Tuesday Talk: My Hometowns

I've had 6 hometowns throughout my life and I am excited to share some of my favorite things about them with you today.  Some are big cities and others are small.  We went on a string of living in capital cities for a while, living out west and the south, and we're back to Midwest living now.  It's been quite an adventure to enjoy all of these fun cities.  However, I'm pretty excited about the prospect of making our current city home for a LONG time.

1. Newburgh, Indiana

I was born and raised for 18 in Newburgh located in the very southern part of Indiana.   The majority of our immediate and extended family lives in this area.  I loved growing up close to family and cousins.  We had great times living surrounded by cornfields, enjoying all four seasons and growing up as a Hoosier.  The highlight of this area would have to be our family living there.  We got to help my dad run three campaigns for sheriff, enjoy great schools, go to baseball & basketball games and be close to several big cities.

The best parts about this area of the country are:
The Polar Express Train that comes through French Lick, IN every Christmas
The Indianapolis Colts Play here - I still miss Peyton!
Santa Claus, IN is a town where's it's Christmas year round
Smothers Park in Owensboro, KY

2. Bloomington, Indiana
I went to college at Indiana University and loved my time in Bloomington.  It's a great little college town with a perfect town square, the best restaurants and it was only 2 hours from home.  I was an elementary education major from the second I stepped on campus and loved my time in the town.  The campus is beautiful and it's really exciting when the Hoosiers are doing well in basketball.  I love their striped pants and often pick them to go farther in the March Madness tournament than I should.  I'm anxious to plan a college visit since I haven't been back since 2003.  We frequented Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop and ordered late night pizza from Pizza Express.  I lived on campus the whole time and adored my time walking all over this cute town.


3. Salt Lake City, Utah
We called Salt Lake City home for 9 years.  I never thought we'd live there more than 5 years, but sometimes life has a way of working out differently than you'd planned.  We had a wonderful run in Utah and very happily look back on our years out west.  We were newly married and up for any adventure that came our way.  We were both in graduate school at various times and left the state with two masters and a PhD.  We also added two cats and a baby to our family before we left the state.  I taught elementary school and my hubby was in graduate school the whole time we were there.  The mountains are SO CLOSE and the city is such a fun place to live.  We're hoping to plan a visit back sometime soon.

 

 
I have over 100 blog posts about Utah so I'll just share a few favorite things:
 The proximity to The Badlands, South Dakota, Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, etc.
Jackson Hole, WY is a quick drive away - Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, ranches, etc.
Las Vegas is the a quick drive away with several National Parks along the way & Hoover Dam
We loved going up to visit Park City with all the delicious food & outlets.
Salt Lake City has a great baseball team, the Utah Jazz play there, the food is delicious and the shopping is great!  I miss having an IKEA so close and basically anything else you'd need.


4. Little Rock, Arkansas

We lived in Little Rock for one year and enjoyed our time there.  It wasn't a long time to get to know the city, but we made the most of it.  We loved the BBQ, the Farmer's Market, walking along the river, the zoo, the children's library and all of the yummy restaurants.  They have a fun Food Truck Festival every year and we made a trip down to Hot Springs.


 5. Jackson, Mississippi

We only lived in Mississippi for one year, but we fell in love with it right away.  The people were some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, we found a great church and lived in the cutest house.  We made friends easily and explored as much of the state as we could.  We'd never lived in the deep South before and we loved it.

We enjoyed going to their huge state fair.
Had a blast going to Music for Aardvarks classes for kids.
Loved touring the coast, eating beignets and being so close to the ocean.
Exploring Vicksburg, MS and frequenting the Children's Museum
and our backyard was a little slice of heaven


6. Terre Haute, Indiana


We moved to Terre Haute last July and are settling in really well.  Kevin's settling into his new job and we're enjoying making friends.  We are in the process of buying a house and are looking forward to moving into it sometime in April.  Our town has lots of fun things going on with college sports, a children's museum, a newly renovated children's library, bounce house for kids, a fun country club and the public parks are great.  We're excited to keep trying new restaurants, attending fun events and getting to know our city even better in the coming months.

The best parts about our area are:
The Indiana State Fair is an hour away in Indianapolis
We're just three hours away from our beloved University of Notre Dame
 Chicago is really close and so is St. Louis
ISU sporting events


What's the best thing about your hometown???

I am joining Momfessionals with her tribute to hometowns this week.

It's time to link up with my favorite ladies!

Be sure to join us with your best post of the week.

We had 179 ladies link up last week.

