Zoo Time

When Spring began this year we took our annual trip to Riverbanks Zoo in beautiful Columbia.

We make it a day, grab a quick breakfast on the way, spend a few hours at the zoo, eat a late lunch/early dinner at California Dreaming and then walk around downtown Columbia before heading home. I say annual because it's something we do each year but in all honesty we visit the zoo at least twice a year. It's a quick drive and we love it.

I'm the slacker whose just now getting around to posting pictures...only five months late y'all.

So maybe not that big of a secret but I am deathly terrified of snakes. I mean cringe, crying, idiot like over a snake. If I see one, even a little green one, I immediately scream like a child, tears hit my eyes and I cannot get away fast enough, however, I am strangely fascinated with them. (if that makes any sense)

 

These two are so much alike when they eat. I am so blessed!

Our favorites...giraffes!

Cadence was hysterical about the picture below. She swore up and down the giraffe was sticking his tongue out at her. Hilarious!

 

This girl loves making wishes...

 xo

things that make me go...ugh!

When businesses want you to do a blog post promoting their business fo' free. 

My answer...um, thanks but no thanks!

Seriously y'all, within the last month I've had three different businesses contact me wanting me to promote their business at absolutely no cost. I will never name names, that's not my style, but it blows my mind to think that because my blog is still growing, I will collaborate with them at absolutely no cost. Sorry, but that just isn't going to happen.

I understand that my blog following is small. Quite small in fact, but as I have said before I blog for me, period. However, when I have collaborated with businesses in the past, because I have collaborated with quite a few, I have always received something for my time. It's a mutual respect.

It takes my personal time and of course, effort, to write and prepare a blog post with both, great wording as well as pictures and editing alike. I guarantee you if I contacted these companies and asked them to send me something for free, just cause...do you think they would? I don't think so!

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Every single time Tarl gets out of the shower or bath, he wraps himself in the towel, like most men. Then he proceeds to shave, brush his teeth, etc. After that towel has been wrapped around him for a minimum of 10 minutes, where does he throw it? On the bed. 

Mind you, the towel isn't soaking wet, but it's damp enough to leave some moisture on my clean sheets and blanket. Seriously babe...you can't take one step to the left and throw it in the dirty clothes hamper?!

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Dentist costs. I have had two medical procedures done in one week before, after insurance was applied I only had to pay a couple hundred. Mind you, the procedures weren't small either. I had one crown put on my tooth, count 'em, just one and it cost me a grande out of pocket, after insurance. 

What a freaking rip off!

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All this dreary weather we've been having.

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When you try to sell something on a resale page and you get these questions...

Is it in good condition?

(Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be selling it)

Does it come from a pet and smoke free home?

(No, I have two pets. Two. Do they shed? No. Does this $30 shirt that I have for sale for $2 have hair covered all over it? Nope!)

Will you take $30?

(Brand new Coach purse. Authentic. Christmas gift that my man paid $150 for and that same year I received two other handbags. Never used. Excellent condition. I asked $60, firm. Do you not know what firm means? No, I will not take $30, I will take $60!)

When they reply...well you'll never get that. 

(Funny, because after you insulted me with that low ball $30 offer, I had someone message me stating they wanted the purse today, and arranged pick up within an hour. They came, paid cash, picked up with no hesitations. When I marked SOLD I tagged the low baller :)

Where you at?

 (You've been sitting at the designated meet up spot for 10 minutes and shoot them a courtesy "I'm here waiting" message. For them to respond, "sorry, can't make it, wanna meet tomorrow?" 

Hah...no, I'm good, I'm moving onto the next buyer)

It's hilarious because my sister says I'm a freaking beast when it comes to selling off of resale pages. Seriously I give you one shot, unless you give me a good reason for cancelling and not sending me a courtesy message stating that you can't show, I'm moving to the next. If there is no next in line, I'll keep the product before I sell it to them and waste my time all over again.

