Danielle - Busy Moms Helper

Best & Worst Months to Visit Disney World in 2019

December 12, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

If you look ahead for the best times to plan your Disney World vacation, there are definitely considerations you need to make because some months are going to turn out better for you than others. Unfortunately, in many cases, the most practical times to visit Disney World are also the most crowded. If you don’t have much room within your schedule, then please don’t worry about going at the wrong time of the year because you’ll still have a great time, just maybe more waits and crowds. But if you have a fair amount of options, some months will do better for you than others. Looking at everything going on, here’s our thoughts on the Best & Worst Months to Visit Disney World in 2019.

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When to Visit Disney World 2019- Best Months

In terms of lower attendance, the best months for visiting Disney World are January, February and March. Things get busy after that until late august. September and October are also good months for beating attendance (we usually aim for early September because school just started – one of the benefits to homeschooling. November and December are usually good too, if you stay away from the holiday weeks.

However, during those times there is more to offer in terms of Holiday entertainment and festive decoration. There will also be additional tickets sold for holiday parties, which are limited in attendance. That could make November and December two of the best – or at least most exciting and magical – months as you determine when visit Disney World 2019.

The biggest draw to Disney World in 2019 will be Star Wars Land which is set to open in late fall 2019 (eeeeek, can’t wait!). That’s one more reason to plan your trip for November or December. Although, if this is not a draw for you, you can beat the crowds by visiting in late summer instead.

When Not to Visit Disney World 2019 – Worst Months

In terms of crowds alone, you will do best to avoid any major holidays and months where children are out of school. The end of 2019 will be exceptionally crowded because of the new Star Wars Land in Hollywood Studios. Also, from May to Mid August there is going to be higher attendance due to school letting out and more vacationing families. On the other hand, with the new attractions coming out, you may not want to miss upcoming opportunities and be more willing to wait in longer lines (here’s our tips for avoiding more lines!).

In addition to the late fall 2019 opening of Star Wars Land, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is opening in May 2019. If you don’t want to miss out on this major attraction, you should avoid planning your trip for January through May.

If weather is a factor for you, you must remember how hot and how humid central Florida gets in the summer, as well. The summer months can have brutal heat, and are also notorious for stormy weather. While you can certainly prepare beforehand, this may be a poor example of when to visit Disney World 2019. After summer, the season for thunderstorms gives way to hurricane season, which usually does not affect the parks in terms of operations, but occasionally it does. You may prefer to avoid September or October if there is a serious threat or you don’t want the risk of interrupted travel and vacation time. On the other hand, if you already live nearby and there is a hurricane warning in your area, Disney World is actually a very safe place to evacuate to.

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When do you prefer to visit Disney World?

Creative Way to Include Batteries with Gifts – with free printable!

December 11, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PoweringTheHolidays #CollectiveBias

How many times have you been super excited about a gift, but once it’s opened realize it needs batteries – then the search begins! That hassle and waiting to be able to actually ENJOY the gift can cause so much unneeded holiday stress. Especially with kids, you don’t want to deal with the pressure (aka nagging) that’s sure to ensue while you hunt through cabinets and drawers. Don’t worry, because I’ve learned a Creative Way to Include Batteries with Gifts (plus giving a free printable so it’s even easier). No searching or stress THIS year!

While you’re doing your holiday shopping, make a note of which items need batteries – including what type and how many. Then stock up on however many Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries you need during your next visit to Walmart (because Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ is the #1 Longest-Lasting Battery). It’s probably a smart idea to nab a few extra packs, just in case! To help with the holiday budget, click here to receive a $5 Walmart eGift card with your $15 Energizer® battery or lights purchase.**

Make sure you have everything ready – your gifts, wrapping paper, scissors, tape, ribbon, hole bunch and your Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ Batteries. As a mom, I rely on these for all our toys and electronics because nothing outlasts their long-lasting power – I want to be switching the batteries as infrequently as possible, because heaven knows I have plenty other things to handle each day. I also really appreciate each battery’s safety-conscious and leak-proof design, helping me feel confident that the most-loved toys and devices are protected against leaks and corrosion! They’re the clear choice to power the essential devices in your life dependably! Gather everything together, then you’re ready to start making your fun ‘battery holder’ gift box!

You need to print off this template – I highly recommend printing onto colored cardstock type paper. This is more sturdy so works best, and printing onto the color you want the box to be saves you from having to trace it. Don’t worry if you can’t print directly onto the paper you’ll use for your ‘box’, because you can print on normal paper, cut it out, then trace it onto what you’d like. It prints onto 8.5×11 size, and has 2 per page. Once you have the template, here are the steps for creating your awesome ‘battery holder’ to attach to your wrapped gift!

Print out the template
Cut out each box on the outside lines
Hole punch slightly into each of the triangle tips
Fold inward on the inside lines
Add your Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries and use ribbon or string to loop inside, then carefully tighten and secure in a bow!

Now, because of the flaps on two of the ends (this provides more support for the pyramid shape), threading the ribbon the wrong way can cause weird lumps or issues. Here’s how I found works best for the smoothest closure…

There you have it – a super fun, festive gift box allowing you to safely include batteries WITH a gift by just taping the bottom of the paper box on top of your wrapped present. That means no more hunting around to power your kiddos new toy! If you don’t want to tape it on top, just wrap it inside the box with the present so it’s right there handy – or you can hang a bunch of these battery boxes (carefully) from your tree – high up where young ones can’t reach, of course – to easily grab when a ‘batteries required’ gift is opened. So fun!

Want to know another perk of hitting up the Energizer® battery displays during your Walmart shopping trip? You can nab these amazingly useful Energizer® Brand Headlights for a great stocking stuffer! I couldn’t resist getting another for hubby, because he uses his All. The. Time!

If you’re in a hurry so don’t have time to do this fun battery gift box, just use festive ribbon and tape to secure the needed batteries to their corresponding gift – easy!

Now go enjoy your holidays knowing that you’ll have a lot less stress when present-opening time comes, because any needed batteries will be right there with the gift, not only making it easy to grab but also look fabulous!

**See Offer Terms & Conditions for complete details

How often have YOU forgotten batteries during the holidays? Me….well, way too many 😉

17 Slow Cooker Christmas Recipes

December 10, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

The holidays are busy enough, then add in all that cooking and baking for one crazy season! Now, I’m in no way saying give up the big Christmas parties or meals – they’re awesome and definitely a memorable part of this time of year – but perhaps you can save a little time here and there by using some of the 17 Slow Cooker Christmas Recipes. Go play a fun family game, read stories, decorate the tree, give gifts, help a neighbor with their lights – so many options of how you can spend that time while your slow cooker works its magic to whip up delicious foods for your big feast!

There’s quite a variety here to help you out the most – from turkey, ham and pork, to rolls, drinks, stuffing, and other side dishes. Whatever you choose, I hope it gives you some extra time this season with those you love most!

Cranberry Pork with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Bavarian Pork Sirlon Tip Roast with Sour Cream Gravy

Orange Glazed Ham

Dinner Rolls

Caramel Apple Cider

Rosemary Carrot Parsnip Mash

Stuffing

Shredded Turkey

Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham

Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Chocolate Lovers BBQ Sauce

December 8, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FlavorYourWorld #CollectiveBias

As many of you know, there’s a divide in our house when it comes to chocolate – I absolutely love it, hubby doesn’t. So far the kids are on my side, which I’m quite pleased about. As such, sometimes I find fun ways to incorporate that flavor into foods that you wouldn’t normally find it in, such as the Chocolate Lovers BBQ Sauce I tried the other day! Not only does it have incredible flavor, but also just a hint of chocolate goodness that really makes it special. It works amazing as a marinade for chicken, a dip, or even as a sauce to put on your burgers. You’ve got to give this unique and tasty recipe a try!

The secret to making this chocolate BBQ sauce work so well is the TABASCO® Chipotle Pepper Sauce, which really enhances the flavors with overpowering them. Being a family who has varying tastes, TABASCO® Sauce is one of the best ingredients to stock up in your kitchen (and when you run low, just restock on your next trip to Walmart!) because it’s perfect as not just an ingredient, but also as a condiment that lets each person personalize our food how we like best. Since it’s found anywhere in the world (it’s TABASCO® Brand’s 150th anniversary, so they’ve been around quite a while), you can use it to add or enhance flavor to practically any type of cuisine! So whether you’re whipping up this tasty BBQ sauce or preparing another dish, TABASCO® Brand’s variety of flavors has a bit of something for everyone. Don’t forget to take advantage of the Ibotta offer to save $1 off of 5 oz. or larger TABASCO® Brand Sauce in any flavor now through 12/31/18!

The reason I chose TABASCO® Chipotle Pepper Sauce as the perfect flavor for our chocolate BBQ sauce is that the flavor of smoke-dried jalapeno peppers brings a rich balance of smoke and heat to the sauce. It really pairs well with any type of protein dish, but I think it’s particular excellent for chicken. You can use this sauce flavor for plenty of marinade recipes, or as a condiment over prepared meats. Another great trick – combine it with pineapple for a sweet-savory dish!

This dish is super easy to make, just mixing some ingredients over the stove, letting them simmer to really bring out the flavor, then adding the melted chocolate. Love it!

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Onion Powder
1-2 tbsp. TABASCO® Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions

In a saucepan, mix all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips over medium-low heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.
When almost done, melt the chocolate chips carefully, then stir into the sauce mixture until smooth.
Enjoy as a marinade, dipping sauce or even a sauce for your burgers!

What could be really fun is to try it with other TABASCO® Brand Sauces, such as their original TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauce (hubby’s personal favorite), or the milder TABASCO® Green Jalapeño Sauce. Then we could see how the flavors in this chocolate BBQ sauce are changed – maybe making your next favorite dip to serve on game day!

The possibilities are practically endless when you have incredible, flavor-enhancing sauces to help you out! Just don’t tell anyone your secret ingredient, so you can stay the hero chef at your next party 😉

Which TABASCO® Brand Sauce is your favorite?

5 Tips to Save More on Christmas

December 7, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

As we’re now a week into December, it’s time to really get into the holiday planning (if you haven’t already) – especially with the budget! Do you find yourself spending more money for Christmas than you plan to every year? If so, you’re not alone – many people go into debt during the Christmas season, despite best intentions, and spend the next year paying off credit cards and other bills. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, as long as you do some planning and stick to it. If you struggle with this (I certainly do), maybe try some of these 5 Tips to Save More on Christmas this year.

I’m totally guilty of spending too much at Christmas – using excuses like ‘oh, but this one more gift is just perfect for so-and-so’ or that ‘we have to buy something for this group, they may feel bad if we don’t’. It can be hard to draw a line, but for your family’s financial sense we all really need to. To help, here’s five ways you can save more money for Christmas this year:

Even though the Christmas Day may seem like a long time away, it’s never too early to start planning for it – we all know how fast time goes, especially this part of the year! Creating a plan now can save you money later partly because you won’t have to run out at the last minute to buy gifts, decorations and supplies (batteries, tape and wrapping paper are what I run out of most). You can take your time and shop around, finding the right gifts for the best deals.
Shop for deals online – you can often find some great deals that you won’t find in stores. Some retailers may offer more variety online as well, so you may also have better selections to choose from. Maybe you can find that watch in your kid’s favorite color, making it all the more exciting to receive. Check out our Holiday Gift Guides for great options!
Don’t try to buy gifts for EVERYONE in your family – it can get really expensive and put your bank account in the red very quickly. Instead, only buy gifts for your closest family members and friends. Then get together as a group with your extended family and co-workers to draw names instead of trying to buy for everyone. Be sure to set a limit on the amount to spend for the gifts. If the budget is really tight, try DIY gifts – or simply explain that you’re very sorry, but you’re limiting gift spending this year to very immediate members and such. Almost everyone has had a time when they’re crunched for pennies, so most people will understand.
Keep your decorations simple. Instead of buying a six foot tree, consider a two or three foot tree and use homemade ornaments to decorate. Cut back on the number of lights you use when decorating your home to reduce cost and to help save on the electric bill. Shop thrift stores for awesome-though-used items to add to your display.
Keep your Christmas dinner to a minimum – you don’t have to include FIVE different types of vegetable sides or several desserts. If you do plan to host a large family gathering, ask everyone to bring their specialty dish to help out. It will cut back on how much you have to spend and most everyone will be happy to contribute!

Use these tips to save money so that you can focus on the real meaning of the season – enjoying loved ones and being grateful – instead of stressing about the financial side of it. Not going in debt for the holiday season can be your gift to yourself!

How to you save money during Christmas?

Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World

December 5, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Remember how I said I was thrilled to make a visit to Orlando to experience all four Disney parks last week? Well, it may have been a super-rushed trip, but I was determined to fit in as much as I could – and today I’m sharing all the fun, festive happenings (and treat-enings – get it?) that occur during the Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World!

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I’ll divide it up by park, so you can see what each one has to offer in terms of the special ‘extras’ for this time of year. Let’s start with the one most people think of first…

Magic Kingdom

When people look to visit Disney World during Christmastime, they often only think about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (you can read my recap of that HERE). It’s very similar in idea as the Not-So-Scary Halloween party, with complimentary treats (cookies, chocolates, pretzels) and drinks (eggnog, cider, cocoa, sno-cones) instead of trick-or-treating, and of course more holiday themed. While I admit this is a HUGE draw for guests, and definitely worth going to if you can swing the price tag, it’s not the only reason you should experience the Christmas holidays at Walt Disney World.

Outside of the party, there’s tons of decorations everywhere – from the garlands, bows and lights that adorn most entries and poles, to the red and white poinsettias adorning gardens and baskets. There’s even lights, wreaths and bells adding to the atmosphere, and even many of the snack carts are feeling that holiday cheer.

Once you get through the ticket entrance, the area right before the train station is a giant red poinsettia Mickey ornament – perfect for a holiday family photo! Go to the right or left and through the entry archways, and you’ll emerge to see a GINORMOUS Christmas tree, surrounded by large gifts and toy soldiers!

At night, Cinderella’s Castle is light up with sparkly, twinkling lights that take it to a whole new level of magical. It was my favorite thing, and I admit I took ‘more than a few’ photos of this delightful sight 😉

Many of the cast members wear holiday-themed outfits and/or Santa hats, and you can even see some of your favorite characters dressed up with a little more Christmas/winter to their outfits, which makes for some extra special meet-and-greet photos.

There’s also an area for Santa – check out the schedule for times when you’re there!

Don’t forget to make a stop by the ‘Jingle Cruise’ as well – even the boats are fun holiday-themed names, the skippers wear Santa hats, and the whole que & ride are dressed up for the occasion!

Some snack locations have seasonal treats that are definitely worth a try, so either check your program or – even better – ask a cast member and they can lead you the right direction! Be sure to contact Michael’s VIPs for their wonderful tour guide services, especially as the holidays can be extra crowded & you want the best trip possible!

Hollywood Studios

With the exception of a few spots (near Star Tours), Hollywood Studios was decorated as much as – or perhaps a little more – than Magic Kingdom. Bright stars from Christmas lights that changed color, wreaths, bells and classic-looking signs featuring Santa, reindeer and more, plus Echo Lake had HUGE ornaments floating in it! The dinosaur even had on a fun Santa hat, and some displays of statue deer and such helped add to the whole feel.

In the evening, there’s the Seasons Greetings show (that may repeat a couple of times, I wasn’t quite sure exactly) over by the Tower of Terror. Along the street leading up to that area are two screens that show a mini video clip, then a great display is projected onto the Tower of Terror with music to match the little clip you just saw. They had the Muppet Chef Guy (I know, I should remember his name, but I can’t) that built a Gingerbread house on the movie clip, then the Tower showed a huge creation out of gingerbread to playful music.

Olaf’s clip was finding a holiday tradition, then the song played along with images of traditions and such.

Even Toy Story got in on the fun, making it the Hollywood Toyland Hotel! I thought this show was INCREDIBLE, and would’ve loved to show my kids! The lights along that street switch around depending on which clip is playing, and ‘snow’ is pumped out, so it’s like a magical snowfall all down the street. That snow continued almost the entire evening it seemed!

On the Chinese Theater was the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show that I’ve heard several people rave about – but personally, I was a little disappointed by it. Yes, it’s fun with the Elves and rescuing Santa, and it does have fun montages and music. But overall, there was too much to look at with all the different screens it was playing on, plus fireworks, plus laser light show. I even saw several people watch a bit, then decide to leave before it was done. It wasn’t bad by any means, and there were plenty of folks who loved it – it just wasn’t my cup of tea, I suppose. If you’ve seen it – let us know what you thought in the comments!

One thing I really loved was this fun window display, full of dancing ornaments!

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Loved these dancing Minnie ornaments in a shop window at Hollywood Studios at #waltdisneyworld #bmhtravel #hollywoodstudios #Disney #Christmas #holidays
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I believe that at the Hollywood & Vine, they have a special Minnie Mouse Holiday buffet meal, but I didn’t personally go check this out. That’s one drawback to a solo trip – less excuse to take time for real dining!

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Epcot

I was most excited to see Epcot during the holidays (other than Magic Kingdom, of course) because I’d heard of the amazing ‘holidays around the world’ displays and such. Perhaps it was just that I was there earlier in the day, but it seemed a big let-down. There was a lot of decor – ginormous tree, plenty of garlands and lights and fun garden characters for the holidays. There was a stage where one of the shows would be (again, I was there earlier in the day – since this was a quick trip I couldn’t fit in everything unfortunately – so I missed the shows).

I did see several kiosks that were ‘holiday kitchen’ – featuring some seasonal snacks and drinks. Most of them weren’t open when I was there, though, despite being there until about 2pm. I did enjoy the displays in the various areas, telling a bit about that country’s traditions.

Keep in mind that I was there EARLIER in the day, only until early afternoon, so perhaps all the main holiday happenings occur after that – so don’t write off Epcot just yet. And if YOU have experienced some of the festivities at Epcot, please share in the comments!

Animal Kingdom

Guys, this is my favorite park (because it has TWO of my FOUR favorite rides – Flights of Passage & Everest)! That being said, it was very limited in the holiday-theming department. And maybe that was intentional, so they could keep the different lands more accurate and true to themselves. There was some decor around, but not much at all compared to the other parks, and just normal (yet still good) music playing. Again, this could be in keeping with the different ‘continents’ and areas, so this isn’t a complaint at all – just giving you a heads up that there’s not a lot of holiday-ness at Animal Kingdom. The main exception seemed to be the entrance, where they had the wreaths, garlands, and large Christmas tree up for plenty of photo opps. It was still great and lots of fun!

In ALL FOUR of the parks, you can find special holiday-themed merchandise in the stores – from ornaments and decor, to seasonal snacks and clothing, and much more. They even had a stuffed Stitch with a Santa hat that I wanted so badly to get for hubby, but stuck to my budget. I *did* get two candy apples though to bring home for the family to share – one decorated as a Mickey Mouse Santa. They also had a holiday Jack Skellington (Sandy Claws), Blue Snowflake and others to choose from. The lady at the counter asked if I was planning to take them on a plane, and when I said yes she popped out a sturdy box and packed them extra carefully – so grateful, and they made it home perfectly!

Most of the parks were also playing fun Christmas/Holiday music, which really helped put everyone in the spirit of the season! Overall, I absolutely LOVED experiencing the holidays at Walt Disney World, and can’t wait to take my kids there during this season sometime in the future! We’ll, of course, be using Michael’s VIPs for our guides since they’re absolutely AMAZING!

What’s YOUR favorite holiday thing at Disney World?

Adding Memories to Our Walls with Canvas Wraps: The Perfect Gift

December 4, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This post sponsored by our friends at CanvasDiscount.com – all opinions are mine alone.

Who else loves having family photos decorating their home? They help make it more YOURS, and can be happy reminders of those you care about. We moved into our new home over 7 months ago now, but life was busy so I kept putting off hanging things up. This past weekend it was a blast adding memories to our walls with Canvas Wraps – and they’re the perfect gift for any occasion!

After we had family photos taken at the end of last year, I was so eager to get them printed to hang on my walls. It makes me so happy seeing all the kiddos, how much they’ve grown over the years, in our home! One of my hold-ups was that we were moving soon after, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to hang them for a bit. Honestly, though, my biggest holdup was price – because with this big of a family (and wanting so many fabulous canvas wraps), it can add up! Luckily I was introduced to CanvasDiscount.com where I was able to get all the prints I wanted for up to 90% off – meaning huge savings on this incredible holiday gift for my family!

Once I figured out the layout and size of every Canvas print I wanted, I completed each upload on their site, placed my order, then patiently waited while it shipped. It arrived more quickly than I expected, and then I was begging hubby to help get a bunch of them up on the walls. My first goal – this huge blank wall right inside our front door…

I mean, look at that space begging to be filled up with beautiful Canvas prints! That photo doesn’t give quite the scale of how TALL this blank wall is, so here’s another shot…

See, it’s SUPER tall and just – well, blank! Luckily, I received my beautiful canvas wraps and – once I decided on how I wanted them laid out – got them all up to really help our home look more cozy, welcoming, and much less bare!

Now once you walk in the front door, this is the view people will be greeted with…

I absolutely LOVE IT!!! Although I’m still a bit in shock with how old all my kiddos look – weren’t they just babies yesterday???

You may be wondering why I’m such a huge fan of canvas wraps versus regularly printed photographs in frames. First of all, I don’t like the glare on glass in photo frames. Second, these wraps are super sturdy, with frames behind that help them hang securely. Not only that – but check out the amazing quality of the photos!

You also avoid those silly smudges that tend to get on photographs (especially if you have kids!).

I’m looking forward to hanging the rest of my awesome photos soon – I got a few of just hubby and I for our reading nook in our room, some from family vacations and with extended family for our big family room (though right now the tree is blocking the wall, so that may have to wait until after the holidays) and even sent several to family for Christmas. When you get older, it’s the memories, family and friends that really matter so one of the best gifts you can give is canvas wraps of their loves ones and special memories shared!

I also wanted to include our pups with our family photos, so was really excited with how nicely their photo went at the bottom of our layout…

Whether you want fabulous canvas prints for your own home, or as a great gift that’s perfect for practically anyone your list, you’ve got to check out CanvasDiscount.com – they’re my go-to place for amazing prices and quality prints to decorating my wall with memories!

You can save up to 90% on your Christmas photo canvas HERE!

12 Days of Christmas Printable Tags

December 3, 2018 by Danielle 8 Comments

Although I have no idea how we got from July to December, it now seems like this month is FLYING by! There’s so much I need/want to do, and such little time to do it in. Yikes! One of the things I’ve wanted to do better this year was show Hubby some Christmas lovin’, and not just focus on making it fun and special for our little superheros. So we have The 12 Days of Christmas Printable Tags!!! I’m having so much fun picking out little (budget-friendly) yet useful/fun gifts to include with each tag.

12 Days of Christmas Printable Tags

Here’s the printable:

It prints nicely onto a normal sized cardstock page.

I then just taped a bit of ribbon behind each, to tie the tag onto the gift with. And VIOLA – you’re done!

The Ultimate Free Christmas Printable Round Up

December 1, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I couldn’t do a Christmas in July week without doing an AMAZING list of the most adorable, fun and elegant prints I could find, so here y’all go: The Ultimate Free Christmas Printable Round Up!

There’s a TON of beautiful, artistic and down-right funny prints on this list, and they’re all FREE! Yup, I’m a lover of free things, especially ones that will help with my holidays! So without further ado, check out this Free Christmas Printable list!

So many great ideas in this list of 20 Free Christmas Printables from DIY Candy

I had so much fun making these 12 Days of Christmas Printable Tags last year!

You can’t go wrong with this amazing list of 100 Free Printable Gift Ideas for Christmas from Craftionary

I really need this When you stop believing…from That’s What Che Said, for my Wonder Woman who is starting to doubt!

I love chalkboard printables, and these Free Christmas Chalkboard Printables from Mother Thyme are simply lovely!

Look at all the fun prints in this Round-Up of Free Christmas Printables from Pampers, Play Dates and Parties

This Holiday Cheer Printable from Today’s Creative Blog has such cute colors, and love the words she chose to use!

I’m for sure printing off this Jesus is the Reason for the Season Free Printable from How To Nest For Less for my mantel (or on top of my piano) this year! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So yes, this Free Printable Christmas Planner from I’m An Organizing Junkie is from 2011…but you could still make it work! It’s just too cute to not include here 🙂

Seriously, Desiree from The 36th Avenue is such a talented (and super sweet) lady, and I’m loving her Bright Christmas Printables

Oh my gosh, how fun are these 11 Free Christmas Printables from My Blessed Life?! Super fun, I say!

These Christmas Subway Art & Banner from Mod Podge Rocks Blog are the perfect colors for the holidays!

What a simple-yet-fun print, this Eat Drink & Be Merry Printable from Two Twenty One would be a cute holiday item for my office this year!

My kids loved this Dear Santa: Kids Wish List Printable last year, and I’m hoping to put off this year’s lists at least a few more months!

Sassy Sites has More Than Thirty-Five Adorable & Free Christmas Printables that are just fabulous!

Free Printable Christmas Bucket List for Families

November 30, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I absolutely love this time of year – the sights, the sounds, the smells, all of it. My favorite part, though, is that there’s more of a focus on spending time as a family. Life’s so busy, we don’t get that as often as we’d like, so it’s nice to do extra activities together during the special time of year. If you’re looking for some fun ideas – maybe an activity each day to do as a family – for this holiday, then you’ll love our Free Printable Christmas Bucket List for Families. There’s 25 wonderful, festive activities to do together – plus three different styles of printable so you can choose the one the best first your style or Christmas decor!

I know families typically have their own traditions or things that they do together every Christmas season, so perhaps some of the activities will be familiar – but hopefully there’s plenty of new ones to add to your family celebrations. I tried to include a variety of things – some that take more time, some that are quick and simple – as well as things most anyone can do. For example, we Texans would have a more difficult time sledding or building a snowman, so I tried to avoid those types of things. Ice skating was sort of an exception, since many places (even us warmer, snowless spots) have an ice rink somewhere – even if it is indoor.

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list, as there’s countless holiday activities you and your family could enjoy together this season! We mixed it up to have some crafts, food, relaxing evenings, service projects and more. After all, this season is all about family AND about giving, so I wanted to make sure to include that, too.

We’re so excited to tackle this list with our kiddos, and hope to make more wonderful memories this holiday. These fun Christmas bucket lists are some of our many subscriber-exclusives, so be sure to sign up below for our newsletter to get access for these and many other free printables! The three style options are this fun Red Present border…

…This festive Garland and Candy Cane style…

…and lastly (my favorite) this beautiful Silver and Blue printable!

What’s your family’s must do activity during the holidays?

Perfect Grilled BLT

November 29, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasySqueezy #CollectiveBias

I can’t remember the first time I had a BLT sandwich, I just always remember loving them. The crunch of the bacon, the juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce – and it’s always made better with some turkey slices. I’ve since learned to up my sandwich-making game by trying new sauces, and finding a way to make the Perfect Grilled BLT. Not only is this toasted just right, it also has a delicious basil mayo sauce that really completes this classic lunch recipe!

First, let me tell you our secret to getting a perfectly toasted sandwich Every. Single. Time. The trick – adding some NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread onto the outsides before placing on the heated grill! This is super easy to spread on, in a convenient, easy to squeeze bottle which means less mess to deal with. I wasn’t sure this would really make much of a difference at first, but after using it OH MY GOSH – I love it, and now keep some constantly handy in my fridge – kind of like having squeezable convenience right at my fingertips in the fridge! Stock up on this fabulous NEW product, made with real butter, during your next trip to your local Kroger store. Because we could all use a little something extra special, you can even Save $0.75 off ONE (1) Land O’Lakes Soft Squeeze® Spread with their current promotion – score!

It’s awesome to be able to save money – and also to enjoy a super delicious and easy to make BLT sandwich! Now that we don’t have to deal with crumbs or mess while making out meal, thanks to NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread, we can really focus on just making it and enjoying EATING it.

Ingredients

Slices of Bread
Bacon
Lettuce – washed & cut into strips
Tomatoes – washed & sliced
Turkey Deli Meat
NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread
1 cup Mayo of Choice
1-2 tbsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions

First, use a bit of NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread to grease a skillet for your bacon. Grill it crispy, then set aside.
Whip the mayo, basil and garlic powder until creamy.
Gather the ingredients, then build your sandwich – spread some of the basil mayo onto the inside of each bread slice, then add your desired amount of turkey, lettuce, tomatoes and bacon.
Spread some easy-to-squeeze NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread onto the outside slices of bread, then grill your sandwich over medium-low heat until perfectly toasted.
Serve warm – ENJOY!

What creative ways would YOU use NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread in your cooking or baking?

How to Avoid Lines at Walt Disney World

November 28, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Let’s be honest, a trip to any Disney park isn’t exactly ‘cheap’. Yes, there’s plenty of ways to make it more affordable, but it’s not chump change. Take that into account with how much there is to see and do, and it’s obvious that you’ll want to waste as little time as possible standing in long lines. Luckily on our big family trip to Orlando this past fall, my kids were in awe with how much time we actually spent in lines and our family was able to check so much off of our list! You can take advantage of this ‘secret’, too, because I’m sharing How to Avoid Lines at Walt Disney World to make your trip as magical as ours was!

Hubby and I tried to keep track of our line time, and we realized that the longest wait time we had the entire trip was 15 minutes – and part of that was because we were willing to wait longer for the back on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Other than that, most of our times were simply as long as it took to get from the entrance to where you get on the ride – with an average ride line of 5-10 minutes total. Needless to say, we were thrilled and never had to hear the kids complain about any long lines! We were able to fit in so much on our trip, plus had plenty of down time to just chill and enjoy our family. It was super magical, and it’s all thanks to our friends at Michael’s VIPs with their amazing tour guides who make your trip truly unforgettable and stress-free!

You probably remember us praise them before when we shared our experience using their tour guides for a couples-only trip last year, as well as what our kiddos thought of having a guide for a large family vacation. I still don’t know how we loved our Disney trips so much before I met Adam and his team at Michael’s VIPs two years ago, because they not only take so much stress out of tackling reservations, juggling fast passes and knowing where to be when, but they also save so much time in the parks by helping us avoid lines! Seriously, they’re worth their weight in gold when it comes to getting the most out of your vacation. Since they save you so much waiting time by avoiding long lines, we got to relax more and enjoy fun things like photo opportunities, checking out the decor and entertainment, as well as loving tasty snacks.

We had Renee – who is about the sweetest, most lovable person you may ever meet – who was phenomenal, but all of the team at Michael’s VIPs knows Walt Disney World inside and out! Because of this, they save you so much time by:

Taking the fastest/least crowded routes and walkways
Knowing when/where to avoid parades or other shows
Understanding which rides are busiest when, so you know when to hit which ride next for the shortest wait
Managing fast passes like a magician (seriously, my kids asked if Renee was MAGIC because we had so few waits!)
Organizing your day to fit in bathroom stops, snack breaks & such to fit naturally into your path – no needing to go out of your way
Nabbing snacks or drinks while you ride, saving a trip or wait for the snack cart
Being amazing in so many other ways, too!

Since you can only make THREE fast pass+ reservations at first, then you can do one at a time for whatever may be left, relying solely on those will only save you so much time. These guys and gals know the rides and schedules so well, they can utilize the system to its full potential which saves you a TON of time. Not just for rides, either, but also getting you incredible seats for shows like The Lion King and more!

Other than their immense knowledge and quick app-using skills to make the most of the fast pass+ system, they know the park routes like the back of their hand. Renee jokes that they’re ‘walking talking maps’ – and it’s so true! From rides, bathrooms and snacks, to knowing the schedule so you can easily bypass the crowds for a parade or show, they truly help you make the most of your time in the parks to get as much seen and done as you’d like. Go fast or go slow, it’s up to you – they make it work so your trip is as magical as possible! We’d done Disney so many times before on our own, and dreaded standing in line – but this time, the kids had no complaints at all because there was barely ever any wait for us, IF any wait. Honestly, the only time we really had to deal with lines was for Disney World transportation (which Michael’s VIPs can help you with, as well, we just opted to tackle it ourselves).

If you’re wanting to avoid lines at Walt Disney World, these guys know all the magic to make that possible. It’s so worth it to have 10 minute or less waits for the rides, amazing seats for shows, plus a super-friendly (I think the kids would’ve taken Renee home if we’d let them) guide to help with every aspect of your trip to really give you the magical Disney vacation you dream of!

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Perfect Grilled BLT

Ingredients

Directions

What creative ways would YOU use NEW Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread in your cooking or baking?

How to Avoid Lines at Walt Disney World

Not Convinced? Here’s 10 Reasons to Choose Michael’s VIPs!

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