Tag Archives: mother

Pickles and Ice Cream Cookbook

Cover

Pickles and Ice Cream is a cookbook featuring bizarre pregnancy cravings. It contains random recipes like “Oreos and Toothpaste” or “Tomato Soup with M&Ms.” The finished food creations were then  photographed like gourmet meals and feature short stories about the women who craved them. Hungry much?

TOOTHPASTE OREOS®

Now, I never had any crazy cravings during either of my two pregnancies, but I certainly know some women who have…. So I love that this book takes a look at some of the most bizarre and brings them to life. The book is beautifully done with vibrant photos and honest, funny reviews on the various “dishes.” And — no, I’m not pregnant, but there must be something in the water because, I’ve recently had more than a handful of finds announce their pregnancies! At any rate, it’s a fun cookbook that would be the perfect addition to a home that’s expecting…or can relate.

BACON MARS BAR® BURGER

Written by award-winning copywriter Vicky Jacob-Ebbinghaus and RPA art director Juarez Rodrigues, the strangely unique book contains a collection of 70 of the most outlandish things moms-to-be have craved during their pregnancy. During their research, they looked at around 50,000 pregnancy cravings from all over the world. They then created a list of the best, worst and most random pregnancy cravings and began shopping for the recipes, which proved challenging, such as when they needed to get cement from a condemned building or a pickled pig’s foot or lamb’s eyes. Press play below to check out some brave souls who dared to take a taste!!

ENTER TO WIN!! I’m giving away 2 copies of this bizarre pregnancy cravings cookbook!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PopSugar Mom Travel Tips

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I recently had an opportunity to collaborate with PopSugar and provide a Mom voice for a travel video they produce in a partnership with Embassy Suites by Hilton.

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It was pretty exciting to be part of this project because PopSugar has a huge following and also because the produce some pretty cool, easy to digest videos with great info and tips! For this particular video I provide the first pro tip for traveling with kids with Busy Boxes. These are perfect for road trips because kids can put them on their laps and be super creative, whether practicing numbers and letters, using it as a race track or even a blank canvas to draw pictures!

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Later this month they’ll also be putting out additional tips by myself and the other Moms as single tip videos, but in the meantime if you can watch the first one below…

Haute Mom: Sarah Brown

13220655_10205938171429565_7403408528438611913_oName: Sarah Brown
Children & Ages: Taylor (13) & Emma, Noah and Judah (2)
Hometown/Current Location: San Jose, CA
Quick Bio: I’m a Believer, Wife, Mother and Business Owner. I married, Lawrence, my 2nd grade crush, 9 years ago. Lawrence has a daughter, Taylor, and at the time we started dating she was 3yrs old and was just diagnosed with Leukemia. Fast forward 10 years and she is now a happy and healthy teenager. Lawrence and I struggled with infertility for almost 7 years. We were blessed with awesome health insurance, which allowed us to move forward with IVF. After 3 tries and 3 miscarriages, we were blessed with triplets. I’m so thankful to be able to stay at home and raise them and even though I love them to life and would do anything to be home with them, I was struggling to find purpose and needed to do something for myself. That is when I opened my Etsy shop, where I make custom shirts from baby onesies to family reunion shirts. I was then introduced with the opportunity to be an Independant Consultant for Rodan+Fields. I tried the products and was amazed at my ‘before and afters’ that I knew I had to share with others. Running these businesses will help my family financially and it means I get to be home with my miracles.  

Here are the links to my Etsy shop and Rodan+Fields Skincare…
Faithhopeblessings.etsy.com
blessed4life.myrandf.com

Q: What is your “go to” snack/toy/show/trick when your kids start to fuss?
A: They love to hear me sing songs! They like, “Itsy, Bitsy Spider” and “Jesus Loves Me.”  Once they hear me start to sing, they slowly start to calm down.

Q: How do you balance being a Mommy and keeping your sense of self?
A: Definitely running two businesses helps light a fire in me and not feel like, “just a Mom.” I also make time to meet up with my girlfriends here and there to have a girl’s night out, which is extremely important to me.

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Q: What is your favorite piece of advice to new Moms?
A: I’m sure this has been said many times, but truly be in and appreciate EVERY moment with your child. The days go by way too fast.  Take time to pray for your children and have patience with them, as they are constantly doing and learning new things.  They will test you, but remember, each phase will pass.  

