Now that the weather has warmed up here in NE Ohio, it's time to head outside for some fun family adventures. One thing many folks don't realize about the NE Ohio region is the fact that we're surrounded by SO many beautiful things. We have gorgeous parks, complete with hiking trails and waterfalls, and of course, we have all of the splendor that Lake Erie has to offer.

If you're local, and looking for some great camping or day-trip options, I have some great suggestions that are sure to be fun for the entire family. Many of these places offer camping accommodations, or you could make a day of it. No matter how you enjoy the outdoors this season, NE Ohio truly has something for everyone.

I also have some great snacking ideas from Costco, too, so keep reading!

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Last month, I talked about how Manuka Honey from PRI was a delicious, nutrient-rich addition to your family's diet. After all, who doesn't love the sweetness of pure, New Zealand Honey?!

This month, I'd like to talk about some other, less obvious uses for Manuka Honey. Yes, this stuff is versatile. Sure, you can enjoy it on your tongue, but another great place to put Manuka Honey is on your face.

Yes. I just said ON YOUR FACE. That wasn't a typo!

I absolutely love making my own natural beauty lotions, potions, and concoctions. I have found that Manuka Honey and PRI's Pacific Sea Salt and Essential Oils make the perfect ingredients for a spa-like experience, right from the comfort of your own home.

Do your kids love Angry Birds? Mine sure do! Sophie, Xander, AND my teen, Kyle, all have Angry Birds Fever. Not only do they love playing the various video games, Kyle's room is also decorated with Angry Birds wall decals.

Another thing my kiddos love is learning about the world around them. They love reading about different places in the world, from dry, arid deserts to humid, lush rainforests, and everything in-between!

To help celebrate the release of The Angry Birds Movie, which debuts on May 20, 2016, the folks at National Geographic Kids have created some super-cool Angry Birds merchandise perfect for those curious kids out there.

Hi, Everyone!

As many of you know, my childhood friend, Erin, has been on a very special journey. Erin was born with a series of complex Congenital Heart Defects, or CHDs, that have threatened her life since the day she was born.

As a child, Erin had multiple surgeries, including open-heart surgeries, in hopes of correcting her defects and allowing her to live her life as normally as possible. While she couldn't always play sports or run on the track, she did get to do a lot of things, thanks to all of the efforts made by her medical team to care for her condition.

One of these procedures, the Fontan, saved her life as a child....But it also came with side-effects that doctors didn't foresee 20+ years ago. This surgery that saved Erin's life also caused her heart and liver to fail. This wasn't seen for many, many years, and Erin ended up needing a double-organ transplant.

I've seen a ton of buzz online regarding water lately. There's talk about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and other places, there's talk about certain water additives, and of course, there's talk about Alkaline Water.

I'll be the first to admit, the whole concept of Alkaline Water is relatively new to me. When the folks at the Alkaline Water Company reached out to me to see if I'd like to check out their Alkaline88 pH Water, I was definitely curious.

So what is Alkaline88 pH Water?

This is water that is literally scientifically engineered to raise the pH of the water. Through a totally chemical-free, scientific process, Alkaline88 has the ideal pH of 8.8 This is achieved by using electronic cells that are coated in a variety of rare earth minerals. The water is enhanced by 84 essential Himalayan trace minerals, including iron, copper, calcium, and magnesium, to name a few. This water is purified using reverse osmosis as well.

I have a VERY exciting announcement to make. I am literally giddy as I type this. No, really. I am. My kids are actually looking at me funny since I have a huge smile on my face.

I am a Cedar Point Blogger! Yippee!

Now for those of you who aren't familiar with Cedar Point, I will tell you a little bit about this fabulous park, also known as "The Rollercoaster Capital of the World".

Cedar Point is located in lakefront, Sandusky, Ohio. It's an easy drive from my home in the Akron area, and it's definitely the most amazing theme park I've ever been to. Cedar Point has something to offer every member of the family, from the world's most thrill-inducing coasters to rides that even the smallest members of the family can enjoy. They are also home to a fantastic water park, deluxe hotel accommodations at Breakers, and it's all nestled right on the shores of Lake Erie.

As a Cedar Point Blogger, I will be attending different park events, and will have plenty of fun news to share. The first event of the season was the Valravn First Rider Benefit for the LeBron James Family Foundation.

The LeBron James Family Foundation exists to help disadvantaged youth in LeBron's hometown of Akron, OH. (I live in a neighboring city, so this is in my neck of the woods!) The focus is to offer these great kids the tools they need to be good citizens, finish school, and reach for their dreams. Sounds awesome, right?

