Faith and Family Reviews: Product Reviews You Can Trust

HUGE Thank You to Brandcation Sponsors #PigeonForge #Brandcation

Posted by html404 on October 15, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Travel, Uncategorized

Only a couple more Brandcation posts to go! Bet you are all glad I am wrapping up them up, eh? This post is dedicated to our generous Brandcation sponsors who provided swag (gift items) to us as well as giveaway items for our little contests and 80’s party while we were on Brandcation Blog Cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN.

A HUGE thank you to these Brandcation sponsors:

Natures One
http://naturesone.com
https://www.facebook.com/naturesone
Twitter: @Natures_One

K’Nex Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs
http://www.knex.com/
http://www.facebook.com/buildknex
Twitter: @KNEX
https://pinterest.com/knexbrands/

Lou Babs & Moogs
http://www.LBMGifts.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lou-Babs-Moogs/60919461961
Twitter: @LBMgifts

Blingles
http://www.myblingles.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/Blingles

The Trash Pack
http://www.trashpack.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/TrashPack

Sportline Pedometers
http://www.sportline.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sportlinefitness
Twitter: @sportlineinc

Cascade Ice Water
http://www.cascadeicewater.com/
www.facebook.com/CascadeIceWaters
Twitter: @CascadeIceWater

Group Gifting
http://www.groupgifting.com/
Twitter: @bevision2dot0

StoreSmart
http://www.StoreSMART.com
https://www.facebook.com/StoreSMART

Giveaway Sponsors:

Orbeez
http://www.orbeezone.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Orbeez

Fab Kids
http://fabkids.com
https://www.facebook.com/LoveFabKids
Twitter: @lovefabkids

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International Delight Iced Coffee Review

Posted by Brande on October 14, 2012
in Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

I’m sure you’ve heard of the expression “Gimme my coffee and no one get hurt!” Well, International Delight Iced Coffee is perfect for that afternoon pick me up!

International Delight Iced Coffee comes in 4 flavors – Original, Vanilla, Mocha and Carmel. With 150 calories International Delight Iced Coffee is made with 100% Arabica coffee. Then blended with cocoa, milk and cream, giving you a very smooth and creamy drink.

Here’s some trivia too – “Arabica plants grow for up to 7 years before they begin yielding coffee beans.” Boy am I glad I don’t have to wait that long for coffee!

Head over to the International Delight Iced Coffee Facebook Page to check them out.

International Delight Iced Coffee Review

This was perfect timing as we had my daughter’s birthday party the same day! So, we decided on the Mocha International Delights Iced Coffee. I’ll be honest, I had some skeptics in the crowd. One of my party goers put his foot down that he wasn’t going to drink cold coffee. Well, I’m happy to report that his mood changed when everyone else had at least a sip and they enjoyed the taste. I myself LOVE coffee and really enjoyed the Mocha favoring as did my husband who is not a chocolate/mocha fan.

Stop going out to those expensive coffee shops for iced coffee. Get it at your local supermarket! It’s on our shopping list!

Some of my family members asked that I not post a picture of them and I am respecting their wishes. But, I wish I could have shared them. Some were really good!

“I wrote this review while participating in an In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of International Delight and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

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When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason

Posted by html404 on October 13, 2012
in Books, Reviews

When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Deadly Reunions series. I read the first book too, you can read the review here. As the series title indicates this is a murder mystery novel.

The main character is Serena, a medical examiner (ME). She generously helped a friend and it seemingly comes back to haunt her…by getting her involved in a serial murder mystery. With the help of detectives and a FBI agent, who also happened to be her teen crush, Serena tries to solve the mystery. I anxiously read chapter after chapter trying to figure out who the murderer was….gradually towards the end I had a couple of ideas as to who it was, especially once Lynette revealed a clue.

I really liked the twists and turns of the story and how it kept me guessing. It was really hard to pick out the killer from among all the characters and I found myself trying to recall what the first book was all about to see if there was a connection between characters that would give me the key to cracking the serial murder case.

As the series title indicates, this is a murder mystery novel. The descriptions of the murder victims is dealt with discreetly, yet Ms. Eason definitely does not skirt around other details. There are not gory details. So if you like a nice clean mystery definitely check out this series.

When a Heart Stops gets two thumbs up from me.

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge #Brandcation #PigeonForge

Posted by html404 on October 13, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Education, Travel, Uncategorized

Wow. That’s how I’d describe the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. It surprised me how sobering it was to walk through the museum. I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting it considering the Titanic was a tragic event but most museums I have visited only had certain exhibits sharing an devastating event in history briefly and intermixed with more fun and informative facts of joyful times. Know what I mean?

The museum was set up so visitors lined up to board the Titanic. Boarding passes and hand held audio devices are handed to each passenger. The unique thing about how this is done is passengers are given a boarding pass with the name of a real passenger who traveled on the Titanic. The boarding pass tells the story of the passenger. At the end of the “voyage” visitors find out if they survived their journey.

