© 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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Category : Sponsored

Home, Sponsored

Introducing Home Made Simple – Plant Based Cleaning Products


This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

As a mom, two things in my life are guaranteed: I will always love my kid unconditionally, but I will be forever cleaning up after her. In my home, I feel like I’m constantly either things tidying up or wiping things down. It’s a daily struggle, but as Iris grows she’s becoming responsible for helping out more around the house. That’s why I was excited to see Home Made Simple – a new collection of cleaning products available at Walmart. Not only are the products plant-based (so I feel comfortable with their use around Iris), but they really work. From the lavender laundry detergent to the rosemary scent multi-purpose cleaner, there are options for every room that get rid of the everyday grime that comes with a seven-year-old.

The recent celebration of Earth Day was a good reminder that we should we aware of not only the ingredients in our cleaning products, but also what the actual bottles are made of. I was happy to learn that not only do Home Made Simple products contain no phosphates, gluten, parabens or dyes the ingredients are biodegradable, and the containers themselves are made from recycled materials.

Products that work – without the worry, I call that a mom win-win.

Home Made Simple’s line of plant-based cleaning products are now available in store and online at Walmart.

Health & Beauty, Sponsored

Spring Ready!

I am participating in an influencer program on behalf of Claritin®. This program is paid for by the makers of Claritin® and I have received compensation for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing up, I (thankfully) never had to deal much with allergies. Maybe it was because of where I lived, or maybe I was just really fortunate; but ever since I moved to Arkansas over a decade ago, that all changed.

And now with a seven-year-old, I’m helping her manage seasonal allergies as well. Thankfully, we have discovered Children’s Claritin® at Walmart, the #1 pediatrician recommended non-drowsy oral brand of allergy medicine.

It’s cliche, but once you become a mom, you realize how strongly you care about your child’s health and happiness. When it comes down to it, that’s all that really matters. And with Children’s Claritin®, children are provided with 24 hours of relief from runny noses, watery eyes, and itchy throats. And if your kid is anything like mine (very picky when it comes to medicine), there are three different kinds to choose from: Claritin RediTabs® for Juniors (dissolvable tablets that melt in their mouth, appropriate for children ages 6+), Children’s Claritin® Syrup (grape flavor – Iris’ favorite, for ages 2+), and Children’s Claritin® Chewables (available in grape and bubble gum flavor, also for ages 2+).

And if you’re a new mom (or even an experienced one), make sure know you about the Smart Allergy Mom Toolkit® which is from the makers of Children’s Claritin®. It has everything from the pollen count in your town, to helping you figure out the difference between a cold and allergies. Their website also has a $3 off coupon for Children’s Claritin® at Walmart, so scoop that up while you’re at it! Pro tip: We also travel with allergy medicine since you never know how the little one will react in new environment.

Here’s to being able to play outside with your kid as spring rolls in!

Sponsored, Travel

TRAVEL LOVE: 21C MUSEUM HOTEL NASHVILLE

For the third year in a row, we continued our Thanksgiving tradition of taking off and exploring a different city for the holiday. The first year was Chicago, 2017 was a whirlwind trip to Disney World, and this year was – Nashville! Our best buds at 21c Museum Hotel Nashville hosted our stay, so our trip was nothing less than marvelous.

Not only was this our third Thanksgiving trip, but it was also our third stay at a 21c Museum Hotel. Bentonville and Oklahoma City were our previous visits, but I’d now like to make it my mission to explore each and every one. As for Nashville, our eight-hour drive was surprisingly easy-breezy. We arrived mid-afternoon which allowed us time to relax at the hotel before we headed out to explore. Conveniently located downtown, everywhere we went was either a short walk or quick Uber ride away. You honestly can’t get any better location-wise.

I’m a sucker for a nice hotel and with 21c Museum Hotels I always look forward to the details. From the Malin + Goetz bath amenities, to Nespresso coffee maker, and of course the crisp linens – I could live in this hotel room. And I’m pretty sure Iris would happily live here with me because of the teal penguins alone. Every 21c Museum Hotel has these ginormous penguin statues that guests are welcome to move around. When Iris found out we were staying at the hotel, her first question was what color the penguins were. And when she found out they were her absolute favorite color, she reacted as if she had won the lottery. So naturally we snuck one into our room… Oh. And Todd will also be joining us in our new abode thanks to the local craft beer always stocked in the mini fridge. :)

Of course with any 21c, the coolest part about the stay is 24/7 access to a museum. We love exploring the art throughout the property, so we make it a point to stop on every floor to ensure nothing is missed. In Nasvhille, much of the art was interactive which of course scores big with a seven-year-old. We spent a fair amount of time in a room that featured videos, along with twirling chairs that made you feel like you were going to fall with every spin (spoiler alert: you won’t ever fall, but it sure is fun). Iris loved that part so much I joked I was going to send down her blanket and pillow and see her in the morning. She was very disappointed to learn I was only kidding.

Another favorite was the on-site restaurant – We frequented Gray & Dudley as much as we did our hotel room! Breakfast, lunch, and Thanksgiving dinner. This is the third year we’ve had our big meal at a hotel and the third year I haven’t regretted it for a second. No cooking, no clean-up, no rushing around. Just eating, drinking, and relaxing! For the Thanksgiving dinner at Gray & Dudley, you chose your main course, then the appetizers and sides were served family-style. They even had a cute little menu for the kiddos.

Beyond the Thanksgiving meal, Gray & Dudley is a lovely spot for brunch (Iris recommends the smoothie) and the bar is a perfect spot to break from exploring the art (I recommend alllll the wine). If I lived in Nashville, this would be my place.

It’s kind of funny that our “non-traditional Thanksgiving” has turned into our own tradition, but I love it. If you are considering doing something similar this season, they have a great “Explore More” holiday offer going on right now. Stay three consecutive nights through February 28, 2019 at any 21c Museum Hotel, and save $100 on the third night. Treat yourself to an escape when you probably need it the most. Find out all the details over on their website.

THANK YOU 21c Museum Hotel Nashville for incredible service (seriously – everyone was SO hospitable) and a Thanksgiving we will always remember!

Sponsored, Travel

Magic Screams 2018 – Discounted Tickets & Giveaway!

This post is in partnership with Magic Springs. Get your discounted tickets here!

It’s OCTOBER – the best month of the year! And what better way to kick off our favorite month by going on an adventure to Hot Springs (for my birthday weekend, no less)? Magic Springs invited us to visit their annual Magic Screams event on opening weekend, which ended up being the best way to dive straight into autumn. We decided to make a weekend out of it so after grabbing Iris as soon as school let out, we hit the road. Typically we visit this quaint, historic town when the horse races are happening, but it was fun to see the city from a different perspective. Arriving just in time for dinner, we checked out a brewery and pizza joint Todd wanted to try, SQZBX. Tasty!

On Saturday, my birthday, we managed to sleep in until almost 9:00 the next morning, which was a birthday present all in itself. Before Magic Springs opened for the day, we wandered around Hot Springs’ charming downtown area and had nice little lunch. Getting to the park in the afternoon, we went straight for the rides. Never knowing how brave Iris will be, she impressed us by riding one roller coaster four times in a row!

But the true magic was how Magic Springs had been transformed into Magic Screams – a spooky Halloween-themed destination that’s fun for all ages. I appreciated how they had a lot of stuff for the younger (or easily frightened) folks in the earlier hours and, as it got later, everything turned a bit more frightening. The only thing is that if you want to experience Magic Screams, you gotta do it soon! For the month of October it’s open beginning at noon Saturdays until 11 p.m. and Sundays until 9 p.m. The spooks last until October 28, so if you are anywhere nearby, make a fun weekend out of it like we did. Hot Springs is only about three and a half hours from Fayetteville, less than three hours from my hometown of Memphis, and less than an hour away from Little Rock.

My favorite part of Magic Screams is that you get to experience the best of both worlds – during the day we rode all the rides our hearts desired (with little or no wait times), and then as it got closer to dark more Halloween activities started popping up. From the six themed haunted houses, to the trick-or-treat trail where kids got to play carnival games for candy, Iris quite a blast. And so did we! Did I mention that they actually have a beer garden in the park? We stopped for a drink and a jello shot, which of course was also in theme and presented in a syringe.

So if you are headed to Magic Screams, I have an insider special on tickets just for you guys! Get your tickets using this link right here. It will give you an $8 savings per gate ticket and is even $3 cheaper than the Magic Springs’ online discounted price. Also, there’s even an option to buy 2019 season passes that are not only discounted, but you can use them at the 2018 Magic Screams, all of the 2019 Season including concerts, special events, and 2019 Magic Screams. And if that isn’t enough, I’m giving away four free tickets to Magic Screams on Instagram, so be sure to check head over and check it out. The giveaway will open on Thursday evening, October 11 and will end on Friday, October 12. It’s a quick turnaround time so that we make sure the winner can use them before Magic Screams comes to a close.

As the sun went down, we could tell things were getting creepier by the minute. After we had all the fun (and spooks) we could stand, we made our way back to our hotel. We took one last Hot Springs pit-stop though at The Purple Cow where we were treated to dinner and their famous purple milkshakes. From there it was off to bed, exhausted but happy and full. And wouldn’t you know it? We managed to sleep until almost 9 am the next morning too.

Thanks for having us, Magic Screams! See you next year!

Food, Sponsored

Box Tops at Sam’s Club!

Disclosure: I receive monetary compensation from General Mills and SC Johnson in exchange of my endorsement of Box Tops For Education.

As sad as I am to say goodbye to summer, there’s always something so exciting about the start of school. The hint of autumn in the air, picking out the perfect first day outfit, the smell of new pencils… I love experiencing it all over again with Iris. Starting first grade this year, we feel like we learned a lot from kindergarten and now we’re pretty much old pros. For example, one of the things that we both got involved in last year is General Mills’ Box Tops for Education program. The principal and teachers really encourage the kids to collect Box Tops from various products to raise money for their school. It’s such an easy, fun way for the kids to get involved and learn the importance of giving back to their school and community.

We’ve started keeping a Ziploc® brand bag in our kitchen specifically for Box Tops. Iris gets excited when she spots a Box Top, cuts it out herself, and adds it to the bag. For every Box Top collected, her school receives ten cents which really does add up. In the principal’s newsletter, we’ve learned her school alone earns well over $1,000 every year from the program!
When it’s time, Iris proudly turns them in to her teacher, knowing that she’s helping give back to the school that gives her so much. By shopping at Sam’s Club, we stocked up on lunchbox and breakfast favorites which actually come with bonus Box Tops. Every year I’m learning how to do things just a little bit better, and every year Box Tops will be a part of that. Finding them at Sam’s Club is my new go-to way to help prepare for back to school and help the school that we love so much. So while maybe we’re not quite old pros just yet, I think we’re on our way.

For every 3 participating BTFE products purchased in a single transaction at Sam’s Club on or after 8/1/18, you can earn 100 Bonus Box Tops. To redeem offer, you will need to download the Box Tops Bonus App and scan your receipt with 3 participating BTFE products by 9/30/2018 or while supplies last. Maximum of $150,000 in Bonus Box Tops combined may be redeemed for Sam’s Club offer. Standard Data Rates May Apply. Learn more at www.SamsClub.com/BoxTops. Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.com for BTFE program details. © 2018 General Mills. All rights reserved.