Travel - Perfect Beach Hotel in Ormond Beach, FL

                                                    

Looking for a quiet spot on the Atlantic?  Read more about Coral Sands in Ormond Beach!

So, it finally got cold here in Georgia, and I'm dreaming of the beach. Which reminds me of the fun we had on vacation back in September.   My son, Aunt & I went to Florida for a 9 day whirlwind trip to the beach, Disney and Kissimmee! I have so much to share with y'all.  Here in Georgia, a trip to Disney is only an eight hour drive away.  I grew up going to Disney & other Orlando-area theme parks fairly often, as my Grandparents lived in Orlando.  It still makes me so incredibly happy to visit the magical world that Walt Disney created.  This was our first trip in 8 years, so I wanted to enjoy it and make lots of memories!

I've mentioned before that my son David is homeschooled via k12.com.  That means we have a little more flexibility than most families, and can easily take vacations throughout the school year.  This trip was actually planned by another K12 mom and wow, did she ever do an amazing job!   It was a Disney YES (Youth Education Series) trip, and because it included a Disney class for our kids at the park, we were able to take advantage of some amazing ticket prices.  We each got the four-day park hopper pass, and the cost was what you would normally pay for two days at one park only - wow!! 

We drove over to Alabama early Tuesday morning to pick up my sweet Aunt Anne.  She was going with us to Florida, and at the last minute we decided to leave a day early so we could see the ocean. The beach is probably my favorite place in the world.  The sound of the waves, the smell of the salt air, the breeze - it's my happy place.  Being so close and not seeing the beach would have been SAD!
So we picked her up, then came back through Atlanta to take I-75 South to Florida.  We stopped for meals and breaks, so it was almost 11 pm when we pulled up to the motel I'd found on hotels.com.
(I am still using swagbucks and I like to use hotels.com for my reservations so I get cashback via gift cards from Swagbucks.)  This room was only $80 using a $5 off coupon I found online.  I wasn't expecting much for that price - just a view of the beach, and probably a long walk to get there.

Despite the late hour, we easily checked in to the Coral Sands Inn in Ormond Beach, Florida, and took our luggage up to the room, which was on the 5th floor.  As it was pitch black, and there were no lights (it was turtle hatching season), we couldn't see the beach, but we sure could hear the waves.

Night view from the balcony in front of the room.

The room was nice - nothing fancy, and honestly, a little dated, but perfectly fine. We even had a little fridge, microwave and sink, plus a little counter space for our cooler.  We all collapsed into our beds and slept very well!  In the morning, I opened the curtains and happily discovered this view:

Stunning view of the beach - totally worth $80, right?! 

We quickly got dressed and headed to the beach to let David play in the surf and collect a few shells.

I took this picture standing in the waves, looking back at the motel.  

Picking up shells...

After about 30 minutes on the beach, we headed out to get breakfast to bring back to the room.  Ormond Beach is a SMALL town, so we didn't have a lot of choices.  We ended up visiting House of Donuts, just down the street from the motel.  They have a wonderful breakfast menu: everything from donuts - fancy or regular, to breakfast sandwiches, juices, coffee and iced coffee.  David chose the oreo donut, I got a bavarian cream, and we picked a key lime pie donut for Aunt Anne.  Everything was fresh and delicious!

David really wanted to take a quick dip in the pool, so off we went....

Then it was time to grab a luggage cart and haul our stuff back down to the car.  Checking out was easy and fast, and it took just about 1 1/2 hours to get to our rental in Kissimmee once we left here.
Ormond Beach is lovely, and I really can't wait to get back down there and explore the area a little bit more! And of course we will plan to stay at Coral Sands!  I can't believe I'm sharing this hidden gem but it was such a great value that I had to tell y'all about it too!

