Geyser Towers at Stone Mountain Park ~ perfect for 100 degree+ days!

I always share the fun happenings at Stone Mountain Park during the Holiday season, so you know how much I love SMP.  This time I want to tell you about their brand new SUMMER attraction ~ Geyser Towers! 

I took both kids earlier this week to see what all the buzz is about.   When you get to SMP,  you'll purchase a pass that lets you do most everything there, with the exception of the "Ride the Duck" attraction - that costs extra.  When we arrived,  we decided to do the other attractions first,  with Geyser Towers last.  That way the kids wouldn't have to traipse around the park wet!

First up was the Great Barn.  That has always been one of David's favorites.  Four stories of climbing  slides, games, trampoline floors, and more.  There are soft foam balls you can shoot at other players, plus nets and bridges to climb and cross - this place will wear your kids out!! There are plenty of seats for mom and dad to rest and watch,  or you are welcome to climb up there with the kids and play. 

Next we headed over to the Yogi Bear 4D movie ~ SO MUCH FUN!  We always love the Polar Express 4D movie each December,  but this movie is awesome!! All I will say is ~ prepare to get WET!

Then it was time to jump on the Scenic Railroad for an open car ride.  The breeze was nice, and it was a chance to see the beautiful scenery around the base of Stone Mountain.   Did you know that Stone Mountain is the world's largest piece of exposed granite?   

 I had a cute picture of the kids on the train to put on here,  but it will not transfer from my phone to my computer.  : (

Then we shopped.  It was HOT outside.  David was very happy to discover that he could stuff a teddy bear (a la Build a Bear) in the toy store, so he picked out a soft fuzzy brown bear.  : )  We stopped by the Candy Kitchen to watch them make Buckeyes, and sampled some delicious fudge.  YUM!! Plus, it was a nice place to cool off for a few minutes inside.

I tried to get him to go on the Sky Hike & Camp Highland Outpost,  but he has my fear of heights, and he decided against it.   But these are both family-friendly adventures that most kids will love!

We wanted to play Mini Golf,  but it was so crowded by the time we got over there (after the train ride).  Next time we'll hit that up first!

Finally, we ended up at Geyser Towers.  This is the newest attraction at SMP.   We stayed there the longest, for sure.  Katie & I stayed dry on a bench beside the towers.  David had the best time climbing up and down,  all the while being squirted or sprayed by the water features throughout the structure.  It's the perfect place to spend a hot summer day! 

 Just be sure to keep cold drinks handy so you and your kids can stay hydrated! (And don't forget sunscreen, and a change of clothes!)  Most important - you must have close-toed shoes to play in Geyser Towers, so no flip flops!

Sitting in that net (above) was one of David's favorite places in Geyser Towers - especially when the 

"geyser" would blast out of the ground underneath and wet all the kids in there!

Kids run up and down the various "tunnels", then climb the tower at the right. 

My sweet boy, climbing back up!

Water comes spraying out from all over the place, soaking unsuspecting kids!

Here he is after a long, fun play session in Geyser Towers.  See the Great Barn behind him?  It is HUGE!

We had a wonderful day at Stone Mountain.  If it hadn't been so hot,  we might have tried to stay til the evening to see the Laser Show.  But, we're wimps, so we ended up heading home to the cool A/C! 
We'll have to go back to Stone Mountain Park soon to play in all of the fun attractions they have to offer!! Aren't we Atlantans lucky to have such a fun oasis (and one that has 3200 acres of fun!)  in the middle of the metro area?     : ) 

Check out all of the details on the hours, attractions etc. here

You can follow SMP on Facebook too!

Disclosure:  Stone Mountain Park provided us with complimentary passes to visit the park in order to review Geyser Towers, and all opinions are completely my own!

Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread ~ Amazing!!

One of our most favorite recipes came from Pioneer Woman's Blog.  Love, love, love her!  I make this yummy, cheesy olive bread to go with pasta dishes, and also for potlucks and parties.  It is always GONE fast!! It is creamy, rich, a little salty, and gooey/cheesy ~ the perfect bread as far as I am concerned!

Over Memorial Day weekend, we had the usual hot dogs and hamburgers cooked on the grill.  I bought more hot dog buns than we used though, and the extras were going stale fast.   Katie is working fulltime this summer, so it was just me & David at home.  We both love olives, and I thought that making a smaller batch of olive cheese spread on the two extra buns would be a great way to use them up!  Was I ever right!  I think I liked it more on these individual serving size buns than on the larger loaves that I slice up!

Here's the original recipe, straight from Pioneer Woman's first cookbook.  You can use it on whatever bread you have handy!!

Olive Cheese Bread

1 14.5 oz can black olives, drained

1 six oz jar green olives (pimento stuffed), drained
2 green onions (I didn't use)
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c mayonnaise - real mayo, no substitutions!
1 lb grated monterey jack cheese  (I usually make this with colby jack)
1 loaf crusty french bread (or bread of your choice!!)
Preheat oven to 325. Roughly chop black olives. Do the same with the green olives. Slice green onions then chop them roughly. In a large bowl, combine the butter, mayo, cheese, olives and onions. Stir until throughly blended. (per PW - at this point, grab the nearest cracker and take a taste, repeat as needed, lol!!)

Slice the french bread in half lengthwise, spread the olive cheese mixture in an even layer on each half. Bake 20 -25 minutes, until cheese mixture is thoroughly melted and beginning to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and serve immediately!!  If you use hotdog buns like I did,  just scoop the spread into the middle, and bake as directed.

