The Gift of Togetherness

This post is sponsored by RMHC, Inc ® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Today makes another year of our favorite family tradition. When we celebrate time together and the start of the holiday season. Our little town lights up for the holidays, full of white lights and beautiful storefronts. We love to stroll along the streets and peer into the windows to get us in the mood.

It’s amazing watching as the sunsets and the lights start to sparkle in the trees, we hold hands and sing songs. The ever important holiday wish list would usually transpire as they stop in front of the toy store. The older they get the more its about the memories together, and the toys they once loved to play with as they walk past the window.

The moment they see the trees lit up for the first time every year, never gets old and our time we share together is cherished.

 

This holiday season, your donation to RMHC gives families with sick children the most precious gifts of all: joy, courage, comfort, strength, and togetherness.

Through the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs, RMHC provides places for families to stay just steps from the hospitals where their children are receiving critical medical care.

Learning a New Skill for the New Year with Fender Play

This post is sponsored by Fender but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

 I’ve been playing the Ukelele for several years now and have always wanted to learn to play my Great-Grandfather’s guitar. Learning has definitely been a challenge. But after trying Fender Play, I can play the guitar after just a week!

Whether you’re just starting like me or a pro, playing an instrument can certainly improve a person’s overall well-being, including emotional benefits,  such as increased creativity and self-expression, increased patience, confidence in self and skills,  work ethic and persistence with proven physical benefits,  including enhanced hand-eye coordination,  a boost to the immune system and enhanced brain development.

Fender Play lets me go at my own pace with progress tracking and guided paths to help you learn when and how you want, you can choose the style of music you want and learn well-known songs you love and spend as much on a year of Fender Play as you would for one in-person lesson.

Bite-sized lessons with a micro-learning approach to keep you learning fast, for just about anyone willing to learn, maybe even our little Alex.

 

• Fender Play is the complete learning app for guitar, bass, or ukulele from the most trusted name in guitar
• Free 14-day trial!
• SPECIAL OFFER: Annual Plan gets you 10% off Fender gear while your plan is active (US & UK)
• Everything you need to learn guitar, bass, and ukulele
• Play your first song in 22 minutes

It’s Never Too Late to Learn with Fender Play!

 

Watch our Fender Play video HERE

 

DIY Mickey Mouse Ears For Make A Wish’s Share Your Ears

 

This post is sponsored by Make-A-Wish Foundation but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

To honor the 130,000th Disney wish granted globally and in celebration of 90 years of Mickey Mouse, Disney is inviting fans to Share Your Ears to help make life-changing wishes come true for children with critical illnesses.

From November 4 to November 27, 2018, simply take a photo showing off your “Mickey Mouse ears” – or any creative “ears” and upload it to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

We spent the weekend glued together as a family, literally. We laughed, we smiled, and we created some DIY Mickey Mouse Ears, to help inspire you to share off your ears!

DIY: Holiday Cheer Ears, Sparkling Jewel Ears, Dream Catcher Ears

To Start the dream catcher ears wrap the wooden hoops with the yarn, create the dream catcher pattern with the twine, then add feather beads to the end and tie off. I found invisible thread or fishing line to work well when attaching the ears to the headbands.

The dream catcher Mickey Mouse Ears turned out awesome! But I did have to watch a few videos about making dream catchers to get the hang of it. After you finish your DIY ears don’t forget to Share Your Ears!

From November 18th – 27th, 2018 Walt Disney Parks will donate US $5 for each social “share” up to US $1M in donations.

Visit ShareYourEars.org and upload photos to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

#ShareYourEars

Environmentally Friendly Way to Eliminate Clogged Drains

This post is sponsored by TubShroom but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Who has time to clean up? With four teenagers, 2 dogs and a busy life a clogged drain is not something we have time for.

Simply wipe TubShroom off and GO! Easy to maintain.

Best of all it’s super family friendly and environmentally friendly. No more harsh chemicals needed for clean up and that’s a big plus!

No more costly plumber bills to fix another clogged drain.

