6 Cheap Things to Do in Las Vegas

Towards the end of 2017, I went on possibly my most last minute trip I have ever gone on.  Flights to Las Vegas became extremely cheap, and with that cheap of a flight, it was a great time for a December trip to Las Vegas, Nevada.  Seeing as it was basically the start of Christmas time, I went with my family to Las Vegas with a very limited budget.  We found a very cheap room at my now favorite hotel there, The Flamingo, and our trip was kind of heaven sent from there.

However, beyond flights and hotel costs, Las Vegas is quite pricey everywhere you go.  There are numerous and amazing buffets in the city, but the problem with them all, is that they are basically almost $200 for only three people to eat dinner.  Whenever I go to New York City every summer, I know the city well enough at this point that I know what to do there that won’t cost me a large amount of money.  If you would like me to write a post on free things in New York, let me know!

We were able to find certain things to do that cost us little to no money at all, and I would love to share these things with you today.  It is always great to travel somewhere and have a basic idea and understanding on what you can do, without completely killing your budget.  Here are my favorite picks of cheap or free things to do in fabulous Las Vegas.

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1. Bellagio Fountains

The reason our hotel room was so incredible, was that we had a direct view of the fountain shows going off at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.  These water shows go off every half an hour i believe during the daytime past noon, and every fifteen minutes in the evening until midnight.  These shows have different music and different fountains going off at every single show.  

It is completely free and a must see when going to Vegas!

2. The Mirage Volcano Show

Unfortunately I did not get to see this show on my trip, even though I did want to go very badly.  At the Mirage Hotel and Casino, there is a volcano structure in the front of the hotel, that erupts at night time at certain hours after 9:00PM I believe.  After watching videos of the show on YouTube, it looks insanely cool to watch.

This is also 100% free and something cool to watch at night!

3. Neon Junkyard

Another thing I did not get to do, but I know a lot others love, is the Neon Junkyard located in the outskirts of the main city area.  This is the perfect place for those awesome Instagram photos, and is for sure an interesting place to just even walk around.

This is also free to my knowledge and is the perfect stop for your Instagram feed!

4. Day in the Desert

After spending a day road tripping to the Grand Canyon and driving through the desert, I definitely fell in love.  The desert surrounding Las Vegas is honestly insane, and it seems like it never ends.  There are numerous spots that are perfect for photos and what not.  Boulder City is located just a perhaps half an hour drive from Las Vegas, and the town there is just stunning.

The cost for this can vary, with transportation, etc, but totally worth it!

5. High Roller

If views are something you fancy, then this is definitely the destination for you.  I personally am extremely afraid of heights, so I for one made sure to not go on this one!  The High Roller was actually located literally right outside of my hotel, The Flamingo, and was a gorgeous sight even from down below.  The ride takes an hour all together I believe, which gives you plenty of time for awesome photos.  They even have bars inside them at night time, talk about insane!

The cost for this is at the lowest $25 I believe, and if you really would love a great view of Vegas, this is the way to go!

6. Hotel Exploration

The major thing that Las Vegas is most famous for, is the massive and beautiful hotels and casinos.  I like to call Vegas the adult Disney World.  It is absolutely free to walk through all the hotels, and just to be warned, they are not only massive, but you will for sure get lost.  My personal favorites were The Venetian (got lost literally like three times here) and Caesar's Palace.   They both have shopping sections that make it look like you are actually in Venice or Greece.

This is also completely free and a must do if you go to Vegas!

If you enjoyed today’s post, or have been to Vegas and done one of these listed, comment below!  You can view more photos from my trip to Vegas on my Instagram page here.  You can also view my travel diary vlog from Las Vegas on my Youtube channel here.

My Picks of Last Minute Stocking Fillers

This time of December is certainly the craziest time of year, in my opinion.  If you go to the stores from here until Christmas Day, you are mostly sure of being mobbed by massive amounts of people getting their last minute shopping done.  As hectic as it is, I have to admit I do love this time of year shopping wise! Mostly some great sales happen right before Christmas, which is a good reason to be last minute shopping. 

I did a lot of my shopping this past weekend, and even though I have more to do this Friday (it never ends!) I managed to find some really great stuff for little gifts for friends and family.  

Miscellaneous

One gift I managed to get on Black Friday, actually, was a Christmas patterned blanket.  The blanket I bought from JC Penny’s was so incredible soft that I gifted it to my friend, and she loved it!  Blankets can never go wrong!  Fuzzy Christmas socks work wonders, too!

Stationary

Another thing I noticed whilst shopping at Target the other day, was the little things they had on sale.  I got this cute set of cards pictured above, for just $1! If you know someone that loves stationary or is in need of some mini binders for some reason, Target is your place! I personally use mini binders to put my broadway playbills in, but I certainly don’t expect everyone to use it for that reason!!

Makeup
On the topic of makeup, I would say go to Ulta instead of Sephora, mainly because Sephora is so expensive!  If you were to do a drug store brand type of makeup, I’d say Elf is the best in that category.   My personal favorite makeup brand that myself and a ton of my friends love, is Colourpop.  Colourpop has some of the best makeup products out there, and they’re cheap!  Their matte liquid lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes are my favorites from them, definitely try out Colourpop if you already haven’t! 

Chocolate

Now let’s talk about something almost everyone loves: chocolate!  My mother and I happened to find a set of chocolate covered apples for family and I can’t think of a more perfect gift for someone!  Also, a personal favorite of mine is Lindor Truffles, which you could probably find at any grocery store. 

I’d say if you were to do some last minute Christmas shopping, Target is definitely the place to go.  Target truly never disappoints me, even in their clothing department!  Happy Holiday’s to you and your family, you truly deserve the lovely weekend.  

What are some stocking fillers you have found for Christmas? 

5 Things I Love About Christmas

Christmas is easily my favorite time of year, and for lots of reasons.  It’s the season about joy and giving, and on top of that, really fun family traditions.  Christmas is the time of year when I am cramming to get gifts wrapped and sent out, just as I am doing right now! Last minute gifts seems to be my thing!  To think Christmas is now in less than two weeks, is really insane to me. 

Usually I’m overly excited for Christmas and it seems like it couldn’t come quicker.  This year, however, Christmas has really come too quickly!  Anyway, today’s post is going to be all about why I love this time of year, I hope you enjoy!

01. Family Traditions

There’s nothing I love more than spending Christmas with my family, and we’ve had some of the same traditions for years!  We always watch the same Christmas movies every year along with some hot chocolate by our side.  We will also usually go drive around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights!  

02. Giving

Christmas is all about giving, and one of my favorite things is giving gifts to the people who deserve it.  I love the smile on people’s faces when they see that I got them something, it always warms my heart. 

03. Movies

One of my favorite things about the holiday season, is I LOVE THE MOVIES!  I always watch the same every year, along with some new ones from time to time.  Hallmark Christmas movies are also a favorite channel that my mom and I love to put on.  I recently wrote a blog post on my favorite films, you can go read it in detail here!

04. Christmas Cards

Another thing I love to do around Christmas cards, is make some Christmas cards for my friends and family.  I always tend to get this done last minute, but it always gets done.  I’ll either have them printed at a local Walmart, or I’ll buy hallmark cards and do it that way!

05. Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve, probably more than I’ll possibly love Christmas Day.   Every Christmas Eve, we always go over to my aunt and uncles house, and we have dinner and open early Christmas presents.  It’s always been a favorite tradition of mine, and I cannot wait to do it again this year! 

What is one of the reasons you love Christmas? 

15 Days of Christmas Movies

It is officially December, which means it is officially Blogmas season!  Christmas time to me is always the literal most wonderful time of year.  It’s a time of giving, family, and love.  There’s also the combination of some great Christmas traditions, some I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. 

My personal favorite tradition has always been the Christmas movies my family and I love to watch every single year.  To initiate the start of Blogmas on my little blog, I’d love to share with you some great films I watch every year, merry Christmas season! 

1. The Polar Express
2. It’s a Wonderful Life
3. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
4. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 
5. Charlie Brown Christmas Special
6. The Holiday
7. The Family Stone
8. Elf 
9. The Santa Claus
10. Hallmark & Lifetime Christmas movies (way too many to name!)
11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
12. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
13. Santa Baby
14. The Nativity Story (this one, I always watch on Christmas Eve!)
15. A Christmas Story (of course I always watch this movie on a loop on Christmas Day!)

What are some favorites you enjoy to watch during the holiday’s? Comment down below, I’d love to find some new watches! 

My Recent Colourpop Purchase

I’m not going to lie, money has been pretty tight recently, and I was a bit overdue for new makeup.  So I made the very inexpensive Colourpop order the other week, seeing as it is probably my favorite makeup brand ATM.  I needed new eyeshadow colors, and by my surprise, I happened to get a new ultra matte liquid lipstick too! Here’s all I received:

I was complaining about how late my Colourpop order was to arrive, but they sure did make up for it! As an apology, they sent me a mini liquid lipstick in the shade Times Square, coincidentally a shade I’ve been wanting to buy! I’ll for sure be buying a full sized one soon!

