vacation

TIPS FOR DISNEY TRAVEL

Happy Tuesday, friends! Today, I wanted to share some photos and tips that you might find helpful if you are planning a Disney trip anytime soon. We returned home almost a week ago, but we are just NOW feeling like things are getting back to normal. We are the type of family that needs a vacation after vacation. There are two types of vacations in my opinion: one where you truly relax and get away and one where you just simply in a place other than your own home. Disney is so much fun, but so much work! So, I hope this little list of mine helps and informs in some little way.
I bought Amara a new little, lightweight backpack for traveling. I filled it with an activity book, candies, some new Doc McStuffin headphones ( which I don’t recommend, as they are made for little ears so they have limited volume control. It makes them hard to hear on a loud airplane), and some crayons/markers and stickers. It was a short flight, so we didn’t need much!!
Take a stroller fan – I purchased this fan two years ago, and it has served us well for two trips. For as inexpensive as it is, I would recommend just buying a new one each year. This last trip, the fan blades seemed a little worn out. Anyway, the fan is great for littles since it has foam blades (no ouchies) and it clips right on to your stroller. It is a lifesaver for stroller naps or just a plain ole breeze in the Florida sticky mess that they call “Summer”.
Stroller it if possible – There is so much room for stroller parking around the parks! My husband and I just kept saying how happy we were to not be carrying around a backpack or diaper bag. Obviously, if you have a baby that still needs diaper changing, or you just feel more comfortable having your stuff on you, then a backpack is the way to go. Our daughter is potty training, and we simply carried one wallet ( my husband’s) and carried our phones in our pockets. Everything else ( sunscreen, wipes, water bottles, ponchos etc.) we left in the stroller while we rode rides. It just freed us up to not have to carry everything.
Take ponchos – Even if it seems perfectly sunny and not cloudy outside, it is still good to have ponchos on hand. It is Florida…. it rains…. everyday. We went the first week of September and got rained on every. single. day. I don’t mean a light sprinkle either. I am talking let your shoes dry out overnight kind of rain. I bought ours at Target or something I think. They are pretty expensive at the park! 

 Grocery shop – Just for two breakfast sandwiches, a kids’ milk and two black coffees, our breakfast ran us close to 35 bucks a day! Think of doing that for every meal. It gets so pricey!! Especially since we are snackers, we thought it would be a good idea to go to a nearby grocery store and load up on bread, pb &j, yogurt, milk, fruit, bottled water, chips, and whatever else so that we always had something when we came back to the hotel room. We came back for lunch several days since our little one needed to nap. It really helped save money!! Then, you don’t feel as bad splurging on all of the fun sweet stuff.

Buy Disney goods BEFORE you go to Disney – I know this sounds extremely cheap of me. However, let me explain….. When you go Disney with a toddler, they want EVERYTHING! We still bought Amara a princess dress ( compliments of Grandma), princess flip-flops, a Mickey T-shirt, a wand, and a doll. I think its a great idea to leave with some goodies in your suitcase to “gift” to your child throughout the Disney trip! There are Disney items to be found everywhere. Purchase them for a much lower price, and still be your kids’ hero without breaking the bank. 
Stay on the Disney property – This is big for us just because we love the Disney experience! Two perks of doing this is FREE transportation to and from the airport via Magical Express. They even handle your bags for you!! It is a lifesaver! Also, you get to partake in “Extra Magic hours” at the parks. Certain parks stay open several hours later JUST for those that stay at a Disney resort. It cuts the lines down immensely, and its just an awesome experience!
Consider purchasing tickets in bulk – There are always deals on the Disney site (deal and special offers page)!My husband and I had a driver pick us up to drive us from our Disney hotel to Universal Studios ( where my husband had a show that day), and the driver told us that if you buy tickets in bulk, you can get park hoppers for as low as $30 dollars a day! WHOA!!!! When he said “in bulk”, he was talking like 10 days worth of tickets. He said that you can get the ones that never expire, unlike the normal ones that expire 14 days after its issued, and save them for your next trip even. I can’t find the EXACT deal he was talking about online, but I did find this page to be quite helpful as it talks about a very similar deal. Read under “Will you likely be returning to Disney?”. We are definitely planning on bulk buying next year.
Side note: if you are a super safe kind of person, be sure and write down the serial numbers on the back of your tickets just incase you lose them. That is the only chance you have of replacing them.
Eat a Croissant Donut (Cronut) – Found at Epcot right before you get to the first “country”! You will thank me!
And Butter Beer (frozen) – Harry Potter…. I have no words. Our day at Universal exploring Diagon Alley was a highlight for me.
We also customized our magic bands online before we left for Disney! You can do this on their website as well.
Enjoy the Magic!!

