Beautiful Baltic Amber Jewelry

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

amber necklace

I love to wear fun jewelry- I don’t wear tons of it, but when I do, I like what I DO choose to wear to be something a little different.  Something a little special and that will stand out a bit.

It’s nice to have a little something to make your outfits pop, something that makes you feel special and pretty. There is a great online shop called Spark of Amber (www.sparkofamber.com). They sell beautiful, hand-crafted Baltic Amber jewelry for all ages.

Baltic Amber jewelry is very unique, and something not found everywhere. Spark of Amber obtains all their Baltic Amber beads directly from Lithuania, where the finest Amber is found.  When I was younger, I spent some time in Lithuania, and they are indeed very proud of their amber, and it is some of the best in the world. I have some really fond memories of my time there, which makes me like this necklace even more.  But I digress.
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Cruising in Style on the Norwegian Breakaway

Daily Cruise Diary

Today was our third day on the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship, but the first “port day” (that is, day that the ship is docked for any length of time besides the day that we boarded).

IMAG0478We began out day pretty slowly. My husband and son were up first, and they hung out playing video games for about 20 minutes until I joined them in the land of the living. At that time, we all got dressed and headed upstairs to the buffet for breakfast. My husband likes to try a little bit of everything, I try a few things here and there, but also like my “staple” of some sort of fruit and yogurt. My son, oddly, eats only cereal and a hard boiled egg, possibly some bacon or sausage. Anyone who knows my son is aware that he normally eats anything and everything, and in large quantities. For some reason, right now at breakfast he prefers to take it slow. Not that it matters, there are tons of choices, and food is available all day long. (And not just in the buffet, but in the ship’s many restaurants as well. You won’t run out of options.)

Today was a “port” day, we were in Port Canaveral, Florida. As we were just in the area, and the day looked like it would rain, we decided to stay on the ship and take advantage of all the happenings (and the smaller quantity of people) on board. (I’m glad we did- it rained a lot of the day.)

There were excursion options, but none that looked like fun in the rain, so.  Where we were docked, there was also nothing walkable, so that also made our choice an easy one for us.

Norwegian BreakawayMy son loved the SpongeBob themed splash park, and we spent hours there with some of the other kids. We also went into the pools and went on all the waterslides multiple times. The splash park is great for all young kids, from the very little to about 10. The one area is clearly aimed at the very young, but the sprinkler-type area was attracting quite a few of the older kids.
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Skylanders Trap Team

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.

Skylanders are here again?  Still? Either way the new Trap Team game is a blast to play.  Not only for adults but also for kids.  This is one of those games that will bring parents and children together in the same game with the same goals and game play.  The controls are simple, jump, attack, explore, with special powers unlocked the more you play.  Trap Team takes this familiar game play of the previous Skylanders games and adds a new element, the traps.  Traps come in many different types all of which can be used to capture enemies in the game and change them into your own playable characters.  This includes for the first time Kaos himself.  This element doesn’t sound like much to the uninitiated but it is actually great fun with added sound effects and voices which come from the portla itself as your new conquests are sucked into the trap crystal.
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Tequila Recipes – What do you want to make?

Can you think of that friend, co-worker or relative that just loves all things tequila? Whether they love it straight, mixed into a margarita or part of a dessert gift Jenni Rivera La Gran Señora Tequila for the tequila lover in your life.
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DISCOVERY KIDS 2-IN-1 4X LED STARLIGHT LANTERN

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

How do you bring the fun of a camp out, when you are stuck inside?  It’s going to be a long, cold winter.  Want a big bright sky full of stars into your bed room, living room, playroom?  Or how about just bringing the fun of sleeping outside inside?  With the new 2-in-1 LED Starlight lantern.  This fun lantern combines two great ideas into one fun product.  Authentic-feel-camping, here you come.

pic5First of all, the Starlight Lantern is a Star Projector.  This means it projects stars on ceilings and walls to give you a feeling of laying under a star filled sky at night.  This is, of course, minus the bugs and sleeping on the ground.  To add to it’s usefulness, the lantern doubles as a lantern with the flip of a switch.  Now it is a 4 LED lantern that will easily illuminate your way, be it on the way to the bathroom in the woods or just to your sleeping bag in the living room.
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Jingle All The Way 2 Movie Party #JingleInsiders

This past weekend, we had a movie viewing party of the new Jingle All the Way 2, starring Larry the Cable Guy.  We were sent some fun crafts and movie goodies for the kids (OK, and some of the adults) to have a fun time while watching the movie.

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The kids had a great time coloring ornaments for the trees

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IMAG0604and we made them peppermint hot chocolate in Jingle All the Way 2 mugs.  How cute are the mustache straws?  They loved them- but I think the adults had fun laughing at the kids almost as much.  (Oh, sorry, with the kids?  That’s what I’m supposed to say, yes? Haha.)

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pic5The kids also had fun with the activity pages.  They were able to follow a maze, make a list for Santa, and color holiday pictures in their own frames.  They also did quite a few “Mad Libs” style joke sheets- I think those were everyone’s favorites.
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Amazing Chocolate Cocktails

Got a chocolate lover in your life?  Maybe you are looking for an amazing “signature drink” for an upcoming party.  You will love  the flavored vodkas by Van Gogh – they do all the work for you, just mix and serve!  So delicious, and there is nothing overly “girly” about them, so the guys will enjoy it as well.
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Traveling with Tots Too

Holidaying with kids can be stressful; particularly when they’re young and you need to pack everything but the kitchen sink to create a home away from home.

The important thing when choosing a family holiday is to make sure you look for hotels and destinations which offer plenty of activities to keep the little-ones safe and entertained. After all the happier your kids are, the more time you will have to relax and really enjoy yourself.
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