Happy New Year 2012 from Carolina Country!

As I look back on 2011, it was a blessed time. We are so thankful for God's consistent love and grace in our lives.

"His compassionate they fail not." No wonder my amazing grandmother lived his scripture. It is the gospel message.

And I need it every day - His compassionate they fail not! Thank you Lord! And may I have much compassion for others no matter.  I am so thankful for my adoring husband and precious children.

Thank you all for a fabulous year. I adore the time together here! And time we have shared elsewhere due to the magic of social media.

God bless us each and every one and may we serve Him and others Big in 2012! God bless!

Here is a glimpse of our New Year's with the Tigers!

They love music and have turned corners this year. I am delighted and thrilled!  

We both are as we LOVE music. 

My New Year's date with our children in tow.  These are the times!  

And we love it! :)  

Cheers! 

May our New Year 2012 Shine!  

Our 15th New Year's together!  Blessed years!  :)  We have great New Year's memories in Colorado, Mississippi,  New Orleans, Florida, Virginia,  DC, North Carolina!  If they were each spent at home just us, that would be just as divine. 

They have all been full of wonder as we enter each New Year with 

the confidence that God gives us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, I give you a hope and a future. "

"Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. "  I love this because whatever 2012 holds

He is the same, loves us the same, protects us the same, and cares for us the same. 

May we trust and believe Him through it all.

Many fun New Years and always BIG Dreams to go with every year! 

What are your 2012 dreams this year?  Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Warmly, 

Carolina Mama 

Snowland Great Wolf Lodge 2011

Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge is truly magical.

We had the most lovely time in Charlotte recently. Everything is so festive. We got away to Snowland at the Great Wolf Lodge! This has become a wonderful tradition that we cherish each year.

All of the snow falling, the festive lodge with all of the white lights and decorated Christmas trees. It is truly magical indeed. attended the Charlotte Motor Speed Way Carolina Christmas. We got to ride on the trace and look at the miles of Christmas lights. Then at the end you can go into the center of the track and enjoy the Santa Village and The lovely Live Nativity scene. We have come to love this every year.

Look at the convivial Great Wolf Lodge Welcome! Beautiful!

The Bears are so cute throughout the Lodge. Stay on the look out.

Even the Angry Birds Christmas Tree was bright and shiny! Every year they have all of the Christmas trees in a contest. So cute. Here's our vote. lol

Look at the Welcome in our room! :) So cute complete with swim goggles.

Love this of our Tigers hanging out in the Lobby waiting for Snowland snow to fly!

Yes, for the 2nd Year, we took off to a Carolina Christmas at Charlotte Motorspeed Way! Oh may,

do you see the cool ride around the Track.

Our boys are getting spoiled racing on the Motorspeed Way!

It's true the Cabarrus County Motto: "Where Racing Lives!"

Then we took in the miles of Christmas lights! And the largest outdoor Drive In Movie and saw a little

Polar Express! Yes! That was cool!

Here's the Santa's Letter Box. Santa greeted the children.

Then we looked at all of the Christmas trees that were decorated in themes. We loved the

NASCAR and I, of course, the Pink Tree.

We were moved by the LIVE Nativity Scene and Bethlehem City we got to tour.

There is something somber about visiting a live Nativity scene in preparation for

celebrating Jesus' Birthday at Christmastime! Our family

was very joyful for this experience. Peace on Earth, Good will toward Men.

This is how we LOVE the Waterpark at Great Wolf Lodge! It is amazing and the Howling Tornado is like nothing else.

We love to visit the GWL Bear! He makes us smile! :) See more of our visits at Carolina Mama like last year! :)

You can get my 5 Tips for Visiting a Great Wolf Lodge at Traveling Mamas. :)  And our Carolina Christmas in Charlotte with a  Giveaway. :) 

Warmly, Carolina Mama

*Thank you Visit Cabarrus, Carolina Christmas, Great Wolf Lodge for hosting us. And for the Charlotte Motorspeed Way for having us join you all and share about a True Carolina Christmas.

Warmly,Carolina Mama

Firebird's Grill Charlotte Giveaway - North Carolina

Firebird's Grill in Charlotte, South Park -

a great place to Celebrate New Year's!

Have a Romantic Date Night. A fabulous kick it Business Lunch. Or a Memorable Family Dinner Gathering. That's what we chose! And someone at our table chose this signature Filet Mignon. Stay with me, there is a Giveaway at the end.

