What You Need to Know About the Carowinds 2017 Season

Carowinds Opening Day

I am extremely happy that we are about to embark upon the Carowinds 2017 Season. My family has so much fun at Carowinds from the time it opens up for the season until we close it out with SCarowinds but, this year will be a little different. Hang tight… details are coming on that statement! There are a few NEW attractions happening in 2017 and we can’t wait to see them first hand. I can’t wait to surprise my nine year old with this news because he’s been trying to get back to Carowinds since Halloween 2016.

Carowinds Do-Si-Do

This Spring Carowinds will launch the all-new “County Fair” for everyone to enjoy! I’ve been to a few and love attending state county fairs. Carowinds will take you back to the 1950’s Carolina County Fair, filled with family fun, new food offerings and the addition of FOUR new rides: Zephyr is a classic family swing ride that will allow you to see an incredible view of the park. Rock ‘N’ Roller is a fast-paced circular ride that will rock ‘n roll you round and around with high energy tunes and spectacular lighting.

Carowinds Electro Spin

Electro-Spin will have riders flipping upside down in floorless gondolas 63 feet in the air. Do-Si-Do is a super-fun spiraling adventure that will send guests flying around on three giant arms. I’m looking forward to all these FUNtastic rides and the foodie in me can’t wait to try all the new additions on the menu. One of my favorite things to do at the County Fair is EAT! Anything from funnel cakes, cotton candy, pulled pork etc. I’ll try almost anything on the deep fried menu!

Carowinds Rock N Roller

Carowinds is introducing Winterfest to ring in the holidays this year and I couldn’t be happier. I can see adding this event to our annual Carowinds traditions. Carowinds will be magically transformed into a winter wonderland to ignite the season’s spirit in everyone. There will be tons of shimmering lights, holiday décor, entertainment, treats and a variety of holiday experiences throughout the park. It sounds amazing! Bring on the hot chocolate, egg nog and gingerbread cookies… I’m ready! Debuts in November 2017.

Carowinds Zephyr

So there you have it… Carowinds will bring you the County Fair and Winterfest this year in addition to its already Fantastical line up! The BEST thing about this whole thing is that if you are a season pass holder, it’s included with your 2017 Gold Pass! I’ll be able to give you a sneak peek of the Carowinds County Fair next month when they preview it to the media so stay tuned. Head over to the Carowinds website for additional information and season pass holder options. Download the Carowinds app, it comes in handy!

Disclosure: I’m a Carowinds Brand Ambassador (Caro Blogger). All opinions are 100% honest and completely my own. What are you looking forward to at Carowinds this season?

*Images, Video and factual content sourced from Carowinds.

Xtreme Park Adventures Paintball Experience

paintball-fun

What better way to spend a Sunday Funday than at Xtreme Park Adventures playing paintball with the family. Let me start off by saying this was my very FIRST paintball experience and I didn’t get the dress code memo NOT to wear anything you actually like and to dress down. I should have been ready to get dirty or painted on with old shirts and jeans that I could care less about. I know some of you may think this is common sense but, the way my mind is set up… Lol! I totally didn’t think about it until we got to Xtreme Adventure Park and I saw the way people were dressed to play in the outdoor field.

xtreme-kombat-plane

I had on a good pair of jeans, knit top, Michael Kors Fall Jacket and Merrell’s Sneakers. I laughed when I figured out I would be in paintball crossfire with this outfit on. Oh Em Gee… How can I forget about my natural kinky & curly hair? I didn’t wear a bandanna, hat or head wrap. Needless to say my hair would also be a casualty of paintball war. On the upside, we had gotten a great deal on Groupon for an all-day field pass for $18/per person. It’s usually $45 for the basic package and $55 for the premium package. There are also other attractions like zip lining, ropes course, laser tag, escape room and more.

paintball-wardrobe-fail

What’s included? You get field entry all-day, paintball gun, mask, hopper, 200 paintballs and one full air tank. You can rent a vest and purchase additional paintballs. The only difference with the premium package is that you get 500 paintballs and air tank with unlimited air refills. If you have your own equipment you will only pay the entry fee and for paintballs. They are a FOP (Field Paint Only) so, no outside paint allowed. Xtreme Kombat Adventures has reasonable pricing and deals for large groups. They also run special promotions on a monthly basis. I can’t wait to catch another great deal!

