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I Love Raw Sugar (products?)

Posted on February 3, 2021

I’m sure by now you all know that I’m an electrician during the day and content creator at all other times! As soon as I get home from the job site I immediately pop in the shower to wash off the grime from the day. And let me tell you, some days I can get really grimy LOL

For the past 2 years my body wash and soap of choice has been the Raw Sugar Men’s products. I first discovered it at Target and immediately fell in love. I actually started out using only their Body Wash because I was never really a bar of soap kinda guy, but since then that’s definitely changed for me.

The Raw Sugar Men’s Citrus + Blue Agave Body Wash smells so good. It’s like they captured the scent of clean in a bottle and as soon as I start scrubbing my body, I immediately start feeling fresh. It’s deep cleaning, but also hydrating, which I need because I’m out in the elements a lot, so I need a body wash that’s not going to dry my already dry skin out! There’s no sulfates and parabens, and it’s gentle for dry skin. I love it. Even though it’s part of their men’s line my wife loves it and uses it too.

So honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever used a bar of soap in the shower until recently! Is that weird? I’ve just always preferred body wash to a bar. However, lately, I’m kinda obsessed with using the Raw Sugar Men’s Soap Bar. I get such a good lather with it! And check out my images – look at those little nubs on one side. They work great for keeping a good grip on the bar and you get a nice little massage on your bod when you lather 🙂 The bar I have now is a mix of Eucalyptus + Cedar Leaf and again, it smells so good, without being too strong of a scent. It’s also hydrating, which is amazing because a lot of other soap bar brands seem to dry me out – I honestly think that’s why I originally stopped using bars. But Raw Sugar convinced me to switch back and I’m official a bar of soap kinda guy!

I tend to switch back and forth between their body wash and the bar of soap so I get the best of both worlds. I just love their products and definitely want to try the Black Coconut + Sea Salt bar next! Doesn’t that sound yummy? If you’ve never tried Raw Sugar Living products before, you definitely need to try them out. They are officially my go-to for shower products and I always just feel so soft and fresh after each wash! My wife loves it too, and she loves the scent of their product on her hubby. 🙂

The Raw Sugar Initiative makes the world a cleaner, healthier place. Visit RawSugarLiving.com to learn more.

My Fave Tri-State Airbnb Listings!

Posted on November 17, 2020

Ever since I spent the weekend up at my buddy’s cabin in the Catskills, I’ve become obsessed with browsing the Airbnb website. His cabin is only 2 hours from our house, in a completely remote area with tons of property and it was an amazing weekend of good, quality family time. Immediately after leaving I felt so good about the ability to disconnect from reality and really just had the best time with my family and friends. I always thought I would need this extravagant vacation on a beach in the Caribbean or a thrilling ski trip on a mountain somewhere out west or overseas in order to have the best time, but honestly, sometimes these little local getaways are just as good! Don’t get me wrong, I am craving my yearly Caribbean trip and cannot wait to take the family out west for skiing, but for now, with everything that is still going on, my family has made the personal decision to just stick to local getaways for now. And this is where my Airbnb obsession has begun! 🙂

I’m excited to have partnered up with Airbnb, one of the world’s largest marketplaces for unique and authentic places to stay and things to do, so keep reading for some of my listings I found that I hope to experience with my family. There are so many incredible places on there that you would not believe might be hiding practically in your back yard! When I came across some of these locations I couldn’t believe they were all within a maximum 2 hour distance from me. I’m in Stormville, NY, and although the NYC folks consider me upstate and in the middle of nowhere LOL I definitely do not live in a remote neighborhood in a dome house, or up in a tree, or a have a year round heated pool that we can enjoy, so I still get the urge to venture to even more remote places and to experience the incredible uniqueness that some of these listings have to offer! Check out some of my Airbnb picks for a unique experience all accessible from the tri-state area for a weekend getaway!

WILLOW TREEHOUSE
As soon as I saw the first image of this place I clicked. The first thing I usually do is check the distance of the location from my house to see if it’s a realistic drive for a weekend. I could not believe this incredible piece of architecture is only an hour and a half from me! Besides being completely obsessed with the unique shape of it, I love all of the natural wood and all of those windows (click through to see what I mean)! I lack a lot of natural light in my house so I’m a sucker for a ton of windows and great lighting. Look at that big rectangular window overlooking the pond! I can only imagine my family’s enthusiasm if we pulled up to this place. The loft bed area is so cozy and Nate always sleeps with us when we’re on vacation so I imagine a ton of good snuggles while looking through those skylights. And that wood burning hot tub is calling my name. For me, I’m all about finding unique places that are not too far, and that has amenities that my family and I can enjoy together. Nate loves hiking, climbing, making fires and eating s’mores, and so do my wife and I, so being able to enjoy some of our fave activities in a place like this would be awesome. I need to go to this place for a weekend, it’s just too cool!

