It's Blogworthy

Soft for Mom and Strong for the Boys

2013-06-12T13:38:24Z

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey, boy moms. You know how obsessed boys are with toilet humor?

I’m sure by the time my son is 18 I will have participated in every poop joke known to man. I have already participated in about 45% of poop jokes known to man with Kelsey. Luke really and truly loves fart sounds with his mouth, fart sounds with his butt, pulling fingers, listening to Daddy fart…I mean it goes on and on. He also enjoys watching himself pee in the bath, but no mind. We haven’t worked on the potty training quite yet.

I think about many products in my life. I think about nail polish and blush and mascara and face wash and night cream and body lotion. However, one thing I don’t think much about is toilet paper. Meh. Whatever. What’s at Sams Club? Yeah. That. Interesting, right? That my family members are so obsessed with toilets, yet we don’t care about our toilet paper?

I was given the opportunity to try the new White Cloud Luxuriously Soft Bath Tissue. I knew I’d like it because, well, I’m a girl and I like things that are soft and smell good. White Cloud Luxuriously Soft is made using an innovative manufacturing technology called “TAD” or Through Air Dried, which means a special machine blows air through single-ply tissue to create a two-ply product that is thick, strong, absorbant and most importantly (for me) soft. It’s a lot like the premium toilet paper, without the premium price.

If ou don’t believe me, ask my toddler:

White Cloud Luxuriously Soft Bath Tissue is available exclusively at Walmart. You can try it for $1.00 off coupon when you Like White Cloud on Facebook and download the coupon starting June 10! You can also Follow White Cloud on Twitter and Find White Cloud products near you.

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Family Florida Adventures

2013-06-10T16:47:32Z

This post brought to you by VISIT FLORIDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Moving to Florida was one of the most lifechanging of my first 28 years on this earth. I left the place I’d lived my entire life, my friends, my family and everything that was comfortable to me to move to what I thought was a dream location. I mean, talk about a whirlwind; I had two days of interviews AND had to search for an apartment “just in case” because I wasn’t about to rent something sight-unseen. I’m not crazy. No chance for Florida adventures on that trip.

I’m a Florida addict — always have been, always will be. I will never forget the road trips of my youth and waiting eagerly to see that Welcome to Florida sign and the first palm trees. The Florida Welcome center (and its free orange juice) is still my happy place. So when I say I thought it was a dream location, I mean that it still is. Pinch me. Do I really live in Florida?

But as you’d imagine, life still gets in the way of carefree Florida fun. We haven’t been to Key West or Miami or Pensacola. We haven’t checked out the beautiful springs or taken a trip to Legoland or Sea World. We haven’t taken a nature hike through swampy state parks. However, we do love to take regular trips (Florida Adventures if you will) around the state for a few hours or a few days. Here are some of our favorites.

Austin Florida Adventures

St. Augustine — We love walking down the St. George Street pedestrian mall and checking out all the “junk” shops, stopping for dinner at the Florida Cracker Cafe, enjoying a free tour of the San Sebastian Winery or just walking along the historic streets. The St. Augustine Beach area is one of our favorites. It’s clean, not too crowded and has great public access. It’s the best of both worlds!
Orlando (Disney) — As season passholders, Walt Disney World is a regular stop for us. Although we live 2 hours away, we still go quite regularly. It’s a cheap trip (besides gas money.) We take food and snacks or stop at a McDonalds before the exit so the trip isn’t so expensive. Even if you dont’ want to spend the whole day at Disney, there are tons of things to do and places to eat on International Drive. We always love to splurge at Bahama Breeze when we’re in Orlando (classy huh?) Also? Hotels are a steal in Orlando, although they are sometimes sketch.
Tampa Lowry Park Zoo — I suppose we’re sort of addicted to season passes for things. We are proud owners of a pass to the Tampa Lowry Park Zoo, but really, you guys: it was $25 per person or $90 for a family annual pass. Duh. Luke LOVES the animals and has spells when he can NOT shut up about the zoo. He’s like an animated gif…”zoo? zoo? zoo? zoo?” The Tampa Lowry Park Zoo is perfect for famlies (voted #1 for families by Parents Magazizne.) It has a great kids area with sprinklers and splash pads and a petting zoo. The zoo includes monkeys, manatees, a bald eagle, gorillas, some small cats, penguins and lots more. It’s the perfect day trip, and you can top it off with all-you-can-eat sushi at the Crazy Buffett (yes it’s a real thing, yes it’s delicious, no I can’t make this up.)
Siesta Key — There is Sarasota, then there is Siesta Key. I’ve been there only a couple of times and I’m always mesmerized with the beauty of the white sand and clear waters. You know how sand gets hot and you burn your feet in it? Not at Siesta Key. The sand is allegedly 99% pure quartz so it stays cool. When we went to that Florida adventure for the day, we set up shop in Siesta Beach, which is a more family friendly beach (read: busier) but someday I’d love to stay in a hotel on Crescent Beach, which is quieter. Siesta Key also has the cutest, sweetest little town with shops and restaurants. I can’t wait to take this Florida adventure again soon.