During the Valravn First Rider Benefit, we not only got to mingle with some of these deserving kiddos who were in attendance, we also got to be among the first to ride the brand new Valravn coaster!

With Mother's Day right around the corner, a lot of folks are still scrambling to find the perfect gifts for the Moms on their list. After all, it's the Moms of the world that keep everything running smoothly.

For many of us, Mother's Day is the chance to spoil and pamper our mothers. Whether it's a day at the spa, a nice meal that she doesn't need to cook for once, a bouquet of beautiful blooms, or simply just leaving her alone to enjoy her day in blissful peace and quiet, there are tons of ways to bring a smile to Mom's face this Mother's Day.

Have you considered giving Mom the gift of time this year?

No, I don't mean time together....Of course that is expected, too! I mean a great new watch from Timex! 

Timex has a huge variety of watch styles that are sure to please every mom on your list. From the fitness-obsessed mom to the preppy mom, and everything in between, Timex has a style that she's sure to go gaga over. I will go over some of the most popular styles later in this post.

Okay, so since I have kids and a grown man-child in my home, I have heard a lot of talk lately about Batman Vs. Superman. (And yes, my husband actually refers to himself as my 4th child, so he wouldn't be the slightest bit offended that I called him a man-child.) This blockbuster hit that features these DC Comics favorites has hit the theaters and taken them by storm.

We haven't seen the movie yet, but my household is pretty divided. My husband and youngest son, Xander, are team Batman, while my daughter, Sophie, is team Superman.

Since we have die-hard fans of both heroes in our home, I thought it would be fun to help celebrate the enthusiasm with cozy Batman and Superman themed blankets from The Northwest. (You can learn more about this awesome brand in my previous review, HERE.)

The Northwest offers tons of great designs sure to please everyone in your home. Not into comic books? No problem!

Choose from your child’s favorite Disney, Star Wars, Marvel or even their favorite MLB, NFL or NBA sports teams! Whether you are looking for a comfy throw to snuggle your superhero in or blankets for the Frozen obsessed, The Northwest has got you covered.

From school lunches to family picnics to team practices, America’s iconic sandwich – the peanut butter and jelly - has played an important role in the lives of many Team USA athletes. It’s why Smucker’s®, a proud sponsor of Team USA, is turning America’s passion for a PB&J into a way to support our Team USA athletes. Beginning today, for every tweet using #PBJ4TeamUSA, Smucker’s will donate $1 to the United States Olympic Committee (up to $200,000).  

Smucker’s is teaming up with U.S. Olympic gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson, U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Conor Dwyer, and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman to rally America to show their Olympic support.
 
“Every single donation makes a difference in an athlete’s training and the ability to work toward achieving our dreams, so I’m humbled and excited to partner with Smucker’s on #PBJ4TeamUSA,” said Aly Raisman. "I grew up eating PB&J, so being part of an effort to help fuel Team USA is so exciting for me!”
 
“It’s thrilling to tap into our country’s passion for supporting Team USA with something as All-American as a PB&J sandwich,” said Maribeth Burns, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. “The United States Olympic Committee provides the training, equipment, travel, and resources our athletes need to achieve their dreams. We are proud to use the love for America’s iconic sandwich to support its mission.”

We are definitely HUGE fans of the iconic PB&J in our house! My daughter, Sophie, loves nothing more than peanut butter. My oldest son, Kyle, likes to get creative with his PB&J creations. Here, he has fried a PB&J, and topped it with slightly melted marshmallows. Teenagers come up with the most creative and interesting ideas, don't you agree?

HOW YOU CAN HELP TEAM USA AND EVEN WIN SOME PRIZES:

To show your support for Team USA, join @Smuckers and use #PBJ4TeamUSA one of the following ways:

1. Share a picture of you and your family making or enjoying a PB&J sandwich using #PBJ4TeamUSA
2. Retweet any Smucker’s tweet that contains #PBJ4TeamUSA
3. Create your own tweet using #PBJ4TeamUSA

 
Additionally, through August 31, 2016, fans 18 years and older can visit the Smucker’s #PBJ4TeamUSA website and enter for a chance to win a Team USA prize pack.

To qualify, tweet @Smuckers with #PBJ4TeamUSA and #PromoEntry to be entered into the grand prize drawing.

See Official Rules for complete details. Promotion is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C, 18 years of age older. Void where prohibited.