Archive for Blog Stuff

Jersey Strong!

This picture seems to sum up the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. I’ve seen this picture over and over again. I’ve also seen this roller coaster on it’s pier on a beautiful sunny summer day.  I live about 1 1/2 hours from Seaside, NJ and 3 hours from Cape May, NJ where the eye of Hurricane Sandy came in. The Jersey Shore is my stomping grounds when the weather get warm. I’ve seen hurricanes and other types of weather devastate other parts of the country and have felt bad for the people that live in the area.  My entire outlook changed when I started recognizing the structures falling into the ocean. It’s just heart breaking.

Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey Coast at only a category 2 and the destruction is hard to take in. Most of you have heard only about the coast, which took the brunt of the storm.

I live inland in Northwest New Jersey, like I said before about 1 1/2 hours from Seaside. There are 59,000 homes in my county and 52,000 were without electricity after Hurricane Sandy passed. In my town there are 2,801 homes and 2,292 were left in the dark, that’s 82%! I’d like to share some of my pictures from the storm.

Monday October 29th – She’s on her way

Wednesday October 31 – Since there were only very few gas stations opened because of lack of electricity and lack of gas.  We sat in this line for 1 1/2 hours waiting for gas for our car and a generator. The gas station is at the top of the hill.

The picture below is the end of the line where is starts to corner.

Having fun in the car with a box of crackers.

The reason we were without electric

Our nosy neighbors.  ha…..ha…. ha….

Our flushing system included going daily to the local stream to bucket water into the bin.

The contents of the fridge and freezer. All the corn and veggies we froze for the winter all went bad. Such a bummer.

Then, it started to snow.

Here’s a tree that fell at my in-law’s house.

That’s me standing next to the roots, I’m 5′ 3″.

Here’s a few various pictures from around my area. The photo below has been a common site in our area lately.  

The sign reads “Please do not wait – No Gas – We have Diesel”.

This one is a local hotel and the trucks and guys taking a break.

A pallet of Cup of Noodles.

We lost our power on Monday, October 29th at 8:00 pm. We were one of the lucky ones to get our power back 8 days later on Election Day November 6th. And on November 11th – there were still 2,164 homes in my county without electric that’s almost 2 weeks!  As I write this, I am very thankful for my family, friends, and health.  Many people lost everything. When I was able to get online. I found a few more pictures of the shore, I had forgotten about the sand.

This is sand coming in this front door.

This is the main road in Long Beach Island, NJ. I drove on this road 3 months ago!

JERSEY STRONG! We will be back!


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Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

Head over to Melissa & Doug’s Facebook page to enter to win one of their Terrific Twenty!  Then, don’t forget to visit Melissa & Doug’s Website to see all of the Terrific Twenty and the many other fabulous learning toys Melissa & Doug has!


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Lumberjack Feud #Brandcation #PigeonForge


Courtesy of Brandy at Not So Average Mama and Loud Mouth Photography.

Lumberjack Feud was another one of the highlights of Brandcation Blog Cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I am not sure what you think of when you hear Lumberjack Feud, but it is all about a feud between lumberjacks. And no, it isn’t geared towards men. This is a family-friendly show.

History of Lumberjack Feud

According to Pigeon Forge history one of our fair presidents decided to take over land in Pigeon Ford, the thing is it belonged to lumberjacks. Yes, this is true. The feud part not so much. Lumberjack Feud has magnified the so called feud between two families into a dinner show, much like Dolly’s Dixie Stampede in the way it is set up with dinner and a show, but the similarities stop there.

The CEO of Lumberjack Feud is a third or fourth generation lumberjack, which is pretty neat.

Lumberjack Show

During the show two lumberjack families, the McGraws and Dawsons are feuding, nah they weren’t fist fighting or anything but they were competing in lots of different lumberjack activities. The families’ dogs even competed! It is highly entertaining and fun to watch.