So are you jealous of my Florida lifestyle yet? You’re always welcome to visit me (call first, the house is a mess and I need to get the fire pit ready for you) but instead, why not enter to win a Florida adventure of your own? Yeah, people have been having Florida adventures for 500 years, people, it’s time for you to get in on this! Enter to win Florida’s 500 Years of Adventure Sweepstakes going on for the whole year! Each week, VISIT FLORIDA will be giving out a different great Florida adventure to a lucky winner.

My personal favorites? Three nights in historic Key West, including a sunset cruise and a day on the Old Town Trolley. Key West is on Florida adventure on our bucket list.

Or enter to win the ultimate “Man-Cation” for your hubby so he can have a bromance moment at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.

Entry is super easy — just a click of a button!

Each week there will be another great prize! Follow @VISITFLORIDA on Twitter to keep up with the latest Florida adventures.

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Celebrity Roundup: Your Crazy is Showing

2013-05-31T15:41:39Z

What is wrong with Amanda Bynes? The other day, I posted the following on my Facebook page:

So, yes, Celebrity Roundup fans, today I’m going to focus mainly on the comedy and tragedy of Amanda Bynes.

I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. But she needs to be discussed, because maybe, just maybe, the reason she’s continuing to carry on this way is because It’s Blogworthy’s Celebrity Roundup has largely ignored her goings on for the past two weeks and she’s acting out for attention…from me. Also, I can’t pretend anymore that celebrities are doing anything even mildly entertaining. I mean, TMZ and US Magazine care only about She Who Shall Not Be Named giving birth to Kanye West’s child soon and I AM SO OVER IT. Really, how many pictures of celebrities in bikinis can a person look at before her crazy starts showing?

The most recent showing of crazy for Miss Amanda Bynes, former Nickelodeon starlet and retired, then not retired, then retired actress, started when she was arrested last Thursday night for reckless endangerment, marijuana possession and felony tampering with evidence. Can I mention she’s we

aring a terrible blonde wig? Because she totally was. That’s the real crime here. The cops arrestedThe judge let her go because (she claims) they found no bong or evidence of pot at the scene.

Later, (what is wrong with!) Amanda Bynes said the cop “slapped her vagina” — I’ll pause now and allow you to put your hand over your mouth in shock, clutch your pearls and/or shake your head in disgust and sympathy — and said she would sue the cops for sexual harassment. And the NYPD denied that claim because that’s ridiculous.

Amanda Bynes has made it abundantly clear that somebody needs to take her phone away from her before she makes things worse (as if that could happen, but I’m not putting it past her.) In the past week, she’s tweeted at Rihanna, telling her that Chris Brown abused Rihanna because she’s ugly (WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMANDA BYNES) Rihanna responded with a tongue in cheek “Ya see what happens when they cancel Intervention ” (I didn’t know it was cancelled…) and then Amanda responded “I”m rubber and you’re glue” fashion, “Unlike ur fugly faced self I dont’ do drugs! U need the intervention dog!” (WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMANDA BYNES)

Amanda later told Twitter the tweets in question were “mocked up” from fans (HUH?) and it wasn’t her saying those incredibly terrible things about Rihanna, then claimed she’s allergic to marijuana and alcohol, and that she’s an educated (debatable..) multimillionaire who knows better than to speak to perverted unjust cops without [her] lawyer. Right. (What is wrong with Amanda Bynes!?)

Then she:

Called everyone ugly
Called Lance Bass an ugly ex-boy bander.
Told Lance Bass HE is what’s making her crazy.
Threatened to sue e’rybody.
Went to Buffalo NY but denied it.
Jumped on a trampoline in Buffalo NY and denied it.
Made everyone wonder, “What is wrong with Amanda Bynes?” (I can’t say it enough…)

Scraping the very bottom of that celebrity gossip barrel for one and done!

