4 Hats and Frugal

Impromptu Day at the Beach

June 18, 2013 in cars,family,review

I love going on quick trips to nowhere. Our family does so well when it comes to road trips, that sometimes we just like to go on a voyage to anywhere and everywhere. We find new favorite restaurants, playgrounds and secret spots all over the shore by just getting in the car and driving. So why didn’t I realize this when I tried to make plans for us last weekend? I blame it on “Mom brain” but thank goodness, karma got the best of me and set me straight.

My goal was simple: to get the whole family to a free jazz concert in Long Branch, NJ. Each summer, New Jersey is treated with the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Festival. Each week, a new shore town hosts a free show featuring some of the state’s greatest blues and jazz bands. They have all day concerts a few times in the summer, but they also offer weekly concerts in different towns. This past weekend, Long Branch was the host. So off we went in a beautiful 2013 Chevy Sonic.

The Chevy Sonic was perfect for an impromptu day at the beach and the festival. It’s compact but roomy enough inside for our family of four, it does very well with gas mileage, and you go fast in it. Really fast. Luckily the speedometer is very large, because I was speeding a bit on the parkway and immediately cut out that mess as soon as I looked down. Oops. On a positive note, we did get to Long Branch in record time. Silver lining for the win!

We were so excited to get to the festival early, since that meant we could pick our spot near the front and scope out where the bathrooms were. There was only one problem: the concert didn’t start until 7pm and we arrived at 4. I had no idea the concert would be that late. The kids go to bed at 7:30, so there was no way we’d be staying that long. But, we were already there so we did what any jersey shore family would do; we hit the beach!

After a few hours relaxing at the beach, there was only one thing left to do. Eat! We grabbed some hot dogs and the kids took advantage of the trunk space in the Chevy Sonic. Also, check out the Duchess’s wardrobe change below. She decided to run straight into the ocean and scare us half to death, but that’s another story.

Have you ever made summer weekends plans and had to change them mid-voyage? What was your plan B?

Disclosure: I was offered the Chevy Sonic for review but was not offered any monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.

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When Social Media Does Good #JerseyLove

June 17, 2013 in blogging,charity,sponsored posts,writing

Have you ever been a part of a movement? I mean a real tried and true event created to inspire others to do good in the world and be a blessing to someone other than themselves. A life-changing part of history that will always be remembered by those involved. I just experienced such an event, thanks to social media.

If you followed all of my tweets, Instagram pictures and Facebook updates last week, you probably know that I was fortunate enough to be part of the Jersey Love Social Media for Social Good retreat. 40 bloggers joined together in Atlantic City and Belmar, NJ to announce that the Jersey Shore is back and open for business. As a New Jersey resident, I was ecstatic to see that these women were willing to come on their own accord to help my state get back on it’s feet. They were women from all walks of life, with their own stories to tell, but they came here to tell OUR story.

Throughout the (sometimes rainy) weekend, each blogger shared their experience with their followers. We were treated like VIP at Ceasar’s Palace in Atlantic City, enjoying wonderful meals, hotel suites and room service. On our beach day in Belmar we spent quality time with one another, while enjoying the ambiance of DJais, a well-known club that is a big part of the history of Belmar and the Jersey Shore. D6 sports gave us surf lessons and introduced their new D6 Surf Skimmer. D6 Sports could have launched the release of their new surf toy anywhere, but they chose New Jersey. They chose a group of ambitious bloggers to get the word out. That says something about the power of what we do, and how we share on social media.

After 3 days on the hashtag #JerseyLove, a week of reflection of our experiences, over 3,000 photos on Instagram, over 6,000 tweets and 80 million impressions, social media will play a big part in the growth of business we’ll see at New Jersey beaches this summer. Thanks to New Jersey Digital Moms and Social Media Moms, NJ residents can not only show that we’re stronger than the storm, but that an online influence can be used towards a love worth fighting for. A love for New Jersey.

A big thanks to our sponsors D6 Sports and Caesar’s Entertainment for providing a wonderful experience for all of the bloggers involved, including myself. As always, my opinions and experiences are my own.

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Polka Dot Passion – #FashionFriday

June 14, 2013

I’m a big fan of polka dots. I deemed the pattern as my daughter’s “favorite” before she was even born, just so I could have permission to buy up anything with polka dots on it. My polka dot passion has no bounds. So when I saw a beautiful, breezy, flowingly green and white polka dot [...]

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Natural Hair Product Journey

June 13, 2013

It’s been exactly 6 months since I chopped all of my hair off. As liberating as it was to do a big chop of all of my locks, I never thought that I would obsess more over my non-existant hair than I did with my long, relaxed hair. I’ve tried all types of products to [...]

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Peppermint Foot Soak

June 12, 2013

cheap father's day gift, DIY father's day gift

Men don’t take care of themselves like they should. I’m pretty convinced that 80% of the men in my life don’t do enough to just relax and pamper themselves. The word “pamper” is consistently associated with women, but men need a little pampering too! With Father’s Day just around the corner, you have to find [...]

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Muddled Strawberry Daiquiri #BacardiClassicCocktails

June 11, 2013

strawberry daiquiri, easy cocktail, girls night in

When it comes to cocktails, I love to keep it simple. A good bottle of wine, a cold beer, and anything that can be put into my glass quickly always gets a thumbs up from me. It makes me even more happy when the price is right on that cocktail. As much as a love [...]

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Pick-up Sticks

June 10, 2013

You may not be able to tell from her sweet demeanor (ha!), but my girl is a collector. It doesn’t matter where we go, she finds a new item to gather into a group. If we’re at the beach, shells are the obsession. A trip to the supermarket can yield a collection of anything blue, [...]

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How to Make a Rain Stick

June 6, 2013

My son loves anything that has to do with science. One day, he decided to ask me what a ravine was. When my explanation wasn’t enough for him, I allowed him to go online and google about it. For the next week, he asked about anything water-related, which ended with him obsessed with with all [...]

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Strasburg Railroad and Choo-Choo Barn | #VisitLancaster

June 4, 2013

Disclosure: My Family and I were invited to this blogger media trip to Lancaster County, PA. All opinions and experiences are my own. When I hear the name Lancaster, I immediately think trains. As the daughter of a father who worked for New Jersey Transit, and now the wife of a husband who works there, [...]

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Bird-In-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant | #VisitLancaster

June 3, 2013

Disclosure: My Family and I were invited to this blogger media trip. All opinions and experiences are my own. During our blogger media trip to Lancaster, we were invited to stay at the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant. Located in Bird-In-Hand, PA, the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn was an amazing place. It’s not just a hotel, [...]