You are here: Home / Archives for feature

The One Where I Go To Disney On Ice Without Kids

November 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes you get awesome tickets to go see Disney On Ice’s 100 Years of Magic for your family.  And sometimes 2 of your family members (that happen to be of teenage sort) have school and work obligations that prevent them from going with you.  So sometimes you and your husband decided to make the best of it and go with the “creepy weird couple with no kids at Disney on Ice“ stigma.

Disney on ice is fun for adults too

And every time… You have an awesome night filled with the magic of Disney.  Because you never are too old to be enchanted by Mickey, Minnie, and the whole Disney on Ice gang.

***Compensated post.  All opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: family, feature, just for fun, reviews, stephanie hansen, Utah Tagged With: ,

It’s a Chest! It’s a Chair! It’s a Desk! It’s a Chest R Desk!

November 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I was just strolling through the aisles of one of the “big box” stores and came to the startling conclusion… Christmas is almost here.  All the signs are there.  Christmas presents going up in the aisles.  Christmas decor is already starting to line the shelves.  And the gingerbread house kits were capping the end of most displays.  How did this happen?  It’s only the beginning of November; is it really time to start thinking about doing your holiday or Christmas shopping?  Thankfully I can cross some adorable kids in my life off by Christmas shopping list thanks to Chest R Desk.

chest r desk christmas shopping

At first glance this adorable piece of furniture looks like a fab little chair with storage underneath.  And with kids… Who doesn’t need more storage?  But the Chest R Desk is so much more thank just a chair.  Watch this video and see why the Chest R Desk is like the Transformers of children’s furniture.

It’s the perfect solution for homeschool, craft projects, reading, toy storage, coloring, or whatever you and your child can dream up.  Convertible items always lead to the best ideas.  Which is why the fun decals that are available make the Chest R Desk even more awesome.

chest r desk

The Chest R Desk is the perfect size for kids ages 3-12.  I am sure you have of few little ones in your life that would benefit from this creative and unique product.  And I am pretty sure they would love it.

children's furniture desk chair chest

Now is the time to cross all those fun tiny people off your holiday or Christmas shopping list with the Chest R Desk.  At the great price of $59.95 it’s a must have gift for your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, or any kid you think is extra awesome.

For ordering information and all things Chest R Desk visit them online:

***Compensated Post. But as usual all thoughts are my own.

Filed Under: christmas, feature, reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The One About Visiting A Graveyard… A Granite Graveyard

October 31, 2012 By 3 Comments

It’s Halloween so I thought I would share a tale of ghosts and ghouls.  But I didn’t really have any.  This all comes down to living a pretty boring life filled with unicorns and glitter.  But recently I did have the chance to visit a graveyard.  Not your traditional graveyard with dead bodies and zombie dogs (but if there was any creepers I thankfully had Emily there to protect me.  I can use all that strength she gets from going to the gym every day.)  But one filled with thousands of pounds of gorgeous granite.  It’s just what is leftover after MGS by Design aka Granite Gurus makes the magic happen.  If you ever happen to be in Lindon, Utah… It’s the kind of graveyard you want to visit.

But don’t worry, MGS by Design isn’t all about decapitated pieces of granite, quartz, and marble.  It is all about fabricating the perfect surface for your home, business, or whatever your heart desires (Maybe a really awesome outdoor cooking space???)  And with all the different options of stones… I think your hardest decision is going to be choosing which one.

I’ve been in the market for a new counter for ages… and by ages I mean at least 2 years.  I’ve got a gap between my sink and counter that is reaching the caving in point any day now.  Aimee is basically the unicorn princess of granite and explained to me why 2 inch granite would suit my needs perfectly (even though one of those big box stores told me 3 inch was the only way to go).  She explained all the different grades and the differences between quartz and granite.  I went in thinking I knew quite a bit… and left KNOWING quite a bit.  Seriously people… Aimee is a stone genius.  I only wish my kitchen was flashy enough for terrazzo.  Isn’t it fab?  Maybe I could pull it off in a bathroom? Maybe I should check out their gallery of projects and get some ideas?

If you think all the stone is impressive you haven’t even seen the equipment yet.  Talk about heavy machinary.  I really wanted to play with some of it.  But I really enjoy having arms and legs.  Plus I am pretty sure it’s against the rules.

