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10 Years of Family-Fun With Wilderness At The Smokies

This is a sponsored post. While the views expressed here were genuinely mine, consideration was paid to me by Wilderness at the Smokies.

 

Wilderness At The Smokies

With summer here and the kids out of school, are you looking for a fun and fabulous family vacation that won’t break the bank? I love a wonderful vacation. Especially vacations that help me stay on budget each summer. Did you know there is a family-friendly water park in Tennessee?

At Wilderness at the Smokies, all of the summer adventures your family seeks, and you don’t have to travel out of the southeastern region to get it!

Wilderness At The Smokies

Wilderness at the Smokies is a must-visit on your seasonal travel plans! It’s jam-packed with fun for everyone and also proves luxury to even the most discerning traveler. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of options available to the whole family.

Even more incredibly, they have not only THREE different waterparks but a myriad of rooming options for travelers of all persuasions.

As a premier regional destination, Wilderness at the Smokies offers exciting entertainment and lodging options for families vacationing in the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville, Tennessee surrounding areas. While you might not have thought of this destination to spend your summer vacation, its one to put at the top of your summer bucket list!

Wilderness At The Smokies

With all the amenities and options at Wilderness at the Smokies, this year-round waterpark and vacation destination, is someplace you need to visit with your family this season!

With amenities including 713 rooms, suites, and villas, an indoor family adventure center, various dining options, shopping, a 36-hole championship golf course, and more than 200,000 sq. ft. of convention space, there’s something for everyone at Wilderness at the Smokies!

More about the property:

  • Wilderness at the Smokies is Tennessee’s Largest Waterpark Resort
  • Provides Memory-Making Family-Friendly Fun
  • Accommodations ranging from single rooms to multi-room suites that sleep up to 16 guests
  • Guests have access to 3 waterparks, (Salamander Springs, Wild WaterDome, and Lake Wilderness, included with your stay
  • Year-Round Access to the Smoky Mountain’s Biggest Indoor Waterpark, Wild WaterDome, and Adventure Forest Family Entertainment Center
  • Close proximity to area destinations including Dollywood, Ripley’s Aquarium at Gatlinburg, and Smoky Mountain National Park

Summer is the best time to visit Wilderness at the Smokies because: 

Wilderness at the Smokies, Tennessee’s largest waterpark resort and family adventure center, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with amazing sweepstakes opportunities.

Which is why now is the time to book your summer family gathering. With activities ready for every member of the family, Wilderness at the Smokies will always have something new for you and your family to see. A true memory-making unique resort experience!

More about this awesome sweepstakes!

Here is the official information you need to know about to enter this awesome sweepstake!

For this 10th Anniversary Sweepstakes at Wilderness at the Smokies, you can enter for a chance to win a wide range of incredible prizes including a Grand Prize of a 4 night stay up for up to 12 guests in a 2 Bedroom Premier Suite, 6 Adventure Forest All Stay Passes, and a $500 Resort Credit.

To enter, visit the official sweepstakes page here.

Wilderness At The Smokies

Weekly Winner Prizes Include (14 weeks, 14 of each below): 

  • 4-pack of Waterpark Passes
  • $100 Resort Gift Card
  • $50 Resort Gift Card
  • Grand Prize Winner (1 drawing, 7 winners)

Grand Prize Winner #1 will receive (1 Winner): 4 night stay up to 12 guests in a 2 Bedroom Premier, plus 6 Adventure Forest All Stay Passes & $500 Resort Credit

Grand Prize #2 (2 Winners): 2 night stay up to 6 guests in Double Queen with Sofa, plus 6 Adventure Forest All Stay passes and $250 Resort Credits.

Grand Prize #3 (4 Winners): 1 night stay up to 6 guests in Double Queen with Sofa, plus 6 Adventure Forest All Stay passes and $100 Resort Credits.

Friends, doesn’t this sound like a destination you need to experience for yourself and your family this summer season? I encourage you all to visit the Wilderness at the Smokies sweepstakes page to enter this amazing giveaway. Then be sure to browse the rest of the site too! You’ll be glad you did!

Now I want to ask, are you considering vacationing at this awesome resort or have you been to this regional destination? Share your plans and experiences with me below!

Wilderness At The Smokies

May & June No-Spend Year Updates

May & June No-Spend Year Updates

May and June are now in the books. Which means we are now officially halfway through my 2018 No-Spend Challenge Year. It’s hard for me to believe that half of this year’s challenge is finished.

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t believe it in a good way. Because let’s face it, not spending can be as tough as overspending! With that said, let’s dig into my last sixty days of this challenge.

