A Whole New World

Downtown Disney (soon to be called Disney Springs) is a great place to go out for a night out and is kid friendly.  There are shops and bars, but everything is more family oriented as opposed to City Walk at Universal, where you have to pay to park and there is a decidedly more adult feel about the environment. However, there is also a lot of traffic when you try to get to Downtown Disney nowadays. Very frustrating. There is no reason why I should wait in traffic for fifteen minutes just to park to get there. I realize there will come a time when the construction clears and I will be able to park with ease, however until that time it is very chaotic. The parking is free and they have a new parking garage. The amount of spaces remaining are highlighted for each floor, with each floor listed and the spaces remaining indicated next to the floor level. When you are on the floor, each aisle lists if there is there is a space available down that aisle. This should be cool in practice,

Handbags are one of my absolute favorite accessories. I have so many but honestly I need them! A nice clutch is perfect for heading out in the evening while a tote is perfect for daytime and kids. When I am out and about during the day I need something large enough to carry diapers, wipes, a few toys, water bottle, snacks and my makeup bag. I am going to show you a few of my favorites!                                                           The Hudson Tote                                                   This bag is huge and large enough for me to carry all the kids' items along with a bottle of wine (if needed). I love the classic black and white stripes.  This clutch  is my favorite beacause it slips perfectly into the outside pocket of my Hudson Tote. I have a day to night look in a quick second.  Love how this clip shows how these bags are super versitile!  This bag I use for my business (like a modern briefcase). It's a heavy duty bag  with style and hold

I like the Haunted Mansion. I don't know why though. The ride is not particularly scary; at times the ride is even campy.  There is even a disjointed feel to the ride as it veers between attempts to be scary and goofy surreal.  The prelude to the ride blends them both.  A stretching room with no doors or windows should be scary, zeroing in on people’s claustrophobia but it is also paired with whimsical stretching portraits that take away from true fright. After the lights go out, a scream pierces the air and if you look up you will see a hanging skeleton. Now that should be scary and it was for me when I was five and I had to be taken out of the ride. Yet that was when I was five and that was a different era altogether.  Of course I ended up missing the real part of the ride at that time. From there it is the disappointing herding of the crowd into a new line where we await our Doom Buggy. From there it is the slow ride through the various disjointed scenes. The ballroom s

When you are in Epcot's World Showcase you may be looking for a "country" that has something for everyone. The kids always want to ride on something, see some characters and we are looking for a quick escape to enjoy ourselves (a nice cold adult beverage and a snack).  Mexico is the place for all of the above! Grab a margarita or beer at the quick walk up counter along with some of the best guac and chips you might ever have! Then take the kids to see Donald Duck in his sombrero. He is available for pics a few times an hour. The line is never terribly long and parents can stand in line while enjoying their drinks so it always moves quickly. Win-Win for everyone!                                                                                                       Mexico also offers a shopping village (filled with beautiful handmade Mexican pottery, etc) and a gorgeous sit down restaurant (La Hacienda de San Angel) that is definitely kid friendly and not terribly exp

When you are at Disney World you may be staying at one of the resorts.  If so you are probably taking the transportation they are offering.  This is usually a pretty good option, but you do have to become a pretty good expert at using the system to do some things. For instance, if you have dinner reservations at one of the resorts and you are staying at another resort you may be looking at an hour and half trip unless you take a cab. If you are lucky you may have a car with you. If you do this can provide a lot of flexibility in getting around and can even help provide some relief in getting to the parks. Unless you are staying at the Boardwalk area resorts where you can walk to Hollywood Studios or to Epcot, getting to one of the parks usually involves getting on a bus. So while we enjoy staying at that the Animal Kingdom Lodge, this means that each and every one of the parks requires a bus to get to unless you have your own car. Which leads me to the question of which park has the

I know many of you probably have the same problem that I have. Hate taking my expensive jewels on vacation! The thought of leaving my wedding rings or diamond earrings in a hotel room or losing them in the ocean makes me feel ill. I always make sure that I have "fill ins" for vacation. These are my pieces that can pass as being real but really are not.  I am going to show you a few of my go to pieces for every vacation. This Deco ring by Stella & Dot is gorgeous alone or even more beautiful with a stackable ring added to it. These $19 studs look like real 1.5 ct. diamonds and a gorgeous alternative to the real thing!  If I lose them...no biggie at all! These are my everyday studs. Being that all Stella&Dot pieces are nickel free they are a perfect and safe alternative to my real diamonds.                                                                      I like to keep my necklaces simple. I always wear my signature engravable necklace that can b