Living in the mountains of NC allow so many festivities right in our backyard. This weekend was the Blowing Rock Winterfest. We have been attending this festival since M was a year old. It was bittersweet showing her the pictures of when she was a year old. Where does the time go?

The big hit each year of the Winterfest is the polar plunge. I am trying to talk my dad into jumping with me next year. We shall see?

Close to 100 people jumped for a cause this year. All money raised was going to Wine to Water to ensure people in Ethiopia have clean water. Such a remarkable cause to jump in freezing water for right?!

We headed over to Blowing Rock Park to partake in the kids activities. So many kids were filling the room from wall to wall. I loved seeing all the families come together for the kids and showcase so many smiles. The kids were enjoying designing their own snowflakes, making winter crafts and listening to a local artist do a group story-telling.

All of the designed snowflakes were used in an afternoon snowflake parade. After a quick bite of lunch, we headed over to watch the ice carving. I cannot wait to get back over to the park and take a sneak peek at all the finished carvings. The artists are so talented each year.

The fun doesn’t stop there. There is a chili cook-off, pet show, build your own snowman contest with real snow, bonfires, hayrides, shopping, game shows, concerts and more. Make sure to put it on your calendar next year and come visit beautiful Blowing Rock, NC.

As my readers know, we travel to Florida frequently. My husband’s family lives there so that is one reason we travel frequently, but the other reason is we love visiting Florida. One of our destinations that we thoroughly enjoy is the Orlando/Kissimmee area. We have stayed in several hotels that we absolutely have enjoyed, but it is nice when traveling with extended family members to have a choice that will give you more room. We were able to experience this with a recent stay in Orlando, Florida with Global Resort Homes. You will want to read all the way to the bottom of this post for an awesome giveaway!

From our first emails with their marketing team, I knew we were in professional and great hands. All my questions were answered with grace and very detailed. Also, they were very willing to get on the phone and talk as well. Customer service really plays a positive role in today’s society. So many companies only look at the bottom dollar and forget that people like to be treated with respect. Believe me, Global Resort Homes will go the extra mile for you.

As we drove the 10 hour trek to Florida, we were so ready to walk in and just relax. We were greeted with an amazing house. It really is your home away from home.

It was just so nice to walk into a beautiful decorated home with so much space and know you can just relax the entire time with your family. This particular house had 5 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms. There were two master bedrooms downstairs complete with their own bathrooms. Hubby and I both agreed we have not ever slept so soundly as we did while on vacation here. The beds are absolutely refreshing and so welcoming for a great night’s sleep.

There is also a third bedroom downstairs with a bathroom attached.

Each bedroom has it’s own television so there is no fighting over the show. Even though, with all the family and the pool outside, there probably will not be much television time unless late at night.

Also, the home comes complete with an awesome game room. See, I told you, who has time for television? The girls were having a blast with foosball while my husband was enjoying playing pool with family.

Upstairs includes two more bedrooms which one room is dedicated to Mickey Mouse. You are in the land of Disney after all.

The living room is spacious and has plenty of room to catch your Sunday football game with an afternoon nap on the sofa. Just speaking from experience!

One thing that is hard to do when you go on vacation and stay in a hotel is cook meals. You can spend so much money each day in meals. If you stay in a vacation home rental, then you are able to cook your own meals and save money. The kitchen was very spacious and you either had a choice of the dining room or sitting out by the pool with a huge table. We opted for the outside table most times to take in the beautiful sunshine but it was nice to have a full dining room for everyone as well.

Global Resort Vacation Home Positives:

* Only 10 to 15 minutes from the Main Gates of Disney
* Very quiet neighborhoods
* Great for extended family vacations
* Resort Parks with Clubhouse Activities
* Security Alarm
* Security Guards at the Gatehouses
* AWESOME Customer Service

As you can see, we were very impressed with our stay and very much recommend a vacation home rental for your next family vacation. Speaking of next family vacation… You can WIN accommodations for your next vacation right here!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader is going to win a 3 nights/4 days vacation rental from Global Resort Homes. Your home will be of your choice from a 2 -3 bedroom condo or townhome. You will select your dates. The vacation needs to be before December 20, 2012. Blackout dates include: March, April, June – August 15.

