53 Weeks

Name: Kelsey Van Kirk Children & Ages: Julianna (5) Sophia (4) Chloe (2) Isabel (1) Hometown/Current Location: Charlotte, NC Quick Bio: Hey there, I’m Kelsey – wife, mama to four princesses, founder of TheHomeLovingWife.com and inspirational life coach for women. I am super passionate about inspiring and empowering women to create and live grace-filled lives of balance, beauty, simplicity and success. I believe that snuggling, chocolate and wine are good for your health, laughter is the best medicine for the soul and in the...

On our recent trip to SoCal (we live in NorCal), the main focus of our trip was Anaheim aka Disneyland! There’s may ways to enjoy Orange County and while a trip to the Disneyland Resort and theme parks can easily fill more than a few days, there is more to do and see in the area. A couple of my good girlfriends live in the area and since we were there… we visited with them, and they also provided the ideas on a couple of family-friendly fun spots the kids were sure to enjoy. First up the Irvine Spectrum Center. Located...

My family is fresh off its first trip to Disneyland and there are so many thing I want to share about our experience, namely a few “insider” tips that I wanted to share. I say “insider,” because I learned the value of these tips after being on the inside. If you’re reading this post as you plan to take your kiddos for the first time, chances are you’re probably trying to sort out and absorb the overwhelming amount of info out can find about planning a trip to Disneyland. I did my fair share of pre-planning...

Name: Sarah Harmsen Child & Age: Evelyn (20 months old) Hometown/Current Location: Madison, WI Quick Bio: I’m Sarah, a lifestyle blogger living in southern Wisconsin. My heart is happiest when I feel at home. I’m a mother, a wife, a planner and creator. I love turning spaces into places of comfort and elevating everyday experiences into something special. I graduated with a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and made a career out of planning events. After having my beautiful daughter Evelyn Louise, I quickly realized...

I don’t know who’s more excited, me or them!?!? My boys will get their first trip to Disneyland this week and I can’t hardly wait. I’ve done a lot of thinking, talking and (crash) planning to try and plan, prepare and execute a successful trip…and now the bags are getting packed and I think we’re just about ready to go! As this trip approaches, I really want to attempt to be laid back and flexible in this very first Disneyland family outing. Growing up in California, Disneyland was one of the trips...

We did a Sunday Funday outing to “Discover the Dinosaurs.” It’s a traveling exhibit and we had the opportunity to catch it during its 2016 San Jose stop. My boys aren’t super into the prehistoric animals, but besides the actual dinos on display, there were also activities to engage the kids, so we checked it out. We went first thing in the morning when they opened and on the way to the convention center we did our best to get the boys excited about seeing the dinosaurs. It was great when we walked in and they...

Name: Jessica Glaze Children & Ages: Carter (4) & Monroe (2) Hometown/Current Location: I grew up in Chicago but I call San Diego home. I moved to San Diego when I was 18 and lived there until our recent move to Toronto. Quick Bio: I am a mom and a wife, and that is exactly what I want to be doing with my life right now. When I graduated high school, I moved to California for college. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. After that, I completed a Master’s Degree...

One of the great things about living in (Northern) California is having all kinds of “nature” at your doorstep. You can head to the coast for some beach time, or hit the hills and trails for a hike….there’s also the Sierra Nevada’s which provide for some awesome SNOW PLAY!! Personally, I’m not much of a cold weather person. I’ve been fortunate to grow up and live in places where it really doesn’t ever snow, so that has worked out well for me. I have gone skiing and tried my hand at snowboarding,...

When you’re a parent, the topic of “is your kid a ‘good’ sleeper” tends to come up. Well, in my case, I’d say yes, my kids are good sleepers…but they aren’t perfect sleepers. And, as they grow and try to exercise their voice and push limits when it comes to napping and bedtime, whether or not they are a ‘good’ sleeper isn’t so much the problem, as is how can you get them to sleep peacefully with minimal stress. It’s an ongoing struggle, and I’ve written about...

Name: Nicole Rodrigues Child & Age: 1 Daughter, age 14 Hometown/Current Location: Beverly Hills, CA Quick Bio: I’m the CEO and founder of NRPR Group, the premier public relations and strategic positioning agency in Beverly Hills, California. More importantly, I’m the mother of a beautiful teenage daughter. I’ve been working in PR for more than 15 years, starting my first job straight out of San Jose State University. I always knew I wanted to start my own firm, so I spent those years mastering every level of PR so I would be...