Enjoy the Season for Giving and Ease off the Manic Decorating

Another Christmas is upon us and you can see all the combos of decorations that everyone puts in their yard and on TV. There is a show that has a competition on lighting up your house and everyone is excited from this manic decorating. To me it is a little irritating although it can be entertaining at times.

The thing that irritates me the most is how so many houses you see decorated lack any real theme, which just gives me visual overload. I guess if your a youngster it can be fun but not for some folks. It seems people had more taste in putting up their outdoor decorations in the past, not just including every possible combination of Christmas characters imaginable.

My advice is to create a theme before starting your outdoor decorating, then proceed. One other note I have observed is there are less manger scenes these days, but I'm always more impressed by the ones I do see than any of the other decorations.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the shots around Crawfordville and Tallahassee.

Park Avenue Tallahassee

With wife Babushka in Dorothy Ovens Park night time Tallahassee.
Day shots of Crawfordville Courthouse.

Another Hurricane and its name was Hermine

Living near the coast in Northwest Florida there is always the risk of getting hit by another hurricane, If you don't reside right on the water then the event is made up of strong gusty winds and heavy rain that comes in bands. This was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since 2005, can you actually believe that?!

People prepare for the worst which means stocking up on food, flashlights, batteries, ice and other survival supplies, Big trees are nice but not when they come crashing down into your house and this is my biggest worry during these intense storms.

I'm happy to say after living in this same spot, my place has never seen any major damage from these trees or wind! It is a nice spot and I want to stay here for some time.

The worst was being without power for a day and a half, but feel blessed because some people in Tallahassee had huge trees come down on their property and power was out  for more than 100,000.

I can say I survived another one living here in this same spot for 23 years, These storms pack winds over 100 mph sometimes, so this is no easy feat . It was also hot without power and I read it was the 2nd hottest summer on record. Only one thing to do, find some cool water and enjoy!


                                                           

"Lost in Space" Brings Back Memories

photobucket via Jamie80Rocks 

It is amazing how watching an old movie or TV show brings back memories of the actual time period of the sixties. If you can remember the TV sci-fi series "Lost in Space" then you kind of know what I mean. This was just a fun show to watch about being in futuristic space in what was 1997!

You might have heard some great stories about the 60's if you are from a different generation and it was a fun time! It seemed like the development of space would have accelerated quicker than it has when I was growing up in the sixties.

My dad was an engineer who worked on some of the first rockets sent into space and he always had some great stories when he came home. Space seemed very real back then, not just in the wacky TV series "Lost in Space". John F. Kennedy was big on the space program and it seemed to be progressing fast and I remember support decreasing as time went by and my dad losing his job.

Now watching "Lost in Space" on Hulu, it has brought back some amazing memories even though the series only ran three years. I think the sixties really were great and opportunistic years and I am enjoying a part of them once again.

Youtube video of "Lost in Space", enjoy the cool music and how the show begins.




Sweetie signing off for now.

Summer Vacation in Volusia County, Florida

This trip was hosted by SeaWorld and the West Volusia Tourism group.


Well, I needed a summer vacation so, my wife and granddaughter ventured with me to Volusia County near Orlando. My wife, Bohemian Babushka, has some connections and she got us a two day stay at the Deland Hampton Inn, yes amazing. This was great, because not only do you get a great room, with a pool and gym, but you get the-all you can eat breakfast and can go back and have a little bit more later. They also have 24 hour coffee bar and 8 pm is time for fresh baked Cookies & Milk. What a great place to stay and relax!

Before checking into the hotel, we went to a "splash party" at Sea World with our granddaughter La Princesa and she had a great time. I didn't do the splash party, but got soaked anyway with a torrential rain and thunderstorm. Didn't help with my cold, but it did make for a wonderful family memory.

Next up was the St. Johns eco riverboat tour, which was a beautiful and relaxing ride where you could see some creatures that make their home here, like these Barred Owls.

La Princesa got to drive the riverboat and she did very well.

La Princesa needed a summer trip as much as we did and she wanted pizza and had it twice. 

Now you know you have to please royalty, so pizza at Flippers and at the Family Fun Town.

                               

                              

Besides the awesome pizza, the Family Fun Town, has miniature golf, arcade games, batting cages and go carts.  We did almost all of it and had a good time. They have great family packs and options to make it a truly fun place for full days and parties.  They picked their name perfectly; we could have stayed there the whole day!!

The go carts were fun for both of us; they were fast. 

We had a fun and relaxing vacation and looking forward to going to Destin next month, thanks to my Babushka!  I just love being married to a travel blogger, hope to become one myself soon; it's a great gig if you can get it!

Where would you love to go if you could travel anywhere?

So long for now,

Sweetie

Homeowner help with the #MHA

This is a PSA in collaboration with the Ad council.Many of us are struggling financially, and I'm proud to share this information to help.

Foreclosures can have a devastating effect on families and communities. There are still too many homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments or facing the prospect of losing their homes. About one in 13 homeowners nationwide has fallen behind on his or her mortgage payments, putting them at a higher risk of foreclosure. Some people may go their entire lives without ever having to face the struggle of foreclosure. If you are reading this, I hope that you are one of those people. But if you are or maybe it isn’t you, it is someone you know and love, I hope you are not going through it alone. It is a sad but true fact that most people who have foreclosure knocking at their door have no idea where to turn and they have no idea that there is actually help available to them. And what is worse – many of these people fall victim to scams that not only will not help them but will make their situation even more unstable.



Making Home Affordable is a free government resource that can make paying the mortgage easier for homeowners who are struggling with their mortgage payments. With free help from HUD-approved housing experts, homeowners can avoid being scammed by those demanding payment for assistance. When it comes to upfront fees, MHA tells homeowners, “Don’t Pay, Walk Away.” o Through the federal Making Home Affordable program, many homeowners have received much-needed help to reduce their monthly payments, get mortgage relief, and avoid foreclosure. o Telephone scammers often request payment by wire transfer services similar to MoneyGram, or completion of paperwork containing your Social Security Number. Do not make any mortgage payments by wire transfer, or provide any personal information, in response to these calls. If you receive unsolicited calls, always check with your mortgage company using the phone number on your mortgage statement, or call 888-995-HOPE™ (4673) to check its legitimacy. o Beware of telephone calls urging you to take advantage of the Making Home Affordable Program. Beware of anyone seeking to charge you in advance for mortgage modification services. In most cases, charging fees in advance of a mortgage modification is illegal. o Paying a third party to assist with your application may not improve your likelihood of receiving a mortgage modification. Beware of individuals or companies that ask you for payment, tout their success rate, or claim to be Making Home Affordable (MHA) or Home Affordable Modification (HAMP) experts. The Making Home Affordable (MHA) housing counseling experts at 888-995-HOPE™ (4673) are available around-the-clock (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), in over 170 languages, and at no cost. They will help homeowners understand their options and design a plan to suit their individual situation. Homeowners who are struggling to make mortgage payments can call 888-995-HOPE™ (4673) or visit MakingHomeAffordable.gov for free resources and information to help them deal with their mortgage problems and avoid foreclosure.d foreclosure.

I know this is a great resource and hope it helps many of you.

Florida State Parks and Historical Re-enactments

Anytime you get the chance to see history come to life, it is educational and fun. My wife and I spent a saturday watching one of these re-enactments at a beautiful Florida state park. Beautiful thick oak trees with hanging moss set the stage at the Fort Mose Historic State Park where our theater group was putting on a play and we would stay and get to see the historic battle of Fort Mose located in St. Augustine.

My wife sometimes acts in the play, but is now the social media director for the "Theater with a Mission" or TWAM. I was there to take pictures and video of the play "El Muerto". It was great fun and was surprised by some great acting of the Spanish and British Leaders that were in the battle. Check out this video of them conversing before the battle.

Being outside in a beautiful Florida park is hard to beat and the historic plays and re-enactments are so much fun! That is General Oglethorpe for the British in the red jacket.

My Wife says, "I Got Lucky When I Married Her"

My wife sometimes says to me, "You got lucky when you married me", and I always answer her swiftly with a "yes"! There are a number of things about my wife Sonia or her persona, Bohemian Babushka that make me lucky.

 So far it hasn't been her playing of the lottery that has made me lucky, but we have been on the roll lately with the Florida game, "Lucky Money" winning a couple dollars many times. The quotation by my wife usually comes after a great meal that she has prepared and she knows I love it when she sees my head bobbing.

The other night she fixed an original tasting pork with a light barbecue sauce with one of my favorites, red beans and rice with squash in it. The mix of red beans, tender pork and squash is out of this world! Check out this picture below.




I didn't marry Babushka for her cooking but like she says I got lucky! With her warm smile, twinkling eyes, exotic look and countless other assets, yea, very lucky!

My Cat Mojo and His NightLife

Mojo, my all black cat did something that was interesting the other night. Mojo is for the most part an indoor cat. He is very picky when he does decide to go outside, always careful and very slow to exit the door.