ALPINE A-FRAME
How cute is this?! This Airbnb listing is a little less than 3 hours from me, situated in Vermont. We’re actually used to driving 4 hours to Vermont almost every weekend during the winter because we are avid Killington skiers, so 3 hours is nothing for us! Being a ski family is actually one of the main reasons I chose this listing. As soon as I saw that it mentioned it was only 15 minutes away from Mount Snow, I was sold. I haven’t been to Mount Snow in years, but with a cozy cabin like this to stay in, I think it would make the experience so much more fun! I absolutely love the shape of this little cabin, especially with those lights running along the front of the frame – it just looks so cozy and cute! I love all of the wood grain inside and the wood burning fireplace and outdoor fire-pit. My family loves to sit around the fire when we do little getaways like this, so it’s kind of a must for me! Another reason why I chose this listing is because it mentioned that the house is only 5 minutes away from downtown, filled with boutique shops and restaurants – I’m sold! Cozy family vibes in a cute cabin, skiing, shopping and eating? This cute little A-frame has my name written all over it. We need to make the trip up to this place one weekend!

MODERN UPSTATE CABIN
So for this Airbnb listing, I was familiar with it before I even came across it on their site, because I actually follow the owner of this incredible cabin on Instagram! I’ve never actually been here before, but my eyes always pop open whenever I come across his posts of images of this place. It’s just incredible. And, the location, Red Hook, NY, is only about 45 minutes from me! Modern design in the middle of the woods gets me every time. The decor of this place is just so minimal and modern, but still has cozy vibes – it’s the perfect blend. I’m obsessed with how they stacked all of that wood in the wall. I officially want to change out my pellet stove in my house to this orb fireplace…I mean how gorgeous is this?! The mod pool is year round and heated, so that alone sold me on this place. My family and I love swimming in the winter when we go to Killington, so I know we would have a blast having this place to ourselves one weekend. It also has a solarium cottage on the property (check it out). How cool?! Imagine falling asleep in here at night? Or waking up in this in the morning? Ahhhh, it would be such a cool experience with my family. I kind of want one for our backyard! haha Considering this place is so close to me, I really need to experience it one weekend. It’s just gorgeous.

CASA MINNEWASKA
Again, the first picture made me click! This place looks beautiful and is only about an hour and a half from me. Most New Yorkers have heard of Minnewaska State Park, and this cabin is only about 20 minutes from the “Gunks” (Shawangunk Mountains). I actually used to go there to rock climb years ago, so I’m somewhat familiar with the area, and my family and I love to do rock scrambles and explore the cute town up in New Paltz, so the fact that this cabin is so close to activities we love to do is the main reason why I chose this Airbnb listing! Whenever we’ve been up to New Paltz it’s always just for the day, so to be able to stay in a cool place like this and make a weekend out of it would make it feel like a little vacay for me. It’s always fun to go somewhere for the day, but when you get to stay over and make a small vacation out of it, it’s so much better! Click through and look at that aerial view – it just looks so beautiful in the middle of nowhere amongst all those trees! Indoor wood burning stove? Check. Hot Tub? Check. Firepit? Check. Incredible Views? Check. Secludedness while just being a short distance to hiking and a cute little town? Check. I could see me staying in a place like this with my family and another couple, or bringing the parents and mother-in-law along. There’s room for 10 guests so it would be a great place for a cozy weekend with family or friends, while still being able to enjoy some of our fave activities nearby. Honestly, this would’ve been perfect for my 40th birthday weekend that was back in September. Wish I would’ve thought of it then! Maybe the next one! 🙂

THE TREE HOUSE
Ok, so for this Airbnb listing, the second image (shown above) made me click! LOL I am a sucker for that retro decor! Honestly, right after I saw this listing it made me want to go buy some home decor haha. This Airbnb listing is in PA but is still less than 2 hours away from me! This place just looks so cool. Being a #plantdad, that cactus and those plants mixed in with that furniture kind of had me drooling. The shape of this cabin (click through to see) is so unique and I love all of the windows surrounding it. I don’t know why, but I just picture myself pulling up to this place in our ’64 T-Bird and then chilling inside with my wife while the Dirty Dancing soundtrack is playing. haha Although, Nate will be there too because we never like to go anywhere without him. 🙂 Besides this decor which I can’t stop obsessing over, it’s got all of my fireplace/firepit needs, is situated on 9 acres of private woods (perfect for family exploring which we love to do), and is only a 4 minute drive to Narrowsburg (which I’ve never heard of or been to, but since it mentions antique stores and local markets, it has me intrigued!) My family and I love exploring new local towns with vintage shopping, cute shops and yummy food, so I’m kind of wanting to venture here for a weekend. Being a content creator, honestly the decor alone has me wanting to go and just have a photoshoot! haha Actually, I believe PA has a lot of dirt bike trails, so I’d be curious if there is any nearby this place that we could take our dirt bikes to and have some fun outdoor adventure as well. I’ll have to look into that further! Either way, this place is just so cool. Did I mention that yet? 🙂