Now what are you waiting for check out MGS by Design:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

426 E 1600 N
Vineyard, UT  84057
801 722-84057

Website- http://www.mgsbydesign.com/
Blogsite- http://www.granitegurus.com/
The Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/GraniteGurus
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MGSbyDesign

 

Filed Under: blogging friends, feature, reviews, stephanie hansen, unicorns, Utah Tagged With: , ,

That’s A Hax Folks

October 30, 2012 By 1 Comment

Oh come on… That’s a wrap.  That’s a hax… Fabulous play on words, right?  I do of course expect you to lie to me and lavish me with compliments on how funny and amazing I am.  For the last month (Cyber Security Month to be exact) our family has been addicted playing the new game by Cyber Griffin, Hax Attacks.  It’s available on iPhone and iPad (for $.99 and $1.99 respectively) and is totally worth it.  This game is a truly fun game with a side of real life cyberlearning tips.

I was amazed at how much my teens, husband, and I learned by playing this game.  We all needed a great refresher on passwords, suspicious links, and how to avoid viruses and malware.  Who doesn’t need tips and tricks on that?  But the truly amazing thing about Hax Attacks?  The cyber tips don’t get in the way of game play.  And if you just really want an enjoyable game for all ages (I would say about 4 and up could grasp the basic concept but maybe not the cyber tips) Hax Attacks by Cyber Griffin is for you.

We decided to take a little trip into the world of smaller children and see what they thought of/would learn from Hax Attacks.  And the results were surprising.  Besides a little reading snafus (some of those words are big) my 9 year old nephew really grasped the concept of cyber security and why it is important.  Plus… He thought it was so much fun.  And my 5 year old niece?  Well she just liked playing it.  And sometimes, that’s all you can ask for.  And don’t take my word for it.  Xander has our final Hax Attacks video with those adorable little kiddos ready for you!

Follow Hax Attacks on Twitter and Facebook for tips and tricks to keep your family safe during #CyberSecurityMonth and beyond.

***Compensated campaign through Cyber Griffin and Hax Attacks

Filed Under: family, feature, I Love Technology, reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Family Fail: We’ve Been Hacked! (A Non-Musical Parody)

October 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

You know what they say.  The family that get’s hacked together stays together.  Well today was NOT our day.  (Well it technically WAS our day because we were able to show off our exceptional acting skills.)  We had a huge family family… We’ve been hacked.  This could have been prevented by using all of the wisdom we’ve learned playing Hax Attacks.  But instead we went all rogue and downloaded viruses, didn’t secure our passwords, and clicked on unsafe links.  It’s basically like we were TRYING to get hacked.  Thankfully Xander was there to document this disturbing day.

Don’t let this fictional fail happen to you and your loved ones.  Download Hax Attacks from Cyber Griffin on your iPad  (it’s only $1.99 and totally funjucational) and iPhone (For only $.99 how can you NOT?) and learn everything you can do to keep your electronics safe.  It’s the perfect time to brush up on your security skills since it is Cyber Security Month.

hax attacks

Plus… Don’t you kind of want to wipe the evil grin off that little bad hacker guy?  He’s like those stupid smug pigs on Angry birds.  You can’t NOT want to beat him down.

Follow Hax Attacks on Twitter and Facebook for tips and tricks to keep your family safe during #CyberSecurityMonth and beyond.

***Compensated campaign through Cyber Griffin and Hax Attacks

Filed Under: family, feature, just for fun, reviews, stephanie hansen, VLOG Tagged With: , ,

Scheel’s In Utah Grand Opening

September 28, 2012 By 2 Comments

I recently got a sneak peek inside the new Scheels that is opening, on September 29th, in Sandy, Utah.  At first I had no idea what to expect.  I had been watching this giant building go up for over a year now.  It was taunting me on my weekly trips to Costco and I had to learn more.

 

Scheels is so much more than just your average sporting goods store.  There are clothes, shoes, BEARS, a giant ferris wheel, and a fish tank too.  And when I say clothes and shoes I don’t just mean camoflauge vests and show shoes. (Sorry if that is your everyday attire… Mine is yoga pants and a holy t-shirt.  I don’t judge… much.) They have actual fashionable clothes that you could wear in your daily life.  In fact Scheels is about a gajillion shops all in one giant store. (And by a gajillion I actually mean 85… but in my world that is totally a gajillion.

scheels utah grand opening september 29th

See???  A cute little bear family with blue painters tape to protect their little feeties (hey… it’s my site and if I say feeties is a word… it’s totally a word). I have a slight obsession with bears.  Just ask every bear that ever existed in Yellowstone.  I may totally break that whole “stay 100 yards away from the bears” rule.