ENTER:

It is very easy to enter to win.

Follow Global Resort Homes on Facebook to stay updated with all their latest news and deals.

Disclosure: Global Resort Homes provided us with a Vacation Home Rental for our stay. No compensation was given. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

This past year has lived up to great expectations of travel for the One Moms World family. The girls were able to see the west-coast for the first time. This included several flights. My girls have been road tripping since they were both 6 weeks old, but they do love a fast flight to get to our destination quickly. We hope 2012 will bring even more flights and able to see more states in our quest to see all 50 states.

January

My first trip to Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN.

Several bloggers were together at Ocean Isle Inn at Ocean Isle Beach.

February

My first time flying out west to San Francisco. This just made my month. I was so filled with excitement and to be able to meet some of my co-workers in person for the first time at BabyCenter headquarters. I hope I am able to travel again to San Francisco and sight see more with my favorite boss Dina!

March

Disney World for an entire week filled our whole family with excitement. We were able to dance with our favorite Disney friends and just soak up the sunshine at the beautiful Grand Floridian.

April

We loaded up the first weekend of the month and took a road trip back to the beautiful NC Mountains. It was a nice surprise for my parents and just spoke to our hearts so much about moving back to the Mountains.

This southern girl went to cajun country (New Orleans) for the first time. I still don’t know about Bourbon Street but was so happy about seeing the beautiful architecture of New Orleans.

May

We headed to Greensboro, NC Mother’s Day weekend to look into the world of science at the Natural Science Center.

After rocking our world at the science center, we headed over to the Greensboro NC Children’s Museum.

Over Memorial Day, our family took on Cabarrus County in NC. So much family fun including our gold mining adventure that lead us to our first GOLD find!

After our big find, we headed over to a day of fun in the awesome Great Wolf Lodge water park.

June

June was a big month for us as we headed to the mid-west for the first time to Branson, Missouri. This was the first family air trip as well. The girls loved being on the plane altogether as a family.

We experienced so many thrills including our horseback riding and ziplining experience at Shepherd Hills.

Eating with our hands at Dixie Stampede

Taking our first dinner cruise on the Branson Belle.

Splishing and Splashing at White Water Branson!

July

I have always dreamed of flying over the Rockies and I was able to experience this in July on my trip out to Park City, Utah. This is now on my list to fly out the family to be able to experience these beautiful mountains and awesome city. Check out my thrill ride at Park City Resort.

August

August was a super busy month with travels and a move back to the NC Mountains. This was our first time to travel out west as a family. We went to San Diego, CA for 7 days and what a wonderful experience it was!

We were able to ride a seal boat in the beautiful waters of San Diego.

Seeing our first water rescue while on one of the boats of the Harbor Tours.

Visiting one of the greatest Zoos – San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. We were able to feed animals including giraffe.

We could not visit San Diego without visiting San Diego SeaWorld.

Also, we attended BlogHer as a family and meet our long-time online friends for the first time. Pure bliss!

September

We were beginning to enjoy being back in the Blue Ridge Mountains so this was a month of relaxation except for a weekend trip to Charlotte, NC for me to attend the Women of Faith conference with one of my besties Carolina Mama!

October

We started out October with a snowy adventure to the Autumn of Oz. Who knew it could be so cold the first weekend of October? It was so much fun though.

We celebrated L’s 7th Birthday at Tweetsie Railroad. So much fun for the whole family.

After Birthday celebrations, we retreated to Chattanooga, TN. This was our first time to this unique and fun city.

We jumped in the car and headed to Florida for a little fun in the sun. Our first adventure was at the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney.

Family fun time at SeaWorld in Orlando. (L would live at SeaWorld if we let her)

November

Since we seem to not get enough Florida, we took another road trip to experience a wonderful fam trip by Gaylord Palms for their Christmas celebration with ICE and SNOW!

December

December is always a fun month with Christmas and a birthday celebration for a special sweet girl M.

We started out the month in Concord enjoying all the Christmas festivities. Such a delight with our friends.

