Did you see that the Howard Johnson Anaheim is having a last minute booking 50% off sale this week only? It’s so cheap, I can’t even give the details publicly! DM me over on my Instagram for more details! Talk soon! 🧡
The following blog may include affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure page to understand what that means. This was an all expenses paid trip, but I was not paid to write this blog. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not represented by any of the mentioned companies.
Incredible doesn’t even begin to describe my experience this past week. If you didn’t see, a couple of blogs ago I explained that I had won a trip to the New York Toy Fair with KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams. On the night of Thursday, February 20th, I got on a red eye flight from Sacramento, CA to New York City. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Would I get along with these people? Would they like me? Would I feel comfortable flying across the country to spend a week with people I had only DM’d and emailed with? Would the toy fair be fun or would it just be a lot of intimidating work? I had no idea what I was getting into last week — and I’m coming out of the trip today with a bunch of new friends who quickly became like family and a bigger understanding of how to do business as a brand at a trade show.
Let’s start from the very beginning, back when I found out I had won. Because I had won the contest, my team leader from Collaboration Nation got to attend the fair with me. Nikki Diaz hand picked me for her team back in November/December, but we had never met. We broke the ice and hit it off by DMing each other daily about what food we wanted to eat while in NYC (she’s pregnant, and I love food. We totally worked out haha.) By the beginning of the trip, I felt like I knew her already so that was really comforting. I had met a few others casually through emails but I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. *cue “Into The Unknown” from Frozen 2* All jokes aside, I was genuinely excited but I was totally nervous.
I flew out around 9pm on Wednesday night. When I left my son at the terminal, I sobbed my guts out knowing I wouldn’t see him for a week. I’m pretty sure TSA thought I was crazy. I flew into JFK early Thursday morning and with no sleep at all, I took the LIRR to Penn Station. Imagine my face when I walked up (okay, okay…struggled to lug my 50 lb suitcase up) the stairs straight into MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!! So unexpected but such a cool start to my week of exploration. It was FREEZING the first day I was there — literally a high of 37 degrees Fahrenheit — so I hopped in a cab to drive me the 3-4 blocks to the Hyatt Place NYC Times Square — my little home away from home at 39th and 9th. At 7 am, Vincent (the C.O.O. of KidsEmbrace) was already in the lobby awaiting my arrival with a KIND bar and Starbucks iced coffee in hand. He even got the flavor right! What a guy. He got me all squared away at the desk and even negotiated for me to enjoy the breakfast buffet our hotel offered right then and there. He left back to the expo center to continue setting the booth up, but he encouraged me to do whatever I wanted in the city that day and to not stress about helping them out. So what was the first thing I did, childless in New York with no real plan and all of my expenses paid? I took a 5 hour nap. I’m not even joking. It was glorious.
When I woke up, I got ready in my cutest outfit (including my awesome custom jacket made by MagicalDenimCouture!) and planned to head out when I got a text from Angelo’s aunt Lisa! She lives in NY and invited me out to lunch — so sweet of her! I met up with her on 6th ave and we walked to a pizza place called Lazzara’s pizza. It was delicious! Napkin thin crust pizza with delicious flavor. We talked about life, love, family, and fashion. We said our goodbyes and I headed back to the hotel to take my leftovers to my fridge. She’s always such a great conversation and I wish I would’ve gotten to see her more but there was just so much going on and I was only really “free” that first day.
Once I got back to my hotel, Nikki had texted me that she had just got to the hotel! Immediately she came down to my floor and met with me. She was so sweet and it was already very comfortable from weeks of messaging each other NY restaurants and food haha. We talked about her flight and I mentioned I was gonna head to Times Square after we talked. She wanted to join and ran upstairs to get her beanie and coat. The walk to Times Square was freezing, but really fun! We passed a bunch of amazing smelling restaurants and the New York Times building before we got to the spot in front of the Disney store. We took some photos and then crossed the street to explore inside. It was massive and had a bunch of NYC exclusive merchandise right inside the door. I purchased a cute shirt for Andy as well as a really cool experience they offer where a cast member takes your photo in their theater and you choose a time for it to go up on the Times Square billboard above their store! You also get a digital and printed copy of your billboard photo and a pin that’s exclusive to the Times Square Disney Store. I chose for my photo to show about 10 minutes later and we ran outside to prepare to get some photos in front of it. Those were the longest 10 minutes EVER in that 30 degree weather! It finally popped up, I got my photos, and we headed into a store right next to it that had little NY souvenirs. We both wanted to get little taxis and FDNY trucks for our kids, but I didn’t realize I was going to have to give up a kidney for three little cars. HAHA. $62, three toy cars, and two souvenir coins for my husband later and we were headed back in the direction of the hotel — but not without stopping at Gray’s Papaya! Making quick stops for food became a regular thing for Nikki and I when we were out and about. It became a known thing after we literally ditched everyone to go get Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery one night and couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the trip. Hahaha. We went back to the hotel for a couple of hours until we got details for dinner once the others completed building the booth. We met in the lobby around 8pm that night and took a cab to Maloney & Porcelli. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was straight out of a movie, and it really let me get to know the guys from KidsEmbrace better before the actual toy fair started. I got to know Vincent more – he’s a family driven man who loves his wife and his daughter. He loves a good seafood tower, and you’ll almost always catch him laughing until he can’t breathe over the latest dad joke. Then there was Bryant — who seems super quiet until you actually get to know him. He’s actually hilarious and super friendly, and I loved hearing about his family and how he and his wife have been together since high school! I also got to meet David who works with Franco Dreams. He heard I was from Modesto and immediately started asking me super specific questions about my town — come to find out he’d actually been here! What a cool coincidence. We finished our food after Vincent and I took turns spilling everything we touched on the table, and we decided to head back to the hotel so we could all rest for the start of the toy fair the next morning.