It was so hard to choose and narrow it down to just a few listings because there are just some many amazing and unique places to experience on Airbnb. Just go browse the site – you’d be surprised how many magazine-worthy locations are within driving distance from you! I am personally going to try and spend some more time looking for more listings that my family and I can enjoy during the winter months. Hoping that the ski season is not too heavily impacted with the pandemic, but if we must ski less this year due to less people being allowed on the mountains, I am going to make sure we make a week out of our trip or at least get the most out of the experience, by staying at a unique Airbnb listing that has a firepit, is close to a cute town, near skiing, and hopefully has a year-round pool or at least a hot tub. This sounds absolutely amazing to me and I need to get on it before all the weekends book up!

Which featured listing of mine was your favorite? I’m curious which one you would prefer to stay at if you had the choice. Comment here or on my Instagram post and let me know!

Family Home Reviews

The Most Important Thing I Learned from my Financial Advisor

Posted on August 24, 2020

There’s never really a bad time to start thinking about your future and getting your finances in order. Obviously it’s better to start earlier rather than later in life, and I’m happy my wife and I really started taking initiative when we did. I’ve always been a decent saver, but I’m also a pretty good spender LOL. I partnered up with Northwestern Mutual to share my experience meeting with one of their financial advisors, and I must say, in the few meetings we had, I learned a lot and accomplished a lot!

Before our initial meeting, my wife and I worked on filling out a spreadsheet that our advisor gave us. We input all of our expenses, as well as our income. At this step it’s definitely best to try and be as detailed as possible. It’s crazy how much you spend in a month when you add up everything outside of monthly bills as well! You have to think about it all – food, gas, entertainment, dining out, family activities, etc. – boy does it add up! When you have your first meeting with your advisor, they break it all down for you, and let you know what you have left at the end of each month and/or year. We also discussed our financial goals and if we were planning on making any big purchases such as a home, car, wedding, etc. I don’t know why, but previously when I thought about monthly expenses I really only thought about monthly bills, but that’s only a portion of it, you have to think about where all your money is going each month! It’s really good to get you thinking about it and getting it all down on a spreadsheet as a visual.

For us, our main objective of our meeting was to know how we were doing financially. We wanted to make an investment and do some home improvements but we were nervous to spend the money if we weren’t in a good place financially. I mean, we felt like we were in a good place, but we really wanted a professional financial advisor to confirm what we were feeling because we really didn’t know. So that’s why we were so excited to have our first meeting with Northwestern Mutual. We wanted to accomplish certain goals, but needed a little guidance and confirmation. Finances are usually a weird thing to talk about and get advice on from other people, so being able to talk to a professional who we knew was going to keep everything confidential and work with us to make the best possible financial decisions definitely made us feel more comfortable.

During our meetings, our Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor spoke to us about different kinds of life insurance, college savings for Nate, possible ways to invest, and why it’s so important to not just have money sitting in a bank account depreciating in value and to make your money work for you. This was honestly one of the biggest take-aways for us and really blew our mind! We thought we were doing the right thing by trying to stack up as much money as possible and just have it safely sitting in savings. Little did we know, it would be way more wise and beneficial to keep it in a money market, investment, or a life insurance policy. We are always so nervous about losing our hard earned money, so we didn’t want to touch it, but by trying to be safe and keep it in a savings account, that’s exactly what we were doing. That’s my free little tidbit for today! 🙂 You’ll have to meet with your own Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor to review your personal finances and see what works best for you. Since we do like to stay on the safer side, we are currently just trying to keep enough in our savings to keep ourselves afloat for a year, which is actually still 6 months more than suggested, but we still feel better being cautious and moving the rest of our money somewhere more beneficial!

We left our meeting with our advisor feeling really good. She had confirmed that the steps we had taken up until this point were good and we were in a good financial place considering all of our expenses. With our discussion she confirmed that we would be able to make some home improvements and some investments. From that meeting until now, we really feel like we accomplished a lot! We ended up buying a new bedroom set (which we have wanted for years now), we opened up a 529 college savings plan for Nate, my wife and I both got life insurance, we made a monetary investment, and we finally moved forward with our front deck project that is now just about complete and that we are totally in love with! We spend so much more time in the front of our house now and feel guilt-free about spending the money on the project, because we know we are making the right moves with our finances!

