Keukenhof Tulip Gardens

Last Saturday the family and I finally make it to the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens! I discovered this place about two weeks too late last year after we moved here....you see This place is only open about eight weeks out of the year. Timing is everything if you go too early you may not see much blooming, but if you go too late then many things will have already bloomed and be cleaned up.

We went April 25th, this last week of April/first week of May seems to be a good time to go as every single type of flower on display was blooming. From talking to other people, this last week of April/first week of May time frame seems to be fairly consistent from year to year.

Each year the garden coordinators usually focus on a country to feature, but this year they chose Vincent Van Gogh as their feature display. This is the 125th anniversary of his death so they decided to pay tribute to him.

The Keukenhof was one of those things where I was afraid to actually go. I had heard so many wonderful things and saw so many wonderful photos that I wholeheartedly expected to be let down. But, you know what? The gardens certainly delivered. We all left feeling more enriched and happy we went. The greenhouses were full of amazing diplays from Van Gogh's art works brought to life to beautiful wedding displays. Despite the number of people at the park for the Corso (a yearly parade) it was still a wonderful time.

A bit about our trip...

We went after breakfast. We did get stuck in 90 minutes worth of traffic as we left the house about 10:30, arrived at the airport where we picked up the shuttle around 11. We wound up arriving at the Keukenhof at a little after 1pm. If I were to do this again I would leave the house by 8am. Once we were off the shuttle we found a side entrance where we walked right in...make sure you find the alternative entrance, the main entrance is a madhouse. We knew we wanted to make the most of our time there but wanted to leave no later than 3:30 as there was a sign that had tour busses scheduled to leave at 5pm, since we were in traffic on the way there we knew we did not want to hit traffic on the way back. So, we began our stroll conscious of the time...it really was plenty of time.

So...here is what we saw...

These were probably my favorite flower/display: Synaeda King and Giuseppe Verdi

I loved these hot pink ones!

The first green house we entered was the Oranje Nassau it was a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh. There were several reprints of his artwork displayed along with flowers that were similar in fashion to ones he painted. 

There were even a few exhibits that were sort of interactive but they were so busy I didn't bother with them, nor did I need to...admiring his artwork in this capacity was enough for me.

The big display was one of his famous self-portraits redone in tulips. I feel as though we were so lucky to see this. The entire thing was blooming and even as early as the week before we went there were some that were still just green. I love everything to do with Vincent Van Gogh, so to see this in full bloom was a real treat for me. Hubby even stood in the long line to get on the grand stand and see it with me even though I told him he didn't have to...that is love folks. 

Some of the flower fields. A sea of red.

Loving the XXX in flowers.

I love how they recycled some of these cribs into a piece of artwork. Also, see where all those people are, that is near the windmill where you can climb up and an area where you can book a cruise through some of the flower fields..we didn't do that...nothing was worth fighting those lines.

This was a really fun bridge to play on. 

Colour!

 This was the only other green house we fought to get into...the weeding displays! They were really pretty. But it was super packed, we did a quick tour around then had to get out.

We loved the displays with these little pineapple looking flowers, they just looked so happy and almost tropical.

Hyacinth...this smelled amazing. Just wow.

This was a magical experience and I would highly recommend actually planning a trip around this even to visit The Netherlands. 

It is a spectacular experience. Here are my tips for making the most of your experience:

• Purchase your tickets in advance
• Leave early to get there when the Gardens open
• Enter through one of the alternative entrances, just ask anyone in a yellow vest
• Eat before you go, restaurants get really packed and seemed over priced in my opinion
• Bring a water bottle...lines for drinks and food were extremely long
• Don't forget your camera
• Expect to deal with large amounts of crowds, so be patient

This is something that is fun for the whole family since everything is paved so you can bring a pram/stroller, there is playground equipment for the littles, and the teeanger thanked us several times for giving her the opportunity to go. Not once did she complain and she was very in to seeing the displays and all the flowers in bloom. 

As a final note, if you are a fearer of bees because you swell horribly (almost to allergic reaction proportions like me) or are allergic I am happy to report we didn't see a single bee. I am not sure how that was possible and worries me slightly, but I really was glad because it meant I didn't need to worry.

So, I highly recommend you plan a trip to see this at some point, well worth it!

P.S. Make sure you check out the Reasons to Travel link up over at Reasons to Dress!

Book Review: Tapped by Stacey Grice (+giveaway!)