Phillip Seymour Hoffman spent 10 days in rehab to detox and get back on the wagon after snorting heroin. He was in the rehab express lane.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke up, but also maybe didn’t breakup. WE NEED TO KNOW! I can’t live with the stress of not knowing!
The brief truce between Dina and Michael Lohan ended in an explosive L.A. fight.
Mariah Carey and Niki Minaj official leave American Idol after one season. Reality TV is running out of divas to judge.
Justin Bieber was booed at the Billboard Music Awards because he’s Justin Bieber and finally people are getting smart.

Happy Weekend!

Love

Amanda

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Summer Summer Summertime

2013-05-27T01:32:47Z

The smell of chlorine and sun block. Flip flops and tank tops. Late evenings on the patio. Tea brewed in big glass jars in the sun. Yep, summer…she is here.

I am a big fan of summer. It’s my happy place; my worry-free zone. And while I know that in just a few months i’ll be complaining again about how hot it is, like I do every single year, I’m going to spend the first part of June in my honeymoon phase of summer, when walking outside, putting on my sunnies and walking out the door puts a smile on my face.

This weekend, we spent the better part of a full day getting our pool ready for floating. It was not fun, but how can I complain? I’m in my bathing suit doing yardwork. I mean, any activity that requires a bathing suit is ok with me. I love Florida because of my pool.

Before and after. Grossed out? I was.

Summer makes me think of pools and bathing suits, but also food. Of course it does, Amanda..you think about to things nonstop: nail polish and food. Another amazing part of Florida? PUBLIX. Oh yeah….fried chicken from the deli? Cheese balls with crackers? Pasta salad? Corn on the cob? Steaks on the grill? HOT DOGS? Publix is my jam for all this and more. It’s time to stock up on all your munchines with the Running Out? Run In event! Until May 31, when you buy $30 in participating General Mills products, you will receive a $10 Publix gift card for your next shopping trip.

We stocked up on Hamburger Helper, Suddenly Salad, Bounty Paper Towels (for wiping barbecue sauce off your mouth during our next cookout) Yoplait light yogurt with granola and other General Mills goodies for our summer fundays. Need a headstart for your summer stockup? I have a $25 Publix gift card for one lucky reader! (keep reading peeps!)

Sitting here under our pergola feeling the soft evening breeze and the heat of the fire pit (also writing a blog because technology rules) I feel so blessed to live in Florida, living another summer…which, in case you’re wondering, gets even better when a toddler is involved. Life is good.

Ready to win? This quickie giveaway is open until 5/29, so enter today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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FREE Chilis Flatbread

2013-06-14T17:29:10Z

If it’s free, it’s for me! Free Chilis Flatbread until June 24. This is a great coupon worth $9 and there is no purchase neccesary for the Free Chilis Flatbread giveaway! Click on the banner above and print the coupon.

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Summer Manicure Colors

2013-05-13T14:18:08Z

It happens every year. May rolls around, I get the first whiff of warm summer air, and I just can’t stomach the thought of putting on another cardigan, no matter how cold it is in my office. Summer is my very favorite time of year. Summer is my happy place. Nothing fills me with more peace than sitting out back on my patio under my pergola, watching my lil guy play in his sandbox, and watching the sun set. Sunset in summer is the most amazing part of the year.

You know what else comes with summer? Sun-kissed skin (even if it’s from a bottle) skirts, (more) flip flops (I do live in Florida, after all; there aren’t too many months that don’t include flip flop weather) magazines by the pool and summer nail polishes. When I’m planning my weekly manicures, it’s sort of like planning my outfits; dark greens, red and blues are like cardigans and I just can’t bring myself to wear them, either.

I have three really beautiful colors to show you today to get summery on your digits. The first two are courtesy of Nikki, a very sweet Instagram shop owner I’ve been getting to know and ogling her store! She is always running specials on her Essie stash, so if you’re a fan of nail polish, FOLLOW HER!

Nikki is going to be my very special guest this summer for a series on thrifty style, but she’s also a nail polish (ESSIE!) addict and sent me two gorgeous colors to try out: Essie Jamaica Me Crazy and Essie Turquoise and Caicos.

First up, Essie Jamaica Me Crazy. WOW, I loved this one.

Essie Jamaica Me Crazy is a bright fuchsia color with a slight shimmer and gorgeous shine. I knew from the first stroke I was going to be in love with this color. I told Nikki I loved glitter and shimmer polishes, and somehow she knew this one was for me. I love the way Essie Jamaica Me Crazy applied, too: it was almost a one-coat manicure, but I added two for good measure and topped it with Seche Vite.

Next on the list is my current obsession, turquoise, presenting in Essie Turquoise and Caicos from last year’s Resort Collection.

