Babymoon Aboard the Disney Wonder: Day 3, Cozumel

 Hey there princess!

On this third day of our cruise, we docked in Cozumel, Mexico to beautiful weather in the mid-70's with an incredible breeze coming off of the water. 

After a quick breakfast, we met the rest of our excursion group so that we could depart the ship together to go on our tour of the Mayan ruins and a chocolate factory. There weren't too many people in our group, and we were all able to fit into two air-conditioned passenger vans together. I think it is worth noting that our tour lasted from about 10am to 2:30pm, and we were provided with bottled water by our tour guides and a tortilla with mole on it at around 1:00 at the chocolate factory. There was not stopping for lunch along the way, and by the time we were back on the boat, Niles and I were both super hungry. If you're going on a tour like this, I would pack a snack to eat on the bus. 

The first stop on our trip was the Mayan Bee Sanctuary. We didn't actually tour this location, but we could purchase honey if we wanted to, and it was the largest available public restroom that we could use, so everyone got in line! The weather was gorgeous, and I loved getting to see the beautiful tropical plants all around us. 

The first tour spot on our journey was the Mayan ruins. Now, this isn't exactly the type of ruins that you might imagine, with huge pyramids. Instead the site they took us to is one that was covered by the jungle for thousands of years, until locals re-discovered it and a large-scale preservation effort began in the 1970's. The name of the location is San Gervasio, and our guide told us that it is thought that the purpose of this particular area was for women seeking pregnancy, or women who were pregnant to come and pay homage to the goddess Ix Chel who would bless both childbirth and fertility. I thought this was very fitting, since I was 6 months pregnant during this visit!

What a beautiful area! Our guide said that the roads were paved with limestone so that they would glow at night so that people could see where they were traveling. I am so thankful that we got to see this beautiful place. It made me want to visit more of the world!

Next, we visited the Mayan Cacao Company, where we were able to see how a modern-day chocolate factory works. This area was also incredibly beautiful, and was located at a cacao farm where all of the beans for the chocolate we ate that day were grown. We were able to take a tour of the area, and our guide even gave us handmade corn tortillas with mole (a chocolate sauce) inside. It was piping hot and so delicious... I could've eaten like 10 of them! 

The owner of the factory gave us a history lesson on Mayan chocolate production over the years, and then let us sample chocolate using original production methods. Everything was delicious! I loved that I got to learn something, and eat - two of my most favorite things!

I am so grateful that we chose to go on this tour! Our guides were kind, thoughtful, and made sure that all of our questions were answered and needs were met. We had an absolute blast, and I know that I made memories I will treasure forever. If you're thinking of going on a tour like this as opposed to something like... swimming with dolphins or driving golf carts down the beach... this for sure was fun! It wasn't boring, and I felt really safe with our guide and tour group. 

Before you knew it, it was time to get back onboard the ship! Here is a view of it from the dock. 

This evening, the theme for dinner was "Pirate Night." Our towels were folded to look like Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean, with fun gold medallions for eyes - as if we needed more chocolate that day! For dinner we were back at Triton's and we couldn't wait to dig in! 

Dinner was insane! The pirate theme extended to both the food and the floorshow. My husband ordered the steak for his main meal, and we both dug into crab cakes, grilled shrimp, jerk chicken, and red beans and rice. Everything was delicious, and I so appreciated having such a filling meal after such a long day. I will say - Disney takes care of you here. Our wait staff were so incredible and let us try literally everything we could eat. Not pictured is the macadamia nut cheesecake. It was so good they gave me one to-go so that I could have it as a midnight snack! I absolutely did eat it later that night, and it was just as divine the second time around. 

This was our last meal at Triton's for the trip, and I had to get a photo of the mural on the wall. The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney animated film and I was so happy in this room! 

We got to enjoy fireworks outside on the high seas for our last event of the evening. What a treat! The fireworks were so fun, and they were the perfect thing to send me off to bed!

