Camping Essentials for a Newbie

This is a sponsored post written by me in collaboration with HomeRight. All opinions are mine alone.

Summer means spending more time outdoors with family. Even though we spend a lot of time by the pool, we also like to get out and enjoy nature. My uncle has a campground, so we decided to take an overnight camp trip and enjoy the fresh (and cooler) mountain air! This was actually my first time camping in a tent, so I decided to come up with a list of some essentials a newbie camper needs to have.

Myrtle Beach Vacation Recap

Every year we take a family trip to Myrtle Beach, SC with my dad, sister, and her family of 6. We stay the Sands Ocean Club each year and mostly visit the same places. Today I am sharing my beach style, along with some of the fun things to do, in case you ever visit Myrtle Beach!

My goal for the week was to read an entire book...which I did! But, in addition to spending time on the beach, we did get some shopping in, filled our bellies at our fave restaurants, and celebrated our wedding anniversary.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience

Mother's Day is right around the corner, so it is time to start shopping for the perfect gift for your special mom(s). What do you get for the Mother that has everything? I have two mothers, plus a Mother-in-Law, so I need to find meaningful gifts that are unique, but that will not break the bank. I am rounding up 10 affordable options for you today from brands that I trust and a bonus splurge option.

If you are not crafty and do not want to DIY a gift for your mom, I have already shopped for you and put together a list of 11 gift options for any mom.

Personalized Dog Bowl Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CarpetProtect #CollectiveBias

If you follow me on Instagram, you are probably already familiar with my handsome pup, Charlie. My husband never had dogs growing up, so Charlie is his first real experience with a dog. I have had dogs my entire life and knew I wanted one when we bought our house 7 years ago. We adopted Charlie from a friend at church (he was one of her dog's puppies) when he was about 3 months old. He is a Husky/Shepherd mix and is one of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen.

Our pets are part of the family, so they need to be made to feel special. Why not personalize their food and water bowls for a unique gift? 

Christmas Star from Afar + A Giveaway! {CLOSED}

A special thanks to Christmas Star From Afar for providing a kit for me to review and one to give away!  As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Christmas is my favorite holiday; it represents family and traditions for me.  For my family, we attend a Candlelight service on Christmas Eve and then watch A Christmas Story.  I always struggle to keep the focus on the true meaning of Christmas, instead of the commercialism that surrounds it.

Photo credit StarFromAfar.com

Operation Christmas Child - Packing Shoeboxes of Hope

One of our family traditions each year is to pack a couple of boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  If you are not familiar with this ministry, it is a part of Franklin Graham's organization, Samaritan's Purse.

"Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Why My Teen is Amazing (Yoplait ® Go Big Challenge)

I was chosen to spread the word about a new Yoplait ® Go Big campaign and share how my teen is amazing.  Sometimes we get so busy that we do not always make time to tell the ones we love how much they mean to us.  I think this is especially important to do for our children, especially tweens and teens, because they tend to struggle with their identity and self worth during these years.

Save Money With Groupon Coupons

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Groupon, but all opinions are mine.

If you know me at all, you know I like to save money.  I am the person that is always like "Wait! I think I have a coupon for this!" and always hits up the clearance section first.  When I first heard about Groupon from a friend a few years ago,  I had to try it out.

Under the Sea Themed VBS Ideas

I am the Vacation Bible School Director at my church and have been for several years now.  I enjoy looking at all the different themes and coming up with our own variation, since my church does not usually purchase the standard curriculum.  This year our theme was Finding Jesus Under the Sea and I am happy to share some of our ideas to inspire your next birthday party or VBS.

Once I decided on the theme I started pinning; check out my Pinterest board to see all the fun ideas!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Kabobs

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone.#BestSummerBBQ #CollectiveBias

Memorial weekend is the official start of summer and the season of cookouts.  We love to entertain at our house, especially because we have a swimming pool.  When we entertain, I do not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I try to find recipes that can be made ahead of time or does not require much prep work.  Chicken kabobs is an easy main dish that you can customize with different flavors and fruits or veggies, according to your taste.

Tips For Hosting a Pool Party

Summer is officially here, which means it is pool party season!  We entertain frequently, whether its family, friends, or the youth group at our church.  I have put together some tips to have a fun pool party, including snacks and games!

Escape with the New Sweet Meets Spicy TAZO® Chai Latte K-Cup® Pods

This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review.

Between work, kids, sports, and other extracurricular activities, life can get stressful!  Sometimes you just need to escape from reality and be transported to another place.  The new TAZO® Chai Latte K-Cup® pods made from milk, tea leaves, and spices will take you on a culinary journey to exotic lands with the blended flavors of sweet cinnamon, cardamom, and spicy ginger.

TAZO® Chai Latte

Protecting your Skin Outdoors with Smart Stuff

We spend a lot of time outdoors in the spring and summer due to my teen playing soccer and having a swimming pool in our backyard, so it is important that we protect our skin from the sun and bugs.  I also try to use products that are not toxic to myself or my family, so I was interested in trying a new natural sunscreen and insect repellent from Smart Stuff.  Smart stuff was developed by physicians and is eco-friendly, biodegradable, and not tested on animals.  When I opened the box, I noticed the pleasant smell immediately; it smelled like the Spa!

Celebrating Mom with Homestyle Lasagna - Featuring Ragu Pasta Sauce

Usually my mom is the one that always cooks for special occasions.  She is a wonderful cook and loves doing it, but this year on Mother's Day, she was recovering from knee surgery and could not get around very well.  I decided I would cook a meal for her this time!

My Adoption Story

Since Christmas is coming up and we tend to be more focused on family this time of the year, I want to share with you the story of my family.  When I mentioned that I was adopted in my first Thankful Thursday Post, several of you expressed an interest in my story, so I thought now would be a good time to share it with you.

My Thankful Thursday - Part 3

This will be the last post in the #MyThankfulThursday series I have been participating in this month, along with my friend, Amanda, over at The iLOVE Project.  I have really been enjoying writing about the things I am thankful for this month, as it is so easy to take for granted the good things in your life.  This week is going to be a little different and fun, because I am going to talk about totally random and some frivolous things I am thankful for.

My Thankful Thursday - Part 2

I am going to continue with my Thankful Thursday series this week because I feel it helps me keep things in perspective.  Check out the other posts in the #MyThankfulThursday Series  over at The iLOVE Project.  Last week I talked about the big things in my life that I am thankful for; family, financial security, and my church.  This week, I am going to focus my gratitude on a few specific things that have affected me personally over the last week.

My Thankful Thursday

The month of November seems to be a time when we focus on being thankful, more so than the rest of the year.  This week I am joining my dear friend Amanda over at The iLOVE Project for #MyThankfulThursday Series.