Every summer our family enjoys a trip to New Hampshire. Last summer we took a surprise weekend trip with the kids to Church Landing at Mills Falls.
Church Landing is the newest of the Inns at Mills Falls. It sits right on Lake Winnipesaukee with wonderful views of the water and a beautiful boardwalk along the lake to the marina.
Check out the beautiful accommodations.
For Mother’s Day, I received a necklace from Waxing Poetic to review for my Mother’s Day Gift Guide. It as two hearts intertwined on a sterling silver baby ball chain. It was such a simple, delicate design yet to me it represented me and my family.
Waxing Poetic jewelry represents love, hope, friendship, faith and a devotion to family that we all share. Each of their handcrafted, rich quality, artisan pieces of jewelry hold a unique meaning that each woman makes her own when she wears it.
Enter to win a $100 Gift Card from Waxing Poetic today! The giveaway ends on June 14th.
I recently became connected with a blogging group who share their experience with travels to Branson, Missouri. Did you know that Branson, Missouri is a great place to travel to for great family fun? I didn’t know that until I learned a lot from other bloggers about Branson. Now that I know this amazing place exists I am going to have to find a marathon in the area for an excuse to make a trip out West and explore this great area as well!
Until March of this year, I had no idea there was such a place called Branson, Missouri that had SO much to do there. A Facebook and fellow runDisney runner friend of mine was looking for ideas of places to go to over the summer and I proudly told her about Branson because I learned so much about it from the bloggers who went there. She told me she grew up not far from there and knew of it.
I guess I live a sheltered live, coming from a small farm town in CT, and my biggest trips are going to Disney World, Disneyland and Washington, D.C. I need to get out and travel more! I did recently learn about Cedar Park when I attended the Bloggy Con Conference last year. That’s another great place (and another blog post), that I want to share with you!
The first category that the bloggers covered about their trip to Branson in April of 2018 focused on their accommodations. They stayed at the Stone Castle Hotel and Conference Center. I was asked to review and judge some of the blog posts and videos of the hotel and I was blown away by the resort, the rooms, THE PRICE, and how much everyone raved about this place.
Check out these blog posts from the #BransonBloggers to learn that each blogger thought of the Stone Castle Hotel.
http://moneysavingparent.com/stone-castle-hotel-branson/
https://mypeachyqueendom.com/2018/05/the-stone-castle-hotel-a-branson-palace-fit-for-a-queen.html
https://footprintsinpixiedust.com/bloggingbranson-stone-castle-hotel/
https://rippedjeansandbifocals.com/7-reasons-stone-castle-hotel-and-conference-center-should-be-your-home-in-branson-mo/
https://week99er.com/new/stone-castle-hotel-offers-guests-a-unique-hotel-experience-within-your-budget/
https://www.southernfamilyfun.com/stone-castle-hotel-branson/
https://www.southernfamilyfun.com/stone-castle-hotel-branson/
https://midwestmomlife.com/the-stone-castle-hotel-conference-center/
https://www.couponmamacita.com/stone-castle-hotel-conference-center-branson-mo-a-budget-friendly-beauty/
Why Stone Castle Hotel Is Your Best Choice When Staying In Branson, MO
http://thecreativesahm.com/2018/05/22/stone-castle-hotel-bransons-royalty-on-a-budget/
http://talesofonemomsmess.com/stay-at-the-budget-friendly-stone-castle-hotel-in-branson-mo/
Welcome to the Be The Change Giveaway Hop brought to you by The Hopping Bloggers!
Hosted By: Mama’s Geeky & Women and Their Pretties
Each giveaway has a value of a minimum of $15, however some are worth much more. Be sure to enter to win all of them because there is no limit to how many you can win. GOOD LUCK!
Enter to win a Swag Bag from Another Mother Runner! The swag bag contains a running visor, shoe tags and bumper sticker (value $36.00).
Once you have entered our giveaway, hop around to all the other blogs listed below to see what other great prizes you can enter to win:
If you’re a blogger looking to connect with brands: Join The Hopping Bloggers database and get started today!
If you’re a brand looking to work with a network of professional bloggers: Check out the creative campaigns The Hopping Bloggers has to offer!
Disclaimer: I was provided the items for free in this giveaway.
The Incredibles 2 Movie is going to be the first adventure we will be going on during summer break. I can’t wait to take the kids to see this movie! My mother wants to go with us as well! We love all the characters from this movie; but it’s going to be great to see Jack-Jack as a main character in this movie. The kids love watching the previews on the Disney Channel all the time!
