Sacramento RiverTrain: Pumpkin Train

We are constantly looking for new and fun things to do with the kids so we can make new memories. Recently, we heard about the Pumpkin Train from Sacramento RiverTrain and it fit the bill just perfectly!  It's hard to find things that all my kids will like since my oldest is 6 years older than my youngest.  They all loved the Pumpkin Train!

*** This post is a collaboration with Sacramento RiverTrain.  We received tickets in exchange for an honest review, as always all opinions are my own and 100% honest.  *** 

The Sacramento RiverTrain is based out of West Sacramento.  It is a local family owned business and their rail line is 14 miles long.  The train goes from West Sac to Woodland.  The train goes 10-15 miles an hour for a leisurely experience.

We arrived a few minutes early for the Pumpkin Train and easily found parking.  They told us what train car we were in and we were able to get a lovely booth.  All the seating was next to windows so you could enjoy the view from the train.  Our tickets included a soft drink from the concession stand and we purchased a couple snacks to enjoy.  NOTE: the concession stand only accepts card, no cash or check.




The ride to the pumpkin patch takes about 45 mins.  In that time, we enjoyed our snacks and sodas while watching the river and farm land views.  We also got up and walked over to the open air cars at the front of the train and checked those out.  In one of the cars, they had story time.  They also had a person doing face painting and caricature drawings.  My kids also got some ballon animals from a gentleman who was doing balloon twisting.  PRO TIP: bring along some small bills for tips.  We only brought $5 in cash so I only allowed my kids to get balloons.  I didn't realize there would be so many different things offered on the train.

The pumpkin patch was a private patch set up exclusively for the Pumpkin Train.  This was awesome because it was not too crowded.  The little patch had a variety of different pumpkins to choose from.  They had big pumpkins, little pumpkins, orange pumpkins, white pumpkins, green pumpkins, etc... The pumpkin patch had a covered area with picnic tables and there was complimentary self-serve lemonade and water.  There was cute decorations that were good for photo ops.  They also had a supervised bounce house and corn hole set up.  We spent about an hour at the pumpkin patch and then it was time to go back to the train station.

On the ride back, there were a few fun things to do.  They had a bunch of stickers out so people could decorate the pumpkins.  My kids at first were reluctant since they wanted to carve their pumpkins but we figured we could just peel the stickers off later and still carve.  They had another story time with a different story.  An employee also went through the train and offered the kids some complimentary masks that they could take home and color.

Overall, we had an AMAZING time on the Sacramento RiverTrain and will be going back.  Since it is a ticketed event, there was a limited amount of people.  I have a son who gets really overwhelmed by crowds and lots of commotion.  He had a GREAT time on the train since it wasn't overly crowded.  He could do the craft, the pumpkin picking, and bounce house without being overwhelmed and for us, that's a big deal.  He loved the experience and was smiling ear to ear!  The other kids loved it too but they are more easy going so I wanted to note this for any parents who have a sensitive child.

You can find out more information or book your train HERE.  They offer lots of different themed trains like a zombie train, murder mystery train, beer train, and soon they will have Christmas themed ones!

All photos by Maddy Eccles Photo courtesy of Sacramento RiverTrain.




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Date Your Spouse: At Home With Datebox

Hi friends!  I'm so sorry that so much time has passed since my last Date Your Spouse post!  Life has been crazy and there have been some dates we went on that didn't quite make the cut for a blog post.  But don't worry, I have a great one for you today!

***I received a complimentary Datebox for the purpose of review.  All thoughts and opinions are honest and 100% my own.***

My hubby and I tried DateBox!  DateBox is a service that delivers a box to your door with a fun date idea that can be done at home.  (They also offer a digital only version for only $7.99!)  This is a perfect way to have a date at home after the kids go to bed or any time when you're home needing a date.  Spoiler Alert!  I'm going to show the inside of a box so you can see if it's worth the value to you.