I get things come up but you have a phone or computer, just send me a message, it's not that hard. 

I have no patience for people who are no-shows or who want to low ball. Not me!

*By the way, these are all true stories!

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When people try to sell items on resale pages for more than what it costs brand new!
I've seen this so many times. Someone posts a pair of shoes or a decorative item that Marshall's has for $5 less than what you're asking for it, brand spanking new!

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Football fans who think their team is the best.

Sure I love the Gamecocks, but have you not watched any games this year? We're having a terrible season. We are most certainly not the best, not this year anyways!

Clemson fans say, y'all suck, we're the best...oh yeah, I forgot, y'all have never lost a game, ever.

Hah - give me a freaking break!

It's okay to be a diehard fan of your favorite team but unless your team has gone undefeated for the last several years, I wouldn't go around shouting "we're the best"! Just sayin'.

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When I ask what my family wants for dinner and they reply with an "I don't care". So you make something simple, like sloppy joes and tater tots...guess what? That's not what they wanted.

Too bad, shoulda've spoke up when I asked you what you wanted.

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When recipes don't turn out like the picture.

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When recipes turn out like the picture but they're terrible.

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People who take absolutely no responsibility for their actions.

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Fake people. I may be a lot of things but fake isn't one of them. If I don't like someone I don't smile, say hello, talk with them for five minutes and then walk past them and start talking crap. I wave politely, like an adult should, and keep on my way. I never understood why grown women pretend to like someone to just start trash talking them minutes later. It's OK to not like someone, it's not OK to bad mouth them right after you pretended to be their best friend. Grow up Peter Pan.

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Parents who don't discipline their children. Children need guidance and discipline, period!

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When I click on a pin and it says "it looks like you've already pinned this".
Really pinterest? Have I?

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When skinny people say they're fat. When fat people say they're fat.
You're not fat!!!

First off, I'm a skinny girl. I may complain about my stretch marks because Lord knows I have them but I am not fat and I know it. Skinny girls who say they're fat, good and damn well know they don't have a big bone in their body. Seriously, stfu!

When larger women say they're fat, well that drives me nuts too. Just because you got a bigger booty than the average doesn't mean you're fat. I used to have this friend. She was so pretty. She wasn't Victoria's Secret model skinny, but then again, who is, cause I sure as hell ain't!

She would always hate the way she looked in certain clothes or always try the newest diet plan out there. If only she could've seen what I saw. She was gorgeous, hilarious, make you pee your pants laugh, great personality, who cares she had a little booty on her? A big booty is in? Isn't it?
Kim Kardashian - hello!

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When a favorite of yours get's discontinued.

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When a favorite restaurant closes down.

My pregnant friend of mine back when I was pregnant too used to eat at the same place most every day. I would get the hot wings and she would get a wrap. Bless it, it was delicious.
They closed down.

Back when we were pregnant and craved any and everything, this same friend and I would drive wherever need be to soothe our cravings. Mind you, we only had an hour for lunch, but if we were craving the local eatery 30 minutes away, we'd push the pedal to the metal and place our to go order on the way. There was even one day we got a wild hair up our ass and decided to eat there. We figured we were already running late by that point so what the hell?

Good times.

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When you argue with family.

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When you lose friendships you thought would last a lifetime.

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When you see these glorious wedding pictures on Pinterest and realize you would have had so many cute things had Pinterest been around back in the day for your own wedding.

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When you realize it's only Tuesday.

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When you realize it's Sunday and the days of sleeping in are gone until the next weekend.

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Seriously though, there are plenty of things that I think may all of us go "ugh" from time to time, but for the most part, my life is pretty darn great. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure.

xo

Disney Dining Reservations | Tips | Our Plans

Ever since we took our Disney trip last year, and planning for that particular trip, I've had tons of family, friends, facebook friends and even friends of facebook friends message me regarding the planning process. I've even had a few emails off of my blog asking me how we did a lot of what we did. The key to it all is planning!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you want to eat and meet a lot of characters you have to plan accordingly! Disney isn't a vacation to go without planning, especially when you have children.

