When thinking about theme parks to visit this summer there is only one that I am thinking about, but it's probably not what you would think! The place I am dreaming about has a huge theme park with some amazing rides, an aquarium, a theater, bowling alley, Barbies Dream House, mini golf, rope course, tons of amazing food options and more! Can you guess what it is? If you guessed the Mall of America you would be right! Nope it's not Disneyland and that's ok because it's better! If you haven't checked out what the Mall of America has hurry over here to check them out and then come back here to read about my experience!

Cost is of course a huge factor in my summer vacation planning, but that's definitely not the only factor. I need something that will please every family member and we can all walk away from it knowing the money we spent was well worth it for everyone. The only option that fits that for our family is Mall of America. There really is something for everyone! The last time we visited my five year old couldn't wait to see the Barbie Dream House, my 3 year old wanted to see the amazing LEGO store, my husband wanted to see Spiderman 2 in 3D/D-box Motion seats and in all honesty I just wanted to see everything! For those that haven't been there before this is not your typical mall (as you can see) you can't just stop by for a little visit (this isn't your Grandma's mall!) you need to plan DAYS to see and do it all! It truly will be an amazing vacation.

We first decided to check out the theme park and all the rides. Right away I could see we wouldn't be able to get to everything and we had only planned one day. I knew we could spend the whole day on rides alone! I was really nervous about how long the lines would be, but the longest wait was 5 minutes tops and most of the rides we immediately got right on. That fact alone makes me want to go back! I can't stand waiting in a line for 40 minutes just to be on a ride for 2 minutes. They have a great range of rides as well for any age level. My 3 year old hates rides most of the time and will only ride calm rides, but my 5 year old loves roller coasters and they were both super happy with the rides available. The whole park has a Nickelodeon theme and is so cute and the kids loved it! You can find rides with all your favorite characters and even a crazy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ride!

When visiting other theme parks it's always a huge challenge to find affordable food options, luckily MOA has you covered with low cost options in their food court and they also have nicer restaurants for those looking for something more. The only negative? There was so many options I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to eat for lunch! We decided to use the awesome MOA coupon book and grab a really cheap lunch and then we had a nicer dinner.

Most theme parks are outdoors which is nice for about an hour and then you start to feel the heat beating down on you and you are desperately searching for a tree or the nearest sliver of shade! MOA was built with Minnesota winters in mind, the theme park is located below a huge atrium that lets the sun in but you still stay nice and cool and if you decide to visit in the winter it's one of the best places to get some vitamin D without freezing out in the snow! Sunlight without any harsh weather!

After the amazing rides my little girl couldn't wait any longer to see the Barbie Dream House so we headed off to that. Here are just a few things that this amazing attraction offers:

:: A dream kitchen including colorful appliances, interactive cupcake stations and more

:: The Dreamhouse™ living room includes a library, fireplace and even more interactive stations
:: An endless closet and shoe room where guests can virtually try on Barbie doll’s® outfits
:: Virtual elevators that transport guests from room to room
:: A make-up studio where guests are prepped for their own Barbie™ experience
:: A 6,500 square foot entertainment area where guests are the stars of the show. This area features costumes, The Pop Star Stage, The Fashion Runway and more!

And a whole lot of PINK! My daughter was in heaven! She really loved the cupcake making station in the kitchen and the virtual closet that lets you dress up in all of Barbies favorite outfits!

We didn't have quite enough time to check out the Aquarium, but our friends went through it and said it was pretty amazing. It was named "The World's Best Shark Encounter" by Discovery's travelchannel.com and "the best shark exhibit on the planet" by Animal Planet. Pretty AWESOME!

Which about sums MOA up! PRETTY AWESOME! You have everything you could possibly need for endless family fun all located in one spot! So when you start to plan your family vacation be sure to check out the option that gives you a ton more for a lot less, the Mall of America!

I have been compensated by PetArmor for my participation in this campaign as a part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network.

I always love going on adventures.  I live in Utah and we have plenty of mountains and hiking trails that I can go on with my dog. 

