© 2014 sarahfortune.

HELLO
Mom to Iris. Wife to Todd. Our little family lives at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We love it here and I love sharing little bits of our life.

© 2014 sarahfortune.
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Northwest Arkansas, Travel

TRAVEL LOVE: Flamingo Springs Trailer Resort

Let me tell you about this magical land called Flamingo Springs… It’s a place that has made all of my retro travel dreams come true. And located off the back roads of Prairie Grove, Arkansas this 1950s inspired trailer resort is a one of a kind – all just about a half hour from my house in Fayetteville.

Vintage (anything and everything) has a special place in my heart. As some of you may know, in the mid-2000s I sold vintage clothes on eBay while I was in college (just one of many interesting career choices). It was so successful I was able to quit my coffee shop gig to focus solely on shopping at thrift stores (and, sometimes, focusing on my classes). At one point Todd even quit his job at an ad agency because the sales were so incredible and the more help I had, the more I could sell. I used living in Arkansas to my advantage and scoured barely picked over estate sales and flea markets for hidden treasure, but I knew that this old-school goldmine wouldn’t last forever. After graduation, I got a “real” job (the one I have now, in fact) and closed up shop. But what does this have to do with my recent visit to Flamingo Springs? I guess that it was nostalgic for me, but not in the obvious sense. After all, I wasn’t around in the 1950s when these trailers were new. I just loved being in that vintage world again, surrounded by the amazingly kitchy details, if only for one night.

The owners, Zack and Laura, have truly made this a unique place to visits. And ten years ago I never would have imagined such a thing would be nestled in the hills I once drove through, searching for vintage goods. I was so amazed by their attention to detail and, while almost everything is indeed authentically old, we still had the modern comforts of home (new mattress in our trailer, Keurig coffee pot in the game room, huge community refrigerator, etc.). We are so lucky to have a spot like this in Northwest Arkansas.

Todd was out of town when we visited, so it was just Iris and I who shared one of the six themed trailers. It’s worth noting that we went on a family-friendly night, which they have from time to time, but usually it’s a grown-ups only venue. We had a few pals come out to stay as well, so thankfully we had the chance to peek into each one. I chose the Friends theme, “The One With the Trailer,” but Iris’ clear favorite was the Lisa Frank inspired “Pink Fuzzy Unicorn.” I’m glad that we paid our first visit before the summer was over because the pool was where we spent most of our time. However, I really would like to go back this fall or even in the winter, to roast marshmallows around the fire pit and spend even more time in the game room. It rained on us just a little during our stay, but the game room was the perfect spot to hang out. With an old timey jukebox, pool table, ping pong, retro board games, old movies on VHS, and a community kitchen, we were never bored.

You might have heard me say that, due to a lot of travel, I’m a self-admitted hotel snob – and this is far from a fancy schmancy resort. But I certainly appreciate the charm of places like Flamingo Springs and went with the mentality that it’s like camping, but only a million times cuter and more comfortable. You bring your own food and drinks, and with no wi-fi and poor cell service, you’ll find yourself focusing on where you are and who you’re with. And that alone is worth the trip.

I can’t wait to book another trip, but next time I’m going to make one change – stay longer than just one night.

Travel

TRAVEL LOVE: Girls Trip to Palm Springs

Well, I was able to check an item off my bucket list this summer. I finally made it to Palm Springs, California after drooling over it on Instagram for what feels like forever. I went with six other girlfriends and we rented what is called The Lucy House. Supposedly Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz used to vacation there back in the day and, with all it’s old school charm, I don’t doubt it.

The house was amazing, the food in Palm Springs was perfection, and the weather was – insanely hot. Thankfully there was either air conditioning or a pool to jump into nearly everywhere we went. We had lazy days by the pool, very nice meals around town, and even planned a full spa day at the Miramonte Indian Wells Resort. I’m also extremely happy to report that when I suggested we go visit the dinosaurs from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, no one laughed at me and most everyone came along for the adventure!

As mentioned above, the food was incredible! On our first night we didn’t have any reservations and ended up stopping by the street fair in downtown Palm Springs. From there, we wandered over the The Tropicale Palm Springs and had no idea what we were walking into. The girl who poured our drinks was dressed up like a cat (?!) and the menu featured everything from sushi to fried chicken, all with a dark yet retro atmosphere. If it sounds crazy, it was – but it was also the perfect introduction to Palm Springs.

The next day we had happy hour / early dinner reservations at Azucar, which is inside La Serena Villas (a beautiful new boutique hotel). The restaurant was simply STUNNING, as was the rooftop bar.


Thank you Laura for the photo!

Another amazing meal that we had was at FARM where they have a prix fixe dinner menu. Everything about the evening was very charming.

And of course we can’t go to Palm Springs without going to brunch, right? Duh. Workshop Kitchen hit the spot with their $12 bottomless mimosas and Insta-worthy decor.

We didn’t have dinner reservations for our last night, but a few of us girls caught a second wind and grabbed a tropical drink at Bootlegger Tiki, a bar around the corner from our house. Afterwards, we checked out the new Kimpton Rowan Hotel and ate at their rooftop restaurant, 4 Saints Palm Springs. We then finished off our last night in true Palm Springs fashion by checking out another tiki lounge, Toucans’ Tiki Lounge, where they had a famous drag show (my first one!)

