Jennifer

WIN Chick-fil-A’s Newest Mocha Cookies & Cream Milkshake!

August 11, 2013 by Jennifer 7 Comments

Summer is definitely not over yet. The heat has been on the last few days. I think the temperatures feel more hot to us because of all the rain over the summer. We are enjoying the last month of summer though with lots of cold treats like Chick-fil-A’s newest milkshake. It is oh so delicious!

The handspun Mocha Cookies & Cream milkshake features Chick-fil-A’s home-style Icedream®, OREO® cookie crumbles, coffee, Hershey’s® chocolate syrup and is topped with light whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. The shake is perfect for customers on-the-go and offers chocolate and coffee enthusiasts a delicious summer treat.

It is a treat that you cannot put down and will drink to the last drop. It is refreshing and the pairing of coffee and cookie crumbles is perfect. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. My husband drank his first one in record time for sure.

Would you like to win a family pack of four coupons? Of course! Treat your family to four free milkshakes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I have a working relationship with Chick-fil-A. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

My daughter said…

August 8, 2013 by Jennifer 2 Comments

Today during a sweet lunch with my girls at Panera Bread, L had an enlightening conversation with me.

Most everyone knows that L is a mommy’s girl. She does not let me out of her sight for long. For example tonight, I was at M’s fiddle lessons for an hour and L cried the entire time for me. My husband called and said get home. Next time, I will just take her with me. A big change is getting ready to take place and I think that is playing part into the separation anxiety too.

Since she is so close to me, this conversation was not a big shock but still made me giggle. She let it be known that she was not having kids and not getting married. She was going to live at home with her mommy and daddy. M told her that she would change her mind once she got in high school. L popped up and said,

“No I will not because I will not have a boyfriend since I am not going to kiss a stranger.”

HA!

I am just happy that I will never have to experience the empty nest syndrome. All kidding aside, it will be neat to tell her about this conversation when she brings her first boyfriend home.

Both girls are growing into their own personalities so much and although it aches me to see them grow up so fast, I do enjoy our conversations so much. You just never know what they are going to say, especially L!

Milk that does not require refrigeration?

August 7, 2013 by Jennifer 2 Comments

Are you taking a double take at the headline? I did too!

If you have a child that loves milk as much as our L does, then you are going to be smiling really big at this shelf safe milk. You may be asking what is shelf safe milk? It is just like the milk you drink every single day except it is packaged and processed differently. When I first saw milk on the shelf, I scratched my head. I wasn’t quite sure how milk could be kept on a shelf and not go bad. MilkUnleashed.com will enlighten you on this great milk.

The secret is in the processing of the milk. Shelf safe milk has been pasteurized at an Ultra High Temperature (UHT) for a
shorter time, to preserve taste and nutrition
– Milk is exposed to intense heating to temperatures from 275-284°F for
– Passes through heating and cooling stages in quick succession only three seconds

The containers that the milk is packaged in helps keep the milk safe. Milk is immediately put into a sterile, opaque Tetra Pak shelf-safe carton that keeps out light, air and harmful contaminants.

– Packaging is 70% paper; aluminum foil is used to keep out oxygen and prevent spoiling; thin layer of plastic is BPA-free

– The result? Milk that lasts up to six months without refrigeration or preservatives!

– Once opened, the life of the milk is about the same as refrigerator milk – up to a week or so (always remember to check the package for instructions)

Since we live in the mountains, we can lose power frequently with high winds or snow storms. This is the perfect solution for us since we can always make sure we have milk stocked in the pantry and use it when the power goes out. Also, we are using the milk now on our trips. Instead of making sure it is kept cold 24/7, we can keep a stock of it and then refrigerate it when we need too for L to drink. So awesome! Just to make sure not to keep the milk stored in a hot vehicle for long periods of time.

Guess what? You do not need to refrigerate the milk before drinking it. If your toddler likes their milk warm and you are on a trip, this is a perfect go-to solution.

Another positive is the milk can be recycled. As stated above, the packaging is made of 70% paper, which is considered a renewable resource. One in three American households has access to carton recycling across 40 states. To find out if cartons are recycled in your community, visit: http://www.recyclecartons.com

L loves her milk and this has been such a life saver for us since we have learned all about MilkUnleashed.com. We are taking it to M’s sporting events, our travel trips and even trips to the park. The convenience is the huge selling point and is going to cause less stress in so many families.

Most of the brands that you have grown to love as family are available in the shelf safe milk. Check out the list of the brands on the website. Try it out today. I know you will not be disappointed!

– Like Milk Unleashed on Facebook for the latest news, updates and info – they’re launching a contest next week!

– Check out the Milk Unleashed recipe boards on Pinterest! Check it out for lunch box ideas, DIY projects, healthy snacks, fun family activities and more!

Disclosure: I am in a working relationship with The Motherhood and MilkUnleashed.com. All thoughts and opinions are of my own and honest!

Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Florida {Travel Review}

August 5, 2013 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Fun in the sun. You can’t go to Florida and not enjoy the beautiful sunshine. Once we walked through the doors at the Holiday Inn Resort at Lake Buena Vista, we were treated so nicely.

The Director of Marketing went out of his way to have in depth conversations all about Disney World with us when we arrived. He definitely was very informative.