Unfortunately, this creates a possibility for my dog, Jasper to get ticks.  I love Jasper so much and I wouldn't want him to get Lyme disease from ticks.  Therefore, I always try to use PetArmor Plus IGR for dogs. 

Since I have a small dog, I use the one in my picture on the right because it is for dogs that weight 6.5-22 lbs.  It comes in a 3 applicator pack.  I just inverted the tube, and used the open end to part the Jasper's hair.  I apply it to Jasper's skin. 

The nice thing about it is I only have to apply it once a month.  I feel good about knowing he is also protected against, fleas, flea eggs and lice.  With this assurance we can go hiking as much as we want to.

Fleas and ticks multiply at an alarming rate and can threaten human health as well. Fleas can transmit tapeworms while ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Getting control of these pests is easy and convenient with PetArmor Plus IGR for dogs.

I have three dogs and even the littlest need to go to the veterinarian can add up. I don't want to have to take them to the doctor for something that is completely preventable.

I want my furry family to be healthy and happy, and I depend on PetArmor products to help me achieve that goal with ease.

If you have a furry friend you want to keep happy and safe I would highly recommend using PetArmor.

Before purchasing please keep these things in mind:

Buy the right product for your pet’s species
Know your dog’s weight
Consider your dog’s age
Don’t split tubes between dogs
Only apply 30 days following the last flea and tick application

PetArmor Plus IGR contains fipronil, the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended active ingredient used in FRONTLINE® brand products*.

The product also contains Novaluron, an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that kills flea eggs and stops the reinfestation cycle.
You can grab it over at Walmart and Walmart.com, PetArmor Plus IGR kills adult fleas, ticks, flea eggs and chewing lice and costs less than FRONTLINE® Plus*.

To learn more, vist www.petarmor.com.

This post is brought to you in collaboration with JustGoGirl. All content, ideas, and words are my own.

I absolutely love almost every single aspect of motherhood, even the late nights up with a sick child, the screaming, tantrums, crying all have there place. Without the lows you would never realize how amazing those high's are. Those moments of absolute joy have so much more meaning. The First "I love you mama" the tight hugs, and the thank you's wouldn't be as sweet if that was the only part of motherhood. There is one part of motherhood though that I feel doesn't have a place and unfortunately after childbirth it happens to so many of us... the dreaded leaking! It could quite possibly be the worst thing that happens to your body after having a child.

I can deal with the stretch marks, parts of me that sag a little more than they used to and that fight to get back to my normal size, but I can't handle the stress of having leaking while working out or even with just coughing or sneezing. It's embarrassing and all you want is to have your old bladder back, but unfortunately that's not going to happen.

Luckily that doesn't mean you can't do something about it! When you go to the gym or go jogging with friends you don't want to leak, but you also don't want to be wearing a bulky pad. Nowadays most women's workout wear is pretty tight fitting and a pad is the last thing you want to be showing off. Normal pads aren't shaped for leaks they are bulky in the front and back, where you only need protection in the front with athletic leaks. That's why I was super excited when I ran across Just Go Girl pads! They have more of a teardrop shape with more protection in the front, right where you need it.

Now you can jog, run, do jumping jacks or whatever you want and have confidence that no matter what you are completely protected. I was also shocked to see that they can hold a lot, they hold as much as a bulky incontinence pad at 140ml. It can be uncomfortable enough while working out, do you really need another thing to worry about? I want to go about my day it complete confidence.

Just Go Girl Facts:

:: They are incredibly light

:: They are super comfortable - absolutely no chafing

:: Can absorb 140ml -  for extreme protection

:: Awesome shape and design to keep it completely concealed while working out. No one will even notice

:: They are awesome for active women

:: Can also be great for anyone that experiences leaks while sneezing, coughing, or any other times. Make sure to wear one when you are away from home and you will be protected.

So if you are plagued by this one little pitfall of motherhood it's time to do something about it! You don't have to shy away from going to the gym or even just enjoying life, hurry over and check out Just Go Girl and how they can make your day better!

