Walt Disney World Trip | 2019

Taking a trip to Walt Disney world in Orlando Florida with two kids is no pickle. I knew what I was getting myself into, but it was either now or wait till Christmas time. I just can’t bare the heat and humidity that comes after May in Florida. My favorite time to go to Disney world has always been around Christmas time but we couldn’t make it end of 2018 due to visiting family in another state. During Christmas time it’s the most beautiful and the weather is perfect. If you can go I would highly recommend during that time of year.

I had planned to go before February ended, but time always slips away and so I went ahead and booked a hotel for March. My goal was to avoid spring break for Floridans as much as possible but honestly it’s just not going to happen. My advice is avoid March overall because it’s crazy packed with tourists. Everyone comes during their spring break and it’s not worth it. Instead take time off from work and make it a stress free trip and save a little money along the way because that’s when everything is more expensive especially the hotels. The prices go high up during spring break.

I prefer to stay on Disney property when booking a hotel because the resorts and hotels offer shuttles to the park, that way after a long day of walking it’s just easier to get in a shuttle and relax a little. This time I booked a hotel closer to Disney springs as my goal was to go there the next day. ( next post will be about Disney springs and why I love it so much).

Another thing to mention is when I go to Disney with my kids we always have the park hopper pass. When I used to work for Disney I would save up my tickets. This time our tickets ended up being gifted which was so amazing and they ended up being the park hopper which I love especially that we only do the parks for one day.

This trip we went to magic kingdom first, wondered around by the castle, grabbed some snacks to eat like the Mickey Mouse pretzel, took some awesome shots. We waited to do rides after 5pm because I used my magic pass for the it’s a small world ride and Dumbo. Can’t remember what the third one was but we didn’t make it because it was getting to late in the evening. We spent the morning at magic kingdom and then hopped on a bus ( I believe was number 16 I could be wrong) and it goes to animal kingdom. It’s about 10-15 min bus ride because keep in mind the Disney property is huge. Animal kingdom is the only park that you can take a bus to. Unlike Epcot, magic kingdom and Hollywood studies which you have the option of taking a bus, monorail, or a water taxi and btw is all free.

Also if you don’t have the magic band it’s just easier to print your tickets and have them ready rather then going to will call or buying on the spot. Movement is key! If you want to see as much as possible manage your time as much as you can.

I’ve never been to animal kingdom and always wanted to go. Here’s my 2 cents if you plan to go there you need at least half a day but if your planning to do Disney for a few days then just spend a whole day there. It’s massive like a zoo with attractions and so much to see and do for kids. One of my favorites was dino land which is inside Animal kingdom. Think of a big play ground for your kids to crawl, slides to go down, a water wall for kids to splash and a really big sandbox for fossil findings. It’s really cute and my boys loved it. An hour can easily go by in there.

I really wanted for us to do the safari ride but again coming during spring break month is impossible to get in short lines. And most rides the fast pass can be reserved up to 30-60 days in advance if your staying in a Disney resort. Sad to not have experienced the safari ride but I wasn’t going to stand in a 2.5 hour line. With a toddler that is basically suicide. So next time we go it’s something I’m looking forward to doing.

Another awesome part that I loved was the small show right in front of the giant tree of life where they have gorgeous macaws flying through the crowds. That was fun to experience and I’ll need to add those photos as well.

Also a small tip if you want to get Starbucks at Disney because their cups are a little different and super cute. I recommend going to the one at animal kingdom. We had no wait time or lines inline the crazy line at magic kingdom which again due to high tourists season and spring break.

The kiddos and I ended up getting lunch at animal kingdom. It was at the market right where the lines are for the safari ride. The food the pretty good. Totally would go again.

After 3pm the boys and I headed back to the buses and went back to magic kingdom. As per my usual experience that is 3 parks in one day. I can’t seem to just go to 2 or stick it out and stay at one apparently I like to overwhelm myself lol.

We made it in time to see the parade, to go on the rides including the people mover which I can’t remember if we did that earlier in the day or not it’s all blurry now but the people mover is one of my favorite rides. Think of it like a mini train shuttle that takes you through tomorrow land. It also goes inside space mountain so you can see how that ride is which btw it’s in the dark I’ve been on it before and don’t care for it. It’s a lot of jerking on the ride which if you have a bad neck not fun. The people mover ride also goes through the buzz lighting ride so again you get a little glimpse. It’s about a 5-10 min ride super enjoyable you get great views of Tomorrowland, you can also see the castle. Perfect for those pictures that you want.

Dumbo is my absolute favorite ride. I’d you don’t do the fast pass which this time I learned it’s better not with kids because regular lines go inside where there is a playground for kids. While you wait your turn. I did that with my first when he was a toddler but ended up doing a fast pass this time and I regret missing out on the play area. So if you have kids especially small ones save your fast pass for it’s a small world which the lines can get so long. If you go during off season times usually in the evening after 8pm almost all the rides have very small wait time. Again this is great if you stay in a resort. Chill at the parks till closing time. Or spend half a day then go back to the hotel and rest for few hours. That’s what most folks end up doing because it is a lot of walking.

Magic kingdom is definitely my favorite park out of all the parks at Disney world because it’s so kid friendly. It’s also broken up into different parts like tomorrow land, liberty square and the circus (which is where the dumbo ride is) I love to walk and explore it all. We don’t stand in line to see the characters because honestly I think it’s useless to wait 30+ minutes for a stranger to sign a book but I get it some parents do it for the kids. Mine don’t care for it so yay for me haha.

As far as ticket prices go I do want to cover that part. The park hopper is $160 per person. Kids under 10 it’s a little cheaper. So if your doing multiple days skip the park hopper and stick to one park per day. If you only have one day and you want to see as much as possible get the park hopper but keep in mind you’ll need to split your time wisely to make it worth while.

The food at Disney is pricy. But not super expensive compared to your local chain restaurants. I spent about $100 max total on the whole day for food. We didn’t have 3 large meals instead had two meals and snacked during the day.

If you plan to park it’s about $20 per car. If you stay in a hotel that offers a free shuttle take advantage of that.

Also download the Disney park app it will be really useful to keep the map of the park handy. You can do fast pass on the app and also order your food at any of the restaurants which saves you time again from standing in line.

I’ve officially been to all 4 parks at Walt Disney world and to rate them top to bottom I would have to say,

1, magic kingdom hands down which I’ve already explained. If you watch the clock you can see the shows performed at the castle, also watch the parade go by, and the fireworks at 9pm.

2, animal kingdom especially with kids so worth it!

3, Epcot which I love going to without kids because it’s all food, restaurants and it’s just super pretty. Also they do the best fireworks at 9pm.

4, Hollywood studies. I wouldn’t even have this on my list I’m so not a fan. I don’t care for the rides they have the the haunted tower. To me it’s not worth seeing but that’s a personal opinion. I’ve went with kids and without and frankly wasn’t impressed.

I’m sorry this review has been so long I wanted to go as much in depth as possible especially for those that have never been to Disney world which btw is not like Disneyland that is in California. Totally different and I’ve been to Disneyland. Disney world is huge and offers so much. Also please don’t call Disney world, Disneyland I don’t know why but it bugs me and I always correct people. It’s like calling Seattle, New York. It’s different lol.

If you get a chance to eat at beasts castle in magic kingdom I highly recommend. It’s a favorite of mine. Also get a fast pass for the Snow White and the seven dwarfs ride. I wasn’t open the first couple times I went and this time there was no fast pass available. If you have little girls the little Mermaid is a cute ride. All it does is move you around in a shell to see everything. Nothing scary but I do recommend it. Also don’t want to sound repetitive but get s fast pass only for the rides that tend to get the busiest. Use up the first 3 fast passes early in the day so that you can add more rides. The fast passes go quick. No one wants to stand in a long line. Another favorite is the magic carpet ride but it’s identical to dumbo. Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies so I personally love it for that and it’s toddler friendly.

There is so much to see and you won’t see it all and do everything but planning is key. I would book the hotels 3 months in advance, purchase the tickets to the part so that way the big purchase are out of the way and you can enjoy Disney.

