• Travel

    The Varsity – Atlanta

    October 4, 2015 - By 

    One of my all time favorite spots in Atlanta is The Varsity, the world’s largest drive-in restaurant. Greasy burgers, chili dogs, mammoth onion rings, fresh cut fries…Can’t go wrong with a little heart attack on the plate every once in a while. Rob and I were in Atlanta a few weeks ago and stopped there for a late lunch/early dinner. Opening in the 1930’s, the Varsity has served the masses including many famous folks from Barrack Obama to Elvis Presley. When you walk up, you’ll hear them hollar, “What’ll Ya Have?” and when you step up the counter you better…

  • Travel

    4th of July in Chickamauga & Chattanooga

    September 30, 2015 - By 

    On the 4th of July, we drove through the area of the Chickamauga Battlefield. We first stopped at the visitor center where we were sent to a link on our iPhones that we could Bluetooth to our car to listen to a guided tour (Audio Tour). With the controversy that’s been going around as of late with the Confederate Flag, we saw many folks riding through the area showing their support of it. Wilder Brigade AKA Chimauga Tower (more info) provided beautiful views of the surrounding areas. After leaving the main battle field area, we stopped at Lee & Gordons…

  • Life

    Win an Alabama Beaches Swag Bag! #StayAlBeaches

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    Today I’m excited to be giving a way an awesome Swag Bag from Alabama Beaches! I can’t have a give away like this without saying that if you’ve never visited Alabama Coast, you need to add that to you travel list. You constantly hear about how great Florida beaches are and I agree there are some great beaches in Florida. However, I find Alabama’s beaches to be just as gorgeous with less crowds and a host of wonderful family activities. Lots of awesome stuff will be included in this swag bag prize. Beach towel, Tervis tumbler, a visor, beach tote,…

  • Dessert - Recipes - Sides

    Baked Cinnamon Apples

    September 28, 2015 - By 

    Cooler weather, leaves beginning to change, football… It is officially fall and I’m loving it! I love seeing the large bushels of apples at the market during this time of the year. This recipe is one of my favorite standbys. I used these Baked Cinnamon Apples as a side dish, a dessert (just add some whip cream or caramel sauce on top), or a warm afternoon snack! Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 3 peeled apples 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1 tsp. of cinnamon dash of all spice Directions: 1.…

  • Travel

    44th Annual National Shrimp Festival! #StayALBeaches

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Just around the corner is the 44th Annual National Shrimp Festival, which is a great excuse to travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama. The National Shrimp Festival is October 8th – 11th. It’s free to get in thanks to Zatarain’s as well as a host of other sponsors. The festival takes place right in front of The Hangout at the end of Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores. Not only is there 200 lbs. of fresh shrimp brought in daily, but there is also a great line up of entertainment, fine art, arts & crafts, as well as a Children’s Activity Village…

  • Travel

    James D. Martin Wildlife Park

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    A few weeks ago Rob and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Alex had a soccer game in Gadsden, AL, so we decided to make a day of it and head on up there. When I was googling free things to do in or around Gadsden I found James D. Martin Wildlife Park, which said it was a walking trail behind Gadsden Mall that is open to the public. I googled the mall address [Gadsden Mall 1001 Rainbow Drive Gadsden, AL 35901] and typed it into the GPS. When you turn into the mall, just follow around the edge of…

  • Beef - Dinner - Recipes

    Philly Cheesesteak Roll-Ups

    September 10, 2015 - By 

    It’s been awhile since I’ve come up with a new variation to my yummy roll-ups. The other night I had a serious craving for Philly Cheesesteaks, but we didn’t have any buns. Then, it occurred to me that I could make Philly Cheesesteak Roll-Ups. These were so delicious and since it was soccer practice night I could have them ready for on the go. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 lb. steak (I used a cheaper cut, like Chuck Steak) Next time I’m going to use frozen thinly sliced steak similar to this: Philly…

  • Travel

    Tennessee Aquarium {Chattanooga, TN}

    September 6, 2015 - By 

    During our 4th of July trip to Chattanooga one of the days we went to Tennessee Aquarium. When Rob and I first got together and even after we had Drew, we enjoyed spontaneous weekend road trips. Chattanooga was one the cities we would go to on those quick little jaunts. Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium was my favorite aquarium (until the Georgia Aquarium opened.) Needless to say I was super excited to get back there. Something we didn’t take into consideration was that we were there around a major holiday…Oops! It was super crowded, which made it really difficult to enjoy ourselves…

  • Life

    Band-O-Rama 2015

    September 5, 2015 - By 

    There are many sights and sounds that go with start of Fall. One of my favorite things about Fall is football and the sounds of the marching bands. At the end of the summer around here many times you step outside and you hear the tapping of the snares and the whistle of piccolos. My heart just jumps for joy. Here in town every year right before school starts one of the local high school hosts a gathering of bands from surrounding areas called Band-O-Rama. The Auburn University band comes too, which is very exciting and gets us all pumped…

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Mexican - Recipes - Sides

    Southwestern Salsa

    September 4, 2015 - By 

    I always enjoy going to “covered dish” events. Being the foodie that I am, I love food and trying new recipes makes me heart and my taste buds happy. When we were at the lake with our Scout Troop, I got to try a few new recipes that I kept a mental note of. One was a salsa similar to this one that I called Southwestern Salsa. This recipe is perfect for a potluck or covered dish event, because you can whip it up at the last minute or make it the night before. One thing to know about this…

  • Life

    Memories of the Month {8.2015}

    August 31, 2015 - By 

    This month I was happy about: getting to go to 2 weddings. This year I’m going to rate the books & movies. Here’s my rating system: ♥ ♥ = Love it! A must read/see! ♥ = Really good! Highly recommend. ✓ ✓ = Good, not great ✓ = Not much to talk about X = Awful. Total waste of time Movies I watched were: Rudy ✓ ✓ Leap Year ♥ Take Me Home ♥ You’re Not You ♥ The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2 ✓ ✓ TV Shows I watched were: Parenthood (Re-watching with Rob – Season 1 Neftlix) The…

  • Life

    18 years, What?

