Urban Adventure Quest

Published on: January 27, 2018 by catballou24 Comment

Turn your city into a giant game board with this fun scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a three-hour city tour. Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. Play anytime during daylight hours. Start when you want and play at your pace.

Great Family Fun. Save 20%- Only $39.20 for a team of 2-5 people after Promotion Code: FGBLOG. Sign up online at www.UrbanAdventureQuest.com.

Austin Zoo Day

Published on: December 4, 2017August 22, 2018 by catballou24 Comment

Last week we had the privilege of visiting the Austin Zoo. This is a beautiful facility focused on animal rescue and rehabilitation. The animals are obviously well cared for and loved. There several scheduled zoo keeper talks throughout the day and very well maintained feeding area as well.

This is zoo is geared more towards the toddler and younger child age group and the facility is set up so kids have plenty of space to run around and easy, and safe, access to all the animals. This is one of Emmet’s and my favorite outings. We usually pack a lunch and stay several hours. It’s a lovely and peaceful environment.

The Zoo is starting up a couple exciting new programs that will actually benefit up to age 13!

Introducing: Homeschool Nature Series & Winter Workshop

Two new education programs are coming to Austin Zoo!

The Homeschool Nature Series will have kids learning about biology and participating in exciting labs! Programs are designed for kids aged 7-13 years old.

The Winter Workshop is fun for the entire family! Join us this holiday season to make animal treats and human sweets!. Come visit us!
For More Information visit the Austin Zoo website!

We highly recommend the zoo for a fun afternoon!

Texas Renaissance Festival!

Published on: November 27, 2017August 22, 2018 by catballou24 Comment

This past week, the kids and I had the privilege of attending the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, TX. Spending all of Saturday there we were thrilled with the sites and entertainment surrounding us. The food was amazing, and very well priced for a festival! Average cost of a full meal for one was under $10 which I consider to be reasonable when out at an event such as this! The costumes were gorgeous, the people extremely friendly and the day was perfect. We were able to rent a stroller for Emmet as well. As he is only 3 we realized he might not make it walking all day, so this was perfect.

The festival was founded in 1974 by George Coulam and his brother David Coulam on an abandoned strip mining site in what is now Todd Mission, Texas. At the time, it spanned fifteen acres, with three stages featuring small improv theatre groups, and merchants selling their goods on blankets. The opening year saw a turn-out of 33,000. As of 2017, the Festival features about 500 costumed performers on 25 stages. Its on-site shops include: international food choices; unique artisans; merchants and craft vendors; human-powered rides; an abundance of performers walking among the guests; and the Queen’s Royal Finale (fireworks if weather permits) at dusk. We missed the fireworks unfortunately, but after all the fun we were okay with that! The fair hosts over half a million visitors annually.

There is onsite camping as well with the grounds having expanded to 55 acres of Festival and over 200 in parking and camping!

During the season the Festival boasts themed weekends. This past weekend was the Celtic Christmas theme and there were plenty of Santas and Father Christmas characters attending! We were amazed at the quality of the costumes. Lola has decided we are putting our sewing skills to use for next year. Watch out TRF!

Each of the nine weekends of the festival take on a different theme, influencing the performances, costumes, food, drink, art, shops, contests, and games throughout the festival grounds.

Oktoberfest – German theme, including polka music and dancing, and the serving of traditional German beer.
1001 Dreams – Fantasy theme, encouraging lavish costumes of wizards, fairies, and elves and including several fantastical contests, such as scavenger hunts and costume contests.
All Hallows Eve – Medieval Halloween theme, including spooky decorations and contests, such as jack-o-lantern carving contests, to celebrate the holiday.
Pirate Adventure – Pirate theme, encouraging pirate costumes and including several sea-related games and contests.
Roman Bacchanal – Roman theme, encouraging Roman costumes and hosting several Roman-themed contests and games such as toga contests and spaghetti eating contests.
Barbarian Invasion – Medieval Barbarian theme, encouraging costumes of medieval barbarians and including “barbaric” contests such as the “Barbarian Battle Cry” contest and eating contests.
Heroes and Villains – Iconic figures of the past come to life.
Highland Fling – Scottish theme, encouraging traditional Scottish costumes and including bagpipe-playing and traditional Scottish food and drink.
Celtic Christmas – Christmas theme, including Christmas decorations and music, and featuring Christmas-themed contests such as “Candy Cane Hunt” and “Guess the Present” contests.

