Mickey Moms Club: Giveaway

Planning a trip to Disney? Never before have their been so many great tools to help you map out all of the details. When is the best time to go? Where should I stay? How long is the lineup for Soarin' at Epcot? Are there any special character meals I should plan for, and how far in advance do I need to book them? My child has a peanut allergy, where can we eat safely? How far am I from the nearest hospital should anything go wrong? Disney is one of my favourite destinations and companies. They do a lot of things really well. Their service is the best, top notch, the standard by which all other companies should measure themselves. One other thing they do amazingly well is social media. Disney has an on line team of Moms, a panel, always at the ready to respond to your questions. Their job as bloggers and team Mickey is to answer your questions. Visit Disney.ca  and click on Moms Panel. Many of these Moms are Disney experts, who travel there routinely and know all the ins and outs. Once a year Disney puts the call out for a Moms panel and they typically receive thousands of responses. This year Kelli from The Yummy Mummy Club reminded me it was time for Disney to put out the call for applications and so I applied. Last month I found out I hadn't made the cut. But that won't stop me from applying again in the future. I adore Disney for all that they do well. The new Disney Moms Panel is to be unveiled soon and in the mean time anyone who applied is a member of the MickeyMomsClub with special access to more tips, maps and other kid's activities on line. Next year, if you are a tried and true Mouseketeer apply to join the panel and add your expertise to the formidable group. (Tip: I think they run this contest every fall and they quiz you on Disney trivia, so be prepared. Also you need to have been to Disney within the past 12 months. The Disney company is very good to their panel and flies them at least once a year to the resort for a Moms media event.) In the mean time I am now a MickeyMomsClub member. I have a giveaway to share that I picked up at Type A Mom conference. (See the pink bag full of Mickey Mouse Mom's goodies above.) Included is a photo album brag book, some travel candles, and handy purse-sized hand gels and other goodies. It's a nice little travel bag kit.)

Open to Canada and U.S. I will draw for the winner Nov. 20th with random.org. Good luck!

To enter:
1. Follow me on twitter. @inkscrblr
2. Follow thriftymommagogo (see GFC on side here.)
3. Leave me your email so I can contact you when you win.

Good Luck!

Asheville, North Carolina: Colourful and One of a Kind



The home of famous American author Thomas Wolfe

Asheville is a friendly, warm southern state filled with colourful stories, great restaurants and even more colourful characters. On arriving in Asheville, North Carolina, I encountered a group of musicians picking up their instruments from the baggage carousel. That's not something you see every day in London, Ontario where we try hard to hide our artsy secret lives beneath business suits or day jobs. Cab driver Tom Grandy confirms Asheville is a liberal, artistic, outdoorsy, community surrounded by states that are much less liberal in their politics. In fact located between mountain ranges the area is known as an energy mecca for artists of all sorts. It draws legions of practicing pagans and wiccans every year as well. Asheville is the largest city in Western, North Carolina, with great picturesque mountain ranges and hiking trails. In the winter there is skiing and in summer the rivers and golf courses draw some to the area. There is no end to the number of fun outdoorsy activities to enjoy with family. Zip Lining, mountain biking, sightseeing and hiking are healthy ways to spend the afternoon. From the street performers to the cab drivers, everyone has a story to tell. Some famed Hollywood stars are rumoured to have homes here, like Sandra Bullock and Andie McDowell. Cabby Tom Grandy is often called on when celebs like Gladys Knight and her family fly into the small town. About  70,000 people call this city home. It is tricky to get to for those of you, who, like me, are from Canada. There are no flights without stopovers and the drive from most places in southern Ontario is well over 12 hours straight through. But it is nonetheless a popular spot for other Americans and Canadians who don't mind the drive. I flew to Asheville for the Type A Mom conference recently and wished I'd brought family with me when I heard of the enjoyable hiking trails. If I were to travel here agin I would be tempted to drive with the whole family as flying was an ordeal with numerous stopovers and delays. A slower scenic drive might be more fun, when done with a group and with a couple of strategic tourist stops on the way. A fall trip to the mountains is majestic especially if timed to witness the changing foliage. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the climate in Asheville is temperate. Snow falls in the winter, but there are few snowstorms. Downtown Asheville is a thriving and beautiful spot to visit, whether on foot, by car, or inside one of the fun tourist buses. Street performers and artists lend the dynamic core a vibrant tone and life. Downtown there is an amazing drum circle every Friday evening that is brilliant. The small shops and mom and pop operations have lasted for years. Remarkably they have resisted change and the overall effect is a powerful lesson in civic planning. Asheville's downtown doesn't contain the big name stores that some places rely so heavily on, but it is vibrant and magnificent, one of a kind. Asheville architecture is unique, with many buildings remarkably preserved from the 1800s. Restaurants are plentiful and also varied in their themes. One evening we had the chance to dine at Chai Pani on Indian food. The atmosphere was fantastic, prices and service good and the food itself even better.  Before you leave take a trip to the top of Skybar, also on Battery Park Avenue. Inside, there is a quaint old fashioned elevator, equipped with an operator, and a ride to the top will net you the best view in town.

