Every year, Firehouse Subs Headquarters, the franchisees and their families head down to Orlando for an annual “Family Reunion,” and this year I had the opportunity to tag along since Jimmy now works for Firehouse HQ. And we would be … Continue reading
Two months ago, I began a new chapter of my life and started a new job with an ad agency, managing the PR and social media for the Southern Ford Dealers, as well as further leveraging existing sponsorships. I knew it would be a great opportunity and come with nice perks, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be spending a day “at work” at LEGOLAND Florida!
Before I started this job, I had never even heard of LEGOLAND. When I learned that the Southern Ford Dealers had a partnership with them and began learning more about the park, I pictured it as a small, almost cheesy, kiddie park. Well, my recent visit to Winter Haven, FL proved me completely WRONG. The place is AWESOME! Just shy of nine months old, LEGOLAND Florida is 150 acres of family fun, with over 50 rides, interactive displays and activities tucked away where the former Cypress Gardens once sat. The rides and activities are geared more toward children between the ages of 2 and 12 years old, but that didn’t stop me (or any other adult there) from being in awe the entire time. Every single display, every animal and every statue is completely made of LEGOs. Need a visual? Check out these photos of Miniland USA. These are actual, true-to-scale reproductions of some of the US’s most popular cities, composed 100% of LEGOs!
New York City
The White House. Do you see the Obama’s?!
Pretty awesome, huh? Wait until you see the animals….
Yes, the entire elephant is made up of LEGOs!
You can also find alligators, giraffes, birds and much more. Descriptions and these photos don’t even do justice!
One of the favorite attractions, however, is the Ford Driving School (pretty convenient for us, right?!), which features bumper-style cars that children can drive. After watching a video giving the “rules of the road”, children have the opportunity to drive their Ford cars through a simulated street scene, complete with traffic lights and stop signs. Participants can even take home their own Ford Driver’s License as a souvenir.
Learning the “rules of the road.”
Sorry to burst your bubble, but parents, you don’t get to drive. But that’s what the real thing is for, right?
Had to throw in a shameless photo of the all-new 2013 Ford Escape I checked out before heading into the park. I. Am. In. LOVE. You should totally get one.
And right outside of the Ford Driving School is this bad boy.
A true-to-scale Ford Explorer reinvented and built completely out of LEGO bricks. 382,858 to be exact, weighing in at 2,654 pounds. Check out this freaking amazing time-lapse video of it being constructed. It blows my mind every time I watch it!
There is so much more to see and do at the park that would take me days to write about, including the live shows, killer water park, build and test station and oh-so-much more. The lines aren’t long, there is plenty of shade, restaurants and shops are abundant and admission is extremely reasonable. What more could you ask for in a family outing?
Which is why the Southern Ford Dealers want to send YOU there for FREE! Register on the SFD Facebook Page to win a pair of tickets to LEGOLAND Florida. One winner will be selected at random on Thursday, July 19 at 5 p.m. ET.
The tickets are good through the end of the year. CLICK HERE to enter – it only takes a minute!
Be sure to check out additional photos of my visit to the park below. Good luck, and have fun!
Note: This blog post was in no way sponsored or endorsed by LEGOLAND Florida, Ford Motor Company or the Southern Ford Dealers. This is a personal blog with my own personal onions.
I’m not much of a sweets-for-breakfast person. If I had my choice, I would have scrambled eggs, grits, eggs Benedict or corned beef hash each morning. My boyfriend, on the other hand, would have cinnamon rolls, donuts or anything with … Continue reading
Getting motivated is always tough. Staying motivated can be even more challenging. Continuing to be motivated on the weekends? … Well, that’s next to impossible!
Eating right, working out and saying “no” are some of the biggest obstacles I have faced in a while, but I am determined to see this through and find the me that makes me happy. You know what they say: “Nothing good comes for free.”
So if you’re trying to motivate yourself to live a better lifestyle, to start working out, you’re having trouble staying motivated, or just need a little push to help get you through the weekend without giving in, this one’s for you. Print these out. Hang them on your wall. Frame them in your office. Write these messages on your bathroom mirror. Whatever it takes – YOU’VE GOT THIS!
I’ll preface this post by saying: Don’t worry … I’m not going to spoil the movie or drop any hints.
Last night, Jimmy and I had the opportunity to attend a special sneak preview of The Amazing Spider-Man (because 95.1 WAPE rocks my world and hooked me up on Twitter – thank you!) We weren’t too thrilled about having to drive from South Side to Orange Park at the tail end of rush hour, but we sucked it up and headed to the AMC Orange Park 24. Since we both love movies so much and have been pumped to see this flick, the traffic and terrible Jacksonville drivers that use their left turn signal when they’re really turning right didn’t annoy us too much. We arrived at the theater to discover that the movie was being shown in IMAX 3D. How did we not know this? AWESOME!
Growing up, I wasn’t much for action and super hero movies. My dad and two brothers loved them, but getting me to sit through an entire one was pretty much impossible. Not sure when that changed, but now I feel like the kid who would wear the themed T-shirt to the premier of the newest comic-based movie. I really enjoy them!
Let me just go ahead and say that the movie blew me away, from start to finish. The graphics were just unbelievable! Have you ever been to Universal Studios? You know how Terminator and other 3D attractions have unbelievable effects, and you feel like you can grab objects that look like they’re coming out of the screen? Well, that’s how 3D is supposed to be, but most movies struggle with that and aren’t worth the extra money at the box office. Not this one. Each time Spider-Man shot webbing, I thought it was going to stick to me. On top of that, this movie made me realize I have a fear of hights. Remind me to never climb up the side of a skyscraper or jump off a bridge. The only things missing were the vibrating seats and misters during the water scenes!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man … just didn’t know if he’d be able to live up to the part. He fooled me. I was very surprised by his performance and I actually really enjoyed him in the role! And of course, you can’t go wrong with Emma Stone. She is just brilliant, in my opinion.
There were times I wanted to cry, times I laughed, times I thought I could do backflips and take on a 5-ton lizard-person, and times I feared for Spider-Man’s life. (Not sure why … he’s obviously around for several squeals, since this was about to be how it all began.) I love movies that can have you so involved like that, and leave you feeling like you actually have some sort of connection with the characters.
Jimmy pointed out that the director’s last name was Webb (Marc Webb), which I thought was pretty humorous. I guess he was meant to direct this movie!
So, if you’re hesitant about spending the money on seeing this movie in theaters, suck it up and do it. It’s worth every penny. I’d pay to do it all over again! (In fact, $20 says I will.) But if you’re going to see it, you MUST go all the way and see it in IMAX 3D. There is no other way. And get there early so you can pick a great seat!
