Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Spring in Pigeon Forge, TN

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If you are wondering what all there is to do during spring in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee, then I have the post for you! Keep reading to see where you should plan to visit on your trip!

Spring in Pigeon Forge

Spring in Pigeon Forge

This time of the year is the perfect time to head outdoors and experience nature! That’s why the Great Smoky Mountains make a great travel destination! From a theme park to a bbq festival, there’s lots to do here!

Dollywood in Spring

There are actually two different festivals happening in spring 2023 at Dollywood, as I detailed in my spring at Dollywood post last week. Depending on when you go, you can experience the I Will Always Love You Celebration or the Flower and Food Festival! Check out my post to learn more about both of these exciting events!

Skyland Ranch

Last year, the first chair lift in Pigeon Forge opened! It’s at a place called Skyland Ranch! The chair lift should provide the perfect view of Pigeon Forge anytime of the year!

Spring Rod Run

Personally, I’ve never experienced this event. However, I know that it’s an extremely popular event. In fact, there’s a spring and a fall Pigeon Forge Rod Run! In 2023, the dates are April 13 -15 and September 14 – 16. So, if you are a car enthusiast, this may be the event for you!

Spring at Anakeesta

Another place I like to highlight for fun in spring in Pigeon Forge is actually in Gatlinburg. Anakeesta is a mountaintop attraction with several different events happening throughout the year. In 2023, you can experience the new nighttime event Astra Lumina! Then, April 14th through May 29th, they will have Blooms and Tunes happening! So, there’s something fun for everyone to enjoy! Personally, I enjoy just walking around and taking in all of nature’s beauty! I also love the gnome village!

Music in the Mountains Spring Parade

I’ve also never experienced this event. However, the Music in the Mountains Spring Parade is happening on April 28th at 5 PM on the Pigeon Forge Parkway! I imagine it would be a great way to enjoy spring in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Bloomin’ BBQ Festival

If you happen to be visiting the area on May 19th or 20th, then you are in luck! You can experience the awesome Bloomin’ BBQ Festival! There are several tasty bbq vendors as well as good bluegrass music to hear at this awesome event in Sevierville! I attended this event last year. Unfortunately, it was un-seasonably hot last year and I didn’t get to enjoy the music as much as I would have liked to. However, I absolutely loved the bbq I tried!

Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains

As you can see, there are so many things to do in spring in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville, TN! So, which of these things have you or will you experience?

If you are visiting the area during other seasons, here are my other posts to help you plan:

Spring at Dollywood

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Now that it’s mid-March you may be wondering what you can expect during spring at Dollywood. I visited last year around this time, so I thought I would share some highlights of this season at the theme park!

Spring at Dollywood

Spring at Dollywood

Typically, there’s only one festival that takes place during spring at Dollywood: Flower & Food Festival. However, new this year is the I Will Always Love You Celebration. So, while I won’t be experiencing that event, I will highlight it in this post as it is happening during spring this year.

I Will Always Love You Celebration

If you are planning to visit the theme park between now and April 8th, then you can enjoy the newest event at DW: I Will Always Love You Celebration. This event celebrates the 50th anniversary of Dolly’s hit song! The park will be highlighting song writing as well as Dolly’s style of music in general during this event.

Since this event celebrates the anniversary of a song being written, it makes sense that there’s so many performances to catch! The Songwriter’s Showcase sounds especially interesting/unique. On Saturdays there is a Celebrity Concert Series! Plus, the regular entertainment around the park will incorporate some of Dolly’s favorite songs into their performances! Check out the park’s schedule when you are visiting to see which special performances you can catch during this event.

There’s also some special event decorations in the Showstreet area as well as Market Square! You can also find and purchase some special event merchandise! Plus, there’s some special event foods throughout the park to sample! Overall, this sounds like a great addition to the park and I wish I was going to experience it.

Flower and Food Festival

If you are heading to Dollywood from April 21st to June 11th, then you can experience the beautiful Flower and Food Festival! This is a great event as there are so many great things to see and eat! I loved walking around and taking pictures of the wonderful Mosaicultures. Plus, don’t miss the wonderful umbrella sky! You can view both of these things as well as some food in my Instagram post below!

When my mom and I visited last year, it was a rainy day. However, it was still nice to walk around the park and take pictures. We really enjoyed getting a sampler pass and trying all different kinds of foods from the festival. You can see even more food in this other Instagram post:

Spring Fun

As you can see, there’s lots to see, hear, and eat when you take a spring at Dollywood visit! So, do you have plans to visit during either of these festivals? If not, I highly recommend visiting during summer at Dollywood! Additionally, Christmas in the park is awesome as is their Great Pumpkin Lumi-Nights!

Spring in Orlando Theme Parks

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I know that lots of people plan trips to align with school breaks. So, I thought I would do a post highlighting the various festivals happening during spring in Orlando theme parks!

Spring in Orlando

Spring in Orlando

March and April tend to be very popular times to visit the theme parks since lots of kids have school breaks. So, many of the theme parks have special events to give the crowds more to experience as well as to draw more people in. Here’s a look at those special events happening in spring in Orlando in 2023!

Flower and Garden Festival

Walt Disney World hosts the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival every spring and it’s one of the most beautiful times to visit this park. In years past, I have loved walking around the park and viewing the topiaries. Disney brings out some of the same topiaries every year, however they also refresh a few and add a couple new ones every year. So, it never gets stale. This year, they added a Princess Tiana and Encanto topiaries! Plus, there’s loads of beautiful landscaping around every corner!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the food at this festival. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much experience in eating food at this festival as I do with Epcot Festival of the Arts. However, in 2019 I really enjoyed the grilled street corn and would love to eat it again! This festival does a great job of highlighting fresh, in season fruits and vegetables.

