I've always been fascinated by sea mammals - dolphins, whales, and yes, manatee! I've had many encounters over the years with dolphins - both in the wild and in captivity. I've been on a whale watching cruise in Hawaii. I've seen manatee in the wild while kayaking. But I've always felt conflicted about swimming with these beautiful animals. After my experience swimming with manatee in Crystal River, Florida I am no longer conflicted - but I do have some opinions! Swimming with manatee is only legal in Crystal River - nowhere else in the United States is it legal to swim with manatee. The animals are endangered and it is very important to care for their wellbeing. They can be easily harmed by accident and on purpose (let's not even get started on the Trump manatee) because they are such docile animals. I'm happy to say that every one of the tour companies in Crystal River that we encountered have a genuine care for protecting these animals and educating the public. We used the ... [ Read More ]
Plantation on Crystal River Resort Review
With all of the COVID travel restrictions this past year we haven't been taking the same type of adventures as we have in the past. That's not all bad though because we're finding some hidden treasures in our backyard! We've taken a few short adventures within the state of Florida and I am so excited to tell you all about the Plantation on Crystal River. Disclosure: We were compensated for our stay in exchange for this review. All opinions are honest and my own. Crystal River, Florida is part of the Nature Coast and only about an hour drive north of Tampa Bay. While it would make a great day trip, we decided to spend the weekend! We've visited several times in the past to Homassasa Springs, Weeki Wachee, and even to Crystal River this past summer. There are several area attractions to see and do in the area if you like to be outdoors enjoying nature. This summer when we stayed I let my brother handle the reservations and he found a charming rental house in the area. This ... [ Read More ]
Easy (and Wholesome) Last Minute Family Meals for Back to School
A special thank you to Coca-Cola Florida for sponsoring this post and helping make our busy week a little more manageable. For a limited time you can save $2 off ready to serve meals with a Coca-Cola product at Publix, Wal-Mart, and Target stores in Florida. #CokeAmbassador #BackToSchool #Whatsfordinner Our kids started back to school last week. I love everything about summer and the laid back routines; so getting back into a routine is much harder on me than it is for the kids. They thrive off routine and have been ready for school to start again. With school starting back that also means my schedule gets flipped upside down again and the juggling begins. PTA meetings, Open Houses, curriculum nights, Girl Scouts, and homework take up our afternoon and evening hours. I try to be organized and plan meals for the week; but some nights are just too chaotic to try and cook a wholesome meal while juggling all the things! These are the nights that I'm thankful for ready to serve ... [ Read More ]
Feeling Inspired with an Aerie Lane DIY Workshop
Summer is quickly coming to an end with my kids starting back to school this week. My promise to myself this summer was to be more creative and I've exceeded my expectations. I've picked up my sketchbook, I've doodled, I've painted, I've started to learn hand lettering (and calligraphy), and I finally bought myself an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Procreate app. My creative juices have exploded this summer and it's starting to feel like I did when I was younger before I had motherly responsibilities. It's been a wonderful summer for me in this regards and I feel much more balanced. I was incredible excited to have been invited to a DIY Workshop at our local Aerie Lane in Safety Harbor. This is the original Aerie Lane and is operated by the founders of the company, Sheyla and Courtney. Along with a group of local bloggers, I spent an evening with Sheyla painting and putting together their large rustic centerpiece. Sheyla and her team welcomed us with an evening full of more than ... [ Read More ]
Sweet Tomatoes’ Picnic Delights for July
Sweet Tomatoes' was kind enough to host our family for dinner this month to sample some of their Stars, Stripes and Picnic Delights recipes. This is one of my favorite places to take my family for dinner because everyone can pick what they want to eat without arguing. When we typically go out to eat there is always the argument about what the kids are going to order and what they are actually going to eat. When was the last time your tween decided they wanted an adult meal only to leave half of it behind because they didn't like it?? At Sweet Tomatoes' the kids plate their own food buffet style and I don't feel bad if they try something that they don't care for. They can go back for seconds if they are really hungry. I'm always impressed that my kids plate things that we don't typically prepare at home like beets, cauliflower, and assorted veggies. My daughter loves all of the Sweet Tomatoes salad recipes; especially the ones featuring fruit! She is so excited to try the new ... [ Read More ]
Parenting Badge Unlocked – Teen Learners Permit
This post is sponsored by Blinker; a new app for buying, selling, and refinancing cars in the US. Now available in Colorado, Texas, Florida and California. To download the app today: https://www.blinker.com/ ...and so it begins. I've unlocked a new parenting badge; teen driver! My son turned 15 last month and within a few days he had passed his road sign test and had his learners permit in hand. I'm still not sure how my baby is old enough to be behind the wheel of my car. We've only practiced driving a few times so far, but I'm sure this year is going to zoom by quicker than any year in the past. So far we've learned that I'm a much more patient teacher than my husband and that my Jeep Cherokee is easier to drive than my husband's Jeep Wrangler. We've also learned that driving over 30 mph and making turns into neighborhoods may take a little more practice! Right now we're sticking to back roads that are less traveled and during non-peak times of the day. I did try to ... [ Read More ]
Florida Prepaid Enrollment Ends Today
This is it, your final day to enroll in the Florida Prepaid College Savings Plan for 2017-18. This post is in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans as part of their Starting is Believing campaign. All opinions are my own and may not reflect those of the company. What are you waiting for? There will never be a time when you have "enough" to do everything you want (or need) to do for your kids. Just like there isn't a perfect time to have kids; there isn't a perfect time to start saving for their college. So just do it! Plans start at as little as $47 a month. Five Ways to Save $47 a Month: Coffee! If you make a trip to the coffee shop every day of the month, skip that trip nine days and make coffee at home instead. At around $5 per trip, you'll have $45 extra each month to put towards a college plan instead. Pack a Lunch! I have one kid who packs lunch each day for school and one who prefers to buy school lunch. It adds up quick if they buy school ... [ Read More ]
Valspar Championship 2018
March is almost here! The temperatures here in Florida are breaking records and the pollen is already dusting the cars. My tulip bulbs have just started to bud and it's an official sign that Spring is almost here. That also means that the Valspar Championship is headed to Palm Harbor, FL for a week full of golf, entertainment, games, food trucks and music! We've slowly seen the course transform and prepare for the tournament over the past month. We visited the Innisbrook pool this weekend with friends and the Valspar tents are set up along the Copperhead course and ready for the players. I'll be attending their Executive Women's Day even and influencer day next week. Their Executive Women's Day is an event that hosts local women executives and speakers from around the globe to empower one another. It was a fascinating event to attend last year and I'm excited to have been invited back again this year. About the Valspar Championship: The tournament events begin March 5 ... [ Read More ]
Florida State Fair 2018 – Discover the Fun
This past weekend was a long weekend for our kids and we spent Saturday soaking in the sun at the Florida State Fair on behalf of Magic 94.9 (they provided us with media passes to the fair). It was the final weekend of the fair and I was sure it was going to be busy so we went early in the day to try and avoid some of those crowds. The morning was overcast and hazy but the sun broke through pretty quickly leaving us all with a slightly reddish glow to our noses and shoulders. While it was a little hotter than we expected, it was a perfect day to spend outside with the family. When we arrived to the Fair we were greeting my some helpful employees (or volunteers) who signed our kids up for the Safe Kids program. We had allowed our youngest to bring a friend with her so it felt extra safe knowing that there was a program in place to help us keep an eye on them. Each child gets a Safe Kids pin with your phone number on the back. If they are separate from you, they know where ... [ Read More ]
Finding Beauty After the Storm
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 ]