TOP 10 DONUT SHOPS IN INDY!!

It's no secret that the Ingolds LOVE donuts! I'm talking about gourmet, craft, preferably bacon infused donuts. We try to make a donut run at least once a week, and anytime we are visiting a new city, we seek out the "best local donut shop" in town! I decided to put together a Top Ten list of our favorite places in Indy, in case anyone is ever up for a DONUT TOUR INDY 2016. (Already made the t-shirts.)

These are in no particular order, as we love every one of these places for different reasons!

The Dancing Donut

I know I just said this is in no particular order, but we really really love this place... ok, it's our favorite, there I said it. With their clever names (the Kevin Bacon, are you kidding me??), their adorable atmosphere, super friendly staff, and insanely delicious donuts. I have tried just about every kind... including the one as big as yo' head, and they all blow my tastebuds! Also, they recently introduced a "make your own" option, which HELLO, gimmie all the sprinkles. 

*Be sure to try: The Mayberry and the Brown Butter Crumble

General American Donut Company

When I first heard these guys were coming to town, my mouth literally watered for 8 months until they finally opened their doors. We've got to know the owners and they are such rad people. Their made-from-scratch-every-morning donuts are out of this world. The aesthetic of the whole place gives me all the heart eyes (plants and cacti everywhere!!!), and there will most likely be some throwback movie projected on the wall. (Goonies never say die!) You can't go wrong visiting this place. 

*Be sure to try: The Creme Brûlée and the Maple Bourbon Bacon

Rocket 88

First of all, the people who work here are enough to make me go back again and again. (Oh, hi Jenny Swim!) I'll be honest, the first time I visited, I wasn't overly impressed. The presentation wasn't that great, the donuts were so-so, and the whole experience was just underwhelming. But then my sweet friend, Annalisa played a show there one night, so I gave it another try. I had the Maple Pecan and holy cannoli, it was amazing!! I've had their donuts several times since then, and have never been disappointed. This is a great place to go for vegan-friendly options and fun fact for all you Parks and Rec fans: they sell a "Leslie Knope Waffle Donut" every Wednesday! They also recently started serving brunch on the weekends! So definitely check them out!

*Be sure to try: Apple Fritter and Pumpkin Cream (it's in season now!!)
UPDATE: Rocket 88 has recently closed its doors... what a crock. 

Long's Bakery

Ok, Long's is a freaking local legend. It would be a horrible crime if I didn't mention this place. Their donuts are fresh, simple, and delicious. Their glazed yeast donuts literally melt in your mouth. Be prepared for long lines, and it's cash only, folks. So bring those dolla dolla bills. 

*Be sure to try: Glazed and Blueberry Cake

Tim's Bakery 

This place is a HOLE IN THE WALL... but you know those are the best kept secrets, right? These guys are not going for aesthetic award of the year, nor do they care if their donuts look all fancy schmancy, and you certainly don't need to wear your skinny jeans and fedora to get in. BUT their donuts are out of this world delicious. Hot and fresh... just the way I like it! And the guy behind the counter has always been so sweet and patient as we stand there for a light year trying to figure out which kinds we want! This place is a true gem!

*Be sure to try: Blueberry Fritter and Cinnamon Stick

Jack's Donuts

I love this place if I just want to grab a quick dozen. Their presentation is simple, yet so many flavors to choose from! The service is always quick and friendly and all their donuts are reasonably priced.

*Be sure to try: Tiger Tail and Peanut Butter and Jelly

Taylor's Bakery

Two words: Donut. Holes. Hands down the best donut holes I've ever had. I get at least 3 dozen every time because I can put away a dozen by myself in about 2.5 seconds. They also make great gifts (who wouldn't want a bag full of melt-in-your-mouth goodness?) 

*Be sure to try: THE DONUT HOLES

Titus Bakery

If you happen to be traveling North on I-65, plan on making a pit stop at Titus! I'm a little partial to this place because it happens to be the name of my oldest son. Also, their building is so stinking cute, even the worst photographers could capture an instagram worthy pic. The donuts aren't necessarily the best I've ever had, but they are fresh and yummy! Also, I get all the nostalgia vibes with the small town donut shop feel. 

*Be sure to try: Pershing donut and Honeybun

The Donut Shop

This place is a little dive-y breakfast joint, that feels a little bit like everyone is there to cure a hangover. But I'm telling you, there's something special about this place. If you're looking for a cheap, quick donut fix (with a huge variety to choose from)... this is the winner. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a no-frills kind of donut, where I could literally run in and pound 3 donuts in my pjs with absolutely no judgement. Oh, and bring cash!

*Be sure to try: Classic Sprinkle and any of their Cream Filled.

Quack Daddy Donuts

We only just recently tried this place out, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! When you walk in, you grab a piece of paper to fill out the flavor of donut, type of glaze, and choice of topping. THANK YOU to whomever thought of this method. Is there anything more important in life than convenience? No. No, there's not. I handed the girl the piece of paper and in 1 minute, I had a box of delicious donuts in my hand. And I would venture to say they are the best cake donuts I've possibly ever had.
*Be sure to try: Fruity Pebbles and Oreo 

So there you have it! The best donuts in Indy according to the Ingolds. I'd love to know what you think or if you have any other suggestions. And I'm serious about that Donut Tour... who's with me?

