24 Hrs in Memphis: Graceland and BBQ

With only 24 hours in Memphis we had to do what was most important...like visit Graceland and eat BBQ.

Elvis has always been a big deal in our family.  I am pretty sure I or at least one of siblings was conceived with an Elvis song playing in the background.

It was cold, rainy, with thunder and lightning...but we just had to visit Graceland.

The thunder and lightning did not keep the crowds away.

Being able to visit the King's home and final resting place was an honor. My childhood was filled with Elvis movies, music, and my father's impersonations of the King.  Listening to Elvis's Christmas album throughout the Holiday Season is a tradition I have carried on in my own little family.

Our first and last stop in Memphis was the same place...Central BBQ.  It...was...awesome!!!

I really loved Memphis.  I cant wait to go back!

Get ready for the Nourished Festival San Diego! Ticket Giveaway!

Join me at the Nourished Festival in San Diego Feb 9 and 10!

The Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Expo is now call Nourished Festivals.  Nourished Festivals title is most fitting considering this year the festival is adding Paleo, Keto, and Plant-based zones alongside the Gluten-free and Nut-Free sections.

Every year, I look forward to the Nourished Festival.  My family members are on strict food diets due to their allergies.  The Nourished Festival gives me a chance to sample new foods, a chance to talk to different food brands about their products, and to attend insightful classes.  I can't wait to add a few more safe brands to our family's safe food list.

Eating with dietary restrictions easier can be overwhelming, allow the Nourished Festival to make it a little easier.  The Nourished Festival is an inviting place to meet others that understand the importance of food ingredients and food restrictions.  Classes are available on both days.  I am definitely looking forward to the class led by the Allergy Chef, Kathlena Rails.  

Come by the Nourished Festival and sample food, attend a class, and not feel alone in the world of food restrictions!

Buy tickets to San Diego Nourished Festival here.

I will be giving away 4 tickets!

To enter, simply send an email to mintandgold@gmail.com or comment below why you would like to attend!  Winners will be chosen on Feb 7!

Get more info at https://nourishedfestival.com/

February 9-10, 2019

10:00 am - 3:00 pm on Saturday the 9th

10:00 am - 3:00 pm on Sunday the 10th

Del Mar Fairgrounds-Wyland Center

delmarfairgrounds.com/index.php?fuseaction=facilities.wyland_center

2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Del Mar, CA 92014-2216

Click HERE for directions.

Click HERE for a map.

Parthenon Tennessee

Our roadtrip started at the Parthenon...replica in Tennessee!

   

 

Salvation Mountain

We got lost driving here from San Diego. 

Be warned that cell service is unreliable in the area and gas stations are hard to find. 

Driving to Vegas we got lost.  The navigation, when it wasn't offline, brought us into Joshua Tree National Park and for some reason brought us through the backroads into Arizona.

I never want to see a joshua tree ever again.

This short detour to Salvation Mountain, on our way home from San Diego to Vegas, turned into a salvation seeking, atlas yearning, and "I hope we don't run out of gas" anxiety feeling trip that lasted well over 6 hours.

Tree Root Cave - Kalaloch Lodge at Olympic National Park

One of the stops on our RV adventure...Kalaloch Lodge at Olympic National Park. 

It was the ending of March in Washington, which basically means cold and rainy.

The wind was blowing.

The rain was falling.

The kids were freezing.

The Tree Root Cave was beautiful.

  

   

2018 San Diego GF & AF Expo

It is time again for the San Diego GF & AF Expo!  Last year was my first year attending and I am excited to say I will be attending the GF&AF Expo this year as well!  My family and I are based in Las Vegas and I think it is definitely worth the 5 to 6 hour drive to San Diego to attend this event.  A few years ago my family officialy became a family comprised of multiple allergies (food, chemicals, and seasonal) as well as gluten sensitivity.  There are many things that a few of us eat that the other's can't.  It's overwhelming and stressful since food is a very big part of life.

The GF & AF Expo gives the diet restricted community a chance to learn about and try new foods, a chance to openly ask needed food questions to the actual brands, a chance to meet and talk with others about their own diet restrictions, and a chance to attend a class guided by a food and/or health expert.  There will be classes running on both days as well as demos in the venders areas.

One of the classes I am looking forward to is Managing Food Allergies on the Road. Going out with dietary restrictions for one night can be difficult, traveling with dietary restrictions is a huge issue!

At times, I feel overpowered by our food restrictions.  It's vital that my family and I pay close attention to our food and food ingredients.  It is important that we ask the right questions.  At the GF & AF Expo, I feel that we are not alone.  There are others asking the same questions I am concerned about.  The different brands and companies at the GF & AF expo are probably asked the same questions all weekend, however, they answer those questions graciously because they understand how important those answers are to each of us.

