I Am A 2019 BAMRbassador!

December 10, 2018

I received the news last week that I was selected out of the 300 applicants to become a BAMRbassador! I had to keep it a secet until today. Do you know how hard that was for me? I was so excited when I saw the email at 2 a.m. (I had to pee). What does that mean? It means I am going to be helping my favorite mother runners, Sarah and Dimity from Another Mother Runner!

Dimity was supporting Sarah and other Mother Runners at the Philadelphia Marathon in 2014. She was on a bike to get them on several areas of the race course. I was lucky enough to spot her not far from where Sarah was on the way back from the out and back and was in her pain cave at that point. So we got a quick selfie and off I went.

What is A BAMRbassador?

I am a “Bad Ass Mother Runner” Ambassador. I’m sure you must have seen me wearing my Bad Ass Mother Runner hoodie around town. Sometimes when I was at cub scounts or softball practice I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to have the words Bad Ass on my sweatshirt. I practically live in that or my North Branford Softball hoodie.

Back to the question. As a BAMRbassador I will:

Support Another Mother Runner at an AMR booth at race expos
Share brands of AMR to my readers
Introduce other women runners to the power and assets of the AMR Tribe (as Sarah explained it on the announcement today).

Check out the announcement and see if there are other BAMRbassadors you may know! I’d love to unite all of us in my own Facebook group. I can’t wait to hear what is in store for me this year! I’d really love to go to one of their retreats. In fact, as I start planning my vision board for 2019 I am going to put that on there! Cape Cod is right in my neck of the woods. Maybe I can even rent a Chrysler Pacifica to drive it there and perhaps pick up anyone who may want to fly in to Hartford, Connecticut.

Who Is Another Mother Runner?

If you are a runner and you haven’t heard of Another Mother Runner, then you have come to the right place. Because it is my pleasure to make you more aware of their presence and what they have to offer us Mother Runners.

I found Another Mother Runner through Facebook. I believe a friend of mine had shared a link to their first book (the book links are my affiliate links) and I bought it right away for my kindle. I couldn’t wait to read it while I was on vacation in New Hampshire. Then I read their second book as soon as I could. But for their third book I was so excited because I was going to see them at their book signing in Connecticut! A few of us mother runners, who also run several if not all of the runDisney races, met up for dinner before the book signing. It was a fun night out!

me and Sarah at Fleet Feet in West Hartford

What Is A Bad Ass Mother Runner?

In my opinion, it’s any mother who runs. Moms are superheros to begin with. Whether they delivered the child or adopted. Caring for another human being is an incredible responsibility. The criteria that makes you a badass mother runner is that you get out there and you get it done. Despite everything you have that relies on you; you find that time to separate yourself from being mommy and possibly a wife, and have time to yourself, FOR yourself.

My first Dopey Challenge in 2015. I am completing my 5th consecutive Dopey Challenge this January.

That’s part of the reason why I got hooked on running. I’ll share more of my story over the upcoming weeks; but I do know that running is a gift given to us mothers. If it is your thing, you know it. And you crave it.

So feed that craving with some Another Mother Runner Podcasts while you are running, or working, driving, or if you can escape to your bathroom for a little bit (oh who am I kidding?! Mom’s can’t do that!). But that’s another reason why we run. To listen to whatever we want or not listen to anything at all except your breathing and the sound of your feet hitting the pavement.

Have you heard of Another Mother Runner before?

Please leave me a comment and let me know if you’d like more information about AMR!

Or share my tweet and help me spread the word!

Pam Frost is a BAMRbassador! #BAMRbassador Share on X

Christmas Star Wars Giveaway

December 7, 2018

Star Wars toys and collectibles never go out of style because The Force is strong with boys and girls of all ages.

We’re hosting a Disney Blogger giveaway to give you a chance to win a Star Wars Gift Pack – Holiday Jumbo Toy and Collectible Bundle — valued at OVER $600! Can you believe it?

