Bring Home Minions In Time For The Holidays!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Starbucks Refreshers, however all opinions are 100% my own.
With summer hitting hard here in south Texas, and I do mean hard … it was 106 with heat index today, it’s hard to keep your body & mind refreshed. As a kid, the heat didn’t bother me so much, but it seems as I get older, the heat tends to bother me more and more. I grew up in Austin which isn’t hard from here so the temperatures tend to run almost the same, but I think with our humidity down here it feels much worse. So, needless to say, cooling down during the summers here isn’t an easy task, but is a must. Here are a few ways to keep yourself and your family refreshed this summer.
1. Take up yoga. Yoga is something the whole family can do and it will refresh your mind and your body to get you ready for your day. Try this sequence to feel refreshed: Cow, Cat, Extension, Elbow to Knee, Bind, Low Lunge Variation, Low Lunge/Side Psoas Stretch, Half Splits, Lizard Pose Variation, Twisted Monkey, Side Plank Variation, Downward Facing Dog … the whole sequence takes less than 10 minutes of your morning.
2. Stay inside and enjoy exploring new & different worlds through books. Pick a “book” day, create a whole day around it from breakfast, lunch and dinner to various craft projects, to go along with your reading.
3. Get some water, and no I don’t mean drinking water, I mean a pool, the ocean, even a sprinkler will feel so refreshing on a super hot day. I loved spending my day as a kid just running through the sprinkler or the slip in slide. I loved it even more when we were able to go to the lake or go tubing on the river. Water is a great way to keep your body refreshed, and the relaxation and fun will help to keep your mind feeling refreshed as well!
4. Grab a refreshing ice cold drink. I love the new Starbucks Refreshers™, in flavors like Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Acai, & Raspberry Pomegranate. They help me to stay refreshed and energized so I can keep up with the boys, no matter what they throw my way. My favorite is Strawberry Lemonade with lots of ice. Who doesn’t love ice cold lemonade to keep them refreshed during the summer.
With sweet strawberry, tangy lemonade and natural caffeine, our flavor-packed beverage offers an invigorating boost of energy. Starbucks Refreshers™ Strawberry Lemonade is also fortified with three B vitamins and Vitamin C. All yours for just 90 calories.
No matter what you do to keep your mind and body refreshed, starting your day with a Starbucks Refreshers™ is always a good idea. With a revitalizing blast of real fruit juices, B vitamins, and ginseng. Starbucks Refreshers™ has all the goodness you need to get the most out of today.
What’s your favorite way to stay refreshed during the summer?
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I have to admit, I am NOT a sweetener fan! It always leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. I avoid diet sodas because of it and anything else that has artificial sweetener. Now with that said, I have recently tried Splenda brand sweetener (yes it’s a sweetener, but I thought I’d give it a try). And guess what?! I really enjoyed using it.
About Splenda
I used the sugar blends (sugar/splenda & brown sugar/splenda) for baking and the whole family loved it! I made homemade brownies..you can get the recipe here…No funny after taste, easy to use…
SPLENDA® Sugar Blend is a mix of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener and sugar, so it provides only half the calories and carbohydrate of sugar. But since sugar is blended in, it delivers what you’d normally expect from baking with sugar – it rises, spreads, browns, and helps retain moistness, making it ideal for creating moist cakes and chewy cookies!
Specifically designed for use in baked goods.
Adds sweetness and moistness to baking.
Provides browning and volume to baked goods just like sugar.
Ideal for layer cakes, brownies, and muffins.
SPLENDA® Sugar Blend is available in a two-pound bag that contains the sweetness equivalency of four pounds of sugar. Just a half-cup of SPLENDA® Sugar Blend replaces a full cup of sugar Splenda also makes no calorie packets, granulated, granulated with fiber, & flavors for coffee. With so many options, reduced or no calories and the ability to bake with it plus the no “sweetener” taste makes it a win win for our home! This year, Splenda launched the Tumblr page, www.365sweetswaps.com offering daily tips and recipes for reducing added sugar all year long. Here are some great Sweet Swaps recipe using Splenda brand Sweetener!
Hawaiian Cake Roll
Pomegranate Iced Tea
Blueberry Yogurt Pops
Strawberry Yogurt Tarts
Watermelon Lemonade
Fruit Kabobs with Lemon Ginger Yogurt Dip
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links with fund the Mom of 4 Boys blog. I have received a product(s) for review purposes only, however I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Splenda has not influenced the editorial nature of this post, and No other compensation was received. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.

