This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Smoking is one thing I never really understood! I always joke that I live in a bubble world and even cigarettes help prove that. No one really smoked around me growing up. If there happened to be a family member that smoked at a family gathering, you best believe they were told to hide their habit from any child in site. Smoking was so taboo and labeled “bad” “gross” “smelly” even “scummy” that I just assumed only terrible or uneducated people smoked.

My little high school was just the same. Yes people smoked, but apparently the anti smoking classes worked like a charm because the number of smokers was minimal. You didn’t see athletes or scholars puffing away that’s for sure.

And then came college. My freshman year was definitely shocking for many reasons. I was now surrounded by thousands of kids coming from all types of backgrounds & most of these kids didn’t live in the same bubble as I. Smoke-Free campus meant nothing and these people smoking? I would spot athletes, nerds, fashionistas, even teachers puffing away! It was almost like it was a trend. Everyone was doing it.

I have a habit of hating things if everyone else likes them and thankfully smoking cigarettes was no different! Since everyone was doing it, it looked more and more unappealing to me. Unfortunately I’m a rare breed because most kids? If the cool kids say to do something? You best believe their doing it. Even smoking cigarettes.
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I am now mom to the most precious little girl in the world!!!!! She is a total people person. Loves to be social. Loves attention. & like most little girls, wants everyone to like her. You best believe the pressure is on to make sure my daughter follows in my smoke-free footsteps! With the average age of a new smoker in New York State being only 13 years old. That’s right 13!!!! & to make matters worse, from 2014-2018 e-cigarette use grew 160% among high school students, this will not be one easy task in today’s society.

My worst nightmare would be for one of the “cool kids” to hand my daughter a cigarette since cigarettes are everywhere!!! Tobacco companies are literally spending billions to put their products in front of our kids in stores. And the more kids see tobacco, the more likely they are to start smoking since it almost becomes the new normal. How scary!!!!!!

Don’t let a friend or even a store display be the first ones to introduce your child to cigarettes! Let this be a conversation your child has with you first! The sooner your child knows what cigarettes are and the consequences of starting this habit, the better!

We can have all the conversations in the world!!!! We can even help our kids come up with all the witty I hate cigarette excuses to tell their classmates, but unfortunately it still might not be enough to beat peer pressure. If you ask me, it’s time we as parents take action and protect our kids from being exposed to tobacco products in stores! The less our kids see tobacco, the better luck we have of them even starting!

Sign the “Seen Enough Tobacco” pledge today to make New York a healthier place to live, work and play!

Pledge => http://goic.io/1_q1hG

Tobacco Free New York State Site: http://www.tobaccofreenys.org

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Can you believe it?!?! It’s now June, which means Father’s Day is just a few weeks away. I swear I have zero concept of time because it’s crazy to me that it’s June!

Since it was raining here in Western New York all weekend long, my daughter and I did some crafting for a special guy in our life. She might just call him dad!!!

• Yellow Paper Plate
• Letter Stickers
• Glue
• Blue Construction Paper
• Scissors

Take the blue construction paper and cut two large ribbons.

Glue the two ribbons onto the back of the yellow paper plate.

Turn the plate over. While the glue is drying, take the sticker letters and write out “Best Dad Ever” onto the yellow paper plate.

Happy June everyone!!!!!! Literally my favorite month of the year because it’s 1. My birthday month. WooHoo!!! 2. Fabulous weather starts to show up here in NY!!! 3. End of the school year meaning pool days galore with my little princess!!!!

Everyone remembers to grab those teacher gifts, even if it’s just a Starbucks Gift Card. But I swear so many people forget about all the other people who work with your kids throughout the year. My daughter has an aide in her classroom, she rides the bus so she has a bus driver! She even sees the speech therapist at school. All of these amazing people Haylie has on her support team deserve a fabulous end of the year gift too. So we decided to get a little cleaver with a box of Bath Bombs from Life Around 2 Angles!!!

When I first spotted this email in my inbox, I was stoked to try a brand of bath bombs claiming to be equal, if not better than Lush! My daughter and I are Lush addicts. Literally. Every time we are at the Galleria Mall in Buffalo, we do some serious Lush damage!

I definitely agree that these bath bombs are the same exact quality as Lush. Honestly depending of the season at Lush, these could be better!!! Before you even open the box of Life Around 2 Angels bath bombs, you can smell them! That’s exactly what I’m looking for when shopping for bath bombs. Strong fabulous scent made with all natural ingredients.

