Gray Blossoms Beanie Giveaway (closed)

 I love seeing all the cute hats that are out there for kids. It's actually hard to find a hat that fits Brooke because she has microcephaly, which means small head. She can only wear infant size hats, but those cover her face at times.  So I have learned that we are going to have to buy her custom fit hats if we want anything to fit. Leslie from Gray Blossoms made this hat especially for Brooke. Brooke LOVES her penguin hat. She put it on and took it off all night. She tried to go to sleep with it as well.

 "Brooke, make a silly face."

Want to win a cute hat for your little one? Let's learn more about the lady behind Gray Blossoms and then get on to the giveaway!

Please tell us about yourself and how you started your business.

My name is Leslie Turner. I started my business in December of 2011. I haven't been crocheting for long, but seemed to get the hang of it quickly and am having a lot of fun learning! I became a stay at home mom 10 months ago when my daughter was born. It's nice to have something that helps bring in a little bit of extra cash, and that I enjoying doing at the same time! I never saw myself as the "crafty" type, but crocheting has opened my eyes to the world of crafts!

Where can I find your products?

Right now you can find my products through my Facebook business page and on Etsy. I am hoping to get my hats into some retail shops in the future.

What do you love about Alaska?

I've only been living in Alaska for 1 1/2 years, but there will be many more years to come. I love the beautiful scenery and outdoor activities!

 I know we don't want to think about the cold. I would LOVE to give away tickets to somewhere warm, but hey, we live in Alaska. We have at least one more month of this snow left. So why not have your little one look cute!

 The giveaway will be open till Friday and it's only open to Alaskan residents. Leslie will give the winner a choice of a beanie! You can custom it how you want so start thinking about what you want it to look like!

Please leave your email address. I would hate for you to win and then I can't contact you so I'd have to pick another winner!

H2Oasis

 Did you know Anchorage has an indoor water park? H2Oasis is a pretty cool place to visit if you are itching to play in some water. We visited a couple of months ago, but haven't been back since. Not that we didn't have fun, but 3 kids under the age of 5 is hard to keep track of in a water park. But I did want to share my experience with you and hope you visit it soon with your family.

 The parking is not the best. Its actually a pain in the butt, especially in the winter months. Admission can be pretty spendy, but that's about how much you pay at outdoor water parks as well. The nice thing is they only charge $6 for the first toddler, each additional toddler is $4 and the adults are free. This charge is ONLY for Parent/Toddler Time. It didn't break the bank for us as a family of five. They don't accept credit cards so be sure you have cash or check. They do have an ATM that you can get money out of as well. 

 We went as a playdate during Parent/Toddler Time, which is Monday through Friday 11am to 2pm. This time no longer works for us because that is nap time. I wish they had 2 different times throughout the week, I bet they would get more little kids and parents. It was nice seeing lots of little kids instead of big kids running around.

 I was glad to see there was life jackets provided, definitely had some wear and tear. Brooke had only been walking for several months when we visited H2Oasis, so I was a little hair trigger with her. The life jacket put me a little more at ease. I wore Kora in the ergo which made it easier and hardier at the same time. It would have been nice to be able to sit in the water with Brooke.

 For Parent/Toddler Time, the pirate ship and the wave pool are the only things open. Kaden loved running from the ship to the pool. The ship had water cannons and slides. You could grab inflatable rings and sit in the wave pool. Kaden enjoyed jumping through the rings, not much for relaxing. He also enjoyed running under the big mushroom, which that water was cold!

 We spent a good 2 hours there and then the kiddos were exhausted! Money well spent! The part I liked the least was unchanging wet kids into dry clothes in a locker room that usually had wet floors. It was difficult due to carrying Kora in the ergo and I had to change. Then having Brooke and trying to keep her corralled in a changing area that just had a curtain. I probably should of just let modesty go out the window, wouldn't of been as stressed. We went straight home to eat lunch, but they do have an area where you can order pizza, hot dogs and the like.

 Over all, we really had a great time. It's a really great place to take the little ones. It's such good exercise especially for those with special needs. They offer swim lessons and times to exercise in the River walk. I knew some ladies when they were pregnant who would walk in the River Walk to get some exercise. I look forward to going again! and maybe one day actually get to ride the big kid rides!

So Much To Be Thankful For

 Okay, so I don't know about you, but I'm over the snow! I'm aching to go play outside in the green grass! I've been looking online to find the cheapest vacation to someplace warm with a family of 5! I keep hearing about a long break up and more snow. Say it ain't so!

 For Spring Break, all 3 of my kiddos got sick. I was hoping to have a relaxing week staying home, but was not expecting handing out medicine and cleaning snot every 3 minutes. Then add the 1 hour time difference and we are all thrown off. Now I have the weekend to start waking my kids up early again so we can get back on track. Ugh.

 I don't want to bore you guys with my rants and complaints. The purpose of this post is that I really am thankful for the state we live in. I started getting envious of seeing all the friends post pictures of blooming gardens and kids playing outside in the lower 48 on Facebook. So instead of me complaining about the snow, I started remembering all the reasons I did love Alaska and not try to find the first ticket out of this state.

 I actually know people who have never seen or touched snow! We could send it by the boat loads! Probably help us clean the streets up! That boggles my mind! Now we are only a couple of inches of beating the record for the most snowfall in Anchorage! So yes, snow is a treat.

 This year, I've already gotten to do some amazing things that many dream of. Where else can you go snowmachining on a crystal, blue day with Denali in the background? Don't forget while taking a break from snowmachining, watching a dog musher mush on by.

 Talk about mushing, a friend was telling me how he knows of someone in Switzerland who dreams of coming to Alaska to watch the start of the Iditarod. I lived that dream, twice now. I got to enjoy that dream with my whole family. We cheered on the teams as we enjoyed the company of friends. People came by snowmachine and airplane to the lakes in Willow to high five the mushers.

 I have friends who live in Japan who want to come to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. Some Alaskan residents who have lived here for years, have never seen these amazing lights dance across the sky. My 5 year old got to see them from the car with me on our drive home. Later that night, I got to stand underneath the breathtaking show and watch with my husband. This was not the first time I had seen them.

  I wasn't able to participate this year, but I started making Running With the Reindeer an annual event with some other moms. My friends and family in the lower 48 think its crazy, but where else can you run with reindeer! Now the video might make you a little sick, I was running with the camera, but it will be worth your time. And no, I did not trip that lady, at least I don't think I did.

 Alaska is amazing. I gotta keep reminding myself of that, especially for the beautiful summers that are right around the corner. I'm getting cabin fever, I'll keep reminding myself of all the great events I've experienced that are on peoples bucket lists. I'll stop complaining and remember all the dreams that I've been so blessed to live. Hope you are all enjoying what Alaska has to offer and reminding yourself of the spectacular summers!