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DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Dollywood for allowing me to visit their theme park for Harvest Festival. All opinions are my own. Happy Fall friends! I've been a Tennessean my whole life and I'm ashamed to admit that I've never been to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN... until now! We had an open weekend available so jumped at the chance to see and experience Dollywood's highly talked about Harvest Festival, featuring their Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Now I don't know about you, but food is always a focal point of my theme park experience along with the rides, of course. Keep reading to find our what we recommend eating while visiting Dollywood's Harvest Festival!  So it's not surprising to hear that your typical amusement park food options aren't exactly the healthiest. But that's not really the point... healthful eating is also about pleasure as much as it is about vitamins and minerals and the reality is that overeating once, no matter how extreme, will NOT ruin everything! Here's how we ate during a day at Dollywood's Harvest Festival, bellies and hearts full.  During Dollywood's Harvest Festival, a variety of fall specials make there way onto menus throughout the park! Now there are only so many meals and snacks to be had in one day at the park -- typically 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during October -- so we prioritized the limited-time only items that you can only get this certain time of year. The good news is that Dollywood has a variety of dining options to suite any visitor -- sit-down restaurants (like Till and Harvest, Front Porch Cafe, and Granny Ogle's Ham n' Beans), quick-service concepts, and concession stands. Keep scrolling for our recommended eats and insider tips from our recent visit. FRIED GREEN TOMATO BLT @ MARKET SQUARE
Stop by for a made-to-order Fried Green Tomato BLT in Rivertown Junction's Market Square. This upgraded sammie will not disappoint with it's thick bacon strips and crisp fried green tomatoes. INSIDER INFO: There are "Dollywood Harvest Festival" signs (like pictured above) all around the park to call out the special fall-time features and menu items in the area.  PUMPKIN SPICE FUNNEL CAKE Nothing screams fair food like funnel cake! This special Great Pumpkin LumiNights version is full of fall flavors -- pumpkin spiced funnel cake, sweetened maple pecans, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. This is 100% a sweet tooth's dream! Find this treat at Splinter's Trailside Snacks (where you can also order your Fried Apple Pies) and Crossroads Funnel Cakes.  ROASTED CHICKEN @ FRONT PORCH CAFEOK, OK, so technically this dish isn't exclusive to the Harvest Festival, BUT it was waaay too good to not to plug. You'll find the Front Porch Cafe near the park's entrance, and at about the perfect time after you've finally made it all the way around the park. Here you can sit down, be catered to, and give your feet a much needed break. The Roasted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans is an absolute must as the mushroom sauce is to die for! INSIDER INFO: Cheddar biscuits are served complimentary and they are delish!  ADDITIONAL INSIDER EATING TIPS:
lindsey P.S. Do you enjoy posts like these? Be sure to check out 'How I Maintained Healthy Habits While on a Disney Cruise'. Let us know what you want to hear more about in the comments below! DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Dollywood for allowing me to visit their theme park for Harvest Festival.
All opinions are my own.
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With back-to-school in full swing (whether we like it or not!), that means, so is packing lunches. *womp womp* But it doesn't have to be like that, friends! Packing your own lunch, whether for yourself or the kids, has many benefits. The benefits of packing a lunch or bringing your lunch from home include:
 Now, unless your packing all non-perishables for lunch -- like a PB&J, fruit cup, and bottled water -- the ol' brown bag lunch just ain't gonna fly these days. And as avid lunch packers, we've tested a variety of accessories (many fails) to make the lunch packing habit happen. We want you to make this important mid-day meal exciting again by arming you with the 8 best lunch box accessories so you can win at packing lunch each day. Keep scrolling to check 'em all out! DISCLOSURE: Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and purchase.  8 BEST LUNCH BOX ASSESSORIES FOR ADULTS:(1) TOTE-STYLE INSULATED LUNCH BOX You gotta have a insulated lunch sack to keep foods fresh, y'all! Considering that 1 in 6 Americans get food poisoning each year, according to the CDC, keeping your food safe is no joke. But no need to shell out big bucks for a functional and affordable insulated lunch box. We love these tote-style options at at Target as they allow you to pack almost anything (even the weirdest shaped Tupperware)...
