#Giveaway 4 All-Day Passes To This Is The Place Park

 
Baby Animal Season is in full swing and I'm teaming up with This Is The Place Heritage Park to give out 4 free all-day passes (Adults - $12.95, Children - $8.95)! The baby animals are just so sweet! Life is teeming and spring is in the air!

We checked out the park a week ago and it was so much fun! I can't think of a more fun and diverse place for family fun! Emigration Canyon is just above the park and you can see people trekking across with horses, dogs, or bikes! 
We especially liked shopping at the Gift Shop this time. It is packed with many unique and beautiful items, one of the largest inventories in the West! Just a couple of my favorites are shown below. Check out their 50% off section too!

Beautiful Copper Bracelets

Hilarious when you open it!

Horseback trail rides are also so much fun and right now you can score an introductory rate of 2 for the price of 1 plus $5 if you book online and put in the code SPRING! And don't forget to tell them A GAL NEEDS...sent you!

For a chance to win 4 all-day passes, enter in the Rafflecopter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway
 Disclaimer: Open to U.S.  A GAL NEEDS...received free passes from this sponsor to facilitate the review of this venue. Affiliate links may be present. No Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', Klout nor any other social platforms are involved in any way!
Must be 18 or older to participate, Winner will be contacted by e-mail
after 04/20/17.  Must respond within 48 hours.
After notification, winner will be asked to acknowledge their win by contacting sponsor on Social Media and letting them know of their win.
Entrants with invalid entries will
be disqualified.
Sponsor, This Is The Place Heritage Park, is responsible for fulfillment of prize package. A GAL NEEDS...is not responsible for prize fullfillment.    

Pioneer Day At This Is The Place Heritage Park + #Giveaway

In Utah, folks are lucky to get two celebrations in July! And celebrate they do! It is home to the 'Stadium Of Fire' celebration on the 4th, one of the largest in the country. Utahns certainly love their fireworks, even if they do have to travel to Wyoming to get the heavy duty ones because they are illegal to sell here and probably to light off too!

Then there is the 24th of July, where Utah is all about celebrating the pioneers who traveled from Missouri in the midst of tremendous hardship, so they could practice their freedom to worship without being persecuted. I'll admit it, most people just use the holiday to blow off more fireworks!

But at 'This Is The Place Heritage Park', celebrating the pioneers is exactly why this park was originally created. From the imposing monuments at the park's entrance, to the authentic time period buildings and costumes worn by the workers, it all takes you back to the mid-1800s, when the pioneers first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley!

Last weekend, the park was on point with all pioneer celebratory revelries.

Candlelight Christmas At This Is The Place Park! #Giveaway

Is it ever too late to start a new tradition in the family? We will be attending Candlelight Christmas this next week! Since I first visited 'This Is The Place Heritage Park' about 16 months ago, and found out about the fun, family-friendly events that coincide with major holidays, I am a huge fan! This will be my first time ever to attend the St. Ives inspired Christmas Village! I know it will be awesome, because everything else I have attended has been wonderful! 

This year the Candlelight Christmas Village is open December 7 - 23 & the 26th (Monday - Saturday). It opens at 5 pm and closes at 9 pm. Make sure to wear your warm and festive clothing! The Park is located in Salt Lake City near the Capitol and Hogle Zoo. 
Ticket Prices:
$11/adults, $8/children (3-11) & seniors, Free/children (2 and under) or if you mention A GAL NEEDS...you will receive $2.00 off all tickets purchased!

Take home a little bit of Christmas by joining in the fun of making crafts and homemade gifts in one of the decorated homes or pioneer cabins. And you can save on all your holiday shopping when you visit the park. The Gift Shop at the Visitor's Center and the ZCMI Mercantile have Salt Lake's best selection of unique, all-occasion gifts for everyone on your list! And don't forget to warm up with a hot soup meal at the Huntsman Hotel, complete with a sweet treat for those who have been good this year!

Observe a Christmas of over a century ago, quieter, more simple, fun for all. Take a stroll through streets ringing with music and make Candlelight Christmas part of your cherished family traditions. 

Giveaway: One winner will receive 4 tickets to Candlelight Christmas!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Little Haunts At 'This Is The Place Heritage Park' + Discount Code!

The Halloween Season has started at Utah's 'This Is The Place Heritage Park' and they do Halloween up right!

Every year there are fun festivities at the park, starting with The Witches Ball! This is a grown-up event that is loved by Halloween connoisseurs everywhere!  This event has already passed, but make plans for next year!

 Next, the Haunted Village is a whole evening of fun, fantastical and spooky experiences! Recommended for ages 12 and up, the headless horseman rides again! This year's theme is 'Haunted Ever After!' Come if you dare! Open evenings starting October 14th!

Finally, for the little ones it's 'Little Haunts'! Opening today, October 15th, this is a Halloween spectacular that little ones will love! If you mention A GAL NEEDS...when purchasing admission tickets to Little Haunts, you'll receive $2.00 off each ticket!

