Kick Those Allergies to the Curb With a #FresherCar! #CBias
FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study Collective Bias® and FRAM #cbias #SocialFabric. All opinions in this post are my own.
ALLERGIES.
I’ve been a life long Floridian, and usually around this time of the year I end up with a sore throat, runny nose, itchy eyes, and have always chalked it up to a cold. I never once thought about it possibly being allergies…I have two kids, and they tend to bring home all sorts of junk. But when I realized that my kids were starting to complain of the same symptoms, and cold medicine wasn’t cutting it, we talked to our family doctor and was told it was allergies.
Really, I was surprised. At least it explained why my son liked to sit like this while watching a movie. I think.
After taking allergy medication instead of cold medication, changing the air filters in the air conditioner unit and in the bedrooms, we were feeling better – but we were all noticing how we were still sneezing and watery eyed while going out and about. It felt like we couldn’t get relief unless we stayed in the house – why were we all having so many issues riding in the car?
After talking with one of my girlfriends, she asked me if I’d changed the air filter in my car in some time. I honestly had no idea there was even one IN there. I was pretty excited when I was asked to get a FRAM Fresh Breeze air filter and try it out. I had no idea that there were air filters with Arm & Hammer in it; I knew the little boxes in your fridge helped with odors. Could an air filter with Arm & Hammer in it really help out with allergy issues? I was anxious to see if it would help with our pesky allergies while driving around town.
I picked one up at Walmart while shopping (you can see my shopping experience through my Google + album here), and was a little overwhelmed with the many choices of filters. There was a reference guide hanging from the shelf to use – VERY simple. You simply look up your car make/model/year, and it tells you which filter to get.
In my case, it was filter # CF10381.
The instructions made it very simple to locate where the air filter was. Once I pulled it out, I dropped it on the ground in disgust. THIS was what has been riding around with me for years? GROSS, GROSS, GROSS! No wonder we all felt so disgusting during allergy season! If you think about it, you’re breathing in this stuff day in and day out – that’s worse than standing outside, since in the car your air just recirculates over and over.
I put the new filter side by side next to the old one, and was still completely grossed out at how much dirt, dust, leaves, and other little nasty things that there were in there. I was extremely happy to be ditching the old one and putting in the new one ASAP.
After installation, which took all of a whopping 5 minutes, we went out and about…and almost immediately, we noticed that the car smelled and felt fresher. It’s been five days since we installed the filter, and the car honestly has a wonderful smell to it – just cleaner all around. No more itchy, watery eyes or sneezing while riding anywhere!
I put a little note on my phone to change my filter twice a year, and will do it again in about 4 months. I also added a little written date on the oil change sticker on my car – if you’re changing your oil, why not go ahead and change your air filter as well?
FRAM is offering a wonderful deal at the moment – get $4 off by mail with a mail-in rebate. Buy any FRAM oil filer and FRAM Air Filter and receive $4 off! Their filters are already very inexpensive (I paid under $20 for mine), so this deal makes it even more affordable.
We highly recommend trying out the FRAM Arm & Hammer air filters for your car. I encourage you to check out their website and watch how easy it is to change the filter yourself!
We Had A Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party At Gaylord Palms #GaylordPalms
This past weekend, my son and I had the opportunity to stay at the Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee, FL for the Puss in Boots Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party, and we had an absolute blast!
Gaylord Palms is our favorite resort in the Orlando area. It’s a Christmas tradition to visit ICE! each year (you can see previous posts here, here, and here) and we even had a mini vacation at the resort last year as well. This was the first Dreamworks Experience party that we had the pleasure of attending; Gaylord knew how to keep all ages entertained from a scavenger hunt, exclusive character meet and greets, a pool party, and decorating pillow cases!
When we checked in, we received a lovely welcome package from the resort, as well as a party package for the evening that included Magic Beans, posters, an autograph book, and more!
One thing that I absolutely love about Gaylord Palms are the views from your room. We spotted alligators, Koi fish, and the occasional Dreamworks character wandering around!
The rooms inside of the resort are gorgeous. They’re comfortable and upscale, and have plenty of room for an entire family. The room is bright and airy, and I feel very much “at home” while staying here.
