Listen, folks. I’m not really a skin care girl. Years of sun exposure have made my chest look like this:

I’m 41 years old and I’m doing fairly well as far as wrinkles and decent looking skin goes. This is especially true considering that when I do use face wash it comes from Dollar General or a bar of soap. Honestly, it’s just not something I put much thought or effort into everyday. But, I started to become a little bothered over the last couple years that my chest area was making me look older than 41! All those years of outdoor swim team and lifeguarding, beach vacations, running outside, and just being in the sun from day to day without enough sunblock are responsible for my now visible signs of skin aging, including bumps and discoloration. I also started developing those deep wrinkles – I call them “eye crinkles” – between my eyebrows. Too many years of making the “are you stupid” face at people, I guess! (Just ask my husband. He hates that face.) Bottom line — I couldn’t hide from years of abusing my skin any longer. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to try out a HALO Laser Treatment and a Botox injection at the Skin and Allery Center in Middle Tennessee. If there was a way to make myself look a little younger, I was ready and willing to give it a shot.

I met with Jeana at the Skin and Allergy Center in Murfreesboro for my initial consultation. The office was clean and bright, and I was greeted warmly by the staff and Jeana. She took me back to a private room to look over and discuss my skin issues and various treatment options. During our consultation, one of the lead doctors, Dr. Robb, came in and also looked at my skin and offered his recommendation. Both Jeana and Dr. Robb felt that I would benefit greatly by having a HALO treatment on my neck and chest, and roughly 15 units of Botox to take care of those “crinkles.”

Jeana explained the benefits of Halo are that you can custom tailor the strength of the laser, the coverage, and the density depending on your needs. She also said I would see results in 1-2 treatments as opposed to 3-5 traditional resurfacing treatments. She assured me that the treatment would not cause much pain other than a little discomfort similar to light needle pricks and a little heat. She said after the treatment my skin would become very red and hot like I had a sunburn from being on the beach too long. This would only last a few hours and the pain could be alleviated with a cold water spray and frozen washcloth. The days following the treatment my skin would be red and blotchy, but I would eventually start peeling. After that, new, refreshed skin would start to appear! I felt very assured by Jeana’s thorough consultation so I decided to set an appointment for the HALO treatment.

My treatment took place in the Spring Hill Skin and Allergy Center location and my laser nurse was named Sara. Like Jeana, Sara was very warm and welcoming and made me feel comfortable right away. Sara explained everything that the treatment would entail and then applied numbing cream to my chest and neck. She also took Visia photos to show the true aging of my skin. If you truly want to be freaked out, I recommend you do these photos. Check this out:

The photo above shows the pigmentation of my skin and the darker areas are where it’s the most heavily pigmented. That makes me want to go running to the nearer bottle of sunscreen! My “TruSkin age” ended up being 44, so I wasn’t TOO far from my actual age. Those photos struck a nerve though, for sure.

After the photos, I had to let the numbing cream take effect for another 40 minutes. During this time I of course managed to get it on my forehead and the side of my mouth and couldn’t feel half my face. Never a dull moment! Sara then took me to the treatment room and gave me big, silly protective glasses before she began the treatment. It didn’t really hurt at all other than just feeling a little heat. In fact, the crackling sound of the laser was more unsettling than the actual application. After the HALO treatment was completed, Sara gave me three shots of Botox (15 units) in the deep lines between my eyebrows. She also gave me a ton of samples for Epionce products including a great tinted sunscreen as well as a water spray to help relieve the burning from the treatment. And, burn it did! My chest and neck was on fire on the way home! I sprayed nearly the whole can of water on my chest and neck. Like Jeana had warned me, it was very similar to having a bad sunburn but only lasted a couple hours.

The next day my chest and neck were quite a sight. Look here:

All of those red dots on my skin are called MENDs, or Microscopic Epithelial Necrotic Debris. This is a normal response to the HALO treatment and means that the laser is moving deep sun damage to the surface. I was advised to moisturize several times a day and eventually my skin would start peeling. It took several days, but this did happen and my skin looked a little better each day. I went back for a follow-up visit with Jeana about two and half weeks later, and she decided to do one more Broadband Light treatment on my skin just to help tone down the pigmentation that still remained. By the time a month past my initial treatment rolled around, my skin was glowing and beautiful. Here are the results:

I am amazed at the glow. I still have freckles, but my skin is much brighter and healthier looking. It also got rid of nearly all the bumps that covered the center of my chest and the half circle around my outer neck (outside the shadow of my chin). Sara said that I will continue to see the tightening effects with the collagen remodeling over the next several month. Full collagen remodeling can take 3-6 months to peak and can stretch to even a year after treatment.  It’s great to hear that I will just continue seeing more glow to my skin as time goes on!

And, how about that botox?

I’m totally pleased with the botox injections! I didn’t think 15 units was going to be enough, but Sara did a wonderful job injecting and the amount of units used still allowed some movement in that area. It’s a very natural effect and I love it! I had a photo shoot about a week and a half after the injection and I didn’t have to have my face retouched in the photos at all. That was something to smile about!