I am looking forward to being a part of the San Diego GF & AF Expo!

...and perhaps adding new and yummy foods to my family's diet!

* 2018 San Diego Gf & AF Ticket Giveaway *

I have 5 tickets to give away!

So sorry about the error messages while leaving comments.  However, I did receive the messages and comments that were not posted.  I will be contacting the winners at the end of the day! Good luck!

February 10-11, 2018

 10:00 am - 3:00 pm on Saturday the 10th

 10:00 am - 3:00 pm on Sunday the 11th

 

Del Mar Fairgrounds-Wyland Center

delmarfairgrounds.com/index.php?fuseaction=facilities.wyland_center

2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Del Mar, CA 92014-2216

 

Get Tickets!

 

For more info: https://gfafexpo.com/expos/san-diego

Meeting Star Wars at LegoLand

 

Baz at the Palazzo

 

September Angel

September 20

Untitled Black and White

Join the free May #MOMSTRONGCHALLENGE from Grokker and Bloomingdale's

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Summer is weeks away and its not to late to get the body confidence only healthy eating and getting fit can bring.  Grokker along with Bloomingdale's are accepting participants for a free 30-day challenge.  Try out Grokker for free throughout the month of May!

5 Reasons to accept this challenge:

1. Grokker offers high definition high quality cooking, fitness, and yoga videos, with fitness options, programs, and features ranging from newbies to expert.

2. Variety.  Grokker classes include yoga, pilates, cardio, HIIT, strength-training, weight-training, and so much more...

3. Flexible workout times.  The video sessions range from less than 5 minutes to more than hour.  It enables you to sneak in a workout when time is limited or you can choose that longer hour session you've been wanting to do all week.

4. Grokker gives you an abundance of information necessary to eat healthier without feeling deprived.  Eating heathy shouldn't mean giving up all crave-worthy foods.

5. Get to know the Grokker community.  Grokker has a social media aspect that lets you interact with other Grokker uses in the world.  You can also follow your favorite yogis.  You'll also get updates on new recipes, workouts, and articles. It's like facebook and instagram for yogis and fitness addicts!

Try Grokker free throughout the month of May!

Explore New Cuisines, Learn Cooking Methods, And Get Recipes To Fit Your Lifestyle at Grokker! Try It Free Today!  

Show Me Your Nerd!

This is the Love Story of the Girl and Her Purple Shirt

The Girl never thought she could find love online, but she did.  She found her match on Merch Nerds.

 

When the Purple Shirt arrived, its soft fabric hugged the Girl in a perfect fit.  The Purple Shirt had wit and humor.  "Helloha Beaches," it said.  This Island raised Girl could feel her heart fall in love.

The Purple Shirt didn't mind that the Girl spent too much time playing Star Trek.

The Purple Shirt didn't mind that the Girl "needed to shoot all the ghosts."

Their Love grew stronger after every wash and wear.  The Girl and Her Purple Shirt lived happily ever after playing on snapchat and eating KFC.

The end.

https://www.merchnerds.com/ Merch Nerds.  Making Loving Connections.  Find your match today. Lol.

Merch Nerds have sizes and styles available in Men's, Women's, Unisex, and soon in Kid's.

These are a few of my favorites:

       My thoughts now...                                                                                                                                                          

Wahlburgers

I love Wahlburgers, especially on my 35th birthday! 

Wahlburgers uses locally sourced fresh ingredients and does not use artificial colors.  They also has gluten-friendly options.  My family has multiple food allergies, the staff is always very considerate and I feel very safe having my family dine here.     

 

The onions rings are yummy!  I can never really decide between the Portebello Sandwhich and Jenn's chicken Sandwhich. 

  

In front of the Bellagio, we stopped two female tourists on the strip to take our photo.  Coincidentally, they were there to celebrate one of their birthdays too!

    

San Diego GF & AF Expo

I was very fortunate to attend the San Diego GF & AF Expo as a Blogger.  All the bloggers were greeted with a Blogger Breakfast sponsored by BFree.  Our hosts were very welcoming and answered my many questions.  I am very new to the GF world.  Over the recent years I have been learning as I go about food allergies as well as environmental and chemical allergies.  When we learned that my husband's migraines and health issues could be helped by going gluten-free, I knew the GF & AF Expo would be perfect for us to attend.

                  

After having allergic reactions to food I am hesitant to try new foods, however, I felt very safe and confident sampling foods at the GF & AF Expo.  On all the tables there is a display card that lists the allergens that are present.  The representatives at the booths were also knowledgeable and open about talking the ingredients and processes associated with their food.  I felt very safe.