If you are looking for a fun and unique experience for your family, I highly suggest attending Ren Fest next year! We will definitely be there!

For The Love Of Smoothie Bowls

Published on: October 13, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

My family loves smoothies. We drink them almost everyday! It’s an excellent way to add a nutritious treat as well as a great way to start the day!

I have been noticing this trend with smoothie bowls, so decided what better time to try one than when pairing Stonyfield Yogurt and Bob’s Red Mill Steel Oats? Oh my goodness was this good! I already know we love our Stonyfield, but to pair it in this way just upped the breakfast game. We added Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats on top for a really yummy oatmeal flavor and texture! And it looks so pretty! I highly recommend trying this, you will be so happy!

Here is the recipe for our Morning Smoothie Bowl (This will make two 16oz bowls):

1 1/2 cup frozen fruit – You can use whatever fruit you want really. We used a mix of strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

1 whole banana

1 cup Stonyfield Yogurt – we used the French Vanilla Whole Milk organic yogurt

1 cup Almond Milk, or milk of your choice

4 scoops protein powder of your choice

3 drops Young Living Orange Vitality Essential Oil

Put all ingredients in blender. For a smoothie bowl you want it rather thick, so if too thin add a little more frozen fruit or ice cubes will work too! Once blended, pour into your bowl. You can add just about anything on top. We added sliced bananas, strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, raspberries, black chia seeds, golden flax seed, Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats and organic whipped cream. The whole preparation took about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Your family will feel special when you set these down in front of them at breakfast, or even for an afternoon snack or dessert!! And you can always feel good serving Stonyfield to your family. We will be trying different variations for sure! Enjoy!

**The opinions and thoughts contained in this post are 100% mine. I only ever work with companies I support and think you, my readers, will like. Please read my full review and endorsement policy here.

Pack It With Stonyfield and Justin’s For Back-to-School Lunches!

Published on: August 30, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

Lunch time is easy when you have Stonyfield squeezers and Justin’s to go butters. I know my kids are getting a great balance in nutrition, and they love the taste! The Maple Almond Butter is hands down their favorite! Easy to open pouches, I can throw these in with some crackers and they are thrilled. Plus the Justin’s company is full of integrity! Their values on sustainability, nutritionally sound, all natural products and giving back to the community fall right in line with our family values. They have a variety of butters and snack items and can be found in your local grocery store. I highly encourage you to try them and see how easy they are for kids on the go and how yummy they all taste!

Adding Stonyfield Yogurt Squeezers to the bag makes their lunch even more special. My youngest daughter loves the Lemonade flavor best. We also freeze these for tasty after school treats!! And Stonyfield is full of nothing but goodness for their bodies. I know they are getting everything they need without all the junk they don’t!

Our newest addition to the back-to-school lunch routine is also our newest favorite! The PackIt Lunch Cooler is so convenient and fun! PackIt is the only bag that keeps food and drinks cool for up to 10 hours—no ice packs needed. Its secret sauce? A patented freezable gel that’s built into the walls of the bag. It’s so simple to use, just throw store it in freezer and when it’s time to pack it, just open it and it’s ready to go! Plus the patterns are fun and it comes in a huge variety of styles and colors! We are definitely going to be picking up a couple more of these! We got the Freezable Lunch Bag and it’s so simple to use. Folds up neatly to the size of a thick paperback book. It secures with a handy Velcro tab for compact storage. The entire bag goes in your freezer overnight (12 hours) to activate its built-in freezable gel. By morning, the walls of the bag will be completely frozen and ready to chill just like a fridge. Everything stays cool and fresh all day!

