Orlando Here I Come.....Soon!!!

I love to travel and one place in the great United States that I have yet to be is Florida. Yes, seriously this Michigan gal has never been to the Sunshine State, but I plan on making that one of my near future trips. Oh and you can bet that when I do make it there I will most definitely be visiting Walt Disney World, whether I have children with me or not!

While I was searching for Hotels in Orlando, I came across the beautiful Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort hotel. Seriously it looks so beautiful!!! Check out some of the pictures below and you will see what I mean.

This would be the outside of the hotel. So unique looking and a great view!!

Lobby of the Dolphin Hotel.

Lobby of the Swan Hotel

This is just one of the FIVE heated pools that is located at the resort. Absolutely gorgeous!!

Beautiful bar for the adults to visit.

One of the guestrooms. The beds look nice and comfy to me!!

Kids (and adults) would love to dine with their favorite Disney characters, which is also included in the resort.

Love it!!

Some other great features of the Swan and Dolphin Resort include tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts; a health club, which you can follow up with a trip to the relaxing spa; a game room for the kids; an art gallery and much more! Since it is a Disney resort, you also get complimentary scheduled transportation through the park and extra park hours!

Whenever I do make it to Orlando, you can bet I will be trying to get a room here!!

YouTube Tuesday!!!!

Look everyone, its the return of "YouTube Tuesday"!!!! I just looked back through my blog and saw that I haven't done one of these since May, so I decided it needed a big introduction :). YouTube Tuesday used to be one of my favorite topics on here, so I am glad to be bringing it back. Sorry for the lack of updates throughout the summer :(. Whenever I would get online I would be addicted to all those darn facebook games, but I am starting to get bored of them so back to blogging!!! So to kick off the return of YouTube Tuesday, I am chosing a video by someone who you have seen featured here in the past and will most likely be seeing here in the future. That person is Tyler Ward. Tyler Ward was actually the feature of my last YouTube Tuesday, so that kinda tells you how much I love him huh? This time he is singing "Somewhere With You" by Kenny Chesney, which I am pretty sure I like better than Kenny's version! Check it out and let me know what you all think!!!

Bargain Shopping!!!!

There's nothing I like more than getting great products for amazing prices. That is why I always check the clearance sections of EVERY store I go to in pretty much every section. That would be how I was able to get these great toys for my nephew at 50% off or more, which will be used for some of his Christmas gifts.

Retail Price: $39.99

Paid: $9.99

This toy is actually for ages 3+ and my nephew won't even be two by Christmas, but this was too good of a deal to pass up. I will just save it until next Christmas :)

Retail Price: $22.99

Paid: $10.99

This one is ages 18 months and up so he actually will be receiving this one for Christmas this year :)

Retail Price: $19.99

Paid: $9.99

My nephew absolutely LOVES Sesame Street and he was with me when I bought this. He played with it for a long time and then threw it in the back of the cart. He will actually hand you back the toys that he doesn't want so if he throws it in the cart that's a good sign :).

I was also able to get some AMAZING deals on books at Borders since they are closing. Let me tell you, I am pretty sad that they are going out of business, but that doesn't stop me from snagging up the good deals while I can.

Got both of these books for only $3.59 each!

The Cars book actually has 4 jigsaw puzzles inside, plus the sliding puzzle on front.

The recipes in the cook book look absolutely delicious too!

Each of these books cost me only $2.99 each.

The Baby Animals book is a really nice board book too so my nephew won't be able to tear the pages.

This book was 60% off so it only cost me $2.78

I just love all of the Charlie Brown holiday specials when they come on TV so I just had to buy the books for Caden and his new baby brother. This book has stickers inside it too :)

This book was also 60% off so I only paid $3.18 for it.

 Unlike the Thanksgiving one though, this one is actually a board book so I don't have to worry about him tearing the pages.

These two cost me $2.39 each

They are both lift a flap books too.

These books were all only $1.49 each.

I actually ended up getting two of these for free, but didn't realize it until I got home and looked at the receipt. Seven of these are board book also, the only two that aren't are the two Christmas ones in the top row. Let me just say that I read the "Room for A Little One" book that is pictured in the second row and it is such a cute story. The Sponge Bob Christmas tree one is also a lift the flap book.

This book only cost me $1.19.

Not a board book, but my nephew also loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so for $1.19, it doesn't really matter if the pages get torn.

All of these book only cost me 50 cents each!!