We enjoyed a drive through the festival of lights at Tanglewood. Even though it was a long wait, we had a van full so it was fun to spend time with several family members while waiting for the delightful light show.

As you can see, we had a full year of travel. So many fun and super cool experiences. Who knew my daughter M and I would free fall 102 feet this year? I never dreamed I would ever experience the free fall but 2011 was the year for fun adventures. I cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for us for family travel. It’s game on.

Happy New Year from my family to yours!

Christmas is officially only two sleeps away. Load up the family and head over to Concord, NC and enjoy wonderful family Christmas traditions.

Visit Cabarrus is eagerly awaiting your arrival with open arms.

First stop: Check out the Carolina Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Speedway is proudly boasting over 3 million lights this year.

They have included several unique family experiences such as watching a family Christmas movie on the biggest HD movie screen. Tonight and tomorrow night “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” will be showcasing at 7pm. It is drive-in style so bring the popcorn and enjoy a new family tradition.

We were able to watch Polar Express earlier this month.

So many new Christmas light displays this year.

Our favorite part of the Carolina Christmas is walking into the town of Bethlehem to see the live Nativity Scene. Such an amazing feeling!

You can always finish up your last minute shopping too at Concord Mills Mall. We grabbed a few gifts at Bass Pro Shop. This has to be my husband’s favorite store there.

Take a break and head over to Punchy’s Diner for a delicious meal. You will be took back to a 50′s style eatery. They even deliver the kid’s meals in 50′s style car. The girls were in awe. Also, check out the 50′s car display while you wait on your meal. The food was delicious and you can dance to a few gigs on the old jukebox.

After your belly is full, head over to Kannapolis and experience the Magic of Kannapolis Christmas.

The Celebration of Lights boasts more than 175,000 lights and takes place at Village Park until – December 31 (closed Christmas Eve and Day). In addition to the light displays, other activities will also take place each night. For example, you can roast marshmallows and make s’mores. Again this year there is a permanent home for Santa. Performances from our very own Kannapolis Singing Bears will entertain the young and young at heart with a 30-minute Christmas Carol performance each hour on the hour beginning at 6 pm each evening. Hot chocolate, coffee and warm apple cider are also available for purchase in the concession.

As you can see, there is so much to do and enjoy the wonderful Christmas season in Visit Cabarrus. Take time this Christmas weekend and have fun. If not this weekend, then you have until December 31, 2011 to experience the Christmas traditions. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Snow and ice is on the forecast at Gaylord Palms as you can see from the post I wrote last week. Who said it was always sunny in Florida? I proved that theory wrong. Gaylord Palms bring so much happiness with their ICE and Snow events. The events get even sweeter with all the nice extras that Gaylord Palms has added this year.

ShrekFeast Interactive Character Meals – The girls were amazed to wake up and head downstairs to breakfast and be greeted by Shrek. Each Shrek character took their time and went by each table and visited. The food was delicious and the whole family enjoyed all the interactions with the characters. Each meal is served buffet style with so many choices that if you leave hungry, it is your own fault. A Shrek fondue table is even included!

DreamWorks Animation 3D Theater Experience – This is a theater experience we could get use too. You walk the red carpet with paparazzi all around taking your picture.

Once you get down the red carpet, you get your choice of two different gourmet foods (you could make a meal out of this) and a super cool drink machine that allows you to mix your own unique drink. Very neat. Take a seat with all your goodies and put on your 3D glasses to watch Puss in Boots. The whole experience was extraordinary and full of fun for the whole family.

Gingerbread Decorating with Gingy – A real life gingerbread man takes you in for a fun and interactive family experience. We were able to choose between a Gingerbread House, a Gingerbread Family or a Gingerbread house ornaments. As the girls were working on their gingerbread creations, Gingy would interact with them and create lots of smiles and laughs with his interactions. He even would pose pictures with everyone. He has a smile that is undeniable . Overall, it was another experience that the whole family enjoyed and created memories that would last forever.

You can add any of these experiences with your ICE and SNOW tickets. Create a package and save money.

After you enjoy all the above fun, you can experience the festive Christmas shows held daily and nightly at Gaylord Palms included with your admission.

Luminescence. Enjoy a musical journey into the spirit of Christmas. The holiday season
comes alive with dazzling special effects, lighting and aerial choreography to tell the story of
Christmas. We were in awe at the show each night. The drummer performing in the air, the aerial choreography was so amazing. The girls actually requested to see the show each night so you know it had to be a favorite for them.

Christmas Wonders and Majestic Christmas Tree Lighting. A radiant and heart-warming stage
revue includes a ceremonial lighting of the 50-foot tall majestic Christmas tree!

Don’t forget to visit Santa before you leave as well.

As you can see, it truly is a heartwarming holiday tradition that the whole family will enjoy. Schedule your visit today, I promise you will not be disappointed.

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: We were invited on a FAM trip to the Gaylord Palms to experience all the holiday festivities. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms Resort makes holiday dreams come true. This is a statement that was read to me a couple of weeks ago before I attended this year’s ICE event at the Resort. I was already shaking my head in agreement before I even was able to capture the event in person. This was my third year of attending the Gaylord Palms ICE event. Each year it has got better and this year has topped the charts. Watch out Gaylord, you have your work cut out for you next year to make it even better. The entire family was in awe the whole time we were visiting the Gaylord Palms. I am going to share our ICE and Snow adventures with you today and then tomorrow share even more adventures that are included in this year’s holiday package.

The highlight of Christmas at Gaylord Palms, ICE! is open daily (till Jan. 2, 2012), including
holidays. With more than 16,000 square-feet of frosty 9-degree bliss played out in a winter
wonderland of exciting hand-carved sculptures, ICE! Is a favorite holiday tradition. This year it features
five 30-foot ice slides and an all-new, tribute to the unforgettable DreamWorks’ Animation TV classic
Shrek the Halls. The attraction is carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China, an area best
known for its annual International Ice and Snow Festival.

I am always so amazed by the work and carving skills. Let’s take a virtual stroll through the ICE event. Passing the hot chocolate around. Be prepared to be amazed!

Isn’t this just breathtaking? Believe me, it is even better in person. You will be in awe the whole time. M and I had to create laughter and family fun on the ICE slides. Yes, you are sliding on ice!

Gaylord Palms always over the last three years included a nativity scene in ice. The beauty, the twinkle of the light shining down has me in awe every time. We caught L standing in front of the Angel for a good three minutes. She would talk to the angel and just stare upwards. Hubby and I both got chills.

A new feature that was added last year is SNOW. Yes, really there is snow in Florida. The Kung Fun Panda Awesome SNOW! features more than 130-tons of snow is freshly made daily to allow kids of all ages to build snowmen and forts while playing in over 3-feet of the cold stuff. The best part? We did not even have to wear a coat. The atmosphere is kept at a crisp 55 degrees. The girls were having so much fun throwing snow balls and not having to worry about freezing. We built a snowman, had fun sliding down the slides and catching each other off guard with a snowball.

Truly a magical and wonderful holiday experience for the whole family. What are you waiting for? Go create memories and have a blast. Believe me, you will not regret the experience. Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: We were invited on a FAM trip to the Gaylord Palms to experience all the holiday festivities. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

We just can’t wait to get on the road again. It is very rare to go a whole month without traveling here at One Moms World, so we were very eager to get on the road to Chattanooga, TN last weekend. Even though TN is right beside NC, we had never visited Chattanooga. We jumped in our vehicle and was ready to take on the open road.

Once we arrived, we were greeted with the superb bell boys who were all so helpful and as we walked into The Chattanoogan Hotel, we all gasped. L said mommy this hotel is beautiful. M chimed in with how artistic the hotel was and hubby and I were enjoying seeing the smiles on the girls as they were mesmerized by the beauty.

We knew we were in for a delight when we heard the news from AAA. The Chattanoogan Hotel has been awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Rating for the third year in a row and is the only full-service hotel in Chattanooga to win the award.

After check-in, we made a quick dash onto the elevator and went straight to our room. The artistic decor continued in the rooms. It was an artsy and modern feel throughout the room. The first thing hubby commented was the space in the room. The beds were pillow-top which allowed a peaceful night’s rest the entire weekend.

Of course, the flat-screen TV caught the attention of the girls.

