Life's Sweet Journey

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Missing the Magic! Favorite Magic Kingdom Food for Less

Oh my goodness, have I been missing Disney!! With Food and Wine going on I am so sad that we don't have passes anymore. We had our "Year-O-Disney" and it was time for a change up, so we got Flo (who I dearly love!), but oh, I am missing the magic and the wonder... and the FOOD!! 
So, since I am sitting here hungry and salivating I figured it was as good a time as any to share our favorite places to eat for cheap around the Kingdom!! As a couple we were always on the hunt for foods that would be filling and yummy, but also shareable! It really helps on the Disney pocketbook! I am not sure how well this would work if you had kiddos, but for us these sharing was our fail safe way to save a few pennies on food at the Magic Kingdom. Here are the spots we found that works best at, while still getting delicious food...

Golden Oak Outpost Fry Cart!! 
Oh my gosh and goodness!! These loaded fries are by far our favorites! Sadly, we didn't discover then until late in our Disney game. We tried to go back to the Magic Kingdom as often as we could as our passes were ending, sometimes just so we could have these yummies. They are also totally man approved, as they were always what Babe would request for lunch. Golden Oak used to only be open for lunch, but we have heard that they stay open later now! We would often share one to tide us over until we got a bigger dinner, but if we wanted to go all out they are still not bad at just around $8 per person! Definitely worth the cost and calories!! We loved them all, but my favorite was the BLT!! 

Gaston's Tavern Roasted Pork Shank!!
This is the perfect meal to split, making the cost right at $5 per person. It is so good and so juicy and also huge! Between the two of us we could barely finish, but don't worry we managed!! And though it does add a little bit to the cost, it is also really hard to pass up the warm cinnamon roll. So gooey and good and perfect for sharing with multiple people ($5 for the roll). We would usually do this option for dinner and sit outside after the sun had gone down to enjoy a little break before hitting Fantasyland! 

Cosmic Ray's Cheeseburger!!
Our favorite spot to grab a burger used to be Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe, we enjoyed the atmosphere better and would make it our "go-to spot" before hitting my personal favorite, Splash Mountain. However, Peco Bill now serves tex-mex, which we will have to go back and try, but haven't made it since they changed. However, Cosmic Ray's offers similar burger options. We would usually split the burger (huge) and fries. We would load up our half of the burger to our liking at the free condiment bar (onions, mushrooms, all the fixings) and chow down. This would usually be a lunch option before a bigger dinner and comes out to about $8 per person. While probably our least favorite of all these options this would be a quick and easy go to and sometimes, well, you just want a burger after a long morning trekking around the park. 

Columbia Harbor House Seafood Mac and Cheese!!
Cheese, glorious cheese!! I love me some mac and cheese!! Add in lobster and I am in heaven!! Seriously, this stuff makes me happy and while it isn't super Babe approved (he is not a mac and cheese fan), he still enjoys it too. It is also really rich, which to us makes it super filling, so we can share one no problem. It may look smaller, but trust me, it hits the spot perfectly for two people! It is a little more expensive than the others, coming out at about $7 per person if you are splitting, but I mean lobster!! Lobster and cheese and happiness for $7? It can't be beat! We would eat it, sit a minute and then hit the Haunted Mansion for a slow, easy ride while the cheese digested!! 

I realize that these are all share options, but coming from two people who love their food (and one who will get real hangry if she doesn't eat enough), you definitely get enough to satisfy! 

And for those of you looking to explore Epcot and The Food and Wine options, here are some of my favorites dines from last year! Oh, miss it! I miss it!! 

Have a gloriously, magical day!
Any tips or tricks of your own for saving on food at the park? 
Share in the comments, I would love to know your secrets! 