May:

Costs and expenses:

  • During the month of May, there were several large-ticket purchases that had to be made for the month. From certification fees for my husband to several small car repairs, our family accrued nearly $700.00 in costs.
  • We also needed to fix three small outdoor home repairs which cost approximately $200.00. While we used savings to pay these expenses, these funds are on the books to be refunded this season.
  • And in terms of groceries, I spent a total of $212.14 on groceries and zero-waste toiletries.

How I saved:

  • $76.00 on requesting interlibrary loan books.
  • Used earned Amazon gift cards to purchase $100.00 in household goods (Angel Eyes, stainless steel pot, handkerchiefs, shea butter, African black soap, and scrub brush).
  • Groomed pets at home and saved $70.00.
  • Sold unused household items on Facebook local groups and made $125.00.
  • Utilized free Hulu with our family Spring plan and saved $7.99.
  • Donated unused household items (clothing, bathroom racks, and bookshelves) to charity for tax receipts in deductions totaling $175.00 in appraised value.
  • Ate from our pantry and freezer for one week saving $40.00.
  • Cut my husband’s hair at home. Saved $25.00.
  • Sold used books on eBay. Earned $64.35 after seller and PayPal fees and shipping labels.

Total saved: $683.34

Total Spent: $1,112.14

Around the house:

May & June No-Spend Year Updates

While I spend more than double of what I saved, all purchases were needed and necessary. Which I am at peace with spending.

Aside from spending in May, our family was able to get some much-needed gardening time in. Including adding thinned herbs from our backyard flower beds to our front flower beds. Afterall, why not use empty bed space for helpful, healthful perennials, bulbs, and herbs?

I was also able to source several ornamental panes of grass from my backyard to edge my unused front flower bed was also a major victory, in terms of my no-spend budget. As each grass retails for close to $5.00 per grass at our local garden nursery, and having sourced over 30 grass clumps, saved my family $150.00 in landscaping costs.

Funds that can be used to fund Fall ornamental gardening features next season.

May also saw new side hustle opportunities for my family from Fiverr and an upcoming secondary Etsy shop. Which will hopefully reap dividends this Fall!

All-in-all, May was a quiet, expensive little month. A month that helped me family dig deeper and truly reevaluate our finances, our gardening practices, and zero-waste methods at home. For which I am beyond grateful.

June:

Costs and Expenses: 

  • During the month of June, there were very few expenses accrued at home. We decided to take on several DIY building projects. We sourced free, heat-treated palette wood but did need to purchase wood screw, glue, and sanding materials which totaled $21.00.
  • We also found a side-of-the-road gem, a 55″ plasma tv. While the tv works flawlessly, it came sans a remote and stand. I purchased both on Amazon for under $30.00.
  • I also needed to purchase several pieces of new workout clothing (my previous shorts and tanks were too large, yay!) which totaled nearly $40.00.
  • And in terms of groceries, I spent a total of $162.14 on groceries and zero-waste toiletries. The remaining $97.86 was used to pay for the above-mentioned expenses.

How I saved:

  • We saved $54.00 on requesting interlibrary loan books.
  • Sold unused small appliances on Facebook local groups and made $50.00.
  • Utilized free Hulu with our family Spring plan and saved $7.99.
  • Donated unused household items to charity and received tax receipts for those deductions totaling $60.00 in appraised value.
  • Ate from our pantry and freezer for one week saving $25.00.
  • Cut my husband’s hair at home. Saved $25.00.
  • Sold used books on eBay. Earned $78.81 after seller and PayPal fees and shipping labels.

Total saved: $300.80

Total Spent: $253.12

June was a busy time at home. With time spent building furniture, filming YouTube videos for my minimalism and plant-based cooking channels, working on my podcast, shuttling my family to summer camp activities, and starting new side hustles at home.

May & June No-Spend Year Updates

I was particularly proud of my husband’s handiwork in constructing our new tv console table for under $3.00! Its beautiful, sturdy, and put me in mind to see if my husband is up for tackling other zero-waste projects at home! It was a busy, practical, low-spend month. And again, like in May, I am grateful for the experiences I was provided!

Speaking of zero-waste home projects, you can check out both the television and the DIY tv console in our how-to on YouTube below!

So, friends, I want to ask, did you participate in our no-spend, or your own frugal April, be sure to leave your comments about what you learned! If you didn’t participate, I’d still love to hear how and where you saved the most this month! Share your stories below!

May & June No-Spend Year Updates

CanvasOnTheCheap.com Canvas Print Review

Please note, this post was sponsored by CanvasOnTheCheap.com. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

 

One of the most popular ways to decorate these days is by utilizing photos that you’ve taken yourself or by loved ones and having them formatted into a canvas print medium and had transformed into canvas art. As for me? I love this trend too!

