Road Trip Planners for Your Best Road Trip Ever

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Krissyar

If you are planning a road-trip this summer – and if you’ve ever have been on one – you know that any successful road trip requires proper planning and execution. Before the days of internet and smartphones, we’d use road maps, and request brochures from locations we may be passing through. It was quite a project, since you had to really plan ahead to get all the info you needed and you sure couldn’t do a quick planning trip without just winging it.

Which is why I love technology. It’s made life pretty simple when it comes to travel – which is why I had to share some of my favorite sites and apps to help your road trip be the best road trip ever!

This post is sponsored by Reedman Toll Chevy.

  1. Roadtrippers
    What is great about Roadtrippers is that you can use it on desktop AND your phone! I hate when I have a great app on my phone but I need to do a bit more research and I can’t open it up on my laptop and visa versa! What is also great about Roadtrippers is you can add all of your bucket list adventures and it creates an ideal route between all of them, giving you the best scenic routes and saving you time on the road. It also gives you an estimate on how much gas you’ll spend, how many miles you’ll be driving and arrival times.
    You can also share your trip with friends or family (safety first!) and edit your route in case you change your mind, or decide to add something else. This is definitely one of my favorites, and I think it will be yours as well!

2. Waze
So my sister actually introduced me to the Waze app, and it’s something I use anytime I travel, whether I’m heading downtown, a work event, or a road trip. Waze is a bit different than most GPS apps as it lets the community (Waze community) decide which routes are best to take. Believe it or not, I’ve saved myself TONS of time using the Waze app verses just a regular GPS app to get around town. Users also report hazards and conditions to watch for during your trip, such as accidents, traffic jams, police radars and so on so that you can safely avoid them – and get to your destination on time (or at least close to it). They also will alert you to the cheapest gas around, which is also shared by the Waze community.

3. Travel Blogs/Pinterest
There are a slew of bloggers and social media influencers that love to share hidden gems and great deals that they find along the way in their travels – be sure to check them out! Google or search on Pinterest your destination and you’d be surprised at what you might find. I have found some great places I would of never known about (hotels, adventures, and restaurants) if I didn’t search for people like me who had been there themselves.

4. Hotel Tonight
If you’ve ever traveled on a long trip, you’ve probably had this experience: you are just too tired to keep driving, and parking at a rest stop to get some shut eye just isn’t as safe as it used to be. SO you have to find a hotel quick and cheap, before you blare your music and roll down all the windows and crank up the A.C. to try and stay awake (we’ve probably all done that too, but remember – safety first!) If you’ve ever stopped and gotten a hotel and immediately wished that you would of slept in your car in McDonalds’s parking lot – well Hotel Tonight is for you. They specialize in last minute hotel deals and you can book a room right from the app! It will also give you ratings and reviews, so you can make sure you are staying at a place you can actually get some rest at!

5. Trello
Trello is like a virtual checklist which is awesome for anyone like me who ALWAYS loves to make lists. You can create a checklist, upload files, make notes and more. Trello can be used on the desktop and phone as well, so again, makes life a lot easier. You can use Trello for really anything, but if you are planning a road trip, or even multiple trips, this would be a great place to store everything together and be able to access anywhere!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Car Love, Travel | Leave a comment

Party Time Sliders – with Girl Carnivore

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Krissyar

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet up with Girl Carnivore at our local Kroger and put together a recipe for party time sliders – literally right outside the store! It was fun getting to know Kita and learning more about a brand I have grown to love.  Kita’s free spirit and outgoing personality is what really makes her THE Girl Carnivore! If you aren’t familiar with her or her blog, well,  let’s just say – you should be.

