It’s My Imagination

Come Play Around in Memphis

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Memphis Travel. All opinions are 100% mine.

My daughter and I spent the night in Memphis, Tennessee about2 years ago on our way to Kentucky. It was a quick stopover because  we were short on time, but we were able to drive past Elvis Presley’s home,Graceland, although it was too late in the evening so it was closed. It was a site I’d always wanted to at least see and so we did the driveby!  I do wish we had had more time because there are some very interesting sites to see in Memphis.  Besides being the site of Elvis’ famous residence, Memphis is home to some of the most famous (and infamous) bbq in the country.  I don’t know about you, but I absolutely LOVE bbq and would love to return to Memphis to explore some of the delicious restaurants I’ve heard about, particularly the restaurants down on Beale Street.  Don’t misunderstand, there are other foods besides bbq, so anyone can find whatever they’re craving, I’m sure!    To see some of the interesting ideas for travel planning, visit Memphis-savvy travel guide, it’s full of great ideas and activities for families or romance for couples.   If you’ve never been to Memphis, I do recommend it.  Read below to see how you can enter to win a trip package for yourself.

If you click the Memphis-savvy travel guide, be sure to look for the red box in the lower right corner of the page in order to enter to win a trip package in Memphis. Prize packages include carriage rides, dinners, hotel stays, museum visits and yes, even Graceland! You can choose which package you’d like to win and there is no purchase required. Prizes are awarded weekly and you can enter once every 24 hours. (Must be 21 years of age or older). So what are you waiting for? Enter to win!

Softball Finger

My daughter injured her middle finger last night while at softball practice. They were doing infield grounder practices and the grounder that came her way took a funny hop in the dirt. It jammed her finger pretty good. We don’t think it’s broken, but I took her to the doctor anyway just to be sure. They took x-rays and now we’re just waiting for the results. In the mean time, she’s wearing a finger splint.
Just another day in the life of a softball player!

Play Around in Memphis

This is a sponsored guest post written by Memphis Travel on behalf of Memphis CVB. Post powered by Sponzai.

More than just the home of the blues and barbeque, Memphis gives you plenty of ways to play around, with fun things to do no matter who you are or what you like. Of course, if you’re into Elvis, rock-and-roll and mouth-watering ribs, you’ve got to check out Graceland, Sun Studios, and the Rendezvous. But Memphis has much more to offer than this holy trinity of southern culture, with enough to see, do and eat to make it the perfect location for your next long weekend getaway.

The families out there (or the wild at heart) should be sure to check out the Memphis Zoo, one of only four U.S. zoos with giant pandas. Recently ranked the #1 zoo in the U.S. by TripAdvisor.com, the Memphis Zoo lets you get up close and personal with the animal kingdom. And with the recent addition the Northwest Passage, home to Polar bears in a see-through underwater exhibit, and the zoo’s newest section, Teton Trek, kids and adults alike are certain to have a blast.

Don’t let your midtown experience stop at the zoo; the Cooper-Young and Overton Square neighborhoods are just down the street. Ask a local Memphian where to find a tasty bite to eat, great local music and ice cold beer, and they will probably direct you here. Speaking of beer … the environmentally conscious visitor can enjoy a locally brewed beer by Ghost River Brewing or walk through the natural landscape and educational facilities at the Lichterman Nature Center.

Memphis has museums for just about everything. From the Civil Rights Museum, Cotton Museum and Fire Museum in downtown to the Brooks Museum, Children’s Museum of Memphis and the Pink Palace Museum further east, the number of places to have fun while you learn are as bountiful as the barbeque restaurants. Families, friends, sports fans, history buffs, self-proclaimed food critics – Memphis has everything you need to keep everyone happy.

So when you visit Memphis, stay a few extra days. Even the locals don’t run out of things to do. And to make it easy, memphistravel.com is launching a new travel guide to help you plan your next vacation. Simply choose from a list of interests and you’ll be given a sample itinerary with lots of great ideas. You can also register for a chance to win one of twelve trip packages that include tours, gift certificates to Memphis’ favorite restaurants, hotel stays and more. Go to itinerary.memphistravel.com to get started.