Besides the HALO and Botox, I also fell in love with the Epionce products, especially that tinted moisturizer! Take a look at this before and after (done while my chest was still healing) where I only used the moisturizer and a little powder:

I made a video of the experience with an intro from Sara:

If you are interested in rejuvenating your skin, Sara and Jeana at the Skin and Allergy Center are just a phone call away! If you are interested in trying the Halo laser treatment or you wish to learn a little more about the process, schedule your initial consultation with the team at the Skin & Allergy Center in Tennessee. You can also follow them on Instagram: Jeana @jeanaelhart and Sara @lasernursesara You have my recommendation that you are in good hands with this team and it will be an investment well worth it!

xo Jaime

We are proud to be able to offer the Desert Okie Strong t-shirts that we wore to support Chad Trout during his year long fight with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. Chad loved these shirts that his Aunt Sharon Bledsoe Foster had designed for him, and many people have asked about purchasing them after seeing the family wearing them. Thanks goes to Sharon Bledsoe Foster, Kim Scholwinski of Flip Flop Bling for generously donating the design, Lori Brown for putting together the purchase links and assisting with shipping, and my sister-in-law Wanda Warf of Maverick Ink for assisting us with a limited press.

Here is the shirt:

We will be running a pre-order from June 9, 2018 through June 24, 2018. The shirts will be pressed and shipped out during the two weeks following. Our goal is to get the shirts delivered in time to be worn at Chad’s Celebration of Life on July 5th (public celebration) and 7th (private celebration).

We are able to offer three styles and the cost will be $20 including shipping. 2X will be $3 more.

Gildan – Basic Sturdy Adult T-Shirt

Hanes Tagless Soft T-Shirt

District Women’s Junior Concert Tee (these run a little smaller and have a slim fit)

Here is the link for purchase. The shirts will show as $15 with a $5 shipping charge added for a total of $20 (except 2X which is $3 more).

We are so thankful for all the support for Chad and his family. All profit from these shirts will go into the Desert Okie Strong for Chad Trout fund that the family is using for costs related to Chad’s final arrangements.
With love,

Jaime

Age 41 must be the year where I have to face the idea of mortality, how it affects my life and those around me, and how I feel about my own mortality. As if that wasn’t deep enough, I have two little kids who are soaking up everything going on in their mom’s life. While I’m trying to navigate my own feelings, I have to figure out how to gently navigate through their feelings as well.

For those of you who have just recently started following me here, my posts generally focus around health, fitness and nutrition. But, I do a disservice to everyone if I do not touch on subjects in my life that are vulnerable too. The more I coach others and the bigger my following grows, the more I understand that people just want to be understood. So, if you can find something relatable in my words that also helps you in your journey, then it’s worth sharing. As much as I’d like my life to revolve solely around my happy family, my workouts and the Instant Pot, it’s just not that way.

Also, for those just joining here, I lost my best friend seven weeks ago unexpectedly to a pulmonary embolism and my other best friend is fighting for his life in the hospital with stage four pancreatic and liver cancer. This is some deep stuff to deal with all at once (or ever). I’ve tried hard to be sensitive around my kids, but it’s impossible to shield them from the emotions surrounding this. And, it’s also important not to completely shield them from it either. Finding the balance is challenging though.

Yesterday my four-year-old got stuck on the subject of beating hearts. He kept asking us if his heart would beat forever. I tried to explain that you have to take care of your heart and that’s why it’s important to have a good diet and exercise. With both those things, you can hopefully keep your heart beating for a long time. He started getting very agitated and saying that he wanted to have his heart beat forever. All of a sudden, he burst into tears and sobbed into my chest that he wanted to live forever. That’s when I snapped this picture. I happened to have my phone open with the camera on because just minutes before we were taking pictures in a happy moment, right before the tables turned on me.

I really didn’t know what to say. I’m not gonna tell him that we live forever because that’s not true. I told him that he should try his very hardest to live forever, but that even if one day his heart stops beating he had nothing to fear. Just like he has been learning about at school, Jesus would be waiting there for him and he would continue to live forever in heaven and the hearts of those who love him. That led to lots of other questions, most of which didn’t make a whole lot of sense except maybe in the mind of a four-year-old. I quickly changed the subject as it was clear we both had as much as we could take of this conversation.

Later that night as I prayed, I asked God why in the world he was putting all this on me at once. “Why, God, are you making me explain death to a four year old??” It was one of those rare moments when I could actually hear Him answer – “You weren’t explaining it to him. I was explaining it to you.”

I don’t know what lies in the days, months and years ahead. But I’m holding on to the faith that whatever it is I don’t have to be fearful of it. It’s weird how that makes me comforted and angry at the same time. You know?

I’m a consumer. I love buying and trying new things. Because of this, I thought I would share some great gift ideas for the holidays that I have actually purchased and can recommend as “winners” for my kids! I know it’s hard coming up with new ideas. It’s even harder to buy children gifts when you don’t have any. Well, I do. I have two, in fact. They are both boys, and they play hard. They are also brutally honest. I know when they love something and when they don’t. I have put together ideas trying to include gender neutral options, but it will definitely be heavily accented with ideas that boys would probably like.

