Hammock Beach Resort ~ Golf, Water-Park, Spa & Family Fun!
On Florida’s east coast, just north of the Space Coast, lies a hidden vacation gem. Until recently I had no idea this vacation haven for families, golfers, and couples alike existed just an hour drive from my house. Now that I have visited Hammock Beach Resort, I can’t wait to return.
Tucked away off the beaten path, Hammock Beach Resort is surrounded by the lush greens of its rolling golf course that surrounds the resort property. A beautiful golf community provides a picturesque backdrop for a relaxing vacation for the whole family.
Golf vacation, check. Beach vacation, check. Spa vacation, check. Water park vacation, check. This place has it all. Plus (and this is a big plus in my book) the rooms are affordable, especially if you are traveling with others and can take advantage of one of the gorgeous and huge multi-bedroom options. And and for those who can visit in the “off-season,” you can really maximize the savings.
From the moment we arrived, we were impressed by not only the location and natural beauty but also the attention to detail in the resort design. Eliminating the traditional concierge desk, guests are invited to sit down at individual desks to receive their keys and resort details. And one of the details we were excited to learn about is that Hammock Beach is a “cashless” resort. This means no tipping of the bellhop and everything is charged to the room. Yes, charging to the room can be trouble if you don’t watch your charging habits, but frankly we like the freedom of no cash.
After checking into our room, we took a tour to get a lay of the land. Amenities at Hammock Beach include:
- A day spa
- Two, 18-hole golf courses (designed by Jack Nicklaus)
- Five restaurants – Italian, American, Sushi, Pub-style and Poolside
- A private beach – with chairs, umbrellas and towels provided
- A kids’ club – complete with a drop-off program so mom and dad can have some down time and poolside activities kids can enjoy with mom and dad
- A water park – with family pool with slide, zero-entry pool, adult-only pool, lazy river and poolside restaurant
- Additional pool reserved for adults away from the water park
- An indoor pool
- And much more
In addition to enjoying all of the amenities we could squeeze into our stay, we also took advantage of a few of the more unique opportunities. Since our daughter is really into picnics right now (she has them all over the house, however, she had never been on a real picnic before), one of the very cool options we took advantage of during our stay was an old-fashion picnic on the beach. Guests can order a picnic meal (with several menu options), pick up their picnic basket at the concierge desk and enjoy a picnic anywhere on (or off) property they want. The meal comes in a traditional picnic basket, everything you need for the meal and even a red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket. We choose to have our picnic on the beach under an umbrella, and our daughter was in heaven. One thing to note is that the basket is full, and very heavy.
Another unique dining experience we embarked upon was a brunch cruise (sunset also available) on board the resort’s Yacht – the Sundancer - located at the marina. In addition to a yummy meal, we enjoyed a relaxing trip up and down the channel way spotting dolphins and other wildlife along the way. A very cool way to dine!
Hammock Beach Resort offers so many things for families (and couples) to do that we will just have to go back to try to enjoy them all. One thing we didn’t have a chance to take part in, because it was after a tired little girl’s bed time, is a family movie on the lawn. There is also putt-putt golf and so many fun Kids Crew activities that we just didn’t have time for. There really is no reason to ever leave the property since there is so much to do. My family was perfectly happy hanging out at the pool and beach. Of course, dad enjoyed his golf time and mom enjoyed a spa treatment too.
Want to see some of the fun, check out our resort video.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZIqvNBnF5M
I highly recommend this resort for a weekend (or week-long) getaway. For those of you local Floridians, it is always fun to find such a gem in our own backyard, and I hope now that you have learned about everything this place has to offer you will check it out too. My big plan will be to go back with a couple of other families because I think it this is a phenomenal place for a group trip!
Learn more at www.HammockBeachResort.com and like Hammock Beach Resort on Facebook to hear about the latest resort specials.