Q: How do you incorporate fitness into your daily routine?
A: Every morning after breakfast, I take the kids out for a walk. We walk around the neighborhood, the mall, the park…I try to go to different places, so no one gets bored. It also helps break up the day so we aren’t stuck inside all day.

Q: Share something you have learned about yourself since you became a Mom.
A: I’ve learned not judge another person’s style of parenting. I used to see people with kids on “leashes” and think to myself…I would never do that! WRONG! I have bought those backpacks with “leashes” and having triplets, it’s a necessity. Can you imagine 3 kids going in all different directions?!?! YIKES! Each parent does for their children what they feel is right and I can appreciate that.

Haute Mom: Lexy

image5Name: Lexy
Children & Ages: Kaysen (2.5 yrs) & Brixton (12 weeks)
Hometown/Current Location: Idaho
Quick Bio: I am Lexy. A wife. Mother. and Blogger.I love that I have the opportunity to stay at home with my boys and watch them grow. All I have ever wanted to do my entire life is to me a mother and I was finally given that blessing 2 years ago when we witnessed our first beautiful son come into this world and just so recently with our second! I love everything that has to do with being a mom, even the messy stuff. That’s what life is about, finding the happiness in all things and that is what we blog is about!

Blog: www.goofsngiggles.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goofsngiggles/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goofsngiggles/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/goofsngiggles/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/goofsngiggles/

Q: What is your favorite piece of advice to new Moms?
A: Being a mom is HARD work. Doesn’t matter what anyone else says that is just a fact. When you feel like you have accomplished so many things in a day but you don’t feel like anyone recognizes your hard work just know that you are amazing! I used to have a really difficult time when my efforts weren’t being recognized but in my blog post The Fragile Worth of a Mother,” I figured out the secret. We have to find our worth within ourselves, that is nobody’s responsibility but our own. It is so amazing to be able to sit down after a long day of cleaning the entire house, and taking care of a sick child and know that you are worth it!

Q: How would you describe your parenting style?
A: I would say that my parenting style is pretty relaxed. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for my son to obey my every wish and command. That isn’t the way a 2 year old’s mind works though. When I can see that my son is truly upset or sad I get down to his level and ask him why he is feeling that way. For me this allows him to see that I understand that he is sad and that I am there to help him.

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Q: What’s your most memorable Mommy moment to date?
A: The most memorable moment of mom life would definitely be the day that I had Kaysen. That day will go down as history as one of the most beautiful and special days of my whole life. Kaysen is the one who gave me the gift of becoming a mother. I remember the emotions pouring through me as the doctor handed me my son for the first time. What a miracle it was to watch that boy take his first breath as he looked right at me, I knew that he knew I was his mommy.

Q: Share something you have learned about yourself since you became a Mom.
A: I have learned more and more how NOT perfect I am. I never could have imagined how difficult it was to be a mom. The responsibilities that come along with being a parent are scary and endless. You are responsible for a living, breathing, human being. When I mess up (which is about 15 times a day), I just have to tell my self that “It’s ok, you’re not perfect, try harder.” Who wants a perfect mom anyways?? That would be no fun!

Haute Mom: Nicole McGregor

nicoleName: Nicole McGregor
Children & Ages: Hudson – 5, Savannah – 9
Hometown/Current Location: San Clemente, CA/Scottsdale, AZ

Quick Bio: After studying Communications and Journalism at Loyola Marymount University and Stanford, Nicole embarked on a career in Television News as a Reporter/Anchor for Markets in Washington, California and Arizona. She hung up her microphone after her struggle with fertility finally produced a second child. Being a working “Mom Journalist” for 4 years, taught her that the best and most important story to tell was inside her own home. Nicole quickly settled into her role as Household CEO but soon missed writing. That’s when she started a blog about projects, parties and parenting called One Picky Chick. It humorously and thoughtfully chronicles her life and mission to do it all as best she can during this one chance she’s been given.

You can find Nicole at One Picky Chick or on Facebook and Twitter

Q:What is your favorite piece of advice to new Moms?
A: My favorite piece of advice/warning to give new Moms is: Be selfless but don’t lose yourself. Before I had kids I tried very hard to get most of my selfish-ness out of my system. I think that’s important because you need to be sure you’re ready for kids. No regrets for not fulfilling your dream because now it’s more about theirs! And those kids are like parasites – they suck everything from you! At the same time – and this is a fine balancing act – you have to remember to carve out a little time for you (and your spouse). Because in the end if you’re not happy – they won’t be either!

