Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, known around the globe as the “Best Amusement Park in the World,” is celebrating the 4th of July the only way it knows how - BIG!
FREE Admission for Military
All active, retired & honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces will receive FREE admission to Cedar Point, Friday through Sunday, July 3-5. Immediate family members can also receive a Military Discount for $39.99 each. These offers are only available at park ticket windows and proper ID is required. Valid forms of ID include Active Duty ID, Retired Personnel ID, VA ID and copy of DD-214 discharge papers w/photo ID.
LIMITED TIME! Light Up 4 Pack Offer
Cedar Point is starting the celebration off right with a ticket discount. Get 4 tickets just $44 each. This offer is valid June 29 through July 5th, 2015. CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW
Fantastic Fireworks!
The sky lights up at 10:30 p.m. on July 4th as Cedar Point proudly presents one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest!
VIP Viewing
Get the best view of the fireworks from our special VIP section. You'll have your own seat on the beach PLUS you'll get a combo meal of hot dog, chips, soda or water for just $15 plus tax! Purchase your VIP tickets here today! VIP area will be open July 4th from 9:30 - 11:00 p.m.
The Soundtrack
During the fireworks display, you'll hear patriotic favorites like:
Lee Greenwood's Star Spangled Banner
Military Medley
God Bless the USA
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Yankee Doodle
Stars and Stripes
America
America the Beautiful
1812 Overture
The soundtrack will also be simulcast on 102.7 FM in Sandusky.
Beach Blast
The Park stays open late – and so does the fun on the beach! Back by popular demand, Cedar Point will stay open until midnight every Friday and Saturday night, July 3rd through August 15th, and extends the fun to the Cedar Point beach from 9 pm to midnight at Beach Blast! Enjoy live music from the Toes in the Sand Band, dance under the stars or just tap your feet in the sand. From beach chairs and fire pits, roast s’mores, toast the night with a drink from the Beach Bar and play beach games!
Disclosure: My son and I received a complementary one night stay at Cedar Point's Hotel Breakers as part of my involvement in Cedar Point's #CPBlogging program. All opinions are my own...
A brilliant renovation brings the iconic Hotel Breakers back to life...
Recently, my son and I made the 2 hour drive from Detroit to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH. While the weather did not hold out for us to go to Cedar Point and ride the new Rougarou floorless roller coaster (BOO!), we were able to enjoy a one night stay at Cedar Point's newly renovated Hotel Breakers - and we loved everything about it!
Now my family has stayed at quite a few hotels in the Sandusky, OH area over the years including Cedar Point's Castaway Bay Indoor Water Resort. But we had never stayed at Hotel Breakers mainly because the reviews posted on travel review sites like TripAdvisor usually focused on the downside of staying at an aging hotel property when there are so many newer hotels in the area.
Hotel Breakers is over 100 years old, and in recent years was very much in need of a renovation. Well that renovation is now complete and the brand new Hotel Breakers is a beautiful beach property with gorgeous grounds, fresh coastal themed rooms, wonderful amenities, and it's all only a 2 minute walk from Cedar Point Amusement Park!
To get to Hotel Breakers, we drove down the Cedar Point Causeway to an attended booth in the far left lane on the parking lot entry into Cedar Point Amusement Park. We told the attendant that we were staying at The Breakers and we were asked for our reservation number. We continued down the road surrounding Cedar Point until we got to another attended booth at the entry for the hotel. Once we turned onto the hotel grounds, we were greeted with beautiful landscaping and a view of the majestic coastal themed hotel.
Once we parked, we entered the hotel and preceded to the spectacular lobby to check-in. The upper level of the lobby is decorated in photo collages of the attractions at Cedar Point Amusement Park.
After checking in, we went back to our car and drove over to park near the tower building where our room was located. When we opened the door to our room on the 6th floor, I was blown away by the beauty of our room, which had a coastal theme to match the rest of the hotel. The rooms are decorated in white, cream and light blue colors and while there is carpet in the bed area, the entry hall and bathroom floors are wood which makes for easy clean-up since the hotel is located on a sandy beach. The entryway has an open shelving closet which makes stowing luggage and handling clothing easy, along with a microwave, small frig, an iron and ironing board, and a passcode safe for storing valuables.
Our room had a perfect view of rides at Cedar Point, which are only a 2 minute walk from the hotel. The hotel has it's own entry gate into the amusement park and guests get to enter the park one hour earlier than normal entry hours.
Hotel Breakers is a beach front property with beautiful waterfront views. We could appreciate the beauty of the property, even though it was raining with temps only in the upper 50's.
The Hotel Breakers has some great amenities including an indoor pool and hot tub (which we loved so much that I forgot to take any photos), an arcade, a Starbucks, and a few restaurants including a TGI Fridays.
Hotel restaurants are great for an occasional meal, but it is also great to have a hotel room with a microwave and a frig so that families can bring their own food and save some money on food while on vacation.
