I'm Back with So You Think You Can Dance Favorites!

Computer issues kept me from being able to post for two whole weeks so I am super excited to have those problems resolved and be back to posting.

Today I want to talk about my favorite TV show of life: So You Think You Can Dance! Although I am no dance expert I did dance when I was younger and I never lost my extreme appreciation/admiration for the art form. As I mentioned in my last High Five for Friday post, I thought four weeks of auditions was waaaay too much so I am in heaven now that the actual competition portion of the show has begun. I love talking with fellow fans of the show each week about my favorite routines so here are my favorites from the first two weeks with our Top 20!

*Watch out for spoilers if you are not caught up!*

Top 20 Perform 

Malene & Marcquet - "Morning Drums" 

This routine had such high energy and was just really fun to watch. I've liked Marcquet a lot since we first saw him during auditions and I thought he was fantastic in this routine. He also really makes that hair work for him! Malene's excitement really lit up the stage and I thought she was wonderful. I was really surprised to see her in the bottom the next week!

Carly & Rudy - "Take It Easy"
This wasn't my favorite contemporary of the night but I still really enjoyed it. Carly is a very strong dancer (one of my favorites) and I thought her dress with the fans blowing on it made the routine. Rudy is just precious and adorable and lovely. 

Jessica & Ricky - "Vow"
The sheer difficulty of this piece was amazing to me. As a musician I truly understand how hard it must be to perform an entire routine without any real sense of tempo. Jessica and Ricky were just incredible. I think Ricky stands a good chance of winning the whole thing, we just need to see him in some other styles now.

Bridget & Stanley - "Doesn't Mean Goodbye"
As great as the other two were, this was by far my favorite contemporary routine of the night. That's saying something considering how much I love Sonya Tayeh's choreography but I thought this piece by Bonnie Story was just stunningly heartfelt and beautiful. Stanley is another dancer that I'm pulling for and I love that Bridget is dancing so well on the show just like her late father said she would.

Top 20 Perform Again

Group Performance - Broadway/"On The Town"
I am huge fan of all things Broadway and vintage so this week's group performance made me smile from ear to ear! The costumes, the music, the choreography...everything was just perfect.

Carly & Serge - "Latch"
Oh, just another beautiful Sonya Tayeh contemporary routine. This one felt really intense to me and while I knew how much I liked Carly so far, I was very surprised by how great Serge was in this. Just beautiful.

Jacque & Zack - "Dibiza"
This was so crazy and weird and wonderful that I absolutely loved it! I watched it over and over again after seeing it for the fist time because I just liked it that much. This is actually my favorite routine of the season thus far! It has to be seen to be believed! 


Those are all my favorites for the first two weeks of competition! Just because a routine wasn't mentioned doesn't mean I disliked it, these are just the ones that really stuck with me. I tend to obsess over SYTYCD routines forever after I first fall in love with them. I keep lots of my favorites on my "SYTYCD Favorites" Pinterest board for my future viewing pleasure. I'll back with more amazing routines next week!

-Lindsay

Book Review: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

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Let me preface this review by saying two things:
     
1. A. Meredith Walters is quickly becoming one of my   favorite authors. Her Find You in the Dark series may very well be my favorite of all time. I've also really enjoyed some of her other books.

2. The book I'm reviewing today has gotten TONS of   rave reviews and has a 4.20 rating on Goodreads. 

Essentially, Reclaiming the Sand is about a twenty-something year old girl named Ellie who has lead a pretty unsavory life and her relationship with a guy named Flynn who also happens to have Asperger's syndrome. This book shows the reader both sides of the bullying coin before exploring what it might be like if the bully and the victim were to, say, fall in love.

I really do think Reclaiming the Sand has an interesting premise and important message. The love story here is a beautiful one whether I enjoyed reading it or not.

All that being said, this book was not my favorite. Not by a long shot. As I said before, this author is one of my favorites, so I was really looking forward to reading something new from her. She has a way of writing the most beautiful, romantic stories while still staying grounded in the real world. Her books have brought me to tears, both happy and sad. This particular one just did not do that for me, though. 

