A Christmas Eve activity for excited kiddos!

If your kiddos are anything like mine, they are super wound up and crazy very excited on Christmas Eve. So much to look forward to, and so hard to wait!
To help your littles deal with the anticipation, it's a good idea to have a few fun activities lined up. Enter the Peppermint Whipped Cream Painting.
If you don't mind a little mess (we don't!) then this is a great sensory activity to do with your children.
I took some of the "whipped topping" that we had still in the freezer from Thanksgiving, added a few drops of peppermint extract to it, and then colored it red and green. The kids had a blast! Their sense of smell is stimulated with the peppermint, their hands are covered in creamy, smooth "paint", and their visual senses are taking in the lovely artwork. And technically, the sense of taste could be stimulated as well with this fun project! Our artwork even continued to smell after it dried.

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A Christmas Tradition That I Love

This morning I sent out the invitations for my 4th Annual Gingerbread Party. This is an event that I started in 2009 where the women and children of the family come together to have a fun and festive afternoon of gingerbread decorating and a warm lunch of creamy potato soup and french bread. (I mean, men could come too, if they wanted. But they're all at work.)
The Gingerbread Party is one of my favorite events leading up to Christmas. It's so fun, and so full of cheer.

Some snapshots for the 1st annual event. 2009.

Over the years, we've had several new additions to the family, and many variations of gingerbread. We've seen houses, men, trees, trains.
We usually oooohhhh and ahhhh at each others creations.
And sometimes laugh at them.
But we always have a wonderful time. It fills my heart with joy.
Do you have any Christmas traditions like this one?
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Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the first link up in the December Kindness Challenge hosted by Danette at All My Love for All My Days and myself!!! Even if you don't have a blog, you can list your kind acts in the comments section for all of us to read! And if you haven't started participating yet, it's never too late!

I think we found our Christmas Card

Yesterday we did a little photo shoot here at home. It was fun, and silly, and all 3 kids cooperated. I've seen similar ideas on other blogs, on Pinterest, and floating around the internet. For instance, I saw one where it looked like the little tot had wrapped his parents up in the lights. And I saw one where it was just two boys. But clearly, I needed to incorporate all 3 of my Littles into the photo. Here is my favorite from the batch so far:
(P.S. NEVER underestimate the power of a little sister, haha!)

Naughty or Nice?

Enjoy, I hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

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You know you're a "Mom Blogger" when THIS is your Funny Friday post...

It's Friday. Our brains our fried. My kids have been puking all week. So instead of typing a blog post with any kind quality content, I will simply share this bit of mindless hilarity with all of you. If you're a parent, you can relate. You must watch this.

Have a great weekend friends!

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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife   

Semi-Homemade Halloween

Hello friends! I hope that you all had a great Halloween. Did you Trick~or~Treat with your kiddos? Did you stay home and have movie night? Do you have any Halloween Night traditions?
I just wanted to quickly share with you our mostly homemade Halloween costumes for this year. I didn't want to go spend $40+ on store costumes this year, plus, my middle kiddo wanted to be "Agent P" and there was NO  "Agent P" costumes to be found. So we took the homemade route this year.
Big Boy was a Baseball Player Zombie. EasyPeasy. He already has his baseball clothes, and my uncle works at Halloween City, so he took him down there and they picked up the makeup together. I didn't spend a dime on Big Boys costume this year! WhooHooo!

Little Boy went as "Agent P" aka Perry the Platypus from the show Phineas and Ferb. He's obsessed. I had to piece this costume together, but I think it turned out ok. His was the most expensive of the three, running me about $40.00 total. But $20.00 of it was the two hats (fedora, and beanie) that he will get a lot of future use out of.

Little Lady was a Garden Fairy.  With a little help from Target and the 99¢ Only Store, her costume ran me about $8.00 total.

And finally, I'd like to share a quick glimpse of my last minute Halloween mantel. I literally waited until 2 days before Halloween to put this together, so I feel like it turned out pretty good for being an afterthought.