Stay tuned for the next post I’ll do about Disney springs! With tons of photos. If I missed anything on here I’ll do a part 2 Disney world. If you made it this far down wow congrats, you must really love Disney because I totally went all out trying to narrow down our trip! So high five, leave a comment below if you are planning a trip, leave questions below or maybe tips that I forgot.

Xx, Jules

23 and Me | discovering my ancestry

I am so excited to write this blog post you guys! If you follow me on Instagram ( everythingjewels ) you would have seen back at the end of July for our 10 year wedding anniversary one of the gifts I gave to my hubby and myself was the gift of discovering our true DNA heritage.

This is something that I’ve always wanted to know for myself. Growing up I only knew my ancestry as being Ukrainian. Even though I was born in Estonia and went to school there before my family immigrated to the United States of America in 1997. I don’t speak Estonian I wish I did but because the country was part of the ussr before becoming independent, the country has a lot of Russian speaking residents. So to break it down by blood I am Ukrainian, by birth I am Estonian, but I speak Russian, and I’m a US citizen. Wow that was a lot right? Lol.

Okay now let’s get into what this blog is actually about. So once hubby and I received our kits we mailed them out right away. They are so easy all you do is open the package take the tube out spit into it and seal it shut then drop it off at your local post office. Before spitting you must wait 30 minutes after you have eaten or drank anything including brushing your teeth. I actually waited about a hour because I completely lost track of time.

Forward 7 weeks later I get my results! Now when you mail it out you have to write down the barcode on the tube that is provided and register that code online or the app which is what I did for hubs and my kit we both downloaded the apps on our phones just to make it easier.

I can’t even tell you how anxious I was to receive my results, first of all our kits included the ancestry and the health report so if I am a carrier I’d know exactly what I could pass down to my children. I also would receive the genetic health risk report, the trait report and the wellness report. Honestly it was so worth getting the additional health report because it’s so interesting and after reading through mine I’m glad to say I got a clear on the carrier and the genetic report. That was such a relief. The trait and wellness was also very interesting as some of the information was completely spot on.

Ok let’s get into the ancestry part!

I am 100% European!!! Which means I don’t have any Asian, African or Native American in me which honestly I kind of knew anyway.Check my results below!

Eastern European 89.3%

Ukraine

Slovakia

Poland

Russia

Hungary

Lithuania

Balkan 2.3%

Romania

Croatia

Bulgaria

French & German 1.9%

Ashkenazi Jewish 0.3%

Broadly Southern European 2.6%

Southern Europe, including the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas as well as the island of Malta, is a region defined in great part by the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean has provided transportation routes, keeping these regions connected culturally and genetically. Broadly Southern European DNA matches several specific populations and is difficult to assign to just one.

Broadly Northwestern European 1.7%

Northwestern Europeans are represented by people from as far west as Ireland, as far north as Norway, as far east as Finland, and as far south as France. These countries rim the North and Baltic Seas, and have been connected throughout much of history by those waters. Broadly Northwestern European DNA matches several specific populations and cannot be assigned to just one. This shared heritage may be the result of extensive migration, possibly including the Germanic invasions of the early Middle Ages.

Broadly European 1.8%

Much of Europe was buried under miles of ice ten thousand years ago. As the glaciers receded over millennia, Neolithic farmers from western Asia joined Paleolithic hunter-gatherers to settle Europe. Some European DNA is difficult to assign confidently to one population and receives a “Broadly” designation.

More information about the kit below!!

Here is a link to order the kit and receive 10% off! if you decide to order a kit online!

https://refer.23andme.com/s/gr2aa?share_id=6605687159426823815

Thank you so much for visiting my blog post today! See you in the next one!

Xo J

Palms & pineapples| Liam’s 2nd birthday party

Can’t believe that my little baby is a running around busy little toddler now. Gosh does time sure knows how to fly.

Before planning Liam’s birthday party I always like to pin my favorite themes on Pinterest. Believe it or not but about a year ago when I started out blogging one of the names I wanted for my blog was palms and Pineapples. One I live in Florida and two I just really love pineapples Lol.