Kita is a food writer and recipe developer who’s knocking down barriers on the food scene and delivering quality carnivorous recipes to aspiring cooks and savory enthusiasts who want to play with food as much as she does. Kita brings top-notch seasonal eats twice weekly showcasing drool-worthy photography and an approachable delivery that inspires curious at-home cooks to take on the challenges of preparing their own meal one recipe at a time. Kita Roberts has been dishing up and writing about good eats since 2010, when she launched PasstheSuhsi.com. Since then, she has been featured all over the web on sites such as ​Huffington Post​ | ​Bon Appetit ​ | ​FoodGawker​ | ​TasteSpotting ​|​Tasteologie ​| ​Food Porn Daily​ | ​FoodBuzz​ |  ​Serious Eats​ |​Baking is Hot​ | ​Dishfolio ​| ​Ladies Home Journal​ | ​Girls Life Magazine​, to name a few. Kita works with brands like Wisconsin Cheese, ​Omaha Steaks​, McCormick, to provide quality content and recipes for their shared audience and is a ​Char-Broil All-Star blogge​r. And is a repeat judge for the ​Delaware Burger Battle​. With a strong social following, Girl Carnivore showcases fresh recipes twice weekly and engages in fun banter with readers on all things under the protein umbrella.

I helped Kita put together some sliders, and I love that you can eat them either like a deli sandwich, or throw them in the oven with some butter and herbs and melted cheese and have a bit heartier of a meal. This would be a great recipe for any get together, or if you need a quick and delicious dinner for your family (think rushing to eat before a soccer or baseball game? BAM! Done in no time!)
We used Prime Fresh  meats, which is one of my favorite lunch meats. Not only does Prime Fresh give you that deli quality, but they give it to you in a hurry! Prime Fresh meats are pre-packaged, without that icky-pre-packaged-meat-taste! Deli lunch meat quality and flavor without the deli line?? YES PLEASE!
You can Prime Fresh products at Kroger and other participating stores in the packaged meat section – near Smithfield bacon!

Right now you can print a coupon off their site for $1.00 OFF ANY 2! 

INGREDIENTS FOR PARTY TIME SLIDERS:
1 package fluffy dinner rolls or Hawaiian style rolls, about 6 to 12 rolls depending on size
12 slices Prime Fresh Honey Ham or Oven Roasted Turkey
Dill pickles
Fresh herbs (chives preferred)
Tomato slices
2 TBSP Mayo
Sliced Cheese (cheddar or Havarti)
Sliced red onion
Green leaf lettuce

Find this recipe, and others like it at https://primefreshdeli.com/recipes/

 

Posted in Cincinnati, Recipes | 8 Comments

Keeping Charged on the Go with myCharge

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Krissyar

I was provided a sample in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

It seems like I’m always on the go – if I’m not running around for work, I’m running the kids to and from their activities, or we are just running around enjoying the weather (TGIFinallySummer!) I love to take photos of our adventures to share with my readers, as well as have my phone handy just in case of an emergency.  Unfortunately, with smart phones that always have tons of programs running in the background constantly, the battery won’t always last all day (smart phones are definitely not the old time Nokia phones!)

I of course, have a charger in my car (and at my desk at work, and in my living room, plus the one in my bedroom because you know, we can’t be caught with a dead phone!). But with our adventures, we don’t spend a lot of time where we can be ‘plugged in’. So when I was offered the opportunity to try the MyCharge HubMini I figured it would be a great way to see if I could keep my phone charged over a really busy on-the-go day.

I think what I love most about the MyCharge compared to some other portable batteries that I’ve seen in the past, is that the charger cord is connected to the battery port already! You don’t have to bring your ridiculously long cord from home or your car when you are out running around. It literally can just fit in your pocket, or bag, with no awkward cords hanging everywhere.

The 2nd best thing?! It will charge an iPhone or a Samsung (or Kindle,etc)-at the same time! So since my husband still has his Galaxy, and the kids and I have iPhones there’s no need for multiple portable chargers (or multiple cords) this one device has us covered!

We used this at Kings Island this past weekend for their Peanut VIP Event (more on that to come) and our phones lasted us the day! This is a must have accessory for any one on the go – and would make a really great Father’s Day present!

You can buy a MyCharge charger on their website, or on Amazon.

Be sure to enter below for your chance to win your own MyCharge MiniHub, courtesy of MyCharge! Contests ends 6/29 (sorry U.S. residents only)

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Gardening Tips Everyone Should Know

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Krissyar

Starting a garden can be intimidating and confusing as you get inundated with information and advice from all quarters. Gardening is simple and straightforward and not as complex and many people and gardening books make it to be.

That said, you must still learn some basics on how to prepare your garden and take care of your plants if you want to have a smooth gardening experience and a successful garden. To have a successful garden, you must be committed to looking after your garden after planting. Many first-time gardeners think their work ends after planting.

