I’ve dreamt of this trip since before I even had kids. My mom was my troop leader when I was in Girl Scouts and took us to Savannah when we were in 5th grade. I remember the friends and the funny travel experiences (like locking our keys in the car - twice) even now as an adult. Once I had a daughter I knew this was a trip I’d want to take with her when she was old enough. Thanks to the pandemic this trip was cancelled last year and we were so fortunate that our council opened up out of state travel for this summer. Our girls have slowly been saving for this trip for several years. Once they were in 3rd grade we began saving a few hundred dollars from cookie sales each year. We saved $300 for 3rd grade, $400 for 4th grade, and in 5th grade the girls worked extra hard to earn the rest of the money they needed for their trip that summer. Each girl had a goal of 500 boxes of cookies to sell during their 5th grade year so that we’d have enough money to do the trip. We had already made our ... [ Read More ]
Scalloping in Florida – Everything You Want to Know
We've lived in Pinellas County for 15 years and last year was our first time going scalloping. This is now an activity that our family will enjoy each summer. If you're not a boater or if you've never been scalloping before there's a lot of information you need to know before you get out there. What is scalloping? Think fishing, but for scallops. Bay Scallops can be found off the gulf coast starting in June each year. Bay scallops are smaller than sea scallops that we get at most restaurants - but just as tasty! When is scallop season? Depends on where you want to go in Florida, but the scallop season opens in June and runs through early Fall. You do need to check these dates each year since the exact dates do change from year to year. Gulf County: Aug 16-Sept 24Franklin - NW Taylor County: July 1-Sept 24Fenholloway - Suwannee River: June 15-Labor DayLevy, Citrus, and Hernando Counties: July 1-Sept 24Pasco County: 10 Days starting 3rd Friday in July (July 16, ... [ Read More ]
Swimming With Manatees – Crystal River, Florida
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 ]
Christmas Activity & Coloring Pages – Digital Download
Download the entire 32 page Christmas Activity & Coloring Pages today. Available year-round in my Etsy shop. SHOP NOW I have been dreaming of this project for several years and I finally made time for myself to create a fun activity book and coloring pages for Christmas. I designed all of the artwork and pages on my iPad using an Apple Pencil (think digital sketchbook and pencil). Who this was designed for: Parents to keep their kids entertained over the holiday break or while quarantining at home. Teachers to use in their classrooms for holiday parties.Scouts & clubs to use with their students around the holidays.Adults to use to unwind from a busy day. Some of the pages are simple designs. There are a few "finish this" style designs where you or your child and finish drawing the character, decorate the Christmas tree, or design the perfect gingerbread person. Others are a little more time consuming collages of different design elements that will take longer to ... [ Read More ]
Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town 2020
Yes, we did our first theme park during the pandemic and it was safe and enjoyable. Busch Gardens Tampa Christmas Town is a beautiful experience running through January 3, 2021. Safety first. Let's chat about the safety of the park and how they are helping their guests and staff stay healthy. Advance tickets: You'll need to grab your tickets in advance because they are limiting their park capacity this year. Parking & Tram: I would recommend walking into the park instead of taking the tram. That was the only part of the day that didn't feel socially distanced. Temp check & masks! Before you can enter the park everyone walks through a thermal tent that checks for temperatures. Don't forget your mask because they are required throughout the entire park at all times (unless you're eating). It was nice that the employees monitored the masks and kindly requested guests to keep them over their mouth and nose. Animals! Walking through the park felt open and ... [ Read More ]
Simply Earth August Unboxing *Spoilers*
I just received my August (2019) Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box and wanted to reveal the goodies inside! As a member of their Squad ambassador team Simply Earth sent me the box for free AND they have provided me with a coupon code for you! If you use coupon code BACKTOCALLEYFREE you’ll get a bonus $40 gift certificate when you subscribe to their monthly subscription box. To learn more: http://bit.ly/2XfM77e (referral link) I'm learning more and more about Essential Oils and how to safely use them thanks to their fun subscription box and website. They even have a FREE ebook; Essential Oils for Beginners, that is packed full of useful information, dilution guides, and tips for using essential oils with children and pets. It's such a great resource. Want to see what's in the August Essential Oil Recipe Box by Simply Earth?? Inside the August Recipe Box you'll find: -Clear Skin Essential Oils Blend-Frankincense Essential Oils-Rosemary Essential Oils-Clove ... [ Read More ]
Natural Slime Recipe with Psyllium Husk Powder
Post contains affiliate links. A few weeks ago I received a new essential oil subscription box from Simply Earth AND their bonus box. They asked me to join their #squad and share my experiences with you about their program. I've owned several different essential oils over the years but I've never gotten into all the brand oil clubs. Honestly, I'm just now starting to learn how to safely use these oils and incorporate them into some fun DIY recipes around the house. If you'd like to see what's included in the Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box (and big bonus box) click over using this referral link: http://bit.ly/2XfM77e. If you use coupon code BACKTOCALLEYFREE you'll get a bonus $20 gift certificate! If your kids love making slime like my kids do, they will LOVE this recipe! This recipe does require heating the ingredients so make sure a parent helps and make sure you let this cool down for at least 20 minutes before letting your kids play with it. It gets very hot!! ... [ Read More ]
Give the Gift of Awesome Photos
I am a "Picture Play" affiliate and earn a commission when you order through my links in this post. Have you ever wanted to take better pictures with your iPhone or Android? Did you know that there are a few free or low cost (like less than $5) apps that can make your regular iPhone pictures 10X better? It's possible with some of the tips that Jill Krause (and Happy Loud Life) shares in her new Picture Play ebook. I have a fancy DSLR that I bought a few years ago and kinda learned how to use, but it's so big and bulky that I never take it with me. I'm really happy with the overall quality of photos from my iPhone 8+ but it doesn't always take perfect photos. Sometimes they are too dark, or too light, or there are things in the background that are distracting. This is one of the photos I took a few years ago with my DSLR. It showed up in my memories this week so I thought I'd try to edit it again using the tricks in Picture Play. Look closely behind her head, in the new version I ... [ Read More ]
2019 Planner | Printable or Digital Versions Available
I did a thing!! I created a 2019 printable and digital planner!! You can find this planner in my Etsy shop as a digital download! Where did 2018 go? I cannot believe we're almost halfway through December and 2019 is just around the corner. I was organizing my desk this weekend and realized that I needed a new 2019 planner. This year I've placed with several different planner options and found a few that are really helpful. I'm not a big spender when it comes to planners and can't stomach a $30-40 planner (or more with all the extra options and accessories). They are incredibly beautiful but I fear that I wouldn't use them enough or the right way. Sure there's no "wrong way" to use a planner, but it would likely get set aside and forgotten after a few months. What has worked for me? iPhone Calendar Apps For important events, appointments, and scheduling I still rely heavily on my native iPhone and Google calendar apps. I can sync them together and share them with other ... [ Read More ]