Omg y’all!!! Can it be?!?! A post that has zero to do with food!!?? Honestly, it’s been a tad bit hard for me to talk about anything but lately simply for the fact that the world is legit insane right now. I don’t want to be promoting things that can be hazardous to anyone, so I’ve been blogging all things food since the only place one needs to wander is the kitchen to make that yumminess happen!

With the world slowly opening up depending where you call home, I figured it’s time for me to talk about passions of mine that don’t involve the kitchen!

This weekend my family & I will be traveling a whole 45 minutes away for a mini staycation! Our first getaway since February. With many others planning road trips a tad bit further, I thought it would be fun to share a few road trip games to keep the kiddos occupied. I know many New Yorkers are heading to places like the Poconos and the Shore, so download these 4 games to make sure that car ride is a smooth one!

​Enjoy!

Safe to say there isn’t a child out there, heck not even that many adults that aren’t obsessed with all things Frozen. So when we heard one of our favorite staycation spots, The Peek n’Peak was hosting a frozen themed family dinner, you best believe we scooped up tickets! We even made sure to get an extra one for Haylie’s Elsa obsessed cousin.

Spend the evening with some of your favorite characters while enjoying sing-a-longs, short performances and photo opportunities. Dinner will be served, including a variety of fresh pizzas and salads.

Ticket Pricing:
- $25 per Adult
- $15 per Kid (Ages 3-12)
- FREE (Kids Ages 2 and under)

The eats on the evening menu were cheese and pepperoni pizza. Salads, dinner rolls, lemonade, water and a hot chocolate bar! Basically as kid and parent friendly as foods can get! All served buffet style.

I actually went back & forth about writing this review. We are obsessed with the Peek n’ Peak! We practically live at the pool all winter long! So when I have to tell you guys, the event was just ok. It sort of breaks my heart.

To start out, the room was set up fabulously! Gave me wedding vibes!!! Each person had a marshmallow snowman to put together while waiting for the show to start, which I thought was a very festive touch.

The food? Exactly what we expected. Pizza and salad. You can’t go wrong with that combo! Only issue was this was set up buffet style and kids had to wait in super long lines to get food. If the Peek were to ever do this event again, I would hope for maybe being served family style? Bring a giant bowl of salad and a pizza to the tables. Keep refilling if needed. The lines and the amount of people in attendance just wasn’t a good mix. This was an event for kiddos and kids do not wait very well.

Also there wasn’t bar service. While this wasn’t that big of a deal for me personally, there were so many guests walking back and forth to the bar that it made me sit back and wonder why they just didn’t send a cocktail waitress upstairs to serve everyone? Major money the Peek could have made! Maybe next time have a beer/wine list and have that setup upstairs so there isn’t so much back and forth for the waitresses and guests. I think a lot more people would have been chill and more relaxed with a drink in hand. Maybe they wouldn’t have even minded their antsy kids behavior when it came to the long food lines?

As for the entertainment, the cast was fantastic! My daughter and her cousin were so happy to meet their favorite frozen characters and to see them perform!

So our overall experience was just ok! Would I go again? Probably! I would have to read the schedule of events and see if anything was tweeked.

My daughter and her cousin loved everything about the characters! They just wish they could have eaten when they wanted to eat. 3 & 7 year olds aren’t exactly that patient.

I really do hope to see more events like this in the future! I hope if anyone at the Peek does read this, that they take this criticism with love. We are huge fans of the peek! You did a marvelous job trying to entertain our kiddos! Just learn from the mistakes and plan an even better event next time!!! Hope to see an event invite in my inbox for another family dinner real soon :):):)

Finally!!! Let’s talk Beaches Resorts Turks & Caicos #FoodPorn ! Y’all know when I travel eating the best is a must!!! I’m the biggest foodie ever and bomb food is a passion of mine!!! If I travel somewhere and I find out I didn’t have the best, I literally get depressed. We couldn’t let that happen on this trip! I just had to try it all!!

With over 22 restaurants at Beaches Turks & Caicos, it was a foodies paradise!! With less than a week to make sure we tried the best of the best, Hubby and I got to eating as soon as we arrived. Literally, we dropped our stuff off in our room and immediately hit up restaurant #1 minutes after arriving!