Homeschool Rhythm

A couple months ago, I was asked to write an article for Wild and Free about our homeschool rhythm. I personally love getting an inside look on how other families function on a day to day basis and I've been inspired by many homeschooling families. I've shared my article below in hopes that it encourages and inspires other like-minded friends!

 

The desire to homeschool my children stemmed from a longing to live life at a slower pace. I often found myself getting caught up in to-do lists and feeling pressured to fill a schedule with activities. I felt surrounded by amazing moms who could balance everything on their plates without blinking an eye. My plate was overflowing and my eyes were full of tears. I prayed a lot. I knew three things to be true about our family: we needed flexibility, we were terrible planners, and we liked to sleep in (and by sleep in, I mean 'don't even think about breakfast until at least 10 am'). I wanted my children to have a good education, but I had my doubts that what I could offer them at home would be enough.

As I began to research, I picked the brains of other homeschooling mamas and had a great curriculum basically handed to me. I finally thought, "Yeah, I'm crazy enough to do this!" I soon developed a rhythm that worked for our family. I also learned that homeschooling provides our kids with so much more than just a good education. With the scheduling freedom of homeschooling, my plate was full but I had such a sense of peace. Having control over the culture of our home means that we don't have to be anywhere at any certain time and we can spend as much/little time exploring and adventuring. My husband is an entrepreneur, which means he is always working, but we never really view it as work. It only made sense to approach schooling the same way. Our learning is so integrated into our lives that it never really feels like school.

Though we spend our time mostly schedule free, our days do have purpose. We have tasks to complete, chores to attend, and projects to accomplish; but when we are able to live our life according to our own schedule, our days are not burdened by someone else's expectations and that leaves flexibility.

Every day looks different, but we have certain routines and rhythms that help give us all a sense of stability. We always start our day listening to music while we fix breakfast. Some days it's classical, some days it's worship music, and sometimes it's hip-hop (which usually involves some sort of dance-off). Music sets the mood for the rest of the day, so if anyone wakes up cranky, those cranky pants shake off with the sleepy eyes and we are ready to take on the day.


Our schoolwork follows after breakfast, which includes Math, History, Language Arts, and Reading. Always reading. I probably push reading more than any other subject. Even if the only thing we accomplish all day is reading books, I am totally ok with that. This school year, the kids and I decided we wanted to share some of our favorite books with friends and other homeschooling families. Every Monday on social media, we post our favorite book of the week with a brief description. We started the hashtag #recomondays and it’s been so fun involving the kids and hearing the response from families who needed some new, fun book recommendations.

Going outside is another essential part of keeping our daily rhythm. Whether it's exploring a new park, bombing hills with our longboards, or simply sending the kids to our backyard creek, time in the great outdoors is a must! I am convinced it's the best way to cure a case of the whines while building character and trust in each other. Being a part of the Wild Explorers Club has taken our love for nature to a whole new level!

My favorite time of day is next... Tea time! It's basically an afternoon full of treat baking and tea sipping. For me, baking has always been therapeutic. Now, I take so much joy helping my kids learn how to read a recipe and figure out how to zest a lemon or frost a cake. Tea time is another slow space for us to sit quietly and read from our devotion book, recite poetry, or just talk about things on our hearts. We learn about and pray for a different people group every day. It's really changed the way we pray, helping us see how vast and complex the world is with so many needs outside of ours. It helps us become a little more selfless and develops a mind for missions.

The rest of the day is really a free-for-all. Although I always welcome a helping hand for dinner prep, I also want to respect that some of the kids may just want some time to themselves. My oldest likes to watercolor and play his drums, my only girl enjoys playing her ukulele and drawing, and my two littles are usually somewhere playing with water. (I can't even walk into their bathroom without getting my socks completely drenched.) I actually love not knowing exactly what they're doing. Somehow that freedom helps them experiment and learn things they probably wouldn't learn from me.

Our days are far from perfect with lots of attitude adjustments, loads of patience practicing, and tons of self-control building. But we love each other fiercely and have such a sense of peace about our relaxed, unhurried lifestyle.

It took me some time to realize that God created me to be the mother of my children because he knew I would be the perfect person to nurture them. He made each of us so unique, with different convictions and different rhythms. Whether your rhythm is slow paced, fast paced or somewhere in-between, it's important that we are encouraging - that we are building each other up, being gracious with our words, and being inspired. It is easy to let insecurities creep in and to believe that what we are doing is not enough for our children. I have this verse written beside my workspace in the homeschool room because that is where I need it most! "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." The truth is I am enough. We are enough. I choose to believe that.

Welcome to Ingolds at Home! Most of you reading this already know who we are, so I won't bore you with a long introduction. But thanks for following along! I will mostly be sharing photos of our family, travel adventures, favorite recipes, and our homeschooling endeavors.

We recently had a family photo session with the incredible Violet Short. Wanted to share some of our favorite shots!