School gets out this week! Yay! That means that its time to spend the day at the beach and the park! It also means its time to drag around all of the beach toys. I don't know about you, but for me that usually means I have to bring a bag for all the necessities like towels, sun screen, snacks, and dry clothes, and a bag to carry all of the toys. This year I have a new toy to bring but thanks to its brilliant design I don't need to bring an extra bag!

Let me introduce you to the Packable Pail. It is a pail that is available in two different sizes that has the ability to collapse for storage and transport. The soft sides fold up to make it only about two inches thick but are firm enough that when it is opened it stays open on its own and can stand up on its own. You can use it to carry all sorts of things, like sand, water, shells, and toys. It can also be used to make sandcastles. How amazing is this bucket?!?

When I contacted Packable Pails they sent us a couple buckets to try out. My kids LOVE them! They get carried around all the time. I like it because I can use it to clean up the random toys that get carried around the house and then send them back downstairs where they belong. My kids have so much fun squishing the buckets too. They also think they make great hats. 

Packable Pails is available to purchase online through their website or in store all over the US. You can search for your closest retailer on their homepage at the bottom left. The link says store locator. I have a bucket to giveaway to one of you lucky members! To enter to win a Packable Pail of your own, with a shovel and a mesh bag to carry your beach gear, leave me a comment telling me what or where your favorite beach is. For a bonus entry you can like their Facebook page, leave me a separate comment saying you did. 

Congrats Ali! You won a T-Shirts & Jeans purse! For the rest of you go to the T-Shirt & Jeans website and find your closest retailer so you can get your own! Ali, email me and I will get you your bag.

I hope you all are having a great Memorial Day and kicking off summer in style. To help you with that summer style, I have a great brand to tell you about. TShirt & Jeans has some very cute and stylish bags. The company, which is based in New York, designs free spirited and bohemian bags for the casually chic woman.

These bags are made to hold up to daily wear and tear, which is great because you will want to use them everyday! TShirt & Jeans make a variety of bags in lots of shapes and sizes, from wallets and clutches to backpacks and totes. The bags come in both a heavy duty canvas or faux leather. The inside of the purse is fully lined in a neutral fabric and has a zipper pocket and two non zipper pockets. There is lots of room to hold all of your things. I can get everything that I need for all 4 of my kids and myself easily!

I love the beautiful patterns and colors that TShirt & Jeans uses on their bags. I also like that the bags have both handles and cross body/shoulder straps. The canvas bags have beautiful faux leather accents that are so soft and move easily. I am totally obsessed with these bags and can't wait for you to get one too!

TShirt & Jeans bags are available at several different retailers, store locations and online. Some of our local options are Gordmans, Kohls, Buckle, and TJ Maxx. The great thing about these bags is that while they are super stylish, they won't break the bank. Most bags are under $40. That is a great price for such a well made bag!  

To enter to win a TShirt & Jeans Bag leave a comment telling me when the last time you got a new purse was. For an extra entry you can like TShirt & Jeans Facebook page and follow their Instagram page (leave a separate comment for each). 

We hope that you all have a happy and safe Memorial Day. To all the Men and Women who serve our country, we thank you. 

Don't forget that splash pads around town and the rides at City Park are now open! Go have fun!

With warm weather here (except for today, what the heck Iowa?!?) I thought I would share some of my favorite campfire recipes. 

I'm sure everyone has tried the traditional s'more. For those of you living under a rock, its graham cracker, plain Hershey chocolate, and a roasted marshmallow. If you're feeling adventurous I suggest bringing an assortment of fun sized candy bars to use instead of a plain Hershey bar. My favorites are Snickers, Reeses, and Milky Ways. If you have tried using different candy bars leave a comment and tell me what your favorite one is. 

We all know you can roast a marshmallow and cook a hotdog over a campfire pretty quick. Here are some things you may not have known about. You can roast a Starburst. I hear they work somewhat like marshmallows, they get crispy on the outside but gooey on the inside and its supposed to make the flavor more intense. You can grill peaches over the campfire and then eat them with ice cream (YUM!). You can get fancy and grill some Kebobs for dinner and wrap biscuts from a can around a stick to have dinner rolls to go with it. 

There are a few things you can cook with a campfire that are stick free. You can do HoBo dinners by wrapping meat and vegetables in foil and putting the foil in the coals. The key is making sure that your coals are warm but not hot enough to burn dinner. Banana Boats are a super yummy dessert that you can make similar to HoBo Dinners. You cut a banana length wise, leave it in the peel and stuff it with chocolate and marshmallows. Wrap it all up in foil and set it in the coals for a while. Once the chocolate and marshmallows are melted and the banana is gooey its a really good treat.  If you have a dutch oven you can cook a peach or cherry cobbler with 3 ingredients. Put your canned pie filling of your choice in the bottom of the dutch oven. Top it with a box of yellow cake (if you're feeling extra fancy you can add a dash of cinnamon) and then put in chunks of butter. Put some warm coals on top of your dutch oven and let it sit and cook for 10-30 minutes, depending on how hot your coals are. 

I hope you get to have some fun adventure around the fire this summer! 

I know that Mother's Day was last week but I thought we could have some more fun spoiling ourselves this month! I recently jumped on the 3D mascara bandwagon and I love Simply Spoiled!

3D Fiber Mascara is a great product. It is so easy to apply and remove. The fibers are made of green tea and you are able to apply as many coats as you want to get your desired length and thickness. 