The Christmas Star Wars Products Giveaway is hosted by: The Positive MOM and Disney Mom Guide and co-hosted by:

Mommy’s Busy, 4 Hats and Frugal, Bert M Anderson, Comic Con Family, My Mommy Style, Fans of Mickey Mouse’s House, Christy’s Cozy Corners, Embracing Diversity, Mamas Mission, Cleverly Changing, WhollyART, Ginger Casa, Wheelchair Daddy, Local Mom Scoop, An Open Suitcase, Unprocessed Jess, Two Married Geeks, Ask Mama Moe, Raising Three Savvy Ladies, It’s Free At Last, Funtastic Life, A Savings WOW, En Tus Zapatos, JA Monkey, Clementine County, Gay NYC Dad, Little Family Adventure, Wife Mother Runner, Pretty In Baby Food, Teacups and Fairytales, The Jedi Father, and Lady and The Blog.

There is no purchase necessary! One (1) fortunate WINNER in the U.S. over the age of 18 will receive a Star Wars Gift pack, with new collectibles and toys inspired by our favorite characters, old and new – a $600+ value. All entries will be verified, so make sure they go through!

So… what Star Wars toys and collectibles can you win? Only the best in the galaxy! Here’s the list of all the goodies your Star Wars Gift Pack includes:

LEGO Star Wars Solo: A Star Wars Story Han Solo’s Landspeeder 75209 Building Kit (345 Piece)

Disney’s Star Wars, “Being Chewie” Adult Comfy Throw Blanket with Sleeves, 48″ x 71″, Multi Color

Disney’s Star Wars, “Being Chewie” Adult Comfy Throw Blanket with Sleeves, 48″ x 71″, Multi Color

Star Wars Christmas Stocking – Mini 8″ Knit – Darth Vader

Underground Toys Star Wars Plush – Stuffed Talking 7″ Han Solo Character Plush Toy

Mystery Minis: Star Wars – Solo (One Mystery Figure)

Hallmark Christmas Ornament Star Wars Praetorian Guard

Hallmark Christmas Ornament Star Wars Darth Vader

- Star Wars I Am Chewbacca Tank Top

Star Wars Ultimate Co-pilot Chewie Interactive Plush Toy, brought to life by furReal

(2) Star Wars Millennium Falcon Pop Up Cards

(2) Star Wars The Force Awakens Chewbacca Electronic Masks

Hot Wheels Star Wars Boba Fett Vehicle

Star Wars BB-9E Glass Christmas Ornament

(7) Child Chewbacca Masks – Star Wars

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Reusable Tote

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Solo Home Entertainment Figure 4-Pack (Star Wars Force Link 2.0. Mission On Vandor-1 including Han Solo, Qi’ra, Range Trooper, and Weazel)

(1) Star Wars Han Solo Movie Roaring Chewbacca Wookiee Sounds Mask

Star Wars Nerf Han Solo Blaster

Star Wars Mighty Muggs Maz Kanata

And, naturally…

SOLO: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray and Digital Combo

We are all so excited to join powers to make someone very happy with this amazing Star Wars gift pack!

Which of these Star Wars products is your favorite? May the odds be in your favor!

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Hurry and ENTER NOW for your chance to win this jumbo Star Wars Gift Pack! This Disney Bloggers giveaway runs til December 18th, 2018!

Great Restaurants and the Imax Entertainment Complex in Branson

December 6, 2018

In addition to the several wonderful live Christmas shows I saw in Branson, MO; we also had the pleasure of sharing meals together as a group at several delicious restaurants in Branson and also visited the Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex.

I was invited by Stone Castle Hotel and Conference Center as part of a media FAM to explore Branson, Missouri. All opinions are 100% my own.

During the trip we visited the Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex, Montana Mike’s Steak House, and McFarlain’s Family Restaurant. All three of these destinations are owned by the Bluto family. When we were having lunch on Sunday, Tom, the Sales Manager, told us that he was heading over to their house for Mr. Bluto’s 90th birthday party.