After ooohhing and ahhhing over the room, we knew we had to take a family tour through the rest of hotel. The hotel has large meeting rooms for conferences and weddings. They even have a amphitheater in the hotel, pretty cool huh?

Family fun can happen in the evenings as well with dancing to live music or even catching a game of pool with each other.

The grumbles began in our bellies so we made our way to the widely talked about Broad Street Grille right on location at the hotel. We were seated at the Chef’s table and were able to experience seeing our food cooked right before our eyes. Being able to talk to the Chef, I found out all food they use in the restaurant is all locally grown. The Chef treats the guests to to great variety from salads to seafood to steaks. Even pasta can be made tailored to your taste as it was for M. The food was absolutely delicious. All the food is of the American cuisine. If you leave hungry, it is your own fault. Best part of the night? I was able to try scallops for the first time. I didn’t know what I was eating at first, but I can say I am a huge fan now.

To keep the kids entertained while the parents are finishing their food, the Chef brought out Chef hats and crayons. Create your own Chef hat was born. Totally a win for the kids and the parents.

To top off each evening, we surrounded the fire pit outside and enjoyed the nightly breeze along with great conversations with the girls. All technology is cut-off and you are enjoying the family one-on-one. Priceless!

In addition to all the fun we were having as a family, mom escaped to the spa and relaxed with a full body massage while the girls were right next door in the indoor pool with jacuzzi Saturday morning. Afterwards, it was such a great feeling and let us have a great day as a family with no stress.

We all recommend to escape to The Chattanoogan. Experience it with the family and/or as a couple. The hotel has you covered and will even sneak in little bonuses to your room.

We left after our 3-day stay with such a warm feeling and even tighter knit bond as a family. Thank you The Chattanoogan Hotel.

Disclosure: We were provided a weekend by The Chattanoogan Hotel in order to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

The Fall colors have officially reached their peak and we now are beginning to get bare trees. The winds have been a force to reckon with this weekend and unfortunately, is winning by taking our beautiful color with it.

I was able to capture great shots though over the weekend and wanted to share with you. Enjoy! (click on photos to see larger image)

The Fall color is reaching its peak here in the NC Mountains. Driving through the mountain roads, your eyes are discovering the stunningly beautiful color that surrounds you on all sides.

You can see sharp red, bright yellow, and powerful orange peeking through the green leaves that have yet to turn.

As L walked up on our front porch after we arrived back home after our road trip. She stopped in her tracks and shouted. You guys have to come here right now. We have a beautiful red tree that has popped up. I walked onto the front porch and was mesmerized. Can I pause time? I see multiple front porch walks in my future. You get lost into God’s beauty by seeing all the beautiful Fall colors.

Grab the family and head to the NC mountains on a road trip. You will not be disappointed.

One of my favorite childhood movies was Wizard of Oz. I have passed on my love of this special movie onto my girls. They love the video probably more than I did, and that was A LOT! How cool is it to be able to experience the Wizard of Oz in real life? We were able to do just that this weekend at the Autumn of Oz Festival in Beech Mountain, NC.

This festival only takes place once a year. You never know if you will get sunshine, rain, a twister or in our case this time a blizzard. Ok, the blizzard may be slight exaggerating, but the wind was fierce, the temps were in the 30s and there was snow.

This wintry view did not stop us though as we were off to see the Wizard!

During the festival, your family will take a tour of Auntie Em’s and Uncle Henry’s farm and meet Dorothy and friends along the Yellow Brick Road. We for sure had a blast on the Yellow Brick Road. I had to stop a minute once we were on the road and watch my girls as they took each step so gracefully. Take a seat and let’s take a stroll through the Yellow Brick Road together!

We were there 2.5 hours and could have spent more time, but the cold weather took grip on our hands and would not let go. Next time we will make sure to take lots of gloves. Even with the cold weather, we all four had an amazing time. Lots of great discussions with the girls since they were able to “experience” the Wizard of Oz live!

Go ahead and save the link, and put this festival on your to-do list next year.

By the way, don’t I have the cutest little Dorothy ever? Big Thank YOU to HalloweenCostumes.com for providing her costume.