The name on my boarding pass? Emily R. and I cannot seem to find my boarding pass to give you more information. 🙁 It’s not the first time I misplaced it either. I know one of my daughters got to read it. The whole purpose behind the boarding passes is for us to leave the museum and share our passenger’s story with others, especially our children, so they are not forgotten. The last Titanic survivor has died and only their offspring are left to carry on their legacy. By visiting the museum we help keep that legacy alive.

Inside the Titanic Museum

First class stateroom.

The infamous staircase.

The bridge.

On the deck there was a wall of ice we could touch and “troughs” of water along the edge of the deck. The same water was the same temperature the passengers of the Titanic would have experience upon being submerged into it.

Speaking of water, in the third class section of the Titanic Museum there was a stair well going up featuring water pouring down into the third class section.

The Memorial wall.

The Titanic Crew

And the crew certainly out did themselves during our visit to the museum. We were given VIP treatment that day. They served us a scrumptiously delicious breakfast buffet that everyone raved about.

The crew was funny, knowledgeable and very courteous.

We were even privileged to meet Mary Kellogg Joslyn, co-owner of the museum with her husband John Joslyn. She gave a short presentation that we thought was inspiring.

Brandcation Blog Cabin Bloggers at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential. All other photos are courtesy of the Titanic Museum, as no photos are allowed to be taken inside the museum by visitors.

A picture speak a thousand words and these do. Visit www.titanicpigeonforge.com for more amazing photos and coverage of the Titanic.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.

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Visiting Dollywood #PigeonForge #Brandcation #Dollywood

Posted by html404 on October 12, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Travel, Uncategorized

The other day I mentioned Dollywood’s Wild Eagle, but there is so much more to Dollywood than just roller coasters. Though Dollywood has several of them.

I Heart Dollywood!

I loved Dollywood and if I am honest everything I saw and experienced made me wish my family was there with me to experience it too. It was like that with every event we attended last weekend. That’s how family-friendly all of the attractions in Pigeon Forge were and to me Dollywood had an old-time feel to it – from the coal steam engine, horse wagon shop and even a metal forge/black smith’s shop for signs etc. All things that are right up my alley.

Wagon Shop

Wagon Wheel

Wood Worker or Cobbler

Dollywood’s Grist Mill – Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

I rode the Dollywood train through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains with Jenn from The Rebel Chick and Amy from Grinning Cheek to Cheek

Brandcation Bloggers at Dollywood

34 bloggers at Dollywood.

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

Dollywood has plenty of shops, restaurants, a museum, crafts, quilt shops, roller coasters and other rides to keep the whole family busy for the day (last Friday – can’t believe a week has gone by already!) There was plenty of things for people of all ages, including family pets. This month is Gospel and Harvest Festival and the day we were there we saw a line up of people and the majority were senior citizens. A group of bloggers took in a show and said it was awesome as they learned about the history of music.

Doggywood

Doggywood is a place to leave pets while visitors enjoy Dollywood for the day.

The great thing about Dollywood is you can stay and play as they have their own log cabins for accommodations. Dollywood even has a water park called Dolly Splash. The parks and cabins are close together eliminating long drives going back and forth between the three of them.

If we were to go to Dollywood as a family I would want to take more than just a day to visit as I think it would take at least a couple of days to go through everything.

Dollywood Ready for Fall

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

The park is very well shaded for the hot days of summer. Dollywood even has its own special Dollywood Christmas.

One of the employees at Dollywood said when he left work this tree was not there…we joked that the elves had been at work.

Gluten Free Brownie

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

The neat thing about Dollywood’s restaurants is they have a gluten-free menu and a whole program geared towards allergy education for select kitchen employees, which even includes certification. This is very unique and important to families suffering from allergies.

The rest of their eateries – a bakery, a sweet shop and more – provide tasty lots of food. I had to get a couple of photos of my husband’s favorite desserts but neglected to get a photo of our lunch at Granny Ogle’s Ham N’ Beans.

Huge Cinnamon Roll

25 lb. Apple Pie for $80

Dolly Parton

It was very impressive to learn Dolly Parton is very involved with her parks and attends specially planned events centered around her visit to Pigeon Forge. The fact is we just missed her most recent visit. Boo hoo.

One last thing, we truly experienced southern hospitality and friendliness from Dollywood employees.

To learn more connect with Dollywood online at their website, Twitter and Facebook.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.

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Dolly’s Dixie Stampede #Brandcation #PigeonForge

Posted by html404 on October 12, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Travel, Uncategorized

I have never been to a dinner show before, but that all changed a week ago when we attended Dolly’s Dixie Stampede while at Brandcation. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but I loved it!