The number one thing to plan are the Disney dining reservations. There are several locations that have character dining. So rather than wait hours in the parks to meet your favorite characters, they come to you while you eat. A lot of restaurants even have dance parties and other things to get the children, and adults, involved and having fun.

This ensures you and your family a spot to eat while meeting and greeting tons of characters.

You have to do this 180 days prior to your trip and the reservation website opens up at 6am on that 180 day mark. If you're not tech savvy and choose not to score those reservations via website, then the phone lines to make dining reservations open at 7am, however I highly suggest against it, because you'd be surprised how many of those highly anticipated restaurants book within that one hour!

The morning of, I get up around 5:30, make myself a cup of coffee, splash water on my face, brush my teeth and get prepared with my phone in hand. You can also do this on the Disney website but our computer is so slow that it's just a lot quicker to do it on the "my Disney experience" app which can be downloaded from the play store or iTunes at no cost.

Once you know where you're eating, make a list, have your dates, dining time wanted and of course, the restaurant name ready.

I bookmark those restaurants on my app by going to the app, typing in the restaurant name. Once the restaurant pops up there is a little heart, click on that and once the heart glows red, you have bookmarked it onto your favorites page. I have already done this in preparation for this weekend. 

This way, rather than wake up Sunday morning and type in each individual restaurant name (which will take time!) all I have to do is go to my wishlist page and voila, they are all right there in front of my face. Now all I have to do is click and book.

Also note that a credit card is required. If you have the dining plan, your card will not be charged, it's just used as a hold. So be wary if you don't show up the day of that reservation or if you're running late. Disney does charge for no-shows!

After talks with Tarl and Cadence and changing it about a dozen times, here is our final list:

Arriving on Friday...Chef Mickey's!

What a great restaurant to start off any Disney vacation by meeting the fab five, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald. A gorgeous, delicious buffet with all the signature Disney world characters, and also a dance during the meal!

Saturday...Be Our Guest (Belle's Castle) for breakfast and Cinderella's Royal Table (Cinderella's castle) for dinner. We also have a bibbidi bobbidi boutique booking for this day before our dinner. This is where your child can be transformed into a true princess. This also books 180 days in advance, but you cannot book this online. You have to book this by phone and be advised there are two locations, one in Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and one in Magic Kingdom in Cinderella's Castle. We're going to the one in Cinderella's Castle. In my opinion, that's the best one because your child is getting a princess makeover in a castle, what beats that?!

Sunday...Kona Cafe for breakfast and T-Rex in Disney Springs for dinner. Both of these restaurants are new to us. We've never ate at either of them, but I've heard nothing but great things about both. Kona Cafe is famous for their Tonga Toast, which is a banana stuffed french toast coated in cinnamon sugar. Yum! T-Rex in Disney Springs is loaded with dinosaurs and other primeval creatures. Friends of ours who go to Disney about as often as we do say this is a must do for them each trip, so we're trying it out.

Monday...dinner at Ohana's. Tarl said he didn't care where we ate the entire trip as long as we ate at Ohana's. This was his most favorite restaurant last year. Big skewers of meat, chicken and shrimp, along with endless other goodies, topped off with a bananas foster bread pudding covered in caramel sauce, all with a castle view of Magic Kingdom...it wasn't a tough choice to add this to the list again this year.

Tuesday...Akershus in Epcot! We had this for breakfast last trip and it was delicious! Most all of the princesses were there and Cinderella even danced with Cadence throughout the entire restaurant. We even got to take a picture with Belle upon arrival and received a complimentary 5x7 picture and two wallet sizes. This time we're trying it for dinner. 

