Dive Bomber ride opens at Six Flags White Water!

We had such an amazing time at Six Flags White Water on Monday! I've got a review (and hopefully a giveaway!) coming up later this week.  Til then, check out Dive Bomber, the crazy-fun new ride at Six Flags White Water!

Discount Tickets ALIVE! Expo Atlanta!

USE CODE JKAA15 to get $5 off your tickets!!  

11th Annual Alive! Expo Atlanta

May 2 & 3, 2015
Saturday: 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 6:00pm

Location:
Georgia World Congress Center
Hall C4
Corner of Northside Drive & Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd.
235 Northside Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30313

Directions and Discount Parking Passes for purchase can be found here:

http://aliveexpo.com/test/ticket_info.php   (use code JKAA15 for $5 off)

TICKET PRICING:

General Admission

Adult Ticket:
Ticket Price: $10.00 per day
General Admission ticket includes admission to the Expo Show floor, Exhibiting Companies, Educational Lectures from Industry Experts plus Demonstrations

VIP Admission (LIMITED QUANTITY)

VIP Ticket:
Ticket Price: $35.00 per day
VIP Admission ticket includes admission to the Expo Show floor, Exhibiting Companies, Educational Lectures from Industry Experts, Demonstrations PLUS a VIP Gift Bag filled with full size natural & organic products from companies present and not present at the Alive! Expo — VIP Gift Bag valued at $100+

Children 12 and under — FREE general admission
Military with a Valid ID — FREE general admission

Please do not forget to bring your Food Donations to Alive! Expo. Help Us Help the Less Fortunate In and Around Atlanta. Non-Perishable Canned or Packaged Items Welcome. No Glass Please! No Expired Items Please!

Proceeds from Alive! Expo benefit various local non-profits in Atlanta, GA including Project Green.

Project Green is a registered 501c3 non-profit based in Atlanta, Georgia whose mission is to protect green space for future generations and invest in “A Green Tomorrow.” Project Green will develop “Back to Basics” Summer Camps for under-served children and teens. The eco-camps will focus on building self-esteem and awareness of the environment and will also encourage healthy lifestyles through nutrition, exercise and by incorporating challenging and fun activities. The eco-summer camps will be designed as one-week away camps for all qualified kids. Project Green plans on running five to six of the eco-summer camps each summer. To donate directly to Project Green please visit —www.ProjectGreenUSA.org


Alive! Expo is a proud annual Food Drive participant donating food to The Atlanta Community Food Bank. Founded in 1979, ACFB procures over 35 million pounds of food and groceries each year and distributes it to more than 600 nonprofit partner agencies serving families and individuals in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia counties. The mission of the Atlanta Community Food Bank is to fight hunger by engaging, educating and empowering our community. 

Paula Deen Live! Holiday Show Atlanta area only!

I am so excited to share my latest giveaway.  As y'all know, Paula Deen is Queen here in the South when it comes to cooking!  My readers know I've even shared a few of her recipes here on the blog.  I love her attitude, her sassiness, and the delicious food she creates! So I am thrilled to announce a giveaway for two tickets to the Paula Deen Live! Holiday Edition Show, which will be November 16 at 6 pm in Atlanta.  One winner will receive TWO free tickets to the show!  (Contest open only to Atlanta-area residents)

Come see Paula's live show at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, GA on Nov 16 and get a heaping helping of Paula's recipes, some good old-fashioned fun and lots of laughter. Join Paula as she demonstrates how to make her favorite seasonal dishes, shares family stories and plays cooking games with her fans. Some lucky audience members will even get to join Paula on stage! How awesome would that be?!

To enter, I've got a rafflecopter widget below with a few mandatory entries, and several optional ones - enter as many times as you'd like using the available entry methods.  A few are available for you to do every day so come back often!  Please share this giveaway with your Atlanta friends, and good luck!!

Play Nintendo at the Mall of Georgia this weekend!