Maybe it was the fact that I thought there was just too much inner dialogue. I usually like that in a book but not when the same things seem to be said over and over again. I can't put my finger on exactly what kept me from loving this book like I have all of A. Meredith Walters's others. The best word to describe my feelings about Reclaiming the Sand would be underwhelmed. 

I would recommend reading Find You in the Dark and the rest of the books in that series before reading this one. I would definitely say those are Walters's best so far but, like I said, Reclaiming the Sand has had some fantastic reviews so maybe I'm just crazy. I'm still eagerly awaiting anything else this author writes!

My Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

-Lindsay

High Five for Friday

Hi, everyone! It's been another lovely summer week. Here's what's been going on!

1. I've kept up with my workouts mixing running, pilates, and general toning throughout the week! Still a little slow to get out of bed in the morning but I feel SO much better when I am consistently getting my workouts in. I've also been eating MUCH better this week and have cut way back on snacking which is a vice of mine. Yay, progress!

2. I finally had my first Trader Joe's "two buck chuck" experience! I took my first trip to the n! ew Trader Joe's y somewhat near where I live a while back and I bought two bottles of wine (two buck chuck!). This week I popped open the Pinot Grigio and it was great!  I still haven't tried the merlot but I'm looking forward to it. 

Notice the Mickey wine glass from our honeymoon?

3. So You Think You Can Dance is my  favorite show of life and this week we finally got past the auditions portion (a month of audition episodes?! really?!) and have met the top 20 dancers! Anyone in my family could tell you that I get a little too excited about SYTYCD. I absolutely cannot wait for all the awesome routines that are sure to be filling the rest of my Wednesday nights this summer!

4. I got married back in October and only yesterday did I finally go to the DMV to get my new driver's license. AND the picture turned out not so bad! Woohoo!

5. One of my best friends from college is coming to visit today! She lives a few hours away and we haven't seen each other in a few months. Yay! 

Ashley was one of my bridesmaids!

Hope everyone has another fantastic summer week!

-Lindsay

How I Style My Naturally Curly Hair

Having naturally curly hair has been an ongoing struggle my entire life. Words like frizzy and poofy have been known to elicit not so good reactions from me. Over the years, though, I've figured out some things that actually make my hair work for me and have even earned me a few compliments!

I thought it would be useful to other curly girls for me to share the process and products that I've actually had some success in using. A couple of precursors:

-Is my hair perfect? No!
-Am I an expert at styling curly hair? No! This is just what works for me (for now). 
-Will this process work for someone other than me? I don't know!

First off, according to the Curly Hair Types over at Naturally Curly, I have 3B - Curly Spirally hair. If you're a curly girl, go figure your hair type out! There are lots of other great resources on that site as well. 

My Naturally Curly Hair Routine

1. Wash and condition with John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. I love the scent of these and the conditioner really works for detangling my hair. If I'm being good I'll also deep condition with Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque once every week or two.
2. Detangle hair using  The Wet Brush. I've been told only to use a wide-toothed comb on my hair many times but, to be honest, it is painful to detangle my hair using any comb it and usually ends up in me pulling out lots of hair. The Wet Brush gets the knots out without pulling my hair and it is an absolute life saver! Cannot recommend it enough!
3. Comb through hair with the Ouidad Double Detangler Comb. I think using this after the brush gives me thicker individual curls than if I had only brushed and also gives them a more natural look. This is the best comb I've found for detangling but I still have better results when using it after the Wet Brush. After combing, I like to give my hair a deep side part using the Ouidad comb.
4. Mix a quarter sized amount of Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls and a few pumps of  John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir in hand and comb through with fingers. This combination is like my very own secret weapon against frizz! Particularly the Pillow Soft Curls. I think any of the frizz fighting oils/serums would probably work just as well but I like the Frizz Ease line.
5. "Plop" hair in a t-shirt and leave up for as long as possible. Plopping is yet another wonderful thing that I've found thanks to Naturally Curly! Learning to do this (and to use a tshirt instead of a towel) was a total game changer for me. I like to leave my hair up/plopped for at least 10-20 minutes but I will usually just leave it up as long as it takes for me to do my makeup and whatever else. 
6. Last but not least, take hair out of t-shirt and spray thoroughly with Ouidad Botanical Boost Moisture Infusing & Refreshing Spray. Scrunch hair to your preferred shape and style, covering hand(s) with the t-shirt used in step 5 before letting hair air dry. The more you touch your hair with your hands, the more frizz-prone it will be. This is why I scrunch my hair using the t-shirt and it seems to really help.

