Disneyland Survival Guide

Spring Break is so close I can taste it! Many of you might have plans to go to the happiest place on Earth... Disneyland! As an annual passholder I thought I would give you some tips, or things that work for me, while at Disneyland. It can be tough to navigate if you aren't there once a week (covers eyes in embarrassment) so I'm here to answer any questions!

1.Bring snacks: Of course you could eat a corn dog every time you get hungry but that might add up quickly...and your pants might not fit by the end of the day. ;)

2. Never buy clothing there: Because Target, Gap, Old Navy all sell clothing with Disney characters on them. Save some bucks and buy before you go. Better yet, get matching shirts for the whole family so you can spot each other quickly (plus twinning is winning!).

3. Bring an extra cell phone battery: with all the pictures you will be taking and all the Instagram stories you will be adding you will need some extra juice!

4. Take advantage of shows: Shows are typically a win because they don't get as crowded as the rides. I love Mickey's Map, Fantasy Faire, and the Soundsational parade! Oh, and there is a park in Toon Town for active toddlers to get their wiggles out. The twins love it!

5. Rides for adults and babies: You might think you won't enjoy the rides because you will be stuck on the carousel all day. Wrong! Babies can go on Toy Story Mania, Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Carribbean, the jungle cruise, Haunted Mansion, Tea cups, and MUCH MORE! Get excited!

6. Bring pjs: We always pack pj's (Mickey ones of course!) and change the kids before putting them in their car seats on the way home. Avoid that carseat-to-bed transfer mishap like that!

7. Bring a massive stroller: Honestly I will probably be bringing a stroller long past the time the twins don't need it anymore. We put so. much. stuff. in there it's embarrassing. Yes, you have to walk and not ride the tram but you will need to burn the extra calories anyway from all the corn dogs you will ingest!

8. Layer clothing: T-shirts are great for the day but it tends to get cold at night!

9. Disneyland wait time app: This allows you to see how long the wait for a ride is without walking all the way over to the ride. win-win-win!

10. Go during the week: If possible go during the week.. it's way less crowded and you will have a much better time! 

Hope this helps and feel free to comment with questions!

Easter Basket Ideas

Easter basket roundup (for girls) is finally up! Better late than never, right?!

I typically like to include a lot of spring/summer things in the kids' Easter baskets, especially this year since our spring break starts the next day! Hats, sunnies, swimsuits, towels, sandals, books, and crafts are always crowd pleasers! Also, using a tote bag as a basket is a great idea too!

doll: candy kirby designs

sunnies: gap

jammies: 

swimsuit: gap

jellies: old navy

book: amazon

bracelet: made with love by mary

jammies: gap
sandals: freshly picked
hat: amazon
sunnies: old navy
bubble gun: amazon
starfish suit: amazon
palm suit: old navy
book: amazon
basket: pottery barn kids

S I X

My sweet big girl Blair turned six last week and I just don't know where the time has gone. Six sounds old... five I could deal with but once you pass five you're like a big kid! Time is such a thief but I'm also really enjoying watching her mature and seeing how she interacts with her friends and siblings.

Blair, you are my favorite big girl! You have the best manners and the kindest, most caring heart. There is something so tender and sweet about you and you have a special place in many adults' hearts who spend time with you. Your teacher, the lunch supervisors, and your church teachers all adore you and it makes my heart soar. You are sensitive (sometimes to a fault) but it makes you love fiercely. You are inclusive with all the kids you spend time with and you don't have a mean bone in your body. You love showing Cal and Everly new things and making them laugh till their bellies hurt. You are my best helper and I raising those two babies would be a much greater struggle without you. You know the Lord and continue to ask me spiritual questions and I love our conversations when it's just the two of us. You are my favorite big girl and I love you so much!

GIVEAWAY: facial by Sheer Beauty Skincare

Hey local ladies! For the last six months I've been making my skin a priority and getting facials at @sheerbeauty_skincare by Charlene. I've never had a facial before and WOAH what a difference I've seen in my skin!

I've been loving the hydra-facial she gives me which helps with exfoliating, deep pore cleansing, plumpking fine lines/wrinkles (YES) and adding antioxidants/peptides to plump my skin.

I'm teaming up with @Sheerbeauty_skincare to give aay one hydra-facial at any location (Upland, Redlands, Riverside). And if you don't win but still want great skin mention me to get $25 off your first treatment! And good news...they offer TONS of treatments such as chemical peels, dermaplaning, Botox, fillers, and more!

Just head to my Instagram (@natyouraveragegirl) to enter! Winner will be announce in 48 hours on original post. Good luck!

Magical Unicorn Party Invitation by Minted

I set the tone of Blair's unicorn themed party with these Minted unicorn invites. I'm a huge sucker for paper invites and I love putting them in her baby book (or maybe I have to start calling it a scrapbook now that she's SIX?!). 

The rose gold foil detail gave me all the heart eyes and I love putting a recent photo of her on the invite so we can go back and see how she has grown from year to year. When she starts getting too old for parties I'm going to be one sad Mama so for now we party on! 

Head over to Minted right now and get 15% off using code SPRING18!

Magical Unicorn Party Games

What's a party without games?! Since I made the epic mistake decision to have a four hour party (Thanks, M, for talking me into that) I knew activities were going to be a must. I opted for the tried-and-true "Pin the horn on the unicorn" and used my sleep mask as a mask. The girls loved it!

At each table setting I had some wooden unicorns that the girls could color if they finished eating early.

I also set out some coloring pages with markers and crayons as an activity to fill time and allow girls who finished their lunch or crafts early something to do.

For favors the girls got to each take home some unicorn slime (recipe HERE) that they added sequins and jewels to. The slime was definitely a hit and I would highly recommend having an adult make it the night before and then just letting the kids add extra pizzaz. The glue can be pricey so I found a good deal HERE.

And finally a party is not a party at my house without pictures (sorry girls!) so we filled some time by taking individual shots outside. I used a table cloth and taped it to the garage door which made for a cute backdrop!

Let me know if you have any questions below! Party on party people!

Magical Unicorn Party Desserts

What's a party without treats? We take our treats very seriously over here, especially on birthdays! I knew we had to make a unicorn cake for the party and since that's not my area of expertise I had my friend Lynnea help me out. We used boxed white cake mix (because six year olds don't care or know the difference) and I bought the unicorn accessories HERE.

For the popcorn I bought colored candy melts and added a little bit of coconut oil to the chocolate so it would drizzle easily over the popcorn. My hubby actually popped the pop corn and then spread it out over baking pans. Next, he drizzled the chocolate and then let it harden. We put it in a bowl and covered it so it would still be fresh the following day.

When I saw the cotton candy at Target I knew it would be cute but I wasn't sure how I was going to display it since it came in a tub. I found the pink cardboard fruit baskets at Michaels and put the cotton candy inside. I then dipped waffle cones in the same colored chocolate I used for the popcorn and added sprinkles to give them a whimsical look. Adding the eyes to the cardboard boxes was a last minute touch that really tied the look together!

Finally, for the sugar cookies I bought the cookie cutters HERE and made them the night before. The following day I iced them with THIS RECIPE. The actual sugar cookies are Betty Crocker's sugar cookie mix and they never disappoint! They are always a crowd favorite and we never have any left!

Magical Unicorn Birthday Party

Since Target had such a great deal on cute, inexpensive unicorn paperware I based the party loosely around that color scheme. The girls ate their lunch and did some activities around our dining room table so I transformed that room into a magical space. I already owned the plush unicorns that stood in the middle of the table. The iridescent streamers were a cheap Target buy (thanks, Easter section!) along with the plates, napkins, hats, and straws. Target for the win! (always!) I've linked to other products I used below the photos...

Unicorn balloon: amazon (beware this dumb balloon doesn't float right side up. I had to tape it to the wall)

Streamers: Party City

Iridescent Cups: Amazon

Wooden Unicorn Craft: Amazon

Glittery Unicorn Hat: Amazon

Number Six Balloon: Michaels

Marble Balloons: Amazon

Magical Unicorn Birthday Party

After Blair gave me a unicorn theme option for her party (the other options were floral or fairy) I knew that was going to be the one I picked because

A. easy...unicorns are everywhere right now
B. it was the cutest option!

For this post I'm breaking down the dessert table backdrop but here are pictures of THE DESSERTS, THE TABLESCAPE, THE CRAFTS/GAMES, and THE INVITES.

The iridescent backdrop was from amazon and I used push pins to tack it to my wall (Matt loves this). The rainbow was DIY out of crepe paper (from party city). I followed a tutorial on Pinterest loosely but M and his friend were the ones who  actually executed it. The clouds are pillow filler from Michaels and were also stuck to the wall with clear push pins. I found the party balloon at Target dollar bin. The "You are magical" sign was from the Spritz brand unicorn party decor at Target along with the straws, plates, hats, and napkins.

More details on the dessert soon! Stay tuned!