Update

Hi my wonderful readers! I have been MIA due to some serious health issues and the passing of my father-in-law, but I wanted to check in and let you know that I am back! I look forward to bringing you some awesome travel review blogs, RV DIYs (as we recently purchased our first travel trailer), camping hacks, and of course hair and makeup blogs! Thanks for your patience and support! See ya soon!

Consolidated Gold Mine of Dahlonega, Ga

On our latest family adventure we traveled to Helen, Ga and the surrounding areas for some hiking, rest, and relaxation. During my research of the area and some fun things to do, I stumbled across Consolidated Gold Mine located in Dahlonega, Ga. My 7 year old has a fascination for all things gems, rocks, and just about anything found underground, so I knew this would be perfect for him, but I never could have anticipated the joy all of us got from this adventure! In our group were all ages, ranging from 61 down to my 7 year old, and there were definitely fun things for each of us to do.  When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful location and surroundings. My son and 9 year old daughter were immediately ready to start mining! When you arrive you let them know what all you will be participating in, they offer guided mine tours, panning for gold and gemstones. We decided to do the mine tour, which includes a sample pan of dirt to mine for gold which you get to keep, and the gemstone mining.

First up was the panning for gold. When you purchase a mine tour you receive a sample pan of dirt to pan for gold. There is a short video to watch to help you figure out the best technique to find the gold flakes in your pan. After that, you get to try your hand at panning for gold! We had a blast doing this, and even though you will only get about 2-3 gold flakes at the end of your panning, they give you your flakes in a little vile of water to keep, and my kids, and their grandma, loved this part!

Next up was the mine tour. It is started out by a 7 minute video about the mine's history. I liked this part because it also helps to get your eyes adjusted to less light since you will be going down into a dimly lit mine. I will say that my mother who has mobility issues did decide to sit this part of the day out since there are some stairs and a slippery slope down into the mine. Even though she didn't do this part of the tour, she was busy and entertained in the jewelry and gemstone cutting area of the gift shop! Once down in the mine, you will be in awe at the views, history and even some tools left down in the mine! My son was truly in his element! Our tour guide CJ was great at keeping us all entertained and laughing the whole way through! I do suffer slightly from claustrophobia, and had a few moments where I thought maybe I should turn back, but honestly, CJ kept my mind off of it with his witty banter and tunes he sang through the mine. 

Next, and the last activity, was the gemstone mining. We were given the Super Gem Bucket for our family of 6, and it was jam packed with awesome gemstones, some valuable and some just awesome rocks! I will say, this was the part that the whole family enjoyed the most. Sifting through this 5 gallon bucket full of dirt to find treasures was a lot of fun. At the end, each person gets to take their bag of gems and rocks to find out which of them are valuable and which are just "cool rocks." There were quite a few valuable gems found throughout our group, the best being my father's find of a pretty large Sapphire! When you are finished, you can choose to have one, or all of your gems cut and polished and put into beautiful jewelry right there in the shop. They did tell us that they have a couple day turn around so if you wont be in the area long, they can ship it back to you. We didn't take advantage of this service this time, but it is such a neat way to turn your treasure into something you can treasure forever!

Overall, this was a unique, interesting, and downright fun way for our whole family to spend an afternoon!!The kids are already asking when we get to go back!

Although I received a discount rate for the tour and the Super Bucket for free, all of the opinions and this review are 100% honest! We had a great time and cannot wait to return!

Maxi Dress Try On and Review- Amazon and Pinkblush

I had fun trying on and showing some of the maxi dresses I have been loving lately. I show you some of the ones I purchased on Amazon, as well as some I received from Pinkblush. Enjoy!

Boutique 511 Goody-Bag

Have you seen my Boutique 511 goody bag unboxing video?

