Piccadilly Summer Lunches

Disclaimer: I was provided the opportunity to have lunch at Piccadilly in order to facilitate this review. All opinions in this post are 100% my own. No other compensation was obtained. 

   When I was little from time to time we went to Piccadilly after church. I remember it being so special and even "fancy" because we didn't often have a ton of money to go out to eat. Now days I am not sure many people think of Piccadilly as being fancy- but I was excited when I got an email offering me the chance to try their new line of summer salads. I figured this would be an interesting visit. I was looking forward to comparing my old school memories to the "modern day" Piccadilly. I wondered what the restaurant was like now, how the food tasted, and if it would be like I remembered it from my childhood.

  Weston and I set out to have a little lunch date just the two of us. Our main missions? Trying the new line of summer salads and checking out the restaurant. I knew from the promotional information that the rep sent me that these salads include : Asian Chicken Pasta Salad, Italian Chicken Fettuccine Salad, Shrimp Rotini Salad, Chicken & Strawberry Salad, Taco Salad, Spinach and Citrus Salad, Blackened Chicken Wrap, Piccadilly Club Salad, Southwest Fiesta Chicken Salad. I had my heart set on the taco salad but when I went through the cafeteria line it was unavailable.  I decided to try the Italian Chicken Fettuccine Salad. While it was a fresh combo of lettuce, chicken, and fettuccine noodles I honestly don't think I would buy it again. It was good but not amazing. That being said you can't really beat a sit down meal with a large portion of salad for $6.29. You know what did make my heart beat faster? The darn fried okra that came with Weston's kids meal. Down right delicious. I was also excited to hear that if I had visited after 4pm I could have gotten Weston's meal for just 0.99.  Every kid’s meal comes with an entrée, two sides, a dessert, and a kid’s drink for only 0.99! That is impressive!! 

  The service at Piccadilly was impressive and very child friendly. A very nice lady took my tray from me and escorted me to my seat. Weston devoured his chocolate pudding and in the process wiped it just about everywhere he could. No one even gave me a second glance when I asked for second and  third helpings of napkins. The restaurant was fresh and clean. Fancy is not a word I would use to describe it at this point in my life but It was really a nice dining experience especially for someone that has a small child with them. Being that the restaurant is so kid friendly I think it's also wonderful that they are launching a new reading program, Back to Books, to encourage children to continue learning through the summer months. Kids will be given a reading log to record their summer reading. Once the reading log is complete with ten books they can receive a free kid’s meal. 

Have you ever been to Piccadilly? What did you think? Did you try the okra? If not you should! 

Accessorizing with Mindy Mae's Market

 

Disclaimer: While  I received a complimentary product in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I am no fashion blogger. Certainly no fashionista either. I have fallen into the mom slump and funk for sure. Workout clothes on most days (even when I don't workout) are just the truth and reality of the situation. So when I do get ready to go out sometimes I have a hard time figuring out what to wear. My secret? Black top or dress and a hunk of jewelry. I love triple strand necklaces and chunky finds that bring the eye away from my faults and right on up to my accessories.

  I recently found Mindy Mae's Market, an easy to order from, relatively inexpensive, apparel and accessory business online. I have not tried their clothes but really love the look of the Chevron Maxi Dress with pockets. I would love to know more about the quality. These days it is important to me that my maxi dresses be of a thicker fabric. I don't want all my lumps and bumps to show. If I had a little girl their Little Heart Leggings would be in my cart in a jiffy, perhaps even in every color. Mindy Mae's Market was kind enough to send me a complimentary Falling Colors Necklace so that I could check out the quality for this review.

  Please excuse my freckles and lack of tan. I thought about airbrushing and using self tanner in picmonkey but oh wouldn't that take the fun out of it? haha. 

 When the necklace arrived I was pleased at the quality. This is no chincy fall apart piece. It did take a little work to get all the little beads facing the right direction and I do wish I had it for this past fall. I feel like the colors are a little less summery than what is in at this moment. Alas, that is no fault of the companies, just another error on my less than fashionable behalf. At the price of $14.99 I think its fair to say that it is well worth holding on to it until next fall.

 

Pillow Wars In Our House- A Sleep Number #Sponsored Pillow Review

    

     My in-laws have a Sleep Number bed that is just unspeakably incredible. You can elevate one side, make it softer, make it firmer. The plethora of options that they have in their bed probably outweighs the number of options at some fast food restaurants. Some people like to get order their burger exactly how they want it, well with sleep number you can get your bed exactly how you want it AND so can your spouse at the same time. Before I go any further gushing about the amazingness of Sleep Number beds I will stop and tell you the truth. I can NOT afford one and I don't have one. I may not ever be able to afford one but I was really excited when Sleep Number contacted me and offered to send me a complimentary pillow to review. In lieu of my aforementioned feelings about their beds my response was, " Yes, yes, yes!"