The funny thing was, we would keep trying all of this amazing food around the resort, but would end up eating lunch #2 ( yes a second lunch, it’s all inclusive so a second lunch is a must! ) at The Jerk Shack!

Only place I have ever dined on better Jerk Chicken is from hole in the wall restaurants in Jamaica itself!!!

​Safe to say since we ended up at The Jerk Shack over and over, The Jerk Shack gets my #1 spot for Beaches Resorts Turks & Caicos Lunch Spots!

Jerk Chicken, jerk pork, jerk fish!!!! It’s a jerk paradise!!! My absolute favorite was the pork!!! This was the first time I ever had jerk pork and honestly it’s my new obsession!!!!!

The best part of all? You can keep going up for more and more since Beaches is all inclusive! You can try everything all at once if you’re that motivated!!!

Now let’s talk sides!!!! You definitely do not want to forget about those!!! The grilled corn was literally to die for & the sweet potato fries were so yum!!!

Are you really eating lunch in paradise without a delicious cocktail in hand?!?! I was hooked on The Mama Shack! I’m not usually a liquor drinker, but when I do decide to sip on a cocktail instead of my beloved champagne, I love me some coconut run and this cocktail was full of it!!! A total girly drink with a huge kick since it taste like juice, but will have you laughing like a school girl when you walk away since it’s definitely boozy!!!

On our very last day in Turks & Caicos, while swimming at the Caribbean Pool at Beaches, we discovered Irie Grill! If you’re obsessed with The Jerk Shack, you will be just as obsessed with Irie Grill build your own Jerk Tacos! That’s right, delicious Jerk on a tortilla poolside!!! I was so sad I didn’t discover this delicious hidden jem sooner, since Jerk and tacos combined might actually be one of my new favorite foods!!!

Since all the business knowledge I picked up from incredible business minds like Jamie Kern Lima (Founder It Cosmetics) Daymond John (Shark Tank/FUBU) and Rebecca Minkoff is fresh on my mind, I figured I would share my takeaways before getting into all the why you need to go to Beaches NOW content! I’m sure all my fellow boss babes can use a tip or two and these business minds had a few fabulous ones I just need to share!!!

Don’t Let Copycats Intimidate You.

This is honestly the biggest thing I left Turks feeling better about. I may only be considered a macro-influencer, but other influencers love to copy me! People in my very own backyard don’t even hide the fact they copy everything down to what I eat, drink and say online! If I’m keeping it real with y’all it low-key makes me self conscious. Like how would other people know I was the original?! How would readers know I started that trend? Having your hard work and ideas ripped off is a horrible feeling to deal with.

Then I heard Jamie Kern Lima give a very inspirational pep talk about copycats! She created a billion dollar beauty business and had brands bigger than her steal her ideas and you know what? They eventually failed at what she was excelling at because people know when others are faking things.

The truth always comes out! My ideas and what I say are real online and will be the same real 10 years from now. I never plan on changing only growing as a person and brand! These copy cats can only copy for so long before they get burnt out and can’t keep up with the lie anymore! People will eventually see right through it all and click that unfollow button.

Long story short, all of us boss babes need to stay in our own lanes and keep on kicking ass ignoring those copycats. They will take themselves out eventually.

Numbers Do Not Matter

​Long gone are the days where only youtubers with millions of subscribers are the only ones to make that cash! According to speakers from both google/YouTube and Facebook/IG, brands are looking for community these days. It’s the macro influencer time to shine!!!! Same with you micro influencers!

Have a strong community behind your blog/socials?
Share that in your pitches!!!

​Likes/followers are a thing of the past and those shares/comments mean way more when it comes to cashing in and making your dream job of creating content for a living a reality!

Instagram Stories
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​Figure out your “secret sauce” for sharing on your insta stories! The good news is I tend to over share on my stories and I was pretty much told that I should keep on doing that! No such thing as over sharing since over half a billion people actively post to their stories daily!!! That’s right half a freaking billion since stories are an amazing tool to let your community into your life!

Blog about vacations?! Share how you find those amazing vacation deals on those stories!

Is makeup your jam?! Do your daily makeup on your stories!

​People love to see the un edited version of your brand, so share it!

Hi y’all!!! I’m back! Did you miss me while I was chillen with Mickey?!? Sorry to go completely dark over here, but a break from routine was needed and honestly it was exactly what your girl needed! My mind is so rested now and I’m ready to pump out that bomb content you expect from me.

The first of many topics I plan to touch on in the next few weeks is Frontier Airlines! I posted a photo of my daughter on my insta stories and I got swarmed with questions! Basically the same question worded slightly different over and over.

That question?! What do I think of Frontier Airlines?!?!

Since my flight experience is so fresh in my mind, I figured I would start with telling you the pro’s and con’s! That way you can make a decision for yourself on whether you take Frontier on your next family vacation!

Price ~ I’m pretty sure the only reason anyone is drawn to Frontier Airlines is due to the price. They are so much cheaper than every other airline!!! My family of 3 flew to Las Vegas DURING SPRING BREAK for $300 + bags! Our trip to Disney over Labor Day?!? $375 + bags! You can’t beat these prices!!!

Luggage Cost ~ $38 a bag!!!! Most major airlines charge $25, so the luggage price is slightly higher. Honestly though, it’s not ridiculously high like other budget airlines, and even after adding it to your round trip ticket, this con isn’t that bad! Worst case scenario? Share a large suitcase since you get 50lbs!!!

No Carry-On ~ you can take one personal item with you and that is it!!! The personal item can be a small backpack. Think laptop backpacks and children’s backpacks, even purses. Basically anything that fits under the seat in front of you. Want to bring a carryon suitcase and place it in the overhead?’ That will cost you! Honestly, this con really does not affect many. Just choose if you’re checking or carrying your luggage. It’s going to cost you the same for that bag being placed on or under that plane!

No “Free” Drinks ~ While there are flight attendants that serve beverages, those beverages will cost you! That’s right! No “free” in flight soda! They need to cut corners somewhere and this is apparently one corner they cut! Annoying? Yes! But you can always bring a drink on the plane with your if you really need that in flight soda that bad.

Seat Assignments Cost You ~ want guaranteed seat assignments?!? Again, that will cost you! Honestly, this is something all airlines seem to be doing these days! Even American wants you to pay for those guaranteed seats! So annoying! I however have never once paid for a guaranteed seat since I’m always flying with a small child. I have always asked for seats together at the airport if I happen to get a separated seat assignment and they place me with my daughter.

Emergency Situations ~ Now this is what made me write this very post! While this is just an overall sucky situation, it’s something you need to consider when booking a flight on any budget airline! If your flight needs to be canceled for any reason! Say a hurricane named Dorian was headed your direction and your flight gets canceled?! You are straight out of luck! You either get a refund or a rescheduled flight when they happen to have an empty seat! You see, small airlines are not alliances with other airlines! Your flight on Delta gets canceled?! No big deal! They are partners with several other airlines and can possibly put you on another flight with a partner airline that day. Frontier however cannot do that. We had to take a refund and drive ourselves home since our flight was canceled due to weather and the next available flight was 4 days later. Unless we wanted to stay in a hotel for 4 more nights, we had zero choice but to drive a rental car home! While these situations are rare, they do happen and they are something you should think about when booking your vacation!

While my list of cons definitely outweighs the pro’s, you may be shocked to hear me say I would fly Frontier Airlines again! You just can’t beat the price and the con’s aren’t that bad! The worst is the emergency situations, but how often are you stuck in a hurricane in Orlando of all places?!?! That really doesn’t happen too often believe it or not. I lived in Orlando for 8 years! Orlando is where people evacuate to, not evacuate from! It was a rare situation that just sucked for everyone!

However, flying out of the country on Frontier?! I think I would pass on that since getting stranded over seas or even in the Caribbean?!? Ughh! That sounds like a nightmare! I will forever fly out of the country on airlines I know are partners with many!!!

​ Cheap airline tickets to Disney or Vegas?!? Sign me up! I will take the risk knowing I can eventually get myself home if an emergency were to happen.

I know what you are thinking!!!! Really Courtney? Sunflower field tips?! Yes really! I know last year I would have been rolling my eyes at such a topic! Then I went to my first sunflower field and boy was I not prepared. You best believe I wish I would have skimmed what I assumed would be a pointless post before going on my first sunflower adventure.

On Monday Haylie and I went back to our favorite Sunflower Field, Sunflowers of Sanford NY for the second year in a row. We were definitely prepared this time around and I will fill you in on what you need to know below :)

1. Bring Water ~ You will be doing a lot of walking! Even if you don’t feel like carrying a bottle of water around with you, have a bottle in the car for when you are finished. You will be doing more walking than you expect. You will thank yourself later that you brought that bottle of water along with you on your Sunflower adventure since it gets hot!!!

2. Shoes ~ I know you want to look insta fabulous for those sunflower photos, but wear an old pair of shoes or sandals. Old sneakers would be preferred since it is a muddy field, but if you’re like me, you want to look glam. Rock an old pair of sandals that you care less about, so when they get dirty, you could care less.

3. Weather ~ Check the weather. Last year we went on our sunflower adventure the day after it rained! Even though it was 85 degrees and sunny, the field was still a muddy mess! I so wish we would have waited a day or two for the field to dry up! Our feet were covered in mud by the time we left.

4. Bring Cash ~ If you plan on picking your own Sunflowers to bring home, plan on bringing some cash! I think it’s safe to assume most Sunflower fields are cash only! Thankfully this was something I assume about all farms so I was prepared, but a lot of other folks were disappointed to leave Sunflower-less.

5. Timing is Everything ~ Sunflowers topically have a lifespan of two weeks. That’s right, you have two weeks once those sunflower bloom to snag those insta shots! You want to stalk the sunflower farm near you to find out when the sunflowers are due to bloom and head on over ASAP. If you wait too long, you will end up like us last year with droopy sunflowers in the background.

6. Beware of Bumblebees ~ Sunflower fields are like Disneyland for bumblebees. They are everywhere. If you’re allergic to bumblebees, you might want to stay away, or at least wear some bug spray!

Another fabulous Big Bounce America weekend has come and gone! We had so much fun at last years Big Bounce America event in Buffalo, that we had to go back again this year! We heard that there were so many new additions to the event that we just HAD to check them out!!!

Since we like to think of ourselves as pros at this point, I figured I would share a few tips since so many people keep asking me if the Junior Session is “safe” from crazy older kids? I figured I would give everyone some peace of mind here and tell you yes!!!! Your kiddos are safe and give you a few other fabulous tips you may need to enjoy your day at the Big Bounce America!!

1. Be Prepared To Run ~ while I feel like adults will have just as much fun as the kiddos, be prepared to run all over that bounce house! It wasn’t just my daughter bouncing off at lighting speed. Everywhere I would look I would see a parent racing after their kiddo. You don’t realize how fast your kids are until you look away for 2 seconds and they are off to another corner of the bounce house! So much fun, but you will literally lose 729202 calories from all that bouncing and chasing you will do! No need to work out for about a week now lol.

2. Pick A Meeting Spot ~ Just Incase you do lose your kiddo, before you start to even bounce, choose a meeting spot. If your kiddo loses you, they know where to head. We chose the DJ booth since it was smack in the middle. Easy to find and you can still have fun if you get separated bouncing to the tunes! Thankfully we did not have to use our meeting spot, but it did give me peace of mind knowing we had one just Incase the unthinkable happened!

3. Who Can Bounce?? ~ Any kids aged 7 & under and their parents/caretakers!!! No big kids allowed which is nice if you have little ones. Unfortunately this does mean if you are the mama to a few older kids and want to attend Big Bounce America as a family, you will need to attend the older kid sessions since older kids are not permitted.

4. What Goes On Inside The Bounce House? ~ Inside the bounce house they have inflatable activities such as basketball hoops, obstacle runs! They have inflatable chill out areas (big boats, oversized sofas, palm trees etc), inflatable animals and characters for you to grab a photo with, slides, ball pits and all manner of awesome entertainment!!! There is also an awesome DJ Spinning age appropriate tunes such as Frozen and Dora the Explore. So fun and nice since every kid trying to do these activities is under 7! You don't have to worry about too much since all the kids are pretty young! No fighting etc, just a bunch of little ones having fun.

5. Bring Water! ~ While yes, Big Bounce America does have a water stand with Dixi Cups, I would recommend bringing your own water. You will be crazy thirsty after all that bouncing and depending on how your event is set up, the water station may be far away. Our station was on the complete opposite end of the Main bounce house. Bring a water bottle! You will thank me later!!!