ShopPinkBlush Maxi Dress Review

This is my sister rocking her ShopPinkBlush.com maxi dress! We love their dresses because not only are they super comfortable and wrinkle free, but they also look good on different body types. I have reviewed 2 maxi dresses from ShopPinkBlush.com already, click here to read my review, and I wanted to show you one of their dresses on a different body type. My sister is about 5' 4" and as you can see in this picture, even in heels, it is grazing the floor. Be aware of the sizing and length on their site, because even at my height of 5' 9" some have grazed the floor for me as well. She said that even though this is long, it is one of her favorite dresses! The belt really helps emphasize the natural waist and gives definition to the smallest part. These dresses are great to look "put together" with very little to no effort. They wear easily and the lightweight, but still nice quality material make them a dream for busy ladies! We both are very different in our styles and body types, but have found that these dresses are some of our favorite cuts and styles. They have a wide variety of prints, so you are sure to find the right style for you. There are also some shorter versions and some short sleeved options as well. 

Although these dresses were sent to us for review, the opinions are all our own HONEST thoughts!

Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm and Davy Crockett Mini Golf Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Our next two stops on our family adventure were something the kids had been asking to do since we passed them on our way into Gatlinburg, the Ripley's Old MacDonald's Farm and Davy Crockett Mini Golf attractions!! If you missed my review of the Aquarium of the Smokies click here, and the Guinness World Records and 5D Moving Theater click here! Let us check out Old MacDonald's Farm first!

The website says:

• With 54 holes of “down on the farm” family fun, this mini-golf course features animated barnyard characters, water features, and interactive elements at every turn. We’re just outside of Gatlinburg, in nearby Sevierville. 

The kids enjoyed all of the fun animals all around the course! You can choose what level of course you want to do, and even the easiest has some difficult holes. We had such a blast keeping score and having a friendly competition.

They also have an arcade for when it gets too hot, score!! :)

On a separate day we decided to visit the Davy Crockett Mini Golf course. This was the one we noticed on our arrival into Gatlinburg.

 

The website says:

With the Great Smoky Mountains as the backdrop, this fun-themed course replicates the “old days” when a Tennessee hero named Davy Crockett roamed “them thar hills”. Family and friends will enjoy spending a day with Ripley’s.

We enjoyed all of the animals and characters all throughout the course. As with the Old MacDonald's course, you can choose which course you take, and even the easiest has challenging holes. This was a fun experience as a family! Be sure to wear your sunscreen, I nursed a minor sunburn after not realizing I hadn't slathered myself before! The hubby and kids wore some and were just fine!

These both were your typical Mini Golf experiences, just with fun Farm and Country themes! 

Oh, and they both offered free games if you made it into the right hole on the last hole. My hubby actually won a free game! Both kids agreed that the Davy Crockett course was their favorite.

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the opinions and experiences are true and all mine! :)

Guinness World Records Adventure and Ripley's Moving Theater 5D Gatlinburg Tennessee Review

Our next stop on our fun family trip was the Guinness World Records Adventure in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! If you haven't seen the review of the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, click here! My kids were so excited to try and attempt to break some records! They are open 365 days a year and have 100's of exhibits as well as over 20 interactive games and challenges. This was a fun way to burn off some extra energy for the kids, and my husband and I really enjoyed competing with each other on some of the games! In the beginning you create an avatar and it is linked to a special bracelet you wear and scan at each of the games and exhibits. Ours did not always work, but when it did it kept track of our record and score.

Here are some of our family's favorites:

My 8 year old daughter loved the Most Hula Hoops.

My 7 year old son loved the Lumberjack challenge and PacMan.

My husband and I enjoyed some of the "old school" challenges like the football "kick." And we both loved the PacMan as well.

I don't think this attraction would take a full day, an hour or 2 at the most, but we all loved getting out of the heat and getting some energy out! And as a mom to 2 rambunctious kids, that was a great bonus!! :)

Because it only took us about an hour and a half to go through this attraction, we decided to visit the Ripleys Moving Theater 5D the same day. 

We watched two short movies, lasting about 4-7 minutes each, in moving seats. It was like one of those ride simulators where you get strapped in and the seats move. The movies were a  Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote film, which was very jerky and both kids agreed it was not their favorite, and an Angry Birds film which the whole family enjoyed. The Angry Birds film and ride were way smoother and the kids enjoyed the "story" a lot more. It was a fun and quick break from walking in the heat in Gatlinburg. :)

Although I received tickets in exchange for a review, all of the thoughts and opinions are all my own and completely true!!