All of these are also board book, except for the Handy Manny one. The dinosaur ones are just too cute with the little "googly" eyes!

Total cost for all 27 books- $42.74!!!!!

Not too shabby at all huh?? Since Caden already has a bookshelf full of books at his house, all of these have found themselves a home in Caden's "room" at Aunt Nicole's house :)

I also went back to Borders last weekend and was able to get some more great deals on books for myself. Right now everything is 60-80% off and they close in the next week or two. I will definitely try to make it there again to see what kind of deals I can scrounge up!! I was able to get myself a $20 calender for next year for only $4 and some change though :)

Motivational Monday!!!

Wow haven't done a "Motivational Monday" post in ages! After falling in love with this song though, I just had to revive it! The song I am referring to is "Keep Your Head Up" by Andy Grammer and it is incredibly uplifting! Always good to have a song that can make you smile just by hearing it! I never knew what he looked like until I saw the video on YouTube, but he is pretty cute too!! Added bonus! Enjoy!!

Child of the 90's Pt. 3- HEART-THROBS!!!

Welcome to another edition of "Child of the 90s"! I do believe this will be one of my favorite posts to write about since it will take me back to the days of having crushes on adorable famous guys that I would never have a chance with, but secretly thought I might. Yes this post is all about HEART-THROBS!!! When I was younger I used to LOVE buying Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, Bop, etc and ripping out all the pin ups of my favorite guys and plastering them all over my bedroom wall. I will be honest, most of my wall was covered with two of the guys that will be mentioned below, but all of these guys were gorgeous in their own ways. If they didn't cover my wall, I am positive they covered someone elses. So scroll down and relive all of your child hood crushes. I will also post a little bit of where they are now with updated pics (if I actually can find info on them). Enjoy!!!

1. Jonathan Taylor Thomas or as I called him "JTT"

Then

Now

JTT probably owned about 95% of my bedroom wall back in his Home Improvement days. He actually had a pretty successful career in the 90s. Co-starring on Home Improvement, voicing Simba in The Lion King, and having starring roles in basically a movie a year. Now he seems to have fallen off the radar completely and according to IMDB.com, he hasn't acted since 2006. Of course there have been many rumors that he has died (untrue) and that he is gay (unknown), so I guess he is still on peoples minds. He will turn 30 this September.

2. Devon Sawa

Then

Now

Devon Sawa first entered young girls dreams after appearing in Little Giants. He then went on to have a small role in Casper (which I would fast forward just to see him!), Wild America with JTT (imagine my excitement!), Idle Hands, Slackers, the original Final Destination, and was also featured in the music video for Eminem's "Stan", among other things. Unlike JTT he has continued acting, appearing on TV series NCIS: Los Angeles and Nikita. According to IMDB he also has roles in three movies due out between now and next year. He will be 33 this year.

3. Rider Strong

Then

Now

So Boy Meets World has got to be one of the best shows from the 90s and still lives on in syndication and on DVD. Everyone loved Cory and Topanga, but Rider Strong's Shawn was definitely my fave! After wrapping BMW in 2000, Rider Strong went on to star in the movie Cabin Fever and had a recurring role in 2006 on the TV series Pepper Dennis. Now a days he and his brother write, produce, and direct movie shorts seen at film festivals everywhere. He will be 32 this year, and is still pretty good looking if you ask me!

4. Joey Lawrence

Then

Now

I first fell in love with Joey Lawrence when he was on "Blossom". That hair and his trademark "WHOA" reeled me in. I also am pretty sure his was the first cassette tape that I ever got!  Anyone else remember his music?! He has continued acting with some successful and some not so successful roles, but is currently starrting in the new ABC Family series "Melissa and Joey" with Melissa Joan Hart (or as we 90s kids know her, Clarissa and Sabrina the Teenage Witch). At 35 years old, he is still (if not better) as good looking as he was back in his "Blossom" days!

5. Luke Perry

Then

Now

Even though he was already 25 when Beverly Hills 90210 first premired, girls loved his bad boy character Dylan Walsh. I actually loved both him and Jason Priestly and can clearly remember having the Dylan and Brandon barbie dolls as a kid. He was on and off the show throughout all 10 years and is still acting today. He has been in many TV movies and has three movies scheduled for release between now and 2012. He will turn 46 this year.