This post is full of affiliate links. If you use my links to make purchases, you help keep Modern Day Fox going! Also, because it is full of links, you may have to press refresh to get the page to fully load. If you see a bunch of blank spaces, refresh!

Now, let’s get shopping!

I just bought this and haven’t received it yet, but I thought these Advent Lego sets were such a neat Christmas gift that you can give to kids early to help celebrate the Christmas holiday. (Note: I looked for ones that represented other holidays such as Hanukkah, but didn’t see any. If you find one, let me know and I will add it!)

Or this one:

Or, for your Star Wars fans:

Melissa and Doug Toys
These toys are perfect for ages 2-4, but even the older kids still have fun with them. They are well made, educational, and it’s fun to play pretend using them. We have quite a few sets and they all get used regularly:

Pretend Food. What kid doesn’t love to play grocery store or house?

Cutting Set – This one gets used A LOT. My three year old loves to pretend he is cutting things.

Mmmmm. Pizza. Both my boys love pretending with this set!

This set is a big hit at my three year old’s school, but we just don’t have enough room for it at home!

This truck set was a gift to us and it gets used regularly by both boys.

This is the play dough tools set. I highly recommend it. The tools are far better than the cheaper plastic ones you can buy. We play with these often!

The Little People sets are always a hit!
Here is one of the ones we have:

I don’t have this one, but my “girl mom” friends highly recommend!

This is another I don’t have yet, but I love that it reminds the reason for the Christmas season!

Vehicles

3-in-1 Trike – This is the one of the best gifts we received when our first son was one year old. We still have it today! The sunshade is awesome so don’t get a cheaper version just because it doesn’t have a sunshade. It’s worth it! We took this thing to the zoo or anywhere we had to go and could potentially have to carry our son. As he grew, it turned in a tricycle. This is very close to the one we received as a gift:

Balance bikes are great gifts for 2 and 3 year olds who cannot yet balance on a regular bike. My son got this when he was 2, but didn’t really start becoming interested in it until after his 3rd birthday. He is a pro on it now and rides it all the time.

Razor Scooters – I don’t know a kid who has a scooter and doesn’t love it.

Even though my three year loves to try to ride the Razor, this one is more equipped for him at this point. He is actually graduating from this to the Razor this Christmas, but doesn’t know it yet!

A battery-operated car was their big present from a couple years ago. They play with this regularly. I recommend getting a two-seater if you have more than one kid, or they play with friends often. Otherwise, they will fight over who gets a turn. Well worth the cost and we have had no issues with it!

I haven’t purchased this one- but oh my goodness, does it look fun or what??

DRESS-UP ITEMS
My youngest son loves to get in a costume! Here are a few dress up costumes that could be fun gifts!

I was really surprised at the quality of this costume. Size-wise, this fits an averaged sized three year old. My son is weeks away from turning four, but he still wears it. It’s just a little short on the bottom!

I haven’t purchased this one, but I thought this princess costume was adorable!

BOARD GAMES

Pie Face was all the rage the last couple of years, but they stepped it up a notch. This one is on our Christmas list for this year, so I have no experience with it. I’m trusting that it is as fun as the original, or even better!

Our kids play with this classic game at a neighbor’s house. It is going to be under the tree this year:

UNIQUE GIFTS
This lounger is awesome. BUT, attention: This is just the COVER. Pillows are NOT included. We have a ton of pillows lying around so it was easy for us to fill it up. If you don’t, just buy 5 cheap pillows. The kids love laying on this thing and rolling it up and playing with it. I would definitely recommend putting the pillows in it before giving it as a gift. It’s not quite as exciting without the pillows.

You may have seen me do a Live video on Facebook showing off this purchase. It’s so much fun!! Even the adults would have fun with this. It has bluetooth so you can do karaoke videos from youtube. Your phone clips into the front of it so you can see the words and sing along with the music as it comes out the speaker on the microphone.

Ride-On Crane – This crane doesn’t have wheels, but it is so fun for the kids to sit on and dig in the sand, dirt or mulch. This is a very popular toy with the other neighborhood kids when they come over.

My kids absolutely adore this roller coaster given to them by their aunt and uncle. It is easy to set up and easy to stack and store. My husband and I are only sad that we are just a little bit too big for it.

Bounce House – Now this is a BIG gift both in price and in dimensions, but my kids have definitely gotten the value of it. This was a gift from their grandparents and it is a neighborhood hit! This size accomodates children 2-8. It blows up easily and deflates quickly. Folds into a bag for storage.

If you have smaller children, you can probably get by with a smaller bounce house like this one:

Jungle Jumparoo – Maybe you saw this on Shark Tank. My mom and I did, and we knew immediately it was the perfect Christmas present. Now, listen. GET THE COVER. I repeat, get the cover. And, get the warranty. And, also, if it is not going to be in use for long periods of time (like during the winter), then deflate and store it. The tire can dry rot if you don’t take proper care. I had to replace the tire already. Even still, I think this play equipment is worth it because of how much my kids play on it – which is all the time.

Jumbo Inflatable Ball – Full Disclosure – I paid considerably less for this ball as I found it at Aldi. It was the deal of a lifetime compared to what Amazon has them listed for. The kids had a blast with it until they tried to force it through the attic door and caught it on the door frame causing it to pop. If your kids are more careful than mine, I recommend this gift!