FYI: I didn't receive any discount, incentives or anything from the hotel for writing about it, I just love it! :)  If you are heading to the Atlantic Coast or central Florida, I hope you'll make a stop at Coral Sands and enjoy the view, the pool and that amazing beach!  Such a relaxing place to stop and unwind for a night or two!  Then come here and let me know what you think about Coral Sands!

Leave a comment below with your favorite beach in Florida! I'm always looking for a new place to visit!

FREE Disney stick family decal for your car!

We are counting down the days til my son and I head to Florida for a homeschool trip with some other k12 families for Disney!  David gets to take a really cool class about Animation at Hollywood Studios, and then we have 3 other days at the parks.  Can't wait!

I've been scouring the internet for tips, recommendations and more for this trip.  We haven't been to WDW since 2007!  I want to have a great time and plan everything we want to see, do, and try!  I'll have more posts about this after we get home, but this freebie I discovered is too good not to share right now, and it's for a limited time.

Visit this link to design your own Disney stick family decal.  You get to pick the hats, clothes, wands and other accessories, add pets if you 'd like, and you even pick the park for your background! Then Disney will print this and mail it right to you.  The best part about this? It is totally, completely, FREE!!


Whether you have an upcoming Disney vacation or you are just dreamin' of Disney, you can make one for your family

Here is the one I made for our trip - my husband is staying home this time, so I just put my son and I on our decal, and of course,  David wanted his kitty on there, too!

Did I mention this is FREE?!

I'd love to see a screen shot of your design once you finish - leave it in the comments if you would like to show yours off!

Travel - A hotel close to Disney World and the beach? Orange City is your destination!

Looking for a nice hotel on the way to Disney? Want to be close to the beach? Orange City is a great stop between the two! 

A few months ago Dena, the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Orange City, Florida, contacted me to see if we'd be interested in visiting & reviewing the hotel in Orange City.  I was thrilled & my kids were ecstatic ~ we love going to Florida!  Dena mentioned that Orange City is located right between Orlando &several nearby beaches, including Daytona & New Smyrna. I picked last weekend for our visit because the kids had Monday off from school for Columbus Day.

The only thing I didn't plan for/predict was a tropical disturbance coming ashore last Friday, the day we arrived!  But we weren't going to let that stop us from having a great time in Florida.  My husband had to work, so the kids (plus Katie's BFF, Lexy) and I left our home north of Atlanta at 6 am. (It's about a 7 hour drive to Orange City from our home). We drove down to Macon, cut over on I-16 to Dublin, GA, and took the scenic route down to Jacksonville, FL.  We stopped there for lunch, then headed over to A1A so we could make a stop at the beach.  The nice thing about A1A is that you get to see the beautiful Atlantic Ocean alongside some gorgeous beach homes. It's a very scenic, very calming drive!

We went to Marineland, which is the spot my family spent several Spring Breaks visiting when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, the hotel we used to stay at back then (which was adjacent to Marineland) has been demolished and replaced by a boardwalk & park.  We stopped there so the kids could walk on the beach for a bit despite the rain, wind & huge waves crashing on the shore.   

Ft Matanzas Park on A1A

We also stopped at Ft. Matanzas Park, which is very close to Marineland. You can take a boat to the fort, but this time we stopped only long enough to let David climb some of the beautiful trees there & stretch our legs a bit more!

Afterwards, we hopped back onto the interstate.  It was about an hour drive to Orange City.  The Holiday Inn Express was easy to find since it's right next to the exit! We had no problems checking in and the staff there were very helpful.  The hotel has a large lobby & gathering room, plus a nice dining room.

photo from the HI Express blog

The kids & I headed to our room on the 5th floor and it was really nice!  Two comfortable beds with both soft & firm pillows, a mini fridge, microwave, large work desk (free internet included) & a spacious bathroom awaited us.  The bathroom came complete with a coffee maker, a makeup/shaving mirror, & hairdryer.  It had everything we needed!  Our room was close to the ice machine & vending area as well as the elevators.  The hotel was recently renovated so everything looked great!
 

