Last Friday I participated in one of the coolest blogging experiences I've had in Tampa! I was chosen to partake in a blogger caravan to commemorate Social Media Day. Together with some of the sweetest and most talented Tampa Bay bloggers, social media professionals, and influencers, I spent the afternoon driving all over South Tampa, snapping photos, learning about local businesses, and trying delicious goodies! Let me backtrack. June 30 marked World Social Media Day, celebrated locally as Social Media Day Tampa. In its seventh year, #SMDAYTampa is a donation-based event, with proceeds going directly to a local charity. This year's chosen nonprofit was Gasparilla Music Fest, which I attended earlier this year and loved! Keep scrolling for a recap of this fun-filled day and a list...

I've gotten to know central and western Virginia over the past five years, since my dad moved there. The state has a little bit of everything, with snow-covered mountains, beaches, beautiful spring flowers, and fall foliage as well as prestigious universities, small idyllic towns, wineries, and rich history. Virginia was the first part of the country permanently settled by the English, who established Jamestown on the banks of the James River in 1607. We usually drive up from Florida. It takes about 12 hours, which we break up into a few days. I've taken that trip solo with my pup and with all three of my boys, and it's just gorgeous! The beaches up there are still on my bucket list, but here are some fun outdoor activities in western and central Virginia that the whole family would enjoy. Luray...

Since my family is spread all over the place, we try to organize family reunions as often as possible, in different places. For last summer's get together, we wanted an affordable and quiet destination, mild summer weather, lots of outdoors/nature activities, and easy to navigate with small children. We landed on the Niagara Falls region of Canada. We had a blast and I can't recommend it enough! So let's talk about our accommodations. Affordability and comfort are big factors in our family trips, so after some research, we decided to skip Toronto and hotels all together, and stick with Airbnb. We found a lovely home with a huge porch in a quiet suburban beach town that could accommodate our large group -- two toddlers, a preschooler (all boys!), and four adults. The boys had space to...

Charlotte, NC. Photo credit: charlottesgotalot.com Note to readers: this post contains a sponsored link from HotelPlanner.com. Last month I spent a weekend in North Carolina to celebrate one of my best friends getting married! The setting was gorgeous and so peaceful: a rustic estate surrounded by nature. It embodied so much of why I love that state! I've had the chance to visit a handful of times in the past, and though I haven't explored all of it, North Carolina seems to have it all: beaches, mountains, waterfalls, the countryside, big cities, mild weather, small college towns, art, music, great food. It also seems like a great place to raise a family. So with the expert help of my best friends (thank you guys!), I've compiled a quick guide to three of my favorite areas in North...

Florida Strawberry Festival It's really no secret why most people love Spring; the temperature is so mild and it's finally time to enjoy the outdoors after being cooped up during the winter. For us Floridians, though, it's the final hurrah before our sticky, crazy hot, and seemingly endless summer. Even though pollen levels can get miserably high, springtime in Tampa has not disappointed! Between spring training, the beach, and all the outdoors festivals, there's so much to do. I've listed our top five family-friendly activities of the season (and I foresee this list exponentially growing each year). NEW YORK YANKEES SPRING TRAINING Living with two boys who are (already) obsessed with baseball, spring training is a big deal at our house. The Yankees have their spring training facility...

Note to readers: this post contains a sponsored link from HotelPlanner.com. I've had Arizona on my mind lately! Aside from the fact that cacti and succulents are so popular right now, baseball's spring training season brings me right back to our days in Phoenix. While living in Arizona, I learned how spring training was a huge part of the city's overall culture. The Phoenix metro is one of the two spring training hubs in the country, with half the teams spending February and March training in its Cactus League. The other half practices here in Florida! Because they all practice within an hour of one another and the weather is glorious, people from all over the country flock to the desert to catch their favorite team in action. They also get to enjoy amazing restaurants, mountains, golf,...

Tampa has been such a cool place to raise a kid! Our calendar has been filled with all kinds of family-friendly events that are mostly free and outdoors. The first months of the year not only bring perfect temperatures to our area, but they also bring one of Tampa's biggest annual celebrations: Gasparilla season! (named after Jose Gaspar, an alleged pirate who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the 18th and early 19th centuries). Kids seem to love all things pirates, but they are not the only ones getting in all the fun; people of all ages get really into it! The season lasts for over two months, so here's a quick guide to my favorite family-friendly Gasparilla events: 1) CHILDREN'S GASPARILLA EXTRAVAGANZA A.K.A. the Children's parade. Best family event of the pirate...

Docked next to us on the river. Part two of my 'Brazil Off the Beaten Path' adventure started early, with us heading into town (Barreirinhas) and joining a guided motorboat tour down the Preguiças river, which runs along the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park - to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The same advice on what to bring/wear applies from day 1; light clothes, bathing suit, plenty of sun protection. The big selling point of this excursion is that if you want to experience nature but are not willing or able to hike the desert, this trip is perfect for you! Relax on a boat and just take it all in. Oh yea, and there are hammocks involved, so keep reading! Leaving the Barreirinhas dock on a beautiful morning. This was my favorite excursion, as...