    August 30, 2015 - By 

    Today is Rob and my 18th wedding anniversary! Every year I’m amazed at how quickly time is flying by and it is just incredible. No one realized how life and in turn marriage changes through the years. Rob and Me on New Year’s Eve Day 2014 in Key West FloridaWhen we first got married we enjoyed date nights with deep conversations, staying up late working on little projects around the house, jumping in the car for an impromptu jaunt to where ever our hearts desired, and lots and lots of studying because we were still in college. Then, with kids…

  • Travel

    Hike at Cloudland Canyon

    August 29, 2015 - By 

    Over our 4th of July trip, we decided to go to Cloudland Canyon State Park, which is located in the northwest corner of Georgia about 25 miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee. This Georgia state park covers 3,485 acres on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. Rugged landscaping and views of Sitton Gulch Creek, which splits the mountain. There is a paved, wheelchair accessible for about a quarter of a mile that overlooks the edge of the canyon. There are 4 more hiking trails that are range from moderate to strenuous. The Waterfalls Trail starts off paved and then moves into the…

  • Life

    Auburn Thunder 2.0

    August 28, 2015 - By 

    This past spring Alex decided he wanted to try out for Auburn Thunder travel soccer league again. He played back in 2014 for a half season, but didn’t make the team for 2014. We were surprised when he wanted to try out again. He made the team, but was asked if he would like to transition to the position of Goalie. We left the decision up to him and discussed with him about the amount of extra work he would need to put in to be respectable. He decided that he was up for the challenge. However, from the get-go,…

  • Beef - Dinner - Recipes

    Cheesy Hamburger Potato One-Pot Dish

    August 22, 2015 - By 

    I recently had a week, where I decided I was not going to the grocery store. What we ate for dinner would come only from ingredients we had in the pantry/fridge/freezer. One of the nights, I looked in the fridge and saw a pound of ground beef, an onion, and about a half of red and green bell pepper that needed to be used. I looked in the pantry to find a few more things including some potatoes. I had recently found a recipe on a food website and I thought that I could make it into a one-pot dish,…

  • Travel

    Afternoon in South Beach

    August 21, 2015 - By 

    After leaving Marathon, Florida, we drove through Miami over to South Beach. We stopped in at University of Miami in Coral Gables. Such a pretty entrance into campus. We made a quick stop at Marlin’s Park too. I was so excited to drive near the cruise ships at Port Miami. This is one point of many during the trip when Rob and I were talking about the surrounding areas, “Kids, see the cruise ships out there?” Silence….all three of them staring at their phones or game devices. We drove around for a good 30 minutes looking for parking. There was…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Monterey Chicken {Chili’s Copycat Recipe}

    August 20, 2015 - By 

    I posted this on my old blog way back in 2009, but recently made it again and decided to post it here. This Monterey Chicken is similar to the one that Chili’s serves. It’s got bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce which creates lots of layers of flavor. You wouldn’t think something this good would be easy to make, but it is really simple. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 tbsp Olive Oil (I prefer EVOO) 4 boneless skinless chicken breast 8 teaspoons barbecue sauce 8 slices crispy bacon 1 cup shredded Monterey jack/cheddar cheese…

  • Travel

    DeSoto State Park Hike

    August 19, 2015 - By 

    During our time in North Georgia, we actually ventured back over to our home state of Alabama. We had spent the morning not to far from the Georgia-Alabama border at Cloudland Canyon State Park. We had planned to be out all day, so we had packed a picnic lunch. We ended up at DeSoto State Park, which is on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne. It covers 3,000 acres of forests, rivers, waterfalls, and mountainous terrain. The picnic area overlooks the A.A. Miller Dam. We stuffed our faces with fresh cut cold cut sandwiches, chips, cookies, and Gatorades. Our lunch entertainment…

  • Travel

    Alabama Must-Sees for Families

    August 12, 2015 - By 

    This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alabama Tourism. The opinions and text are all mine. When I moved to Alabama 19 years ago, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to be moving to a state with such rich history, beautiful terrain, and diverse culture. Whether you’re a mountain man or a beach bum, this state has the best of both worlds. There is also something for the science geeks, the History nerds, and even those who have been bitten by the adventure bug. Today I’m sharing with you a little bit of all of…

  • Travel

    Rome, Georgia

    August 11, 2015 - By 

    On our way up to LaFayette, Georgia for our 4th of July trip we stopped in Rome, Georgia for lunch. Downtown Rome is really a quaint little place with lots of cute stores and restaurants. A friend of Rob’s recommended a couple places to eat. We ended up at Schroeder’s Deli. We had Calzones and pizza and fried okra. We noticed a park when were walking to the restaurant from down the street where we had parked. After lunch, we got Daisy out of the car and brought over to Heritage Park to let her run around and use the…