mom-cation

I had a wonderful mommy break this past weekend. I went to visit one of my favorite people, my college friend Megan who lives in the DC area. The weekend was filled with great food, pedicures, shopping, monument gawking, a movie and of course good company! One of the highlights was making s'mores...with nutella. It was soooo good! I was having such a great time, I didn't take too many photos. So, just picture a mom enjoying a weekend without a schedule and eating great food that didn't involve cutting bananas into tiny little pieces. It was wonderful, but back to reality.

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...

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.

disney dreaming

With the snow and the twelve degree temperatures, I've found myself daydreaming about our trip to Disney World in February (only 53 days left, but who's counting?) I've been in love with Walt Disney World since I was a little girl. My first trip was in the womb and I've gone at least once every year since. It's a magical world where work and chores disappear and you get to see life through the eyes of your kids. I'm uber excited to be staying at a new resort, Disney's Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary.


Speaking of Disney, I think they have done something brilliant. Well, they do a lot of brilliant things, but this one is at the top of the list. Give A Day Get a Disney Day started at the beginning of the new year. Basically, you volunteer for a day and you receive a free park ticket. Just in my area alone there are opportunities to make blankets for kids, build houses, create digital books for libraries or clean up a park. I think this will be a great activity for our family to do and teach the kids about giving back. Making blankets for kids sounds like a good one, don't you think?