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Portofino Island: Wrap Up and Sunglasses Giveaway

June 27, 2010 By

If you have been keeping up with Experimental Mommy, you know that we have enjoyed a wonderful vacation at Portofino Island in Pensacola Beach, Florida.  While the deep sea fishing was closed due to the recent BP oil spill, we enjoyed all of the other amenities that the resort offered including a dolphin cruise, swimming, laying on the beach, spa, dining, Adventure Cove and the nearby Boardwalk.  I would definitely recommend Portofino Island to anyone looking for a great family friendly vacation destination this Summer.  I am very much looking forward to our next trip!  I thought I would share a few last photos so you can share in our vacation!

PhotobucketOne thing we could not have lived without on the beach was our sunglasses!  Before our trip, I had the opportunity to select a pair of sunglasses for Lily to try out.  She picked the SW Kid’s Style #165 in pink stripes.  These glasses provide UV400 protection and arrived shortly after ordering.  They fit Lily perfectly (she is 5 years old) and she loved the style!

In addition to kids’ sunglasses, Sunglass Warehouse has a nice selection of women’s sunglasses and men’s sunglasses for a very reasonable price! Most sunglasses are less than $20 making this an affordable accessory for your wardrobe.

GIVEAWAY

Sunglass Warehouse will provide one lucky reader with a $20 gift certificate!

How to enter:

1. Visit Sunglass Warehouse and tell me how you would spend your gift card!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Sunglass Warehouse (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and (@PortofinoIsland) and (@sunglasswarehse) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog, Sunglass Warehouse Facebook page and Portofino Island on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on July 10th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review in any way other than a sample provided by Sunglass Warehouse to facilitate this review.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.
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Portofino Island Day Four!

June 19, 2010 By 3 Comments

After a late night, all of the kids actually slept late (well, later than usual).  Bonus!  We started the morning with fresh bakedPhotobucket cinnamon rolls in the condo kitchen followed by a photo shoot with the Portofino Island’s photographer, Jordanna Marie.  She took us to several locations around the resort to take some pictures of our faPhotobucketmily (I never get to actually be IN the pictures, so I was thrilled!).  Jordan did a great job taking a few posed shots and then several action shots of the kids.  Guests can purchase a photography session which is 30 minutes long.  This is a great option if you are looking to get some fantastic shots of the entire family. Take a look at a few of the photos taken, courtesy of Jordanna Marie and the Portofino Photography staff:

After the photo shoot, we too the kids to the Lifestyle Center for a swim while my husband found a way to entertain himself at Portofino’s Adventure Cove located on Santa Rosa Sound.  This not only provided entertainment for himself, but for everyone watching.  LOL!  After he played for about an hour, he met us at the pool because he wore himself out.  Someone should tell him that he’s not 13 anymore!

After a quick lunch poolside, we took the kids back to the condo for naps.  Not a minute after my little one’s eyes opened, she put back on her swimsuit and begged to go back to the pool.  Who can resist those baby blue eyes?  So, off to the pool we went!  Today was really fun and very relaxing.  We are very sad that we have to leave tomorrow and have contemplated chaining ourselves to the room and refusing to go home….but that’s probably not a good idea!

But seriously, we have a had a wonderful time.  The staff of Portofino Island was extremely friendly, the condo was spacious and beautiful and the beaches were pristine. I will share a few more photos in a follow up post, but in the meantime, make sure you follow Portofino Island on Twitter so you don’t miss any special deals!

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.
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Portofino Island Day Three: Vincent Shoes $50 Gift Card Giveaway

June 18, 2010 By 296 Comments

IMG_1502My family and I love visiting the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, but they are missing one little things…. dolphins!  So, when we learned that Portofino Island offered dolphin cruises, my girls could not wait (and I will admit that I was a little excited, too!).  At 9:30 am, we boarded the 63-foot catamaran, the Portofino I, and headed into Santa Rosa Sound.  In only just a few minutes, it seemed like our boat was surrounded by dolphins!  The crew was fabulous and pointed out the pods of dolphins searching for food.  Some of the dolphins surfaced right next to our boat and the girls just shrieked with excitement!  The resort photographer, Jordan, captured some great shots of the dolphins and even some of our family!  Check out the Portofino Blog to see the amazing sites.  They also shared some dolphin facts, pointed out some Pensacola landmarks and gave the kids a chance to be Captain of the boat!  For two hours, we searched (and found!) many dolphins and also boated through Pensacola Pass before turning around and heading home.  This was a great excursion for my family!  My girls were thoroughly entertained, there was a potty on board (a must for my potty-training two year old) and drinks were available from an on board bar.

After landing back on shore, Renee and I got the family fed back at our condo and down for naps before we made our escape to the Portofino Spa for a little Mommy Time!  Renee enjoyed the mani/pedi service and I relaxed with an hour long Swedish Massage.  Both Renee and I enjoyed the experience and were glad we had the time to relax and rejuvenate before rejoining our families at the end of naptime.

