Class meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - 9:30am at Girls Incorporated

Buggies-N-Motion is more than just an exercise class. We have monthly play dates and Mom's night out.

This class is for babies 0-6 years old and allows Mom's to get a great workout and bring their babies with them!

For more information call Becky at 216-0742.
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Track your progress with Weight Watchers!

Weight Watcher Meetings

Meetings are held on Tuesdays at Girls Inc.

Meeting times are 10:00am, 12:00 noon, and 5:30pm

I'm reading: Focus on Fitness - Let's Get Moving Seymour!