That's it! It's not at all time consuming and is much quicker and easier than blow drying with a diffuser in my opinion. Just for fun, here's a shameless bathroom selfie to show you what my hair looks like on a decent day  after going through this whole process. Perfect? No. Presentable? Yes! And that's all I ask for!

Like my Minnie Mouse phone case?

-Lindsay

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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It almost isn't even necessary to write a review of this book with the amount of hype it's gotten lately but I loved it so much that the world is just going to have to deal with one more stellar review of The Fault in Our Stars!

As pretty much everyone in the universe knows by now, this book is about a teenage girl who is living with terminal cancer... but Hazel Grace Lancaster is so much more than that. She wants to live a life that isn't defined by her condition and she has such a wonderful, sarcastic, loving, thoughtful personality. As you also probably know, Hazel meets a boy and everything from there is a rollercoaster that only goes up, my friends. John Green has done such a great job creating these characters that are dealing with such serious issues but have so much more going for them than their hardships. The story is so real and heartfelt. Yes, at times there is great sadness, but there are also euphorically happy and hysterically funny times, too. To describe this book as a rollercoaster of emotions is an understatement.

I cannot say one bad thing about The Fault in Our Stars. I read it in about a day and a half (world record pace for this super slow reader!) and I enjoyed every second. I am a huge fan of love stories and this is one that will stick with me forever. The more I think back on the story, the more I love it. Books like that are the ones I love the most.

My Goodreads Rating: 5 stars!

Quick The Fault in Our Stars Movie Review!

Wonderful . Amazing . Perfect 

That's what I think about the movie. It was acted spectacularly by the most perfect cast. The movie only enhanced my love of the story itself. I smiled ear to ear. I laughed. I cried. I can't wait to see it again!

In conclusion, go read the book and then see the movie! You won't regret it.

-Lindsay

High Five for Friday: Laughing, Crying, and Sleeping on Clouds

Thank God it's Friday!!! I'm so excited to be taking part in my first High Five for Friday! I saw this on a great blog I love to follow, Lauren Elizabeth, and decided to join in on the fun. Here's what's been going on this week...

1. I'm an elementary music teacher so this time of year means one thing for me: summer camp! I'm a director for a summer day camp run by my city and this was our first week with the kids. It's nice to have a break from my regular teaching routine and getting to work in a more casual setting is always fun. Summer camp with elementary age kids is always full of excitement (yeah...let's call it excitement). 

2. I've been reading on my Kindle a TON this week. I finished my third book of the summer (not my favorite) and have already moved on to the next. I've been trying to get into the habit of reading just a little bit in bed each night until I fall asleep. This really relaxes me and it gets me to make at least a little bit of reading progress every day. 

P.S. I really love my Vera Bradley Kindle case!

3. Speaking of books, I finally saw The Fault in Our Stars movie! I read the book last week and my mom and I headed to our local movie theater to see what was sure to be a sob fest yesterday. To be honest, I LOVED THE MOVIE (that needs to be made clear) but I may have cried more tears from laughing than from sadness. I wasn't laughing at the movie, of course. We were laughing at the handful of random women in the theater who were straight up basket cases throughout the entire movie. Yes, parts of this movie are very sad, but these people just could not keep it together to the point that I couldn't hear the dialogue of one of my favorite scenes over the wails of a women on the other side of my mom. No . Joke. I guess I can be thankful for some comedic relief??? 