Wednesday...breakfast at the Grand Floridian at 1900 Park Fare. The Grand Floridian is one of those resorts that you just have to see for yourself. It's just grand. White marble floors. Tall ceilings. Decorations of white and gold. Balconies. It's just stunning. One of the main reasons for booking 1900 Park Fare last year was so we could see The Grand Floridian in person. 1900 Park Fare during dinner you get the opportunity too meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, her two step-sisters and step-mother. This year we're going for the Mad Hatters breakfast. In attendance? Why the mad hatter of course, along with Alice in Wonderland, and a few other friends that change daily. I cannot wait to meet these characters because we didn't meet any of them last time  and Cadence wanted so badly to meet Alice.

Thursday...dinner in Epcot at The Garden Grill. Each time we've been to Disney we've admired this restaurant because it spins! You sit in circular booths that face toward the outside and they spin slowly that way you can see Disney's Living with the Land attraction while you dine, all the while meeting Chip and Dale and Farmer Mickey or Farmer Pluto or both...another new one for us that we are so excited to finally be trying!

Friday...dinner at Be Our Guest. Our second day in Disney we have reservations for breakfast at Be Our Guest, which is considered a quick service for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is new however, and something we want to try, well because Cadence adores Belle and any opportunity to be in that castle we jump at, but we knew we wanted to do dinner too because you get to meet the Beast, which is another character we haven't got to meet yet and he's at the top of Cadence's list!

Just so you know too, no meal is alike. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all different, so no two, or in this case, three, are the same, so if you want to eat here more than once on your trip for let's say breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, do it!

I cannot wait to make these reservations and fingers crossed I get them.

So remember...bookmark the restaurants on your wishlist for easy access come reservation day and already have that credit card stored in your Disney account, otherwise you'll be entering your credit card information every time you make a reservation which can be very tedious and result in time lost and others snagging those "must have" ressies!

Any questions, please feel free to email me. I love talking Disney :)

xo

rain rain, go away

I want to first start out this post asking everyone to pray for each person affected by this torrential rain and flooding all throughout the state of SC. Thankfully our part of SC isn't flooding, we're just drenched, extremely drenched, but nonetheless, no flooding which is a wonderful blessing. 

It rained so hard that even our towns festival got cancelled. They still had a few vendors setup (those vendors that wanted to brave the weather anyways) but big things like the parade, contests, and all the bands were cancelled. It was a bummer, especially since Cadence was looking forward to riding in the golf cart and throwing out candy, but what can you do?

Well, once we realized the parade had been cancelled, we were already up town getting ready for it, so on the way home, we rolled down the window and let her throw a few handfuls of candy.

This made her smile :)

With all the rain, our weekend was spent entirely inside, snuggling and watching movies all weekend long. Cadence and I watched tons of Halloween things on both the travel channel and the food network while Tarl was watching the game.

Gamecocks lost, again. Terrible season for us but I'm no fairweather fan. I'll always be a Gamecock.

I just hope we can rise again after this season cause goodness y'all it's been a bad one!

Once the game was off and Tarl got done pouting, we watched Elf.

I know it's Halloween and all, but when Elf is on, we watch it. Love that movie!

This weekend, weather permitting, we plan on keeping our annual family tradition of going to the pumpkin patch. Afterwards a Church in town is hosting a fall carnival.

Next weekend Cadence has an event at her school, the weekend after we plan on attending Riverbanks Zoo, Boo at the Zoo, and then the last weekend is of course, Halloween.

October is busy to say the least, but I love it.

I cannot wait to enjoy all of our fall festivities that we have planned. 

This weekend the day finally arrives where I get to make our Disney dining reservations.

A post to come on that later this week.

That's all for today lovies...xo

xo Friday

It's the freaking weekend baby I'm about to have me some fun...

Don't tell me you don't have an R. Kelly song stuck in your head now.

I start pinning for Halloween in August and Christmas starts in October. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Okay, maybe not, but hey, it's my Pinterest and I pin a lot of great stuff. See...

Follow Miranda | Life in the Lowcountry's board It's Fall Y'all! on Pinterest.