STEM Toys

This is one that I haven’t purchased, but I’ve been researching. STEM toys are great educational tools AND lots of fun for your little engineers!

Here is another one we are considering from Lego:

If those are too advanced, try one of these:

These are also highly recommended by friends who have both boy and girl children:

TABLETS FOR KIDS
I bought an Amazon Fire in July for a killer price. Keep your eye on the Fires as they will likely go on sale again before Christmas!

For your younger pups, try this one. (We have an older V Tech model):

BOOKS

Some book ideas for 2-5 year olds:

Both my kids really enjoy this story about mighty machines going to bed at night.

My three year old is wild over this book. He loves the fun photos of food.

Another one with rhymes that is fun to read aloud:

Here are some chapter books appropriate for 5-8 year olds:

Junie B – My son’s kindergartener teacher introduced us to these books. My six year old loved them so much at school that he begged us for this set. Julie B is a sparky little girl and lots of fun.

Toys Go Out is the first in a series of three. We enjoyed reading these books together and learning about the secret lives of toys.

The Chocolate Touch was a great story about a kid who learns his lesson the hard way about eating too much chocolate.

My Father’s Dragon takes you on a great adventure. My son really enjoyed these stories.

This is just a silly, fun book about classroom pets being terrorized by a squirrel that gets inside the school building. It’s a cute story!

And, last but not least, since you know health and fitness is the name of my game… why not get a Beachbody All-Access Challenge Pack and try out the new Beachbody Family workout called Double Time? This is a gift for your family AND for you! One year access to over 40 different programs including Double Time streamed on Beachbody on Demand, a month of shakes, a ball for the workout, and a shaker bottle! This is the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve done this program with my kids and it is FUN!! Click here to learn more!

I’m sure I’ll think of more items in the weeks to come and I will post a follow-up if I do! I hope this helps spark some ideas for your kid’s holiday gift list! Happy shopping!

xo Jaime

First of all, please do not be alarmed. I’m hardly a Pinterest Mom. I’m really not, I promise. In my head, I want to do all that over-the-top cool stuff. But, the reality of it is that I shortcut my way through every party and hope for the best. If it makes you feel better, I remembered I had promised my six year old he could have this party exactly 48 hours before it happened. So, yeah, there’s that. He happens to be the most festive kid on the planet, so there was no way I was letting him down.

Before you say it, I do know that it’s ok just to have a party and let kids run around outside and do absolutely none of what I describe below. Gather kids together and they will figure out how to have fun. However, the fore-mentioned six year old LOVES parties – every single aspect from creating the invitation to stuffing the gift bag to planning the craft. I was not getting away with having them just run around outside. Plus, I do get enjoyment out of being creative. If all this stuff stresses you out, give yourself a pass. It’s ok, really! If your party comes from a place of love, that’s what matters most.

I’m putting this post together so that if you are like me and are scrambling to put together a party at the last minute, you can see that it CAN be done. And… it doesn’t have to involve you carving jack-o-lanterns out of apples and hand-painting Day of the Dead ceramic plates for all your four year old guests to take home and never look at again.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

I spent maybe $40 on this party and about 2 hours of prep time.

So, here we go:

Always start with the food. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and everyone likes to eat. Feed your guests. They will leave happy.

Pigs in a blanket are my go-to party food. Kids love them at parties, grown men chow down on them during football gatherings. They cost about $4 to make. For Halloween, you can call them “Mummy Dogs.” My kids helped me assemble them.

Now, look in your cabinet. Do you have popcorn? Good. Pop it. Buy a bag of $2 candy corns from Dollar General. Create trail mix, put them in clear cocktail glasses (also from DG) and call them “Creepy Cups.”

Buy a bag of green grapes for $4. Put them in a bowl, preferably something Halloween-y like this skull I got at Walgreen’s the day after Halloween last year for 99 cents. Call the grapes “Spider Eggs.” (Yep, borrowed that one from Pinterest. That one is at my ability level.)

Get your talented neighbor to make chocolate Rice Krispy treats and call them “Tombstones.”

Buy some little waters and Capri Suns and call them “Witches Brew.”

Bam. Food is done.

Next, come up with two crafts. This is not my strong suite. I usually pick something way too complicated and the  kids get confused and bored, and then I get irritated. Not this time, sister. I got some orange paper plates, stickers, popsicle sticks, and glue sticks. I cut out a bunch of shapes and put them in bowls. The kids were invited to “Create Your Own Pumpkin.”

The other craft was another beginner-level Pinterest idea I found via Google search. Buy a pack of pencils (Dollar General again.) Cut out the shape of a smile for each kid. Cut out white triangles. The kids glue the triangles onto the smile and then tape the pencil to the pack. They have just made their “Jack-o-lantern” mouths.

Note: I have learned a lot from my other uber-crafty neighbor who also teaches my three-year old at school. She always has everything cut out ahead of time so all they have to do is choose and glue. This makes everything go WAY faster and the kids don’t lose interest. I took a cue from her and had everything ready to go. It paid off in the end. There were way too many kids to have them cutting AND pasting.