For dinner, the crew of Portofino I recommended a family friendly restaurant called Flounders.  We decided to check it out and we loved it!  The restaurant has a covered patio which is next to a sandy play area.  After ordering, the kids got to run and play while we waited for our food.  The food quality was excellent and the prices were very reasonable.  This is definitely a great choice for families with little ones!

If you are considering a trip to Portofino Island in Pensacola but are worried due to the media coverage of the oil spill, I hope you reconsider.  The beaches are beautiful right now, but even if you wanted to be super cautious and avoid playing in the Gulf of Mexico, there are still many things to do here!  Since we arrived, we have only been on the beach for one hour and have managed to have a ton of fun taking advantage of the resort amenities (and we’re not done yet!).

GIVEAWAY

sandalsAs you know, I have two daughters and they MUST have cute beach shoes.  One of the places I love to shop for quality shoes for my girls is Vincent Shoes.  Actually, I just did a sandal review a month ago and we brought these sandals to the beach!  Vincent Shoes has a great selection of Summer Sandals and what’s even better is that they are currently running a sale!  Check out the shoes that are available for up to 75% off!

Do your kids need new summer shoes?  Vincent Shoes has generously donated a $50 gift card to one lucky reader!

How to enter:

1. Visit Vincent Shoes and tell me how you would spend your $50 gift card!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Vincent Shoes (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and (@PortofinoIsland) and (@VincentShoes) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Portofino Island on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on July 1st. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review in any way other than a sample of Vincent Shoes to facilitate this review.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Portofino Island Day 2: Sand Gone Giveaway

June 17, 2010 By 55 Comments

There is just something very peaceful and serene about sitting on a balcony, enjoying the Gulf breeze and enjoying my morning tea.  What a great way to start Day 2 of our family vacation at Portofino Island in Pensacola Beach, Florida (if you missed Day One, check it out here)!  After breakfast, we decided to get our swim gear ready and head to the white sandy beaches.  One of the amenities here at the resort is beach chairs (which recline!) and a beach umbrella.  It was a great place to set up shop and start applying sunscreen.  There isn’t a cloud in the sky here today!

IMG_1452I am sure you have all heard about the oil spill which is effecting the environment, livelihoods and tourism of many Gulf Coast states.  The people of Pensacola Beach are worried as well, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the beach is beautiful and we have not seen or smelled oil at all.  The kids dodged waves, made sandcastles and collected seashells before we decided to head upstairs for lunch.  We were exhausted and were so glad to find the Portofino Island Tram waiting for us at the edge of the beach.  While it is not a long walk, the tram ride back to our Tower was welcomed!  Our tram driver was so nice and the kids just loved riding “the train!”

Lunch was turkey sandwiches, chips and fruit cups served in our condo.  I just love that we are equipped with a full kitchen so we do not have to drag the kids to restaurants for every meal.  We could eat lunch together and the kids could still have a blast.  Perfect!IMG_1478

For dinner, we took the complimentary 63-foot catamaran, the Portofino I,  to The Boardwalk which features lots of unique shops, restaurants and ice cream.  It was a ton of fun for the kids and they even got to drive the boat (as you can see, Aubrie didn’t think we were going fast enough, so she wanted to step on it!)!  The captain and crew were very nice and the music on board made for a fun and relaxing trip.  We found a kid friendly restaurant called Flounders (it even had a playground!) which was very reasonable and yummy, too! Back at the condo, we are rounding out the evening by baking some cookies in the oven…..heaven!

Tomorrow after breakfast, we signed up for a dolphin cruise and I will be enjoying a relaxing massage in the afternoon.  I am sure we will head to the pool at some point as well as my kids haven’t stopped talking about it.  Totally looking forward to Day 3!

GIVEAWAY

IMG_1463To close out Day 2, I would love to offer my readers a giveaway of a product we found very useful at the beach today, Sand Gone!  With a two year old who isn’t quite sure what to think of all the sand, this product was a godsend.  It helped us to easily remove sand from her body without having to dunk in the Gulf and it smelled fabulous, too!!  The microfiber applicator is very soft (resembles a powder puff) and is machine washable.

About Sand Gone:

“Sand Gone is a dry body powder, that when applied to sand covered skin, removes the sand and leaves the skin soft and smooth while feeling fresh and clean.”

This product was great to get the sand off before we headed to board the Tram at Portofino Island.  There is nothing worse than tracking sand into a clean condo and Sand Gone definitely helped us keep the mess out!  Both myself and my daughters loved the coconut smell of the powder as well.  The 8oz screw cap jar was very easy to pack and kept the beach wetness out as well.  I highly recommend this product for any beach goer, but especially if you have little ones that aren’t a fan of being covered in sand.  Order Sand Gone here for only $12.00 plus shipping!