A street performer on Thursday night

Asheville is a place know for its art galleries, and is one of the only airports I've ever been in that boasts its own gallery. Culturally, it is a distinct community that offers a lot and takes some of its homespun flavour from the Appalachians. The Biltmore Estate is located here in Asheville, and if time permits, it is a piece of history that should be taken in. Known as the biggest home ever built in the United States and once lived in by the VanderBilt family, it has over 200 rooms and the house itself is a grand, opulent, chateau  - an American castle. It has been temporary setting to many movies over the past sixty or so years and was opened to the public as a tourist attraction back in the 1930s. I didn't know what to expect of this city before I visited. It was a charming place to visit and I would recommend it for a fun family adventure, especially if your family enjoys getting outdoors.  A jewel of the Carolinas, Asheville is well worth the visit.

Some of the architecture is well preserved and dates to the 1800s

Blue Mountain Collingwood and Plunge!

Blue Mountain Collingwood is a spot I haven't visited since I was maybe 12 years old. When the opportunity came up to check out Blue Mountain this past weekend we were curious to see how things had changed. With my Lay's Chip Trips once again, we were able to save a few bucks on this trip. In total a day for four at Plunge is about $42. We saved on one free child's admission. It was a lovely treat to stay in Weider Lodge at the base of Blue Mountain and Plunge was a hoot. I'd very much recommend this venue for kids even younger than ours. Plunge is an aquatic area with a plunge pool, a couple of water features indoors and pools outside. There are numerous hot tubs for all ages and, as you can see in the video, even spouses can enjoy the rope swing into the deep end. Modelled after old style boathouses, Plunge is quaint and picturesque. There are many Plunge! packages that come with a stay here. I would say this water park is more suited to children even younger than ours. It's like a starter water park.

The village at the base of Blue Mountain is amazing. Excellent and unique shops include Hatley's Scoops, an ice cream parlour with Hatley's merchandise. We timed it so that the gorgeous children's wear and adult's equestrain  - themed items were on sale half price. That was unexpected and a lovely little highlight. Picked up cute little horse rainboats for my daughter who does therapeutic riding programs and loves horses. Restaurants here are pricey. Luckily the drive to town is very short and many restaurants are affordable there. Also many rooms come with kitchenettes.  Before we left town we were able to take the gondola up the mountains ($20) for four of us and hike throughout the moutains up top. This was a lot more fun that I thought it would be, but bring proper hiking shoes for kids if you plan to do this.

More big chairs or Holy Smokes the kids shrank again!

Hiking at the top of Blue Mountain: An unexpected treat, but leave your Crocs at home.

We arrived on Saturday and there were horse-drawn carriage rides being offered. Also there is rock climbing and mountain biking and an endless array of activities for all ages. Weider Lodge was affordable for a two-night stay (under $500 for the four of us in a bachelor suite with fully stocked kitchen.) It was a chalet style room and quite nice, but the beds were hard and kids slept on a pullout sofabed. Before we left Collingwood, we visited the Westin Trillium House, a newer building that is cleaner and simply a lot nicer. The rooms were spacious and much more modern with TVs in every room. Next time I would choose a stay here instead - even if that meant paying a bit more. Blue Mountain Resorts, owned by Intrawest, are clustered around the village. One building is Weider Lodge in Blue Mountain Inn and the rest of the buildings have other names. Westin Trillium House is about a two-minute walk from Weider Lodge. For kids there is a playground, a pool at every lodging resort building, and scheduled events if you time it right. We just missed the outdoor movie night, but I am plotting for next year already. The town square has a cute fountain that's essentially a very small splash pad. There is something to do every season at Blue Mountain. In the fall there are numerous festivals. There are some truly lovely opportunities to enjoy Collingwood throughout September and October. The Apple Festival is one highlight I would head back for if money were unlimited here at my house. In the winter of course Collingwood is well known to skiers. I highly recommend this venue and will come back.

$$$$$ out of $$$$$ thriftymommas rating. For more about Lay's Chip Trips visit http://tiny.cc/7hud0
For more about Blue Mountain visit http://www/.bluemountain.ca/

I am participating in the Lay's Chip Trips program by Mom Central on behalf of Frito Lay Canada. I received Lay's Chip Trips and a gift card to offset my trip costs to facilitate this post. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Bruce County Museum Prehistoric Sea Monsters

Last year I spent some time blogging about the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Southampton.  At that time there was an amazing dinosaur exhibit. This year, when we once again found ourselves back at the cottage, we wondered how they might top last year's animatronic dinos and BBC film. Well, somehow they did it with prehistoric sea monsters larger than life. (See Payton below.) If you are still heading for the beach between now and September 6th, when the exhibit ends, you should find a way to visit this one. It was well worth it and more than a bit scary. There is an excellent documentary recreation of prehistoric sea life in the theatre. Try to take the tour of fairy lake and take pictures, not souvenirs. The price is more than most are worth, but admission is reasonable and the adventure is educational. The Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre is located at 33 Victoria Street North in  Southampton, On. It's only half an hour from Sauble Beach and Port Elgin.

Hours are: Mon. to Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays and Holidays: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Adult: $8.00, Seniors and Students are $6. Children under 12 are $4. Three and under free.



Thriftymommas rating $$$$ out of $$$$$.
Wonder what they'll come up with next year??!!