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All Aboard: Cruising on the Yacht StarShip in Tampa

3 Apr

If you leave anywhere near the Bay area, you have probably heard about the Yacht StarShip cruises that leave out of Tampa and Clearwater. You have probably put it on your wish list of places to visit around the area, and month after month, you never take part.

I was the exact same way. Every time I would see a commercial or someone talking about Yacht StarShip, I burst out, “Oh my gosh, I want to do that so bad!” But, then I would forget about it until the next commercial aired. Well, I decided to make a change, and I purchased two tickets through LivingSocial. I mean, who can pass it up when it’s at such a discount on LivingSocial. I no longer had an excuse not to try it.

So, in honor of our two-year anniversary, PoppaNut and I boarded the Channelside yacht for an unforgettable evening. Yacht StarShip, America’s First 3-diamond rated Dining Yacht by AAA, ranks in the top 28% of all restaurants, and the food was amazing. Our exquisite dinner cruise offered tableside service with exceptional dishes. The calamari was so fresh and tasty, we ate it in about two second flat. With cocktails in hand, we chatted about everything under the sun, while watching the sun set in the distance. With our meal finished and dessert wrapped up to-go, we headed to the top floor to take in the spectacular views from the deck.

Wow! The views of some of the houses nearby were amazing. I couldn’t help but imagine what each person inside those houses were doing and what their lives were like. I could have sat up there for hours, but the dancing had begun inside. After some foot tapping and another few cocktails, PoppaNut and I deboarded the beautiful yacht to look at some of those amazing houses a bit closer.

And there, in the shadows of the night, stood Derek Jeter’s humble (or not so humble) abode. With the faint glimmer of a TV on inside, we knew the Yankee legend was just a few yards away. So, I’m just going to say we celebrated our two-year anniversary with Jeter. And for PoppaNut, that was a dream come true!

And that’s life in a nutshell … explore the amazing things this area has to offer. Make a new wish list, and make a point to actually partake in each one. You’ll lead a richer life because of it.

MommaNut

 

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A Unique Present: Handmade Yankees Quilt

17 Feb

Quilts are part of my family’s DNA. My Grandma Tam made the most beautiful quilts in the whole world, and I have two that I get to call my own. When my grandma passed away, she left behind several unfinished quilts, and I can’t wait to have them finished so I have more to enjoy.

My Grandma Densmore also makes amazing quilts, and I use several of the ones she made me every week. I have one made of my cheerleading T-shirts from Penn High School and other that represents my time at Indiana University. I also have a flowery quilt, a design that both myself and my cousin Ashley have.

There is just nothing like snuggling with a quilt on the couch. So, when I was on Pinterest a few month back and ran across this profile, I was immediate struck by the Yankees quilt. I commented on the image of the quilt and Jill Motsinger at jillmots@live.com wrote me right back. She makes custom sports-themed quilts for people, and she was happy to make one for me.

Well, instantly I thought this would be a great idea for PoppaNut. First of all, he is obsessed with the Yankees, and this would let him have a quilt just for him. It could be something I give him that would be with us the rest of our lives. I immediately wrote back to Jill, and she got to work.

The amazing thing about Jill is that she emailed me photos and communicated with me about the quilt all along the way. She sent updates after she got the fabric and as she put the blocks together. It only took her about a month and a half to complete everything.

 

When the completed quilt arrived at the house, I was bursting with excitement. I placed it inside PoppaNut’s Valentine’s gift bag and waiting for the big surprise. When he opened it up, he was shocked. He absolutely loved it, and wanted to use it right away. He even said that it will be something we keep in our family for the rest of our lives. Jill, thank you for making something so special for our family.

And that’s life in a nutshell … finding the perfect gift can be as easy as looking around Pinterest!

MommaNut

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game

20 Jul

The Yankees are in town, so PoppaNut and I headed to Tropicana Field to get in on the action. One of PoppaNut’s clients gave us these amazing seats right behind home plate. We were so close that you could practically smell the sweat coming off each coachs’ foreheads. It was incredible. And yes, I was wearing my Victoria’s Secret Yankees shirt that I blogged about last week … and it was also incredible.

Me and PoppaNut at the game

But as we nestled into our front-and-center seats, it wasn’t the actual game that got my attention. In fact, the actual game has never been what draws me to the ball park. It’s the smells and the sounds that remind me of my childhood that keep me coming back for more.

When I was little, my family used to drive up to Chicago to watch the Cubs (who would usually lose) play at Wrigley Field. I’m always telling PoppaNut about my love for Wrigley Field. Besides Disney, it’s the most magical place on Earth. The history of Harry Caray singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with a big ice-cream cone in my hand just can’t be beat. And my memories don’t hold any record … I can’t tell you how many games I went to when the Cubs won and how many games I went to when they lost … I just remember being with my family and having a great time.