Helpful hints:
Can make cheese/olive mixture up to 2 days in advance, store tightly covered in fridge. Or spread mixture on bread and freeze , tightly wrapped for up to six months. Thaw before baking. Also super-good on crackers!

Variation - substitute drained, chopped artichoke hearts and grated parmesan for the olives and jack cheese - yum!

You have to try this - even if you don't like mayo!  David hates it - but he LOVES this bread!  Let me know what you think, ok?! : )

Free O magazine subscription!!!

Hurry!!! DailyFeats is offering free 1 year subscription to O, The Oprah Magazine  So excited to get mine!


Here's how to get this amazing freebie ~

LIKE O, The Oprah Magazine on Facebook

Go to the“Random Acts of O” tab at the top of the page.  Pledge to read a book ~  choose from several on the list.

Choose Redeem Rewards (or send it as a gift) for a free 1 year subscription to O Magazine.

You'll get a code via email to use to redeem your free subscription.  (code expires after 2 weeks so don't forget to use it!)

This offer is for new subscribers only.  It is valued at $54!!!

Yay for fabulous freebies!   : )

Dry Idea Giveaway

Good evening!!  Hope your week is off to a great start.  Mine is - we're getting back into real life after 4 wonderful days by the beach  (I'll have a post on that shortly!) 

Today I've got another giveaway for you.  The folks at Dry Idea have a new product they want me to share with you!

Dry Idea AdvancedDry Antiperspirant & Deodorant offers superior protection from wetness & odor.  It's available in three forms:  Roll on,  Clear Gel, and Invisible Solid.   The Roll-on offers 24 hour protection,  fast drying MicroCotton Formula,contains Vitamin E, and is hypo-allergenic.  It's available unscented, or in Powder Fresh and Cotton Dry scents. The Roll-on is available in a 3.25 oz size.

The Clear Gel comes either unscented or in Powder Fresh scent, in 3.0 oz.  It offers 24 hour protection,  goes on clear, and is hypo-allergenic.

The Invisible Solid offers 48 hour protection from odor, 24 hours from wetness in 2.6 oz size.  It has Clinical Level Wetness Protection.  It's also hypo-allergenic.   They are serious about keeping you fresh and dry, y'all! It comes in unscented,  Powder Fresh with odor absorbing minerals, and Cool Burst with Air Conditioning Effect.  You can find out everything you want to now about Dry Idea products here!

I received the Roll-on in powder fresh scent to try.  I have to be honest,  I am not a fan of roll-on deodorant OR powder scented anything.  But I do like that the sample they sent me actually does what it says!  It really does keep you dry and fresh, and that is a product I can feel good about buying AND sharing with my friends.   Here in Georgia, it  is hot and humid for about half of the year - so a girl wants a product that keeps you feeling fresh.   Dry Idea does that for sure! I will be trying the Invisible Solid in the Cool Burst scent next.  I think I'll like the solid form much better, and the scent too! : ) 

Disclaimer:  Dry Idea provided a free sample of their Advanced Dry Roll On so I could review it.  My participation is voluntary, and my opinions, as always, are my own! : )

Now on to the contest:  It's via rafflecopter, so it's easy to enter!  There are two required entries,and lots of chances for extra entries!! 

Giveaway: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island DVD

Hey wonderful people!! Guess what?  My Katie is now a high school graduate!! We are so very proud of her!! The last few months I've been very limited in how much time I've had for blogging, but now that the excitement and activities of graduation are over,  I will be back with lots more great stuff!

I'll do a separate post on the graduation soon, but first I have to share this awesome app and giveaway!
Warner Brothers just released Journey 2:  The Mysterious Island on DVD & Blue-Ray.  Don't know much about this movie?  Here ya go:

Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) finds a hidden signal that he believes will lead him to his long lost grandfather (Michael Caine, Miss Congeniality).  With the help of his new step father (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Scorpion King), Sean finds a map and starts his adventure which leads him to Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical) and the island of Atlantis!  Sean and his friends battle giant bees, killer lizards, a volcano of gold, and electric eels to escape the lost city and make their way home!

And there is a fun app to go with it!  Check out the fun things you can do:

Activities: Choose Your Own Adventure! Spin the wheel to get your own personalized adventure! Will you brave the wilds of Family Movie Night or map your house and have your own treasure hunt!



Quiz: Would You Survive The Mysterious Island!? Are you a Wilderness Warrior or a Timid Trekker? Take the Mysterious Island quiz and find out how you would fare in the outback of Atlantis!



Warner Brothers is giving one of my readers a DVD of the movie!  YAY!  I'm gonna make this a really easy contest to enter.  Just play with the app, (click on Choose Your Adventure & Would You Survive in the graphic above to play) and then let me know what your favorite activity is!  Do this by leaving me a comment below this post, and make sure that you put your email in the comment so I can contact you if you're my winner.  No email listed,  I'll draw another comment.  So be sure to include it!
( I always enter contests listing my email as:   jane dot doe at gmail dot com to escape spammers...feel free to do the same!)

UPDATE:  Congrats to the winner of this contest ~  Sarah!! : )
The only requirements they have given me: winner must live in the US, and address must be a street address, absolutely no P.O. Boxes.  Contest ends on June 18th at 12:01 am.  Winner will be notified by email, and I must hear back from you within 24 hours, or another winner will be drawn.  DVD will be mailed via UPS or Fed Ex from sponsor. 

I am not being compensated in any way for this post,  sponsor provides DVD prize, and I'm not required to participate,  I just wanted to share this great giveaway with my readers!