Adventures at the Pumpkin Patch

Awww an adventure at the Pumpkin Patch… Fall is my favorite season of the year and I think my kids like it too!

What a better way to start our weekend than visiting our favorite farm, Holiday Farms in Ridgeland, South Carolina and just like they claim, "Just not a Holiday... an experience!"

Our family has visited this farm for a couple of years now and there are a few things I truly love about this farm, for example, they are family owned and operated, they transform the farm on each holiday and you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks.  We all now how expensive purchasing food and drink can be when visiting the local fair.   They also have a covered picnic area for all the visitors to enjoy. 

Holiday Farms offer many activities and my kids take advantage of every single one.  Well, let me take that back, they can no longer do the speedway since that activity is only for toddlers… 

As soon as we arrived we were able to see the welcome signs, the "fall" decorations and hay rolls sprayed painted with funny images of animals. 

 My favorite decoration was this perfectly shaped pumpkin painted in red... it looked so shiny!  

Not far from the entrance we were able to find a large group of colorful "mums".  Last year my best friend gifted me with some of her "orange" mums. I know, they don't last very long but they just look so festive!

And who can say no to their new Jumppad!  and guess what?  Adults are also allowed to jump on it too!!! Not that I got on it or anything... 

Our kids spent a good amount of time jumping and chasing each other on this pad.  Energy zapper at work!

Then we enjoyed some time playing with the cornhole boards!  This is when I realized my daughter has an amazing arm and aim.  Yes, they had 4 different sets of boards and they had to play on each one.  So we played this game for a w-h-i-l-e!

After playing with the conrnhole game, they moved towards the next game, "ring toss".   

When they realized the wagon was coming, they forgot about the ring toss game and ran towards the "Barnyard Zoo" in order to board the wagon! 

See, they ran.. we didn't.. because we knew that once they got closer to the barn, they were going to pet every animal before they actually got on the wagon.   And petted, they did! HAHA!

Their new covered wagon actually takes you around the farm to the back field which is where all the pumpkins are.  Another great thing about this adventure, everyone got to pick a pumpkin from the patch which was included in their $10.00 admission fee.

Pumpkins everywhere... big pumpkins, medium size pumpkins, tiny baby pumpkins, and it was so much fun trying to find that perfect pumpkin to bring home.  

Our only rule for the day was, if you can't carry it (pumpkin) then you can't take it. After all parking was at a good distance away from the grounds, so it made sense to put that rule in place, especially if you have to carry a pumpkin of your own.  But when you have daddy wrap around your little finger, who cares what mommy says! 

And we couldn't just leave without seeing a "pig race", that would have been an incomplete experience for them! 

It was fun to see all those little piglets running!

These are the faces of some tired and hungry kids!  Unfortunately, our kids waited too long to decide it was time for them eat.  

If you know me, then you already know that when I take the kids to places like this, I only go for one thing and one thing only, FOOD!  So, as soon as I got there I went straight to the extremely long line that promised to provide me with some good old fashion Funnel Cake, ribs and perhaps some good BBQ chicken.  Our children had other plans, they insisted that they were not hungry and there was no need for me to stand in line, so we decided to forgo the food and go straight for the activities.  

Let me say this, what a GIGANTIC MISTAKE that was! Since they waited until the last minute, all the greasy and delicious food was GONE and they had no other choice but to settle for snow cones and a small basket of french fries!  

But they had so much fun that not been able to get a funnel cake was totally okay with them.

We highly suggest you make plans to visit Holiday Farms.  Your little ones will enjoy participating in the many activities like barrel racing, duck racing, corn grinding, steer roping, cow milking and getting to know the animals at the Barnyard Zoo.  

Every Saturday you will be able to enjoy the food from their concession stands as well as live entertainment!

Don't forget to stop by their General Store while you are there and check out all of their items like their local honey, jellies, jams as well as soaps, candy and toys!

But our adventures are not stopping there... today we will be putting our costumes on and having some fun with the officers at SCMPD Precinct 5!

  

Giveaway Alert!

All Things Beautiful Book Giveaway!!

Hello everyone and welcome back!!

Reading is one of my passions.  I can enjoy a really good book regardless of its genre.  I could literally read all day and all night, unfortunately, adulthood prevents me from doing just that.

Because reading is my personal way of escaping reality for a couple of hours, I always find time to read.  I mean, Sleep is overrated if you ask me!

If you follow me on "GoodReads" than most likely, you are aware of my 2016 Reading Challenge.  So far, I've read 92 out of my 100 books… what did I tell you, I love reading!  You can follow me here: Elena's 2016 Reading Challenge.

I deeply believe reading gives you access to an experience that is deeply personal yet shared with the writer and world they lived in.  Self-help books are very personal, especially when the writer has had personal experience with the topic.  

Our friend Beth, owner of All Things Beautiful has an amazing Book Giveaway!  These are the prizes:  

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig;

Reasons to Stay Alive is about making the most of your time on earth. In the western world the suicide rate is highest amongst men under the age of 35. Matt Haig could have added to that statistic when, aged 24, he found himself staring at a cliff-edge about to jump off. This is the story of why he didn't; how he recovered and learned to live with anxiety and depression. It's also an upbeat, joyous and very funny exploration of how live better, love better, read better and feel more.