Our Disney World Honeymoon - Day 2 - EPCOT

Hey there princess!

Our second day at Disney World started in the absolute most perfect way, with Mickey Waffles! I had been dreaming of these bad boys for a long time, and it was so fun to finally get to eat some. Things have certainly changed since the last time I was at Caribbean Beach Resort (probably about 15 years ago) and I loved all of the renovations that they have done! Most of all, I love that the reports still give you a refillable mug at check-in, because that bad boy got used a lot!

Once our tummies were full, we donned our sunscreen and hopped on the bus to head to Epcot. This is Niles' first ever time going to Disney World (he is a California boy and grew up going to Disneyland), and being in Epcot was such a fun and new experience to share with him. Since it was the middle of August, the most important things to us were keeping cool! We dressed in lightweight clothes, brought hats (mine with the new monogram) and wore tons of sunscreen. I also found some neat cooling packs off of Amazon (click here to see) and I threw them in my purse to help us not get overheated.

One of those special Epcot-only attractions is The Land, which is one of my all-time favorites. Even just the smell is something just incredibly special that stays in my memory. I can almost feel the breeze coming off of the water now while I type this. 

When planning our honeymoon there were some very specific things on my "must do" list, particularly involving food. One of my favorite places to eat in Epcot is the Garden Grill, which sits directly above The Land attraction. Garden Grill checks off so many boxes - it is a character dining experience, it sits directly above one of my favorite attractions, and you can look out over the balcony to see people passing by, and the food is phenomenal.

When I say the food is good, the food is GOOD! It is family style, so there is a little bit of everything and you don't have to worry about a menu. Dessert is included, and Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale stop by periodically to check on you and take pictures. I am seriously still thinking about how amazing that turkey is! For me - I want to have at least one opportunity to have a character interaction on my trip, but I don't want to wait in line or have to use a FastPass. Character Dining is the perfect solution to this, and Garden Grill gives you both great food and personal interaction without too high of a price tag. 

Of course, no trip to Epcot is complete without riding Spaceship Earth. We actually ended up riding it three times since it is being closed for changes to the story in 2020 - 2021. Who knows what it will be like when we return?! 

Of course, we also had to get some cute pictures in front of "the ball" to commemorate the trip. If you look closely, you can see that I have changed clothes. About halfway through the day I was totally exhausted, and decided to beat the head by taking a nap in our room. During that break, I also made a stop at the hotel gift shop and bought a cute little nap time sweatshirt!

Before calling it a night, we made a quick stop at the Mexico pavilion, and were totally blown away by the incredibly Coco inspired Dia de los Muertos decor. This is my absolute favorite pavilion, and always spend a substantial amount of my time in Epcot exploring this slice of fun! What is your favorite EPCOT pavilion? 

Tune in tomorrow for more fun adventures!

Sparkle on!

Our Disney World Honeymoon - Day 1 - Travel Day and Magic Kingdom

Hey there princess!

Exactly one year ago today, my husband (of about 15 hours) and I were waking up at 5:30am to get in the car so that we could drive to the airport and fly to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I loved the process of planning our wedding, but I LOVED the process of planning our honeymoon. Niles would joke that I should be a professional Disney vacation planner, for how much research I put into everything. 

I remember being absolutely amped when we woke up that morning, and bouncing in my seat as we pulled through the Whataburger drive-thru in the pitch black that morning. We were going to get to spend a whole week in my absolute favorite place with my absolute favorite guy. 

After landing in Orlando, Niles and I put on our Magic Bands, and made our way to the bus waiting area where we found a sign for Caribbean Beach Resort. It was time for our vacation to begin!

When we arrived at Caribbean Beach we were surprised to find out that our room wasn't ready yet. The staff was super helpful and upgraded our reservation to an even nicer room right next to the drink machine (ooh la la)! It was totally ok with us, and we left our bags at reception and headed straight to the Magic Kingdom. 

We rode Peter Pan's Flight, we hopped on It's A Small World, and enjoyed our very first meal in the parks at Cosmic Ray's.

Just look at that focus!

I have been a fan of Sonny Eclipse ever since I was a little girl, and when planning this trip I knew it would be the perfect way to start out our trip (splitting a sandwich at the airport doesn't count). Niles had a  Mac n Cheese Bacon Burger with a cute Mickey and I had my favorite - chickie nuggies. 

We stayed in the park and rode Space Mountain and walked around enjoying the fireworks and the fun nighttime music and sights. Then, it was time to hop back on the bus and head to our hotel. The room was so beautifully decorated, and we were both exhausted beyond belief. 

Still, we had the energy to head over to the hotel lobby to pick up our complimentary drink cups, which we immediately filled to the brim with grape Sprite. Below, you will see the bag that I used in the parks, fresh with my new monogram (click here for site). I absolutely loved this bag, and I still use it regularly. Also, if you check the photo above, you'll see the incredible monogrammed Lilly luggage that my mom gave me at my bridal shower! She purchased it off of Etsy, I believe, and it has gotten so much use already!

The "Happily Ever After" pin I picked up at the reception desk at Caribbean Beach. If you are traveling to Disney for your honeymoon or anniversary, I would highly recommend picking one up! It was such a nice keepsake.

Plus, look how cute these cups are! Niles chose the green Buzz one, and I went with a classic Mickey Mouse. 

As one last treat - we had a sweet delivery! It just wouldn't be a Disney honeymoon without some bride and groom ears! Our delivery came with an engraved tray, chocolate, champagne and glass Mickey ear etched champagne flutes. Everything was so incredibly magical! 

Ever since I was little, I knew that I wanted to go to Disney World for my honeymoon. My parents went on their honeymoon, and always talked about the experience with such fondness. Growing up, they took the three of us kids on family vacations, and it became such a special place where we could all share millions of incredibly memories. 

After Niles and I got engaged, I was so ecstatic about planning our wedding and our future lives together that I waited a little bit before broaching the subject of our honeymoon. Niles is actually the one who brought up Disney World to me, and the second the word "Orlando" touched his lips I was beyond thrilled. It's really something special to marry a man who is on board with spending their first week of marriage in a theme park with you. My parents also went to Disney World for their honeymoon, and I loved growing up hearing about how much fun they had. I know that when they established their marriage with fun experiences they set the tone for us in the future - be silly, play sweetly, and don't be too serious.

If you are planning your honeymoon, remember to choose somewhere that you can both have fun, relax, and start building memories that will last throughout your marriage. Disney World was certainly the perfect place for us to do that - and whatever you choose to do will be perfect for you too!

Sparkle on!

Fabulous Recent Movie Quotes

Hey there princess!

So sorry that I haven't posted in a few days! I was out getting fitted for some new tiaras. You know how it is. 

For your viewing pleasure, I have compiled an assortment of my favorite movie quotes from recent days. Tuesdays, in my opinion, are the perfect days to sit around and watch a movie. Firstly, because you've earned it after surviving through Monday, and secondly because you are looking particularly ravishing today! 

Don't worry. I'll make the popcorn. You get the Sour Patch Kids. 

·      “May the Force be with you.” Harrison Ford in Star Wars (1977)

·      “Oy! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!” Robin Williams in Aladdin (1992)

·      “If the good Lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn’t have invented roller skates.” Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

·      “Plastics.” Walter Brooke in The Graduate (1967)

·      “He is the cheese to my macaroni.” Ellen Page in Juno (2007)

·      “Show me the money!” Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire (1996)

·      “I’m king of the world!” Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic (1997)

·      “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II (1974)

·      “It’s Levi-oooh-sa, not Leviosar.” Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

·      “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Roy Scheider in Jaws (1975)

·      “Be better than the Gap.” Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

·      “E.T. phone home.” Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

·      “Why is the rum gone?” Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

·      “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing (1987)

·      “Houston, we have a problem.” Tom Hanks in Apollo 13 (1995)