© 2014 sarahfortune.

HELLO
Mom to Iris. Wife to Todd. Our little family lives at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We love it here and I love sharing little bits of our life.

© 2014 sarahfortune.
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Articles written by: Sarah

Life, Photos, Rosemary Beach, Travel

Rosemary Beach, FL 2018

Five years ago I began the search for our first beach trip as a family of three. I started out looking at Gulf Shores in Alabama, but realized if we drove just a little bit further (and paid just a little bit more), we could stay in this quaint little town called Rosemary Beach. Several friends had recommended spots along 30a, but it took going there to really understand what all the fuss was about

Fast forward five years and we just took our fifth annual trip to Rosemary Beach (see all of our posts here). So far, we’ve been during the month of May every year when it’s not unbearably hot or too humid, the crowds have yet to arrive, and the pricing is much more affordable. Since we go to the same beach every year, we like to select a different house to make each trip unique. Our first two vacations included only Todd, Iris, and myself so we rented cute little carriage houses, which were just perfect for our size family. The third year our pals Seth and Ashlee joined us (where they told us they were pregnant!) and the past two years, the Jones family hopped into the mix.

I am a serious vacation planner, so I start my beach house search early. As soon as our trip was over last year, I found the perfect spot for 2018: a house ON THE BEACH. That is almost unheard of in Rosemary and, if you do find one, it’s ridiculously priced. So yes, this year we totally lucked out. Being in our favorite beach town right there at the edge of the sand made for an easy breezy vacation. So knowing all of that, you shouldn’t be surprised that our beach house for 2019 is already booked! While not right on the water, we are just a one minute walk away from the sand in a lovely, three story home overlooking Rosemary’s playground.

But that trip is nearly a year away. So in the meantime, here are some of my favorite photos from this year’s stay (with a few adventures to Seaside and Alys Beach too!).

Food, Sponsored

4th of July – Sam’s Club Style

This post is sponsored by Sam’s Club, but all opinions are my own.

Summer has always been my favorite season, even down here in Arkansas where the temperatures are hot and the humidity is thick. The days might be on the warmer side, but the pool water is cool and the lightning bugs at dusk make it all worthwhile. We love having folks over during the summer and the 4th of July is no exception. From our front yard swing, to the grill out back, there is nothing better than celebrating a holiday with some of your favorite people.

Stocking up on all of our 4th of July favorites at Sam’s Club, we are officially ready to celebrate. From burgers, to chips, to dessert – it’s a one-stop-shop for everything we need to have some fun in the sun with our friends (even our pool is from Sam’s Club! And we all know how quickly the cost of entertaining can add up, so that’s why we stick with Sam’s Club to get more bang for our buck. (Little known fact, I catered my own wedding and ordered all of my wedding flowers from Sam’s Club!)

Beyond burgers, we often grab steaks or sustainably sourced seafood, along with fresh produce (watermelon and sweet corn are our favorite summer staples) when we are preparing to host a get-together. And of course Iris doesn’t let us forget the sweet treats, like Member’s Mark super premium ice cream or gourmet cupcakes (can you believe I bought all of these cupcakes for under $8?).

Hope you all are having a lovely summer so far and are staying cool. Happy celebrating and happy 4th of July!

Life, Sponsored, Travel

TRAVEL LOVE: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

While this post is sponsored by Loews, all opinions are my own.

Some may think it’s silly to go on another trip right after your annual beach vacation, but I say it’s the smartest thing I’ve done in a while. You know the post-vacation blues you get when you realize the trip you’ve been looking forward to is over? Well as long as you have something else to look forward to, it’s not so bad. Especially if that something is Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

This year I planned a girls trip for Iris and I to celebrate the end of her kindergarten year. With her last day of school on a Thursday, we hopped on a plane Saturday morning and headed to sunny Tucson, Arizona to stay at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. After a very busy year, I wanted a trip where we simply arrived and RELAXED (but of course still have a bunch of fun too). Usually on our trips we are always off exploring, but this time I just wanted to be still and enjoy this time with Iris.

I wasn’t exactly sure how traveling alone with her was going to go, but Iris is at the perfect age to travel solo with, and the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort was the most perfect destination. The resort grounds and mountain views were absolutely stunning. I had actually visited this property a few years back for a work meeting and, due to my busy schedule, never once made it into the pool. What a shame, right? However, it was one of my favorite meeting spots because there were so many windows, lovely views, and during every break I would take a little stroll on the trails.

But this time I got to come back with my best girl and celebrate the beginning of summer! And I must say, this entire trip was one of the very best I’ve been on – and I travel a lot. It was a perfect blend of being pampered, being relaxed, having fun, eating great food, drinking delicious drinks, and exploring. I wondered if Iris would get bored on a trip where we barely left the hotel, but the verdict? Not for a second. In fact, we both agreed that we could have stayed put at Loews for a full week.