If you remember I had the opportunity to meet the CEO of Pura Vida Tequila & Godsmack, as well as attend the Rockstar UpRoar Music Festival. If you haven’t read about my experience yet, you can read about it here. As part of this experience I also have the opportunity to review Pura Vida Tequila and create recipes using them.
Today’s Recipe is my Hawaiian BBQ Tequila Grilled Chicken Salad. Just the name makes me smile! Who couldn’t use a little tropical taste with this bitter winter we are having. This salad definitely reminds me of summer, and it’s something the whole family loves!
If you are able to grill go ahead and grill your chicken & pineapples, but if your stuck inside it works just fine on the stove as well! I have a pineapple vinaigrette to go with it, but my boys use ranch (yes every time) and it tastes just as good! (printable version below)
Ingredients:
Chicken
3 Large Chicken Breasts
2 Bottles of Hawaiian BBQ Sauce
1/2 Cup Pura Vida Gold Tequilla
Salad
1 Can of Pineapples, drained (unless they are in season and you want to use fresh)
1 head of Lettuce
1/2 bag fresh spinach
2 Tomatos
Vinaigrette
1 Cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup extra light olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 Tsp sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions:
Poke some holes into your chicken breasts.
Place chicken breasts into large ziploc or large bowl add in the Hawaiian BBQ Sauce & Pura Vida Tequila. (If you are cooking inside in a skillet you can cut the breast into strips so they get more of the marinade)
Let marinade for at least 8 hours (leave overnight for more flavor)
Toss salad ingredients in large bowl
In a medium bowl, combine all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until well blended. Chill
Grill up pineapple, or toss around in a skillet till they have “grill marks”
Cut pineapple into bit size bits
Cook your chicken breasts thoroughly
Enjoy your delicious taste of summer!
Hawaiian BBQ Tequila Grilled Chicken Salad & Pineapple Vinaigrette A delicious taste of summer!
Chicken
3 Large Chicken Breasts
2 Bottles of Hawaiian BBQ Sauce
1/2 Cup Pura Vida Gold Tequilla
Salad
1 Can of Pineapples, drained (unless they are in season and you want to use fresh)
1 head of Lettuce
1/2 bag fresh spinach
2 Tomatos
Vinaigrette
1 Cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup extra light olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 Tsp sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Poke some holes into your chicken breasts.
Place chicken breasts into large ziploc or large bowl add in the Hawaiian BBQ Sauce & Pura Vida Tequila. (If you are cooking inside in a skillet you can cut the breast into strips so they get more of the marinade)
Let marinade for at least 8 hours (leave overnight for more flavor)
Toss salad ingredients in large bowl
In a medium bowl, combine all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until well blended. Chill
Grill up pineapple, or toss around in a skillet till they have “grill marks”
Cut pineapple into bit size bits
Cook your chicken breasts thoroughly
Cut chicken into strips (if not already)
My Sparkling Life https://mysparklinglife.com/
In my recipe I used Pura Vida Reposado Tequila..Pura Vida Reposado is triple distilled and lightly “rested” in high quality, American oak bourbon barrels. In Spanish, reposado means “rested.” Now we’re not saying our tequila is lazy or lying down on the job or anything. In fact, just the opposite. Pura Vida Reposado enlivens any occasion with a combination of superb smoothness and great taste.
But don’t let the exceptional smoothness fool you.
Pura Vida Reposado is the perfect tequila for those who appreciate a richer, more complex flavor. All the smoothness you want, but with the pure tequila taste you crave.
Learn more about how Pura Vida is made, the awards it receives and get recipes you can make at home when you follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Be sure to check out some of my other recipes utilizing other delish Pura Vida Tequilas
Big Red Margarita
Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos
& Remember to ALWAYS drink responsibly!
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy.
Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia,” a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”) and co-directed by Jared Bush (“Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero”), opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.
Like Zootopia on Facebook |
Follow @DisneyAnimation on Twitter | Tumblr
ZOOTOPIA opens in theatres everywhere March 4th, 2016!

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
We’ve all had those nights where we toss and turn all night only to be woken by the sound of the alarm clock just minutes after you finally nod off to sleep! These sleepless nights can really take a toll on our productivity, energy, mood, and quality of life.
One way you can help ensure a better quality of sleep is to get a variety of plants that not only do these plants look great and bring vitality and life to your living spaces, but in turn can promote a healthy sleeping pattern. Poor air quality from pollution, odors and molds can impact our breathing making a good night’s sleep seem next to impossible. There are a variety of plants that can purify the air while you sleep!
