Celebrating Grandma Johnson: Things I learned from my grandma
This has been an extraordinarily hard week. For the country, for Orlando, and also for our entire family. This week we said goodbye to the matriarch of my husband’s family, Grandma Johnson. She has been someone I looked up to for almost 20 years, and I am so happy I was lucky enough to get to call her grandma. 
My older two have long adored their great-grandma, but my heart especially aches for my little one, Grandma Johnson’s mother’s namesake, who was only just beginning to get to know her. Though I can never replace the joy of having her in our lives, I will try my hardest to preserve her memory and carry on her legacy. 
I have so many things she taught me that I want to be able to share with my kids, so it seemed fitting to pay tribute by sharing the bits of wisdom she has imparted upon me in the two decades I had with her. 
With that, I give you my list of things I learned from Grandma Johnson:
Find the perfect gift for Dad from Cloud 9 Living – from helicopters and fighter pilots to wine tastings and golf {$20 off code}
At this point in my life, I’m pretty hard to shop for. While I love getting new things just like everyone else, I just don’t actually need much anymore. I’m…
Summer baking trend: frosting-free cakes for all your summer events
10+ reasons why you should own ZOOTOPIA on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s the day we've been waiting for! ZOOTOPIA is now out on DVD and Blu-ray!
As soon as I saw Disney's ZOOTOPIA movie, I was smitten. In so many ways, ZOOTOPIA was just as good, and in many ways better, than I had hoped. It had action, it had adventure, it had heart, and it had a really wonderful message.
Even months later, we’re all still talking about takeaways from the movie and parts that we really enjoyed as a family. The conversations are only getting better as we process the movie and discuss it further. Clearly this was a movie we needed to own.
Why should you own ZOOTOPIA? I'm so glad you asked. Here are just some of many reasons:
Make your Oribel PortaPlay even more amazing with two awesome new accessories
I’ve said before how much I love our PortaPlay Convertible Activity Center from Oribel. We’ve had it for a year now and it’s still one of my favorite items we got for our little one. This is because the PortaPlay bouncer/activity table isn’t just for babies. The PortaPlay converts as baby’s needs change, so what started out as a bouncer/exersaucer for baby becomes a toy-covered or flat-topped activity table that can be used for years. 
After almost a year of use as a bouncer, we recently converted the PortaPlay to an activity table and my new little walker was super excited to walk around the table and play with the toys from a new angle. And then when the newest Oribel accessories arrived and we converted the PortaPlay to a flat-top art table, she was super excited to use the PortaPlay with her favorite dolls and toys.
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.
100+ tips and tricks for doing Walt Disney World with babies and toddlers
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.