Whoo-hoo, look at me. Aren’t I crafty mom!?

Next, it’s not a party without a game. I got two 4-packs of toilet paper from Wal-mart for a whopping 68 cents each. I told the kids to pick a partner. One kid was the wrapper and the other was the mummy. They had five minutes to see who made the best mummy.

Ok, with this next idea, I admittedly have an unfair advantage. We do have professional photo equipment so we set up a photo shoot for the kids in the garage. BUT, don’t sweat it if you’re not a pro photographer. The kids DO NOT CARE if you are using a strobe and a DSLR, or you are using your old iPhone 5. Take a big white sheet and hang it on the wall for a backdrop. Let them go crazy posing while you snap away on your iPhone. It’s fun either way. Email out the photos to the guests later as a thank-you.

The last activity was cookie decorating. It’s potentially the messiest activity so I put it at the end. I bought two containers of sugar cookies off the Kroger day-old bakery rack for 1.99 each. I took some food coloring and a container of white icing and mixed in different food coloring. I recommend using a popsicle stick to stir in the color and then letting then slap it on their cookie with the stick. I also had some sprinkles for them to add. They had a ball loading up their cookies and making them look festive.

Don’t forget the group shot at the end! It is hard to get them to pose all at the same time, so have them do a silly face and you will be guaranteed to have a fun photograph.

And, finally, the most important thing… dress like Slash so that you totally freak out your six year old!

How do you feel? Overwhelmed? Don’t be! Let’s recap:

Get some cheap food. Hot dogs and crescent rolls, grapes, popcorn, candy corn, water and capri suns. Ask the neighbor to bring something. Be really impressive and make name tags for the food. For some reason, people are always impressed with that.

Find two easy crafts and do the cutting out ahead of time. Let the kids glue stuff on other stuff and they will have fun.

Come up with one easy game. Buy some cheap toilet paper and let them wrap each other up.

Do a photo booth and snap lots of pics or let them do selfies.

Get some inexpensive cookies, white icing, food coloring, and sprinkles. Let them go to town decorating cookies.

Do all of this on a big plastic table cloth. Roll up said table cloth at the end of the party, and throw all the mess in the trash.

Send the kids outside or upstairs, or home with their parents.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and call yourself a “Pinterest Mom.”

xo Jaime

About once a week, I get a message in my inbox from yet another friend coming to Nashville and asking me where to go. Don’t get me wrong – I want to help! But, my days of going out on the town have been replaced with soccer games and PTA meetings, so I always immediately freeze up when I’m asked this question. It’s not that I don’t know where to tell people to go, it’s just that my mind is somewhere completely else in this season of my life. So, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and sit down and really compile a great list of suggestions. Nashville has an incredible amount of food, fun and flair. Too much for any single blog post, that’s for sure! This list is for all my friends coming to Nashville, and all my other friends who live here and are always asked the question – “Where should I go while in Nashville?” Please feel free to send your friends this post and save some time!

By all means, please feel free to comment with additional suggestions. This is merely a starting point and I am well aware that I have probably left off your favorite place. Put it in the comments and I’ll update this list periodically!

Love you all, and welcome to our wonderful city!

(Photos by yours truly, Foxfoto)

Craving ethnic food? How about one of these…

Siam Cafe

Taj Indian Restaurant 

Athen’s  Great late night spot!

Samurai Sushi Bar

Have a cocktail with a beautiful view…

Rooftop Bar at Famous Saloon

George Jones Rooftop Bar 

L.A. Jackson (Thompson Hotel)

How about some great live music?

The Stage

Acme Feed and Seed (also has great rooftop bar)

Legends Corner 

Paradise Park Trailer Resort Go see a fun band and get a late night snack. That tater tots are the BEST!

Robert’s Western World  On Wed-Fri from 6-10, go see the Don Kelley Band- many say they are the Best Honky Tonk and best band on Broadway! Great Bar food too (Fried bologna sandwich and burgers are to die for… especially at 2am!)

Station Inn (You often catch stars sitting in with the band here!)

Tootsies Orchid Lounge  Enjoy the front and back bars and stage! You just gotta go. It’s a Nashville staple.

Blue Bird Café Shhhh… this is a place for listening to world class song-writers. No talking during performances! Better get your ticket fast. The shows sell out!

Grand Ole Opry World Famous Radio Show, but you watch it live on stage!

Ryman  The Mother Church of Country Music

Wild Horse Saloon

The Listening Room Great place to see local entertainment and songwriters. Great menu too!

Try out these hip little shops while you are in town…

Fanny’s House of Music Cool music shop. Taylor Swift says its her favorite.

White’s Mercantile Modern take on a general store.  Located in 12 South.

 

Love to check out trendy ‘hoods with restaurants and shops? Check these out…

Hillsboro Village, lots of shops and restaurants.

12 South – shops, restaurants Imogene + Willie – denim custom made jeans for you and check out Draper James Reese Witherspoon’s shop. Five Daughters Bakery and Jeni’s ice cream shop. The line is always long at night at Jeni’s but better during the day.

