What a winter….The holiday were so hectic.  Here is it March already! Just came back from Disney – first trip with the kids. It is an exciting vacation but you need a vacation after your Disney vacation – lots of running around. I did read the unofficial guide to Disney before I left and boy did it stress me out!  It was a bit overwhelming, so much that I was referring to my map every two seconds to make sure I did not miss a thing! (it was driving my husband crazy) Anyway… if I had time to write a book about Disney I would but here are the most important things I learned as a first time visitor.

• I would advise to stay in the park if you have small kids. One stop on the monorail and we were at Magic Kingdom
• Like a victorian mansion The Grand Floridian Resort was just magical. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa We loved the evening movie, campfire and smores for the kids!
• Everyone needs a dip in the pool in the afternoon no matter what the temperature. It was only 59 degrees during the afternoon but luckily our pool was heated. It was very refreshing and a great way to decompress.
• Each child is different and may react differently to the various, dark rides) Both my kids are daredevils. However, my 5 year old will go on any ride (tower of terror 2X), my 8 year old daredevil needs more specifics: what type of ride, how long, etc.
• No matter how hard you try to follow a tour plan you cannot with little kids and oh yeah:  kids and hubby despise tour plans. These tour plans that are listed out in the unofficial guide are very specific and require lots of back and forth which require a great deal of strategy – I was trying to be very strategic but my kids and hubby did not want to be! My husband did not like to run back and forth to obtain the fast pass – so we would walk through the park and go from site to site.
• You need a recover day (or days!) The kids looked dazed going back to school and were exhausted after school the first few days back

There is so much to see at Disney and so many parks to choose from – it definitely requires a trip back for us!

I have always admired those mom bracelets and thought they make a nice gift for the new mom (or for the upcoming holiday..hint, hint to all you dads out there) Who knew there were also mother’s necklaces and family jewelry – from the family necklace to a child’s bracelet? Bella Beads of Andover is certainly the expert to turn to for fabulous, custom and unique pieces that any mom (grandma or aunt) would love.

The mother’s necklaces have sterling discs which can be stamped with your child’s name and/or date of birth. The discs come in three sizes and also available in 14K gold fill. Sterling ball chains available in any standard or custom length!

They have several style mother’s bracelets to choose from. I personally love the traditional mother’s bracelet with sterling silver block letters and Swarovski crystal (pick the color of your child’s birthstone). But you can have it made anyway you like  – initials of your children or even adding up to five strands.

Mother’s necklaces retail about $25 per disc and the mother’s bracelets varies in price depending on style. The retail location is at The Olde Andover Village at 89 Main Street in Andover. You can order in person or over the phone and tell them exactly what you are looking for and they will make it! Or if you are feeling really creative sign up for one of their classes or gather some friends for a girls night out to create a bracelet, necklace, wine charm or wine bottle stopper! Check it out at  http://www.bellabeadsandover.com

Remember the Sigg fiasco? That is why I am so glad I ordered the klean kanteens. I also ordered a few other items for back to school lunches that I thought were pretty cool and they are holding up quite well. There is this web site call the soft landing that has some great products that are all free of BPA, PVC and phthalates. Check out http://www.thesoftlanding.com

Here is a sample of what I ordered and I love all of them!

The Kids Konserve 8oz Round Food Container is the perfect size for packing any kind of food item but I really wanted it for small salads. The stainless steel container keeps food somewhat cold which is nice.

The Laptop Lunches Bento Buddies 2.0 can be used on their own directly inside a lunchbox or inside this special Bento 2.0 outer container. I bought them on their own specifically to use for fruits and veggies for the kids lunches. They are small but work really well.

I was looking for some small glass bowls for the kids to use at home and their Kidishes are made from tempered glass. The tempered glass is stronger than standard glass and doesn’t break into sharp shards when it does fall. The web site sayss they are 100% recyclable, can go in the dishwasher, and microwave-friendly — so no more heating up your child’s food in a ceramic dish, only to transfer it to a plastic one. Makes sense to me!

I have to admit I did not wear jeans for several years as I just found them to be too uncomfortable. That is why I love this new legging trend! But ladies you do need to wear a long shirt or sweater over your leggings for the look to work. (if you are of a certain age……)

But now I do wear jeans but have yet to find a really comfortable pair. Oprah swears by these jeans – CJ by Cookie Johnson – saying they are like wearing sweatpants but I find that hard to believe. I will have to try on a pair for myself to see about the fit. They are a bit pricy but hey if they are comfortable I will pay the price!

20091015-tows-cookie-johnson-jeans

Even better are these new yoga pants from Althleta – the Bettona Pant – how cute are these? They look comfortable but I have to see how they look put together with an outfit! I think I used to have a pair of these in the 80’s!  

product.do?cid=46797&vid=1&pid=684427&tid=atemjw0910gc&EV=10272009_N_GAT1&DI=13836024

Why is it so hard to find shoes for my girls? I really like to get them leather shoes/sneakers for back to school. They each have one pair of gym sneakers (laced), one pair of casual sneakers (velcro), ballet flats and now am on the search for black mary janes that are comfortable to wear but more like a casual sneaker. Most of them are not leather. I want them to be comfortable and not have sweaty feet. I just have not found the ideal pair yet. Especially this season with all their clothes they chose for back to school are black I would love them to have a simple black pair. If anyone has ideas and/or suggestion I would love to hear them! I am now on zappos.com and there are a ton of kids shoes to choose from, so wish me luck!