I know it sounds cheesy but obviously I didn’t go with it. So instead that ended up being Liam’s theme. I went back and forth first I wanted a more desert theme with palms and cactus and have a taco bar set up that way I can call his theme taco bout two but I totally forgot to order all the decor for it in advance and what I had purchased months before just wasn’t enough. Good thing I had plenty of pineapples and all I needed was to work around it and make the theme my own.

Last year Liam’s theme was a vintage lemonade stand and because it had a yellow tone I just didn’t want more yellow but still wanted to have pineapples be the center. I found these gorgeous palm legacies art at my local target and boom it all just started to come together. Honestly I love how it turned out. I could of added more to it and really make it. Pop but I’ll be honest, birthday decor isn’t cheap and as much as I love planning and decorating it can get pricy.

I incorporated pineapples in as much as I could. Having frozen pineapple cubes added into the infused water with some strawberries. A adorable art piece that says “your the pineapple of my eye” love it and I acoutally bought that about a year ago from home goods and it’s come in handy.

I won’t be able to link everything but I can easily add the stores where everything was from down here for you guys. Some of it might be helpful.

Pretty much everything is from target. The large pineapple ballon I purchased months ago at target before their summer party supplies sold out during the summer.

The two palm leaves art work also from target and currently is available so if you how they look against the wall and want something like it as a party backdrop or just to hang I loved how they looked!

Same with the letter board also from target and it’s as well available for purchase. Only $14 so worth it.

My romper and tank/dress is from my local bunulu store I absolutely am obsessed and the quality is amazing.

Liam and Adriel wore matching shirts from crew cuts that I ended up snatching up on clearance from my local Nordstrom rack. Went perfectly with the palm leaf theme.

Liam’s shorts are also by crew cuts and I purchased them from Nordstrom.

Rug is from pottery barn kids from years ago.

Fiddle leaf fog tree is from ikea and it’s faux.

Basket is from home goods.

White tray table is from west elm.

If you want to know where something is from just send me a comment below.

Hope this inspires you to create something similar. Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

Xo J

NASA Kennedy space center

I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about our trip to the Kennedy space center at the end of July but as always life happens at 100 mph and every time I get a chance to sit down I get easily sidetracked and completely forget to go through my camera roll to find the photos from our trip. So yes it’s about two months almost delayed but better now then never right ?

So our trip to the Kennedy space center where tourists and visitors go to explore nasa and learn about all things space was a fun filled day. The awesome thing about living in Florida is how close everything is, this trip was about two hours away from where we live. Leaving the house early isn’t that hard we made it to the parking lot about a hour or two after it opened so it was pretty full but not that horrible of a walk to the front gate. Now I will say this that you will be doing a lot of walking but it’s nothing compared to Disney world for example so keep in mind it’s not an attraction or an amusement park.We didn’t see any rides or anything but towards the end of our trip hubby did explore some sort of space game or ride I can’t say because I didn’t go since I had the little one and a stroller and to be frank I was pooped by then. We did go on the trip with family so having a larger group will slow you down because everyone will want to see everything. Keep that in mind if you do that. If I can do 3 parks at Disney with a 3 year old in one day I could definitely do nasa in half a day no hassle but that’s mostly going through it all faster and not taking the time to read. Yes there is a lot of reading your heard me, but it’s mostly facts with tons of photos and information. Every center/ building we went into there was a short line and then a video or a clip that would explain the history, nasa and so on.

So when entering the Kennedy space center I would say take your photos then and there because you will get easily consumed with everything. It’s super fun for memories and having space shuttles as your background is pretty cool for kids and adults.

Definitely bring a stroller in your coming with little ones. Your allowed to bring in snack for them. I would also advise to bring water with you just because places like this tend to get pricy. Florida is very hot and humid and if you decide to come in the summer time you have to stay hydrated! Especially the little ones. Get that spf going, caps, sunglasses and if you have a portable stroller fan I say grab it as well. I personally won’t recommend to anyone to do this in the summer time but I understand kids have that summer break and that’s usually when families travel. I would only come here again in the spring time honestly and by spring I mean right when winter is about to be over. Your spending some time outdoors and nothing worse then being hot and miserable.

Right as you enter through the gates when getting your tickets and having your bags checked then you will see this giant NASA globe super cool to see it in person and get that selfie!

