Dollywood Insiders and the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa Review

Hey friends! I'm excited to announce I've been selected to be a Dollywood Insider. This means I'll be bringing you behind the scenes, giving tips and tricks, and writing here and over at the Dollywood Insiders page. I'll still be sharing my adventures here and on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

I'm honored to have been chosen as a Dollywood Insider, and began my tenure with a stay this past weekend at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa. My family got to play at the hotel and Dollywood's Splash Country, and there was so much to do!

We began at the resort on Friday evening. We arrived shortly before 8 p.m., and stepping into the lobby took my breath away. I was greeted with a gorgeous view of the pool, playground, and barn, with the glorious Smoky Mountains residing in the background. Sunset was just beginning to tinge the sky with cotton candy colors. To top it all off, a piano player was serenading the lobby with a variety of music. Even my two little wild ones stopped to stare in wonder at his lovely voice paired with the beautiful sight beyond the windows.

Check in was a breeze, and we headed to our room to get settled before exploring.

Our room faced the road, but still offered a beautiful view. The sunset on the mountains is not something you want to miss! Our room was designed for a family, with two bunk beds for the kids and a king bed for the hubs and myself. Confession: I now want a king bed. Preferably the incredibly comfortable one I slept on at the resort! It was amazing. Little Brother woke up an hour after falling asleep, because #MomFail brought a new sippy cup that apparently leaks. He woke up with a wet shirt, and I was so tired after trying to do everything all the time that I cleaned him up and pulled him up into the king bed with us. The best part is that he didn't bother me or the hubs all night long! The bed was so big neither of us suffered his back-breaking nighttime dance routine that leads to sore backs and necks the following day whenever he sneaks into bed with us at home.

The bunk beds were such a huge hit with Big Brother that he claims he'll be asking Santa for one come Christmas. He loved the ladder, and was especially pleased with the sleeping bags attached to the bed. I was comforted by this added feature as well. Though the bunk beds had a railing, since it was his first time ever in one I was a tad nervous. The sleeping bag zipper, attached to the mattress, gave me comfort in knowing it would be even harder for him to accidentally roll off. He slept in that bed all night long, and referred to the resort as 'our new home' because he didn't want to leave the bunk bed! (Or the playground, pool, fire pit, indoor pool, game room...the list goes on!)

After we tore the boys away from the coolest room they'd ever seen, we toured the resort. We walked around the pool, the boys played on the playground, and we joined story time in the barn at 8:30 for bedtime stories. We bumped into the story reading host on our way back to our room later, and she informed us that we could check out a book to read in our room to the kids and then return it to the front desk in the morning. *Tangent*: I love how much Dolly Parton has done for childhood literacy. From the Imagination Library, that will mail your kids ages 0-5 books for free, to even having a little lending library at her resort, I just love how accessible she makes books for kids. Thank you, Dolly. *End Tangent*

When story time was over, the boys wanted to enjoy the playground some more. My husband and I only lasted so long before we were dying to see more of the resort, but we were able to entice them with checking out the fire pits. Since it's just beginning to cool down here in the evenings (yay, fall!), it was the perfect weather to sit around the fire and chat with other guests. A fireside host was selling s'mores materials, and parents and kids alike were partaking and feeling like kids again regardless of age. No one feels old while eating a s'more!

One of the many things we loved about the resort was that although it was expansive, there were little pockets of intimacy everywhere. From the chairs around the multiple fire pits, to secluded benches, to a tucked away arbor, there was plenty of space to sit quietly and chat with your loved ones without feeling like you were surrounded by strangers.

We stumbled upon a beautiful flower garden, aptly shaped like a butterfly, with an inspirational sign:

Scattered throughout the resort were framed images of Dolly with positive, inspirational quotes. Exiting the elevator onto our floor had a grouping of 4, of her encouraging us to chase our dreams. 

Everywhere you went, it was as though you were being invited to sit and relax. The flower garden held butterfly shaped benches, the porches were full of white rocking chairs, the pool was surrounded by lounge chairs and dining sets, and the fire pits offered multiple seating options as well. Everything about the resort makes you want to sit back, relax, and make yourself at home. Everything is family friendly, from the game room to the kid-sized rocking chairs to those books I won't stop talking about. (I'd love to share adorable photos of my kids in the rocking chairs, but they were a little too into the rocking and all the photos turned out blurry.)

