These recipes would be a fun way to keep the kids occupied during summer vacation. My kids had fun trying out two of the recipes at home.
DIY Scented Stress Ball
The directions were easy to follow. I had never heard of making a stress ball with flour and a balloon. The essential oils were a nice addition. (I really like the tangerine scent!)
Natural Slime
I have to admit, I am not the biggest slime fan. Since this recipe uses natural ingredients, I was willing to let my daughter try it out. Because we did not have any natural food coloring on hand, it ended up being a not-so-appealing “natural” color-ha! But, thanks to the essential oils, it did smell good, and I liked not having to worry about my kids handling toxic ingredients.
Simply Earth Promo Code
Simply Earth is offering a great deal for my readers! When you start an Essential Oil Recipe Box Subscription, you will also receive a Big Bonus Box AND a free $40 gift card when you use the promo code LIMBYLIMFREE at checkout. (New subscribers only).
I am excited to announce that Simply Earth is also generously offering my readers a chance to win an Essential Oil Recipe Box plus a Big Bonus Box!
It was nice to have an extra day at Epcot because that meant I felt like we could have a more relaxed schedule. After staying at the parks from before rope drop to the end of the nighttime shows two days in a row, it was nice to have a break.
Our FastPass schedule for that day was:
9:10-10:10: The Seas With Nemo & Friends (I cancelled this one since we were able to ride it the first day without a FastPass and we did not want to ride it again).
10:10-11:10: Living With the Land
11:20-12:20: Frozen Ever After
Since our first FastPass was not scheduled until 10:10, we arrived at the Epcot a little later in the morning. We decided to start out our day with a Baymax meet and greet since we needed to kill some time. Fun fact: Big Hero 6 is k’s favorite Disney movie.
Baymax showin’ off some of his moves!
Then we headed over to the Living With the Land ride. When we were about to get in line, D saw someone we know from church and said hi. I had been wondering if we would run into anyone we know.
Living With the Land is a slow boat ride that gives you a glimpse into the history of farming, along with a “backstage” look at some of the innovative techniques used at WDW. This was one ride where I actually took a lot of pictures since it was slow and had natural light.
Tip: If you are near the Journey Into Imagination building, look for the popcorn cart nearby. It sells three flavors not found at any of the other parks, and if you have the refillable popcorn bucket, it is still only $2 for a refill:
Sour Cream & Chives (it is more of a glaze rather than powder-yum!)
Cheddar (n’s favorite)
Buffalo Bleu Cheese (a little too artificial looking and tasting for us)
The World Showcase opens later in the morning (11 a.m.?) than the rest of the park, so plan accordingly. D decided he *needed* another School Bread, so we stopped in Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in Norway before going on the Frozen ride.
This picture was from the day before, where I neglected to mention that we also tried Rice Cream and School Bread. School Bread is described as a Sweet Roll filled with Custard and dipped in Coconut while the Rice Cream is basically rice pudding with strawberry sauce.
Frozen Ever After was a cute ride. I find these ride pictures with us and complete strangers kind of funny.
While we waited for The American Adventure show, we were treated to a performance by the Voices of Liberty. It is worth it to look up the showtimes and try to catch one of their performances; we just lucked out.
We headed back to France for a late lunch. n really wanted another ham and cheese croissant!
D and I decided to try their sandwiches:
Jambon Beurre (Ham and Cheese, Dijon Mustard Butter on a Demi Baguette)
Dinde B.L.T. (Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Garlic Aioli)
Both were good choices. Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie ended up being one of our top Epcot restaurants. I just wish that it had more places to sit down and eat.
We caught a little bit of Sergio the Juggler’s act.
Club Cool
One place that should be a must-stop on everyone’s Epcot list is Club Cool. I am embarrassed to tell you how many times we stopped there during our two days at Epcot.