The coolest thing for any kid is this!!! I mean giant space ships that are part of a building is the coolest thing even as an adult to see. There is a map so I would say get one that way you get an idea of the area and you see first the things that interest you. This one for example was the last place we went to. First we walked into a few media buildings if you will, I wish I knew all the names of each place but I don’t so I’m sorry that this is such a bad example. I could be a great tour guide on the spot tho lol.Like I mentioned before your doing a lot of walking. And also you will be doing a lot of watching clips and videos. Some of it is interesting but if you add them all together it’s like a 2 hour history channel film. If your not interested you can skip some of it. You can’t walk out so I would ask first before standing in lines. The one thing I didn’t get to add is that they do a tour bus around nasa and you can actually see where the shuttles take off! That part is super fun. I mean boring because you don’t see anything special in the sense that it’s like 45 minutes of the bus driving through empty land.

Maybe I’m exaggerating it might be 30. Half of the ride you explore the actual area where the space ships take off. They had a launch coming up like a week after our trip and that would of been super fun to witness. The tour bus then takes you to another part of the area which is a giant building that has a lot to see. For example they have a real space ship on display hanging over you as you walk by. Now by real I do want to clarify it’s the spare parts. So when they make a model they make several of them and test them out. But it’s still the real deal! You also get a chance to grab some food and do some nasa shopping. I ended up getting a cute space shuttle pillow for Adriel and he is still obsessed with it. Some things you honestly can’t buy online so if you love it buy it.

So again I’m so bad with remembering the names of each building we walked into to but this one here where I’m pictured outside with the boys is the best one. It has all the actives that I was personally excited to see. For example they have a real space shuttle like the newest version displayed about high from the ceiling. Then you can’t to literally feel what it’s like to be inside of one as they have it all available for kids to touch and explore.Also there is a cool slide that goes from the top down and that was probably the highlight for my oldest he went at least 20x down. It’s a really big building so there is a lot inside. Including that game or ride I mentioned that my husband went on. It’ might be one of those that you get in and it shakes you so you feel the experience of a astronaut but I’m not sure I could be wrong.

Overall i think it was a great experience. If I went again I would skip a lot and focus more on the activities. For me all the videos was to much I’m normally not a fan of the screen so my eyes felt exhausted. I would say try to do the cool stuff first and then do the tour bus but honestly it’s not something you have to do. Easily can be skipped. There was a cute play area which would of been so fun for liam but we saw it right as the center closed so I was a bit bummed he didn’t get all that energy out.

As far as cost the tickets are not that cheap. I believe it’s between $40-60 per person. It’s late as I’m writing this so I could be way off but I do remember we paid about 170 or so for the 3 of us and Liam was free. We did have lunch during the tour bus ride when it dropped us off at another location so that was about $40-50 I would say it was reasonable. Food was good but don’t expect 5 stars but it was good so I can’t complain. And then on top of that a little shopping and the game or ride my hubby did with Adriel so all together for a family of 4 with a toddler probably cost about close to $300 with gas. We also did stop on the way back home to eat dinner so that isn’t included.

So my final thoughts as always I say you can easily do this on a tight budget and make it fun. You can also spend a lot if that’s just something you feel like doing knowing that this is maybe your one and only time going. I do think it’s a good place to take kids too. I would prepare them that it’s not universal or Disney so they know what to expect.

I would give this place a one more go and this time really narrow it down to the fun bits and avoid the museum part of it. But if I never went again I do think it was a great experience.

If you have questions about anything leave a comment. Also if you don’t follow me on Instagram my handle is everythingjewels and I always post our trips on stories so that’s when you can see things first before a blog post comes out and in this case two months later.. I know I know. But I’m a mom and this summer was just crazy for us.

Hope you found this helpful! Once I get more photos I’ll update the blog and add them!

My little astronaut! Adriel loves space so this was a super cool trip for him. And the kid inside me also enjoyed it!

