Hi Friends!
My latest post with Orlando Moms Blog is up today and it’s another one that I wrote from my heartstrings. ❤
Being a mom is hard work but it’s THE MOST rewarding part of each & every day. In this post, I share some snippets of what being a mom means to me.
Because we’re moms, we hold their hands for a little while….but they will hold our hearts forever.
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thanks for reading!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a topic that is near & dear to my heart. I have several people in my life, family included, that have battled, and some that are still fighting, this monster. Some have won their fight….some have not. Therefore, I am all for bringing awareness, education, and support to this area, as well as help in raising funds for research. ❤
That said, I am excited to tell you about a local event happening NEXT Friday, October 21st:
Pink Bash is an annual community celebration and fundraiser event in downtown Orlando designed to bring breast cancer awareness to Central Florida in an interactive, uplifting way. Pink Bash features a survivor fashion show, live music, pink carpet photos, raffle prizes and more — all to support the cause and honor those that are fighting, have been touched or have lost their battle to breast cancer.
I’m THRILLED to be able to offer two general admission tickets to one of you!
Contest runs today, October 14th through Monday, October 17th at 8:00 am, EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will notified by reply to comments in this post. Winner must respond back to me within 24 hours or prize will be forfeited & another winner will be chosen at random.
TO ENTER:
1. “Like” this post
2. If you do not already, please subscribe to follow this blog. Enter your email address on the “Follow Us” link on the left-hand side-bar of this page.
3. In the comments below, share why you would love to attend the 5th Annual Pink Bash in Downtown Orlando.
NOTE: One entry per subscribed email address, please.
That’s it! ❤
This last week has been an emotional one for us here in the sunshine state. Early last week, we started watching the news diligently and following along to see where our 1st hurricane in 12 years hit would along our east coast — Hurricane Matthew.
By Wednesday morning, as I participated with Liam in National Walk to School Day, I knew it was just a matter of time before we all received news of school closures & preparations for the storm to come. Sure enough, we received word late that morning that both the county schools and the university where I work were both closed down Thursday & Friday. This was real & it was time to get prepared.
The last time a major storm affected our area here in Central Florida, Stephen & I were not yet homeowners OR parents. I have to be honest that preparing for this storm AND waiting for it to come felt VERY different this time around. I had a lot of nervous energy on Thursday. I just kept cleaning & doing laundry. I had to keep busy. I also took Liam to Publix….He was hilarious, as he kept yelling out, ‘you were right Mommy, the shelves are empy!!’ — I had told him that the store might look different because many people were buying food & water to prepare for the storm 🙂
We prepped as best we could in the time we had. All of our patio and front yard stuff got piled into the garage, along with our stockpile of water. Again, since we hadn’t been through a storm while in the house before, we kinda felt like we were winging this a bit.
Tub full of water….always a precaution. We did remember that from Charlie.
We went to sleep (well, as much as we could, anyhow) on Thursday night knowing that the winds were picking up and Matthew would be moving through by early morning.
We dozed off and literally woke up to answered prayer ❤ ….the storm veered to the East about 10 miles, and it was just enough to keep the eye & all the worst winds off shore from our area. We had some high winds & gusts and a good amount of rain still throughout the day, but nothing overwhelming. So, so thankful & blessed!!
We were so relieved to see that our family & friends here in Florida were all okay, as well. Especially Stephen’s family in the Vero Beach area, as they were much closer to Matthew’s impact. We were also worried about my dad’s house up in Jax, but they fared well, too. Both of our mom’s are also here in FL & they are also doing well! Prayers for all those still recovering & waiting for power to be restored. St. Augustine is one of our favorite places to visit, and they were hit very hard 😦
On Saturday, we all went outside, as a family, and began the clean up process. Luckily, the debris wasn’t overwhelming for us. It was nice to get it picked up, and as we were outside, we saw many of our neighbors also out cleaning up their yards, too. Liam enjoyed being a helper….Timber, as well! What a difference a day makes in the weather, right?!?!
Being cooped up in the house for a few days did give me a chance to finally finish up our Halloween decorations! Liam & I also baked up some yummy Halloween cookies 🙂
Once we were out & about, we took a trip to the Orlando Science Center to check out their new traveling exhibit — TOYTOPIA. It was so cool to see so many of the toys that Stephen & I played with as kids. Liam enjoyed the Toy Story display and the awesome model trains that was both Lego & electric!
Introducing Little Man to a little nostalgia from the movie, BIG! 🙂
We closed our weekend out with a visit to one of our local pumpkin patches …that definitely always brings all the feels of fall! ❤
Until next time, friends!