The most clicked on link up from last week was
9 Reasons I'm Afraid to Have a Baby from Currently, Kelsie

Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 

 Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Jessica at Sweet Little Ones | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Emily at Raising Barnes | Pinterest | Instagram

Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Stasia at Our Life on a Budget | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Sarah at Abiding In Grace | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Ruthie at Rear. Release. Regroup. | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Laura at Life Is Beautiful | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram

Michelle at Grammie Time | Pinterest | Instagram 

Tina at Go Big or Go Home | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Whitney at Polka Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

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<a href="http://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/" title="Polka-Dotty Place"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwfCFr9AXEgv3ETndnI3C_JCdTWaSGQwXVTve-oOCmkLLslJ1CQVNenqCb8uwChwspoznlUrtsuQvC-xZN5-IJRxUz_72ZAxTQVgafE1le_cD3Jw6kmaIVmHuxpFlREuoqf9bfiXIA6A/s1600/TuesdayTalk.jpg" alt="Polka-Dotty Place" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY Welcoming Wreath

I'm guest blogging over at

Leslyn's Lovely Life today

so go over and check out my tutorial to make a wreath for your front door.

Welcoming Wreath

Be sure to stick around and get to know Leslyn!  We became friends when I was living in Arkansas and I've been a faithful reader ever since.  She's funny, clever, fashionable, musical and she's a new mom to a darling little boy.  You'll LOVE her :)

Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye to friends is one of my least favorite things to do.  I know that it' snot a forever goodbye but it is definitely not a see you tomorrow kind of goodbye.

After moving away from our various homes, we've had to say goodbye to lots of friends.  I have learned that it is tricky to make friends as you get older.  You have to put forth lots of effort, follow through and then hope that your husband gets along with theirs so you can all hang out together.  Finding another couple that both you and your spouse truly enjoy spending time with can be a challenge.

Luckily, we were able to make fast friends with

David & Anna

while we were both in Arkansas for the year.

David & Kevin work together and Anna & I have lots in common.  We enjoy our time together and we all live in the same building.  We walk over to their place for dinner or they come down to hang out with us.  It's amazing to live right next to your friends.  We've never had this before and it's fun to see them every day.  We both agree that being within walking distance of friends is a nice perk.  Plus, they both adore Olive so that works well for everyone {especially Olive}

We are headed to Mississippi

and they are headed to California.

We've all made many moves in the last 10 years - 

Chicago, Washington, Utah, Arkansas...

and are looking forward to planning a meet up in the future.

Dear Arkansas

Dear Arkansas,
It is difficult to really bond with a city in just 12 short months.  We made efforts to get to know the place, try lots of new restaurants and see the sights.  We traveled all around the state, but weren't able to get everything crossed off our to do list.  It's been a good year together.  We've enjoyed many things about you, but it's time to say goodbye.  We are moving further South and are excited about our next adventure in Mississippi.  We have had our ups (yummy restaurants and making new friends) and our downs (ice, storms, tiny apartment).  We are thankful for the opportunities and experiences we've had here.

Some things we will always remember about you:
1. There's lots of BBQ here
2. Your downtown Farmer's Market never disappoints
3. Everything seems to be 20 minutes away
4. It's humid... like very humid.
My skin has appreciated the moisture and my hair is prone to frizz.
5. The crepe myrtles are beautiful and line many streets.
6. The city is far hillier than I would have ever guessed.
7. People are crazy for SEC football - Go Hogs!
8. Winter is rough.
Not much snow and ice is the worst.
The city shuts down if either happen.
9. It's fun to live along the Arkansas River.
10. Monogram anything and everything.
11. Take storms seriously and have flashlights, batteries and water ready just in case.
12. Your presidential and Children's libraries were very nice.

Love, Whitney

One Year Old Portraits

Professional photo sessions are expensive.

It's easy to come up with a google search of local photographers

but

it's hard to find ones that

will come to you,

have experience shooting pics of kids,

are really flexible

will offer you the copyrights and a photo cd of pictures at the end.

Lucky for me, we met our great photographer when we were in line to meet Santa.  Her family was behind us in line and we hit it off right away.  I couldn't wait to book a session with her.

I had professional pictures done when Olive was a

newborn,

at 3 months

 and then one year.

I took a ton of photos in between her 3 month and 12 month shoots so I'm very pleased with the decision to hold off on paying for pictures during those months.  I'm planning to have her pictures taken around her birthday every year.  Some years I may do professional photos and some years I may attempt to do them myself.  I just love the quality of the professional ones and love that I don't have to stress about getting good pictures.  I can just help plan outfits, get Olive's attention and let the professional do the tough stuff.

We scheduled a one hour session for late afternoon.  We live right along the Arkansas River so I wanted to have Olive's pictures taken there.  I had enough outfits and props for 5 outfit changes - I started with my favorite outfits in case we didn't make it through all of the them.  We ended up using 4 during our session.  I brought ice water and a snack for Olive.  The photographer also brought a blanket, chairs and other props so I think we made a great team.

We got our picture cd in the mail and there were SO MANY cute shots.  She became fast friends with Olive and captured her personality perfectly.  I'm going to have a hard time deciding on which ones to print.  My husband was skeptical about paying for portraits until he saw the finished product.  He said, "She was definitely worth whatever you paid her!"  Hooray for the glowing hubby endorsement!!

If you are in Little Rock,

definitely check out Amber Utnage Hall photography.

She's the best!!

She does all kind of photo shoots and takes the best pictures.  She's got multiple packages available and you get your cd of pictures in about 10 days.  Tell her I sent you  :)

Sometimes I need a PUSH...