The Gulch

East Nashville
8th Avenue

Want to see all the goings on in Nashville during your stay? Look no further…

Nashville Events Calendar

I am loving my new Power Air Fryer XL. I have been researching these fryers for months and finally broke down and got one after receiving an unexpected gift card. My husband loves french fries so he was all-in for this purchase.

Now that I wrapped up my first round of Shift Shop, I was able to loosen the reigns on my nutrition for a couple days and have some “cheat” foods. I feel a lot better about myself when I DECIDE to have a treat rather than waiting until I am so desperate that I eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Making a decision about what you will and will not eat is being in control of your health, and that’s a great feeling!

I saw this idea for Air Fryer donuts first on This Old Gal here. I also found it on several other sites after that, but I want to give complete credit to Jill at TOG for turning me onto this! She has several more donut flavors on her page, so please go check out the post! If you are the type of person that only makes food from scratch, check out this recipe from the Power Air Fryer XL site.  And here is one more recipe using the canned biscuits. Those directions required way more glaze than I felt necessary, but if you love some glaze then use those measurements! You can also be like my family and dump caramel syrup on them as an additional splurge. (Oh, it was as good as it looks!)

The reason this activity was perfect for my kids was that the recipe is so simple, and the cook time is so short. When cooking with kids, you will find that they hate waiting! This type of recipe offers instant gratification. By the time you are done making the glaze and sugar coating, the donuts are done!

How did the kids like them? You decide…

Enjoy!

xo Jaime

This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate and Beachbody links which help to directly support this blog. I only link up products that I’ve actually bought and used, and I am not sponsored by any manufacturers! My opinions are 100% my own. When you purchase using my links, you help me sustain this blog!

I’m an avid planner when it comes to vacations. I love to scour Travel Advisor, Yelp, and any other travel site I can find to tell me the best restaurants, hotels, and excursions in any given area. I hate wasting time during a vacation sitting around trying to figure out what to do. So, when my husband said he wanted to take the kids on a week-long camping trip, I got busy planning out things to do. I left all the camping stuff to him as that’s “not my department.” Organizing the itinerary? That I can handle. I know not everyone out there loves to plan. That’s why I wanted to share our trip with the masses, in hopes I can make your Smoky Mountain vacation a little more fun!

Camp Hardwick Day 1 – We packed up our pop-up “Skamper” camper and hit the road to Standing Stone State Park! We got this beauty from Craig’s List for $2500. What a steal! Standing Stone was just about an hour away from our home and was a nice, relaxed location to begin our camping adventure. We met up with some neighbors and set up camp. The kids played and roasted marshmallows, then watched a movie on the portable DVDs players before turning in for the night.

Camp Hardwick Day 2 – The first 24 hours are always a bit stressful on any trip with children, but the next morning the kids were settled in and ready to get dirty. We explored the dam and let them kick around in the shallow water. They also had a nice playground area in the camp site where the kids could burn off some energy. Later in the afternoon, we took a ride in our canoe on Standing Stone Lake. They had canoes and fishing boats available for rent as well. The camp site also boasted an Olympic size pool, but it was unfortunately still closed for the season. After returning to the camper, the boys played in the gravel with their digger trucks and made S’mores. We prepared to leave in the morning for the Smokies.

Camp Hardwick Day 3 -Shortly after we awoke, we packed up camp and travelled from Standing Stone Park to the KOA in Townsend (Smoky Mountains) which was about a two hour drive. As soon as we pulled in to the KOA, I knew this site was more my speed. Lots of nearby places to go, a fabulous playground for the kids, and a campsite right on the water where we could dip our toes! The boys were especially excited about the convenience store on site where they could pick out snacks. I also was pleased to have wi-fi so that I could keep up with my workouts on Beachbody on Demand. I like to stay on track with my fitness while on vacation, and, yes, I also like to check my Facebook too!

Our first day in Townsend was again spent setting up camp. For dinner, we found a nearby Mexican restaurant which I won’t even call out by name. It takes a lot for me to not like a meal, and I did not like that meal. It was ridiculously over-sized, but the meat was tasteless and the rice was mushy. At least the chips and salsa were pretty good. Townsend has many restaurants, but be aware that the selection is slim off-season. This was one of the only times during the week I took a chance on eating at a place I hadn’t researched. Luckily, that was about the only bad meal we had all week!

Back at the KOA, we let the kids have some playground time, and then got tucked in and ready for a big day ahead.

Check out the view through the camper!

The playground was off the hook!

Camp Hardwick Day 4– After an easy breakfast of cereal and milk, we loaded into our Element and took a trip into Pigeon Forge. On the way in, we happened to pass signs for “The Preserve Resort,” the site of our nuptials 8 years earlier. We decided to drive up the mountain to see it, and it was pretty neat going back as a family of 4. Just as breathtaking as ever on the mountaintop, and we were excited to see that they now have a pool next to the pavilion where we married.