Disclosure - I was provided a stay at the resort to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Activia Selects Yogurt Parfait Review
My family is full of yogurt lovers, and we go through a lot of yogurt in this house. (Even the dogs like yogurt - seriously.) And our yogurt of choice for the past several years has been Act-iv-i-a! (I can’t say that word with saying it with the sing-song accents from the commercials. What about you?)
When Activia came on the market several years ago, my husband, the leader of the yogurt lovers in this house, liked the idea of probiotics in Activa that help regulate digestive system* (*when consumed daily for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle), so we tried it. And since we all like the taste, it is all we buy. But as much as we like regular Activia , we had not yet branched out to try any of the Activia Selects. So when Activia asked us to try one, we were game.
Activia Selects include Parfait, Greek, French and French Fruit at the Bottom. My husband decided to try the Parfait. In our informal taste test, my husband was quite pleased. He said, “It tastes just like regular Activia, just with granola added.” That might not sound like a glowing recommendation, but you have to remember he likes the regular yogurt so much he has been eating it daily for the last two-to-three years. He also noted that the Parfait cups are two oz bigger than the regular cups, so that plus the granola makes it much more filling. More of a “full” meal on the go. Good point.
If you have been thinking about trying Activia or one of the Activia Selects, now is a great time to do so. In addition to the yummy yogurt, your purchase will also help do some good since Activia is part of the Dannon Cups of Hope campaign. During the campaign, every cup of Dannon yogurt with a Cups of Hope logo has a code on the bottom of the lid that can be redeemed for a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Disclosure - I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dannon ActiviaSelects Yogurt Series and received a coupon to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, my opinions are entirely my own, and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Family Movie Night – Game Time: Tackling The Past Review
I don’t know about your family, but in our house we have been counting down the days until football season! And the countdown finally reaches 0 this weekend when college football (our game of choice) kicks off. To celebrate football season, Family Movie Night presented by NBC, P&G and Walmart is bringing football fans a new family-friendly movie to enjoy — Game Time: Tackling The Past.
About the movie:
Pro football star Jake Walker is living the dream… or so he thinks. The veteran tight end is a fan favorite and on pace to set the all-time receiving yards record that will guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame. While working out at training camp, Jake receives an unexpected call from his brother Dean – their father Frank has suffered a major heart attack. Jake immediately leaves practice and returns to Riverton, North Carolina, the small hometown he’s avoided for nearly 15 years.
A second unexpected call, this time from his agent, delivers Jake another crushing blow. His contract is not being renewed amid concerns about his surgically repaired knee. Suddenly, the life Jake knows is over. Surprisingly impacted by the people around him, the real Jake begins to emerge from behind his armor to see that life is much more than the accumulation of personal stats. But when Jake’s offered a lucrative new contract to play for another team, he is forced to decide whether to go back to the career he thought he loved, or stay in Riverton and embrace the people who always believed in him.
We had the opportunity to pre-screen the new family movie night this week, and it scored with us. It’s about family, football and finding yourself with feel-good story about what it means to come home. And don’t worry, even if you aren’t a football fan, this movie is enjoyable for the whole family. I promise, they keep the football action to a minimum.
In addition to enjoying the movie, I also liked seeing some favorites in the cast. Dr. Awesome (Ryan McPartlin from Chuck) takes the lead as Jake, and it was good to see Catherine Hicks (the mom from 7th Heaven) again as Jake’s mom (I still miss that show).
In case football rules the roost on Saturdays in your house too, be sure to set your DVR!
Game Time: Tackling the Past premieres Saturday, September 3 on NBC 8-10 pm EST. For more information you can visit the official Family Movie Night website. You can also check out Family Movie Night on Facebook.
Check out the trailer:
Disclosure - I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Scotch Restickable Mounting Shapes, Tabs & Strips Review
If you have little ones in your house, chances are you have “art work” everywhere you turn. Well, at least that is most definitely the case in our house. K loves to make art projects for everyone, and big or small she wants to be sure they are displayed. I have a few key display places, but frankly we are running outta space! That’s why I am in love with Scotch Restickable products.