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Four Generations of Pumpkin Carving & LOVELY SPONSORS!

Hello friends! I hope that this day finds you well. Can you believe that tomorrow is Halloween already?
I'd like to start this post by mentioning that my prayers are with all of the people who are on the East Coast right now, and being affected by Hurricane Sandy. This is such a scary thing...
Now, moving on from that note, I'm excited to be hosting today my 5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. This is a fabulous little gathering that I host at my home ever year, where FOUR GENERATIONS of pumpkin carvers join together for a hot bowl of chili, some treats and desserts, and some pumpkin fun! One of my favorite days of the year, for sure! Last year the party was pretty much a dud, because my sister and her kids were sick, and my mom was undergoing cancer treatments. I'm hoping to make up for it this year!

Here's a photo of our 2009 party that shows four generations. Can you tell why I love this party so much?

Ok, now that I gave my party some honorable mention, I want to share with you today my lovely sponsors for the month of October.

I'm very happy to have Leslie from Violet Imperfection on my sidebar this month. Have you seen her blog yet? Oh, my! She has got some seriously cute crafts and projects on there. AND she co-hosts a great weekly link up called Raising Imperfection, check it out and link up!

So, what are you waiting for?! If you're not following Violet Imperfection yet, you are missing out! Go!

Find her on Pinterest ~~Find her on Twitter ~~Find her on Facebook

My next lovely sponsor is Laura from Storybook Reality. Laura has a sweet blog that chronicles her life as a wife and mother of two. Being a mom isn't always straight from the pages of a fairy tale, but she's making her own Storybook Reality out of it! If you're hungry for food, funny or family, then go pay Laura a visit!

Find her on Pinterest ~~ Find her on Twitter ~~ Find her on Facebook

Now I'm off to get the kids off to school, spend a few hours working in a preschool classroom, and then home to carve some pumpkins! Have a lovely day my friends!

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Giveaway Winner AND a FREE Printable!

Happy Friday friends!! I hope that you all had a good week, and that this Friday finds you well.
Last night, my 200 GFC Follower Giveaway ended, and the lucky winner was: Laura E., who was already contacted via email. Congrats Laura!
For those of you who didn't win, I'd still love to share a special treat with you. I Created this printable, and I just love it for a kids room, a playroom, a classroom, or even a colorful kids/guest bathroom! (I also have a pastel version of it available, just comment or email me if you'd prefer that one!)

Click HERE for the PDF Download!

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!
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A Year at the Museum (Just For Fun Friday!)

It's Friday! Yay! Two upcoming days of no major agenda, no fighting over homework, and sleeping in a little. Bliss!
I hope that all of you had a grreat week. But I hope that your weekend is even better.
I've been wanting to write this post for a little while now, but things kept coming up instead. Today, I'm finally getting the chance.
On the very last day of Summer Vacation, I took my kiddos to our local County Museum. It's one of those things that's so close to home, and a really cool experience, but you just kinda forget about it, ya know?
To send Summer Vacay off right, we wanted to do one more fun thing. But it was so hot outside, and we didn't have a ton of time or money. Off to the museum we went... it was air conditioned, close by, and cheap. Perfect!
We had such a fun adventure! We had to fend of scorpions and alligators. Dealt with mice, and cockroaches the size of our hands! (GROSS!) We dug for fossils, and walked through a Native American village. Big Boy had a Polar Bear towering over him, while Little Boy went head to head with a Grizzly! Luckily, they were both able to protect Little Lady from the ferocious beasts.

And of course, Mommy was happy because the kiddos were having a great time, and not fighting or misbehaving.

What's better than one day of adventures at the museum? A whole year of adventures! One day admission to the museum is would have been $16.00. But for only $40.00, we were able to get a family membership pass for the entire year! This will come in handy during Screen Free Week, or during those Winter months when we can't play outside. Pretty good deal.
After our time at the museum, we went to a great little restaurant around the corner for some lunch. The kids loved this place, so we may make it a tradition to eat there on museum days.

