Spontaneous Trip to Florida!

We took the most spontaneous, last-minute, throw-stuff-in-the-car-and-GO kind of trip last weekend. The kids had a winter break, which means they were off school all week long, and of course, I'm always dreaming of sunny days. My sister-in-law Lauren texted me and my other sis-in-law Katie and said, "Wild idea - wanna take the kids down to the beach??" We were all like, YES. Lauren has taken like 10,000 church group trips down to the Panama City area over the years, so with her hook up we found a last minute rental that was available. Then we all basically tossed our children into their carseats and HIGHTAILED down to the ocean.

The water was too cold for me, but kids are so resilient! Everett and Daxton had such a blast with their cousins. These kids are the cutest - they really love each other and it brings back such amazing memories that I have of growing up near my cousins.

And I have no idea how I ended up with no pictures of Katie here, except that she must have been avoided my paparazzi eye. She wins mom of the year award, because she toted her kids down to the beach solo while pregnant. #momsohard

Daxton was so much fun at the beach this year! Last year it was a ton of work with him, because he was still so little. But this time around he just crawled everywhere, ate a lot of sand, and really played, with sand toys and everything! It was so much fun to see him coming alive in a new way! Also, he started walking while we were down here. Just another sign from the LORD that the beach is always, always a good idea.

Oh - and we biked! In the same impromptu fashion, we bough a bike trailer while we were down there so we could take both of the boys on the back of our bike and ride to dinner! I've wanted one of these for a while, because I know it will come to good use this year. Everett is learning to ride his bike right now (he's getting really good!), but when we want to take longer rides this is such a great option and you guys - they hold hands while riding. I could just die.

I mean. We weren't having a bad time you guys.

These two just make me laugh SO MUCH. I cannot handle Brent's shenanigans. In all honesty - I lucked out in the in-law department. I love them so much!

Found a purple wall that was incredible. Unfortunately it was a little too dark when we tried to take some pics in front of it - but I love this one of the kids jumping off the ledge!

I think this trip was just so refreshing to my soul because it was just so spontaneous. January was such a crummy month, haha. Everyone in our family dealt with different forms of the flu bug, so we were kind of down for the count. And February was suuuuuper busy for me - my essential oils business has really picked up the pace and I'm still figuring out the "balance" (muahahah the elusive myth - BALANCE!) of how to work and still do all the mom things I love to do. This was actually a really busy week for me, when we decided to come down to the beach, but I figured that working with an ocean view is still way better than not! Plus Stevie was able to take a few days off and it was really great for all of us to be together down there.

It makes me want to simplify our travel - less planning time meant bringing way less stuff and it was easier to make decisions when we were down there - pb & j for lunch because that's all we've got! This ONE tube of sunscreen because that's all we brought! This ONE bathing suit - because that's all we grabbed when we packed!

Simplicity and spontaneity. I think they might be my new love languages. xx

Our Disney World Itinerary.

I'll be honest with you -  a LOT of planning went into making our Disney trip as magical as it was. If I didn't have a plan for each day of our trip, I'm certain that my whole family would have been exhausted and I would have been stressed. Disney World is serious business - it's so huge and it can feel overwhelming to try to understand how to take the most advantage of the experience. And since I'm a planner by nature, I knew that I would be happiest if I made a plan for each day of our trip. This included planning our meals (and making reservations for character meals), planning in nap times for my kids (okay, for myself too), and for strategizing how to visit each section of the parks. This also included adding in extra rest days! If you're a planner like me, I wanted to share how we structured our trip and what we actually did while we were at Disney World.

Day 1 - "Off" Day.
Checked into our hotel. Explored the grounds and found our beloved restaurant on-site where we did a lot of meals. Bless that meal plan, I'll share more about that later!

