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Instagram Travel: A Look at The Umstead Spa in Cary, N.C.

Pure relaxation and luxury is about 15-minutes from my doorsteps, and it comes in the form of the prestigious Leading Hotel of the World, The Umstead Hotel and Spa. It's a five star, five-diamond heaven, and my visit to the spa is my focus for this week's Instagram Travel Thursday. 


After an extensive renovation, The Umstead Hotel and Spa debuted an 18,000 square-feet, two-level spa haven this summer. 


Photography is not allowed in the spa in order to maintain guest privacy plus I believe guests really need to stay off their mobile devices in order to get the total benefit of relaxation during their time in this tranquil sanctuary. Just so you know though, I did not sneak these photos. I was fortunate to get a private tour when I first arrived at the hotel.  I was also given special permission to post a few photos to Instagram like this one while sitting in the garden before meeting my massage therapist for a Swedish massage.  


Some spa guests I spoke to while we were in the ladies changing lounge wondered why the spa needed renovations because it looked absolutely perfect before the new look. Five-star hotels typically have beautiful spas, and this spa was no exception. These new renovations are less about the need for new decor, but more about enhancing guest services with added space and treatments. 


The spa added a fourth pedicure chair as well as additional treatment rooms. There is a ladies lounge, a couple's lounge, and two brand new couple's treatment rooms, which are absolutely gorgeous with its own whirlpool. There is a sauna, a steam room, an indoor whirlpool, and an outdoor whirlpool. The beautiful meditation garden transports your busy mind to another place, and it is a great place to read with a cup of herbal tea. 


The Umstead Spa does a fabulous job of bringing soothing elements of nature to restore your mind, body, and spirit into the common areas of spa. This is evident in the cool and earth tones in the lounges and treatment areas. With natural lighting, you also get the serenity and feel of an outdoor shower in luxury. 



I had a 50-minute Swedish massage with therapist, Christopher. I was extremely impressed with his services, and highly recommend this treatment. It was my first-time having warm, basalt stones as part of a massage. The stones aid in relaxation, and are just a small part of this massage, but it was such a good experience that it now has me curious to try a hot stone massage. A Swedish massage treatment begins at $120. A couple's massage begins at $240. 



I told my husband that all my spa gift certificates now have to come from the Umstead. It was that wonderful. As a day spa guest, you can relax in the spa area for as long as you wish.  

The Umstead Hotel and Spa is now on Instagram.  I love getting behind the scenes shots of the hotel. 


Want to Go:
The Umstead Spa
100 Woodland Pond Drive
Cary, N.C.
919-447-4170.

 If you are a blogger, link up with us. Take a look at the link-up rules below before linking, and please link back to a host so others can find everyone's links. 



Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle, but here are some important things to remember when linking your post.

Here are the Linky rules:
Link to a new Instagram travel post and use the permalink of your post, not the homepage URL.
Only new posts from the week of the linky and no giveaways, other linkys or sales pitches.
No links to your Instagram profile, only links to your blog.
Link back to one of the Instagram Travel Thursday hosts.
Visit a few other posts in the linky and show them some love (comment, tweet, Pin etc.).
Links that do not follow the guidelines will be removed.
The Instagram Travel Thursday linky is posted on Thursdays at 1AM EST and the linky is open until the following Wednesday.
Be sure to follow me on one or more of my social media platforms.  Twitter, Instagram ,Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates. When traveling, I'm on Instagram the most.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines.


Disclosure: I was a guest of the Umstead Spa and Hotel on this spa visit. As always, your experience may vary, and my opinions about the spa and the treatments are my own.
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A Southern Parenting Tale: Mama, God Knows!

Without being too mushy, I certainly feel blessed having both a son and a daughter.

But I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed my conversations with my daughter a little more at her age. I was pregnant with my son when he was her age now. He was not sleeping at night, and, frankly, the entire year was just an exhausting blur.

Despite his 3-year-old year not being fresh in my memory, I still don’t think we had the same type of conversations that I’m now experiencing with my daughter.



Perhaps gender plays a role.  Not really sure. I’m not an expert.

My son never really cared about colors.  He also would wear anything I laid out for him in the morning and still does so today.  My daughter, on the other hand, has her favorite colors and plans her outfits according to her favorite colors, and, I might even add, her moods.

It is not uncommon for me to hear, “I don’t want to wear that today!”

She wants pink walls.  Her walls are yellow. She doesn’t like that lamp because it’s not pink.

She used to want to live in a pink house, but now she wants her house to be purple.
I guess she needs to live in a row house in San Fran or in Oakwood of Raleigh.

She also wants her purple house to be next door to us when she grows up so that her daddy can wave at her in the window.

Oh, and she wants three children.  Actually, she wants three girls.  No boys because she doesn’t like any boys except for the one she is to marry.



We told her that her house could be purple, but she has to see what God gives her in terms of children.  She may not get three girls.

We just left it at that.

She also would like a cat. 

She apparently has picked out her husband already, too.  Poor Tucker! I don’t think he knows what he is in for in the future.  I hope he likes purple, girls, and cats. 

Because according to her, “God knows, Mommy! I told him I wanted three girls.”

I love the innocence of children.  Meanwhile, my son claims he is never getting married, but he’s going to live next door, too.  His sister says that his house will be green.

I guess we need to move because we don’t have any of those colors in our neighborhood … yet, anyway.


This article originally appeared in my column on TriangleMom2Mom. I wanted to share it here as well. 
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Can you Overpost on Instagram when Traveling?

For this week's Instagram Thursday post, I have to ask you:

 Is there such a thing as posting too many photos to Instagram when traveling? 



What do you say?

 I say yes. Sometimes when I travel I have to sit on my hands so I won't post too many photos to Instagram of the sights I am experiencing at the moment. I think it's fun to share things we like, or see. However, I do believe that a person can certainly overshare their experiences on social media, especially bloggers who may be on a trip as a guest of a tourism board or public relations firm. 

 There have even been studies on oversharing, and why we feel the need to share things on social media.  A Harvard study revealed that sharing our thoughts actually activated the brain's reward system, and made us feel good. 

 Here is the flipside though. How does it make that person who is at home seeing your Instagram feed feel? I usually view my Instagram feed in the kitchen before I load the dishes at night. I get annoyed if I see a photo from the same person every five minutes when they are traveling. 

 Am I jealous? I don't think so. I get annoyed because it clogs up my feed. 

 What would you think if I posted this photo from Williamsburg....


and then five minutes later, posted this photo.


I may have liked or commented on the first photo in my feed, but the second photo I'm going to scroll right by it.  No comment.  No like.  Honestly, It's just too soon for me to see another photo from the same person in my feed, especially a photo that looks almost like the first one. Show me another photo an hour or two later, and I'm more likely to react and engage. 

 Katja Presnal is an Instagram expert, and she believes that an effective Instagram user tells a visual story on Instagram without saying much at all.  It's best to take a lot of photos then post your best one.  

 When looking through my photos, I decided this photo would be more interesting on Instagram, and shared this one instead. It told the story of colonial life in a colorful way.  


It was average on popularity with only 19 likes and 3 comments, but if I had posted those same three photos in a row within 30 minutes, I imagine that the engagement and likes in my feed would have been even less. I may would have received an unfollow, too. 

 When Katja Presnal travels, she only posts six photos a day to her Instagram account. That is max for her.  I post a little more than that because my brain must love it and it thrills me, but I've certainly learned to hold back photos from when I first started using the app. 

 For one day of sightseeing in Williamsburg, Virginia,  I posted eight photos that were spread out over a 12 hour period. I post to tell a story, and I try not to overshare. 


And truthfully, those people in your feed, the non-bloggers, probably post even less than Katja. My sister-in-law and her family spent a week in France in June.  I actually found myself stalking her feed daily to see if she posted anything on her trip. I was so curious. Some days, I didn't even get one photo at all from her.  On a good day, I got maybe three. I found myself wanting to see the inside of her house rental, and perhaps the restaurant they dined in while in Sarlat. 

 As a follower of her feed, I wanted more, and found myself going to her home Instagram page to make sure I didn't miss anything. 

 I hadn't. 

 Is that an example of less being more effective, if you are a brand or blogger?  I think so. 

 What do you think?  Let's talk more about Instagram on Twitter. 