Surprisingly, the drag show was not our wildest adventure. While the massages that we had scheduled for our spa day were heavenly and very relaxing, when we arrived at the pool-side cabana we rented for the day we found another level of fun. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that former Oakland Raider cheerleaders were holding a reunion at the hotel and had pretty much taken over the pool – and I can’t explain how much fun we had with these awesome ladies! We helped judge their insane pool float contest and got to listen to stories of the good ol days from our new gal pals.

And of course, this blog post wouldn’t be complete without photos from our excursion to Cabazon Dinosaurs. It was a thirty minute Uber ride away, but well worth it for the memories (and photos of course). Two of my favorite movies growing up, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and The Wizard, both shot scenes here so for me it was pretty exciting.


Thank you Stephanie for this photo!

Overall, it was a fabulously relaxing and fun trip with some amazing ladies. I already want to go back.. Just maybe when it’s a little cooler.

Food, Sponsored

Box Tops at Sam’s Club!

Disclosure: I receive monetary compensation from General Mills and SC Johnson in exchange of my endorsement of Box Tops For Education.

As sad as I am to say goodbye to summer, there’s always something so exciting about the start of school. The hint of autumn in the air, picking out the perfect first day outfit, the smell of new pencils… I love experiencing it all over again with Iris. Starting first grade this year, we feel like we learned a lot from kindergarten and now we’re pretty much old pros. For example, one of the things that we both got involved in last year is General Mills’ Box Tops for Education program. The principal and teachers really encourage the kids to collect Box Tops from various products to raise money for their school. It’s such an easy, fun way for the kids to get involved and learn the importance of giving back to their school and community.

We’ve started keeping a Ziploc® brand bag in our kitchen specifically for Box Tops. Iris gets excited when she spots a Box Top, cuts it out herself, and adds it to the bag. For every Box Top collected, her school receives ten cents which really does add up. In the principal’s newsletter, we’ve learned her school alone earns well over $1,000 every year from the program!
When it’s time, Iris proudly turns them in to her teacher, knowing that she’s helping give back to the school that gives her so much. By shopping at Sam’s Club, we stocked up on lunchbox and breakfast favorites which actually come with bonus Box Tops. Every year I’m learning how to do things just a little bit better, and every year Box Tops will be a part of that. Finding them at Sam’s Club is my new go-to way to help prepare for back to school and help the school that we love so much. So while maybe we’re not quite old pros just yet, I think we’re on our way.

For every 3 participating BTFE products purchased in a single transaction at Sam’s Club on or after 8/1/18, you can earn 100 Bonus Box Tops. To redeem offer, you will need to download the Box Tops Bonus App and scan your receipt with 3 participating BTFE products by 9/30/2018 or while supplies last. Maximum of $150,000 in Bonus Box Tops combined may be redeemed for Sam’s Club offer. Standard Data Rates May Apply. Learn more at www.SamsClub.com/BoxTops. Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.com for BTFE program details. © 2018 General Mills. All rights reserved.

Life

First Day of 1st Grade!

I don’t know why I’m still surprised that time is moving so fast, but I am… I simply cannot believe I’m mom to a first grader! This morning Todd and I dropped Iris off at her second year of elementary school, but thankfully it was a little easier (for me at least) than the first day of kindergarten. And of course Iris had a fine first day, despite not having any close friends in her class. Can’t wait to see how much she learns and grows this year!

Skincare

My First HydraFacial with NWACPS

Remember last year when I partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Center for Plastic Surgery and The Skin Care Center on all of the amazing advanced skin care they offer? Well the kind folks at NWACPS invited me back again to try out their newest skincare treatment, the HydraFacial… And with the instant results, I’m an instant fan.

I’ve previously tried other facials, such as microdermabrasion, however the HydraFacial is a gentler approach that cleans, extracts, and hydrates the skin all in one sitting. Vacuuming out the pores, it also infuses the skin with hydrating serums to create a natural glow in as little as 30 minutes. My skin is pretty sensitive but because the HydraFacial is so gentle, it’s great for nearly all skin types. To top it all off, there’s no pain (in fact, I found it very relaxing) and there’s zero down time.

So how do I like the results? Well if you can’t already tell, I’m in LOVE. I’m not exaggerating when I say that my pores were visibly clean and clear as soon as the treatment was over. I also love that there was zero downtime and that it pairs nicely with other skin treatments. I was overdue for Botox, so it was really convenient to be able to do both services while I was at the NWACPS office – all on my lunch hour! Starting at $175, you can customize the HydraFacial for however you or your aesthetician sees fit.

Side note, I also highly recommend having your eyebrows done while you’re there. After the HydraFacial my favorite aesthetician, Krissa, did an amazing job at cleaning and shaping up my brows. I had no idea that you weren’t supposed to wax after exfoliating your skin or using retinol, so it’s nice to know my skin and brows are in good hands.

All in all, I highly recommend trying the HydraFacial or, at the very least, making an appointment for a complimentary consultation at NWACPS to see what options are best for your skin and your budget. I mean, just look at this bright and cozy room. I already want to go back…