TIME PASSES BY SO QUICKLY....

Time sure does pass by so quickly these days.  It definitely does not seem like it has been two months since my last post.  Each day feels like it needs a few more hours, which is something that I think many of you can relate to.  The last two months have been filled with a lot of highs and lows, my Thirty One Gifts business has really taken off, we've begun planning our Walt Disney World vacation for the fall, and my son's upcoming 3rd birthday! Last week however, my feet were knocked out from under me when I found out that my father had a potentially fatal health episode that landed him in the hospital having Open Heart Surgery.  Nothing could compare to the feeling of relief when he made it through the surgery and did well enough to come home five days later. I feel so blessed and pray that he continues to improve.

As I mentioned before, we have decided to take my lil guy to Disney World in October and then subsequently visit Clearwater where I'm from.  We only recently decided to make the trip and I know in the Disney universe, planning a vacation only a few months before can be a real chore.  Disney Resorts are definitely starting to book full and finding a room at a resort we want was a little tricky.  Reservations for specialty dining have also been hit or miss this close to the trip.  We definitely want to take Colton to some "Character Dining" restaurants, and those types sell out months in advance. Our top two character dining restaurants were already completely sold out when I called and so I had to go with our second and third choices, which should still turn out to be awesome!  I know a lot of moms out there want to take their little ones to Disney and love tips.....I know because I am one. So I have decided to make several posts throughout my planning as well as when we return, about things I liked, didn't like, don't recommend, etc.  I always love reading blogs with tips and recommendations from real moms...because I am a real mom, not a travel agent! So look for some upcoming posts on planning my Walt Disney World vacation :)

When we decided to go to Disney, my husband and I planned on telling my son at his 3rd Birthday party (it just happens to appropriately be Mickey-themed this year).  Unfortunately, we made the mistake of talking to my mother about it while he was in the room and now he asks "Are we going to Disney?" constantly.  I needed to figure out a way to help him get through the next three months without driving us completely insane.  I thought about it for a while and decided that we would make a Disney related project or activity each week to keep him excited but not upset that we can't go right this minute.  I also decided to make a "Countdown to Disney World" chart that will start the first day of October. Check back soon for the tutorial!



Here's the first of our Disney-themed projects! A MICKEY MOUSE MUSIC MAKER. It was so simple to make and Colton loved marching around the room making his "music" and singing. Click HERE for the tutorial!