two years home • lucy fei

Photo by Lauren Clark Photography

Last week we hit the 2 years home mark with Lucy- and I have to say we are in a completely different place than we were this time last year. This year has been hard, but so good at the same time. You can check out her 1 Year Home Check-In here!

Sweet Lucy has continued to be just that- sweet. I love that her natural state is one of curiosity, concern for others, and we can’t get enough of that good-natured smile. She is well loved by us, her family, but also by her teachers and friends.

Physical Health:

Lucy has continued to be in great physical health, though she did battle Flu B a few months ago. The heart condition she was diagnosed with at birth continues to be a nonexistent issue. We’ve had well checks and immunizations (which of course she hated! eek!)- and our pediatrician thinks she looks great. We are so thankful for this.

She has also proven to be quite athletic and is impressing us all at gymnastics. She loves dancing and definitely has some rhythm, too.

We haven’t done any dental work yet, but I have a feeling that is the next focus for us. Unfortunately right now, we aren’t able to go to the dentist (due to COVID-19, the office is closed), but once it’s back open we will be paying a visit.

Language:

Oh my- miss Lucy has SO many words! In fact, she talks so much that sometimes we have to remind her to stop, haha! Honestly, though- we couldn’t be more thankful that this is the case. She spills stories (most of the time completely made up) and paragraphs to us- always has a comment about things. It has given us so much insight into her thoughts and fears. Music has proven to be one of the fastest ways for her to learn, and she cracks us up singing and dancing everywhere. Until COVID-19, she was attending preschool 4 days/week and has learned her colors, several letters, days of the week, and more. Yes, her teacher is amazing!

Sleep:

Lucy has always been a great sleeper, and continues to be so. In fact, she will ask me if it is bed time or nap time and willingly puts herself to sleep! Can you believe it?! Huge blessing to this mama. There have been a few stressful times this year for her in which she has fallen asleep at an unusual time of day in order to cope. It breaks my heart, but I’m also glad that her coping mechanism allows her to rest, and I pray God gives her peace in those times. I am getting better at recognizing it- every person copes with stress in their own way, and just like for our other kiddos- I want to do my best to help her when she needs it.

It took them about 5 minutes outside to “surprise” me with their “new gloves” one day!

Likes/Dislikes:

Music, music, music. Lucy loves music, dancing, wearing alllll the pretty dress-up clothes, and those clickety-clackety plastic princess shoes all over the house. She loves her schedule, any and all kinds of noodles, playing with friends at church and school (which we miss so much right now!).

Lucy is not a fan of bugs/getting dirty, although she does jump in there and test it out from time to time. She can get a good case of FOMO going on if one of her siblings is doing something without her.

Last year we were able to go out for Chinese food on Gotcha Day, but this year, due to COVID-19, we had to stay at home. We still got takeout, though! We have photos from China and last year of Shawn feeding her a dumpling, so this will be tradition. This year, our newly-4 year old wasn’t sure she liked it very much, haha.

Food:

This has been more an area of struggle for us, but that also comes with 3 year old territory. We had an incident this year where Lucy swallowed a hard candy that her big sister got for her (unbeknownst to me- Liv, her older sister, crawled on top of the fridge to get it! Goodness gracious.) Anyway, it obviously scared us both and thankfully she was able to puke it back out (sorry, TMI!)- BUT I was so glad it wasn’t worse. So after that, Lucy has really had some fear about eating certain types of foods- and I don’t blame her. We’ve also just dealt with some stubbornness and boundary-pushing, like you do with a 3 year old. It’s been hard at times. Lucy isn’t the only one being picky or not wanting to eat at mealtimes- it’s all 3 of our kids some days. Shawn and I have disagreed on how to handle it. But Shawn and I did have a heart-to-heart about it and decided that we needed to stick together and help each other out with the rule enforcement at mealtimes, while also showing grace to each other and our kids. Some battles are worth fighting, and some aren’t- and figuring out which battles are which is how I define parenting. :)

I’m very proud that as of late, Lucy has been willing to try new foods, and I have been more intentional about including some “easy” meals each week that I am confident she will like. So while I’m sure our food battles aren’t over, they aren’t near as frequent.

Transition and Siblings:

While I am typing this update, Lucy is standing on top of the picnic table in our backyard. She is wearing her Elsa dress (so is her sister- we had to have two), and she is singing at the top of her lungs. 99% sure this is a completely original song, haha. So transition-wise, she is doing well. Since starting school 4 days at week at the beginning of the year, we have been so impressed with her. So many things have been made easier because she is always wanting to do what big sister does. And, on the other side of the coin, more difficult when she isn’t doing what big sister is doing. We spend a lot of time explaining that they are still different people and will do and want different things sometimes. I am sure Lucy’s desire to always be like Liv will change as they get older (in fact, I hope for it! Sometimes I interpret it as a lack of independence and it annoys me- but I know that it is healthy for her right now). And, we are loving how in sync our girls seem to be with each other and hope it continues to be that way.

This year for Easter we hosted Cinderella and Rapunzel. Knox is a very good sport!

Knox and Lucy have a sweet relationship, and she loves to be chased by him. I love the way she (literally) looks up to him, and pray that they will continue to love each other well.

Already, Lucy has taught me so much with her little life. She may be small, but her story is big and has impacted me for the better. The word I pray for her is “RISE”:

R- righteous woman of God

I- integrity

S- secure in her Savior

E- empathetic encourager

If you’re reading this, you’re probably part of the village that prayed her home. Thank you so much for that. We are ever grateful for the gift that God has given us in this child. The journey isn’t always easy, but goodness it is so worth it.

I did a little interview with Lucy last night. Here is what she had to say:

Check out my other posts on adoption here:

Lissa's Lists • Fun Kitchen Must-Haves

I’m a list lover. I’ll write to-dos down just to cross them off. Want to convince me of something? Make a list of reasons why. So, for some time now, I’ve wanted to do a fun weekly feature called Lissa’s Lists- where I get to share a fun list of whatever I feel like sharing! So, without further ado…

This week’s list is Fun Kitchen Must-Haves. I thought about calling it Quirky Kitchen Gadgets or Stuff I Have In My Kitchen That Makes Me Smile, but really, all of these things are things I would consider must haves- and they either make cooking a little easier or more fun for me- or both!

Popco Popcorn Maker

We bought this popcorn maker about 2 weeks into quarantine and have used it so much! There are tons of great recipes out there but we love this kettle corn one the best.

PackIt Freezer Bags

You could say I’m a little fanatical about this brand of bag- they contain ice packs build into the bag and fold up nice and compact to fit in your freezer when not in use. We use this for road trip snacks, soccer and baseball games and picnics. We also have several of their lunchboxes, and they make ones for breast milk as well!

Oxo Strawberry Huller

My mother-in-law gave me one of these after I watched in amazement as she used hers one day. I love strawberries and this little guy takes all the pain of getting the stem out!

