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Another Mother’s Day has officially come and gone!!! For the last several years we have attended the Mother’s Day Brunch at the Chautauqua Athenaeum Hotel. However, last year, I thought it would be fun to try something new. Total fail since we missed what had become a tradition of ours! Our lunch at a Buffalo steakhouse was delicious, but it just wasn’t the over the top fabulousness that we have grown to love at the Athenaeum Hotel!!! This year, even if it was 40 degrees so we had to bundle up and not wear the most colorful, spring looks in our closets and it may have been raining as well. Boo!! I made it a point to document our experience so those of you googling away next year know that the Mother’s Day Brunch at the Athenaeum is a not miss event!!! LocationThe Athenaeum Hotel is located inside the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. Since it is the Chautauqua off season, you do not need to purchase a day pass to enter the grounds. Just drive right in and head to the Athenaeum. Once at the hotel, enter and look for the Heirloom Dining Room. Since it is off season, when Mother’s Day happens to fall on a sunny day, the grounds of Chautauqua do make for fabulous photo opportunities!! We always take advantage since it’s one of the few times you can enter the grounds without paying for a day pass! So make sure your phone is fully charged for those photos!!!! PriceI’m not even going to deny it! This Mother’s Day Brunch is definitely on the pricy side. $45.95 for Adults and $14.95 for children. You do get what you pay for though. If the mom in your life loves to feel pampered and loves all thing elegant and fancy, this is the brunch for you. Worth every penny if mom is one who loves to dress up and see hubby in that tie! The DrinksThe good news is, mom does get a complementary mimosa! You get to choose from Apple, Grapefruit & Traditional Orange. The Athenaeum Hotel does have a full bar, so if a Bloody Mary is more your thing or even a mixed drink or beer, they have it!!! Cheers to mom!!! The FoodThis is what everyone always asks me in the comments when I spam my personal Facebook page with my annual Mother’s Day photos! Is the food good?! What do they serve? The food is definitely phenomenal. We wouldn’t be repeat guests if the food wasn’t out of this world. I’m a proclaimed wannabe chef, so good food is my thing & the Athenaeum delivers every year!!!! As for what is served? They offer carving stations featuring prime rib, Turkey & ham! I’m not usually a turkey fan, but their turkey really is out of this world. You get to choose from a variety of sides like asparagus, salads, mashed potatoes, stuffing! The Athenaeum also has breakfast stations for those of you wanting to make your own omelets and enjoy a waffles, bacon and sausage. A cheese display, soups and desserts along with breads are also available. So much food it’s sort of overwhelming. Always a good thing when that happens!! OpinionY’all already know I love the Athenaeum Hotel Mother’s Day Brunch!!! I recommend it to anyone that loves to feel like a princess or enjoys history, old fashioned type of things. The Athenaeum is a historic hotel that has hosted everyone from celebrities to presidents!!! Just being in this hotel gives me this feeling of wow!!!!So many amazing people have walked the hallways of this fabulous establishment and I get to sit and eat brunch there!!!! The food is also out of this world. If 4-5 star restaurants are your thing, this brunch is for you. My my only complaint is the fact it’s not exactly kid friendly food wise. My daughter is a picky eater and she ends up eating toast and cupcakes every year. Since it is Mother’s Day, you would think maybe some chicken fingers, pizza slices or maybe hot dogs would be offered, but they aren’t. Thankfully, the child price is only $14.95, so it’s not a total waste. My daughter probably eats that in cupcakes and drinks that in milk alone lol. Let’s Chat!! How Did You Spend Mother’s Day?The Recommended Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
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Ahhhhhhh nothing better than fun, family friendly activities popping up during the winter. During the summer? It’s easy peasy to find good olé entertainment. In the winter however, ughhhh! I will admit, things are getting better in the winter entertainment department, but it’s nothing like glorious summertime!!!! So when we heard about Peek’n Peak Linar Lights Tubing? You best believe we hit it up opening weekend to get the full scoop on the latest winter fun here in Western New York!! New! Lunar Lights Tubing at The Peak!The all-new Lunar Lights Tubing will transform nighttime snow tubing into a thrilling and mesmerizing atmosphere, featuring an ever-changing light show produced by thousands of LED lights and projection lights. The lights will pulse, fade and change in coordination with an immersive sound system. On select dates, the massive sound and light program will be operated by a live DJ. In between runs, tubers are carried to the top of the hill by a Magic Carpet Lift, which is similar to a conveyor belt. No need to struggle with hooking to a moving cable or hauling your tube to the top of the hill! Cost ~ $20 Per Person 2hr Pass