The New York Toy Fair was something out of a dream. Never-ending rows of booths filled with hopeful companies — big and small — attempting to network with different distributors, licensors, and other companies seeking collaboration. A very common question I got during the week from people on my Instagram was if it’s a public ticketed event, which it is not! The Toy Fair is a trade show. It’s only open to exhibitors, their guests, and people of the toy trade. The public cannot enter, and it’s not an event where things are being sold at each booth. Most booths are set up with a very basic idea of how you could display their product in a storefront, which will attract other companies to want to start carrying that product in their stores. It also gives each company a chance to debut upcoming products for the next year. KidsEmbrace was showing off a very exclusive black uniform Batman seat that has never been sold before. Their blue Batman seat has been so popular that they even made a giant adult size for fun photo opportunities, so I’m really excited for them to release him in his other color. In the time we spent at the booth, I figured out the answers to the most basic level of questions being asked, and I was able to carry a knowledgeable conversation with anyone that came to look at our booth! It was really interesting and felt good to fall so easily into the rhythm of what we were actually there for. I always broke the ice by asking if the person wanted a photo in the giant Batman carseat. How could you say no to that?! It was lots of fun. Bumkins Baby, a close partner of KidsEmbrace, had a booth right across from us so it was like one big party the whole time. I feel like I spent an equal amount of time hanging out at their booth as I did at our own. Nikki and I spent the rest of each day running around the entire fair, searching for networking opportunities both for KidsEmbrace and ourselves, and we even had the chance to meet FGTEEV, Blippi, and Doug the Pug. We also attended an event put on by Bonkers Toys to view the new toys put out this year by Ryan’s World, Trinity and Beyond, FGTEEV, and Braille Skateboarding! It was really awesome and I personally enjoyed seeing how proud Trinity from T&B was of her toys and how she was showing everyone how they worked. Can you imagine being so young and already having a mass marketed toy? How cool is that!? They sent us away with some free Ryan’s World surprise bags and goodies from Magnolia Bakery. Overall, the Toy Fair was really well put together and I enjoyed getting to network with brands from all around the world!
The few days we were at the toy fair kind of blurred together in a cycle of meeting Nikki downstairs for breakfast, going back upstairs to get ready for the day, walking or taking a cab to the Javits Center where the fair was being held, networking, meeting new people, and having amazing team dinners afterwards at restaurants like Mastro’s and Arno’s. We did a LOT in the 4 days of the Toy Fair, and my feet are still paying for it. Pro tip if you ever go to one of these – wear extremely comfortable shoes.
The day before I flew back home, Franco Manufacturing (or Franco Dreams as most of you know them as) set up an influencer party for us and a few NYC influencers that included an amazing tour of their showroom, as well as breakfast! We weren’t allowed to take photos since there’s a bunch of unreleased stuff, but I can promise you it was amazing. I wanted every single bedding set they had! When we sat down for breakfast, they gave us these incredible goody filled BACKPACKS that included items from Franco Dreams, KidsEmbrace, High Speed Daddy, Bumkins, Sunstaches, Cozyphones, Happy Feet, and Silver Buffalo NYC. They had all different combinations of characters, but I chose Paw Patrol since we didn’t have any of the Paw Patrol stuff yet. After the Franco party, I was hosted by the Empire State Building for a VIP tour, which I will go further into in a separate blog. I brought along Kira from Franco Dreams as well as Nikki, and I also got to pick one of the NY influencers from the party to bring as well. I ended up picking our new friend Laura, and I’m so glad I did! She was so sweet and we actually ended up taking her to the toy fair after the tour! It was a good day to bring her because the fair was ending, so most booths were selling some of their stuff to prevent having to ship it back. We all walked out with a bunch of goodies for our kids for next to nothing. We said our goodbyes to Laura, tore down the booths, and went to our last team dinner of the trip – or so I thought – at a place called The Restaurant. We came back to the hotel after, said our goodbyes to the Bumkins team, and ended up going back out just as KidsEmbrace. We grabbed a couple slices at Joe’s Pizza – a place just off of Times Square known for being in Spiderman, and a known celebrity staple with photos lining the walls of every celebrity that has stopped in. All four of us squeezed around one tiny table and ate until we couldn’t anymore. The pizza was excellent! I definitely recommend Joe’s for anyone going to the city. It was around 12:30 in the morning and I knew that the Disney Store stayed open until 1 am. I had been eyeing a NYC Minnie Loungefly bag the entire trip but hadn’t convinced myself to get it until this moment. I asked them if they wanted to walk around the corner to go get it and everyone semi-willingly said yes haha. We ended up having a blast shopping and goofing around there at midnight, and I finally got my bag. We took an uber back to the hotel, said our final goodbyes in the elevator and went to bed.
Literally every single person from the trip left before I did. My flight wasn’t scheduled to board until 4:10 pm, and everyone else flew out before 10am. I scheduled my Lyft to JFK for 12:10 pm and was out of my room by 11:30 am to check out. I sat on the couch in the lobby and just soaked everything I could in before I had to leave. I couldn’t believe that a week had already flown by. I got in my Lyft, and started the hour long drive to the airport. Once I got there, I checked my bag, went through security, and got something to eat. Around the time we were scheduled to board, they kept delaying the flight by 10 mins over and over because a flight attendant hadn’t shown up for work. We finally got on the plane, got comfortable, taxied out to the runway, and then sat there for an hour! Everyone was so mad and confused, and I just wanted to go home and see my little boy! They finally came on the intercom to let us know they were receiving some fault code about the landing gear, and possibly would have to go back to the gate. We were all furious. They sat there for another 20 minutes and finally told us we were cleared to take off. I didn’t know whether to be excited to finally leave, or extremely nervous to be flying in a plane that was giving fault codes. I landed safely 5 hours later, found my parents, drove back to Modesto, and finally got to hug my sweet kid and show him all of his toys. It was around 10 pm at this time and I was exhausted but the adrenaline of seeing my family again kept me up well past 2 am that night. We finally snuggled up, went to bed, and my dream trip was finally over.
