Beach Walking with Tropical Storm Sandy Nearby

Last Friday as Tropical Storm Sandy was making her approach known we decided to ride out to the beach and see just what she was doing.

We were very lucky here in Jacksonville.  Sandy blew the winds and churned the sea but didn't bring us any damaging effects.  It was like a big nor'easter.  

A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada with characteristics similar to a hurricane.  It describes a low-pressure area whose center of rotation is just off the East Coast.  Nor'easters usually cause severe coastal flooding, coastal erosion and hurricane force winds.  Most often it's the erosion that we experience here. 

In the picture we took above you can see how rough the waves were.  Below, I've posted a short video from our local news station.  You can hear the crashing of the waves and the roaring winds.




The kids had fun playing on the beach but it didn't take long for us all to tire out.  The winds were so strong they nearly knocked the kids down.  It was a fight to stand up at times.

 

Rip Currents are a danger all year long.  When nor'easters come in the surfers like to venture out since the waves are bigger.  Believe me, there wasn't one surfer out there.  It was way too rough and too dangerous.  We did see lots of picture takers like us.

What do kids from New York do without snow in the winter?  Why they have sea foam balls fights instead.  lol.  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it but with all the foam rolling down the beach the kids were scooping it up and throwing it at each other.

Sandy brought us some cooler weather that I appreciate but my heart breaks for all the people up north in N.Y and elsewhere that have suffered so much damage.  I'm praying for them as I know ya'll are too.

Sandy's effects didn't last long.  Saturday my son flew home from N.Y. for good.  So now I have him and his whole family here.  By Sunday the kids were back at the beach but with their Dad this time and learning to skim board.  Stayed tuned for more family adventures.

Hugs ya'll....

Tracy :)

P.S.  Watch for a new giveaway this afternoon!

Purex Plus Oxi Review and Giveaway - Win 1 of 2 FREE bottles

There are 3  things I look for when buying a laundry detergent. 

• Cleaning Power 
• Scent
• Value

1.  It has to clean really well.  What's the point in saving money if it doesn't do the job?  To review the new Purex Plus Oxi and Zout Stain Removers.  With the grandkids here I have all kind of new stains to work on.  Zach loves fishing and Ki'a loves crafting, so use your imagination.   Of course there's always food stains and grass stains.  Purex with Oxi and Zout is a powerful combination of detergent and stain fighters. 
Purex plus Oxi is so powerful, it can even be used to pretreat those really tough stains too. 

• Just pour a little Purex plus Oxi onto the stain, rub stained fabric together and let sit for 5 minutes before putting in the washer.
• Then add Purex plus Oxi detergent to your wash load as you normally would.

2.  I like my clothes to smell really clean and I love perfumed scents.  My sister on the other hand has to use hypoallergenic formula for my nephews clothes, which traditionally means no perfume, no smelling good.  That's no longer a problem with Purex plus Oxi. The bottle I used is Fresh Morning Burst and it smells so nice.  I love the clean, fresh scent.

• Triple Action Purex plus Oxi   is a hypoallergenic formula with a light, fresh scent.

3.  I'm  vigilant  about getting the most for my money.  Purex satisfies this requirement too.   For under $6.00 I can purchase a 43.5 oz bottle.  With sales and coupons I can usually do even better.

Betch you'd like to try a bottle for yourself.  Let's see if we can make that happen.  Purex is giving me 2 coupons for a FREE bottle of Purex plus Oxi  to share with my Cotton Pickin Cute readers.  So don't stop here.  Just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of this post.

You don't want to miss out on the other Purex plus Oxi Sweepstakes either.  Just follow the links below to enter.

1.  Scare Away Stains with Purex plus Oxi.  Purex is also hosting  a Sweepstakes along with the release of new Purex plus Oxi and there will be some great CASH prizes!  One Grand Prize winner will recieve $1000 and 200 lucky 2nd place winners will receive $25.  The sweepstakes is open until November 16th.  Enter here. 

 2. Save Big on Appliances + Win a Whirlpool Washer and Dryer from Purex.
The promotion allows users to sign up for special savings on Whirlpool appliances through facebook.  One lucky winner will receive Whirlpool Duet® Steam Front Load Washer with Precision Dispense Ultra and a Whirlpool Duet® Steam Electric Dryer with Advanced Moisture Sensing and pedestals.You will be asked to “Like” Purex before you can enter. The sweepstakes ends November 9th.  Enter here.

 Okay time for a Cotton Pickin Cute giveaway!!  This giveaway is open until Nov 9, 2012.

NOTE: if you are having trouble with the mandatory entry on the form below, click “Do it!” first. Then the form will pop up to enter your info. 

If you need more guidance, you can watch this video on how to enter Rafflecopter giveaways.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Disclosure:  A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own.  