When it was time for the party to start, we headed down to make our pillowcases, have some leche (milk!) and cookies, and play some video games with Puss himself. The boys (Jessica’s son and my son) were busy decorating their pillowcases, and were happily surprised to look up and see Puss in Boots walk into the room.
After the boys had their fill of milk and cookies, we headed out to try our hand at the scavenger hunt, and to meet a few more characters!
And yes, Jessica and I had to get a few pictures as well.
We let the boys run around on the grassy lawn in the middle of the resort while we enjoyed a few drinks and pork nachos from Wreckers. The boys played football and ran back and forth across the lawn as Jessica and I caught up.
Not too long after that, it was time for the Crack-a- Lackin Pool Party! The party was very high energy, and there were plenty of dancers on the pool deck and IN the pool!
After the party, Puss in Boots was shown on the pool screen. We stopped for a quick warm up in front of a fire pit on the way back to our room, and soon we were zonked out for the evening.
The next morning, Zachary woke up all excited – it was time for Shrek Feast at Villa de Flora!
Shrek Feast can only be found at Gaylord Palms. We enjoyed swamp juice, Shrek waffles, a snot fountain (okay, it was really a green chocolate fountain), bacon, eggs, and more. As we dove into our breakfast, Shrek and Fiona came over for a chat – and Shrek liked Zachary’s hat so much, he had to try it on for himself.
After we filled up on breakfast, we headed back to the room and got our swimsuits on to spend a little time at the pool. The new Cypress Springs waterpark area looked inviting, and every few minutes, a large bucket of water would splash unsuspecting pool guests below it.
Unfortunately, the day came to a close much too quickly, and it was time to pack up and head back to reality. As I left Gaylord, I looked back at Zachary, and found that he was fast asleep. Now THAT is a sign of a good time!
A big thank you to Gaylord Palms for inviting us to back to their resort for such an amazing time. My son and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there and cannot wait to return for future events. We highly recommend the Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party to everyone!
Disclosure: My family received a complimentary night at the Gaylord Palms as well as admission to the DreamWorks Experience, the Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Be sure to “Like” Gaylord Palms on Facebook to get the most up-to-date information and promotions!
Read MorePuss in Boots Purrrrrrfect PJ Party – March 16 @GaylordPalms
On Saturday, March 16th, join Gaylord Palms as they host a ONE NIGHT ONLY Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party with Puss in Boots!
Amigos and Amigas! Join Puss in Boots and his pals from DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek for a purrrrrrfectly delightful fiesta!
Enjoy a scavenger hunt and exclusive meet & greet with Shrek, Po, King Julien and your favorite feline hero. You will have fun with crafts and souvenir gifts, then curl up with cookies and leche (milk) for a screening of the DreamWorks Animation film Puss In Boots.
Availability: March 16, 2013
Duration: 1 night
Reservations: Please call 1-407-586-2000 and provide promotion code: 2DW or Book online now!
Package price: Starting at $189* for a family of four, plus tax, Osceola County Assessment Fee, resort fee and parking.
Package includes:
• 1-night room accommodations at Gaylord Palms Resort
• Enjoy an exclusive meet & greet with your favorite feline hero, Puss in Boots plus Shrek, Po and King Julien!
• Have fun decorating and customizing your very own pillowcase.
• Receive a special souvenir of Magic Beans!
• Curl up with cookies and leche (milk).
• Settle in for a screening of the DreamWorks Animation film Puss In Boots.
Gaylord Palms is minutes away from Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Orlando. This resort definitely has something for everyone – with breathtaking views from every room, a brand new swim/splash pad area, divine restaurants, the whole family will love a day away at Gaylord Palms!
Visit Gaylord Palms for more details.
Valid through: March 17, 2013
Promotional Code: 2DW
*Valid March 16, 2013. Price is for a family of up to four occupants and is subject to Osceola County Assessment Fee, resort fee and parking. Extra nights and atrium upgrades may be available at prevailing rates. Not valid for groups or in conjunction with other offers. Not retroactive. Subject to limited availability. Other restrictions may apply.
Shrek, Puss In Boots, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and all related characters and properties © 2013 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.
Family Fun Night at Home #CBias #RUgame
The kids have had a rough couple of weeks, what with Madison having to deal with the FCATs (man, no one in this house is a fan of that testing here in Florida) and Zachary having to change daycares. While the kids come home happy, you can still tell that the day has taken a lot of out them.