I've loved being home with Olive this year.

It has been wonderful to spend her first year together.

I enjoy hanging out at home and don't feel the need to get out and about every day.  I always look forward to errands and outings, but sometimes I need a PUSH to go outside of my comfort zone.  I'm a creature of habit, like routines and don't always seek out new opportunities.  It has been tricky to make new friends in Arkansas because I'm not working outside the home and so I'm not surrounded by possible friends.  I see people coming and going in my neighborhood, but haven't really befriended any of them.

Our best friends here are a couple that lives in our building.  Kevin works with David.  Anna and I get along really well and they both adore Olive.  We enjoy hanging out together and going out to eat.  It's a good set up for the evenings and weekends, but they all go to work during the day.

Kevin has another co-worker whose wife stays home with their little girl.  They suggested we get together during the day and shortly after I got an invitation to go to the local library for a baby music class.  It sounded like something Olive would love but I had to fight these thoughts...

Where is the library at?

What if everyone knows the routine and are friends and I'm left out?

What if Olive hates it?

What if she doesn't cooperate or is grumpy?

What if they want ME to participate 

and Olive is completely embarrassed because her mom has ZERO musical abilities??

What if I show up unprepared?

What if I don't have anything to talk about?

After battling this tornado of doubting questions, I decided I needed to give it a try ONCE and then reevaluate.  I didn't have to commit to doing it forever and we could easily back out if it didn't work out in the future.  So I texted her back and said YES, we'd join them.  We planned a meet up, discussed directions and were set.  My husband was really encouraging and thought we'd really enjoy it.

I woke up nervous.  I looked up directions the night before and planned my route.  I set my alarm, got up and got ready.  Then it started storming.  My plans could have easily been derailed, but I forced myself to GO.  No backing out now.  We loaded up, made it to the library 15 minutes early and went in.

We explored the whole place and it was wonderful!  The library was brand new, books everywhere and tons of room for Olive to explore.  She was shrieking with delight and greeting other families as we walked around.  We were both really happy to be there.

We walked into class and saw our friends.  They saved us a seat so we hurried up to them.  (Isn't it amazing how good it feels to be included and have people go out of their way to be nice to you??  Note to self: Do this more often!!)  We sat down and had lots to talk about right away.  Our girls (Olive + Olivia) enjoyed just looking at each other and it was time for class to start.  She filled me in on what to expect and I felt pretty prepared for class.

They had props, musical instruments, motions and tons of silly songs.  Olive LOVED everything.  She was clapping, wiggling to the moves and loved all of the baby instruments.  It was so fun to see her wave at other kids, move to the music and the teacher was great.  I knew many of the silly songs and I felt pretty comfortable in my role as a newish mom in a new class.  The class flew by and we were sad it was over.  They collected the instruments. and said see you next time.

I was genuinely excited to come back.

We talked after class and let the girls play.  Baby playing included trading toys and taking the toys that the other baby thought was interesting.  They loved the interaction and so did I.  It was really nice to talk to another mom.  We shared stories, talked about baby foods and made a plan to do this again.  It was a no brainer.  Olive and I both benefited from it and we were excited to add this to our weekly routine.

We've been to several music classes and story times since our first class.  It's amazing to see Olive be more and more social each time we go.  She LOVES the kids and the classes and I love watching her.  It's a win-win for both of us.

Thanks for the push, friend.

I needed it.

Is there anything you need a push to start doing??

Our Place in Arkansas

We've lived in Arkansas for almost 11 months now.  We are pretty settled in and are enjoying ourselves.  We are renting an apartment and found our place on-line.  We agreed to rent without ever stepping foot on the property which was a bit nerve wracking for us.  We didn't have any other option so we are happy that it worked out as well as it did.  

We've been renters our whole married life so I'm always trying hard to make our home homey even though it' s not our forever home.  It's important to me for it to feel warm and inviting and I think it's totally doable even if you don't own your house.  Our walls have to stay the same neutral color so I always opt for bright curtains, furniture and art to liven up the space a bit :)

Let me give you a little tour.
I feel like our furnishings are 1/2 for adults and 1/2 baby gear.
Family room:

 tiny kitchen

our bedroom

 bathroom

Olive's nursery is my favorite room of the house.

A little backyard with all kind of birds, squirrels & bunnies.

PROS:

We have a washer & dryer - which I've come to realize is a necessity with a baby.

We have two bedrooms.

We have an ice maker. 

We are on the first floor.

We have a backyard.

We have big windows.

We are close to Kevin's work.

We have a neighborhood to walk in.
We have friendly neighbors.
We live in the same building as our friends.

CONS:
Our place is 750 square feet.

Our kitchen is TINY and I affectionately call our oven an easy bake oven.

Our living room is smallish especially when you add in the baby gear.

Our place is older.

There is not much storage.

Everything seems to be 20 minutes away from us.

Although this isn't the most interesting post,
I wanted to record it for my own memories.
Here's to making the most of our remaining time in Little Rock.