My nephews and their cute cousin getting into the Halloween Spirit!

This Is The Place Heritage Park #Giveaway {$100 Basic Family Pass}

Welcome to the BeUtahful Summer Adventure Series, hosted by A GAL NEEDS...We are featuring some of the best attractions in the state for tourists and locals alike!  

Giveaway - Sponsored by This Is The Place Heritage Park
Hosted by A GAL NEEDS...
Special Thanks to our Co-Host, Garden Inspire
And thanks to the great Utah Bloggers helping to promote this event!
 We are giving away a 1 year family pass with a retail value of $100! 
  
This Is The Place Heritage Park has been around for a long time! Originally established to pay homage to the founders of the state of Utah, with gorgeous memorial statues lining the drive around the park, it has evolved into much more! Families from near and far come to the park to enjoy the many amenities offered to visitors.  

On any given day in the summer, you can visit so many different places within the park! For the entire summer you can ride trains, pan for gold, meet the farm animals and ride ponies! Interact with the Blacksmith, Tinsmith and Saddle-maker! Card and spin wool, make take-home crafts, do pioneer chores, play old-fashioned games and so much more! Visit the Native American Village and see the Native Dancers.

Read about Helena's experience at the park here!

There are also many special events throughout the year and the park is open on a daily basis from April thru October.

Special Events For 2015:

Baby Animal Kick-Off April 2-4
Little Haunts - October 15-17, 24, & 31
Haunted Village Oct 10-31
Christkindlmarkt - Dec 3-5
Candlelight Christmas - December 7-23 & 26
Huntsman Day - June 12
Mountain Man Days - June 12-13
Liberty Days - July 4 
Pioneer Days - July 24 

And "this is the place" for weddings! There are nine venues to have the wedding of your dreams!
"TITP was the perfect venue for our wedding reception. It was cozy but elegant and had a unique feel to it that we couldn't find anywhere else. The staff made us feel like family and helped to make it the perfect day" - Chrislyn Woolston

One winner will receive a one-year basic family pass. This pass includes:

• FREE general admission, Pony and Mini Train Rides
• FREE admission to these Special Events - Mountain Man Camp, Liberty Days, Pioneer Days, & Little Haunts
• Monthly “This Is The Place Messenger” e-Newsletter telling of other events and happenings at the park.
• 50% discount to Haunted Village
• $20 per person admission to the October Witches’ Ball
• 10% discount on purchases at Heritage Park Gift Shop and ZCMI Mercantile Store

 What a great prize for someone and their family! Time for the giveaway! The only required entry is to leave a comment about what you love to do in the summertime! All other entries are completely optional, but the more entries you complete, the greater your chances of winning this amazing prize!

GOOD LUCK!
Sponsor is responsible for delivery of prizes, not participating bloggers. This blog received no monetary or other compensation for the facilitation of this giveaway. Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway picture credit 

Apricot Escapade At A Utah County Park

My husband and I have noticed for several years that a local park in the area has a couple of trees that get loaded with apricots every summer.  They fall to the ground and get stepped on, making a squishy mess underneath the branches.  This year we decided to help the situation.

Early one morning this week, we snuck over went to this park with a ladder, a tarp, a bucket, a rake and our dog.  We spread the tarp under the branches of the tree and Greg started shaking and hitting them with the rake.  As they fell I gathered them up and put them in the bucket.  We did this for about an hour.  Afterwards, we played frisbee with our border collie, Evee!  It was an all-around good time. 

 The work began the next day.   The apricots were washed, pitted but not peeled (hey, more fiber that way), boiled with pectin and sugar, put in jars, lidded and put in the bath.  Since neither of us are canning experts, we under-estimated the amount of apricots that we needed in order to make 12 jars of jam.  We ended up with 8 jars of jam and some left-over apricots to give to some friends.  I even made a batch of freezer spread with a recipe I got over at Tight Wad In Utah.  I actually like the spread better because there is less sugar.  But for those cold winter mornings, there will be nothing better than hot, buttered toast with a glaze of homemade apricot jam!  I'm glad that hubs likes to do this kind of thing with me.  It makes it more enjoyable!

Our 4th of July Celebration!

My family had a great 4th of July weekend!  We combined it with the birthday of my oldest son, whose birthday always falls on the 4th every year! ;)  We had good food, good times and made some good memories.  Thank you to Laura and Chris for hosting it at their home.  Thank you to

Leland and Alicia for arranging the trip to Lagoon and thanks to all our extended family for helping and being there to enjoy!  Here I am at Lagoon enjoying one of the more tame rides and my personal favorite, the Sky Rider.  So calm and relaxing!  I also went on the Samurai, Wicked and the roller coaster!  Not so calm and relaxing. 