Our hotel, Port Orleans French Quarter, is a southern-style hotel with a New Orleans vibe. I loved our hotel because there were old-fashioned water fountains, miniture parks and fenced-in manicured green space between each building, so we could sit on a bench and sip coffee while Everett ran around and Daxton crawled. It felt kind of European in the sense that they made the most of every bit of space. Along the side of the buildings was a beautiful river. There was also a great playground with turf, which we visited on both of our non-park days. The room was very comfortable and felt like a Holiday or Hampton Inn. It wasn't dazzling, but worked wonderfully for what we needed - to bathe and sleep :)

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom!
The park opens at different times every day, but it's a safe bet to try to arrive at the park at least 1 hour before the park opens. Does that sound insane? Why yes it does. But trust me on this one. It takes a lot of time to park, unload the car, load up the stroller, walk to the park, get your magic bands activated, go through security... etc. etc. It's a lot. But when you allow for tons of time then you can actually get into the park and walk around Main Street before the park officially opens, which is so nice. Main Street is one of the most magical experiences at Magic Kingdom, so you want to enjoy the stroll through this whimsical area. The rides won't begin until the park opening time, but you can actually be on-site inside the park and in line for your first ride right as it officially opens. And believe me, you want to take advantage of every cool moment of the morning, because things get very humid very quickly.

We stayed at the park all day on this particular day, because it was closing early at 7pm for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party (which you need a separate ticket for, and we chose not to do this.) So we bypassed naptimes on the first day, banking on the fact that we would be running on adrenaline (and Starbucks, which is included in the meal plan, HOLLA.)

Magic Kingdom (Day 1) Park Itinerary:

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant - The most perfect ride to begin with at Disney with little kids. It's so peaceful and both of my boys loved feeling like they were flying! It's a gentle, soothing ride, the perfect way to warm up for the day!
• The Barnstormer - This was maybe Everett's favorite ride, a roller coaster! It's a small one, perfect for little kids, but I couldn't believe how much he loved it! We rode this one several times because it was so much fun with him! I tried to get him to put his hands up, but he wouldn't do it ;)
• Mickey's PhilharMagic - this is a show, kind of forgettable in my opinion. But Everett loves all things Mickey so it was great.
• The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh - kind of a sad ride, in my opinion. I love these stories a lot, but this ride wasn't my fave.
• Be Our Guest Restaurant - If you're planning a trip, make sure to have brunch here! I feel like lunch didn't seem as special (just normal sandwiches and salads), but we had a yummy brunch of croque monsieur and french toast and an omelet and pastries AND got to explore Belle's castle a bit. You can even visit a part of the castle that is still "under the spell" - it's dark and the tapestries are shredded and there is the wilting rose in the corner of one of the rooms! It was a super fun experience and yummy. Really pricey if you're not on a meal plan, though. I'll go into details about the meal plan in my upcoming "tips and tricks" post!
• Casey's Corner - Get the corn dog nuggets! I'm serious here. It's the best tasting corn dog I've ever had. Plus, it's a beautiful view of Main Street and Cinderella's Castle!
• Swiss Family Tree House - A fun little walk through the tree house. I wish I knew more about the story, it's made me want to go back and read it!
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin - This feels exactly the same at the Dumbo ride, but so fun. Perfect for Daxton's age.
• Sleepy Hollow - Get the waffle crepe sandwich! Yum yum yum.
• Its a Small World - the boat ride for babies. It's such an odd ride but its really air conditioned and perfect for babies. Daxton and Everett both adored it... it's just really hard to get that song out of your head. For pretty much the rest of the trip.

Day 3 - Pool Day!

In an ideal world, I wanted to build in a day to sleep in and rest. But you're probably laughing reading this, because you know that I HAVE KIDS. And they have no concept of sleeping in. But it was really nice to wake up much more slowly than the previous park day and have a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, followed by playing outside at the playground and then going to the pool for the afternoon. After running so hard the day before hand, this was the perfect way to recharge. And prepare for the next day :)

This was also the day that we went to dinner at 1900 Park Fare at The Grand Floridian hotel, which is a character buffet with Cinderella, Prince Charming, her evil stepmother and step sisters. The hotel is absolutely stunning and is in my #disneygoals to stay at one day.

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom!

