My Pura Vida Party Bus Experience with Godsmack at the Rockstar UPROAR Festival

this post is sponsored by Lunchbox and TRESemmé however all thoughts, opinions and tutorials are my own.
As a stay at home mom you can find me most days in blue jeans, a tee and a pony tail…there are days that I take extra time to do my hair & full makeup, but it is rare…I really love the times I get to get dolled up and attend an event! It’s not that I don’t care about my everyday appearance, with 4 kids, a tot that I chase after all day, chores and a blog to run…I stay pretty busy and don’t feel it’s necessary to do my hair or get all dressed up (yes anything above jeans and a tee is dressed up..lol).
While I don’t take selfies often, when I do my hair and full makeup I’m happy to be in front of the camera and share it with the world. Why? Because changing your hair changes your mood, your presence and the way others perceive you. such a small thing can have such a BIG impact. this may be one of the reasons i am so excited to share this awesome sweepstakes opportunity.
TRESemmé is offering a chance to win a prize pack in their TRESemmé Transformation Sweepstakes that includes: Premium Hair Straightener TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Shampooo TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Conditioner TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Heat Activated Treatment.
So what do you have to do to enter?
Step 1 – Snap a picture of your “before” hair.
Step 2 – Style and transform your look!
Step 3 – Capture your “after” hairstyle.
Step 4 – Use a photo collage app or side-by-side photo app to post your photo to Instagram using the hashtag #TRESemméTransformation.
Step 5 – Fill out THIS FORM and submit your Instagram link.
So what are you waiting for!? Lets see those transformations! I’ve shared mine:
Leave your Instagram link for me to check out below! I’d love to check out how you transform your hair!
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.”

Summers here and the time is right for hosting parties or just hanging out on the back porch. Margaritas are always a hit at summertime parties, & I love this fresh peach version because it’s light, & fruity. Once you start making this peach cobbler margarita you just might get addicted too!
Ingredients:
1 peach
4 oz peach margarita mix
4 oz tequila
2 oz peach vodka
2 oz hazelnut liqueur
1 cup Ice
garnish brown sugar and crushed graham crackers
Instructions:
Blend ingredients in blender until smooth
rim glass with water or lime
garnish with brown sugar and crushed graham crackers
pore in drink mixture
top with sliced peach

With the holidays upon us, we will be welcoming guests from near and far. When welcoming guests from afar you want to have your guest room ready to welcome them. There’s nothing worse than welcoming your guests with a cold, uninviting room to live out of for the duration of their visit. I have teamed up with BrylaneHome to bring you a few tips to create a warm, cozy, inviting room that your guest will love to stay in.
Cozy up the Bed. No one wants to sleep in a cold stark bed. Try adding cotton flannel sheets, a plush comforter, and a few fun throw pillows to make the bed inviting and warm. There’s nothing like snuggling into a plush comforter. It’s one of my favorite things to pull out for the winter. Down comforters are a great option and will keep you guests warm plus you can change out the duvet cover to create a different look for each guest or year. I love using cotton flannel sheets to cozy up the bed for the winter. While a bedspread can keep you pretty warm on it’s own, cotton flannel sheets will be something your guests can snuggle into like a bear in hibernation. My rule for pillows…2 per person…it’s nice to have that extra pillow just in case they need it. Now for me throw pillows are just plain fun! They add a bit of holiday whimsy and color…like this snowflake throw from BrylaneHome…I absolutely love the pattern and just the hint of sparkle.
Warm up the room with lighting. I love using lamps in the guest room rather than overhead lighting. Lamps give off a much warmer glow and gives the room more of an intimate and cozy feeling. Just make sure you don’t buy “daylight” lighting, you want to get more of a soft light. When it comes to picking out lamps for the guest room, don’t be scared to be a little playful, but don’t limit yourself to a “theme”. You want to get a lamp that will work with any decor and any season. If you have taller ceilings or bedposts like mine, you can most definitely go for a larger lamp. You wouldn’t want to get a tiny lamp…it will be overpowered by the other elements and disappear.
Seasonal Decor. Adding a few seasonal decor items like these Rustic Trees adds a bit of seasonal fun and whimsy. You don’t want to go crazy and overwhelm your guests with an in your face holiday theme. You want to add subtle hints of seasonal decor for a classy look. I love these Rustic Trees in the corner. They add visual interest and color to a bare spot in the room. I also like to change out the “feature” over the bed. Here I added a simple pine wreath for a bit of color.
Prep The Bathroom. It may or may not be attached to the bedroom, but the guest bath is just as important in preparing for guests this holiday season. Add in a few fresh coordinating towels, & replace your regular decor with tasteful holiday decor.
Don’t Forget The Welcome “Basket”. Yes, you’ve already welcomed them into your home, but what’s nicer than walking into your room and finding a few goodies and essentials for your stay! It’s a nice gesture and will have your guest feeling like they are staying at a B&B.
It’s All About The Little Details. Have a female guest? Try adding a dish for her to place her jewelry in for the night, a favorite holiday book on the bedside, and scented candles. Your guests will totally appreciate the extra thought you put into their stay.
I love the holidays, hosting family and friends and sharing in the festivities brings a smile to my face. Do you have any favorite tips you have for preparing for guests?
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.”