(2) REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE Hydration isn't just something athletes need to think about. Each day we should aim to drink ample fluids (from water and other beverages)...
(3) PORTIONED SNACK BAGS I love these bags! They're perfect for any & and all snacks or sides, plus make portioning out quantities super simple since the measurements are right there - from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Get you some Up & Up Portion Pack Bags for just $1.79! (You might also like to check out our pro tip on how-to portion out high-calorie dips & spreads.) (4) ICY COOLS REUSABLE ICE CUBES Instead of storing awkward, bulky ice packs in your lunch bag, keep everything cool with reusable ice cubes like these Icy Cools Reusable Ice Cubes from the Container Store. It's recommended that you use at least 2 cold sources to keep lunches cold so this type of alternative can help keep your food safe. (5) PLASTIC MASON JAR WITH SALAD DRESSING LID Homemade salads have never been so simple. Layer your favorite salad in this non-glass to-go container from Aladdin ($12.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond) and keep everything crisp and fresh until lunchtime by storing your salad dressing in the built-in dressing compartment! (6) DIPPING CUPS WITH LIDS These durable Stainless Steel Dippings Cups from Bed Bath & Beyond ($6.99 for a 6-pack) are ideal for those delicious dips, spreads, and sauces that you don't want to get all over your other food. Must have! (7) GLASS STORAGE CONTAINERS The truth is that not all Tupperware's are created equal. And as many as I've tried over the years, they just don't get any better than Pyrex. Buy an assortment of sizes of food containers and they'll keep for years. Years I tell you! They're great for storing food prep, leftovers, and reheating items safely. This 18-Piece Pyrex Set from Target is under $45 and is a great starter set. (8) STAINLESS STEEL TUMBLER WITH REUSABLE STRAW Keeping drinks at their desired temp is critical for enjoyment so I love this stainless steel and acrylic tumbler combo from Sun Squad ($8.00 at Target) to keep my beverages cool or hot, hot, hot. Unfortunately, not everything can be kept in your refillable water bottle. :P What are your favorite lunchbox essentials? Tell us in the comments below! (Pst! If you're scratching your head about what to bring for lunch to work, visit our Pinterest Board for some ideas.) lindsey DISCLOSURE: Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you,
we will earn a commission if you click through and purchase. DISCLOSURE: Basic Invite sponsored this post. All opinions are my own. Hey friends! Can you believe it's mid-July already!? My brain (and body) are having a hard time digesting this, but it's a good reminder to follow-up on those tasks and to-do's that may have fallen off your priority list! It seems that every summer, I make some intention to revamp and reorganize some aspect of my life -- redo the living room wall, plant a herb garden, refresh the pantry, update our meal planning binder, etc. Do you get like this at the start of summer? Well I'm so excited that Basic Invite reached out to me recently to share about their adorable custom invitation, announcement, and stationary line. And I was delighted to find that they not only have an amazing selection and variety of correspondence to fit any occasion or event, but they also have FREE RECIPE RESOURCES!!!  Basic Invite has several recipe cards you can choose from and even editable recipe binder kits!! I'm completely nerding out y'all. 🤓 Here are a few of my favorites that I can't wait to order and refresh our meal planning binder with! Summer project complete. ✔️
 P.S. Did I mention that these particular picks are instant downloads so that means no downtime waiting on a delivery... you can start upgrading your meal planning resources stat! Oh, and they're FREE. If you're looking for some new recipe ideas, please check out our curated collections on our Pinterest or blog! And go take a peak around Basic Invite before the holidays roll around. I think you'll be really pleased with your ability to choose almost any color invitation you like (including colorful envelopes); receive a sample of your invite before you place an actual order; utilize a super handy feature that allows you to capture the most up-to-date mailing address of your loved ones; and enjoy fabulous FOIL designs! You can start planning your holiday picture cards, cheap Christmas cards, and Christmas party invitations now at 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51.  Happy holidays in July friends! Hope you enjoy Basic Invite as much as we do :) lindsey DISCLOSURE: Basic Invite sponsored this post. All opinions are my own.
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