Magic Kingdom (Day 2) Park Itinerary:

• Peter Pan's flight (we reserved a Fast Pass) - What a wondrous ride! It's so sweet and makes you feel like you're flying through moments of the movie. Daxton especially enjoyed this one, and I think this is the ride where he learned how to clap his hands in excitement. OH THE DISNEY MEMORIES.
• Enchanted Tales with Belle ((we reserved a Fast Pass) - Everett's face meeting Belle! It was priceless. I feel like I'm using that word to describe a lot of our Disney experiences, but they really were priceless!
• Lunch at The Crystal Palace - This is where we met Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet & Eyore! Also, we visited The Crystal Palace in Madrid's Retiro Park a few years ago when we took Everett on his first trip abroad, so I especially wanted to eat here because it felt special and nostalgic. And Pooh was so so cute.
• Town Square Theater to meet Mickey Mouse! (we reserved a Fast Pass) - This was a mega experience. This particular version of Mickey is the only one in all of Disney World that actually talks, and his voice sounds exactly like how you imagine it should! And he says cute things like, "Hiya friend, I've been waiting for you!"
• Snacked at Aloha Isle - GET THE DOLE WHIP. Best treat at Disney. Yes, you can quote me on that.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - I am so glad I rode this last minute! I went by myself and howled with joy the whole time. There's something really awesome and empowering about being alone and being happily LOUD.
• Tomorrowland Speedway - Everett loved driving his own race car! Such a big moment for a little boy. We did this one twice so that we could each ride it with him.
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover - This is essentially a big train, but it was super relaxing to ride in the middle of the day. Daxton actually fell asleep. Stevie might have, too?
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor - You can't miss this show. It's so so cute and funny. I was actually nursing Daxton right when we sat down in our seats and this man almost sat down next to me, realized what I was doing, and then got up and found another seat with his son. It's still so funny to be how freaked out people are about breastfeeding! C'mon people. Everyone likes boobs, for one reason or another. Just relax.
• Country Bear Jamboree - One of the strangest, funniest shows ever. Very air conditioned, so it's a good spot to take a break when it gets hot mid-day. But truly, you feel like you're getting entertained in Pigeon Forge.
• Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid - We had to cover Everett's eyes during a part of this ride that features Ursula, so you might want to skip this one unless your kids are older and have seen the movie. He asked us for the rest of the evening why we had to cover his eyes, which was hard to explain without using fear-inducing words. See, there were a few things that I didn't love about Disney. But only a few ;)
• The Fireworks show! It's not just any run of the mill fireworks show - it's incredible!!! I've never been so impressed with fireworks. Disney, you're awesome at EVERYTHING.
• Columbia Harbour House - If you're burned out on park food, this is the right place to go for something pretty darn healthy. There is a dinner meal that consists of salmon, grilled vegetables and quinoa and it is seriously SO good. It made us feel better about the frosted lemonades we pounded immediately after ;)

Day 5 - Pool Day!

Another day to relax and enjoy the hotel amenities. On this particular day we braved going to dinner at one of the fanciest Disney restaurants (because this was me trying to milk that meal plan for all it's goodness!) We went to Jiko at The Animal Kingdom Lodge and it was honestly such a memorable experience. For a few reasons:
1.) The food is spectacular. Truly, truly. It's exotic, all African-inspired and gorgeously creative in presentation. The wine pairings were spot-on and they brought out extra appetizers to keep my kids occupied while we attempted to entertain them.
2.) My kids decided they wanted other people to remember them too, so they decided to make all the loud noises they could muster. At one point I had pulled out the Kindle for one child, the iPhone for another, and propped up their respective screens for them to just watch Netflix shows while we attempted to dine. Stevie and I laughed in embarrassment at the fact that we were those people - those awful parents who pacify their children with screens. I promise, if you judge those people in restaurants, one day you will find yourself being those people!

