Thursday, July 24, 2014

I'm Dreaming of Pineapples and Instagram Contests!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bahama Breeze for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is always the best time of year for fresh, tasty, fruit, outdoor concerts, live music, parties, the beach, and mojito bars.

If you love all of these things, and you dream of scrumptious, frozen drinks, that you can drink right out of the pineapple, then, you should probably head over to the closest, Bahama Breeze Island Grille, as soon as possible!

Bahama Breeze Ultimate Pineapple

This is why, Bahama Breeze, is the summer destination for good times!

Bahama Breeze Summer Beach Bash

Thie Summer Beach Bash at Bahama Breeze, started June 23rd, but no worries! You can still try their exoticly delicious new drink, The Ultimate Pineapple, through, August 3rd!

 

Better yet, make it on a Saturday, and Bahama Breeze will turn up the live music, AND bring out the mojito bar! What"s a mojito bar? Well, it is probably one of the most fabulous fun parts about Saturdays in the summertime!

The bartenders will bring out the fruit and the rum, and you get to choose your adventure! You even get to see the bartenders creating your own, personal, dream come true drink! (Always remember to drink responsibly, have a designated driver, because if you are anything like me, you may want to try a different rum in each different kind of fruit!)

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Just when you think this probably couldn't get more fascinating, guess what? It is!

Bahama Breeze is running an "Instagram Selfie Contest".

All you have to do, is get to a Bahama Breeze, near you, have a blast, take an original, super creative selfie of yourself having a fun time, share it on Instagram, and hashtag it with #MyBBSelfie". That's seems easy enough, right? You will be entered to win a $25 gift card for Bahama Breeze, for the next time you feel the need to escape and have a fun time!

 

 

 

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

A Day in the Life of A Pack of Kleenex

I remember the day we were shoved in a box and wrapped up, and it got real dark. I was scared at first, but I was with my mom, my dad and my brothers and sisters, so, it wasn't to bad.
I lost track of time, but it felt like days, when I saw light again.
I saw this big, smiling face, staring down at us, and she started yelling for her mommy.
Her mommy came to see what was going on, and she pulled us out of the box. We were a bit frightened, we didn't know these people, what they wanted with us, what their plans were, what in the world do they want with a pack of my Kleenex family?
My mommy tried to tell me it would be ok, she said not to worry, she has heard the other Kleenex talk about these people and that they won't hurt us. She said we are here to help them, because nobody can go through life without Kleenex. So, I calmed down a bit, but wanted to stay awake, so I could see what this little girl and her mom were up too.
The little girl's mom seemed to really like us. She put us in a fancy box and started taking pictures for her friend, Crowdtap. (I still don't know who, Crowdtap, is, but, they sound pretty cool. I know this mom loves them! All she talked about was how awesome Crowdtap was. I hope I get a chance to meet them!
Just then, 2 little boys came running and screaming, 1 told their mom that the smaller one had a runny nose, and then, one of my worst nightmares came true! 
Their mom ripped open the pack, took my big brother out, and wiped the tiny boy's nose! OH, the horror! My mom kept saying, "Shush! This is what we are here for. It'll be fine, dear." I don't care what she said, where is my brother going??
Do you know where he went? The little boy rolled my brother up, into a ball! Then, shoved him in his pocket! 
I closed my eyes and tried to disappear, but it didn't happen. I was to scared to see who would be next.
Ok, the little girl is back again, omg I hope she doesn't have a runny or stuffy nose. 
Oh no! She just ripped my big sister straight from the pack! Not even a warning??
What is she doing?
Oh my, she's asking her mom for nail polish remover, she wants her mom to help take off her nail polish so they can redo them! I don't think I can even look. 
Her mom loves Kleenex a lot, she will not stop talking about how much better we are than cotton and how we don't stick and we help take off the fancy nail polish with glitters, confettis, and sand. (Why would anybody put sand in nail polish?) I don't know, but the next thing I saw, was possibly the most horrifying of them all! 
The little girl wanted her toenails painted and her mommy ripped my dad right out of the pack and tore him into pieces! 
If that isn't bad enough, she put the pieces of my dad, in between the little girl's toes! AAHHH!
But, the mom told her little girl, Kleenex work super nice to help with the perfect pedicure. If you put pieces of us in between your toes, I guess, your toe nails don't touch your skin and your polish stays nice and smooth.
Her toenails did look pretty! 
What in the world? The bigger boy came back and just tore my little brother out and ripped him into pieces for a craft he was making! A comic book? Why does he need to rip my little brother in pieces?
Hmmmmm. I'm not so sure he needed to, haha, well, it is funny, he did make the Kleenex beat up the stain in his tshirt. 
I don't know what is happening now, but the mom picked us up and threw us in her backpack and she took the kids and put them into her truck, oh no, it looks like we're going on a trip!
It was nice to get some fresh air, especially after all of the events that just took place. I was feeling a little......WHAT? 
What is going on? She just took my little sister out of the pack and put her between her lips and looked in the mirror! She is going on and on about how awesome Kleenex are when you want a matte look or if you need to blot your lips to prime for gloss? Oh boy, I am sooo happy I don't have to go through so much just to look good. 
Now the music started and she pulled some more things from her backpack. Did somebody just say, candy? Yes please!
These kids sure love candy! We do to, but we aren't ever going to have any again if she keeps using us all day. Doesn't a day go by that this lady doesn't go through packs of Kleenex? 
Of course, the smallest boy is messy and needs my other brother to wipe him up. Ugh! I bet he gets rolled up too. 
Now we're at a red light, and she just tore my last brother from the pack so she can dust off her gauge cluster and dash. Either this mom is a mess or being a mom is a lot of work!
We just stopped again, I don't know where we are, but I think we are going along. 
Who was that? That poor little girl just fell outside of the truck and started to cry. This is sad. I don't like to hear little kids cry. I hope her mommy can fix her up and make it better........Uh oh, my mommy just said she has to go and help the little girl! Ok, mommy, I will see you soon. (My mom is always the first to help everybody.)
I just heard that little girl's mommy tell her that Kleenex are always good for skinned knees. They help stop the bleeding and come in handy when you don't have band aids. Even more important, they help keep the wound clean and dry. I don't know what a skinned knee is, but I don't think it sounds so nice. I don't have knees, so I won't need to worry.
We are at the grocery store! It's just me and my other sister left anymore, I am starting to have fun with this family though. I hope they need me in a very big way!
The mommy just explained to the kids that they have to clean off the cart handle, so the germs go away. That's a good idea. I bet there are a lot of germs on a shopping cart!
There goes my sister, adios sis! I'll probably see you in a pocket somewhere later!
Well, this is a big day so far, I'm getting kind of tired and now I'm all alone. I have nobody to talk too.
I think I'm going to fall asleep.........
What? Where am I? It's that little girl again. She's still so sad about her knee, the poor little thing. I wish she would smile again!
I am not sure what is happening, but she just took me out of the pack, and started to giggle. Well, that's ok, if I can make her happy, I am happy too.
Wait! What are you doing to me?


