March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 31- Recap the Challenge, What did you Learn?

Recap of March!! - What a great month it has been, I enjoy having specific topics to write about even though one day did consist of writing 7 days worth of blogs all in one, but we made it through.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 30 - Why should we visit?

Why should you not?

I live in the most beautiful place in the United States, well at least the most beautiful place with the best beach! Locals here say that once you have seen our beaches there are no other that compares, and I have to say, I agree.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 29 - By the end of this year.

By the end of this year- I want to be a billionaire! DON'T WE ALL!

When I set goals, I almost feel like I am making huge life decisions. It's almost like I set my goals in stone and try so hard to achieve them, almost like New Year's Resolutions. {oh yeh, what were those again, lol just kidding} I like to set attainable goals and make sure I make a plan to achieve those goals. 

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 28 - Passion/Desire

     Passion and Desire, I could go on and on about my passions and desires. I am passionate about so many things and I desire so much. I think that if you don't have passions and desires in your life then you may feel lost, empty, unhappy. The list could go on and on. We are all passionate about something and we all desire so many things.

     Passion is defined as a strong and barely controllable emotion. I am passionate first and foremost about my family. I don't want to miss anything in my families life or any important events. I am so thankful that I am able to be a stay at mom and be here for my kids and husband for everything and anything they need. It means so much to have this time with them because our children will be grown and not only that but we had children young so I will still be able to have a career but I absolutely love and am passionate about being a Homemaker. 

                                

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 27- What's Happening?

Today was a eventful day. It was just a normal day and I had planned Lunch with my best friend. We went to one of my favorite restaurants in town. It is a tourist hot spot but it is ahhh-mazing! I usually eat specific things at restaurants, and it's always the same thing, however today I did order something different and it was enough for me to eat for Lunch and have leftovers for Dinner.

If you are ever passing through Foley, AL on your way to the beaches of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores absolutely make this a stop for lunch! Lambert's opens at 10:30 a.m. BE THERE AT THAT TIME, don't wait because you will be waiting outside! Yes this place is that good! Not only does this place have great food it also is such a fun atmosphere, you are sure to feel welcome and like your at home, especially with rolls being thrown at you { Yes, rolls are literally thrown at you} Watch your head!

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 25 - Beauty

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is a statement I find very true because not everyone finds the same things beautiful. We all think of the word beauty differently. I don't believe that your clothes, hair, or make-up make you "beautiful". I think that everything about you make you beautiful, even all the flaws; without the flaws, we would have no beauty. Because we all see beauty in different things differently I just wanted to share some positive quotes to remember about beauty!

My Craftily Ever After - Kid Craft Contributor - March

This March I started as the Kid Craft Contributor at My Craftily Ever After. I am very honored that Ashley picked me to be featured on her wonderful blog each month! Over at My Craftily Ever After you can find all types of DIY projects, crafts, recipes, and more!

For March I posted a easy craft that is sure to brighten up your yard even if it is still covered with snow. Here is how to make a easy Sun Catcher!

Let your kids add their own designs and be creative, make sure you help them with this though because you do have to use an oven!  Head on over there and check it out!

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 24- Show us your style.

My style.... Well, I'm not sure exactly where to start with my style. I feel like I am a very southern, beachy, down home country girl. However I also like to get all dolled up and go out for a night on the town too. I decided for this post, I'm going to ask the people closest to me and see how they describe my style.

Love of My Life: Redneck & Crazy 

Worlds Greatest Mother: Southern Sass 

Best Little Sister in the World {even though she's mean}: Girly Country 

Greatest Sister in law:  Country Preppy 

So after they described "my style" I decided to go look up they definitions of my style on Pinterest and this is what I found:

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 23- Local Eats & Treats

I've already talked about some of my favorite restaurants in town, Now I wanna talk about some of my favorite places for treats.

Read about our favorite local eats here: http://www.raisedsouthern.com/2014/03/march-madness-blogging-challenge-day-16.html

     I have some pretty awesome Treat Places around town! Now some are treats just for Mommies and Daddies but there are some for the kids as well. Lets start with the kids first!

     -Of course if your in town the weather has warmed up, no one except Snowbirds { Snowbird- a person or people from up North, where it snows all the time, come to the south and live all Winter until it starts warming up down here. Then they all fly North for the Summer} enjoy the beach during the winter months. Stop by Scoops and grab some Ice Cream

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 22- Write about a past goal you accomplished.

     A past goal I have accomplished.. I could write about several goals that I have accomplished because I also set weekly goals for myself and all the billion + 1 things I have to do. However, I do have a goal that My husband and I are very proud of.
    
     My husband and I have always talked about wanting to be settled by the time our children start school, whether that meant buying a house, or just renting in an area that we wanted our kids to grow up in and go to the same 3 schools {Elementary, Middle, High}. We were very blessed that my grandparents offered the option to buy their house, that I grew up in, in the country, a safe neighborhood, and beautiful area, and right across the state line so I would still be close to family and friends.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 21- Write about your Dream Room.

     Write about my dream room... hmmm Right now I guess it would be my dream Laundry room or play room (always thinking about the kids). I absolutely love my kitchen,  the only thing that needs to be done in there is a new coat of paint, I'm currently working on renovating my office.   So, I guess my "dream room" is going to be a Laundry room or our Playroom. I have many ideas for both!


     I'm thinking having a beautiful Laundry room will make me want to go in it more and maybe the laundry will all get sorted, washed, folded, & put away in one day... maybe that is wishful thinking, but one can dream right! Currently I have a pretty nice Laundry room. It's long, instead of wide and leads into another hallway to go to the playroom.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 20 - What's Happening?

Today's Topic is What's Happening?? {written Friday 3/21/2014}
   

     Well, what's happening with me is MY SISTER IS HERE! YAY!! I'm so happy she is in town I absolutely do not get to see here enough. She has been in town for the whole week with our family; her mom, her dad, brother, granddad, Nana, and her best friend. It is here Senior Spring Break so her best friend came to experience it and have a fun vacation.
     I've been out there to see them and spend time with them everyday this week. It was so nice to be out on the beach an enjoying the beautiful weather, doing a little shopping with her and having lunch everyday. Unfortunately she was sick yesterday with a stomach bug they have all been passing around and it was the one day I took the kids out of school and brought them and they weren't too happy they didn't get to spend any time with her. However we are planning a little road trip for graduation, so they will get to see her soon.
 

     It's been beautiful the whole week, when I was in OK in October, all my sister wanted for her birthday was her tattoo. The tattoo shops in KS, which is where we were visiting her dad, close at like 8:00p.m. really?? It must be a law because I called every tattoo shop in KS and they all closed at the same time. We decided to wait, until they came in town this week, which turned out to be a great idea (because our tattoo is PERFECT). We went to Gulf Coast Tattoos in Pensacola, FL and met with Chad, a local artist I know from a friend ( he does great work, I highly recommend him). He wasn't happy with the tattoo we had chose and decided to look up some other ideas and found something both my sister and I were happy with.

Sun Catchers DIY

     It's been absolutely beautiful outside lately. It's been in the 70's, sun is shining, and everyone here on the gulf coast of AL is coming out of hibernation, which means Spring is upon us. With Spring coming we are all thinking about everything we want to do and getting ready to enjoy these long Spring and Summer days. Here in our home we do a lot of crafts, especially when the kids are out of school and I love doing crafts that add to our home and give the kids a chance to show their creativity. 

On this particular day we made Sun Catchers! These sun catchers are so beautiful and shine so bright when the sun hits them. You can hang these inside you home in a window or outside in the trees as they began to grow their leaves.  This is such a fun craft you may have a yard and house full of them by the time your done. 