Xo j

Review of the NET stroller by Inglesina

I’ve been using the Net stroller for a few months now and it’s safe to say now that I can give an honest opinion. I love this brand and did you know it’s been around since 1963? And it’s not just a brand for strollers they offer other quality baby goods too! One of the reasons why I choose to purchase the Net stroller because I wanted a easy umbrella style stroller that wouldn’t break the bank but also was functional and made of excellent quality. I would have to say the Net stroller is definitely functional and definitely quality. I love how smooth it is to push it and folding is a breeze. Another cool little feature is that the stroller can stand when folded which is neat when you don’t want to get it dirty.Initially when I purchased the stroller I was not impressed with the cup holder with how easy it can turn over while testing it out. I have to say now that after using it I haven’t had any issues and no drinks spilled so that’s a awesome thing to have on a umbrella style stroller that normally they don’t have. The seat can recline back just enough for liam to be comfortably napping without his head falling forward. It doesn’t lay flat but gives enough room back which also is great.The storage on the bottom of the stroller is fair. Again roomy for this type of a stroller. It’s another little perk that’s great to have without needing to compromise. The stroller is pretty tall. I’m 5’2 almost and it’s very comfortable for me but also is very comfortable to use for my husband who is 6’3 without him needing to bend down to push it. The stroller is so lightweight, even with Liam being in it I don’t feel the strain to push it. I purchased it as a backup for trips but I’ve been using it a lot and I’m so glad I purchased it. Also the insert in the stroller is washable and the fabric is breathable with is great for our Floridian climate. If I was to pick one thing that I might dislike would be the buckle. There are two parts that connect and then buckle up. Honestly now that I’ve got the hang of it it’s not that bad but it would of been easier if it was just one piece connected and then buckled in. Otherwise I have to say it’s a fantastic stroller. If you want quality you will get it with the NET stroller. When I was shopping around for a umbrella stroller one thing I noticed is that it’s either the cheap $30 ones that don’t have anything included not even a sunshade, or they are in the 60-90 price point but not from a amazing brand. If your curious and need a new stroller or one as a backup check this Net stroller out at your local target or online which is how I purchased mine and if you have a target card save 5% !Hope you enjoyed my review and stay tuned for lots of post including this stroller! Xo Jules! PSHere is a link to the brand for all their amazing strollers! https://www.inglesina.us/

MSP

Reminiscing about Liam’s first trip to MSP and also his first time seeing snow! Minnesota was definitely a fun state to visit with my little love and also was extremely memorable to spend some time with my amazing friend who welcomed me into her home with open arms and for being the most amazing hostess. It’s crazy to think that this was just a few months back seeing snow and now we are in Florida in the dead heat or should I say humidity. Summer time sometimes makes me wish we had more cold but I do love living in a state where the beach is a 15 minute drive.Throwing it back to our little trip it was so much fun to explore Minneapolis and and indulge in delicious French food while sipping on a vanilla lavender latte. Seeing the mall of America and exploring the beautiful zoo with the most amazing architecture. I also loved traveling with the NET stroller by Inglesina. Stay tuned for my next post all about it! In the meantime if your curious about any of the outfit details or locations feel free to leave a comment. Thanks so much for checking out my delayed post!Xo Jules

Airport MUST haves with a toddler!

Traveling with toddlers is no joke, it’s not the hardest thing in the world but if your flying as a solo parent then it can be a bit chaotic. First off you have all the extra “crap” excuse my French that has to come along. Going from maybe one suitcase and a carry on all of a sudden you have two suitcases, two carry one, a stroller, and a very curious little human who thinks the airport is a giant playground to explore.

So what did I bring on the plane with me? Here is my list.

• Baby boys backpack that included:

• 1 extra outfit, a pair of leggings and a bodysuit

• 5 extra diapers and wipes

• One sippy cup but empty to only fill with water when needed

• 2 bottles with almond milk

• 1 snack container with organic cheddar bunnies crackers

• 1 peter rabbit sauce packet

• hand sanitizer

• chapstick

• cashmere bebé hat Incase liam would get cold on the plane.

I also had a large carry on bag with me on the way to Minnesota which on the way back I ended up stuffing into one of my suitcases and just bringing my LV neverful on the plane instead because it was to bulky and heavy on the flight there. In that spare bag I had room for Liam’s iPad, and my things.

