Theme Park Essentials With Toddlers

One of the reasons we love living in Florida is that we literally have multiple amusement parks in our backyard.  We have annual passes to Busch Gardens and the zoo, so I often take the kids to the parks alone for just a morning play date. With our annual trip to Disney World coming up as well our first trip to Sea World, I thought this would be a great time to fill you in on what essential items we need when going to a theme park. 

1. BOB Duallie- I can't say how much I LOVE my BOB! It is the perfect stroller for the theme park because it rides smoothly, reclines so the kids can nap if they need to, and has huge sun shades for those hot Florida days! You don't need this exact stroller for the park, but I would definitely recommend something a little more comfortable than an umbrella stroller. 

2. Thirty One Thermal Tote- This tote is not only a theme park essential, but an every day essential. Since a lot of theme parks don't allow coolers, this is the perfect tote to throw a couple of ice packs in and load it with a few snacks or drinks! Definitely check the rules before taking this into a park because some do have their restrictions, but whenever attendants see two toddlers or babies they never usually mind the snacks. 

3. Sunscreen- Living in Florida sunscreen is just another item I have to keep in the diaper bag. For a day at the theme park I make sure to put it on the kids (and me too) at the beginning of the day and reapply depending on how long we are there for.

4. Bathing suit & Towel- (and swim diapers if needed!) Most of the theme parks we go to have splash areas that the kids can play in so I always have a bathing suit and towel just in case. It's usually the day I don't have it when we really need it! 

5. Hand Sanitizer- This is another diaper bag essential that we need at the parks since the kids are pretty much touching everything! And theme parks are usually filled with tourists so I get nervous about a lot of germs in one area :)

6. Camera- A camera is a necessary to catch all of the cute moments, but I usually just have my iPhone for a casual play date at the theme park. If we are going to Disney or a park we don't often go to I won't hesitate to bring my DSLR. I brought it to Disney for the first time last year and was able to capture such beautiful moments with it! I had no problem bringing it on all of the rides with me either since they were all toddler friendly.  Most theme parks have lockers as well if you need to store it for a bit. 

6. Water Bottles- It came as a surprise the first time I learned that most theme parks allow you to bring in sealed water bottles (even Disney!). Not only can you save a buck, but it never hurts to stay a little extra hydrated. You can even freeze one and it will serve as an icepack :)

You can find some of these items in my Mommy Must-haves post here. You can also see our trip to Disney I referenced here. And if you still don't believe me on how much I love my BOB stroller click here.

Happy theme-parking!

My Ipsy & Benefit Cosmetics Lash Bash

I couldn't be more excited to share that I was one of 1,000 women across the United States to have been chosen to host a REALvolution Lash Bash soiree by Ipsy & Benefit Cosmetics! It couldn't have been more perfect since a couple of months ago I started my 'mommy time' section on the blog! Every mommy needs a little makeup to help her feel extra beautiful!

Ipsy & Benefit sent me some fabulous swag bags full of Benefit goodies for nine of my closest friends and I broke out the raspberry champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and more! 

After some eating and schmoozing we got down to business! The lash bash was meant to showcase Benefit's They're Real mascara and  some other products! I gave the girls a quick tutorial on correctly applying the mascara and then they were off to try.

Each guest received a swag bag with luxury sized samples of Benefit's They're Real mascara, Liquid Benetint lip and cheek stain, their Sugarbomb lip gloss in Ultra Plush, and some fabulous coupons to use. They also sent some full sized products that a few lucky winners took home after we played a some games!

We all had such an amazing time at the Lash Bash! It's not every day that we get play with make-up while drinking champagne and eating chocolate covered strawberries!
Thank you Benefit Cosmetics & Ipsy! I was already a fan, but you definitely gained 9 more!

End of Summer Fun

Recently we decided to take another trip to the Guy Harvey Outpost in St. Petersburg, FL. As you know we are big fans of the Hotel Tonight app so there is nothing better than a spontaneous one night stay at the beach! Since it's the slow season, we preactically had the entire resort to ourselves which was a nice treat! It's these moments that make Florida's long summers oh so enjoyable :)

I'm hoping we can get one more beach stay before our 'winter' comes :)
Be sure to click here to see our last visit to Guy Harvey Outpost!

GIVEAWAY: 2 Entries to the Chick-Fil-A Fall Stampede

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and I couldn't be more excited to team up with the Children's Cancer Center in Tampa and Chick-Fil-A to help promote and raise awareness for a great cause! On Saturday, September 28, 2013, Chick-Fil-A will be holding their second annual Fall  Stampede benefiting the Children's Cancer Center. 
This year it will be held at Tampa's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park! What make me even more excited about this event is that it is fun for the entire family so the kiddos can join in on the festivities. There will be a 5k Run for the serious runner and a 1 Mile Fun Walk for the whole family! There will also be some family friendly activities going on throughout the event. 
You can click here to see details or register for the Fall Stampede or click here to check out their Facebook page. 
Thanks to the Children's Cancer Society, I am excited to share I will be GIVING AWAY 2 runner entries to the race! You can enter through the Rafflecopter widget below! There are a lot of opportunities for entries, but it is mandatory to share the link to this giveaway on the social media platform of your choice. The giveaway will be open until Sunday September 16, 2013. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

Disclosure: All opinions are my own in this post. My family was given entry to the race in exchange for writing this post.

Our Mini Family Getaway

Recently we took a mini getaway to Orlando. Danny had business to tend to so the kids and I came along for some fun in the sun. We love...love...LOVE Orlando! It's only a little over an hour away and there is always so much to do with the little ones. This time around we stayed at the Renaissance Orlando at Sea World and the kids had such an amazing time. The resort had a it's own R Aqua Zone Water Park where we spent two days basking in the sun and splashing away. It really made me realize that there is nothing more relaxing than vacationing somewhere that is super kid-friendly!

When we arrived to the hotel room for the first time I did a quick scan of our luggage and hoped that a mother's worst nightmare wasn't happening...the Minnie Mouse luggage was nowhere to be found! And in that luggage was every single article of clothing I packed for the kiddos. So instead of rushing down to the water park we had to run to Target and shop the clearance racks! It all worked out and we had such a blast!  (And look at Daniel-son's little suit we found, ha!) We already have plans to go back before we experience Florida's frigid winter weather ;)

I'm gonna miss you summer! Even though it doesn't get too cold here, nothing beats splashing away in that Florida heat! 

Do you and your family have any special getaways?