With canvases, you can display your loved ones, memories, and points of view in limitless styles, options, and budgets. Perfect for families like my own, who prefer to have a few simple canvases rather than a room full of framed photos and albums. A more minimalist decor style, as it were.

Recently I was able to partner with Canvas On The Cheap to share how you can create custom canvases at amazing prices. And I couldn’t be happier with the results!

Canvas on the cheap review

I was able to create a print of my Uncle Danny, my guardian and best friend, who passed away some years ago. And with CanvasOnTheCheap.com, I was able to design my canvas, customize detailing, select my wrapping, and have it hanging in my home in around one business week.

While on the website, I found it easy to navigate the site. From selecting my photos from my computer drive to designing the width of my print to checking out, this site helped make my purchasing power flawless.

Canvas on the cheap reviewCanvas on the cheap reviewCanvas on the cheap review

Another point worth mentioning, as my photo was internet sourced (due to me losing all my family photos in a housing flood several years ago), Canvas On The Cheap’s customer service team got in contact with me the day after placing my order to make sure I was pleased with my print before shipment. Great customer service if I do say so myself!

The best part? Had I paid cash for this service I would have paid under $40.00. Nearly half of what leading competitors charge for prints of equal quality and style. I was extremely impressed with the bang for my buck!

Canvas on the cheap review

I couldn’t be happier with the results! For the first time in many years, I have a picture of my uncle hanging in our entryway and each morning as I make my way to my kitchen for my morning cup of confidence, I’m able to pass by the print and it always puts a smile on my face.

Friends, I cannot say enough nice things about Canvas On The Cheap. Be sure to visit the Canvas On The Cheap website to learn more and like them on Facebook to stay up to date on all their sales and announcements too! So tell me, what do you think? Do you have any canvas prints in your home? I’d love to hear more about your canvas buying experiences below!

Dinnerly.com Meal Subscription Review

Please note: We received this Dinnerly meal kit for review purpose. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

 

Dinnerly.com

Do you love quick, delicious, nutritious meals? If so, you’re in for a treat.

Today I’m sharing my experience with Dinnerly, a mail order meal delivery subscription service. Dinnerly was created for people who appreciate budget-friendly homemade meals at home, but don’t want to spend a fortune in doing so.

Dinnerly.com

Dinnerly features quality ingredients but are able to keep their costs low by implementing several simple living approaches. Including offering subscribers digital recipe cards, fewer filler ingredients with each dish, foods that require less processing, and simplified, recyclable packaging.

All without costly, gimmicky marketing campaigns. All savings that are passed directly onto their customers. Perfect for frugal foodie customers like myself!

First impressions

The Dinner boxes we received came delivered quickly to our home. The boxes themselves were very sturdy and made of post-recycled materials. Including the boxes foam cushioning and also came with reusable ice packs.

On each box, you will find cute, family-friendly insignia and on the inner box flaps, meal planning checking guides. The other flap has info on how to contact customer service and where to access more service information too!

Dinnerly.com

The kit I received, a Family Box, that contained enough ingredients to prepare three meals, had a retail value of $68.99 Family Box. The box will feed approximately 2 adults and 2 kids for each meal.

I also appreciated that in the box was a reminder to “keep digging” in the box to find the dairy and turkey products in the bottom of the box. As this will help to make sure you quickly locate these perishable goods and safely get them chilling in your fridge!

The Cost

Dinnerly.com

The Dinnerly service is very affordable, in terms of meal delivery services. With the average meal costing under $30.00 for each meal, along with $8.99 shipping. With the overall cost in the ballpark of $30.99 Two Person Box (3 recipes for 2 people) or $60.99 Family Box (3 recipes for 2 adults and 2 kids).

Considering that many families buy these kits to help jumpstart healthy meal planning at home or for entertaining, this cost can be less than what you might pay in-store.

The Products

Each box I received contained pre-portioned ingredients to cook three 30-minute meals. With each kit containing only 6-7 ingredients, excluding seasonings, per meal. Perfect for one ingredient meal planning at home.

While I am a plant-based eater, I did opt for one box that contained organic ground turkey. This was purposely selected as my family was entertaining the weekend the box was scheduled to arrive for out-of-town non-plant-based friends.

dinnerly.com

So for those who do buy meats and dairy products, I wanted to mention that Dinnerly features quality ingredients like antibiotic-free poultry and free-range ground beef. Perfect for family-friendly meals such as tacos, spaghetti, stir-fry, chicken wraps, or lettuce cups.