I want to truly thank the people over at KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams for sending me on this wild adventure. I am so honored to be a social media coordinator for you and can’t wait to see what we do together in the future. Thank you for the laughs, the drinks, the midnight strolls through Disney Store, and the love. Thank you Nikki for taking me in all week and making sure I was always comfortable, well fed, and having fun. I appreciate all of you and had the best week ever. Here’s to next time!
The following blog may include affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure page to understand what that means. We were given this workshop for free, but not paid. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not represented by Board and Brush.
Galentine’s Day. Yep. You read that right! It’s not a typo! Galentine’s Day is on the rise and I’m all for it. What is it you ask? In recent years, many have considered February 13th “Galentine’s Day”, A holiday very similar to Valentine’s Day, but instead of celebrating your significant other, you celebrate all of the lovely women in your circle, your tribe, your squad…whatever you call it these days! This year, I felt it was super appropriate to celebrate my friend Brittany for Galentine’s Day. We are both busy on the actual day, but thankfully Board and Brush Modesto has workshops all week no matter what day it is!
If you don’t know Brittany, she’s been my best friend for 8 years and she recently got engaged on our trip to Disneyland in December! She asked me to be her Matron of Honor in January and though that was TOTALLY NOT EXPECTED (can you sense the sarcasm?), I was still very excited and honored to be trusted with that title! She has watched everyone in our circle get engaged, walk down the aisle, and have babies over the last almost decade and it’s finally her turn. We are all SO excited for her and look for any excuse to celebrate her, which led me to partnering with Board and Brush Modesto to give a few reasons why they’re the best place to celebrate the lovely woman (or women!) in your life this Galentine’s Day!
1) A fun group activity you can do with two or twenty friends!
My favorite part about Board and Brush is that you can all buy seats in the same workshop no matter how many there are in your girl gang! When you purchase your seat, you can list who you want to be sat by. It’s not always guaranteed, but it gives the sweet women at the workshop an idea of a seating chart once they’re setting your class up! When you show up, your materials will already be laid out in your designated spot, and they’ll even write your name on the table to double check you know where you’re supposed to be! You all can pick your own projects, but I suggest all doing the same project your first time! Brittany and I did and it was so fun to see how differently they turned out! It was also nice to always be on the same step so we could help each other if needed.
2) Anyone can make something beautiful!
Brittany and I are not artistic by any means. A stick figure is about the craziest thing we can both draw, so our hopes for how our signs were gonna come out were not the highest. We walked up to a pile of raw, unstained boards and looked at each other like “Oh no. What did we get ourselves into?!” LOL. The thought of not only staining, but assembling the many pieces of this sign was very intimidating. Thankfully, the instructor and all of the assistants were incredible at explaining each step and made something that once seemed scary, FUN! We started looking forward to how each other’s signs would look after each step and that was another cool thing about doing the same project – we were always working on the same piece of our project and could compare or share fun techniques we each found! By the end, our signs looked professional! We couldn’t believe it!
3) So much customization!
I absolutely loved the wide selection of paint colors Board and Brush had to choose from! There were about 10 shades of yellow and I’m not even exaggerating! They also have glitter, metallics, and more! You can really make any project your own and it’s so much fun to see everyone’s pieces come to life. There were also 8 different stains you could choose from, and they even had an example board so you could see how most paint colors would show up on each shade of stain. I really enjoyed picking out my colors! My project was already in honor of Angelo and I celebrating 5 years married, so I picked our wedding colors! Brittany did something similar with hers, but her project was themed for her and Carl’s 1 year dating anniversary since they don’t have a wedding date yet.
4) Hard work pays off!
I said these workshops were fun and SO rewarding, but I never said they were easy! A beginner (like myself!) will flourish in these classes as long as you pay attention and take each step at your own pace. This workshop was three hours long! There’s many many steps and you WILL use all three hours with very little time in between each step for free time (though there’s a bar that assistants can bring you drinks from in between drying coats!) I found that I did best being half a step behind most of the other people in the class. I didn’t stress myself out and I always knew what was coming up. By the end of the class I had caught up and was on the same level as everyone. I am not going to lie, I was exhausted by the end of this workshop! Woodcrafting is hard work! Add in the fumes from the stain, phew. I needed a nap. But that absolutely doesn’t mean it wasn’t rewarding, exciting, and so much fun every step of the way! I now have a beautiful handmade masterpiece that will hang in my home forever. For less than $100, that’s a steal in my opinion.
5) Fun memories to last forever!
No matter if you attend a workshop for a girls night, date night, or self care/alone time, you will make memories to last a lifetime! I love the photos I have with Brittany from this class! We were so out of our comfort zone but that made this workshop SO much more fun and exciting. We documented the whole thing on my instagram stories and I saved it to a highlight if you’d like to watch our entire visit!
If you have a Board and Brush near you, I highly recommend going! It was so much more fun than I even imagined and I’m so glad I got to take my best friend out for some early Galentine’s fun! Board and Brush has multiple classes each week and they change all the time, so definitely check out their website to find out what’s going on near you! I’d love to hear what project you’d do if you booked a class! Let me know in the comments or over on my instagram!
The following blog may include affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure page to understand what that means.