Publix and Mary Kay Lash Giveaway Winners

Time to announce 2 new winners!

The first giveaway announcement is for the Publix Running Out? Run In. giveaway.

 

The lucky winner is :

Jessica @ Young At Heart Mommy 
Congratulations Jessica you're the winner of a $25 Publix gift card.  I've already emailed you and you have 48 hours to contact me.

The second giveaway announcement is for the Mary Kay Lash Love giveaway.

The lucky winner is:
LaTanya.
 Congratulations LaTanya!  I know you're going to love the Mary Kay lash products as much as I do.
    

Summer Days at Atlantic Beach

What's one of the first things you want to do when you leave New York and move to Florida.  Why go to the beach of course!

Neil and I have had the best summer with so much family around.  We got to spend a whole 2 months with my sister's family staying in here in Jacksonville.  I got to spend time with nieces and nephews we never get to see.  Then just a couple of weeks after they left our daughter-in-law Christal and our 2 grand kids moved back.  We couldn't be more thrilled!!!  My son Ty will soon be here and it's going to feel so complete.  My heart is so full, it could burst!

These kids didn't skip a beat.  It was like they've spent their whole lives in the ocean.  The rough ocean had the beach littered with seaweed. There are so many good and healthy things about the beach.  

• It's great for your sinus',  it really opens them up.  
• The salt water will help heal wounds so much faster.  
• The sandy beach is like getting a mini foot scrub and gets rid of all the hard skin and your tooties are clean and pretty.  
• Just the smell and soothing roar of the ocean makes you feel miles away from everything and provides total relaxation.  I mean, just look at the photo's.  You point your chair towards the sea and there is nothing as far as you can see.  Your mind totally relaxes!  
• And best of all, studies have proven that the ocean water is excellent for Cystic Fibrosis patients.  It helps to break up all the mucus in their lungs.  This is a great thing for Zach!

These kids bring back so many memories of my own childhood.  I spent the most wonderful summers at the beach with my sister and cousins.  Countless hours on the beach from sunrise till sunset.  I love the thought that when these kids are old they'll be cherishing the same memories and thinking we had so much fun at the beach.

I love these faces!!

Worries all disappear for an afternoon.

The moon rising over Atlantic Beach in Jacksonville.  It looked so much bigger in person.

Zach being silly at the park.

I love this sculpture of a boy riding the porpoise.  Or is it a dolphin?  Shouldn't I know the difference by now?

My little fashionista.  I keep smiling at these happy faces!

Time to head home all tuckered out with the moon at our backs.....

P.S.  Be sure to check out the giveaways on the right side of the page.

Tiny Prints Can Customize Your Halloween and Thanksgiving Invitations

Have you pulled out the Halloween Decorations yet? We did this weekend. Halloween is the first of the celebration season and it brings a special excitement with it.

My grands are already picking out costumes and talking about having a Halloween party. Invitations are such an important part of any party. It sets the theme and it's where the excitement first begins. Tiny Prints have silly and cute Halloween Party Invitations that will make you smile. Ordering your invitations from Tiny Prints gives you the opportunity to personalize them making them even more special. It's so easy to do and you can bet your guests will remember them.

A Thanksgiving Photo Card is a such a sweet way to let family and friends know that you're thinking of them during the holidays. I wish I would have thought about doing this years ago. It's a great way to feel connected!

More and more it seems Thanksgiving is spent with friends as well as family. So many people live far from their families now and they tend to share holidays with friends. I think this is why Thanksgiving Dinner invitations are becoming more widely used. It's a smart way to get everyone on the same page. They all have a visible reminder of what time dinner starts and just think how pretty it will be when stuck on their fridge door! The wonderful thing about Tiny Prints' cards is they are as unique as you are. Designing them is as easy as they are to order. There's only one catch, with so many options it won't be easy to decide which one to choose.

Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of a gift card to Tiny Prints in exchange for this review. However, our opinions and experiences are completely our own.

2 Country Bob's Winners and 2 Soft Scrub Total Winners

Being without a computer, in a word sucks.  But here I am better late than never to announce the winners of a couple of giveaways.

First up is Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce.  We have 2 winners who will receive coupons for one FREE bottle each.

And the winners are:

#16 Dani

# 5 Amy M.

Congratulations girls!!  I know you'll enjoy County Bob's.

The second is for the Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Cleaner.  We also have 2 winners again, who will each receive a coupon for one FREE bottle each.

And the winners are:

 #496 Jeni L.

#419 Maryann D.

.

Congratulations girls!! Your chores will get easier with Soft Scrub Total.

Thanks to both sponsors for supporting Cotton Pickin Cute!

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P.S.  Don't forget to enter my other 2 giveaways.

Publix - Running Out? Run In. Win a $25 Publix Gift Card HERE!

 Mary Kay Lash Prize Pack Giveaway HERE!