As many of you know, I had the wonderful opportunity recently to spend the weekend in beautiful Hershey, Pennsylvania. A few weeks ago, I shared with you some of the delicious dining options and hotel accommodations in a post to help each one of you find your sweet escape. This week, I wanted to discuss all of the outdoor adventures that you can have with your family in Hershey. During the spring and summer months, is the best time of the year to get out and experience all of the fun outdoor activities that Hershey has to offer. By far, one of my favorite parts of my weekend trip to Hershey was our visit to ZooAmerica, a year-round, 11-acre, walk-thru zoo adjacent to Hersheypark. They offer a variety of behind-the-scenes tours for those who are curious about what happens at the zoo during the early morning hours and after it closes. We were treated to an After-Hours Tour where we joined … [Read more...]
Find Your Outdoor Adventure In Hershey Pennsylvania! #HersheyPA @HersheyPA #Ad
Spark Curiosity Through Early Learning! #SparkAMind #IC @HMHCo #Ad
*This post was sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. When I was growing up, I was a reluctant reader and refused to read unless I was required to do so for school assignments or homework. This was very upsetting to my mother who had always been an avid reader and tried to instill a love of literature in us kids since we began our early learning. She knew that once I realized how wonderful books were, it would spark a lifelong love of reading in me. Finally, in fourth grade, a family friend gave me a box of old books that she had put away from when she was a young girl. I decided to start reading them and I immediately fell in love with reading! It was almost like a lightbulb went off over my head and I realized how wonderful it was to be transported into the worlds and adventures inside the books that I was reading. Unfortunately, in … [Read more...]
Step Into A Healthier Life, We Dare You! @myUHC #Ad
As many of you know, I have been a Leukemia Survivor since 2007 and being proactive about my health is extremely important to me. The truth is that my life depends on me striving to live a healthy life and it is a responsibility that I take very seriously. We Dare You is a campaign UnitedHealthcare has been running for a few years that dares people to live healthier lives every day, one step at a time. The dares focus on encouraging healthy living as well as on taking control of your health care. Most families that have members who live with chronic medical conditions like I do, spend quite a bit of money on health insurance and copayments. As a result, being frugal and mindful of health expenses can be a real cost saver. By educating yourself about health care and learning how to navigate the complex health care system, you can save a little money. UnitedHealthCare wants to help you save and … [Read more...]
The Fold Versus Sprunch Debate Continues! #TweetFromTheSeat @Charmin #Ad
It's pretty common for things to get a little zany around here during the holidays. My husband and I feel like there just isn't enough time in the day to get all of the preparations and plan festivities while working full-time and running around with our boys. Every year, we find something to debate back and forth about in order to have some fun and tease each other as we run around trying to get everything ready. This year, we are back to disagreeing about the proper way to handle toilet paper when you are taking care of your business. Yes, I know, this is a comical topic of conversation but that is what married people who have been together almost seventeen years do, talk about anything and everything. In our case, since he has always been a folder and I have always been a spruncher, this is not the first time that this subject has come up. I can still remember it like it was just yesterday, that fateful moment when I … [Read more...]
Men’s Bathroom Etiquette, According To Hubby! #EnjoyTheGo @Charmin #Ad
Last weekend, my husband and I took our boys out to dinner. Whenever we go out to eat, Hubby always takes our sons to the men's bathroom with him when they have to go. We are definitely helicopter parents and we worry about them being alone with strangers in public bathrooms, but I digress. Once they returned to the table, my husband proceeded to tell me that a guy in it had broken "Guy Code" when it comes to bathroom etiquette. Now, let me tell you, I had no idea that there are so many rules for how guys are supposed to behave in the men's bathroom. According to my husband, everyone knows that you are supposed to skip the urinal next to a guy who is already using one. It seems the offensive guy in the bathroom had failed to do this and posted up in the next urinal. This whole rule was news to me because I thought guys basically had no rules for bathroom use. Apparently, you are not supposed to have any physical … [Read more...]