Okay, enough gushing – back to our stay. After check-in, we made our way to our room to find a lovely suite. The extra space ended up being a nice addition, especially when Iris woke up at 5 am (thanks a lot, Pacific time zone). At least she could sneak over to the other room to watch YouTube and leave me alone with my blackout curtains. By the time we got settled on our first day it was time to head to the… spa! Iris could not have been more excited to get her nails done while I enjoyed a massage at the Loews Lakeside Spa. Now if we could just start out every trip like this.


Iris telling me to be quite in the spa lobby.

The pool was calling our names after our spa appointments, so we suited up and relaxed by the water, drink in hand, until the sun went down. The pool area is perfect – very large, tons of lounge chairs, with ample shade. The resort itself is nestled in the foothills of the Catalina mountains, so views by the pool are spectacular. You can also order food and drinks as you swim or layout (I recommend the prickly pear margarita). That evening Loews had a Dive-In Movie Night planned, so after dinner at Cascade Lounge we headed back to the pool to watch Coco.

Waking up the next morning knowing that we had two full days to do whatever we wanted felt almost as heavenly as my massage the previous day. Not having to rush off somewhere or worry about getting from here to there was such a luxury. Since Iris woke up so early, we grabbed some Starbucks from Vista Barista and spent the entire morning at the pool. In fact, it wasn’t until our 2 pm brunch reservations that we finally dried off.

We were treated to Loews Ventana Canyon’s famous Blues, Brews & BBQ Sunday Brunch which was worth the trip in itself. There were food stations everywhere, plus bottomless mimosas, and of course a live blues band. Iris was most impressed with the dessert table (shocker!) and that they served her orange juice in a fancy glass like mine.

Afterwards, we explored the resort grounds for a while. Iris’ request was that we first find the playground (yep, there’s even a playground), then go on a hike in search of the waterfall on property (yep, there’s also a waterfall… what?!). I bet you can guess what came after all that (yep, a much needed nap)! That evening was yet another night of poolside movie fun, which Iris didn’t want to miss, and dinner outside!

One of the things I’ve always loved about Loews is how well they treat their kid guests. Not only was there outdoor movies, but they provided free popcorn and glow sticks to boot. Plus they provide hula hoops and pool toys, and even had snow cones and a cookie decorating station! If you head to Loews Ventana Canyon, see what all is going on for the kiddos – we went on Memorial Day weekend and the hotel went all out. They also have a Coyote Kids Club, so you can enjoy some adult time while your little ones have their own kiddie adventures. They were extra sweet to Iris and even sent her treats to our room, which was a fun surprise.

On our last day, Iris woke up a little later (finally!) and we ordered room service for breakfast. Afterwards, we of course went back to the pool for a little more fun in the sun. Once again, we hung poolside for hours, but this time we ordered food right to our lounge chairs where I had THE best black bean burger I’ve ever had from a restaurant! Actually, I was impressed by all of our meals during our stay, probably in part to Loews’ new program, Flavor by Loews Hotels, which brings the local food scene directly to the hotel. This makes it easier to eat and drink delicious local fare without ever having to leave. Yes, please!

After lunch I could tell Iris could use another nap, but we ditched that idea because there were so many things we still hadn’t explored yet. And after all, this was VACATION! The trails were so lovely, especially during sunset so we took one last stroll. The cactus, flowers, mountains, and cotton candy sky were simply magic. And how did we spend our very last evening? With a bubble bath in THE WORLDS LARGEST BATHTUB. Okay, maybe it’s not in the Guinness Book of World Records or anything, but this thing is HUGE and comes standard with every room. It’s almost like having your own personal pool – pictures don’t do it justice.

I honestly can’t wait to go back, hopefully next time with Todd because he truly missed out! Loews just makes everything lovely and easy… I really appreciated that there were multiple spots to eat throughout the day right there onsite. And at the pool, not only did they have the pool toys, but towel service, fresh cucumber water, and complimentary sunscreen. In the lobby you could even grab a scoop of fish food and feed the fish in the Koi pond. And speaking of the lobby – whatever scent Loews uses in their hotels, I want it for my house! It’s always the first thing I notice when I arrive, yet the only thing I can’t ever share! I guess you’ll just have to go and see (smell?) for yourself. :)

Thank you Loews Ventana Canyon for such an amazing stay!

Health & Beauty, Life

This Peloton Referral Code Helped me Pull the Trigger – UPDATED FOR 2021!

Edit 1/14/2021:
I would love to be able to share my code with you guys, but unfortunately Peloton has said this violates their policy and has suspended my referral code. I have been sharing my first-hand experience with Peloton for several years now, here on my own personal blog and as well as on Instagram. One of my posts was even featured on their official Instagram page. While I don’t share my code on any social media platforms (just here on my personal blog), I have shared my love of the bike, tips and recommendations, and even taking classes in the studio. I can’t even begin to tell you how many folks have reached out with questions and to let me know that thanks to the sharing of my experience, they have pulled the trigger and purchased a bike. While I am disheartened that Peloton has intentionally chosen to disqualify my referral code (and stated they will not reinstate even after the codes were removed online), I recognize that they do reserve that right. But since I’ve shared so many other experiences, I wanted to share this one too.

* * * * * *

Well, folks. I did it. I bought myself a Peloton bike. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I am a lover of Jazzercise so this might seem like a surprise. Jazzercise was indeed the first workout that I’ve ever looked forward to and that actually made me feel great instead of miserable. I never thought that I would be an exercise class person (I’m easily intimidated), but I quickly realized that the accountability of working out in a group is what I need to give me that extra motivation to show up and give it my all.

Enter, Peloton. I had thought of buying one here and there, but as someone who was too intimidated to try an actual cycling class, it didn’t seem realistic. But over the last two years I’ve watched Todd fall in love with cycling and I’ve seen how much happier and healthier he is (and how much weight he has lost!), which is all pretty inspiring. But I didn’t hop onto the Peloton completely blind. I had ridden on Todd’s indoor trainer while watching a few cycling classes on YouTube, so I had a general idea of what to expect. I also read a ton of reviews, almost all of which were positive, and did a lot of searching on Instagram to see how people were using it in real life. Overall, the reason I ended up taking the leap (and dropping some serious dough on the bike) was that it had some of the aspects of Jazzercise I love so much (fun music, uplifting instructors, and class accountability), yet I would have the ability to take the classes on my own schedule. As a mom that works full-time and blogs as a side hustle, this is the biggest part for me. The time I make for myself is not very much and my schedule is always changing, so the convenience component is what really won me over.

I clicked “buy” on a Monday night and by Thursday evening there were two guys setting it up in our den. I live in Arkansas, so that is pretty impressive. So far I’ve only done a few rides and boy were they TOUGH. I am nowhere near ready to ride at the recommended cadence and resistance of the instructor, but after just a few minutes I’m dripping with sweat and my heart-rate is UP for the entire ride. I figure that’s an excellent place to start.

Peloton doesn’t seem to have sales on their bikes very often, but I did find a referral code from a stranger on the internet for $100 worth of free accessories with a purchase of a bike. I was able to get a heart rate monitor, weights, and headphones for free! I already had the clip-in style shoes, but if I didn’t that would have been a great deal. Feel free to use this code, REDACTED :( (see edit above), and to get (and give) $100 of accessories. After I get more comfortable and try out different instructors, I’ll do another update to talk about how I’m liking it.

Stay tuned!

Life

Elementary Talent Show!

So apparently every year, Iris’ elementary school puts on a Talent Show. As a kindergartner, I did not expect Iris to volunteer a talent. Don’t get me wrong, I think my kid is the best thing that has ever been put on this planet, but what would her talent even be? Watching YouTube? Singing a made up song? Eating candy?

“I’ll count to 100,” Iris told me.
“Hmmm. I’m pretty sure every kid there can do that,” I responded.
“Then I’ll tell jokes,” she quickly replied.

And that was that. Todd and I thought about discouraging her. Maybe we can gently suggest that she watch this year just to see how it works. Nope. She didn’t go for it. Not wanting to kill whatever comedian was living inside of her, we helped her prepare for the audition. Yes, they actually have to audition, which is quite genius really because I’m pretty sure that’s where they weed out the ones that will be too nervous on the big day (because everyone that auditions gets in).

So Iris did her thing and, a few weeks later, it was show time! It didn’t start until 1:00 pm, so all morning I nervously sat at my desk, wishing time would move faster. When I got to the school, I saw Iris and could tell instantly that I was definitely more anxious than she was. Iris was cool as a cucumber. She was also number three in the line-up (out of 27 acts!), so thankfully we didn’t have to wait long. When the sweet emcee announced her name, I instantly became even more nervous because she accidentally read her name as “Iris GRILLS!” Holding my breath, hoping that didn’t throw Iris off her game, she walked out onto the stage. And here is how it went….

Look how good she did! A bigger, braver girl than I ever was at that age (and maybe even now). I am so beyond proud of her – what a way to end her kindergarten year! By the way, a girl actually did get up there and sing what I think was completely made up song on the spot. It was one of my favorites. Besides Iris of course.