Jennifer

The Outer Banks Make a Sweet Pick for Memorial Day Travel

May 21, 2014 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Are you looking to head out of town this weekend or make your family summer vacation plans? We have a sweet spot for you on the coast of North Carolina!

Big wave action on Hatteras Island this week. Mickey McCarthy photo

There’s a buzz of activity on the Outer Banks right now that is aligned to paint a picture perfect vacation for Memorial Day travelers to the OBX.

“For starters, the islands have enjoyed super sunny conditions in recent days, yet not too hot,” explains Lee Nettles, Executive Director of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. “The weather experts are predicting gorgeous summer kick-off conditions this weekend. After the winter most of us had, we’re expecting a good crowd making their way to the North Carolina coast.”

New this summer, The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama will host character dinners on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as part of their 77th season, which begins May 30th. You can enjoy a great pre-show backstage tour and dinner, and snap some cool “selfies” with Sir Walter Raleigh and the cast. Also brand new, the Shallowbag Bay Beach Music Festival promises to be a shagging good time May 26th in downtown Manteo. Returning for a second year, Extreme Volleyball Professionals will host the Outer Banks Pro Am at Jennette’s Pier on May 31st for some great action you can watch from your beach chair. Kids will enjoy Kitty Hawk Kite’s annual Rogallo Kite Festival at Jockey’s Ridge sand dunes June 7 – 8.

“We’re looking forward to seeing our return guests and welcome the chance to show new visitors why the Outer Banks of North Carolina speaks to the soul,” says Nettles. “We actually created a new hashtag, #OuterbanksSoul, which we encourage our guests and communities to use when they post photos and comments about what they love most about the barrier islands. Our website outerbanks.org offers easy access to local social media channels and all the info you need to find and book vacation experiences.”

Our Family’s First MLB Experience! #ScoreBig

May 20, 2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

*Disclosure: We were able to experience our first MLB game thanks to ScoreBig.com for sponsoring our family of four.

I have heard of ScoreBig.com but I never knew how it really worked. This can be put to rest as I was given the opportunity last month to check out the website and go through the entire process. Needless to say, I don’t think I will ever pay full-price for tickets anymore.

The process is so easy. Go to ScoreBig.com and select your city and the event you want to attend. We had never been to a Major League Baseball game so our choice was to attend an Atlanta Braves game on a Friday night. The tickets for two-star seats averaged around $42. I put in our bid for four seats of $30. The bid was accepted. Your credit card will not be charged unless your bid is accepted. We saved almost $50 by going through ScoreBig.com for our tickets. I wasn’t quite sure if our seats would be the best but we couldn’t have asked for better seats. We were seated right on the field behind the third baseman. Perfect view to see the entire field.

You never have to worry if your seats will not be together as all seats ordered together will be next to each other. Also, you are guaranteed to save on each and every ticket on ScoreBig.com.

Our family made great memories and it was so fun to see the girls and my husband get so involved with the game, including the “chop.”

The game ended up going into an extra inning. The entire stadium was filled with so much great energy. It was such an amazing way to experience our first major league baseball game. The Braves ended up winning the game and the crowd indeed went wild as the fireworks exploded over the stadium. It was very neat to see all the games for audience members after every inning.

What types of events do ScoreBig.com have available? There are tickets for sports, concerts, theater, Broadway, family shows, and attractions. Another perk is you never pay a “fee” for your tickets that you will experience at places such as Ticket Master.

Thankful to have found and experienced this option. Can’t wait to book our tickets for our next family event.

Has a battery ever leaked from your child’s toy? {Giveaway}

May 19, 2014 by Jennifer 86 Comments

Let’s set the stage. Your kid is having a major tantrum in front of you because their toy is no longer working. “Mommmmmmy, please make it work.”

We have all been there but that moment you open the battery compartment door and battery acid causes a huge mess all over your hands. Your mood just went south even further. Was that even possible? Oh yes!

Stop the presses. I have help.

While many consumers believe battery leakage is an issue of the past, some batteries can still leak after they have been fully used, causing damage to devices and creating a mess. Believe me, I can vouch that there are still batteries out on the market that will cause a mess.

I have partnered with Energizer® MAX® with Power Seal to bring less messes to your household. Leakage is an industry-wide issue among alkaline batteries. Research shows Energizer® MAX® with Power Seal technology outperforms leading competitors when it comes to in-device leakage.

So the next time you reach for batteries, make sure your child’s favorite toy is powered by Energizer® MAX®. Your kids will thank you. Energizer protects your devices from damaging leaks. Guaranteed.

Want to discuss this further and find out more information on the No-Leak guarantee? Join me, The Motherhood and other bloggers for a twitter party on May 20 at 1:00pm ET. We are all going to help spread the word on Energizer’s innovative, long-lasting battery that can protect your household devices or children’s toys from damaging leaks.

Energizer continues to be known for many “firsts” in battery technology! Join the party fun to chat with parents everywhere about the “firsts” that they and their children are experiencing and some of our messiest leak moments. From batteries to faucets to diapers, we’ve all experienced the peril of leaks! We’ll also be exchanging helpful tips for battery storage and use, so that your family’s battery-operated devices and toys are always ready for use, without worry of leaks! Can’t wait to “chat” with you!