Microwave Cleaner Angry Mom with Fridge Odor Absorber Cool Mom

Quite the quirky and useful pair- my mom gave me these. One is a fridge odor remover, and one fills with water and vinegar and steams your microwave clean.

Dinosaur InstaPot Steam Diverter

I mean, why not?! I bought this because I noticed that my InstaPot was steaming right onto my kitchen cabinets, but also it’s just fun. Be sure to check that it fits your specific model before you buy - they also have other characters if dinos aren’t your jam.

Brown Sugar Saver

This is a quick and cheap fix for dry brown sugar. Just soak it in water and pop it into your canister, and voila!

Square Ice Cube Trays

I love these for many reasons- good for whiskey ice, frozen coffee, homemade baby food.

Pampered Chef Mix N Chop

Another gift from my mom that I use several times a week. This little tool makes breaking up ground beef, turkey or sausage soooo much faster and easier.

Kitchen Scissors

If you don’t have a good pair of kitchen scissors, you’re working too hard!

This post contains affiliate links, on which I will receive a small commission should you purchase anything/sign up/subscribe etc. I would never share something I didn’t actually like or want to share with you, so I wanted to let you know. Sharing affiliate links affords me a few more lattes and it’s always my aim to add value to your life with the brands and products I share. Thanks for supporting me!

girls' birthday visit to the American Girl store Dallas

A few years ago my mom arrived at my house with a very special box I hadn’t seen in a long time. It looks like an old Victorian chest- woven taupe fabric edged with leather and gold buckles. Inside was a sweet memory- my Samantha doll, and all her accessories I used to love playing with years ago.

I received my Samantha doll the first year, and for many years after, my grandmother would add to her collection. She had a school desk, a watercolor set, and a beautiful party dress. I even had a dress to match one of hers. Every piece was special, and I loved reading the books that accompanied Samantha and told about her life growing up in the Victorian era.

A year or so ago, my daughters discovered my doll, which I am still a little possessive over, haha! They loved playing with her and all her special things- and I knew I wanted to get them a doll of their own from the American Girl store.

So, this year for their birthdays, we did just that! Liv and Lucy’s birthdays are 1 day apart, so it was the perfect opportunity to head to the Dallas store and celebrate! My niece Hayden Kate’s birthday is a few days before my girls’, so it worked out perfectly to celebrate all 3.

I let the girls pick out a special outfit at Target to wear, and of course they found the glitter unicorn headbands 😂. They ended up looking pretty cute! Quick photo with Dad before heading to the girls-only party.

Excited girls ready to go in!

I made advance reservations at the American Girl Bistro (I almost waited too late- call as much in advance as you can!) for brunch, and we headed to the store first thing that morning. I was so thankful that my mom, sister, and her daughter could come join the party.

We chose to forego the party option since it was just family that day, and I brought my own candles and lighter so we could sing to the girls, which worked out great. I’m still glad we made that decision, because our server ended up bringing them a birthday cupcake at the end of the meal anyway (we gave her a great tip! ;). However, there was a larger party going on near us, which happened to be for the daughter of a friend (kismet!)- and it looked like the girls were having a blast.

The menu has a set price for kids and adults, so that made budgeting easy- you can view the menu here. The food was plentiful- and good- not great- but the atmosphere was fun and staff was kind and helpful.

I had read that the Bistro has small highchairs for the dolls, and was sad that we would need to eat before shopping, so the girls wouldn’t have a doll to sit with. But we were very excited when we arrived and they had quite a few dolls to borrow for the meal. So, each of our girls got to pick a doll to sit with them. They LOVED this, and the servers even set plates and cups for the dolls, which was fun.

Once brunch was over, it was time to go downstairs and pick out a doll. I was just as excited as my girls were! I do wish that we had done a little more research before we went to the store, and perhaps picked out a doll online before we went. Having a plan on which doll each would get would have taken some of the stress out of buying 3 new dolls for our strong-willed 3, 4, and 5 year olds! But, it wasn’t too bad.

The sales people who are on the floor are very helpful, and in some of our chaos, explained to me that there are Bitty Babies, who look like actual babies, Wellie Wishers, who are 14” dolls- slightly smaller than the “norm”, American Girl dolls, who are the character dolls based in a particular time period (like my Samantha doll), and Truly Me dolls, who have a variety of different features and are made so that kids can have one that look like themselves (or not!).

The girls ended up getting the Truly Me dolls for the girls- and it was fun to find the ones with the same hair color, eye color, freckles or no freckles, etc. We also picked up a few accessory sets and extra outfits.

One of the things I think will be fun now that the girls have their own dolls is that you can bring them back to the store for a variety of services- hair styling, ear piercing- they even do real ear piercing on girls. Plus, we have an easy gift option for the next birthday/Christmas- because the accessories are endless! I love the variety and diversity that American Girl has in their products.

All in all, it was a great experience and I am sure we will be back- maybe for an Afternoon Tea and hair braiding!

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how we like to Disney

After posting our most recent Disney trip recap, I thought it would be helpful to post our best tips on “how we like to Disney”. Having been many times with infants to toddlers and many adults, we have honed in on a few ways we like to do a Disney trip. Here are our top tips:

Liv and Lucy at the Art of Animation Resort.

• Use a travel agent that specializes in Disney. Yep, it’s a thing- and if you just do one of these things, let it be this one. A Disney-specialized travel agent will take the largest amount of stress off your shoulders, be able to advise you on when and how to do things, and even make reservations and schedules for you. We used Ashly with Foerster Travel, who is also our friend and has been to Disney something like 30+ times! She was amazing, kept up with all our reservations and even let us know when it was time to book dining and fast passes.

• Stay at a Disney resort. I get it- Disney can be expensive- but you’re paying for convenience. And much of that convenience is due to the perks of staying a Disney resort. When you stay at a Disney resort, you have free transportation (via bus or the new skyliner) to every park and every other Disney resort. Your bags are checked from your departure flight straight to your hotel room. Your room keys are on your magic band, giving you one less thing to carry. Each of the parks have Extra Magic Hours (extra early or late opening/closing hours for Disney resort guests). Not to mention that the resorts themselves are a vacation. Each is elaborately themed and fun with their own pools, shops, and special features. For us, being at a Disney resort has been a huge part of the experience. There are a ton of resorts to choose from, and from our experience, even the Value Resorts are great quality- we stayed at Art of Animation this last time, and absolutely loved it!

• Go for more than 4 days, get the Park Hopper tickets, and take a break/resort day. Again, yes- this is the more expensive option- but the more days you book, the better rate you will receive on both your room and your park tickets. Since there are 4 main parks, we have decided it is worth it to book at least one extra day, so that you don’t have the pressure of trying to cover an entire park in just one day. (It’s pretty much impossible with kids!). We had 5 full days this last time, and would have loved 1 more just so we could have had a resort day and gone to the pool. It was, however, so nice to have the park hopper option, which means we were able to bounce from one park to the next on the same day. This allowed us to go back and revisit some favorite rides and some we weren’t able to do on the last day of our vacation.