Atlanta friends, this one is just for you!! David and I spent the morning at the Mall Of Georgia where we checked out the FREE Play Nintendo Tour 2014! It was a blast! (I first heard about this event over at www.productreviewmom.com - check her blog out for great Atlanta area events and fun, too!)

If your kids enjoy video games, they will be thrilled with the chance to play some of their favorite games at the Play Nintendo Tour stop in Atlanta. Mario, Zelda, Yoshi and Pokemon are just a few of the fun characters they will be able to enjoy!  Radio Disney is there providing fun, upbeat music while you play, too.

We got there right when they opened (10 am), so only a few other participants were there.  We got a passport from Jessica, one of the super-friendly staff members.  She explained  that we would have the opportunity to  visit all six game worlds, play the game there, then answer a trivia question and get a sticker on the passport for that world.

When David filled up his card, he would take it to the Nintendo Claw machine for a chance to win! Jessica also gave us a brochure with info about the Nintendo 2DS, plus five games that are priced at $29.99,  and some coupons for 10% off at Target.  The coupons are good through 10/31 so they are perfect for early holiday shopping!

This is DEFINITELY on D's Christmas list! I love the new durable design - no clamshell hinge to break!  David really enjoyed playing on it today. 

We started out with Donkey Kong, one of D's favorites.  They had the cutest banana-shaped bean bags there!

Jessica and David playing Donkey Kong

After playing for a while, and getting his sticker, we moved to The Legend of Zelda, A Link Between Worlds.  It was a castle-themed land, and he enjoyed playing the game! He got another sticker here.

David had a great time in the other game worlds too, and picked up a sticker in each for his correct trivia answers.

Another great staff member, named David, here with my David!
Everyone was so helpful and friendly!

Pokemon X & Pokemon Y

Kirby:Triple Deluxe 

He filled his passport with all six stickers, plus a bonus one.  That got him three tries on the Claw Machine, but no luck.  Oh well!

Two of David's favorite things today ~  He got to try out Tomodachi Life:

and he was one of the first people to try out Super Smash Bros, which doesn't come out til early October! He can't wait - he said it was his favorite game of the day! And because we got there so early in the day, he got lots of one-on-one instruction from staff members. (Meaning he got some great hints and tricks from them - he was able to learn a lot!)

The Play Nintendo Tour 2014 will be at the Mall of Georgia, lower level near Nordstrom, through Sunday, August 17th.  (Regular mall hours) The Mall is located at:3333 Buford Dr., Buford, GA 30519-4913.   Costumed Nintendo characters will be available for photos at 2 pm each day.  It's SO much fun.  If you can get there and spend a couple hours with your kid, y'all will have a great time! (If you have smaller kids, there is a Simon play place adjacent to the Play Nintendo space so all ages can have a good time.)

There are two more stops in the Play Nintendo Tour - Houston, TX and Irvine, CA.  Click the link to find out those dates!

Please let me know what you think if you go to the #PlayNintendoTour

Georgia Renaissance Festival - 2013

Well, I really wanted to share the pictures I took at the Festival in this review, but I am having issues with my camera!  I wanted to get this up asap so that those interested will still have time to visit before the Festival ends in early June!  So here it is, with a couple pictures from the Festival's site & FB page.  If I am able to retrieve the photos from my camera, I will update this with them later....

The Georgia Renaissance Festival is open Saturdays & Sundays (plus Memorial Day!) now through June 2, 2013.  Hours are 10:30 am to 6:00 pm.   Click here for directions!  Ticket information is here. Parking is FREE! Wear your walking shoes - the Festival grounds are situated on 32 acres!

Next weekend is Mother's Day & Sweet Treat Weekend:
On Mother’s Day, Moms can shop, feast and be honored on her special day!  On Sunday, the first 100 Moms through the gate will receive complimentary flowers!  Also check out the Royal Cupcake Wars Competition! 