With our busy lives, it’s important to make the mornings go as smoothly as possible and these products certainly help! Check out the PackIt systems here, and grab your Stonyfield and Justin’s products at your local grocery. Your kids will thank you and your morning will run a bit smoother!!

AdormaPix Special Offer!

Published on: August 16, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

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15% off photo books. Use code: PhotoBook15. Sale ends 11/05/2016 11:59 PM EST

Stonyfield YoBaby Happiness Plus GIVEAWAY!

Published on: August 10, 2016August 11, 2016 by catballou24 8 Comments

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Did you hear the news?! *Stonyfield YoBaby is the #1 pediatrician recommended brand for 6 month to 2 year olds among refrigerated yogurts (IMS Health ProVoice Survey, 12/01/15 -02/29/16)!

Say what?! That’s right! The number 1 yogurt for your beautiful babes. I have been using Stonyfield brand for years with my kids and now with my grandson. He will be 2 in November and absolutely loves his yogurt snack time! I wish I had a story to tell of how he wouldn’t eat a thing until Stonyfield, etc…but honestly, he is a good eater and has loved his yogurt since he started on solids! I even use it in smoothies for him. Plus, all Stonyﬁeld yogurts are organic so I can feel good knowing they’re made without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, artiﬁcial hormones or GMOs. YoBaby has been available for over 16 years and continues to get better and better. That’s a generation of young people who got their start on Stonyfield YoBaby! Several flavors are available including, Plain, Vanilla, Blueberry/Apple, Banana/Mango and Peach/Pear. Emmet loves the Banana and Mango flavors!

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The first time I tried YoBaby was with my youngest daughter. I was so excited to find a yogurt that was formulated for her little system. We were exclusively nursing when it became obvious she wanted to “eat” with us. I wasn’t worried about fruits and veggies, but her older sister loved yogurt and Xiola seemed to want that as well. I knew I didn’t want her having cow milk, so I did alot of research on giving her yogurt, mainly because I loved it and knew there are benefits to eating a good organic yogurt. Thanks to the live, active cultures that break down the lactose and protein, it’s much easier for babies to digest. YoBaby yogurt is naturally rich in calcium and fortified with vitamin D, two must-have nutrients for babies. And there’s no worry that yogurt would replace breast milk or formula in the diet. For these reasons, pediatricians give yogurt the green light for babies beginning at six months. That was good information! Since we were practicing child led weaning, it was a huge plus that it wouldn’t replace her main source of nutrition at that time. Both girls were nursed until they decided they were finished. We didn’t introduce solids into their diet until they seemed to want it. Our first daughter was a year old and Xiola was about 7 months. We let the girls feed themselves to the best of their ability. So yogurt time was also a time to explore the gooiness and sensations of the food itself. Yogurt art on the high chair tray is common in our home today as well. Ha! With Xiola, her yogurt journey began at around 8 months of age and she is now almost 11. And her love for it has only grown. Now we make smoothies, popsicles…we use it in baking and on granola. Pretty much any where we can add yogurt we do! And it’s always Stonyfield.

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Right now, Stonyfield wants to help you get started with YoBaby by giving away a 3 months supply (coupns for Free yogurt will be sent)! All you need to do is comment on this post about what your favorite yogurt flavor is and I will pick a winner through random drawing! 3 months of YoBaby Happiness! They might even throw in some extra goodies, you never know! So leave your comment and you may win a 3 months supply of the number 1 recommended yogurt for your youngster. Deadline to enter is August 18th! Good luck!

You can find Stonyfield products at most grocery stores. The yogurt is also perfect to use in recipes subbing out higher fat ingredients…we use it everyday! Hope you and your little ones enjoy!

*The claim was validated by AlphaImpactRx, a provider of primary research-based insights, analytics and solutions. Using the ProVoice survey methodology, AlphalmpacRx fielded to 736 U.S. pediatricians from 12/01/15 to 02/29/16, recording recommendations and validating the claim. For details about AlphaImpactRx please go to http://www.alphaimpactrx.com . For details about ProVoice, please go to http://www.alphaimpactrx.com/products-andservices/provoice/ .

To Stonyfield’s knowledge, Stonyfield YoBaby yogurt is the only one currently making the claim in the U.S. that it is the #1 Pediatrician Recommended refrigerated yogurt for babies between 6 months to 2 years. It is anticipated that the new YoBaby yogurt packaging bearing the claim will be on the shelves in or about September 2016, but consumers may see a mix of packaging on the shelf for a brief period of time. Stonyfield has not had a similar survey or claim validation conducted for YoKids or YoTot products. Stonyfield is not making the above claim with regard to YoKids or YoTot.

Estes Rockets Review

Published on: August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

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At the beginning of summer, we were given the opportunity to try out some really fun air rockets from Estes Rockets. The company sent us three of their most popular, The Sonic Boom, the Mini Blaster and the Whirlwind. The kids were thrilled, and so were a few adults when we told them what had arrived, so on Mother’s Day we all congregated in a field to check these rockets out.

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One of our friends actually had Estes Rockets with the engines, so he added those to the mix and for the next 2 hours we all were kids again! What fun these rockets are! The air rockets were simple enough that even the littlest of kids could participate, but went so high into the air that the adults were just as amazed! I think our favorite was the Whirlwind Rocket!

The engine rockets were thrilling! I had no idea how much fun and how high these little rockets can fly! Simple to use, and the rockets themselves are reusable, so all you need to replace are the engines and fuses.

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Thank you Estes Rockets for a serious good time and allowing us adults to feel like kids once again! I highly recommend everyone trying these! Who doesn’t like being a bunch of kids in a field sometimes?!

The opinions and thoughts contained in this post are 100% mine. I only ever work with companies I support and think you, my readers, will like. Please read my full review and endorsement policy here. All photos by myself, video courtesy of Jeff Hunt.

Minecraft Summer Splash

Published on: August 8, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

A few weeks ago, Lola had the opportunity to participate in another Minecraft event hosted by Super League Gaming at the local Cinemark Theater in Bee Cave, TX. Her and her friend spent every morning for 1 week at the theater working on their builds and gaming with other kids from all over the country. They had a great time! They were treated really well, had a lot of fun and made some new friends. We highly recommend these tournaments when they come around. This is the second one she has done and she is really looking forward to doing more in the future.

This time around it wasn’t just about the game, but they worked on tons of builds with an ocean theme. The creativity of these kids and how they learn each others strengths and work together to complete these complicated structures is inspiriting. Imagine if adults could always work together like that?!

So as summer comes to a close and school is just around the corner, we are grateful to Super League Gaming for giving Lola the opportunity to experience this event and look forward to more!

Tres Lunas Resort Part 2

Published on: August 5, 2016 by catballou24 Comment

(This is the second part of an article on our experience at the Tres Lunas Resort. For Part 1 please click here.)

Morning time. After an amazing meal and dining experience the evening before, we awoke to a beautiful morning full of promise. I was already trying to push away the feeling of sadness at having to leave this day, I promised myself I would savor every last moment. Oh what a morning awaited us and I had no idea that the experience there would flourish even more.

We were warned that breakfast would be hearty. That the morning meal is indeed a true feast. We were not disappointed!

When we walked into the main room, the smell of fresh coffee greeted us and the the table was set and ready for us to be seated. Craig came out with fresh squeezed orange juice and asked us if we could spare some time after eating so we could all chat. I was looking forward to that! Within moments he sat before us a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade granola which was followed by eggs cooked to our taste, homemade hashbrowns, bacon and a small skillet of biscuits. The condiments were just as beautiful as the meal! We ate until we couldn’t take another bite and after freshening our coffee, Carol came and sat down with us. This is honestly when the entire experience really began I realized later.

Carol is a breath of fresh air. She has this amazingly positive aura about her and her smile just lights up the room. Craig is a gracious and generous host who makes you laugh and feel at ease immediately. That is a gift! We had dozens of questions about how they got started, the history of the property and the resort itself. Both Carol and Craig have backgrounds in the hospitality business. Craig has worked for a few gourmet food companies and Carol is an amazing chef having taken classes with some of the top chefs in the world. When they met, they dreamed of running their own establishment. They had a few other bed and breakfast establishments before finding this magical piece of property. The story is that Craig found this and within 30 minutes made an offer. He knew right away this was the place they had to have. Both are Hill Country proud and appreciate the history of the area, especially this area. The original house that was on the foundation the resort now resides upon was a 2 story ranch house that had been damaged in a tornado at one point. It sat on 100’s of acres that had been divided up by the family over the years. The moment they saw the views and felt the spirit of the land, they knew this was the place. It was a stretch with all the renovations they needed to make, basically tearing down the structure to the foundation and starting over. But their dream was to create a retreat. A magical place where people could come and feel their spirit renewed. They want people to experience what they do, to offer them the ultimate in care and are obviously so grateful to be where they are. It shows on their faces and in their voices. There is an amazing amount of warmth and love that come from this couple. It took my breath away to be honest. So much Peace and gratitude lives in this home.

As I mentioned in the first article, the resort caters to weddings and retreats (I will be doing a feature on this for the last installment). One area that I fell in love with is the yoga patio. Carol has so much experience in spiritual practices, traveling around the globe to learn from the masters. She is truly a student of the spirit and freely gives all that she has been taught. She created a place where yoga enthusiasts can come and practice their craft surrounded by this spirit of peace. Everything planned to help with the hot Texas sun, to create a sacred space, all geared towards maximum comfort and serenity. Listening to her share her stories, I got goosebumps and a bit teary eyed. If you go visit her, ask her to share with you. They are her stories to tell, but I promise they will affect you in a way that you won’t expect. She wants to share her love for life and the spirit with those who come to Tres Lunas and to help them find a restful and healing place in their lives…even if just for a moment. And she is doing just that. I can only imagine the healing she has participated in just by providing such a space.

Our tour continued into their private quarters where I was greeted by beautiful works of art created by friends and Carol herself. Her mother was an incredible artist and she has a few of her pastels hanging. One of which was drawn on a piece of brown paper bag while on a picnic in those very same hills decades before. It was of a beautiful deer found in the Hill Country. The pastels were so soft and soothing and it looked like you could reach out and feel the softness of that creature. Carol didn’t know that she would end up finding her home in that same countryside. What a special gift!

There is Carol’s office which is filled with prayer flags and a massage table, and yes, more beautiful art pieces. Even their private quarters were designed for maximum serenity! And I know with a resort you need a good size laundry room, but their’s made me completely envious! So bright with windows everywhere….perfect place for Carol to paint as the laundry area only took up a portion of the huge room!

Craig’s office is the ultimate of man caves! Jason loved it! Craig’s father and grandfather were both Texas lawmen and Craig was able to find an old jail cell that he restructured to fit inside his office as a guest quarters for family or friends! It’s really awesome! On the wall behind his desk hangs the head of a huge Longhorn. Craig told us that someone had given the living animal to Carol as a gift at one time and they loved him! He was their pet who they truly loved, and when he finally died of natural causes they donated 800 pounds of ground beef to the food bank in Mason, TX and mounted their beloved pet’s head on the wall of Craig’s office. It is an impressive site!

We talked for a good 2 hours about life, our backgrounds, our love for nature and art. Carol and I especially found that we have so many similar feelings about our journeys in life. I felt like I have always known her. We all found we had so many things in common and I don’t think any of us wanted to conversation to end. But as all good stories must wind down, so did our time there.

We left with our arms bearing gifts and our hearts filled with the brightness of new friendships. I can honestly say we both felt renewed and so relaxed. It was a true healing experience and one we hope to repeat in the future! I am so grateful for the opportunity and for the compassion that Carol and Craig show to others. It’s truly remarkable. I promise if you make a reservation there, you will honestly be able to leave your cares and worries at the front gate. Once you drive in, the magic begins and the spirit smiles down upon you. It is a rarity in life to find a place like that. I am grateful that we did.

*All photos are credited to myself and Jason Locher. Some of these were taken on my phone, hence the quality. Look for Part 3 on weddings and products used at the resort!