The rain was picking up, and it was time for dinner so we logged onto my computer to find some options.  There were plenty of places to choose from at our exit  We found a Tijuana Flats restaurant just down the street.  We all love their food, so that is where we went.  If you haven't eaten there, you've got to give them a try! The food is delicious, and the hot sauce bar is awesome.   Because the weather was getting worse by the minute, we took our dinner back to the room to eat & watched a little tv before bedtime. The beds were so comfy and everyone slept great! 


David woke me up before 7 am on Saturday because he was ready to visit the breakfast buffet downstairs.  It's complimentary with your room & I have to tell you that it was fantastic!  There were the usual foods you find at buffets: cereal, muffins, biscuits, toast, bagels, oatmeal, scrambled eggs (served with sausage one day, Canadian bacon the next) They also had yogurt, several varieties of milk (including skim, which is what we drink), cream cheese, etc. They offered a variety of beverages: orange & apple juices, coffee, tea & hot cocoa.  There is something for everyone, even your pickiest eater. 

David's most favorite thing there was the pancake machine.  Moms, you will seriously want to pack this in your bag and take it home!   You push the start button, place your plate under the side and soon two golden brown, freshly made & delicious pancakes come out! David loved this machine.  A very nice lady named Linda was working down there both days.  She was so sweet to David. She helped him use the machine, then encouraged him to get more if he was still hungry, which he took full advantage of!  The girls went down for their breakfast after they showered & dressed, and were also happy with all the choices available. 

Did I say that it was raining all weekend? It was pouring, actually! We had planned to visit Blue Springs State Park, but that was out of the question.  If you visit, please go to Blue Springs! It looked amazing online, I can only imagine how lovely it is in person. We'll go there on our next trip for sure.   If you are there during the winter months, you'll be able to see the manatees who winter there.  The park also offers River Cruises.

Linda told us about a flea market near Orlando, as well as some other nearby places of interest.  (There's a Zoo with a zipline close by, plus bowling & plenty of shopping in Orange City)
We ended up visiting Flea World flea market near Orlando first.  We didn't stay long because the rain was dripping through the ceiling in places & the parking lot was one big puddle.  But while we were there, my son found a Star Wars booth that sold figurines for 50 cents each - he was one happy boy!

I also discovered a fantastic booth selling dried fruits so I got my husband some mango & both of us some pineapple.  Now I wish I'd gotten more, it was so good!  If it had not been raining, we would have stayed much longer. We saw a little bit of everything for sale - birds, clothes, luggage, handbags, toys, knives & swords, collectibles, vintage items, food & much more!  (Update 2015 - it appears that Flea World has closed down)

Then it was time to stop back at the hotel for a quick break.  We decided to get lunch, then  we could drive over to the Beach so the girls could get some airbrushed shirts.   We drove through Chick Fil A in Orange City, then hopped back on the interstate.  About 30 minutes later, we were looking at the crashing waves of the Atlantic!  

It was still very stormy so the kids couldn't hang out at the beach like they wanted.  I did let them mess around on the shore for a little bit, looking for shells & posing for pictures.  I love that you can actually drive on Daytona Beach, how cool is that? There were only two cars out there on Saturday due to the weather..

After a little souvenir shopping with the kids, we decided to visit Cassadaga.  It's a small historic town located a few minutes from Orange City, known for its psychics, mediums, and spiritual healers.  The girls thought about getting a reading, but when they heard it was $40 per person at the place we stopped, they decided to pass.  It's still a lovely town that's on my list to visit again during our next trip! 

When we got back to Orange City, we had a nice dinner at Bob Evans. It's located right next to the hotel so it was very convenient.   We all love Bob Evans but there aren't any located in Georgia.  that's why it's always a treat to go there when we are in Florida!  One tradition the kids and I have is to always share an order of fried cornmeal mush with syrup - it is so good.  The girls and I ordered turkey & dressing, David decided on pancakes - yum! 