Humans: An A to Z by Matt Haig;

DO YOU:
A) Know a human?
B) Love a human?
C) Have trouble dealing with humans?

IF YOU'VE ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU
Whether you are planning a high level of human interaction or just a casual visit to the planet, this user-guide to the human race will help you translate their sayings, understand exotic concepts such as 'democracy' and 'sofas', and make sense of their habits and bizarre customs.
A phrase book, a dictionary and a survival guide, this book unravels all the oddness, idiosyncrasies and wonder of the species, allowing everyone to make the most of their time on Earth. 

  

The Man Who Couldn't Stop by David Adam:

Have you ever had a strange urge to jump from a tall building, or steer your car into oncoming traffic? You are not alone. In this captivating fusion of science, history and personal memoir, writer David Adam explores the weird thoughts that exist within every mind, and how they drive millions of us towards obsessions and compulsions.  David has suffered from OCD for twenty years, and The Man Who Couldn’t Stop is his unflinchingly honest attempt to understand the condition and his experiences. What might lead an Ethiopian schoolgirl to eat a wall of her house, piece by piece; or a pair of brothers to die beneath an avalanche of household junk that they had compulsively hoarded? At what point does a harmless idea, a snowflake in a clear summer sky, become a blinding blizzard of unwanted thoughts? Drawing on the latest research on the brain, as well as historical accounts of patients and their treatments, this is a book that will challenge the way you think about what is normal, and what is mental illness.  Told with fierce clarity, humour and urgent lyricism, this extraordinary book is both the haunting story of a personal nightmare, and a fascinating doorway into the darkest corners of our minds.

How to Enter:

How can you enter this amazing giveaway?  Very easy, simply visit our friend's page All Things Beautiful Giveaway! and follow the steps!  

*Make sure you complete the extra steps for an even higher chance of winning!  BUT you better hurry, this giveaway will end in three days.... 

GOOD LUCK!!! 

DIY: Boo Haunting Halloween Nail Design

Hello there my pretty Ghouls!! 

  

Before I share with you our latest adventure at the "Holiday Farms" in Ridgeland, South Carolina, I'm going to share our last two "Halloween Nail Designs" with all of you.

These two designs are very easy to do and the only difference between the two is the design on the "thumb" nail.   

Let's start with our latest "spooky" and fun designs.. 

For both of the designs I used the following:

1:  SinfulColors Professional Nail Hardener as my base coat;

2: SinfulColors Professional #30 Courtney Orange;

3: SinfulColors Professional #103 Black on Black

4: Kiss Nail Dress designs; and

5: SinfulColor Professional Top Shine Coat

On clean nails apply a coat of SinfulColor Professionals #901 Nail Hardener;

Apply two to three coats of SinfulColor Professionals #30 Courtney Orange.   Please allow a few minutes to pass in between coats.  

On my first DIY: Easy Halloween Nail Design, I really wanted to use the Courtney Orange rather the Cloud 9. As you can see the orange is much deeper and it would have looked great, but I think the results of using Cloud 9 was just as gorgeous. 

Now, I applied approximately three coats in order to get that "deep orange" color I was looking for.   This is what my nails looked after applying two coats.  

Allow a few minutes in between applications, it's important to remember that when we apply the polish in very thick layers, the polish takes a lot longer to dry which will only lead to smudges.

The next step comes once your first color is completely dry.  This is also the very tricky part but don't worry, you've got this! 

Using the Multi Art Brush carefully paint the letters B O O on the desired nails.  You can go over the black line twice if you need to.  Allow the polish to dry.

Now, my intention was to use these Nail Dress by Kiss on my thumb and my tiny little pinky.  Unfortunately, none of them covered the nail as supposed to.  Yeah, I was sad about that too! 

Therefore, I used a tiny little black cat on my pinky and I cut around the design for my chunky thumb.  

Last but not least, after your nail stickers and polish are completely dry, apply your final Top Shiny Coat and DONE!!

DIY: Stitch The Copper

Welcome back my pretties!

Just a few more days for the big Halloween celebration and today I have an even easier nail design!

Let's start with our latest "stitchy" and fun design.. 

For this super easy and fun design I used the following:

1:  SinfulColors Professional Nail Hardener as my base coat;

2: SinfulColors Professional #1503 Copper Pot;

3: SinfulColors Professional #103 Black on Black;

4: Kiss Nail Art Tool Kit; and

5: SinfulColors Professional Top Shine Coat

STEPS: 

First, on clean nails apply a coat of SinfulColor Professionals #901 Nail Hardener or your favorite base coat; 

After your base coat is completely dry, place the design guide (of you can do it free hand if you have steady hands) close to the tip of your nail; 

Apply two coats of the SinfulColors Professionals Copper Pot; (allow a few minutes in between coats for the polish to dry- NOTE: a thick coat polish takes twice as long to dry)  Once the polish is dry, carefully remove the nail design strip. 