Day 6 - Animal Kingdom!
The final day of glory, and we seriously went out with a bang. Animal Kingdom is SO different from Magic Kingdom - it's like the fanciest, most impressive exotic zoo you've ever been to! The lands are much more spread out, so it takes longer to walk between ths different parts of the parks. But the walks are truly inspiring - you're trekking through Africa and Asia and it really feels like you're walking through different countries. Although I admit, I've actually trekked through Nairobi in Kenya, and I prefer Disney's safe version. JUST SAYING. Our day's itinerary (and my recs!)

• Pandora Flight of Passage - If you watched on my insta stories, you might have seen that the line for this brand new ride was 3.5 hours long. We had no fast pass for this, so I knew we weren't going to be riding it. However, Stevie SOMEHOW charmed his way into getting us fast passes. Please don't ask me how, I'm still baffled by it. I think he just explained that we had two babies and there was no possible way that we could each wait 3.5 hours to actually ride it, and those Disney cast members are so kind, so her response was something like, "Alright sir, we will make an exception this one time..." FYI THIS RIDE WAS AWESOME. It's a virtual reality experience 3D thrill ride where you are flying on top of an actual banshee, you can feel it breathing beneath you and your stomach actually drops as if you are thousands of feet in the air, peeling around waterfalls and freefalling over cliffs. Its completely extraordinary. But Stevie has a particularly weak stomach, so he was kind of done with rides after this one. Good thing that Animal Kingdom is more like a zoo and we walked and saw stuff for the rest of the day ;)
• Pandora Na'vi River Journey - Such a peaceful ride along the bio-luminescent river and through caves. Daxton particularly loved this one.
• Pongu Pongu - This is the spot where I had a 9am margarita (#vacation) while Stevie rode the Flight of Passage. Everett enjoyed a bubble tea smoothie situation and Daxton yelped a lot. FYI Disney margaritas taste like Minnie Mouse mixed them up - they actually taste pink and I'd make a bet with you that there's no alcohol in them at all.
• Festival of The Lion King - Absolutely phenomenal. This one show is worth your entry ticket alone. This show is as good as a Broadway extravaganza but perhaps even better because we were able to sit so close to the action. There are acrobats, stilt walkers, enormous animals, singing and dancing and incredible sets. One of the monkeys came and gave Everett a high-5 during the show twice. He was completely enamored, we all were! It was spectacular.
• Tusker House - This was our last character meal, a buffet (again, the African-inspired food was incredible!) with Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy. Once again, Daxton lost his mind at the characters but Everett was overjoyed. You win some, you lose some.
• Kilimanjaro Safari - I went on a safari in Kenya once, in the Masai Mara. We rode for three days in an open-top van through the mud, enduring nightly torrential rains, slept in a tent with blankets from who knows where and we actually got stuck out there in the bush for an extra day, because #mudslides. With lions. There are no fences in the middle of the pride lands in Africa. I just want to say that this Disney safari was 20 minutes long and I saw all the exact same animals that I saw in Kenya. You understand what I'm saying? Okay good. So go ahead and ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR LIST.
• Expedition Everest - Okay, Stevie's stomach could not handle another ride, so I took up my cross and rode this one alone, because I'm selfless like that. MUAHAHA. It was freaking amazing - the roller coaster goes backward and upside down at the same time. I screamed so hard.
• Finding Nemo The Musical - So great! Another amazing show, although perhaps 10 minutes too long, in my opinion. Everett fell asleep during this one.
• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail - This is where I got my exotic bird fix. I wish I could bring them all home with me and set them free in my yard. I loved them so much!

And there you have it, friends! Our trip itinerary. We flew out the afternoon after the Animal Kingdom day. It was the most fantastic trip! I would be negligent if I didn't mention that we had an amazing trip planner, Alyson Pitzer of Magical Moments Vacations, who tailored the trip entirely to the needs and desires of our family. She made our dining reservations for us, snagged all the fast passes we wanted as early as 3 months prior to our trip (yes, Disney is serious business), booked our hotel reservations, changed out hotel reservations multiple times (due to my pregnancy and Stevie's work schedule) and created this comprehensive itinerary for us so that we could just implement it and enjoy our time as a family, without the added stress of figuring everything out as we went. She did all the figuring for us - and it didn't cost us anything extra! She is compensated by Disney World, so there is absolutely no reason under the sun that you shouldn't use her services if you are planning to visit Disney. Her help is a must - I will never do anything Disney related without her guidance and help. You can reach out to her at apitzer AT mmvagent DOT COM. Or you can reach out to her on her Facebook page messenger for more information on planning a Disney trip. Happy planning to you, my friends!