Bob Evans restaurants are consistently bright, cheerful, clean & inviting!  After dinner, we also stopped at the Perkins Restaurant & Bakery two doors down for some treats for the long ride home on Sunday.  My kids love their crazy cookies - 1/2 sugar, 1/2 chocolate chip!

Back at the hotel, the girls checked out the hotel's fitness center and enjoyed their workout.  We also brought our bathing suits but it was a little too rainy & chilly for us to use it.  

Sunday morning we ate breakfast early & then it was time to load up the car & check out.  Once again, check out was a breeze.  During our visit, each employee we encountered was helpful & customer-service oriented.  Dena makes sure everything is just right for your stay!  I know we'll be back at the Holiday Inn Express Orange City in the not so distant future!

David's favorite thing about the hotel:  The pancake machine!
Katie's favorite thing about the hotel: The  super-comfy beds and pillows!

Don't forget that you can also drive over to Orlando for the day if you want to hit the big theme parks.   Billboards along the interstate proclaim Orange City to be the  "quieter side of Orlando" and they aren't kidding. There is very little traffic, it is convenient to I-4, and it's much calmer than Orlando's sometimes frantic pace!  The drive to Orlando is really easy!

We wanted a quick getaway that didn't break the budget this time so we decided to go low-key, no theme parks.  I only wish we could have seen Blue Springs State Park & the Zoo, but you can't do a thing about Mother Nature!

Next time you plan to visit Orlando, I encourage you to check out Orange City, and the Holiday Inn Express there.  It just might become your new home away from home when visiting Central Florida.

So now that I've shared what a wonderful place Orange City is, how would you like to have the chance to visit there yourself?  Dena & the Holiday Inn Express Orange City are giving one of my readers a
complimentary two night stay at the hotel!  How fabulous is that? Click on the  "read more" link for all of the details!   If you already follow me via GFC, Twitter, FB, etc. just leave a blog post comment below stating that you do and then click "I did this" in the rafflecopter entry form for each thing you do!   

UPDATE:  Congrats to Scottsgal ~ random.org picked your comment as the winner!

Review ~ Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium ~ Orlando

Last month the kids and I were fortunate enough to go on a wonderful trip to Florida with some dear friends.  We were on a pretty tight budget, so the big theme parks weren't on our itinerary this trip.  I knew there were plenty of other places to visit in Orlando!  My seven year old has a huge appetite for learning, and I thought he would really enjoy Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium. 

We visited Ripley's on our first full day in Orlando, which happened to be the coldest day of the this winter so far in Orlando - it was in the 20's, brrrrrrrrr!  When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was that the building is tilted!  Really, it looks like it is being swallowed by a sinkhole - yikes!

This picture is from the Ripley's website, and shows the exterior of the Orlando Ripley's Believe it or Not!

Parking is free, and there is a shopping center next door with plenty of extra parking spaces if the Ripley's one is full.   Once inside the newly-renovated, 10,000 square foot building, we started our self-guided tour with many other folks trying to avoid the cold weather! 

Each gallery you visit is full of interesting displays.  Depending on how much reading you want to do, you could easily spend a couple of hours looking at every single item!  But when you have little ones, you tend to follow at their pace, and my kids were all about looking quickly and moving on to the next thing! 

First we learned about Robert Ripley, the founder of Ripley's Believe it or Not.  He was an explorer, an adventurer, and cartoonist.  He spent much of his life on a quest for unusual and bizarre items to share with his readers through his cartoons.  He truly had a passion for finding unique things to share with his readers, and he traveled the globe seeking them out!  Eventually he began hosting a television show to showcase his collections.  There were many books written detailing his unique finds over the years as well.  David loves reading the Ripley's yearbook at the library and here he is next to an entire stack of Ripley's books at the Orlando location - my boy was in book heaven!

David with a huge stack of Ripley's books!