For the next step, you will need the "Multi Art Brush". 

Using the Multi Art Brush carefully paint a think black line.  You can go over the black line twice if you need to.  

Allow the black polish to dry completely.

Using the same brush, now draw very thin vertical lines.  You can do them as short or long as you want the lines to be.

Make sure you allow the black polish to dry completely before applying the shiny clear top.  If the polish is not completely dry, you will end with smudge lines. 

and all done!!  How easy and fun is this design??  

DIY- Glow Chameleon Glow

Hello Bootiful Ghouls! 

Yeah, I think I've watched "Monster High" movies for way too long!

Let's start with our latest "spooky" and fun design.. 

For this "Glow Chameleon Glow" design I used the following:

1:  SinfulColors Professional Nail Hardener as my base coat;

2: SinfulColors Professional #2122 Nice Guise

3: SinfulColors Professional #2124 Got a Bat Attitude

4: SinfulColors Professional Top Shine Coat

On clean nails apply a coat of SinfulColor Professionals #901 Nail Hardener;

Apply two coats of SinfulColor Professionals #2122 Nice Guise to all the nails for the exception of ring finger.  This Nice Guise polish is a shimmering green with a gold iridescent hint to it.  Please allow a few minutes to pass in between coats. 

The Top coats on the above photo are part of the Glow In The Dark collection. 

This is the tricky part.  As you can see, #2124 Got a Bat Attitude polish has small "bat figures mixed within the polish.  It IS a bit difficult to grab the figures with the brush and place them on the nail.  By the time I was able to strategically apply the figures, I had a very thick coat on my nail.  

However,  IT DOES GLOW!! So their claim it's true!!

Apply your favorite Top Coat to seal the design, let it dry and YOU ARE NOW DONE!! 

Note:  I used the regular #1353 Glow in The Dark (without any figures in it) and applied it on top of the Nice Guise so that it would glow as well.   Although I regret my choice of applying it, the effect was still mesmerizing.

DIY: Easy Halloween Nail Design

Only a few days left before Halloween and we are having a lot of fun with all the spooky colors available through Guise & Ghouls Glowing Masquerade by SinfulColor Professionals.

These polishes are still on sale at my local Walgreens, so make sure your visit your local store in order to take advantage of this great sale!

For this Halloween, I decided to show my love for this day by creating a few "spooky" nail designs that you can easily create by using very simple tools like nail guides, stickers and "glow in the dark" top coats.

For this Black on Orange style I used the following:

1.  SinfulColors Professional Nail Hardnerer as my base coat;

2. SinfulColors Professional #853 Cloud 9;

3. SinfulColors Professional #103 Black on Black;

4. Kiss "Chevron" Guide lines; and

5. SinfulColors Professional Top Shine Coat

On clean nails apply a coat of SinfulColor Professionals #901 Nail Hardener;

NOTE:  As a general rule, I always use (and recommend) a good base coat in order to protect my nails, specially when using very dark colors.  Lately I've been using SC Nail Hardener and has helped keep my nails long and strong.

Apply two coats of SinfulColor Professionals #853 Cloud 9.  

NOTE: Don't worry so much about the tip since you will be covering it with your second polish.

Allow the first color to dry completely before you apply the Design Guides around the tip of your nail. 

Place the Design Guide firmly onto the nail in the desired position.  

Apply #103 Black on Black polish to the tip of your nails. 

Once your tip color is somewhat dry, gently peel off the design guides to expose your design!

If you have any spooky stickers, gems or any other embellishments you would like to add to your design, this is the time to do it.

Apply your favorite Top Coat to seal the design, let it dry and YOU ARE NOW DONE!!

SALE ALERT: SinfulColors Guise & Ghouls Glowing Masquerade

Hello everyone!!

    I've finally found the time to visit my local Walgreens and the timing was perfect! 

    I found that all the SinfulColor Guise & Ghouls Glowing Masquerade are finally on SALE for $1.99 each!!! 

In this collection you will find:

* Cloak & Swagger

* Play Dead

*Nice Guise

*Deja Boo

*Hazel Moon

*Got a Bat Attitude

*Dead On

*Glow In The Dark Top Coat

*Let's Talk

*Courtney Orage

*Black on Black

Walgreen Exclusive:

*Where Oh Werewolf

I picked the Glow in the Dark for Ms. Bree and she is going to love it!!  Yes, my daughter loves nail polishes as much as I do.  (maybe more than me)

 The Glow In The Dark polish is a top coat and it promises to really get things "glowing".

I picked the above colors for me.  Unfortunately, Courtney Orange was not available but I was able to grab Cloud 9 at the same price.  Cloud 9 seems to be a bit lighter and brighter than Courtney Orange. 

If you have a Walgreens Rewards Card then don't forget to use it, instead of paying $1.99, you will only pay $1.50!!  

Stay tuned because I will be doing my own manicure and I will be using Cloud 9 together with Black on Black topped with a few accent stickers!

Are you planning to join the festivities by dressing up or maybe by getting a "wicked" manicure for the week??  If you decide to take advantage of this great sale, make sure you tell us which colors you picked!!