Summer is fast upon us and one thing I want to work on during the break from school is the kids reading. They both love the routine we have gotten into of us reading to them each night, but I also want to help encourage their own reading progress. I have ordered some beginning levelled readers for my daughter and a few new chapter books that I thought would interest my son, then came up with a fun reward system that has them excited to read daily.
For my daughter’s 5th birthday we decided to deviate a bit from the typical birthday party. Instead of a big party with family and friends, we decided to have a small weekend away and celebrate with just our own immediate family of 4, plus my sister and her husband. My daughter loves hotels and loves swimming, so a weekend in Calgary with a stay at a family friendly hotel seemed the perfect way to celebrate her big day.
On our first trip to Disney World, I was enamoured with all the little girls running around with their princess inspired hairstyles and sparkly dresses. I got a big kick out of seeing the same hair style over and over at different levels of distress – you just knew some of them had been slept in for days because the little girl refused to take out the bun or funky colored braids. We were just freshly married and I can remember thinking to myself that if I ever had a little girl, a princess makeover was definitely something I wanted to do with her. Well I did have that little girl, and for our Walt Disney World trip this past November I was excited to finally be able to make the magic happen at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Continue reading “WDW Memories: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique”
May the 4th is Star Wars day and I thought it was a great reason to share one of our favorite Star Wars memories/experiences from our trip to Walt Disney World this past November.
My son is a big Star Wars fan, so when I saw they offered the opportunity to learn to use a lightsaber and actually fight Darth Vader, I knew Jedi Training was an experience we couldn’t pass up. It required a bit of planning to get signed up on the morning of our day at Hollywood Studios, but it was well worth it for this free and unique opportunity. Continue reading “WDW Memories: Jedi Training”
December 13 is National Hot Cocoa day and to celebrate I am sharing an easy Hot Cocoa & Coffee Bar I put out for our house guests last Holiday season.
For my Hot Cocoa & Coffee Bar, I decided to set everything up on the counter right beside our coffee maker. I wanted it to be easy to access, and for my guests to feel welcome to help themselves to a warm, festive drink at any time.
To put everything together, I began by gathering my Christmas mugs and a nice tray with a few glass jars and bottles. The coffee K-cups all went in a large glass vase and I wrapped my store-bought container of hot chocolate mix in some candy cane striped gift wrap to make it look pretty. My chalkboard Santa worked perfectly to decorate the space and urge everyone to “Grab a Cup, Warm Right Up”.
For my different stir-ins and toppings, I went with crushed candy canes, marshmallows, Skor bits and some Irish Cream for the adults. I also included some red and white striped paper straws for stirring, and small wrapped chocolates for an extra sweet treat. For an open house or party, a gift wrapped can of whipped cream would be another great addition.
The bar went over well with our guests and I loved having it available for my own morning drink throughout the Holiday Season. I really enjoyed the touch of peppermint flavour the crushed candy canes provided to my morning cup of coffee and my kids loved their cups of hot chocolate with the fun snowman shaped marshmallows I found in the food market at Ikea.
My kids are OBSESSED with their fuzzy blankets, and drag them everywhere throughout the house. Because of this, I knew cozy blankets would be essential to pack both for the airplane and for a little extra comfort in the hotel room during our upcoming trip
Blankets and pillows can take up quite a bit of valuable suitcase or carry-on space so while trying to narrow down which of the kids blankets to bring, it occurred to me that I already had a great combo travel pillow and blanket in the plush, fuzzy fabric my kids love.
When it comes to Disney princesses, my 5 year old’s two favorites have always been Snow White and Aurora. When I came across these simple princess dresses, I knew Snow White was definitely the first one I would have to order. The design is simple, but with the red, yellow and blue combo it is immediately recognizable as the Fairest of Them All. A poison apple necklace to accessorize doesn’t hurt!
For today’s Disney inspired outfits we are going to Wonderland with cute park-friendly looks I put together for both my daughter and I.
Since it is acceptable for kids to wear full costumes in the parks, my little Alice will be wearing an adorable costume dress and matching headband I found on Aliexpress. It is a lightweight cotton and couldn’t be cuter with it’s frilly sleeves and apron. A lot of the princess dresses tend to be long gowns, but the short length of this costume makes it perfect for riding the spinning teacups or hopping on the carousel.
Today’s Disney parks friendly mommy daughter looks are inspired by The Little Mermaid.
I absolutely LOVE the Disney/Pixar movie Up. It makes me tear up every time, but it is one of the few movies I could actually watch over and over and never get sick of. Plus, it has a bulldog in it so that ‘s always a good thing in my books!
I wasn’t planning to do an Up inspired look for our Disney World trip, but I fell down a rabbit hole on one of my Aliexpress searches and came across this colorful statement necklace and earring set that I was immediately drawn to. My love for the necklace grew exponentially when I realized the colorful teardrop shaped beads were much like the enormous bouquet of colorful balloons in Up.
dolledupdesign.net 