   I was able to take a short assessment quiz on the Sleep Number website in order to determine which pillow would be best for me. The quiz results came back that I should try the Down Alternative Inner Core paired with the Silver Outer Shell. Prior to this I had never even heard of a two part pillow. I was more than kind of excited to try it and then more than disappointed when it arrived and my husband stole it. That's right, you heard it correct, my husband straightup nabbed my pillow. This started a serious pillow war. You know...the kind where you race to bed to try to get it first? Yes, we are mature!

    He loves it. Claims its the perfect combo of fluff and firm. The directions say you should fluff it every night and occasionally throw it in the dryer. Who knew? I've never dryer fluffed my pillows before. Perhaps thats what you do with fancy pillows? I have never had a pillow that cost more than 20 dollars either so I wouldn't know.

   In summary, I don't think that everyone needs a super fancy pillow. We certainly don't have the money right now to be out buying Sleep Number pillows BUT if you can - take the survey, buy yourself a special pillow, my husband says it's worth it.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free product in exchange for this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own. Also, I apologize for the lack of pictures in this review. I feel like pillow pictures are....uninspiring? I also wouldn't want to bore you with a picture of me using my pillow :)

A Wow Toys Review- A Train Table Alternative?

Disclosure: I have reviewed Wow Toys on the blog in the past and thought they were really great. This week Wow sent us more complementary toys to review. No other compensation was received.  All opinions and experiences are 100% my own. 

     Its my experience that there just seems to be something magical about a children's train table. Our local Barnes and Noble has one and it is the highlight of our every visit. It is a veritable watering hole for all of the children, boys and girls alike. They flock and then congregate, drawn like moths to a flame. I can't be sure if it is the height of the table that so enthralls them? It must be fun for them to have something just at the right level for them. Or perhaps its all of the pieces? Whatever the case, its no secret that train tables are special. The cons of a train table? Well, they are BIG, bulky, semi-permanent, unable to be put away, and they aren't cheap either. When Wow Toys contacted me about their new playmat I immediately wondered if it could be a substitute for a train table in our house.

   This playmat is pretty large at about 59 inches by 39 inches. I would estimate that the playmat is roughly the size of most train tables. It kind of a felt like texture to it. I love that (unlike a train table) you can roll this up when your done with it and put it away or even hide it under the couch. The print on the playmat is very detailed with a variety locales pictured such as a beach, playground, castle and many more.  For the very young toddler that doesn't mind, not having to buy all the tracks,stations, and various entrapments of a standard train table is an added money savings. Weston really enjoyed driving Stanley the Street Sweeper through the "streets." It is really fun that the yellow sweepers actually "sweep."

     The only thing I don't love about the playmat is that it is spot clean only. There is no throwing this thing in the wash. On the Wow Toys website they have a little profile description of each toy and for this toy they even state that it likes "rainy afternoons" but dislikes "muddy feet." I think that is a really good description because muddy feet would definitely be a disaster on this playmat.  

   In summary I think this playmat is great for the younger toddler set, can double as a starter train "table", and is good for the parent that doesn't want it out all of the time and would like to be able to throw it in a closet or under a couch. If you would like to enter to win a playmat from Wow Toys please enter the rafflecopter below.  This giveaway is open world wide! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trying to Get Radiant With Aveeno #Sponsored

    First off: I really, really, really, love Influenster!! If you are a blogger, social media whore, or just a random person with a penchant for new products you should join Influenster if you have not already. When I joined I wasn't really sure what to expect. After a few trys at various programs I have found that there really is no catch. You apply, they select you (or not), they send you some great products to try, and all that they ask in return is that you share on social media about their products. There is no commitment. No mandatory requests except that you confirm you received the product and complete a survey following the campaign. Pretty fair if you ask me. 

So now on to the point of this post. This week Influenster Vox sent me a complimentary full size sample of Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream. I was excited about this because I am notorious for neglecting my skin. Why you may ask?  First I just haven't ever carved out time in my routine for very much skincare. Secondly, I am just too darn cheap. If you are buying a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and makeup it all adds up very quickly. Thus, I am a one facial product wonder. Sadly, Cetaphil face wash is my one product. As my age is quickly tabulating and the fine lines are starting to crop up I realize that I need some more products in my routine. 

   I am not a beauty product blogger so I figured I would first post Aveeno's own description of their product: "Brighten and even skin tone with AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream. Formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and vitamin B3, this advanced night cream leaves skin smooth and healthy looking. This oil-free night cream will help keep you looking fresh and luminous."  I have been using this cream for about a week and my most important observation is that it has not made me break out like many new products will. Despite the fact that I have combination dry and oily skin this cream has not made any part of my face feel more oily. It is lightweight  has very little fragrance, and makes my skin feel clean and fresh. I have noticed that my skin feels more soft in the morning. The box touts the fact that the cream improves upon the five factors of radiance including, tone, dullness, brown spots, texture, and blotchiness. While I can't honestly say that any of those things (other than the softness or texture) have improved I am pretty sure that with an improved skincare routine over time I might be able to achieve some improvement. 

Have you ever tried Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream? What is your night time facial routine?

Disclosure: As stated clearly in the above blog post, I received these products complimentary from Influenster for the purposes of review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.