castle-in-feild

There are six people in my immediate family so I am always looking for a great deal. We also love to invite friends and extended family to join us. The more the merrier! After we checked in and received all of our equipment it was time to hit the field. We participated in public field play meaning that there were about 50+ other people we didn’t know participating in this activity. You have the option to purchase two hours of private instruction where it will be just your group. I may consider a private party in the near future for a fun family activity. It’s also great for corporate team building.

img_20161106_135842068

Our Mission: So our mission was to get the “President” from one side of the field to the other. There were the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys were the ones escorting the “President” across the field. The field was full of barricades, trees and rocky hiding places. There was a base that you could rest up at if you got hit before you got back in the game. Good guys had unlimited lives and bad guys had one life. I was a good guy! I did get hit twice and in case you didn’t know, it can hurt a little! I had a blast! Have you ever played paintball? If so, did you like it?

Xtreme Park Adventures is located at 7460 Hwy. 98/ Wake Forest Rd. Durham, NC 37703 (919) 596-6100 for reservations. Visit their website for additional information.

Welcome October… It’s my Birthday Month!

happy-jentober

It’s no secret that October is one of my favorite months out of the year, I mean come on… It’s my Birthday month. I’m all about Libra Season! #JENtober has been celebrated all month long since my 30th Birthday! I’m pushing 38 this month! I love to plan fun events all month long to enjoy with my REAL friends and family and I usually plan a party but, this year may be a little different. I just want to get away! I’m still deciding where I want to go but, I know that it will be the mountains or the coast. I actually enjoy the beach during the fall weather. It’s picture perfect for me!

So far this month I have really been playing catch up with work and blogging to position myself to take some time off and enjoy it. I just want to be carefree for a little while. I’ve had some amazing opportunities come my way and I’ll be blogging about all of them this month. It’s nice when I can tie a blogging opportunity, event or product into my Birthday festivities. I have so much fun and you get to see firsthand what’s going on. I tend to share on Twitter and Instagram first and then I’ll follow up with a blog post if necessary. So, if we’re NOT connected on Twitter or Instagram FOLLOW ME @JenOni_Inc!

I plan to visit Carowinds for the Great Pumpkin Fall Festival and SCarowinds this season again! My son’s Birthday is exactly seven days after mine so we tend to celebrate at certain events together. We both love Horror and to be spooked so, SCarowinds is always a great choice. We had so much fun last year and the park is open so we can enjoy the rides as well. The NC State Fair is coming to town in between October 13th & 23rd so I will FINALLY be able to enjoy some deep fried Girl Scout Cookies, Funnel Cake and Deep Fried Cookie Dough! I have NEVER been to the NC State Fair so this will be an adventure.

There are a few concerts and plays happening this month that I can’t wait to attend and will be posting about them. So, stay tuned… I love a good Broadway Production and concert! Anthony Hamilton How I’m Feelin’ Tour is coming to DPAC this month along with RENT and the Love Jones Musical! Love Jones is one of my all-time favorite romantic dramas. It’s right up there with Love & Basketball and The Best Man. I must also mention that Nia Long is like one of my favorite actresses. I’ve been following her career since she was Kat Speakes on Guiding Light! Her Birthday is also this month but, she’s a Scorpio. I’m a Libra!

JENtober is always a month to remember and I try to capture as much of it in photos and video as possible. It’s been trending for the last seven years so I appreciate when my friends indulge in my “JENtober” festivities and dub October = JENtober! I appreciate you all! I get tickled whenever someone refers to October as JENtober on my Facebook wall, Twitter or Instgaram. It just makes me giggle! I am really looking forward to a great month and can’t wait to share all my experiences with you. What do you do for your Birthday?

Do you just take the day or celebrate all month long? Happy JENtober!

Bands, Brews & BBQs at Carowinds

Disclosure: I’m a Carowinds Brand Ambassador (Caro Blogger) and received complimentary season passes to give you an all access experience to Carowinds. All opinions are 100% honest and completely my own.