Headed to the beach?  Want to try Sand Gone?  One lucky reader will win their own 8oz. jar of Sand Gone!

How to enter:

1. Tell me why you need Sand Gone!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Sand Gone (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and (@PortofinoIsland) and (@SandGone) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Portofino Island on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on June 30th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review in any way other than a sample of Sand Gone to facilitate this review.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Portofino Island Day 1: Flip Flop Giveaway

June 16, 2010 By 209 Comments

Last night, I could hardly sleep knowing we would be leaving for vacation in the morning.  Today, we arrived at Portofino Island in Pensacola Beach, Florida and I am already in heaven!  Driving down the beach, you can see the resort as it stands majestically nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and the Santa Rosa Sound.  With eight miles of white sandy beaches, we couldn’t wait to get started.

IMG_1417

Check in was a breeze and the staff was more than friendly.  We are staying in one of the five towers of Portofino Island which boasts it’s own heated pool and covered parking.  When we stepped into our three bedroom, three and a half condo, we were just speechless.  Renee from What Mommies Need and I ran around like kids in a candy store checking out our new home away from home!  The condo is bigger than my house!  The kitchen is gorgeous, and the balcony is breathtaking.  Our Master Bedroom opens onto the balcony which is equipped with a grill with tables and chairs!  Relaxation at it’s finest!

Since today was a travel day, we decided not to venture to the beach but take a swim in the pool with the family.  The area is beautiful, well kept and easily accessible from our room.  After our swim, the kids (and I) were starving, so we headed to the Lifestyle Center near Tower 4 which was only a short walk away.  With our Adventure Passes, kids eat free with a paying adult, so dinner was very reasonably priced and the food was good, too.

Tomorrow, Renee and I plan to hit the Spa for a relaxing massage and then we plan to explore the beaches with our families.  I soooooo need that massage!

GIVEAWAY

feelgoodzTo celebrate our Beach Bash, Renee and I planned a few great giveaways for you!  The first is a pair of flip flops from Feelgoodz!  This New Orleans based company (gotta love my homegrown companies!), sells eco-friendly, biodegradable flip flops made in Thailand from natural rubber.   The owner, Kyle Berner, set out on a mission to not only bring these extraordinarily comfortable shoes to the United States, but to help the Thai people as well.  With every sale, 3 percent of the profits are donated to three different charities that either directly or indirectly help by improving living conditions and business opportunities.

I had the opportunity to try a pair of these flip flops, the brown and pink ones called Ladyslipper, and have them with me here in Pensacola.  I can vouch for the fact that they are super comfortable!  I normally wear a size 6 and a half and the size 6-7 fits perfectly.  I would definitely purchase more shoes from Feelgoodz in the future.

Want your feet to Feel Good?  The great people at Feelgoodz want you to feel the comfort and will donate one pair of shoes to one reader!

How to enter:

1. Visit Feelgoodz and tell me which pair of flip flops you would choose if you won?

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Feelgoodz (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and (@PortofinoIsland) and (@Feelgoodz) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog, Portofino Island and Feelgoodz on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on June 30th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product. I was not compensated for this review in any way other than a pair of Feelgoodz to facilitate this review.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , ,

I’m going on vacation to Portofino Island!

June 13, 2010 By 1 Comment

During the school year, Lily’s teacher asked her what was her favorite family vacation memory.  Her response?  Sleeping in a hotel in Monroe, Louisiana.  As you might guess, Monroe is not your typical vacation destination, in fact this is where we usually evacuate to flee a hurricane.  It was this conversation that made my husband and I realize that we deserve a REAL vacation!  I am happy to report that we will soon be traveling to the Portofino Island Resort on Pensacola Beach, Florida!  A little from their website:

portofino1“Portofino Island is the ultimate Gulf Coast getaway and Pensacola’s premier family-friendly resort destination.  It is situated on 28 beautiful acres in Pensacola Beach between the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the gentle shores of Santa Rosa Bay. It is also adjacent to the pristine Gulf Islands National Seashore. The land itself is called Santa Rosa Island; it is the world’s largest barrier island.

Portofino Island’s beautiful waterfront location, stunning accommodations, world-class resort amenities and customized service standards – make it a natural indulgence. No other resort is located on the Gulf of Mexico, the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The vast complimentary and discounted amenities make Portofino Island a great vacation value.”

We will be staying in a condo along with Renee from What Mommies Need and her family.  We plan to check out all of the amenities at the resort and report back to our readers about what worked and what didn’t work for our families (I plan to hit the spa first!).  We hope to take a dolphin cruise, play at the water park, swim in the pool, bask on the beach, and much more.  And to make it even more fun, we will both be hosting beach-themed giveaways to help you plan your own summer beach vacation! Make sure you follow Portofino Island on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss any details or savings this Season!

Have you taken a beach vacation with your little ones?  What did you pack?  What could you not live without?

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