The Incredible Pizza Company review via US Family Guide

As a part of the U.S. Family Guide, I was given the fantastic opportunity to review The Incredible Pizza Company. My kids love pizza and games, so going to places that have both are typically going to mean a great time.

We went on a Thursday around 5PM. Surprisingly and pleasantly enough, there were very few people there. Parking is plentiful. I love the fact they play oldies. Not 80's music.... Go farther back. Think 50's! Truly family-friendly music that my kids can get embarrassed by me singing to. It reminds me of the fun drives with my grandma back when I was a kid. But let's keep going, shall we?
We chose the Diner room to eat in. They have various ones to choose from though. As you can imagine, it's modeled to look like a 50's diner.

 Cups are plentiful just like plates and utensils. I do wish they had larger sizes for the adults though. These are tumbler sized and will need to be refilled. They keep them by the soda fountain.

 Food choices range from a variety of pizzas that seemed a little boring to me. They do offer gluten free crusts though. I like that the pieces are cut smaller. It's easier for smaller hands and mouths and gets is big people to eat better portions.

  I think putting the desserts right where you walk in, is a poor choice for families. Kids are going to want to dig into that buffet first. Then you have pasta choices and nacho fixings. Lastly is the salad bar. With some more dessert choices mixed in.
The pizza tastes alright. Best to get it when it's freshly served or request what you want. My favorite was the jalapeño and ham. Pastas and sauces were average. Though I preferred the red sauce. The pasta dries out as it sits so again, look for the freshly served batch. I guess the best part of the meal was the salad. My kids didn't mind the cookies even though they seemed too crispy for me. The only thing that looked appealing was the cinnamon rolls. They were hot and soft.

 Now about the games....

They have a huge game room that has video games, laser tag, bumper cars and so much more. The games are a little higher priced than other places we have been to. Most of them about $1 each round. My kids had a lot of fun playing a game that resembled beer pong.

 I wasn't thrilled. The only thing that truly put them ahead of similar competitors would be the presentation of their facilities.

The food was average or below. For $47 I got a $20 game card and meals for 2 adults and 3 children (one being under 3).

Since the games were higher priced, the game card didn't last long.

There weren't many things my kids could reach the pedals for or play without assistance. I do like that they have laser tag and other "big kid" stuff to do though. Some of the games reward electronic tickets that can redeem prizes. Our $20 got us 147 tickets.

Better be good or get more on your game card?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Whether you have a special someone in your life or not, don't be afraid to enjoy today. You shouldn't need someone to make you feel amazing about yourself. Take it from someone who has been married 7 years and has had more heartache than love. Being with someone is never better than being alone, if you are unhappy. 

So if you have the love of your life, enjoy every moment and treasure today. 

If you're single, get dressed up and spoil yourself today. I know I am! 

These are my Valentine's! And I got dressed up to go to Target 😆. AFTER cleaning the garage and doing laundry... And cleaning up the toys... You get the point. Happy Valentine's Day!

I've come a long way...

I've been cleaning up and going through stuff. I've got a move or two to get ready for in this upcoming year. Going through pictures and packing them away, I got to glimpse my life in stages. To see my personal history in still frames, really puts it all in perspective. It renews the hopes I had for a brighter future. Some of the most memorable parts of my life's adventures, are in these photos below. I encourage you to look back and see how far you've come. No matter what you don't like now, find the things that you do like. Have you grown stronger? Wiser? Gained a special skill? Are you getting where you want to be? 

About this time, 17 years ago, I went under the knife for my first spinal fusion. I felt like a huge weight had been put on shoulders. I could move, but it was all stiff. There were nights when my pain was excruciating but I could barely move myself off the couch that had become my bed. Crying myself to sleep, I learned what true pain was. I also learned to manage it. To be stronger. It takes a lot to make me cry these days. Even more to make me turn to pain killers for relief. 

My next major life change was the day I become a mother. Since my spine is fused, I can't have an epidural. And considering how small a woman I am... I felt EVERYTHING. But my screams of pain were soon replaced with tears of sheer joy. I couldn't hold my little boy at first since I lost so much blood that I could only lay there shaking. But he was truly the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. I'd take that pain again any time to relive that moment. 

Now I'm a mother of three. I work a full time job, juggle life, and strive to stay ahead of the chaos. I have a long way to go to reach the dream I currently have. But I'm taking it a step at a time. 

Exhaustion to the max!

As a mom, being tired is nothing new to me. I'm used to waking up several times a night because someone had a bad dream or isn't feeling good. It still doesn't make me immune to exhaustion. I've been running on less than 4 hours of sleep. My husband got this picture as I fell asleep sitting up.

 Plus there's been work (getting ready to walk into a shift today too) and the Super Bowl party. After work the day before yesterday I came home, showered, and got dressed. I decided to nap a couple hours. My husband came in to make sure I woke up on time before my alarm even rang. I think I was going for a Princess Anna look.... 

Because this was what I saw in the mirror.... 

Of course, like any southern lady, just five minutes of mirror time and I was party ready. 

