Planning a trip to Harry Potter World? Here are the 7 things that you need to know before you make the trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida! This post may contain affiliate links. This past Fall we took our girls on a weekend getaway of a lifetime. Ok, maybe of my lifetime because let me tell you, I'm a total Potterhead. In fact, I've turned them into little Harry Potter fanatics too and I couldn't be happier about that! While they were still completely enamored with all things Harry P., hubby and I wanted to plan a surprise trip to Harry Potter World. Technically the area of Universal Studios is called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but the girls simply know it as Harry Potter World. We hatched out a brilliant plan to let them know we were going just days before we made the journey [and I'll be sharing THAT fun idea … [Read more...]
7 Reasons to Visit the Dollywood DreamMore Resort in the Winter
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Dollywood may be closed, but the Dollywood DreamMore Resort is definitely open for the Winter. Here are 7 reasons you should visit during this time of the year! As a Dollywood Insider, I'll be bringing you more of the brand and attractions I love. I received a complimentary stay, but all opinions are my own. The lovely perk of riding the DreamMore Trolley to Dollywood is definitely one of my favorite reasons to stay at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort, but with Dollywood being closed from January to March, you might think DreamMore Resort is too - wrong! Even in the winter months, this luxurious mountain resort is my family's first choice of hotels when we visit Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and here are the 7 reasons why! The Spa at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort There are plenty of amenities to take advantage of when you visit the … [Read more...]
Dollywood Christmas: Here’s What’s Happening this Winter
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There are big things coming to the Smoky Mountains just in time for the Holidays. Don't miss out on all these great Dollywood Christmas Events! If you live in the Southeast or are planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the next couple of months, you're in luck. While I love warmer months, the beautiful decorations, lights, and sounds of the season make November and December one of the best times to visit the area. Here are all the great things that are happening, thanks to Dollywood Christmas festivities! Light the Way 5K Whether you run or walk, you HAVE to do the Light the Way 5K at least once. My husband and I did it a couple of years ago and had fun, even though it was only 18 degrees! Brrr! You'll run or walk amidst the park's 4 million Christmas lights. It's truly a one-of-a-kind event! In addition to the … [Read more...]
Best Family Choice in Orlando FL Hotels: Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa
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Thank you to Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa for providing a complimentary stay at their resort and showing us why they are the best family choice in Orlando FL Hotels. All opinions are my own. When I started planning our Fall Break Vacation to Orlando, one of the first things I had to do was decide where we were going to stay. While there are benefits to staying onsite at area theme parks, since we were renting a car and wanted to see other sites while we were visiting, I decided we would stay off site. But looking for Orlando FL hotels can be a daunting task because there are so many options. Then, I saw this pool and knew it was the best choice for our family for our long weekend! There's a lot of things I'm loving about the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa - the fact that the girls have their own room, we … [Read more...]
7 Things You Need to Know About Universal Studios Orlando FL Before You Go
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Planning a family visit to Universal Studios Orlando FL soon? If not, you should! Here are 7 things you should know before you go! A special thanks to Universal Studios Orlando FL for providing my family with passes to visit both parks for a day. All opinions expressed are my own. Some pictures provided by Universal Orlando. We recently returned home from a long weekend in Orlando, Florida. I planned this Fall Trip for months and it all began because of the girls' newfound obsession with Harry Potter. I started reading The Sorcerer's Stone to them back in the Spring and since they've watched all of the movies except for Deathly Hallows 1&2... we're saving those for a couple of years. While our trip definitely revolved around the underage wizard and our visit to Harry Potter World, we had an amazing time in the … [Read more...]
Details and Luxury: What I Learned Driving the Mazda 6
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A special thanks to Mazda for hosting me during this retreat and for giving me the opportunity to drive a 2017 Mazda 6 to learn more about their brand and their cars. A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit the low country of South Carolina with Mazda. When I received the invitation I was super excited by the itinerary of the trip and let me just tell you, once I was actually there, it was even better than it had sounded originally. I have to admit, Mazda isn't a brand that I knew a lot about before my visit, but thankfully, one I know a lot about now. Mazda invited influencers and car enthusiasts to Bluffton, South Carolina to not only check out this year's new Mazda fleet of cars, but to also experience the atmosphere of the South. Now I live in east Tennessee which is just about a 7 hour drive to the … [Read more...]