So, y'all remember a while back I reviewed Totaled, then just a few weeks ago I did a cover reveal of a most anticipated book, Tapped...well, the day has arrived, yesterday Tapped was released!

This post may contain affiliate links, if you choose to purchase from one of those links I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. :)

If you didn't read Totaled, you can purchase it here . The beginning of Tapped has a short synopsis of Totaled, but it doesn't give you the complete picture, so I highly recommend purchasing it first, and at .99 cents it is a total (haha) bargain! 

Synopsis of Tapped

Unexpectedly thrust into a whirlwind romance, Bree thought her relationship with Drew could withstand any obstacle thrown their way. Excited for the future, everything she thought she knew came crashing down in one horrible night. Forced to re-evaluate her feelings, Bree is left alone with a heavy heart and the realization that Drew's nightmare changed everything.

The effects of his trauma once again surfacing, Drew had no idea how volatile his actions were until it was too late. He must work to rebuild trust with everyone around him, all while participating in vigorous therapy and being separated from Bree. When a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity presents itself with impeccably poor timing, Drew has some tough decisions ahead.

Can he heal the wounds his past has created and quiet the demons that haunt him? Can he repair the damage done with his love or will he give up?

Discover if it’s all too much and Drew ends up...

Tapped.

Author’s Note: Tapped is a continuation of Totaled, the first book in the Totaled series. It is highly recommended to read these books in sequential order. Due to mature content, profane language, and sexual situations, this book is recommended for ages 18 and up.

Excerpt of Tapped

Something told me to walk around to the back and my legs took me. I followed the skinny path within the dunes and sea oats on the side of his house until he came into view. Standing with his back to me, he watched the water as the sun rose higher and higher above the horizon, the colors beautifully framing his silhouette. He turned his head ever so slightly, I guess sensing that I was there, and then turned around completely.

I froze.

I was unable to take another step for a few seconds as we stared at each other. His posture relaxed, relieved to see me before him, and he advanced toward me. I walked forward, my stomach in knots of nervousness, and he matched me step for step until we were mere feet apart. The salty sea breeze blew violently around us both, coming off of the crashing waves and onto our skin. The second we entered each other’s space, my world went silent. I didn’t hear the water or smell the ocean. I didn’t feel the wind on my face or the sand under my feet. I was only in tune to him.

He swallowed hard, his eyes sharp and assessing, darting around my face as he took me in. They roamed and finally settled on my cheek just underneath my left eye; his shoulders fell as he exhaled. His right arm reached for me, stopping midway and then slowly continuing up, his eyes asking for permission. I lowered my chin and leaned into him as his fingertips grazed over my skin, tracing the scar he had given me. My eyes closed at the intensity of the moment.

He moved a few inches closer and cradled my jaw in his hand, urging me to open up and look at him—to really see him. I did and his eyes brimmed with tenderness and compassion. I looked into them, trying to memorize every shade of green, every fleck of gold, not knowing what the future held. I just knew that if I was never able to lay eyes on him again, this was the image that I wanted to remember. My gentle and loving Drew, normally stuck inside a giant, rough exterior, was now exploding out, his shrapnel penetrating my soul.

I recieved an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For me, Tapped was a long anticipated release...I hate cliffhangers with a thriving passion. I think I hate them so because one time when I was 13 I found this great book at Wal-Mart and the end was a cliffhanger and I was never able to find the next book, so I am always afraid it I will never get the end of the story! But, I knew Stacey would pull through and boy did she! I really enjoy her writing style of Totaled and Tapped because each book had a beginning, climax, and end, all the while the unconventional 2 book series over all has a beginning, climax, and end, which is a dream come true! 

Throughout the books we follow Bree and Drew; Bree, who after the death of her mother falls into the role of taking care of the men in her life, being somewhat dominated by their personalities, and not really doing what makes her happy and being honest abou it. Drew, who had a rough beginning in life and is still dealing with the aftermath of such a horrific upbringing. Stacey gives great personality to these two characters and really shows the inner turmoil these two face. From wanting to be happy themselves while still making those important in their lives happy. I think everyone knows this struggle, but what I really love is how slowly Bree and Drew learn to communicate with one another and that shows how important communication is in a relationship. 

I am not sure how much I can write without giving the plot away, but I really enjoyed this book. It is a romance, but has a really interested dedicated storyline. So many of these novels I read you can write off and only read for the sex scenes..which honestly get boring after a while because they are the same, but Stacey manages to pull you in with a real story line and a few good sex scenes thrown in to give the spice we are all looking for in our reading. ;)

Did you read Totaled? Will you be picking up Tapped?

Read below for the Raffelcopter giveaway, click this link to enter as it isn't done right here on the blog. There will be 2 winners: (1) gets a signed paper back (USA only) the other winner (1) gets a $10 Amazon Gift Card! So...enter to win!

I am a mother, wife, Registered Nurse, avid reader, and most recently have pursued taking my own writing to the next level. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, the beach is my happy place.

Being an astute people watcher gives me constant inspiration for my stories. But my characters, like many authors, are conceived from actual people in my life. A hodgepodge of personality traits, real world instances, and conversations that I have directly taken part in are the foundation for my fictional world.

Find Stacey:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/staceygriceauthor

Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/StaceyGriceAuthor

Twitter:https://twitter.com/SGrice_Author

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/StaceyGrice

To add Tapped to your Goodreads TBR... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24865564-tapped

Pinterest: http://goo.gl/xwaw19

Instagram: http://goo.gl/iUUME6

Cover Release: Tapped by Stacey Grice

Oh.My.Gosh!!!!! This is why I love being a blogger. A while back y'all remember the review I posted of  Totaled, well, Stacey is back with the 2nd book in the series, Tapped! I was selected to be on the blog tour for the COVER RELEASE! I am so excited to find out what happens with Bree and Drew! It has been killing me all these months!

If you haven't read Totaled yet, I really recommend picking it up, it doesn't cost much in the Amazon store and if you have a kindle or the kindle app you can be reading it in a few minutes. It is a quick read and takes place near my hometown ;)

So...without further ado...I bring you the cover of Tapped....

Title: TAPPED

Author: Stacey Grice

Add to  Goodreads

Unexpectedly thrust into a whirlwind romance, Bree thought her relationship with Drew could withstand any obstacle thrown their way. Excited for the future, everything she thought she knew came crashing down in one horrible night. Forced to re-evaluate her feelings, Bree is left alone with a heavy heart and the realization that Drew's nightmare changed everything. 

The effects of his trauma once again surfacing, Drew had no idea how volatile his actions were until it was too late. He must work to rebuild trust with everyone around him, all while participating in vigorous therapy and being separated from Bree. When a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity presents itself with impeccably poor timing, Drew has some tough decisions ahead.

Can he heal the wounds his past has created and quiet the demons that haunt him? Can he repair the damage done with his love or will he give up? 

Discover if it’s all too much and Drew ends up...

Tapped. 

Author’s Note: Tapped is a continuation of Totaled, the first book in the Totaled series. It is highly recommended to read these books in sequential order. Due to mature content, profane language, and sexual situations, this book is recommended for ages 18 and up.

Other Books: (Totaled #1)

Add to  Goodreads

Buy from: Amazon | B&N | IBooks | Kobo | CreateSpace

I am a mother, wife, Registered Nurse, avid reader, and most recently pursuing taking my own writing to the next level. I appreciate honesty but not cruelty, a wicked sense of humor, and a good cup of coffee, blond with enough creamer to coat my tongue yellow. 

Being an astute people watcher and having an extremely judgmental mind gives me constant inspiration for my stories. But my characters, like many authors, are conceived from actual people in my life. A hodgepodge of personality traits, real world instances, and conversations that I have directly taken part in are the foundation for my fictional world.

FACEBOOK |TWITTER | GOODREADS 

Currently, Vol. 4

I am really loving this link-up with Becky over at Choose Happy! I love finding out what is going on with my bloggy friends and sharing my thoughts with others!

Finishing....our itinerary for our Berlin Trip in May.

Pinning....Paleo Macadamia Nut Chicken Salad and other healthy recipes. Looking to cut down on sugar and going to completely cut it out during March, so gathering ideas.

Watching....Gilmore Girls. Lots and lots of Gilmore Girls. Didn't watch this when it was a new series so catching up now!

Best. Line. Ever.

Planning....our 16th Anniversary trip to somewhere warm so we can be in bathing suits and sunning all day....

Thinking Santorini is that destination!

Loving....Saturday night date night with the hubby, I forgot how much I love us getting all dressed up and going out.

So, what are you up to, Currently?

The Fit Tutor +New Workout Schedule for February

Last month after going hard core on my workouts with Asylum Vol. 1, I decided to take things a little "easier" this month and create my own workout calendar and focus on eating less sugar.

