Leanne, Author at Rave & Review

What we’re playing with: ZOOTOPIA toys

In celebration of next week's ZOOTOPIA DVD and Blu-ray release, we're sharing some of our favorite toys of the season that are based on the movie.

Aren't these so awesome?We picked these adorable poseable figures up at our local Disney Store. We actually got most of them before the movie was even in theaters because my wife and kids thought they were so cute.

The Judy Hopps Meter Maid Pursuit Set came with a meter maid mobile, so I knew it was going to be a huge hit with the kids. I was definitely correct.

Alice in Wonderland inspired wall art on photo canvas

We love Alice in Wonderland around here. Like, really, really love it. In honor of the release of the new movie, Alice Through The Looking Glass, we're sharing one of our favorite Alice-inspired pieces.

A few years ago, I went down the rabbit hole of Etsy {no pun intended} looking for Alice art. In my search, I was reminded of one of my favorite lines of the Disney animated Alice In Wonderland film: "Do You Suppose She's A Wildflower?" I got the idea to put the quote on a picture I took of my baby {who clearly is a wildflower}, and print it on a canvas for her. I used basic clip art shapes to designate wildflowers, and used a fun Mad Hatter-style script to play up the theme.

Take in the wild and beautiful ride of Alice Through the Looking Glass

As you may know, I have a really big soft spot for Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. Maybe it’s that I watched the animated version hundreds of times growing up or maybe it was that Lewis Carroll’s books were some of my absolute favorites, but I loved the curious {and couriouser} world of Alice. So, as soon as I heard that a sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland {2010} was planned, I knew it would be one that we had to see.

But, then at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, Suzanne Todd gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of James Bobin’s movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass. Hearing some of the backstory and all that went into bringing it to life made me even more excited to see the film. Knowing how much work went into each and every scene and how deliberate all the little details are made me so excited to see how it all came together on the big screen.

CYBEX Gold Line: designed to adapt with your little one

This post was sponsored by CYBEX as part of a Blog Blast Activation for Influence Central.

Even before I was pregnant for the first time, I knew how important choosing the right stroller and car seat were going to be for our on-the-go lifestyle. I began to watch other parents maneuver strollers around town and while traveling and I watched them conquer subways, cobblestones, and shopping malls. Seeing strollers in so many different types of situations gave me strong ideas about what my future babies were going to be riding in. And, even though my opinions on nearly every aspect of parenting has evolved as I became a mom, and then as a mom of two, and now as a mom of three, my opinions on strollers and car seats has changed very little.

Taking a baby or toddler to Disney World? You are definitely going to want to read this first! Our ultimate guide to Disney World with baby and toddler includes 100+ tips to make the most of your Disney World trip with young kids.

Where we were: Disney World for #DisneySMMC

This last week was pure magic. We just got home from 9 days in heaven and now I'm enjoying all of our amazing memories we made during our week at Walt Disney World. It had been over 16 years since hubby and I visited Disney World, and to say we were overdue is definitely an understatement.

This is us in Disney World back in 1999 with my two sisters {I'm second from the left, hubby is on right}. We were BABIES!

Day to night with Rocky 4EurSole sandals

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Rocky 4EurSole and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Remember when I told you about my new Rocky 4EurSole sandals I fell in love with last month and how comfortable they were even for all-day events or for chasing after kiddos? Well, I’m happy to report that they are actually more comfortable now that I’ve worn them quite a bit! The sole itself has stayed the same cushiony, springy support I was raving about, but the leather has softened with wear and they now feel like old friends when I slip them on again.

Spring clean and organize your digital life with MiMedia

I know this isn’t a popular sentiment, but I actually really love spring cleaning. Call me crazy, but I love cleaning up and clearing things out until everything is neat and organized just the way I like it. During my spring cleaning sessions, just about nothing is safe and I recycle, donate, and gift with abandon. It’s a beautiful thing.

But, until now there is one area of disorganization that was too scary for me to even begin to delve into: my digital life. We’re talking decades of pictures, music files, scans, videos, and documents that have been over-categorized and misplaced until it’s impossible to find anything or enjoy it properly.

Like this gem. Hidden away in a file called "10-26-2015-BHJLHK". Because OF COURSE I would look there first when searching for an adorable picture of the kiddos with me during our trip to Georgia. If that doesn't scream "open me for adorable pictures" I don't know what does. That’s where MiMedia comes in. MiMedia is the personal cloud you’ve been waiting for that gives you an easy-to-access, safe and secure digital home for all of your precious memories. Imagine knowing that all your files you care most about are safe in one spot where you can keep them organized and accessible on all of your devices. With MiMedia, they can be.

Seattle date night: Sherlock Holmes and The American Problem now through May 22nd

Tonight we used one of our rare nights out to see a production at The Seattle Repertory Theatre that I’ve been looking forward to for months. Admittedly, we don’t make it to the theatre as often as we used to now that we have young kiddos, but I knew this one was one we couldn’t miss. I mean, c’mon, it is Victorian England meets the American Wild West in R. Hamilton Wright's highly anticipated Sherlock Holmes and The American Problem. How could you go wrong with that?

Photo gifts and surprises from GingerSnapCrate

I just received one of the coolest packages I have ever gotten. Yes, ever. I’m a hard person to surprise, but I was so shocked by my GingerSnapCrate that it felt like Christmas, my birthday, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day all rolled into one.

Picture presents are my absolute favorite, but that’s one thing that’s really tough for other people to get me. You see, I’m my family’s photographer, which means unless my photographer aunt is around with her camera, I hold all the pictures. And, I have a ton of pictures {I actually probably have a few dozen tons of pictures}, which no one wants to dig through to surprise me.But, GingerSnapCrate really surprised me, in such a good way. GingerSnapCrate is a customized monthly box of your favorite images made into custom photo gifts perfect for keeping or for giving.

I was honestly so surprised that I was confused. How did they get these adorable pictures I love so much? I know I didn’t send them all of these, so where did they come from? When they asked for a few pictures, I just drew a blank and sent the four most current pictures I liked of this spring. So, where did the rest of these come from and how did they know my taste so perfectly? And, then I realized that they had found my pictures on Instagram, which is so awesome. Out of my Instagram photos and the photos I uploaded to the GingerSnapCrate site, they made me some super awesome photo gifts that I am simply in love with. From calendar sheets to framed prints and photo bags to magnets and beautifully printed photos, they nailed every single item in the crate.