Ambassadors Archives - Page 15 of 26

Bark Week on @HubTVNetwork

August 12, 2014 by Melissa

We’re all heard of Shark Week, that terrifying but too cool to look away programming special happening on Discovery Channel this week. How about something a little tamer, something a little furry. How about Bark Week from our friends at Hub Network.

Bark Week is a weeklong schedule of family favorite programming featuring our hairy and furry friends, the dogs. As a dog loving home this is something we can get on board with. Hub Network will be showcasing 4 popular series from Animal Planet; America’s Cutest, It’s Me or the Dog, Bad Dog and Too Cute.

If you’ve never seen Too Cute you’re missing out.

Bark Week is all about having a great line up of family friendly programming that actually brings the family together. My kids and I can often be found huddled around my phone watching cat and dog videos. There is something about them that is addicting.

Bark Week kicks off Sunday August 17th and runs till August 22nd with presentations such as 101 Dalmatians, Scooby Doo & Snow Buddies just a name a few. Check your local listing for complete times and schedules.

Never Go Hungry On @CarnivalCruise #cruisingcarnival

August 4, 2014 by Melissa

One of things cruises are known for is the food. The unlimited food can be found not just on the Lido Deck but in the dining room on Carnival CruiseLines. Our recent trip in the Carnival Fantasy showed us that big time.

Within minutes of getting onboard we were on the Lido Deck grabbing some lunch waiting for our stateroom to be ready so we could shed of our 12 hours in the car grossness. The choices were simple; salads, burgers, dogs, chicken tender, veggies and stirfry. Let’s not forget about the 24 Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt. That took just a few minutes to get into. It’s one of the things the kids remember them most. Oh and the 24-hour Pizza. The pizza was so good. I’m talking gourmet shop style with a thin chewy crust.

In fact the Hotel Director, Alina, chatted long about it. She said she doesn’t even like pizza but was won over when Carnival came up with this recipe with special imported flour from Italy. We ate pizza everyday. It was our nighttime snack when the kids were done with camp and we were done with the Comedy Club. We took a walk to the Lido Deck and stood in long lines waiting for hot fresh pizza and ice cream.

Seaday Brunch was my favorite meal. We actually missed it the first morning I regret that so much. The menu items were a mix of decadent, homestyle and simple dishes. Shae wanted a simple bagel and cream cheese but was brought lox as an accompaniment. Instead of dismissing it she tried and of course liked it. Rob and Shaun were brought oatmeal while Sabreena chose cereal crusted french toast. I opted for an omelet filled with fresh veggies. The options were endless and delicious.
Dinner was just as indulgent too. Our dining room staff was amazing. Gultekin (Glen), Wahyudi and Jewel anticipated our every need or want and didn’t hesitate to make each meal the best ever.

How many servers have you seen cut your child’s food for them? And to think I thought I spoiled them at home.
We sat at our table each night for dinner and our head waiter “Glen” always called out good evening Mr. & Mrs. Babiak which turned into a more comforting and friendly Mr. Robert and Mel. The kids were also greeted with smiles and favorite foods.

To say we were doted on is an understatement. Some nights we were just brought appetizers “Glen” thought we would enjoy rather than wait for us to order. He also knew my kids like to experiment so when it came to more exotic dishes he made sure to bring them their own plate. This is Shae and Shae eating escargot.
Next up were Frog Legs. They weren’t as big of a hit but they tried it because “Glen” and his crew gave us everything and more.
I don’t know how other cruiselines handle their guests grumbling bellies but Carnival is all about filling them up with mouth-watering and gorgeous food.

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

August 2, 2014 by Melissa

Most of you know by now that I love cars and I love doing car reviews since I have done at least 10 if not more. I don’t care that I only get to keep the vehicle for a week because for that week we like to use them to travel to different places that we have never been to before. During the week we like to put the car to the test and see what we like and dislike about the vehicle.

Three weeks ago we received the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 SE S-AWC for review and we really put it to the test. The first test was to drive 625 miles to Charleston SC to catch a cruise to the Caribbean and see how five people plus luggage would fit. I am happy to report that all five of us fit as well as our luggage. The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander does have a 3rd row but we found that by using that 3rd row it took away from the cargo space ALOT. What we did instead was put all three kids in the second row which was tight and folded down the 3rd row to give us more cargo room which was great since we had a ton of luggage. Don’t get me wrong it was tight (due to overpacking, LOL) and the luggage barely fit but it fit and to me that is all that matters.

The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander had a lot of nice features and a few that I absolutely hated. The first thing that I loved was the way that the Mitsubishi drove as well as the acceleration. I expected it to be weighed down with the five of us as well as luggage but it moved just fine with no problems.

