Pensacola Beach: Holiday Inn Resort

Oh hi, I’m home from vacation. Oh… you didn’t know I was on vacation? Well, I may have kind of omitted that. I didn’t want someone to break into my house while I was gone…. haha! Yeah, we’ll go with that. Or maybe I was a little worried to wish my summer away to get to vacation because that means I’m just days away from school starting and I’m really worried about that, to be honest with you! Either way, whatever, I’m home!

I only took a little over 500 photos in 5 days. That’s a little over 100/day on average. Definitely less than the 2,500 photos we took in Hawaii, but as I continue to weed through the photos… I’ll leave you with the hotel we stayed at while on vacation.

When our plane arrived we had a car service waiting for us to pick us up and take us to the hotel. My parents were on a different flight and they had to pick up the rental car, the rental car company wouldn’t allow us to, so that’s when hubby and my mom found this company and had a service waiting to pick us up. I would recommend if you need a ride from the airport via car service to use Pensacola Airport Shuttle.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort. It was great.

Our room was on the 8th floor. There were 3 elevators so we rarely had to wait long for one. We were up high enough we had a pretty darn good view. And the hotel has 11 floors. Some rooms are Oceanside with balcony’s, the others are bayside with just a normal window view. We were bayside. Hey, we weren’t in our room all that much! (more…)

Lone Star Steakhouse – Branson, MO

This weekend we took my Mother-in-law down to Branson to The Showboat Branson Belle and Silver Dollar City as well as a few other places.  Saturday night after we left Silver Dollar City where we saw the Christmas light show, it was time to find dinner.

When the restaurant that we wanted to eat at was closed for the evening we saw Lone Star just down the road and decided upon the steakhouse. (more…)

Jim Bob’s Steak & Ribs – Joplin, MO

**Pulled off my Recipe Blog**

Last Wednesday was my Mother-in-laws birthday.  Since we only have my {step}daughter every other weekend, the Saturday before seemed like a great time to celebrates so Tbug could be included in Memaw’s (my MIL’s nickname via Tbug) Birthday celebration.

When hubby asked her what she’d like, she said a steak sounded really good so we started listing all kinds of steak places, when my dad brought up the point that Jim Bob’s was re-opened.  (It blew away in the Tornado.)

My MIL, hubby, Tbug, my parents and I decided to meet at Jim Bob’s for dinner.  If you read my lifestyle blog, you’ll remember that was the same day that Tbug attended her first show, you may also recall it rained the whole day.  I’m not complaining, especially when that evening we got the sight of a double rainbow.  The second one was too faint and I couldn’t capture it.

Now you’ll notice this photo looks later at night, and that’s because, it was.  I took it as we were exiting the building.

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Memaw’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Mother-in-law makes the best cookies.  She used to ship them to Afghanistan when my husband was there so he felt like he had a piece of home with him.  Now, I have the recipe!  Yey :).  It reminds me a lot of my grandma’s recipe, and you know, I can’t quite make them like she does, but my {step}daughter and I have sure tried :).

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 pkg (4 serving size) Jello instant pudding (vanilla or any flavor)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 (12 oz) pkg chocolate chips

Mix flour with baking soda.

Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and vanilla in large mixing bowl.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (optional).  Batter will be stiff.

Drop by tablespoons on baking sheet.  Press out to help flatten.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

No More Dinge

 

So this weekend was the official floor changing weekend! Woohoooo I no longer have a dingy floor! I’m super excited! Instead, I have a gorgeous floor and a swollen hand and on top of that, a slightly hurt pride… Let’s explain.

 

 

PC thought pulling up the Linoleum would be quick, pain-free, and easy.

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