Category: Tired Mommy’s Tales

Highlights of 2018 {Three Things Thursday}

I’ve had this idea of a blog series called Three Things Thursday for as long as I can remember. So for my first post of 2019, that’s what its going to be.

Three Things Thursday is basically what it sounds like – I’m going share 3 things that could be things I like, things I saw or ate or read.

To start it off, I’m going to list 3 highlights of 2018. I got to go to some cool places and did some really cool stuff so in no particular order…

2018 Highlights

Dollywood Insiders Panel

Being a member of the Dollywood Insiders panel will be a hard experience to top. I’ve been in the same room with Dolly Parton on various occasions as she made announcements regarding the future of Dollywood.

I ate amazing food, saw the Dollywood Stampede Show, previewed Splash Country before it was open for the season, got a sneak peek of Wildwood Grove construction, and had a relaxing facial at the DreamMore Resort and Spa.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some things but I was honored to be chosen and share my perspective with other Dollywood lovers.

Tim McGraw Concert

My mom, sisters and I don’t get many opportunities to spend time just the 4 of us. When we’re all in town together it can be hard to break away from the kids to do grown-up stuff.

Well, my dad got tickets for us girls to see the Soul2Soul concert when it came to Grand Rapids. It was a gift to my mom for Mother’s Day.

So we went up to Michigan one weekend in June, dropped the kids with Grandpa and headed off to Grand Rapids.

We grabbed some lunch and did some shopping at Downtown Market. Then we walked back to the hotel to rest up a bit (Jacqie was pretty preggo already ?), play some games and snack & drink.

The concert was a blast – even if no one around us would stand up and dance. Eventually, Jess and I couldn’t take it anymore and got to our feet to show those around us how to enjoy a concert.

Ha! They probably hated us. But we had FUN!!!

And the main highlight of the evening – MY MOM TOUCHED TIM MCGRAW!!!

Mom’s hand touching Tim McGraw’s bicep

Then it was back downtown to Hop Cat for more drinks and crack fries. We got some sleep at the hotel and before we knew it, we were headed back to real life.

Brooke’s Birthday Trip to Gulf Shores

Brooke had a big birthday this year – 10 years old!!! In lieu of gifts, we decided to plan a trip instead.

We headed off on a road trip to Gulf Shores during Fall Break. We rented a condo through AirBNB that was right on the beach.

We fought the waves at the beach, played in the sand, played board games and Brooke found herself a huge fan of Last Man Standing from afternoons of escaping from the sun in the condo.

We had a great time, just the two of us and I think we’re going to plan on taking the whole family down there next time we take a trip.

2018 had lots of fun moments so narrowing it down to 3 was kinda tricky. I’m looking forward to what 2019 brings.

What were some of your 2018 highlights?

November 2018 Costco Haul

Costco Haul November 2018 Blog

Last weekend, I made our monthly trip to Costco. It was a Saturday and I was shopping alone with the girls so I make no claims that it was a well thought out trip.

I’m not gonna say that there were tantrums & tears but there were tantrums & tears.

So clearly my ability to concentrate and make good decisions was somewhat limited. It only took a couple of hours before I realized I’d forgotten at least 3 things.

In the below video I mentioned that I would list out what we bought and the prices. These will be prices for the Knoxville, TN area.

Let me know if the comments below if this is helpful for you! I know before we committed to our membership we did as much research as possible so I’m happy to provide it if others find value in it.

That list is after the video below.

Price List

Rotisserie Chickens (x2) $4.00 ea
Whole Wheat Bread Double Packs (x2) $4.20 ea
Hot Dog Buns $2.99
Hamburger Buns $2.99
English Muffins $5.49
Naan Dippers $5.59
Parmesan Artichoke Spinach Dip $8.69
Salsa 2 Pack $7.79
Tuna 8 Packs (x2) $14.99 ea
Nautica Womens’ Pajamas $16.99
Frozen Mixed Vegetables $6.89
Romaine Lettuce $4.49
Bacon $11.49
6lb Bag Pears $7.99
Shredded Cheddar Double Pack (x2) $12.99 ea
Shredded Mozzarella Double Pack $10.59
2lb Block Colby Jack $4.99
Turkey Breast 3 Pack $9.99
Cute Cucumbers $5.49
Brownie Bites $6.99
Greek Yogurt $5.79
Cottage Cheese $4.59
Popcorn Chicken $9.29
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits $5.49
Veggie Tray $9.99
Gallon Whole Milk $2.59
Chex Mix $5.89
Trail Mix (x2) $13.39 ea
Crispy Onions $5.99
Five Cheese Tortolloni $9.99
Pecans $14.49
Coffee $8.99
Fig Bars $10.99
Balanced Breaks Snack Packs $9.89
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $4.49
4lb Butter $10.69
Goldfish $8.99
Dole Fruit Cups $7.99
Diced Tomatoes $5.99
Guacamole Cups $10.99
Chicken Stock $9.99
Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal $5.29
Toasty Crackers $5.89
Apple Sauce Pouches (x2) $9.99 ea
Black Leggings $11.99
Dog Nylabones $12.49
Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix $7.89
Ritz Crackers $6.29

So that was our November trip to Costco. Was it helpful to see the price breakdown of the items I bought?

Don’t forget to fill me in on all the best Costco buys!!

Video Tour of Dollywood’s Splash Country Baby Care Centers

My latest content is up at the Dollywood Insiders blog. See the excerpt below and then head over to read & see the rest!!!

When my little girls were babies, I always worried about outings because of the uncertainty of where I could nurse, change diapers or just escape the noise and stimulation.

There’s no need to worry about that at Dollywood’s Splash Country.

See the rest over at the Dollywood Insiders blog!

Dollywood Splash Country Baby Care Center Sign