     All you need to make these beautiful sun catchers are clear color plastic beads,{it doesn't matter if they are shaped or not just as long as they are the clear plastic ones} A round cake pan {or any other pan you may have, I haven't tried using character pans}, & your oven! Now if  you want to be really creative you can also use metal cookie cutters to fill with the beads and make different shapes {this would be a lot of fun for Christmas to make Christmas Ornaments}

What you will need to do: 

* Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees 

* Cover the bottom of your round cake pan with the color beads you want to use.( you don’t need to spray or line the pan with anything) ~ We used a mixture of colors… Light Pink, Hot Pink, & Purple - Blue, Light Blue, Green, Light Green- & - Yellow, Red, and Orange. 

* Heat in oven for 20 minutes. 

* Pull out of oven allow to cool…5-10 min. once it has cooled you can just flip the pan over and let the kidos knock all over the bottom of it and it will pop right out for you.

- Once you have it out and its completely cool, gently drill a hole through the top of it and tie fishing line around it to hang up where ever you and the kids would like to see you sun catchers.

     We really had lots of fun making these round ones, I definitely plan on making some more of these and trying different shapes and colors combinations. These sun catchers would also be perfect to give to Teachers as a Summer Gift from your children, or to give to grandparents for Mothers Day. We did give two of these away. The kids love making enough to make sure their Yaya {grandma} and their Ma {great-grandma} get one as well. 

Please share your favorite Spring Craft with us!

Hey Y’all, My name is Kari Scott, I am 27 years old. I am the owner of RaisedSouthern.com and correspondent for Blogger of the Month with Alabama Women Bloggers. I’m Mrs. Scott to my high school sweetheart for 12 years and Mommy to my intelligent hard-headed all-boy nine-year-old and my diva princess glamour girl, who is six years old. We live in very small community right on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. I am a Southern Girl to the fullest, born and raised. I love the beach (it has a special place in my heart), fishing, being outside, cooking, baking, crafts, painting, and most of all being with my family. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and on Pinterest.

First Day of Spring- How it's looking here is South Alabama

I am so glad that Spring is here. It starts getting warmer, the trees start growing their leaves back, flowers blooming, and all of us here on the gulf coast start coming out of hibernation. This winter was a rough one, the coldest that we have had in a while. Remember all of us Alabamaians discussing the "snow" {all the northerners and midwesterns let us know real quick it was ice} 

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 18 - Recipes, Restaurant, Favorite Cuisine

Recipes, Restaurant, Favorite Cuisine - I could talk about food all day. A women's true wish for life is to be able to eat what ever she wants and not gain a pound.

Here is my favorite Recipe that is featured on my blog:

 
 - Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins: 

I could absolutely make these daily and eat every single one of them by myself. Usually when I make them though I eat every single one cause no one in my family likes banana - unless its just a plan ole banana. 

-Granny's Potatoes & Sausage 

This is probably our absolute favorite! You can make this meal as simple as you want or add a lot to it and make it more. On a night that were doing this quick, It is just simple potatoes, sausage, and 1/2 and onion chopped. You can also add some chicken, ham, etc.  Check out the recipe here: http://www.raisedsouthern.com/2013/11/granny-potatoes-and-sausage.html

- Justin's Peach Cobbler

My husband absolutely LOVES Peach Cobbler, for his birthday I decided to make this for him instead of cake. Now this is something I have to make every time there is a holiday or get together. Get the Recipe here: http://www.raisedsouthern.com/2013/08/justins-peach-cobbler.html

March Madness Blogging- Day 17 - Growth, Opportunity, and what does it mean to you?

Growth & Opportunity are important in all aspects of every one's life. With all obstacles that we face we all grow, with every dream or goal we set and work towards; we grow. With growing and following the right path, opportunity will come. It's always important that no matter what the situation or problem you are facing you always do the right thing and you always learn any lesson that are being taught from the situation.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Thanks for being such great readers and followers on all our social sites! Hope y'all have a lucky day! Even if it is Monday! 

Happy St. Patricks Day! 

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 16 - Around My Town, Dining andShopping Options

Today's Around Town - is going to be about Dining and Shopping Options in our area- Now I mentioned some over the past few weeks and those are my absolute favorite places to eat in the area. So I will include them here and I'll add some of the best shopping places!

Dining Options- Living in a small town, sandwiched in between two tourist towns gives us several amazing places to eat. Here are some of not only the tourists favorite places but also the locals! 

Start your day out here at Tacky Jacks for Breakfast and Bloody Mary's {if you need to start your day out that way of course} This is also a great place to start and dock the boat, enjoy your breakfast, and then head out for that fishing trip or just a day of fun in the sun!

When ya start hearing that rumbling in your tummy and your ready from for some lunch, head right up the inter coastal to LuLu's for some lunch, live music, maybe you just might want to try the ropes course. This restaurant is owned by Lucy Buffet if your not familiar with here you should be because her food - AMAZING - but her brother is also Jimmy Buffet! Take some time to visit this wonderful place and beautiful atmosphere! Even check out the bathrooms, they have some beautiful art painted, your kids are sure to love it too. 

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 14- Dinner Party, Who would you invite?

     Dinner Party, I absolutely LOVE Dinner Parties and I love planning and hosting parties. Maybe its something about my southern nature that loves planning and throwing a good party. Whether it is a birthday party or a dinner party it does take planning! A good party takes planning, attention to small details, food, and entertainment. Now because I am able to invite ANYONE to this Dinner Party  I am struggling with inviting people that I admire and look up to and would love to meet and learn stuff from with inviting people I know would be a real good time and I could have fun and cut loose with. I think my decision is slightly persuaded now because I'm writing this a day later then I should be.

March Madness Blogging Challenge- Day 15- What does retirement look like to you?

     Retirement? What does it look like to me, you ask? Well I have a idea of what I want it to be, but this question is kinda like the question they ask you on your first day of school in 9th grade, "Where do you see your self in 2 years, 5 years, & 10 years?" We really don't know where we would be, but thinking about these things is planting seeds and making goals for our lives.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 13 - What's Happening?

What's happening, oh just another busy week the life of this mom and wife.

March Madness Blogging Challenge- Day 11- A Book, A Movie, TV Show, & Music

This Tuesday is review day for our March Madness blogging challenge- now I admit that this is late, it's hard keeping up with a blogging challenge, and I have no idea why when I plan out blogs I get them out with no problem, but when there is a consist blogging challenge I find myself catching it up but I do love it and I do love how it makes me write more, cause this is what that blogging thing is all about right?

Today's blogging challenge is Review Day, So I am going to review some of my favorites...

A Book-

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 10 - Vacations, Past, Present, or Future

Vacations, Past, Present, or Future = Disney, Disney Disney, and then maybe some where else.
We are Disney lovers and try to go every year. Our children love Disney just as much. Earlier this year, little miss had a assignment for school of what she wanted to be when she grew up and she decided that she was going to be a Disney Princess and live at in Disney World in the castle, that's what she wrote and that's what she drew.

Life Long Friendships

      Friendships are truly like a roller coaster. You go through your ups and downs, you go through your scary moments and moments your calm and comfortable, you go through changes in emotions and feelings.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 9 - Entertainment/ What to do in your neck of the woods.

   
     My neck of the woods, well where I actually live there is not much to do during the winter. All the normal in door stuff, bowling, laser tag, shopping, etc. During the Spring and Summer, everything gets a little better. We spend a lot of time at the beach as you already know. We do a lot of fishing, hanging with friends during summer nights, We spend a lot of time outside and at the parks and enjoying how beautiful it is here. I live right in the little town of Lillian, AL right on beautiful Perdido Bay. My town is a one stop light kind of town. I get the best of both worlds out here enjoying the water and life in the country woods.

