Me, Five Miles, and Mighty Mac

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Every year on Labor Day, a bridge walk takes place on the Mackinac Bridge.  The Mackinac Bridge connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas in Michigan.  The bridge opened to traffic on November 1, 1957 and the annual bridge walk has been held every labor Day since 1958.  In an average year, 50,000 to 65,000 people take part in the bridge walk.

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The Mackinac bridge is five miles long.  YES - five miles!  Isn't that crazy?
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My Mom has always wanted to do the bridge walk and decided this year was her year!  My Aunt Terri and I also went along for the fun.
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We left early on Sunday and headed up North stopping along the way in Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Harbor Springs.
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We stopped for photos at this beautiful spot right between Petoskey and Charlevoix.  How pretty is Lake Michigan?
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{ me & Mom }
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{ Mom & Aunt Terri }
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Getting closer...
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We stayed in Harbor Springs - about a half hour drive from the bridge.  After checking in to our hotel we went for drinks at Little Traverse Bay Golf Club & Restaurant. 
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We ended up going to The Pier for dinner based on good things we had heard, but it wasn't that great.  We wished we had stayed at the golf club because the food looked really good!  Next time, I guess.
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The next morning we got up VERY early and drove up to Mackinac City.  We parked and then joined the masses and walked to the buses.  They had tons of buses to take walkers to the other side of the bridge where the walk starts.  While we were waiting to board the bus we saw a rainbow.  Pretty cool!
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OK, here we go!
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The two Northbound lanes are open to traffic and the two Southbound lanes are for the walkers.
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It was a gray day, but lucky for us it never rained.
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One of the lanes is paved and the other is open grates.  A little scary to walk over.  Actually, a little scary to drive over too!
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All done!  Five miles did not feel as long as I thought it would.  We made it across in 1 hour 20 minutes.  Not bad!
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Pretty view at the end:
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This was such a fun experience.  How often do you get to spend five miles walking across a bridge?  I think that every Michigander needs to do this at least once!
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Mom & Aunt Terri - I'm so glad we did this.  It was fun!

EcoStore USA Product Review

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I've been pretty big into only using natural, non-toxic cleaning products in my home for the last 10 years.  I remember cleaning my shower with traditional shower cleaning spray and immediately after using it coming down with cold-like symptoms.  I don't know for sure, but it was like I was having a reaction to all the harsh chemicals in the product.  With so many high quality, earth friendly cleaning products now, I see no reason to bring all of those chemicals into my house.

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I was recently contacted by EcoStore USA to review two of their products.  I happily said yes. 

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Here's a little bit about EcoStore USA:

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"Ecostore NZ was founded more than 15 years ago by Melanie and Malcolm Rands from their home in an eco village in New Zealand.

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Our eco friendly household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use. Our hand and body washes are made from naturally derived ingredients that gently cleanse, condition and nourish your skin. All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals, that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint."

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The first product I tried was the laundry powder.  It is a plant and mineral based concentrate product.  Because it's a concentrate, I only needed a tiny amount of powder to clean a huge load of towels.  The towels came out clean and fresh.  It feels good to know that no nasty chemicals were deposited from the detergent to these towels.

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Unfortunately, EcoStore wasn't able to help me fold the towels....

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I don't know why, but folding towels is one of my most hated household chores!

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Next up, I used the Auto Dishwash Powder in my dishwasher to clean a load of dishes. 

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My dishes all came out all nice and clean.

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The powder is a  is a high performance blend of simple mineral salts, citrus and coconut oils.  It did a great job of washing my dishes.

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In addition to their Household cleaners, Ecostore offers a wide range of products, including Bath & Body products, Baby Care, and even Pet Care products. 
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You can keep up with all the latest EcoStore USA news by following them on Facebook and Twitter.  
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Thank you EcoStore USA for having me review your products!
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{ Fine print:  EcoStore USA provided me with two products in return for a review on my blog.  The opinions are 100% mine. }
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Tasty Tuesdays: Spinach & Artichoke Dip

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Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

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This is my go-to appetizer.  It's quick, easy, and is always a crowd pleaser.  Growing up, my Mom always made artichoke dip for parties.  Over the years, I adapted her recipe to include spinach.
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Ingredients:
- (2) 15 oz canned or frozen artichoke hearts
- 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- paprika
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1.  Drain artichoke hearts and chop.  Add to medium size mixing bowl.
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2.  Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess water and add to mixing bowl.  It's really important to get out as much water as possible.
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3.  Add garlic flakes and cayenne and stir.  Add mayo and stir to combine.  Place mixture in baking dish or pie plate.
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4.  Sprinkle paprika on top of mixture.
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5.  Bake @ 355 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
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Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or crackers.
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You can also make this a day ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.   Just increase your baking time by 10 minutes or so.
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What did you cook this week?
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Party Rules:
1.  Include a link in your post back to this post.
or
2.  Add the Tasty Tuesdays button to your post.  You will find the button & code on my sidebar.  Thanks!

Fall Mantel

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There's no denying it - Fall is officially here.  I took some time this weekend to get my mantel ready for the season.  The best part about this mantel is that the only things I bought are the faux olive branches, the mini white pumpkins, and the squash.  I shopped the house for everything else. 

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The left side of the mantel:

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And the right:

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I found the olive branches @ Michael's.  Recently I saw similar olive branches at Pottery Barn - these were about 1/3 of the price and look just as good.  I love the silvery green of the leaves and the brown "olives".   Perfect for Fall.

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These glass vases are from IKEA.  They were in my guest room until I noticed how perfect the colors were for my mantel.

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A pumpkin and squash on glass candlesticks.

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I bought the faux pears at Target a few years ago.

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More pears on the other side of the mantel:

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I think these squash are so pretty:
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I don't really decorate much for Halloween.  I like my mantel to make it all the way to December.
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And the whole thing:
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I think I'm ready for Fall now!
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Below is a photo from my Fall Mantel last year.  You can see it right here.
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I've linked this post to these great parties:

Exodus 35 Creativity Party @ Let Birds Fly

Tutorials and Tips @ Home Stories A to Z

Show and Share Day @ Just a Girl

SNS @ Funky Junk Interiors

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Costal Charm

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life