I’ve compiled this list of 5 house plants that can help you sleep better based on their calming and cleansing effects:
Snake Plant
When you ask around, the Snake Plant is one of the most recommended plants for improving indoor air quality. It’s hardy and easy to care for. What’s great about this plant is that it filters nasty common household toxins which leads to a purer quality of air and a better night’s sleep.
Aloe Vera
The Aloe Vera is the top air-improving plants & works much like the Snake Plant. It’s also one of the easiest plants to grow and maintain. You can also use the gel from the Aloe Vera leaves as a topical treatment for minor cuts and burns, insect bites, dry skin and lots more! It’s always been a must have in our home.
Spider Plant
The Spider Plant is also a great air cleaner. It has been shown to remove around 90% of the nasty common household toxins. In addition to cleansing the air, it is also known to absorb odors and fumes as well as sustaining oxygen levels in the room, promoting better sleep.
English Ivy
The English Ivy is another top plant for purifying the air. It’s simple to grow and only needs moderate exposure to sunlight. Studies have shown that this leaf can remove 94% of airborne feces and 78% of airborne mold in just 12 hours improving the symptoms of allergies or asthma. It is toxic to kids and pets, so make sure to keep it out of reach!
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily is another top plant helping to filter out harmful household toxins. The moisture given off by these flowers can boost a room’s humidity by up to 5%. This helps to suppress airborne microbes which can lead to allergies & also helps relieve dry noses and throats that keep you awake all night.
Do you have any of these houseplants? How have they improved your quality of sleep?

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This travel was #Hosted which means The company who sponsored it compensated me via all expenses paid trip, cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
San Antonio welcomes millions of visitors each year that come to enjoy the hot Texas sun, Tex Mex, the River Walk, and a few theme parks that make this city a must visit for anyone traveling through the lone star state. San Antonio has been a city that I’ve visited at least once a year since I was 5. I love visiting the River Walk, it’s one of my favorite places…but even out of all that time I hadn’t been during the holidays until last year. We absolutely LOVED it so much that we decided it would be an annual trip….Holidays In San Antonio.
Instead of just a one night trip, this year we decided to make it a weekend. We packed our R2D2 suitcase from American Tourister and headed out of town Saturday morning on our two-hour trek to a weekend of fun and adventure!
We stayed at the Red Roof Inn Plus Downtown…it was fairly easy to find and had plenty of parking with the included garage. The lobby was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the staff was super courteous and got everyone their rooms quickly. We took our things up to our two rooms which were across the hall from one another. Our room overlooked downtown where we could see the last of the runners from the Rock N Roll Marathon finishing their last mile. Both room were furnished with two full sized beds, a chair, a built-in desk & dresser and a flat screen tv. I loved the farmhouse sink that was in the bathroom, I would love one of these in my bathroom at home!
After we got everything settled in the room we headed off to Sea World for their Christmas Celebration. The boys were so excited to see the place decked in lights and do the many things we had on our itinerary. First off we took our picture in front of the tree up front. Every time we visit Sea World we have to get our picture taken here (normally it’s a fountain). We had a full day of adventure and fun, after which we had to swing by Target because someone forgot their toothbrush…yep, that would be me…I can grab everyone else’s, but can’t remember my own!
The next morning we woke rested and headed down to the free breakfast that is served from 6-9 every day. We grabbed some bagels, danishes, fresh fruit and waters then headed back up to the room to get ready for our day. Today we were exploring the downtown riverwalk area & Alamo. Since it was early the river walk was quite dead so we started off by walking the river center mall, enjoying a massage “kiosk” and taking photos in a photo booth.
After checking out a few stores (like the Disney Store..a must do for us since we don’t have one in Corpus) we headed over to the Alamo…another one of my favorite places in SA…perhaps because I used to come here all the time as a kid. Out in front in the plaza they had a large Christmas tree decorated with SA Spurs decor. The Alamo was buzzing with tourists like always. We headed on inside to remind the boys about the battle and all that the missionaries and soldiers sacrificed.
NOTE: Please DO NOT TOUCH the walls of the Alamo! It is quite old and just your touch could affect the mortar and stones. Please be respectful of this historic site.
Yes, I say this because I saw a man talking on the phone just walking along and touching the walls as he talked…I’m assuming it was just fidgeting like we all do on the phone, but finally a volunteer went over and asked him not too…he looked confused and said “all I’m doing is touching the walls.” I used that as a lesson for the boys of course and went on our way through each room viewing the beautiful found wall murals in some of the rooms then on to the “museum” part to view all the weapons and memorabilia from the period. My husbands family bible is located there. His Great Aunt Nancy Gage was a nurse at the Alamo and this is the page that is viewable in the case.
