This weekend, like many American families, we will be taking ourselves outside to grill, chill, and enjoy time together as a family. Memorial Day weekend is a great time to connect and unwind together, and we intend to do just that. 

In addition to a feast of burgers, dogs, BBQ chicken, steaks, and all the fixin's, we will also be staying active with fun games and even some sporting activities. Gotta burn off all those calories from our meal, after all! 

Sophie and Xander will have a blast, thanks to the awesome folks at American Plastic Toys, who sent them some awesome toys to help celebrate both Memorial Day and the start of summer! 

With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, my family has some awesome plans. We will be cooking out, enjoying some family sports and games, and of course, we intend to cool down with an old fashioned water fight. We've got some fab new water blasters from Prime Time Toys that will definitely keep us cool, even if temperatures creep upward. 

What Prime Time Toys has done for the dart blaster with Dart Zone®, they are about to do for the water blaster. Their talented team of product innovators is launching a new collection of water blasters exclusively at Wal-Mart arriving in-stores January 2017. The Adventure Force™ line of water blasters will bring a new splash of fun to the backyard this Spring and Summer! This colorful collection takes the water fight to a new level with powerful precision performance and exciting action - all offered at Prime Time Toys’ signature affordable pricing.

Right now, if you shop with PRI, you can receive 15% OFF ALL PRI products
Plus FREE SHIPPING for EVERYONE!

Simply use the code Bee15 upon checkout to enjoy these exclusive savings!

​Bees are one of the most industrious insects on the planet and area a true friend to mankind. They are responsible for pollinating a myriad of plants for our benefit, and produce honey, nectar, beeswax, pollen, bee bread, and Propolis
(a health supplement). As you know bees have been dying off worldwide for a variety of reasons from pollution, loss of land to disease. It is critical to our natural eco-system that we nurture and protect this most cherished and fragile insect. PRI is doing its part in promoting the honey bee industry and supporting the propagation and protection of the bees in New Zealand. All the bee keepers that supply PRI support the “Trees for Bees” foundation.

New Zealand is one of the last bastions of purity as an environmentally protected and GMO Free region with the cleanest oceans on the globe. Case in
point, Manuka is the gold standard for honey and is produced exclusively in New
Zealand from bees and flowers that are environmentally protected. Enjoy these safe and soothing products everyday and feel great using them!
Noartificial flavors, colors, no corn syrup, refined sugars and NO preservatives.

Does your digestive system ever feel... off? Do you ever get constipated? Have acid reflux? Confession time: I do! 
 
I partnered with ISOThrive [http://isot.us/PH33]—a gastroenterologist-endorsed, bacterially fermented microFood —to try out a new solution for digestive health, and to share a little bit about their philosophy. And let me tell you, I have learned so much about nutrition and digestion! 
 
The first thing I learned was why those probiotic yogurts never made me feel any better—the bacteria they were touting never made it to the part of my gut where they were needed! MicroFood feeds the bacteria that are already in your gut, but aren't getting the nutrition they need. Brilliant, right?

Anyone who knows me in "real life" knows that visiting the great state of Vermont is pretty high on my Bucket List. For one, they have Bernie Sanders. (Lucky peeps!) They also have gorgeous terrain, quaint towns, and from what I understand, almost a "Hippie Vibe" in general.

Yeah. So Vermont sounds like it's totally up my alley! 

Anyway, when I learned about the authentic, Vermont Maple Sap drinks from SAP! Maple, I couldn't wait to try them. There are SAP! Sodas and SAP! Seltzers, and both drinks are flavored with real, Vermont Maple Sap! 

Sap! products are non-alcoholic beverages made from 100% pure maple sap straight from the maple trees of Vermont. Maple Sap! Soda and Maple Sap! Seltzer are healthy alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages. Sap! is about more than just satisfying a craving. It’s also about tradition. These products make the time-honored tradition of the maple harvest accessible to everyone, while supporting Vermont’s working landscape and rural economy.      

Every spring, the transition from freezing nights to thawing days triggers the flow of sap within the mighty maple tree. Once a tree is tapped, maple sap comes out of the tree looking like water and has a subtly sweet taste. But sap is so much more than just H20. 

Maple sap holds a myriad of health benefits with naturally occurring electrolytes, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. The drink is hydrating and great for post workout recovery, along with just being a delicious drink for normal consumption. 

And one more thing, harvesting sap is a sustainable practice that does not harm the tree. 