I was offered a membership at The Fit Tutor in exchange for my opinion on the service Allison offers. I promise, as always, all opinions are my own. Keep reading for a special offer for my readers too ;)

I took this first week to just focus on the Fit Tutor program and see what it was like for me.

The advanced level was still a bit "easy" for me as far as exercises go, I do the max number of sets, 3, and get a pretty nice sweat going, but I have yet to wake up sore.

This program is nice, especially if you are a busy Mom because you can bring the example video up on your phone, watch it, then do the number of reps Allison suggests. You can move from room to room if you need to and do the exercises through out the day. Heck, you could even do these at the park while your kids play, that is just how versatile this sort of program is!

Allison is a great personal trainer. You can email her with any questions and she answers in a timely manner. Each instructional video is short and to the point. If there are variations for beginner, intermediate, and advanced she tells you in the video so even if you choose the "beginner" schedule, but an exercise is particularly easy you can choose to do a more advanced option and vice versa, if you choose the advanced version but it is too difficult you can do the beginner version (I have to do this with the ab exercises.)

So, if you would like to work out with me this first month use the code BloggerFIT over at The Fit Tutor and check it out! I will be doing daily check-ins over on my Facebook Page so come and join me, this will be fun!

Workout Schedule

So, tell me what does your workout look like this month? What are you doing to move? Do you think you'll join me over at The Fit Tutor?

Disclaimer: Like I stated earlier, I was offered a free membership in exchange for my opinion on the services offered at The Fit Tutor,  but all opinions expressed are my own.

Flawless by Jan Moran

This is a novel I had been wanting to read and was so lucky to win it back in the fall during the Travel the World in Books Read-a-Thon with Mom's Small Victories and others.

I wanted to read this one because it takes place in Los Angeles and Paris, two places I love. Like I told you all in my Totaled review I love reading books based on places I have been so I can imagine myself walking down the street or sitting in a cafe with the characters.

Visit Jan Moran Writes

Excerpt of Summary from Goodreads:

"There's always a hostile side to beauty." - Jan Moran

Verena Valent is at the helm of her family's legendary Swiss skincare company, which caters to a glamorous clientele in the heart of Beverly Hills. After her parents are killed in an automobile accident, she becomes the sole provider for her younger twin sisters and her grandmother. Instead of attending college with her friends as planned, she rises to the challenge to guide and expand her family's business. She is in the midst of a critical international expansion into Asia when her carefully organized life begins to unravel.

When the unthinkable occurs and Verena's world collapses, her friends rally around her, among them Scarlett Sandoval, a top intellectual property attorney; Dahlia DuBois, a perfumer from an esteemed line of French perfumers; and Fianna Fitzgerald, a fashion designer with her own trendy boutique.

Ultimately, Verena learns that truth, family, friendship, and love are the unshakable pillars of life. But will she get a second chance in business, or in love?

Aside from the setting, the other things that I loved about this book were the strong female leads. The main character, Verena was smart and talented yet still vulnerable. Her friends seemed to be the other side of her personality looking out for her best interest seeing what she could not. Together these women made one heck of a team. I also enjoyed the back story of the book; an heiress to a beauty fortune forged by her relatives from Switzerland. She took over to keep the family dream alive. It is so far from my reality that stories like this fascinate me, and are a nice escape when I want to relax.

All-in-all, this book was a really quick read and definitely worth the time. 

Travel the World in Books: Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you recall I have been traveling the world in books! I just completed the read-a-thon for this (where I won two books, thank, Tanya!) and really enjoyed all the activities that went along. I decided for the read-a-thon I would read Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.

I honestly didn't read much of this during the read-a-thon...why? The begging is horrible! Not horrible as in I it doesn't draw me in, that is the worst part! Davidson is such an amazing writer and so detailed I wanted to read it, but it is so gruesome! 

It started off with the main character, who is down on life and suffers a horrible car crash, I believe somewhere in Minnesota...I placed it there due to another character going to school there, in this crash he is severely burned. This is told in awful detail, I almost couldn't make it through, but I did. It then goes on to discuss his time in the hospital where he then begins to talk in horrible detail about the suicide he is planning once his time is done in the hospital. Again this is such horrible detail that I was on page 99 and was about to return the book and stop reading because I just couldn't take it anymore when Marianne Engle walks into his life. Now I was hooked. Life was about to change for our sad, sad protagonist...and I wanted to see his heart come to life...at least I hoped that is what would happen.

