I have a passion for nature and our land. While this post is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land, thoughts and feelings expressed below are all my own.
I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida a few years ago on a whim after falling in love with the city while helping a family member relocate and I absolutely love it here still. The beaches are obviously part of the reason I decided to live here; but I have to be honest, one of my absolute favorite things about this area is all the parks and nature preserves! In Pinellas County alone, we have over 20,000 acres of land dedicated to parks and preserves - a decent amount for the most densely populated county in Florida.
With so many parks and so much wildlife sitting just outside the busy city life that we all must be a part of, I have to admit we spend quiet a bit of time exploring nature. We love going to the local parks and just being. Whether we decide to study for school, practice yoga, take the dogs for a walk, practice our photography skills - it doesn't matter, it feels nice connecting with nature.
Hubs and I even spent an afternoon this past weekend exploring parks on the opposite coast of Florida as part of celebrating our anniversary, it's something we both enjoy doing so it was fun to visit several parks along the coast and see what they all had to offer. This isn't something new for us though, we tend to make it a point to visit at least one park in any city we visit, because we love nature so much.
We even stop at parks, instead of rest stops, most of the time when roadtripping. It's nice to get out of the car for a bit when we do this, plus we get to see all kinds of different parks in different environments - like this gorgeous stop we made in North Carolina.
I have dreams of visiting some of the more famous parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc. I'm sure we'll head that direction eventually but for now I'll enjoy everything my local parks have to offer - from preserves on islands you can only access via ferry to bird towers soaring above the trees, the parks around here have plenty for me to explore!
Today I'm sharing my passion for my local parks to show my support for The Trust for Public Land. We believe everyone should have a healthy connection to nature through nearby parks, working lands, and wild places. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has protected 3 million acres and completed more than 5,000 park and conservation projects!
Despite all the land they've saved, the fact is, open space in America is disappearing at a rate of 6,000 acres a day! If we continue to allow our land to be destroyed, we aren't leaving much land for future generations to enjoy.
Something needs to change, we can't keep ignoring this problem. Together we all can reverse this decline – for the health of our families, our communities, and our future. It's our right to protect the beauty that our nation has to offer.
You may think it's too difficult to help, but it's not difficult at all. You can help protect our precious lands and keep this land #OurLand easily. Click here to share why nature matters to you with The Trust for Public Land by making a postcard like the one shown above. Need to get inspired before you create one of your own? Check out the video below and then click on over to share your story so you can help protect the places you love.
Can you even believe Christmas is almost here? I'm finishing up my holiday gift guide with some of my absolute favorite products and these candles are on that list!
These candle sets come in packs of 3 and each
candle burns cleanly for around 20 hours. The little beauties are hand-poured in the US with
natural soy wax and scented with premium fragrance oils... which means they are basically like little pots of gold.
Each
gift set is themed around a group of related fragrances - my Fall Harvest bundle contained a pumpkin spice candle, a cranberry candle, and an autumn leaves candle and each one smells delicious! The scents are strong without being overpowering, providing the perfect balance for any occasion.
Old Factory offers a variety of sets ranging from a "50 shades" themed set to a "Winter Wonderland" themed set... There's an option for everyone on your shopping list this year and for every room in the
house.
Now I understand if you want to go ahead and buy a set for yourself, but I'm excited to announce one lucky reader will win a scrumptious set of Old Factory candles! Use the giveaway tools form below to enter to win:
Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Must be 18 or older to win. This
promotion is in no way
sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook,
Twitter or any other company mentioned above. You understand that you
are providing your information to Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and
not to Twitter, Facebook, or any other entity, I will not use your
information other than to e-mail
you a winning notification if you are the chosen winner. Enter using the
Giveaway Tools form above. Void Where Prohibited. Please note that
Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and all other bloggers participating
are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.
I recently shared why I love Try The World's subscription box so much and when I received my Holiday Box I was overwhelmed with excitement to share all the goodies. This Special Edition Holiday Box captures winter culinary traditions from different countries and contains a specially curated selection of artisanal seasonal delicacies.
With Italian black truffle olive oil, Swedish traditional gingersnap, Turkish Delight with Pistachios, and so much more - I'm so happy to be able experience so many pleasures from so many different places around the world.
This box came with such a wide variety of products from all over and will definitely be a hit with any foodie in your life, or anyone really... because who doesn't want unique and delicious food delivered to their door?
This year I wanted a different theme for my holiday table set up, I started brainstorming and since I live next to the beach a mermaid theme was what I finally settled on! I found the perfect decor from Smarty Had A Party, the nation’s top-rated online party store for
entertaining! They have the best products for every party, from back yard pool parties to weddings, bridal showers,
holiday dinners and special occasions! I looked through their collections and fell in love with the Silver Table Decor!
I also knew I needed some blue so I decided on the teal table runner to spice things up! I added some seashells, a mermaid, and some ornaments to create the look I wanted and my table was set!
Smarty offers the widest
selection of budget-friendly, elegant disposable dinnerware, enabling party
and event planners to save the expense and hassle of rentals! One lucky reader will also get the chance to throw a silver party as well! I'm giving away an entire party's worth of supplies!