Hello friends! I don’t know about you, but I am super excited for the fall season to be upon us now. In fact, I believe we actually may feel some slightly cooler temps here in Orlando this week! So nice! If you haven’t started planning for it (or actually started), the holidays will upon us before we know it, and that means holiday shopping, too. That’s why I am a big fan of trying to plan ahead and shop smart. One way I do so is by shopping the outlets. Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is an ideal place to shop for all of your fall weather needs, as well as your holiday shopping. In fact, they are about to celebrate their 20th anniversary in just a few weeks, and have some fun activities planned that are FREE AND FUN for your whole family ❤
Win a $50 gift card to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores – Celebrating Two Decades of Great Deals
It’s time to celebrate! Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is hosting a free admission, family-oriented celebration to mark its 20th anniversary as one of Central Florida’s first outlet centers and a favorite destination for the area’s best outlet deals. Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores’ Deals for Two Decades 20th Anniversary Celebration is on Saturday, October 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with fun activities for every age. Join the celebration featuring more than $8,000 in prize and gift card giveaways at 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm (must be present to win), bounce house, DJ entertainer, strolling magician, face painters, balloon sculptor, stilt walker juggler, 20 cent hot dogs, drinks and more. Many stores are pulling out the stops with $20 gift card giveaways, 20% off deals and special store activities. Have your picture taken with Sunnie, the Sunshine Foundation’s mascot. All proceeds go toward the Sunshine Foundation, the original wish-granting organization, a charity founded in 1976 bringing unimaginable joy to children living with chronic life-long conditions.
Just over a week later, the center will host a frightfully fun and safe “trick or treating” event on Halloween, Monday, October 31, from 1-9 p.m. Participating stores will pass out treats to the children while families can shop. Prices are so low, it’s scary! Everyone is invited to join in the fun and children are welcome to dress in costume.
Shopping is hassle-free at the outlet center, where you can find factory-direct premium quality merchandise at savings up to 75% off (and sometimes more). Plus,there’s easy store front parking, so getting in and out quickly is a breeze!
Don’t miss your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the mall, where you can select merchandise at most of their outlet shops and get great deals at Express Factory Outlet, U.S. Polo Assn., Nike, OshKosh B’Gosh, Tommy Hilfiger Stores, plus other well-known outlets including G by GUESS, Justice, Carter’s, Crocs, Calvin Klein, Levi’s®, Aeropostale, Converse, Fossil, Rack Room Shoes, and many more. Don’t forget to stop by and treat yourself at Lindt Chocolate, too!
Even if you don’t win, you can get in on the savings by downloading a coupon from the Center’s website, then bringing it to Travelpro at the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores to receive a coupon booklet valued up to $400 in savings. Savvy discount shoppers can learn about these discounts, as well as specific stores and their hours by following the center on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, as well as visiting http://www.lbvfs.com. Many stores offer last-minute deals so it’s a great idea to follow the center and check online frequently! Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is located just one mile from Walt Disney World at 15657 S Apopka Vineland Road (State Road 535) Orlando, FL 32821-6316, two miles south of I-4, Exit 68. Open daily. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-9pm, and 10am-7pm on Sunday.
Ok, friends…I promised you a giveaway & here are the details:
Just in time for your fall & holiday shopping, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is providing an awesome $50 gift card to one lucky reader of this blog. Please note that this offer is only valid for one winner, one time, through 2016.
Winner must pick up gift certificate in the mall office any week day between 10am-5pm, OR at the mall’s Information Booth on Saturday, October 22nd during the 20th Anniversary Event. Please be prepared to show a photo ID. Please note that gift certificates MUST be picked up between October 17 – November 17, 2016. Gift certificates are unable to be mailed, sorry.
Contest runs today, October 9th through Friday, October 14th at 8:00 am, EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will notified by reply to comments in this post. Winner must respond back to me within 24 hours or prize will be forfeited & another winner will be chosen at random.
TO ENTER:
1. “Like” this post
2. If you do not already, please subscribe to follow this blog. Enter your email address on the “Follow Us” link on the left-hand side-bar of this page.
3. In the comments below, share your preferred holiday shopping strategy. For example, are you a plan ahead type, or do you like to do it all last minute? …Or, maybe a little of both? 🙂
NOTE: One entry per subscribed email address, please.
That’s it! Pretty easy, right?!?!
Good luck & Happy Fall Shopping!
This is a sponsored post with Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. All opinions posted are my own.