Follow Miranda | Life in the Lowcountry's board Christmas <3 data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-on="" data-blogger-escaped-pinterest.="">

I also pin a lot of great crafts for the holidays too. I have a lot for both Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Great time spent with your family, and most of the items needed you can buy at the dollar store.

Follow Miranda | Life in the Lowcountry's board Crafts With Cadence on Pinterest.

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Here are some faves I've shared this week.

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I want to literally drive through all around SC and go to these places.
I'm a sucker for creepy things. As long as I have a ton of people around me (you know, gives me a better survival rate if more people are around) I'm not so scared.

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Last night was the kids parade to kick off our towns festival and Cadence had a blast. Her cousin, Devin, agree'd to be Sebastian to go along with her wagon we decorated with an under the sea theme.

We also got the wagon to blow bubbles and blasted The Little Mermaid soundtrack.

She won 3rd runner up :)

She's ready for the real parade tomorrow! This girl has been talking about wearing her crown, throwing candy from the golf cart and doing her beauty queen wave. Bless it.

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Well y'all, we have finally made it to Friday and this girl couldn't be happier. We have been so busy this week with the festival, work, school, homework and just found out yesterday that Cadence has her first big assignment due mid-October which involves the whole family.

It's crazy! I wouldn't have it any other way though.

xo

Juice Review | Hello October

Yesterday I received this box filled with Apple & Eve Organic Juices from Influenster.

Although I did receive this package complimentary, all the following opinions are my own...

First - I love the packaging. Sounds silly, but I'm a sucker for good packaging!

They sent Cadence three Organic Quenchers to try. Razzberry and apple splash, fruit punch burst and berrylicious lemonade. I thought this was a great way for her to take a sip or two of each one, to see if she truly liked them, and if so, it would be a great, healthy alternative for lunch boxes or just an every day snack. They also sent me the flavor, orange pineapple (tall container).

Cadence's personal favorite was the same as mine, the orange pineapple. We both filled our cups full and swallowed it down. I was worried it wouldn't be yummy, since it's healthy, because let's face it sometimes healthy items aren't the best tasting, but it was!

She also loved the razzberry and apple splash quencher.

I'd definitely recommend these to anyone. Their healthy and tasty!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

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My favorite month is here!

Don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite holiday, but my favorite month? October for sure!

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Fall here in the south can still be quite warm, in fact, some days, like yesterday, it can still fill like summer, but the crisp air starts creeping in come October and I'm beyond ready for it. 

To kick off October we are kicking off our towns annual fall festival tonight. 

They have a kids parade where children can dress up, decorate bicycles, wagons or whatever they choose then they walk down the street. Kids love it, and we got super creative this year with Cadence's wagon, at least I think so :)

She has a plethora of Disney princess dresses. I wasn't about to go out and spend $40+ dollars on a costume just for her to wear it for a few minutes to walk in a parade. I told her to choose whatever dress she wanted and we would decorate the wagon accordingly. Well, she chose Ariel from The Little Mermaid. So we decorated the wagon with cardboard, two different types of blue tulle. We cut out green poster board to resemble seaweed and glued on some seashells. Then we spray painted it with some metallic gold to give it a nice sandy finish. 

My nephew, Cadence's cousin, is dressing as Sebastian and we are placing a bubble machine in the wagon as well as a bluetooth speaker that will blast "Under the Sea".

I cannot wait to see how it all turns out!

I'm just glad October is officially here. 

October has it's own feel outside, it's own smell. 

Sounds crazy, but it's true!

There's nothing like October in the south. 

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Seems crazy to mention Christmas stuff, especially on the first day of October, but these deals are just too good to pass up. 

These are perfect as a Christmas Eve gift, or for small little gifts for fellow classmates and teachers.

Cadence, Tarl and I look forward to our advent calendar each year. It has a little something written down each night for us to do as a family. This one is perfect!

Since it is the start of Halloween and all, these monogrammed shirts are great for kids and these are perfect for your pumpkins!

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Happy October!