Looking for an unexpected, thrilling place to explore during your next family vacation, consider adding a visit to a cemetery to your itinerary. Bet you never thought of visiting to a cemetery did you? Cemeteries are full of memorable markers and massive monuments and tell a city’s rich history in a way unlike any other. During a recent visit to Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis , while searching for the grave of Isaac Hayes, we met Norris Gray, Community Service Counselor. Norris directed us to Hayes' grave saying it was directly across from the grotto.  Isaac Hayes' Burial Site After snapping a few pics, Norris shared a brief history of Memorial Park and pointed out some notable gravesites including that of famed pastor Bishop G.E. Patterson and various leaders of the COGIC church; Sam Phillips, the record producer said to have discovered Elvis Presley; Blues’ singer Bobby “Blue” Bland; and Grammy award winning Gospel artist O’Landa Draper among others. Memo

MANDISA is back with a NEW CD “OUT OF THE DARK”. Mandisa wrote her song “Overcomer” in 2013 to encourage her close friend Kisha, who was battling breast cancer. Mandisa really believed and prayed that God was going to heal her, but when Kisha went to be with Jesus in 2014, Mandisa’s foundation was shaken in a way she never expected.  Faith is an amazing thing.  Mandisa's faith was tested in the loss of her friend. We see so many advances made in breast cancer research that we often forget this dreaded disease continues to claim lives every single day.  A few years ago, I met a dynamic breast cancer survivor at a blogger conference.  She was the youngest person I'd ever met with the disease. She got breast cancer in her 20s and her cancer returned in her 30s.   She fell into a deep pit of depression for close to 3 years, shutting out her friends, family and the rest of the world.  I can imagine the pain losing her friend caused.    Mandisa believes if she had kept goin

In May 2017, a work by noted artist Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for a record $110.5 million.  That's not a typo.  A painting sold for $110,000,000.00! I have long been a fan of Basquiat and frequently seek out his work when I visit museums.  Recently, during a visit to Crystal Bridges Museum I stood in awe of one of his works.  Untitled by Jean Michel Basquiat Basquait's bold, chaotic, untitled work of oil and spray enamel on the large canvas before me as I stood trying to decipher the graffiti like image. His work is one of my favorites and to think it along with several of our nation's most treasured works are housed in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Arkansas?  Yes, Arkansas. Bentonville, Arkansas a small town in Northwest Arkansas is home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  The museum was founded by Alice Walton and designed by famed architect, Moshe Safdie.  Safdie designed the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City and many other notable struc

All your favorite characters from Guardians of the Galaxy are back for yet another blockbuster!  If you are a Guardians of the Galaxy fan then have I got a fab giveaway for you!   The Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 1000 Dot to Dot book is the perfect gift for GotG fans.  The complex dot to dot creations will keep you busy for hours.  Plus there's a GIANT pull out poster that's fit to work on as a group.  Keep reading to learn how to enter this easy entry giveaway

Just a few pics from our recent trip to Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas I'll post more and stories behind some of these amazing pieces of work later this week. Stay tuned...

Looking for that feel good movie of the Summer?  Urban Hymn may just be the flick.  It's got all the makings of a heartstrings pullin' tearjerker plus a British accent.      “URBAN HYMN”, a new beautiful yet heartbreaking film with tremendous performances. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, “URBAN HYMN” stars Shirley Henderson, Steven Mackintosh, Ian Hart, Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright, Caroline O’Neill, Isabella Laughland, Jack McMullen and Katie Redford. "A redemptive coming of age story about a wayward teen, Jamie (Letitia Wright), who is encouraged by an inspiring and unconventional social worker Kate (Shirley Henderson), to use singing as an escape from her troubled background. Jamie’s loyalties soon become torn between Kate and her possessive and volatile best friend, Leanne (Isabella Laughland)." Urban Hymn albeit a little rough on the edges was overall a good movie with an all too familiar storyline.  The acting was gritty at times which hel

What's on your menu today? Mi?  Comiendo enchiladas de pollo con guacamole y salsa y ensalada.  Translation:  I'm eating chicken enchiladas with guacamole, salsa and salad. Since I've been on Nutrisystem I have been cooking a little healthier for my family.  Although my youngest isn't a fan of some of my concoctions, the rest of the family is really enjoying the change.  The kids have really taken a liking to my sautéed kale, garlic and turkey bacon side dish.  My middle son is even trying his hand at sautéing dishes and helping me with grocery shopping.  We're learning how to make some of our favorites a little more healthy.  For example, brown rice for our Asian-inspired fried rice dish, whole grain pastas in our Italian dishes and less cheese and more whole black beans in our favorite Mexican dishes.   Nutrisystem offers some delicious options for Asian, Italian and Spanish-inspired dishes.  One of my faves is the Nutrisystem Chicken Enchiladas. 

Swagbucks is holding their Swago promotion on Monday, May 22nd! It's just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks , this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it.    The best part is that the points you get can be used to get free gift cards to places like Amazon, or PayPal cash! Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points - if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 500 SB bonus ! Click here to sign up and get started! If you sign up through my link and earn 300 SB before June 1st, you'll get a bonus 300 SB! Have questions about Swagbucks?  Let me know, leave a comment below.

