Operation Surprise Aunt Lizzie

Hi! It's Jilly. My sister recently returned from an 18-month mission in Brazil for our church. We really wanted to be there when she arrived at the airport, but there was no way we could make it. But, my Mom was planning to have an Open House for her a couple weeks after she got home. My brother and sisters and I secretly planned to all come to her Open House!

The kids and I drove from New York down to Texas, and we didn't breathe a word to my sister, who I text every day. Ha ha! 

Off Season is the Best Time to Visit Legoland!

Hi! It's Jilly. My kids, especially Michael, love Legos. So, when we went to Florida it was a no-brainer that we had to visit Legoland! And, they weren't disappointed! 

The kids had such a great time! I'm so happy we were given tickets to check out Legoland! 

If you're planning a visit to Legoland, the best time to go is during the off-season. 

The lines are shorter, the crowds are minimal, and the weather is perfect. 

My kids are nine, and the rides were just right for them. 

None of the rides were too scary. They had a blast on all of them.



The kids loved seeing everything made out of Legos. The little details were so much fun.



They also liked the show at Pirate's Cove--Battle for Brickbeard's Bounty. The waterski tricks were amazing!

I'm really glad we used one of the days of our vacation to visit Legoland. It was a highlight of our trip! Just the other day Emma said to me, "I loved Legoland. Can we go back?!" Woot!

Have you ever been to Legoland? Are your kids obsessed with Legos?

Follow along on Facebook or Instagram to see more adventures with me & my crazy kiddos!

ASTC Travel Passport Program + Roberson Museum Family Membership Giveaway

Hi! It's Jilly. This last year we've been able to visit some amazing museums all over the country...for only $65! How did we pull that off, you ask? Well, I will let you in on a little secret.

Have you ever heard of the ASTC Travel Passport Program? ASTC is the Association of Science-Technology Centers. Over 250 science museums all over the county have banded together to make visiting science centers affordable for families.

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Hi! It's Jilly. While on our epic road trip we stopped at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Fort Collins, Colorado. We were able to use our Roberson Museum and Science Center membership to get in free because it reciprocates. Woot!

SeaDog Speedboat Tour in Chicago

Thank you SeaDog for the tickets to review your tour! All opinions are 100% my own.

Hi! It's Jilly. Another stop we made on our epic road trip was in Chicago. We went to Navy Pier and did a SeaDog tour and speedboat ride! It was sooooo awesome!

We did their 75 Minute River and Lake Chicago Architecture Tour. Even though it was rainy we still had a great time. We were all shivering together.

Feeding Bison at Terry Bison Ranch

Hi! It's Jilly. When we were on our epic road trip we were going to be passing through Cheyenne, Wyoming, so I decided to "google" cool things to do in the area. I found Terry Bison Ranch. It said on their website they had a train ride out to see a herd of bison. I thought that sounded pretty awesome, so I put it on our list.

When we got there and bought our train tickets I found out that not only would we be taking the train out through the herd, but we would also get to FEED them! Aah! SO cool!

To pass the time before our train ride we looked around the gift shop. The girls loved the jackalopes they could "ride".

We also checked out the other interesting animals they had on the ranch.

We had fun taking silly pictures.

Oh my word...it was so funny. Katelynn was trying to get the ostrich to look at the camera by waving a piece of grass for it to eat, and it stuck its' head though the fence and grabbed the grass out of her hand, nipping her in the process!! We all got a good laugh out of that one!

My kids love camels. The little baby camel was so sweet!

The train wasn't very fast, but it was still fun. When we got out to herd the bison came right up to the train. They knew what was coming!

Feeding the bison was SO COOL!!! It was seriously so awesome. They are such amazing creatures. 

Their tongues are really long and scratchy.

The kids could have stayed there all day long feeding the bison.

It was such a neat experience. Probably one of my favorite things we did the whole trip.

If you ever get a chance to see bison up close, you should definitely do it!

Have you ever fed a bison or another "exotic" animal? If not, would you ever do it? What's your favorite animal?

*Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram to catch the next post!*

Visiting the St. Louis Zoo

Hi! It's Jilly. Whenever we travel we like to stop at museums and zoos along our way. The first stop on our epic road trip was the St. Louis Zoo.

Have you ever been to the St. Louis Zoo? It is a pretty awesome zoo. And it's free!!

Epic Road Trip

Hi! It's Jilly. We just for back from an epic road trip! My uncle passed away, and we decided to drive from New York to New Mexico to attend his memorial service. Then, the kids and I took our time on the way home, stopping at national parks, museums, and other fun places along the way.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be taking you along on our crazy journey.

Where did we stop?

1) St. Louis

2) Farmington, New Mexico

3) Ft. Collins, Colorado

4) Cheyenne, Wyoming

5) Scottsbluff, Nebraska

6) Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota

7) Sioux Falls, South Dakota

8) Cedar Falls, Iowa

9) Chicago, Illinois

10) Cleveland, Ohio

Phew, right?! It was a long trip, but we had a lot of fun. One of the benefits of homeschool...you can see America, rather than just read about it. I hope the kids remember this trip for a long time.

 Make sure you're following along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram to see our whole journey!

Baltimore: Ripley's Believe It or Not

Thank you Ripley's for sponsoring this post! For more info, see my disclosure policy.

 Hi! It's Jilly. During our trip to Baltimore we went to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. The kids LOVED it! They said it was their favorite thing. Since we got home they've asked to go back several times. Michael said, "I want to go to that museum again, 'cause it was so cool. How can that guy take out his eyeballs?!"

It is a really cool museum. They have all kinds of interesting exhibits. The fun starts right in the lobby, with the World's Tallest Man!

Baltimore: Port Discovery Children's Museum

Thank you Port Discovery for the tickets to review your amazing museum! For more info about reviews, see my disclosure policy.

Hi! It's Jilly. Today I'm excited to tell you about our visit to the Port Discovery Children's Museum  in Baltimore. The kids had SO much fun there! 

When you first walk in there is this HUGE climbing apparatus called Kidworks that spans all three floors of the museum!

How to Save Money on Your Next Vacation

Hi! It's Jilly. The weather is starting to warm up and school will be ending soon, so everyone is starting to plan their summer vacations. But, going on an awesome trip can be expensive, especially when kids are involved! Here are a few tips to keep costs down on your vacation.

Shop Around
When looking for a hotel, check travel websites like Priceline, Orbitz, or Travelocity. We've had good luck with Priceline's Express Deals. We got a room at the Best Western Plus right down the street from Universal Studios in Orlando for less than $40 a night! You can also call hotels you are interested in directly. Sometimes you can get a better deal through the actual hotel than through a site.

Baltimore: SeaDog Speedboat Cruise on the Inner Harbor

Cruise tickets were graciously provided by SeaDog Cruises, but all opinions are 100% my own.  For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Hi! It's Jilly. Hubby has been down in Baltimore for work since the beginning of March, so we decided to go down and visit him during Spring Break. We'd never been there before, so I was excited to explore a new city!

The first thing we did after we arrived was to go on a SeaDog cruise in the harbor. It was the perfect way to start our fun trip!



As we got on the boat, they gave us a little bottle of water, which I thought was nice.

Tips for First Time Cruisers

Hi! It's Jilly. A year ago my hubby and I went on our first cruise. It was SO much fun! When we got back I shared some tips for first time cruisers over at My Favorite Finds, and now I want to share them here with you!

Explore your Ports. Before you go, do a little research on each port you will be visiting. Look at the shore excursions available through your cruise line and decide if you'd like to do any of them. Read up on local transportation options, weather, etc. Don't be afraid to go off the beaten path. We did a lot of walking in each port and not only was it a fun way to see the islands, but it also helped work off some of those cruise food calories!

Rock your Disney Side!

Hello everyone! I'm Carrie, the resident Disney Travel Expert here at Hi! It's Jilly! And I am so excited to bring you some of the best deals from the Disney Parks to make your next Walt Disney World vacation even more affordable! I blog over at My Favorite Finds, and I'd love to see you come and find some JOY in your everyday!

Rock Your Disney Side: What's better than being at the Magic Kingdom for 24 hours? Knowing you pulled off a super fun Disney trip at a great rate! With all the excitement brewing about the Rock Your Disney Side 24 Hour Event that was released this week, everyone is wanting to visit Walt Disney World for a quick weekend and enjoy the extra time at the Happiest Place on Earth!




You can laugh bigger, scream louder, and stay out all day and all night at this exclusive Magic Kingdom event! And for this event, our preferred travel agency-Destinations in Florida-has group rates at three of the best Disney Resorts:

Favorite Walt Disney World Photo Spots {Disney Contributor}

Hi! It's Carrie.Taking photos is a MUST on any Disney vacation.....at least on mine! It's not unheard of for me to come home with literally hundreds of photos from our Disney Vacations. The details that go into every aspect of the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney area offer so much to look at-and perfect back drops for awesome family photos. As your friendly Disney contributor here on Hi! It's Jilly, I want to take some time today to share my Favorite Walt Disney World Photo Spots with YOU!