Back in October, two of my favorite companies joined forces in a competition to crown the best content creator for their brands. The winning prize was a weeklong trip to New York City to attend the NY Toy Fair as a paid social media consult for KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams. So many of us captured adorable photos of our kids enjoying their products over the holidays and I sincerely enjoyed scrolling through the contest hashtag to see what new photos popped up every day. Andy and I had a blast creating each of our photos and ended up in the finals with five other mamas! I worked so hard to promote our content and get the votes we needed and we ended up winning the trip to New York! It’s at the end of February, and if you know me, you know I live for planning trips. From Disneyland weekends to short day trips to the coast, my favorite thing to do is plan outfits, events, food, you name it! So what do I have planned for NYC? Read ahead to find out!
1) Time to myself
In our house, Angelo and I never have time alone. It’s always a combination of Andy and I, Angelo and Andy, or the three of us together. We don’t have date nights unless there’s a new Star Wars movie, and Andy never leaves our side. This trip is a mom only trip, and as much as I’m gonna miss my family and wish they were there every time I see ANYTHING — I’m also so excited to get to go do something as Sarah. Not mom, not wife. Sarah. I haven’t given her enough attention over the last few years and my biggest “resolution” this year was to pay more attention to myself. This is the perfect opportunity!
2) A chance to get to do the things we didn’t do in 2013
Angelo and I went to New York in 2013 for literally one day, and even then, most of that day was spent in Brooklyn. We saw Times Square but hardly had the time to explore it. This trip, I really want to take the opportunity to do something in every pocket of free time I have! I’m not sure how much downtime I’ll have so I’m not making any solid plans, but I do have a few things I know I want to try to do! At the top of my list — taking cute photos in front of the Times Square Disney Store and the Gershwin theater – home of Wicked the Musical. Just strolling down Broadway in general. I was a big musical theater kid growing up and I wanna go see it all for that little girl inside of me. I’m sure that I won’t have the time to actually catch a show (I wish, but tickets are like $$$$), but seeing the outside of the theater is good enough for me. I would also absolutely love to visit Ground Zero. We didn’t get to in 2013, and it’s been heavy on my mind ever since. I want to see Radio City Music Hall, and also want to re-visit Herald Square. One of my favorite memories is sitting in Herald Square with Angelo eating Ben & Jerrys. I hope to check off at least some of these!
3) Food. All the food. Every single bite of food.
My collaboration nation team leader Nikki is going on this trip with me, and all we’ve been talking about is the food and how we’re both wearing stretchy pants. Hot dogs, Pizza, Steakhouses, more pizza, did I mention STEAK?! Oh, and coffee. I’m going to drown myself in coffee this trip. Definitely expect some food content from this trip because when in New York, eat like every meal is your last. Is that a saying? because it is now.
4) The NY Toy Fair 2020
Now, the entire reason I’m even going on this trip is to be a paid social media consult for KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams at the NY Toy Fair. What does that mean you ask? If you’ve seen my @HoJoAnaheim takeovers at Disneyland, it’s going to be similar to that, but I’ll be showing you all around the toy fair and checking out all of the super cool exhibits that each toy brand have built (and getting PAID to do it! WHAT! Dream job!) I will be representing KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams as part of their team, which is pretty cool because this Toy Fair is closed to the public so I’ll have a cool little exhibitor badge and everything. This event isn’t open like comic-con or a D23 expo. It’s closed only to exhibitors and retailers that want to buy from those exhibitors, kind of like NAMM – the musical instrument expo that comes to Anaheim every year. I’m excited to see what new toys are coming and hope there’s some cool insider things I can show you all!
5) Going out of my comfort zone with fashion
Now this one is totally uncomfortable for me. We all know I’m a leggings and baggy t-shirt mom. If I’m wearing jeans, it’s a good day. This trip, I’m really stepping it up and actually “trying” with my clothes. I’ve picked a color palette of mustards, wine reds, and creams/blacks. Why? I’m gonna be taking a bunch of photos this trip as well as actually having the time to get ready each morning, so I figured why not! This is an Amazon shopping list I compiled for myself to use as inspiration and so I can save the things I want to get for later when I can afford them!
I can’t wait to bring you all along on my New York adventure! Thank you to those of you who voted me through the finals. & thank you so much to KidsEmbrace and Franco Dreams for believing in me! I literally could not do any of this without any of you! Let me know in the comments below or over on my instagram of things I should add to my to do list! See you in NYC!
The following blog will include affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure page to understand what that means.
2020. The beginning of a new year. The start of a new decade. Of course, that means the masses are adopting the “new year, new me” mentality for the first couple of months this year. It really made me think – do I really need or want to change physically? To answer in short, no. I don’t feel that a new year means I need to change myself if I’m happy where I’m at right now! I’m proud of showing the reality of being a tired Disney mom. A better approach for me is to make a list of 5 things I want to try to accomplish this year! Being an avid planner, I definitely have more than 5 plans for my future, but these are just ones that really stick out to me right now, or ones that feel the most attainable!
1) Take more trips with my little family!
You, of course, will see us take a few trips to the happiest place on earth. That is a yearly given that I would be sad without. I do, however, want to expand our travels this year! We already have a Valentine’s Day family trip planned to Reno, NV! I’m happy to say that we are working with Circus Circus and The ROW this February to show you how to make a not-so-family destination into a fun experience for all ages. I’m very excited for that trip. We also want to check out Knott’s Berry Farm, LEGOLAND, and Universal. Whether those happen this year or not, I’m not sure, but I do know they’re definite possibilities!
2) Clean or tidy one room a day
I like to keep it real on here, and I’ll be the first to say I SUCK at keeping my house clean. It’s not like, disgusting, but It’s very cluttered and there’s definitely more toys on the floor than, well, floor. I want to make it a constant goal to fight against the mess that is my house this year. This one is going to mentally be the hardest for me because having a toddler does not increase the chances that my house will stay clean for long! But again, I am definitely making it a constant battle.