Opinion?Honestly? It was a fun evening!!! I went into this with zero expectations since I know this is Westeen New York, and boy was I blown away! Fun tunes we’re playing on a speaker the whole time! Think top 100 type songs that you would hear on the radio. The place was also ridiculously packed, yet the line moved really fast so we had minimal wait times. I couldn’t believe that! I’m guessing they really do only sell a certain amount of tickets to make wait times not a thing! You can also link your tubes together, so if you have little ones not quite ready to tube on their own. Yet link your tube to theirs before heading down! The only disappointment I had was the fact that the rainbow LED lights didn’t shine the whole time. They would flash for about 5 minutes & then the regular lights would pop on for 5 minutes. We did go opening weekend, so this might have been a one time thing lights-wise. It made it hard for a blogger like me to snap those blog photos since I had to time things out perfectly to get those rainbow shots lol.... If you have been considering going? I totally recommend it! Totally worth the price and everyone young and old will have a fabulous time!!! Let’s Chat!Have you ever been tubing?The Recommended Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
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I finally had the chance to see “Hamilton” Thursday!!! The battle to score two tickets was ridiculous! I had to enter a lotto system through the host theater and keep my fingers crossed my email address was even drawn to ATTEMPT to purchase tickets the day tickets were released. That’s right, the lotto didn’t guarantee anything, but the chance to be on the ticket site when tickets went on sale. Apparently having a lotto system and a 4 ticket purchase limit minimizes the chance of scalpers scoring tickets. Since I’m obsessed with musicals & try to not miss a show at Shea’s, I obviously entered multiple emails and lucky enough, one of the three emails was drawn! After the ticket site crashing multiple times, and having to wait about 15-20 minutes to even check out once my tickets were in my cart, I was lucky enough to score two balcony tickets for the December 6th show at Shea’s in Buffalo,NY. After all the drama to land tickets, I’m sure you are all wondering, was it worth it? Did It Live Up To The Hype? Or did all that political nonsense really lead to the ticket sales and the show was just “ok”? Keep on reading to find out! PlotLike every other city, Buffalo played its part in the frenzy surrounding “Hamilton.” Legacy is the central theme of Hamilton which has landed this smashing hit 11 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize! Basically, the musical chronicles the life of Alexander Hamilton, America’s first Treasury Secretary, set to a hip-hop backdrop. It sounds crazy, but it works because the show’s arsenal of effects is simply overwhelming. The lyrics drive the narrative, the rap gives energy to the lyrics, and the dancers double the effect by adding a visual complement to the pulsing soundscape. “Hamilton" has everything: Love triangles, political intrigue, deadly duels and a petulant King George, played as a red-faced toddler on the verge of a tantrum. Perhaps the greatest gift is how touchingly familiar and human “Hamilton” makes the men and women who helped shape America seem! So unlike the cold faces under powdered wigs in portrait galleries & our dollar bills.They were ordinary people who, against all odds, fought against the whims of a king to achieve not only a legacy, but greatness together! That's history worth remembering. OpinionI get it! The hype, the reviews that include words like "phenomenon," "revolutionary" and "thrilling." The crazy ticket sales and the lotto systems for a chance to score them. After seeing Thursday night's performance at Shea’s,I get it! The show is a non-stop, electric spectacle that hits the gas immediately and doesn't take its foot off the pedal until the final curtain call. There's no dialogue, only song-after-song, rap battle after rap battle. You find yourself desperately trying to process every word before it speeds on to the next, while being captivated by the choreography that turns a simple stage with a rotating center into a front-row seat to history. The incredible structure of the show makes it feel effortless, even though I couldn't stop thinking about how much effort has to be made in order for it to have that effect. You also find yourself forgetting you're watching the story of one of the country's founding fathers and become fixated on the story of a man battling the weight of his own pressure for greatness, while trying to fight the demons and temptations waiting to derail him along the way. What Lin-Manuel Miranda did to a fascinating chapter in our history books is truly awe-inspiring. Taking the complexities of war, a developing nation and the interesting characters who inspired it all and telling their story through hip-hop, rap and yes, 21st century humor and lingo, takes "Hamilton" from a musical to a full-blown experience. If you have the chance to see “Hamilton”, do it! I promise it’s worth all the ticket hassle! I would do it all over in a heartbeat. Let’s Chat!Have you had the chance to see Hamilton? What’s your favorite musical?
