Summer is the perfect season for a road trip! My family and I took a beautiful drive to Austin last weekend and enjoyed our stay at the Four Diamond award-winning Lakeway Resort & Spa, a newly renovated lodging resort and the only waterfront resort on Lake Travis. (Don’t you love Lake Travis?) Our goal was to simply get out of town for a couple of days and have some fun family time. Mission accomplished!

  

Do you have a budding star at your house?  Someone just waiting to become that famous singer, dancer, rock star?  I have two.  They sing and dance and rap and air guitar on the porch, in the shower, at Chuys.  Everywhere.  All the time. 

So, I was super excited to find this fun little App for the iPhone, iPad and iPod called Video Star.     All you (or your kids) need to do is pick a song from your playlist, find a friend to record for you and go to town.  It really is that easy.  The fun part is that there are all kinds of effects you can add to the video while youre singing and dancing to make it really feel like youre on MTV.  You can modify the effects after the video is shot if you want to change the heart background to the purple one and also take snapshots of scenes in the video to share.  

This App has entertained my kids for hours.  They have a blast doing it with their friends and even more fun watching their masterpieces when they are done.  The videos are easily share to You Tube or on Instagram if you want to get your little stars out there into the big, wide world to be discovered by Usher or something!

Did I mention its free?  Have fun:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id438596432?mt=8.

 

It's a day I won't forget.  The day the whole family stood at Sam's watching a demonstration on how to make tortilla soup in a souped-up blender when my husband proclaimed, "I would cook dinner with that!"  I dont know about you, but having my husband offer to cook anything that doesn't require taking it out of a box and putting it on the oven rack or flipping it with tongs on the grill is close to a miracle, so my ears perked up on this one!

This miracle-producing product was the Vitamix, which is, in simple terms, a mega-blender.  What makes the Vitamix different from a normal blender or other brands on the market, is its powerful motor and stainless steel blades.  This beauty can make smoothies, ice cream, hot soup (I said HOT SOUP-it actually heats the soup while its blending!), hummus, salad dressing, peanut butter, pasta sauce - you name it.  You'll find it used in restaurants and on the Food Network all the time.  I have personally seen it used around town at Hubbell and Hudson, Dairy Queen, Starbucks and Jamba Juice. 

I must admit, it's not cheap.  But let me tell you, my husband is an avid researcher.  He read every review, watched every You Tube video and called Vitamix a million times.  What he discovered is that Vitamix will sell certified, reconditioned models for a cheaper price (about $150 less) than a brand-new model that still comes with a warranty, cookbook and looks brand new.  Another nice option offered by Vitamix their payment plan options.  We chose to pay in two installments which was a nice way to keep the cost feel more reasonable.  

So, a few weeks later, my husband's third child arrived at the door.  I must say, this mega-blender has changed our lives and I'm happy to report that he has kept his word and does cook with it often and makes awesome, healthy smoothies for us daily. 

I would recommend this product to anyone who is interested in eating healthy, has food allergies, is trying to get away from processed foods or just wants to simplify the meal-making process.  There are tons of recipes and ideas for using the Vitamix and it's such a great way to get your family their fruits and veggies. 

To learn more about Vitamix, visit their website at www.vitamix.com or search your cable guide, theres always a great demo on the HSN!  Youll be sold!