Friday Favorites 6/29

Summer needs to slow way down!  It's flying by but we are loving every minute of it.  We're still doing swim lessons and the girls are doing fabulous.  It only took Madi two lessons and she is swimming like a pro.  Both girls are working on strokes now.



Meal Planning- July

After touching on meal planing in yesterdays post I thought I'd share my latest meal plan calendar with you and revisit some tips.  Meal planning helps me to actually get a meal on the table every night and take the guess work out of dinner.  Cooking isn't my problem, its coming up with what to eat.  If I meal plan then I don't have to think about it.

If you want to create your own I have a few suggestions.  First type out all the meals you make and your family likes to eat.  I list them all on the side of the calendar and then start dragging them to the days.  That way I can see everything together and then plan them strategically.  Next, put things together that make your cooking easier.  For example, rigatoni and taco salad are close together.  This way I only have to brown ground beef once and separate for two different meals. Another example is chicken ranch tacos and chicken quesadillas.  I just put in extra chicken in the crockpot for the first meal and save some for the next night.

This has also helped with grocery shopping and saving money.  In one Walmart Grocery pickup I'm able to grab the majority of the items.  Of course I can't buy everything at the start of the month because they won't last but this has helped so much for planning for the store.

Let me know if you have any questions or want a recipe.  Also please share your favorite (EASY) recipes with me; I'm always looking for something new to switch things up around here.



Disneyland: The Place Where Dreams Really Do Come True

I'm just reminiscing about our Disney trip and I'm ready to go back.  Overall we had a great time but it wasn't exactly all we had hoped for because Emily got sick on day 2.  Luckily she was able to get a few hours each day in the park and thank goodness both grandmas were with us to assist with going back to the hotel for Emily to rest.  I wanted to share all that we did so get ready for Disney and picture overload!

Sunday morning the girls finished their countdown and were so excited to head down to Disneyland!  We left early that morning, made a stop right before the Grapevine for lunch and hit Anaheim early afternoon.  We got in some pool time, settled into our rooms and then headed to Downtown Disney for shopping, sightseeing and grabbing dinner.  One of our absolute favorite spots to eat is Naples.  Not only is the food to die for but they have a great atmosphere and an incredible balloon artist who makes the best characters for the girls.  It's a must on your trip!


Dark Places: Book Review


Well it's a miracle I learned how to read again!!!  I used to be a book worm and loved reading a good book especially in the Summer by the pool.  However, I don't know what happened but I seemed to set down the books and just run out of time.  I became so tired that in my free moments or at the end of the day I chose to watch mindless television instead of feeding my mind.  I'm happy to report I've started reading again and wanted to share my reviews with you.

All the books I've read recently came from recommendations from my girlfriend Rema of Jewelry and Jeans.   Rema liked this book, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn and I've loved other books from this author so I decided to give it a try.

It's a quick and easy read but I give it about a B.  It's worth reading but not a page turner and not at the top of any list.  It's about a troubled young woman who was the only survivor in a tragic shooting when she was a young girl.  Her mother and two sisters were killed and her brother went to jail for the murders.  Decades later her past is reopened and she starts to uncover that the truth may be far different than what it seemed many years before.  The book follows her journey to uncover the truth.

The main character wasn't a very likable person and to be honest I'm not sure I loved or connected with any of the characters.  What I did like was that the story was told from present day as well as from the past.  It jumped back and forth which kept it a bit more interesting.  Also capturing my attention was telling the story from several points of view.

If you have any book recommendations I'd love to hear them!

4th of July Outfits for Girls


As most of you already know I love any excuse for a cute outfit and the holidays are at the top of that list.  Fourth of July is just around the corner and I've picked up some adorable looks for the girls that we are already sporting around town.  I can't wait until next year when I'm also coordinating baby brother with these two cuties.  Can you imagine how much he's going to love looking back on all the photos!




Click on any of the items to get shopping details and links.

Morning Routine for a Stress Free Morning

This post is sponsored by Natrol but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.


1. Lay out Clothes the Night Before

It's amazing to me how much time this can take in the morning if I don't do it the night before.  My girls are old enough now to have opinions about what they are wearing and somehow laying it out the night before almost eliminates the complaints.  I also pick out my own clothes the night before which saves so much times especially if I have to try things on (super common now that I'm growing in all directions).


2. Pack Lunches the Night Before

The more that I can get done the night before the better.  The mornings are too chaotic so packing lunches for the girls the night before is a necessity.  I even have the girls help with them like grabbing their lunch pails and snacks.


Surviving Disneyland: Top 12 Tips



Disneyland may be the Happiest Place on Earth but meltdowns, swollen ankles, sore backs, empty wallets and then some come with it.  So I've compiled a list of my top tips to survive and have the best time in Disneyland:

1. Find the Right Place to Stay
2. Plan Your Trip Itinerary
3. Prepare for the Car Ride/ Travel Time
4. Take a Picture of the Back of Your Tickets
5. Arrive 30-60 Minutes Before the Park Opens
6. Forget Magic Hour and Go To the Opposite Park
7. Don't Miss Character Dining
8. Experience the Magic of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
9. Take Advantage of Rider Switch Pass
10. Indulge in Must Have Disney Food, Snacks & Treats
11. Go On Rides During the Parades
12. Use an App

1. Find the Right Place to Stay

Top 12 Tips for Surviving Disneyland

Friday Favorites 6/8

Madi had her last day of school yesterday so it was the official First Day of Summer for her or us as an entire family.  No better way to celebrate than a day at the waterpark.  We grabbed some of our besties and headed to the Island Waterpark.  We love The Island and had a great day.  We grabbed a spot around Ohana Bay which is the little kid area.  The kids are able to run by themselves to play in the water and enjoy the slides; us moms lounged in the shade.  We also enjoyed the wave pool and lazy river.  Emily and Colton were super brave and did the big slides all by themselves.  They walked up the million stairs, stood in line and slid down all on their own.   I was super impressed by these brave little ones.  We enjoyed our time so much we will be back several times this year.