Friday, October 23, 2015

Loving Lately

It's been a busy week around these parts! From out of state wedding fun to Run 4 Recovery planning talks with my sweet daddy we have been pretty go, go, GO! We are gearing up for a garage sale this morning (PURGE ALL THE THINGS!!), so I thought I would just take a minute to share some of what I have been loving lately before jumping off to the next task on the checklist... 
PRETTY JEWELRY! I love my awesome and colorful necklace from Noonday Collection. My sweet friend Lauren (who blogs overs at Boundary Stone) recently became an ambassador with Noonday. If you haven't heard about Noonday, they are a jewelry/fashion company who links arms with those in vulnerable communities to help create jobs, empower woman and impact the lives of these families all over the globe. If you are interested in learning more or just want to shop around a bit, you can do so here! Such cute, cute stuff!! I love cute stuff with a great message and reach! 
PERSONAL HAPPIES! I got the sweetest gift from the kids I have watched for the past almost 11 years. As they have gotten older and we have entered new seasons in our lives my time with them has gotten further apart. But now that just means that we are more intentional about making time to be together and that when we are it is that much more full of all the things we enjoy. You know those people that become like family? That is these guys and it made their sweet gift that much sweeter!! 

PLUMDOG! So far this is my most favoritest (yup, that is totally a word!) book that I have gotten from blogging for books! The illustrations are so sweet and the book is adorable. It is a diary told from the perspective of a dog and while it may sound like a kids book it is the perfect book for adults (especially dog lovers) and children alike. In my opinion it makes a great coffee table book, one that people can pick up and skim through to put a smile on their face!! Just look at these cute illustrations and sweet excerpt... 
How much more adorable can you get?! 

WRINKLE FREE EYES!! I received the OZ Naturals Matrix 6 eye gel free for review, but the opinions are all my own. I love this stuff! I have tried quite a few different eye creams, some with good results and some that don't seem to do much, this stuff however, works like a charm. I can feel it tightening around my eyes as soon as I put it on. It evens out my skin and can be applied under makeup. You can apply it twice a day and, in my opinion, the results last for a good period of time, pulling skin tighter and making fine lines appear smaller (some even nonexistent) immediately. 

*Note: I would also add a lotion on top before you apply makeup as it does occasionally (on my skin, depending on weather) make the makeup appear dry.

5.) SERENITY PRAYER SHIRT!! If you saw Tuesday's post, then you saw the Serenity Prayer tank I made to help raise funds to support the Run 4 Recovery happening in a few weeks. It can be ordered as a tank or a tee and you can currently enter to win one of your choice between now and Sunday. 


Hope you are having a wonderful FRIDAY!! FRI-YAY!! 
What are you loving lately? 

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Running 4 Recovery

I don't really think I need to say much for this post, other than please watch the video. My daddy is the sweet man at the end, the one holding a picture of my brother. Addiction is a beast, one that can tear and kill and destroy. That is why I am so proud of my dad, the men of MBS Surf Co. and the amazing team of people that put this video together for their first Run 4 Recovery. Take a look... 


If you would like to donate, sponsor or live locally and would like to run you can sign up at their website. You can also support the race by purchasing a Serenity Prayer shirt. I made them to honor my brother's memory and to help raise money for the race. 

You can also enter to win one below. The winner will be chosen on Sunday and I will email you to find out your size, color choice and address and have it sent your way! (Thank you to all those who entered, I am really sorry, but I actually had to remove this giveaway. Thank you for understanding.) 

For more of my thoughts about the race and the battle against addiction you can read this post from earlier in the month.
And for those in the throes of addiction, helping a family member or friend on their recovery road, or making the choice each and every day to stay in recovery my prayers and thoughts are with you. Recovery isn't easy, but it's worth it. It is so worth it! 



Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday Currently: Tennessee Road Trip Edition

Linking up for another edition of The Sunday Currently...
Reading: I just finished reading The Gates of Evangeline. It was a recommendation from People magazine and when I found it at the library I had to grab it. I think I finished it in three days. I was hooked and it kept me wanting to read more and more. I hated when I had to put it down. It’s a great book, full of mystery and intrigue. A little spooky even- not scary. You find yourself connecting to the characters, even the protagonist. I also loved that I didn’t call all parts of this book. Though I did call a good portion of it I always love when some of the ending surprises me (in an good way). Any book that can throw a twist my way without outraging me is a good book in my world any day of the week!!
Writing- As of right now, just this. I did finish an article for our church magazine though that I am pretty excited to see in print. This is my second one and each time I do one I still get nervous.  
Listening- to the radio in the car. We road tripped to Tennessee this weekend for my cousins wedding.
Thinking- That I got pretty blessed to have found the perfect road trip partner! He spoils me. He packs the car early in the morning, wakes me at 5am so that all I have to do is stumble to the car and fall back asleep while he drives. Waking up to his bearded face, driving in the sunshiney morning makes me smile a lot. Even when he tells me I look a hot mess after I pull my head out from under my blanket, maybe especially when! Love is all about being open and honest right?! (P.S. I called him pretty).
Smelling- My coffee and the crisp Fall weather outside my window.
Wishing- That we could stay in Tennessee a little longer and continue to watch the leaves change colors, while spending time with family on the porch. Tennessee is my happy place and some of my very favorite people live there. Back to Florida it is though. That’s pretty happy too I guess!
Hoping- That the cooler Florida weather continues to stick around. It was so nice before we left and apparently is supposed to be even cooler when we get home!!
Wearing- T-shirt, shorts and bare feet on the dashboard, my go to road trip attire!
Loving- All the time in the car this weekend! Time in the car with just my Babe, a book or two and the tunes on the radio is total perfection to me. So two full days in the car for a one day wedding is right up my alley! 
Wanting- To be super productive this week! I worked on cleaning out the house all last weekend to prepare for a garage sale we are having on Friday. It was time to purge, A LOT! So I am hoping to go through the house again this week and get rid of at least two more boxes of stuff. Getting rid of stuff is usually really hard for me, but I have felt this need for simplicity recently so it is time for it all the just GO! 
Needing- To see my sister and my sweet nephew baby! I feel like life is so much more hectic then when all my other nieces and nephews were born. I was younger and it just seemed easier to carve out time to meet up. But life being busy doesn’t mean I can’t be more intentional about finding time to visit. Babies grow so quick and I want to cover him in kisses before he is old enough to not want as many!
Feeling- At peace. Car rides do that for me. I think it’s also the reason Flo makes me so happy. I just feel at peace on the road, there’s not much you can worry about focusing on in the car. You don’t have connection really to anything except your destination and the person sitting next to you. Glorious I tell ya!!

Clicking- Through Instagram and Facebook and Youtube videos- my dad and the guys at Mind, Body and Soul have a new video they just posted for their recovery race. I’m pretty proud of them, that’s for sure! My daddy, he’s the handsome man at the end of the video, with the big heart and a story of fight and redemption.


What are is your Sunday looking like currently?

Friday, October 16, 2015

5 Favorite Extra Cash Apps

I use to be quite the couponer, but ain't nobody got time for that anymore (well at least not this girl)! I mean, these days, we are lucky if we ever even make it to the store for groceries! But I still love finding ways to either save a few bucks at the store or even better make a few dollars when I shop. I had known about ibotta back when I was couponing, but I never kept up with it. But when my sister-in-law reminded me of it a few weeks back she also told me about a few others apps that you can download in order to make a little side cash.

Here are my favorites:
ibotta- I gave it another go and actually love it. It is so fun scanning the barcodes with my phone! Plus, it is the receipt App I have made the most money on so far. I use to use it before I shopped to try to add things to my list, but I found that I was buying stuff I never used. Now, I wait until after my trip, I plug in where I shopped and search the deals to see if any matched. Most of the time they do. There has been a handful of times when I don't make any money off a shopping trip, but then there are others where I will hit it big and have 5+ deals on one receipt. Usually though I am least get one match. You can also take part in challenges each month, with changes to earn even more. For example, October's challenge is to redeem at least 10 rebates worth $0.25 and to have a team rebate total of $10. You can connect with friends who also have ibotta, so the more people on your team the more chances of hitting the goal. If you would like to join my team you can use 'ndvyayn' when you sign up. You don't have to, but I would love to have you join in on the fun with me! Plus, we both get a little incentive with your sign-up. You can cash out once you hit $10 and receive your money through Pay Pal, Venmo or get a gift card (lots of options to choose from).