Awesome Discounts at Walt Disney World

Hi! It's Carrie. Are you planning on visiting Walt Disney World for your spring break? Or even your summer vacation? If so, you will want to take advantage of the Room Discount and combine it with the Free Park Ticket Offer! I'm here this week to share the current Walt Disney World Resort promotions with all of you here at Hi! It's Jilly! Anyone who books with me and mentions Hi! It's Jilly will get a resort credit of up to $35! How sweet is that!

Disney Resorts for Families of Five or More {Disney Contributor}

Hi everyone! My name is Carrie, and I blog over at My Favorite Finds. On My Favorite Finds, you'll find tutorials, recipes, organization ideas, and Disney travel tips! I love to share my {FAVORITE} ideas with my readers, and I hope you’ll check it out. I’m addicted to Starbucks, reading, shopping, and my sweet kids and hubby. I’m always looking for a new recipe or craft to fill our bellies or beautify our home. 

I’m also slightly addicted to planning, and going on, Disney vacations with my family. In fact, I love it SO much that I am a Vacation Specialist with Destinations to Explore, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. I can send you ANYWHERE. I really have a passion for Disney travel, so I will be sharing my Disney travel tips here with you! Ocassionally I'll bring you some general travel tips, and even some fun crafts! I love sharing my ideas about Disney planning on my blog AND on Couponing to Disney at Chip & Co.

Blog/Facebook/Pinterest/Bloglovin'/Twitter

With over 20 resorts to choose from on the Walt Disney World property, there seems to be endless possibilities for accommodations. But, not everyone is the traditional family of 4 traveling together. We personally are a family of 5, so finding ANY hotel anywhere for the 5 of us can be challenge, especially now that the little princess isn't in a pack and play anymore. The first step in planning your Disney vacation is deciding which magical corner of the Walt Disney World Resort you're going to call "home". So, today I am going to share with you Disney Resorts for Families of Five or More!

In the Value Category, Disney's All Star Music or Disney's Art of Animation Resorts offer suites that will accommodate up to 6 people, PLUS one child under the age of 3 in a crib. So really, you can fit 7 people in the suites! The suites have a master bedroom with a queen size bed, which is atypical of the other Value Resorts {most of them have doubles}, and then there is a sleeper sofa and/or a sleeper chair to give plenty of room for everyone else! Another plus side of the suites is they have a kitchenette-making breakfasts before heading to the parks, a quick afternoon lunch break, or snacks as easy as pie!

Visiting the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago

Hi! It’s Jilly. We met up with my Mom and sisters in Chicago for New Years, and while we were there we went to the Shedd Aquarium. It was SO awesome! Out of all the museums we visited, Shedd was by far our favorite! They have so many neat exhibits, and it’s all so well done.



They have a huge amphitheater, where they put on aquatic shows with beluga whales, dolphins, seals, and other animals. The kids loved the show, especially when the animals did their tricks. They even got to chat with one of the trainers after the show!

Freezing? Then book a Vacay!

Hi! It's Jilly. Is it freezing where you are? Dreaming of warmer weather? Then check out these deals on vacations in Florida, California, and on cruises! Here's Carrie with more info...

As a frequent Walt Disney World traveler, and now a Disney travel agent I wait impatiently for the newest Disney discounts to be released. Our family travels to Walt Disney World every summer in June, and we can do it so affordably when Disney offers discounts. Plus, book your trip with me in January, and you'll get $25 to spend at Walt Disney World!

Plan your next vacation on Cyber Monday!

Hi! It's Jilly. I'm excited to be adding Carrie from My Favorite Finds as a contributor to my blog! I've been the travel contributor on her blog all this last year, which has been so great. Now she is going to be a contributor here! Yay! She will be sharing all things Disney with us. My family is fanatical about Disney, so it's a perfect fit!

Today she will be sharing with us some GREAT Cyber Monday deals for your next vacation to Disney, your next cruise, or your trip to Universal Studios. So, if you're thinking about going to any of those places you might as well get a quote, because the quotes are FREE and you could even save yourself a little money. That's always good, right?!

Now, heeeeeeeere's Carrie!

Are you thinking of your 2014 vacation yet? Spring Break? Cruise? Hawaii? Disney Parks? Sea World? How about Universal Studios? Then now is the time to book! With 50% off cruise deposits, ONLY a $200 deposit for a Disney vacation, and more special offers, you'll want to take advantage of our exclusive Bonus CyberMonday offer to add some extra savings to your 2014 vacation! So today, I'm sharing with you some of the highlights of special offers that are currently available! Remember, using a travel agent is FREE, so what do you have to lose?