Club Cool is a place where you can try different flavors of soda from around the world, and it’s free! The flavors on tap were:
Beverly (Italy)
Pineapple Fanta (Greece), my favorite
Melon Frosty Fanta (Thailand), k’s favorite
Vegitabeta (Japan)
Bibo (South Africa)
Sparletta (Zimbabwe), n’s favorite
Inca Kola (Peru), D’s favorite
Guarana Kuat (Brazil)
n’s face after trying the Beverly soda!
Disney Springs
We were ready to leave Epcot around 3:30 in the afternoon, but the direct bus line from Epcot to Disney Springs did not start running until 4 p.m. We ended up doing a transfer that involved multiple stops at Port Orleans. In hindsight, we should have just stayed at the park a little longer and taken the 4:00 bus. Oh well.
We walked around a little but did not do much shopping. We ate dinner at Guy Fieri’s new fast casual restaurant, Chicken Guy!
The menu prices were a little shocking (shockingly cheap!) after being used to inflated Disney World prices. Considering this place is still in Disney Springs, we thought they would charge more.
The kids and I all ordered a Sauce Boss chicken sandwich and D had the BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad. For the Sauce Boss sandwiches, you pick two flavors of sauce (there are a LOT to choose from), and they put one sauce on the top bun and the other on the bottom bun.
We also shared the Triple Double Mint shake for dessert. (Hand-spun Mint Chocolate Soft Serve, Crushed Oreo® Cookies, Chocolate Mints, Chocolate Syrup and Fresh Whipped Cream).
We took the bus back to our hotel. D and the kids went swimming again and then they watched some of the Warriors basketball game in our hotel room. It was definitely nice to have some down-time so that we could re-charge.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
The Very Best, Hands-On, Kinda Dangerous Family Devotions, by Tim Shoemaker, contains 52 devotions for parents and their kids. These are not your ordinary “read a short story, read a Bible passage” type devotions. Instead, each devotion includes an object lesson that engages kids while teaching them valuable lessons at the same time. Each devotion also ties the activity with Biblical principles and verses.
Some of the devotion activities include: making an electric pickle, using invisible ink, making a water slide and lighting toothpaste on fire. These types of activities definitely have “kid-appeal”. I can see how kids would be more apt to remember the lessons associated with this type of “active learning” as opposed to passive listening. However, I recognize that the preparation required from parents would be much more involved than just opening up a book and reading from it. There is a range of complexity for the different devotions, so it is probably best to start out with some of the simple ones first instead of feeling like you need to go in order. This book would also be good for teachers or speakers who need ideas for reaching young people for Christ.
For our second day at Walt Disney World, we visited Epcot. Since we had scheduled five days at the parks, we chose to visit Epcot for two days, back-to-back.
It was the very last day of their Spring & Flower Festival, so there were flowers and topiaries everywhere.
Our previously scheduled FastPass line-up was:
9:50-10:50: Test Track
10:50-11:50: Mission: Space
11:55-12:55 Spaceship Earth
I believe we arrived at the park close to an hour before the 9 a.m. opening. I had read that the security lines take the longest at Epcot, and that was definitely true for us!
We “rope-dropped” Soarin’ Over the World and ended up riding it twice in a row. (Love that ride!)
The queue is fun for this ride because you design your own car using a touch screen computer.
The set up of this ride reminded us the Cars ride at California Adventure. n’s car ended up “winning”.
Next we used our FastPass for Mission: SPACE. There are two levels to this ride, and I debated back and forth about which one to go on. The fact that there are barf bags provided on the ride gives you some indication about the intensity of the ride. In the end I opted for the milder Green Mission around Earth while D and the kids went for the Orange Mission to Mars. They said it was not too bad but that they could definitely feel the G-forces during take-off. I was fine on Mission: EARTH and appreciated that there were two options and that we could use our FastPass for either one.
Since we knew that there would be a lot more eating options in the World Showcase later in the day, we split:
Energy Salad With Roasted Chicken (Fresh greens topped with Roasted Chicken, Seasonal Fruit and Feta Cheese)
Chicken Prosciutto Mozzarella Sandwich (topped with Sun-dried Tomato Aïoli and served with French Fries)
After our early lunch, we used our FastPass for Spaceship Earth. This is the ride inside the famed Epcot “ball”. I really enjoyed this slow-paced journey through time.