     

My husband attended with me and he loved it.  Our children have multiple allergies so he was very delighted to be able to sample foods and brands that we could add to our safe food lists.  Because of our children's food allergies he had to give up many of his favorite foods, including peanuts.  He was very happy to have found SunButter.  We took a few samples and he liked it so much he actually ate it out of the container, as if it was a container of ice cream.  We entered to win a case of it by taking our photo at the show.  I don't think we won, but SunButter won him over!

 

I am not a salad person, but after trying Spinato's Balsamic dressing, I wanted a salad!  Spinato's pizza is also amazing!  This is one of my newest favorite brands.

Another highlight of the GF & AF Expo was the Enjoy Life Foods booth.  Enjoy Life was the first brand our children loved after finding out their multiple food allergies.  At one point we practically bought all the remaining stock of the Enjoy Life brand products from the Las Vegas stores closing when the Fresh and Easy grocery chain closed.  I was so excited to see their new products and my children were so excited to devour the Enjoy Life samples we brought home. 

We brought home a lot of samples and learned a lot.  We have added a few new brands and foods to safe list, all thanks to our GF & AF Expo experience.  Our children have added Homefree cookies and Milton's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Baked crackers to their favorites list.

As for my husband and his gluten-free experience the expo was the first time he ever ate so much without feeling bloated or sick.  He has also gone migraine-free since he has gone gluten-free.

Thank you to the GF & AF community for being so welcoming!

Learn more about the GF & AF Expo coming to a city near you at http://gfafexpo.com/

San Diego GF & AF Expo - Free Ticket Giveaway!!!

Being that my own family has multiple allergies and we have number of people in our lives that live gluten free, finding quality and new food products can be very stressful.  Finding brands, what to eat, cooking and baking based on dietary restrictions are overwhelming.  I was very excited to learn about the GF & AF Expo. 

Imagine a place where gluten free and allergy friendly foods all in one place!  I would be surrounded by others who know how important giving attention to food ingredients and food restrictions are!  I would finally feel like I'm not alone!  I can add more options to our family's world of food.

The GF & AF Expo, I imagine, is an inviting place where gluten-intolerant and allergy sufferers can come together, try new foods, and not be alone in the world of food restrictions!  Throughout both days there will be classes running as well as demos in the vendor areas.

This will be my first time attending and lucky me I will be joining the GF & AF Expo San Diego Blogging Team!

Join me at the San Diego GF & AF Expo! Purchase tickets here.

30% off  w/ code EARLYBIRD (thru 1/10)
20% off w/ code ADVANCE (thru 2/10)

February 11-12, 2017

10:00 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday the 11th

10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Sunday the 12th

Del Mar Fairgrounds-Wyland Center
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014-2216
858-755-1161
www.delmarfairgrounds.com

Parking-$13 for weekend pass and is payable by cash or credit card.

Click HERE to view a map of the grounds. All attendees will enter through the Main Gate.

I will be giving away 4 tickets!

To enter, simply comment below why you would like to attend!  Winners will be chosen on Feb 5!

(I apologize to all, there was an error previously when anyone would comment.  It should be working now.)

Me + You

Nevada Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker

The Nutcracker has been a Christmas tradition for so very long.  I am so happy we finally got to witness the magic of the Nutcracker.  It was enchanting as it was beautiful. My family enjoyed it greatly. 

  

As a little Christmas token for my two little monsters, this set of Nutcracker wooden nesting dolls awaited them at home.  They loved them!  The Nutcracker allowed us to take time and enjoy the beauty of the season without the overpower of technology.  The Nutcracker will definitely become a must do for our Christmas' to come!   

A Bright December Night at the Neon Museum

"December to Remember" at Neon Museum.

What is Christmas without beautiful lights?  What is Las Vegas without neon signs?  Seeing the historic neon signs of this city's past all lit up on a December Night is definitely a Christmas treat!  Unfortunately, we arrived late and didn't fully enjoy the Christmas event with a visit with Santa or ornament making.  However, seeing these signs lit up in bright Christmas candy colored lights was a an amazing opportunity! Such a beautiful night! 

        

  

My Christmas Cuties!

What's Your Sign?

I have lived in Las Vegas for almost over 11 years and this is the our first visit to the Las Vegas Sign as a family.  I could not stand in the very long line known to take over this famous attraction.  I snuck in a few shoot from the sidelines of the Las Vegas Sign.

      

      

Capricorn Zodiac Sign Earrings by Green Tree Jewelry

Green Tree Jewelry makes affordable laser cut jewelry out of sustainable resources.  Their mission is create pieces that "invoke a positive response."

https://www.greentreejewelry.com/