Family * Travel * Food

College Student and Childhood Cancer Survivor Advocates for Children’s Cancer Research


Up until she was 11-years-old, Samantha Sowa was like most girls her age –she loved spending time with her family, traveling to new cities and playing with friends. That all changed when she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Doctors were baffled to see this particular type of cancer in someone so young and her family was completely devastated. Samantha took a vow to stay positive and keep the family composed and together throughout her entire cancer journey.

“Throughout my entire journey, which lasted more than a year, I had two surgeries, two doses of radioactive iodine, some biopsies, countless neck ultrasounds, full-body scans and  bloodwork,” said Sowa. “The first surgery was to remove my entire thyroid, a parathyroid, and a lymph nodeand the second surgery almost a year later was to remove the surrounding lymph nodes that looked cancerous. My family and I were, of course, very nervous withevery treatment, but remained hopefuland never lost our faith.


”Sowa beat childhood cancer and she’s currently in remission. Today Samantha is an actuarial science student at North Central College, but her cancer journey sparked a deep passion for childhood cancer research fundraising. She even spent her senior year of high school working on research project to help uncover the factors that influence a donor to give for childhood cancer research and recently did a TedX talkat her university highlighting the importance of childhood cancer research.

Her passion doesn’t end there. Samantha became involved with CureSearch in 2012, and currently sits on a Superheroes Unite! volunteer committee. Sheis fundraising for the 2018 CureSearch Superheroes Unite! event in Chicago to help raise awareness of the urgency of CureSearch’s mission to end children’s cancer.

“Become aware of the facts and statistics of childhood cancer and realize that cancer notonly impacts adults, but harms children as well. I encourage everyone to get to know a childhood cancer patient or survivor, because their scar also has a story, and that story might bring us onestep closer to finding a cure,” said Sowa. “Childhood cancer research is vastly underfunded, and we currently have minimal government support, so childhood cancer research organizations rely on private donors to help.”

Learn more about CureSarch and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at www.curesearch.org/togethercuringcancer.
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Go To Marco's Pizza For Your Game Day Eats

If you live in the south, you know just how important college football is. My family loves to support our teams, and trash talk our opponents' teams. It's all good, clean fun that we really look forward to every year. One key component to any tailgate event, or even if you are catching the game from home, is definitely the food! We feel like you can't ever go wrong with pizza and wings. We went over to our local Marco's Pizza to pick up a takeout order, *compliments of the restaurant, for our at-home tailgate party. It's hard to get all five of us together at once to dine out, so takeout if often a better choice.

Marco's Pizza offers a delicious variety of specialty pizzas, subs, salads, and sides like chicken wings and chicken dippers. One thing I can say for sure is that Marco's offers high quality ingredients, and they do not skimp on toppings or portions. Let's talk about what we ordered. We got the XL Chicken Florentine pizza, family size Greek salad, Buffalo wings, and for dessert, Cinnasquares.


When Marco's Pizza says extra large, they mean it! The pizza is enormous and generously topped with delicious grilled chicken, spinach, onion, Roma tomato slices, and their three-cheese blend along with feta. Did I mention that they do not skimp on the toppings? Their pizza is mouthwatering good with the perfect texture crust. I judge all pizza on crust and cheese, as well as how well it reheats. I enjoy how light and crisp the bottom of the crust gets when reheated in the toaster oven. It's is SO good!


We went with Buffalo wings that came with ranch and blue cheese dip. The wings surprised us because they weren't hard or dried out like some can be. Even my husband who isn't a huge Buffalo wing fan gave it a thumbs up.  


The wings were perfect as a side to the pizza. Marco's offers a barbecue version that we will be sure to try next time. 


The family size Greek salad did not disappoint! It was HUGE. I love that they use Romaine lettuce, and not iceberg like some pizza places do. The combination of the lettuce, tomato, black olives, red onion, banana peppers, and feta were a true winner. 