Firebird's Grill has a Colorado Ski Lodge atmosphere right here in Carolina! Umm, we Love this! Or, you can enjoy an Aspen Ski Lodge feel of Firebird's in many states, like the new one in our old stomping grounds, Northern Virginia. Hello Leesburg, Virginia!

The Firebird's History is beautiful:

"Firebirds Wood Fired Grill introduced a taste of Colorado to the Carolinas when it first opened its doors in Charlotte, North Carolina in December of 2000. The restaurant is the creative concept of owner and restaurateur, Dennis Thompson, who regularly travels out west. He fell in love with the feel of the area as well as the food. Drawing from those experiences, he developed Firebirds."

Firebird's has a great atmosphere and menu that mesh extremely well together. General Manager, Nick Pasquarello of the South Park Firebird's Charlotte is a fabulous Manager and personality.

Here I got to catch up with Nick before our dinner.  He is fun to talk with and he is passionate about Firebirds:

Thanks Nick for sharing with us! 

Recently Firebird's invited us to Dinner while we were in Charlotte for a Carolina Christmas with One Mom's World and family. What a great experience. We had a great Christmas dinner together. Just look how happy and content we all are after dinner here! :) Happy faces and full tummies.

You will love the friendly and fun atmosphere for the whole family. As you can see by some of the photos, the children's menu is really kid friendly and very well portioned (as is the adult menu).

Another cool feature is that Firebird's Grills is that the Firebird's actual grill is visible from the dining hall. You can enjoy seeing a fire with real firewood and your food being grilled right there in front of you. It adds a certain flare to your experience.

This is what makes the food so unique is that it is grilled over the firewood, which makes for an awesome grilled flavor on most of the food prepared there. See my fire grilled Salmon... heaven on a plate. :)

One favorite item we recommend you try is the Mango Habanero Chutney. It is similar to mango salsa, but so much better. A sweet, slightly spicy sauce that comes as a garnish on a couple of the items on the menu. It is out of this world. We were eating it as a side dish we loved it so much!


Okay, look at another Children's Meal. :) A certain Tiger A devoured this meal. And all the children LOVED the Oreo's. Nice perk and then they shared a Brownie Sundae. Spoiled. Thank you Firebird's! Told you children are very welcome.

You must save room for dessert - warning, be prepared for a tough decision. Their desserts are top of the line choices.

A dessert of two! Or three. We had the Key Lime Pie also. Divine! This Southern delicacy is done to perfection at Firebird's.

If you haven't quite enough room, make sure you get one to go for a little later in the evening.
I have to just say the coffee is really awesome. Check out Firebird's Grill today for one near you, and end the old bring in the New Year right!

We even made ourselves at home so much so that we had a little Red cast signing for the broken Christmas foot. We like to keep it fun. No, crutches do not slow him down, Praise God. :)

And yes look at those To Go bags sitting to the right. There is too much to finish and these make fab leftovers. Experience the wonder again at home. We did!

PS Tiger B LOVED these Coconut Shrimp and so did his Sweet Friend M. See kids love good food!

Oh, yes, we couldn't finish all the desserts. Their signature decadent Chocolate Cake is all that!

Awesomesauce!

Now, you can go. Someone will win a Firebird's Giftcard! Wahoo! Start the New Year off excellently!

Giveaway Enter To Win $50 Gift Certificate to Firebird's.

1) Visit the Firebird's site and tell us the first thing you would order, leave a comment here;

2) Tweet this Giveaway link;

3) Share on your Facebook wall.

4) Find your Firebird's neighborhood location here. Tell us which one you'll visit for an extra entry in comments.

Offer at Firebird's only, not to be sold, and food items only. Valid in US for those who can visit a Firebird's. Contest ends Thursday, January 5, 2012 :) at 9:00 pm EST>

Warmly,

Carolina Mama


*This post sponsored by Firebird's. We were happy customers before working together. ;) Thank you Firebird's for hosting us all. We look forward to working together in 2012! Cheers!

Pinterest - Join the Creative Social Network

Pinterest has everyone's Interest! :)  Clever right?!  Well, Pinterest is way clever and creative and you gotta do it.  I'm an early adaptor so I jumped in on Pinterest way back.  And folks are still asking about it and joining it.  So here's my Pinterest 101. 

From the beginning, I fell in love.  You can see why.....  Take a look.

So Pinterest is Beautiful, Relaxing, and Creative.  And FREE. :) I laugh yet it is 

fabulous to shop on Pinterest for FREE.  Nice perk. 

Just Join.   Then Create a Board. A Pinterest Board organizes your favorite things 

under that topic. 

Then, Follow People.  Invite People.  Share.  Have fun!

That's Pinterest. 

Check out my "Porches" Board. This is way more than Porches. Yet, I love this look. 

And the Porches, Verandas, etc. 

See here is my Christmas Board. 

Here are my Mom Fashion Favorites on my "Thursday Things I Love!" Board. 

And I HAVE to do this for the Tigers. Look at this Cute Party idea. 

So I "Liked" this.  On Pinterest, a Like is a way to say you 'like' it and 

you are saving it to your favorites, too.  

This is my love it, do it later, board. :) 

Now, every day, Pinterest comes to me in two ways: 1)  Jane or John (yes, the Guys too!) Doe followed all of your Pinterest boards!  It's that cool. and 2)  Someone asking What's all the talk about Pinterst?  Who is it? :)  lol

Just join the party.  Pinterest is a great way to share and relax and enjoy all in one pretty way.  So will I see you on Pinterest soon?  Let's follow some Boards. And Create some Boards.

Oh, and PS, some say Pinterest is addicting.  Be warned, you may lose track of time.  In a good way, of course.  All things beautiful. :)


Warmly,  Carolina Mama

Handmade Goods by Tiger B

Honored to have a Guest Post today from my precious son, Tiger B. He is in the Fifth Grade and wrote the following. I am so proud of his craftsmanship and his initiative to write a post.

Hi, I'm Tiger B. I'm one of Carolina Mama's Twin Sons. I have been knitting for 3 years,

and have been making other goods for several months.

Here is my Signature Ear-Flap Hat:

Here are some samples of my work. I made this Two-Tone Headband for my Mommy for Christmas.

Here is a list of the things I can make:

Hats, coasters, scarfs, bracelets, necklaces, wristbands, i-pad/phone cases, (and any smartphone or phone cases);

Glasses case, bookmarks, blankets, arm sleeves, bells, pillow cases, headbands, placemats, ski masks (two different styles,)

small mat rugs, ear flap hats, washcloths, drawstring bags, shawls, and cup holders.

Here is a picture of one of my Friendship Bracelets I make. You may order these as well. :)

Those are the things I can make. Ask about any thing you would like, I will try to make it.

All Items 50% OFF !!!!
(With a purchase of $8.00 or more. Maximum 5 items discounted.)
Offer Valid until February 10 2012.

Just E-mail your Order to:
CarolinaMama1@ gmail (dot) com so you can place your order today!!!!!

(Note: it will take a few weeks to get to you depending on what you order.)

Thank you for reading. Is there a style you would like?

Sincerely,
Tiger B

eBay Seller Special: List Auction-style FREE

The Holiday Shopping frenzy may have caught up with some.  Holiday is the time we find ourselves with more than we need.  Never during the year is it more obvious that we need to declutter, simplify our lives and um, SELL some eBay items!  

Did you get caught off guard with your spending. You were giving, right?!  Well, now you can let eBay help you - your sale proceeds can go toward paying off your credit cards in the New Year!  And eBay has a surprise to jump start the Seller in you.

eBay just announced a 3-Day Seller Special: 

List Auction-style FREE and add Buy-It NOW for FREE.  

Now, we can all be eBay Sellers for FREE Auction-style listings and you can add the "Buy-It NOW" price for FREE. This is an awesome way to enter into the Sellers market on eBay without the listing fees. So go ahead and give yourself a chance. You might be surprised the money you can save.  Details for are on eBay.

For example:


You can list a maximum of 50,000 items as part of this Promotion on the U.S. site, www.ebay.com, eBay Motors atwww.eBayMotors.com (Parts & Accessories only), and eBay Canada at www.ebay.ca.

eBay even has a 2011 Holiday Selling Guide for you.   Let this eBay Money Makers' story inspire you and motivate you.  Or, learn more about selling your out-dated tech devices from fellow eBay Parent Panelist,  Tech Savvy Mama here. 

Find out the Best Selling Brands and Top Dollar Getters on eBay - Everything you needed to know in the eBay Tech Seller's Guide. 

Happy Selling!  And may you make your New Year's Selling goals with a little help from eBay.  And remember, with FREE Auction listings, you make more money on each sale. That's success for 2012.
Cheers!


Warmly,  Carolina Mama

*This post part of my eBay Parent Panelist partnership.  All the great tips are

Have A Merry Carolina Christmas!

"A Child is born, Jesus Christ, our Savior is Born!"

Merry Christmas from Carolina Country!

Here is a small glimpse of our Christmas! God bless and see you soon!

Warmly,
Carolina Mama