The post y’all have been waiting for!!!! I was a planning on waiting a day or two since I just posted our Jellystone Premiere Villa 2 Bedroom review, but holy smokes!!!It’s crazy! I love my instagram the most when I travel because my notifications literally go off the hook!!! Nothing makes me feel better about the things I share as my fellow travel friends blowing up my feed!!!!! It’s totally awesome!!! But honestly I just wasn’t really expecting THAT with Jellystone.

Not because Jellystones not a totally fabulous camping spot, but because I feel like everyone has been this summer and I was probably the last one to make the Jellystone WNY voyage lol... with all of the crazy travel restrictions due to covid, places like Jellystone & Splash Lagoon have been the IT staycation spots for Western New Yorkers! Boy was I wrong though! My notifications were going off like I was at Beaches Turks & Caicos or some other exotic location. Who knew a campground an hour and a half away from home sweet home would have fellow Western New Yorkers so intrigued!!!

Before I dive into all of the fun stuff, I figured I would cover Jellystone Covid regulations first! Hopefully if you stumble upon this post summer 2021, this whole section will be null in void and covid will be long behind us. Since we are still living in covid hell. Yes! I said what I said lol... Here is the regulation tea!

I was asked multiple times about face mask policies and how strict Jellystone was with enforcing them. The Jellystone Java, NY location policies are legit like every other spot in New York State in stage 4! Face masks must be worn inside restaurants, stores & in and out of recreation areas. You can remove masks once seated or in the water. No need to wear a mask at your own campsite either. This was a ridiculous rumor going around and I was happy to clear that up to several awesome insta followers of mine. As long as you can stay 6ft away, you can be mask free around the resort since it is outdoors!

Jellystone also sanitizes the pool and beach area once an hour. So plan on having your family leave both areas during that time. Good news is sanitation only takes like 10 minutes, so just run to your campsite. Use the restroom or grab a snack and head on back for more fun!

Jellystone Western New York is located in Java, NY. Wyoming County! If you’re in Chautauqua County like myself. Basically drive through Ellicottville and hit up some of the county roads out that directions and you will be there lol....

If you’re looking for a little adventure outside of Jellystone, Letchworth State Park is a few miles away! Makes a good day trip when you leave the resort!

We had the pleasure of calling a Premium Villa 2 Bedroom our home while at Jellystone WNY! A master bedroom, bunk bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Sleeps 1-7 according to the Jellystone website. The cabins also have heat and ac which is always nice in New York since who knows what type of weather the weather gods will be gracing us with! I have a full review on the cabins here if you want a more detailed review!

Each campsite includes a picnic table, fire circle & charcoal grill. The fire circle definitely was the hot spot for our crew and got a ton of use on our trip!!! It was also nice not to have to lug a grill with us!

So many activities for kiddos!!!! So many that it will be impossible to participate in them all! Always a great problem to have on any adventure!!!

Jellystone had chalk art contests! Basketball with Yogi Bear himself! Hide & seek with Cindy bear! We even spotted Boo Boo Bear cruising around to campsites to take photos with the kiddos!!! There was even ice cream being delivered to campsites one evening!!!

I would say if you have a kiddo 6-10, they will be so busy hanging out at the various activities & making new friends that they will literally never be bored! I can’t wait for my daughter to be a tad bit older so she can actually participate in more of the activities!!

Tell me the bounce pad isn’t the coolest thing you have ever seen?!?! I would have loved this thing when I was a kid. Heck, I wish there wasn’t a line of kiddos behind us so I could have taken a turn!!!! Zero additional costs too which makes it even better!!!

Kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, the list goes on! The best part?!? Included with your reservation so there is zero additional costs! We definitely took advantage and tried out all of the water sports.

Due to covid they do need to sanitize the life jackets in between use, so you might have to wait a tad bit longer, but better safe than sorry right?!? You can also just bring your own if you happen to own life jackets to avoid any waiting!

I’m pretty sure the water park is the main reason so many western New York families choose Jellystone as a staycation spot! With many lifeguards and tables spread out, it’s safe to say we had a blast!