Sometimes he is motivated to go out when I'm going to throw his litter waste in the trash can. He follows me down to the front of the house where the can is located and this bothers me, because there is a busy road nearby.

                                                                       

On the kitchen table where he knows he shouldn't be 

Whenever he does this I try to keep him from going near this road, but he thinks its a game and wonders into this dark and mysterious place. I try to grab him and make him go back to hangout on top of the car, which seems to be his only other observable nightlife activity.

One night I tried to see where Mojo was, so I shined my flashlight into this dark world of his. I saw him standing in the middle of the road just sitting there, very cool-cat like and he didn't move. It was like he was meditating in the street. It was a memorable sight and there can be a speeding car coming down this road at night, but I trusted this wise old man to come back to where he was safe.

Win a trip to #PuertoVallarta via @BlogginMamas & @VelasVallarta !!

Promo


Twitter chat is over but the giveaway is still going on. If you want to spend 4 days and 3 nights at beautiful Puerta Vallarta then keep reading.




 As the school-year draws to a close, and you begin prepping for your summertime family travel adventures, we wanted to provide you with some resources, information, tips, deals and more with the launch of I Love Family Travel's The Summer of Family Travel series. There will be posts throughout the summer, all focusing on family travel. To celebrate the launch, we've teamed up with the ILFT crew, Bloggin' Mamas and a whole bunch of traveling bloggers, to bring you a #FamilyTravelChat and a huge Giveaway!

#FamilyTravelChat 5/19

Join us on Twitter Thursday, 5/19/16 at 9p ET as we chat about summer vacation plans and deals, travel gear and more! One random chat participant will win some prizes from AquaVault® and our other sponsors. Be sure to follow the chat panelists: @ILvFamilyTravel @BlogginMamas @HeLoEnterprises @BBabushka @JenReyneri @sjblahblahblog @CluelessMomma @SarahInTheBurbs @just2sisters2 @ItsFreeAtLast @Playroomreport @LifeWithKathy @traveljenn @seejackierunn @girlrocksosu @acomptonblogs @bottlesbanter @xxplumcrazeexx @localmomscoop @rkthatsjustlife @denisermt @DittlesWorld To make it nice and easy for you to follow, here's the link to the twitter list with everyone: https://twitter.com/ILvFamilyTravel/lists/familytravelchatpanelists/membersbit.ly/summerftcrsvpAnd Now For The Giveaway! 5/17-6/7

Does a nice all-inclusive resort stay in sunny Mexico sound good to you? Well, thanks to our sponsor Velas Vallarta, we are giving away a 4 day/ 3 night all-inclusive stay for a family of 4 at their resort in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, valued at $2400!!!!! Prize: 4 days/3 nights for a family of four in a Family Suite Accommodations in a 2 Bedroom Family Suite - http://www.velasvallarta.com/suites/rooms.aspx

 All-Inclusive: All-inclusive rates include suite accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, fitness center, taxes, gratuity and more. http://www.velasvallarta.com/services.aspx ARV – $2400 This is open to US residents, age 18 and older. Entries must be received by June 7th, 2016 at 11:59pm ET. Sponsor responsible for prize fulfillment. Transportation not included. Refer to rafflecopter for terms & conditions.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


Dis­clo­sure: Blog­gin’ Mamas is being com­pen­sated for man­ag­ing this give­away, but is not respon­si­ble for prize ful­fill­ment or ship­ment, nei­ther are any of the blog­gers involved in this give­away. This give­away is in no way affil­i­ated, endorsed, or asso­ci­ated with Face­book, Twit­ter, Pin­ter­est, Insta­gram, or any other social media out­let.

Good luck and don't forget to enter daily.

A conversation with my cat

My new cat Mojo

I recently welcomed a new cat into the house and he has been great. Mojo came from a good family but they had an allergy towards cats. My wife found him online and the owner interviewed me before I could take him home. He is a beautiful all black cat with yellow eyes and he seems to love his new home, even if he did have to adjust to a big white female American Bulldog.

The two got acquainted by Mojo almost scratching Lightning the dog's eyes out. Mojo is an older cat and he is a great lap-cat and enjoys his meals. His owner was from Miami,so he loves his pork and chicken. I was told that Mojo was born in Miami so he is used to eating well.  Mojo has adjusted and even taken over some parts of the house. He's friendly enough,though there is still an occasional hissing at the dog. He is very verbal when he is hungry in the morning and  has been a great joy. This cat's very fun to talk to and seems to have lots to say.  Mojo are you ready for YouTube?