Even after his death in 1958, Robert Ripley's legacy continued through his cartoons and the many Ripley's museums.   Millions of visitors are entertained at his museums every year!

Soon after your tour begins, you'll find change machines, so go ahead and cash in some dollar bills for quarters.  You'll be glad you did when you enter the next gallery where you can use them in various novelty machines.  There are also brain teasers, optical illusions and interactive exhibits to try!  David used some of his change to have his fortune told, and he and Katie even tried out the passion throne (against my wishes!!)   This section reminded me of a game arcade and it was very exciting for kids.

David in the Passion Throne - it said he is passionate, which cracked him up!!

Next up is the tilted room.  It will mess with your head, let me tell you! But it's so much fun to walk through this room at an angle, and the kids loved that the balls on the pool table rolled uphill!

You will feel very off-center while walking through this tilted-sideways room!

There are a variety of collections to see in each of the 16 unique galleries.  And there are a few surprises along the way! For example, keep an eye out for tourists who aren't what they seem!  Both my kids thought the wax figures were hilarious!

Believe it or not, she isn't a tourist, she's a wax figure!! And her "hubby" is in the same gallery!

A few of our favorite things at the Orlando Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium are below:

This HUGE wall mural of Jimi Hendrix was made with over 8000 playing cards!

So amazing to see an actual piece of the Berlin Wall!

There are so many exhibits of human oddities, like this man with double pupils.  Fascinating stuff for kids & adults!

There is so much more to see.  Like the lifesize model car made entirely of matchsticks, or the gallery of miniatures you can observe.  There's a real human shrunken head, and authenticated dinosaur eggs!  There is even a gallery with animal anomalies.  Check out the picture of Beyonce, made entirely of candy! Trust me, you won't want to miss any of it!

An actual human shrunken head

I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to because I was chasing David from exhibit to exhibit! He loved it all!  Katie was with her friend and they went ahead without me - who wants to hang out with your mom (or your friend's mom) when you are a teenager?! Both girls enjoyed the Odditorium as much as David did;  it truly is fun for every member of the family!  The displays will interest young and old alike.  There are even large flat screen tv's throughout the museum showing behind-the-scenes footage and information about various exhibits.

Before you exit the exhibit area, you'll discover a trick played on unsuspecting visitors! And then there is the coolest tunnel you can walk through to get out.  It feels like you are moving, but it's really a walk-through tunnel that moves around you! If you don't want to try it, you can bypass the tunnel and exit through a hallway. We walked through it more than once, getting dizzier each time! So much FUN!

On the way out of the building make sure to take a look at the gift shop.  You'll find the usual wares - t-shirts and more bearing the Ripley's logo, plus lots of toys and fun stuff for the kids. There are items for any budget.  My son was intrigued by the insect candy.  Yes - lollipops and other candy with worms, scorpions and such! Just what you'd expect at the Believe it or Not! Gift Shop.

We really enjoyed our visit to Ripley's Orlando, and I can honestly say it is a place families would have a blast exploring together for a few hours.  As I mentioned before, there is something for everyone!

 Ripley's is very easy to find on International Drive.  The address is 8201 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819 and their phone number is 407-345-0501.  They open every day of the year at 9:30am and the website says they are open til midnight!

Visit the Ripley's Orlando website here. To buy tickets online visit here.  Tey have a Valentine's Special coming up with 50% off tickets only on February 14th.  If you buy the tickets online, they are good for one year from date of purchase, so you can enjoy the savings and use the tickets later!   Check out the details on this Valentine's Special here.    You can follow Ripley's Orlando on Twitter here.

Giveaway!

I have a coupon we received in a Kids Meal from Wendy's that is good for free admission for up to 3 kids with the purchase of an adult ticket.  It's good at any Ripley's attraction through September 30, 2011.  I'd like to give this to one of my blog followers!  If you are planning a trip before September 30 and will definitely be able to use it, please leave me a comment below and I'll draw a winner on Valentine's Day. 