In each box, we received kale, butter leaf lettuce, ground turkey, parmesan cheese rounds, sherry vinegar and olive oil bottles, plum tomatoes, fresh garlic, and ginger, as well as jalapenos, baby Bella mushrooms, three red onions, rice, polenta packets, and two bags of rigatoni pasta.

Shipping

Currently Dinnerly delivers to most of the United States. Including California, Mississippi, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho, with expansion to midwest and southern regions expected by the end of August 2017. UPDATE! These states are now included: most of Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.

The Recipes

As Dinnerly doesn’t include paper recipes, I downloaded my three recipes to my iPad so I could reference them while cooking. As I normally use a tablet while cooking in the kitchen, this was natural and almost second hat to me.

I was impressed with how few ingredients were needed for each recipe. As each of the recipes I received is suggested to serve two adults and two children, I knew we would have more than enough for our family of three and weekend guests.

Dinnerly.comDinnerly.com

The first meal my husband and I made was the Turkey Stir-Fry Lettuce Cups with Jasmine Rice. The meal was super easy to prepare and was a favorite of our guests.

I appreciated the low-carb, low-gluten aspect of this dish. I could see it lending itself to a myriad of family styles and palettes!Dinnerly.comDinnerly.com

The second meal we prepared was the Spinach Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes. This was my favorite meal. It was super quick to make and creamy and oh so delicious! The recipe lends itself well to being roasted in our convection oven. The device we use most often in the deep south during the warm weather season.

The third meal we prepared was the Roasted Mushrooms and Kale with Creamy Polenta. This meal was also quick to make, delicious, and was so plentiful in ingredients that we had leftovers to serve alongside the next day’s brunch!

Dinnerly.com

Last impressions

Dinnerly is by far the cheapest meal kit I’ve ever tried. At only $5.00 per person, per meal, these meals, while not pretentious in nature, were full of organic, quality ingredients, that are simple to make, and were all received well by my family and friends.

While you aren’t able to swap out weekly meal opinions with this service, I have a hunch that each meal you receive will be just as tasty as the next!

My only gripe? Some of the recipe’s ingredient lists differed slightly from the ingredients we received. Such as menus listing cremini mushrooms while we received Baby Bella mushrooms. Small nuances that made no difference to the quality of the final meal, but are worth mentioning.

I also wanted to mention that I have a video on my main YouTube channel sharing the step-by-step creation of each of these recipes that you can take a look at if you are considering buying this subsection too!

Friends, what do you think of Dinnerly? Would you subscribe to this box? Let me know your first impressions below! And if you are a current Dinnerly subscriber let me know about your previous kits too!

Baby Clothes Buying Hints (For People Who Haven’t Got A Clue)

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Learning to be a parent is pretty much trial by fire, you learn by doing! But with some of the essentials in your baby’s life, especially in the early days, it’s beneficial for you to have a decent idea of some of the fundamentals. Clothing is one of those things that can be confusing because you might not have the budget to play with.

Or if you’re planning on buying clothes in preparation for the arrival of your newborn, you have no idea what to go for, because you might pick clothes that don’t fit. But here are some of the rules to follow.

Comfort Is Key

Picking clothes that are comfortable is ideal for your baby. Essentially, just go for breathable fabrics, as this will avoid irritation. The goal is to make the clothes as soft as possible, so, once you’ve picked them up, give them a wash to soften the material again.

Get More Than You Think You Need

If you are expecting your first child, you won’t get a true appreciation of how much mess they make until you see it for yourself! This is why it’s always important to get much more than you think you need. 

For the first couple of months of your baby’s life, you won’t be going out much, because you’ll be learning how to be a parent, but if there are some instances where you need to take the baby out, don’t be concerned too much about dressing them up, or making them look cute, it’s far better to get baby grows and outfits that are practical.

When they’re older, you can go for baby boy or baby girl outfits that have a bit of style at the outset, but their practicality is the most important thing.

Plan For Every Season

Babies cannot regulate their body temperature for some time after they’re born, and the first 8 weeks are vital. And while it’s important to be practical, you need to be aware of the external temperatures.

Giving birth in the summer means that they are more at risk of overheating, so picking fabrics and materials that are breathable is even more essential at the very outset. Get a good idea of the types of clothing that you want them to wear, but also to ensure that they are not too hot or not too cold. Sun hats for their head in the summer are essential, and snowsuits or bodysuits are vital in the winter.

And finally, when it comes to picking the essentials as far as baby clothes are concerned, muslin cloths and scratch mitts need to be in abundance. You are going to go through so much laundry, that you need enough supplies.

