I love subscription boxes. I love being surprised with what is inside each month. Cate & Chloe is a subscription box that I have been truly enjoying because everything has been something I would personally wear, but I really love getting a little box that spoils me each month. I think sometimes as moms while we are busying taking care of everyone else, we forget to treat ourselves. I am excited to share Cate & Chloe's September Shades of Gray VIP Box to review.

To get you started with a subscription, you can select The Starter which is one Piece of new fashionable jewelry per month plus a free gift or you can choose Full VIP Status where you get 3 pieces per month plus a free gift, always free shipping. One you select you box, then you choose what type of jewelry you would like to receive (they no longer offer personalized jewelry boxes), but you can pretty much pick your style. Let me explain: They have the "Trend Setter" which can includes eye catching statement pieces & boho chic designs, "Modern Classics" for those who like to accessorize their life with beautiful elegant classic jewelry designs for day or night from the office to the red carpet, and then they have "Mix It Up" which includes a variety from both trendy and classic.

I chose the "Mix It Up". And here is what was in my box:

This year will mark my husband's and mine's 13 year going to Dragon*Con together. What is Dragon*Con? Only the Southeast's largest sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming convention. Yup, we have been going every year for over a decade and this will make my daughter's 5th and my son's 4th. We love the parade and the different panels. But I think my favorite part is dressing up and looking at everyone else's costumes as well. This year our costumes were sponsored by Oriental Trading.

This conversation is sponsored by Cars.com. All opinions are my own.

We have actually learned a lot along the way and I wanted to share some of my tips for finding the perfect family vehicle.

We weren't the kind of people that felt the need to go over board on gifts for our own child because she does have a lot of people in our family and close friends that will do that for us, but we also have quite a few nieces plus my own daughter and one of my nieces has a birthday in December. Plus with all the dinners we had to go to and bring a dish, little costs always seem to add up. But I have found little ways to save money that really helps in the long run whether you are saving for a special trip or a holiday.

We enjoy a ton of outdoor activities with our children. We have been taking our kids really hiking since the beginning of this year. We have even took them hiking to go see the Solar Eclipse this past Monday. Our children are younger, but it still can be done because we have figured out a method to our madness.

Basic to Hiking with Kids

If you haven't purchase a Degustabox yet, maybe this month's will change your mind. I have been reviewing this foodie subscription box for a year now and I love all of the products I have discovered along the way. This month had some of my favorites again and don't forget new subscribers can get their first box for only $9.99 which includes a free gift and free shipping. This box was focused on back-to-school season, from quick meal ideas to snacks galore.

First, what is Degustabox? Degustabox is an on-line food subscription service that delivers a monthly surprise box containing the latest and best products, from small and big brands alike, to the homes of the consumer: saving time and money. You can cancel anytime.

So what was in my box?

This post is sponsored by TheHoppingBloggers.com.

Sometimes it's nice and relaxing to spoil yourself a little, am I right? There is nothing like a bath bomb or body scrub to make you feel like you are having your own luxurious spa treatment at home and then to find jewelry or money inside? WINNING!

I've teamed up with The Hopping Bloggers to bring you a pretty amazing giveaway. You may have heard of Jewelry Candles and Bath Bombs already, but now is your chance to learn more and win something from them! When it comes to unique gifts, Jewelry Candles has the most extensive line of candles with jewelry inside, jewelry bath bombs, cash money candles, jewelry roses, jewelry sugar scrubs, and so much more!

Five lucky winners will each receive a prize thanks to these great sponsors. The five items up for grabs are:

So if you live in the US, then you probably know all about the Solar Eclipse (and might even be tired of hearing about it). We knew this was a once in a lifetime experience and so we wanted to visit the Path of Totality for ourselves. So we rented a hotel room (camping was already full) and we made plans to spend the whole weekend hiking and visiting far away friends.


Viewing the eclipse in totality was truly a once in a lifetime, breathtaking experience.

Back-to-School season is in full swing and that means I have already packed 13 lunch for my daughter. This year our back-to-school list included a new lunch bag. I didn't want to get her anything with too kiddie of a print on it, but I wanted something for her that was something she would like.


I was so excited to find all the different varieties that Fit & Fresh had. This was actually my first time hearing of this brand, but their styles are so cute to choose from.

So if you follow me on SnapChat, then you saw a picture that I sent out asking, "Does this sound like too many chores for a 6 year old?" I didn't really expect any response, but I wanted to put it out there on a platform where I can actually get responses if you care to chime in.

So I decided Wednesday of last week that I wanted my daughter to start helping with more chores. She is 6 now and needs to learn responsibility. She also needs to learn how to do household chores so she knows how to take care of herself one day. If you're interested, I printed the Chore Chart found HERE.

I have seen that meme shared MULTIPLE times (including by close family) that says "Hey Millennial Parents, if your kids knows how to work an iPad then they know how to work a washing machine!" I felt this statement had a lot of truth to it, but

Having a new baby this year? We know choosing baby gear can be overwhelming. We are excited to share Mommy Scene's Baby Shower Essentials & top picks for feeding, clothing, diapering, and setting up baby's nursery! Don't miss entering this fabulous Baby Shower Essentials Giveaway for the chance to win these must-have baby products!

As some of you may know, our 10 year wedding Anniversary was July 15th. And to celebrate, we decided to go on a Carnival Cruise because we got married on one originally. I think if you are looking for an inexpensive, but beautiful way to get married then a cruise is that way to go. My husband and I were 21 and 23 when we got married, my parents were on limited incomes, and we had to pay for most of it on our own. We didn't give ourselves time to save up money because we were two crazy kids in love and wanted to get married as quickly as possible. I do not regret a thing.

Anyways, because my in-laws' anniversary is the day after ours and they are our only reliable sitters right now, plus we wanted to go on a five day cruise so leaving our kids with anyone that long wasn't even on our radar, we decided to make our anniversary trip into a family vacation. We had been thinking about going on cruise for a while and so at the beginning of this year we decided to make the leap (and down payments) because we had the extra money. We also bought a bunch of Carnival gift cards from Kroger when they ran their 4X fuel points sale to save even more because the gift cards can be used to pay off any balance. We decided to book a five day Carnival cruise that left out of Mobile, AL and went to Costa Maya and Cozumel. We would also advise you pay your tourist taxes before you travel - it makes things a lot easier.

Back to school shopping can be hectic - there are so many different brands it’s hard to know what’s going to be the most durable, and give you the best value for your money. You want to buy something that your child will find useful while lasting through the school year. Last year my daughter went through TWO book bags because I was too focused on the cost to get her a quality bag. An expense I didn't want to have to worry about half through the school year.


But not this year because Five Star makes back to school shopping a little bit easier with their with durable and innovative products, so they eliminate the stress of organization by providing school supplies that last all year long. No need to worry about items breaking or losing their functionality, as all products and accessories support your academic achievements, especially when you need them the most.

My "Wordless Wednesday" posts never seem so wordless. LOL

Yesterday was my Peanut's first day of pre-k. As I've mentioned, he will be going three hours a day, three days a week. His big sister was so excited for him because she loves school so much and told him about all the friends he would make. He has been so excited to start school and he walked right in like a champ.

Oral Care is very important. I have mentioned the Importance of Dental Health During Pregnancy before. If your mouth isn't healthy it can lead to a ton of issues in the rest of your body. Think about it. Whatever you put in your body has to pass through your mouth.

Himalaya Botanique offers a full line of clinically studied herbal formulations, certified USDA organic single herbs and body care products. They believe in supporting community health, sustainable farming, and environmental responsibility.

I am excited to be partnering up with some fellow bloggers to share this giveaway with you.

Before we left for our cruise vacation to Mexico (which I will talk more about later), I contacted a few different companies that I have been wanting to work with for a while because I wanted to dress nice for dinner every night. Cate & Chloe is a company that actually contacted me and I am finally getting the chance to work with them which I am very excited about. I received their Summer Reminiscence VIP August Jewelry Box to review.

You can select The Starter which is one Piece of new fashionable jewelry per month plus a free gift or you can choose Full VIP Status where you get 3 pieces per month plus a free gift, always free shipping. One you select you box, then you choose what type of jewelry you would like to receive (they no longer offer personalized jewelry boxes), but you can pretty much pick your style. Let me explain: They have the "Trend Setter" which can includes eye catching statement pieces & boho chic designs, "Modern Classics" for those who like to accessorize their life with beautiful elegant classic jewelry designs for day or night from the office to the red carpet, and then they have "Mix It Up" which includes a variety from both trendy and classic.

I chose the "Mix It Up". And since I've explained how you can go about selecting your box, I would love to share what was in my box with you.

My daughter's first day of school was this Monday. She was a little nervous walking in compared to last year. She even wanted me to walk her in on the second day too. Last year, I was the one who was a pile of nerves. My anxiety was so bad last year and realizing I was sending my baby off to "real school" that I ended up crying in the car on the way home from dropping her off.