May 18 & 19 is Arrrgh!! It's Pirates Weekend!
Scalawags and swashbucklers abound for a Pirate Hijinks Adventure!
For our Knights and Ladies on Bikes, show your motorcycle license at the box office and get $4.00 off adult tickets! (limit 2 purchases per license)

We went on opening day this year, and traffic was pretty heavy on the road leading to the Festival.  We were happy that there was no wait at the ticket area - we got inside the Festival grounds very quickly!  There is so much to see - it really feels like you have stepped back in time!   We saw knights, maidens, jesters, royalty and many other characters from the past.  It was really cool for David to see all these folks!  There were cool men on stilts that he just loved watching!  Once inside we walked back a bit and found a little stand that was offering free archery lessons. David loved giving that a try!   A little farther back he decided to try the Jacob's Ladder challenge.  We saw two tiny tots win money, but David didn't make it all the way up!  

There are games EVERYWHERE! Some of the things my son & husband tried:  Knife throwing, Star throwing,  Vegetable Justice (throw tomatoes at a heckler!), and the Test of Strength! They had a blast! David also did a few rides: the Corkscrew Slide, the Maze, and Junior Jousting! The rides & games cost between $1 and $5. There are ATM's on site, in case you need more cash!

David also enjoyed the kids area.  It has face painting, crafts, a fun playground, and juggling classes! There is also a petting zoo!

Some of the unique food items found at the Festival included fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac n cheese on a stick, Scotch eggs, and conch fritters, root beer floats, and apple dumpling sundaes!  We got smoothies and frozen lemonade to keep us cooled off.

Did you know that there are 150 shows EVERY day at the Festival?! I had no idea! Our favorite show this year was Adam Crack - Fire Whip Show.  Holding 7 Guinness World Records, including the most bullwhips cracks in one minute (253!)  and the fastest whip (10 targets in 4.53 seconds!) - you will be amazed at Adam & his whip!!

We always plan to see the Joust but have never been in that area at show time.  One day, we will see it!  We also liked Barely Balanced and also the Mud Show! There is so much to choose from entertainment-wise!  Here is the schedule for the shows at the Festival....

We also enjoyed the lively music of The Rogues, who were special guests that weekend.

The shops at the Renaissance Festival are awesome.  You can buy so much great stuff there.  We came home with herbs, tea, flavored honey sticks, a wooden dagger and shield for David, and pocket knives for both my husband and David.  If we'd had the money, I would have spent so much more! :)

Here is a listing of all of the shops at the Renaissance Festival.  There are also Artisan Demonstrations!

We enjoyed a wonderful, busy day at the Festival.   We can't wait til next year!   Please make plans to visit this gem of a Festival;  we are so lucky to have it come here to Atlanta!!   To keep up with all the promotions and fun of the festival, like them on Facebook!

Disclaimer: The Georgia Renaissance Festival provided me with two passes to the Festival so I could attend the Festival and review it here on the blog.  No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own! 


       

Spring FUN Break at Stone Mountain Park

Got the kiddos home from school this week? Or just looking for something fun to do this weekend? You've got to head over to Stone Mountain Park to see what's during their Spring FUN Break! David & I were there yesterday and had the most FUN day!

First we visited the Great Barn.  It is ALWAYS one of David's favorite destinations at SMP.  It's a 4 story building where kids gather fruits (foam balls) in bags to harvest.  If you go upstairs there are interactive stations to put the fruits, or you can shoot them across the barn or down on people below!  There are also slides and bridges and other fun stuff to check out up there.  We stayed for about 20 minutes and had a great time!  

Next we went to see the new 4D movie,  Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience.   
This 12 minute sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth engages guests through a 3-D film featuring spectacular 4-D special effects.  Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) partners with his mom's husband (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather (Michael Caine), who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.  Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) they embark on an amazing voyage and find incredible beauty amidst grave danger.  