Do you have a local museum? Do you remember to visit it? How do your kiddos like it?
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Summer to Fall Fun & a GIVEAWAY!!

September is such a "transitional" month, don't you think? It's the season of back-to-school, baseball is ending, football is beginning. You might be laying by the pool one day, and shopping for Halloween costumes the next. It's kind of an odd time of year, I think. So, during these transitional months, here are some fun activities for you to do, that will give you the best of both Summer and Fall:

1) A Berry Good Time. August and September are great months for berries! If you have a wild berry location nearby, or a "U-Pick" location, this is a fun way to get lots of berries for very little money. And the kids love it! Then you can go home and make a fabulous pie or parfait for dessert. It will taste that much better when you pick the berries yourself!

2) Take me out to a ball game! September is the last month of regular season professional baseball. October is the playoffs. If you have a major or minor league team near you, go out for a fun night enjoying America's Pastime! Baseball games are fun for the whole family, for date night, or a night out with friends! Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks!

3) Friday Night Lights! There's nothing quite like the atmosphere of a hometown high school football game. Go cheer on your local boys at a football game. A great time for all, and admission is usually super cheap!

4) Go pay Johnny Appleseed a visit! While you're waiting for the pumpkin patch to open, find an apple orchard. Make a day of picking apples, picnicking, and having some tasty fresh cider or pie!

5) Go to the fair! Many areas host their County Fairs in the months of August and September. This is a great activity for all ages. Ride the rides, eat something deep fried, check out the livestock, and shop the vendors!

Do you have any favorite fun activities for this time of year? Share them with me!

Are you ready for a giveaway?!?!?! Why? Because I like you people, that's why! You should check out the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win some good stuff. You could score a $25 Macy's gift card (hit up the clearance rack for some cute tanks, or get a new scarf for the upcoming fall weather!), $5 Starbucks gift card (have a drink on me! Treat yourself to a refreshing iced beverage or a pumpkin spiced latte!), and finally, so GLAMOROUS ad space here on my sidebar.
Who's ready to win?!?!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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4 Day Recap: A Day Date, Baseball Game, & Back to School

Hello Friends! I feel like I have been away for so long. Blah, I don't like that. What have you all been up to while I was "away"?
I took 4 days off from blogging. Not intentionally, but it just happened that way. Friday The Hubs was off work for some medical appointments, and after he was finished with those, we went on a "Day Date". We had lunch at a great little "dive" BBQ joint that serves "Soul Food" and then walked around the downtown area for a while. I love it there, it's so charming.

That night, we went to a Minor League baseball game with a bunch of people from my older son's Little League team. It was SO HOT that night... we were all pretty much drenched in sweat. Ewwww! But all in all, that was a nice time, and before we know it, baseball season will be over.

Saturday I went shopping for all of the kids Back to School supplies. I spent over $100.00 at the 99¢ Store. Geez Louise!!! WHO DOES THAT?!?!?! Oh, apparently I do... But the kiddos are all set now, so that's great! That afternoon we headed to a birthday party and when I got home The Hubs grilled up some fabulous chicken and we had some delicious chicken salads for dinner. Perfect and refreshing on a hot summer day!
Sunday was spent doing last minute preps for the kids starting school, and putting some gifts together. (More on that tomorrow).
I really wanted to post yesterday, however it was the 1st day of school, and my Little Lady had PT/OT appointments, so the day just really got away from me. My Boys had a great first day! My Little Boy has the same teacher for Kinder that his big brother did, and they remembered on another so well. That made it super easy for all of us! Big Boy has a teacher who's new to the school, but 1st impressions are fabulous!

Have your kiddos gone back to school already? Or are you some of the lucky ones that are still on summer vacation?

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100+ GFC Followers. Let's Celebrate!!

I am so excited that over the weekend my little bloggy reached and surpassed 100 followers via GFC (Google Friend Connect)!! This is quite a milestone for me!
To celebrate with us, Amanda from [amanda catherine] designs has offered to share a promotion code to my readers!

Amanda's art is already beautiful AND affordable, and now you can get it at 15% off by entering the code GLAMOROUS15 when you check out!! How sweet is she?
As if that's not enough, [amanda catherine] designs is a proud partner of Love146, an organization dedicated to end child sex slavery and exploitation. Proceeds from every purchase made will go to fund Love146 and the meaningful work they do.
Now the hard part is going to be deciding which print(s) to order!!
Which one do you love best?

(images were used with permission from the shop owner)
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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

Fun Friday: Stuff I've been working on

I've been working on a few cute/fun projects this week. I wanted to share at least one of them with you today, but I didn't get it quite finished yet, so I think I'll have to wait until Monday. The other, I guess I can't share until later this month, because there's a follower here that can't know about it yet.
*sigh*
So I don't really have anything in the way of sharing for today. But I at least want to share a photo with you, so I'll show you my new niece. She was just born last Sunday.

Isn't she just precious? Such a blessing.

In other news, The Boys go back to school in only 10 more days. There is so much "Summer" that I still want to do, and not nearly enough time or money. It makes me sad.

I hope that you all have a great weekend!
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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

Fun Friday! Let's Get Messy!

Happy Friday!! Ahhhhh, the weekend is upon us! Tonight is my BUNCO night, yay!
Before I share with all of you our fun mess from yesterday, I have to share this hilarious clip with you. I've watched it several times. If you are a Will Ferrell fan (I am) or if you are a Twilight fan (I am), then this is a MUST WATCH. Cracks me up...


Ok, are the tears streaming down your face yet? Go watch it again! Just kidding, just kidding. Unless you want to, haha!
Onto the mess! Wednesday my niece and nephew were with us for a sleepover. I love those stinkin' kids. So yesterday I was hanging out here at home with five kids. This place was chaos! It really wasn't that bad, but I was on my toes.
I decided that it would be fun to whip up some shaving cream paint for the kiddos. I used the neon food coloring (I already had this on hand), and raspberry scented shaving cream that I picked up at the dollar store a few weeks ago. I had some big posterboard paper in the art drawer that I let them use for their canvas's.

This stuff is SO SIMPLE to make, and costs next to nothing. The kids had a blast making their very own  shaving cream creations. This project is so fun because it's a different painting medium than they are accustomed to. They loved the fluffy texture of the shaving cream, and the fruity scent of it. They used paint brushes, and their hands. They mixed the colors together. Such a fabulous sensory experience!

 

This project was pretty messy, and The Boys felt it necessary to coat their torso's, arms and faces in the paint as well. My preferred method of cleaning them? I took them outside and hosed them off. It seemed like it would take the least effort be the most efficient way to clean them.

All five of the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Their ages ranged from 2 years old all the way up to 8 years old. Seems to me like you can't go wrong with shaving cream paint!
Have a great weekend my friends! Go get messy!
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Fun Friday! A little of this, a little of that...

It's Friday, it's Friday! WhooHooo! That means I get my husband home with me for two days in a row! I like that guy...
I left him a note this morning. He gets up super early to leave for work. Before the sunshine even. Sometimes I like to hand write him notes rather than texting him. It feel more personal, ya know? Do you ever leave handwritten letters to your other half?

Yesterday, one of my best friends stopped by with some birthday gifts for me. Yay for presents!! And not only the gifts, but a tasty Snickerdoodle cupcake as well!

And, I have to say... Only the very best kind of friend can buy you all of your favorite movies without even having to ask you what they are. Awesome gift I tell ya, awesome!

The Boys are being SUPER lazy today. I think they didn't sleep last night. I have nocturnal Boys, I guess, because they just don't want to wake up today.  It would seem that they are taking advantage of my liberal stand on betimes over summer vacation. Guess I'll have to stop being so liberal...
That's putting a damper on my plans, but I'll just roll with it.