The Jellystone inflatable park was our only disappointment. Not because it’s not totally awesome!!! It’s the most epic thing EVER!!! But, due to covid, you have to go down to the beach the day you want to play and make a reservation for your family at 8am! The whole campground heads down there and you can only make a reservation the day of, so we did not get to enjoy the epicness that is the inflatable park.

I am told my veteran Jellystone campers that this is 100% a covid policy due to sanitizing in between families AND that regulations will only permit one family at a time out on the inflatables. Hopefully next year things will be back to normal and everyone can use the inflatable park and not just the ones that ran to the beach the fastest at 8am lol....

Forget something at home?!? Need more charcoal?!? More firewood?!? Spending too much time at the pool so you don’t feel like making lunch?!? Good news is there is a delicious snack bar that serves everything from quesadillas, pizza, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, wraps, sandwiches, the list goes on! You can even hit up the Jellystone website and order your food online and have the food delivered right to you!

You can also have firewood delivered to your campsite via the Jellystone website. Y’all do not know how handy that little feature is! When you have been drinking around the fire and realize you’re on your last log, just grab your phone and order some wood!!!

The gift shop also had all the camping necessities one may have forgotten at home along with basic food items like milk, chips, candy, soda, juice!

I’m pretty sure y’all can tell that my family had one heck of a time!!!! My hubby is the anti camper of the family. That’s right! Y’all thought I was the high maintenance one and it’s the other way around lol.... I crave adventure and he craves, well the opposite lol....and I can happily report that he is so in love with Jellystone!!! That’s how fun Jellystone is even for non camping folks! So much to do that everyone can find an activity to engage in!!

However, if you are renting a cabin, it can get a tad bit pricy, BUT the cabins sleep so many and include all of the amenities! If you go halves with another family, the prices are no different than a single hotel room!

The campground was pretty well maintained too. This was my biggest concern and I am pleased to report that everything was clean! No trash laying around. Nothing broken just sitting there. I feel like Jellystone takes good care of the place. Definitely not a jumkie campground!!

Pets are also permitted which I thought was pretty sweet! They even have a dog park!!! Love that furbabies can join in on the fun!

I will recommend however bringing a wagon or renting a golf cart while at Jellystone. Since we aren’t camping regulars, I had no idea golf carts are even a thing at camp grounds. I guess most camp grounds rent them and I was so bummed I was left out of this little detail! I will definitely be renting one next time. If you don’t want to shell out the cash for a golf cart, bring a wagon for the little ones so you aren’t carrying them all over the resort! You will thank me later for this little tip.

Will we be back?!?! You best believe it!!!! I really hope to make Jellystone a yearly thing since both my hubby and daughter had a blast! We spend several days at the resort and didn’t even come close to doing everything, so there is so much more for us to explore in the future! So happy we have such a fun campground here in Western New York!

The outside of the cabins reminds me of one of those trendy tiny houses! The best part I would have to say is the screened porch! It didn’t rain during our trip THANK GOODNESS!!! But, if it were to sprinkle, you could still enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of your own screened patio away from all of the mosquitoes!!!

Each campsite comes with a picnic table, charcoal grill and fire circle. I’m all about cooking via campfire and hubby was all about using his smoker is just had to bring with us, so we did not use the charcoal grill. The fire circle & picnic table definitely got lots of use!

There were plenty of trees as well, so I was sort of bummed I didn’t bring a hammock!

The living room features a flat screen tv with basic cable & I mean basic basic! I’m not a big TV person. I very rarely watch the thing, but our last night Hubby did turn the tv on to catch some basketball highlights while we packed up the place and it was a fail since there weren’t any channels lol.... the TV does have a DVD player though, so if you are camping with kids, bring DVD’s just in case it rains. You can have a movie night.

The couch is a pleather material which was PERFECT! If you happen to get mud on the thing, just wipe it right up!

There is also a dining table, but honestly we ate every meal outside so we did not sit there at all.

I was actually super impressed with the kitchen!!! Silverware, plates, cups! All there!!! There was also a toaster oven, coffee maker, 2 burner stove, microwave and full sized refrigerator. While we did do 95% of our cooking outdoors, it was nice knowing we had a kitchen for emergencies.