3) Post consistently and realistically
This goes for both my blog and instagram. I want to stick to my roots. Too many times have I seen people stray from why they started to blog because they got caught in the influencer mindset. I found myself get caught in that this year and I really hate that, so I’m going back to my roots of posting the real, raw, square one version of us. I pride myself on showing the ugly side of taking kids on vacation. The sweat, tears, blood, tantrums, time outs, sweet smiles, giggles, and love. Being a toddler mom is hard enough at home where you can throw them a banana and slap their favorite ABCmouse game on the screen so you can escape to the bathroom to cry and breathe for a second. In Disneyland, in the middle of the Tomorrowland bottleneck, you can’t really take a mom cry break. I like showing those moments because EVERYONE WILL HAVE THEM. Disneyland is not just some place you go to pose in a cute skirt and toss your hair while your kid holds your hand next to you like an angel holding a churro and smiling. That’s cute, but 99.999999% of kids are hot, tired, overwhelmed, they wanna go on small world when you wanna go to the tiki room and MELT DOWN because you said no. Toddlers are monsters, y’all. Don’t let the model babies fool ya! Stick to my socials this year and I promise to keep my posts real.
4) Take better care of my hair!
This December, I started using Monat. (Moe-Nate, if you didn’t know how to pronounce it like me LOL) Before you run away screaming “NO, not another MLM”, Please hear me out! I don’t sell it, but a good friend of mine does! This is a real and truthful review that I am not being paid to post. I have a friend, Stacy, who sells Monat and over the last year she and I have become very good friends over instagram. She even has a disney instagram as well that is completely adorable! One day, before I even knew about her business, I was talking about how I wanted to take better care of my hair and how I had all sorts of issues with it. (Dandruff, Breakage, Thinning) She explained her business and had me take a little “hair quiz” to get to know my hair better and to suggest products that I should try. She mailed me a little care package and I was already hooked by how cute the sleek sample packages were! She even sent me a little printed up instruction sheet but invited me to ask her anything I needed and she’d help me. I tried the shampoo and conditioner she sent on Christmas Eve and LET ME TELL YOU. First off, the smell is great. You know when you go get your hair done at the salon and they use the really expensive shampoos that smell great but you’re like “man, I can’t afford these products” (No? Just me? LOL) This shampoo smelled even better! It rinsed out very easily and didn’t leave any residue and somehow my hair felt more stripped (in a good way, best word I could think of) and clean than it had with my regular every day shampoo! The build up of products was completely gone. I’ve had a dandruff problem ever since I had Andrew, and this left my scalp feeling moisturized but not greasy. I let my hair dry naturally to fully soak in the product, and then I styled it. It styled really easily for just being washed an hour prior. I was really impressed. Since using it, my hair has seen less breakage, less buildup, and more shine/volume than it ever has, and that’s not me overexaggerating for the blog. I actually swear. I plan on continuing use with the full sized products ASAP. Overall, I highly suggest the company, and Stacy as a retailer. She gave me some extras that I will be giving away on my instagram stories in the next couple of days, so keep an eye out for that! Monat also carries skincare and so many other products, so please check her out here! You will not regret it!
5) Get fully ready at least once a week
Thanks to anxiety, I’ve fallen into the habit of literally never getting ready for the day unless I absolutely have to. Even though I KNOW it makes me feel better to get ready and looking cute boosts my confidence, I can’t get myself to take the time to do it. I’m lucky to shower regularly and brush my hair these days. I cancel friend dates, rearrange plans, never instagram story, and avoid face to face contact with the outside world most days because I honestly just feel so gross and not put together and I really want to start making myself do it. I want to learn how to do things with my hair, I want to better my skills with makeup, and I want to dress a little more my age/body type. This one will be an uphill battle because it relies on the state of my mental health, but I’m determined to accomplish this one this year!
I hope this blog has inspired you to make your own list! What are some of your to-do’s this year? Is there something really important to you that you want to do this year? This decade? Let me know in the comments below or over on my instagram! I’ll talk to you guys soon!
**This post contains affiliate links! If you click some of the links here and make a purchase, I may get a small commission at no additional cost to you! As always, I only support and recommend products I love and/or have tried myself. Thank you for supporting them, too!**
We all have that friend who gets way too deeply into Disney movies, goes to Disneyland way too much, always has the new hot spirit jersey or Loungefly bag, and can sing every single line in the newest soundtrack – including the instrumental parts. Hi, I’m that friend. I wanted to give some love to those of us that would choose Disney items over a bunch of electronics. I feel like most “grown up” gift guides show the hottest new Apple Watch or the best 4k tv and that’s definitely not my speed. Here is a compilation of gift ideas for that Disney lover in your life!
“Into the Unknown” Long Sleeve Tee from Core Memories Co.
I’ve been SO obsessed with Frozen 2 since I saw it the first time, and I’ve been eyeing so many shirts that reference the movie. This shirt really caught my eye and it’s actually on it’s way to me as we speak! I CAN’T WAIT! My good friend Carolyn and her friends own this wonderful Disney inspired small shop called Core Memories Co. and I love their shirts because not only are they incredible quality and professionally printed, they’re not always so obviously Disney. Sometimes shirts can get pretty cringe worthy now a days, but Core Memories Co. really knows how to avoid that. They have a wide selection of clothing and most designs are very unisex which makes this shop a definite must-stop for any Disney fan on your list.
Custom Handmade Minnie Ears from LittleMissWonderland
LittleMissWonderland is by far the most elaborate ear artist I’ve ever worked with and her ears are literally masterpieces. She can make beautiful creations from almost anything you suggest, and she’s one of the only ear makers I know that uses vinyl on her ears! These ears are sturdy, don’t slip, and don’t pinch – three things that are a MUST if you’re going to be wearing them in the parks all day. I highly recommend her if you’re looking for something truly special. She never disappoints!