I love flowers. I am a firm believer that flowers are the perfect touch to any holiday decor. That why I decided that for this Christmas I was going to get some holiday flowers from ProFlowers. I chose ProFlowers for I had recently seen some of their arrangements and they were simple yet elegant. Just my style.  

When the package arrived, I couldn’t wait to get it inside. I opened the package from ProFlowers I was happy to notice how carefully the flower arrangement and vase were packed. There was no damage or wilting that I could see. The flowers were still closed but I knew that the Red tulips and White Lilies of the arrangement would look perfect with the rest of my holiday décor and would set off my Christmas setting perfectly on the dining room table. 

I followed the directions included in the package and cut off the bottom inch of the stems and place them in a vase of room temperature water along with a included packet of plan food, while still supported by the cellophane wrapper. The instructions said to keep the wrapper on for 8-12 hours to give the flowers support while they drank up the needed water.  Little by little as the evening progressed I watched as the flower buds slowly bloomed.  When I came down stairs this morning it was to find a the vivid Red and White Flower Bouquet I was hoping for. 

As excited as I was, I think my 3 year old daughter loves the flowers even more then I do. She is always stopping her play to run over and look at/smell the flowers. It’s super cute. Even my 19 month old son and Husband approve of the flowers. All in all I feel this venture is a success! If you are looking for the perfect piece to complete your holiday décor I recommend heading over to ProFlowers and check out their amazing arrangements. I also recommend checking out their Face Book page for they often post special there. 

Every year as the Christmas Season approaches my mother and I get our craftiness on. For decorations as well as gifts we love to have that personal touch. I was especially excited for this year since I just got a new Cricut Expression 2 and was dying to try it out.  My mother had bought a Cricut a few years ago along with a handful of specialty cartridges and loved it. She said there were soo many things we could easily make. As I said I could hardly wait. 

I spent a few days browsing pinterest and other such sites for ideas so that when craft day came around I what I wanted to make. Having never used a Cricut before I was surprised at how easy it was to follow the directions and get started. My two little kids kept crowding me to get a better look as I put it to work cutting.  Later when I showed my husband (who is an artist) all I had created with the Cricut, he was impressed and said I’ll have to show him how it all works. 

Here are some of the things I made this last week with my Cricut in preparation for Christmas:

 The first thing I decided to make was a fun holiday banner. I settled on the word “Believe” and chose the various sheets of Scrapbook paper we had on hand for the letters. Once I settled on the size for the letters it was just a matter of placing the paper on the sticky Cricut board, and started cutting out the individual letters, then peeled off the cut paper and letter then starting again with the next paper. While I was doing this my mother worked at cutting out the card stock for the letters to go on. We decided that Red was the best choice to pull all the paper designs together with a holiday look. Then she decided on squares instead of triangles to change things up. Once all the letters were cut out I glued them onto the Red squares and we attached them to a simple white ribbon to hang on the wall. I love how it turned out! 

Using one of my mother’s Cricut cartridges I made these cute gift boxes/bags. They super fast and easy to make, and I can’t wait to fill them with homemade goodies like caramels, mints, and fudge etc. 

After the boxes I couldn’t help but make some cute gift tags with the scraps of card stock I had leftover. I can’t wait to put these on our Christmas packages. 

Now it was back to making more decorations. I decided it was time to pull out my vinyl to make a decorative (and useful) “Cookies for Santa” Plate and matching “Santa’s Milk” mug. Using vinyl is easy. Before cutting out the vinyl I cut out the letters in regular paper and laid them on the plate (and held them against the mug) to make sure I had the sizes just right. Then all I had to do was to cut the vinyl and carefully place each letter on the plate and mug. I could have used transfer paper but I usually reserve that for larger projects. Besides I like the slightly askew letters look for this project. 

All in all I think I am becoming a Cricut addict for I can’t stop thinking about what else I want to do with my nifty machine.