Q: How do you balance being a Mommy and keeping your sense of self?
A: I still do the things I love to do.  Even when my children were very young. It was few and far between but I took opportunities to shop, decorate, drink wine, go out with my friends and husband, it’s why I started One Picky Chick. I wanted to maintain myself almost as much as my kids. Your children will only benefit in the long run.

Q: How do you incorporate fitness into your daily routine?
A: This is so easy for new moms to do.  Grab a stroller and roll. Nobody gives walking the credit it deserves. I lost ALL MY BABY WEIGHT from walking in months! Walk 5 times a week for an hour, with your baby, once they’re 3-4 weeks old and you’ll be able to do it with them until they’re 5! Don’t wait until they’re over 1 year… they’ll never stay put. And the best part, it’s FREE!

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Q: What’s your most memorable Mommy moment to date? 
A: It’s not a good one so brace yourself.  One day, after being sick and tired my daughter looked at me and said, “I’m just so sad from the inside, out…” Shocked I replied, “do you feel like that often?” To which she said, “sometimes in school I feel like crying for no reason.” It was at that moment I realized the popular prescribed med she was taking was making her depressed and changing her personality. I had been struggling with understanding her mood shift prior to that and it finally clicked. It was such a horribly deflating Mom moment because I felt as if I had let her down. I was supposed to guard and protect her yet I had unknowingly let something come in and steal a big piece of her away – all as I was watching it happen. It made me realize that you need to really be present 24/7. Now, I’m a Stay-at-home-Mom so I don’t mean just physically. I mean you have to constantly be in their faces, analyzing, testing, loving, guiding and supporting. Otherwise, something will get past you and I promise, you don’t want to take that chance. Of course I wrote about the experience on my blog HERE.

Toddlers x Weddings

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A toddler can add that little something extra to just about any event. Perhaps it’s the instant enthusiasm, never ending energy or just that wide-eyed innocence and the unassuming personality, but whatever it is, when there’s a toddler around, nothing is certain.

One event toddlers aren’t always welcome at is a wedding, many times these are “adult only” events, which is totally fine by me. However, my boys have had the opportunity to attend and be a part of two weddings already in their toddlerhood! Last year one of my sisters got married, and just last month, my brother also took the plunge. And — since we are family and my boys are the only nephews…they got to be ring bearers for each occasion.

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All that being said, my littles did great for both events, but I’m not gonna lie, it was slightly stressful for me to manage two super-active ring bearers. Some of the worries I had were, would they cooperate and wear the fancy clothes? Could they follow instructions and carry a pillow down the aisle? Are they going to smile for pictures? How will they fare during the ceremony?

I think everyone understands – or at least they should, that they are kids who can still count their number of years in this world on one hand, so imperfect behavior is acceptable. However, since I’ve now experienced 2 weddings with my 2 ring bearers, I figured I’d offer my tips on how to make the pairing of toddlers and weddings a little easier for the Moms (and Dads) in charge!

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Wait to change them. We didn’t stay at the hotel where the wedding was taking place, but I knew better than to put them in their “fancy” clothes before we got to the venue. Kids will be kids, and in my case, boys will be boys. I held off as long as I could before putting them in their monkey suits.

Plan their attire. In our case(s), the brides pretty much gave me some input on what they wanted the boys to wear, but they left it to me to make the ultimate decision. In our more recent wedding, it was a bit more formal, so I chose to keep the boys in slacks, vest and (clip on) bow ties with canvas sneakers, as opposed to jacket and dress shoes.

Talk it out. A lot of times, we don’t think our kids are paying attention, but they can hear you loud and clear. How they choose to respond is an entirely different subject. I found it really helped to start talking about the event way before it ever happened. Prep them for what to expect and get them excited about what it will look like, who’s going to be there and how important their job is at the event.

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Practice makes perfect. Well, practice helps, but you can never really be sure how they will react when the spotlight is on them. However, talking over the “directions,” walking it through at the venue and going over it a few times should make a difference. Note — my guys were easy breezy at the rehearsal, but when all the flower petals were laid, the music was playing and the room was full, they got a bit overwhelmed.