Once we were all tired from our explorations, we headed back to the room to get into pj's and tuck in for the night. Even Little Brother loved his lower bunk bed, and I've never seen him look so sweet at bedtime.

We woke up well rested and ready to enjoy the hotel and parks. We grabbed breakfast and Starbucks coffee at the Pantry. My husband and kids spent the morning playing on the playground and at the pool while I attended my Dollywood Insiders meeting, and then we all met up at Splash Country. We spent the day at the water park, covering all 35 acres. We hit all the kid areas, and Big Brother even got to ride some of the big rides. Little Brother is an inch too short to ride the family rides, but he loved all the kid areas. He even fell asleep for his nap on my lap on the Downbound Float Trip. You haven't felt the fear of moving a sleeping baby until you've moved a sleeping baby while floating down a river.

At 4.5 and 2 years old, there's so much for these boys to do at the water park. Big Brother especially loves the Cascades area. He's a big fan of the 'sinking' boat, and has played half the day there each time we've been.

One of my favorite things about visiting any of the Dollywood properties is how I get to be a kid, with my kids. We all get to relax and have fun together. There are even several water slides we can ride together. Bonus: it always puts my kids to sleep. Little Brother took an extra long nap and still went to bed on time, and Big Brother fell asleep on the drive home and slept for 14 hours. #Winning!

All in all, it was one of the best weekends we've had as a family. It's so fun to make memories with your family that you know you'll always cherish. Staying at the resort simplified our trip, allowing us to utilize the trolley and pick up any last minute items there (like when your toddler conveniently unpacks your hairbrush and you need to buy a comb). The 3 on-site restaurants allow you to choose what kind of meal you want. Plus, Starbucks in the morning! Yes, please. 

I definitely recommend combining your visit to Dollywood with a stay at the resort. It'll save you on tickets, simplify your trip, and give you benefits like free parking and a free TimeSaver pass for each member of your family.

Have you been to a Dollywood park or resort? What did you think?

The Burned Out Mama's Guide to Self-Care

Hey y'all! My latest post is up over at the Knoxville Mom's Blog. Check it out!

Over the summer, my eldest son began a Mother's Day Out program and suddenly adorable crafts were coming my way twice a week. When little brother began pulling them off of the fridge, which was truly overrun with schedules, invitations, and artwork, I knew I needed a better place to display my budding artist's creations. Since I have neither the time nor money nor willingness to go store to store searching for something that would work, I got creative. Look around, see what you have to work with, and see if you could arrange something similar to fill your needs!

Here's what I used, based off of what I had on hand.

1 large square of manufactured wood I had leftover from a previous project
A small amount of white chalk paint
Clothes pins
Colorful paint (I used acrylic craft paint)
Sharpie

First, I painted the wood white. Then, I painted the clothes pins rainbow colors, because my son had been singing the rainbow song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for three days and it was, clearly, on my mind. I used a box, clamped the clothes pins around the edge, and got to painting. I painted over the springs because I'm lazy and I had no idea how you'd get pretty clothes pins without painting them.

Once all the paint was dry, I situated the clothes pins how I wanted them. I rearranged them a couple of times, and visualized where I wanted my descriptive word to go. I went with 'Gallery', but I saw dozens of cute ideas on Pinterest, from artistic quotes to Kid's Art Corner to the child's name with the word gallery following. Super cute ideas, but I figured Gallery was pretty versatile and would grow with the kids. I can also use it to display Christmas cards, party invitations, and pretty much anything.

I lightly traced a pencil line with a ruler under where my word would go, then outlined it lightly in pencil as well. I went over that with my Sharpie. If I were to do this again, I'd definitely use a paint pen instead of a Sharpie.

After labeling my board, I heated up my glue gun, situated my clothes pins, and used hot glue to glue them in place.

When everything was dry, I grabbed two screws and an electric screwdriver and hung it up!

I love that I have somewhere handy, and out of baby's reach, that I can hang up my son's artwork and projects. The seasonal creations give a festive air to the kitchen and dining area, and he feels proud to have his work displayed.

By using materials I already had, I limited waste and utilized materials that weren't being used. My handwriting isn't great, but I'm pleased overall with how it came out.