Last weekend, we gathered together to celebrate a very happy occasion….
The 3rd Birthday for Orlando Moms Blog!!
While the blog was created in May 2013 by our owner/founder, Ms. Kristi Corley, it officially launched & went LIVE in September 2013. So, for that, we celebrate this September as our 3rd birthday.
We were also SO excited to celebrate this birthday because this year has been one of significant growth for OMB. We reached a milestone with our Facebook page following with 5k followers during the year, and now proudly have over 6k!!! We also have almost 2500 followers on Instagram and over 1k followers on Twitter. We love Orlando Mamas & look forward to all the new adventures this next year will bring ❤
So fun to be able to hang out with some of our team…love these ladies!
Also got to have my favorite boys along with me for the evening ❤ …so fun!!
photo credit for above two pictures — Where You Went Photography
Liam enjoyed coloring these cupcakes 🙂
HUGE thank you’s to all the sponsors for the fab swag bags we got to take home!
Also, thank you to the Paper Goat Post for hosting our soiree. Such a lovely venue!
It’s been 2 years and 3 months since my 1st article when live with OMB. You can check out all my posts with them HERE.
It’s been a while since I’ve cranked out a post for OMB, but Kristi has been so supportive in allowing me to make family a priority these last few months so that’s why you haven’t seen me there…but my support for those mamas remains strong. I love that this group is a great parenting resource for our community, and I’m excited to see the ways we will grow in the future! Each contributor brings their unique background, story, and perspective to each post, and I really love that!
Orlando Moms Blog is part of the City Moms Blog Network, and if you’re not local to Orlando, please click HERE to find a sister site in your area 🙂
CHEERS TO YOU, ORLANDO MOMS BLOG!! …AND, HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY!
Hi Friends!
My latest post with Orlando Moms Blog is up today and it’s definitely one that I wrote from my heartstrings. ❤
You can link to the full post HERE.
Our Orlando community experienced insurmountable tragedy in recent days, but in the wake of this, we have pulled together and will rise above with LOVE and as one, strong community unit, as well as county. I did not want to necessarily talk to our little one about this just yet, but it kind of just naturally unfolded. However, I did so in a way that was age appropriate and with love and respect to his little heart & mind.
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thanks for reading!
Hi Friends!
My latest post with Orlando Moms Blog is up today….just in time for the start of summer, which is sneaking up on us, right?!?!
You can link to the full post HERE.
I’m definitely not a fan of over scheduling our family time – which can be easy to do these days! I want to focus on making memories this summer, so this post gives you a simple list of activities to do together this summer!
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happy reading!
Hi friends! Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it. And soon after that, you’ll want to look your best for springtime holidays (Easter is March 27) and get ready for gift giving for moms, dads and grads in May. Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is an ideal place to shop for all of your springtime needs, from leather handbags and strappy sandals to workout gear, swimwear and that perfect, all-occasion dress.
That’s why I plan to head to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, where shopping is hassle-free and you can find factory-direct premium quality merchandise at savings up to 75% off (and sometimes more). Plus, there’s easy store front parking, so getting in and out quickly is a breeze!
Today, I’m excited to share with you a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the mall, where you can select merchandise where you can find deals at their designer and name-brand outlet stores, including their new Express and eSunWear Swimwear Outlet, newly-expanded Ann Taylor LOFT, plus other well-known outlets including U.S. Polo Assn., Nike, OshKosh B’Gosh, Tommy Hilfiger Stores, G by GUESS, Justice, Carter’s, Crocs, Calvin Klein, Levi’s®, Aeropostale, Converse, Famous Footwear Outlet, Fossil, Rack Room Shoes, and many more. Several stores sell approved uniform merchandise. (Sorry, Gap and Old Navy outlets do not accept gift certificates). Don’t forget to stop by and treat yourself at Lindt Chocolate, too!
Even if you don’t win, you can get in on the savings by downloading a coupon from the Center’s website, then bringing it to Travelpro at the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores to receive a coupon booklet valued up to $400 in savings. Savvy discount shoppers can learn about these discounts, as well as specific stores and their hours by following the center on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, as well as visiting http://www.lbvfs.com. Many stores offer last-minute deals so it’s a great idea to follow the center and check online frequently! Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is located just one mile from Walt Disney World at 15657 S Apopka Vineland Road (State Road 535) Orlando, FL 32821-6316, two miles south of I-4, Exit 68. Open daily. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-9pm, and 10am-7pm on Sunday.