Pack snacks. If you have a toddler, this is a given all the time, and a wedding is no exception. I only wished I had stashed a couple applesauce packets or some fruit snacks in my purse during the ceremony… But yeah, sometimes the wait between ceremony and dinner reception can be a little much for your munchkin, so be prepared. We actually had leftover pizza from lunch to hold them over and then after the ceremony made sure to get them some crackers and juice to hold them over.

Don’t be too serious. It’s a wedding, it’s a “grown up” event, but be careful not to put too much pressure on a toddler or yourself. Chances are if they are in a wedding at such a young age they are family or very close to the bride and groom, and they will understand. Now, one of mine will probably provide some of the soundtrack to my brother’s ceremony, as he was a little overcome by his duties, but it’ll be okay.

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Be prepared for tears. Both of mine displayed a bit of waterworks at separate times during our last wedding event. One was embarrassed and let all his emotion go, while the other was caught off guard with the clapping and cheering when the bride was kissed and the new couple announced. So, have the tissue on tap because if you’re toddlers don’t need it, someone else in the crowd might.

Now, when it’s all said and done, have fun, let loose and take it out on the dance floor!

A video posted by Aubrey Aquino (@fifty3weeks) on

Haute Mom: Kayla Carrie

kayla1Name: Kayla Carrie
Children & Ages: Olivia (22 mos.) & Hudson (10 mos.)
Hometown/Current Location: Idaho
Quick Bio: Less than two years ago my first child came into this world!  I quickly realized that being a mother was everything to me, so I dropped all my other plans and made the decision to proudly accept the best job offer ever as “Stay at Home Mom”. I did so well on the job that I received a promotion! Two weeks after my daughter’s first birthday my sweet boy joined our party! I get plenty of comments and stares as I venture out with these two cuties… with a smile on my face I embrace it! I love finding the happiness in this messy mommy life!

Blog: www.goofsngiggles.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goofsngiggles/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goofsngiggles/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/goofsngiggles/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/goofsngiggles/

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Q: How do you balance being a Mommy and keeping your sense of self?
A: Definitely connecting with other moms! Talking with other adults makes me feel like a person again. I may not always get time to myself but listening and talking about the beauties and difficulties of motherhood really helps me to stay sane and positive about motherhood. Thanks friends 😉

Q: What is your favorite piece of advice to new Moms?
A: Do not fall for our culture’s lies about a mom’s worth! Your worth is not dependent on how much you can accomplish in a day or how put together your life seems. Your worth never changes! Each mother and child has infinite worth! Take your time and enjoy each small moment with your children. Embrace the mess and the lack of “accomplishment” you may feel as a mom. If you can avoid this trap your children will never have to question their worth either!

Q: As a Mommy what is it that you feel you do “right”?
A: I am really good at saying “I’m sorry”. I am the first to admit that I make LOTS of mommy (and wife) mistakes but I am also quick to recognize them and make amends. I hope my example teaches my kids that it is perfectly okay to not be perfect!

Q: What is your “go to” snack/toy/show/trick when your kids start to fuss?
A: The best thing I can do when my 22 month old daughter starts to tantrum is to give her a chore. She LOVES to help! I think kids do really well when they feel they can contribute and have some kind of control in their life.

Q: Share something you have learned about yourself since you became a Mom.
A: That being a mom is the most important thing I will ever do. That I can’t do it alone. That God loves me and will help me know how to take care of these beautiful children.

Haute Mom: Brittany Kelley

Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 presetName: Brittany Kelley
Child & Age: Connor, 17 Months
Hometown/Current Location: Los Angeles, California
Quick Bio: I’m a wife, mother, help desk technician, and Blogger. Born & raised in one of the most beautiful places, Southern California, has given me a multicultural outlook on life and an affinity for art, food, traveling & family (which I feature on my blog, www.livinglifekelley.com & Instagram @livinglifekelley). I have a B.S. degree in Information Systems Security but currently majoring in Motherhood! A sisterhood & journey I wasn’t sure I would be apart of one day, but now I can’t see my life any other way! I was a stay at home mom for the first 15 months of my daughter’s life, so I have recently embarked on a new chapter as a working mom. Although my #1 (& most fullfulling) job is being a mom, it’s been fun re-discovering myself in the work force and getting back to exploring my career dreams.