Dollywood Splash Country to Add New Slide – TailSpin Racer in 2017
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We just spent our last day of Summer Break at Dollywood Splash Country on Sunday. Sophia started First Grade on Monday and we wanted to get out of the house and enjoy some splashing in the sun before the school season officially started. THIS my friends is how you do Splash Country. Shady retreat with a ceiling fan, TV, personal lounge deck and chairs, and lunch delivered right to your cabana! I feel completely spoiled and don't want this last day of Summer Break to end! #Dollywood #SplashCountry #waterpark #hospitality #SouthernHospitality @dollywoodtn A photo posted by Lindsey G. (@lindseyblogs) on Aug 14, 2016 at 8:39am PDT We even rented a Riverside Retreat, which is like a personal cabana for a family, during this trip. I have to say - it was AH-mazing! In the retreat you have a 6 person dining table, television, … [Read more...]
Dollywood adds Autism Calming Room for Guests
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It's no secret that I have a love for my hometown theme park. Dollywood has consistently put itself on the map for going above and beyond for families of our area. Recently, they became the first theme park in the world to add a new resource for families... a Calming Room specially designed for children with Autism. On a normal day at Dollywood you'll see crowds of children experiencing the amazing sights, smells of the delicious food, sounds of laughter and thrilling screams near the roller coasters, and so much more. While I enjoy walking through and seeing all the sights and sounds, it honestly never occurred to me that some families have to avoid areas just like that because of over stimulation. That's the exact reason that Dollywood introduced the Calming Room for families, which is located in the Ride Accessibility … [Read more...]
That Time I Drove a 2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco Off the Assembly Line
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Last month I had the amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually drive a brand new car off the assembly line and take it on a road trip home. I mean, really, how many people can say that they've driven a Hyundai Elantra Eco right off the line?! I'm still reeling at how amazing this experience was and I'm excited to give you a behind-the-scenes look today at just how it all happened! When I received the invitation to join Hyundai for the Elantra Eco Road Trip challenge, I was shocked that I would be traveling to Montgomery, Alabama. I was under the impression, obviously the very naive impression, that Hyundai cars were imported to the US. To find out that there was an extensive automotive plant just a few hours South of Tennessee was exciting to me and I couldn't wait to visit! The real fun twist of the trip was that we would … [Read more...]
Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure
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Dolly Parton’s Lumberjack Adventure, one of the most-anticipated new dinner attractions to come to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in recent memory, is slated to open to eager guests on Friday, May 20. Lumberjack Adventure represents a $25 million investment by Parton to create an all-new dinner theater unlike anything Pigeon Forge has seen before. “I can promise you’ve never seen another show like this in town before,” Parton said. “I’ve truly enjoyed creating this Smoky Mountain story for families to enjoy while they are here in Pigeon Forge. There are completely new experiences for guests at this show and I can’t wait to hear what they think of the finished product.” Parton serves as Executive Producer of the show and wrote the romantic song, “Something More,” which helps tell the story of this Smoky Mountain-themed adventure. During the … [Read more...]
How to Create a Quality Collection of Kids Books for FREE with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
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Since books have always been so important to me, I made sure that I had my girls had a quality collection as soon as they were born. I realize that books can get expensive, which is why I wanted to share this amazing opportunity to help you create a quality collection of books for your child... for FREE with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! I love to read. I remember my love of reading going as far back as early elementary school, which is why I knew I wanted to instill that love for both of my girls as early as possible. In fact, I started reading to Sophia nightly as soon as we got home from the hospital. It's always been a special time for me with my girls and it played a great part in our successful nighttime routine. This Kindergartener reads bedtime stories to us now. I'm completely amazed at how much Sophia has … [Read more...]
Step2 Tour of the Toy Factory
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If you follow me on instagram and Twitter, you'll know that I've been away from home a few times this past month. A few weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Step2 Headquarters for the 3rd time as a Step2 Ambassador. You might think that you could see everything there is to see in 2 visits, but alas I saw, learned, and enjoyed even my 3rd adventure as much as the first two! It's always a great time to get together with my fellow bloggers, who after years of working together have turned into friends. It's also so much fun getting to see another part of the country that I otherwise might not have the chance to visit. And if I didn't mention the fact that the Step2 company makes us feel like very important people by treating us to a luxurious visit to Spa Walden, I'd be leaving out a favorite part of my trip. But with … [Read more...]