We then headed into the city of Pigeon Forge and stopped at a BBQ place called Bennett’s. This restaurant is from a family chain of dining establishments popular in the area, and the food there was delicious! I ordered a pulled pork plate with fried corn on the cob and mac-n-cheese. (No diet here!) The kids enjoyed their meals which came with a Dirt Dessert with gummy worms. They had a fresh salad bar, and even the biscuits delivered to the table were memorable. There was nothing especially fancy about this place, but it was family-friendly with excellent food. As we drove through Pigeon Forge, the kids were mesmerized by all the go-track places so we decided to stop for a day of fun at The Track. It truly was a blast for us all! We found a coupon which gave us a few dollars off a ticket package. I believe we purchased 75 tickets for around $52. The kids’ rides were mostly 3 tickets each, so that gave both my boys several turns on the smaller go-karts and little kiddie carnival rides. We joined them for rides in the larger go-kart tracks and laughed our heads off as we tried to race each other. I especially liked that the park was not huge and did not require miles of walking. Although it was rather crowded, the kids hardly had to wait in line at all.

After a long day, we drove back to camp and prepared a camp-side dinner with food that we brought in our cooler. The boys zonked out shortly after they hit the bunks.

Camp Hardwick Day 5– On the fifth day, we drove into the town of Gatlinburg for lunch at Mellow Mushroom. We have this place in Nashville, so we already knew it would be a good meal. There are many other restaurants to chose from in the area if pizza isn’t your jam. After lunch, we hiked Laurel Falls which was just a short drive from Gatlinburg. Attention parents of toddlers who plan to go camping: If you take a toddler on a 2.6 mile hike, you will be carrying said toddler for at least two of those miles. You better start working out now. The journey was worth the pay-off, however, as it ended at a beautiful, cascading waterfall. I will say that if you are afraid of heights then this may not be the trail for you. Many of the mountain trails in the Smokies have narrow trails on steep cliffs. It can be pretty nerve-racking, especially when trying to keep energetic kids safely away from the edge.

The boys found a little mini waterfall along the trail and spent much of their time climbing the rocks in that area. We could literally feel their joy!

After the hike, we were all beat and headed back to the KOA. The boys had some playground time and we ate dinner and made s’mores at the campsite. We had no trouble going to sleep that night! A little nugget for you shared by my six-year old earlier that day: “Imagine that life could be this fun and you never even knew it.” There’s your life lesson from the heart of a child.

Camp Hardwick Day 6–  Ready for another day of adventures, we spent a few hours on day 6 exploring nearby Cade’s Cove , a valley nestled in the Smokies and chock full of history and wildlife. We used the scenic driving path and pulled off every so often to look at the historic churches and homes. There were many tours available and a bustling visitor center with a gift shop. We brought a picnic lunch and found a beautiful open field to stop and relax.

One the way back to camp, we just had to pull off and take a photo by the iconic Smoky Mt sign. There was a waiting line to do so which made me giggle! Everyone wants their photo op, us included! We set up the self-timer and got a good shot. (This wasn’t it!)

Spent a couple hours back at camp before we ventured back into Pigeon Forge. We made a pit stop at the The Coaster at Goats on the Roof mountain rollercoaster. It was about $40 for the four of us to ride, and we all loved it. I was a little worried about the cost, but it was such a unique thing to do that I felt it was worth it.
We had dinner at a restaurant I found on Yelp called  JT Hannah’s. We had about a 15 minute wait for a table, but there was plenty of seating in the waiting area. The decor was artistic and creative, and made us feel like we were in an old warehouse or stockyard. For dinner, I ordered the French Dip and my husband had a classic burger. The kids had spaghetti and grilled chicken from the kid’s menu. The iced tea was served in huge mason jars. We were all pleased with what we ordered, and again I was happy with the family friendly atmosphere. Dinner was followed by mini golf at Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure. We took a little train ride to the top of the course which wrapped around a huge pool of water and scenery. The kids had a blast, and the golf course was not overly difficult. It was a bit crowded, but we did not feel rushed. The evening ended with an ice cream nightcap at Mad Dog’s Creamery and Donuts which was right next door. Such a cute little ice cream joint complete with treats for your pups and your kids!

Camp Hardwick Day 7- We woke up to our last full day of adventure. We drove back to Gatlinburg and stopped at the Little Pancake House for brunch. This is a little no-frills country restaurant, but the coffee was good and the meals were hearty. Our server and manager were especially nice. Again, it was kid-friendly and not overly expensive. As we drove through Gatlinburg, this was the first time we really got a good look at all the fire damage in the area. Man, was it sad to see so many charred trees and burnt buildings. What a shame! The spirit of the town roars on though, and it was bustling with people.

We spent most of the afternoon at the Ripleys Aquarium. It was pretty crowded with people on a Friday afternoon, and cost around $100 for the four of us. We did have a coupon which helped ease the cost a bit. The aquarium was very hands on, and had some unique features. Most memorable was the glass walkway where you got 360 degree view of sharks and other marine life swimming right overhead. It was very exciting to see a shark that close without being in any danger! They also had areas where the kids could touch stingrays, crabs, and jelly fish. The penguin exhibit was also a lot of fun, except that my children got a first hand view of two mating penguins. That was interesting, to say the least! My older son said, “Look, mom, they are wrestling!” It’s all in the name of education, right?

In the center of the aquarium, there was a playground area with slides. This was the most hectic, crowded area. It didn’t bother my kids at all, but it was a little stressful trying to keep track of them in there.

