Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Andy’s Sprinkler. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My husband comes from a hard working family. Everyone in his family has a very strong work ethic and it shows. Within the first few times I met his grandparents, I realized that his grandfather always had some kind of project going on at the house. When he ran out of projects at his own house, he started moving on to rental properties. My husband got that gene, apparently, because there’s always some kind of project going on here at the Savings in Seconds homestead, too. The other factor in the equation is that these men don’t believe in hiring out the work. Instead, they think the job’s not right unless they do it on their own. Which would be a good thing, except that my husband really doesn’t have time to devote to a DIY project on most weekends. We’re lucky if we make it to the grocery store to pick up some milk. Finishing an outdoor project just doesn’t make it to the short term to-do list most weeks.
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Disclosure: I received meal vouchers for this review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

You might remember from my Happy Halloween giveaway that our family recently visited Ryan’s in Greeneville, TN.  I wanted to share some pictures from our experience.  Overall, we were very impressed with the meal and the service.  Ryan’s was a favorite of ours long ago but all of the local restaurants have closed.  The nearest one is about 45 minutes away so we rarely get to visit anymore.  The exterior of the restaurant was quite clean.  Additionally, the location was convenient to the shopping centers of Greeneville.

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Disclosure: We received complimentary passes for this review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Have you ever visited a place and wished you could take everyone you loved there, to share the experience? That’s how I felt about Parrot Mountain. I saved this review for last because it’s the one that most surprised me. We’ve driven by the signs for Parrot Mountain many times during our trips to Dollywood. I’ve never really considered going there, although I’m not sure why. Perhaps because I hadn’t heard anything about it? What a shame!! This was one of our favorite attractions of the #PFTitanicFAM trip. We had so many good laughs while we were there. I can’t wait to visit again!

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary pass for this review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

There are a few things in life I never thought I’d see. A penguin egg probably tops that list. After all, how often do you see a penguin egg in your everyday world? Well, we got to see one at the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies during our  #PFTitanicFAM trip. That, and much more! We visited the aquarium last weekend on our Pigeon Forge trip and, as always, we loved getting to see the wonderful exhibits. The Ripley’s Aquarium folks are experts at taking hands-on to a new level. My kids enjoy touching the horseshoe crabs and stingrays. We loved getting to watch the scuba diver in the shark tank. It was all just wonderful!

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As we traveled to Pigeon Forge last weekend, we noticed that the Christmas decorations were already being put in place.  In fact, we even saw some decorated gift boxes in front of the Titanic Museum.  We had a discussion about this because it just seemed so wrong to start decorating for Christmas before we even enjoy Halloween!  For one thing, the colors are all wrong.  The orange and black of Halloween just can’t be mixed with the green and reds of Christmas.  It makes me wrinkle my nose to just think of it.  Then we have the issue of the foods getting all mixed up.  I love having delectable treats at Christmas but Halloween just seems so candy-ish.  Ne’er the twain should meet, in my humble opinion.

There is something to be said for enjoying Christmas decor for longer than just December, though.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  When you make a purchase through them, it helps to support the giveaways on Savings in Seconds. Thank you!

I’ve been stashing away some Christmas gifts for a few weeks.  My biggest change this year is that I’m not purchasing as much for the kids.  Mr. Savingsinseconds has a tendency to throw away any toys that seem to be cluttering the house.  I’m tired of fighting him over that issue.  Instead, the kids will be getting more “experiences” that we can share as a family.  It’s a good year to introduce my son to Tae-Kwan-Do lessons, for example, and he’ll probably get those as a gift.

The one area that I really do tend to over-buy is in stocking stuffers.  I just love filling the stockings; it’s my absolute favorite part of gift-giving!   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received complimentary passes for this review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Yes, you read that correctly. Ostrich races. I should stop there and just let you wonder.

Ah, but I won’t. You deserve to know about this. While we were in Pigeon Forge for the  #PFTitanicFAM trip, we had the chance to attend a Dixie Stampede show. I’ve heard of this place for ages but have never visited. It was a great way to spend the evening and my son hasn’t stopped asking when we can go back. Do you like music? Dancing? Stunts? Food? Crazy stuff? If you answered yes to any of those, then you’ve got to make plans to attend Dixie Stampede.

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Disclaimer:  Thanks to Maximum Games for making this post possible. Opinions shared are mine.

Have a gamer in the house?  Check out Maximum Games for new releases!  Their newest game is the teen-rated Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers. If you have a WWII fan in your home, this is a great prize for that special someone! You could even save it for a holiday gift if you want. The game was just released in August 2013.  It has multiple gaming options and challenges so it’s perfect for the gamer who likes something new every time they sit down to play.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation or samples for this post.

Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets for this post. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

A few months ago we visited the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. Ever since then my daughter has been obsessed with all things Titanic. She kept asking me when we could go back. Finally she got her wish on our  #PFTitanicFAM tour. I really wasn’t sure if she would enjoy it as much a second time, but she really did! In fact, the entire family loved it. My sister has never seen the Titanic movie (I KNOW!!! Tragedy!!!!) so she was really taken aback by all the beautiful artifacts and information in the museum. Let me share a bit of our trip with you. [Read more…]