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What Are the Best Aquariums in the Country?

When it comes to our gift list this Christmas, we always try to do one “experience” gift for the whole family! So far we’ve done season passes to the zoo, to Busch Gardens and to our local aquarium. And for some reason, the girls REALLY took to the aquarium. Our passes have been expired for a few months now, and they ask almost weekly to go back!

What Are the Best Aquariums in the Country? #aquarium #underthesea Click To Tweet

For many people, particularly families traveling, aquariums can, in and of themselves be a reason to visit a particular location. And aquariums are great for parents and children alike. When you take your children to an aquarium, it allows them to see first-hand different animals and habitats. It expands their minds beyond what they see in their everyday world. 

Aquariums can also be a good place to learn about protecting the environment and the effects our behaviors have on the world around us, plus many aquariums provide opportunities for interactive and hands-on learning. 

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New Product Review: Basic Invite

It’s that time of the year, folks! We are officially in the midst of “the holidays”, and one of the most important things on MY list this time of year is: Christmas cards. Here’s our card from last year:

Not too bad! I ran short on time and had to pound these out at Walgreen’s. They ended up being your basic cheap Christmas cards, but I thought they were cute! (And YES, I did include the crying child. Because she cries a lot and I figured, why not share. HA!)

New Product Review: Basic Invite #holidaycards Click To Tweet

Normally I like to order my cards online, just so I can get them perfectly customized, and take my time with all of the options…you know how it goes. The only thing with online ordering is, you’re never quite sure exactly what you’re getting, right?

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New Product Review: Winnie’s Picks

Everyone pretty much knows about me and photos. I love to take them, I love to have them, I love to decorate with them. In fact, I’m currently anxiously awaiting our yearly family photo shoot pics to come back from our photographer! SO excited to see them!

So when Gaetan from Winnie’s Picks contacted me about reviewing their premium paint by numbers (for adults!) products, well, color me interested. (See what I did there?) I used to LOVE paint by numbers when I was a kiddo, so I figured this would be super fun!

New Product Review: Winnie's Picks! #paintbynumbers #diyproject Click To Tweet

But Gaetan took the fun a step further when he told me I could SEND him a picture of my own and he would turn it into a custom paint by numbers canvas! WHAT?! How cool is that?!

So, I did. I sent him a pic. Here’s the one:

I mean, I think they’re kinda cute! Might be fun to paint, right?!

When my shipment from Winnie’s arrived, I was super excited to open it!

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6 Fun and Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time

If there’s one problem that us humans never fail to solve, it’s being bored. These days, most people who find themselves with nothing to do end up binging Netflix, browsing Instagram, or playing Xbox. While you are obviously free to do with your spare time as you please, it’s worth considering how excessive media consumption can affect your life.

6 Fun and Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time! #freetime #frugalfun Click To Tweet

In a 25-year study of over 3,200 people, participants who watched television for more than three hours per day performed worse on cognitive tests than those who spent less time behind the screen. Another study of 11,000 teenagers found that girls who use social media were more likely to suffer from poor sleep quality and depression. 

But let’s not get too morbid here. You’ve come this far, which means that you’re interested in finding fun and frugal ways to spend your free time. Fortunately, your options are wide in variety and plenty in number. And if you’re anything like me, and sometimes need a break from all things domestic, here are six ideas to help you get started.

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Reducing Food Waste In and Out of Your Home

If there’s anything I hate, it’s wasting food. Goodness. When I find old leftovers in the fridge that we’ve forgotten about, and it’s covered in mold and I have to toss it, I get so agitated with myself. I hear the voice of my mom in my head after she sat dinner in front of us and we wrinkled our noses: “Children in Africa are starving. EAT!”

Reducing Food Waste In and Out of Your Home #reducewaste #foodwaste #wastenotwantnot Click To Tweet

Americans spend an average of 9.7% of their income on food with 5% for food at home and 4.7% for food away from home. Unfortunately, Americans also waste a lot of food with consumers throwing away one pound per day or 225-290 pounds a year according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Decreasing the amount of food that is thrown away not only benefits your household budget, saving you money, but also helps the environment reducing methane emissions and conserving energy and resources.

Sustainability Goals at Home

Reducing food waste is a sustainable business model that is currently trending among restaurants and food establishments. It can also be replicated at home considering that around 1.3 billion tons of food are thrown out each year worldwide.  

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