Vacation

Well, not really a vacation, but we did manage to finally get out to California to see our newest grandbaby.  We spent 4 days out there and very much enjoyed ourselves.  We even managed to spend a day at the beach in Santa Monica and the water felt fabulous.  I’ve taken a few extra days off and plan to get a little painting done in our kitchen.

What have you been up to?

Secret Menu Items

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of AMPM. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you into online social networks? I am very new to Facebook, but one thing I quickly learned was how easy it is to connect with businesses and stay updated on sales, specials, coupons and special events. Facebook is precisely how I discovered the new secret menu tab at ampm. It is such a big secret, but I’m going to spill the beans and fill you in because it’s so cool. Just follow these two simple steps:

1. visit http://www.facebook.com/ampm
2. “Like” ampm

You have now gained access to the secret menu tab where you will find the Secret Menu Items.

I’m not sure which food item is my favorite, but I love the names; Chili Conquistador, Towering Inferno, and Hot Chihuahua. They sound very tasty, not to mention tempting.

You should check out all the secret menu items for yourself and don’t forget to leave a comment telling your favorite item and why it’s your favorite. New Yums will be coming out 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, and 8/30 so check back often. Plus, on August 2nd you will be able to create your own ampm secret menu concoctions right on Facebook.

California, Here We Come!

We leave in the morning for a quick trip to California!  My srep-daghter had her 2nd baby in June and we finally found a few days that we could all go to see the new little one.

We leave tomorrow morning and will be in LA for lunch.  Friday we plan to take our daughter to the beach, and Saturday is the big birthday bash for little one #1 who is turning 3.  We will head home on Sunday.

I’m looking forward to some California fun!

Coaching Dilemmas

Last year, my daughter played on a fastpitch softball team for a coach who needed anger management training.  He didn’t get angry with the girls, but he definitely released his anger on the umps, always when his daughter was pitching and the calls weren’t going her way.  I’m talking serious anger, screaming, kicking, and once, he even threw a bucket at an ump.  He was thrown out of so many games, we lost count.  We made the decision to leave the team, there was just too much negativity.

Last fall, my daughter tried and and was accepted onto another team.  This time it was part of an organization that wanted to grow its softball teams and it felt very positive.  Everything went along pretty well, but what we noticed right off the bat was, the coaches never made it mandatory to attend practices.  So, most days, not everyone was in attendance and it was so frustrating.  We never knew who would show up to play in a practice, much less a tournament.  Add to that, the coach had difficulty communicating with both the girls and the parents, most of us usually felt pretty clueless.  I believe if he’d communicated his plans in advance, there would have been higher participation.  Never the less, I felt something was off, so I started searching for other teams who might be in need of an outfielder.

Thankfully, my daughter had all ready begun working out with another team when her team imploded.  The coach basically decided he wasn’t going to coach anymore and announced this to the team and parents, very unexpectedly, at the conclusion of the last tournament (the girls won 4 out of 4 games that day!).  It was a huge disappointment and once again, we found ourselves with a coach that I couldn’t wait to get away from.  Very sad.

Now, we are delighted that not one, but 2 teams have shown strong interest in adding our daughter to their roster.  The one with the stronger coach has offered her a position.  He is amazing in how much knowledge of the game he has.  He is teaching the girls strategy and defense, not typical in someone who volunteers!  He works the girls hard, but he just wants them to be the best they can be.  I’ve told my daughter that his training could help her all the way through high school, not to mention, he’s familiar with the college recruiting process.  This team is also sponsored by a National Organization which is a huge financial help.  The 2nd team is also a good team with good coaches.  They have a more relaxed attitude, and I’m not sure they have the same experience.  It’s a very tough choice, one which will have to be made in the next couple of days.

I’ll keep you posted!

Independenxe Day

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