I decided not to bring on board to many of Liam’s toys or books which I did have 2 little kids books that they hand out in the kids meal at Chick-fil-A , who knows what I’m talking about? I figured if they got lost I wouldn’t be so upset. Liam ended up playing on the iPad, and then just exploring the plane he didn’t last to long sitting still looking at books because he was way to excited to see everything around him. Since there is no free WiFi on the plane and southwest charges $8 bucks per flight. Now I did have a layover both times so if I did purchased it that’s $16 bucks for one trip and another $16 back. That comes to $32 just on WiFi!

That is insane and not something I wanted to spend on.

One thing I’m glad I downloaded on the iPad was the KidloLand app, what is KidloLand you may ask? Well it’s a popular toddler app for kids under 5 to learn ABCs, animals, fruits, vegetables, shapes, seasons, occupations, weather and more with the help of 1000+ interactive nursery rhymes, songs, stories and educational activities.

I downloaded few of the games, stories, rhymes before the plane took off so that Liam could use the iPad with no need for internet connection. It’s an amazing app after using it for a few weeks now I must say it might just be one of the best and only apps needed to teach your toddler all the basic skills plus lots of activities to make it fun. Check out this app in your IOS store or android device. Or on the computer. I even have it on my phone as a back up if I need a little distraction.

440+ mom bloggers have recommended KidloLand. Check out their stories here: http://www.kidloland.com/reviews.php

KidloLand has also won the Mom’s Choice Gold Award.

www.kidloland.com

More posts to come about our little trip! Stay tuned!

Xo J

Exploring San Marco

One of the things I love to do is explore, whether it’s the city I live in or a town 3 hours out. I feel like new experiences are what makes me excited when it comes to daily life. I’m a routine kind of person. I like to have a schedule. I plan trips out to the T! I mean when my husband likes to tell me of plans he knows weeks out a day ahead I mentally cant handle it. So when it comes to getting out of the house I always will plan the day out. On occasion I’ll be spontaneous but we all know us moms kind of have to a plan or else it’s a total fail.

Liam is such a good toddler at least now, I feel like the older he is getting the more curious he becomes so it’s super exiting to get out of the house and have him see places for the first, 3rd or tenth time.

Living in Florida especially northern part I feel like there isn’t much to do. A lot of things are on repeat. But we have favorite places besides the beach that we love to explore and one of them is a little area of San Marco. With all the restaurants, historic homes and coffee shops it’s such a fun place to hang out for a few hours. Even tho it’s less then 20 min drive I tend to hate passing downtown just to get there. I’m a city girl for sure, I just don’t like driving through them haha.

These photos are from a few weeks back I never got to share.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I know I’ve been slacking. If it’s not one thing it’s another and life is not slowing down. Promise I’ll always make an effort to post!

Xo J

Pasito a pasito Barcelona

One of the amazing things about social media and having an outlet on instagram is having to find and also be able to collaborate with some amazing brands. One brand in particular that I’m so grateful for is Pasito a Pasito.

This beautiful Spanish brand is based on Barcelona, Spain and makes beautiful baby luggage and accessories.

I’m so thankful to them for sending and spoiling liam with some of their products and to be honest with you guys I’m in love. This wasn’t asked of them I just wanted to write a blog post and rave about the items that I was lucky enough to receive.

I own the Ines maternity suitcase and matching lunch bag in the beige/cream color. It’s a beautiful suitcase that can be used for travels, hospital stays or even as an extra carry on for long days out of the house. The matching lunch bag is probably the most used item. It’s made of such good quality and is so handy especially with taking Liam’s bottles and snacks or if the house. I used to bring everything in my neverful GM and it became just to much and way to heavy to tug around. I usually hang it on the handle of my stroller or have it in my storage bag attached to my stokke xplory stroller to keep Liam’s milk/yogurt or other snacks in a cooler area away from the Florida sunshine. I love that it’s insulated so that his food doesn’t get spoiled to fast either and especially for long travels this is so essential.

He also loves the little beige bear pacifier clip with the paci attached. Liam stopped taking a pacifier a few months ago especially when he was teething so now chewing on it is what he likes to use it for but once in a while he will take it and my heart melts because it’s truly way to adorable. The stuffed teddy bear is also a precious little toy and matches perfectly with the pacifier clip.