• Don’t try to do it all. I put this tip here, because if you’re like me, you want to get the best bang for your buck and get the whole experience. One of the reasons we keep going back is because Disney is so, so good at constantly improving and changing things- there’s just no way you’ll ever do it all in one trip. So, go knowing that each trip will be different and remember it’s impossible to do everything!

• Reserve everything you can in advance. This includes dining reservations (meals with characters book up very quickly!) and Fast Passes (available 30 days before your trip). You can do this on the My Disney Experience app which is essential to a great stay at Disney. Food is MY favorite souvenir, always- so I did lots of research on the best places to eat at the Disney Food Blog, who were right on in their recommendations! Since we opted for the quick service meal plan this trip, we didn’t need to do any dining reservations in advance- more on that next…

This was a quick-service meal in Pandora at Animal Kingdom, and it was delicious! Knox loved his cheeseburger “pods” and Shawn was eating some sort of Asian-noodle stir fry and a mysterious green beer- which was also great!

• Do a Dining Plan. Guys, I did the math. I really, actually, ran the numbers on what it would cost us to feed 5 people, and decided the dining plan was worth it. Disney has a few different dining plan options- and here is my recommendation: if you’re going with mostly adults, do the Disney Dining Plan, which contains 1 table-service (a.k.a. waiter/more formal sit-down meal) and one quick service (order at the counter) meal, plus 2 snacks per day. If you’re going with mostly littles: do the Quick Service Plan. We have done both, and loved both. It is always enough food for us, and we typically use 1 snack credit for breakfast (you can get a muffin or bagel, for example). This last time we chose to do the Quick Service dining plan (which is less expensive), and were so glad that we’d opted for that over the regular Dining plan for a couple of reasons: 1) We didn’t have to make any dining reservations- which means we weren’t bound by any schedules and 2) we weren’t wrangling 3 little people to stay seated/behave at a “nice” dinner. Annnnd, the food was GREAT. Again- refer to DFB for recommendations on where to eat.

• Eat meals at the resorts. A dining plan also includes meals at any of the Disney resorts and some of them have the BEST restaurants- some of our favorites include, O’hana, Sanaa, and The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. On this past trip, we visited Magic Kingdom on a particularly busy day and decided to seek refuge at the beautiful Polynesian Resort and eat lunch there. It was way less crowded, and such a nice break- plus they serve the famous Dole Whip there!

• Don’t get hangry- pack snacks. One of your greatest enemies when pulling a long Disney day is hunger, and Disney allows you to bring food into their parks, which is a huge perk. We always pack protein bars, and they have come in clutch so many times- for adults and kids! Our kids love Zbars while Shawn and I prefer Larabars.

We loved riding the new Disney Skyliner from our resort to Epcot and Hollywood Studios!

• Pack swimsuits in a carry-on if you want to swim first thing. If you’ve ever been on a cruise, this is the same tip! Because your bags are checked directly to your room from your first flight, your bags will take a few hours to arrive at your hotel room. We landed around noon and had a couple of hours to check out our resort before our room was ready, which would have been a great time to enjoy the pool (we didn’t plan on going to a park that day). The only problem was our swimsuits were in our bags- so, now we know for next time- pack our swimsuits in a carry on!

• Do laundry! If you have a larger family and are staying for more than 5 days, I would recommend only packing for half your trip and doing laundry. Most resorts have laundromats centrally located and are very convenient. I did laundry on a previous trip and it saved me from packing a lot more clothing. You’ll need some quarters. :)

• Meet the characters first. If you’re going with littles that really care about meeting the characters, decide on your “must see” characters and plan to meet them asap. Our travel agent scheduled in alerts on our My Disney Experience plans that would let us know when character meet and greets were happening, so we were able to go first thing to meet Minnie and Mickey (and didn’t have to spend the rest of our vacation being begged to meet them!). We also HAD to see Elsa and Anna, so we knocked that out on our Epcot day first thing. Other character meets happened organically for us and it was nice to not stress over this aspect since we’d already said hello!

• Bring cash for extras to stay on budget. Since your magic bands can also be connected to your credit or debit card, it can be really easy to charge things to your account using them (don’t worry- you control whether or not kids can charge on their bands!). We decided to bring cash to use for souvenirs, tips, and extra snacks, etc. It worked like a charm and helped us stay on budget.

• Utilize Rider Swap. Ya’ll this one thing is GOLDEN for parents of littles. Because our two youngest were too short to ride many of the heart-pumping feature rides, we were able to utilize Rider Swap and Knox (our 8 year old) got to ride twice- once with Shawn and once with myself. Essentially, when you get in line for a ride, you just need to find the Cast Member at the end of the line and they will scan the magic band of the first two riders, and then the rider that will swap once the first two have gone. I’d wait with the girls while Shawn and Knox rode, and then once they were done, Knox and I got to go in the Fast Pass line again. Definitely one of the best ideas we’ve seen Disney implement!

• Be willing to go single rider. The single rider line is often moving at a much faster pace than the regular one. We sent our 8 year old son in the single rider line a few times and he had a blast, and got to ride much faster!

• Go see the shows- they are a nice break and generally great! While the rides are generally our family’s main focus, the shows are always a great experience. This past time we loved the Frozen Sing Along and it was a great break and nice opportunity to sit down. Also, if you’re at Disney in the summer, they’re a nice break from the heat!

This stroller was so nice to have and accommodated many naps! Lucy (25 lb.) sat in the back most of the time and had plenty of room.

• Utilize a double stroller with more than one kid. Twice now we have put our Phil & Ted’s Dot Stroller to WORK at Disney- once with a 3 month old and 3 year old, and then with 3 and 4 year olds. Both times it was totally worth it to bring it. You can rent strollers at Disney or from one of the many outside vendors in Orlando, but none of the rentals we saw were inline like our Phil & Ted’s. Having an inline stroller made it easier to get through tight crowds and on and off the Skyliner (Disney’s new gondola system servicing Hollywood Studios and Epcot). People with side-by-side strollers were having to break them down, while we were able to just stroll on and off. :) Plus, it allowed our girls to take naps without leaving the park. Having that stroller was so essential to our trip and we love ours!

• Take this little tripod and bluetooth remote! This was a last-minute Amazon purchase (LINKED HERE) that I am so glad I made. You may be shocked to hear that this professional photographer did not bring her “fancy camera” on vacation- but with 3 kids and all the gear that comes with that, it just didn’t make sense. I would have spent more time obsessing over photos and equipment, and less time enjoying the time with my family. So, I picked up this little tripod/remote combo that meant I could jump in the photo. We also purchased Memory Maker which was also WORTH IT to me. I loved that we could get photos of all of us with little to no effort, including the fun ones they take on the rides. Some of those images are my favorite!

Quite possibly my favorite ride photo ever. Thank you Memory Maker for capturing this moment!

There’s so much more I could write, but this post is too long as it is- I do hope this has been helpful! Feel free to send me your Disney tips or things you’d like me to address in a future blog post!

our big Disney @ Christmas surprise!

For years- YEARS- Shawn and I have kept a shared “bucket list” on our phones- and always, on that list has been “surprise our kids with a Disney trip” and “Disney at Christmas”.

Growing up, I was always a Disney kid- hoarding those classic, white-edged VHS tapes and constantly playing and rewinding my Disney soundtrack cassette tapes. In a game of name-that-Disney song- I WIN. I’d been a couple of times with my family growing up and we even took a trip as grown-up kids a few years after Shawn and I were married, which is when he was introduced to the Disney magic.✨

On our last Disney trip, Liv was 3 months old (yep! you read that right!) and Knox was 3 years old. Now that everyone was a little older and Lucy is finally home, we felt like it was the perfect time to go. So, we started planning our trip with our friend and travel agent, Ashly Moncrief with Foerster Travel. Ashly and her family are Disney experts, having been over 30 times, and so I trusted her advice on what to book/travel dates. They also happened to be going the same dates, which made it fun to run into some familiar faces and share a few memories with friends!

Our flight out of Lubbock got cancelled due to fog, so we made the decision to rent a van, drive 2 hours south to Midland, and catch a flight there. Did I mention we had to leave at 3:30 am? It was a very long day!

We wanted to surprise the kids right before it was time to leave- and so we had told them that I had a work trip and they all had to take me to the airport. So, the night before I had them sleep in their clothes so we didn’t have to change them. After our first flight out of Lubbock was cancelled due to fog, we made the decision to get a one-way rental and drive 2 hours south to Midland. Thankfully, they didn’t pick up on the fact that the drive to the airport lasted 2 hours- much longer than the normal 30 minutes!

We had to refill the gas tank before returning our one-way rental car, so that’s where we decided to hand them their note. Here’s the video below (the lighting gets better about 30 seconds in!):

Here’s what the note said, in case you can’t hear Knox:

I wrote this letter because I wanted you to hear

Christmas won't be quite the same this year.

The Christmas tree will still stand tall

and the Reason for the Season hasn't changed at all

but instead of visiting your house on Christmas Eve night

I thought it would be fun for you to take flight

You're visiting some friends of mine in a magical place

You'll know them when you see each and every face

Minnie, Mickey, Pluto- just to name a few

have so many wonderful things for you to do!

Your bags are packed, you're on your way-

all the way to Disney World- you're going- TODAY!

We ended up going the 1st week of December so as to avoid the high crowd capacity at Christmastime- apparently the closer to Christmas, the busier it gets. Yes, we did pull the kids out of school. It wasn’t as big of a deal as I might have thought it would be- the kids’ teachers were kind and sent home their makeup work which we did during down times and on the plane.

The pull-down Murphy bed in the Cars suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

We have always stayed at a Disney resort, because of all the benefits- free transportation to the parks, extra magic hours (parks stay open early/late for resort guests only), and I love the luggage service! Essentially, once you check your bags at the airport, they take care of them all the way to your room. No messing with baggage claim- you just head straight to the complimentary buses to your resort.

I was very excited to stay in one of the Art of Animation family suites this time. This resort is such a fun one- filled with huge sculptures of Disney characters from The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars. We stayed in the Cars area, which was definitely my favorite. Once we arrived at the hotel, we grabbed some snacks from the restaurant and enjoyed walking around to see all the characters. They even have a little playground area by the pool the kids enjoyed.

We spent a couple of hours just exploring the resort! Art of Animation has a ton of cool character sculptures that the kids loved.

Another perk of Art of Animation is that it is on the new Disney Skyliner route. This is a new gondola system that runs from several resorts to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. It was one of our favorite things and such a pleasant way to get to the parks! Since we brought our trusty double stroller, every time we boarded a bus to get to a park, we’d have to break it all down which was a pain. But since our stroller is inline (one seat behind the other, not side-by-side), we could roll right onto a gondola. There were times the line to the Skyliner was incredibly long, but we never waited more than 20 minutes to get on. We loved the views and the peaceful ride together.

Enjoying the views from the Skyliner.

Knox and I went hunting for Hidden Mickeys at our resort while the girls napped one day- we found several! This is a fun, easy thing to do with older kids- hidden Mickeys are everywhere at WDW!

Being at Disney World during Christmas was so special- each park, every little area- had completely custom decorations and each park had at least one huge Christmas tree with unique decorations. Christmas music filled the air, and they were extra generous with the snoap (Disney’s fake snow- which is actually small bits of soap they spray down from the tops of buildings), which made everything feel just magical. The nightly fireworks shows were INCREDIBLE and extra-Christmasy.

The first day of our trip was my 36th birthday, so I got to pick where we ate for dinner- and I chose Sanaa, which is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The sun had just set by the time we arrived, but in true Disney fashion, someone walked up and offered us night vision goggles so we could spy on the boars, giraffes, and zebras grazing outside. Dinner was delicious (the Naan and cheese samplers were amazing!) and the kids loved their dirt and worms desserts.

We LOVED our trip and made so many great memories. I plan on doing another blog post with our top WDW tips- so for now, here are the photos!

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FIRST DAY- Animal Kingdom

Our amazing travel agent (thank you Ashly!) pre-programmed a few character stops in our My Disney Experience app, so we headed straight to meet Mickey and Minnie first thing- which was the perfect start to our trip! I was so worried Lucy, our youngest, wouldn’t like the characters, but she ended up loving them the most!

This was the first time we’ve been to Animal Kingdom since Pandora arrived, and it was one of our favorite parks because of that new addition! All of Pandora glows at night and the kids loved that aspect. We got to wander through the huge garden and see all sorts of animals, meet several characters, and enjoyed some of our favorite treats of the week here- the pongu pongu (a pineapple-cream cheese egg roll type snack), BBQ from Flame Tree Barbeque, and a giant Mickey cinnamon roll in Africa.

Dinner in Pandora was one of our favorites- Shawn is having some sort of green beverage with a steak and noodle bowl, and Knox enjoyed his hamburger “pod”. It was always easy to find things for our non-adventurous kids- mac and cheese is usually an option everywhere. :)

We fully utilized Rider Swap (more on that in another blog post), and so I took Liv on the Dinosaur ride after Shawn and Knox got off. That was a mistake- it terrified her! I promised to not take her on any more potentially scary rides. I am sort of glad we have this photo, though- haha! The look on her face is priceless! Also, check out the lady behind me!