 Today is an exciting day for Instagram Travel Thursday because the weekly hosts are hosting a Twitter chat at 12:00 p.m. EST today to discuss our views on how Instagram can be an effective tool for travel planning. My Skimbaco editor, Katja Presnal, who has authored the book, Instagram as your Guide to the World - How, What and Who to Search and Follow on Instagram to Help You Travel the World, will be on hand to lead the discussion. We will be offering Katja's book as well as a Marimekko iphone case as some of the prizes during the chat. Join us, if you are available.


If you are a blogger, link up with us. Take a look at the link-up rules below before linking, and please link back to a host so others can find everyone's links. 



Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle, but here are some important things to remember when linking your post.

Here are the Linky rules:
Link to a new Instagram travel post and use the permalink of your post, not the homepage URL.
Only new posts from the week of the linky and no giveaways, other linkys or sales pitches.
No links to your Instagram profile, only links to your blog.
Link back to one of the Instagram Travel Thursday hosts.
Visit a few other posts in the linky and show them some love (comment, tweet, Pin etc.).
Links that do not follow the guidelines will be removed.
The Instagram Travel Thursday linky is posted on Thursdays at 1AM EST and the linky is open until the following Wednesday.
Be sure to follow me on one or more of my social media platforms.  Twitter, Instagram ,Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates. When traveling, I'm on Instagram the most.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines.

 For more information on travel to Greater Williamsburg, and to see colonial life in person like my family did, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

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Another School Year Plus 5 Easy Recipes to Get You Through a Busy School Week

I am officially back on a routine. Honestly, there is a lot I will miss about summer, but it's also nice to get back to a set schedule. My son entered the second grade today. When I first started blogging, he was not even in kindergarten yet. Wow! Time is flying by, and thank you for sharing some of these milestones with me.




I went really simple with dinner for the first night of school. Baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli were on my menu. No recipes needed. It does take me awhile to get in the swing of homework, meal prepping, and getting dinner on the table at a decent hour again. I also need an earlier bedtime.

Here are some great recipes that have been on my site since I started blogging that can help you get through a busy school week.

 Baked Ziti



Easy Taco Pizza



The 15-Minute Fresh Pasta Skillet Meal



A Busy Mom's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup




Easy Weeknight Stir-Fry



Be sure to check the HinesSight recipe section for more recipes to use during the school year. All have been tested and eaten by my family. Another easy recipe I mentioned this month is a Fresh Market Flyer meal for Chicken and Rice with Basil and Tomato.

Hope everyone has a great back to school year.




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Instagram Travel is Almost Like Being There, But You Still Need To Experience a Tooting Cow In Person

Instagram has given me so many ideas for future travel. When it comes to scenic photos, it's almost like the next best thing to being there.  However, no phone app will ever be able to replace the joy of experiencing travel in person, especially when it comes museum exhibits. 


Last month, my friend and I took our kids to Discovery Place in Charlotte, N.C.  You may have seen some of these photos on Instagram. We were surprised to meet a tooting cow in person. Words just can't describe this amazing Animal Grossology exhibit at the museum. I think we were all in awe. What is not to love about a tooting cow? Seriously, it eats grass then you watch the grass go through the cow's stomach, and the finale is a big, ole toot. I am sorry, but I howled. This is a great example of museums making learning fun for both kids and adults. 

 And the kids loved it because the entire exhibit let them laugh and giggle about what they love to laugh and giggle about: bathroom humor. 

Animal Grossology is a special exhibit which will be at the Discovery Place museum in Charlotte until January 1, 2014.  It is based on the popular "GROSSOLOGY" series of books by Sylvia Branzei. It has been such a popular exhibit that the museum has extended its stay. The exhibit is just a small part of the museum though. There is so much more to see and do. 

Discovery Place provided hours of entertainment for us. There is something for every age to discover about science. Our children left with a new appreciation for science, and I did, too. Through interactive exhibits, we learned that science is fun, and full of discovery.


The museum is open daily in Uptown Charlotte. The cost is affordable for families, compared to theme parks, and they have price points that also include IMAX admission. I highly recommend a visit if you find yourself visiting North Carolina this year. 

 And Discovery Place is also on Instagram.









We Stayed in StayBridge Suites, an IHG Brand-Hotel in Charlotte
Charlotte is about a three-hour drive from Raleigh, N.C. I guess we could have easily done the trip in one day if we had wanted, but we really wanted to make a fun,overnight excursion out of it.  My Facebook and Instagram community told me that they like to spread out a bit when traveling with children.