Montana Mike’s Steak House

Montana Mike’s Steak House was our first restaurant during our visit to Branson. We were greeted by Tom who shared with us the story of Montana Mike’s and the other businesses that are partnered with Montana Mike’s which is the Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex and McFarlain’s Family Restaurant. He also explained that 90% of the people are on vacation when they are in Branson and they want a great experience. So it is his goal and the goal of all of the businesses in Branson to give their guests that great experience.

It has a very welcoming rustic theme with the stuffed bears, deer heads, antlers, beautiful paintings of the mountains, and beautiful rustic sliding barn doors. It’s a great choice for a family restaurant.

We chose from a preset menu which is meant to accommodate for larger groups of people but with a great selection of choices. As we waited for our meal together we were served amazing onion rings, and a few of us tried a delicious Bloody Mary. You can view the entire menu here.

Our options were:

Soup and a baked potato – creamy broccoli soup with a baked potato with sour cream and butter
Hamburger basket – 1/4 pound of Mike’s freshly ground sirloin on a homemade bun, with lettuce, tomato and onion, served with fries.

Montana Mike’s is also a popular stop for motorcoach groups. They have a large dining area which would fit a group from the motorcoach. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food; but most of all I enjoyed the company.

Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex

Branson’s MAX Entertainment Complex is just like it says, a complex of great shops, restuarants and theaters. They have:

A Little Opry theatre where they perform live shows. Check the schedule here.
3 Hollywood Cinemas
Center IMax movie theater which is the largest in the midwest with the newest technology, 550 seats, 2 rows of VIP seating and the screen is 3D capable with a laser projector.

We watched the movie Rocky Mountain Express in the incredible IMAX theater about trains. As soon as I heard that I was so excited. I LOVE trains, especially the large steam engine trains. And to see it all on a big Imax screen was going to be great with the surround sound and the large screen. During the movie I kept thinking about how much my son would enjoy the movie.

What’s great about the Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex is that you can purchase the movies that are played on the big screens. All you need to do is walk out to the lobby and visit the stores!

McFarlain’s Family Restaurant

After the movie we had time to shop the 17 shops in the Entertainment Complex and then had lunch at McFarlain’s. When we arrived Angie had insisted that I sit with several of the “new” bloggers who were attending the trip this winter. I didn’t think anything of it and loved the idea so I could get to know them better!

We had a preset menu like we had at Montana Mike’s to accommodate a larger group and to serve us our meals quickly to allow us to move on to our next adventure. I like that option with the restaurants. It eliminates a lot of time going through the menu undecided on what you want to have. You can view the entire menu here.

Fried Green Tomatos

While waiting for our food I had the chance to try something I never had before – Fried Green Tomatoes! I always heard of them and even thought of making them at home because I always have a lot of green tomatoes at the end of the summer. They were good. Not overpowering or sour, like I thought they may taste. I will definitely try to make them at home next summer.

They also served us delicious sweet potato fries. With the tomatoes and the fries they had special sauces. The tomatoes had a ranch sauce and the fries had a special pineapple and jalopeno sauce. You could not tast the jalepeno and it was very delicious! I’d also like to try to make this.

I ordered the turkey sandwich and vegetable soup for my lunch. I wanted to have something warm yet light for lunch and it was very good. About halfway through our meal, Regina asked if we noticed that the table seemed to be a litlte higher. I hadn’t really noticed, but I am short. However, it was easier for me to spoon my soup right into my mouth! Then there was a lot of laughing and pointing going on from the other tables. We had gone through an initiation with the Branson Bloggers!

Have Some Fun At Other’s Expense at McFarlain’s!

McFarlains has a trick table. There are several tables throughout the restaurant that “rise” very slowly. It’s actually an attraction of this restaurant. People request the rising tables for their unsuspecting guests It’s hilarious. The only way to get it back down is to stand up and sing a song so everyone in the restaurant looks at you! I love some good old fashion fun. Thanks everyone!

You can enjoy the video our tricksters made of us having to “perform” for everyone. Thank you Becky Fixel for this video.

After lunch we had a few minutes to shop before our next stop so I did a little more Christmas shopping for my family.