I purchased here the Hi-Maintenance Eyeshadow Palette, and I’m gagging over how gorgeous the colors are.  They are so well pigmented and apply easily, which is why I love all Colourpop products.  I couldn’t be happier with my purchase of this palette.  

Wednesday Addams DIY Costume + Makeup

“This is my costume.  I’m a homicidal maniac.  They look just like everyone else.”

I have been basically obsessed with watching The Addams Family movies this Halloween season, so I thought, what else to dress as than Wednesday?  After scrolling through the internet, Pinterest, and YouTube, this costume seemed extremely simple and fun.  So I decided to bring my inner Wednesday Addams out and have some fun with her this Halloween, and here are my end results!

I did want to be Debbie Jellinsky (played by the wonderful Joan Cusack)  from Addams Family Values, but Walmart ran out of blonde wigs last minute!  I will however definitely do that one next year!  To get this look, I bought this short black dress for about $10 at Walmart.  I already had a white, blouse that didn’t quite fit me anymore with the perfect Wednesday collar, so I simply cut it off and sewed it to my costume!  

I bought this Milani lipstick in a very dark purple shade to create the Wednesday makeup look of darkness.  For foundation I used the BareMinerals Pro Powder Foundation and the Sephora Brand concealer.  I used my Sephora “More Than Meets The Eye”  eyeshadow palette for the eyes, my Maybelline Mascara, and my Sephora Brand Eyeliner for the rest of my look.  For the complete Makeup look and tutorial, watch my video below! Be sure to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, too! Leave a comment on the video if you came from here! 

I hope you liked my Wednesday Addams DIY look, and maybe it can inspire you for next year’s Halloween costume!  Comment below your thoughts, and if you’ve ever gone as Wednesday!

Why I've Fallen in Love with Anastasia on Broadway

If you haven’t kept up with my life this past year, then let me fill you in.  I have fallen deeply in love with Anastasia on Broadway.  If you are indeed wondering, yes, Anastasia is the Broadway adaption of the 1997 Twentieth Century Fox animated film.  The show opened in April of this year in New York City, and I have never felt such love for a show.  I have personally never seen a show more than once, but Anastasia is the type of show I would love to see over and over again.

I have been keeping up with this show for about over two years now, and for very personal reasons, in which I’d like to express.  Growing up, my grandmother and I adored the movie, mainly because we loved the real story and history of the Romanov family and Russian Revolution (I am now a major history buff on both subjects!).   My grandmother was raised in Scotland her whole life, and her and my grandfather traveled the world immensely.  Even after moving to America, my grandmother had traveled to Scotland and England whenever she could.

If you are familiar with the film at all, than you know that Anastasia and her grandmother had a strong bond.  At the beginning of the film, her grandmother gives her a music box.  The lullaby with the music box goes like this; “On the wind, cross the sea, hear this song and remember, soon you’ll be home with me, once upon a December”.  This was my me and my grandmother’s same lullaby, that we took from the film.  My grandmother even bought me a replica of the music box from the film!  Needless to say, this film is very special to me.  I will always remember that about a week after she passed away over two years ago, they announced that a musical adaption of Anastasia was in the works.  This was around the time that I began talking to Christy Altomare.

Christy is the original and current Anya or Anastasia in the Broadway musical.  Christy and I became Facebook friends about two years ago, and began messaging each other quite often.  She has made such a positive impact on my life over the time I have known her, and she is someone I absolutely adore.  She has been there for me about my grandmother, and I am so thankful to know her.  I had the opportunity to see Anastasia this past June, and Christy invited me backstage afterwards.  I cried throughout the entire show, mainly because, I was able to remember my grandmother in the most special way.  She always wanted a Broadway adaptation and historically accurate depiction, and I was witnessing that very thing on that stage.  My favorite line in the whole show, is when the grandmother gives Anastasia the music box; “When you play it, think of an old woman who loves you very much”.

Anastasia is very different from the film in many ways, and it is much better.  It has moments of sadness, happiness, and mystery.   It is, in my opinion, my ideal of a perfect show.  Anastasia has been a huge comfort and shred in my life for the past year, it is just my feel good type of musical.  The cast is absolutely stellar, and I have found myself in love with everything they do.  The show does still feature the classic songs from the film, but the writers also wrote a bunch of new and different songs for the musical adaption, as well.  Some of my personal favorites from the show are listed here below:

1. Crossing a Bridge
2. Land of Yesterday
3. In a Crowd of Thousands
4. Stay I Pray You
5. Once Upon a December

There are so many more songs, so I definitely recommend you giving it a listen, especially since it is now available on Spotify!  If you’re ever in New York, I strongly encourage you to see Anastasia.  It is a beautiful show, and it is made for all ages.  Plus, Christy Altomare is stunning as Anya!