Have you ever visited Ripley's? Which location did you visit, and what did you think of it?




***The kids and I received free admission to Ripley's Orlando in exchange for this review.  However, the opinions expressed are completely and totally my own! *** 

Review ~ Pirates Dinner Adventure, Orlando, Florida

Here it is, finally! The first of two reviews of very fun, family-friendly places to visit while you are in Orlando.  It's a very popular destination for Atlantans - several people I know are planning trips there this winter & spring!   As a child, I was fortunate enough to have grandparents living in Orlando, so I grew up visiting lots of fun places there.  Sadly, most of those attractions (Circus World, Mystery Fun House, Stars Hall of Fame, and more) have disappeared.   But there is much more to Orlando than just Disney & Universal  - just drive down International Drive to find a variety of fun places to check out on your next visit!

The night we visited Pirates Dinner Adventure was the "most fun night of our trip" according to my kiddos.  Considering one is almost 17 and one is 7 that is saying a lot!  It takes a really great experience for them to both feel entertained!  Pirates Dinner Adventure offers just that. 

First thing you should know: you'll want to get there an hour before your show starts.  Otherwise you will miss food, shopping and lots of entertainment!  You will pay for parking (I believe it was $3 per car).   When you get to the box office you are given the opportunity to upgrade your meal.  This is one thing I wish we would have done.  The standard dinner is ok, but I wouldn't have minded an upgrade!  To be honest though, though, we didn't go for the food, we went for the show!  So when you buy your ticket, you can choose to upgrade to filet mignon, salmon and other choices.  You will be given a certain color on your ticket - that is the section you will be seated in.  Then it's time to head inside the big domed building.

Once inside, you can have your photo taken by the friendly staff.  If you choose to do this, they will bring the pictures to you inside the theater for you to purchase prior to the show.   Instead, we headed to the cash beverage bar where Katie & I chose pina colada smoothies in a souvenir glass, plus an orange juice for David.  Then we checked out all the things you could do ~ Katie got her face painted (beautiful!), and David shopped in the gift shop.   There's even a VIP lounge you can upgrade to which offers more food and interaction with the Pirates!

We went with a group of friends,  and there were 11 of us all together - 5 adults, 6 kids.  While we waited for the show to start, we were treated to a mini buffet: pasta, fresh fruit, and veggies with dip.  Suddenly, there were performers up on and behind the bar!  This event is called the King's Festival, there is a lot to see!  The beautiful Princess Anita even came out to watch the show from her throne.  There was Raddo the Gypsy King, The Magical Gypsy, plus the Magic of Raddo and the Gypsy Wizard. An amazing acrobat performed incredible stunts, including "walking in the clouds" upside down across the ceiling. 

Another performer is "shot" from a cannon into a tank of water across the room.   Soon, roguish pirates led by Sebastian the Black, came out and took Princess Anita hostage and led all of us into the theater!  Our party was seated in the orange section. In front of us, surrounded by water, was a giant pirate ship! There were six seating sections of theater-in-the-round style seating.

Pitchers of soft drinks were waiting on the table, and our fantastic server brought us a pitcher of diet soda when I requested it.   If you prefer, you can get a pitcher of beer instead.   As other sections were being seated, our pirate came out to introduce himself and show us how important it was to cheer appropriately for him whenever he was on stage during the show.  

We were to stand and yell! My kids LOVED this!  They sell princess wands and pirate swords that light up and make sounds ~ they were a big hit with the kids.  If you don't want to spend the money on those, you can always bring those light up bracelets from the dollar store and your kids will have just as much fun showing off their glow-in-the-dark jewelry!

Soup or salad was served first.  Katie had the tossed salad and I chose the creamy vegetable soup.  The show began with lots of fanfare. The time passed quickly - there was always something going onstage, so you were constantly entertained!  Our main course was chicken & pork with potatoes and rice.   For kids, the entree was chicken fingers with potatoes.  Dessert was the final course and it was a delicious Apple Cobbler a la mode drizzled with chocolate.  

The show consists of dancing, music, swashbuckling pirates, a love story, acrobatic feats, and a gorgeous finale!  It's truly so much fun to watch, but don't forget to cheer for your pirate!

Since we were visiting the last week of December, we were able to see the Christmas show which featured a beautiful Christmas tree lighting plus a lovely "snow" fall during the sparkling finale. 

We attended the early (6 pm) show, so when we left, we exited right into the parking lot.  If you attend the last show of the evening, there is a Buccaneer's Bash after the show that is included in your ticket price. It's suitable for all ages.

In closing, this dinner and show are so much fun and very entertaining for the entire family. Almost a month later, my kids are still talking about it!  If you need something to fill an evening, this show is worth the drive from wherever you are staying. (it's only a few minutes from both theme parks, by the way!)

There are coupons available in a variety of publications available in Orlando, and the website offers discounts, too.  There is even an option to just see the show, without purchasing a meal, for even more savings.  

You can check them out for yourself at the links I've included, or join their email club for more discounts and news.  Pirates Dinner Adventure is on Facebook and Twitter.  Pirates Dinner Adventure is located at 6400 Carrier Drive Orlando, FL 32819  (right off International Drive), and their phone number is 800.866.2469. 

***I did receive discounted tickets for our entire party to attend Pirates Dinner Adventure.  The opinions in this review are completely my own, and I was not compensated in any other way by Pirates Dinner Adventure. ***

If this is your first time here on the blog, I invite you to follow it via email, facebook, twitter and Google Friend Connect - all linked on the right sidebar. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!  I've also got a sweet Thirty-One gifts giveaway below - you can add a comment on that post if you follow my blog and that will get you an entry in the contest!!  Thanks so much for stopping by, and check back here later this month, I've got reviews coming very soon for Orlando's Ripley's and Titanic The Experience!

Free tix for military at Sea World!

I'm busy scoping out places to visit while we are in Orlando in December, and I stumbled across this deal for military members & their dependents.  It's fantastic that Sea World is honoring our troops & their families  this way! Please feel free to share with family & friends who are in the armed forces.

Get FREE admission for one day at Sea World and other Anheauser-Busch owned parks by presenting a Department of Defense ID card at the park. To get your FREE tickets, click the link for the Heroes Salute, complete the easy online application and show your ID at the gate.  Or register at the park's Guest Relations window when you arrive.  Either way - enjoy a FREE day at Sea World with your family!  Offer expires 12/31/10.

The best Christmas gift ever...

I'm SO excited, my sweet friend Stephanie, (from the Halloween party!) invited us to go with them to Orlando the week after Christmas! She and her husband have rented a house down there with 6 bedrooms and a fabulous heated pool! There is one other couple going as well - it is going to be fantastic!

Six years ago I wrote for a local website - AtlantaChristianWeekly.com, as a features editor & columnist. I did reviews of local attractions, concerts, etc, as well as a few travel feature/reviews on Savannah, South Georgia, & Central Florida & Orlando. One reason I started this blog was to be able to review more places to share with all of y'all. And this trip offers me the perfect opportunity to start reviewing more - I've not really done that since summer! (Well, except for the Melting Pot last month- does that count?) So I'm hoping to visit & review a few new places while we are down there and share them with you!! Maybe you will find a new place or two to visit on your next trip to Florida!

Tomorrow is David's party ~ I'll share the details of that either tomorrow night or the next day. It's just been super-busy here and I haven't had much time to myself at all, so new posts here or on the blog FB page!! Thanks for being patient with me, I will be back soon to share more with you! I'm also working on a very frugal craft that will highlight my Grandmother's vintage glass ball ornaments - it is so pretty and easy-peasy to make! Pics of that to follow!
~ Aimee