You can't have a meal without dessert. The Cinnasquares hit the spot, and satisfied our taste for a sweet finish. The cinnamon sugar on top of the perfectly baked buttery pastry was perfection. The vanilla icing was just enough. I'd definitely get this again!


If you live in Columbia, SC, be sure to stop by the Forest Drive location that is right across the street from Trader Joe's. You can easily place your order online and get either delivery or takeout. Take a day off from cooking and head to Marco's Pizza today! Find a location here

*Disclosure: We were given a complimentary meal in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own as always. Thanks for stopping by today. 
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Practical Things You Can Do To Plan To Travel The World

Many people aspire to see as much of this wonderful world as possible while they still have the chance; to have the opportunity to witness the history and culture of a foreign country, gain new experiences and memories to take home with them. Doubtless, if you are reading this, then travel is very much on your mind too. The only problem with seeing the world is that it can be a costly endeavor, especially if your young and are only just starting out, perhaps having left full-time education recently. Seeing the world is, it must be remembered, one of those things that it is never a mistake. If you have the opportunity to do it, you must grab life by the shoulders and go. So, in this guide, you will learn some ways you can make this possible for yourself and start living the life you have always dreamed of.
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Seeing the world before it’s too late

When you are young, there is a seemingly never-ending list of things to think about, from how to get the right qualifications for the job you want to finding an affordable place to live so you can finally move out of your parent's house. When thinking about these things, it can seem that this just isn’t the right time to get out and see the world but, in fact, the opposite is true. If you don’t yet have a mortgage to be paying back and are working a job that is more to bring in the money rather than start your career, then you are actually in a perfect position to see the world because you are not tied down to too many responsibilities yet. Alongside this, there are a huge number of reasons it's essential to travel when you're still young that will enrich your life. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you will be challenging yourself in new ways and building up your self-confidence and esteem. It will help you grow as a person and foster independence and resilience of character that will aid you when you come back home and be enviable qualities employers will seek out in applicants. Travelling, be it with a friend or on your own, will help you become a more well-rounded person and put you on stronger footing when you return to start your life, both personally and professionally, as a better person.

Getting the funds together as a young person

Of course, getting the money together is a consideration you need to take seriously as you don’t want to get all the way out to some magical place to find you have no funds left to actually enjoy yourself. One option that is worth considering is to get a loan as this option will allow you to have the valuable life experiences without having to take a chunk out of your life savings to do so. You will want to learn more about this option so you can choose the best deal that suits your needs and get planning that adventure of a lifetime.

Finding the perfect destination

Now that you have the financial side of things sorted out, you will want to make that money stretch as much as possible so that you can get the most out of your journey into the unknown. One way of doing this is to get ideas of where to travel on the cheap which will limit your overall expenditure of things like flights and hotels, allowing you to spend more of your money on enjoying seeing a new country. Choosing somewhere cheap to visit, perhaps contrary to what you may initially think doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the wow factor. For example, a really cheap holiday destination you should think about visiting is Vietnam. Vietnam has a fascinating history you can explore, learning about the war and the Viet Cong, while enjoying the gorgeous natural surroundings or bustling modern cities, trying out all the best cuisine the country has to offer.

How to find cheap travel options

Once you have decided on a place to visit, you will need to sort out how you are going to get there and, the most obvious way is, of course, to fly. Depending on where you have decided to go, flights can become very expensive. Even if you have found a place that is relatively economical to get to, it is worth shopping around to see if you can get something just a little bit cheaper, so you have more money to play around with when you are out there. There is lots of handy help to get cheap flights online, such as specialist search engines that can find you the cheapest airline company for the destination and date you are looking for. Aside from this, there are steps you can take yourself to make sure you are saving money. For example, never book a holiday during the school holiday periods as, even if you aren’t going to a family resort, flight prices will be much higher. Another option is to consider travelling at night as night flights often tend to be less expensive. This way, you can save money and have a nice little sleep on the plane so that you are fresh-faced and ready to take on the day the moment you touch down.