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Pine Junction ~ Sherman, NY10/29/2018 This past Sunday we took a little drive out to one of our favorite places, The Peek n’ Peak, to take care of a few details to do with hubby’s work holiday party. Rooms are officially booked and I can’t wait to spend the weekend with the people my hubby spends his days with when not in my presence. On our way home hubby took a turn and I was like omg! He’s taking us to Pine Junction for lunch. WooHoo!!! This has been a restaurant I have been dying to go to again so I could snap a few photos to share with y’all! It’s THAT fab and I wanted to be able to ramble on and on about it! So happy I was able to stuff my face with deliciousness while checking those photos off of my do-do list. Such a great #SundayFunday. Pine JunctionBefore my daughter was born, Pine Junction was the place to go after you spent the day on the slopes at The Peek n’ Peak. Great food, awesome drinks and live music on the weekends. These days, Pine Junction makes a fabulous place for a family dinner. One of those places I love to take people from out of town since the decor is straight up wood cabin, county chic! Always a hit! DrinksOne of my favorite things about Pine Junction just happens to be the Beer Flights! I’m usually a wine girl , but when at Pine Junction I like to feel cool with a beer flight since they are pretty affordable! Only $8 and you get 4 decent sized beers of your choice. Now, I’m not going to lie, this is probably the most unadventurous beer flight of all times, but it sure was yummy! Angry Orchard, Blue Moon, Blueberry & Yuengling. I never had an Angry Orchard with cinnamon & sugar sprinkled on top. Beyond delicious. I will be ordering all my cider beers like this for now on. MenuNow for the part you all have been waiting for, the menu!! Steaks, burgers, sandwiches, wings, pulled pork and my favorite chili!!!! Something for everyone. They also have a normal kids menu too. If you have been a The Trophy WifeStyle reader for awhile, then you know we are always on the hunt for normal kids menus. While I wish my daughter at kale, she’s more of a grilled cheese kind of gal & Pine Junction passed the Grilled Cheese test. As I mention above, the chili is my favorite!!! After a long day of skiing, I love to order a bowl of chili loaded with cheese and onion! Since I was craving wings this past Sunday, I went with a cup as a starter. If you’re a wing lover, you must try the wings! Hubby and I both ordered wings. Nothing better than an ice cold beer and wings on a football Sunday. The wings are a tad bit different, in a great way, compared to those dinky wings you get at a pizza shop. Super crispy, super big AND super yummy! The steaks are pretty yummy as well. If I’m at Pine Junction on a Steak Fry night, that’s my meal of choice. I also love the pulled pork when in a bbq mood. Let’s Chat!Tell me about your family’s favorite restaurants? What are your favorite foods?The Recommended Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
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Walk 4 Paws10/22/2018 This past Saturday we took our Pomsky pup, Abby Cadabby on the longest walk of her life!!! A mile and a half long walk around Chautauqua Institution for all the fur babies at the Chautauqua County Humane Society during the Walk for Paws! To be fair, we adopted Abby Cadabby in September. (If you missed our Puppy Announcement, get filled in!) She’s still an itty bitty puppy & a family newbie. So it’s not like we deprive our sweet furbaby of the great outdoors, we just haven’t gotten around to those long walks. It’s cold here in NY! I’m sure in the spring when Abby is a tad bit bigger & not so lazy & lap-dog like, those walks will be a fabulous way for me to get my butt in shape while giving Abby a taste of the great outdoors. Walk 4 PawsThe Walk 4 Paws is our local Humane Societies largest fundraiser of the year!! You sign up as an individual or you can form a team. We walked under The Trophy WifeStyle this year! That’s right, we formed a team! Once you sign up and fundraise for the Chautauqua County Humane Society, you and your dog walk a mile and a half at Chautauqua Institution. This year all the participants were able to contribute over $30,000!!! WooHoo!!! Thankfully the weather was pretty fab for a fall day! It was chilly, but the sun was out and the rain stopped just long enough for us to start and finish the walk. I swear right when we got to our cars to leave after the walk, the rain came. Perfect timing. I was also pretty proud of my 6 year old daughter & 4 month old puppy! Both made it about 85% of the way before they started to get sluggish. That’s huge for a puppy still learning to walk on a leash and a 6 year old who is in physical therapy! Costume ContestThe Wak 4 Paws also has a fun costume contest!!!! My daughter and I are all about themes, so of course Abby Cadabby HAD to dress as a unicorn. She didn’t win, but it was still fun to shop for a costume and have her strut her stuff at the event. Let’s Chat!Have you ever participated in a walk or race for a great cause?