Enter to win with the giveaway tools form below for your chance to win:
1 Teal/Turquoise Taffeta Crinkle Table Runner
1 Pack Celebration White/Silver Disposable Dinner Plates (10/pk)
1 Pack Silver Satin Napkins (5/pk)
1 Pack Silver Twist Napkin Rings (6/pk)
1 Pack Reflections Silver-Look Disposable Flatware (40 of each utensil)
1 Pack Fancy Fluted Disposable Wine Glasses (12 glasses)
Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Must be 18 or older to win. This promotion is in no way
sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook,
Twitter or any other company mentioned above. You understand that you
are providing your information to Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and
not to Twitter, Facebook, or any other entity, I will not use your information other than to e-mail
you a winning notification if you are the chosen winner. Enter using the
Giveaway Tools form above. Void Where Prohibited. Please note that
Lauren Paints | a beautiful life and all other bloggers participating
are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.This offer is limited to residents of the 48 contiguous U.S. States.Smarty Had A Party reserves the right to provide an equivalent substitute, in the unlikely event that a product is out of stock.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
#TheMoodStrikes #CollectiveBias
This past weekend hubs and I celebrated six years of marriage! I wanted to celebrate in a big way so I decided to surprise him with something super fun and unexpected that I knew he would like. I went to Walmart to grab supplies for a scavenger hunt that would knock his socks off - while I was there I grabbed some items that may make some blush {just a warning to those that may want to click away}. I bought him a nice track suit, some of his favorite candies, a stack of movies, a neck massager, a new blanket, a little K-Y® surprise and more - all of these items allowing us both to relax and just live in the moment with each other while having the freedom to be spontaneous!
I designed all of the clues (making them rhyme was tough), set up the whole scavenger hunt, and then got ready for our date night all in one day! So anyone can do this, it just takes some creativity!
The scavenger hunt fun started at the front door with a friendly greeting letting him know what he was in for and to get his imagination working, as well as his first clue that led him to our little storage area in the entry way, where he could expect his first surprise:
His first surprise was a ton of kisses! His next clue was something else he eats with a drawing pointing him in the right direction:
Once he found the eggs, he was directed to the stove top:
From the stove top, he was directed toward the light... this one I could have elaborated on but he got the idea - he's pretty bright (heh, heh)!:
Nearby the light I left another surprise for him, a stack of some our favorite movies and a few classics! We're total movie buffs so these movies are going to be great for future date nights. His next clue led him to the only ticking clocks in the house:
The ticking clocks in our house are part of our gallery wall on the way up the stairs, this clue led him to our game closet where I hid two new games:
I hid Sorry & Trouble in the game closet because I mean, what other games would fit more perfectly into a clue... Plus,
the games are so much fun to play! From here I led him to a surprise that was mostly for me, but he'll definitely benefit from it as well:
This surprise was K-Y® liquibeads, which save the day when needed and provide a woman with the freedom to be spontaneous! These little beads are easy to use, the product comes with an applicator in which you place the bead, then you use that applicator (much like you would a tampon) and insert the bead. Now you are ready for action and you can insert a bead once
every few days so that your body is ready whenever the mood may strike! *Please consult a doctor before using if you are pregnant or nursing* After he learned about these little beauties and how they are going to spice things up for us, his next clue led him to something that will keep us warm:
Following that clue, he knew my "office" was the place he should head next. Here he was treated to another surprise - a warm and fuzzy new blanket! He also found another clue that led him to yet another surprise nearby his closet:
By his closet, I hung up a new athletic outfit for him (something he really needed), with a new shirt to go under as well. He isn't much of a shopper so when I get the chance to treat him to new clothes, I love to do so! After trying on his comfy new clothes, the next clue was hidden in his pocket and told him to check the area where we keep our liquor:
By the liquor I left one of his last clues as well as a few of his favorite candies because he's a funny guy that makes me snicker! (heh) I know some of these clues are cheesy, but that's part of the fun in being romantic... making him smile while reading these clues was my goal and I totally succeeded! This clue was straight to the point, directing him to the last point - the glass patio door:
I saved one of the best surprises for last, he always wants me to massage his neck so I bought a personal neck massager that can take my place when I'm busy! His last clue also included his last surprise, when I officially announced that we were heading out on a date!
I had a blast setting up his surprises and the whole scavenger hunt! Coming up with the clues was pretty easy once I started and I was able to spoil him while watching him have fun finding his gifts!
I suggest if you do something like this for your honey that you choose
gifts that you know he or she will love... If you have a techie husband,
maybe a new electronic device would be a good surprise or if you have a
fashionista girlfriend, a new little black dress would be a safe bet!
Games, candies, K-Y® products, massage items, and movies are always great romantic
surprises and using coupons.com you'll be able to find a coupon for it
all!
It's just fun to deliver gifts in a unique way and the memories you make surprising your spouse with something romantic like this will last forever! You could get even more creative and hide gifts around your city or your neighborhood - I just wanted to make our scavenger hunt short and sweet but I look forward to surprising him with more elaborate surprises in the future. I'm not an expert on marriage, but I guess after six years I've learned how to keep the romance alive and spoil my husband; so here's to six years of marriage... and many more to come!