But the fabulous news today is that I ordered the Chevron Skirt I've been drooling over from Old Navy this morning! I also got Little Boy two new shirts for Kinder, and my soon-to-be-born niece a new shirt. And all for $39 including the tax & shipping. What a steal!!
What are you up to today my friends? Any big plans for the weekend?
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Computer Room: Progress Report #3

It has been quite a long time since I last shared with you the progress on my computer room. There hasn't been a great deal of change since the last post, but just a few touches here and there that are making me more and more pleased with it as I go along. I still have plenty I'd like to do in there, but for right now, here is where we're at. Some of the photos below ask YOU to help me with some opinions!

At this point, I want to put a curtain on the door, something fun and colorful. Paint the door to the garage (but can't decide what color!), paint the bench (again, can't decide on a color!), and make/hang a cute bunting. Put up a few more wall hangings, I think. I want this room to look fun! All in good time.
What are your opinions on door and bench colors??

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Just for Fun Friday (again): Mini Photo Shoot with my Little Lady

I finished with my yucky errands and whatnot today a little bit early, yay me! It was such a lovely day outside, and my sweet little lady was just looking oh so cute, so I decided to take her out to the yard for a few snapshots. I'm pleased with the way they came out. I wish my boys would let me take photos of them like this...

Just for Fun Friday

It's Friday! WhoooHoooo, right? The only part that's a bummer is that it means we're one week closer to school starting. I love having my kids home. I love our relaxing days together, sleeping until we want to, staying in our pajamas, and then... only when we feel like it, finding an adventure.
Yesterday I had to take Little Lady to the "Big City" (Los Angeles) for an Orthopedic appt. I hate going to the city. There are too many cars, and too much traffic.  How do you feel about "the city"?

Today, I have a ginormous amount of disgusting dishes to wash. No, really, it's disgusting. I've been putting it off, shame on me. I have a board meeting for my preschool, and then I have to go to the DMV. Soooooo, basically, I hope you're having more fun than I am today. Maybe tonight will bring me some fun. Probably not.
My Big Boy is off with his Aunt today, so maybe this afternoon The Littles and I will whip up some shaving cream paint, and clean the patio table have a good time making art on the patio table.
We have dinner with The Hubs's family Saturday night, before his sister goes back home to Florida. I think we're going to my favorite pizza place, so that will be a nice time.
Maybe a family dinner with my family on Sunday, for my birthday? I'm not sure yet....
I just booked my Little Lady's 2 year photo session for Tuesday. It's a newer photographer, but from what I've seen, she does beautiful work. And her prices are great! (https://www.facebook.com/LexyTaylorPhotography)
Not too much going on here over the weekend. But I like it that way.
Do you have plans for the weekend?

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I can also be found on Twitter under the handle @MyNotSoGlamLife

I'm feeling the Love! Come see why!

Hello my friends! I have been flattered by happenings in the blogosphere this week and I want to share them with you! Firstly, I was featured as the link with the most clicks over at Maiden D'Shade's link party. How fun is that? That means that lots of  people clicked on my post to read more about my fabulous cobbler recipe. So fun!


Then, Rachel from Swell and Stylish tagged me for a Liebster award. ("The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.) This was really fun for me too! 

There are some "rules" for the recipients of this award, but it's all in good fun! 
Here are the rules for receiving this award:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

Here are the questions that Rachel gave me to answer:
1. What is your favorite thing to do when you're not working?
I'm a Domestic Engineer (aka Homemaker), so I'm always working. On the rare occasion that I have some "me time" it could be as simple as reading, taking a walk, taking a drive, or as fun as a massage, pedicure, hair cut, or shopping. 

2. Where have you traveled that you loved so much you didn't want to leave?

Ummm. Nowhere. Seriously... I live in Southern California, and I'm in love with it. I live 2 hours or less from the mountains, the dessert, the "big city", the ocean, the lakes, the river... you name it!
As far as out of state destinations though, I enjoyed a visit to Kansas City, Missouri last summer.