This? Is like a trip to the beach in a bottle. Maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s the color (a light, fresh creme turquoise) but I can almost feel the ocean waves. Essie Turquoise and Caicos has a pretty good application, but the formula was a little light to me and needed two coats…probably could have used three, because there were a few streaky patches. However, Essie Turquoise and Caicos lasted a week with just a few chips! This is two coats topped with Seche Vite.

Last but not least, we have Julep Kaylen.

Girls, does this not SCREAM summer to you? Julep Kaylen was in my March Maven box and I haven’t tried it yet because honestly the mood hasn’t struck me. I’m not really an orange person unless it calls to me, and last night, Julep Kaylen called me! The color is a bright, almost neon, orange creme. It dries almost matte. Now, this one was kind of a pain in the butt to apply. What you see above is four layers, not including the base and top coats. I used e.l.f. White (just white; I guess I bought it before they were “good” at nail polish because it’s OLD) as a base to make the orange pop more. Of course, white is notoriously streaky, so I had to apply coat after coat after coat of Julep Kaylen before I was happy with the result. It was overcast this morning, so I didn’t get to see it in full sun, but I know it’s going to be fab! I think this would also look amazing with a little glitter on top.

What are your go-to summer nail colors?

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Celebrity Roundup: Reese Witherspoon Arrest Quotes

2013-05-03T18:07:47Z

I’ve been toying with the idea of having the celebrity roundup become a biweekly feature as celebrities have stopped being interesting and doing dumb stuff and on account of how many Justin Bieber posts can a girl write without starting to feel like a Belieber?

Today would technically be my “off” week, but I could NOT possibly let a Friday go by without leaving y’all with the most entertaining story of the week: the fallout of Reese Witherspoon’s arrest for obstruction of justice (and oh yeah, her husband’s for a DUI.)

Earlier this week, Reese Witherspoon issued a mea culpa on Good Morning America, admitting she had a few too many to drink, was panicked when her husband was arrested, and said “all kinds of crazy things.” (Understatement of the century.)

TMZ published the dash cam footage of the arrest, providing us with fodder for the Roundup ANd some amazing quotes…like…Ah-MAZE-ing quotes. I knew the Reese Witherspoon arrest quotes were good, but didn’t know the Reese Witherspoon arrest quotes were going to be THAT good.

Turns out, last week’s police report did not do it justice. The first shows Reese stumbling out of the car to accost the officer, the second is mostly audio of a personal conversation between Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth (who fully admits to what he’s done and blames her for making the situation worse than it could have been.)

I took the liberty of creating a few images of the Reese Witherspoon arrest quotes…for inspirational purposes. Southern girls, keep being feisty. One love.

Have a happy weekend!

Love

Amanda

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Hi Low Dress Refashion

2013-05-01T13:58:38Z

Several months ago, I bought a huge box of somebody’s old clothing for refashioning purposes. Although there were lots of great clothing (WAY bigger size than what I normally wear), this great experiment went nowhere because the holidays came and I got busy and started one refashion that took me months and months to finish.

One particular dress in this bunch has haunted me with its adorable black and white floral pattern. It started as a size 16 long sleeveless dress with buttons up one side (what??) The material is light, flow-y rayon, and I knew it would be perfect for summer..but how?

I thought of many things I could do with this dress. I thought about a maxiskirt and also a maxidress.I thought about turning it into a short dress, a fitted dress, a loose dress. I never once considered turning it into pants because I ain’t stupid. Then it came to me: hi low dress refashion

I used to hate hi low dresses. How stupid. Like, the mullet version of a dress? Party in the front, business in the back? Basically, we’re talking an uneven hem, with the front shorter than the back (for those of you who havent’ been following my Pinterest boards and why not? How dare you…)

Then they started to grow on me, so I got to work transforming this long, oversized, slightly frumpy dress into a hi low dress refashion.

Hi Low Dress Refashion

I first drew a new neckline with chalk. I know it looks atrocious because I had to do a couple lines to get it right AND the cat was all in my business.

Next, I drew the front of the hi low dress. I didn’t have a pattern; I used pictures of hi low dresses I liked and tried to mimic the hemline. To get the right length for my hi low dress refashion, I measured on my body from the neckline to where I wanted it to fall, then measured on the dress the same length, adding about 2 inches for mess ups and my hem.

Please ignore how terrible the chalk line looks on this..hey, chalk brushes off, people!

