Destination Moon: Family Fun at the Heinz History Center + GIVEAWAY

This post is brought to you by the Senator John Heinz History Center and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. 

Over the weekend, my family headed into Pittsburgh to visit the Heinz History Center. We couldn't wait to explore Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission! The Heinz History Center is one of four museums to host the Smithsonian's breathtaking traveling exhibit, which will be on display until February 18, 2019. This exhibit is a must see!

This was our first visit to the Heinz History Center, and I'm so glad we finally got the chance to go! I didn't realize how family-friendly it is. There were plenty of fun, interactive exhibits for my four kids, including the Destination Moon exhibit. We had a lot of fun, and we learned so much along the way!

How My Family Stays Active With Fitbit

This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I was paid for this post and received the included Fitbit as compensation.

Life with a big family is busy! After work, school, activities, and responsibilities in the home, there isn’t much time for anything else. Living a healthy, active lifestyle, however, is one of my family’s priorities!

It’s so important to teach children to make healthy choices and stay fit while they’re young, so healthy living becomes a lifelong habit. Just like everything else, it begins in the home. Kids learn by example! If we want to raise healthy, active kids, we have to be healthy, active parents!

Recently, we became a Fitbit Family! Prior to receiving the Fitbit Versa Ruby, I didn’t even wear a watch. I wasn’t completely convinced that I would use it frequently, but I was wrong. I absolutely love it! I feel lost without it on my wrist, and I use it all the time. My family and I quickly learned that it’s easy and fun to stay in shape with Fitbit. It truly is such a great motivator!

Myrtle Beach Family Vacation

It happens every year. Summer lasts well into October, and I find myself wishing for Fall to arrive. Once it does, it hits with full force. We don't have transitional weather in Pittsburgh anymore. We go straight from 80+ degree weather to 50 degree weather overnight! Now I find myself wishing we were back in Myrtle Beach, enjoying family time and gorgeous beach weather!

If you've been following along, I already posted a recap of our road trip to the beach on Liam's 5th Birthday, and our second day in Myrtle Beach, along with our favorite tips for vacationing at the beach with kids! If not, I included those links at the bottom of the post. I'm determined to finish the complete recap by Thanksgiving, unlike last year's vacation, which took an entire year to finish. Going through thousands of vacation photos is a daunting task!

Here's what we did on day 3 and day 4 of our Myrtle Beach Family Vacation...

10 Easy Tips for Contact Lens Wearers

I received complimentary products from discountcontactlenses.com in exchange of an honest review.

Like many people, I have to wear corrective lenses. I started wearing glasses when I was in 5th Grade, and switched to contact lenses the following year because I hated them so much. Although I should probably get a pair of glasses to use as backup, I prefer contacts, and have been relying on them for 20+ years.

Wearing contacts is so routine now that I don't even think about it much. But just like with anything else in life, it's easy to start skipping important steps to save time. After all, contacts are disposable these days! What does it matter?

The truth is, it does matter! Thankfully, there are easy ways to save time, make your contacts last longer, keep your eyes healthy, and save money!

Down For Adventure in Myrtle Beach (+ TIPS)

Every Summer, we go on a family vacation to the beach. We always go to Virginia Beach, but this year, we decided to switch things up a bit and try a different place! So on Liam's birthday in late August, we packed our SUV to capacity, piled in, and headed to Myrtle Beach for a week of family fun!

I already recapped Liam's birthday, and our road trip to the beach. We decided after just a few hours of being there that we loved Myrtle Beach just as much, if not more than, Virginia Beach. Our first full day was so lovely, that I can't help but wish we were back in paradise right now!

Goodbye September, Hello October!

September went by in the blink of an eye, and October is in full swing! Although the leaves are starting to change, it still doesn't feel much like Fall. Other than a few cooler days, the weather has remained warm. We actually have a couple days of 80+ degree weather coming up! 

It's hard to get in the Fall spirit when it's still so warm outside. We're still wearing Summer clothes, and spending a lot of time outdoors. I would love to toss on some cozier clothes, but I do prefer warm weather!

September was a busy month, filled with back to school events. I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I typically do. But just like I do every month, it's time for a photo recap!

The Perfect Game App For Busy Moms

This post is sponsored by Jigsaw Puzzle but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

As a mom of four, my life is chaotic! If I’m not chasing kids around, I’m driving them around. So much of my day is filled with waiting, and sometimes I just need something to occupy my mind while I wait, other than mindlessly scrolling through social media. Now I have Jigsaw Puzzle in my life! This app keeps my mind sharp, and helps to pass the time while I wait. It’s the perfect game app for busy moms who just need to relax or keep busy during all those hours of waiting!

Other than helping my kids with their puzzles, I haven’t put together a puzzle of my own in MANY years. Growing up, my beloved Grandma lived next door, and we used to spend hours working on puzzles together. Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

I was fairly young when I became a mother, and because we spaced our children out, we always had curious little hands in our home. I simply couldn’t leave a puzzle out, because it definitely wouldn’t go undisturbed. As soon as I downloaded the Jigsaw Puzzle app, I instantly remembered just how calming it can be to work on a puzzle!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Happy Friday, my friends! Can you believe it's the end of September already? Where did the past month go?!? Today I'm sharing a few of my favorites that I loved during the month of September!

HELP CHANGE THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE WITH THE ALL OF US RESEARCH PROGRAM

This is a sponsored post in partnership with All of Us Pennsylvania  and ​The Motherhood​.

As an individual, I worry enough about my own health, but as a wife and a mother, my worry increases. My family relies on quality healthcare, regular well exams, and a healthy lifestyle, but I felt like the future of our health is out of our control. I hate feeling helpless, but now I can actually do something...and you can, too!  You can help change the future of medicine by participating in the All of Us Research Program!

The All of Us Research Program is a  nationwide research program, run by the National Institutes of Health. They are working hard to create the largest health database EVER. The goal of the All of Us Research Program is to get one million (or more) U.S. participants so they can find out how diseases is prevented and treated based on differences in lifestyle, genetics, and environment. Their mission is to speed up health research and medical breakthroughs.

By participating, you can potentially improve your health, the health of others, and even help create a healthier future for generations to come.  Participating is simple, and the information gathered will help researchers better understand health and disease.

Liam's 5th Birthday & A Road Trip to Myrtle Beach

On August 18th, our sweet Liam turned 5 year old! It just so happened to be the start of our family vacation, too, so we celebrated Liam's 5th Birthday with an 11 hour road trip to Myrtle Beach. It may not have been our usual birthday celebration, but we filled his day with our favorite birthday traditions!

Even though we spent 11 hours in the car, Liam didn't seem to mind one bit. He's a perfect traveler, and always does great on road trips. He didn't complain once, and the reward was spending the rest of his day in Myrtle Beach!

It's so hard to believe our beautiful boy is already 5 years old! I swear, he was just born. Time is a thief! The arrival of Liam's 5th Birthday was bittersweet, but it was definitely a memorable one...