Jumpin-Beans

This past Monday, I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday...  I had a great day and felt loved by my family and friends.  That being said, I wanted to share with you a great gift idea... Perfect for a birthday gift, or a Christmas present!  I am IN LOVE with the subscription box, Once Upon a Book Club!  The latest book I was able to review- The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson. FTC Compliant Review Policy:    The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are  my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. So more about Once Upon a Book Club -  You get an awesome box in the mail and open up to a world of wonderful gifts!  Like I said, I was able to get The Lost Tickey by Freya Sampson.  To be honest, I was worried it would be one that had me in tears-  London (bucket list for me), a love story and a man with dementia on a mission to find his one t

Now, I am not personally familiar with this organization, but I have heard of them...  And if not this one, maybe just think about donating coats to someone this year that might be in need!   As summer fades and anticipation of a new school year looms, parents are busy with the usual preparations. Buying new school supplies, scheduling haircuts, and adjusting sleep schedules are the obvious tasks on the back-to-school checklist. However, there’s a crucial element that can be added to this annual ritual; an opportunity to teach our children about the power of giving back.  Parents should not just reset their routines and refresh their children’s wardrobes but also consider donating outgrown or unused coats for a worthy cause.  These donations to  One   Warm   Coat  will be used to  warm  children and adults in need this winter.    37 million or 11% of all Americans now live in poverty, struggling to afford basic necessities . That includes 11 million children according to the Children’s

Yall - It is crazy to think this little firecracker is 8 years old now!  Where has the time gone?  I feel like it was not too long ago that I was telling Broxton that he was going to be a BIG BROTHER, but then it feels like a lifetime ago as well.  Time is such a crazy thing...   Anyways, for those that know me, this is a repeat, but for any newbies out there - a quick recap... We try and go to Biloxi each summer.  With Savannah's birthday in July and mine in August, it just sort of made sense... not to mention it was a great time for family vacation as well.  Well, a few years ago, my dad spotted THE SUGAR FACTORY was opening up at the Hard Rock Biloxi - and of course that meant we would have to check it out whenever we went for our summer / birthday trip!   When our trip finally happened, I took the kids to The Sugar Factory for lunch one day and the food was pretty good...  when they did a birthday celebration for another customer in there, I knew that we WOULD for sure be back,

Well, well, well...  I am sorry I have been out of blogging for a while now, but things have been happening.   I am here and I am still active on Instagram, but the blogging has been pushed back, but I am back now!!!  Make sure to follow me on Insta to keep up with the day to day!!!! Just a little post to give an update on how life has been.   First of all, I am going to be a grandma!!!! Remember how Marc has older boys than our two?  Well, the one that joined the Coast Guard called me back in the beginning of the year to let me know his girlfriend was pregnant!  She is due any day now, so my heart can't take it!  I keep waiting for a text with a picture of the newest baby to love!   Next - my baby brother, Ashton - well they had their baby at the end of last year.  He is a beautiful baby boy and I sure do love him!   Savannah has somewhat grown out of her UNICORN OBSESSION stage... She still love them, but where we had unicorn theme birthdays the last few years... She decided that

 We are finally at the stage now where Savannah loves Harry Potter!  She was into it a bit last year and we started watching the movies, but then "life" happens and it kind of got pushed to the side... We started it back up again recently... I had originally asked friends for the DVD's to borrow - and I did not realize how many HP fans are out there - but I spotted a deal online and we ended up buying the set.  Anyways, don't judge... better late than never, right?   So, after finally getting into the whole magic of Harry Potter, when I realized the Harry Potter Exhibition was still in Atlanta, I was so excited to be able to make a trip out of it and go check it out...  FTC Compliant Review Policy:    The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are  my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. We drove up to see Harry Potter-

We love movie night around here and we love singing... So when the chance to review Lyle, Lyle Crocodile came our way, we were excited to get a chance to watch it.  I will be honest, I had not heard of it, but Savannah had and was so thrilled that we had it headed our way.  BUT - when the movie arrived, it was right here around the holidays and life gets hectic then, as we all know... So between everything we had going on here and then them going to visit their dad, it was hard to find the time to watch it... We did try it, but it was getting late, so we had to turn it off and not finish it.  Now that the holidays are behind us, we decided to give it another go - we really enjoyed what we saw when we were watching it the first time, but like I said.. TIME was not on our side...  FTC Compliant Review Policy:    The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed

I love the holidays.  It seems a bit forced for some... and rushed for most... but I love that families TRY to come together.  I mean, it is sad that sometimes the only time you see them is at the holidays, but it really is better than nothing, right?  For me, I love the family time.. The love, the traditions, the giggles and the laughs.  That being said, I thought today, the DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS was a perfect time to share this book with you...  Shiny Happy People!    FTC Compliant Review Policy:    The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are  my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Shiny Happy People (R.E.M., Illustrated by Paul Hoppe with Shinyeon Moon, Nov. 15) is an illustrated adaptation of the hit 1991 R.E.M. song “Shiny Happy People.” This lively picture book follows the unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a fox as they t