When: Wednesday, May 20 at 1p ET / 12p CT / 10a PT

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #NoLeaksGuaranteed hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/noleaksguaranteed

Hashtag: #NoLeaksGuaranteed

Prizes: Five prizes will be given to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Each prize basket includes a collection of Energizer batteries, a plush Energizer bunny, a water bottle, a t-shirt and more! Valued at $75+.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @theMotherhood25, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Sponsor: @Energizer, @EnergizerBunny

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored. I have partnered with TheMotherhood and Energizer. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Day 49: Progress every single day!

May 13, 2014 by Jennifer 4 Comments

It doesn’t seem quite possible that tomorrow will be 7 weeks from surgery. It will be two weeks since I was unwired from my splint. Getting the splint un-wired did not hurt but it tasted awful. I could not have ran faster to the sink to brush my teeth and the roof of my mouth. GOOD BYE splint. I was ready to take on the world by eating and talking….. well maybe not!

I was in for a rude awakening. After my splint and wires were out, I thought all would be normal in my world once again. Ummm no! I couldn’t hardly even chew up a piece of grilled chicken. Talking was just way too weird. My mouth wouldn’t open far. Sad feelings rushed over me. You are not able to talk normal or chew normal.

Two weeks have passed and so much progress has been made in the past two weeks. Dr. Turvey and his Resident Doctors sent me home with popsicle sticks. I need to get 12 to 15 in my mouth by the time I see them on June 17th. It’s not easy but guess what? Tonight, I was able to get in 11 sticks. Go Jen! My daughter M was cheering me along the entire way.

Happiness. True happiness. Who knew sticks could make someone so happy? Food is still a battle. Each day though, I feel like I can chew lightly a little better. I am only able to chew soft foods such as pasta, oatmeal, muffins, etc. I tried to bite into a banana and it was a no go. My mouth just cannot open that far yet, but with time and exercise it will.

Each day I do my exercises and the heating pad. The heating pad wrapped around my jaw helps relax the muscles so I am able to do my exercises. Throughout the day my face gets really tight. I am hoping over time this will stop. It is a question that I am going to ask Dr. Turvey when I go see him next month.

Tomorrow will be back to work full-time for two weeks. Work is going well. There have been days of pain, but I finally quit being stubborn and take my ibuprofen. It helps me get through the painful days. Tiredness still gets me though around 6:00pm. I am ready for bed. My iron levels still could not be back to normal. I need to have them checked again. My coworkers help talk me through the days but I feel like I complain to them too much about my jaw recovery so I try to keep the recovery talks to a minimal. Several coworkers have told me they can see a difference over the last two weeks with how I am moving my jaw. It is moving more freely. This definitely makes me smile. I tried to tackle phone calls today but realized quickly, the feeling of my jaw was making me feel weird. Maybe a couple more weeks?

Dr. Turvey says it takes a full year to recover. I didn’t believe him but after the last two weeks, I do. Most of the recovery should be complete by six months. Overall, I think he will be pleased with how far I have came so far and I still have another 4 weeks until I see him. I have most of the feeling back in my face except my cheeks, bottom lip and my chin. This morning though was a big breakthrough when I could finally start licking my lips. This was HUGE. I feel like I am just right on the edge of getting my feeling back in my lip and chin. My waterpik is still my best friend after every time I eat. I have no idea how I lived with braces without it.

If I can say so myself, doesn’t my jaw look awesome?

Moms… You’re Doing OK! #YoureDoingOKMom

May 5, 2014 by Jennifer 1 Comment

This sponsored post is in partnership with The Motherhood and Johnson’s Baby!

Mother’s Day is just days away. This day couples with my birthday. Growing up, I always wanted to be a mom. My mom would come into my bedroom with my baby dolls lined up and I would play “house” for hours. Once I became an adult, I could not wait to actually hold my own child in my arms.

Holding my first-born daughter M, was the best feeling in the whole wide world. I wouldn’t even let her go to the nursery. I just wanted to hold her forever. Less than two years later, we welcomed baby L!

The girls are my world. Tears well up in my eyes just thinking of the beautiful girls that God gave my husband and I. At times I feel like that I am not being the best mother that the girls deserve and then I get a priceless note from them that reminds me that… I am doing OK!

This video makes me smile so much. Those nights that my sweet L would wake up every two hours, I wouldn’t have traded for anything. Her gummy smile would say… I love you mom!

As they grow older, I think of all the nights my mom would stay up with me to study. M loves me to quiz her on all her study guides. My mom would sit and do the same thing with me for many years. She never complained once and always did it with a smile. L has now started studying for tests and we come up with very creative ways to make it fun so she will not lose interest. My mom would do the same for me. I love you MOM!

I love you M and L. Thank you for making me a mom. You will always have my heart.

Through all the hospital stays, the chaotic days at home and the big smile days, life as a mother for the last 11 years have been the best days of my life.

Moms, this Mother’s Day remember… you’re doing OK!

JOHNSON’S® Baby CARES, the JOHNSON’S® Baby brand’s charitable platform, is committed to ensuring that every baby has a healthy and happy start through educational and social initiatives, product donations, and financial support.

As an extension of this promise, for every view of the “You’re Doing OK, Mom” video above between now and Mother’s Day, JOHNSON’S® Baby will donate $1 to Save the Children®, up to $50,000.

Jennifer

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