Fiber Mascara is smudge proof and water proof but super easy to remove. To remove the make up all you do is put a cotton pad soaked in warm water on your eye for a couple seconds and then they wipe off easily. No need for scrubbing or greasy make up remover. 

These lashes are great! I love them! And I want to give one of you lucky members a chance to try them out and fall in love too. To enter leave me a comment telling me if you have tried 3D mascara before. For an extra entry you can Like Simply Spoiled's Facebook page. The giveaway will close Friday at 10 AM. 

Hey Everyone! We need your input! We are trying to choose our deigns for next years shirts. Our officers have helped us narrow down our choices to 3 awesome designs. 

Option 1 is an EKG with IMP at the center of it. 

Option 2 is the IMP logo inside of an outline of Iowa.

Option 3 is IMP inside of an outline of Iowa. 

The backs of the shirts will say Iowa Medical Partners and will have our motto of "Sometimes the Best Medicine is Friendship" along with our sponsors logos. Please make sure you head to our Facebook page to vote for your favorite by Sunday! 

Happy Mother's (and Future Mother's) Day! I hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday. 

As the wife of a resident, there are times when I have to go long periods where I hardly see my husband. I'm sure you can relate. Being able to take time and reconnect is so important for us. Mother's Day was a nice reminder to my husband to take some time to make me feel special. I know that he tries to do that all year long, but sometimes I need Hallmark to give him a gentile nudge. 

On this medical journey we have been on, I have found that while I spend lots of time without the Doc, I know that our time together is special. While he may have to spend hours studying, I know he would like to have a few more hours  to relax with me. While he is focusing on his patients care and working hard to help them, I know he would love some time to focus on his family. 

I'm sure that your journey has been similar to mine and that you would love some more time with your Resident as well. Just remember that you are loved and all of your sacrifices are appreciated. Happy Mother's Day!

Kimberly at Urban Pocketbook has sent a really cute chevron purse for one of you lucky members! These bags are made from great quality fabric and the colors are bright and beautiful. Perfect for Spring and Summer. The size is also perfect to carry everything that you may need. (In my case that is A LOT of stuff!) The zipper pocket on the outside is perfect to hold my keys and phone. There is also a pocket on the inside that is great for chapstick and the other little things that can get lost on the bottom of my bag. The top zippers shut too which is so great when you bag has to defend itself against toddlers. 

Urban Pocketbook is a great online shop that has so many cute bags, accessories, and clothes. Everything is available for a great price and the styles are all so current and beautiful. You really need to go and check this shop out. 

For your opportunity to win this cute chevron bag, leave me a comment telling me what is on your wish list for Mother's Day. (This includes all of you future Mommies too!) For an extra entry go and Like Urban Pocketbook's Facebook Page. You can also go and follow their Instagram account too! 

Here are this month's fun events! We hope to see you there!

3 – Cinco De Mayo Party at Quail Ridge Park 6:00 – 8:00

8 – Play Group at Becky Anderson’s House 10:00

10 – Mother’s Day

13 – Playgroup at Kiwanis Park 10:00

18 – Playgroup lunch at the mall 11:00

19 – Book Club at Jess Hick’s House – Still Alice

20 – Children’s Activities Hike in Iowa City 11:00

25 – Memorial Day

26 – Playgroup at North Ridge Park 10:00

30 – Goodbye Picnic at City Park 5:00

Who wants to have a fun colorful time through a great 5K course around Kirkwood Community College? Well, if you are free June 13th then come and run the Color Vibe 5K with me! 

 The Color Vibe, a “VIBErantly” colorful 5k fun run company, is teaming up with the City of Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation to bring the Color Vibe 5K to Cedar Rapids! The 5K, full of vivid colors, music, and tons of fun on Saturday, June 13, 2015 will be held in downtown Cedar Rapids.

The Color Vibe is a unique 5k fun run series that is gaining popularity all over the world. Along the course, participants run, walk, or dance their way through color stations, where vibrant colors tie-dye their white outfits and costumes. When it is over, everyone is invited to stick around for a large and colorful dance party hosted by a professional sound crew and DJ. As the website states, “You are the canvas, and when you’re finished with this 5k run you’ll be an exciting and vivid masterpiece.” There are plenty of fun runs out there, but none with a vibe like the Color Vibe!

The Color Vibe encourages runners and walkers of all ages and skill levels to participate. According to Taylor Spencer, Color Vibe Race Director, “The Color Vibe 5k is full of inspirational stories of runners and non-runners alike coming together to share a life experience, accomplish fitness goals, and become rainbow junkies. We do not time our 5K fun runs so every participant feels welcome to take their time having a blast and getting colored throughout the course, without any pressure.” Children 12 and under participate for free!

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation, “We are excited to be able to work with such great charities. They are able to help us give back to the community and create lasting memories with the locals.” Spencer says.

To make this event unique, the Color Vibe uses a cornstarch-based colored powder to tie-dye participants. The colored powder is made in the USA and is made from food grade quality cornstarch using an advanced manufacturing process that has been custom developed for the Color Vibe Race Series. It is non-toxic, 100% safe, and biodegradable. It also washes out easily from skin and hair.

If you would like to register to run (or walk) the Color Vibe 5k in Cedar Rapids you can do that HERE. Teams of 4 or more get $4 off of their registration (per person). Or you can use code IMPVIBES to get $4 off of an individual registration.  

To enter to win your entry leave a comment telling me your favorite color. For an extra entry you can like their facebook page. Giveaway closes Friday 5/8 at 10:00 AM. Good Luck!