P.S. - Our Disney trip in photos and snippets.

Our Trip to Disney World!

Well, we were officially bitten by that Disney bug. THAT PLACE IS SO MAGICAL. I am already plotting a way to get back, to soak in more of the merriment and glee and charm. There is just nothing quite as wonderful as the silliness of getting dressed up in full-on Mickey gear every day, spending the entire day playing with your kids in the greatest amusement park on Earth, and celebrating in between with treats. Just because, Disney.

My Mickey angels.

That morning monorail commute.

I'd live there.

My baby by the pool on one of our off-days. He did so great at Disney, I was super proud of him!

I have a thing for good landscaping. And the Grand Floridian has GOOD landscaping. #goals

This is what we did when we weren't at the parks. We loved our hotel so much! Details in the next post ;)

He wanted to chase those ducks.

Don't get me wrong - Disney is a trip, not a vacation. But we honestly had so much fun together. We were super tired, but blissfully happy, too. PS while I am typing this Stevie has been out of town for a week and OMG he has to come home. I miss that handsome piece of man.

Everett met Mickey twice and LOVED him. Daxton hated every character he met. Please note both of their faces in the next few photos - they couldn't feel more differently about meeting characters. Pretty priceless.

Meeting Mickey for the first time! Prepare yourself for Daxton's reaction...

This will be shared at his wedding.

Seriously. I should feel bad for him but I'm still dying laughing. Poor second children, they really don't get the same empathy from us.

I asked if she wanted to switch dresses. I don't think she heard me over Everett's compliments of her gown.

Dax tolerated Cinderella. Everett legit fell in love. And don't let Stevie fool you - we was a tiny bit enamored too.

... which made me feel a lot better about asking Prince Charming what he was doing a little later. I might have frightened him. I'm 30 now, apparently that's cougar status ;)

After he met Cinderella he crawled into my lap and played with my hair for a full 5 minutes. Something about meeting the princess made his little love-struck heart so tender! I already know I'm going to be such an insane mother-in-law because HE'S MY BABY FOREVER.

Our hotel lobby! So cool!

So many treats. I'll highlight my favorites in the next post.

I was overwhelmed by how excellent everything is at Disney World. Yes, the rides are a blast and there is something for everyone (our 10-month old loved it just as much as our 3-year old!) But the true magic of Disney is in the immense attention to detail - there is literally no trash on the sidewalk of Main Street. The characters and cast members are phenomenal, treating each person with such importance and care. When we got our Magic Bands on the first day, the man who gave them to us at the Admissions office looked at Everett and said, "Are you Everett?" Everett nodded to him shyly. The he went on, "Oh! You're Prince Everett! Mickey told me to look out for you. Welcome to Disney World, Prince Everett!" The rest of the day, Everett held his head so high and proud. He felt so special at Disney World. It's not just that Disney is charming and fun - it really is a special place that makes each person feel a personal significance. It was so beautiful.

And the shows! Coming from a former actor nerd, I can honestly say that he shows are truly Broadway-esque. Especially "The Lion King" at the Animal Kingdom - it was a stunner. Disney's approach to excellence and follow-through is truly astounding. And the experience of staying at a Disney hotel, using the Disney dining plan (oh my word, the FOOD!!!), and playing in the parks for 3 days was honestly such an experience that I just want everyone to go and laugh their brains out with their own family. It's seriously good for the soul.