My son and I loved our comfy room at Hotel Breakers and since the weather did not hold out for us to go to Cedar Point, we plan to come back and enjoy the hotel again - and this time ride the new Rougarou floorless roller coaster!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChangingPrepaid #CollectiveBias
T-mboile Samsung Galaxy Avant does not feel like a No-Contract Smartphone!
Smartphones are the Smart Way to Save...
I don't remember life before my smartphone - really! It's funny that a piece of technology that is less than a decade old has totally changed how I live my life.
I use my smartphone for everything - for reading books, reading newspapers, watching movies, listening to music and podcasts, keeping in touch with my friends and family - and especially for deal and bargain shopping.
I have said for years that smartphones are the new Swiss Army Knives in people's lives since you can turn them into anything that you need with the right apps.
So let me share with you my easy ways to save money on shopping, travel, entertainment, and even on my smartphone and the monthly smartphone monthly bill ---
1. Friends do not let Friends Pay Full Price!!!
I don't remember the last time that I paid full price for anything - it is just against my religion. And using my smartphone has made bargain shopping as easy as downloading a few apps that I use daily to ensure purchases are as cheap as possible.
SHOPATHOME -
Any online shopping that I do starts with using the ShopAtHome app so I can get cash back on all my purchases. Just type in the name of the online retailer, and ShopAtHome returns any promotional discount codes that are available and also tells you the amount of cash back you can get by going through a their link make your purchase. I usually get as low as 1% and as high as 20% cash back on my purchases.
After I lost my Fitbit Fitness tracker over the holidays, I used the ShopAtHome app to get 5% cash back on a new Jawbone Up24 Fitness Tracker that I purchased at Walmart.com for 60% off. ShotAtHome gets me cash back on top of my regular savings.
SLICKDEALS -
Imagine having great deals that are vetted by real shoppers across the country sent to your smartphone all day long. Well that is what happens when you download the SlickDeals app to your smartphone.
I have found awesome deals over the years using Slickdeals including my first iPad (40% off), my UP24 Activity Tracker (60% off), my Samsung Galaxy Smart Camera (60% off), and a new comforter for my son's bedroom for only $5. The Slickdeals app is a must for true bargain shoppers.
WALMART SAVINGS CATCHER -
Any Walmart shopper should have the Walmart app on their smartphone since one of the features is the Walmart Savings Catcher where you scan your receipt and Walmart gives you back cash in a Walmart eGift Card if a competitor advertises any of the items at a lower price. A friend of mine buys all her fruits and vegetables at Walmart and gets tons back in savings with the Walmart Savings Catcher - write that tip down!
2. Travel on the Cheap!
ONTHEFLY -
My family loves to travel and I want to travel as inexpensively as possible. So when I have to book plane tickets, I always start my search with the OnTheFly app which lets me use my smartphone to find the cheapest flights to my vacation destination. I just enter the details and the app does all the work finding the airlines with the flights that match my specifies. This app has saved me hundreds of dollars each time that I use it.
UBER -
While traveling, Uber is a cost efficient way to get around your vacation destination where you can order a ride and pay - all from your smartphone.
TRANSIT -
Want to save money on transportation while on vacation by taking the bus with the locals? Then be sure to download the Transit app so you can have the bus and train schedules right on my smartphone and watch your bus or train approaching in real-time. This app can save you money and time.
3. Entertainment can be Fun and Frugal at the same time!
REDBOX -
When my family wants to see a movie, I usually will take out my smartphone and use the Redbox app to order us a $1.50 DVD rental for the night. And the really great thing about the Redbox app is that a couple of times per month, I will get a message within the smartphone app with a code for a FREE 1 night movie rental. So not only is the Redbox app on my smartphone a convenient way to order a movie, but it also gets me even more discounts on my entertainment.
GOOGE REWARDS -
The Google Rewards app lets me take 1 to 10 question short (1 minute) surveys on my smartphone that earns me FREE Google Play store credits. In one year of use, I earned over $65 in credits that I can spend on music, movies, eBooks, and eMagazines in the Google Play Store. I just love this app and thanks to all the credits I have earned, I cannot remember the last time I paid for a song or a eBook in the Google Play Store.
MILK -
If you are fortunate enough to use a Samsung Galaxy smartphone then you already know about the Milk app that lets you pick a music genre and dial up (play and pause) all the music you want - for FREE.
T-mobile Simply Prepaid is available at your local Walmart!
About 2 years ago, when it came time to buy my son a smartphone, I knew there was no way I would get him a device with a 2 year contract. My son has lost so many things over the years that I just buy things for him in multiples since I know they are not going to stick around for long. My neighbor found the first flip phone that I bought him in their front yard - 3 times!!! He has lost 7 lunch bags, 2 coats, and countless pairs of earphones.
So why in the world would I buy this kid a contract smartphone ???