We got a box for a "S'mores Date" which I thought was a fun idea!  And they really thought about everything for this date!  Here's what came in the box:

The box includes:
~ Candle making supplies for two small candles
~ S'mores kit with chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.  Also, skewers to roast marshmallows.
~ 2 mugs and 2 packets of hot cocoa mix
~ Deck of cards
~ Coupon for a free Redbox rental
~ Instruction book

I loved the instruction book for the Datebox!  It's written in a super fun way like one of your friends planned a date for you.  It also has great additional things for your date like a Spotify Playlist (which we didn't get to listen to since we're not members), Conversation Starters, instructions for 3 different card games (only 1 I've played before), and instructions for your date.  They also have great ideas like for our date they suggested we build a blanket fort to go with the camping feel of the s'mores.

I thought the whole thing was so well planned out!  I thought the idea of making candles that you use later is such a fun idea!  It gives you a different experience that you might not do on your own.  They really thought of everything in this box.  One box is good for hours of fun.  I think it's well worth the $39.95 price point since you just open the box and the whole evening is planned for you.  Not only that but we keep all the items so if we wanted to recreate the date, we could.

What are your favorite stay at home date ideas?  Have you tried a date subscription?  Let me know!



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Color Street Nail Polish Strips Review and Giveaway

Confession time, though I know that it would make my Instagram pictures better and I like having painted nails, I rarely have my nails done.  I don't want to pay for salon manicures and the manicures I do at home never turn out well.  I'm bad at painting nails.  It takes too much time and never turns out right so I walk around with naked nails.

(This post in a collaboration with Color Street consultant Jenn Marshburn Lynch for product and a giveaway.  All opinions, as always, are my own honest thought.)  

I started hearing about Color Street last year but I was skeptical.  But I read that it was made with real nail polish and only took a couple minutes to apply so I decided to give it a go.  Color Street are nail polish strips that are dry on one side and moist on the other side to adhere to your nail.  They are not stickers.  They are flexible so you can stretch them a bit to fit your nail.  There is absolutely NO drying time!

 Color Street Day 3 - forgot to take picture before because we left on vacation

I picked the Tokyo Lights glitter for my manicure.  I think it took me 10-15 minutes to apply my nails because it was my first time and I was nervous.  The nail strip has the base coat, polish, and top coat all in one step.  You just put the strip on your nail, press and rub it in, and pull off any excess.  I tried to be more careful so I could use each strip on two nails which means you get two manicures per package with some left over.  Truthfully, I wasn't GREAT at the application the first time.  I had some areas where I was way too rough and ripped off more of the strip than I should have.  Next time I'll be more gentle.  Even so, I think the mani looked pretty good when I was done.

Color Street Day 7

I applied the manicure right before bed as I was watching TV.  This is usually the time I do my nails but I always wake up in the morning with smudges and dents even though I thought the nail polish was dry when I went to bed.  With Color Street, I had none of those concerns.  There's NO drying time.  No waiting time for it to seal.  No nothing.  You put them on and then rub an alcohol pad over the top to seal them in.  That's it!  I went to bed and everything was dry and fine.  I woke up with them looking exact like they did when I went to bed.  I got SO many compliments with people not believing that I didn't get my nails done at a salon.  They looked so pretty!

I wore this manicure for 14 days!!!  It didn't even look that bad when I took them off.  I definitely had more growth from the bottom than chipping from the top.  I have really oily skin so gel nail polish and nail sticker products usually only last about 8 days on me.  I was floored that this lasted 14 days!

Removal was pretty easy.  I was afraid since there was a TON of glitter on my nails.  I took some tips from Jenn and put coconut oil all over my nails for a few minutes before I removed the Color Street.  Then I used regular nail polish remover and cotton pads.  They came off in chunks and took a couple minutes.  My natural nails look great underneath, no drying or weakness at all.

Color Street Day 14

I think this product is great for any person on the go!  It's affordable.  I used the excess from my manicures to give my 5 year old daughter a mani but didn't get a picture.  For the $12, I got 2 manicures for me and can do 2 for her.  I loved how easy it was for someone like me who is BAD at nails!  And the fact that I didn't have to dry was basically the best thing of life.  I have already bought more strips from Jenn!  I'm also hosting an online party with Jenn if you'd like to purchase HERE IS THE PARTY LINK.  I will receive a hostess credit of product if anyone decides to purchase.

GIVEAWAY!
Jenn has kindly given me a set of Color Street to giveaway to one lucky reader so they can try the fabulousness!

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NEW Starbucks Toasted White Mocha

Starbucks launched a brand new drink today called Toasted White Mocha.  This drink is a very limited release and will probably sell out quickly.  The drink is described as "caramelized white chocolate with candied cranberry sugar topping."  Toasted White Mocha is available hot, iced, or as a Frappuchino.

*I am in no way affiliated with Starbucks.  I wish I was.  If you could make that happen, I'd be forever grateful.  Needless to say, all opinions are my own.*

To do my due diligence, I tried all the variations for you because I love you all so much!  It's a rough life.  They were all good.  I liked the hot and iced versions better than the Frappuchino.  I'm not much of a Frapp drinker these days.  Though I did find that in the Frapp, you could taste more of the smoky caramelized flavor.  Frappuchinos are a little too sweet for my tastes in general.  It's also cold outside so drinking an ice blended beverage is not as appealing to me.  The iced and hot versions were creamy and subtly sweet.  I think the milk in those versions mellowed out the "toasted" flavor more than in the Frapp (though it also has milk.)  If pushed to pick a favorite, I would go for the hot mocha.

Iced Toasted White Mocha (with my trademark wrist tattoo and hair tie)

Hot Toasted White Mocha

Toasted White Mocha Frappuchino

My favorite part has got to be the cranberry topping!  Real pieces of dried cranberries are throughout the topping giving it some tartness.  It pairs really well with the creamy, smooth tasting white mocha!  It would probably be even better if you ordered it with a Cranberry Bliss Bar.  This is my daughter's favorite way to match, cranberry matches with cranberry or in her case horse print pants match with horse graphic t-shirt and horse socks.  The logic can't be beat.

I totally forgot to tell you guys that I almost never drink white mochas.  It's not my jam.  I find them too sweet.  I prefer the bitterness of a dark chocolate.  However, I really like the Toasted White Mocha.  I think the caramelized notes keep the drink from being overly sweet along with the tartness from the topping.  If you are a white mocha nay sayer like me, you might still want to give this drink a try.

Huge shout out to my local Starbucks for making me these GORGEOUS drinks to photo and try!

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$10 at Target: July Taste Test Candy

Hi friends!  Sorry this post is up a little late.  I took a bad fall crossing the street the other day and I've been hobbling around in pain since.  I have a skinned knee!  I feel like a kid except I sure don't heal like a kid.  I'm sure I'll be as good as new in a few days though.

I've been thinking about my $10 at Target challenge and while the concept itself is perfectly in my wheelhouse, I decided I needed a change.  I'm going to start having each month be a taste test of new or interesting things I've found at Target.  Dustin and I did this for a while when we were helping out our friend Tony with his Dynamite Gun podcast.  I've decided to bring back the taste test.  What do you think?  I always see products thinking "I should try that" and then I never do.  This is the perfect chance to go ahead and try.

This month, I was way behind on getting things together so I decided to try candy.  Life has been so busy and I didn't have time to cook or bake anything so I figured candy would be an easy and fun way to go.  Here are the items I found:

1. Sweetarts Whipped and Tangy - $2.69
I love tart candy so I was excited to try these Sweetarts!  They do have an airy texture but much more dense than a marshmallow.  They are definitely tart and finish sweet like most Sweetart candies.  I don't know how to explain the texture to you.  Avery said that they were squishy and she's not wrong.  I think there are other puffy types of candy you can get at special candy stores that have the same texture but I'm not sure what they are called like puffy strawberries.  Anyone?  Overall, we'll likely finish the bag but I wouldn't buy these again.  I like gummy Sweetarts better or even the original circles in the tube thing.  

2. Brookside Vineyard Inspired Chardonnay Grape and Peach - $3.69
I've loved the Brookside candies since my friend introduced me to them.  I usually buy the blueberry acai or the pomegranate flavors.  I was interested in this Chardonnay Grape and Peach flavor.  The chocolate is consistently the same in all the flavors I've tried.  It's polished to a shine on the outside but a nice dark chocolate taste under.  The soft fruit candy in the middle definitely tastes like grape and peach and the flavor is pleasant but I'm not sure I love it with the chocolate.  It's not bad and again I will likely finish the package.  I will go back to the pomegranate or blueberry afterwards though because I enjoy the tartness of those flavors more.