We love the incredibles so much, we dressed up as them for the Walt Disney World 5K this past January. Despite the temperatures being extremely cold for Florida we still did what we could to display our costumes while keeping warm.
Incredibles fans have been waiting years (14 to be exact!) for Incredibles 2 to come out – and that time is finally here! To help celebrate its release, The Hopping Bloggers have come together to bring our readers an Incredibles 2 prize pack worth over $100!
Products subject to change based upon availability.
In Incredibles 2, Helen is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.
Like INCREDIBLES 2 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/
Follow INCREDIBLES 2 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIncredibles
Follow INCREDIBLES 2 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theincredibles/
Visit the official INCREDIBLES 2 website here: http://disney.com/incredibles2
Enter to win this Incredibles 2 Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!
If you’re a blogger looking to connect with brands: Join The Hopping Bloggers database and get started today!
If you’re a brand looking to work with a network of professional bloggers: Check out the creative campaigns The Hopping Bloggers has to offer!
On the eve of my son’s 11th birthday (I’m choking on that number), I am having memories of where I was 11 years ago. Rewind that five more years just after Kevin and I got married. We wanted to have a family right away.
We were married four months when I was diagnosed with kidney vasculitis after many, many doctor visits with no answers and finally a kidney biopsy to confirm the damage to my small blood vessels in my kidneys.
I was ok hearing the news because it was a relief to finally know what was wrong with me. What upset me the most was when they told me I had to take a chemotherapy type of medication. As soon as they told me that my first question was whether or not we could still try to get pregnant. The answer was no. Not at that time. They needed to get my autoimmune disease under control with the medication and a high dose of steroids.
Several years went by where my disease was quieting down and less flare ups. We tried different medications and my doctor was always aware that my hope in the future was to start a family. So that was always a consideration in the type of medications we tried.
Finally, after two kidney biopsies (a more specific diagnosis of which antibody I was overproducing), weaning off of steroids, and my doctor who was always keeping up with the latest info on my disease and the medications, we were allowed to explore our options.
In June of 2006 we met with fertility specialists. We began all the tests, met with genetic counselors and a pharmaceutical counselor about the medication I was on and the risks. We were finally given the go ahead. But all the tests came back and I had unexplained infertility. It wasn’t going to be easy for us to get pregnant. We were going to need help.
We were determined to do whatever it took. We wanted this so badly. We waited four years after getting married. This wasn’t going to get in our way of our dream. Going through fertility treatments is a very emotionally challenging experience. Having had to wait four years and then coming across this challenge made me, a very impatient person, a little crazy.
Finally after a few intrauterine inseminations we had a successful pregnancy. I was watched closely through the high risk pregnancy group and everything went well for the full term. I was admitted to the hospital June 5 because of low amniotic fluid.
The night before Kevin’s birth 11 years ago today, we were sent back upstairs from the labor and delivery floor. After an entire day of being induced but no progress they had to shut off the pitocin and give my uterus a break.
Kevin and I were in our room while I was hooked up to a monitor and had a lovely Foley balloon. I wasn’t very comfortable and I was getting anxious to meet our baby and find out if they were a girl or a boy. But we remained calm, had our Liquid Mind soothing music playing and I was weirdly enough enjoying the process.
I felt like I had menstrual cramps all night. That was probably the real labor starting on its own. I barely slept and I know Kevin didn’t either. We were anxious, excited, and tired. We couldn’t wait for baby day.
Finally, the next morning I was walking around the maternity floor, I took a nice long shower and the Foley balloon fell out. That was a good sign! Not long after that when we were relaxing in bed my water broke at 10:30 a.m. It was birthday time!
Kevin Charles was born at 8:07 p.m. weighing 6 pounds 6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. A lot more happened that day from the time that my water broke to the time of his birth. But I’ll save that story for another day.
I can’t believe this all happened 11 years ago. He has changed so much. I can’t help but get sad sometimes when I see how big he is getting. He still loves to snuggle with me and kiss me and spend quality time with me. He will always be my baby boy, but life has blown by me in light speed since our children were born. I try as much as I can to enrich their lives with memories and events and fun. I don’t want them to grow up too fast. I’m keeping them in the innocent bubble as long as I can.
Happy Birthday baby boy! Thank you for making my dreams of becoming a mom come true! I love you more than the universe!
