4 Reasons You Should Add Crown & Ivy to Your Wardrobe

I admit I'm a shopaholic, there's no denying that fact... so today I need to share I'm absolutely head-over-heels with some new pieces I added to my wardrobe. I mean, when you find jeans you just LOVE and tops that are the perfect mixture of cute and cozy, that's when everyone you know needs to hear about it, am I right? If you agree... get ready to fall in love with Crown & Ivy as well! Here's 4 reasons you should add this amazing brand and their cute clothes to your wardrobe today!

4 Reasons You Should Add Crown & Ivy to Your Wardrobe

1. Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants style jeans - That's right, their jeans are unbelievably comfortable and have just enough stretch that my new mama bod looks great in them still. They offer just enough structure that I don't feel like I'm rocking jeggings but they are comfortable enough that I don't even notice I'm wearing pants, the perfect combination for a cozy winter day - in my opinion!

2. Patterns and Design - From open flare backs with fun dancing elephants, like my new top, to playful reindeer on a sweater, Crown & Ivy has a little bit of everything and it's all so cute. I walked around the Crown & Ivy section of Belk and went on a bit of a shopping spree this past week. After having a baby I need some new winter items and fell in love with everything C&I had out on the shelves! Whether you want to add a cute new vest or a funky new scarf, Crown & Ivy likely has the perfect new quirky addition you are looking for and that's why I love this brand so much!

3. Sold at Belk - When I go shopping, I like to go where I'm treated well and the service is attentive and that's exactly what happens every time I step into a Belk. I love that I was able to find the items I needed and the lady that helped check me out was super helpful and friendly and even made sure to apply hand sanitizer before handing me my receipt, she said she was doing it "just in case" but wanted to make sure"to keep my baby healthy" by not exposing her to any extra germs. It may not seem like a major detail, but customer service like that matters BIG TIME to me. I like that at Belk I feel like the employees actually care about the customers, it says a lot about the company!

4. Dressy or Casual -  Crown & Ivy has you covered! This brand offers a little bit of everything, as I mentioned. I loved being able to grab something a bit more sophisticated and sassy like the open back sweater and then I was able to grab a fun and funky, cozy long sleeve tee with a giant pineapple on the back! It's this playful nature to the Crown & Ivy line that keeps drawing me in, yet I'm still able to dress like an adult. 

With all of that said, I think it's easy to see why I'm so in love with the Crown & Ivy line at Belk. Interested in seeing all the other adorableness in the winter 2016 collection? Click here and tell me your favorite item from the line, I'd love to hear all about it... or take a second and stop in to your local Belk sometime soon!

10 Daytona Beach Festivals You Don't Want to Miss! #WeekdayGetaways

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of DaytonaBeach.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living on the Florida coast means that we enjoy mild temperatures, tons of amazing activities, and a pretty fabulous variety of festivals regularly, but one of my favorite places to enjoy all of these aspects of Florida is Daytona Beach. While this lovely little town is on the other side of the state from my amazing home, I'm a pretty big fan of everything it has to offer. From amazing beaches to a ton of fun family activities, I'm pretty much a fool for Daytona Beach. It's the perfect Fall Beach Escape!
 

If you are trying to find a reason to escape to Daytona Beach this fall, look no further... Whether you're looking for a little bit of Warm Holiday Fun or you just want to escape for the day, Daytona Beach is the ideal destination!

That's not all Daytona Beach has to offer though, today I want to share ten fall festivals you won't want to miss - from Daytona-centric occasions to a Craft Beer inspired weekend, there's a little something for everyone! Mark these ten events down on your calendar and I'll see you there:

 

1. Daytonapalooza, Oct. 1: This original music and art festival is a ton of fun! With 150 music acts on 18 stages, 30 artists, and vendors galore this festival on Main Street features everything everyone loves about Daytona!

2. DeLand Bacon & Brew Fest, Oct. 1: This is the only bacon and beer themed event in the area and appeals to your savory senses serving over 14 varieties of bacon! Want to try bacon or beer jam? This festival is for you!

3. Daytona Blues Festival, Oct. 7-9: The line up for this years Blues festival is outta this world? Ready to get down to some funky and fun tunes? Be sure to add the Daytona Blues Fest to your calendar!