If you are looking for fun places to eat in Branson, I highly recommend Montana Mike’s and McFarlain’s. I loved walking around both locations to check out the decor.

Which restaurant would you like to eat at? How would you feel if you ended up at the trick table?! Help me spread the word about Branson’s great restaurants and the Branson IMAX Entertainment Complex!

Want to see how to have fun at your friend's expense? Visit McFarlain's in Branson's IMAX Entertainment Complex and ask for a rising table! Check out the video in the blog post! Share on X

#Runner2Healthy Challenge

November 30, 2018

Hey everyone! I had a reality check recently and I wasn’t happy the way that I looked. I feel like a larger person swallowed my body and my small face is poking out of the top. Imagine Baymax, I felt like that. I was ashamed to say anything to anyone; but I wasn’t being real about being serious.

My reality check came the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I had a heart to heart talk with a friend of mine. I felt like a phony to my followers of my blog or my social media channels. I represent a “Mother Runner” living a healthy lifestyle; but my waistline was expanding and my running posts were decreasing in frequency.

Hmmmm was that a connection? Was my lack of running causing me to be less happy; and being less happy causing me to not want to run? Was that why I was gaining weight and feeling crappy about it? Whatever it is that was going on. I said it out loud that I realized that I wanted to make changes.

Hence, the #Runner2Healthy Challenge

I needed to take the following steps:

Get back to being consistent. When we lost daylight because of daylight savings time, I lost my time committed to running at the end of my day. Now I have to rearrange my workday to find time to end my day before sunset or go at noon in the middle of my workday.
Stick to my training schedule. Increase my mileage as my training plan says to get in the 18-20 miles I want prior to the WDW marathon weekend for the Dopey Challenge after I had lost a lot of running in the Spring/Summer because of my sprained ankle.
Clean up my eating. I joined Weight Watchers. I need to track my eating and lose weight. In reality I need to lose 30 pounds, but I am setting myself a goal to lose 10 pounds by the end of December so I can start of 2019 on the right track. I want to minimize the sugars and simple carbs and increase my increase in vegetables.

So What Does This Have To Do With The Runner2Healthy Challenge?

Do you need to change some habits, clean up your eating? Do you want to lose a few pounds? Do you want to lose 10 pounds or more? Here’s the place to participate in this challenge. I am collaboring with two other bloggers to run a challenge. When you register you will be given a link to a Google doc. We are basing this on the honor system so please be honest. On January 1, 2019 we will enter our final weight to see how many pounds we all lost.

Do you want to join me?

Please like my Facebook Page and type #Runner2Healthy to join in the discussion thread so I can see who is joining me in the challenge. If nothing else, let’s just learn how to have control to make it through the holiday season without eating a pound of shortbread cookie dough before even making a batch of cookies! Or attending a holiday party and polishing off a bottle of wine and an entire cheese ball.

Also register by following the steps below for the chance to win prizes throughout the challenge.

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Must See Christmas Shows in Branson, Missouri

November 29, 2018

When I received my itinerary for the #BloggingBranson trip I couldn’t believe how many Christmas shows we were going to see! I had seen more shows on that trip than I have seen my entire life. Which makes me want to take my kids to more shows!

I was invited by Stone Castle Hotel and Conference Center as part of a media FAM to explore Branson, Missouri. All opinions are 100% my own.

Three of My Must See Christmas Shows in Branson

While on this trip I saw seven live Christmas Shows. The three of them that I am sharing today were performed by (in no particular order).

The Clay Cooper Theater
The Hughes Brothers Christmas Show
Branson’s Famous Baldknobbers

After seeing my first ever Broadway-style Christmas show in Branson, I was blown away by the quality of the performance, the friendliness of the staff, and the hospitality from the star of each show! These theaters were run by families, and each family was very proud of their theaters. Each show had a special uniqueness to them which makes it possible to see several shows in one trip.

I would love to see a show from each theater during the non holiday season. If you would like a chance to see two of these performers I have a giveaway at the end of this blog post. You will have a chance to win tickets to Clay Cooper Theatre or The Baldknobbers.

Clay Cooper Theatre

The first thing that I noticed when arrived was our greeting. One of the actual performers was our welcome guide who would direct us into the lobby for our group photograph and then to our seats. While there he talked with us a little bit about his role in the show and when to look out for him. Little did I know he was in the most of the show!

Then we had a hysterical pre-show. My face hurt from laughing so much. I was so entertained.

The hospitality was felt again when Clay Cooper came out and sang and then welcomed us and walked out to the audience to greet people. It was amazing! He remembered everyone’s names too! He even walked over to us and I got to speak to him!

The performance was amazing. I also really enjoyed their nod to the classics with the Grinch and the antics with the Batman versus Robin style mischief. Having not been familiar with variety shows, I loved it. The first half of the show was part of Clay’s Country Express show and then the holiday show after intermission.

When the show was over and the audience left we had the opportunity to interview a member of the show. I had the great pleasure to interview Tina Cooper. Clay’s wife creates the Christmas show and the choreography for it among other things like being a mom, and wife and a business owner! I loved hearing that even performers have lives just like ours. Their “office hours” may be different from ours are, but at the end of the day, they are packing lunches and getting their families ready for their next day, too.

After the interviews were over Clay was so gracious to do individual and then group photographs with all of us. What a fun night! And the bar was now set high for the expectations of the Must See Branson Christmas Shows!

The Hughes Brothers Christmas Show

I was so touched by the Hughes Brothers Christmas Show. This show was different from the Clay Cooper Show and the Branson Baldknobbers show because it was a Christmas Show from start to finish.

The Hughes Brother Show was so beautiful. The entire show’s performers were all family members whether they were brother, sister, cousin, husband, wife, niece or nephew. Somehow they are all related.

The theme of the show was to explain the meaning of Christmas and the symbolism of Santa Clause, candy canes, Christmas trees, and the colors of holiday to the story of the birth of Jesus and the real reason for the season.

The harmony of their voices, and the sounds of their violins were so beautiful. The show was filled with beautiful dances, beautiful dresses, eloquent dancing, solos and also lots of children! This show moved me.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Joseph Hughes. I was goofing around with several of the children right after the show and so when it was time for me to interview Joseph, all of the kids wanted to see what we were doing! So I had to squeeze us all in the shot! Hope you enjoy their curiosity and playfulness during this interview!

If you are ever in Branson you have to visit the Hughes Brothers Theater. They have been awarded the Best Christmas Show from BransonShowAwards.com. I don’t want to give too much away, but one of my favorite parts of the show is the Carol of the Bells.

The Branson Baldknobbers

Like the Clay Cooper Show, The Branson Baldknobbers are a variety show that mixes comedy in with their musical performances. They had us in stitches with their comedians Hargus and Droopy.

The Mabe Family perform at the new Branson Famous Theatre and began this entertainment phenomenon 58 years ago. Their style of music is a blend of country music, gospel and some bluegrass. The Mabe family intends to take their legacy into the future as well.

After the show I had the chance to interview one of the band members, Grant Moody who also happens to perform in several other theaters in Branson. This young musician has a lot going on!

Must See Branson Christmas Shows Giveaway

If you would like to win tickets to a Clay Cooper Theatre or The Branson Baldknobbers show, follow the steps below to enter the giveaway.

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Now that you have heard about the three different shows I had the pleasure to see, which one would you like to see first?

Silver Dollar City and Southern Branson Belle

Branson’s Silver Dollar City and The Southern Branson Belle

November 22, 2018

I was invited by Stone Castle Hotel and Conference Center as part of a media FAM to explore Branson, Missouri. All opinions are 100% my own.

As my adventure in Branson, MO continued for an Ozark Mountain Christmas during the first weekend in November, I had the pleasure of exploring two great locations for a wonderful time of exploring, sight-seeing and watching amazing performances in BOTH locations! We went to Silver Dollar City and The Southern Branson Belle.

Silver Dollar City

Our first stop on the agenda for the #BloggingBranson trip was at Silver Dollar City on Sunday. I couldn’t wait to go there because I love theme parks, especially the smaller, more intimate ones. This year Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas is bigger and brighter than ever this year, presenting the NEW Christmas In Midtown Light Spectacular.

Christmas in Midtown

What is Christmas In Midtown? I took a tour through Christmas in Midtown and loved the light displays that soared up to 9 stories high. The park’s total number of Christmas lights to 6.5 million lights. The festival also features an evening light parade, two Broadway-style original musical productions, a 5-Story Special Effects Christmas Tree with a sound and light show and holiday dining.

Christmas In Midtown is a fun walk through brightly lit wreaths into tunnels that lead to an area of flying angels, running reindeer, moving trains, a tree 90 feet high, musical trees with moving lights, dozens of stars and snowflakes, and a giant turning globe, all created at Silver Dollar City.

Photo by Silver Dollar City

As the sun sets the Christmas tree in the town square comes to life with lights that move to the Christmas songs. All the lights around the square also flash along. The parade of lights, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade, winds through the streets of the City twice each evening. The Grand Marshal, Rudolph leads the evening parade of nine musical, lighted floats, illuminated with 200,000 LED lights.

Shows and Entertainment at Silver Dollar City

I didn’t know that within Silver Dollar City there are musical productions. We saw A Dickens’ Christmas Carol and I loved it! You can also see It’s a Wonderful Life. The Dickens’ Christmas Carol was such an enjoyable show! They had revolving sets, flying spirits, special effects, amazing singers, and a live band to accompany the show! I know that my kids would have really enjoyed the show!

While we had time to stroll around the park we saw strolling carolers, horse and carriage rides, craftsmen creating hand-made holiday items, glass blowing artisans making one-of-a kind pieces ranging from jars, to holiday ornaments.

Things to Know Before You Visit Silver Dollar City

During An Old Time Christmas, Silver Dollar City is open Thursdays – Sundays November 4 – December 23, and Wednesday, December 20.
They are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
They are open daily December 26-30. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. most days, with extended hours on Saturdays and Thanksgiving weekend.
Silver Dollar City is also open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day this year, for a new event, a “New Year’s Celebration.” The 6.5 million holiday lights are still on and special entertainment includes
- A dance party with Members Only, a tribute band performing the hits of the ‘80s
- Christian Rock with the Dove Award-winning band Disciple
- The group AYO, seen on America’s Got Talent
- World-renowned juggler, artist and comedian Albert Lucas
- Hours are 11 am to 7 pm December 31, and noon to 8 pm on Jan. 1, 2018.

Showboat Branson Belle

After a day of clouds and drizzle, the sun broke through the clouds and blessed us with a beautiful sunset cruise on Table Rock Lake. We had a delicious three-course meal prepared right on the ship; and enjoyed entertainment from the show’s master of ceremonies, Mike Bliss. My family watched him on America’s Got Talent one season and loved his acts. He would choose guests from the audience and had us rolling on the floor laughing!

Then the main act performed popular songs from the 1960s to today. There was tap dancing, swing dancing, and singing, accompanied by a four-piece band. I loved it! They also added Christmas songs into the line up too!

I loved having time to also explore the paddle boat and enjoy the views along Table Rock Lake. We had the perfect evening with the beautiful views. We even spotted an eagle in a tree on an island.

The Showboat Branson Belle is a true sternwheeler. This means that it is propelled through the water by two huge rear paddlewheels. The paddlewheels are 24 feet in diameter and 16 feet wide. It’s a beautiful boat!

Things to Know Before You Visit Southern Branson Belle

The Showboat Branson Belle takes guests on a two-hour cruise across the waters of Table Rock Lake.
As you stroll the ship’s four decks, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the lush Ozark Mountains — beautiful at any time of the year.
The Southern Branson Belle offers a Santa’s Pancakes & PJs Cruises
Shows are typically run on 12:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Refer to their schedule online for details and times.