This is the most important thing to remember, at the very outset of your child’s life, you are going to be sleep deprived, so you aren’t going to have much of an opportunity to take care of the home essentials, but this is why you need to purchase more clothes. The first two months of your baby’s life is where everything becomes challenging, as long as you have enough as far as supplies are concerned, you’ll be fine.

4 Unique Things That Your Savings Can Cover

Having an emergency savings account is a must if you hope to keep yourself afloat when things go wrong. No one plans for life to go a little askew, but it does happen with job loss, injury and unexpected breakdowns with the car, the boiler and any number of appliances.

As you well know, breakdowns and life issues always seem to happen in three’s, which means that you need to have a savings account that is prepared for you to use it – just in case.

When life does go off kilter, you need to be prepared. It’s hard, though, to prepare yourself for something that hasn’t yet happened. You can’t exactly predict that the established business that you work for is going to fold. You also can’t tell whether you’re going to be a victim of an injury this year. The good news is that you can do something, just in case.

You can figure out how much you earn in six months and make this your emergency savings figure. This is the amount that you can hold in your savings account ready to cover you when life goes sideways. There are many things that your savings can cover, and here are four ways to get started with your emergency fund below:

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1. Medical Costs. You may have comprehensive medical insurance and coverage, but that doesn’t always cover everything. Sometimes, you have to pay out for things like glasses or a Starkey hearing aid. You may even have to cover the cost of crutches or a wheelchair.

Your emergency savings account can really get some use out of it if you are strapped for cash and your medical equipment breaks down; it means you can be rescued!

2. Home Appliances. Being a homeowner is a wonderful privilege, but it does mean that the buck stops with you. When the boiler decides to die in the dead of winter, it’s you that has to cover the costs of a new one, plus installation and the cost of an engineer. It’s not cheap, but it’s a great way to use the emergency stockpile that you’ve got to cushion you from a fall.

3. Pet Sickness. You have a dog, one that costs you enough in food, medical insurance and toys every month. Now that dog has a broken leg, and you’ve got to fork over the money to get him sorted out. You’d usually not dip into your emergency savings for this, but it’s an emergency procedure or the dog loses a leg. It’s a perfectly legitimate reason to use the account – so go for it!

4. Repairs. The one thing about living in your town is the climate – it’s unpredictable and you can’t tell when the weather is going to turn on you. The wind is strong enough without the roof being ripped off and costing you thousands in repairs. Emergency funds are there for things like this, especially if your card won’t cover the cost!

An emergency fund is for emergencies; it’s the literal definition. Always try to replenish it as fast as you can when you have to use it!

Manage Your Money When Times Get Hard

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One of the biggest stresses in life is money. It’s the one thing everyone always worries about not having enough of, and we spend our whole life trying to do all we can to make as much of it, as quickly as possible.

But the thing is, we rely so much on money that we begin to lose ourselves, and yet we don’t have much choice because everything has a price, and everyone wants to have financial freedom.

Because part of the difficulty is the stress that it gives us, because there are so many different things to think about once you hit the adult world, and that can be really overwhelming and can put a lot of pressure on you. You may then find yourself in a downward spiral as things build up until you explode – and that’s never a good thing.

Your mind can be so strong, and yet so sensitive, and you need to find a balance that works for you. Everyone is different, but there are basic ways to manage your money when times get hard. Here are a few examples to get you on the right track.

Home expenses

Homes get pricey, not only do you have to buy one and pay the mortgage off, but there are tons of bills that follow, like the water, the electric, and the insurance. While this is just part of life, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a cheaper option. So have a sit-down and look through all of your current payments, you may find that there is something you are paying for that is unnecessary, or you are able to find a cheaper company that offers you the same thing.

Medical expenses

Let’s face it, medical bills can get so expensive, especially if you don’t have the latest insurance to cover you. So if something happens that you were least expecting and you find yourself in an accident with burn injuries that weren’t your fault, then it is important you go and seek out the legal help that can build you a case so that you get the compensation you need and deserve.

Personal expenses

We all want to have the finances to be able to buy that dress we’ve had our eye on, or the holiday next year to go away with the family or the upgraded car that runs way better than what you have now.

Life is about experiences and enjoyment, not just surviving, so it’s important to still go after the things you want so that you have a life that you’re happy with. The simple answer for this is budgeting. Break it up, understand it, and then use it where you see fit.

Now you know what to look out for, you may find that the edge is taken off a little. But if you’re still struggling, make yourself an appointment with a financial adviser who can give you all the beneficial advice to better yourself and your circumstances.