4. Symetra Tour Champion, Oct. 10-16: Are you a fan of golf? The Symetra Tour (part of the LPGA championship tour) is an opportunity to see the best of the best female golf professionals in the world!

5. Biketoberfest, Oct. 13-16: If you're a biker or a biker babe this festival is for you! Join nearly 125,000 motorcyclists as they cruise the streets of Daytona Beach! This multi-day, annual event is bound to be worth a little joy ride on your bike!

6. Chili & Craft Beer Festival, Oct. 14-16: Help the community decide which chili is really the best! Vote for your favorite chili from a group of excellent restaurants and elect the next "Best of the Beach" Chili winner!

7. Thin Man Watts Jazz Fest, Oct. 15: If you're into jazz, blues, or gospel, this festival is right up your alley! The festival honors the lives and works of masters like Watts and Sam Rivers. Experience the artistic heritage of these classics and maybe take a moment to find the artist within yourself!

8. Gamble Fall Festival, Oct. 21: With Halloween shortly after this festival, it's one you don't want to miss if you have kids! Join educators for a fun-filled evening of face-painting, star-gazing with a real life telescope, a costume contest, games, hayrides,storytelling, and more! Your little one will have a blast and at only $5 (per person over the age of 3), it's an affordable way to celebrate Halloween!

9. It's a Musical, Oct. 21-23: Catch an energetic performance of one of Broadway's most memorable song and dance productions!

10. Daytona Beach Dream Cruise, Oct. 21-23: Come see some some of your favorite cars and trucks cruise around town! This family friendly event features some of your favorite models along the Halifax River in scenic Riverfront Park.

As if the gorgeous beaches and fun activities aren't enough to convince you to plan your fall escape, these ten festivals will be a ton of fun and make for the perfect excuse to take a little getaway! So tell me, which festival are you putting on your calendar first? Interested in learning more about these Weekday Getaway Deals ? Click here and find out more!

The Perfect Vacation: Our "Baby Moon" at B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale

Thanks to B Ocean Resort for providing the lovely accommodations to facilitate this review, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

I can't even believe it, but it's true... we have just about a month left until Delainey's due date and during our most recent visit to my Doctor we were told if she decides to make her appearance they won't stop labor... That means we will officially take on the title of "parents" any day now! While my hubby and I are super excited about our little girl entering the world soon, we wanted to celebrate us before she decides to grace the world with her presence. We decided we needed to go on a little getaway and cherish our time together before our little darling steals our attention and after some research I found an awesome place for us to stay somewhat close to home.

Whenever I read about B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale, I knew this would be the perfect place to spend our "baby moon". While it's actually under renovations at the moment, we were lucky and our room was in tip-top condition. Actually, while we were checking in on Wednesday afternoon, we were told our room was one of the attendants favorite in the hotel and once we walked into our home-away-from-home we immediately knew why.

With oversized windows, a stunning view of the pool and ocean, super cool modern furniture and decor, and a cozy, oversized bed, B Ocean was exactly the place we wanted to celebrate our last little bit of time being a party of 2.

Your Dog Deserves a Dream Dog Park! #FriendsofBeneful

Thanks to Beneful for sponsoring today's discussion and helping several doggies and communities by building awesome dog parks! #FriendsofBeneful #DreamDogPark

My dogs are my little best friends, I love spoiling them and I'll be honest, being able to take them places is always a treat (for me and them). While I wish they could tag along on my trips to Target to grab them Beneful or my little jaunts over to Tampa for stuff for Delainey, they can't always come with me. That's why it's special when we make the day all about them and take them everywhere with us, like we did yesterday.

We spent a good portion of the day at our favorite dog park, fine tuning their skills with the agility course and having a great time letting them run free-as-can-be through out the entire park. The best part, in my poodle's opinion anyways, was rolling around in the muddy shade in the corner of the park.

That's the thing about our dog park, it's full of stuff for doggies to do and it's just fun to wander around with your pooch too. I know other communities aren't lucky enough to have a dog park like ours so I wanted to let you know that Beneful is doing everything they can to help you get one like ours in your community.

The Beneful Dream Dog Park Project helps further Beneful's mission of celebrating the joyful life dogs and owners share together by supporting dog park improvement and construction projects across the United States. Since 2010, they've helped bring dog park dreams to life in more than a dozen communities! In 2016, Beneful will support at least 12 dog park projects in the U.S. by improving existing parks and helping get new projects off the ground through a mix of financial support, hands-on volunteerism and shared dog park expertise. Interested in finding out more about how they can help you and your dog get a "Dream Dog Park" nearby? Click here to find out more or to help support the cause!