3. What is your favorite song? (Would love to see video or hear audio)

I think for a while now, my favorite song has been Love Like Crazy, by Lee Brice. This song just touches my heart, and I think gives us all something to strive for.

4. Can you give us a color swatch of one of your fave colors? (try this color finder)

I'll just go ahead and say right off the bat, that it is impossible for me to choose a favorite color. This just can't happen. Sorry.

5. What is your signature drink? (recipe?)

I totally don't have one of these either... am I lame?

6. If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hmmmmm.... I'm gonna go with... Mexican food. Do I have to pick a specific item?

7. What is your main form of transportation?

My car. It's a 2010 Chevy Impala. Silver. I love it.

8. What is one big thing that you want to accomplish in the next year?

I would like to finally take the steps that it would take to get myself back in school.

9. Can you share a quote that you really appreciate?

"We are not given a good life or bad life, we are given life and it is up to us to make it good or bad." ~Ward Foley

10. When you think of the letter P, what comes to mind?

Princess

11. What's for dinner tonight? 

 We had some mess of cheesy pasta with ground turkey. It seriously wasn't what I meant to make, but turned out that I was missing some key ingredients. Figures.

Now onto some lovely bloggers that I'm choosing to tag for this award and the 11 questions I have created for them to answer:

Cropped Stories * Growing Up * K plus J equals Love * Ladies in Navy * Life Unexpected * Love Grows Wild * Mr. d & me * My Happy Place * Oh Craft! * Permanent Kisses * sILLYness *

All of the blogs I decided to share the award with are blogs I have been following, and enjoying. I would encourage you to check them out!

Here are the questions for those of you who I've listed above:
1. What is your favorite thing about being an adult?
2. What is your least favorite thing about being an adult?

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

4. What is the last movie you saw in the theatre?

5. What is your guilty pleasure?

6. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

7. Are you a morning person or a night person?

8. What is your favorite flower?

9. What is your favorite season?

10. How many tattoos do you have?

11. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Okay friends! I hope that you all will participate so that I can read your answers! Best wishes to you all!

Playing a little catch-up and Menu Monday

More days than usual have passed since I have written a post. I've been missing my blog, but at the same time, it was a nice little breather.
Saturday we celebrated my Little Lady's 2nd Birthday with a small family party. I made some delicious (from scratch) strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting. They got rave reviews from the party guests, kids and adults alike, which made me happy.

(I got the great printable shown above HERE)

Sunday was her actual birthday. I took her to get her ears pierced.

 It was a day of mixed emotions for me, for a few different reasons, and honestly, I just didn't feel up to posting my normal "What I Love About Sundays". But her new 'bling' is probably something that would have made the post. I think they look so pretty in her sweet little ears!

Yesterday, I missed Menu Monday, so here will be a quickie version:
Monday: Homemade Chili with Flour Tortillas
Tuesday: Take-Out
Wednesday: Chicken, steamed veggies, green salad, pasta or rice side.
Thursday: Taco's and Refried Beans
Friday: Pork Chops
Saturday: Pasta Casserole (similar to baked ziti) green salad, garlic bread
Sunday: To be determined.

My sister in law is out visiting from Florida right now, so she took The Boys to the Aquarium of the Pacific today.  Shortly after they left I said to Little Lady "What should we do today while The Boys are gone?" and then I replied to myself  "Duh, we should go to Disneyland!". And so we did. Yay! It was her first time going!

I sent a message to my friend Illy asking her what she was doing and she said "Wishing I was at Disneyland". Now if that wasn't kismet, I don't know what is! So she met us there! Another awesome thing about this day was that today was the 57th Anniversary of Disneyland opening, and we were there! Fun!
We  had a fabulous lunch, rode a few rides (Little Lady LOVED them all!) and she got to see Mickey, who she was very smitten with. She gave him kisses.

We have a few more things going on this week, but hopefully not anything that will keep me away for too long. So now that I feel like I am no longer neglecting my cyber-baby blog I will go get a few hours of shut eye.
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