3. M&M's Caramel $2.69 (after Cartwheel discount)
I know these were in HIGH demand over the last few months.  I'm happy to tell you that Target had a GIANT space on the shelf full of these M&M's now.  These are really, really good!  They have a nice amount of chewy, creamy caramel inside.  I would buy these again and I'm sure my husband will love them too!

For the first time EVER, I was under budget at $9.07!  I'm so proud of myself!  Please check out the other hostesses in this challenge!  And link up with us if you love Target like we do!

Stephanie | www.wifemommyme.com

Beth | www.ourprettylittlegirls.com

Becky | www.bybmg.com

Tif | www.brightonabudget.com

Heather | www.myglitteryheart.com 

Ashley | http://www.ashleynewell.me

​Shani | www.sunshineandmunchkins.com

Sarah | www.foxysdomesticside.com

Johannah | http://johannahsirois.blogspot.com

Stephanie | www.thegiftygirl.com

Kristyn | www.everyonessleepingbutmom.com

Danielle | www.sparklesandlattes.blogspot.com

Jess | www.secretsofasahmom.blogspot.com

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Seattle Part 5: Dinner and Drinks

At last, here is the last post from my Seattle series.  I didn't finish the series since I didn't notice many clicks or comments on the posts however I had a couple friends ask for the final post so I'm posting it.    I thoroughly enjoyed the food and drink scene in Seattle!  I wish I could go back there right now!  Here is what we had for dinner and drinks while we were there.

U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station
This place is really cool!  They make fresh udon noodles and broths with all natural ingredients.  You go up to a counter then pick a style (soup, sauce, or dipping noodles) and then a flavor.  Both Dustin and I decided to get some soup with the fresh udon noodles.  He got the Niku (sukiyaki beef with onion) and I got the Kakuni (soy braised pork belly) with chili oil.  After you order, the person working starts cooking your noodles right in front of you.  Both soups were delicious and the noodles had amazing texture!  Looking back, I really should have pushed myself more and gotten a different style of udon since I don't think I've ever had udon any other way but what can you do?  We also picked up some appetizers from their ready made trays of tempura and other sides mostly sold by the each.  I thought that was such a fun idea and the prices were AMAZING on the appetizers!  This concept is so fresh and unique, I would LOVE to see one of these in my town!

Island Tasting Room Gallery Cafe
I figured we should try some Washington wine while we were there.  I went with my hubby Dustin and his cousin Kim.  We all had different flights.  I think they are affiliated with Amelia Wynn Winery so a lot of the wines where from that winery.  I was disappointed that our cousin didn't get the Rose' wine in her flight because they said they were running out but there was literally a case of it on the counter.  However, she did like the flight that she received so it was fine.  I think everyone enjoyed their flight though the service was a bit delayed since they were having an event.  I didn't really care for the plum wine in my Fruit Wine Flight but I usually don't so that wasn't a shock but the other ones were good.  I was also disappointed that you had to pay for crackers.  They had NOTHING to cleanse the palette between pours.  It was like $5 for some store bought crackers.  (I live in area with a lot of wine and we always have free crackers at the very least.)  It was nice to sit down and relax but maybe my expectations were too high from living right near Lodi and Clarksburg.  The wines were pretty good but we didn't buy any since we only had carry on baggage and I didn't like anything enough to mail home.

 The Alibi Room

Kim (Dustin's cousin) picked this awesome restaurant for us when Dustin said he wanted to eat pizza and I suggested a place with pasta and other options too.  I will tell you right now that my photos are horrible because this is the darkest restaurant I've ever been in!  I edited the photos to make it appear that the restaurant was a lot brighter than it actually was.  We literally had to pull out our cell phone lights to read the menus.  They say that this place is haunted and ghosts wander around it helping out the guests.  They also have an effect where the lights flicker and the wind blows and things move.  It was a fun atmosphere and I like a place with a story.  