4. As a thank you for dog sitting while they were on a cruise, my parents got us a set of really nice Cariloha bamboo bed sheets. I want to do a more in-depth post about these sheets but can I just say that they are like sleeping on a cloud! They feel like the "cool side of the pillow" all the time and they are just the softest, most comfortable thing ever! Ah! They're the best.

5. I've been slacking for a while but I finally got back to running this week! I've been feeling less than motivated lately and I really just needed to bite the bullet and get out there. When I'm feeling so lazy I need little things to help me get through it. This time it was my running hat from the Inaugural Glass Slipper Challenge in February. Just remembering that I was able to run a 10k and a half marathon in the same weekend was inspiration enough to get me out  the door. 

So, there it is! My first High Five for Friday! Hoping everyone out there has had a fantastic week and has an even better one coming!

-Lindsay

Pinteresting: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt!

I'm just going to put this out there: I am absolutely obsessed with Pinterest! There, I said it. I can spend hours pinning anything and everything. I love finding fun projects, recipes...anything really, and using them in my own life. That's why I am going to be sharing the most (P)interesting pins I've found and how I've made them work for me. First up, something delicious...

I had been looking around Pinterest for ideas for some healthy snacks when I came across this little beauty: Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt! Check out the original pin by clicking on "photo source" below.

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The original pin provided a super simple recipe for this really yummy snack/dessert. I tried it out and loved it right away but decided to make one tiny change. The original used a tablespoon of peanut butter and while that was great, I thought it would taste even more like cookie dough if I used ...(dramatic pause)... COOKIE BUTTER! 

Now, if you've never experienced the wonder that is cookie butter, that discussion is for a whole 'nother post. Just know that it is scrumptious, buttery, goodness that looks like peanut butter but tastes like cookies. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's!!! Moving on...

Here's what my first try ended up looking like:

Important note: Yes, the first time I made this I did use the fat free Oikos Greek yogurt. It was definitely good but NOT as good as it was when I switched to the fat free Fage Greek yogurt. Fage is way creamier which lends itself to being a lot more cookie dough-like. 

I take no credit for this recipe, just wanted to share this yumminess with anyone who reads. Here is the recipe for this easy but incredibly tasty treat, with my one change added in as an option. Yum!

Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

-Start with one cup Greek yogurt of your choice  and add...

-1 tbsp creamy peanut butter OR cookie butter!

-1 tsp honey

-1/4 tsp vanilla extract

-1 tbsp miniature chocolate chips

-a dash of sea salt (this, to me, is the secret to making it taste like actual cookie dough)

That's it, mix all that together and you've got one seriously tasty treat!

-Lindsay 

Book Review: The Husband's Secret

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Welcome to my first book review! I am definitely no literary expert but I love reading books and other people's opinions about them.

I finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty at the beginning of this week and found it very intriguing. The story follows the lives of three seemingly unrelated women, each going through a different crisis in their life. One of the three ladies finds a letter written by her husband to be read at the time of his death. The clincher is that said husband is alive and well and this letter contains a completely life-altering secret. 

Just knowing that much about the plot of this book was enough to have me itching to know what this secret was and let me say, it did not disappoint. The author does a great job of dropping hints along the way as to what this secret is. I also really enjoyed the funny inner dialogue of each of the three women and the way Moriarty eventually ties all of their story lines together. 

I didn't have many issues with this book other than the fact that the beginning is a bit slow for my taste. I wouldn't say really slow but knowing this big secret was coming made me a little restless throughout the initial set-up phase where we learn about the characters and their backgrounds. 

Liane Moriarty is apparently considered an author of "chick-lit" but I definitely wouldn't consider The Husband's Secret fluffy by any means. The story deals with some intense concepts and poses some pretty deep questions, which I love!

Overall, I wouldn't say this book was one of my all-time favorites but it was a good, satisfying read that had some great surprises! 

-Lindsay

What's On My Kindle?

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Seeing as it's finally summer I am really excited to start my summer reading! Reading is one of my absolute favorite things about the summer since I don't have nearly as much time to do it throughout the rest of the year. I've kind of made it a tradition to pick out a bunch of books that I want to read at the beginning of the summer and then see how many I've been able to check off my list by the end of the season. I am a preeeetty slow reader so I'm sure my final count is nowhere near as big as other peoples' but I just love it so much regardless of my snail-like reading pace. 

To kick off my 2014 summer reading I want to share what I have lined up on my Kindle (favorite thing!) ready and waiting to be read so far. Here we go! 

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The premise that a wife finds a secret letter from her husband to be read on the occasion of his death while he is still very much alive totally hooked me! I needed to know what was in that letter! Already finished this one, review coming soon! 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I am a sucker for books that are made into movies. I love comparing the original story to the on-screen version so I was determined to read this before seeing the movie. I also really love a good romance so this was right up my alley. I literally just finished The Fault in Our Stars so there's another upcoming review.

Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters
This one is by an author that I have really grown to love. I've technically read five of her books (two were novellas I believe) and have really loved them all. Her Find You in the Dark series is pretty much my favorite. Like ever. So, of course I'm excited to read something else by her. Reclaiming the Sand seems like maybe another sort of twisted love story which A. Meredith Walters is very good at writing. 

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
I finished the first book in the Delirium series on our cruise over Spring Break and I really liked it. The idea of love being considered a disease is just so crazy to me! Not to mention the first book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger so I am anxious to see how the story continues in Pandemonium. 

The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner 
I've read the first two books of this series and while they are not my favorite I still find the overall plot really interesting and basically want to get my questions answered! This is one of those series that leaves the reader in the dark about a lot of things and little by little reveals what's really going on so that always keeps me coming back. Also, they released the trailer for the first Maze Runner movie and, of course, I need to finish the series before it comes out! 

Entwined with You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day
These books are my not-so-guilty pleasure. Think Fifty Shades of Grey but a little bit better. I am not ashamed! 

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth 
Now, I have seen the Divergent movie but I've heard such good things that I downloaded the entire series to my Kindle and will still read it. I loved The Hunger Games so much so I need another dystopian trilogy in my life! 


I can't guarantee that I'll finish all of these but I have sneaking suspicion that I will. I usually do randomly find more books I just have to read right now as time goes on but I am really excited about what's on my Kindle right now. Look out for book reviews as I slowly, but surely, check these off my list!

-Lindsay

Norwegian Getaway Photo Tour

Whenever getting ready for a vacation, one of my favorite things to do is look around for pictures and videos of wherever it is that I'm going. This is especially true when it comes time to experience a new cruise ship! I'm sure there are lots of people who would rather experience everything for the first time in person but, to be honest, I usually have to do something to keep me sane while I wait for whatever big trip is coming.

So, as promised, here is my "photo tour" of the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship. This is in no way every inch of the ship. I just took a walk around at the end of our week and took pictures of some of the areas I thought were pretty. Hope you enjoy!

Norwegian Getaway Cruise Highlights

If you read my last post (yes, I know it's been a while!) then you know that over my Spring Break I got to go on a week-long cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, the Norwegian Getaway. I will be doing a separate post of photos of just the ship but I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of our trip. Let me preface this by saying that I was totally blown away by this ship and how much fun we had on it! I would absolutely recommend this cruise to anyone looking to have a seriously fun vacation!

Click "read more" below to get a taste of all the fun we had! 

Girls Getaway on the Norwegian Getaway!

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Spring begins this Thursday and every teacher knows what that means: SPRING BREAK! Mine is next week and I cannot wait. My mom is a travel agent and she got us an absolutely incredible travel agent rate for a 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the brand new Norwegian Getaway! When I say brand new, I mean it literally has only been sailing for two months!

This will be my third cruise (you'll be hearing about our honeymoon cruise on the Disney Fantasy in my wedding series!). Something I love about cruising is that more and more the ships are becoming destinations unto themselves, particularly the ships built within the past few years. Each one has their own special features and is a unique experience. Sure, ships from the same cruise line may have some similar aspects but no two seem to be exactly the same.

As I prepare for this awesome girls trip I thought it would be fun to share what I am most excited about experiencing on the new Norwegian Getaway!


Legally Blonde the Musical

The Norwegian Getaway's headliner night time show is Legally Blonde! I absolutely love musical theater and all things Broadway. Even though I've only seen it as an MTV special, Legally Blonde the Musical is one of my absolute favorites. It may not be quite as sophisticated as some of my other favorites but it is tons of fun and the songs are so catchy! My favorite color is also pink sooooo Legally Blonde is kind of a given.

As far as I can tell it should be the full, unabridged show but I'll have to report back on that after I've seen it. I can't wait!

The Ropes Course

The Getaway's three-story sports complex features the largest ropes course at sea! I've been pumped about this since the second I heard they had a ropes course. To be totally honest, I've only been on one ropes course in my life and it maaaay have been more geared towards kids. Who knows, it may be huge and I may end up chickening out but hopefully that won't be the case. Speaking of chickening out, did I mention there is a part called The Plank that extends 8 feet out over the edge of the ship!? We'll see if that happens! Stay tuned!

Illusionarium

The Illusionarium is a specially created space that hosts a combination dinner/magic show. That's really the best I can describe it without having seen it yet. The space itself seems to be incredible and, from what I've heard, so are the performances. I am so intrigued by this!

Spa Thermal Suite

What girl doesn't look forward to a spa? The Norwegian Getaway's spa has a section called the Thermal Suite that has everything you could hope for for relaxation. It has a steam room, a dry sauna, Vitality pool, hot tubs, waterfalls, heated tile loungers, and even a salt room! You can buy either a day pass or a pass for the week. We hope to snag one for the full seven days!

The Music

I teach music so it should come as no surprise that I am excited about all the live music offerings on this cruise. Live music is a big aspect of any cruise, really, but this ship boasts some really awesome musical performances.

The Getaway has a venue called The Grammy Experience that features a Grammy-nominated or Grammy-winning performer every night! Sure, they probably won't be the biggest names you've heard in your life but being nominated for a Grammy is a pretty huge thing and anyone who's earned that honor is definitely worth your time. At this point I can't say I've ever seen a Grammy-nominated artist perform live so I can't wait to check that off of my bucket list!

Another awesome musical performance I can't wait for on the ship is the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos show in their comedy club, Headliners. If you've never seen dueling pianos you really should! You'll hear lots of your favorite songs, see two really talented musicians, and have a blast! We did Howl at the Moon in Destin, FL as a part of my bachelorette weekend and it was a highlight of the trip!


I'm sure I'll have lots more to say about the Norwegian Getaway when we get back. Does anyone have any fun travel plans?

-Lindsay

Our Disney Wedding: Port Orleans Riverside Welcome Event

Over the next few weeks I am doing a series all about our Disney wedding! We got married at Walt Disney World back in October and it was the most amazing experience. Of course, everyone's wedding is amazing to them but for a Disney nerd like me it was just so incredible to get to marry the love of my life in front of our loved ones at our favorite place on the planet.

When I began planning our wedding I became obsessed with reading about other people's Disney weddings. It is definitely a unique experience and planning process so it was so helpful to learn from other peoples' experiences. I'm breaking the series up into individual events so I'll start with the first, our welcome event!

This is actually one of our engagement pictures. We did the shoot at Port Orleans Riverside!

Ummm...what is a welcome event?

In the world of Disney weddings a welcome event is a time for all wedding guests to get together in a less formal setting prior to the wedding day. Of course, this can be accomplished to some extent at the rehearsal dinner but many couples (ourselves included) do not invite all wedding guests to the dinner as they are not a part of the rehearsal itself. In our case, we had a lot of non-wedding party guests traveling long distances to be at our wedding and we wanted to spend some time with them before the craziness began. It was the perfect way to welcome our guests to our wedding weekend!

Being the bride you get called up on stages a lot! This happened at my bachelorette, too!

Where was your welcome event held? 

We had our event at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort. More specifically it was in their River Roost Lounge, a bar/lounge in their main building. River Roost features an incredible performer named Yeeha Bob many nights out of the week. His piano singalong comedy show is free and a total blast! Ryan, my husband, and I had been to see him a couple of times and thought it would be so much fun to see him again with all our friends and family. Turns out, we were right! Yeeha Bob's show is incredibly interactive and entertaining and our guests all seemed to really enjoy themselves. Can I mention again that this was all free?!

Spending this more casual special time with the ones that are close to us was so amazing! The kids had fun, too!

How did you plan this?!

When you're planning a wedding, I wouldn't say it's the best idea to add extra events with lots more planning to do to your list of things to worry about. With that thought in mind I wanted to plan the welcome event as simply as possible. We basically only had to worry about these two things:

• The guest list and getting the word out: We had the event two days before the wedding, the day we arrived in Orlando. We sent an email out to all of our wedding guests letting them know we'd be having a "casual pre-wedding get together" and that anyone who was in town by then should come out. No guest list to worry about!
• Food/drinks: The show started after dinner time so that took off the pressure to provide any sort of big meal. The River Roost lounge had drinks and food you could buy if you wanted but there was no obligation to so it was the best of both worlds!

That was pretty much all the planning it took. We didn't rent out the bar or anything so we did have to get there about 45 minutes before the show to reserve enough seats for our friends and family but other than that all that was left to do was have a blast with our wedding guests! 

Disney wedding or not, I think everyone should have a casual welcome event like this. Some of my favorite memories were made that night! Nothing beats singing, dancing, and making a fool out of yourself with all of your favorite people during such a special time. <3

Yeeha Bob is an incredible entertainer! After every show he gets pictures with people in the audience and then he puts them on his Facebook page. He called up our entire group! This wasn't even everyone that was there ;)

- Lindsay

Current Beauty Favorites: Drugstore

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Over the past year or so I've developed an interest in the world of beauty. Ok, when I say interest I actually mean more of an obsession. Just so you know, I am married and really am not trying to impress anyone. I enjoy doing my makeup because it makes me feel good and it's sort of a daily way to pamper myself. That type of pampering is so nice, especially on those same-old-same-old kind of days when I may need a bit of a pick me up before I head out the door to work. 

I'm the type of person that, when I like something, I just throw myself into it and want to learn as much about it as I can. Enter beauty bloggers and YouTubers! I have learned SO much from these ladies; not only about how to apply my makeup but about which products will help me achieve the look I want and are worth my money. I am in no way any sort of beauty expert but I value the opinions of other "normal people" on stuff like this so now I'll share my own "normal people" opinion with you! 

The items below are mostly products that I purchased on recommendation of different "beauty gurus." I use all of them pretty much daily. They've made my favorites because they actually live up to the hype I've heard/read about them AND they are products that I (a beauty newbie) can use with great success. Enjoy!

1. Real Techniques Brushes: When I first learned about Real Techniques makeup brushes I was curious as to how brushes that are so reasonably priced could really be that much better than any other old brushes in the drugstore. I am so glad I decided to try them out because I really noticed a difference in the look of my makeup when I started using them! Now I have many of their different brushes but my three favorites are featured in the picture above. Left: Real Techniques Setting Brush - I use this to set my under-eye concealer and for powder highlighter when I use it. Middle: Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush - as the name states it's great for blending in the crease. Right: Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush - it's name tells you it's for base shadow but I also use to blend everything out. I think it's ok to experiment with brushes and figure out what works well for you. If it looks good to you go with it!

2. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller: I have lots of allergies that result in what my doctor calls "allergic shiners." This basically just means puffiness under my eyes. I noticed a while back that not only did this make my under-eye/above cheek area look puffy but it also made it look like I have dark circles. All of this to say this eye roller really works for me! It has caffeine in it which helps with the puffiness and it has a sheer tint which neutralizes the dark coloring. I think it's a great product! 

 3. N.Y.C. