Star Gazing, A Few Planets, & The Moon
On Saturday night, after a day full of adventure we went to stare up into the night sky.It was AWESOME!I totally geeked out....A lot.I'm still geeking out.I got to see saturn, and venus, and the stars. I got to pick some geeky astronomy guys' brains from the Escambia Amateur Astronomers Association about the stars.I got to see the "super moon" through an amazing telescope.To top it all off, this all took place on Pensacola Beach.The brilliant beautiful moon shining over the ocean absolutely left me breathless.
In the full moons light I listen to the streamAnd in between the silence hear you calling meBut I don't know where I am and I don't trust who I've beenAnd If I come home how will I ever leave~"Full Moon" by The Black Ghosts
love & space,
nicōle
Tubing Down The River With Adventures Unlimited
I think the absolutely best part of my experience was traversing this obstacle course of a river with thirty three women. The total arm work out I got was also a bonus!
I totally forgot how much fun tubing is. I was reminded this weekend while tubing on Cold Creek River with Adventures Unlimited.
Now if you're looking for a relaxing lazy river experience you're not really going to find it...Cold Creek River is riddled with tree stumps. If you don't watch out for will catch you in the bum! The landscape however is lovely so lean back when you can and look up towards the heavens, you'll realize real quick what an amazing place your in. I think the absolutely best part of my experience was traversing this obstacle course of a river with thirty three women. The total arm work out I got was also a bonus!
Four miles and three hours later I was ready to be out of the river, but glad for all the laughter I shared with my fellow bloggers!
Things to remember:
- Closed toe water shoes. Don't think you can skimp on this. I did and won't again.
- Wear a swimsuit. The property has changing rooms. Hat and sunglasses and UV clothing is also a great idea.
- Sunscreen
- Water and a snack helps put it in a cooler or a water tight bag.
Adventures Unlimited is located about an hour outside of Pensacola in Milton, Florida.
Photos: Photo courtesy of Sheri from KidSumers.
Zip Lining With Adventures Unlimited
This weekend I soared across treetops while zip lining with Adventures Unlimited during Brandcation-Bloggers Gone Coastal. Zip lining with a bunch of your friends is so much fun. Feeling like your flying through the air at a pretty fast speed is absolutely exhilarating. I can say that, now that my feet are firmly planted on the ground.
If I had to choose a word to describe how I was feeling at the thought of zip lining I'd have to use "trepidation". I'm accident prone and climbing up into the sky, then jumping off into the air made me nervous. However my fears were soon put at ease by the staff at Adventures Unlimited. They're commitment to safety first was reassuring and it ensured I, and all of their other guests zip lining had a great experience.
My two guides on our tour were Dave and Brooke they were super! Not once did I ever feel unsafe, in their more than capable hands. If you're ever in the Pensacola area and are in the mood for some adventure check out Adventures Unlimited -the landscape at that height is worth it, the adrenaline rush (and the Twilight fantasy) is just a bonus!
Things to remember:
- You've got to be able to climb both regular stairs and ladder types.
- Dressing comfortably and wearing closed toe shoes will help make your zip lining experience a better one.
- Most importantly remember that this is Florida and carry a water bottle, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
- If you plan on taking pictures or drinking water a knapsack is an awesome accessory to have (I totally wish I wore one!)
- Wear sunscreen.
- Carry some cash to tip your guides. Believe me when I tell you they'll earn every penny!
Kia Soul: Drives Out of the Box!
If you get my Twitter of Facebook feed from the last week I'm sure you know that I had a blast test driving the 2012 Kia Soul for review. Though this car is classified as a sub-compact automobile where it may lack in room it makes up for in soul! My boys absolutely loved it and now when ever they see one on the road they look longingly at it and wish to have one as their "forever car". My mini-van is pushing 220,000 miles-I can assure you they're not the only ones letting out a long sigh of longing....Sigh.
But I digress....back to the Soul. I really drove this car around. I had a great time driving to events during Brandcation, Bloggers Gone Coastal, because it afforded me the opportunity to drive other bloggers around in the Kia Soul. All the feedback I got from my blogger-colleagues was positive. If you know a blogger-you know they are generally unafraid to offer up their opinion so I was glad to hear their positive feedback as well. If you'd like to know the technical details about this car check out this review from Motor Trend My focus is more on the every day, busy writer-mama who spends a ton of time chauffeuring around two little boys. What I liked: It's cute, fun, and so very geek-chic from it's interior, with great little touches like "mood" lighting, and branded fabric, to it's tech-savy radio system, back-up assist (it's got a camera in the rear so you can see-really see what is behind you). The exterior is very square-in a Gap ad-totally-cool sort of way. Gas mileage was phenomenal. With a push of the "econ" button this car could go...and go...and then go some more, with out really taking away from the pleasure of driving this car. My youngest son's car seat was a breeze to connect with the easy to find "latch" system and it fit very comfortably and it left him with plenty of leg room to stretch out with out bugging the front seat. The trunk is small-but it's awesome. It' has this super compartment area where someone who is OCD like me can keep things organized. When I checked out it's safety rating I was very pleased to discover that it received the highest score of "Good" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for in their frontal offset, side-impact and roof-strength tests. Which means this car is not only fun to drive it's safe to drive. Kia gives a lot to their consumers. Standard on every Soul come the following features: Driver and passenger front air bags Dual front seat mounted side air bags Full length side curtain air bags Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Brake Assist Traction Control System Electronic Stability Control Tire Pressure Monitoring System 3 Point seat belts for all 5 positions The LATCH system for child seats What I disliked: Giving the car back.
All opinions are my own. I was loaned this car for a week from Kia Motors to facilitate this review. Thank you Kia for a super fun week!
Ways To Save While On Vacation
Spring is nearly here and in South Florida it doesn’t mean the grass will be green once more, or flowers will be blooming. What it means is that vacationers will be flocking to our Sun and Sand and warm weather. It also means that many of us natives will be making our own plans for a get-a-way.
Taking a vacation, or even a long weekend, can get costly. I’m all for enjoying life but I don’t think a vacation should result in a person requiring debt consolidation to pay for it!Using credit cards while on vacation is sort of a given, however debt management must play a key factor when planning how and when you’ll use your credit.Using your credit card to pay for airline tickets is smart (especially if you pay them off quickly.) Using your credit card to pay for the $7 coke at an amusement park is probably not the best idea.Saving for a vacation is the smartest thing you can do. A well planned and well thought out vacation can help you determine how much money you’ll need to save. Once you’ve figured out how much you need, budget each month and put money away. Having a vacation savings account will help. Or, simply put away a bit of cash and don’t touch it. Many credit counseling services can also provide you with great tips on saving money for special things, like vacations, and other general items. Fiscal responsibility is so important, and a vacation that doesn’t end with you being in a lot of debt, will be a vacation much more enjoyed!Here are some ways I save while traveling.My best friend loves to stay at fancy hotels. I enjoy a nice hotel too, but I don’t enjoy paying for it. I often use travel websites to either “choose my own price” or find a bargain on hotel rooms. I usually get a much nicer hotel room this way.If you have small children, bring your own stroller. Renting a stroller at amusement parks is expensive.Pack light. More and more airlines are charging for baggage.I’ve lived in some of the biggest “tourist” cities in the U.S. including Las Vegas and D.C. Trust me when I tell you; a coupon is your best friend. Look for coupons for meal discounts, amusements, hotels, travel, etc.Also take advantage of any discounts you may be entitled to from memberships in things like AAA or AARP. My husband is in the military, one of the first questions I always ask is “Do you offer a military discount?” I’ve actually been given a discount sometimes when the business didn’t usually offer one just because I asked politely.Meals can get costly. Lunches are usually cheaper than dinner, so if there is a “fancy” restaurant you want to enjoy, opt to dine in for lunch instead of dinner. Having a kitchenette or even a mini-fridge in your hotel is a good thing. You can store breakfast-y items in it. If you’re traveling with children, see if you can find a place where the kids eat free or are discounted with a paying adult. If you’re not a “big” eater, share your meal. I do this a lot with my kids because I am never able to finish those large meals served at restaurants.If you’re traveling to a city where you know people, stay with them. Staying with friends, or relatives is a great way to save while on vacation. Even if your stay is for a night or two it can add up to some real savings.
The preceding was a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.
Kia Optima-Hang On Tight Muchacho!
It’s been a while since I’ve driven a fun to drive, car. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to test drive the 2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo for a week. This car was very fun to drive.I know when you think of Kia automobiles you may not immediately think chic, stylish, fun, sporty, or fuel efficient. After driving the Optima whenever I think Kia I can’t help but think about it without having those adjectives on my tongue. That and the perfectly adequate phrase "Hang on tight muchacho." from this commercial, which completely represents how I felt while driving it.
This car is lovely to look at from the exterior to the interior with its leather and woven seat trim. Kia redesigned the 2011 Optima, giving it both an interior and exterior re-vamping and a 200-horsepower engine which made it well worth the make-over because it wasn’t just cosmetic Kia did such a good job the Optima was named Best Car of 2011 by Cars.com.The Optima is also affordably priced. The car I drove, the Kia Optima Turbo has an MSRP of just under $31K. With all the upgrades like a 6-speed Sportmatic Transmission (that means you can switch from automatic to manual), 18” tires with a sporty alloy design and a super cool technology package (that was my favorite).As I mentioned earlier this car was a load of fun to drive, but I still felt safe driving with my boys. Among its safety features, there are: dual front advanced airbags, full length side curtain airbags, LATCH tethers for the safety seats, ABS brakes, and electronic stability control.This car is a sedan and it’s got plenty of room for storage of little things, even a “cool” glove box where I stored a few drinks during a road trip. But unlike most sedans it feels like a sports car and I definitely felt like I was driving one a few times.I have to admit I was a little sad to go back to driving my mini-van.
Love & pretty cars,nicóleI was provided with the Optima by Kia to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Some Alone Time
Yesterday I had a very rare treat...I spent the afternoon alone. I am the type of person who doesn't mind being alone. I actually enjoy it-I'm not saying that I want to be alone all the time, but each day I need some time to myself. Since having children getting out and doing things solo is about as rare as seeing a unicorn at your local petting zoo. It just never happens. Because my husband and I never lived close to our family before our children rarely left our supervision. We sort of have this motto, If the kids can't go-then we don't go.
Now that they boys and I are back home and surrounded by all sorts of family, I realized I'm going to have to "let go" and relax a little when it comes to leaving my children in the supervision of others. When one of my husband's cousins asked if she could take the boys for the day, I knew they would be in good hands. My son negated any reaming doubt when he asked rather exuberantly, if he was going to "have a babysitter?"
Yesterday while my boys had a ball at the park with their big cousins, I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon by myself at one of my favorite places in Miami. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
For the last two years I've recalled this area in particular from my memory hundreds of times; because it is where the opening scene from my novel takes place. I can't tell you how exciting and inspirational it was to finally walk exactly where my character does. To compare notes from those in my mind's eye to the reality was exhilarating in a way I never thought it would be. I struggle to explain how I felt as my heart beat quickened as I walked down the nature path to the museum's entrance, or how I felt when I finally laid eyes on the stone barge.
I took a ton of pictures that you can view in my Flickr set: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens some of them are blurry and lopsided, I've got a new camera (insert big ***squeee*** here!) In case you're wondering it's a Nikon D3100 and I'm trying to learn how it all works...this was certainly a great place to practice.