We ordered drinks first.  Dustin got the Fresca Cocktail which was AMAZING!  Apparently it's popular in Seattle, that's what the menu said.  Kim had a Moscow Mule and she loved it.  They make theirs with intense ginger flavor.  I had The Nutty Irishman which I felt lacked sweetness and nuttiness.  We ordered three dishes to share.  First up was the Tapenade and Roasted Garlic bulb which was pretty good.  I liked the bread and the tapenade had good flavor.  The garlic bulb lacked for me.  I wish I had salt and pepper to put on it.  Next was the Spicy Mac and Cheese and this was a HUGE disappointment.  The sauce was flavorless except the occasional spicy pepper and the serving size was tiny itty bitty even though the dish cost $14!  I wish we had sent it back to be honest.  Lastly, we got the Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Argula pizza which was super tasty!  It was $20 and not a huge portion but it was definitely delicious!  It was a fun dinner experience and I would go back.  I would just a lot more careful with ordering.  

Goldfinch Tavern 
Jess (Seattle Dessert Geek), Dustin, and I had drinks at Goldfinch Tavern at the Four Seasons.  You know, because we are SO fancy!  Honestly, we sat down in the lobby of The Four Seasons and didn't realize we were in their tavern.  We felt inclined to order some drinks.  Jess had the Purple Rain Mocktail which she said tasted like fancy blackberry juice.  I had the American Goldfinch which was on their Happy Hour.  This wasn't the right drink for me.  It wasn't quite fruity enough but it was smooth.  Dustin got the Market Mule which was a decent drink.  Their mule wasn't served in a mule mug which is disappointing.  The service was very attentive.  I wish I had been in the mood for Happy Hour food because the plates looked beautiful!

Rachel's Ginger Beer
Listen, yes more drinks and more desserts.  It's a vacation.  I found it fascinating that Seattle has entire places dedicated to ginger beer!  I'm sure we have weird places to other people too.  The people in Seattle seem SUPER into RGB too!  I figured we HAD to try it since we have nothing like this in our area.  It was AMAZING!  They have tons of different flavors of ginger beer and you can get samples.  The ginger beer was lovely, not too sweet.  I ended up having the Passion Fruit x Vanilla ginger beer in a float with vanilla soft serve.  (I know, passion fruit, shocking!)  Dustin got the Raspberry Hibiscus (which was the seasonal flavor at the time) spiked with tequila.  We both really enjoyed our drinks!

Hope that these Seattle posts were helpful!  We had such a great time there!  I can't wait to go back to Seattle!  Hopefully someday we will end up back there!

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Photos with Kathryn Taras Photography

Sigh... let's be honest, I do not like having my photo taken.  While I love a good selfie on a good hair and makeup day, getting my pictures taken by other people is a VERY different story especially by myself with no kids to hide behind.  (Cue montage of me hiding behind my kids in family photos.)   However, as a blogger, I often need updated headshots and iPhone selfies aren't gonna cut it.  Thankfully, my friend Kathryn of Kathryn Taras Photography came to my rescue.

The theme for this shoot was "Blogger Headshots."  I know, the creativity is astounding.  However, I felt like it was really important to not have professional looking headshots like you would if you were a real estate agent or even different from acting headshots.  It's just me and that's pretty nerve-wracking.  Also, lately blogger headshots have a certain style to them that I tried to emulate.

I wanted to share a few of my favorites.  Working with Kathryn was so easy!  I told her what I wanted in terms of style, I told her what I was insecure about in terms of my looks, and she worked her magic.  While I was a little awkward and nervous at first, Kathryn really put me at ease.  I felt that she was being so genuine with me and I absolutely had faith that she would make me look my best.

I highly recommend Kathryn if you need photography!  It is ROUGH to be an out of shape mom who works behind the screen to get out there and be photographed.  Kathryn really helped me through this whole process.  She is a mom herself and she has a lot of the same feelings about being photographed.  We worked together before, during, and after the shoot and she made 100% sure I was happy with my photos.  I think the most important thing is that she captured who I am as a person.  Even though I tried really hard to have a "cool trendy blogger vibe" at the end of the day, who I was came out in the photos and that was way better than trying to be like the photos I saw on Pinterest.  

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