About the end of our walk through the Alamo, we were all getting hungry so we headed over to Rita’s On The River, who would be hosting us for lunch. This spot on the river walk is just gorgeous! So many large trees, greenery, small waterfall and of course the river.
“Rita’s on the River is a Tex-Mex restaurant on the Riverwalk known for the Texas-sized Margaritas, ice cold beer and delicious, sizzling fajitas with Texas-sized portions and beautiful Riverwalk views!”
As soon as you walk up to Rita’s you really get that TexMex feel with the music, bright decor and heavenly smell. We decided to sit outside and enjoy the view and people watching. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the food. We all quickly found what we wanted to eat even though there was so much goodness to choose from.
While we waited a lady came around letting us sample some homemade tortillas! OMG! It’s been so long since I’ve had homemade tortillas…the hubby and I were in food heaven!
After that a mariachi band started making their rounds from table to table working for tips…after hearing La Cucaracha, Labumba and a few others it was our turn…since after all it was the holidays I requested Feliz Navidad.
I just love the sound of a Mariachi and we couldn’t help but sing along. It wasn’t long after that that our food arrived. The aroma was overwhelming and had our mouths watering. The portions were quite large, I knew most of us wouldn’t finish, but we tried, just because it was so good! The tacos were cooked with peppers and onions which I usually don’t care for (weird I know, I hear it all the time), but the way this was cooked, it just added to the deliciousness and I didn’t mind at all! As we sat there eating and discussing how good it was we all started to realize we were getting full and would have to leave a lot of the food behind. Normally I would take it home, but we didn’t have a fridge or microwave in the room so there was no point…trust me, it killed me!
After that deliciousness, we were quite full so we headed back to the hotel for the boys (ok all of us) to take a nap before finishing the afternoon fun. After the nap, we decided to hang around the room a little since the boys were a little worn out from walking everywhere.
After a while, we headed back out as it was just about dinner time, but we wanted to see some of the lights along the way. We went by the Alamo to see the tree lit up then walked along the river walk a bit before arriving at our host for the evening, The Hard Rock Cafe.
The Hard Rock Cafe has always been one of my favorite spots to eat. In the past we’ve sat outside with the boys, but this time I really wanted them to experience what makes the Hard Rock…the Hard Rock! The were so excited to see all the musical instruments on the walls…although my youngest two didn’t understand that they were from someone famous they still enjoyed looking at them.
I was quite surprised that they were pretty slow, normally it takes so long to get a table and they have all floors and outside full. They only had the downstairs and outside open, so I was free to walk around upstairs and take pictures without bugging people. There were some pretty awesome things to see from artists like ZZTop, Elvis & Eddy Van Halen to name a few. The restaurant was decorated for the holidays as well with garland lights and a tree next to the stairs…we were definitely in a happy place.
Our waitress was like one in a million…(I believe here name was Hollie)…I can literally count on one hand how many time I’ve had a waitress as knowledgeable and fun as her. She talked us into adding the Nachos as an appetizer along with our potato skins and we were so glad she did..they were delicious! The entrees were to die for too…I had the Little Rock Burger…and even through it was a smaller portion, it was still almost too much for me! My little guys LOVED their guitar shaped plates. The ketchup was in spots in the neck and their fries and pizza were in the body. My oldest who usually devours anything in site didn’t even finish his meal…he actually got full!
After dinner we walked along the river walk to enjoy all the beautiful lights and luminaries, as we headed back to the hotel for our last night in SA. If you have the chance, be sure to take a night “cruise” on the river walk boats. You’ll learn a little history about San Antonio and get to see the beautifully lit River Walk.
The next morning we packed up our things enjoyed some breakfast and checked out of the hotel. We really enjoyed our stay and was a little sad to go. Before we headed back home we decided to take the boys to the Missions in San Antonio. Even though they were missing school for it, I felt it was a great excuse as they were learning about Texas History, hands on. My 10 yr old and 6 yr old even earned their Jr. Ranger badges at the second Mission. The boys were very well behaved in each mission we went into, very respectful and in awe of the history and stunning beauty inside the churches.
I want to give special thanks to Red Roof Inn Plus, Sea World, Rita’s on the River & Hard Rock Cafe for helping make this weekend a one of a kind.