Invite Your Kids Into The Kitchen! #BensBeginners @UncleBens #Ad
Many parents don't realize that, in these modern technological times, they are forgetting to teach their children valuable life skills that will allow them to be self-sufficient in the future. One of these skills that seems to have gone by the wayside is learning how to cook. If we, as parents, only provide meals for our kids but never invite them into the kitchen we are not helping them to be independent and prepare their own meals as adults. The mission of the Fourth Annual Ben's Beginners™ Cooking Contest is quite simply to encourage parents and kids to cook together. The contest provides a platform for parents with kids in grades K-8 to connect with their children one meal at a time by going to unclebens.com and submitting a three-minute home video of their family preparing a rice-based dish while discussing their experience cooking together. Five winners will win $15,000 each for their family and a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for their … [Read more...]
Take A Stand Against Domestic Violence! #HopeLine @Verizon @SheSpeaksUp #Giveaway #Ad
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it is definitely a cause that I feel very strongly about. Unfortunately, a friend of mine whom I attended high school with was physically abused by one of her boyfriends. I can still remember sitting on the floor of the bathroom at school while she confessed to me that some of the bruises she had on her arms and legs had been cause by him. Honestly, I never imagined that anyone I loved would be treated this way and I was at a loss as to how to get her help. One thing I did know is that I had to get her away from him. Fortunately, my friend had a great support system and was able to remove herself from an abusive and dangerous relationship. Sadly, not all women who find themselves in this situation are so lucky. This is why it is so important to keep the dialogue going about domestic violence. It is a national problem that … [Read more...]
10 Tips For A Seamless Beginning To The School Year! #FallBackToSchool @FollettNews #Ad
Now that school is back in full swing, I was just commenting to a teaching colleague this afternoon that most students are starting to feel more comfortable. This can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on how you look at it. It's important for students to be happy with their teachers and classes so they will be more productive academically. On the other hand, it's also crucial for them to maintain the momentum they started the year off with so they will progress in their classes. As an educator for over fifteen years, I know a little something about how to have a seamless beginning to the school year. Here are my tips for doing so: Maintain open communication with your children by asking them about their school day and engaging them in conversation daily. Homework shouldn't be stressful. It's okay to stop for a little while and have your child come back to it once they have … [Read more...]
Tips For Having A Healthy School Year! #HealthyHabits #Lysol @KidzVuz #Ad
The school year is finally in full swing here in New York City and I am excited about how motivated students are to learn. Another reality when school is back in session is that kids and adults alike sometimes get sick due to the change of seasons. Unfortunately, I always manage to catch some kind of a cold as soon as I get back into the classroom in the fall. This year, I've been trying to keep the germs at bay by washing my hands regularly and cleaning the desks and doorknobs in my class. Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes are designed to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria throughout your home and even in my classroom. Cleaning with soap and water removes dirt, however, disinfecting kills germs on hard surfaces, providing additional protection. Since my students often sneeze and cough at their desks, this is a great way to stop the spread of colds and infections. Although I cannot control how germs are contained in my … [Read more...]
Join Us For Our After-School Snacking Adventure! #Snackation @Smuckers @Walmart #Ad
Recently, I shared with you all how our family headed to Walmart to shop for our after-school snack sampling adventure. We were inspired by Smucker’s® to come up with some delicious snacks for our boys to take with them to enjoy while they wait for me to pick them up from school after I get out of work. Of course, their first choice for what types of snacks we could make was anything containing peanut butter and jelly. In our home, we love Smucker’s® products. My boys had a great idea and told my husband and I that they wanted us to have a snack sampling adventure right at home where we make a variety of snacks and they taste them to choose their favorite. During our shopping trip to Walmart, we were able to pick up Smucker’s® jelly and JIF peanut butter and Whips. We also purchased Uncrustables and Goober spread. Having such delicious foods made it easy to come up with simple snack ideas that a Working … [Read more...]
