Embracing the Warmth of “Frozen Fever”: A Heartwarming Continuation

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Summer is here which usually means summer travels aren’t far behind! A lot of families, including my own, will be hitting the pavement to seek out new destinations and adventures. Road trips can sometimes be a little daunting especially for parents of young children, but it doesn’t have to be. To get you ready for your summer road trip, I have 5 Summer Road Trip Tips.
1. Make a playlist the whole family can get behind. Music makes everything better, IMO. If the kids are singing along to their favorite songs, they’re not arguing, and that’s a win for everyone! Some of my favorite road trip songs are: “Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles, “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf & “Route 66” by Chuck Berry…what are some of your favorite road trip songs?
2. Create a travel binder with a budget & checklists so you have everything planned out. From the route you plan to take, to the lists on what to take. You’ll also want to make sure your vehicle is tuned up and tires properly inflated. Filling up the tank & packing the car the night before will also help you get out the door on time. Planning sounds tedious, but it actually saves time, energy and stress!
3. Pack plenty of snacks and drinks. Our drive from here to my mom’s is roughly 4 hours. I pack each one of the kids a small snack per hour and two bottles of water or Gatorade. Snacks are usually some cracker packs, fruit snacks, chips, or trail mix…I like to keep it simple. Be sure you have a trash bag or two on hand and in their reach so you don’t end up with a floor or seat full of their snack trash.
4. Pack a bag with games or activities to keep the kids busy. We don’t have an entertainment system in our van so we rely on packing some favorite toys, color books, and travel games. A few of our favorites: Mickey Mouse Club House, Trolls Color Book, Magnetic Travel Board & Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game.
5. When traveling as a family, hotel rooms can sometimes become chaotic. Instead, try to book a suite (or two connecting rooms). The extra square footage can be beneficial and if you drove to your destination, you can even stow empty suitcases in your car to alleviate some clutter. Keeping rooms clean will cut down on frustration as well.
One of our favorite hotel stops, Red Roof PLUS+®, is rewarding travelers with RediRewards Sweepstakes, a massive prize per day summer giveaway. With more than 500 locations across the country—including more than 50 Red Roof PLUS+® upscale economy locations—Red Roof accommodates summer travelers on the go, whether they are looking to hit the beach on a sunny coast, take in a ballgame in America’s heartland or mix in a bit of summer sun into business travel, all while having a chance to win a big ticket prize.
Red Roof will give away an appealing prize each day, over 92 consecutive days, beginning June 1 and ending August 31. Travelers must be registered with Red Roof’s rich loyalty program, RediCard Rewards, to be entered. By simply registering for the free RediCard Rewards program, all new members receive one entry into the sweepstakes. Additionally, all members will receive one entry per qualified stay at a Red Roof property during the contest period. Prizes include lucrative gift cards, high-tech cameras, pulse-pounding speakers, high-definition televisions and more. For more information and contest rules, visit RediRewardsSweepstakes.dja.com.
Travelers will be able to find huge savings while they try to win. With redroof.com’s RediPromise™ program, customers can have peace of mind that they will receive the lowest rate available. When travelers book on redroof.com, if they find a lower rate within 24 hours of booking, Red Roof will not only adjust the reservation to the lower rate, but also take an additional 15 percent off the price!
Consumers can start planning the perfect summer trip now—and become a RediCard member to enter into the RediRewards Sweepstakes—at redroof.com or by calling 800.RED.ROOF.

Okay, so a few weeks ago I finally talked myself into going to the doctor for my weight issues…I’ve been up and down, have tried weight loss programs with no more than 7lbs lost…then started to gain while on it…since I quite that program, I’ve been gaining, so I just felt it was time. Anyways…I went to the dr. and they did all kinds of blood test. While nothing abnormal came up to account for my weight gain…the dr. did say that my cholesterol and triglycerides were way up…so, NO MORE FAT FRIED FOODS! Well, I knew that was coming since the day we bought our deep fryer…but we love our fried foods.
Along with being unhealthy, our fryer was a headache to clean and left residue on our cabinet and counter over time. I was introduced a few weeks ago to Rosewill’s Oil-less Fryer and at first was like how the heck does it work? We were both a little curious and skeptical on how the food would taste…
About the Rosewill Oil-less Fryer:
The Rosewill Oil-Less Fryer offers an easy and healthy way to fry your favorite foods! It utilizes air circulation technology for fast and even heat distribution, ensuring your food cooks thoroughly and quickly with less oil. Enjoy crispy fries, snacks, chicken, and more!
This machine has a handy drawer-like pan with a basket to place your foods in for frying. There’s a max line printed on the basket so no stressing on whether you put too much in or not. Ready to fry? Simply place food items in the basket, set in the pan and set the cooking time and temp. Then select the on/off button to start. Homemade fries need 1/2 Tbsp. oil when running and it is recommended to use oven ready snacks. The manual has a guide for times and temps.
We used it first with some french fries and they came out great! They were perfectly cooked, with the oil we either had them come out too soft or too hard, but this was the perfect cook. The only negative is the cooking times are a bit longer, like the fries took around 15 minutes versus 3-4 minutes in a fat fryer. It was a little smaller then we thought it would be, so It fits nicely on our countertop & is small enough to get tucked away in a cabinet.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Related