Fabric and Glitter Tumblers by CraftyyTwist
CraftyyTwist is one of my favorite small shops of all time. Her love for what she does really shows in her work and she has the best taste in fabric choices! If you’ve never owned one of these, the fabric and glitter is encased in epoxy resin which makes it super simple to wash these as opposed to other tumblers that just have vinyl or glitter on the surface layer! There is so much variety and she has specific prints for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, so your drink can represent whatever coast your heart lies on! I actually have a discount code for her Etsy shop! Use code DisneyFam at checkout to save 10% off of your purchase!
Disney+ and Chill sweatshirt by Champagne Rain Studio
This sweatshirt is one of my favorite pieces of clothing I own. Not only is it super comfy (size up for ultra comfiness!) but its really cute. It comes in a bunch of colors and is screen printed so you don’t have to worry about the design getting messed up. Since Disney+ came out, I can’t count the amount of chill movie days we’ve had and from what I’ve read online, many other Disney fans can relate. This sweatshirt is a great gift idea, and this shop is 100% worth supporting. She preaches kindness, has the most positive outlook, and is so sweet.
Park Inspired Coffees and Cocoa by Expedition Roasters
I don’t know about you, but I’m a different person if I don’t have my coffee. Thanks to Expedition Roasters, I can add my love for Disney into my daily coffee routine! Their coffees are so delicious and smell incredible. There are many flavors to choose from and each one has a different ride or character theme. These are definitely at the top of my list and would make a great stocking stuffer or gift for someone at the office!
Minnie Coffee Cozies by TeilormadeDesigns
On the subject of coffee, no drink hot or cold is complete without a cozy! This is another shop that, just as much as I love her products, I love her as a shop owner. Her life is so busy as it is and she still puts her heart and soul into crocheting these beautiful coffee cozies! These are the only crochet cozies that I’ve used that don’t stretch out over time. They maintain their shape and the appliqué doesn’t fall off or even really wear at all. I have a million of her cozies and they’re so cute for any occasion. They’re not just for hot coffee either! I use these for iced drinks as well to keep the condensation off of my hands. She comes out with new designs all the time so this is definitely a shop that’s worth checking out every few weeks. I have a coupon code for her Etsy as well! Use code Sarah10 at checkout for 10% off!
Magically Inspired Headbands by NikkiMouseCreations
This wonderful shop owner makes a wide variety of things! From Minnie ears to insulated cozies to earrings, she’s very creative in everything she makes, and she cross-uses fabrics so you can sometimes get a matching cozy and pair of Minnie ears! I specifically love her knotted headbands. They’re so cute and most are sewn over an actual headband so if you have thin hair like me, you can show the illusion of having a wrapped headband on without having to have the hair to hold it in place. These are super cute and comfy. I love using them on my lazy days and when I’m doing my makeup to pull my hair out of my face. She makes Disney and non-disney so whatever the occasion, there’s something in her shop for you!
Character Slippers for the Whole Family by BuyHappyFeet
I saved the best for last. Hands down these are my favorite Disney clothing items I own and I can’t get enough of them. Happy Feet is a company who makes your classic character head slippers in toddler to adult sizes and it’s the greatest thing I’ve found to date. Not only are they super cute, silly, and unique, they’re MEMORY FOAM and so comfortable! They come in almost any character you can think of. I was recently in a wedding where we all wore them in the morning while we got ready and it was so much fun and gave our morning outfits a little Disney twist! I originally gave them to all of the girls at the Disneyland bachelorette a couple weeks before the wedding and we had so much fun walking around the grounds of Hojo Anaheim in them and taking silly photos. I’m always down to conga line in the hallway with these on. The Donald Duck ones are the next on my list to get for Andy, Angelo, and I for Christmas morning. Which ones would you pick? Let me know on my instagram!
I hope this list gave you a head start on your Disney lover’s Christmas list! Let me know down in the comments below which ones you got, and what you would add to yours! Keep an eye out later this week for a couple more gift guides. This holiday season is going by so fast! I can’t even believe how close we are to Christmas! Thanks for visiting my blog! I appreciate every single one of you!
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Am I the only mom who gets totally stumped at holiday time on what to buy my kid, husband, parents, SELF!? Andy’s my one and only child so he tends to get a lot of the things he wants throughout the year already, Angelo buys what he wants when he wants it because he’s a grown adult, and I feel like if I buy my parents one more piece of technology, they’re going to sell me to the circus. Thankfully, I found the holiday blogging masterpiece of GIFT GUIDES! Bloggers from around the world have compiled their own lists of hot items to gift each holiday season, and I figured I would hop on the bandwagon but put a little bit of a Disney spin on mine while also keeping my gifts practical and not just a bunch of breakable nonsense. Without further ado, here’s my 2019 TODDLER gift guide! More will come in the next few days, so hang tight if this one doesn’t apply to you!
KidsEmbrace Combination Harness Booster Car Seat: $149.99
These awesome car seats are a life saver, LITERALLY! Andy was always the kid to fight with us the whole way to the car and never wanted to buckle into his seat. Once we installed his Buzz Lightyear seat, he gets into it all by himself! This makes a great gift that can be used over and over and doesn’t just break and sit in the toy pile. They come in a variety of characters and fit in almost every type of vehicle. Keep in mind that these are front-facing only seats and your child must be at least 22lbs and 29″ in height to start using these seats! Also look out for coupon codes on their website and socials! They’re known to discount their products frequently!