We had a great BBQ with T-Bone Steaks before we all walked to the park to see the fireworks!  Here are some of the fixins':

                This is the punch bowl cake that seems to be a big hit when I make it!

 Harrison, my 4-year-old nephew, was in charge of decorating this cake.  He got help from Aunt Amy!

                                  This salad was awesome!  Made by Harrison's Mom, Laura!

One of the great drinks was Country Time Lemonade, complete with sliced lemons and mint leaves!


Hugs,

Helena

A Fun Hobby

I like disc golf. I like my husband for introducing it to me. He bought me the bag, the discs, and I actually know what over-stable and under-stable are and a few other choice terms.

Greg is the most urgent and intense driver (of discs). He can chuck those puppies over 350 ft. When I watch them,they look like birds in flight, rising up and down with the wind. Just last night, he placed 2nd in doubles, adding $12 to the family pot! This is no small feat since he is the old man of the bunch. One comment that was made was, "Wow! For an old man, you have a hell of an arm."

I must tell you, he thinks I'm a heck of a putter, too. Whenever I make a nice putt, especially in front of a bunch of guys, he starts talking to me in ways that to the normal ear, may sound dirty. But it's actually a lot of disc golf phrases strung together with "my wife" in there somewhere. I have a slight hearing problem and sometimes it is hard to distinguish between consonants, like p and b. But I have no problem distinguishing between those two vowels when we're out playing. It is ALWAYS "nice putt."

Seriously, ladies, disc golf with your man is fun. You're out in a beautiful park, the weather is nice (but not necessarily), you're getting fresh air and exercise, quality time with the hubby, etc. etc. If I was single, I'd take up disc golf, for sure, as a strategy. There are hardly any good women players out there and single, athletic guys aplenty. Greg tells me about some of those he meets. Airline pilots, CEO's of small companies, millionaires, you name it. Heck, Greg plays with a certain BYU quaterback's dad and some of his friends. Of course, there are also the pot heads and nerds.

Sometimes I'll see guys out introducing the sport to their dates or girlfriends. I have to laugh at times. The girl will be wearing a flowing dress or flip flops or a halter top, her hair perfectly coifed. She looks like she needs to be mall shopping or something. The thing that she feels is most important is to look beautiful for her man. And then she throws. It is embarrassingly unwieldy, but the guy gallantly compliments her and urges her on. Hopefully, she will be persistent and the guy will be patient. If so, she will have it made and she doesn't even know it! 

I think it's fun to see families playing together. One time there was a couple playing, with baby stroller in tow. He was obviously a player and I assumed she was along for the outing, not necessarily the playing. Then came her turn. She let loose a throw that outdid mine by a few feet and she wasn't even trying. By the time their little guy gets to be three, he'll be a player for sure. The other day I saw a little guy tagging along with his player dad and possibly his grandpa. He wss carrying his own disc. I thought, "how cute, the little guy might be out of his element trying to keep up with the big boys." But no, this little guy was a bonefied player and he let those discs rip. So there are a lot of little disc golf virtuosos coming up the pipe.

Greg taught me how to play. It used to be that every time I made a throw, there he'd be, with another and another suggestion. "Please, just let me throw and enjoy my time here!", I'd say. I really didn't care how many feet my disc went or if I made the basket in 4 or 8 tries. So he'd let up for awhile until he just couldn't stand it and there come the comments and coaching once again. He's a lot better now....because I'm a lot better now! I may even enter my first tournament this year. And tomorrow he is playing a tournament in Ogden. We're trying it out today though!

Weekend Confessions

Oh I wish I could tell you that I had confessions to make.  But unfortunately, my weekend was pretty non-eventful, although I think I can drum up at least 1 activity worth mentioning for Friday, Saturday and Sunday! 

Friday - The hubs and I went out to lunch at Zupa's!  I always order the 'Nuts About Berries' Salad with Maple Vinaigrette dressing and one of their soups. This time I ordered the Crab Bisque. It was delicious! We then proceeded to Costco, where we looked at camera's and actually picked one out. It's a Lumix and has more stuff than my old camera did. For one thing, I needed a larger LCD screen so I can see what I'm taking a picture of.  But I won't be using it until I read the user's manual from cover to cover. 

Saturday - We went and played disc golf.  I think I mentioned this already in another post.  After that we watched all our dvd'd t.v. stuff that we like--Survivor, The Good Wife, Lost, the Olympics, that's about it!

Sunday - I was at my Dad's and I cooked for the family.  I've been benefiting greatly from giveaways lately.  I used the last bit of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to make Stuffed Pepper Soup.  They really liked it!  I'm going to be ordering more of that stuff!  I took a few pictures of my son, because he finally got his braces out. He's actually had them in for about 5 years, because of a "jaw problem".  I'm not sure what they even meant.  His jaw always looked fine to me.  But he looks mighty handsome now, I will say!  (Just Mom's opinion!)