We like to bathe Kimmy 3 times a week, with our humid southern summers and cool dry winters keeping her coat shiny and soft takes extra care. So pet hair in the drain has been an ongoing problem unto now! TubShroom was on our list of must-haves, worked beyond our expectations and she’s no longer swimming in the shower!

Unlike regular plugs that go over the drain, TubShroom fits inside, neatly collecting hair around it. Designed to effortlessly catch human and pet hair without disrupting the flow of water.

TubShroom for the sink is a perfect solution for a bathroom having to hold up against 4 teens and an adorable pup and son who’s about to start shaving, yikes!

TubShroom is available for purchase online HERE as well as in store in Bed Bath and Beyond and Target!

Smelly car? Fix, Vent Clips from Refresh Your Car®! GIVEAWAY!

This post is sponsored by Refresh Your Car®! but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Whether it’s attack of the smelly feet from the back seat during a pit stop or taking our three favorite furry friends to the vet, so we can keep enjoying are road trips together Refresh Air Vent Clips Fresh Strawberry & Cool Lemonade sweetens the ride! and brightens up even the longest of road trips.

Fresh Strawberry & Cool Lemonade™

Innovative scents from Refresh Your Car® come in unique fragrance packs that feature two scents, specially formulated to go together or used alone.

• Fresh Strawberry & Cool Lemonade™ – This mixture of freshly picked strawberries and the tastiest lemonade creates a dynamic duo, with the perfect combination of freshness, fruit and fun – guaranteed to brighten up even the longest of road trips.
• Alpine Meadow™ & Summer Breeze™ – The smell of crisp clean mountain air coupled with the alluring scents of sea oats and crashing waves makes this an all-season fragrance to celebrate.
• Lightning Bolt™ & Ice Storm™ – A bold combination that creates a soft, clean and smooth sent, which releases a hint of cool musk.
• Wildflowers & Love™ – A dual combination of scents that will bring the easy-going, gentle smell of love on a nice summer day to your commute.
• Citrus Sparkle™ & Summer Splash™ – A refreshing mixture of berries, tart mandarin, jasmine and vetiver blend to create the perfect summer escape.

Classic and tropical scents:

• Perfect Peach™ – The simple smell of peach comes through clear, with its fresh, crisp and fruity smells that will keep you feeling energized and warm.
• Fresh Linen – A classic crisp and clean fragrance that will remind you of your favorite sheets dried on a clothesline by a blowing breeze.
• Cool Breeze™ – A crisp, clean and strong fresh sent that will keep your car as fresh as a cool breeze. Island Coconut – The smooth tropical smell of an island coconut, with fruity smooth notes of the Caribbean.
• Lexol® Leather – Rich leather, orange zest, black pepper and cedar scents mix perfectly together to create a timeless fragrance that is sure to delight.

Lexol® Leather

Giveaway Details:

1. Like my [Instagram: HERE] and tag 2 of your friends to enter
2. Comment on which scent you prefer when you enter.
3. Share this post and tag a friend to enter.

   1. 1. Winners must be selected on June 7th

      2. Winners will be selected at random by using a raffle tool.
      3. Winner must be able to submit mailing address to receive Refresh Prize.

 

Hair That Goes from Day to Night Effortlessly with TRESemmé

Spring has sprung, flowers are in bloom, there’s a gently warm bay breeze and of course the humidity is at 96%, long hair can be hard to keep up with this time of year.

I need something that can hold my long hair, and three teen age daughter with their trendy hairstyles, and still let’s our hair move in the breeze. Thanks to NEW TRESemmé Compressed Micro-Mist Hair Spray, a day at the beach won’t have us looking wind blown and running back home to re-style before dinner.

Introducing the revolutionary TRESemmé Compressed Micro-Mist Hair Spray, the newest innovation in styling from TRESemmé. Whether you are looking for a date night look or everyday style, these hairsprays keep any look intact that’s full of life and movement.

Our local Walmart had a great display to chose from, TRESemme BOOST 3 was a perfect fit, gives an all-day hold for our brushable styles and it’s humidity resistant!

TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray Extend

TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray Boost

TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray Smooth

TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray Texture

What’s yours?