Q: What is your “go to” snack/toy/show/trick when your kids start to fuss?
A: Singing! My daughter loves to sing and dance so when she gets cranky I like putting on a little show for her. It almost immediately changes her demeanor and is a great stress reliever for both of us to let our hair down a little and have some fun! 🙂

Q: How do you balance being a Mommy and keeping your sense of self?
A: This is a tough one for new moms that I think I only recently started to master. When you’re breastfeeding (I did for 16 months) and/or a SAHM (stay at home mom) it’s definitely harder to do. But what has helped me is finding at least one hour a day for me time. Before I returned to work I would intentionally stay up later (after my daughter was in bed) just to have some time to catch up on some reading or (more often) one of my favorite shows, or to get some QT with hubby. It’s also been healthy having time away from my daughter to go on regular date nights or so that she can spend quality time with her grandparents, cousins, and other family.

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Q: How would you describe your parenting style?
A: I like to “think outside of the box” so this definitely affects my parenting style. I am known for being very patient with my daughter and I believe in allowing her to explore things and places around her. I can already tell that in many ways she very observant and has an analytically mind (like me) and I like to cultivate that. As long something is not harmful to her, I try to let her explore or learn about it. I also try to follow her lead in a lot of ways too and don’t believe in forcing her into situations (or with people) she is not comfortable with (within reason).

Q: What’s your most memorable Mommy moment to date?
A: My most memorable mommy moment(s) to date have definitely been breastfeeding my daughter! It’s is one of the proudest badges of honor I have worn as a mother because it was at times so challenging! Yet it was one of the MOST fulfilling things I have ever done for someone else. As result, we have such a bond, and I know that I gave her my very best throughout her 1st year. She is very independent, smart & happy toddler and I know that that was a big contributing factor for us.

Q: Describe your “Haute Mom” (fashion) style!
A: LOL! My style is definitely evolving at the moment! I really just like to keep it simple, comfortable & classy! I feel like I’m just starting to get my style groove back since having my daughter. I’m currently really into statement necklaces and lipstick and find that they are easy ways to dress up an outfit. So my (self-imposed) uniform unusually consists of a neutral top, jeans, cute & comfortable flats or wedges & a popping necklace and lipstick. Violá!

Haute Mom: Kelsey Van Kirk

Kelsey Van KirkName: 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 amazing, transformative power of love. You can follow along with me on InstagramFacebookTwitter and Pinterest.

Q: How do you balance being a Mommy and keeping your sense of self?
A: The biggest ways are by making sure to block out time in my life to do things I enjoy – things that fuel my soul. For me, fitness is huge. It makes me feel good about myself (not to mention gives me strength and energy, which every mama needs!) I also love to read, watch movies and enjoy time with my husband. Since launching my blog at the end of 2015 that has been a great way for me to reclaim a bit of who I was before having kids, while simultaneously incorporating who I am now into it. It’s given me a creative outlet that has also allowed me to pour into other women’s lives, which are two things that make me feel like me!

Q: What is your favorite piece of advice to new Moms?
A: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” Oh, and can I add another?? “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Time and time again I see moms fall into a nasty cycle of feeling a crushing burden to take care of everything and everyone before themselves – and it’s an equation that just doesn’t add up! We mamas have to remember that in order to give our best to our families, we have to give our best to ourselves first.

Q: How do you incorporate fitness into your daily routine?
A: I get my kids in on the action, and they love it! We used to go to our local YMCA for 2 hours a day (because, free childcare, hello?!) but recently we’ve temporarily become a one-car household, so I’ve had to get creative. I will put on fun music and get the girls to join me for a dance party or I’ll put on a fitness DVD for them to do along with me. I find that including them is the only way I will get at-home workouts done. I’m just not motivated enough during this season to take the time for fitness when they’re all asleep! It’s working for now – but I do look forward to being able to get back to the gym. Although we will ALWAYS have our dance parties!