As we were waiting on our room, the girls thoroughly enjoyed the game room. It is a pretty spacious game room with a good variety for all ages, including adults.

It was time for us to take a peek into our room. We were very impressed. The kid’s suite is perfect for a traveling family. Mom and Dad have their little area and then the kids have their little area.

The room was very modern with the decor. As we are traveling on our trips, that is one thing we look for on how well hotels decorate their rooms and keep them updated. It makes the traveling experience so much more comforting and relaxing. The bathrooms in the lobby were just as amazing with their modern decor. Check out these beautiful sinks!

The suite was complete with a mini fridge and a microwave. We used the fridge to keep our water and fruit cold. Each day, we enjoyed the parks but made sure we carried plenty of water with us to stay hydrated.

Our room was overlooking the pool which was a great view. Also, the first night we arrived back at the hotel around 9pm from the Disney Parks and had the perfect view of fireworks from our room. Sitting there and looking out the window over the pool to see the fireworks was priceless.

Each day during the summer, family activities are planned at the pool. The schedule is always posted at the hotel lobby desk. Just an extra perk that Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista Resort provides to their guests.

There are times on vacation, you arrive back to your room and really do not want to think about a drive to feed the family. This Holiday Inn Resort has an Applebees on-site.

Kids 12 and under eat free each meal. Adults can purchase their meals when they book their room or just pay separate once they order during each meal. At breakfast, a full buffet is provided or children can order off the menu. The breakfast buffet is the better deal and very delicious.

Each day a Disney Park shuttle runs frequently throughout the day. The shuttle will pick you up right outside from the hotel lobby. The bus is very spacious and will deliver you right to the park gates so you do not have to worry about riding the tram. There is a shuttle schedule posted at the hotel lobby. The departure and return times are listed. This was a big convenience for us as we did not have to worry about using our gas or dealing with the traffic.

Overall, we were very impressed with our stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista. It gives you a great option to stay off-site from the Disney Parks but still enjoy the great luxury of a resort hotel. We all highly recommend this hotel and will return to stay again. KUDOS to the entire staff and housekeeping for truly a wonderful stay.

Disclosure: We were provided two nights stay in order to facilitate this review thoroughly. All thoughts and opinions are our own and honest!

Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld Family Travel Review

July 31, 2013 by Jennifer 1 Comment

As you first walk into a hotel room and see this as your greeting, it is comforting to know this is your home away from home. On our recent trip to Orlando, Florida, we were honored to be the guests of Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld for two nights.

This hotel worked out perfectly as we were spending two days at SeaWorld. You do not have to worry about parking or waiting in traffic to drive your car out of the parking lot at closing. As we finished each night in the park, we walked to the SeaWorld parking lot, took a short walk across the road and we were at the entrance of the hotel. Also, if you wanted to take a break for nap time during the day, you only had a short trip to your room.

Since the Renaissance is a SeaWorld® Official Hotel Partner, your family receives awesome exclusive benefits.

* Complimentary Quick Queue at SeaWorld (limited front of the line access based on daily allotments)

* Complimentary Transportation to SeaWorld, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, & Universal Orlando (reservations required)

* Complimentary access to the SeaWorld Rescue Tour (reservations and admission into SeaWorld required)

* Park discounts, including:

– 10% off Dining at SeaWorld and Aquatica

– 10% off merchandise purchases of $50 or more at SeaWorld and Aquatica

– Early Entry into SeaWorld and Aquatica on select dates.

During our stay, we were treated to a corner suite. The room was very spacious with classy modern decor. A desk area along with a living room area is included in the corner suite.

The little guy that was included at the bathtub was an extra bonus for L. She is a huge animal lover and was quite smitten with the find once we walked into the bathroom. The double sinks were perfect as well as it allowed more than one person in the bathroom to get ready each morning.

The corner suite allows you to connect to another room if you have a big party. The sectional sofa has a pull-out sofa bed. We used the sofa bed each night. Perfect for the kids unless the kids are so tired from SeaWorld and they immediately fall asleep once you walk into your room.

Comfortable bed is all it takes for L to fall asleep. The bed slept so well and we were very happy with all the pillows that was available on the bed.

Snuggle Into Ultraplush Revive© Bedding at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

You’ll feel the difference Revive bedding makes: A lavish topper on a thick, premium mattress. Smooth 300-thread count sheets. A dreamy down comforter inside a custom duvet cover. An abundance of fluffy pillows. Revive your dreams. And wake up to the Orlando Renaissance possibilities. It’s so refreshing.

A mini refrigerator and coffee maker is available in the suite. Coffee and tea is furnished complimentary. Two thumbs up for the coffee. It was very tasty!

One night we came back early to experience the family friendly water park. Renaissance has water areas that are family friendly and adult only. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the break from the heat to escape the super fun water park.

As we wrapped up the night, we all sat around our window as a family and enjoy the fireworks from SeaWorld. We had the perfect view!

There are several dining options available on-site so you never have to leave your room for food. We partake in the delicious Starbucks on-site each morning and enjoyed the ice cream parlor in the evenings. Win-win for our family.

This hotel definitely receives a high recommendation from all of us. The family friendly hotel and with it being so close to SeaWorld is what won us over immediately.

Disclosure: We were provided two nights complimentary in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are of our own.

Jennifer

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