First Make-Up Essentials for Teens with Neutrogena

New year, new skin challenges so it’s time for a beauty reset. This is one of the coldest winters on record and our skin is starting to show it. Neutrogena® SkinClearing and HydroBoost Cosmetics are here to stay! While they help cover up imperfections, and with 3teens girls these products are a main part of our new morning routine, lucky for us we also three bath rooms to easy the rush out the door. 

 We don’t over do it, a more natural look suits us just fine, a lit goes a long way.

We were able to find just the right shade of Skin Clearing Makeup Blemish Treatment and Blemish Concealer for each of my three teens, each with their own number, and one was just perfect for even my my overly sun damaged skin.

New Year, New You!

Winning Game Day Recipe: Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Bites

 

Growing up game day was a big deal, from the food to spending time with family. Every Sunday during football season we’d head over to my Grandmother’s house, home games were so much fun! She lived so close, I could hear the roar of the crowd cheering in the stands. Now that we live in another part of the country where football is even bigger and the food takes on a more coastal flavor, I still get excited for Game day! The must have finger food every year is definitely the Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Bites!

 

 

 

I headed to the local Walmart and picked up our favorite Wright® Brand bacon for our favorite game day finger food, goes great with our Game Day spread, Cornbread, Chips, State Fair®Corn Dogs, Sweet Rolls and Green Bean Casserole. 

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Bites Recipe 

Ingredients:

8 slices of Wright BrandDouble Smoked Bacon 

 

32 Medium Shrimp (deveined, no tails)

Sriracha Sauce (or any hot sauce)

Melted Butter

French Bread or

Crackers for serving (Optional)

Cooking Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

 

Cook the Bacon on a baking sheet half way (about 8-10 minutes)

 

Add Hot Sauce (I prefer Sriracha Sauce) to the thawed Medium Shrimp in a bowl and chill 10 minutes

 

Cut Bacon Slices in Half on a diagonal

 

Wrap 1-2 pieces shrimp with 1/2 slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Be sure and use 2 medium or 1 large shrimp–the cooking time for the shrimp and the bacon is similar

 

Line a metal pan with parchment paper, place the bacon wrapped shrimp back in the 425 degree oven, cook 12-14 minutes, place on thinly cut French bread rounds, drizzle with hot sauce and butter, cook an additional 3 minutes at 350 degrees F.

 

Let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.

Start your ultimate Game Day off right, go to Walmart and purchase Tyson products for your game winning recipe to add to your festivities.

 

 

 

Mississippi’s City with Soul, Jackson

Our family loves to travel, but with a menagerie of pets we have to limit our adventures to day-tripping around. We enjoy sightseeing, visiting art museum, music festivals, and we’re big on history!

Jackson, Mississippi met all our criteria and them some. Known as the City with Soul, Jackson has tons of amazing history and has everything from arts to the music scene, museum and culinary arts!

All we pack in a cooler of drink for the ride, so we have a big appetite to sample all the local food.

Jackson has such a mix of culture and the architecture, it’s a real gem of the south and lucky for us we can visit again and again. Next time it won’t be on Christmas Eve and we can explore the many museums. Jackson’s Museum of Natural Science with it’s 2 headed snake is first on our list.

The Mississippi State Capitol Building is just amazing!

Remember to big a camera, from the buildings to the birds, there’s something to capture around every turn.

Jackson has wonderful videos showing what this great city has to offer and to get started on planning your future visit! HERE

Click to watch the Visit Jackson docu-series:

The Perfect Southern Holiday Party

   

I’m not your traditional Southern Hostess, I’ve spent the last 2 decades having traded in my go to party foods like pizza and wings for some fresh seafood. Whether it’s our Southern hospitality or just simply natural when we go for a dinner or party, we choose to bring a host or hostess gift. The Wente Wines Pair wonderfully with our oysters on the half shelf, gumbo or some southern barbecue.   

Winter’s here are just perfect for backyard Holiday get togethers, sitting around the fire, watching the sunset over the bay, good food, a great pairing for Wente Wine and friends!