This post is sponsored by prAna. "If you truly love nature, you'll find beauty everywhere." - Vincent VanGogh ...you can even find beauty following a hurricane. It's been over a week since Hurricane Irma left her mark on my beautiful State and my spirit, but in the devastation I found beauty all around me. As we watch the oceans for the devastation that Marie may bring to the islands, I'm looking very hard to find the rainbow that will happen following that storm. It's not easy... My spirit is still shattered from the stress that Irma brought to us. The hardest decision that we faced was if we should stay or if we should leave. That decision changed daily as Irma inched her way closer to our home. Many of our friends and neighbors stayed and weathered the eye of the storm; I'm sure we would have been fine had we stayed. We came back to very little damage (thankfully)....but what if the storm would have been a little bit closer? There are so many "what if's" and it's hard ... [ Read More ]
Florida Prepaid – What Happens if My Kids Don’t Go to College in Florida?
This post is series in a partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans. If you want to enroll this year you only have a few days left! Enrollment ends at the end of February. We started saving for our kids college funds several years back when they were much younger. Over the past few weeks we've started to have serious conversations with our oldest about high school and college. In January he applied for his high school of choice (he applied for 5 different programs actually). In February he was accepted to the local high school's Academy of Engineering. Last week at school they started talking about the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and how their high school grades can earn them money towards college. A few days ago my son started talking to me about the military and how they offer scholarship money also. ....I am not ready for all of this!!! I am not ready for my baby to be talking about college! He's not even out of middle school yet and the decisions he makes ... [ Read More ]
Oh, Kale Yeah! Sprouts is now open in Tampa!! #NewKaleInTown
This post is written through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. It's finally here, the new Sprouts Farmers Market is finally open in Tampa!! My son and I got to visit the newest location in Carrollwood for their Friends & Family night and blog tour. We got a quick tour and overview of Sprouts with their staff and then had some time to shop on our own. I really didn't have much on my shopping list this week, but I still managed to find some essential items and bargains that I couldn't resist. If you're near Carrollwood I would recommend visiting them between now and Sunday; their Grand Opening specials are running all weekend long. I couldn't pass up the $1 strawberries, $1 pineapples, and 3/$1 avocados. Be sure to download their mobile app before you go so you can take advantage of the Sprouts mobile coupons, no more clipping necessary! As we walked in I was immediately in love with the adorable little succulents and the bright, vivid orchids. I do not have ... [ Read More ]
How to Have Fun at the Florida State Fair
The weather in Tampa this week has been amazing and spring isn't far away! Last weekend was the perfect weekend for our family to check out the Florida State Fair. The fair opened on Feb 9th and runs through Feb 20th with special events every day of the week. There's something about a state fair that brings out your inner youth. Growing up in Georgia the state fair was a pretty big deal. I haven't been to a big fair since before the kids were born and I'm not sure that anything will ever top the size of a fair as a child. Things always seem smaller as an adult, even when they are as big as the Florida State Fair. I lost count of the number of ferris wheels that they had at the fair, I think I saw 4 full size ferris wheels and we ended up on 3 of them! It's a great way to take in the massive size of the fair and help your kids overcome any fear of heights they may have. If you plan on riding rides, be sure to get an all-day armband for unlimited fair rides. It's ... [ Read More ]
Chocolate Cookie Butter Balls & More Recipe Fun with Sprouts Brand
The recipes in this post are brought to you through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Markets. About a week ago a huge box of goodies arrived from Sprouts Farmers Market full of pantry staples from their private label. My box arrived on a day when we were running all over town and it sat in the trunk of our Jeep until about 10pm. We had errands to run after school, then we had our Girl Scout meeting, ran by son up to a youth group meeting, grabbed a quick dinner with some friends, back to get my son and finally home to get both kids ready for bed. It was such an exhausting day, but my kids really wanted to help me open the box. This was the box that never ended, the goodies were packed deep in the box. It was a fun box to open. Lots of spice, some sweet heaven in a jar (i.e. Cookie Butter), and a few essentials that will stock our pantry for a while. We (almost) immediately opened the jar of Cookie Butter for a quick snack before heading off to bed! If you missed my ... [ Read More ]
Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Carrollwood
This post is written through a partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market. It doesn't take long for the news to spread when something new is headed to your neighborhood. Several months ago some friends circulated a post on Facebook about a new farmers market grocery store that was going in down the street from us. The building has been under construction for months and there are no signs out front yet. Fast forward to December of last year when one of their communication specialists reached out to me about working on an upcoming campaign to announce the store to the Tampa Bay area. I was very curious to know if this was the same store I had heard about earlier in the year. Is Sprouts Farmers Market coming to Tampa Bay?? Is there really going to be a new place for me to shop locally for natural and organic foods...without having to drive 20+ minutes to "the other guys?" Yes!!!! Sprouts Farmers Market is opening several stores in the Florida area in 2017; including Tampa! The ... [ Read More ]
Ringling Bros Circus – the End of an Era
The final performances of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus are going on this week in Tampa. It's a bittersweet ending to the Greatest Show on Earth. It's been 146 years since the circus has been coming to towns across the United States. It was a much different time when the circus began and the performances have changed a lot with the times. Today's performances are more about the entertainers than the animals; especially since they announced the retirement of their elephants for this final season. I'm not here to debate whether or not animals should be used in the circus; but rather to look back at the memories that I have from my childhood on the circus. My parents are from a different generation and for them the circus was a huge deal. They would save up their money each year so that they could take my brother and I to the circus when it came to town. It was a big deal for us to go into the city and watch the three rings filled with clowns and performers. It ... [ Read More ]
How to Plan Ahead for College with Florida Prepaid
This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Board, through my role as a Believer Blogger. All thoughts are my own. College is getting closer and closer in our future. How did this happen? How is it that my first born is less than 4 years away from entering college? He'll be starting high school next Fall, but we've already started thinking about the future and started to make plans to help make this transition a little easier for all of us. It's never too early (or too late) to get started! With the Florida Prepaid program you can start saving for college as soon as your child is born. With a Florida 529 Savings Plan you can get started as soon as your child has a social security number. With Florida Prepaid Plans you can even start before they have a SSN. I know many new parents are overwhelmed with parenting to even think about college savings with their newborn. We didn't start saving until the kids were a little older, but even starting when they are older will help ... [ Read More ]
DIY: Skeeter Pot
My backyard is boring and I don't have a green thumb! I blame most of that on my lack of watering skills, I simply forget to water things. In preparation for an end of year pool party next week, I decided to create some potted plants to help decorate the pool area. Since we're in Florida, I had to add some tiki torches because the skeeters are really bad right now. Supplies: Pot or container of choice. (Big Lots $20/each) Potting soil. (Lowe's $1.18/bag) Plants and flowers of choice. (Mixed annuals $1-2/each) Tiki Torch (Lowe's $3.50) To put it all together I added the potting soil to the bottom of the pot and filled about 2/3 of the way to the top. Then I arranged the plants in the pot and filled in with the remaining potting soil. Finally, I added the tiki torch to the pot. Water thoroughly and add to the desired location outside. For these pots I used Spike Dracaena (the grassy looking tall plant in the middle), Coleus (the green leafy non-flowering ... [ Read More ]
99 Family-Friendly Things to do in Tampa This Summer
Summer is almost here and the kids will be out of school soon. Parents all know the struggle to keep them entertained without losing your mind. Whether you're visiting the Tampa area on vacation or you live in the Tampa area, this list of things to do includes stuff for the whole family. There are a few items on the list that are a short drive outside of Tampa. Honeymoon Island Beach - this is our favorite local beach located in Dunedin, FL. It's less crowded and easier to get to then going to St. Pete and Clearwater. You can play on the causeway for free, or enter the state park and enjoy the natural beaches of North Pinellas County. Soak up the rays on the beach, take a nature hike, play on the playground, or take your pet for a walk on the dog beach. Great for all ages. Parking is $8/car (up to 8 people). Caladesi Island Ferry & Beach - Rated one of Dr Beaches top beaches in 2008, this beach can only be reach by boat. Take the ferry from Honeymoon Island State Park ... [ Read More ]