So I did lots of research on no-contract smartphones and prepaid monthly plans and found out about the very affordable T-Mobile Simple Choice 4g LTE Prepaid Plans and T-mobile no-contract smartphones with great features for under $150 dollars out the door.
Given the great reviews that I read about T-Mobile prepaid service, two years ago I bought my son his first no-contract T-mobile smartphone and a T-mobile Simple Choice prepaid monthly service plan (which is sold through Walmart) and it has worked out wonderfully.
T-mobile Simple Choice prepaid plans start at $30 a month and go up to $80 a month depending on your data limits. The service has been excellent and my son has had a plan for the past two years with 5GB of data and unlimited texting, and 100 talk minutes for under $35 a month which is right in my budget.
And when it's time to refill his plan, all I do is buy a T-mobile refill card once a month while I am shopping - affordable and easy. And if God forbid that my son loses the smartphone - or I have to stop the monthly service, I am not out any additional money since the monthly service is prepaid and can be stopped at anytime by just not adding any more refill cards.
And since I have had so much success with having my son use T-mobile prepaid over the last 2 years years, I have decided to try it out for myself to lower my monthly expenses in 2015.
NEW T-Mobile Simply Prepaid Plans are even Cheaper!!!
I have been thinking about moving my son up to a higher cost monthly plan to get unlimited talk. So it was great news when I found out that T-mobile has just introduced the new T-Mobile Simply Prepaid Plans.
T-mobile Simply Prepaid Plans are $10 cheaper per month than their Simple Choice Prepaid plans so we can save even more money on our monthly smartphone bill - HOLLA!!!
The T-mobile Simply Prepaid Plans start at $40 dollars a month for 4G LTE data with unlimited talk and text.
For just under $150, Walmart now sells the T-mobile Samsung Galaxy Avant smartphone with great features that I love like 16GB of memory and an SD expansion slot for storing tons of music, photos, and videos and running tons of apps , and a removable battery so that the battery can be swapped out to keep the device fully charged at all times so that the money savings never stop.
And the Bargainista in me loves that the Samsung Galaxy Avant has the same beautiful, super soft leather-like back just like the high-end Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
So that is how I roll with using my smartphone for smart money saving.... How do you save money on or with your smartphone in 2015? What are your favorite money saving smartphone apps?
The Family Forward Blogger Retreat at Universal Orlando provides bloggers and their families with hotel, food, park passes, and unique experiences at a significantly reduced price. All opinions are my own.
The Lowes Portofino Bay is one beautiful hotel...
When I travel, I tend to stay at "budget" hotels to save money. And while there is nothing wrong with saving money, I often dream of upgrading to more luxurious accommodations.
So it was a real pleasure when as part of attending the Family Forward Blogger Retreat in Orlando, FL, my family got to stay four nights at the Lowes Portofino Bay, a luxury high-end hotel that is part of Universal Orlando Resorts.
Lowes Portofino is designed in the style of a Tuscan villa in Italy and I was highly impressed from the moment the cab turned on to the lush grounds to the moment we opened the door to our room. The Lowes Portofino Bay is simply a beautiful hotel.
We arrived at the Lowes Portofino Bay three hours earlier than the check-in time and we were prepared for the hotel management to say that our room would not be ready for hours. So imagine my surprise when the friendly and very orderly check-in staff informed me that our room was all ready and waiting for us - SWEET!!!
Our room was beautiful - large, comfortable and elegant without being fussy. And the bathroom was bigger than my master bedroom at home - I was in total heaven!
I did not want to move from my shaded lounger...
It did not take long for everyone to change into bathing suits so we could hit one of the three pools at the hotel. I loved just lounging in the shade while my son had a wonderful time in the pool complete with a fabulous water slide. And everyone loved the hot tub despite the fact that it was 90 degrees in the shade. The pool area includes wait service which brings your food order right to your pool lounger and I would highly recommend their chicken tenders which were delicious.
View of the Lowes Potofino Bay by night - beautiful!
The pool by night - with Harry Potter on the big screen!
The pool area is also very busy at night because the hotel shows a Harry Potter movie each night on a big screen projector right by the pool. It is a great way to end the day.
The Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel is about a 10 minute walk along a beautiful landscaped path from Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal CityWalk. If you don't want to walk (which I would not recommend in the hot sun of the day), the hotel has a FREE boat shuttle. My only complaint about our entire hotel stay is how slow the boat service is at the busiest times of the day and evening. I would recommend packing some patience when using this service - and also leaving very early if you need to be somewhere by a certain time.
One of the great things about staying at a Universal Orlando Resorts hotel property is that guests get extra benefits at Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure that are not offered to the general public:
- You can skip the regular lines with Universal Express SM Unlimited ride access in both theme parks – a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day.
- And you get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, one hour before the theme park opens.
And even on the days that you don't go to the parks, the Lowes Portofino Bay has temptations of its own with shops, restaurants, and a spa where you can unwind and relax.
I came away from my stay at the Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel relaxed and renewed. And isn't that what a great vacation is all about?
