Travel season is here- prime time for family road trips. Purchasing five airline tickets isn’t exactly in our family budget. But we love to travel so road trips happen often in our family. As co-pilot, it is up to me to keep the kids entertained, happy, and not asking the dreadful, “are we there yet” question 20 times each minute. We’ve driven as far as 16 and 18 hours away to Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Just three years ago, I would have rather pulled out my eyelashes than sit in a car for even half that time with the...
4 Nina Simone Songs That Will Give You Life
I knew Sunday was going to be a good day the moment I woke up and decided to blast Nina Simone’s Four Women. I ended up listening to my Nina Simone playlist as I drank my coffee and got ready to jump on my bike and to get some miles in. Nina Simone is a legend that has transcended generations of women. She used her music to create a legacy of liberation, empowerment, passion, and love. When you listen to her music, you know why she was called the High Priestess of Soul. As I listened to her music, I thought about what it means...
5 Tips on How to Get Started Running
So you’ve decided to start running. First, congratulate yourself on making the decision and second, get ready to feel awesome both physically and mentally. Running is something that seems so daunting to many people (including myself at one time). But with the right program, positive attitude, and determination, you will find yourself looking forward to your next run and may become a little obsessed with things such as pace and distance. This week’s post is a summary of how to get started in training for a running program. If you are reading this you have most likely found a race...
Frozen Treat Ideas For Kids
Are your kids constantly asking for frozen treats during the hot summer months? I know my kids are! Frozen treats are a big hit in the summer and that’s totally understandable. After all, it’s boiling hot outside. But it can be hard to find a frozen treat that tastes good and is made with real fruit or low calorie. If you’re not careful, the calories and fat in most frozen treats can really add up. So I try to switch things up and balance the good, with the not so good, whenever I can. And now I’m a happy mom because I found a...
13 Superhuman Powers That I have Exhibited Lately
As a mom and a woman, it sometimes surprises me the things we manage to do when we put our minds to it. I remember having to carry my feverish 5 year-old son up and then down a hill on cobblestone sidewalks almost a mile each way IN MEXICO while convincing my 8 year-old son and 6 year-old daughter to keep walking even though they were tired. We had to get him to the pediatrician to find out why he woke up with a 103 temp and rash on his body and tongue. Of course, not a single cab passed us going home or...
Best Happy Hour In Jacksonville
I love a good happy hour, cocktail party, and something handcrafted and unique. I look forward to happy hour on the weekends or mid-week if, I’m lucky. The happy hour scene in Jacksonville varies by day of the week and part of town. While the scene here isn’t exactly Washington D.C. or Miami, you’re in for a treat. There are some great restaurants offering handcrafted goodness in a glass with good food to accompany it. I listed some of my favorite places for happy hour in Jacksonville from Downtown to the Jax Beaches. Be sure to leave your favorite Jax happy hour...
Mayhem Aboard the Party Barge 21 Pontoon
It’s amazing what moms do to help create lasting memories for their children. It’s spring break which means I scrambled to put a quick vacation together for my kids. I didn’t have much time I could take off but I knew I wanted us to do something. After arranging then rearranging a few things, we finally settled on a two-night getaway somewhere near Jacksonville. We’ve settled on Tampa. I booked a hotel right on the Tampa Bay perfect for boating and fishing which was our plan. We have a quiet first night. Had dinner at Datz Tampa where we ate a...
Tips For Making Date Night Easy
Making date night easy is possible with these easy tips. Having regular dates nights with your spouse is probably one of those things on the to-do list that doesn’t get checked off often enough. It’s so much easier said than actually getting done. With three kids, it’s not easy or economical to hire a baby sitter. This is where getting creative comes in handy. If your kids are a little older, you can still have a “date” without breaking the bank or a lot of planning. So far, it’s one of the best ideas I’ve come up with and has surely...
Seven Tips for Flying with a Toddler
I’m excited to feature a guest post today by our contributing family travel writer, Lauren Griffith. Lauren shares her tips on flying with a toddler. Enjoy and be sure to share and comment below! Like all first-time moms getting ready to do anything new with their kid, I had a lot of anxiety before flying with my toddler. I don’t know about you, but it’s always the anticipation of preparing for travel that gives me major mom-anxiety rather than being 30,000-feet in-the-air with your baby. Until now. We recently took a trip with our 20-month old to Chicago …...
Difference Between Atkins and Paleo
What is the difference between Atkins and Paleo diets? A friend asked me this recently when I was just restarting the Atkins diet. I’ve done both the Paleo and Atkins diets and the two diets are very different. Before we get into the differences, I thought I would share my experience with the two diets. Between the two, I like Atkins the most. Atkins allows you more freedom to eat different foods while still being able to lose weight. Whereas Paleo has more limitations and I did not experience any weight-loss. To be fair, I didn’t last very long on the...