I'm a what? A lollipop ghost? 

She just called me Emily, and said I'm her lollipop ghost friend forever. She even gave me a face!
I think I will be ok here after all.





* We received a sample of Kleenex from Crowdtap. Our review is honest and original and receiving a free sample did not change our views in any way, shape or form *

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Tasty Skinny Drink Ideas

I'm sure most of my readers know by now, how much I love, Crowdtap. If you don't know, well, it's the coolest website for anybody who has an opinion. The more opinions, feedback, the more talkative you are, online and offline, the better your chances of getting cool stuff to post, share, tweet, pin, instagram, bookmark, and try.
I'm also certain, most of you know by now, I'm a bartender.
I've been a bartender for 21 years now, and even with my disability, (which is in my feet, the whole way through my hips), I still work part time weekends, because I love my job, and love talking to people. I usually say it's my time off of work, lol! It is hard work, but blogging, cleaning, cooking, and a big family with nutty kids, seems to be much more hectic than a busy bar.
Anyway, I scored this #TeamSweetNLow sample and share through, Crowdtap, and I wanted to share my drink recipes I came up with for Sweet N Low!
This was my sampling kit, complete with some super yummy drink recipes created by, Sweet N Low, along with some coupons and samples, and a box for moi!
I'm a sugar addict, so I figured this would be interesting to try, especially for some delicious martinis!
I prepared all of the fresh fruit! (I ate most of the mango and nectarine!!)
and then prepared and plated the Sweet N Low...
I always like to rim the glasses with either colored sugar, or now, Sweet N Low, or if you are having a margarita of course, you would use salt. 
I always slide the fruit chunk around the rim of the glass, and then dip in the Sweet N Low....

You can also just dip your fruit garnishes, into the Sweet N Low, and slid that around, or not..and just let it set on your glass.
I needed pineapples for my evening of skinny drinks and Sweet N Low, but after a trip to my local grocery store, I realized, I'd have to make do with the fruit I already had. (We live in nowhereland, and have 1 store closeby. Most of our groceries are bought online, yes, even produce. But, I do visit this store each week. They were just out of pineapples.)
This is a classic creamsicle martini. 
I used Skky vodka, light cream, fresh orange juice, a packet of Sweet N Low for the orange garnish, (I also dipped the orange garnish into the drink to get some more sweetness in there)
This is one of my favorites! Normally, I would garnish with some orange sugar, but I'm liking the whole, less is more deal, that Sweet N Low has to offer!

This is quite the tasty, very healthy, skinny, cocktail!
I came up with this when I threw some strawberries, blueberries, nectarine pulp, and raspberries, into the blender, (just as I would a smoothie), and added just 1 packet of Sweet N Low, and some Skky vodka!
I apologize for the toothpick garnish. I would use a cocktail stirrer, or "little swords" as my kids call them, lol!
But, I'm all out of those and it isn't something I usually have on hand.
(I am thinking of grabbing more accessories and adding a drink recipe series on 1 of my blogs, but, more on that later!)
I really, really, really loved this drink! I cubed some nectarines, and used those on the side! YUM!
 I love these ice cubes!! They will never water down your drink, and they come in a handy little bag. You just throw them in the freezer, and voila! They stay cold forever, and they won't affect the flavors in your yummy cocktails!

Can you see those sweet non watery, ice cold cubes in there??
Now, this drink is just fabulous!!!
I threw this together, and wish I could have a 2nd, but, the kids have summer camp early in the morning!
I used, Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Pineapple flavor, (again, I would usually use a pineapple, along with the mango, orange and lime) and I used 2 special ingredients, along with just a half of a pack of Sweet N Low...
Rooibee Roo Orange Tea and Rooibee Roo Mango Tea. 
WOW! Now, this is something I wouldn't mind drinking on a hot, summer day, or um, every, hot, summer day!
I am very pleased with all 3 of these drinks, and, I'm even more than interested in using Sweet N Low for even more creations, drinks and desserts!!
You only need a very small amount of Sweet N Low, to sweeten your desserts, teas, cocktails, coffee, tomato sauce, the possibilities are endless!!
Please leave comments about what you would create by replacing sugar with a skinnier, sweeter version!
I'll be back soon, to name these drinks! (I have to think a bit, but I'll add my names for the last 2)