We try to take the kids out once a week to do something fun and let them unwind from their stress from school, but we decided to try a fun in home family night for a change of pace. This way, we wouldn’t have to all pile into the car, drive to our destination, argue over menu items, then find entertainment after eating.
I went to AreYouGame.com to search for a fun game that we could play as a family. There were literally hundreds of options to choose from, and it was a little hard to decide on an age appropriate game (mainly because Zachary is three – we didn’t want a game that was TOO easy). After searching through the various options, I decided that my top two choices were Disney’s Pictureka and CARS Memory (you all know we adore Disney, right?). Now I just needed to see if they were available at my local Walmart. While Pictureka was for 6 and up, I knew that Zachary would have fun guessing the pictures, and Madison, Paul and myself would have a lot of fun drawing various Disney items. Memory was a classic game that each of us grew up with (except Zachary), and I knew that would be fun to team up as parents versus kids.
(And between you and me, I was crossing fingers and toes that Pictureka was there because man I wanted that game SO BAD!)
I also wanted to rent a movie for all of us to watch – the kids were asking for a Spongebob movie, while I wanted to rent Happy Feet 2. I said that the fate was in the Redbox hands, so they would have to wait and see what I would come back with.
I headed to my new favorite Walmart (it’s so clean and pretty!) to grab all of the items that I would need for our Family Fun Night at Home! You can follow my fun shopping adventures here via my Google + album if you’d like to see how sparkling this store is.
For dessert, I decided to try out the new TCBY frozen yogurt that is now available at Walmart. I grew up loving TCBY – who didn’t love their golden vanilla? Unfortunately, no golden vanilla in stock here, but I did find some tasty fudge bars for the kids and a special treat all my own as well.
I also wanted to try out one of the new Freshchetta brick oven pizzas. Into the sea of pizza I went!
I ultimately decided to try out the sea salt and olive oil pepperoni pizza. It looked delicious, I just hoped it tasted as good!
I was thoroughly uncomfortable with these guys. They kind of feel like they’re staring into your soul.
When I got to the toy aisle, I started searching for the Disney Pictureka…and was sadly disappointed. Not at this Walmart. Boo!
However, they DID have the CARS Memory game in stock, so I happily took one of those and headed for the checkout counter.
After paying for my purchases, I stopped at the Redbox to attempt to rent Happy Feet 2. Every single family movie was out of stock except for 4 – and we owned three of them. Guess which one was the one we didn’t own, and was in stock?
The kids won. Spongebob it was.
I headed home with the bags of goodies, and while Paul got the pizza going in the oven, Madison set up the game. I tried to keep Zachary from immediately hoarding the cards for himself and explained how to play.
Of course, a toddler doesn’t want to listen. After three rounds of him turning over the exact same two cards in front of him, he got somewhat frustrated and exclaimed, “CARS! WHY YOU NO CHANGE!” , and all I could think of was this guy:
Paul gave Zachary a big hint where a match may be hiding – and then the kids matched us, one to one.
I ran and got the pizza out of the oven – doesn’t this look amazing? It only took 14 minutes to come out as a crispy, golden brown. The pizza felt light when we ate it, and the sea salt gave it a slight kick. I think in the future we will definitely choose this brand of pizza again!
As we ate, we continued playing – and wouldn’t you know it, those stinkers beat us. I guess the kids with the steel trap memories are better than their aging parents who can’t pay attention that there are three very different Finn McMissile cards in the game.
To celebrate their victory, the kids each had a fudge bar (Paul skipped dessert) and I had a bowl of English toffee with my magic shell. There was a slight mishap with the magic shell pouring out way too much into the bowl. But shhhh. We won’t tell anyone, right? (I already told Jillian Michaels and her DVD is screaming at me to get off the computer and bust my butt now.)
With full bellies and gloating kids (really, guys?) – we settled in to watch the Spongebob movie. I’ll admit it: I used to adore Spongebob. It’s definitely not as funny now, and I rolled my eyes at more of the content that I would have in the past, but the time spent with my family was well worth it.
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study forCollective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric
email / goobermonkey78(at)gmail(dot)com Goober Monkey has been proudly sponsored by Medifast since March 2nd, 2011!
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