Denise our host from Dixie Stampede was not only helpful and friendly, but funny as well. She set us up for complimentary photos, a mug and dinner.

Dixie Stampede Pre-Show

The Dixie Stampede had a highly entertaining pre-show with a bluegrass/jazz band. The show itself was funny and the music was fantastic. Here’s a glimpse of it below since I was able to get several video clips of it….but for some reason YouTube isn’t allowing me to upload them so I can embed them into my post. 🙁 So I’ll post some photos instead. Mountain Rukus even proved to us that they could play contemporary pop music in bluegrass style.

This is the table of ladies I sat with during the pre-show as we enjoyed a non-alcoholic beverage.

We sang to well known songs and clapped loudly as the musicians of the band, Mountain Rukus, displayed their singing talent while playing the banjo, fiddle, violin and bass.

The Dixie Stampede Floor Before the Show

Dolly’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Show

The dinner show was very good. It was different from what I expected, but not in a bad way. I don’t want to give away all the surprises so I am not sure how much to tell. The dinner was as listed on their website and video:

A Mouth-Watering Tender Whole Rotisserie Chicken
Delicious Hickory Smoked Barbecued Pork Loin
Dixie Stampede’s Original Creamy Vegetable Soup
Scrumptious Homemade Biscuit
Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob
Tasty Herb-basted Potato
Dixie’s very own Specialty Dessert
Unlimited Pepsi®, tea or coffee

They even offer a vegetarian plate that includes:

Country Garden Vegetable Pasta
Dixie Stampede’s Original Creamy Vegetable Soup
Scrumptious Homemade Biscuit
Hot Buttered Corn on the Cob
Tasty Herb-basted Potato
Dixie’s very own Specialty Dessert
Unlimited Pepsi®, tea or coffee

We were fortunate to be able to visit during the Dixie Stampede’s 25th anniversary season. The actual show was very family-friendly and interactive as the audience was divided into two teams – the Union and the Confederates. We cheered and clapped for our respective sides. People from the audience were invited to participate in the show’s events too. Children shooed chickens in a race, girlfriends and boyfriends rode stick horses as they joined the cast center stage. This will be the first time I’d ever allow my children to “boo” anybody because it was all in good old fashioned fun! See a video here.

Bloggers at Dolly’s Dixie Stampede Pigeon Forge

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential.

I’ll say it again, don’t just take my word for it, experience it for yourself! You are in for a couple of surprises if you do!

A huge thank you to Dolly’s Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for welcoming us and giving us a fun-filled evening!

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.

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Emily Owens MD

Posted by html404 on October 12, 2012
in DVDs & CDs, Reviews, TV Shows

Emily Owens MD is a new show premiering on October 16th. It is about a new doctor, Emily Owens, acclimating to a new hospital where her “idol surgeon” works. The premise of the show is that Emily now feels grown-up and feels she can finally put her nerdy teenie boppy ways behind her. Little does she realize that the hospital, Denver Memorial Hospital, is just a grown up version of high school.

Emily Owens is played by Mamie Gummer, of “The Good Wife”, and is also the daughter of Meryl Streep and Don Gummer.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the highly entertaining and emotional evoking pilot episode I recently had the opportunity to review. I’d rate the language as PG-13+, which is disappointing but I get that I am a rare bird when it comes to stuff like that. Due to the adult content I won’t be allowing my younger children to watch it, however, my oldest watched it with me and really liked Emily Owens too.

But don’t take our word for it watch the promo:

Funny, eh? I laughed and cried throughout the show. I loved the sensitivity of Emily’s bedside manner as a doctor, but developed a very strong dislike for a couple of characters who seemed bent on making life difficult for Emily. See what I mean about the show appealing to the emotions?

Be sure to check it out for yourself on Tuesday, October 16 from 9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT on the CW Television Network.

The NY Times wrote up a nice piece about this new TV show here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/arts/television/the-new-season-mamie-gummer-of-emily-owens-md.html?_r=1

To learn more about the show visit the following links:

Emily Owens MD: About the Show
Emily Owens MD: Official Website: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/emily-owens-md
Emily Owens MD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyOwensMD
Emily Owens MD on Twitter: http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/twitter#eomd

Faith and Family Reviews received a promo copy of the pilot show in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Gigi’s Cupcakes Pigeon Forge #Brandcation #PigeonForge

Posted by html404 on October 11, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Food and Treats, Travel, Uncategorized

Photo courtesy of Kim at Brandfluential

Brandcation Blog Cabin not only brought us awesome accommodations and views but also awesome treats too! Cabin Fever Vacations worked with Gigi’s Cupcakes Pigeon Forge to surprise us shortly after arriving with a lovely array of yummy cupcakes! Flavors included, blackberry, red velvet, carrot cake, banana nut, chocolate, white wedding cake, mint chocolate, strawberry. These cupcakes were topped with delectable cream cheese frosting. They were so tasty that the ladies bought more for our 80’s party on Saturday night! Seriously these were so moist and delicious it was nearly impossible to stop at one! I definitely plan to treat my family to some of these yummy treats when we visit on our family vacation next year or have some shipped here for the next birthday we celebrate since there are no Gigi’s Cupcakes here in Illinois.