In the afternoon we made our way over to the World Showcase. This is where different countries have different pavilions around the lake. Our first stop was Canada.
We went up the stairs to watch the O Canada! movie. This turned out to be perfect timing because it started to rain while we were inside the pre-show area. A bunch of others came in sopping wet because they were looking for shelter. By the time was movie over, the rain had stopped!
Tip: If you buy the refillable popcorn bucket, be sure to stop in Canada for the maple popcorn. The refill still costs only $2, and it was one of our favorite flavors!
The fish was nice and crisp and popping hot. Only wish the serving size could have been a little bigger.
The next stop on our culinary journey was Japan for some refreshing Kakigori (shaved ice) from Kabuki Cafe.
Rainbow Kakigori With Sweet Milk Topping–eat it fast before it becomes a soupy mess!
Our next stop was France. We watched the Impressions de France movie. This was a nice theater and offered a welcome respite during our long day. n had a quick cat nap–ha!
We split two Croissant Jambon Fromage (Ham, Cheese and Béchamel in a Croissant) and a raspberry dessert (not sure name). The kids loved the ham and cheese croissant. Ask for it warmed up (I think the Bechamel sauce is what makes it!) I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the desserts.
I really liked these photos that the photographer in “France” took. See the Eiffel Tower in the back?
Quick stop in Morocco
By the way, my shirt looks wet in some of these pictures because I was often wearing my cooling towel around my neck and shoulders–oops.
We headed back toward the park entrance since I managed to schedule a FastPass for a character meet and greet.
We decided to also ride Nemo & Friends and see Turtle Talk With Crush since the lines were so short. (I did not think Nemo & Friends was worth it, so don’t feel bad if you have to skip it).
Even though we had been doing a lot of snacking throughout the day, we also ordered the Orange Chicken and Sichuan Chicken for “dinner” at Lotus Blossom Cafe in the China Pavilion. These dishes were OK (think Panda Express) but I wish they included some sort of vegetables. (I had packed us some baby carrots).
After dinner we found a spot to watch the Illuminations show and waited.
We shared a Dole Whip while we waited for Illuminations. Looking back, I can’t believe we ate so much that day!
It is a good idea to ask a cast member where they think a good spot is and to make sure that you are allowed to stay there. I enjoyed the Illuminations show, but k and I agreed that the scale of the show seemed too small compared to the huge lake. I gave up trying to take a good picture with my camera phone, and tried to be in the moment and take it all in.
After the show ended, we followed the mass exodus back to the entrance of the park to wait for the bus to take us back to our hotel. It was a food-filled, fun, but exhausting day!
Disclosure: I received a sample box in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Who’s guilty of being inspired by Pinterest but rarely taking the time to actually craft? For me, the roadblock is usually being too lazy/not having enough time to go out and gather the necessary supplies. The Home Made Luxe craft subscription box offers a solution to would-be crafters by providing everything needed to make Pinterest-y type crafts in a box that is delivered directly to your home.
Home Made Luxe sent me the DIY Monstera Clay Bowls set to review. I was excited about this project because Monstera leaves are on-trend, and I have not worked with clay too much before.
For this project, the items included were:
Air Dry Clay
Green Paint
Gold Paint
X-Acto Knife
Foam brush
Lia Griffith Dish Template
Detail Brush
Sand paper
Written and Video Instructions.
The only additional items needed were a rolling mat and a surface on which to cut. The instructions had photographs and clear explanations for each step and were easy to follow.
Air-drying my bowl.
Once the kids saw that I was using clay, they wanted to get in on the action too. The kit came with plenty of clay to make multiple bowls or anything else that your creative mind can think of.
Here is my finished result. I opted not to paint my bowl green since I liked the neutrality of the white clay. I think using the gold paint marker to paint the edges of the bowl was my favorite part. Now I am inspired to use the gold paint marker for some other projects! I also like the versatility of the air-dry clay.
Home Made Luxe offers a wide-array of different types of crafts that can be purchased individually, or as a monthly subscription. This would make a nice gift for the crafter or would-be crafter in your life. I can also see these boxes as a good way to keep older kids occupied during the summertime.
Enter to win a Home Made Luxe Craft Box below! Please note that by entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to be added to the Home Made Luxe e-mail list.
Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Recently I have been hearing and seeing more and more research about the connection between gut health and overall health. Therefore, I was excited to be able to have the chance to try out Gut Connection By Country Life supplements.
Isn’t this sample kit too cute? My kids went straight for the Poo Emoji Squishy, of course!
Country Life has eight different formulas of Gut Balance, all targeted at different issues such as weight, sleep, mood and stress. The three samples that I received were:
Gut Connection Immune Balance
Gut Connection Digestive Balance
Gut Connection Energy Balance
I immediately went for the Immunity Balance formula since I am all for a strong and healthy immune system! These supplements are on the large side, but I was able to swallow them without a problem. I like that these supplements are made of whole food fermentate prebiotic and do not contain any artificial ingredients. Because they contain prebiotics, they can be taken alone or along with probiotics. **Remember that you should check with your health care provide before taking supplements.**
Gut Connection by Country Life can be found at Sprouts, The Vitamin Shoppe, Natural Grocers Vitamin Cottage, and Amazon. Go here to find where Gut Connection by Country Life is sold near you.
Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
I have really been enjoying our summer vacation so far. It has been so nice to take a break from our busy scheduled lives. Taking a “breather” from the chaos of everyday life is a good practice for children, just as it is for adults. Zafooz cushions come are kid-friendly and designed to encourage peace, love and kindness in children.
Mindful Monkey & Lotus Ladybug
My kids found that Zafooz are perfect for cuddling, and offer a comfortable spot to rest. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes of “alone time” to collect one’s thoughts and feel re-energized to tackle the demands of the day.
Childhood today is often fueled by a go-go-go mentality which can lead to stress and health issues. Zafooz cushions encourage kids to take time to slow down and reflect, which can be beneficial to their overall well-being.
Zafooz are available for purchase at zafooz.com. Save 15% on your zafooz.com/shop purchase by using the promo code breatheBhappy. Offer valid until July 22, 2019
Disclosure: I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Since returning from our vacation, I have been turning my attention to cleaning and organizing our home. When I think about all that needs to be done, it feels overwhelming. However, I have been trying to break it down by concentrating on different zones. Today I am sharing a product that will help out with your refrigerator: Fridge Coasters.
Fridge Coasters are just what the name implies: “coasters” for your refrigerator. They are made from natural hard pressed wood pulp and printed with vegetable based inks. Fridge Coasters absorb drips and spills that inevitably occur in the refrigerator and eliminate moisture and odor. Once the coasters have done their job, they are easy to remove, recycle/compost and replace. They eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) the need to scrub refrigerator shelves and drawers.
Fridge Coasters come in a variety of styles and designs. The sight of these cheery liners make me smile every time I open my refrigerator. They also serve as motivation for me to keep my refrigerator organized and to toss the items that are past their prime.
Along with liners for the main shelves, there are also liners for the smaller side door compartments. My side doors were a little smaller than the liners, so I just gave them a trim with regular scissors to make them fit. Read more about Fridge Coasters and purchase them here.
I am excited when I find simple solutions to different household challenges. Let me know if you have found any products that help keep your home neat and organized!
One of my readers will win a set of Fridge Coasters in the design of their choice. Enter below!
The first park on our schedule was Hollywood Studios. The last time I visited Hollywood Studios it was called Disney-MGM Studios! The Sunday we went had Extra Magic Hours for Disney Hotel guests, so the park opened at 8 a.m. for us. Since it was our first day at the parks, it was not too difficult for us to wake up early.
Our pre-booked FastPass schedule looked like this:
9:30-10:30: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
10:35-11:35: Star Tours
7:15-8:15: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Our plan was to “rope-drop” Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land. However, we found out that the ride was down for maintenance issues and would not be open at 8 a.m.–doh! When I have a set plan in place, it is difficult for me “go with the flow”. However, I tried to have a good attitude about it and we went on Toy Story Mania! instead. We had been on this ride at California Adventure before so I had not planned on riding it here.
The queue is mostly indoors and had a lot of cute oversize toys to look at. I’m not really a fan of these shooting for points rides because inevitably someone in our family ends up feeling sad that they lost or did not do well.
It did not seem like many other rides were open before 9 a.m. We ended up just walking around and taking in some of the sights of “Hollywood Boulevard”.
We decided to check out the Star Wars Launch Bay, even though we were not quite sure what it was. There are currently no rides here. It is more of a museum and theater. However, we saw a group of people getting in line, so we followed them. It turned out to be a meet and greet for Chewbacca!
These Stormtroopers marched up and down the park and put on performances periodically throughout the day. I felt bad for how hot they must have been!
Using our first Fastpass for Rock ‘n’ Roll Rollercoaster was a success! We tapped our Magic Bands at the entrance and had a minimal wait time. This ride is kind of like Space Mountain in that it is a dark indoor roller coaster (but this one does go upside down!) n said he closed his eyes the whole time. We ended up riding it a second time in the evening, and he said he was able to open his eyes for more of the ride.
We also used our Fastpass for Star Tours. This was another ride that we were already familiar with from Disneyland.
Cuban Sandwich (Classically-pressed Roasted Pulled Pork, Sliced Ham, Swiss, Pickles and Mustard served with French Fries)
Backlot Burger (1/3 lb Angus Beef Burger topped with Barbecued Pork, Pepper Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Pickles served with Carrot Sticks or French Fries)
Southwest Salad With Chicken (Mixed Greens topped with Grilled Chicken Breast, Crisp Wonton, Black Bean Relish and Avocado served with Vinaigrette Dressing)
We started to notice a trend with the use of pulled pork at the various park restaurants. Ordering three entrees to split between the four of us seemed to work out most of the time for our family.
As we were leaving the restaurant, a cast member that was passing by asked n if he wanted a cupcake. n was not quite sure how to react, but D said he would take it so we ended up with a free dessert! The kids liked the buttercream frosting.
After lunch we watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Muppet Vision 3D, Frozen Sing Along, and the Beauty & the Beast Live Stage Show.
Indiana Jones Live Stage Show
It was nice to be able to sit down and rest our feet during the shows. While the indoor shows were especially comfortable due to the air conditioning, the outdoor shows were not too bad because they had shades to block the sun. D and the kids liked the comedic aspect of the Frozen show while I enjoyed the singing, dancing and costumes for Beauty and the Beast.
Fajita Combo Platter (Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken and Flour Tortillas served with Black Beans, Cilantro Rice, Peppers, Onions, Sour Cream and Fire-roasted Corn Medley)
Fairfax Salad (Pulled Pork, Wedge Salad, Bacon, Fire-roasted Corn Medley, Crispy Tortilla Strips and Cheddar served with a Jalapeño Ranch Dressing)
The salad ended up being the better value here. I am not sure if our serving was an anomaly, but it had a huge portion of pulled pork (as well as a lot of cheese, as you can see).
We checked our app and saw that the wait time for Slinky Dog Dash was not too bad so we headed back to Toy Story Land. The theming for this land is really bright and cheeful. I am looking forward to seeing Toy Story 4!
We had to wait in line for a little under an hour for Slinky Dog Dash. This was probably the longest line we waited in during our five days at the parks! I really wanted to go on it since we do not have it in California. It was a smooth, cute and easy roller coaster.
I used some of my Starbucks gift cards for an after-dinner treat.
We were planning to use our last Fastpass of the day for Tower of Terror after dinner. However, our plans were once again spoiled because the ride was not operating due to maintenance issues. Since we have been on this ride at California Adventure, it was not too big of a disappointment. Since we had a Fastpass that we could not use, we were allowed to use it on another ride. That is why we were able to ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster another time at night.
Tower of Terror down for maintenance issues? Noooo!
We grabbed seats in the Fantasmic amphitheater about an hour before the show started. It was nice to have actual seats instead of having to fight for space as you do at Disneyland. Fantasmic is one of my favorite shows, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I compared it to the one at Disneyland. I have seen the show countless times from when I worked at Disneyland twenty-plus years ago, so the differences jumped out at me. I think the show is still pretty spectacular for those who have never seen it before, so I would still recommend staying to see it if you can.
Although this was a long day for us, starting out with Hollywood Studios was a good way to ease in to our Disney World vacation. The park is relatively compact, so going from one land to another is not too much of a trek. Our afternoon consisted mostly of watching shows, so our wait times were minimal and we were able to “rest”. I felt like we saw everything we wanted to see in one day. Once the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge expansion opens (end of August 2019), this place is sure to become crazy!
**Products that helped us to keep cool!**
The heat and humidity in Florida during our stay was no joke! The temperatures were in the low 90’s even though it was often overcast. Keeping hydrated is essential, but we were also brought along a couple of products that helped keep us cool(er)!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
D bought a 6-pack of these cooling towels before our trip, and I am so glad that he did! We wet them at the drinking fountain or restroom and sink, and they provided instant cooling relief. I wore them on my shoulders as a scarf and D put them on his head underneath his hat.
I like how this misting fan is compact. n was able to carry it in his backpack. They sell larger ones at the park but they seem too bulky to carry around (and I am sure they are a lot more expensive!) The mist of water combined with this fan really works!
We had an early flight to Orlando out of John Wayne airport. Can I just say how much I love SNA? So quick and easy!
We packed three carry-ons and checked one piece of luggage. Disney mailed us luggage tags beforehand since we were staying at a Disney property and we gave them our flight information beforehand. Once we checked the bag, it was delivered straight to our hotel room about three hours after our plane landed. So convenient!
Before we landed, I had everyone put on their Magic Bands. (Make sure you do not pack them in your checked luggage). After we landed, we followed the signs to the Magical Express shuttles. They scanned our Magic Bands (no other paper/receipt necessary) and directed us to the Pop Century/Art of Animation shuttle.
I checked my phone and I had a text that our room was ready, along with our room number. We were able to bypass the front check-in desk and go straight to our room. The Magic Band acted as our “key” to the room. Wow, these Magic Bands did feel like “magic”! And of course, the kids loved being able to open the room by themselves and had to take turns doing so.
The Pop Century rooms recently received a makeover, and I really liked the modern, tasteful decor. The carpetless floors made it feel cleaner as well. Although the rooms are not large, they utilize the space well. One neat feature is the desk that turns into a second queen-sized bed. I ended up sleeping on both beds during the course of our stay, and while the regular bed is more comfortable, the murphy bed is not bad.
Here are the kids demonstrating how the desk turns into a bed.
The bathroom had a good amount of storage space despite its small size.
I failed to take a picture of the cabinet to the left of the television/dresser. It contained a nice glass-front mini refrigerator, a coffee maker and additional shelving.
After settling in a bit, we ate dinner at the Pop Century cafeteria. This is n enjoying his kids’ salmon plate. We also shared a grilled chicken sandwich and chicken parmesan. The food was just ok, nothing special. However, this was the only meal we ate at the hotel (aside from a partial breakfast on our last day) so this was not a big deal for us.
After dinner we headed for the Hippy Dippy pool. Almost as soon as we arrived, it started to rain! Welcome to Florida in June, I guess. The pool was quite warm so the cool rain actually felt nice.
Our room was in the 60’s building. “Take a right at the giant Duncan yo-yo!” We were fairly close to the cafeteria and most importantly, the buses!
There is a nice lake right behind the hotel with a 1.3 mile running trail. This is D looking sad because he was not able to do much running during our vacation.
We saw the Skyliner project in progress. Eventually this will be a gondola system that connects Pop Century (along with some other hotels) with Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Once the Skyliner project is completed (estimated Fall 2019), this will be another good reason to consider Pop Century!