Here are gardening tips to help you take better care of your garden.

Identify a suitable location

The soil for your garden should have proper drainage in addition to having enough nutrients for plant growth. Don’t fret if you lack space in your yard to set up a garden. You can start a container garden which is even easier to prepare and manage. Check Speaker Grow Box Review to find suitable containers for your gardening needs.

Regardless of whether you are having a backyard garden or a container garden, your garden should located in a position that allows for enough sunlight to reach your plants.

Choose your plants and planting them

Not all plants can grow everywhere. Plants need suitable conditions to grow and thrive and you will fail in your garden if you plant unsuitable plants for your region. You should know your hardiness zone and plants that are suited to the conditions of your area when making a choice of plants to grow in your garden.

More importantly, you should get the timing right. The season you plant your garden can either spell doom or success for your plants. Generally, most crops grow when planted during spring or summer but be sure to confirm with the instructions from the package.

When planting, observe the space recommendations for your plants. Squeezing them to closely usually lead to increased competition for nutrients resulting into unhealthy plants and death of others.

Watering your plants

“The frequency of watering varies from plant to plant but your watering technique is more important. A deep watering technique like that which can be achieved with soaker hoses is more beneficial to your plants than frequent overhead watering with sprinklers where the water mostly lands on the leaves. Overhead watering can often result in the rotting of the leaves as well as the spread of pests and diseases that can affect your plants.”

Look at the leaves of your plants to know if they are getting enough water. Yellowing of the leaves is often a symptom of overwatering while wilting and drying indicates water deficiency.

Taking care of your garden

Mulching is important in keeping weeds away and also regulating soil temperatures for the optimal growth of your plants. Since mulch is basically dried leaves and other organic matter, it can improve your soil fertility.

The best way to deal with weeds is to spot them while young and uproot them but if you have a big garden or you in no moods to get your hands dirty, you can use suitable herbicides to get rid of them.

Posted in Crafts/DIY | Leave a comment

3 Problems You Should Secure Your Home Against

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Krissyar

Your home is your oasis, and as such, it should be the one place in the world where you and your family should feel at your safest and most secure. Unfortunately, there are always factors which could result in your home becoming a cause of stress, rather than your place of stress relief. Such issues can include an infestation of pests destroying your home, intruders breaking into the home, and the possibility of accident or injury coming about, as a result of hazards within the home. If you want your house to be as safe an environment as possible for you and your family, here are some tips on how to secure your home against these possible household threats.

 

Pests

 

While not the most obvious threat to your home, pests can make everyday living more of a nightmare if your home is not properly secured against them. Any small crevices and cracks in the exterior of your home can lead to unwanted guests making their way in, allowing them to completely infest your home in a matter of weeks. To protect against this, make sure to make sure all windows and doors are properly sealed, and that any holes in screens are repaired.

 

If there are any pests which do manage to get into your home, can also get pest repellent products, such as slug pellets, to prevent them from returning. Unfortunately, there are some pests, such as termites, which cause much bigger issues within the home and can be difficult to deal with. In these cases, you will want to call a Pest Control Exterminator Service.

 

Intruders

 

As much as it is not something which you would ever want to comprehend becoming an issue for you and your family, the possibility of intruders breaking in always something you should be prepared for. A great many possible intruders, such as thieves, are people who seek out opportunity, meaning that they will only break in if the house is easy to get into, or if there is something within the house they greatly want.

 

Therefore, make sure that you properly lock your home, especially at night or if you are not in. Keep any valuable items stored away, and don’t leave your curtains open at night when people can see in. You may also benefit from having a home alarm system installed.

 

Hazards

 

Everyone has clumsy moments, and unfortunately, even being at home, accidents can happen. If you want to minimize the risk of people injuring themselves around the house, then make sure you reduce the potential hazards available. For example, trips and falls are an extremely common cause of injury, so make sure there are no obstacles on the stairs which could aid a fall, as well as things such as turned up rugs and carpets which may cause an issue. Any open flames or heated objects should not be left unattended to reduce the risk of a fire being started, and you should always regularly check your smoke alarm systems. It is also useful to have fire extinguishing equipment, just in case of emergency.

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