Another great feature that I loved was the entertainment system which consisted of 7 inch touch screen with navigation and SiriusXM as well as a 710 watt Rockford Fosgate premium sound system (9 speakers including a 10 inch subwoofer with punch control). Melinda and I loved the sound system but not Shaun. While on our way to South Carolina Melinda caught Shaun leaning his head on the back or her seat and every time she would tell Shaun to sit back. The problem was that every time Shaun would sit back in his seat he said the bass from the sound system made him nauseous. I guess Melinda and I like a lot of bass in our old school rap music.

I also loved the power remote tail gate, rain-sensing wipers, fast key passive entry system and the one touch start/stop engine switch. All of these features are not necessary items but let me tell you they are very nice features to have a just add to the overall appeal of the 20144 Mitsubishi Outlander.

There were two features of the Mitsubishi that I understand how and why they worked but I didn’t care for the feature at all.

The first was the lane departure warning system. Like I said I understand why this feature may be important to some but to me it was really annoying. Any time I was just a touch near the lane line the system would notify me with a loud annoying beep. The good thing was this feature was able to be turned off and on with the touch of a button so as you may have guess this bad boy was turned off every time I drove.

The other feature that I liked and disliked at the same time was the adaptive cruise control. I do love using cruise control especially on this trip since it was 625 miles one way but the thing that was a little bit of a pain was the forward collision mitigation. The system would detect when there was a car in front of me (not sure at what distance but it was a good distance away) it would slow the cruise control down until the car in front of me was no longer detected then it would continue back to my set cruising speed. The overall function of this feature I liked but at times the car would slow down at such a rapid pace that it would actually jerk you in your seat. I could understand this is happening if I was on the bumper of the car in front but this would happen when we were maybe 4 to 5 car lengths out. Overall a really nice feature but at time it was a touch annoying for me.

Overall I really really enjoyed the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander and everything that it had to offer. If we didn’t over pack I am sure the cargo space wouldn’t have been an issue for us but that didn’t take anything away from this vehicle. It was packed with more features than I was able to use but every feature that I did use I really enjoyed. It definitely was a very nice vehicle and got us to and from our vacation in style and comfort.

Goop A Lesson in Quicksand #StreamTeam

July 24, 2014 by Melissa

While showing Shae The Princess Bride for the first time this week, the three of us (kids) got into a discussion about what quicksand is and how it works after watching the scene when Buttercup sinks into the lightning sand. With the Netflix theme for this month being all about staying engaged during the summer, Shae and I decided to do a little experiment.

The next morning we set out to discover the science behind quicksand. I gathered the necessary supplies; cornstarch, water, a large bowl, some food coloring for extra fun and an array of victims.

We decided to move outside because this is a notoriously messy experiment. Shae helped me pour the two main ingredients into the larger bowl but we quickly realized that there wasn’t nearly enough quicksand for a good experiment. What started out as a carefully measured experiment soon became me dumping a ton of cornstarch into a bowl and adding water in a splash at a time until we decided it was perfect. Adding the food coloring was a lot more difficult than I thought because the goo was so thick. I suggest that you add it to the water before you pour it in to guarantee even mixing.

Then we began subjecting our victims to the quicksand. First we killed the dinosaurs, then we sent a diver in to save them. We galloped some horses across the surface and then watched them slowly sink like that scene in A Neverending Story. I had Shae punch the surface and feel how oddly solid it was. We rolled the goo into balls and then watched them melt on the table.

I’m not entirely sure if Shae learned anything but it sure was a lot of fun. Cleaning up was a pain because Shae was covered up to her elbows in caked cornstarch.

Grand Turk Island #CruisingCarnival

July 16, 2014 by Melissa

We’re in the middle of our Carnival Cruise aboard the Fantasy. I planned on sharing more in the trip sooner but it’s been a very exciting few days with very little down time. Our first stop at Grand Turk Island was anything but busy and on the go.

We spent a couple hours relaxing under palm trees, enjoying frozen drinks from Margaritaville (meet my new Parrothead boyfriend) and swimming in the gorgeous turquoise water. Grand Turk Island is nestled in the Atlantic Ocean between South Caicos Islands and Salt Cay Island. Carnival Cruise uses Grand Turk Island as a Port of Call for it’s lush foliage, clear waters and welcoming towns people. Our visit was dotted with smiles from the employees within the Cruise Center and Margaritaville.The soft sands made for a great gathering spot for the kids. We even came prepared with buckets and shovels. When we got to the beach the kids found an instant playmate. On our lounger was a coconut. The kids named her Wanda.

Wanda went swimming, playing in the sand and even bathed in the sun. This is her “throne”.

The stop might have been short but Grand Turk was gorgeous and somewhere I’d love to visit again.

