I wanted big fluffy snow to fall in St. Louis. I kept thinking of my childhood, how exciting it was to watch your school scroll across the bottom of the screen on the tube (not YouTube kids). We lived across the street from the highway that led to downtown St. Louis. On snow days, it would be eeire quiet. I was used to the constant noise. This silence was golden and I loved it.

Although I have children now, it’s rarely quiet. But I still cherish these snow days. This time around, I wanted to make cookies. For some reason, lavender sounded so good. To smell is one thing but have you tried eating it? It’s a burst of flavor. Add the lemon and it’s heaven! It’s probaby a Spring snack, but it just felt right.

If you’re looking for a change from the traditonal holiday cookie, try these!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender (I got mine from Williams Sonoma)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, lavender, and lemon zest.  Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter at a moderate speed.  At a low speed, add the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.  Transfer the dough to wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Form the dough into a 4-inch log and chill for at least 45 minutes longer.Preheat the the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the shortbread dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Freeze the rounds for 5 minutes. Bake the shortbread for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 12-18 cookies 

Recipe came from Food & Wine Magazine.

Is it worth going to Disneyland Paris?

I love the Disney brand and usually they get things right. My husband and I debated whether or not we should go to Disneyland Paris on our last day in Paris.  We both decided to hop on the train and see our old friend Mickey.

First impression went something like this. When the train stopped at the park, it seemed quiet. I wasn’t for sure if it was our stop. I was expecting music, color, decor and balloons! The ticket counter cast member was extremely nice and helpful, so that was a great start. As we entered Main Street I thought, “where’s the pretty Mickey balloons”? They had balloons, but not the fun ones sold on Main Street in Walt Disney World or Disneyland California. Ok, no big deal… Why is Main street so devoid of cast members? I always wave to plenty of cast members as we walk through Main Street. No cast members were seen! Want a picture in front of the castle? Where’s the photographer? As I put on my Mickey ears, I felt so out of place. I rarely saw anyone wearing any fun Disney flair! Ok, this is getting weird.

The fast pass line was a little frustrating, people were showing up way too early for their return time. The cast members would allow them to stand in the way of those who were there on time. It was so unorganized, I couldn’t help to wonder if I was at a typical amusement park. This didn’t feel like the Disney magic we’re used to. The crowd level that day was managable.  We had heard rumors that the food wasn’t great in DLP. So we opted for Casey’s Corner for a hotdog. I can’t imagine they could screw up a hotdog, but they did! The bread was horrible! My goodness!

We did some shopping, but the merchandise was nothing special. Shopping in Disney parks is exciting! Heck, even Shop Disney is fun! DLP main store was so dissapointing. Disney merchandice is better at Target and Walmart compared to DLP.

I feel horrible about my feelings on Disneyland Paris. Perhaps it was an off day. I came there with an open mind after reading many bad reviews on the park. I do have to agree that Disney needs to step in soon to help this park. I hope D23 will have big news to change things soon.

On the positive side, everyone is going to LOVE Ratatouille. I was so thankful to experience this ride before the opening in Epcot. This is going to be a fantastic addition to World Showcase. DLP version of Space Mountain is also amazing and much more intense than the WDW version.

Bottom line is this: If you are a true Disney fan, you should go to Disneyland Paris. If you don’t have the time, you should skip it. This park is not a destination, just an attraction. They need a lot of help and I am hopeful they will bring Disneyland Paris to the glory it needs to be in.

As always, thank you for reading and your support!

Are you tired of the crowds in Toy Story Land? Are you the one running to Slinky Dog Dash at rope drop and still have a 60 minute wait or longer? What if you rode Slinky with your fast pass and wanted to ride again? There is a way to beat all of this…. but there’s always a price to pay. Is it worth it? Keep reading.

You should arrive at 7am to park in the empty parking lot. The spots are pretty close to the entrance. Breakfast will be available from 7am-10am at the Backlot Express Resturant (near Star Tours). I also noticed a coffee stand open by the quick service inside Toy Story Land. There was a contental buffet breakfast and a hot breakfast at the quick servce section. I took some photos to get an idea. We thought the food was pretty good. The actual ticked event with Toy Story Land access is between 7:30am-9:00am.

You will have access to Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania! You’ll also have the chance to meet Buzz, Woody and Jessie. Photos will be linked to your photopass. Slinky Dog Dash was about a 20-30 minute wait. The other two rides were walk on. We did the early morning magic twice during this trip. The second trip, Slinky Dog Dash was down at 7:30 and didn’t open up until after 8:15. The good news is that they continue to let you on Slinky Dog from 9am-10am through the Fast Pass line. We also felt like we were able to ride MORE with him being down. We probably rode Slinky Dog 7-8 times on this morning. So don’t get discouraged if this happens to you. It’s actually an advantage!

Slinky Dog Dash is my family’s favorite rollercoaster. We all agree that the Early Magic Morning pass was worth the time and money.

Since this is a private event, you are able to take some great photos of the park! Finally, take a photo of the sea of people that are entering the park at rope drop! It’s crazy!

The price? Get ready, because it’s Disney afterall! Special event admission is available for $79 per adult (ages 10 and older) and $69 per child (ages 3 to 9); tax not included. Regular theme park admission is also required.

I hope you find this post helpful with your planning! Enjoy your experince with Toy Story Land!

We were lucky to spend a few nights inside these amazing Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge! Take a tour inside these beautiful cabins! Thank you for watching!

Mickey is celebrating his 90th birthday-which is November 18th! He is celebrating in a big way! So many exciting things are being released in stores! It’s all cute, I will share all the details below!

Target:

Walmart:

Grocery stores:

Now it’s time to decide what goodies you want for you and your family! Oh Boy!

Cheers!

I always like to add something special to our dinner table during the holidays. I created this menu to help make your dinner table extra special for this Valentine’s day!  Your someone special will appreciate this extra touch at their place setting! Let’s get started! Download this template HERE.

Create a new project. Then go to SHAPES and grab the HEART Icon. This is going to be your largest heart (the backing). Drag to the desired size.

Repeat the heart shape again, but this time make it smaller.

Then after you saved the template file I provided, upload the file as shown here. The file is a PNG file. That’s why you see the checkered background. It just means the the file doesn’t have a background.

Choose SIMPLE.

Then choose “Save as a print then cut image.”

Insert image and drag to the appropiate size.

Grab the text icon and insert your dinner items. Then you will need to size them correctly.

Like this 🙂

Select the white heart and all text (do not select the pink or whatever color you chose) and FLATTEN the section (as you see on the bottom.)

After you “MAKE IT” this is what the print and cut file will look like

Chooose printer and turn off bleed. That’ll look like a hot mess if you dont! 🙂

This is what this will look like in action!

Then attach the two hearts together! I used to handy scotch tape.

I hope this helps! Happy Creating!