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there is no place like disney world...

It's no secret that Walt Disney World is one of my favorite places to be. I have so many great memories from my trips there as a kid. But, I have to say, sharing the experience with my kids is simply the best. My schedule has been so chaotic lately. With my husband traveling four days a week for work, me working full-time and being a mom...I was really looking forward to 100% family time. No other responsibilities, just playtime with the kids...that's what Disney is all about, right?

We stayed at the new Contemporary Resort Bay Lake Tower. It's fairly new and the modern decor of the hotel was amazing. It's hard thinking about staying anywhere else. The location, accommodations, design and food/shopping are hard to beat.

Totally random tip, but the bathroom in the second bedroom had it's own sliding door and was big enough to fit the pack 'n play for the Andrew. Yes, he slept in the bathroom, but it was perfect for him to have his own quiet space to sleep!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hz536n/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/themeparkmom/3689417068/sizes/m/

The view at night was fab! We could watch Wishes (fireworks at Magic Kingdom) every night from our room.

The little man was a champ. Disney truly is a great vacation at any age. He loved Pooh's Playful Spot at Magic Kingdom. We hung out there a few times to let him get down and crawl around. Although the water bottle seemed to be a big hit for him on this trip.

A family tradition, you have to purchase your first pair of "ears" on your first trip. Andrew wasn't a big fan of keeping them on, but we got a few cute shots. These days, it's rare that I just sit and watch him sleep, but it was so nice to have the time to just stare at him. (Can you tell I'm having some wow-they-grow-up-fast kind of moments?!)

We of course saw tons of characters. Goofy even helped out by feeding Andrew his yogurt at Chef Mickey's! Hailey was determined to find EVERY princess, Little Mermaid being her favorite. We found them all except Jasmine and Tiana. Our last day at Magic Kingdom got rained on a bit, so we distracted her with a Dole Whip (pineapple soft serve...delicious!). Andrew enjoyed it as well.

Now I've saved the best for last. My sweet baby, sniff, took his first steps while we were there! Taking the first steps seems like the last baby moment, so it made me a little sad, but could I have asked for a better backdrop?!



I was so sad to leave, we were in sunny Florida one minute and just a few hours later back in the cold snow. It was a great trip and time with my family was...magical. (just had to throw that in there) I always say the best solution to the home-from-vacation-blues is to plan your next trip...

I've returned...unfortunately

The first day back after vacation is always a doozie. But, coming from sunny Florida to snow is exceptionally depressing. We had a wonderful trip, I only wish it were longer. My only concerns this week were making sure I had a ice cream at least once a day and finding each and every princess. It was a nice change in priorities. Check back next week for my Disney recap and our first retailer spotlight!

happiest place on earth

I'm headed to Disney World this week. Its one of my favorite places to be. I'll have a full recap when I return, but until then. Enjoy art from the Disney Legend, Mary Blair. Here work can be found through Walt Disney World, but one of my favorites, It's a Small World.

will you be my valentine?

Valentines from friends at school are so cute. The sweet things they write, the cute signature that is hardly legible, it's a sweet holiday for preschool-aged kids. Here are the handmade valentines we made for Hailey's class. It was a nice change from the boxed character cards...and tasty too!

ten months

Cool Cookbooks

Have you heard of TasteBook? They are cookbooks you can create with your recipes, personal photos or recipes that you can search for on their site. It's also expandable so you can add to it. They have some great covers to choose from and the books are designed quite well. This would make such a great gift for kids and grandparent's alike. Passing down recipes is like passing down a piece of family history. I better start now to get one done for next Christmas!