As you all know the timeless classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital earlier this month. In this story, friends (the seven dwarfs) come together to save someone they truly love.
Recently, a fellow blogger friend Tiffany unexpectedly lost her husband Sean, who was only 35 years. Tiffany is now left as the sole breadwinner & caretaker of herself and their two adorable young children named Jasmine (8) and Seanie (4).
It didn’t take long for our blogging community to come together & get behind her not just in spirit, but financially as well. Thanks to Teresa from Making it All Work, a GoFundMe account was set up to donate to help Tiffany and her kids to help them get through this gut-wrenching period.
I can’t begin to imagine what Tiffany and her kids are going through. I do know that she has a ton of support from her loving family & friends, as well as from the blogging community. She’s an incredibly sweet and giving person, so it’s no surprise that others are giving back to help her out.
Visit Fabulous Mom Blog
Follow Tiffany: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Donate to the Cruz Family Memorial Fund
Win a Mega Snow White Mega Prize Package
Over $150 Worth of Disney Goodies!
This giveaway below is being run in conjunction with a number of other blogs, with the help of some great Disney reps, to help raise awareness (and traffic!) to Tiffany’s Fabulous Mom Blog. PLEASE visit her site, follow her social networks, and just show you care. A simple retweet or even comment on a blog post can go a very long way towards putting a smile on her face. And if you click through any of the affiliate links on her blog, you’ll be helping out one blogging family that’s helped so many others out before.
1 Lucky Winner takes home all of the following:
Snow White Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Snow White Journal
Golden Books Snow White piece of art
A Snow White Mug
You’ll also receive Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs of:
Sleeping Beauty
Walt Disney Short Films Collection
Mary Poppins
McFarland
Inside Out
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe Fine Print: Giveaway ends on March 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 1 winner will be chosen at random from all entries across participating blogs, and announced on this site. Giveaway is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including District of Columbia), who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. The 1 Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
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.”
Mother’s day is a day dedicated to all the mothers & mother figures who have blessed our lives. This year I’ve teamed up with Movies Anywhere in a paid sponsorship to create a “Ladies Night” to celebrate with the beautiful moms in my life. As you already know, Movies Anywhere is a digital platform for you to hold your entire digital film library (from iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango and Google) in one place across multiple devices. I love that I can now combine all my scattered movies in one place! It makes it easy to scroll through a pick out the perfect movie for Ladies Night.
It’s super easy to get set up. Just go to MoviesAnywhere.com and sign up for your new account. When you sign up they have you log into each of your other accounts to sync them. So what movies did we pick for our Ladies Night?
“Girls Trip”
“Moms Night Out”
“Sweet Home Alabama”
“How Stella Got Her Groove Back”
Each one would make for a great movie night just on its own, but this is a Mother’s Day Ladies Night…that’s extra special! I whipped up a few goodies & cocktails and set out a few items provided by Movies Anywhere that were met to pamper each of my moms.
We had Banana Fritters & Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Kabobs for “How Stells Got Her Groove Back”, Alabama Slammers for “Sweet Home Alabama” and Beignets & Big Easy Blush Cocktails for “Girls Trip”. Of course, no Ladies Night is complete without chocolates & no movie night is complete without popcorn!
Ingredients:
2 oz Grenadine
6 oz Lemonade
Pink Moscato
Cherries
Instructions:
In a glass of choice, add Grenadine & lemonade & top with pink Moscato to fill the glass. Garnish with cherries.