How do you display your child's artwork and crafts?

Walmart vs Kroger: Grocery Pickup Parking Lot Showdown

Y'all, we live in the magical world of 2017 where you can order your groceries online and someone will select them all, bag them, and bring them to your car. It is a special place, this world. With two kids under 5, not having to unbuckle all 10 points of seatbelt is a lifesaver. But now that so many stores are offering this service, which one is the best? Not to fear, I've really sacrificed to compare for you by trying out Kroger's ClickList service and Walmart's new grocery pickup. Here's the nitty-gritty.

Kroger ClickList

Pros:

• You can use paper coupons, and digital coupons auto-deduct
• Paper receipt for rebate apps, like iBotta
•  Fast and friendly service
•  Pickup areas are generally well-marked, but it varies by store. The first store I used was clear and great. I had to hunt for the pickup location at the second store.
• If they don't have something in stock and substitute it, you still pay the price of the original item. For example, the store was out of regular grape tomatoes, so they substituted organic grape tomatoes instead. 
• With substitutions, you have the right to say no thanks and you won't be charged for the item.
• ClickList offers unique coupons. I received $11 in FREE snacks in a back-to-school coupon bundle. These included Rice Crispy Treats, fruit cups, granola cups; I even got to select the flavors! This was such a nice treat, as I don't usually buy those items and it's nice to have something different every once in awhile.
• Once you try ClickList, Kroger mails/emails you ClickList specific coupons. I got mailed one for 10% off my entire grocery bill next time I used ClickList. That's big, y'all.
• Bonus Kroger points: After your ClickList experience, you'll receive an e-mail survey (I got one after my first time but not my second, so I'm not sure if it's a first-time only survey or an every-time survey and I got skipped). When you complete the survey, you get 50 Kroger Fuel Points. That's halfway to 10 cents off a gallon of gas!
• Same day pickup!
•  The first 3 ClickList orders waive the $5 fee

Cons:

• No unit prices on website can make it difficult to find the best deal
• Digital coupons don't deduct until you pick up your order, so you don't really know how much you're spending
• It can be hard to find generic items if you don't know the specific names. I had to google what their Kroger version of Triscuit's were called, because they didn't come up under my search for Kroger Crackers.
• $5 per pickup isn't bad at all, but it's not free like Walmart
• When you use paper coupons (which they MAIL me!), an employee has to walk out to your car, get them, walk back, and then print your receipt. I don't mind the extra wait time, but I hate making more work for people, and I wish there was a drive-thru where I could drop them off.
• If you order for the next day and the ad changes the prices of items in your cart, you pay the current day's price. This could completely wreck your savings plan.
• Substitutions can get weird. I ordered cookie dough ice cream, and when they were out they gave me cookies and cream of the same brand instead of a different, if more expensive, brand's cookie dough flavor. I could have declined the substitution, but my kids had been terrible and I needed something to look forward to after they went to bed! #MomLife!
• I've had a lot of trouble placing the order. Their website says the mobile app doesn't do ClickList yet, but there's a button on the app. So my first two orders, I ended up frustrated and had to basically make two lists because it wasn't working right. When I tried to change stores on the website, it deleted my hard-researched list. I ended up going back a page and driving further so I wouldn't lost all the time and effort I'd put into the first list. So there are still some glitches to be worked out.

Walmart Neighborhood Market Grocery Pickup

Pros:

• Unit prices on the website make finding the best deal easy
• Free pickup is a plus, but there is a minimum purchase
• Bonus first timer goody bag- this was such a nice surprise! The little bag is cute and witty, and it included items I often forget (a birthday card!), a breakfast item, a snack item, Spaghetti-O's, and coupons. It's like they know me!
• E-mail has a map of where the pickup location at your store is located
• I created and ordered my entire list from my phone. I used their website in Safari, because I don't like having dozens of apps, and it was easy peasy.
• They e-mail you when your order is ready, even if it's before your pickup window. My order was ready 30 minutes prior to my pickup window, and it was nice knowing that if I was running early (HAHAHA, just a minute while we all laugh at the thought of me being early), I could've picked it up.
• If their ad changes, you get the lowest price- whether it was yesterday's ad or today. It's nice to not worry about ad change day affecting your weekly bill!
• Same day pickup!