I turned the dress inside out so I could get the back of the dress even with the front. This part was tricky because it’s sort of an oval (the has to gradually flow into the longer back.) I used the same chalk to draw the back hemline of the skirt. Again, I did not use a pattern; this was all eyeballed.

The next step was the sides of the dress. I measured 2 inches from each side starting with the side seam (not measuring from the true side of the dress.) I got this measurement from trying the dress on and pinning the sides to see how much I needed to cut off the sides.

The next step of my hi low dress tutorial was sewing. I hemmed the arm holes, the neckline, and the hemline. I tried on the dress and it was a little baggy in the front. The dress already had darts in the front, so I sewed another half inch on each so pull the dress in a little. I added two lines of loose threads 1/4 inch apart from each other about a half inch from the top hem of the neckline. I pulled the loose threads to create a little detail/ruffle to the top of my hi low dress and make the straps fit a little better.

And full disclosure here: I ended up not hemming the bottom of this. Although it is rayon and will fray, the hem I tried to do just didn’t look right. I need to work on my hemming skills, clearly. I used Fray Check to keep ….frays in check.

Here’s the final hi low dress refashion:

Some refashions keep some semblance of the old garment, but I think this hi low dress refashion looks like a completely different dress. I cut off a lot of material, but it fits great! I can pair it with a denim jacket (oh yes I did!) or wear it without for a summer evening out to dinner with Kel. This just goes to show that refashioning is about seeing the potential in the material, so a tip for all you refashionistas out there? Don’t overlook a big, bulky dress when you’re thrifting. It might hold something amazing.

Your thoughts on the hi Low dress?

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Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream Review

2013-04-29T14:41:08Z

We all have those “aha!” moments when it comes to beauty and style, like the first time you figured out how to perfect your eyeliner, or manage your unruly curls or how to mix prints without looking like a goober. I had an aha! moment a month or so ago with my nighttime skin routine: moisturizer is for everyone and makes your skin look better.

I’m a girl who has lived with oily skin her entire life. I have tried everything to make my skin less oily, and in the process, dried it out. Where is the happy medium? Apparently, it can be achieved with a good moisturizer. I was all, “wait just a second….if my skin has moisture, it won’t go overboard on the oil production and cause breakouts [because really now, I'm almost 33, isn't it time for the pimples to stop?]”

I was thrilled to receive Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream in my Influenster VoxBox to try it out.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream Review

All in all, I am very impressed with this night cream. It’s made with natural ingredients, Total Soy Complex and vitamin B3 and oil-free, so it won’t clog pores or leave your skin feeling greasy or oily.

Price

The price in drugstores and retail stores for Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is between $14.99 and $16.99 for a 1.7 oz jar.

Pros

The Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream texture is great. I don’t need too much extra moisture because of my naturally oily skin, and so many night creams I’ve tried in the past are way too thick and take too long to penetrate my skin. Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream has a very light texture and soaks into my skin almost immediately. When I wake up, my face is soft and smooth, not oily and “wet” feeling; that’s how I know it’s working.
A little goes a long way, and when I say that, I mean DON’T PUT TOO MUCH ON. I made that mistake the first time I used Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream and I could see it on my skin. Take the time to massage it into your skin in circular motions. The 1.7 oz jar will last a very long time, even with nightly use.
I saw results in the tone and color of my complexion after only a few days using Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream. I have very uneven color, and this cream helps even if out so my makeup has to work less hard…or so I don’t have to wear makeup at all on lazy days. Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is supposed to decrease the appearance of brown spots, but I don’t have those yet, so I cant’ speak on that.
The price of Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream isn’t bad compared to other night cream products on the market and especially compared to high-end creams.

Cons

The fragrance of Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is not the best, frankly. It isn’t intolerable, but it’s not something I’d like to slather on my body every day of my life and let people smell me (gross, Amanda…) The fragrance is very natural and organic, which makes sense because it’s free of fragrances and perfect for sensitive skin, but I do like a slightly stronger scent for my products.
Frankly, the cheap part of me cringes at the thought of paying $17 for a night cream, but as I mentioned, a little goes a long way.
The Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream doesn’t have a wrinkle-reducing component; however, Aveeno offers other products in this line that do.

All in all, I’m loving the Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream to give me smoother, more even skin and keeping my oily skin in check. Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is available at drugstores and national discount stores, or online (Amazon, $16.99) Learn more about the product on the Avenno website.

What is your favorite night cream?

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

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York Photo – Free Father’s Day Mug

2013-05-28T15:47:50Z

FREE 11 oz Father’s Day mug! Just pay $5 shipping. Use code: MYMUG at checkout.

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