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Disney Infinity has brought many hours of fun to our home over the years, so when I heard that 3.0 was going to include Star Wars I was over the moon! I was able to learn more about what would be included and play with it a little at D23 Expo in August & I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one of my own! Thankfully Disney sent me a starter set and a few figures a few weeks ago so that I can share my Disney Infinity 3.0 Review with you, so lets get started!
What is Disney Infinity?
Disney Infinity 3.0 is an action-adventure sandbox video game. Heroes and villains. Sorcerers and Super Heroes. Princesses and pirates. For generations Disney, Disney•Pixar, MARVEL and Star Wars™ storytelling has sparked our imaginations with characters and worlds of magic, action, and adventure. Now, Disney Infinity invites you and your family to enter those worlds and game experiences where you can put your imagination to play.
Disney Infinity supports a range of figurines — in this case Marvel and Disney Originals characters. Players place them on a USB peripheral called the Infinity Base to bring the characters into the game. Players can expand their game by buying additional characters, Play-Sets, and temporary upgrades called Power Discs.
What’s in the Starter Set?
Basic Starter Set
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base
2 Star Wars™ Figures: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker
1 Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece
1 Web Code Card
Star Wars Saga Bundle
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition base,
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition video game software
1 Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set piece, (1) Ahsoka Tano figure, (1) Anakin Skywalker figure,
1 Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set piece, (1) Luke Skywalker figure, (1) Princess Leia figure
1 Boba Fett figure
1 Web Code card (unlocks content for PC/mobile)
Now Available on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Wii U™, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Of course like other Infinities, other character figures are sold separately and in play sets. You can also purchase power disks which you use to modify Disney Infinity Play Set gameplay and modify or customize Toy Box worlds.
Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm launched Star Wars™ Rise Against the Empire for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, a new Play Set that takes place during the original Star Wars trilogy. This set includes the Play Set piece, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa figures.
In the Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set, players will embark on galaxy-spanning missions with legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, Rebel leader Princess Leia Organa, heroic smuggler Han Solo and his trusty co-pilot Chewbacca to help defeat Darth Vader and overthrow the evil Galactic Empire. With non-stop action, players can explore open world planets like Tatooine on foot or on a Bantha, take down AT-AT walkers on snowspeeders on Hoth, out-maneuver stormtroopers on speeder bikes on Endor, and partake in epic space battles in an X-wing in attempt to destroy the Death Star.
I was so excited to be one of the 5000 people at D23 Expo to get the limited Mickey Kingdom Hearts III Power Disk!!
Game Play
You have a set of main story missions which will take you across the planet levels and a ton of optional side missions. Completing them will net you one to three stars depending on the length and difficulty of each. Unlike previous versions of the game, you don’t have to collect ten coins to unlock a character, you just need one.
Like in previous versions you will need to collect sparks. Collecting Orange Sparks will level up your character allowing you to upgrade them using the new Skill Tree. Broken into different sections, the Skill Tree is now a lot easier to use. The Blue Sparks are the in-game currency and they’re used to purchase anything and everything from the Toy Box. This is all the stuff you use to create your own levels or decorate your own space in the My INterior section. Everything from buildings, to terrain, to decorations and vehicles is available here and it’ll take a lot of time to gather enough Blue Sparks to buy it all. Trust me I tried so hard in 2.0 and still couldn’t buy it all!
The My INterior section is where you can design your own “house” with as many rooms and decorations as you want. This is one of my favorite parts of the “Toy Box”!! I love creating themed rooms! My favorite from my 2.0 were my “Nightmare Before Christmas” & Beauty & The Beast” rooms! In 3.0 you’ll be able to add special sidekick rooms which will unlock some nice bonuses.
The hosts will give you a series of missions which will explain a lot of the game play. They’ll teach you all about vehicles, combat, exploration, creation, and more. You’ll be able to jump into themed levels, Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel, Star Wars, and more, fighting off enemies on your way to a boss battle at the end of each level. There are collectibles to be found and sidekicks to unlock.
In 3.0 each character play is entirely unique in their style and approach. Whereas before, it tended to feel very similar between characters, everyone now has a distinct style and skill tree now.
The other big section of the Toy Box Hub is the Main Street area which is modeled after the one in the Disney parks. You can enter Flynn’s arcade from here to partake in some online multiplayer games, or head into El Capitan theater where you can watch the latest episode of Toy Box TV.
You’ll also find three doors to a themed Hall of Heroes for each version of the game. The original Disney Infinity one is set in a garden, Marvel is set in the helicarrier command center, and Star Wars is set in the ceremony room from the end of A New Hope. Each will unlock statues of your owned characters as you level them up.
Be sure to spend some time in the Hub getting to know more about the game. Presents will randomly appear the longer you’re there. These are always something from the Toy Stores so it becomes one less thing you’d need to buy with the Blue Sparks you spend so much time collecting.
Overall Thoughts
This is a fun game that the whole family can enjoy. The boys absolutely love playing and we are all thrilled that we can play as our favorite Star Wars, Marvel & Disney characters!! If you love video games and letting your imagination run wild while playing as your favorite character, then this is the game for you! It’s set up for hours of fun and adventure with your imagination. Now the pieces can get a little pricey so I suggest waiting for the holiday sales and search for the best deals.
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.”