Van Kirk Family 2015

Q: How would you describe your parenting style?
A: I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with being a helicopter parent – even now, after having 4 kids. You’d think I would have relaxed by now! I’ve always struggled with perfectionism and have many OCD tendencies, so it’s a daily challenge for me to allow my kids to try things and make mistakes instead of just doing everything for them. But my biggest parenting “philosophy”, if you will, is to be real. I am 100% honest and open with my kids about everything. I explain when I’m having a tough time and why and try to always take personal responsibility and apologize when I’ve been cranky or had a bad attitude. I want my kids to learn about life the way it really is so they know how to manage their own expectations, and I want them to learn how to effectively communicate with people. In our family we are all about teaching our kids to do everything motivated from a place of love and grace. And when we don’t get it right, we make it right.

Q: What’s your most memorable Mommy moment to date?
A: This might seem strange, but each of my birth experiences are what stick out. I absolutely loved childbirth because not only was it an incredibly intimate and connected experience with each of my children, but it also showed me how strong I could be and what I could overcome. I fought fiercely for my kids and knew after each of my births that I could do, would do anything for them.

Q: As a Mommy what is it that you feel you do “right”?
A: I think I’m good at communicating about life with my kids, while still nurturing their sense of curiosity and wonder. I love that they know they can come to me with questions and trust my responses. And I love that they seem to feel safe and loved no matter what they do.

Q: Share something you have learned about yourself since you became a Mom.
A: I grew up thinking of myself as being very fragile – like one day I might break under the weight of life. But becoming a mom has shown me time and time again how truly strong I am. I’ve overcome so much and fought to grow and adapt and become the person I am today. I never in a million years dreamed that I could be as strong as I feel now.

Q: Describe your “Haute Mom” (fashion) style!
A: I am all about having good style, no matter if you are a mama who spends all your time at home, or if you go out into the world on the daily. For me personally, I love wearing pieces that are super cute and super functional. I’m all about comfort. I love my leggings and skinny jeans, cute and comfy tops and sweaters, and I adore a good sundress! My style can be pretty eclectic too. I like to mix classic and minimalist styles with a bit of rocker edge and some boho glam thrown in there for good measure!

3 Easy Tips for Disneyland First Timers

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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 and felt pretty confident going in with my crash prep for the trip, I wrote about that here. Right now I want to give you a heads up about a few easy ways to make your trip a little more memorable.

1stvisit1. 1st Visit Button

First up, a FREE souvenir… Be sure to pick up a 1st Visit button! It was a cute giveaway that can be proudly worn to show off that it’s your very first time. I wouldn’t have even known about this, save for one of the park attendants, who asked if I had one for my kids. He gladly gave them to me, making us feel that much more welcome for their first visit! I saw some people wearing other like buttons and pins, so maybe it’s a “thing” and they have them for all sorts of stuff…keep your eyes open.

A photo posted by Aubrey Aquino (@fifty3weeks) on


2. Character Breakfast

If it’s your first trip to Disneyland (or Disney World), I would highly suggest making reservations for a character meal. We chose to do Breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn on Main Street USA inside Disneyland. It was easy to get a reservation – I think I did mine a week ahead of time, and it’s so worth it! Note – you do need the admission ticket for Disneyland in addition to a reservation for the meal. I wasn’t sure how my boys would react to the characters in person and it was a great ice breaker.

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This was our first activity of the day and we got into the park a little early, before it opened through a special entry marked for the character breakfast! It was a breakfast buffet with all the standard favorites. The food was good, but more than the food you are paying for the experience. The characters continuously made the rounds, each stopping at our table multiple times…taking photos, high fiving, interacting and signing the boys’ autograph books.

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We met Rafiki, Tigger, Pooh Bear, Dale, Fairy Godmother, Max, Hook, Eeyore and of course Minnie Mouse!

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**BONUS – Scoop up the FREE souvenir button, showing you went to the breakfast!

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3. Ride Photos

Several of the rides at Disneyland snap your photo during your excursion and at the end of the experience you can view the picture and email it to yourself free of charge. Another great memory saved in a photo, at no extra charge. At first glance I thought it would be a photo they’d try to sell to me, so it was a pleasant surprise to realize it was complimentary. We got one snap from the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride.

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All in all, our visit was exceptional. Other than our tickets for entry and buying each of our kids a Disneyland hat, we made it out without breaking the bank. We brought a few snacks/munchies and my dollar store finds like the autograph books and neon, glow in the dark goodies for when the sun went down…and managed to steer clear of any over the top, unplanned purchases!

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