I don't like to recommend properties to readers unless I've checked them out myself, and this trip gave me the opportunity to review an upscale, affordable-luxury priced hotel for families. We stayed in a two-bedroom suite at Staybridge Suites Ballantyne. We had two double-beds in one room, a queen bed in another bedroom, two full-bathrooms, a full-kitchen, and a sleeper sofa. 
I was so impressed with the Staybridge Suites in Charlotte Ballantyne. It made a great base for our overnight trip. We were two moms traveling with four kids. We felt safe, secure, and highly welcomed, even though the hotel caters to many professionals on business during the week. We were the only ones with younger children on this night, but that was OK. We still went to the complimentary social anyway, and ate lots of delicious cookies which were a big hit in my Instagram feed. 

The bedding was good. The amenities were upscale. The hotel offered free wi-fi, and the in-room popcorn was a great touch for kids. Honestly, the value is unbeatable for the stay. The hotel also provides complimentary breakfast each morning plus books and games for kids.
I know the Ballantyne Hotel Group runs a tight ship, and their hotel properties in Charlotte are excellent, but I also believe they are upholding the standards of the entire IHG group brand.  For this reason, I do feel comfortable recommending the Staybridge Suites for travel anywhere.  I also give two thumbs up to the complimentary beer and wine socials, which are also at every Staybridge Suites property across the country.  These two wine glasses were an Instagram favorite. 


I am still a luxury hotel girl at heart, and would probably seek out IHG's luxury brand, Intercontinental, for my own vacations when possible, but I would definitely stay in a Staybridge Suites, too and be perfectly content.

 I will always have a special fondness for this Charlotte Staybridge Suites hotel's sister hotel, The Ballantyne Hotel and Spa (my very first "Pack Your Bags" of 2012), but a two-bedroom suite in a luxury hotel for an extended stay breaks most budgets, and this makes a good alternative. 

 Based on my own stay, I believe Staybridge Suites provides an excellent upscale experience for those families seeking more space when they travel. Rates for a two-bedroom suite is usually priced around $225 per night, depending on season and availability. 

Before we mention the link-up, let's talk about Instagram travel on Twitter. Join me for a special Instagram Travel Thursday Twitter Party next week on August 29 at 12:00 pm (EST). 

Instagram Travel Thursday Twitter Party

WHAT: twitter party to discuss about Instagram & travel WHEN: August 29, 2013,12:00 PM [EST, 5PM GMT (that's noon in New York and 5PM in London) WHO: Join the #IGTravelThursday hosts @skimbaco @luxurytravelmom @elenasonnino @childmode @houseofanais @hinessightblog @satuvw Also @Finnstyle_com will be chiming in and they are giving away a Marimekko iPhone case for a Twitter party participant. PARTY PRIZES: free copies of Instagram as your Guide to the World - How, What and Who to Search and Follow on Instagram to Help You Travel the World ebook, and Marimekko iPhone case.  Use the hashtag #IGTRAVELTH
If you are a blogger, please join us in the Instagram Travel Thursday link-up.  Take a look at the link-up rules below before linking, and please link back to a host so others can find everyone's links. 

Take a look at the official rules on Skimbaco Lifestyle, but here are some important things to remember when linking your post.
Here are the Linky rules:
Link to a new Instagram travel post and use the permalink of your post, not the homepage URL.
Only new posts from the week of the linky and no giveaways, other linkys or sales pitches.
No links to your Instagram profile, only links to your blog.
Link back to one of the Instagram Travel Thursday hosts.
Visit a few other posts in the linky and show them some love (comment, tweet, Pin etc.).
Links that do not follow the guidelines will be removed.
The Instagram Travel Thursday linky is posted on Thursdays at 1AM EST and the linky is open until the following Wednesday.
Be sure to follow me on one or more of my social media platforms.  Twitter, Instagram ,Facebook, Pinterest, Google Plus or on Bloglovin, if you just want post updates. When traveling, I'm on Instagram the most.  My personal family Instagram account is LeighPHines.


Disclosure: I was a complimentary media guest at Staybridge Suites in order to write about the Charlotte area as a travel destination. We paid for our own admission to Discovery Place., and smelled the toots just like everybody else. As always, opinions about my travel experiences are my own, and I appreciate Charlottesgotalot assistance for story ideas in the area.
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