Comments on: Spring break in Indianapolis (+ Chicago)

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Thu, 04 May 2023 13:01:57 +0000

In reply to Kim N.

@Kim N – hopefully you get a chance to see the Minecraft one! I think the highlight for my kids was just playing Minecraft somewhere new…

By: Kim N

Kim N — Thu, 04 May 2023 11:40:35 +0000

I am catching up on blog reading, and I’m so excited you spent spring break near me! I grew up in Indy and now live just north in Fishers, so I have been to all of those places many times. The Children’s Museum is the best! When I was a kid, the dollhouse exhibit was my favorite, and my kids enjoy it too. We haven’t checked out the Minecraft exhibit yet.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 03:19:42 +0000

In reply to Laura Vanderkam.

I have a 2011 Chevy Traverse, and I LOVE it. I bought it new, and it has 239,000 miles on it, all but about 50 driven by ME – about 20 on the odometer when I bought it, and about 30 driven by my husband – 20 of them just a couple of weeks ago!

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 15:19:19 +0000

I’m gonna recommend you check out a Ford Expedition Max. The third row is much more spacious than a suburban and the trunk is great. I came from a Honda Odyssey and have no trunk space issues so it can fit eight adults comfortably. I’ve got four kids, two are tall teenagers and the other two soon to be. It’s got some fuel efficient feature (can’t think of the name right now) so gas isn’t too bad either. With the amount of shuttling kids around that happens, I’m spending a certain amount on gas anyway.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 13:07:28 +0000

Thank you for sharing about your travels! I grew up in Indiana, going to Turkey Run, the Children’s museum, zoo, and day trips to Chicago. I don’t have family there now, so I haven’t taken my own kids. It is fun to read about your family experiencing it!

I hope you have a nice Easter!

By: Grateful Kae

Grateful Kae — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 12:26:26 +0000

I’ll just share my personal experience with the switch from a minivan to an SUV…. many years ago now we had a minivan. I decided at one point that I didn’t want a dorky minivan anymore, so we sold it and bought a Buick Enclave SUV (essentially the exact same style as a Chevy Traverse- we looked at both, same size and layout, etc.). Anyway, we got the SUV and I ended up hating it compared to a minivan!! It was just not the same! I hadn’t realized how great the sliding doors on the van were (in the SUV, you constantly have to worry about the kids hitting somone’s door in the parking lot…), the higher up trunk in the SUV didn’t provide the same space and ease as the lower trunk in the minivan that can literally hold 4 large suitcases STANDING UP (and I had a gallon of milk roll out the back and burst on my driveway- that wouldn’t have happened in my van! hahaha)…. The interior space was better in the van, and the SUV was actually hard for my (then young) kids to climb up into. No one liked the way back seat in the suv either compared to the roomy back seat in the van.

Anyway, we ended up trading it in a mere 2 months after we bought it (super awesome financial move there… LOL) and bought another van- we have the same Toyota Sienna you have I think, silver Limited edition- ours is a 2012. I learned my lesson the hard way! I guess I am a minivan mom, after all. Won’t make that mistake again!

Then again, obviously many people drive SUVs and must like them… but I always wonder if that’s just because they haven’t personally experienced the beauty of a minivan yet. 😉 I know a Suburban is a bit larger than an Enclave/Traverse too.

We are currently needing to replace our van sometime soon, too. We haven’t looked too much at the inventory yet, but I know my husband found a Sienna Limited version, like what we currently have, but either 1 or 2 years old with very low mileage in our area already that he wanted me to look at… so I’m hopeful we’ll find something? We don’t need it to be brand brand new though- we typically always opt to buy slightly used vehicles in excellent condition just since they depreciate so fast, anyway! So maybe the issue is with shopping for brand new? I’d probably be willing to switch to an Odyssey if I have to, though I’d really prefer the Sienna….

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 11:14:17 +0000

Have you seen these things on Etsy called shelf nooks? (Or something like that—I can’t quite remember.) They are a small vertical rectangle with a miniature scene inside, meant to sit on a shelf between books. My husband got me one for our anniversary a year or so ago. You can buy them fully made or kits if you’re feeling crafty.

Also my friend has been painting house furniture kits from Hobby Lobby as a fun activity for herself. She doesn’t currently have a dollhouse but she sets up the furniture on shelves or tables.

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 02:25:02 +0000

In reply to Barb.

@Barb – thanks for the Easter wishes! I’ve seen the Thorne rooms and really enjoyed them – always a treat for me when I’ve got a few hours in Chicago. This time, we had the kids, so we went to the more kid-focused museums. But I’m sure I’ll be back. I’m always excited when I’m staying at a hotel near the Art Institute!

By: Barb

Barb — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 00:29:23 +0000

The Art Institute of Chicago has the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Maybe not as fun as the Colleen Moore Fairy Castle, but quite accurate. The History Center in Lake Forest (north of Chicago, and next time you are speaking on the North Shore, stay at the Deerpath Inn) recently had a nice exhibit of miniature rooms and included a neat dollhouse. I marvelled at the rooms from private collections and how they were transported to the History Center. There was quite a variety, some quite whimsical. Miniatures can take you in many directions. A local nature path has little fairy and elf gardens/habitats along the way. We used to make those, as kids, with found items.

Have a good Easter weekend!

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 17:17:17 +0000

In reply to Gillian. @Gillian - ooh, interesting. I will look into that one as well. Yes, back row leg room is key. We have many big people now!