Now that we’re in August of this crazy year we’re having, and despite the pandemic, we’ve accomplished a lot. Now it’s time to get back to saving for a bit, and then we’ll revisit our next round of goals at our next Northwestern Mutual meeting. Hopefully the next home improvement will be our siding 🙂

I really recommend anyone to set up a meeting with one of their advisors. It’s a smart move to let a professional tell you what you could be doing better to get the most out of your hard-earned money. Even from just the few meetings I had, I feel much more knowledgeable on the potential of financial growth and definitely now know that just having money sit in a savings account is not a wise financial decision. #ad

This blog post was sponsored by Northwestern Mutual

Home Reviews

Dyson V11 Torque Drive

Posted on August 15, 2020

Like most people, during the summer my family and I LOVE being outside! Whether it’s hanging by the pool, or just sitting on the back deck relaxing, or having a drink, or entertaining, or having a bbq, we love spending as much time as we can outside. And ever since we got our deck redone last year and have new outdoor furniture, we want to be out there even more.

With all the trees around my house I always have leaves and other debris falling on the deck and on our furniture (annoying!). So before we lay out, sit out, or cook out, we always tidy up beforehand because it just looks nicer and feels nicer! Just like inside the house, I want convenience and ease to make cleaning quick and simple so I can get to my pina colada as soon as possible LOL. That’s why I love being able to just grab my Dyson V11 Torque Drive and just swoop around, hit the deck and cushions, and throw it right back on the charger. So quick and easy!

I love the LCD screen on the back that tells me the battery life. You can switch between the 3 power settings: eco, auto, and boost and choose the right power that you need for whatever mess you’re cleaning up. I love this feature! The overall suction is incredible and I love all of the attachments it comes with. The crevice tool attachment might be one of my faves. I use it behind the furniture cushions, under my baseboard heaters in the house, under and between my seats in my car, and pretty much anywhere I can’t get to normally. So good! I have these chaise lounge chairs that always seem to build up debris right where you sit because of the crack from where they fold, and this tool also works perfectly here because it sucks the little leaf pieces right up! It’s so crazy, but I get this weird satisfaction using this little powerful vacuum and watching the debris disappear in seconds. Even my son love using it! LOL

I just love the Dyson brand all around. They have such incredible and high-tech appliances that look as good as they function. I love when appliances look sleek! So we still have the Dyson V10 which we decided to bring upstairs in our house and we will keep this Dyson V11 Torque Drive downstairs. I can’t say enough how easy these vacuums make our life. Instead of having to lug out this big vacuum and only get to vacuuming once a week because it just feels like a huge inconvenience, this family vacuums at least once a day. It’s just so quick and easy! Between Nate’s crumbs when he sneaks snacks in his room, our carpeted stairs that always seem to get dust and hair stuck to them, the dirt that gets tracked into our home right by the front door, and of course our outdoor space that is exposed to the most debris, we easily use our vacuum multiple times a day, and don’t mind doing so. Our Dyson V11 is quick, it’s easy, it works amazing and it looks cool!

Family Reviews Style

My Family’s Favorite Ice Cream

Posted on August 2, 2020

When it comes to sweets, my family doesn’t play around…we love them! And it’s no surprise that ice cream is one of our absolute favorite things to eat. We all seem to have very different taste when it comes to ice cream, but my wife and son are more likely to agree on a flavor. They usually go for the classics, but I’m more likely to want something a little different!

I love ice cream so much that when I pop one of those pints open it’s honestly so hard for me to stop – I usually end up finishing it in one sitting, or come pretty close LOL don’t judge! Halo Top Creamery is one of my go-to ice cream brands. Besides their great flavor options, the fact that they are all 370 calories or less per pint is amazing! It’s a light ice cream, and you would never even know it. This way I can finish the entire pint if I desire 🙂 and only have a third amount of the calories than I would with another brand. I just don’t feel as guilty eating the entire pint when it’s my Halo Top!

We recently introduced Nate to the brand and I was nervous at first, because he’s super particular with his ice cream and usually only eats 1 or 2 specific flavors and brands, but the first day he tried it he loved it. He liked how creamy and smooth it was, and I must agree…something about Halo Top’s ice cream is just creamier and I love that. His favorite flavor so far is the Cookies & Cream, mine is the Jelly Donut flavor, and my wife loves the Sea Salt Caramel. We each tend to always grab our fave flavors but then end up sharing once we’re snacking at home.

Since I entered my thirties, I’ve definitely noticed that I can’t just eat junk as much as I used to like when I was younger, and it’s much harder to keep the weight off if I’m not watching what I eat and working out during the week. But it’s a struggle! It’s hard to constantly keep that clean-eating routine all week, and then you have that mid-week day (especially during the hot summer), when you just want a cold, yummy treat. I mean how can I deprive myself from ice cream after coming home from a hard day’s work?! I’ll come home, go for a dip in the pool, then be outside playing with Nate and he finally says to me “Daddy, let’s have some ice cream!” That’s when the internal struggle begins. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Should I just wait for the weekend when I’m allowed to have my sweets and snacks? It’s no fun having to think this way, so I decided there should be a fine balance with everything and I was going to stop “shoulding” myself. With Halo Top Creamery the answer’s easy. I have the ice cream with my boy and enjoy my summer day! Whether I eat a few spoonfuls or the entire pint I honestly do not feel guilty about it at all, and it’s so darn good and it hits the spot and fulfills that weekday craving of mine!

I feel like the little voice in my head telling me “you should be doing this” or “you should be doing that” appears far too often. Besides my mid-week ice cream cravings, I’ll get the guilt of feeling like I should be doing yard work instead of enjoying the pool, or I should be cleaning the house and being productive instead of enjoying a lazy morning in bed, or Nate should really have dinner first before he has some ice cream. I was happy to be a part of the Halo Top Creamery “StopShouldingYouself” campaign and throw that little voice in my head out the window! LOL And in doing so I’ve come to learn that if I do just what I feel like doing in that moment, life is that much more enjoyable. I’ll get to the yard work eventually – I always do. The house will get cleaned when I’m in the mood to clean, and if Nate wants a little Halo Top before dinner, so what, what’s the difference what order he eats his food in as long as he eats it?!

When you stop “shoulding” yourself I feel like you can actually be more productive and these little moments of the unexpected can make life that much more exciting and enjoyable. Plus, when I’m actually in the mood to do yard work (and there are times when I am in the mood!) then I’m more likely to not be so miserable doing it and the entire project gets done, instead of starting something when I’m just not feeling it. It actually in-turn makes me more productive when I do things on my own internal time and when I’m ready and in the mood! Like right now, it’s lunch time and I should probably have my grilled chicken that I made for lunch, but it’s 90 degrees out and all I want to do is go sit on my back deck for 20 minutes and have some spoonfuls of my wife’s Halo Top Sea Salt Caramel! LOL So I’m going to! #stopshouldingyourself

Family Reviews

Nate’s 1st Online Course With iD Tech

Posted on June 11, 2020

I cannot believe that the school year is just about over. It’s been a crazy past few months with everything that’s been going on, in addition to figuring out and adjusting to this home-schooling life, but we did it, and summer is just about here!

Every other year Nate has gone to a sports camp part-time during the summer, but with the uncertainty of his camp opening, and us not really even feeling comfortable sending him anywhere this year, we decided to sign him up for an online summer camp course through iD Tech Virtual Tech Camps. Even though he’s only 7 he has such an interest in gaming, YouTube, coding, and already tells us that he wants to either be a professional gamer or computer programmer, so we’ve always wanted to find a course that he could take to further his knowledge.

We looked into local schools but never found any nearby, and the idea of driving an hour or more each day for an online course just seemed unreasonable. We never even thought of an online course for him until recently! We signed him up for the Minecraft World Designer Virtual Tech Camp with iD Tech. It’s for ages 7-9 and everything is done online. As soon as we asked him if we wanted to take an online course about Minecraft he was sold! His eyes lit up and he was so excited to start. He kept asking us when does it start, when does it start. LOL

His class is for a week and we were able to choose the time slot that works best for us, so we’re doing it at 4pm during the week. We absolutely LOVE the fact that the class is small and there’s only about 5 kids in it, which really lets the instructor devote his attention to all of them equally. Nate prefers it that way too. I’ve seen him on online meetings with his school before, and he always seems to participate more and seems more into it when there is less people and it’s not a big group of kids trying to speak over each other. So the iD Tech course is perfect for him!

He just logs on and does his thing. Honestly, not sure we could even help him if we wanted to because I don’t know much about Minecraft at all and just looking at it seems confusing! LOL It’s so cute how he watches his instructor on the screen so intently and then raises his little hand and waits patiently to be called on so he can ask his question or give his opinion on something. I love seeing him participate – it’s so cute!

Nate absolutely loves his virtual tech course! Just yesterday he asked me if he had his Minecraft course today and when I told him he did, he whispers to himself “YES!”. Then he continued watching the clock anxious for it to begin. It really makes me proud as to how into it he is! And watching him speak up and participate with all his little Minecraft terminology and talking about coordinates and negative numbers – it’s just so impressive!

Nate really enjoys his Minecraft World Designer course that I just know we’re going to have to sign him up for the next one to expand his knowledge. I really love that this game teaches commands, coding and really gets you thinking. I mean, I asked Nate what he learned on his first day and his answer was “it inspires him to think more”. All I can say is WOW and I love that he’s enjoying learning through gaming and this course!

Click here and use my code ERIC125 to get $125 off any Virtual Tech Camp! We’ll be using it on Nate’s next course 🙂

Family Home Reviews

Nate Made Me Breakfast in Bed!

Posted on May 22, 2020

This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Father’s Day is quickly approaching and it’s one of those holidays that always gets me super sentimental. My father passed away when I was 15, so every year that I get to celebrate with my son means a lot to me – and I’m sure every father feels the same way!

Read on to see how my son surprised me and made me feel so special by serving me Jimmy Dean® Frozen Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches in bed! We’ve been shopping online for groceries more so than ever lately so Nate usually browses the ACME app with us to add anything special he wants for the week, so he made sure to secretly add these sandwiches with mommy without me seeing. Now that we’re using the ACME app to shop and get our groceries delivered, it was a lot easier for them to surprise me without us all being at the grocery store together. We love the “New Deals” section in the app – it’s so easy to see the new items on sale that we may not have necessarily had on our list, but are always willing to purchase at a good deal!

I was having one of those weeks where I felt overwhelmed. I was rushing around finishing work and projects, and I was even feeling busy at home on the weekends. I had said out loud, “I wish I could have one of those days where I don’t even leave the bed, and I can enjoy yummy food and watch movies all day.” Well, my son is very observant and takes in everything he hears. So this year, Nathan wanted to make me breakfast in bed!

It’s well known that I’m the cook in this family, so I think Nate was a little skeptical with the idea, since he knows mommy is not much of a cook LOL (she cleans, I cook) – and it works out just fine! He told me I could get dressed but not to leave the bedroom.

We eat plain croissants a lot in the house, especially in the mornings, and whenever we go out on the weekends, I usually stop for a sausage, egg and cheese at the deli. So when my wife and son saw these Jimmy Dean® Frozen Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches at ACME, they knew they would be perfect for me, and perfect for them because they didn’t require any preparation or cooking! 🙂

I waited patiently upstairs while they prepared, and I could smell the warm croissants heating up—I had no idea what it was, but it smelled so good! Nate was so cute, barely being able to carry the tray with everything on it, but somehow he managed. It was complete with a little plant, pineapple juice (which I love) and salt, pepper, and ketchup; because he knows that’s what I always get on my egg sandwiches at the deli!

Up he came with the Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant sandwiches, and they were so good! I love how crispy the croissants got! Nathan had never actually tried eggs before and never even had an urge to, but I think because these sandwiches looked and smelled so good, he was enticed. Plus, he loves croissants, so that enticed him even more! He really surprised me by asking if he could have one. I was shocked. You know how kids are—if they think they don’t like something, even if they’ve never had it, that’s it, they don’t like it, end of conversation. But he wanted to try these, even though they had egg on them, so I was thrilled! To be honest, I feel like having a sausage, egg and cheese croissant is like a right of passage. I think I may have lived on them all throughout high school LOL. I was seriously so excited he wanted try them! First bite, and his eyes lit up. He loved them, and it made me so happy because now I have someone to enjoy them with! My wife on the other hand, wants nothing to do with eggs, so I never really end up making them as much as I would like to. But now that I know Nate is a fan of these Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissant sandwiches, they will be stocked in our freezer at all times!

Thanks for my early Father’s Day surprise bud! Besides being so thoughtful, I’m happy we got to share that moment of you trying a new food for the first time and loving it just as much as I do. Happy early Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Reviews Style

My 5 Minute Grey Cover-Up

Posted on April 23, 2020

This year is the first year that I’m starting to really feel older. I’m turning 40 in September and I’m starting to notice my body changing. Aches and pains just don’t go away like they used to, it feels harder to stay in shape, and my appearance is changing. Wrinkles are starting to be more prominent and the greys continue to come in! Just like I have a diet and skincare regimen to prevent wrinkles and unwanted weight gain, I also started a regimen to keep the grey away.

There’s nothing wrong with aging, but that doesn’t mean that if there are things that are changing that you’re not happy with, and you have the ability to change them, that you shouldn’t. I partnered up with Cremo to try out and share with you how their Hair & Beard Dye works!