Cons:

• Must spend $30 to do a pickup. I was so bummed about this. If I only need a few items, I hate unbuckling my kids for a five minute run into the store. Newsflash- there's no such thing as a five-minute run-in with a 2 year old and a 4 year old.
• Digital receipt hinders rebate apps like iBotta and Coupons.com. I was quite disappointed here, as I had several rebates I wanted to use, but couldn't, because I needed a paper receipt.
• Produce is tricky to order if weighted. For bananas, I put 1- meaning one pound, because the website said it was sold by weight. Instead, I received a single banana. Unlike Kroger, who allows you to add notes, there was no space to indicate how many pounds I wanted.
• I had my husband pick up this order on his way home, which was quite convenient for both of us. He mentioned that when they show you the produce, it's in a bag, so it's hard to tell if it's good or not. When he got home, we realized the one banana had split and turned brown. But he couldn't see that with the produce bag around it.
• Our pickup window was 6-7, so prime after-work hours. My husband mentioned there was only one worker running deliveries out to cars, so the wait time was longer than what we generally experienced at Kroger.

If you'd like to give Walmart Grocery Pickup a try, you can get $10 off by using this code (And I'll earn $10 off my next order too!).

So which is better?

It really depends. I honestly see myself using both. I love how easy Walmart's ordering process was, and it's super close to my house. The Kroger ClickList locations are 15 minutes away, so those require more planning. Kroger has more coupons, and quicker service. Walmart has cheaper prices, but their generic brands aren't as reliable as Kroger's. My choice each week will mostly depend upon what I need, if I'll be on the side of town with Kroger and can justify the $5 fee, or if I have at least $30 worth of stuff but won't be on the Kroger side of town. Coupons will play a deciding role as well; if I have many worthy digital Kroger coupons, I'm going to save up items on my list and head that way.

Both stores offer unique experiences with ups and downs. Neither is perfect yet, and I'm looking forward to 'testing' each store further to discover which is best!

What do you think? Have you tried Kroger's ClickList or Walmart's Grocery Pickup?

We lead busy lives these days. Working moms, stay at home moms, and work from home moms are all busy bees, running a home, scheduling doctor's visits and dental checkups and classes and lessons, oh my! It's no wonder many mothers get so busy helping their tiny loves lead their lives, the moms themselves get lost in the shuffle. Slowly, day by day, we begin to feel more and more invisible. I thought I was alone in this, and then I watched Sing.  It took a movie with a target audience of the under 12 set for me to realize I wasn't alone. But this is the secret plight of the American mom: over time we become invisible, and then we worry we're the only ones who feel this way.

In Sing, Reese Witherspoon's character Rosita is a mama pig to 25 piglets. She seamlessly runs their household while her husband and kids either ignore or her mock her for the things she enjoys (singing). When the opportunity to participate in a singing competition arises and she can't find a sitter, she creates an elaborate pulley system to do all of her jobs for her.

And no one in her family notices. They were so used to not looking at her, they literally didn't notice she wasn't there for days, until her husband accidentally wrecked it all. When they watch her perform later in the film, they finally see her. She isn't just a mom, a wife, a woman running 26 other pig's lives. She's an individual with passions and goals. That's what brought tears to my eyes; she was finally visible again. She was seen as more than just mom and wife and family chef; she was seen for her individual talents and joys. I loved that the filmmakers didn't make her a disgruntled parent, either; she clearly loved her children, and simply wanted something for herself as well. We all want wonderful lives for our children, and we often forget to make sure our own lives have fulfilling moments outside of parenting.

This isn't an uncommon phenomenon, either. Another mom formed an experiment when she felt invisible. She wore only one earring for 7 months, waiting for someone to notice and tell her. 7 MONTHS. She had just had her second baby, and everyone was so busy fussing over the baby they didn't see the mom. This is why the maternal death rate in the U.S. is so high compared to other developed nations. We simply see less of the mom once the baby is born. Newborns are so needy, and adorable, that it's easy to give them all of our attention. But new moms need attention, too.

I love my kids. I also love myself, and it's important to remind myself I'm more than a mom. I'm an individual with interests, talents, and goals outside of my family life. Just as it's perfectly fine to be satisfied with a life focused on your kids, it's also okay to want more. Find your joy, and give yourself time to explore it.