Again at this dinner show the audience are participants and divided into sides to cheer on the McGraw and the Dawson families. We bloggers hooted, hollered and “Yo-ho’d”…yep, I just divulged a show “secret”.

There was also a couple other characters who tickled our funny bones, Camper Bob and a certain young “lady”.

Lumberjack Dinner


Photo courtesy of Lumberjack Feud

The Lumberjack dinner was delicious. It included as stated on their website since I am forgetting everything 8 days post-Brandcation:

Mouthwatering BBQ ribs, a savory Mesquite baked chicken breast, creamy baked Macaroni ‘N Cheese, home-style baked beans, and a piping hot dinner roll. Top off this fantastic meal with our all-American, homemade, strawberry shortcake for dessert!

Choose your favorite beverage: Pepsi products, Iced Tea, or Coffee. FREE refills!

Lumberjack Shop

Lumberjack Feud has an awesome gift shop of lots of unique, fun and useful gifts.


I thought this was hilarious!


A lumberjack sling shot.


These were adorable…and I think a certain blogger bought herself some, right Toni? ;)

I loved the old photos of lumberjacks that adorned the walls and hallways of the impressive Lumberjack Feud building. I wish I had taken more time to read more of the history displayed there. Next time…

Lumberjack Feud is another great place to visit. I know I’ve said it a lot in the last week, but this is another place I want to take my family to when we plan a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennesse.

So if you’d like to learn more or to connect with Lumberjack Feud visit them here:

www.LumberjackFeud.com/

Facebook
Twitter

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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HUGE Thank You to Brandcation Sponsors #PigeonForge #Brandcation

Only a couple more Brandcation posts to go! Bet you are all glad I am wrapping up them up, eh? This post is dedicated to our generous Brandcation sponsors who provided swag (gift items) to us as well as giveaway items for our little contests and 80’s party while we were on Brandcation Blog Cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN.

A HUGE thank you to these Brandcation sponsors:

Natures One
http://naturesone.com
https://www.facebook.com/naturesone
Twitter: @Natures_One


K’Nex Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs

http://www.knex.com/
http://www.facebook.com/buildknex
Twitter: @KNEX
https://pinterest.com/knexbrands/

Lou Babs & Moogs
http://www.LBMGifts.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lou-Babs-Moogs/60919461961
Twitter: @LBMgifts

Blingles
http://www.myblingles.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/Blingles

The Trash Pack
http://www.trashpack.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/TrashPack

Sportline Pedometers
http://www.sportline.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sportlinefitness
Twitter: @sportlineinc

Cascade Ice Water
http://www.cascadeicewater.com/
www.facebook.com/CascadeIceWaters
Twitter: @CascadeIceWater

Group Gifting

http://www.groupgifting.com/
Twitter: @bevision2dot0

StoreSmart
http://www.StoreSMART.com
https://www.facebook.com/StoreSMART

Giveaway Sponsors:

Orbeez
http://www.orbeezone.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Orbeez

Fab Kids
http://fabkids.com
https://www.facebook.com/LoveFabKids
Twitter: @lovefabkids


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Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge #Brandcation #PigeonForge

Wow. That’s how I’d describe the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. It surprised me how sobering it was to walk through the museum. I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting it considering the Titanic was a tragic event but most museums I have visited only had certain exhibits sharing an devastating event in history briefly and intermixed with more fun and informative facts of joyful times. Know what I mean?

The museum was set up so visitors lined up to board the Titanic. Boarding passes and hand held audio devices are handed to each passenger. The unique thing about how this is done is passengers are given a boarding pass with the name of a real passenger who traveled on the Titanic. The boarding pass tells the story of the passenger. At the end of the “voyage” visitors find out if they survived their journey.

The name on my boarding pass? Emily R. and I cannot seem to find my boarding pass to give you more information. :( It’s not the first time I misplaced it either. I know one of my daughters got to read it. The whole purpose behind the boarding passes is for us to leave the museum and share our passenger’s story with others, especially our children, so they are not forgotten. The last Titanic survivor has died and only their offspring are left to carry on their legacy. By visiting the museum we help keep that legacy alive.

