DISCLOSURE: I was provided with a free or discounted press rate for the duration of my stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies resort as well as press passes to some of the attractions mentioned, however all opinions are my own and not biased by any complimentary product or service I may have received. Today is day one of a 14 day Fall break for the girl's school and the countdown is on. In 11 days, we will be kicked back in a beautiful suite at the Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville TN., Home of Dolly Parton and world famous Dollywood. Having lived in middle Tennessee (Nashville) all my life, trips to the mountains were a regular happening, when I was young, since it's only a tank of gas up there and a tank of gas back (231 miles to be exact), it makes for the perfect long weekend getaway spot. This time of year is amazing in The Smokies, the leaves are beginning to change colors and the air up there is so fresh and clean, it literally has a "feel" to it. I really can't describe it, you have either experienced Fall in The Smokies or you haven't and if the latter is true for you, do yourself a favor and drive up there and see what I am talking about. It really is something you should experience (at least) once in your life and since it's only a day's drive for 2/3 of the country, it's totally "do-able". As most kids, I thought my parents were kind of "square", wanting to have a "stupid" family vacation every year, but now as an adult, I can see just how hard they tried to make sure I had tons of great childhood memories. When I told my Mom of our upcoming trip, she relayed the stories of all the quarters my Daddy and I would chunk into those machines at the game rooms and the "waste of money" that it was. I told her, "Yes, the skee-ball games were a bit overpriced and the actual value of the prize vs the amount of money you spend was highly unbalanced, but the amount of money you spent was nothing in relation to the value of the memories we made back then." She had never thought of it that way, but to this day, I still remember the strip through town, the old miner place where you can pan your own "gold", I remember the Trolley rides through the mountains, the Ripley's museum, I remember the bumper boats, the first time I rode a go cart, the indoor sky diving thingy (that I never mustered up the energy to do), the Taffy place that gave out free samples, the pancake place that served the biggest fluffiest pancakes in the world. I remember all these things, but most importantly, I remember how much fun it was to just get away with my parents and enjoy being a kid. Making New Memories...
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As I've gotten older, I have noticed a few little things that I'm not too excited about. I am 38 and as most women my age, I have a few little lines here and there, nothing major, just a few, but they are more than I would like to have.
My hair is not quite as thick as it once was and it's lost a lot of volume, especially since having Micah in 2010. Mind you, I'm not completely obsessed with my looks, or am I going to bug out over a few little lines, but why not do something about them before they get too bad to correct. I admit, I have a less than perfect beauty regimen. I don't always remember to wash my face before I go to bed, I don't always use sunscreen or wear a hat when going out in the sun, but I do have a few secret tricks I use to keep my skin in great shape, from the inside out. DISCLOSURE: I was provided with complimentary products to facilitate this review, however all opinions are my own. Elite Serum Rx is a unique blend of extremely effective, highly concentrated medical grade patented peptides & nature's most gifted moisturizers. It contains a proprietary blend of Argireline, SYN®-TC, SNAP-8, Eyeliss™ and four other potent compounds. Elite Serum Rx has been shown to lift and firm skin, fill expression lines, smooth fine lines, minimize eye circles and lighten dark circles. The main difference between this product and a product like Botox, is the unique formula of the Elite Serum is gentle enough to use in the very delicate area around the eye, where injectables just can't be used.Where is Elite Serum made? Elite Serum™ was scientifically designed and formulated by clinically trained cosmetic pharmacist Irwin Grams. It is manufactured in a state of the art 70,000 square foot facility in Miami, Florida. From the ISO 9002 laboratory to the production staff, all employees are all trained on GMPs, SOPs and all FDA rules and regulations. The facilities are subject to random inspection from the United States Food and Drug Administration, the State of Florida Health Department and the Department of Agriculture. Does it Work?! You can see from the pictures above, that it does work and I can personally attest to the fact that the skin around my eyes is definitely smoother and softer. Did all the lines around my eyes disappear? No, but I do feel like they are not as noticeable as they were before I started using the Elite Serum Rx. Luckily, you don't have to take my word for it, the nice folks over at SkinPro, makers of Elite Serum Rx andDNA Serum have generously agreed to give one lucky reader their very own set of products.Well, it's October and you all know what that means... the kids will be giving you their costume wish lists soon, if they haven't already. Around our house, everyday is Halloween. Micah,3, is fully into all things "Superhero"... he loves them all, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Hulk, Spiderman, Flash, Silver Surfer, Wonder Woman, all of them, he loves them. He has a Superman cape, a Batman cape and any dish rag is fair game for being turned into a cape as well. Halloween is such a magical time for the kids (and Moms too). When I asked Micah what he wanted to be for Halloween this year, I wasn't surprised when he responded with "Batman". I did what I always do, when I'm looking for something... I Google it. I found a ton of Batman costumes, from a ton of different sites and after comparing prices and size options available, I chose Costume Discounters. DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Fabkids blogger team, I received a complimentary outfit in exchange for this post, however all opinions are my own. It's the first of October, know what that means?! Pumpkin, latte, pumpkin pies, pumpkin EVERYTHING and of course there's thenew outfits from FabKids. FabKids is an awesome site that takes all the guesswork out of dressing your kids in some really fabulous clothes. Fabkids puts the whole look together for you, all you have to do is answer a few questions about your kid's style, things they like and whatnot, then they send you a personalized style profile, with several suggested selections. It's fun for the kids too, they can pick their own outfit, which might even make them more likely to wear it. You will get a full three piece outfit for only $39.95 and You can order a new outfit each month, or you can skip a month, the choice is up to you & there's never any obligation to purchase. So sign up today and start saving! Here's a few of this month's choices... DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Gorton's Seafood blogger outreach program and I received free product to facilitate this post, however all opinions are my own. Being a full time, blog from home Mom, I often have to find shortcuts to get everything done, that I need to, during the course of the day. Example: If I'm tired at the end of the day, instead of folding the clean clothes, I'll just turn the dryer back on, before I go to bed, it de-wrinkles them so they will be nice and fluffy when the hubby needs them the next morning. You're welcome, hubby.
Another good time saver is, making a huge pot of pasta on Sunday and making the kids eat it for the next two days. While I am not a huge fan of heavily processed "convenience" foods, I am a fan of anything that will save me time in the kitchen and by adding a few fresh ingredients to your meal, you can be sure your family is eating good, healthy foods and still save yourself time. |
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