If you are looking for something to do in Gatlinburg that the whole family will enjoy, then check out Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies! I’ve always enjoyed traveling. I believe it’s one of the best ways to learn, grow, and make amazing memories. I’ve shared my love for traveling with my kids and I enjoy being able to continue to make memories with them as adults when we travel. Travel looks a little different now that they are older since some of them have kids of their own. However, we are enjoying this new multi-generational travel style! Check out some of the reasons that we love visiting ..read more

Welcome to EPCOT’s 2023 International Flower & Garden Festival! I was so excited to get the chance to visit EPCOT for the International Flower and Garden Festival this year! EPCOT hosts several festivals throughout the year. The International Flower and Garden Festival runs from March through July each year. The Flower and Garden festival very holds a special place in my heart. This was the festival that I experienced the first time I ever visited EPCOT and I fell in love with all of the topiaries. However, because of this experience, I expected EPCOT to be this decked out on my next ..read more

If you are looking for an amazing character breakfast on your next Walt Disney World vacation check out Chef Mickey’s in Disney’s Contemporary Resort! What is Chef Mickey’s? Chef Mickey’s is an amazing character dining experience at Walt Disney World. Food is served buffet-style, so you can get as much or as little as you would like! One of the bonuses of Chef Mickey’s over some of the other character dining experiences is that you do not need a park ticket to eat there! Since the restaurant is in one of the resort hotels, not park ticket is needed! This makes Chef Mickey’s a gre ..read more

My husband and I have played with the idea of owning vacation property for well over ten years. However, we have seven kids, so it was definitely not an option at that time. When our youngest graduated high school this past May, we revisited the idea of purchasing vacation property. We explored options in Florida (since we visit Florida severe times a year) and Gatlinburg (since we enjoy this area as well). Well, Gatlinburg won! Meet our home away from home our Mountainside Hideaway! The Views One of the many reasons that most people visit Gatlinburg is to enjoy the amazing views! And one o ..read more

Who doesn’t love Disney movies? If you are heading to Walt Disney World in the near future, here are the movies you should watch with your family prior to going! These movies will allow you to get a little more out of the rides at the parks! Here are the movies you need to watch before your next Disney trip! Magic Kingdom Here are the movies you should watch before heading to Magic Kingdom! Dumbo My personal recommendation is the older version…but the choice is yours! Pirates of the Caribbean Jungle Cruise (I couldn’t get a picture of the DVD to upload. Sorry!) EPCOT Here are the movies yo ..read more

The importance of journaling is undeniable. As a clinical psychologist who has been practicing for almost twenty years, I’ve learned the importance of self-care both professionally and personally. Self-care is about being happy with ourselves and our lives, as well as finding some peace and relaxation in the daily grind of life. This can be challenging for many of us to take the time to take care of ourselves, much less explore our likes and dislikes, life goals, dreams, favorite memories, etc… However, I’ve learned that journaling is one of the simplest and easiest ways to do this! It’s an e ..read more

It’s time to get our adult-age kids ready for heading back to college soon. I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone with them home! I’m excited for them to get on with their college years but sad that they won’t be around the house every day until Christmas break. (To clarify, I’m sad…my husband….not so much…) Anyway, here are some of the great items I found on Amazon for them to take back to campus with them! Backpacks with space for Laptops Both of my college kids have desktops, but both wanted laptops for campus due to the convenience in size! With that in mind, backpacks that can ea ..read more

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and it’s time to get ready for Back to School. This always brings excitement, as well as some nervousness and uncertainty. To help kids ease into the new school year, it’s often fun to let them pick out the items they want and need to return to school feeling good about themselves. To make this easier on parents, I’ve picked out a few items the kids will want and need! Don’t miss these goodies to help the kids start the school year off right! Books to get ready for Back to School Here are some great books to help the little ones transition to school for th ..read more

If you’re looking for a great place to take your young child for some summer fun, Holiday World is the perfect spot for you! There are several attractions for everyone in your travel party, especially young children! If you have not heard about Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari yet, you are missing out! Holiday World is located in Santa Claus, Indiana, approximately one hour west of Louisville, Kentucky off I-64. Holiday World is an amusement park with attractions themed after various holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving! Splashin’ Safari is the water park ..read more

Traveling with kiddos is a great way for them to learn new things and have new experiences! However, long road trips with young kiddos can be quite stressful. Since my children were babies, I decided I wanted to give them well-rounded experiences through traveling. They have experienced the ocean, beaches, mountaintops, and valleys. However, they are mostly accustomed to flying. So, when we embarked on a 6-hour road trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, they were less than thrilled, to say the least. Our Scavenger Hunt To save my sanity and to keep them entertained, I created the Road Trip Scavenge ..read more