Inside the Titanic Museum


First class stateroom.


The infamous staircase.


The bridge.


On the deck there was a wall of ice we could touch and “troughs” of water along the edge of the deck. The same water was the same temperature the passengers of the Titanic would have experience upon being submerged into it.

Speaking of water, in the third class section of the Titanic Museum there was a stair well going up featuring water pouring down into the third class section.


The Memorial wall.


The Titanic Crew

And the crew certainly out did themselves during our visit to the museum. We were given VIP treatment that day. They served us a scrumptiously delicious breakfast buffet that everyone raved about.

The crew was funny, knowledgeable and very courteous.

We were even privileged to meet Mary Kellogg Joslyn, co-owner of the museum with her husband John Joslyn. She gave a short presentation that we thought was inspiring.

Brandcation Blog Cabin Bloggers at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge

Titanic Group small
Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential. All other photos are courtesy of the Titanic Museum, as no photos are allowed to be taken inside the museum by visitors.

A picture speak a thousand words and these do. Visit www.titanicpigeonforge.com for more amazing photos and coverage of the Titanic.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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Visiting Dollywood #PigeonForge #Brandcation #Dollywood

The other day I mentioned Dollywood’s Wild Eagle, but there is so much more to Dollywood than just roller coasters. Though Dollywood has several of them.

I Heart Dollywood!

I loved Dollywood and if I am honest everything I saw and experienced made me wish my family was there with me to experience it too. It was like that with every event we attended last weekend. That’s how family-friendly all of the attractions in Pigeon Forge were and to me Dollywood had an old-time feel to it – from the coal steam engine, horse wagon shop and even a metal forge/black smith’s shop for signs etc. All things that are right up my alley.


Wagon Shop


Wagon Wheel


Wood Worker or Cobbler

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Dollywood’s Grist Mill – Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential


I rode the Dollywood train through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains with Jenn from The Rebel Chick and Amy from Grinning Cheek to Cheek

Brandcation Bloggers at Dollywood

34 bloggers at Dollywood.

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Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

Dollywood has plenty of shops, restaurants, a museum, crafts, quilt shops, roller coasters and other rides to keep the whole family busy for the day (last Friday – can’t believe a week has gone by already!) There was plenty of things for people of all ages, including family pets. This month is Gospel and Harvest Festival and the day we were there we saw a line up of people and the majority were senior citizens. A group of bloggers took in a show and said it was awesome as they learned about the history of music.

Doggywood

Doggywood is a place to leave pets while visitors enjoy Dollywood for the day.

The great thing about Dollywood is you can stay and play as they have their own log cabins for accommodations. Dollywood even has a water park called Dolly Splash. The parks and cabins are close together eliminating long drives going back and forth between the three of them.

If we were to go to Dollywood as a family I would want to take more than just a day to visit as I think it would take at least a couple of days to go through everything.

Dollywood Ready for Fall
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Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

The park is very well shaded for the hot days of summer. Dollywood even has its own special Dollywood Christmas.


One of the employees at Dollywood said when he left work this tree was not there…we joked that the elves had been at work.


Gluten Free Brownie

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Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

The neat thing about Dollywood’s restaurants is they have a gluten-free menu and a whole program geared towards allergy education for select kitchen employees, which even includes certification. This is very unique and important to families suffering from allergies.

The rest of their eateries – a bakery, a sweet shop and more – provide tasty lots of food. I had to get a couple of photos of my husband’s favorite desserts but neglected to get a photo of our lunch at Granny Ogle’s Ham N’ Beans.


Huge Cinnamon Roll


25 lb. Apple Pie for $80

Dolly Parton

It was very impressive to learn Dolly Parton is very involved with her parks and attends specially planned events centered around her visit to Pigeon Forge. The fact is we just missed her most recent visit. Boo hoo.

One last thing, we truly experienced southern hospitality and friendliness from Dollywood employees.

To learn more connect with Dollywood online at their website, Twitter and Facebook.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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Dolly’s Dixie Stampede #Brandcation #PigeonForge

I have never been to a dinner show before, but that all changed a week ago when we attended Dolly’s Dixie Stampede while at Brandcation. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but I loved it!

Denise our host from Dixie Stampede was not only helpful and friendly, but funny as well. She set us up for complimentary photos, a mug and dinner.

Dixie Stampede Pre-Show

The Dixie Stampede had a highly entertaining pre-show with a bluegrass/jazz band. The show itself was funny and the music was fantastic. Here’s a glimpse of it below since I was able to get several video clips of it….but for some reason YouTube isn’t allowing me to upload them so I can embed them into my post. :( So I’ll post some photos instead. Mountain Rukus even proved to us that they could play contemporary pop music in bluegrass style.

This is the table of ladies I sat with during the pre-show as we enjoyed a non-alcoholic beverage.

We sang to well known songs and clapped loudly as the musicians of the band, Mountain Rukus, displayed their singing talent while playing the banjo, fiddle, violin and bass.


The Dixie Stampede Floor Before the Show


Dolly’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Show

The dinner show was very good. It was different from what I expected, but not in a bad way. I don’t want to give away all the surprises so I am not sure how much to tell. The dinner was as listed on their website and video:

  • A Mouth-Watering Tender Whole Rotisserie Chicken
    Delicious Hickory Smoked Barbecued Pork Loin
    Dixie Stampede’s Original Creamy Vegetable Soup
    Scrumptious Homemade Biscuit
    Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob
    Tasty Herb-basted Potato
    Dixie’s very own Specialty Dessert
    Unlimited Pepsi®, tea or coffee

They even offer a vegetarian plate that includes:

  • Country Garden Vegetable Pasta
    Dixie Stampede’s Original Creamy Vegetable Soup
    Scrumptious Homemade Biscuit
    Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob
    Tasty Herb-basted Potato
    Dixie’s very own Specialty Dessert
    Unlimited Pepsi®, tea or coffee

We were fortunate to be able to visit during the Dixie Stampede’s 25th anniversary season. The actual show was very family-friendly and interactive as the audience was divided into two teams – the Union and the Confederates. We cheered and clapped for our respective sides. People from the audience were invited to participate in the show’s events too. Children shooed chickens in a race, girlfriends and boyfriends rode stick horses as they joined the cast center stage. This will be the first time I’d ever allow my children to “boo” anybody because it was all in good old fashioned fun! See a video here.

Bloggers at Dolly’s Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge

Dixie Stampede
Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential.

I’ll say it again, don’t just take my word for it, experience it for yourself! You are in for a couple of surprises if you do!

A huge thank you to Dolly’s Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for welcoming us and giving us a fun-filled evening!

 

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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Gigi’s Cupcakes Pigeon Forge #Brandcation #PigeonForge

IMG_5186
Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

Brandcation Blog Cabin not only brought us awesome accommodations and views but also awesome treats too! Cabin Fever Vacations worked with Gigi’s Cupcakes Pigeon Forge to surprise us shortly after arriving with a lovely array of yummy cupcakes! Flavors included, blackberry, red velvet, carrot cake, banana nut, chocolate, white wedding cake, mint chocolate, strawberry. These cupcakes were topped with delectable cream cheese frosting. They were so tasty that the ladies bought more for our 80’s party on Saturday night! Seriously these were so moist and delicious it was nearly impossible to stop at one! I definitely plan to treat my family to some of these yummy treats when we visit on our family vacation next year or have some shipped here for the next birthday we celebrate since there are no Gigi’s Cupcakes here in Illinois.


Photo courtesy of Candace from Serendipity Mom


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Dollywood’s Wild Eagle #Brandcation #PigeonForge #WildEagle

I haven’t been to a theme park in a very long time. I went on a virtual ride of Dollywood’s Wild Eagle, America’s first winged roller coaster, before I left for Brandcation and I think I freaked myself out a little. Try it and you’ll see what I mean! All you adventure seekers will love it, I’m sure!

Dollywood’s Wild Eagle roller coaster was a highlight for me as I went on it three times, even though in all the photos I look terrified…and I was. I haven’t been on a roller coaster since I was 14, but the fact that I attempted something different and something that had to do with heights was huge for me since I am afraid of high places. I am a play it safe, non-adventurous kind of gal.


Photo courtesy of Dollywood and Tanya Gordon of Mommy Goggles.

The first ride I had my eyes closed except for the initial climb. The second time I opened my eyes a bit and during the third ride I only had my eyes closed for the huge dip and loopdy-loos. There’s something about being upside down that gets to me. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Though I must say I felt very safe strapped in the seats seats. They felt very secure and Dollywood staff made sure we were securely fastened, which I really appreciated. I worried about my glasses falling off because they shifted a bit but they stayed on.

IMG_5320
Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Oh, Kim actually had a photo of me smiling as we came in from our ride. It’s a bit blurry but you can see Paula, me, Mary Ann and Maria:

IMG_5330
Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Dolly’s Wild Eagle opened in March of this year and has already hit 1 million rides according to a staff member at the photo desk. Impressive, eh? Dollywood Splash will be opening their first water coaster in spring of 2013 – little insider info. ;)

Wild Eagle Compared to Other Roller Coasters

Joy from Joyful Musings went on three roller coasters at Dollywood and we asked her to give us the comparison break down and here’s what she said:

Dollywood’s Wild Eagle was the smoothest ride.

Mystery Mine was the scariest.

The third was Tennessee Tornado was the fastest.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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Cabin Fever Vacations #PigeonForge #Brandcation

Brandcation Blog Cabin was called Blog Cabin for a reason. While we were in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee we stayed at a log cabin managed by Cabin Fevers Vacations called Mountaintop Lodge. Cabin Fever Vacations offers a unique blog cabin experience. The cabin is privately owned by a family but rented out during the times the family is not in the area. The cabin is three floors high and can sleep up to 34 people! It’s beautiful!

Cabin Fever Vacations even surprised us on the first day with Gigi’s Cupcakes to welcome us to Pigeon Forge.

The Accommodations

The top floor housed most of the ladies in an open room with cots, a futon and several queen sized bunk beds. That floor also included four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

IMG_5128
Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

The middle floor contained a full kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as two bedrooms with private baths.

The lower level had four bedrooms, two private baths, the laundry room and game room which also housed two additional futons. I had one of the bedrooms and roomed with Jenn from Life with Levi. We didn’t see much of each other but she was a nice roommate.

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Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Each level has it’s own balcony – front and back – where you could rock in a rocking chair, sit and enjoy the view, just chit chat with friends or soak in a hot tub.

The cabin was beautiful with a rustic style of decor. It was really spacious. The only thing it lacked this weekend was a few extra bathrooms! Six bathrooms for 34 ladies was a little challenging at times but we did it!

I love that there are many different sized cabins and that Cabin Fever Vacations is able to accommodate any size family. Large families like ours could actually stay all together, which is so much better than hotel accommodations!


The View

The view from the back balconies was of the Smoky Mountains and it was stunning. In few days or so it would have been splashed with the colors of fall.

Don’t just take my word for it check out the video below:

The Road to the Cabin

The road to the cabin is a winding road, obviously since the cabin is on the mountain – wouldn’t want to see it in the winter! Though I am sure they are very good about keeping it clear and well maintained for any type of weather they experience.

The Atmosphere

The cabins were very close together but the atmosphere was very quiet. Though we may have changed that at certain points of our stay! Especially during our 80’s party! The people I met were were friendly in the cabin area
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You may visit Cabin Fever Vacations at their website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and even Pinterest. They have an awesome social media presence.

I truly cannot wait to plan a visit to go back with my family. I know they will love Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.


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