The Magic Is Back At Disney

The Magic Is Back At Disney

April 28, 2022

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Hugs are back at Disney! We went to the parks with my family earlier this month and on our very last day Disney brought back full on character meet and greets with hugs and autographs and no masks! The magic that filled that day... SO good! 

Disney Springs is always my favorite way to start our trip. Once we check into our hotel, freshen up, and grab a bus or boat ride to Springs, it always hits me that we're there. You know that blissful feeling that comes after you've been at the pool or beach all day and you go home and shower, change into something you love, and head out to dinner? That's the feeling! We ate at The Polite Pig this time and the jalapeño cornbread was amazing. We popped into Gideon's for some cookies since I promised L I'd take her back (the timing didn't work for us last time!). And, I found some cute Disney-inspired tees for the kids here.

The rest of the trip was all about experiencing all our favorite things again. Calvacades, hugs from Mickey, food around the world in Epcot, capturing my kids in front of the castle (watching them grow up in front of the castle is so good!), and hopping on our favorite rides.

Olive rocked her second trip there and loved it. Mickey is her new favorite and we made sure to pick her up a Mickey stuffy before leaving. His ears make a good teether! 

Nico rode Soarin' for the first time after a few bribes and proclaimed it "the best ride ever"! He also did Test Track on his own (single rider line!) twice and only wants to ride that way from now on! 

Lia was just really happy to be there with extended family and get to go on rides with her aunts and cousins! She was also my snacking partner in Epcot so we could hit all the stands! 

And as always, I'm counting down the days until we can go back because these memories are some of the best and Disney is most definitely our family's happy place.

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Olive's First Trip To Disney

Olive's First Trip To Disney

February 2, 2022

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We took our annual trip to Disney a few weeks ago and, if you thought Disney was already magical enough, take your babe for her very first trip when she's tiny! 

It was one of our best trips! Pandemic Disney two years in isn't quite the same but it's our happy place and Olive was a fan from the start. 

We stayed at Port Orlean's Riverside. It was our first time and it didn't disappoint! Boat rides to Disney Springs, drinks poolside, s'mores at night, movies at the pool. It was exactly what we needed. 

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A TRAVEL GUIDE TO AMELIA ISLAND

A TRAVEL GUIDE TO AMELIA ISLAND

August 18, 2021

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I'm no expert on Amelia Island but we've been a few times in the last couple of years and have a growing list of favorite must-sees and must-eats! 

Grab a quick bite for lunch at Tasty's. It's an old gas station turned into a burger shop with a good variety of burger styles, fries, and milkshakes! 

Take a walk down the main street downtown and pop into all the local shops. 

Eight Flags Antique Market is great for wandering around in. The kids always find something to look at that entertains them!

Hudson & Perry is a tiny shop full of charm! I dream of taking one of everything home each time I am in there!

Villa Villekulla is the kid's favorite shop to pop into! From the marble run set-up to all the fun little toys to explore, this is a must-stop for us each visit. 

Of course, a family trip wouldn't be complete for us without a stop in a book store. The Book Loft is another store oozing with charm. The kids gravitate to the children's section in the back immediately. 

Stop by Fernandina's Fantastic Fudge for a sweet treat after all the shopping! Their fudge is amazing but they offer ice cream and other chocolate treats too. 

When you're ready for some sight-seeing, take a short drive over to the original Pippi Longstockinghouse! This is a must-do for L every year. She's loved the story of Pippi since she was 3 or 4. 

Another short drive away is the lighthouse. We've never taken a tour of the actual lighthouse but we've lucked out driving up and getting up close views and capturing some great photos with the kids! 

the cutest blast from the past

Then, head over to Fort Clinch State Park. It's just $6 per car to enter and you could really spend all day there! We usually spend a couple hours hunting for sharks teeth and taking in the gorgeous scenery but there's the fort to be explored, several beach areas, and lots of biking/hiking trails!

Finish the day with dinner outside. Our favorites are The Salty Pelican for your typical steak, seafood, bar-type food and Pepper's Cocina for delicious Mexican food.

There's so much to do and explore there. These are just a few of our favorites! 

We keep adding to our memory bank every time we visit this sweet little island. 

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Babymoon In Disney

Babymoon In Disney

August 9, 2021

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We've got about 6 1/2 weeks to go until our sweet babe makes her appearance into the world! And there was no better time for a quick baby moon than last week. 

Setting up a sitter for the kids was the easy part, leaving them? Not so much! I'm a big fan of adult trips to Disney but I do always feel a little guilty going without the kids. There's just something about witnessing the magic through their eyes. 

We still did it, though! We drove down on a Tuesday morning and did a little shopping at Disney Springs before grabbing dessert at Gideon's and then dinner at The Boathouse. I highly recommend both places! We were planning on going back to Gideon's for their evening only special of hot cookies served up with ice cream but we were so full from dinner and I was exhausted. Next time!

And, we capped off the night with a quiet evening at the pool and The Incredibles on TV in the room.

Wednesday morning was all about the magic! We had reservations for Magic Kingdom and plans to spend the entire day there. I cruised around in a rented electronic wheelchair because, as much as I didn't want it, there was no way I'd get through all the walking. If you're very pregnant at Disney, splurge for one. 

I was able to ride most of the rides there and didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. We got to spend the day together without the kids, eating all my favorite park snacks and dodging mini rain showers here and there. 

We saw some of the Halloween decorations already up and I'll admit, I wasn't hating the cozy, fall vibe they were giving off! The one time we went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party a few years ago was the most fun and we've all wanted to go back again for another Fall season. Then, we capped the night off with our last viewing of the Happily Ever After fireworks (our favorite!) and took our very sore + tired selves back to our room.

We headed back home the next day with a few stops (like Ikea!) built-in to our trip. We couldn't wait to get back to the kids and they couldn't wait to have us back and get their souvenirs! 

Disney isn't the most usual place to babymoon at but if you love Disney like we do, it can be perfect. It was a great way to celebrate our magical little babe!

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