Fun Facts about #CruisingCarnival

July 13, 2014 by Melissa

Carnival Cruise Lines have been in the business of FUN for over 40 years. Based in Miami it’s ships tour the globe with cruises to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean and places in between.

A Carnival Cruise Ship is like a city at sea. There are enough amenities to keep even the busiest person occupied and entertained for days. You all know about the endless eating options, live shows, casinos and excursions but there’s more the the Fun Ships that you may not have known about.

Fun Facts about #CruisingCarnival

Carnival Cruise Lines is the most popular cruise line with more than 24 ships operating 3 to 18 day voyages
A Carnival Cruise is truly a family friendly vacation with activities for kids age 2 to teen
Some of the most loved staff are the Stewards. They are the ones that create those cute towel animals (Towel Animal classes are available, check with Guest Relations)
Schedule a “Behind the Fun” tour where you can see the bridge, engine control room and backstage area to get an up close and personal look at the operations
During Signature Dining, if you can’t decide between 2 entrees or appetizers just order both
In one week Carnival Fantasy guests will consume 36,000 slices of bacon, mmmmmm bacon
The staff to guest ratio is sometimes as low at 1:3 making for a truly personable, attentive sailing
The on-board pools are filled daily with filtered salt water from the sea
The Serenity Adult Retreat is the perfect kid-free zone for ultimate relaxation and peace
The on-board fitness centers are included voyage with the exception of instructor led classes and spa treatments
Leave the ball gowns, tuxedos and fancy shoes at home. It’s called a FUN SHIP for a reason

We’re out into the Atlantic Ocean right on our way to days filled with smiles, sun, memories and FUN. Wish you were here.

This Family is #CruisingCarnival

July 7, 2014 by Melissa

In just a few shorts days we’re heading out for our summer family vacation thanks to Carnival Cruiselines. We aren’t strangers to the cruise but nowhere near the cruise enthusiasts I want to be. Our last cruise was 4 years ago and the kids still talk about it and have been begging to go again since then. Timing couldn’t have been better either; Sabreena graduated high school a few weeks ago. Rob and I will be celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary while at sea and Shae turns 7 a couple weeks after we get back. It’s celebration time all around.

The Carnival Fantasy leaves out of Charleston, South Carolina and headed to the Caribbean. We’ll be taking the 9 hour drive to South Carolina overnight, seeing some of the pretty and historical sights of Charleston then boarding the 855 foot boat for non-stop fun over the next 8 days.

Our Ports of Call while #CruisingCarnival

Grand Turk-Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, may be small, but it’s packed with scenic punch and historic charm. Carnival® cruises to Grand Turk deliver you to an enchanted island outpost dotted with old windmills, grassy trails, and picture-perfect beaches. Discover an oasis of green set in aquamarine seas ringed by a pristine coral reef and the steep wall of the continental shelf with cruises to Grand Turk. Swim in the sparkling turquoise seas off Governor’s Beach. Snorkel or dive the coral reefs fringing Grand Turk.

Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas-Fulfill your tropical island fantasy on Carnival cruises to Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas. Sway in the sweet Bahamian breezes to the rhythms of calypso and find romance on this private island paradise. Cruises to Half Moon Cay deliver you to an idyllic sun-drenched island hideaway where you can play in the turquoise seas, ride horseback on powdery white sand, and encounter silky stingrays. Sail, swim or snorkel the shallow blue-green Atlantic. Ride horseback along the sea’s edge on Half Moon Cay cruises.

Nassau, the Bahamas-Blessed by balmy breezes and jumping to a bouncy calypso beat, Carnival cruises to Nassau, Bahamas promise sizzling fun in the sun. The historic and cultural heart of The Bahamas is one of the world’s most popular cruise ship ports—one million travelers board cruises to Nassau annually.

The Fantasy is filled with so much to do during the 8 days at sea. The kids will enjoy Club Carnival, Hasbro the game show, video games in the arcade, putt putt golf and of course Waterworks water park. Rob and I have the casino, nightclubs, Punchliner Comedy club, the piano bar, Serenity Adult Retreat and spa services to rival the best in the country.

As a family we’ll have lots of time to relax by the pool, enjoy casual dining with 24 hour soft-serve ice cream and pizza and do a little shopping while sailing.

Follow along all week while we share our experiences, photos from the Caribbean and memories we make while #cruisingcarnival.

2014 Kia Soul #DriveSTI

July 1, 2014 by Melissa

I love driving new cars even if they aren’t mine and recently I had the chance to drive the 2014 Kia Soul for a week also known as an urban hatchback.

The first think I noticed when I got home from work was the awesome red color (Inferno Red) and the sick 18 inch alloy wheels. I love new cars and I especially like messing around with all of the cool features.