Not to be out done in the entertainment category, Disney also hosts the Garden Rocks Concert Series during this festival. Some of the performers I’d be quite excited to see. Others, I’m not as familiar with, but I’d be happy to give them a listen. Note: the last concert is on July 3rd.

If you are heading to Walt Disney World between now and July 5th, I highly recommend spending at least half a day at Epcot just for this festival.

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

I already wrote an entire Universal Orlando Mardi Gras 2023 Guide. So, you know that I’m a huge fan of this fun spring event. I also wrote a review of the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine add-on last month. If you are planning to visit Universal Orlando Resort between now and April 16th, then you too can experience Mardi Gras at UO! Unfortunately, the last concert has already taken place here. However, there’s still the awesome parade and great foods to try!

Spring at SeaWorld Orlando

Lastly, SeaWorld Orlando is hosting the Seven Seas Food Festival on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until May 7th! If you are visiting this weekend or next, then you may also catch their St. Patrick’s Day Celebration as well! The park will also be celebrating Cinco de Mayo during the last weekend in April and first weekend in May. Both of those events will add some food and entertainment to the park.

Last year, I tried some tasty food at the Seven Seas Food Festival and really liked it. Unfortunately, we missed the Seven Seas Concert Series as we were tired from a full day in the park. The concert series is a mix of well-known artists, smaller bands, and tribute bands! I recommend looking up the schedule if you are heading there before May 7th.

Orlando Theme Parks in Spring

As you can see, all three theme parks celebrate spring with a special festival. So, which is your favorite spring in Orlando festival?

You can check out my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Spring Accessories 2015 from Kohl’s

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Have you seen the newest spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s yet? If not, I think it’s definitely worth a look.

Disclosure: I received these items for free.

Spring Accessories 2015

Spring Accessories 2015

Ah. It’s finally spring. That means it’s time for brighter colors and fun patterns as the weather warms up a bit. Personally, I prefer to keep my outfits classic with a pop of color here and there. That’s why I absolutely love the spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s.

Kohl’s has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop for clothing as they have so much to choose from at reasonable prices. Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a box of the spring accessories 2015 lines from Kohl’s and I was very pleased. In it were the two purses pictured above. On the left is the Apt. 9 Ann Envelope Convertible Clutch in periwinkle and on the right is the Apt. 9 Margo Crossbody Bag in Hot Coral. Both of these Apt. 9 bags have great compartments inside that make them great for practical purposes. The color and design make them hot for spring though. They would definitely brighten up any outfit. In fact, I’m thinking of taking the crossbody bag with me to Europe over the summer, just because it’s so useful and cheery.

2015 Kohls Spring Collection Shoes

In addition to the darling bags, there were 2 pairs of shoes, pictured here. There’s the Juicy Couture Women’s Palm Tree Slip-On Sneakers, which looks beautiful! Just looking at them takes me away for a moment. I think that wearing them all day would make me happier as I would have periodic thoughts of the beach throughout the day. Additionally, there’s the Dana Buchman Olyvia floral heels which look so fun! There are so many colors that can be coordinated with them to make for a perfect spring look.

As you can see the spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s is filled with fun prints and colors while being easy to style with things you already own. This year, they are really making it easy for us to add a pop of color to our wardrobes without breaking the bank. Both bags are $39 and the shoes are $59.99. I think that’s pretty reasonable, especially considering how high quality Kohl’s items are.

Have you purchased any new spring accessories yet?

How to Reuse Plastic Bottles with Johnson and Johnson Care to Recycle

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Have you ever wondered how to reuse plastic bottles after they are empty? Do you already recycle your plastic products? Growing up, we recycled our plastic. In fact, my mom used to volunteer at the town’s recycling facility. So, recycling is a cause that is close to my heart. However, I must admit that I haven’t been as good at recycling things since I’ve moved out. So, when I received an email about reusing things, I knew I had to share.

Disclosure: I received a package of complimentary Johnson & Johnson products.

how to reuse plastic bottles

How to Reuse Plastic Bottles

While 7 out of 10 Americans say they always or almost always recycle, only 1 in 5 Americans consistently recycle in the bathroom. Many consumers don’t even realize that most products commonly used in the bathroom, such as shampoo, lotion and cleanser bottles, can be recycled.

Each year, Americans throw away enough 15-oz. shampoo bottles to fill 1,164 football fields—that’s 18,000 tons of plastic ending up in landfills. So, this can have a major impact on the environment.

To help make a difference, Johnson & Johnson is launching CARE TO RECYCLE™, a recycling campaign that encourages people to recycle more items from the bathroom. The Care to Recycle website includes helpful information and tips on what can and can’t be recycled and an infographic with additional statistics on bathroom-product recycling.

I found some of those statistics to be very surprising. I hate how much we waste. So, I’m excited to share these next couple of ideas with you. If you don’t know how to reuse plastic bottles and have never done it, then I’ve got some great ideas for you. If you’ve done it before and have other tips, please let me know them in the comments. These are just some great ones to get you started.

how to repurpose plastic bottles

Most of the ideas on how to reuse plastic bottles consist of cutting the top off of it and using it for storage. However, the container could also be used to amplify the volume of the speakers on your cell phone or as a gardening shovel. So, do you have any other ideas for repurposing plastic bottles?

2023 Update: I have found it to be easier to recycle the plastic bottles by keeping a little recycling bin in my bathroom. It’s beside the trashcan, so it’s easy to just toss it in whenever I empty a bottle. This has helped me to recycle a lot more plastic! Additionally, we are very lucky that are our town starting offering a recycle pickup program. So, we just collect our recycling and put it out every other week. I highly recommend looking into recycling programs near you!