Photo courtesy of Candace from Serendipity Mom

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Dollywood’s Wild Eagle #Brandcation #PigeonForge #WildEagle

Posted by html404 on October 10, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Travel, Uncategorized

I haven’t been to a theme park in a very long time. I went on a virtual ride of Dollywood’s Wild Eagle, America’s first winged roller coaster, before I left for Brandcation and I think I freaked myself out a little. Try it and you’ll see what I mean! All you adventure seekers will love it, I’m sure!

Dollywood’s Wild Eagle roller coaster was a highlight for me as I went on it three times, even though in all the photos I look terrified…and I was. I haven’t been on a roller coaster since I was 14, but the fact that I attempted something different and something that had to do with heights was huge for me since I am afraid of high places. I am a play it safe, non-adventurous kind of gal.

Photo courtesy of Dollywood and Tanya Gordon of Mommy Goggles.

The first ride I had my eyes closed except for the initial climb. The second time I opened my eyes a bit and during the third ride I only had my eyes closed for the huge dip and loopdy-loos. There’s something about being upside down that gets to me. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Though I must say I felt very safe strapped in the seats seats. They felt very secure and Dollywood staff made sure we were securely fastened, which I really appreciated. I worried about my glasses falling off because they shifted a bit but they stayed on.

Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Oh, Kim actually had a photo of me smiling as we came in from our ride. It’s a bit blurry but you can see Paula, me, Mary Ann and Maria:

Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Dolly’s Wild Eagle opened in March of this year and has already hit 1 million rides according to a staff member at the photo desk. Impressive, eh? Dollywood Splash will be opening their first water coaster in spring of 2013 – little insider info. 😉

Wild Eagle Compared to Other Roller Coasters

Joy from Joyful Musings went on three roller coasters at Dollywood and we asked her to give us the comparison break down and here’s what she said:

Dollywood’s Wild Eagle was the smoothest ride.

Mystery Mine was the scariest.

The third was Tennessee Tornado was the fastest.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.

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Cabin Fever Vacations #PigeonForge #Brandcation

Posted by html404 on October 9, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Travel, Uncategorized

Brandcation Blog Cabin was called Blog Cabin for a reason. While we were in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee we stayed at a log cabin managed by Cabin Fevers Vacations called Mountaintop Lodge. Cabin Fever Vacations offers a unique blog cabin experience. The cabin is privately owned by a family but rented out during the times the family is not in the area. The cabin is three floors high and can sleep up to 34 people! It’s beautiful!

Cabin Fever Vacations even surprised us on the first day with Gigi’s Cupcakes to welcome us to Pigeon Forge.

The Accommodations

The top floor housed most of the ladies in an open room with cots, a futon and several queen sized bunk beds. That floor also included four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

The middle floor contained a full kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as two bedrooms with private baths.

The lower level had four bedrooms, two private baths, the laundry room and game room which also housed two additional futons. I had one of the bedrooms and roomed with Jenn from Life with Levi. We didn’t see much of each other but she was a nice roommate.

Photo compliments of Kim @ What’s That Smell

Each level has it’s own balcony – front and back – where you could rock in a rocking chair, sit and enjoy the view, just chit chat with friends or soak in a hot tub.

The cabin was beautiful with a rustic style of decor. It was really spacious. The only thing it lacked this weekend was a few extra bathrooms! Six bathrooms for 34 ladies was a little challenging at times but we did it!

I love that there are many different sized cabins and that Cabin Fever Vacations is able to accommodate any size family. Large families like ours could actually stay all together, which is so much better than hotel accommodations!

The View

The view from the back balconies was of the Smoky Mountains and it was stunning. In few days or so it would have been splashed with the colors of fall.

Don’t just take my word for it check out the video below:

The Road to the Cabin

The road to the cabin is a winding road, obviously since the cabin is on the mountain – wouldn’t want to see it in the winter! Though I am sure they are very good about keeping it clear and well maintained for any type of weather they experience.

The Atmosphere

The cabins were very close together but the atmosphere was very quiet. Though we may have changed that at certain points of our stay! Especially during our 80’s party! The people I met were were friendly in the cabin area
.
You may visit Cabin Fever Vacations at their website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and even Pinterest. They have an awesome social media presence.

I truly cannot wait to plan a visit to go back with my family. I know they will love Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Companies may have provided media rate or media tickets to assist in facilitation of this article. Experiences are all real and all opinions are my own.