Receipt Pal- Receipt Pal is my second favorite receipt app mostly because they take pretty much everything and each receipt is worth the same point value. So they can add up quickly! You basically just take a picture of your receipt and once you get a square filled (4 receipts) you score 100 points. Think of all the fast food, gas, Starbucks... runs you go through in a week. It will really add up quick. Companies basically just want to know how and where you are spending so companies can better know how to advertise. One thing I don't like as much about Receipt Pal is that you don't have a Pay Pal option, but gift cards are always great!!

Yaarlo- This is another receipt app that simply wants to know how and where you are spending money. This one sounded appealing to me because, like receipt pal, they also take pretty much any receipt. They also give you %1 of whatever your purchase total was in cash. That is how their reward system works. To me it sounded like it could build up fast, but then I realized that most of my daily purchases are really small. So this one has taken a while to build, but it's pretty much the more you spend the more you earn. Which I guess can be said for all of them, but this one in particular. This is another one where you can get a little bonus if you want to use my code (MELANIES285). You can get paid through Pay Pal or you can get a gift card to places like Amazon, Target and Starbucks.

Receipt Hog- This one has taken the longest to build. They only accept certain receipts (mostly grocery stores) and are based on a point system. The larger your purchase, the more points you get. Most of my purchases under $10, which only counts for 5 points. If you have a large family and your purchases are higher then your points will build quicker. I do love getting to play the little piggy slot machine though which you earn spins towards on purchases made at major department stores. Receipt Hog doesn't currently accept gas or food receipts. You can use my referral bonus for some bonus spins for us both (cloft568). You get your cash through either Pay Pal or as an Amazon gift card.
Those are my receipt apps (listed in order or preference), below is an app that will pay you to complete tasks in your area. It is very similar to secret shopping except sometimes you are asked to actually do something (I once found an item to put on the shelf at Walmart). Let's just say thing app can have you complete some of the most interesting tasks, but it gives you the chance to walk in someone else's shoes and see things you may have never been privvy to before (ie to Walmart stockroom! Guys, those Walmart stockers need mad props!)

Gigwalk- This is the app I have made the most money through ($50 since I joined). However, I also live in a very large city and there always seems to be an assignment available. I actually haven't taken one in a while because they have all been for about $3 and they aren't anywhere near places I am going. Sometimes you get lucky though. I took a $30 gig that happened to be on my way while running errands and another right near where I work ($15). Most gigs average at about $5 and involve going to places like 7'11 to see if they have a specific product on display the correct way. You get a gig by applying for it and waiting to see if you were the one chosen to complete it. So you do somewhat have to plan ahead. I usually hear back within a day, but there have been some that have taken longer before hearing if I was accepted or declined for it. That's one of the downsides to being in a bigger city. Sure there are more gigs available, but there are also a whole lot more people competing for those gigs.

The receipt apps are great because you can always do them, but Gigwalk is worth taking a look at too!

If you are like me and love playing around with time sucking apps anyways, why not at least play around with some that will reward you right?! Most of the time my husband hates my phone, but he doesn't mind it so much as long as he sees receipts sitting next to me. Heck, he even saves his receipts and gives them to me at the end of the day.

Speaking of Time: The receipt apps don't really take that much time. More often then not I will snap a picture in my car while I am riding shot gun on our way home from dinner. If I do happen to make it home I will put it on the kitchen counter and wait a day or two, let them build up and then snap them all at once, which usually takes no more than 3-5 minutes and I do it all while watching t.v.

What about you? Any apps you love using that offer fun rewards? 
Here's to a little extra cash, happy rewards and FRIDAY! 
Hope your weekend is full of all this happy!!