 Thankfully they were forcing us to ride this bad boy during our tour.  I’m pretty sure I would have died of fear right there on the spot.  And I’ve heard that death by ferris wheels is totally bad PR.

 I am happy to report that Hoffy the dog would approve of the pet section at Scheels.  It’s fully stock with balls, balls, and more balls.  I’m pretty sure she could have those all shoved under the couch in 11 minutes flat.  I forgot to see if they have unicorn grooming supplies.  But I am sure they do… Who wouldn’t have those?

 And no self respecting store this epic in nature would be caught dead without an equally as awesome fish tank.  I’m a sucker for fish… What can I say?

There is so much to do and see at Scheel’s I can’t really fit it all into one post.  One area I can’t wait to take Brian back to is the gun and rifle section.  It wasn’t fully set up when I toured the facility but it appeared to be one of the most expansive one’s I have seen.  And maybe I can finally get that pearl handled revolver I’ve been needing.

The grand opening of Scheels in Sandy, Utah on September 29th is kicking off with a bang.  Doors open at 9 am but they are having a grand PRE-opening in their parking lot from 5-9am.  Just a few of the festivities on tap are:

  •  Video game wars on a GIANT screen.
  • Meet your favorite mascots
  • And performances by The Green Man Group and The Band Hedley

And if you don’t have a Scheels near you… Don’t worry.  Just reach them on the web:

***Scheels provided me with a sneak peek of their store.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Because wouldn’t it be scary is someone else thought like me? 

Filed Under: blarg, feature, reviews, Utah Tagged With: , , ,

A Taste Of Italy

August 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

When was the last time you had a date night?  A night out with friends?  A nice family evening on the town?  Celebrated a special occassion?  I am sure by now you are wondering where I am going with this.  I can tell you exactly where I’m going… And where you should be going.  BRIO Tuscan Grille at Fashion Place Mall in Utah.

When you walk into Brio Tuscan Grille you automatically feel at peace.  The large open floorplan.  No loud music. Subdued decor.  Then you look at the menu and realize this place is DIFFERENT.  And by different I mean FAB!

Brio Tuscan Grille isn’t your typical “assembly line” type Italian restaurant.  The sauces are prepared fresh daily.  The produce comes fresh from as many local sources as possible.  And your meal is prepared to order.  You really can see and taste the difference.  The appetizers are mouth watering… (3 words Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant… It’s totally 3 words if you use the ampersand)

The main courses are flavorful, mouthwatering, and in a word… Divine. (Of course you can’t go wrong when you order medium rare filet, right?)

But BRIO isn’t just for the grown ups.  In fact, it’s a great place for the whole family.  The servers will bring your children pizza dough, allow them to shape it, take them to the kitchen area to allow them to pick toppings, and then the kiddies get to watch their pizza cooks.  All that is complimentary, in addition to deals like “kids eat free” Tuesdays.

 And it isn’t just the kids that have fun with that.  The adults can throw down their pizza making skills with the best of them.  Butterflies aren’t as easy as one would think.

The BRIO Tuscan Grille Lowdown

LOVE:

  • Atmosphere
  • Specialty Drinks
  • Chef (He was pretty cute)
  • Staff (super friendly… Kept the drinks flowing… That’s important)

Not So Much Love:

  • Salads aren’t included with entree (dude… I love salad)
  • Parking can be a pain at Fashion Place (not so much their fault… but still)
  • I was way too full to fully enjoy dessert

But don’t take my word for it.  Check out BRIO Tuscan Grille and be prepared for a tastebud explosion.

Brio Tuscan Grille

http://www.brioitalian.com
Twitter- @brioitalian
Facebook- www.facebook.com/brioitalian

***BRIO Italian Grille provided me with a meal and a delightful evening with friends.  I however would never sell my soul for a filet… no matter how delicious it is.  All opinions are totally legit.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: blarg, blogging friends, feature, reviews, stephanie hansen, Utah Tagged With: , , , ,
«Older Posts