The Super Bowl is More Than Just Football

If you watched the Super Bowl, chances are you did more than just watch the game. Friends and family gather to enjoy this football game, but some may have no real interest in the game. The Super Bowl has become an annual ritual,celebration, and party for a lot of people.

At my house we enjoy the game with some original dishes along with some traditional American food. The game is so much more enjoyable with some good hearty fare. Below is some of the good stuff we enjoyed during this year's Superbowl. But before the spread, you have to make the playing field (serving table) look good. It's not a party without decorations and a theme.

First are the chicken wings. You HAVE TO have chicken wings. Now in our house, we give them a tropical taste.  My wife Babushka loves VivaMejor and always looks for recipes with that Latin touch. The recipe is Spicy Cilantro Chicken Wings and since BB doesn't do much spicy we changed it up a bit, but you can get the full recipe on that link.  For our version we:

1.  Baked up the chicken wings nice and crunchy.

2. Put together the sauce-

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime peel
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. Knorr® Chicken flavor Bouillon
• 1/4 cup Country Crock® Calcium plus Vitamin D, melted

and pour it over the wings.

But you can't have just that at a Superbowl Party, let's bring out some seafood!

Coconut Shrimp Minis with Tropical Sauce

Yes, we know it isn't coconut shrimp, but we wanted something a bit bigger than shrimp

 so we used fillets and it was just fine.

Of course you have to have chips and dip, but in our house it goes tropical too.

Avocado and Mango Salad

Up where we are the avocados aren't the best so instead of salad we made dips. Again, it was just fine.

Now THAT's how you do a SuperBowl Party!

Of course there were drinks, and my wife's favorite, Mountain Dew had one of the weirdest commercials during the Superbowl.  That's another enjoyable thing that people watch the Superbowl for is the commercials, which can be very entertaining, or just plain dumb. How weird was the "Puppy Monkey Baby" commercial for Mountain Dew Kickstart! Here, I'll let you decide for yourself. 

No matter what you think of the teams, the Super Bowl is always about more than just football.

Celebrating Valentines Day

Valentine's Day is one of the more unusual days to celebrate. It is not really a holiday, but a day of expressing your love for someone. This can be very stressful whether you are married or just dating. For women they are usually on the receiving end during Valentine's Day, so no real pressure for them. For men you can't just blow this celebration day off, you have to come up with a nice evening out, or purchase something she will love.

Don't stress this day guys, it is not worth it.  Another key point to remember is you don't have to spend a fortune to make it through this day. Find out what things she loves that are affordable. My wife BB loves chocolates, cool scarfs and giraffes, so view the pictures below to see how this worked out. With this knowledge you will be able to make a stress-free decision. Here are some pictures of what I gave my wife BB for Valentine's day.

Living in a Small and Peaceful Little Town

I feel lucky to live in a small and convenient small town. It is near the metropolis of Tallahassee, Florida, but is only miles from there and the gulf coast. If you are a writer, artist or just love nature, this is a great place to live. Nature and water are everywhere, but the town of Crawfordville is laid out, very conveniently.
 Getting around by car, bike, walking, or golf cart can all be done here, effortlessly, and we have many name brand stores to shop. Many original restaurants and shops are also here giving it a unique feel. If you need the big city connection it is only minutes away by car. I feel fortunate to live in this beautiful little town, and never feeling stuck.

I Just Gotta Have it-Morning Joe! #TwoRiversCoffee

Don't know about you, but I HAVE to have my Morning Coffee. At Least 2 cups worth.  My wife Babushka knows this very well and thought I should join in this giveaway.  Being a good husband and coffee lover, of course I said yes.

Two Rivers Coffee Giveaway (2 Winners!) Ends 1/22 #TwoRiversCoffee

Deliciously Savvy Is Hosting a New Giveaway for 2 Lucky Winners To Receive The Two Rivers Coffee Premium Coffee Only Single Serve Gift Box (21 Count) with an ARV of $20 Each. Total Prizes $40 ARV. This is a Delicious Giveaway So Enter Today & Good Luck!

Sponsored By: Two Rivers Coffee

Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By:

Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews // Happily Ever Rushed // Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains // IMHO Views, Reviews and Giveaways // Babushka's Baile // My Silly Little Gang // Capri's Coupons // Box Roundup // Michigan Savings & More

PLUS a Big Shout Out To all Bloggers Helping to Promote! We appreciate all That You Do & For Sharing With You Readers! Thank You!