Sunstaches: $7.99+
These fun sunglasses are great if your little ones like to dress up! They’re very versatile and can be used for photo booths as well! Sunstaches has licenses from many of your favorite movies and characters and they’re adding new ones every few days. They also have party packs, mommy and me, and daddy and me bundles so you can match your littles as well! If anything too, they’re functional sunglasses and your kids will love wearing them. I’m a big fan of Sunstaches and definitely want to stock up on some for stocking stuffers this year!
Frozen 2 Bedding by Franco Dreams: $39.99 at Target
Your little ones can dream Into the Unknown in this cute Frozen 2 bedding by Franco Dreams! I remember how much I loved giving my room a makeover with my favorite characters when I was a kid. Franco Dreams is such high quality bedding and keeps Andy’s little toes warm all night. They’ve got many different character licenses as well so there’s something for every one of your babies! The best part? You can find these right now at your local Target!
Luggage by Bixbee: $49.99+
Now, these aren’t necessarily Disney licensed, but they can be USED for Disney trips! I personally love the Bixbee brand of luggage and backpacks because for every bag purchased, they donate one to kids in need! They’re incredible quality and can really take a beating without showing signs of wear (Think of your toddler rolling their own luggage up to the room….yikes. LOL) There’s a good variety of prints, too. I personally want the sparkly gold set for myself….*cough cough hi bixbee* hahaha. They’re decently priced for luggage and fit carry-on travel requirements. Definitely a must have for your next Disney trip! This would even be cute if you’re surprising your kids with a trip for Christmas!
Snacking Essentials from Bumkins: $9.95+
We all know that toddlers are the messiest humans alive, and if yours isn’t, put them in a museum now because they’re a modern marvel. Bumkins has the cutest accessories for snacking and eating from newborn to big kids. I especially love their Disney line, of course. Their reusable snack bags are PERFECT for Disneyland snacks. Just fill them with your favorite dry snacks and toss them in your bag. Pull it out whenever your kiddos need a refresher and toss it back in when they’re done. Their bibs are also amazing because they realize that messiness doesn’t stop at the baby stage. Snacking has never been easier (or cleaner! Let’s be real instamoms, that’s important when you’re at the park and they’re dressed all cute.)
I think this is a great starter list for your shopping this month. I like to keep holiday gifts practical and useful since he gets so many filler toys throughout the year. All of these can be purchased online, most will be on sale at random times this month. I also tried to keep these items gender neutral – or I chose things that offer multiple color choices and character options. I hope you found this guide useful – if you choose to purchase anything from this post for your little one (or someone else’s), I’d love to hear about/see it! Stay tuned this week for a husband/spouse gift guide, and even a self gift guide! Keep up with me on instagram to see daily deals, coupon codes, and more!
I like to think I’ve got the whole packing thing down with the amount of times I’ve gone down to Disneyland, but I always find myself forgetting at least one thing whether it be sunscreen, eyeliner, or even (yes, seriously) UNDERWEAR. You’d figure after all of the planning and preparation that I put into these trips, I wouldn’t forget underwear but here we are. Thank god for Target.
I’m very particular when it comes to my Disneyland trips. I must have outfits that are equal parts comfortable and cute. Comfortable for the hot or cold weather and 10-12 miles of walking per day, and cute for the memory cards full of photos for content. I start usually with a theme. For example, for 4th of July this year we picked the very appropriate Captain America as our theme, so I found Andy and I some cute matching leggings! LuLaRoe is great for mommy and me leggings for all color schemes, sizes, and holidays, and there are tons of buy and sell groups on Facebook to find them for cheap! Once we had the leggings, we moved onto my FAVORITE part – the shirts. I have many friends with Disney based small shops as well as a Cricut and Easypress myself, so the design ideas for shirts are almost endless. My favorite park inspired shirt shop is Core Memories Co. Their shirts are screen printed and are made SO well. I love all of the little Disney channel references they use too. A shop after my 90s kid heart. As for making my own shirts, I’m a big fan of the Ava and Viv blank tees at Target and they’re great for heat transfer vinyl. This particular trip I went with the stereotypical “Mom” shirt, but with a Captain America shield twist. For Andy, I prefer embroidered shirts just because they last longer and are harder for him to ruin. My friend Allie runs an amazing embroidery shop! Click here to check it out! His birthday is August 3rd, so we made our 4th of July trip into his birthday trip as well, so we picked a Captain America/Mickey themed birthday shirt. Accessories are always a must. My heart shaped glasses are from amazon, and my coffee cozy is from TeilorMadeDesigns on Etsy. Andy’s Captain America glasses are from Sunstaches. A good outfit really does make a day at Disneyland the BEST DAY EVER!
In summer, Disneyland can get completely miserable when it comes to the heat. A lot of the time, I’ll head back to the Howard Johnson across the street and cool off for a few hours and come back when the sun starts to go down; it really does get that bad sometimes. I’ve found a couple of portable fans that I can’t do Disneyland without! They make the heat less miserable and saves my makeup from being completely ruined by hour two of being there. For a stroller fan, I recommend this one. It has smaller openings so curious little fingers won’t get hurt, and multiple speeds so you can get a really nice airflow going. This is a lifesaver for Andy and the clamp makes it super easy to place it anywhere on the stroller. Great for stroller naps too if you have a little radiator of a kid like I do!
We all know if I’m at the parks, I’m all about the photos. The downside of being a mamarazzi is that my phone battery is constantly running low. Recently, the Fuel Rod locations at Disneyland have changed from having unlimited free swaps to having $3 swaps (on TOP of the $30 initial purchase) and that’s just not a good deal at all. I got this awesome portable charger from Best Buy that can fully charge two devices at once for $45. It’s a must have! I use this probably more than anything else when I go to Disneyland and if I forget it at home, its probably the only thing I would actually go out and buy another in Anaheim.