The master bedroom featured a queen sized bed, wardrobe closet and a flat screen tv! You do need to supply your own bedding, which we did! I just snapped these photos before anyone lugged any luggage in so my photos looked clean & organized lol....

Bedroom Two featured a set of bunk beds! One full sized bed on the bottom and one twin sized bed on the top. No tv in this room or wardrobe, but there are two storage draws on the bottom of the bed for clothing!

Ahhhh the bathroom!!!! The best thing a camper can have! It’s just your basic bathroom with a tub, sink & toilet, but basic is equivalent to gold in the great outdoors!

Honestly, I was impressed with the cabin! I was super worried the Premium Villa wouldn’t be that premium. Would it be really old inside?!? Not updated?! Super dirty from many campers going in and out?!?! I’m here to say I was worried about nothing!!!. Our cabin looked relatively new! Everything was ridiculously clean! Even the refrigerator which made me happy since even mini refrigerators in hotels have a habit of being gross sometimes.

The cabin smelled like straight up wood, which makes sense since the whole place is paneled with real wood. Definitely gave the cabin a super woodsy vibe which I loved.

However, Jellystone claims this cabin can sleep up to 7 people. I will honestly say that might be a stretch. Two in the master. 2 in the second bedroom and I would say one on the couch. You could squeeze two kids on the full sized bed in the second bedroom, but I would say if everyone wants to sleep comfy, I would say 5 comfy. 6 squeezing. Maybe 7 if you have a baby in a pack & play lol....

Would I stay in a Premium Villa again?!! Absolutely!!!! The cabin was everything I was hoping it would be. A clean place to reside after our outdoor daily adventures!

Y’all aren’t seeing things!!!! Sunflowers in Warren, PA! No more driving all the way to Buffalo for those sun-tastic photos!!! Literally a 20 minute drive from my home in Jamestown.I couldn’t be more happy about this hidden gem.

While this field might not offer the same entertainment as Sunflowers of Sanborn, this field is decent sized AND located on a super cute farm in Warren, PA! You will definitely get those same fabulous shots a short drive away.

Field is free.
Flowers are $1 a stem or 12 for $10. Fresh picked daily.

Sunday 9am to 1 pm
6pm to 9pm Monday thru Friday

1479 East 5th Ave.
Warren, PA
(8/10 of a mile past the Warren high school on the left)

We just returned from a fabulous staycation weekend at Splash Lagoon located a whole 45 minutes away in Erie, Pennsylvania! That’s right!!! It doesn’t get anymore staycation than that!!!

Our Splash Lagoon getaway was actually the very first time we have “traveled” anywhere since our last Disney Trip in February due to covid travel restrictions. We were itching for a getaway, but with pretty much every state on the New York travel ban list, our kid-friendly options were pretty slim.

Did we feel safe with all of the rules and regulations?!? What were the rules enforced?!? These were the questions I was flooded with on the gram so I figured I would write EVERYTHING out in one spot for y’all!!!!

I think it’s safe to say we all have a love/hate relationship with the damn things! Splash Lagoon is located in Pennsylvania, so they follow the Pennsylvania mask guidelines. You must wear a mask to enter the park. They actually have a mask check at the door.

Forgot you mask? No problem! They have a box of paper masks at the door and the attendant will give you one if you are in need.

Once inside, you can remove your mask when in the actual water park. You do not need wear the mask on any slides. You do however need your mask if you plan on ordering food. Playing any arcade games or decide to do any shopping.

​ Basically if you’re not in the water or walking around the actual waterpark between attractions or chasing kids, you need that mask on.

Splash Lagoon is running at half capacity That number still sounds large until you actually show up to the park. We arrived on a Saturday. A hotel is sold out Saturday so no day passes available and I was shocked at how little people half compacity actually was. It was literally a theme park dream come true. Shortest lines ever!!!!

When we arrived at 11am (opening) there was a line out the door (above). I was like omg! What did we get ourselves into!!?! But then quickly realized that the line was simply a mask check! Once inside, the waterpark was not crowded at all.

Each attraction has a limit. The wave pool was 103 guests. Basketball hoops, 34 guests. The lifeguards were keeping track too. While the wave pool never neared 103 people while we were there, the basketball hoops did later in the afternoon and they were turning kids away.

Security is also present. I spotted several guards asking lifeguards how many guests were in each pool. I overheard this happen several times at different spots around the waterpark. The security guards also walk around the arcade and lobby area making sure guests are wearing masks.

If your still not comfy with crowds after viewing the photos above, I would recommend showing up at opening. After waiting in the mask check line, there was literally no one at the park! We literally walked onto every slide. As it got closer to 4pm, hotel checkin time, the park did get a tad bit more people-y until people started leaving the park for dinner.

The drink policy!!! I’m sure everyone in NY/PA knows by now that drinks cannot be purchased without a food item due to covid. I was very curious how Splash Lagoon was going to handle this one since this literally went into effect 2 days before our trip.

The good news is, you can still get yourself a delicious drink at the bar located next to the wave pool. You can order two drinks with every food item. They offered pizza slices and hot pretzels.

The bad news, all those cute souvenir drink stands. Random beer spots?! Not there. I figured that would be the case, so when I didn’t spot my beloved coconut drink stand, I wasn’t heart broken since I was expecting it. I was just happy they did have a bar open!

Hooch & Blotto’s is the dining/bowling establishment attached to Splash Lagoon & the partner hotels. It’s always a must go place when we hit up Splash Lagoon. Love that there is a sit down dining option on property. Really gives you that vacation vibe since no driving necessary.

Like most restaurants, Hooch & Blotto’s is running at half capacity. Parties sit at every other table seemed to be their seating strategy.

We had the pleasure of staying at the Holiday Inn Express which is connected the Splash Lagoon. When you first check in, there is a sign in the lobby that suggests only one member of each party check in for social distancing reasons. I was the only one checking in, so I’m not sure how strict this policy actually is, but my husband & daughter waited outside while I checked in.

Employees were also all wearing masks! You cannot enter the lobby without a mask on, so make sure you have one with you.

Elevators can only run with 3 people inside unless everyone is from the same household. From what I spotted, everyone was taking the stairs. Even us! We had a room right next to the stairs on the second floor, so it was the fast option for us. I’m assuming most other families took the stairs to avoid people. Not a bad idea if you ask me.

There were also hand sanitizer Stands throughout the hotel so you could randomly disinfect yourself.

The free Buffett breakfast that Holiday Inn Express is famous for however was a tad bit different. No buffet unfortunately, BUT you still get a hot breakfast. You wait in line and an employee hands you your food. Reminded me of a school cafeteria setup.

Unfortunately, this system was a tad bit chaotic for us. The line was pretty long, so we decided to skip the free breakfast and to just have an early lunch. HOWEVER, ​I do want to mention that this had nothing to do with us being scared of covid! The hotel did a great job handling the situation they were dealt with. It was just that long of a line and my daughter is not patient lol....

Did I fell covid safe at Splash Lagoon?!!! Absolutely!!! I honestly felt very safe once I was inside the park. Between the capacity limits and attraction limits, I never once felt uncomfortable. The only issue I can see anyone having is the long mask check line when you first enter the building since people were all over the place. I did however love that Splash Lagoon did hand out masks to people that did not wear one. No excuses not to follow rules and regulations.

Did I feel covid safe at Hooch & Blotto’s?!?! Yes! While we were there early & I can only speak for our experience, there was never a time we were even close to another party. Even bowling, they have it set up every other lane. You never come in contact with anyone outside of your party. You almost get VIP vibes since you’re so secluded from other people.

Did I feel covid safe at the Holiday Inn Express?!? Again, yes! Check in had social distancing rules in place. They enforce a mask policy. The only issue I can see anyone having is with the breakfast line. Then again, there probably isn’t any other way to handle such a thing, so the hotel is doing the best they can with the ever changing rules and regulations so I’m trying to be very understanding!

I would 100% recommend Splash Lagoon as a safe staycation spot for any families residing in New York & Pennsylvania. I honestly felt more safe at Splash Lagoon than I do at places like Walmart!

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
​
​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!