American Girl Doll Review

Christmas is coming! Can you believe it? For some reason, this year snuck up on me and I'm no way near prepared. I need lots of wonderful gift ideas before I'm stuck in a crowded mall last minute. Some crowds are not nice and I have zero patience for them. EEK! 

Kids are definitely the most fun to buy for. The toys these days are so cool, I often find myself wishing for my childhood back. In fact, I have a great gift idea to share with you if you're buying for a little girl. 

Not to long ago, I entered a giveaway on the blog, Life in Pleasantville and  I'm happy to say that I was the super lucky winner. The prize was a beautiful American Girl Doll named Melody Elison. Melody is the newest addition to the many gorgeous dolls they have available. 

As soon as the doll arrived, I knew exactly who to give it to. What I didn't know was how special this doll really was. There are 5 awesome girls in my life who mean the world to me, and all their names start with the letter M. Melody was a name that was supposed to be given to the first girl, but never ended up being the one. We think maybe it was meant to be that Melody was to arrive on her own. She's finally home with all my beautiful M&Ms. 

Perfect match!

Shop Now at American Girl

Hickory Dickory Decks Dream Come True

Back in 2014, I submitted a video into the Hickory Dickory Decks Dream Deck contest. My family and I made a video showcasing the terrible condition of the deck we had, which was literally falling apart. Luckily, we rallied enough votes from family, friends and the public to end in first place. I can't even describe my excitement when I was dubbed the official winner. All I can say is, I was over the moon. 

Unfortunately, there were some hiccups between the city and the company. Every time they tried to begin building, someone would shut them down. Any other company would have given up on me, but Hickory Dickory Decks didn't. For 2 years, they fought to fulfill my dream and finally got the approval we needed. They went above and beyond with kindness. 

Now for the fun part...showing off the beauty of my much bigger deck. I never actually realized how small the old deck was until I got to drive around this beauty. I can turn the corner of the ramp without getting caught, the gate ensures no more nightmares of driving down the stairs and way more room for next years BBQ! I can't wait to decorate next spring!

Looks like we may need new furniture next year.

This gate is beautiful and makes me feel safer.

No getting stuck on the corner.

BEFORE

AFTER

Video

I hope Hickory Dickory Decks knows how much my family and I really appreciate everything they've done for us. The owners and builders were all super kind and caring. They even worked out in the rain to make sure I didn't miss an appointment. Never in a million years did I expect to have a deck this gorgeous and SAFE! A huge thank-you to everyone involved in making this happen, including those who voted for us. If anyone is thinking of getting a new deck, I highly recommend Hickory Dickory Decks!

Hickory Dickory Decks