Yesterday after work, I came home to clean the kitchen. I guess even my dense husband could tell I was at my limit as he told me to go to bed for the rest of the day. So after a shower.... I slept the rest of the day. Finally woke up at 1 AM this morning. I suppose that this is normal for people my age. We should be able to handle sleepless nights and long days. A perk of our youth. I for one, however, don't want to get into this habit. It's a pain in the head and back! And it takes away from the enjoyment of life. I could barely listen to what my kids were sayingor didn't even have the desire to talk to a close friend of mine. Now that the sleep monster is satisfied, I feel a bit guilty. So tonight, even though I work in the morning, I'm taking the kids to the mall for the free Lego build! Check your local Lego store for their event starting at 5PM. Better get there about an hour early as the line gets long and the supplies can be as limited as 250 people only. This month, it's a space shuttle! 

Enjoy your day and get your sleep! 

Java Me Up coffee bar review via Shoplet.com

This was certainly a change as far as "office supplies" product reviews go for Shoplet.com. They sent me some Java Me Up coffee energy bars. Have "Coffee with bite"!

Not your average office product, yet something that is often needed around the workplace. These are a fantastic idea. Get your coffee in the form of a bar. You can avoid spilling, burning yourself, and its quicker to devour than drink. Each bar is equivalent to 1/2 a cup of coffee.

These bars are all natural with fiber and protein. They provide you the energy-inducing push in the form of a bar. Each bar is a combination of coffee, chocolate, almonds, and rolled oats. 

I took some to work to try with my coworkers. Getting up at 4 AM can be hard to do. And since most of us have lives outside of work, i.e. family, school, etc., we don't always get enough sleep. Some of us turn to energy aids such as energy drinks to get through the day. Side effects can be headaches, quickened heartbeat, and increased body temperature. Ingesting these bars didn't result in any of those. I'm not one for coffee in general. I'm that type that drinks it only when it's super sweet and therefore not effective. While these bars are covered in dark chocolate, they aren't overpowered in the chocolate flavor. The taste of rich coffee is quite prominent. My coworkers enjoyed them. The results of added energy varied. My own feelings were inconclusive as I was near the time for my second wind already. One of the guys reported feeling a super boost and it seemed to work. The other one stayed as mellow as he always is. Then again, I don't think he ever comes off as "energized" no matter what he takes. 

The texture and consistency were good. They aren't hard or too chewy. 

If you're a coffee lover looking to try something new and clean, this is it. Easy to take on the go, without making messes, and still helping to kickstart your day - these bars have my approval. They are $39.99 per pack which comes to $1.66 for each bar.
Don't forget to check out Shoplet.com for more than just office supplies. They now provide medical supplies, office stationary, and promotional products to get your business name out there.

A great month over all

January was pretty busy. Getting into the swing of the new year, making plans and even turning a year older. It seems to be flying by so quick. 

Work has been the craziest of all.

Preparing for our Bounce Back has made me seriously despise working in retail. 

I came up with a new creation of my own. Your mind can get quite devious when the cupboard is getting bare. 

I had pasta, diced tomatoes, sour cream and some velveeta cheese. Mixed it up for a sort of southwest meal. I think adding chicken or ground beef would be a good idea too. 

For my birthday, a couple of my coworkers treated me to their baking skills with chocolate mint cookies

and chocolate mint cupcakes.

I'm pretty sure that in two days time I've gained about 10 pounds, but the taste was divine so I'll survive. 

Instead of making my cake or my husband going out to buy one, I decided to get Krispy Kreme donuts. 

Why not? Especially when I got one free with a free drink from my birthday email. 

Which, by the way, Krispy Kreme has a deal if you're needing to buy more than 5 dozen donuts for parties or other events before February 12th... 

Or here's another Valentine's Day giveaway, that you might be interested. One of the local rock stations is giving away a divorce for Valentine's Day.

Yep, that's right. Divorce. So if you had enough (like me), you can sign up for a chance to win an uncontested divorce by local (Bexar county residents only) lawyer-assisted divorce. Happy Valentine's Day, honey! 

February should be fun.... 

Guest post of healthier living by Mediterranean Snacks

Occasionally I received emails from Mediterranean Snacks that I feel are worth sharing. This is one of them. Let's stay healthy and live better, not just this year, but every year to come! 

 

3 Ways to Make This Your Best Year

1. Clean Eating: Here's the trick to shifting your diet to a more balanced and clean routine.  Start small. Many of us go "all in" before really thinking through our goals and knowing what are the best steps to take. Jumping to extremes or going full force can make it harder for us to maintain. We suggest you make a list of all the things you would like to work on, evolve, or change in your diet.  Maybe it's cutting out soda, swapping fried chips for baked lentil chips, eating fewer carbohydrates, adding more greens, or simply drinking more water. After you make your list, pick the top 12 and use those as your guide, one for each month of the year.  So each month you make one temporary change with a goal to make it a habit. By the end of the year, you will have made 12 improvements to your diet, how awesome is that? 2. Get Active: How many times have you tried to get active, yet sometimes, you feel you may have failed? Same rules apply as in step 1. Start small and make it gradual. We also recommend focusing on your interests and find an accountability partner; a buddy to check in with weekly. Start with getting active once a week for a month, then twice a week, then three times a week and so forth.  Make sure you and your accountability partner check in with one another to ensure success. 3. Stay Positive: The first two steps may not succeed unless you work to stay positive. Change is not always easy, but if you want things to be different in your life, then being open to change is a great start. Find your gratitude in each day and in each experience because this will open up your mind to new ideas and make it easier to stay positive.  Make this your best year-you deserve it!