Heather Little

Smore Magazine Subscription for Girls Review and Giveaway

September 14, 2017 By Heather Little

I am fortunate enough to be the mom to two amazing daughters and they both happen to love science. My older daughter was so fascinated with microbiology in 6^th grade science class that she used her birthday money to purchase a stuffed paramecium and euglena. (It’s OK…you can google it. I had to, too!) Their dad and I both have science backgrounds, so it makes me very happy that my daughters love learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – or STEM – topics.

But, did you know that while women make up 48% of the US workforce, they are only 24% of the STEM workforce? Young girls have untapped talent and potential to change the world through a STEM career, but how do we cultivate that interest at a young age? The creators of Smore are trying to do just that with their magazine created for girls ages 7 – 12 who love science. Every issue has nearly 50 pages of beautifully illustrated content, including science-related cartoons, how-to articles, trivia, reader contributions, interviews with female scientists, and a pullout poster. Plus, the entire magazine is ad-free.

Both my girls really enjoyed checking out the inaugural issue of Smore. The articles and topics, complete with eye-catching illustrations and photographs, were perfect for my 8 year old to understand and enjoy, but detailed enough to keep my older daughter’s attention as well. As a mom, I love the educational content packaged in a high quality, fun-to-read magazine – and did I mention AD FREE?!

Smore magazine has six issues a year and is available in print and digital versions. So if you have a young girl in your life, ignite her brilliance with a subscription to Smore magazine. For more information, visit www.smoremagazine.com.

GIVEAWAY

Do you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece, or know a young girl who loves science? Comment below and let us know what she dreams of being when she grows up and you will be entered to win a copy of the inaugural issue of Smore magazine just for her! Giveaway ends on October 6th, U.S. Residents only.

*I received a complimentary subscription in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own.

Heather Little

My name is Heather Little and my husband and I have two sweet girls and one crazy dog. We moved to Florida 6 years ago and have loved every minute of it! I enjoy crafting, good food, shopping, and of course travel!

Guy Harvey Outpost Resort Vacation

August 31, 2017 By Heather Little

Although we live just a few miles from a beautiful beach on the Atlantic Ocean, I grew up going to beaches on the Gulf Coast and to this day, they remain my favorite. The crystal blue calm waters and soft white sand are just so beautiful and relaxing. So when it came to planning our summer vacation this year, we decided to head west to the Gulf Coast.

From the panhandle of Florida all the way down to Marco Island and Naples, there are an endless number of beautiful beaches along the coast. We wanted a destination with a relatively short drive, so we decided on St Pete Beach, near Tampa. When picking a resort, my family really enjoys a “one stop shop” where everything is available onsite or within walking distance. After some research, we decided on Guy Harvey Outpost Resort.

Located directly on the Gulf of Mexico on St Pete Beach, the resort offers tons of amenities, plus access to their “sister resort”, Tradewinds Island Grand, just a few steps down the beach. Between the two resorts, there are seven swimming pools, over a dozen restaurants, bars and eateries, and countless activities like a touch tank, paddle boats, and pirate shows to keep you and your kids entertained the entire vacation. One of the major attractions at Tradewinds is the 3 story high, 200 foot long High Tide Slide. My girls couldn’t get enough of it! They also had a great time on the inflatable waterpark while my husband and I relaxed in the complimentary beach cabanas and ordered delicious food and tropical drinks right from an app on my phone…Doesn’t get much better than that!

Surrounded my sea grapes and swaying palm trees, the wide, white sand beach is beautiful. The water is clear and calm, perfect for floating the day away or enjoying the water sports the resort has to offer. But when the sun starts to set, that’s when the real show starts! The famous sunsets from St Pete Beach are simply amazing. Just before the sun starts to go down, crowds gather on the beach to enjoy the beautiful view. My girls loved roasting s’mores over the resort’s fire pits as we watched the sun set each night.

Overall, my family and I really enjoyed our time to Guy Harvey Outpost in St Pete Beach and we definitely plan to be back. Between the beautiful beach and the great onsite dining choices and countless activities to keep the whole family entertained, the resort checked all our boxes for a relaxing beach vacation.

To book your vacation, click here!

Heather Little

Traveling to Asheville, NC

August 3, 2017 By Heather Little

Don’t get me wrong…I love the beach. But when the Florida heat gets to be too much, it’s time to head to higher ground and cooler temperatures. My oldest daughter went to camp in North Carolina this summer, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time in Asheville after picking her up. Although still warm in the summer, the higher elevation brings cooler nights and mornings, and much less humidity.

