Salamander Spa at The Henderson Beach Resort

March 6, 2017 By Molly Leave a Comment

I’m so excited that The Henderson Beach Resort is finally open in Destin! The Henderson is Destin’s newest luxury family-friendly resort, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the kid-sister of the Henderson Park Inn, a romantic, adult-only, beach side bed and breakfast.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my self-guided tour of The Henderson back in January. The hotel is just gorgeous! It’s modeled after an old timey mansion by the sea and it certainly lives up to that description.

The hotel offers a local’s card which comes with different seasonal specials and discounts for locals throughout the year. The winter special was 30% off of spa services at Salamander Spa, so I treated myself to a morning of pampering!

The spa is just as lovely as the rest of the hotel. The cool and calming coastal hues relaxed me immediately.

The details are all breathtaking. The space is impeccably clean and smells divine. The staff showed me to the dressing area where I wrapped up in a fluffy robe for my pedicure.

Each room is prettier than the last!

I opted for the Thermal Pedicure. I wouldn’t usually indulge in such a fancy and expensive pedicure, but the discount was quite appealing.

All of the art in the hotel was done by local artists. That incredible flower canvas was done by one of my favorite local artists, Mary Hong. She creates the most breathtaking masterpieces out of glass. Her work is amazing!

The salon area is pretty small. There were two pedicure chairs, two manicure chairs, and two salon chairs for hair styling.

These are the pre-pedicure toes. 😉

The thermal pedicure was quite the process (but very relaxing and soothing)! I began by choosing my aroma blend, then experienced a detox salt foot soak, shea butter exfoliation, and then an anti-inflammation thermal powder (it got hot as it sat on my legs!). It was certainly the most extensive pedicure I’d ever experienced.

I dried Dazzle Dry polish for the first time. It’s a quick-drying and nontoxic nail polish that dries rock hard in five minutes. Pretty neat!

My first experience at the Salamander Spa was quite relaxing and enjoyable. The staff was friendly and attentive and the amenities were top-notch. I can’t wait to go back and treat myself to a massage or facial in the future.

Locals- don’t forget to sign up for the locals card! It also gets you discounts on dining and room rates (seasonally).

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How I Find Sweet Relief as a Mom {Dr. Smith’s Giveaway}

February 21, 2017 By Molly Leave a Comment

Since Miles was born last April, I feel like my feet have hardly touched the ground.

I knew going from two kids to three kids would be a big change for our family, but I never knew we could be so busy. I feel like we’ve mostly got it figured out by now, but I remain…tired.

The baby sleeps great. The big kids sleep (mostly) great. But running in a million different directions each and every day can wear a mama out! My days are filled with feeding, dressing, chauffeuring, entertaining, and loving on my kids. And there’s a husband who needs food and love, too.

I’m a big believer that you can’t pour from an empty cup. We moms give 100% and more of ourselves on a daily basis and often put our own needs on the back burner. I like to take a few minutes for myself each and every day. Some days I’m able to get out of the house on my own for some sweet relief, but other days, I’m content to just soak up a few still, silent moments before the chaos of the day sets in.

Starting each morning with a daily devotional sets the tone for my entire day. Jesus Calling is my very favorite. The passages are quick, but so well written. The author selects a few accompanying scriptures, also. I take a few minutes to pray for my husband, pray for my kids, and thank the Lord for each and every one of them.

Another way I find relief from my busy days without ever leaving home is by baking. More often than not, the kids join me. Cooking is my spiritual gift, my love language. I show my love to others through cooking, so of course I happily welcome the kids to help me. But when I have the chance to bake on my own, it’s a big stress reliever for me. I’m happiest in the kitchen!

I make it a point to carve out gym time as often as possible.

I truly enjoy being active and I try to exercise 5 days a week. I know there are lots of exercise programs that allow and encourage moms to work out with their kids (which is awesome!), but my five hours a week at the gym are sacred, precious moments to me and I want them all to myself.

I always ask for mani/pedi gift certificates for my birthday and Christmas because a visit to the nail salon is a real treat for me! Certainly not a weekly or even monthly thing, but a welcome respite when I get the chance.

It’s just so important to take time for myself. It’s not selfish and I never feel guilty. It’s those moments of sweet relief from the chaos of life that refresh me and make me a better wife and mom.

In addition to cooking meals and carting kids all over creation, my days are filled with DIAPERS. So many diapers. And I’m thankful that Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Ointment provides sweet relief for Miles’s cute little bum when it gets irritated.

I’ve used and trusted Dr. Smith’s since Julia was a baby. I’ve always used it preventatively with each diaper change, as the premium blend creates a moisture barrier to keep Miles’s sensitive skin dry and soothed. We live in one of the most humid areas in the country, so cutting down on irritation from moisture is really important.

The Diaper Rash Spray is a game-changer! It’s the same proven soothing relief of the ointment in a mess-free and environmentally-friendly spray. Plus, I think it smells SO good.

Miles has only endured one diaper rash since he was born and I attribute that to my regular use of Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Ointment. It’s gentle enough to use daily so I find myself constantly reaching for the Doctor!

In the spirit of the month of love, Dr. Smith’s will be giving away a $100 Amazon gift card, a six month supply of Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash products, and a candy delivery from Sugar Wish to one lucky reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entry Period is February 21, 2017 – February 24, 2017. Winner will be chosen on February 27,2017 and notified via email (winner will have 72 hours to respond).

Be sure to follow Dr. Smith’s on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter and don’t forget to Reach for the Doctor!

This is a sponsored post and products were provided to me by Dr. Smith’s, but all content and opinions are my own.

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The Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

February 16, 2017 By Molly 6 Comments

I’ve kind of become known for my cookies.

I’m often asked to bring them to school parties, book club gatherings, and even weddings! My sweet friends Christy and Patrick actually asked me to bake 300 cookies for their wedding instead of a traditional groom’s cake. That was a heck of a lot of baking but it was a whole lot of fun.

I can’t take credit for the actual cookie recipe, but I will say that I’ve perfected it over the years. I originally found the recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Picky Palate. Jenny is known for making the most over-the-top sweet concoctions! This is actually a recipe for Oreo-stuffed cookies (yes, cookies stuffed with Oreos), but I use this as my base for all cookies.

People tell me all the time that their cookies don’t turn out as big and fluffy as mine. I have a few tips that I think help make my cookies so darn good.

First, I always use AirBake Pans. Pans that are too dark will burn the bottom of your cookies.

Next, always, always, always line the sheet with parchment paper. This is a must!

I also make sure my eggs AND chocolate chips are cold. So many recipes call for eggs at room temperature. I think having cold eggs keeps the batter from spreading too much. I keep my chocolate chips in the freezer and just pull out a bag when I’m ready to mix them into the dough.

And to keep each cookie uniform and BIG, I use this type of spring-loaded large cookie scoop! I honestly wouldn’t know how to make cookies without it.

I bake them at 350 for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 6-7 minutes. I also allow them to continue to rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes (out of the oven, duh) before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. I like them just slightly underdone and still ooey gooey!

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Hopefully those tips will help you achieve cookie perfection. Let me know how yours turn out!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies (slightly adapted from Picky Palate)

2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
3.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (or a variety of your favorite ingredients like pecans, white chocolate chips, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter for a few minutes, then add sugars until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, until batter is light and fluffy. Lastly, mix in the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients, just until a soft dough forms. Mix in the chocolate chips (I pour them right into the bowl of the mixer and let it do the stirring for me).

4. Using the large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Do not mess with the dough balls once they are scooped- leave them big and round like golf balls. I usually get about 2 dozen.

5. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate pans, and bake another 6-7 minutes. Cookies should look just done, not too golden brown!

6. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes on the hot baking sheets, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!!!!!

PS- This post contains affiliate links.

Destin Duchess

A Mom's Guide to the Emerald Coast

Salamander Spa at The Henderson Beach Resort

How I Find Sweet Relief as a Mom {Dr. Smith’s Giveaway}

The Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies