Five Friday Faves - 12.6
A big core memory trip - how I prepped for Disney
We’re headed to Disney World today! We surprised our kids last night with the trip and to say they were excited is an understatement. My big kid has been asking about going to Disney World for a while, and when I won a trip from work, it seemed like a great opportunity. We’ll be there for his 6th birthday, and I cannot wait to see how magical it is for him - side note HOW IS MY FIRST BABY SIX?!?!
We knew nothing about Disney and in planning this trip relied heavily on the advice of others and our travel agent. My expectations are relatively low, all I want to see is my son and daughter truly delighted by the magic that Disney makes! I know the days will be long and we’ll have to be extra patient with the kids, but I’m going in with a roll-with-it mindset.
I want my kids to have fun. I am not trying to hit every single sight, I don’t want to overschedule us. They will have a blast either way, and I want to have fun too.
Here are the five ways I’ve prepared this trip. I’ll, of course, share what did and didn’t work, where we stayed, and services we used later!
Hire a Travel Agent - Disney is a whole industry I’m just barely scratching the surface of understanding, but there are people who know EVERYTHING. We used a travel agent on a recommendation and I would absolutely do it again. Most travel agents charge nothing to the traveler and get commissions from hotels that are already built into the price. I think of it like affiliate links, the shopper pays the same but the linker gets a kickback. Our Travel Agent was a wealth of knowledge provided us with a lot of information, helped us decide where to stay, what to do, and coordinated transit etc. She woke up early and booked our meals and a character breakfast. I will share her info in my next post, but I would definitely use her again for another trip if we go back.
Plan a Date Night - A friend recommended a nanny service earlier this week, and I immediately inquired. I joke that traveling with kids is an Away Game. It’s not always a vacation, and even as little as three hours with a sitter can change the game. I’ll let you know if I recommend the service, but so far they’ve been incredibly communicative and easy to deal with.
Pack Sneakers - OK, this is kind of an excuse on my part to get the sneakers I’ve had my eyes on for a while! HOWEVER, if there’s ever a moment where I am going to want stylish sneaks, it’s walking around Disney World. I have looked at (what feels like) every color combo of Adidas, and landed on this pair. They are super comfortable, and I think they’ll be great walking around the parks.
Hands Free Travel - Another excuse on my end, but my friend was wearing the awesome crossbody and when she told me it was from Etsy, I immediately purchased the medium. It’s such a great size, fits well on my body, and I would absolutely get in other colors. I bought the blue with the light blue strap, and am excited to have options. I’m very pleased with the quality!
Prep an Order - I feel like we do this whenever we travel, but shipping food and other items directly to where we’re going is a game changer. Our accommodations have a fridge and microwave so, in addition to 1M snacks, I ordered some hot dogs and microwaveable mac n cheese for lunches or random meals for the kids. I called our accommodations to confirm this would be fine, and I scheduled a Whole Foods delivery for a few hours after we get in.
What’s for Dinner
Sunday - Frozen Soup with Baked Frozen Bread - Love leftovers - this was the Smitten Kitchen Lentil Soup and froze so well.
Monday - Skinny Taste Beef Tacos - This continues to be a huge hit for my son
Tuesday - Taco Salad with LO Beef - The taco recipe makes a lot, and taco salads are my favorite way to use the leftovers.
Wednesday - Salmon with the Dumpling Daughter Sauce with Broccoli and Rice
Thursday - Take out for adults
More A Day In Her Life:
ICYMI - This week’s episode with Emily Landers is so fun! Emily is the Senior Director of Client Relations at Pepperdine University and the Host of the Podcast How’d She Do That! Emily was such a great resource when I started out with the podcast in 2023, and this was such a full-circle moment finally connecting and chatting! Emily is so genuine and enthusiastic and I loved hearing about this phase of her life, what she’s looking forward to and what’s next for her podcast How’d She Do That!
One Year Ago - A Day In Her Life with Eleanor Leftwich - My goodness this was a fun one! Eleanor is the mom of four kids, farmer on a fourth-generation family-owned farm, and founder of the eponymous (although pseudonym) brand Eleanor Leftwich Collection (peep her new Resort ‘25 Collection😍)! Eleanor is so dynamic, passionate about supporting other women and small brands, and just such a delight. If you haven’t listened to this one yet, don’t sleep!
Lindsay Cadigan, Episode 27, and author of Betty The Confetti Yeti has come out with yet another Betty book, The Confetti Yeti Celebrates Christmas Kindness! This is such an adorable book! Lindsay’s first books are so fun, and my kids love them!
I mention this a bit in the episode with Emily, but a friend and I are building something fun and new! If you love to read, can you a second to fill out this quick survey?!?
I opened up the group chat for A Day In Her Life! This week I want to hear about what I should do at Disney or any tips you have!
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