Scotch Restickables come in three forms Mounting Shapes, Tabs and Strips. They are reusable, non-damaging and oh-so-perfect for displaying K’s artwork at home and at Daddy’s office. They pretty much rock!
Since about half the artwork K creates is designated to go to work with Daddy, his office bulletin board is long past overflowing. Which is why the moment the package arrived, the tabs were immediately sent to Daddy’s office (along with another piece of art work, of course). Ta-da – Daddy can now utilize his wall space to display the proud work of our Miss K.
Look how nice and neat her projects look using the Restickable Tabs.
The Mounting Shapes come in pink, blue and orange, and each package contains stars, hearts and circles. The mounting shapes can be used behind the art you want displayed (like the tabs Dad used at work) or they can be used on top of the artwork to add a little bit of fun to your display. (Hint, I left the plastic protector sheet on top of the shapes that I knew were going to be placed on top of the art work. My thinking is that this will prevent them from attracting dust.) Of course, my little girl was all about the pink shapes, and she loved that Mommy let her hang up her artwork in her room. A new treat.
In addition to being able to stick up your work anywhere, when it is time to change out your artwork, your art comes down clean without leaving a mark on your walls or your art project. Of course, the only reason to take down art in my house is to put up new art in its place. Restickables are reusable. Here’s the coolest part – if your Restickables get dusty/dirty and don’t stick, just rinse them off with soap and water to make them stick again. (Love this feature.)
The one thing I would caution moms is that they are super sticky… so they can rip your paper. I actually had this happen to me twice – once with a super thin piece of paper K had drawn on (no big loss) and the second time when I placed a mounting shape on top of a photo, part of the image tore off when I took it down (I was very sad about this). So be sure that when hanging photos, if you are planning to use the mounting shapes on top – like I did – that it is a replaceable photo… just in case. Most of the time I have used these things with no problem, but it did happen…
The one place I was hoping to use my Restickables was to hold up the ribbon on my daughter’s growth chart (not weight bearing, just decorative), but this was the one test that my Restickables did not pass. I guess the fabric ribbon has too much lint or something because the tab stayed put on the way, but the bow keeps falling down. Oh well.
Another thing I think Restickables will be good for is birthday cards (and well wishes for the baby). When birthday season arrives, K always receives a slew of birthday cards. Normally, I have to clear of a space on a shelf to display the cards, now I will be able to use Restickables to display the cards. No more knocking over the cards like dominoes! (Would be good for Christmas cards too, but I have a display for those.)
Disclosure – I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Scotch and received ScotchRestickable products to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
The Gruffalo Movie Review ~ Giveaway
Based on the best-selling children’s book, The Gruffalo magically comes to life in the movie now available on DVD. In the classic fable, a clever, little mouse encounters three hungry predators, but in each case the cunning mouse’s story of a Gruffalo frightens his would-be attackers away. But will happens when mouse comes face to face with this monster from his imagination?
A mouse took a stroll in the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.
The captivating story is told with few words, but its tone and rhythm will stick with you, long after you watch the movie.
Silly old Fox! Doesn’t he know, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo?
To compliment the story, the animation is incredible. It is as beautiful to watch as it is to listen to.
Not being familiar with the tale, when the movie first arrived, my husband was concerned that the movie might be a little scary for K. But when we sat down to watch it as a family, she watched the entire movie without a peep. We asked a couple of times if she was ok, and she seemed just fine. While I think she enjoyed it, I think it might be a little “old” for her still (she is 3). I recommend it for a bit older group – perhaps 5+.
The Gruffalo is now available on DVD through Amazon for $9.99.
Giveaway – One lucky reader will win a copy of The Gruffalo for their family.
To enter – Please use the Rafflecopter form below to take advantage of your entry opportunities.
Disclosure – I was provided a copy of this movie to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