The Beginner’s Bible® has been a favorite with young children and their parents since its release in 1989 with over 25 million products sold.  Thanks to Booklook I received  The Beginner’s Bible Carry-Along Treasury to share and review. I remember this Bible from when I was a kid.  Now here we are some decades letter and The Beginner’s Bible®, the bestselling Bible storybook of our time, is now in a special carry-along edition with over 30 stories! Could this Bible be any more adorable?   The very first page of the Beginner's Bible Carry-Along Treasury has a place to write your child's name and says "Will you please read to me?  Thank you." The book features stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and is full of watercolor type illustrations sure to capture young readers' attention as they listen to familiar Bible stories. My favorite illustration was the one depicting your King David draped in King Saul's armor.  The Beginner’s Bib

A reminder on my Facebook paged popped up to remind me that this time last year I was prepping for an interview on Good Morning America.  Yep, little ol' me on GMA ! *tosses confetti*   My family and I were interviewed about kids' cell phone usage and potential cell phone addiction.  One of my kids was on his phone ALL the time and his grades were declining.   I installed a program on my kid's phone which tracked cell phone usage and was surprised my kid was on his phone 6-8 hours per day on most days and even more than that on weekends.  Bear in mind he wasn't allowed to take his phone to school so his phone use was restricted to after school and weekends and somehow this kid managed to rack up 6-8 hours of phone time in a 24-hour day.?!  1/3 of my kid's day was spent on the phone.  I was shocked. We had to make some changes.  There was no way I would let this device control my kid's life.  No ma'am Pam, it wasn't happening.  We as a family learn

  A couple of years ago I gifted a Bible to the daughter of a dear friend.  I was so surprised when I came across a recent Facebook post of the little girl with some of her friends.  In her hand was the Bible I gifted to her some years earlier.   My heart was so full seeing that big smile on her face with that Bible clutched in her hands.  Hubby still has the Bible our church gifted him when he graduated high school. I still have the family Bible my mom gifted me when I got married.  Each of our kids has a Bible their aunt bought them with their names etched on the covers. Do you have a Bible which holds a special place in your heart?  Maybe it was one that belonged to your mom or given to you to mark a special occasion. What about your kid?  Does your child have a Bible of their own?  Do they read from it often?  If not, you may want to find a translation fit for your child.  I love the ICB International Children's Bible translation.  It's written at a 3rd grade r

We were at a ceremony at the kids' school and a familiar face sat in the row behind us.  A woman tapped my son on his shoulder to say "Hello."  It was our family dentist. My kids have been going to the same dentist since we moved into our neighborhood over a decade ago and it's been fun watching our kids grow up together.  Her youngest daughter and our twin sons are in the same grade . She's helped keep our kids cavity free and she reinforces these good dental habit tips hubby and I share with our kids.  1.  Brush your teeth at least 2 times a day 2.  Floss daily 3.  Protect your mouth with a mouthguard when playing        sports 4.  Minimize sugary treats and drinks.  Snack healthy. 5.  Fluoridated toothpaste and fluoridated water When I was asked to review the TUNG Brush , I asked our family dentist what her thoughts were on tongue brushes.  I had never heard of a brush designed specifically for cleaning the tongue and guess what neither had she. 

In honor of all the Moms out here, Swagbucks has a special one-day-only collector's bill available exclusively through Search! It's a 24 SB bill available all Mother's Day long - and here's the best part: If you get it, you'll get an automatic 20 SB bonus as well! Click here to go find it! If you aren't already a member of Swagbucks, it's a site where you earn points (called SB) for Searching the web, shopping, discovering deals, taking surveys, and watching videos. Then you redeem those points for gift cards to places like Amazon, PayPal, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, and more! They've awarded over $185 million in free gift cards already. Sign up for Swagbucks now

Woohoo!  Nickelodeon DVD JUST released Rugrats Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD!!!    Who's your favorite Rugrats character?  Keep reading and learn how you can win both Rugrats Season 1 DVD and Rugrats Season 2 DVD.

If you still haven't done your Mother's Day shopping, here's a way you can get paid for finding a great gift for the moms in your life. Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago ! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. You can redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly. Click here to get started ! Here’s what you need to know to get your 2 00 SB Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern): Shop Swago will begin on Tuesday, May 9th at 9am PT/12pm ET , make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. Once you complete the action

Dear Mama, I don't know if I say it enough but "thank you".  Thank you for always being there for me and always believing in me helping to shape me into the person I am becoming. You often say you always wanted to grow up and be a mom.  Well, as the mom of three and known as "Momma" to tons of others, I think it's safe to say you have succeeded in that.  I am reminded this Mother's Day that I am the same age you were when you became a grandma.  As I embark on the latest adventure of my kids' lives I can't help but think of how you must have felt to see your baby girl become a mom.  You see I too always wanted to grow up and be a mom but my journey was filled with difficulties.  When I lost faith in God and medicine, you were there to encourage me.  I had long accepted that I would never know the joys of motherhood, however, you weren't so quick to accept such.   Remember that day we left the Fertility Clinic after hearing my fertility

  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Swagbucks had a fun team challenge to help you earn SB from Swagbucks! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online like shopping, answering surveys, discovering deals, and watching videos. You can even earn for searching the web!    If you've never tried Swagbucks before because you didn't know where to begin, their Team Challenges are a great way to learn the ropes!  Their latest, the "Swag Wars" Team Challenge, begins Monday, May 1st at 8am PT. Here's how you can join the challenge and the site:    1.  Click here  to join the challenge and be assigned to a team. 2. Starting May 1st at 2pm PDT, in addition to earning SB you'll contribute points to your teams total as you complete different activities on Swagbucks. 3. Check back on the page often to see the scores and what you've contribute so far.    A