Most of my grey hair is in my beard, and the few greys that I do have on my head I actually don’t mind as much. For some reason the greys in my beard seem to have a mind of their own LOL They’re more coarse, they don’t tame as easily and they tend to make my beard look less cleaned up and more chaotic, so I had to find a simple solution for these guys. The best thing about the Cremo Hair & Beard Dye is how easy and quick it is to use. You literally just clip on the applicator, shake it, apply, wait 5 minutes, and rinse! There’s no mixing, no need for gloves, and it’s just all around super easy. I find that for any of my grooming routines if it’s not convenient, then I’m not going to follow through with it. For my beard, I just painted the foam on with the included brush, and that was it. The bottle comes with enough so that there is a bunch left over so I can just keep reusing it as necessary. They also have a bunch of different colors to choose from to find your best color match. I used the #10 Deep Brown Color and it was perfect.

I’m so glad I got to try this product out because again, it was so quick and easy. I really dig the results and even my wife, who thought she liked the grey hairs, thought it looked better after it was dyed. I definitely looked younger and by covering up the greys my beard as whole just looked more cleaned up and almost as if it was freshly trimmed – but it wasn’t, it just now had a nice even color tone, that aided in that groomed up look!

Reviews Style

Trimming Down for Summer

Posted on April 6, 2020

Over the past few months, I’ve been growing out my beard. I tend to do that a lot during the winter months, and it was coming in quite nicely if I do say so myself! I think I tend to get bored with the scruff, so I grow it in to switch up my look, and then eventually I get bored of the beard, so I end up shaving it back down.

With the warmer weather right around the corner, it was finally time to shave it down. Sometimes I feel like the full beard makes me look heavy in the face and honestly, once it gets this long, it just feels so itchy to me. Not sure how all those guys with super long beards do it! I recently partnered up with Panasonic to try out their Panasonic Precision Wet/Dry Beard & Hair Trimmer – EG-GB42, and it couldn’t have come at a better time since I recently dropped my other trimmer and shattered it…and, I’ve been itching (literally) to shave my beard down for some time now.

The trimmer cut really well and honestly, my favorite part might be the all-in-one adjustable clip. You can just turn the dial to adjust the length of the cut, and you don’t need to worry about swapping out different clips for different lengths, and in my case, losing them – because I would always misplace mine! It also makes storing the trimmer so much easier, since there are less pieces required. Come to think of it, this might be the perfect trimmer for travel as well! You can use it on either wet or dry hair, it’s compact and not too bulky, and again, it doesn’t require all of those different sized attachments. Normally my wife wouldn’t approve of me leaving my trimmer out because she hates clutter LOL, but because of its black, sleek design I just leave it plugged into its charging dock on the wall, and it’s so convenient. I love it!

If you’re looking for a new trimmer to try out, click here and try my fave!

This post is in collaboration with @GroomedByPanasonic however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Valentine’s Day Ideas With Goodsey

Posted on February 10, 2020

It’s February and that means Valentines day is coming (in 5 days actually!)! I love Valentine’s day. It’s just another day that you can really devote to showing your loved ones how much they mean to you. Now that doesn’t mean it’s all about spending a bunch of money on them, but instead it’s more about the thought you put into the day…as it always should be. I have always made sure to make Valentine’s Day special for my wife, but now that we have my son Nate, I know I have to make it special for both of them. I actually made the mistake of thinking my son was not into Valentines day last year and didn’t really get him anything special and he was devastated. My wife and I felt horrible, because here my little 6 year old son was picking out something special for the both of us at his school store (which obviously melted our hearts) and we didn’t get him anything. I’m not sure why but we just didn’t think he would’ve been into it but we were wrong. He was upset but after talking to him he understood and let us off the hook. Now we know this year we have to make it extra special for him!

For me when I’m shopping for Nate and my wife I always try to think about what they’re into and things I know they are going to like. My wife has never really been into roses or flowers. She appreciates them, but I know it’s really just the fact that I thought of her, not really the actual flowers that excite her. I usually let Nathan pick out her gift because I know that whatever she gets from him the actual gift will have meaning to her and will not just get pushed aside and be forgotten about, and it won’t just be flowers that are so short-lived. For that reason I love jewelry as a gift! It doesn’t always have to be something expensive. Get what you can afford and if there’s thought behind it, I’m sure it will make someone’s day. I actually even love getting jewelry myself especially from my wife and son. Every time you wear that piece, you will think of the person who gave it to you. And when you get older, maybe you will end up passing it down to someone else and you can share the story of who gave it to you and where you were at that time and how it made you feel when you got it. For all of these reasons, jewelry is one of my favorite gifts to give and get! Nate seems to be following my footsteps when it comes to the gifting department because lately that’s all he ever thinks of buying myself, my wife or his grandparents. It’s too cute actually.