I simply adore this brand and feel extremely thankful that they chose to mail liam these goodies.

Here is a link to their webpage. They have amazing goodies from diaper bags to stroller accessories and much more.

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/index.asp?Idioma=EN&opc=2

Here is the link to the beige Ines lunch bag

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/detProducto.asp?Idioma=EN&IDP=161

Here is the link to the beige Ines suitcase

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/detProducto.asp?Idioma=EN&IDP=152

Link to Birth book (not pictured)

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/detProducto.asp?Idioma=EN&IDP=170

Here is the link to the teddy bear pacifier/clip

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/detProducto.asp?Idioma=EN&IDP=5

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/index.asp?opc=19&Idioma=EN

Here is the link to the stuffed bear/toys

http://www.pasitoapasito.es/index.asp?opc=19&Idioma=EN

If your looking to purchase in the US I recommend going through luli.bebe to get the items but defiantly check the Pasito website for all the cute stuff they have and also to see where the nearest boutique that sells in your country.

https://www.lulibebe.com/

Liam’s cashmere hat/ pramsuit & blanket is linked in my last post.

Stroller is by stokke.

Thanks so much for checking out my post, see you soon !

Xo, J

Bébé and cashmere

There is something so sweet about a little bebé or toddler dressed in cashmere and fur. I’ve always loved neutral tones on on babies even for myself and trying to step away from to much color. Especially when it comes to the little ones closet I personally think the more neutral outfits the easier they are to style and to mix it up so the outfits are not on a constant repeat.

I fell in love with this beautiful cashmere pram suit by the brand mini muse. Before the brand even posted anything on their instagram (which I remember stumbling across their page and likening the first 3 photos). The beautiful @allthingsvictoria sent me a few shots of the items before they had posted on the site and guys I was dreaming! Then came Christmas time and the brand was doing an amazing discount on their whole site but for some reason I just couldn’t bite the bullet just because Liam already had some new pieces and I was trying to be good during the crazy holiday shopping. Fast forward to now the brand does a sweet collab with Victoria and they offer another promotion code. So as crazy as I can be I kept asking Victoria and bugging her to see if I should get this cute set and with her “blessing” lol I went for it.

This little back story is just to show how I’m definitely not a spontaneous shopper. I like to think and think for ages before I take the plunge and when it comes to things that are not cheap I think it’s important. I believe the promotion is still happening for all the items in this shop and personally this pram suit is worth every penny. It’s thick, soft and so beautiful. Our weather is in the 80s right now so I’m hoping for the cold days we get in March that liam will wear it. It’s pretty big or generous in size and I’m really hoping it fits him next winter as well, I mean he fit into the 12 months mebi pram suit so I think the investment was worth it and hopefully if there is ever another little bundle of joy it will get passed down.

Here is the link to the beige cashmere pram suit!

https://minimuse.fr/fr/boutique/pilote-desire/

Here is the link to the beige cashmere pom blanket!

https://minimuse.fr/fr/boutique/couverture-lou-beige/

Here is the link to Liam’s cashmere baby hat in the color cream!

http://miloves.tictail.com/product/beautiful-single-pompom-baby-hat-0-12-months

Here is the link to Liam’s cashmere teddy!

https://www.oscaretvalentine.com/en/teddy-bears-cashmere/87-teddy-bears-oscar-cashmere-teddy-bear.html#/40-accessories-tu/7-colors-beige

Also check out these brands on IG! This isn’t sponsored by any means I just love beautiful cashmere bebé pieces and on occasion I’ll get questions where something is from. This is why I created this blog in the first place so that we can all share amazing products and make life just a little be easier.

If you do purchase from mini muse use these codes below to receive a discount!

20% off use code Victoria off 200€ or more

15% off use code Victoria15 off the whole site

Ends last day of February so order before to get some good deals!

Oscar et valentine is another beautiful French cashmere brand I love and is doing a 50% off so check them out on some of their summer pieces.

mi_loves_ always has amazing cashmere hats definitely recommend checking this British brand out!

Thanks for checking out my blog post, come back again.

Xo,

J