Asheville is located in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and is known for its vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, and of course, the Biltmore Estate. We knew this was where we wanted to spend most of our time, so we booked a hotel right in the heart of the Biltmore property at the Village Hotel. Located in Antler Hill Village, we walked right out the hotel door to find the Biltmore winery, restaurants, historic barn, ice cream shop, live music, and beautiful views. You could easily spend the day just in the village – my girls loved visiting the farmyard animals, enjoying root beer floats on the village green, exploring the old barn on the property, and sampling “real” homemade grape juice while the adults took advantage of the complimentary wine tasting at the winery.

No visit to Asheville is complete without a tour of the magnificent Biltmore House. The home was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II in 1895 and is the largest privately owned home in the country. To say it is huge is an understatement! As a huge Downton Abbey fan, I found the tour to be fascinating. I was also surprised at how much my kids loved it as well. We opted to purchase the audio tour device (there was a special audio tour just for kids) and I would definitely recommend it when touring the home. After the tour, we had a delicious lunch at the estate’s Stable Cafe, where guests of the Vanderbilt’s kept their horses while visiting over 100 years ago.

The Biltmore Estate is a sprawling 8,000 acres and there are so many activities on the property – from Segway tours to horseback riding, biking to fly fishing – visitors could easily spend a week there and still not see and do everything the estate has to offer. Christmas time is especially popular when the home is decorated with lights and more than 70 Christmas trees!

For more information on visiting the Biltmore Estate, check out www.biltmore.com.

Heather Little

Cirque Du Soliel’s OVO Returns To Jacksonville In August!!

May 25, 2017 By Heather Little

OVO

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S OVO RETURNS TO JACKSONVILLE

FOLLOWING HURRICANE MATTHEW

Cirque du Soleil returns to Jacksonville with its touring arena show OVO after having to cancel shows in October due to Hurricane Matthew.

To honor its commitment in Jacksonville, OVO will be performing at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena from August 2 to 6, 2017.

Thrilling more than 5 million people worldwide since the show premiered in 2009, OVO has embarked on a new journey, performing the same captivating production, now in arenas, giving more people the opportunity to enjoy a Cirque du Soleil show in their hometown.

Ticket Information

Advance tickets for OVO are now available online exclusively to Cirque Club members. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind-the-scenes information. To join, please visit www.cirqueclub.com.

Just in time for the holidays, tickets for the general public will be available starting Friday, December 9th, 2016 at www.cirquedusoleil.com/ovo . Adult tickets start at $35 and child tickets start at $25 (subject to change).

About The Show

OVO, meaning “egg” in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.

The cast of OVO is comprised of 50 performing artists from 12 countries specializing in many acrobatic acts. One highlight of OVO is the stunning Flying Act where group of scarabs soar high above – from each corner of the stage – and land together on a platform in the middle.

About Cirque du Soleil

The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in more than 400 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has almost 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from about 50 different countries. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com. To find out more about the ONE DROP Foundation, visithttp://www.onedrop.org.

Heather Little

Ionutrition: Healthy Meals Delivered To Your Door (Review)

April 30, 2017 By Heather Little

So many of us want to start eating healthier, but we just don’t know where to start. There are countless books and articles out there about the latest diet trends and research, it’s sometime hard to know what is the best. Even when we try to prepare better, healthier food, the task becomes too much and we go back to our old ways of fast food and unhealthy grab-n-go meals. But now, Ionutrition is taking the guesswork and struggle out of giving your body the best fuel it can get. Made fresh from 100% natural and organic ingredients, meals are delivered fresh right to your door. The delicious meals have NO preservatives, additives, dairy, gluten, GMOs, hormones, added sugar or soy and are very easy to prepare at home or eat on the go. Choosing to eat healthy has never been easier!

My meals came in an insulated box delivered right to my door. I just unpacked the items and placed them in the refrigerator until we were ready to eat them. I was surprised by the wide variety of meals and even snacks – from fiery squash frittata to blueberry white peach oatmeal to complete chicken, steak, and even salmon meals with sides. My kids really enjoyed the breakfast oatmeal, hearty granola, and coconut almond butter cups. The Moroccan salmon with veggies was delicious and my husband really liked the pepper beef and broccoli. Preparing the meals could not be any easier – just poke a few holes in the plastic wrapper and heat in the microwave for a few minutes and they are ready to eat!

Ordering is easy – just pick a meal plan or order a la carte. There are original, Paleo, protein, and even vegetarian meals to choose from – all are fresh, healthy, and delicious and delivered right to your door. The Ionutrition website is very easy to navigate, complete with pictures of all the meals and snacks so you know exactly what you’re getting. You can even order bulk meals and sides large enough to feed a family.

So if you and your family are on a mission to eat healthier or you’re already there and just looking for easy, convenient, delicious and nutritious meals, I would definitely recommend checking out www.ionutrition.com. You’ll find a wide variety of healthy meals, snacks, and sides, delivered right to your door, ready to eat in just a few short minutes.

Connect with Ionutrition: Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest

*I received meals in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.