I also live right in the middle between Pensacola, FL and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Foley, AL and there are plenty to do in both places

 Pensacola Beach, FL & Pensacola, FL 

Gulf Shores, AL

     You can enjoy several different things in Pensacola. It is a beautiful area downtown and out towards Pensacola Beach. Enjoy a baseball game, day at the beach, downtown shopping and festivals,wonderful places to eat and enjoy the night life.
                                             

Seville Square Downtown Pensacola, FL 

The same is offered in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Foley area. You can enjoy everything from the beach, beach bar, deep sea fishing, dolphin cruises, shopping at The Wharf, or a concert, because you never know who may be in town.

There are amazing, one of a kind places to eat.

             There are some places that will ensure you have a great time enjoying the night life.

Here we are simply a tourist town, on a beautiful beach, where the locals are southern and simple!

Gulf Shores, AL: http://www.gulfshoresal.gov/

Orange Beach, AL: http://www.cityoforangebeach.com/

Pensacola, FL: http://www.cityofpensacola.com/

Pizza Spaghetti

     Pizza Spaghetti, don't that just sound delicious?? Not only is this dish delicious, it is also easy to make. This happens to be a family favorite, in my family of picky eaters. My husband eats Spaghetti but doesn't like things changed or made different, he does however like this. I always get a little worried that he's not going to like a new dish because of how different our taste in food is, here lately though, I've been on a roll. Pizza Spaghetti is very simple to make, and can be made and frozen if you would like, as a make ahead meal, or you can make it all at once.

Here's What You Need:
- 1 regular size package Spaghetti Noodles
-1 tbsp. of oil
-1 tbsp. of salt
- 1lb. Hamburger Meat
- 1/2 bag Pepperoni
-1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 bag Mozzarella Cheese
-Casserole Dish ( any size your prefer)

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 8- Working Girl? Domestic Engineer? What are you aspirations?

Aspirations, Hopes, Dreams, Wishes, Desires.... Those are words that everyone should have in their vocabulary. These words help give everyone a sense of being. I have so many hopes, dreams, and wishes that I want to live out over my life and that I have for my family. We all may wish to be millionaires or billionaires, but money doesn't buy happiness, yes it can buy things that make you happy, but it the end it won't be what keeps you going.

What keeps me going is all the experiences and memories I want to have in my life and all I want to do with my life.

March Madness Blogging Challenge - Day 7- A day in the life, Describe your Perfect Day.

My Perfect day would literally be any day that involves a cooler, bathing suit, snacks, cool drinks, beach or river, chair, and a radio. When someone asks to describe my Perfect Day, to me that is very easy. Everyone loves a good day of relaxation and fun in the sun, on the beach/river with family or friends and this is something that we love doing at least once a week during the spring and summer.

Some people would prefer a vacation somewhere, a day of just shopping, or curling up with a book and having some you time, I much rather be hanging out at my favorite place.

My daughter and I absolutely love the beach! It's our favorite thing to do. 

My son {left} and my nephew. We also get some great pictures during the Summer time of the kids.

Good Friends always help you with your sunscreen. My daughter {right} and my friends daughter.

One thing the kids love to do is try and catch fish and pan for seashells (girls in the background) & build Sandcastles and forts (boys). 

Absolutely beautiful day for a boat ride - this isn't ours {i wish} but it sailed by while we were enjoying the beach. 

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Gulfport, MS- Childrens Museum

This is a place for a kid to explore, be in a grown up world, safely, play, use their imagination, and have some fun. Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is in Gulfport, MS this is about 2 1/2 hours from home. If your close by, this is perfect for a day trip and there is even a place for you to have a picnic or you can head out to the beach and picnic on a nice day.

We went on a little 3 day getaway with my mom and grandmother, unfortunately my husband wasn't able to go as planned due to work, so I took the kids and my cousin with us. We stayed at the beautiful Beau Rivage for the time, if you are going to the area this a place to stay with  a beautiful room, with amazing views in each room, and the best part the BATH TUB, the kids can almost swim in it. The Beau Rivage also has a several things to do with the kids, you can take them to shops, the ice cream parlor, grab smoothies in the morning at the coffee shop, and of course the arcade. They also have a great buffet that serves Breakfast Lunch, and Dinner. 

We wanted to do some fun activities with the kids, and it happen to be a beautiful day. My mom knew of the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and that is what was on the agenda. 

At the LMDC there are different areas for the kids to explore and use their imaginations. The first areas we explored were the Train area and the Boat Yard. In the train area there are several different bins that have a train conductor hat, a shovel for shoveling coal, and dress up closes for the girls. Here the kids pretend they are on a old train headed across country. Inside the little passenger car is a perfect table for the ladies to gather and talk.

 I found my daughter hiding from her brother and cousin. 

Right at the entrance there is also a Boat Yard Area. Here there is a Boat, where you can be the captain of the ship, or there is a dozier with a hook to help you pick up the bags you brought in on your boat and load them into the truck to go out for delivery. It is a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed trying to pick up the bags and load them into the truck. 

Right past the Boat Yard area there is a Art room where you can do Arts and Crafts. We wanted to explore and run some energy out, plus with the kids having a blogger for a mom they do lots of Arts and Crafts.

As soon as you walk in you will see this huge tower that to me looks like leaves. If there are kids there you are sure to notice it because they will be climbing in it. My kids loved this thing and it was really cool. If I wasn't scared to be the mom stuck in the kids climbing fort I would have went through it. I'm sure I could have, but lets not take any chances. 

You can go up or down.

Upstairs that are other great specialty areas for the kids to play in. There is African themed area full of drums, animals, a safari hut, and a safari vehicle to go on your jungle safari.

Take the kids back in time, to a time of a hat shop, barbra shop, old hotel with a check in area and old keys to the rooms, with quiet southern charm, a piano, and tea party with cookies (of course fake, just didn't want ya to think there was a snack involved) 

Move on to the Supermarket. This is a awesome idea and if you have a playroom this could be something you make yourself as well. In this area they took the boxes from previous bought food, removed the food out of it and taped the boxes shut to make it look products on the grocery store shelves. They set up a area with a cash register, fake money, mini shopping carts, and reusable grocery bags. They also had two little counters one was for fish and seafood and the other for cheeses and breads. They made a produce section with baskets for "fresh" produce and a area that looked like a frozen food The kids enjoyed grocery shopping on their own a lot.

One of the kids favorite areas was where they could make their own news and weather broadcast, complete with cameras, and a weather map. Enjoy their forecast.

)

Move on to the next area and check out more hands on activites. In this area they have a place for the kid to try wheelchair basketball - we were having fun trying, there is no way I would be successful at that, I forgot to take pictures. Also here in this area, there is a life size light bright. (remember those?) a place to do golf ball races, see how a tornado forms, make music with flip flops and plumbers pipes, and also have the kids try out the pulley system. This is a lot of fun too. 

If you go explore the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center on a beautiful day you can take a picnic and also enjoy the outside activities as well. They have three different tree houses for you children to explore and play in, They have several areas for kids to place their heads and pose for pictures, a submarine is located outside on the side of the building for kids to take a look out. There is a cabin "in the woods" with a little stream out by the side. There are several picnic tables outside that you could site at and enjoy your lunch, or if nothing is going on there is a stage with benches that you could sit on and enjoy a lunch.

Up towards the parking lot there is a kids town, that has several houses that the kids can go into and explore how a home is built. It really does look like what a town would look like for little children. It's a bit creepy to me, but maybe because I watch to many scary movies. I do not like children in scary movies. 

If you have the time this is absolutely a place we will go back to the next time we are out that way. It was fun and the kids always enjoy being able to explore. If yours kids are anything like mine they like to touch everything, and here is a place for them to do it.

Visit the Lynn Meadows discovery website here: http://www.lmdc.org/ There is always extra special activities going on, so be sure to check the calendar.