Prepping for Disneyland: Saving Money

How to Save Money at Disneyland


We're almost headed to Disney and we so stinking excited.  Since it's just days away I'm in full prep mode.  I wanted to share my best tips for saving money and preparing for a Disney trip:

1. Purchase Disney Gift Cards at Target with Target Red Card to Save 5%

Set your budget ahead of time and purchase Disney Gift Cards in that amount ahead of time.  You can save 5% when you use your Target Red Card.  If you buy $500 worth of gift cards you save $25 which for me is totally worth it.  Then use your gift cards for all your meals, photo passes, souvenirs, etc.

2. Purchase Hotel & Tickets with Get Away Today

I'm always looking for the best places to book travel and for Disneyland I have to recommend Get Away Today.  They have won several awards and offer discounted travel that can't be beat.  Please be careful where you buy your Disneyland tickets because not everyone is an authorized dealer.  With Get Away Today you can get $10 off any 2+ night Southern California package with my code (exclusive for my readers only) below.  On top of discounts Get Away Today offers free travel insurance and a Layaway Payment Plan.

Get Away Today is not just for hotel and park entrance but also offers discounted Character Dining which is a must for every trip.  If you're taking a long vacation and attending other So Cal parks Get Away Today offers discounts to many of those parks as well.


3. Pre Purchase Souvenirs

Disney Park Bag- Souveneirs


Souvenirs are wildly overpriced at the resort so buy ahead of time and hide the goodies until you get there.  You can place a new souvenir on your child's bed each morning and pull it out once you get to the park.  This cuts down the amount of begging inside the park.  Be sure to also grab bubble guns and glow sticks ahead of time for parades.  You can also make your own Autograph Books to save lots.  I used printables from Pinterest, laminated them and bound them myself.  Of course there are some items you might just have to buy if you get asked but at least you can save a few bucks.







4. Stay at Hotel with Breakfast Included

Save time and money by grabbing breakfast in your hotel.  The best case scenario is a hotel that includes continental breakfast.  You could save at least $50 a day for a family of four which can really add up.  If breakfast isn't included you could pack breakfast items to eat in your room.  If that doesn't appeal to you eating breakfast at your hotel will still be cheaper than in the park.


5. Take Snacks and Lunch into the Park

My kids could eat all day long and tell me they're hungry about once an hour.  I can't imagine the amount of money we would spend if we bought all their snacks at the resort.  Plus if I bring items with us I can choose much healthier options.  Don't get me wrong there are lots of goodies that we can't pass up in the park but those are specialty items.



6. Don't Buy Bottled Water

Carry refillable bottled waters or when making food purchases ask for complimentary ice water.  We drink a lot of water so we take in refillable bottles.  Even our waters have to be cute so when I found these refillable bottles I was giddy.  They are so cute and very functional.  They are double-walled 18/8 stainless steel thermal bottle which keeps hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold drinks cold for 24 hours! You can grab yours from Isty Bitsy Wear.



7. Plan Sit Down Meals Ahead

Plan out your budget and start looking at menus online.  Plan meals that fit within your budget.  Make sure you call 60 days ahead to make your reservations.  You can't make them more than 60 days out and you don't want to wait past that because they sell out quickly, especially during peak seasons.


8. Don't Buy Park Hopper Tickets

A Hopper Ticket can cost you as much as an additional $25 per day.  That adds up for a family who is going for several days.  We purchase tickets for 1 park per day and we never feel like we are missing out.  Especially because we have little ones so running back and forth from park to park isn't really a viable option for us anyway.  We just plan each day out ahead of time based on parades and shows so we know which park we want to hit on what day.

9. Don't Pay for Parking

If you're not staying on the resort you have the option of walking, taking a hotel shuttle or using an Uber.  Otherwise, parking at the resort is $20-$35 per day.  Again that really adds up.  Ideally pick a hotel that is within walking distance but most area hotels offer shuttles that run all day which will save you lots of money.

10. Utilize Disney Photographers

You don't have to purchase a photopass to use the professional photographers around the park.  They are happy to use your camera to take a photo.




For an extra $10 off your vacation package through Get Away Today use code: fresno10


Be sure to check back to see all the details from our vacation which will include reviews, tips and way too many pictures.

Also be sure to check out Disneyland Reveal,  Packing Your Disney Park Bag and Disney Style


Friday Favorites 6/1

Madi is still in school and the First Day of Summer hasn't officially hit but we are well on our way to checking off our Summer Bucket List.  It was a full week and I just love this time of year.  Why anyone prefers any other season is beyond me.  When else can you have backyard bbq's, swim in the pool, run in the sprinklers, make ice cream just for fun and have lazy lake days?  Gimme Summer all year round!

We had a playdate at the zoo and got to see the new water exhibit which was too fun for the kids.  Love our zoo and all that it has to offer.