We all know how fun shopping can be! Recently I was in Newburyport, Mass – a lovely little coastal community where they had their Yankee Homecoming. There were old-fashioned sidewalk sales with great buys. But even if they don’t have a sidewalk sale going on the shops are very quaint. If you can’t make it there don’t worry – a couple of my favorites have online shopping!

My favorite was Pink Hears Blue Soles. They have great shoes and accessories for little ones including a huge selection of Lelli Kelly footwear and accessories. The shop owner was a great salesperson and I of course walked away with t-shirts, rainjackets, boots and a pencil kit holder for the girls! http://www.pinkheartsbluesoles.com

My next favorite is Box and Bow. They have everything from bags, bridal items, baby items and a great selection of jewelry! http://www.boxandbowgifts.com

My last stop was Ballotin Chocolates. They have THE BEST CHOCOLATES! What else can I say? Check them out

http://www.ballotinchocolates.com

Cupcakes are in….Ok so I am not a baker….and have always bought my kids birthday cakes. The first time they realized you could bake a cake was in the grocery store and we were in the baking isle and saw a cake mix and said what’s that? I know..bad mom..but I cannot do it all.

So I made red velvet cupcakes from a mix I picked up – it was so easy and delicious. Then I was on the search for a “start from scratch” recipe and here is what I found.
YUMMY!

Sunshine is finally here in New England. We have been heading out to area beaches and rating them but after all the packing and unpacking I’ve found that there really are only a few essentials you need for a day at the beach. (Boogie boards are the only essential my kids need or so they say!)

Beach Cart – Yes! – After searching last year for one of these I finally bought one – the Nantucket Beach Buggy. At first my husband was like, you have got to be kidding me, but after just two uses he was hooked and said it was the best investment I ever made. You can find them online or at specialty stores.  Or check out similar ones at http://www.beachandswim.com/beachcarts.aspx

Water Bottle  - Yes! – I bought another stainless steel water bottle the other day and boy was I disappointed – as it had a small opening and I was not thinking at the store when I saw the great colors that you cannot fit ice cubes in it. Plus the color was coming off but I won’t mention any names….So I am back to my original love of the Klean Kanteen! http://www.kleankanteen.com.  I noticed they have new colors at LL Bean – perfect for back to school! http://www.llbean.com

Sun Screen – Yes! – The girls sometimes complain it’s cold but after two seconds the sunscreen is on and no rubbing so that is why I love the no rub spray in a jiffy sunscreens.  You do run out faster so beware.  With sensitive skin I have to use the Aveeno line – BABY CONTINUOUS PROTECTION^® Sunblock Lotion with SPF 55 is so great and gentle. Also love the CONTINUOUS PROTECTION^® ACTIVE
Sunblock Spray with SPF 70.

Beach Bags – Yes!  - I really like the zip up tote bags. New this summer is the LLBean Regimental Stripe Boat and Tote® Bag http://www.llbean.com

Lands End has the Small, medium, large and extra large Zip Top Colored Canvas Tote Bags in some new colors this season – love the Bright Pistachio/Bright Clover http://www.landsend.com

I’m not the best at braids, ponytails or pigtails but I can slip in a clip into my girls’ hair! Instead of those boring store bought hair clips that tend to fall apart after one use here is a solution. This line of eye-catching and sparkling hair accessories by Los Angeles based Lucy Hammel is just stunning.  Each headband, clip and bow is made by hand with a touch of sparkle from the Swarovski crystals she uses.  Unlike any other bows or clips I have seen, each is unique and beautiful and will make a great special occasion gift! Check out the display:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7596001&ga_search_query=lucy&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

Now that manicure and pedicure season is in full swing in the Northeast I have been investigating some brands of more natural nail polish.  A friend told me about Dr. Remedy http://www.remedynails.com

Dr. Remedy nail polish says it’s enhanced with naturally occurring anti-fungal ingredients and vitamins to promote healthier nails. It has no toxins like DBP, toluene or formaldehyde.

I just bought a bottle and will try it in a few days so I will let you know how it works.

I also checked the Sally Hansen web site which says they do not use toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and formaldehyde in their nail colors.  I like how this line has the new insta-dry fast dry nail color.  Just bought a few bottles of some very funky colors but after one day it has started to chip. It did dry pretty quickly.   http://www.sallyhansen.com/

OPI is another good brand I use and they have great colors (and cute names too)

From its web site they say, “Since 2006, OPI has reformulated its entire line of Nail Lacquers, Nail Treatments, and Nail Hardeners to eliminate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and Toluene.  Formaldehyde has never been an ingredient in OPI Nail Lacquers or Nail Treatments.

http://www.opi.com