Protect & Improve Your Skin with Receutics

This post was sponsored on behalf of Receutics. All opinions stated are my own.

I talk about the benefits of living in Florida often... I mean with the beach just around the corner, amusement parks galore, and all kinds of other fun activities - it's easy to see why I love it here. One thing I don't normally address is what the Florida sun is capable of; While the sun is, in fact, the sun no matter where you live, it seems to beam a little brighter in these parts. I used to go without sunscreen when I lived in the midwest, spending hours tanning with friends without a burn in sight, but in Florida after a few harsh burns I realized that lifestyle isn't possible here, at least without protecting my skin!

That's where Receutics comes into the picture. My first few years I lived here, when I would go without sunscreen, I did more than a little damage to my skin. While the added freckles are cute, we can all agree the sun spots, weird peeling spots, and blotchy skin isn't so adorable. I'm loving that I finally found Receutics Active Skin Repair Sun Care to help improve the look of my skin, while I'm also protecting it with professional-grade sunscreen - which is what I should've been doing all along... but I guess you live, you learn!

Over the last month or so I've spent a few seconds each day applying a thin layer of Receutics Advanced Sunscreen before I head outdoors, whether I'm heading off to the beach for an all day adventure or just taking my pups for a stroll around the neighborhood I make sure I apply my sunscreen.

I'm glad to say that my small efforts have benefited my skin greatly! I had weird patches of skin peeling near my eyebrows before and the "beginning" stages of wrinkles were starting to show, now I have nothing but clear skin and a couple of freckles and nearly perfect skin for a 27 year old mama-to-be!

Are you looking to up your sunscreen and skincare game? Receutics Advanced Sunscreen shields your skin from the sun's UVA/UVB rays using powerful antioxidants that protect and even your skin tone - something any woman (or man) with aging skin can appreciate! Not only does Receutics make awesome sunscreen, their line of skincare items include Intense Hydration and Repair Treatments, Acne Clearing Systems, and more and it's all available at your local Rite Aid!

If you haven't tried Receutics yet, now is the time... if not now, then when?! Tell me in the comments below about your skincare problems and how you think Receutics can help you repair and renew your skin!

Treat Yourself to a Summertime Fruit Pizza Fresh From Florida!

This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

I talk about this often, but living in Florida certainly has its benefits and as I recently discussed, the fresh produce is one of many reasons I love where I live. We always have the best farmers markets and the produce from the store tastes like it was brought straight to my home by the farmer.

I'll be honest and share, this summer I've been indulging a bit in some delicious pregnancy cravings! I still hate pickles so I won't be sharing any funky pickles and ice cream recipe... and I guess you could say I'm kind of lucky because my cravings mainly involve fresh fruit. It's nice to be able to indulge myself without having to worry about calories or sugar content and because it tastes so refreshing with each and every bite! The best part is it's all grown locally... From watermelon to blueberries, I love that I'm able to snack on some of my favorite fruits while also giving back to this gorgeous state I live in.

If you love Florida and fruit as much as I do, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to try out the recipe I'm sharing today! With just the right amount of sweetness topped with a surprising twist of mint oil and a balsamic vinaigrette reduction, this fruit inspired "pizza" is the most refreshing treat ever! The best part about this super delicious treat... it's actually pretty easy to whip together!

What do you need to make this simple fruit pizza? A Fresh from Florida watermelon with a handful of Fresh from Florida blueberries I added to the recipe just for kicks, as well as deliciously fresh feta cheese, mint, parsley, olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinaigrette, and Florida Cane Sugar!

You can get the full recipe here but be warned, it's addicting and you'll absolutely be asked to make it again if you plan to share it with anyone else.

So if you're hosting a barbecue soon or maybe even planning a fun little get-together, this simple "fruit pizza" is the best way to keep your guests and yourself happy and feeling refreshed whenever snack time rolls around!

Have you ever made a fruit pizza? Tell me all about your experience but keep in mind, this healthy & simple treat is one you should definitely pin and try later! Plus, ALL of the delicious recipes from the Fresh From Florida website are worth checking out!