Fired Up

For this week’s free choice blog, I am going to write about a local business that I experienced for the first time yesterday. First, I should mention that my daughter, Emily, is visiting from New Jersey this week, so we have been looking for activities to do. She is 7, and unfortunately all of the kids her age are in school this week because the Spring Break here was in mid-March. So, we were in Peoria, and decided to head over to Peoria Heights to check out a place called Fired Up. It’s a little shop that features ceramics that you can paint any way you like, and then they will fire in their kiln. There is a small sitting fee ($8 for adults and $5 for children), and you simply pay for the ceramic pieces that you choose to paint. Emily chose a large egg to decorate with paint, and I picked a coffee mug. I actually don’t drink coffee much, but I could always use it as a pencil holder or similar desk top item. In any event, it was a relaxing way to spend a Tuesday afternoon, or at least, as relaxing as you can get with a 7 year-old painting. There are plenty of paints to choose from, and the ladies at the shop can show you different techniques to decorate your art. There was even a cute little Birthday party for a little girl going on while we were there. To my surprise, the shop was actually a little busier than I thought that it would be considering it was Tuesday, therefore they said that they recommend reservations on the weekends. So if you are looking for a tranquil way to spend an afternoon or evening, consider a trip to the Heights and check out Fired Up.