Ok, friends…I promised you a giveaway & here are the details:
Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores is providing a sweet $50 gift card to one lucky reader of this blog. Please note that this offer is only valid for one winner, one time, through 2016.
Winner must pick up gift certificate in the mall office any week day between 10am-5pm. Please be prepared to show a photo ID. Please note that gift certificates MUST be picked up between Feb. 10-March 10, 2016. Gift certificates are unable to be mailed, sorry.
Contest runs today, January 28th through Tuesday, February 2nd at 8:00 am, EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will notified by reply to comments in this post. Winner must respond back to me within 24 hours or prize will be forfeited & another winner will be chosen at random.
TO ENTER:
1. “Like” this post
2. If you do not already, please subscribe to follow this blog. Enter your email address on the “Follow Us” link on the left-hand side-bar of this page.
3. In the comments below, share your preferred holiday shopping strategy. For example, are you a plan ahead type, or do you like to do it all last minute? …Or, maybe a little of both? 🙂
NOTE: One entry per subscribed email address, please.
That’s it! Pretty easy, right?!?!
Good luck & Happy Shopping!
Over the last few weeks, not only did we enjoy the Christmas & New Year holidays, but Liam & I also enjoyed some time off of school & work. I am fortunate to work for an amazing university that closes at the holidays so I pull little man out of daycare to hang out with me, too. We wish Daddy could pal around with us, but he’s got an important job to do …and at least, we had the weekends & after work to play 🙂
Liam had really enjoyed riding his new bike and getting used to this “big boy ride”. He was zooming around the sidewalk in no time.
We hit up Sea World on Christmas weekend to check out their holiday decorations. The park really looked festive! We spent a lot of time this season checking out Christmas decorations and lights at various venues, and just driving through local neighborhoods. So fun!! I think we found a new tradition that we’ll continue in years to come. All of us thoroughly enjoyed it.
At the time, we thought this was going to be our last visit before our annual passes expired, as well as Liam’s Preschool Pass….BUT, the park JUST announced this week that the Preschool Pass is returning for 2016 so we may be going back again. It’s such a great deal 🙂
One of things we were most excited to see this visit was the holiday update to the Wild Artic ride — for Christmas, it becomes The Polar Express Experience! This is one of Liam’s most favorite Christmas movies, and he was over the moon to see this 🙂 …it was such a cool ride! You really felt like you were on the train & in the movie.
Watching a clip of the movie before we “boarded”….
All smiles & ready to do it again….
New Year’s week, my Orlando Mom’s Blog team gave us the awesome opportunity to hang out at the Science Center for the afternoon. We had let our annual passes lapse over the summer, so it had been almost 6 months since we last visited. It was so fun to see my team members from OMB, and we also hung out with Aunt Heather & cousin Sierra. Such a fun afternoon. I literally had to drag Liam out of there after FIVE hours! 🙂 …this mama was wore out!
We were thrilled to see the new additions to the Nature Works exhibit. The fish tanks are beautiful, and the kiddos loved picking up the different star fish and examining them. What a great experience for sensory learning!
New Year’s Day, we took little dude to the local carnival. He had been asking & asking to go, so we caved. This same one comes around at the holidays each year, and honestly, it was surprising that Stephen & I had never been to it, ourselves, in the past. It was super fun!
Can you tell that Liam is used to me taking pictures? 🙂 …cheese!!
quick selfie while little man was driving a tractor in the background…ha!
these two….driving bumper cars!
We met up with Aunt Heather & cousin, Sierra again…these kiddos love hanging out together. I can only imagine what this pic will look like in about 12 years from now…when they REALLY want to take the car for a drive together . Lord help us! 🙂
baby teacups!
Seriously, this Ferris Wheel was GINORMOUS!! …My people rode it. I did NOT. I was freaking out while they rode it. Too big & too high for me. Liam loved it (of course!).
It was a fun & restful break from work & school. I was able to get some things done around the house that I needed to, and Liam enjoyed playing with his new Christmas presents. I do think he missed his friends from school, though, and the structure/routine that he’s used to. I know after a while we did 🙂 …haha!
Until next time, friends
Hi Friends!
I’m sharing some holiday fun over on Orlando Moms Blog. I hope you will check it out 🙂
You can link to the full article HERE
I am all about having fun with my kiddo at the holidays and making memories to last a lifetime. What I am not about, however, is stressing myself out in the process. One tradition we enjoy each holiday is getting together to decorate gingerbread houses. Over the years, we’ve perfected the process to make it as simple as possible, so today, I’m sharing my tips with you!
Happy Reading!
Casa de Murphy 