I have a special memory of heading to Wrigley Field with my Grandma Tam. Our whole family was there, and she wore a royal-blue bucket hat with a big Cubs logo on it. My Grandma Tam has since passed away, but I still have that hat tucked away in the Yankees room of all places. It’s dusty and a bit tattered, but that memory is still clear as day for me.

Jeter at the plate

My dad got very sick when I was in high school, and I remember when he started feeling better. He asked me to go with him to a Cubs game. I was suppose to work at the KOA Kampground (my summer job), but I couldn’t wait to call in sick, climb into the van and make my way up to Chicago. We didn’t have tickets, but we bought some at the gate … standing-room only. But once again, it didn’t matter. It was a special moment I’ll always cherish where a daughter got to enjoy the game with her wonderful dad!

And PoppaNut and I have had some wonderful moments in the ball park. We have celebrated every one of his birthdays at a spring-training game. We have gone to Yankees games with friends and family … but my favorites are when it’s just us. We may be surrounded by tons of people, but it still feels like we are sharing such a special moment as just the two of us.

And I saw those types of moments happening at the game last night. An older couple shared an ice-cream cone, a group of friends bonded over crazy calls, a dad explained the game to his son, a husband and wife shared a drink and took in the game.

A couple sharing an ice-cream cone

And that’s life in a nutshell … to me, it’s not the players who win … it’s the fans in the stand.

MommaNut

 

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MLB Chic

14 Jul

So, everyone knows that PoppaNut is a HUGE Yankees fan. In fact, we have an entire room in our home dedicated to the Yankees. From autographed balls to pinstriped M&M’s, this room bleeds blue. And PoppaNut couldn’t love it more.

Since the Yankees have a huge presence in our lives (during the LONG nine-month season), we certainly go to our share of games. PoppaNut usually wears one of his million NY Yankees shirts with his Yankees flip-flops and Yankees watch. Then, there is me. I don’t have a thing to wear. I have two Yankees shirts, but I don’t really love either of them.

So, I went on a hunt. I’m not letting a Yankees game keep my fashion choice down. After some lengthy researching, I found that Victoria’s Secret has Yankees shirts. In fact, they have a ton of MLB clothing for us gals as well as college attire! Problem solved. I ordered one Yankees shirt and one IU shirt (I can’t pass up a shirt dedicated to my alma mater, now can I?). I would have loved to order it all … and since we are only half way through the season, it’s likely I’ll make another purchase soon. Which one would you chose?

And that’s life in a nutshell … see every opportunity as a chance to make your own fashion statement.

MommaNut

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Yankees Pride

12 May

It is quite possible that when PoppaNut reads this post, he will want to change our phone provider to AT&T. Turns out that AT&T has a partnership with PoppaNut’s favorite friend in the whole world: The Yankees.

AT&T is asking Yankees fans to “Join the Team” by texting YANKS to 4663, and winners of the promotion can receive a slue of Yankees prizes. You can always register to win at www.att.yankees.com (PoppaNut, don’t worry; I already registered us for the prizes but you can register as well for extra luck!).

Now, I call the Yankees PoppaNut’s best friend because, well, they are. He sees them a few times a week, follows up on what they have going on, can’t wait to see them again and even has pictures of them up in our home. For all intents and purposes, you could say that the Yankees are like family to us.

MommaNut, PoppaNut

Our First Game Together

When we first began dating, I took PoppaNut to a Yankees spring training game for his birthday. You would have thought I gave him a million dollars the way his eyes lit up when he saw the tickets. We had a great time, and we keep going back for more. I can’t even tell you how many games we have been to together, but he probably could. You’ll see some photos of the games we have been to over the years in this post.

Just eight days after we tied the knot,

PoppaNut, MommaNut

Go Yankees!

we went to our first Yankees spring training game as husband and wife for PoppaNut’s 29th birthday. And I had a special surprise in store … the marquee lit up with “Happy Birthday, Steve. Love, Your Wife” during the seventh inning. It was such a blast seeing PoppaNut’s face during that moment. Now, I wish I had a photo of that.

Even more than visiting stadiums to enjoy the Yankees, we have a spare bedroom in our home dedicated to the team. You’ll find framed photos, an autogr

MommaNut, PoppaNut

Almost Saw a No-Hitter at This One

aphed ball, a M&Ms machine and a ton more lining the walls: all themed Yankees. We live in a townhouse so this is PoppaNut’s mancave in leu of a garage. He loves it, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

So, that’s life in a nutshell … truly loving what your PoppaNut loves because it makes him happy. Now, I’m going back to texting AT&T … I want that grand prize!

MommaNut

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