After the aquarium, we walked across the street to some of the Gatlinburg shops. I finally found a coffee shop, Coffee and Company, nestled back in some shops off the main and ordered a much needed latte. The kids got candy at the Ripley’s Candy Factory, one of the many candy shops on the parkway. Although we paid a premium for candy that would have been much cheaper at the drugstore, the kids were mesmerized by the experience of seeing all the candy and getting to pick their sweet treasures.

On the way back to camp, we stopped off at Meig’s Creek Trail for a photo op at The Sinks, a gorgeous waterfall right at the edge of the road. Although we didn’t have time or energy to do a hike, we made note to come back to this area on our next visit.

The rest of the evening was spent back at camp where the kids threw stones in the water and explored the campsite. We prepared to leave camp the next morning and head back home after an adventurous week of family fun!

As we departed the next morning, we all agreed our spring break trip was a wild success. You could stick a fork in Mommy and Daddy – we were d-o-n-e, DONE! But, we created a memorable experience for our family that was well worth all the planning that went into it. My only advice for future campers is to take note of what travel season in which you will be planning your trip. We did not take into account that many restaurants and excursions would not yet be open. In many ways, traveling during off season months is great because you avoid the crowds. The trade-off is seeing a lot of “closed” signs, especially in the less populated areas. I would also recommend calling and researching the best times to visit your excursions of choice. Friday afternoon for the Aquarium was probably not the smartest time for us to go in order to avoid crowds. A simple phone call to the ticket office could have given me some insight on a slower time to visit. My other advice is not to over-plan. Hiking and traveling requires a lot of energy, so schedule in that all important “down time.” Also, always have snacks on hand to keep the kids happy. One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that well-rested and well-fed children equal less temper tantrums and slightly less complaints. Finally, always have a rain plan. Pack umbrellas and rain boots just in case you can play in the rain, and make a note of a rain activity (like a museum or movie theatre trip) you can do in case of emergency.

Happy vacation planning! I hope your trip is full of happiness and adventure, and that this post opens up some ideas for an amazing trip.

xo Jaime

This is not a sponsored post. All of these places I researched and picked based on what I thought my family would enjoy. The only affiliate links in this post are those related to Beachbody. I am an active Beachbody coach and my business helps directly support this blog! If you are looking for a way to improve your health and fitness, reach out to me anytime or comment below with how I can reach you.

I’m thinking about my grandmother today, and often lately. My “Gram” is 94 years old and has been in a nursing home for the last few years. I went to visit her last weekend during a quick trip to my hometown in Maryland. It’s hard to see her in there. Her eyesight is gone, and she is no longer mobile. She lived a very vibrant life in her younger years, never missing a dance at the Moose Lodge and loving to stun her friends with raunchy gag gifts. I can’t imagine life without her in it, but I know the life she has now would never be her choice. During my visit, I asked her if she thought she’d live to be 100. She emphatically said, “No!” I said, “Well, how about 95?” She said, “Yeah, I think so.” I said, “How about 96?” She said, “I hope not.”  I said, “Once you hit 95, you’re officially out of gas?” She laughed and said she thought so.

I spent a lot of time at my Gram’s house growing up. There were things that she cooked that I loved, but she knew my favorite was “breakfast for dinner.” She made THE best pancakes I’ve ever had, and I’ve spent years trying to figure out how to get them to taste as good. Much of it has to do with the fact that she wasn’t afraid to cook those bad boys in hot oil. The edges were so crispy that it was almost like eating a funnel cake at the fair. I’m okay with the fact that my pancakes will never be as good. It is a memory that I will always hold dear and have no intention of replacing.

Now my own kids also love “breakfast for dinner,” along with our tradition of Pancake Sunday. Each time I make pancakes from scratch, I tweak the recipe a little more. Today I tried something new and it took my recipe to a new level. You know all that clear stuff that rises to the top of your homemade yogurt? It’s called “whey” and most people have no idea what to do with it after they strain it from their Greek Yogurt. Turns out you can trade out the liquid in your pancake recipe with whey for a healthy little kick. Not only did my pancakes turn out fluffy and tasty, I loved that I was using something that was essentially free in place of something I would otherwise have had to buy. Want not, waste not!

If you’ve found yourself pondering what to do with your leftover whey, give these pancakes a try. They aren’t as good as my Gram’s, but you’ll never know that!

Print Recipe

Whey Delicious Pancakes

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Servings

4" Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1.5 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups whey
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Servings 4" Pancakes Ingredients 3 cups flour 1.5 TBSP baking powder 1/2 cup Sugar 1 tsp Salt 2 cups whey 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

   
2. Whisk eggs, and pour into dry ingredients.

   
3. Add whey to mixture.

   
4. Stir until completely blended, and make sure not to over-mix.

   
5. Stir in vanilla extract.

   
6. Using a quarter cup, pour batter onto hot greased griddle (375 degrees) to form 4" pancakes. If you wish, sprinkle in toppings like pecans or blueberries at this time.

   
7. Cook until bubble start to form, and then flip. Serve hot of the griddle!

   

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be cut in half, or doubled.

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