SAN FRAN & WHAT I WORE

We returned home from SF last week! We were out visiting my husband’s lovely grandparents, who are just SO very special. It was such a lovely trip filled with lots of memory making, good eats and absolutely breath taking scenery. I just don’t know if it ever gets old. I had a hard time coming home this time. I wanted to stay… possibly forever. On one of our days there, I got to stroll around the city with my two loves, drink coffee out of a bowl and just BE. TOGETHER. Truly, one of the best days of 2014!
^^ We went to Tartine for a morning bun ( Leah said it was a MUST) and an amazing ham, cheese and sun dried tomato concoction on homemade toasted bread…. HEAVEN! ^^
^^Days where I get to just wear a light jacket are my fav! Also, I am kind of IN LOVE with my new Nars lipstick ( in Schiap)! It is just fab, and ironically, I am so unafraid to wear it. Its just pretty darn it!! ^^
 ^^ I am such a fan of my Timi & Leslie bag. I don’t travel without it! ^^

Feel free to message us or leave a comments regarding what I wore. Most of it is stuff that I have had for a while, but I would be more than happy to point you to something similar!
Until next time San Fran….
Have a great weekend friends!
-J
Pssst…. 2 more days to enter the Freshly Picked giveaway! Enter HERE! Winner will be announced Monday!

R&R… VILLA STYLE

Last week, my husband and I had the amazing opportunity to go on a vacation with some of our favorite people at Rivendell Villa in Jamaica. For amazing photos of this place, click here. It was truly a time of rest, relaxation and pure restoration. I have never experienced anything like it. I had an incredible amount of anxiety ( over flying and leaving my daughter) before leaving, and it felt insanely good to feel that weight lift off of me as soon as I pulled into the gates of heaven. Yep, I like to call it heaven on earth. 
^^ Welcome goodies are always a good sign, right? ^^
^^ We spent many of the evenings playing croquet at sunset ( fancy, right?) as we sipped tea and ate pastries…. like a lot of pastries…..well, maybe that was just me. ^^
^^ I am actually quite scared of the ocean and everything underneath the surface, but this trip managed to host a lot of “firsts” for me. It helps to have friends cheering you on shoving you into the water. I had been snorkeling once before, but it had been so long that this might as well have been my first time. ^^ 
^^ A couple of our guy friends went about 12 miles out into the ocean with this fisherman and his wife, and caught some amazing tuna ( SO proud of them) that we were later served during a game of croquet while sipping wine…. I know….not real life. ^^
 ^^ There was truly nothing more peaceful on this trip than paddling out into the ocean and just sitting.^^
^^ We went on a Black River Safari where we saw crocs, devoured fresh crab and white wine at a REAL crab shack, jumped off of a bridge into a “croc free” part of the river ( I was skeptical and felt the urge to throw up several times as I don’t like heights or the possibility of rubbing elbows with a crocodile), and listened to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” more than once. The tour guide seemed to like that song.
^^ An amazing tablescape for our last night’s dinner.^^
This house was staffed, and I felt like I was leaving family by the end of the trip. They were SO serving, humble, gracious and amazing at their jobs. I am so grateful to them for taking this experience to the ultimate level for us. I must admit…it was a wake up call for me on my first morning back home. No fresh fruit for breakfast, anyone to make my bed, a toddler tugging at my pant leg…. oh how quickly we adjust to luxury, huh?  
What is your dream vacation that you had the chance to go on or still dream of going on?
-Jenni

WHAT I AM PACKING….

My husband and I are going to Jamaica next week for 5 day relaxation fest! I have such a mix of emotions as one half of me is so excited to get away to warm weather and no responsibility, but then my other half has quite a bit of anxiety over leaving my baby girl for the longest we have ever left her. I get a pit in my stomach thinking about how much I will miss her! It will be good, though…..right!? 
I have been packing a little here and there, and these are the things that are definitely coming with me!
It is kind of surreal that we are getting the opportunity to go. I always seem to be the one reading OTHER bloggers’ packing guides. So grateful!!

1 Panama Hat – I never splurged on one last summer, and wished I had. Gotta keep cool!
2 NARS Multiple – Great color for eyes and cheeks to give you that “beachy glow”
3 Marc Jacobs Peplum suit – I got this at the end of summer, and absolutely love this suit! Sold out, but similar HERE
4 Sunglasses – My favorite pair from Target!
5 Kaftan – This is going to be my best friend at the beach!
6 Saltwater sandals – love my saltwaters, and how if they get wet, they only get more comfortable!
7 Book & Picture bookmark – remember I said, I planned on reading a book this year? ha! I will start with humor. There is no better way to mark my pages than with a pic of my little.
8 – I am not planning on taking jewelry because we really will just be lounging. However, my Maya Brenner necklace is delicate enough to wear every day, and make me feel girly.
9 Nivea – I love a good ole drugstore lip balm. The Nivea sticks are my favorite!!
10 Nutrogena Sunscreen – my skin breaks out easily, and I have had great luck with this break-out free lotion. Very lightweight!
 Are you planning a vacation any time soon? What are your must haves?
-J