I grew up going to car shows pretty often, and back then they were pretty big events held in the local city auditorium. It’s been years since we attended an car show, so I was pretty excited when hubby came home the other day and told me about one that they were going to have one here.
I also grew up with my dad building and restoring old cars, so yeap, my first car was a 1978 Cheverolet Camero. I sure do miss my car (long story) but we had some great times through high school and collage.
Some friends hanging out on my baby in high school
Okay, so if you ask me about cars, i’m pretty clueless, I really just like to look…and even though I was a bit disappointed in the size of the “show” the cars were pretty awesome and the boys really enjoyed checking them out…
[slideshow_deploy id=’9459′]
Hopefully I can continue to enjoy small things like these with my boys! After all its about the fun with the family more than the size of the event.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is coming to San Antonio Dec. 27-28! My Readers Can Save on Tickets Now with this exclusive offer from US Family Guide.
It’s the ultimate holiday tradition and creates memories for a lifetime. The production includes over 200 romantic costumes and 10′ tall playful animal puppets; shimmering colorful, backdrops splashed with 3-D effects; life-sized Matrushka (Nesting) Dolls and a puppet show for shadowing the Nutcracker Story at the opening Christmas Party. During the battle with Nutcracker Prince and the 3-headed Rat King, a golden cannon shoots roses! In the Magical Snow Forest an authentic Russian style Troika Sleigh, known as the fastest sleigh in the world, is escorted by Father Christmas (Ded Moroz) and Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) on their way to Act II. The Great Russian Nutcracker is known for its dedication to world peace with Act II named the “Land of Peace and Harmony.” The first scene of Act II features a stunning “Dove of Peace” with a 20′ wingspan and danced by 2 dancers each with one feathered wing. All ages feel the spirit of the season at Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker! Use the code JOY to get the biggest discount of the season for your family.
Save on the Moscow Ballet’s celebrated Great Russian Nutcracker 2015 North American Tour. USE PROMO CODE: JOY
For a Full Schedule of Event Dates/Venues and Times please visit
http://www.nutcracker.com/buy-tickets

I encourage you to build your own creation out of cardboard and share it via social with the hashtag #TheBoxtrollsCC for a last chance to win an Imagination Box Prize valued at $5000! Learn how to enter-to-win and to see some of the amazing TheBoxtrolls inspired creations by visiting: www.TheBoxtrollsCardboardChallenge.com
THE BOXTROLLS releases in theaters on September 26!
Story: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
From busy mornings to those long summer travels, it is always a “berry” good idea to have snacks on hand for hungry little tummies. The boys love Entenmann’sLittle Bites Muffins, so I like to keep some on hand. They were excited to hear Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Strawberry Yogurt Muffins are back! I like them because they are not only a good source of calcium and vitamin D, but they come in perfectly portioned pouches ideal for snacking on-the-go no matter what time of day!
A usual seasonal favorite, Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Strawberry Yogurt is back by popular demand and here to stay just in time for strawberry season! Ripe for the picking, these moist, delicious muffins are made with real strawberries and feature a delicious blend of fruit and creamy yogurt that is sure to keep strawberry-lovers of all ages smiling together!
One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life reader is going to win three coupons & a $25 gift card to grab their own Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Strawberry Yogurt! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST June 7, 2016
THE FINE PRINT: ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY MEANS THAT YOU ACCEPT BOTH MY RULES & DISCLOSURE. I WILL NOTIFY WINNER VIA E-MAIL AND THEY WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO REPLY BEFORE I AM FORCED TO REDRAW WINNERS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS PRIZE VIA BLOG REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS ONCE. ONLY ONE ENTRANT PER MAILING ADDRESS PER GIVEAWAY. IF YOU HAVE WON THE SAME PRIZE ON ANOTHER BLOG, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN IT AGAIN. WINNER IS SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION. MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN! PLEASE ALLOW 8-12 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF PRIZING. MY SPARKLING LIFE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST OR MISDIRECTED PACKAGES. PRIZING & SAMPLES PROVIDED & SHIPPED BY ENTENMANN’S® LITTLE BITES. IN THE RARE OCCASION THAT A PRIZE DOES NOT ARRIVE (WHICH HAS HAPPENED), PLEASE NOTIFY ME.