Drinks sweetened with all natural, Maple Sap? Count me in! ​

Sleep. We all need it and we all love it! But did you know that only 14% of people feel they getenough sleep? Restonic, leader in handcrafted mattresses and high-quality sleep products since 1938, recently discovered this through their Sleep Survey where they polled more than 1,000 people about their sleeping habits.

Surprised? Well I’ve got more news to share with you. Restonic found that sleep quality was heavily impacted by use of electronics, like smartphones and tablets. The facts don’t get better from there for heavy electronics-in- bed users. Restonic found that only six percent of people who use electronics while in bed say they get enough sleep.

But for those of you who are thinking, “I do limit electronic usage when in bed,” it gets better for you! Those who limit the use of their devices in bed say they get enough sleep at more than double the rate of those who don’t. So, stop tweeting andtexting when you should be snoozing, everyone!

For those who do or don’t exercise, we have additional news for you because the survey findings also revealed a clear connection between lack of exercise and sleep quality. This is bad news for people who don’t exercise regularly: only 11 percent of people who don’t workout think they get enough sleep. Type of exercise also matters, as those who do high-impact activities like cardio, running and CrossFit report getting enough sleep at double the rate of those who engage in low-impact exercises like yoga (22 percent for CrossFit and 18 percent for cardio and running, versus only 10 percent for yoga). Sorry yogis!

There were several more interesting facts on sleep that Restonic found, including:

 Ninety-one percent of people surveyed say they wake up at least once during the night.

 Nearly two-thirds of people (63 percent) would give up coffee or alcohol for the rest of their

lives in exchange for a better night’s sleep.

 Thirty-eight percent of women report feeling like they don’t get enough sleep compared to

only 20 percent of men.

 Women wake up more frequently in the middle of the night because of kids or pets than

men (23 percent of women, versus 12 percent of men).

My recommendations from all this data? You should put your phones down when you’re bed and

you should exercise regularly, and you’ll have an improved chance for getting better sleep.

I have some awesome news! 

The folks at Restonic are giving away their queen-sized Brio mattress! 

How cool is that?! 

Simply enter on the Rafflecopter form below. 

This giveaway is open until 5/30/2017. Winner will be selected and notified by the sponsor. Prize fulfillment will be taken care of by the sponsor. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook or Google in any way. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents, 18+ Good luck! 

Whether you’re the cat owner, family member or friend, we can all appreciate how odor from soiled cat litter can take over your home. Litter Genie’s unique design and technology means these issues are locked away – providing peace of mind for you, any planned or unplanned visitors, and most importantly, your cat.

Now that the weather is (finally) warming up here in NE Ohio, we have road trips on the brain. Whether it's a trip to see family out of state or a day long trip to Cedar Point or Lake Erie, we always stop at our local Circle K to grab fuel, snacks, and of course, Polar Pop Cups full of our favorite soft drinks!

Polar Pop Cups are insulated cups that keep your drinks icy cold even on the hottest of summer days. You can choose your favorite soft drinks, including fruit punch type drinks.

Check out my 17 year old son, Kyle, sipping on his Polar Pop. He is adventurous, and likes to mix up his flavors, creating brand new drink concoctions. Sometimes, they're brilliant. Sometimes, not so much. But since Polar Pops are an awesome value, he can experiment to his heart's content without breaking the bank. 

​Now that spring is in full swing and summer is creeping up on us quickly, it's time to start thinking about fun, effortless, funky summer hair. I stay super busy, and am typically pretty low maintenance to begin with. I like styles that are quick, painless, and not too "perfect". Perfection is boring, after all. 

One of my favorite summer looks would have to be messy, beachy waves. Bed head, almost. You know that sexy, tousled look that I mean, right? I recently found a wonderful product that delivers just that! 
​
Number 4™ Jour d'automne™ Sugar Texturizing Spray denounces salt while heralding sugar in a declaration of sweet love for hair texture that is perfectly undone. Transform limp, lackluster strands into loose, touchably soft, "beach inspired" waves with a nourishing blend of sugar and flexible styling aids. Sugar Texturizing Spray aids in style defense against humidity to help build a long-lasting relationship with texture that's more than just a summer fling.     

About Number 4: Innovative, Lightweight, Color Protecting, Anti-Aging Formulas. 100% Vegan, Gluten Free, Sulfate & Sodium Chloride Free, Paraben Free. The Ultimate Hair Care Experience.  California based Number 4 High Performance Hair Care was founded to define new stylistic territories in newfound creative and artistic capacities.  Our collection represents a strategic alliance of styling, hydrating, volumizing and essential products to deliver a unique voice in the hair care and beauty industry.