Tight budget? No problem

Even if after taking all these measures you are still a little concerned about the money aspect of things, never fear, as there are lots of ways you can still enjoy yourself on a small budget. One thing to do is look for accommodation that comes with a small fridge and a cooker so that you can cook some of your meals there and don’t have to fork out for restaurants every night. Another way is to stop yourself going for huge days out shopping and overspending on clothes and shoes, instead opting to spend your limited funds on tours and admissions to places of interest. You can shop anywhere, but you can only see the country you are in while you’re there.

Going travelling is fun, exciting, and character building, so it is definitely worth the time and money. Why don’t you start planning now?

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Picking The Right Bra To Fit And Flatter Your Body

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own like always.

One of those things that any woman can relate to is the great dislike for buying or wearing a bra. Am I right by saying this? It's seems next to impossible to find that perfect bra that fits like a dream. Something that has become extremely necessary for me these days is comfort. I used to choose bras based on how lacy, pretty, or sexy they were. It turns out that those things did nothing for my shape, but also for my comfort level.

The purpose of a bra is to give ample support, as well as enhance your shape under clothing. A bra like Knix's 8-in-1 evolution bra is what you need to do just that. They boast about reinventing intimates for real life, and that is the purpose of what women really need in a bra. We need something for our very real, everyday lives, with comfort being #1.

 Why choose Knix's 8-in-1 evolution bra?

  • No underwires! No more uncomfortable wires that dig into your body. You still get the much needed lift and support.
  • Constructed using 4-way stretch fabrics to match your every move, and mold to your unique shape.
  • It is reversible, and comes with swappable straps
  • No itchy lace or unnecessary embellishments
  • Moisture-wicking, anti-odor and quick dry for a more active lifestyle 
  • It feels like you're not wearing anything << YES, please! 
  • Smooth fit for women of many different sizes

The 8-in-1 evolution bra comes in more simple, muted colors for everyday wear. So whether you are heading out to work, running errands, or an evening out, you can depend on feeling comfortable, yet supported. And how how nice would it be to not have that feeling of wanting to rip your bra off at the end of the day? Check out Knix for your intimate wear. You won't be disappointed! 

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Picking The Right Sheets For A Comfortable Night's Rest

Have you ever stayed in a hotel that offered luxurious accommodations? We have been fortunate to experience that quite a few times, and the thing that keeps us hooked on using certain hotels is the service, amenities, and the bedding. If you don't get a proper night's rest, was your hotel stay even good?

I love some hotel beds so much that I attempted to put together my own hotel bedding ensemble. I chose a gorgeous, yet soft top quilt set, a cozy blanket that goes under the quilt, and the most important part-- the sheet set. Earlier this year, the internet exploded over the "top sheet" controversy. I really couldn't understand the argument since I feel like a good top sheet is what makes your bed feel comfortable.

How can you go wrong with the feeling of luxurious bed sheets surrounding you? The sheets are the first thing that hits your skin, so wouldn't you want them to be extra soft and cozy? I recently received a 100% cotton king size sheet set in pure white from California Design Den (sold on Amazon) to put to the test.



Like most of us, I washed the sheet set before using it. The company recommends the "quick dry- do not fry" method to ensure softer sheets. I went with standard white sheets, because I like the simplicity of white. It also mimics what is used at my favorite hotels. These sheets have a 400 thread count, and are sturdy yet soft. I can tell that it will hold up well to repeated washes.


The sheets are sized well for my super deep mattress. The elastic is excellent, so there won't be any slipping from the bottom sheet. The pillow cases slipped over my king size pillows with ease. You can always tell the quality of white sheets if you can't see through them. These are definitely some good ones! We have been sleeping so comfortably since placing them on our bed. The only downfall is not wanting to get up each morning!

If you are in the market for very good bed sheets at an affordable price, I suggest checking out California Design Den. They offer all sizes and a wide variety of colors to choose from.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!
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