6. Boy Bands

Then

Hanson

Backstreet Boys

*NSYNC

Now

Hanson

Backstreet Boys

Lets face it. Boy bands owned the radio airwaves in the late 90s. No groups dominated more than Hanson, BSB, and Nsync though. Now Hanson is still currently together and touring. BSB lost a member of their group (Kevin), but are currently touring with New Kids, making NKOTBSB (which I actually LOVE). Apparently their is also a Backstreet Boys crusie this year?! so Google that if you are interested in attending. *NSYNC of course is no longer together, but all of their members have been seen someplace or other in entertainment since breaking up. I will discuss their most popular member later.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio

Then

Now

I first remember seeing Leo as a supporting member on "Growing Pains" back in the early 90s, and of course fell in love with him after seeing "Romeo and Juliet" and "Titanic". Now Leo continues to be one of the most popular A list actors, appearing in hit movies basically every year. He will be 37 this year.

8. Mark Paul Gosselaar

Then

Now

Known best by people of my generation for playing Zack Morris on Saved by The Bell (which seems to be living on in syndication FOREVER :)). After SBTB ended, he appeared in numerous movies, including "Dead Man on Campus" which is one of my all time faves! He also had successful runs various TV shows including a four year stint in a starring role on NYPD Blue, Raising the Bar, and can currently be seen in the TNT series "Franklin & Bash". He also appeared as a guest on Jimmy Fallon as his infamous character Zack Morris, which was absolutely hilarious. If you haven't seen it be sure to YouTube it! He turned 37 this year.

9. Matthew Lawrence

Then

Now

Appearing in 1993 in Mrs. Doubtfire, he then went on to star in the TV show "Brotherly Love" in 1995 with his brothers Joey and Andy and joined the cast of "Boy Meets World" for its last three seasons in 1997, playing Shawn's long lost half-brother Jack. He recently dated "Dancing with the Stars" pro Cheryl Burke and is rumored to be a guest on his brothers new show "Melissa and Joey". I remember how hot he was when he was on BMW. Those Lawrence boys have some good genes! He turned 31 this year.

10. Justin Timberlake

Then

Now

Clearly the most successful ex-boy band member, Justin first popped onto the scene and on girls bedrooms walls everywhere when he was in the uber popular group *NSYNC. Since breaking up, Justin has had a very successful solo career and currently can be seen in TWO movies "Bad Teacher" and "Friends with Benefits". He also is one of the favorite hosts for SNL (my fave for sure). Don't know when he will be releasing more music, but he seems to have a successful career ahead of him with his acting skills. I personally remember seeing him act for the first time in the Disney movie "Model Behavior". Guess he won't be doing anymore Disney movies (unless he is voicing a character) anytime soon huh? He turned 30 this year.

So there you have it. Ten of the biggest heart-throbs of the 90s (in no particular order). Nice to see that they are still pretty good looking huh? So leave me some comments letting me know who your fave 90's guys were, who should've been on this list, and also what part 4 of the "Child of the 90s" should be about!!!

52 Stars- Review

Hello lovely readers! If any of you are like me, you love a day at the casino every now and then. However, unless you live in Las Vegas, it isn’t always very convenient to get to one. Luckily though, you can do a little gambling (and hopefully lots of winning) from the convenience of your own home by visiting 52stars.com.

 

52 Stars contains a great variety of games, satisfying you no matter what your game of choice is. I personally love to play the slots, but they also have blackjack, poker, roulette, texas hold em (my fave!), etc. If card games or slots aren’t exactly your cup of tea, they also have various other games that have become favorites of internet gamers everywhere such as Bejeweled! Also, for all you comic book fans, Marvel has its own section of games including slots featuring the ever popular Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Thor! Currently there are over 160 games, with more added all the time. With this many games, there has got to be one for you!

 

So if you enjoy your casino trips, but can’t always get to one when you want to, visit 52stars.com now! Be sure you are 18 and over though please!

Need Some Help Please :)

Hello my lovely readers!!! I need a little bit of help and I am asking all of you for it. My "Child of the 90's" posts are becoming EXTREMLY popular! In fact if you google "child of the 90's", both entires of mine come up on the first page of results out of over 18 million!!! That makes me oh so happy!!! So here is where I need your help. I need a topic for the next few posts. I really want to keep the 90's flashbacks going, since I loved being a child then, but I want to know what YOU would like to read about. Therefore, please post a comment letting me know what you want to read next. I was thinking of  heartthrobs, movies, fads, clothing, etc., but I am interested to see what you guys want. Please comment below and help me out!! Thanks so much!!!