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SECOND DAY- Epcot

For us, Epcot meant 2 things- ANNA and ELSA. We have 2 Frozen fanatics and so meeting them was top priority. I feel like Liv is living her best life in these photos.

We ate lunch in “China” and got to see a dragon dance. One of my favorite parts about being at Disney in the winter was getting to drink coffee all day! Shawn was doing some high-level dadding here- both girls were asleep in the double stroller as we walked through the World Showcase.

I took several of our family photos with my iPhone and this handy tripod and bluetooth remote.

Here is the link to our favorite inline double stroller that has lasted through years of use! You can’t see it well in this photo, but Lucy is seated underneath Liv.

More great Liv faces from the Frozen ride. We snagged fast passes to this one and I’m so glad we did! The line was so long but it was a fun one.

We got to end the night at Epcot watching the fireworks with friends! They happened to take a trip on the same dates we did and it was so much fun!

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DAY 3- Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios was probably our favorite this time around- because STAR WARS. This was our first time visiting Galaxy’s Edge and even our little girls thought it was awesome! We started our day at Toy Story Land and loved that everyone met the height restrictions there. We waited quite a while for the Slinky Dig Dash rollercoaster, but it was worth it. Liv wasn’t a huge fan, but check out Lucy’s face!

Liv = hiding. Lucy = LOVING IT. Parents = no longer cool.

Same spot, facing different directions. I loved having the Memory Maker so that I was guaranteed some photos of all 5 of us!

One of my favorite photos of the trip! This rollercoaster blasts you from 0 to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds…so you can understand Knox’s face here. Haha!

Galaxy’s Edge was definitely one of the coolest experiences. There were sound effects of ships flying over head, other languages, and characters would appear out of nowhere- “on mission”. Stormtroopers marched through and we had quite a few Chewy sightings. Shawn grabbed some blue milk from the Cantina and asked Kylo Ren if he’d had the blue milk. Kylo’s very robot-serious response was, “I would tread lightly”. Haha! We had so much fun!

We knew that Knox would love getting to build his own droid at the Droid Depot, so we scheduled an appointment in advance. He got to select his parts off the conveyor belt and put it all together. What a fun souvenir! He named his droid BA774, or Barry.

SNACKS! Always up for ice cream, even in our winter jackets.

The Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show at Hollywood Studios was way cooler than I expected it to be, and we all enjoyed watching it. As the park closed for the night, snoap sprayed down and it was a perfectly magical ending to a great day.

We snagged a last-minute reservation at Oga’s Cantina, and it was probably not the best choice to walk in with 3 tired kids at the end of a long day, but getting to sample some of their drink concoctions was so much fun!

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DAY 4- Magic Kingdom

In trips past, we have gone to Magic Kingdom on the first day- right off the bat- but because of crowd calendars and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, we chose to go this day so that we could have an entire day at the park and see the Happily Ever After fireworks show. Y’all, it was SO CROWDED. This was the only day the crowds really got to us- we were seeing 2 hour waits for the most unpopular rides- so everything took longer and we had a few meltdowns. It was STILL MAGICAL, though- and we had lots of fun moments on the Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. Did you know there is a little play area underneath Splash Mountain where the littles can play while the big kids ride? Disney has thought of everything!

Mixed feelings on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! I was proud of Liv for wanting to ride this one!

The wait for the Tea Party was long but worth it!

The girls loved playing in the kids’ play area next to the Splash Mountain waiting queue.

Sweet moments waiting for the Jingle (a.k.a. Jungle) Cruise! During the holidays they decorate it and change the name.

In the middle of this very crowded day at Magic Kingdom, we decided to escape to the Polynesian Resort for lunch- which was SUCH a good decision! The resort had zero wait for food and delicious Hawaiian BBQ, and a grassy area with cornhole, hula hoops, and building blocks for the kids to play with. We love this resort and also enjoyed seeing the Christmas decor there. So- that was a much-needed refreshing moment!

After waiting in another line to get our photo in front of Cinderella’s Castle (the photo just doesn’t do it justice! It was so twinkly!), we staked out a spot to watch the fireworks. We waited for about 1 hour on the concrete while Shawn scavenged some hot dogs for dinner. Note to self: bring a blanket or two next time and something to entertain the kids with! And mobile order food well in advance or pack a dinner in the backpack. Shawn and I were so tired of corralling kids, we almost went back to the room, but y’all- THE SHOW WAS SO WORTH IT! The Happily Ever After fireworks/laser show was simply incredible- and I think all 5 of us watched it with mouths wide open in awe. The way they tell a story and transform the castle with lights and lasers is incredible. Definitely worth the wait!

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DAY 5- Magic Kingdom/Animal Kingdom

I was SO glad to have this last day to revisit some of the things we weren’t able to do earlier in the week. We decided to head back to Magic Kingdom in hopes to for shorter lines, and thankfully- the lines were indeed much shorter! We got to do some of the classic rides like Peter Pan (the girls are still talking about this one) and It’s a Small World.

After lunch, we went back to Animal Kingdom. We hadn’t been able to snag a Fast Pass for the Avatar ride Flight of Passage, so the guys decided they’d stick out the 2 hour wait for it. It actually turned out to be a really nice time- as the boys waited, the girls napped in the stroller while I got to walk around and take my time looking at the animals and shop. When they woke up, we got a coffee and HUGE Mickey Cinnamon roll to share. Once the boys were done, I got to Ride Swap and go with Knox. I’m so glad they waited it out so we all got to experience it- Flight of Passage was amazing! We ended the day shopping for a few ornaments to commemorate our trip.

My gorgeous girls! Moments I’ll never forget.

Animal Kingdom had these amazing handmade puppets that they would bring out. They were all so neat and in true Disney fashion, the kids were allowed to pet and interact with them.

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DAY 6- Disney Springs/Go Home

We had an afternoon flight out so after we checked our bags at the counter at our resort (huge perk!), we took a bus to Disney Springs to explore. There is so much to do there- you could easily spend an entire day or two! I happened to see that they had a special Christmas tree trail and Santa, so we headed straight over. It was really neat- they had probably 20-30 themed trees to look out, and of course snoap was blowing out around the tree trail to make it extra Christmasy. We waited in line for just a bit to see Santa and it was such a perfect way to end our trip! The photos were included with our Memory Maker, so that was also a win!

Little did we know, there was one last surprise waiting. As we waited for our airport shuttle to arrive at our resort, Mickey walked in! It was the perfect way to say “see ya later!”.

The kids wore their Christmas pjs to breakfast the last morning of our trip. I loved all the Christmas decorations everywhere!

In the end, it was such a wonderful, unforgettable trip and we would go back tomorrow! I’m so glad we took the kids at these ages and can’t wait to go back!

I have more Disney posts coming up soon and would love to answer any questions you may have!