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Peekn’ Peak Fall Fest 201810/15/2018 Ahhhhh fall!!!! I may not be a fan of the cooler weather. #ForeverAFloridaGirl , but I do love fall activities!!! Fall is filled with so much family fun, I almost forget how miserable I get once the temps go below 60 degrees. This past weekend was the first weekend of the Peek'n Peak Fall Festival. We have been going every year since my daughter was one, so it has become a yearly family tradition! Definitely one of the better fall festivals in the area for sure! Save The Dates: Oct. 20-21, 2018Celebrate Fall at the 31st Annual Fall Fest at Peek'n Peak Resort! Two weekends full of fall fun in the foothills of Western New York. Brilliant foliage sets the scene for a juried craft show with more than 130 vendors and a farmers' market beside activities like the pumpkin cannon, children's games, petting zoo, live entertainment, pony rides, ski lift rides, classic car cruise-in and an annual snowsports equipment swap! Make sure to come plenty hungry and thirsty because the Peek'n Peak Fall Festival is filled with all sorts of goodies! A beer tent filled with brews and wine and even a fried dough stand!!! If you are in the mood for a real meal, tons of lunch and dinner options as well :) Have the kiddos with you?! You can purchase entertainment tickets for $1 a piece and your kiddos can enjoy activities such as bounce houses, pony rides, train rides and more!!! You can even enjoy a carriage ride FOR FREE! Let’s Chat!Have you attended a Fall Festival before? Have you had a chance to visit Peekn’ Peak?The Recommended Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
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Going to a pumpkin patch and taking those insta-worthy photos is always on that fall bucket list! While I’m thankful we even have pumpkin patches here in WNY, the ones we have had the pleasure of roaming the past few years were just ok! Nothing fancy. Just pumpkins, jump pillows, goats to pet and corn kernels to roll around in. After like 30 minutes you are beyond ready to leave and scheming up ways to pull your kiddo out of the corn kernel pit. When I spotted a Facebook ad last week about the Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence, NY (buffalo) I was intrigued! They claimed amusement rides, haunted houses, food vendors, even a bar! The Great Pumpkin Farm looked to be a place for all ages! Something for everyone besides the wannabe Insta-models posing with pumpkins and toddlers swimming in corn. The Great Pumpkin FarmThe Great Pumpkin Farm started out in 1996 by hosting the World Pumpkin Weigh-off. The Great Pumpkin Farm ended up in the Guinness World Book of Records for the first 1,000-pound pumpkin! From there, the Pumpkin Farm grew each year to include more signature events, rides and attractions and, today, it’s one of Western New York’s signature fall events! This year The Great Pumpkin Farm is home to a Hay maze, Petting Zoo, Boo Barn, Playground, shop & bakery, Witches Brew Bar, Food Venders, and many rides and attractions! The best way to describe The Great Pumpkin Farm is to call it a fair with signature pumpkin patch activities! Adminssion is Free weekdays and $8 on weekends. Check the schedule to make sure the attraction you are most excited is open the day you are trying to make your trip! Full Bar!The Great Pumpkin Farm is home to TWO bars! That’s right TWO! I was pretty excited when I heard this, so the first thing we did was grab a cider beer then headed to the playground! Mama could care less how long you’re playing with a drink in her hand. Looking for a date night idea?!? Head to the Witches Brew Bar for a craft beer or even a specialty halloween drink before heading out the the rides and pumpkins!!! I would love it if hubby planned an evening like that for me. A girl can dream. Traditional ActivitiesJust like every other pumpkin patch in the word, The Great Pumpkin Farm has all the traditional activities like Hay Rides, The Cow Train, Pillow Jumper, Animals. All included in your weekend admission price. Weekdays, some of these activities may cost you a fee. Photo OptsThe Great Pumpkin Farm definitely wins the award for most photographable pumpkin farm in WNY! So much artwork to pose in front of and soooooo many pumpkin setups! I wish it would have been a colder day (did I really just say that!) so I could have been dressed falltastic & not sweating to death in 80 degree heat. I would have loved a cute fall styled photo opt! PumpkinsChoose your family favorite pumpkin to take home from the unique display of ZILLIONS of pumpkins. Don’t forget your stalks, gourds and mums to decorate your home for Halloween! Pricing: (from website) • PUMPKINS – $.45 lb • PIE PUMPKINS – Orange or White – $.55 lb / Minimum $1.00 each • LG GOURDS, DECORATIVE & WHITE Pumpkins – $.55 lb • Small GOURDS – 2 for $1.00 • CORN STALKS – $4.00 each OR 3 for $10.00 • HAY BALES – $8.00 each • INDIAN CORN – $4.00 each • MUMS – $7.99 each OR 4 for $30.00 • PUMPKINS – MINI – $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00 • PUMPKINS – DECORATED Small – $4.00 each • PUMPKINS – PAINTED Characters – $7.50 each Amusment RidesCatch a ride on a Carousel, the Ferris Wheel or one of the other favorite family rides at the Midway! This midway is legit like a fair!!! I even spotted one of those saucer type rides that tips you upside down!! Have you you ever wanted to shoot a zombie? Give Zombie Paint Ball a try! Pony Rides are always a favorite of my daughters so you best believe we checked out the pony after taking getting our thrills from the midway!!!! Are shows more your thing? Watch the Magic Show, Cackling Hen Revue, Juggling & Comedy Ventriloquism or watch the Pig Race!! Worth The Drive?I think it’s safe to say we were blown away with The Great Pumpkin Farm! I will admit that I never took the chance to visit a pumpkin farm before I was a mom, so I only have two other farms to compare it to. Those other two have nothing on The Great Pumpkin Farm. Honestly, one of them costs more and has not even a quarter of the activities The Great Pumpkin Farm has. So much to do for all ages! We really had the best afternoon. I’m still on cloud nine today because of all the family fun we had. Beyond happy I decided to make the hour+ journey to check a new place out. So worth the long drive. New yearly tradition. Next year we will be bringing others with us to join in on the good ole family fun! Let’s Chat!Have you taken your kiddos to a pumpkin patch?
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Busti Apple Festival10/1/2018 Ahhhhh fall!!! Tis the season of all things Apple!!! Since I’m not a pumpkin fan, I’m all about the apple deliciousness once fall hits! #TeamApple One of the local events my family and I look forward to every fall is the Busti Apple Festival in Busti, Ny. Only a 10 minute drive from us in Jamestown!! We have been taking my daughter every year since she was born, so it’s literally a yearly tradition to go buy apples, cider and brows all of the crafts and other d.i.y goodies for sale! Obviously the Busti Apple Festival is exactly that! A festival focused on apples. With a $5 per person admission fee per person, 12 under free, which goes to the Busti Fire Department, you are free to roam the grounds of the Busti Mill where craft venders, food venders and of course apples and cider are for sale. I’m all about the snacks at these types of festivals. Last year while attending the Busti Apple Festival, I snacked on fried dough while hubby grubbed on curly fries. This year we were all about the mini donuts. So yummy! Wish I had some right meowwww! If you follow me on Instagram, you know my daughter is horse & unicorn obsessed!!! She even takes riding lessons. So of course we always opt for the hay rides when we spot them! $4 a person for anyone curious :) Such a fun day! I totally recommend attending the Busti Apple Festival if you’re in the area! Tons of crafts if you’re into D.I.Y decor, yummy snacks for all you foodies and of course the most delicious apples & cider you can get your hands on! Just make sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting a tad bit muddy since you will be roaming a field & make sure to dress for that freezing in the morning & scorching in the afternoon weather. Sounds silly, but dressing appropriately can make or break your experience. Let’s Chat!Have you been to the Busti Apple Festival? Do you have an Apple Festival in your area?The Recommended Posts widget will appear here on the published site.
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5/13/2019
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