But don't get me wrong. You've got to be prepared to go on a trip like Disney. You can't just let Disney happen to you, because it can easily take all your money and leave you with nothing but exhaustion. You gotta play the game smart. Thankfully, we had a dear, dear friend of ours plan our entire Disney vacation, from the hotel to the tickets to the fast passes to the meals and everything in between. Alyson Pitzer is a Disney travel agent and is compensated by Disney to plan trips, so we didn't have to pay her anything, but she took care of every single detail. I am sharing this with you so that you can reach out to her, because believe me, unless you are a Disney insider and you know all the ins and outs of that world, you are going to want some help. This post isn't sponsored in any way (but gosh, Disney, feel free to sponsor me ANY TIME AT ALL), but I really wanted to share her info with you guys so that you can get a leg up and have the most magical trip experience of your life.

I'm going to share a few most posts this week with our itinerary and my personal tips and tricks at Disney, so make sure to check back here for those. There was just no possible way to squeeze all things Disney into one blog post! Also, if you have any specific questions, please leave them in the comments section so I can address everything! I have lots to share but I know for those of you planning a Disney trip, there are a lot of questions you probably have in your mind. This is the week to ask me as I compile everything! xx

Kissing Summer Goodbye.

There is something so kind about summer. It feels like the season where anything goes, where you can be a bit messy and it won't judge you for it. You can mix up your calendar dates, spill a popsicle, forget to pack sunscreen, and Summer just smiles big and tells you to put your feet up. Summer is that friend that spontaneously invites you over to the pool, makes you a cocktail without asking, shares a beach hat and bug spray so you can stay outside longer and have a few more laughs. Summer is that good old friend, the one you don't have to explain your life to, the one who just gets you. The one who says, "Come as you are and stay longer than you planned."

It's hard saying goodbye to summer. But that's the thing that makes summer so deliciously sticky-sweet - we say goodbye so we can always have it to look forward to. Labor Day has come and gone, and even though the warmth will linger here in the south, summer will be kissing us goodbye very soon.

I guess it's time to start making that Fall bucket list, friends. After I have perhaps one more watermelon mint lemonade ;)

A Bird's Eye View in Perdido Key!

Beach buddies!

I'm a little blinded here but I love this pic of me and my boys!

Our canopy crew!

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the end result - this guy was a true artist! Check out his tools strewn all over!

Matching jammies were a happy accident!

Dinner outside at The Gulf - a perfect restaurant for big groups and families. The kids could run around and play on the soft grass while we ate by the water.

All the daddies with their babes :)

We spent last week at Perdido Key Beach with friends! It's so great being able to connect with friends who have kids the same ages - they played together so well and we were all equally inconvenienced by our kid-whipped schedules. So it was great! It was especially nice to be able to put the kids down for bed at night and play games and eat dessert and catch up on life. Nothing like friends who totally understand your stage of life because they are right there alongside you. Also, I learned to play Settlers of Catan and I'm a little obsessed - anyone want to come over and play a tournament?!

The weather was unbelievably perfect and the view from the 12th floor condo was kind of unreal. I've never stayed so high up before and been able to drink in the view from above. The birds are so lucky, you guys. They see the world so beautifully!

That view actually really inspired me, gave me reason to pause. I don't take enough time to just let my mind be free. I am always busy, wrangling kids, writing, taking care of life things, and when I do get a free moment - I check my email, respond to messages, scroll Instagram, etc. But I never let myself just sit in the quiet. Think about it - when was the last time you just sat alone, quietly? I did that up on this 12th floor terrace with my feet kicked up and my heart high to the Heavens and I have to say, it was nourishing for my mind and soul. I can't remember the last time I really, truly gave myself enough room to let my mind wander and, I don't know, have original thoughts. I'm so busy during the day pouring my energy into my family and all my leftover mind space usually get put into this blog and my other writing work. But I haven't given myself freedom to think about whatever I want in such a long, long time. I've got to take time to do this more! I have a great brain. I almost forgot that.

With Labor Day coming up this weekend, I hope you are able to rest and relax and give yourself some quiet time to think! We are trying to decide if we take one last spontaneous trip to the beach, but the weather is looking a little rainy, so it might be hometown house projects for us :) Happy Labor Day weekend to you all! xx