Marianne is always referred to as Marianne Engle throughout the entire novel. I am not quite sure why, but the protagonist always uses her full name, never referring to her by only her first name, I think this keeps you from becoming fully attached to her.

He meets her as she is a mental patient in the hospital. She comes to him in a very matter of fact way and is very familiar with him and he is very confused. But, once she is released from the hospital 

she comes to him often telling stories from friends she had in ancient times to her life before him and with him in ancient Germany.

I picked this book because it said it took place in Iceland. Well, some of it does. It has several settings the story of the physical therapist first takes us to China and Australia, Marianne Engel's first story about Francisco and the love for his wife take place in Italy, then there are Vikings in Iceland, and of course their story in Germany, and finally parts of all the stories come together in Hell.

The way the story is woven is interesting. The author writes as though this is a first hand account, but it is fictional. I found that intriguing, I had never read anything written in this format.

Excerpt from Gargoyle, page 352

Read how the author describes the protagonist, you can really get a feel for how he may look, but it is written as though he is describing himself, interesting right?!

I highly recommend this book. Getting through the first 99 pages in integral to understanding the narrator and seeing why he can have faith in Marianne Engel when she comes to him. They are two people in need and they feed off of one another's faith in the other. 

Normally when I would finish a book such as this I would be horribly sad, but I felt okay when all was said and done. I was actually happy for the characters because I felt as though they would be alright in the end. 

Have you read this book? If not, do you think you want to add it to your to-read list?

Around the World in Books: A Long Way Gone

Do y'all remember a while back when I posted about joining some other blogger's in an Around the World in Books Reading Challenge?  Well, today I am back to post about the first book I read for the challenge!

I'd been wanting to read this book for quite some time. Back when it came out I was insanely busy with life in general and it went by the wayside. However, when this challenge came up it was the first book that popped into my head. I think this happened for a couple of reasons:

1. I find memoirs to be very captivating
2. The story of a child soldier is one I feel needs to be told and understood so it can hopefully be prevented
3. The setting is unique: Sierra Leone 

However, once I began reading the book my heart went out to Ishmael. You see, Ishmael and I are the same age. Seriously, he was born just days after I was born.

So, this book completely put my childhood into perspective:

• When I was fretting over cowlick not cooperating on picture day in 7th and cut it off, he was running from insurgents.
• I was wielding a curling iron while he was wielding a gun.
• When I was out school shopping and then not wanting to wear certain clothes I'd bought because they weren't what everyone else was wearing, Ishmael was trying to keep the clothes on his back that he'd had for years clean.
• When I complained about going to school, all he wanted to do was go to school.
• When I refused to eat under-cooked steak as my mom "mooed" Ishmael was undergoing reintegration into civilian society.

These things really spoke to me. Do I feel guilty for them, no, and I shouldn't because we were born into two completely different situations. I will say though, this book has made me more grateful than ever for those opportunities I did have and regardless of how silly they seem now, I am happy I got to experience those situations.

A few things from the book that really spoke to me:

"That night for the first time in my life I realized that it is the physical presence of people and their spirits that gives a town life." Chapter 3, page 29

Yes, yes it is . When we were in Orlando back in 2004 or so when a hurricane basically hit the city head on which really shouldn't have happened and people were out of their homes for weeks and weeks we actually found it difficult to sleep at night knowing our neighbours weren't there...in fact, at one point we decided to head back to our parents house on the weekend because it was just too weird without people. So, I could only image crouch in a home where an entire village has fled because they are afraid of the people who may come to "recruit" them to their cause.

Page 54

I loved this page because these kids were finally seeing some normalcy in their lives. Even though they weren't with their families they were being treated like family and had even gotten to a point with others where they could joke around!

I also found it humorous here that even though he grew up with so much less than I did, compared to others in his country he was "soft" so to speak! He didn't have the skills needed to survive in a town other than the one he grew up in-attending school and having his needs attended to!

I think this is a fantastic book and recommend everyone read it! It is a short, quick read only being 200 some odd pages. I am even making my teenager read it. I think she will thoroughly enjoy it as she is the age of Ishmael in the books. 

The writing isn't totally fluid, but as a reader you can sort of see his thought process as he wrote. The other thing I didn't like was he didn't elaborate the ending and I had to search online to find out more about his adult life....wow, that sounded super creepy! ha!

So, on that note, I will leave you to go buy this book and enjoy it.