On our final day in Dallas, it was time for us to take part in two longstanding Texas traditions: the State Fair and of course, amazing barbecue.  Keep reading to learn more about two of Dallas' best kept secrets: Summer Adventures in Fair Park and the Lockhart Smokehouse.

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In the good ole summertime, flowers are in bloom and every tree wears a beautiful coat of green.  This is the perfect season to visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens to look at the amazing summer plantings.  Keep reading to learn more about my family's stroll the gardens and the wonders that were waiting there for us!

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Now that my family and I had successfully arrived in Dallas, Texas, it was time to see what family friendly activities this great city has to offer!  Since both my daughter and I are die-hard nature lovers and Dallas just happens to offer the largest zoological experience in Texas, we decided to visit the Dallas Zoo.

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Are you staring up at the ceiling night after night, missing out on your forty winks? Are you tired (excuse the pun!) of dark circles under your eyes, headaches, and mood swings? I will reveal the secrets of a good night's sleep, thanks to a piece of research by Travelodge hotels, which will make insomnia a thing of the past.

According to their findings, the color of your wall paper might be the problem! People with blue wallpaper, thought to create a feeling of calm, sleep the best. Other top wallpaper colors are yellow, green, silver and orange, all of which are thought to contribute to sleep by making people tranquil and restful. By contrast, purple, grey, and brown (in other words dark and dreary colors) give people the worst night’s sleep. Researches conducting the study believe this is because these colors stimulate the brain, rather than resting it, leading to people being unable to switch off and unwind.

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Dallas, Texas...a city I've lived near my entire life, yet one I didn't really know too much about.  I've visited Dallas several times over the years, but each trip always had another agenda, leaving little time to explore the city itself.  This time though, I wanted to visit Dallas with my family and experience everything this town had to offer.  Keep reading this first in a series of posts to discover why Dallas, Texas should be on your list of summer vacation stops this year!

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I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Polly Pocket. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

In today's high-tech world, it's easy to fall into the trap of buying toys which I call "press and perform" toys.  In my opinion, these are some of the lowest value toys out there, for when you "press" a button, they "perform", requiring zero imagination or creativity on the part of your child.  The problem is, these toys are awfully alluring and most kids flock to the animation, music and flashing lights these toys provide.

Personally, I love it when Riley plays with toys which are 100% kid-powered, meaning that the fun factor is 100% dictated by the child.  She has a million different toys like this, but dolls always seem to be her favorite, hands-down.  That's why I was happy to learn of a whole new set of Polly Pocket playsets from Mattel just perfect for summer fun!

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