The 2014 Kia Soul that we had for the week had the whole shabang like an Infinity sound system with satellite radio, panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, speaker lights (Front Door Speaker Trim Lights can pulsate to the beat of the music and even change color), leather interior with ventilated and heated seats and the list goes on and on. I am amazed at how many features a car company can pack into one vehicle. My current car is an 2007 and has maybe one or two features but no where near the features that the 2014 Kia Soul has.

I must admit that I really like the Kia Soul that we had and feel that it would be a great first car for Sabreena. The Kia Soul is affordable which is great for her and safe with 4 wheel ABS, full length curtain side airbags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags and dual front advanced airbags.

Another great feature that I liked about the Kia was the gas mileage which was about 31 highway/23 city. I drive about 60 to 70 miles round trip to work 5 days a week so I need a car that is going to give me great mileage and allow me to save a few bucks on gas.

I also love all of the leg room, head room and cargo room that the 2014 Kia Soul had to offer. We used the Kia to go to one of Shaun’s lacrosse games and the truck easily accommodated all of his gear as well as chairs, a cooler and a ton of other stuff that we needed for the day. The 60/40 rear seat split really came in handy.

We have reviewed maybe 5 or 6 Kia’s and the Soul is one of my favorites. I was hesitant at first due to its size and I thought it wouldn’t have a lot of get up and go but I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised and loved everything that the Soul had to offer. I am sure there are a ton of features that I missed and never got a chanced to mess with but I am happy with all of the features that I did get to test out.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle (unfortunately we aren’t at this time which stinks) give the Kia Soul a look. You will definitely be happy with all of the car that you get for your money.

Recharging this Summer with Netflix #StreamTeam

June 23, 2014 by Melissa

I’m so happy to be done with school and to have plenty of time this summer to watch Netflix. Yes, watching television is one of my favorite things to do. My last day of school was on May 23rd but my brother and sister didn’t finish school until June 10th so that meant I had plenty of free time. I tend to be their source of entertainment and amusement so I kinda had a vacation from them for a while.

I used most of this free time to marathon all of my favorite old shows. Since I’m only 18, shows that are old to me are shows that only came out in the early-2000s. But these are still the tv shows that I remember watching when I was in middle school. I’ve rewatched all of Numb3rs and well as Law and Order: SVU, two shows that my mom and I watched together and loved. Numb3rs was easily my favorite show in 8th grade; I remember watching reruns all afternoon during the summer.

I haven’t just been rewatching shows, I’ve also used this time to watch shows that I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had the time. Parks and Recreation is becoming one of my new favorite shows. I’ve fallen for the entire cast and it never fails to make me laugh out loud. Archer is another new show that I marathoned through. As a huge fan of Bob’s Burgers, I wanted to see if H. Jon Benjamin’s other show was as hilarious to me as the Bob’s Burgers is.

I’m glad to have Netflix this summer so that I can laze around and watch tv all day. It’s really the only way that I’d like to spend my summer.

2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-door Recap #DriveSTI

June 9, 2014 by Melissa

My two favorite smells are pizza and new car smell, LOL. I know that sounds weird but who doesn’t love a new car and how it smells as well as pizza? A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of test driving the 2014 Mazda3 s Grand Touring 5-door and I must say I was really impressed.

I have never driven a Mazda and to be honest I’m not sure that I have ever even driven in a Mazda but I was really happy and enjoyed the driving experience. My typical problem with a new car is it’s difficult learning all the new features of a car but the Mazda seemed like it was laid out really well and it was easy to learn.

This car was loaded with features like leather seats attractive red stitching, satellite radio, Mazda Connect infotainment system, active driving display (shows your speed & navigation on the small flip up screen so you don’t have to look down), navigation, power everything and the list goes on and on. I will say that this Mazda wasn’t lacking when it came to features. It had just about everything a person would need in a car.

Like I said the Mazda was a blast to drive; It handled awesome and the pickup was really amazing. I enjoyed all of the head and legroom that the Mazda had to offer since I am 6’3 and a roomy car is a must.

In addition to the awesome head and leg room the truck was ridiculously huge. As you can see from the below picture Melinda was able to fit $350 worth of groceries in the trunk with no problem at all. We also used the Mazda to go to one of Shaun’s lacrosse games and the truck easily accommodated all of his gear as well as chairs, a cooler and a ton of other stuff that we needed for the day.

We had the opportunity to test how well the Mazda did on gas because Shaun had a lacrosse game 2 hours away one way and let me tell you it did awesome. It was inexpensive to fill and it seemed like it went forever on a tank of gas which is great compared to our vehicles.

My overall experience with the 2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-door was very very positive and I would recommend anyone looking to buy a new car to give this Mazda a look because it will not disappoint.

We’re still a couple years away from getting away from the minivan but this would be a great 2nd car.

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