2019 Women's Holiday Wishlist

Ok, so maybe I went a bit overboard here- but by the time I gathered my own personal wishlist, and then some of my favorites that I already own, this wishlist had grown significantly! I do love SO many of the items on this year’s wishlist- and I’ve done my best to make it all as affordable as you want it to be.

1. Isotoner Spandex + Leather Gloves- These have always been my mom’s favorite, and now they are mine. I love that I can still use my hands when wearing these, but they block the wind and cold.

2. Capri Blue Diffuser Blends- did you know you can get that glorious Volcano candle scent in a diffuser?! Pure bliss and a gift any oil lover would love to receive.

3. Simple Palm Custom Stationery- Minted.com has so many gorgeous customizable stationery sets, but this one happens to be one I designed!

4. Nikon D3500- I get asked all the time which camera I would recommend for a gift, and this is a great starter camera.

5. Nikon 50mm 1.4- This is the perfect lens to go with that new camera! Great for portraits.

6. Denim Jacket with Sherpa lining- I own this jacket and LOVE it. Neutral, warm and cozy.

7. You Wanna Piece of This Oven Mitt- I love a good cheeky kitchen accessory.

8. UGG Slippers- I have a similar version of these and live in them during the winter.

9. Reversible Leopard Coat- I have had my eye on this for a while and love that it is reversible!

10. Beholding and Becoming- a friend gave me this beautifully illustrated devotional by one of my favorite authors and I have loved it.

11. Dyson V7 Cordless Vaccuum- Ya’ll, this thing is a game changer! My kids even like using it! Absolutely one of my favorite things.

12. Coin Layered Necklace- such a pretty set I’ve had my eye on for a while!

13. Sparkle Slippers- something fun at a lower price point to keep your toes cozy!

14. Faux Sherpa Throw Blanket- I’ve seen several bloggers share this blanket and think it would make a great gift- great price, too.

15. Lined Knit Beanie- and how cute is that fur ball on top? This one had great reviews.

16. Mustard Bandana- cute little add-on to a bigger gift, or a great one for friends, teachers, etc.

17. Bluetooth Headphones- these are some of my best sellers- I bought these about 6 months ago and have loved them! The Apple headphones have always hurt my ears and I didn’t want to pay for AirPods. Plus, these come in a cute little charging case!

18. Stabilo Fineliner Pens- if you know someone who loves to doodle or journal, get them this set. I have it and love it!

19. Ceramic Gold + White Planters- I came across these the other day and thought they were so pretty!

20. Camo Sweatshirt- I always have more room in my closet for a cute and comfy basic, and camo is back big time right now!

21. PackIt Freezeable Grocery Bag- One of my favorite “functional” gifts. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve put this to use!

22. Monogram Jewelry Tray- loved the price point on these- such an easy gift for every woman!

23. My Burberry Perfume- this has been my go-to for years and it smells amazing!

24. Marble and Wood Cutting Board- under $35 and so good looking!

25. Pretty Essential Oil Diffuser- I thought this one was so pretty and wouldn’t distract from your other decor.

26. Coma Inducer Bedding- this is the bedding set we own and LOVE. It is the comfiest, coziest bedding and I won’t ever buy anything else!

27. Watercolor Tin- This is such a great little tin that allows you to pop colors in and out and mix them right on the box.

28. Holbein Watercolors- These are my favorite watercolors and pair well with the tin I linked above :).

29. Aerie Crackle Shine Leggings- a.k.a. the Spanx leather leggings dupe!

30. They’re Real Mascara- my favorite mascara right now- it’s so good!

31. Plush Sherpa Pullover- such a great gift. I have this one and love it.

32. Rose Gold Wishbone Earrings- love these simple, modern 14k earrings

33. Bissell Little Green ProHeat- another cleaning tool I am obsessive about! We have this and use it way more than I ever thought we would!

34. She is Brave Journal- shameless plug, but I designed this one, too! You can customize it with a photo!

35. Tarteist Contour Palette- I’ve had my eye on this for a while and it’s definitely on my list this year!

36. Choker Pendant Necklaces- these would be such fun little gifts- and $6 for a set of two?! Yes please!

Click on an image below to shop!

2019 Men’s Holiday Wishlist

I honestly love creating wishlists and finding items for those hard-to-shop-for friends and family- so I introduce to you…my 2019 Men’s Holiday Wishlist!

Many of these items are proven winners in our household- things for real men that are useful. Prices range from $10 and up, so there are plenty of stocking stuffers and splurges. I hope you find something on this list that fits the guys you are shopping for!

1. Hardside Spinner Luggage These are our favorites for travel. Expandable!

2. Magcap Bottle Opener Perfect for the garage- magnetic to catch bottle caps!

3. Carhartt Beanie A favorite around here.

4. Leather Sunglasses Strap A definite upgrade from the nylon ones.

5. JBL Portable Waterproof Wireless Speaker We love this thing and have put it to the test. Great sound and tough!

6. Amazon Echo Show A perfect alarm clock or desk clock- plus the power of Alexa!

7. UGG Slippers These are on Shawn’s list this year. Lots of colors.

8. Crosley Turntable Did you know that this year vinyl record sales surpassed CDs? Love the vintage look of this one.

9. KeySmart Pro An update to the all-in-one tool- this one has a light and a tracker in case you lose your keys!

10. Nike Killshot Sneakers Casual but cool for everyday.

11. Lifecard Lightning External Battery This card-sized battery fits in your wallet and can recharge your phone!

12. Bombas Socks The best ankle socks that stay in place.

13. Yeti Coffee Mug Frequently stolen by me- I need to buy myself one of these this year!

14. Patagonia Zip Jacket Haven’t met a man who doesn’t love this pullover.

15. Snowflake Smart Tool I thought this was so handy to keep in a car.

16. Instant Meat Thermometer I bought Shawn one of these a few years ago and we use it all the time!

17. Herschel Duffel Bag We love this brand and this is a sharp-looking bag with a separate shoe pocket.

18. Faux Shearling Denim Jacket Snagged one of these a few months ago and Shawn wears it constantly- a great every day, cold weather basic.

19. Joggers Because every man needs a good pair.

20. Duck Boots I bought these for Shawn last year and he was surprised at how much he loves them!

21. Bonavita Coffee Maker This is our go-to drip coffee maker. It’s lasted a long time and makes the best drip because of the way it filters the water evenly.

22. Neck Gaiter/Headbands These are a great stocking stuffer- Shawn uses them around his neck and over his mouth while mowing, and on his head to protect from the sun.

23. Corvino Leather Belt I’ll be buying this for Shawn this year- he’s needed a good belt for a while. :)

24. Air Zoom Pegasus Nikes These come in black as well, but I love the brown/gray combo.

25. Mike’s Hot Honey Another great stocking stuffer- we just discovered this stuff and it is delicious. Perfect gift for the guy who likes spice. Use it as a topping or marinade.

26. ESV Study Bible This version has become my favorite translation and this is a compact size which is super handy.

27. AeroPress Coffee Maker A great gift for the coffee lover in your life. Easily make “fancy coffee” on the go with this cool travel kit.

28. North Face Down Vest A great staple for any men’s wardrobe- this comes in several colors.

29. Phone-Friendly Gloves I like these because they aren’t too bulky but still provide protection from the wind- I’m thinking these would be great for those cold, windy football games.

30. Carhartt Thermal Socks If your man likes to ski, hunt, fish, etc. - they need these. I steal Shawn’s from time to time!

31. Teckin Smart Plugs We love using these with our Amazon Echo Show. They don’t require any additional software and work like a charm!

32. Pinch Brown Leather Sneakers Would be perfect for a casual work environment.

33. Nintendo Classic Edition is perfect for your vintage-loving gamers and comes with all the old games pre-loaded! I want this too!

34. LED Tactical Flashlights A great stocking stuffer- every man needs a good flashlight at some point.

You can also shop my clicking the items below!

Gallery Wall Update

Lucy has been home for almost 2 YEARS now- and guess which professional photographer has ZERO framed prints of her newest daughter in her home?! Yep. This one. What’s the saying? The cobbler’s children have no shoes? It’s like that at our house, unfortunately.

Realizing the great need for her sweet face to adorn our walls, I was also feeling all cluttered and anxious about the current state of our living room/dining room gallery wall:

Yes, that is the infamous man lamp. He’s been in the family for years, and he has now relocated to my desk.

Anyway, it was high time for a change. I wanted a simpler gallery wall look and imagined large frames with large white mats. So, my first step was calling up my friend Lauren for some new family photos. Lauren did her MAGIC (seriously, she is magic) in about 10 minutes and the kids were rewarded with giant chocolate bars. I love the photos from this session so much, I’ll have to share them in another post.

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If you’d rather watch the video version of this post, feel free to scroll on down!

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After measuring the wall and deciding how large I wanted my frames to be, I did a little mock up in Photoshop. I knew I wanted an oversized, floor-to-ceiling look, so I measured the wall and did the maximum size I could.

Wouldn’t that completely cover the wall again?! Yes, but the reason this works from a design standpoint is because the large mats and skinny frames don’t require a lot of visual space.

Tip: If you are wanting to recreate this look, it’s very important that you measure your wall space, and use skinny frames close together (mine were 2 inches apart) with large neutral colored mats.

I originally thought I would do black and white, but that was vetoed by everyone else in the family, and also thought I could fit 8 frames in instead of 6…math was never my forte. It did help me plan and visualize, though!

After a LOT of shopping around, I ended up with these frames from Michael’s. They are technically poster frames, which makes them less expensive, and have plastic instead of glass.

When I first hung up the frames, I was a bit disappointed that you could see the slight bending of the plastic when the light glared on them (revealing that they aren’t truly glass)- this is a little thing that my perfectionist self wanted to fix immediately- but after thinking a bit, the plastic is really a better choice for our family right now- especially since these frames sit lower to the ground.

You can see the bending glare a bit in the above photos.

I ordered these prints from Sam’s Club, of all places! They were having a sale and though I typically recommend mpix.com, I thought it was cheap enough to give it a shot. In the end, I was pretty happy with the way they turned out. I was able to pick them up in 24 hours. They were delivered rolled up, so I flattened them out and put them under a weighted piece of artboard for a couple of days to make them easier to frame.

My frames are 24x36'“, and I ordered 16x20” prints. I thought I would just order custom mats for the frames, since that is an irregular mat size, but Michael’s was going to charge me $38.00 per frame! So, I was super excited when I found FrameItEasy.com. I was able to order exactly what I needed for around $10 per mat.

Click here to get 10% off your order at FrameitEasy.com!

(affiliate link)

The mats fit perfectly and were great quality. I also love that they do framing, and will probably be ordering all-out framed prints from them next time.

I used regular ‘ol masking tape to tape the prints to the back of the mats. I realize this is a no-no in the photography world, as it’s not archival quality and the chemicals in the tape will cause the prints to break down over time, yada, yada, yada….but let’s be real, I’m going to change these prints again before anything like that starts happening.

Once it was time to hang, I began with the center two prints and worked outward, using a level to make sure the lines were all straight. I’m not going to lie- these frames are a total pain to hang with the tiny sawtooth hanger (I MUCH prefer wire across the back), but you only have to do it once. :)

Tip: Even after I had then all hung, they still tilted a bit one way or the other, so I attached velcro command strips to the backs of the frames and onto the walls, which keeps them straight (and in place when a kid decides to ram into one- we have a rambunctious crew, ya’ll).

In the end, I was super pleased with how it turned out! The frames are semi-obstructed by the couch in our living room, but all visible from the dining/kitchen area.

Watch below for a few more details on the process. I hope this was helpful!

lissa's lists: 13 ways to save money with your mindset

Shawn and I both use the Every Dollar app to watch our monthly budget quickly and easily from our phones.

When Shawn and I were first married almost 15 years ago, we honestly had no idea what we were doing financially. We had out own tendencies- Shawn’s was spend, spend, spend, and mine was hoard, hoard, hoard, which has completely flip-flopped at this point, in an ironic turn of events. It took us about 3 years to realize neither of us really knew how to pay bills and we finally read the Total Money Makeover and got on the same page. So many of these tactics are things we learned from Dave Ramsey and over years of using his system- this is not a paid endorsement, haha- it is honestly just things we have seen work for us!

Since then, we rarely argue about money. In fact, it’s one of the ways we enjoy collaborating most. We love setting goals and working toward them so that we can accomplish mutually shared dreams and visions.

Recently I was reminded of a few habits and tricks we’ve acquired over the years that haven’t cost a thing- and have actually saved us money over and over again.

So on today’s edition of Lissa’s Lists, here are my 13 ways to save money with your mindset:

1) Sleep on it. This is a great principle, and it works especially well with big purchases. This tactic helps avoid emotional purchases. I distinctly remember one occasion where I was VERY pregnant (yes, totally blaming this bad decision on the hormones) when I got a flat tire and Shawn sent me to the tire shop to get it fixed. Instead of walking out with a repaired tire, I spent about $1,000.00 on a whole new set of rims, mainly because I was exhausted and emotional. Ugh. I still regret that one. The bigger the cost, the more nights you may need to sleep on it.

2) Be in agreement with your spouse. This one sounds simple, but is actually pretty complicated. It requires listening (even if you don’t agree) to your spouse’s concerns and desires, and counting them as legitimate and worthy pieces of the decision. If we are trying to make a decision on a big purchase and aren’t in full agreement on it, as a rule- we do nothing until an agreement can be reached. Either spouse acting on their own at this point would be a major breach of trust and a clue as to deeper issues.

3) Don’t buy another until the first one runs out. This one has been SO good for me, as I stated before I tend to hoard things. This works well with beauty products and cosmetics– I am notorious for having 3-4 different types of shampoo in the shower at any given moment. It’s also great for other categories: Cars. Tires. Shoes. I ran this post by Shawn before publishing and he wants you to know that this is not recommended with milk. Or deodorant. Definitely stock up on deodorant.

4) See how long you can go without it. I personally love this type of challenge, because I am a justifier and can conjure up a good enough reason to make any purchase. So, to prevent myself from spending all our money, I will test myself and see how long we can go without. 90% of the time, we don’t actually need it or I can find something we already have that works just as well.

5) Have a no-spend day once a week. In the same vein, you can extend your challenge to a household no-spend day once a week. Tightwad Tuesdays, perhaps :). This is a great tactic if you are working to get rid of debt, and a great way to build trust and a team mentality in your marriage. Not a great tactic if you just choose to overspend the day after. :)

6) Use something you already have, or borrow it. How many times have you purchased something, only to realize you already had one? Guilty. Another thing I am guilty of is declaring a need for a new bag or decorative item, when I already have options at home. If a room needs a refresh, move things around or see what you might already have hidden in the hall closet.

7) Put it on a list for later. Or if you’re like me, and put it into your shopping cart and don’t actually check out, haha. Shawn makes fun of me, but the little “save for later” feature in my Amazon shopping cart has saved us THOUSANDS of dollars. I still get the satisfaction of “adding to cart”, but don’t actually check out. This really works well for me on Amazon and Target. And often, companies will send you a discount code for items you have not purchased that are already in your cart. So if you do need to purchase them eventually (after a good night’s sleep and consideration, of course), you have a discount code.

Additionally, if you are anticipating a big purchase, make a long-term list and order those items by priority. We do this every month at our household budget meeting and have watched these items either change in order of priority, disappear altogether, or come to fruition by way of saving up monthly.

8) Get grocery delivery or pickup to prevent impulse purchases in-store. This is a “mindset” tactic in that it saves you from those impulse purchases and keeps you sticking to a list and a set budget.

9) Don’t compare. This one is tough, and for me has been more about calling myself out when I slip into the den of comparison. A good reminder for me is that you’ll never know fully what someone else’s finances are like- they may be in debt up to their eyeballs and driving brand new vehicles, or sporting a junker car and be a millionaire. A great book for some perspective is The Millionaire Next Door.

10) Have absolutes on debt. Once we went through Financial Peace University, Dave Ramsey’s financial class, we said “no” to debt. We know that it is not an option for us, and if it causes us to personally go into debt, we are not interested. This has kept us in the black for the majority of our marriage, and has allowed us to actually accrue a decent net worth.

11) Budget spending money for yourself. This tactic helps you avoid a victim mentality when it comes to spending. If you have an allotted amount to spend on whatever you like, there will be no need to justify purchases because you feel like you were overlooked/never get to spend money on yourself (insert your excuse here). This also gives you permission to make an emotional purchase within a safe spending limit. Emotional purchases are totally ok- as long as they don’t kill your big plans and stay within the budget.

12) Take time to do the research and get educated. This has also been a huge tactic on big purchases for us. We have learned not to spend money on anything we don’t understand (this includes investments). And if we don’t understand yet, we need to do the research and/or get educated. Those have been such gifts and at times have changed our minds on what we actually spend our money on.

13) Do a budget (with your spouse if you are married) and stick to it. If it’s not clear yet, we are pretty hardcore about budgeting around here. At this point in our marriage, it is a 30 minute meeting once a month, and no big deal. It didn’t start out that way, though- and definitely took some practice to perfect. This is the ONE key item that will change your trajectory. If you want to learn how to do a budget, read the Total Money Makeover.

I realize how many times I have referenced Dave Ramsey in this post, and no- this is not a paid endorsement! It is just a relatively simple system that has worked well for us. If you need direction, I would start with The Total Money Makeover book or enroll in a local Financial Peace University class.

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I hope this has been helpful! Which tactic speaks to you the most? Do you have any to add to this list? I’d love for you to share in the comments!

fall family styles from walmart!

Yes, I am a professional photographer, but MOMS- I’m in the EXACT same boat as you are trying to figure out what to dress everyone in for family photos. I love getting a new family photo every fall, and I really love all the fun options for clothing this time of year, but when you’re styling an entire family, it’s a bit overwhelming.

So while I was at WalMart last week, I did a little browsing and was SHOCKED at how many options there were inside that one store! I’ve complied a list of all my finds (plus some additional ones I found online), and I hope that this is helpful as you put together your outfits!

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HERE’S THE DEAL WITH WALMART:

Their inventory frequently changes, and many things sell out quickly. Some items are in-store only, or only offered online for a short time. So, if you want to avoid going in the store, I suggest you buy what you can online ASAP, and return it if it doesn’t work- because it’s likely to sell out or not be available any longer.

Also, every store has different inventory, so not everything will be in every store- just another reason to shop online if you can! When I wasn’t able to find something online, I tried to mention it below.

Full disclosure: this post is not sponsored by WalMart, but I do make a small commission if you purchase items using my links. Thanks for supporting my crazy. :)

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Mix and match everything you see here! I did my best to include some more colorful and more muted/neutral options for every member of the family.

MOM

I found so many great options for Mom, including some leopard, great cardigans and plus size options. This flowy top comes in several different colors and WILL sell out, so grab it quick if you want one! Sadly, the cute knit cardigans in the photo above are in-store only, so you’ll have to go in to get one.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the shoe selection for women. A great chance to go trendier for photos and not have to pay a premium price!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

DADS

There were a LOT of great choices for Dads, too- whether your man is more casual or traditional/dressy. Layering is key for Dads, and these items can all mix and match!

I also could not believe how many great shoe options there were for men! This is just a small selection of what I found in my store.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

INFANTS

The baby selection in my store was disappointing- not too many non-character outfits, but I found a LOT more online and have tagged them below. I also loved these headbands, but they are in-store only.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

LITTLE BOYS (Sizes 12m-5T)

Much of what I found in-store wasn’t available online, but I did find some cute sets that weren’t in my store on the website. My advice is to keep your little boys as comfy as possible for the best photos!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

LITTLE KID GIRL (Sizes 12m-5T)

I was slightly disappointed in this selection as well, but there are a few super cute options. The dresses above are in-store only, but the adorable ruffle shirts are available online. However, they did have some great shoe options. Lots more I found below!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

OLDER BOYS (Sizes 6-12)

Really loved so many of these options for older boys! Sadly, the cute jacket sets above are in-store only, and so cute! They also had a great shoe selection, too.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

OLDER GIRLS (Sizes 6-12)

Lots of great options for older girls, too- loved the denim and chambray options, along with plenty of shoe choices.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP:

I hope that was helpful, you guys! Let me know if you enjoyed this round-up and what you’d like to see next!