Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Cruising with Kids


We just got back from a really fantastic cruise on the Disney Cruise Line. We took the Disney Magic from New York up to Canada. It was a 5 night cruise with 2 days at sea and 2 stops - St. John and Halifax.

I was nervous to cruise with my kids because they are still pretty young. My daughter is 7, so she's pretty easy to travel with. But my son is only 3. We waited until he was 3 so that he could go into the same kids club as her. We also wanted him to be potty trained... which we accomplished over the summer, thank goodness! But my nerves were quickly put at ease, as Disney truly caters to every age - and every single one of us had a great time!



My kids favorite part was definitely the kids club. The Oceaneers Club and Lab was filled with fun activities, crafts, and a giant slide. They had visits from some of their favorite characters, including Mickey, Goofy , Pluto, Stitch, and Captain America! They fed them lunch and dinner if we wanted them to. They loved every second and we loved having some down time to ourselves.



The food was phenomenal. We ate our way through the week with wonderful rotational dining, all the ice cream we could eat, free room service, and so much more. Our waitstaff team was great. They traveled with us every night to our restaurant and really got to know what we liked and didn't like. And they would bring us anything we could dream of!



The shows - oh the shows - from the stage performances to the deck parties to the fireworks. Everything was done in true Disney fashion - to the highest degree of MAGICAL. The stage shows are truly Broadway quality.

To make what could be a very long story, short - IT WAS MAGICAL. We can't wait to get back on the boat!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Raw Shea Butter: One Of The Finest Skin Care Secrets For Women From Head To Toe

Moms, I know how little time we spend on ourselves. Here is some great info from Eu'Genia Shea on a quick and easy way to use Shea Butter for healthier, younger looking skin! - Lara

Raw Shea Butter: One Of The Finest Skin Care Secrets For Women
From Head To Toe

Raw shea butter is an incredible, natural product that belongs in your beauty cupboard. It's versatile and pure and can enhance you from head to toe. It's one of the best skin care secrets ever, with studies showing that raw shea butter stimulates production of collagen. That's the "glue" that keeps our faces and bodies youthful with elasticity.

Let's look at shea butter's fascinating background. For one, there are actually shea trees, and they grow in west and central Africa. The thin-skinned fruit the tree produces is quite delicious, but it's the large oil-rich nut or kernel inside that creates the skin care magic. It naturally contains vitamins A, E and F (essential fatty acids).

Shea Butter when raw, promotes these three assets:
Higher nutrient content
Better natural healing properties
Free of chemicals from the refinement process

Raw shea butter is divine for women of all ages, especially moms, because it can perform amazing things. Here are just a few:

1. Stretch Marks and Cellulite. No one wants either of these body imperfections, but most of us have both stretch marks and cellulite. Laser treatments and the application of prescription retin-A appear to be effective. However, raw shea butter has also been shown to reduce the appearance of both stretch marks and cellulite, thanks to the product's immense hydrating properties, its success at stimulating blood circulation and softening the skin's texture.

2. Clear and Wrinkle "Less" Complexion. It's almost baffling to believe that raw shea butter with its super moisturizing features would not cause skin to break out, but it's true. Its anti-inflammatory elements keep pores clean, and the product is quickly absorbable, so it feels un-greasy. The super butter also softens fine lines and wrinkles, restoring elasticity and buoyancy to the skin.

3. Scalp and Hair Repair Treatment. We spend so much money trying to breathe new life into our damaged tresses and usually get nowhere fast. Raw shea butter can make the ultimate hair treatment and is so easy to do. Warm some shea butter in your palms and apply to hair and scalp and leave it on for 15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly and shampoo and condition like you regularly do. Hair will be soft, smooth and healthy-looking.

4. Perfect Outdoor Skin Protection. Raw shea butter is ideal for heading outdoors in any kind of weather. Super hot, cold and dry, snowy, rainy or windy, this wonderful moisturizer already comes with a natural built-in SPF (sun protection factor) of 6, which is beneficial to wear under makeup, too. Apply so lips don't chap, because this pure stuff works like a dream.

5. Super Shaving Staple. When it comes to shaving your legs, you want to eliminate the bumps and possible razor irritation that can occur. Raw shea butter is terrific as a moisturizing shaving cream, and it leaves legs smooth, hairless and with a pretty sheen. It won't clog sensitive hair follicles either and allows your shaver to glide across the skin.

There are many choices out there for buying shea butter, and one of the best brands that delivers purity and luxurious shea butter products is Eu'Genia Shea. Even the iconic New York Times is wild about the high quality 95 percent shea content base of the brand's lotions, which can be found in Everyday, Pregnancy and Dermatological Strength.

Eu'Genia Shea is also proud of its wonderful background story, because it's a family enterprise with deep roots in Ghana and the United States. The company is all about women, opportunity and power, and Eu'Genia Shea is helping build economic opportunities for women in the developing world. Eu'Genia Shea is providing training and employment for some 700 women who work for the brand's business model in local co-operatives. The women are harvesting the shea nuts and learning how to produce the incredible raw shea butter that has become the face of Eu'Genia Shea.

*This is a sponsored post.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Holiday Gift Guide 2016

I am so excited for the upcoming holiday season! If you are anything like me, you began bargain hunting for this holiday season on December 26th. I can't help it... I love a good deal!

But as my children are getting older - especially the 7 year old! Buying gifts in advance can be tricky. Now she knows what she wants and makes her own wish-list. So I have been holding out to see what she thinks will make her holiday merry and bright!

This year I will be focusing on all kinds of gifts - for kids, adults, friends, and family. I am hoping you will share some of your fabulous gift ideas with me, too!