Bands, Brews & BBQs

If you love music, a good brew and some good ole’ southern BBQ then you’ll want to be at Carowinds for their second annual Bands, Brews & BBQs event. The food and beer festival event starts on Friday July 29th and will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until August 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Attendees must be 21 and to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages.

Added Bonuses: Visitors can try their luck at Beer Pong and Beer Slides and take notes as representatives from Cabela’s show grillers how to smoke meat at home. To purchase beer or food for Bands, Brews and BBQs, guests will need to buy tokens from a token booth inside the park located near Harmony Hall. *Referenced from Carowinds PR

Your park admission will allow you to enjoy the Bands, Brews & BBQs event however you will need to purchase tokens from a booth inside the park located near Harmony Hall. You will love the variety of available smoked meats to choose from that will be paired with Chow Chow. You can get a taste of beef brisket, turkey wings or duck. You also have some sweet and tangy sauces to add a kick!

I think dessert is my FAVORITE! You get to have some good ole’ homemade banana pudding! Can you say YUM!!!!! You can relax on the patio right outside Harmony Hall and enjoy some local bands play tunes. If this isn’t one of the most perfect summer experiences to have then I don’t know what is. Don’t forget you can also enjoy everything else Carowinds has going on inside the park.

From the Executive Chef… “We’re so pleased to bring back Bands, Brews and BBQs for another year at the park,” says Kris Suita, Carowinds executive chef. “We’ve brought together three favorites under one roof- food, brew and music. Mix that with world-class rides and attractions, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for fun.”

To find out more about Bands, Brews & BBQs, see a complete band line-up for the event, or to purchase Carowinds tickets, visit Carowinds website.

SwimWays Spring Float Recliner Pool Fun

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Activation for Influence Central. I received a SwimWays Spring Float Recliner to facilitate my review. #SwimWays #IC #Ad

I had the opportunity to review the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner (with inner spring technology) and it was so easy to open, inflate and use. It was neatly folded and secured before I opened it and it literally took a few minutes to inflate using an air pump. An air pump isn’t required, it inflates and deflates easily with jet valve technology. The float is covered with durable fabric and there is a soft cooling mesh seat with a built in cup holder. It is really comfortable and stable when floating. I am roughly 140 lbs. and the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner weight capacity is 250 lbs. There are two air chambers to inflate. One is by the recliner and the other by the foot rest. I followed the directions and removed the cap and pulled out stem to open. I opted to use an air pump vs. inflating the float by mouth. I immediately covered the valve with my index finger and pressed the stem of the valve into float to lock the seal. I replaced that valve cap and pressed down firmly. I did the same thing for the second air chamber.

SwimWays Springfloat Recliner

My children actually were the first ones to test out the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner because you know I can’t have anything for myself these days and when we received it, why would mom want to relax and float in the pool; Right?!?! My oldest son had a blast floating in the pool before I kicked him off to so I could experience floating in the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner for myself. I am usually sitting poolside while the kids hang out and swim with their friends having a good time. I think that is going to change from now on. The SwimWays Spring Float Recliner is so comfy. When I sat down it only took a second to fit right in snug because the mesh hugs your body and then I laid back to soak up the sunshine. The headrest, backrest and ottoman make it such a soothing experience. You have a cup holder for your favorite beverage conveniently next to you so you can quench your thirst. It’s the perfect float for relaxing and I have never been that relaxed in a float.

Jen on SwimWays Spring Float Recliner.jpeg

Its summertime and that means non-stop pool FUN! We will be using the float all summer long and know that it will endure the test of time because it is so durable and made with so much quality. It’s as easy to deflate and store as it was to open and inflate. I followed the directions and just removed the valve cap(s) and pulled out the stem(s) to release the air. **Deflate the float before folding. Hold the float flat with palms facing out. To stabilize the float and make it easier to fold, step down on the metal spring around the perimeter of the float. Bring your hands together in front of you. Overlap your hands and the float will automatically close into three small circles. You can purchase the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner at your local neighborhood Walmart or shop Walmart.com and have it shipped directly to your front door. If you would like more information on the SwimWays Spring Float Recliner you can head over to the SwimWays website.

Side Note: I allowed my SwimWays Spring Float Recliner to air dry before folding it up and storing it away.

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!