I feel like every day there’s a new pair of Minnie ears at Disneyland causing the next craze. Though I love some park ears, they’re honestly not that comfortable! They’re too tight and the sequins get itchy and I’m just not really a fan of wearing them for 12+ hours straight. A quick search on Etsy or Instagram will dive you into the world of handmade ears. You can get a pair themed after almost anything nowadays. I currently have three favorite ear shops: Liana’s Dazzling Designs, NikkiMouseCreations, and Lil Miss Wonderland. They each have their own spark of creativity. Nikki has mastered the art of dainty whimsical ears. Lil Miss Wonderland makes the most elaborate ears, including a LIGHT UP WREATH pair. (Look out for my Christmas posts to see more of those!) and finally, Liana has the best selection and most well made ears I’ve ever worn! I’d say hers are the best bang for your buck that I’ve tried thus far and I own a LOT of custom ears!
What are some of your park essentials? I’d love to hear in the comments below or over on my Instagram!
The following post is sponsored by Beech-Nut®️ Naturals. All opinions and stories remain my own.
Ever since he was born, Andy’s safety and health have been the most important factor to us in every aspect — especially in food. We went for a good few months there where we made our own baby food, bought unnecessarily expensive baby food, and finally one day we discovered Beech-Nut®️ Naturals! For a fraction of the price of similar baby foods, we could have some peace of mind that he was eating right while also having the convenience and price of buying it from our local Target.
Never heard of Beech-Nut®️ Naturals? Let me give you a quick run down! Beech-Nut®️ Naturals is baby food made with REAL ingredients — gently cooked over indirect heat to preserve color, flavor, and nutrients! By real, I’m talking natural fruits and veggies that are Non-GMO Project Verified, never artificial, and it doesn’t stop there; it also comes in Organic! Talk about a first time mom’s dream!
Andy has grown out of the baby food stage, but Beech-Nut®️ Naturals didn’t stop at the infant age! Toddlers everywhere can continue enjoying Beech-Nut®️ Naturals with their snack bars! They come in a variety of flavors, but I think the banana and pumpkin flavor is Andy’s favorite. He always has followed his mama when it comes to tastes! These snack bars are worry free and carry all of the same healthy traits that Beech-Nut®️ Naturals promises with their baby food. As a toddler mom, I’m always super appreciative of any yummy snack that can disguise nutrients and veggies. For those of you who follow me specifically for Disney tips, these also make a really nice Disneyland backpack snack! They keep in the heat surprisingly well!
In my opinion (and maybe this is just because I’m a mom), babies are the truest influencers on the planet. They’re the most opinionated, strong willed beings and have us all wrapped around their fingers! Believe me, when Andy loves something, you’ll know it. If he hates something, you won’t FORGET it! Beech-Nut®️ Naturals also noticed the genuine influence of a baby and has started their own campaign called #Infantfluencers. By going to this link and telling your own #Infantfluencers story, you can enter to win some pretty amazing prizes!
Let me know in the comments below if you end up trying these yummy snacks! You can find them at Walmart and Target in the baby food section; just look for their signature honeypot shape and bright green lid!
Being an October baby, Halloween is my JAM. From the decor to the scents, everything about fall and halloween is magical to me. Throw Disney into the mix? It’s my ultimate.
I have two trips coming up this season so The Beardless Coffee and I are going HARD on the planning. To kick off this awesome season of blogs and magic, I wanted to come on here and talk about my must do’s when it comes to visiting Disneyland during halloween!
It’s not halloween at Disneyland without our good ol’ friend Winky Blinky. He’s the center of the Main Street Pumpkin festival, and is the epitome of Disneyland halloween fun. Stacked high up on a pile of pixie dusted pumpkins, Mickey glows happily to greet you coming in, and winks at you on your way out. This is one of the best spot to get photos at during this time, and the line to be front a center gets LENGTHY. My advice? Stand over to the side away from the pumpkin and model your little heart out with it in the background. Camera angles are everything when it comes to crowds and snagging a good picture.
One of my absolute favorite parts of Disneyland in any season is the snacks. I’m shamelessly the girl that counts down the entire year until the release of pumpkin spice, and let me tell you, Disneyland DELIVERS.
A few honorable mentions: Pumpkin Spice Beignets from the Mint Julep bar in New Orleans Square, The pumpkin spice churro with optional cream cheese dipping sauce at the cart near Haunted Mansion, and the pumpkin spice funnel cake fries at Award Wieners in Disney’s California Adventure. There’s also an array of cute caramel apples and cake pops in each bakery at the park! Whatever your personal tastes may be, Disneyland will always have something for you during the holidays!
Jack’s back, y’all, and I’m HERE FOR IT. This is my favorite ride, hands down year round.
Every Halloween season, Jack Skellington arrives and gives the entire Haunted Mansion a makeover and leaves it up all the way until January! With Nightmare Before Christmas being my favorite movie, this ride is meant to be my favorite. I’ve recently gotten Andy into it so much that he can sing some of the songs better than I can and I’m not even mad about it. If you’re in Disneyland at any point from September to December, definitely head over to the mansion. If you hear eerie jewelry box music, you’re getting warmer. Also, you can meet the man himself over at the Port Royal store in New Orleans Square!
Normally, these fireworks only happened at Mickey’s Halloween Party, but since Oogie Boogie decided to take over California Adventure this year, these fireworks will be shown to the public every night over at Disneyland! Hosted by Jack Skellington himself, this show contains all of your favorite creepies and crawlies, has an homage to almost every villain, and even have a “scream” along at the end! These have been a favorite of mine since the first Mickey’s Halloween Party I went to and I’m so excited to see them again.
I can’t wait to go on these next two trips and enjoy all of the spooky fun that’s ahead! What’s your favorite holiday at the Disney Parks and why do you love it so much? Go find me over on instagram and tell me! Happy Hauntings!
That Disneyland Family 