I will say the bath bombs are smaller size-wise. They aren’t giant like the bath bombs at Lush. Honestly though, I like the smaller bombs better. As Boujee as you feel dropping an over sized bomb into the tube, we all know that’s not exactly necessary at all. These bath bombs look small, but are super “powerful”. I love them!!!! So glad I was able to test a few out and make a few gifts!!!!

Since these bath bombs legit look like bird eggs to me. Especially with that brown “grass” at the bottom of the box, I thought it would be cute to create little bath bomb gift bags! The school year is over, so relaxation is definitely needed. Who wouldn’t want bath bombs as a gift?!?! Just pick up a package of clear bags at the Dollar Tree. My favorite place for craft supplies! And pick up several spring colored bows. The picture definitely doesn’t do this creation justice. These bags look so cute in person!!! Total spring/summer vibes that’s for sure!!!

Eat Before You Arrive ~ The food at Circus Circus and Adventuredome really isn’t anything to brag about. Vegas food prices are expensive and paying high prices for just ok food?! No one is happy when that happens!! Eat before you arrive!!! You will thank me later.

Souvenir Shopping ~ Honestly, the shops inside the Circus Circus before you enter the Adventuredome have the cheapest prices I spotted for t-shirts, shot glasses, coffee mugs. You know, all the cheesy merchandise you want to being home for your friends and family!! With deals like two t-shirts for $20, I definitely brought home something for everyone!!! Even picked up a killer Las Vegas tye/dye for myself!

Plan To Spend 2-3 Hours ~ If you purchase an all day pass and plan on doing everything, plan on this being a 2-3 expedition. Adventuredome isn’t usually that crowded, but if you happen to be visiting on a holiday/weekend, you might want to add a little bit more time to your schedule since some of the coaster lines will have a small wait.

Bring Socks ~ If you purchase an all day pass, roller skating is included. To skate, you will need to be wearing a pair of socks! Come prepared if skating is your thing.

Height Requirements For Coasters ~ This is an obvious thing to keep in mind, but it’s good to know a head of time so you can prepare any kids in your party that may be under the height requirement. To ride the coasters you must be 48 inches tall. Being inside a casino, you best believe they are pretty strict about height for all the rides. Even the baby rides my daughter was being measured and she’s 7! I’m assuming it must be a policy of theirs to measure everyone for insurance reasons.

Snacks ~ I suggest to eat before you head to Adventuredome, but if the kiddos do get hungry or thirsty, there are snack shops throughout the park! You can purchase things like 20oz sodas, bags of Doritos, chips and candy! Nothing was too crazy priced either!

Nevada Resident Discount ~ you can save $2 by flashing your Nevada ID when you purchase your tickets! It’s not a huge savings, but hey! It’s at least something!

Mini Golf, Rock Climbing, 4D Movies ~ Someone in your Party not into rides?! There are a few non-ride options for that person to enjoy. A few of these activities like the golf do cost extra, but at least that person won’t be bored!

If you are hitting up Vegas with kids under 10, Adventuredome is a must! I’m honestly not a fan of the actual Circus Circus hotel since it’s a tad bit run down, but I do give the Adventuredome part of the resort two thumbs up! My 7 year old had so much fun at Adventuredome. We were trying to kill time between checking out of our hotel and heading to the airport and Adventuredome was the perfect activity to do such a thing! With all day asses we rode everything and then went on a few of our favorites one more time before heading to our Lyft.

​ I usually have at least one thing to complain about, but besides the Circus Circus being run down, I have zero complaints about the actual Adventuredome! Everything was priced right considering you are in Vegas and we had a blast! If I find myself in Vegas with my daughter again, we will be back!

Not going to lie, this is definitely not a Courtjey original! We actually attended a Little Mermaid fundraiser a few years back and these beyond adorable sandwiches are what we were served!!!! They were so cute, my daughter and I have been making them ever since.

Sonce mermaids are all the rage these days, I figured I would show of our Mermaid Party “Crab” Sandwiches. So fun!!! Perfect for summer!!! Enjoy!!!

Slice your Croissants to almost the opposite end, but stop slicing so the end of the Croissant is still attached.

Once your tooth picks are in, take your candy eyes and place them on the toothpicks. The mustard will act as a glue! This is why it’s nice to have the tooth picks at an angle. Less chance of the candy eyes moving!

Serve & enjoy!!!