This movie experience is AWESOME.  But it is one of the most intense movies I've seen at SMP.  I do know when my nephews visited the park last week and saw the film they were a little frightened. (ages 3 & 7)  The family behind us had to take their small (preschool age) son out during the film, too.  It is loud, and there are giant creatures coming right at you! (spider, lizard & electric eel). Oh, and you will get wet! Wetter than during the Polar Express and other movies I've seen there.  So keep your phone & camera covered up!  Even so, it was really good!  Loved it enough that if we'd had time, we would have gone again!

We decided to take a train ride after the movie.  Usually we take the train in the dark when we are there for Christmas so it was really fun to see the beautiful features of the land surrounding the mountain for a change! The cars are open so the breeze was fabulous.  We sat in the back car and had a great time.   Except for the pollen. It's bad this week in Atlanta.  Still, the train was still a great way to spend time with my son!

Lunch time!  We tried the new Campfire Grill, which replaced the popular Miss Katie's Restaurant.

It was a blast! Super kid-friendly.  The servers interact with the kids, having them look for animal tracks painted on the floor and table, identifying them and marking them off on their kid's menu.

 There was a bucket on the table that contained crayons, various animal track cards to use in making crayon rubbings, and cards with game ideas to keep kids busy.

 Kids can choose from typical kid-friendly offerings, and I liked that David's grilled cheese came with both fries AND applesauce.   I chose the grilled chicken skewer meal, served over roasted vegetables.  While waiting, our server brought us warm cheddar herb biscuits that were delicious!

Our food arrived in cast iron skillets - a cute, camp-y touch.

 Mine had roasted carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, parsnips and more.  The chicken was grilled perfectly and tasted so good!

David loved his sandwich too!!

We decided to split a dessert and chose the Campfire S'mores Skillet.  Yum!

The decor in the restaurant is quite different from Miss Katie's.  Now each table is a campsite - complete with tent over the tabletop, a flickering lantern, and the aforementioned animal tracks and bucket of fun stuff for kids.  There are faux campfires placed on ledges above the tables throughout the restaurant.  It felt very fun and family-friendly inside.

Stay tuned for part two of our day at Stone Mountain's Spring FUN Break tomorrow.  Find out about baby animals, zip line fun and a barnyard full of animals to pet! 

Date/Time: March 30 - April 13, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lasershow, March 30 - April 13, 8:30 p.m.

Location: Crossroads^® at the base of Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of value-priced options for families to enjoy the park and the special SFB activities. 

Adventure Pass

$28 Adults/$22 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Includes all of the SFB activities and other popular attractions such as the new Journey 2: The

Mysterious Island – The 4-D Experience, Geyser Towers^®, Sky Hike^®, the Summit Skyride, the

Great Locomotive Chase Adventure Golf, The Great Barn^®, Scenic Railroad, the Antebellum

Plantation & Farmyard and Memorial Hall Museum.

Mountain Membership Annual Pass

$56 Adults /$44 Children 3-11 (tax not included)

Pays for itself in two visits. An annual pass lets families come again and again throughout the

year to take advantage of the park’s attractions, special events and exclusive discounts. 

Family Value Pass

$125 for a family of four (tax not included).

Saves families 30 percent. Sold exclusively online, pass includes Adventure Passes, meal tickets

and complimentary cups with unlimited refills all day.

Families may also enjoy great vacation and staycation accommodations right inside the Park at two Marriott hotels. Family Escape Packages, beginning at $189 a night, include a one-night stay at the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort or Stone Mountain Inn, 2-day Adventure Passes and breakfast.

Listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of “35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See”, Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. To get to the park, take I-285 to Exit 39B, Hwy. 78 East. Stone Mountain Park is Exit 8 on Hwy. 78. More information on Spring FUN Break, Stone Mountain Park attractions and hours of operation is available at www.stonemountainpark.com or by calling 770-498-5690.

Disclaimer:  I received free entry into the park in order to review it for my blog.  No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own !

Titanic Iceberg Hunt ~ Atlantic Station 4/13/13

Atlanta friends, looking for something fun to do next weekend (April 13)? Check out this interactive scavenger hunt - 10 prizes (vouchers for 2 free tix to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.) will be hidden in mini-icebergs!  Sounds like mucho fun!

WHO:             Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

WHAT:           Titanic, the world’s largest and most iconic Ship, sank on April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. With 2013 as the 101-year anniversary, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is hosting an iceberg hunt around Atlantic Station. Participants will gather in Atlantic Station’s Central Park to hunt for ten mini-icebergs containing vouchers for two free tickets to the exhibition. 

 Clues will be Tweeted throughout the hunt via @RMS_Titanic_Inc with the hashtag #iceberghunt.    Visitors can also enjoy a live ice-sculpting demonstration, as a giant iceberg forms right before their eyes. Don't worry, if you aren’t able to find the icebergs, you can still purchase tickets at the Exhibition Box office, online at www.TitanicAtlanta.com or by calling 866-866-8265.

WHEN:           April 13, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

WHERE:         Atlantic Station – Central Park

                        18^th Street Northwest

                        Atlanta, GA 30363

                         

WEBSITE:      www.TitanicAtlanta.com 

Chick-fil-A Leadercast App & Event details!!

I've got something really special to share with you all today.  This is great information about the upcoming Chick-Fil-A Leadercast.  It's a great one-day leadership event where you can learn from some of the top leaders in the business world! It's perfect for the anyone: the small business owner, mompreneurs, or the CEO of a huge company - everyone will learn something from this fabulous event!  It's going to be held LIVE in Atlanta and broadcast to hundreds of locations around the world! The message?  Strengthen your leadership by simplifying your life.  SIMPLY LEAD...  It's  coming up on May 10, 2013....read on for more details!

Full. Our lives are full of things that we think will grow our businesses and increase our influence. We are busy - and that may, unknowingly, be holding us back.  What if there was potential impact in simplifying our lives so our leadership could thrive? Leading in a complex world requires simplicity to cut through the clutter. Saying NO to what may seem good could help increase your capacity to live your life to the fullest. Join us at Chick-fil-A Leadercast as we learn to Simply Lead.

Check out the Chick-fil-A Leadercast App below for all of this: 

•    What’s Your Leadership Style Quiz! Everyone is born with the power to influence and although it may not always feel like it - we are ALL LEADERS in our own way! The question is... what type of leader are you? 

•    7 Tips to Lead Simply! Simplicity enables leaders to cut through the clutter and make the best decisions possible. Read these 7 tips to simplify your life... and remember, it’s the decisions you make that define the leader you become!

•    Find a Location! Chick-fil-A Leadercast will be broadcasted to hundreds of locations around the world! Enter your zip code to find a broadcast location near you - or join us at the LIVE site in Atlanta May 10, 2013! 





Speakers for this year's event include: 
•    Jack Welch, Former Chairman and CEO of General Electric
•    Andy Stanley, Best-selling leadership author and communicator
•    Mike Krzyzewski, Head men's basketball coach, Duke University and Team USA
•    John Maxwell, Best-selling author and leadership expert
•    Dr. Henry Cloud, Best-selling author and leadership consultant
•    LCDR Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL and star of the 2012 movie Act of Valor
•    Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 London Olympic gold medalist, track & field
•    David Allen, Best-selling author of Getting Things Done and productivity expert
•    Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State (2005-2009), via exclusive Simply Lead video interview



2013 Chick-fil-A Leadercast Promo from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

This is a great opportunity to hear from some great speakers and learn to SIMPLY LEAD!  Hope you can attend, either the live event, or one of the many broadcast locations.  Leadership skills are essential in today's world, so I hope you can take advantage of this opportunity!

Have a Blessed Easter weekend,




Disclaimer: Chick-fil-A supplied these links and the app to me along with a pack of Leadercast goodies for posting this application.  Any opinions given are, as always, my own!