This year we used the Goodsey Valentine’s Gift Finder to find the perfect gift for mommy. Nate and I sat together and scrolled until he found something he knew mommy would love. He went with the Black Love Rose Gold Necklace. I didn’t want to point it out because I knew he wanted to be the one to pick it out but I was actually eyeing the same necklace hoping he would pick it and he did! My wife and I also found some cute items for Nate this year. For him, we couldn’t resist the Deluxe Emoji Gift Box – this kid loves emoji’s and has a serious sweet tooth! He also loves all kinds of dogs and puppies and loves to snuggle so the Valentine Puppy Pillow was perfect. We know we’ll get some awww’s and hugs from him for this one!

I partnered up with Goodsey and fellow blogger Tiffany (@tiffanyallison7 on IG) to hear what some of our followers were buying their loved ones, what they were hoping to get themselves, and some ideas of what others had planned for Valentine’s Day this year. The answers were across the board! In terms of what people wanted this year…candy & chocolates are always a fave, the obvious one flowers, anything with thought behind it, and a relaxing night with a loved one or even alone were the top answers. Sounds like some people could use some gifts in the pampering department! I found some cute and unique gifts from the Goodsey website to hit each of these categories!

FLOWERS: Maybe don’t go with the typical bouquet this year, instead opt for something cute and different! I love how pretty this Seeded Paper Flower and Herb Set is, AND the fact that you can plant all of the items and watch the flowers and herbs grow! This gift is super cute from a kid to a grandparent, to a mom, or from hubby to wifey. So different!

SWEET TOOTH: Everyone loves something sweet & yummy – at least everyone in my family does! I love how V-Day festive this Deluxe Valentine’s Assortment is. All the little bite-sized pieces and toppings just scream Valentine’s Day. These sweet treats are sure to make anyone smile no matter their age! I love giving sweets and treats as a gift. It’s not just that they get to enjoy something delicious, but you can share it with them and enjoy it together…which is what valentine’s day is all about!

THOUGHTFUL: Maybe the gift is meant to be used to aid in the ambiance of the Valentine’s Day festivities. I love this I Heart Cheese & Cracker Serving Board. I can just see setting this up with your significant other’s favorite snacks, whether it’s cheese and crackers, fruits, all the ingredients for some yummy s’mores and of course with a side bottle of your favorite wine. Sounds like a romantic time to me!

PAMPERING: Surprisingly some people responded that they wanted a relaxing evening at home alone – hey no problem with that! Everyone can use that quiet alone time. Whether you’re buying for your significant other or even yourself, I say have a little spa day at home. This Cherry Blossom Spa Gift Set is the perfect gift for anyone whose in need of some self pampering, or the perfect gift to give someone who could use a little me time!

GUYS: I’m not sure how many guys really care about getting anything too big on Valentine’s Day but I could think of at least 5 guys right now, and even some girls, who would appreciate the Craft Beer Flight Beverage Sampler as a cool gift!

Hey, and if the budget doesn’t allow for any gifts this year, the perfect card that shows you took the time out to go find the perfect way to express your love is honestly all that’s needed.

Aside from the gift and card giving, Valentine’s Day is all about using that one day to do something a little more special together than you normally would. Again this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a ton of money. It just means you have to make it special! For my family it has now become a tradition that we go away skiing for Valentine’s Day. It’s something that we all love to do together and honestly just makes it really feel special that we’re enjoying something we love together as a family. I love the idea of getting away with your loved ones! From the Instagram poll, that was one of the top mentioned answers and I’m all for it! If you’re both active, maybe go for a hike or a bike ride, or go rock climbing…as long as you’re both having fun together. You can also keep it simple. One of my favorite memories of my wife and I spending Valentine’s day together was before my son was born and we had said we weren’t going to spend a lot of money because we were saving for a house and thinking about having a baby. My wife used to LOVE Taco Bell so I got home before her and set up a bunch of candles, some roses, rented a movie (when you actually went to Blockbuster), and set up a romantic picnic on the living room floor (Taco Bell and all) and she LOVED it! Haha It’s all about spending time together and trying to think of ways to make the other person feel special knowing you know what makes them happy. No matter what you do, just be there in the moment. Maybe again, it’s something as simple as spending the night in and getting take-out or going out to eat but definitely agreeing to leaving the phone at home so you’re just focused on each other!

Some other top suggestions when Tiffany and I asked our followers on Instagram what they had planned for Valentine’s Day was: a weekend away, yummy food (I’m all for that!), a romantic dinner at home, a ring for your significant other, family time (same here!), and for others….alone time or nothing at all!

To some it’s just another day, but for me, I do like to put in a little extra effort no matter how big or small, just to show my love and appreciation for the ones that matter most to me. Hoping my family and I can continue our tradition this year and make it skiing again this Valentine’s Day weekend! If you’re in need of a last minute gift for someone, there’s still time! Check our the Goodsey website. They have unique gifts for him, her and the kiddos too. Whether you’re spending it with someone or alone, I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

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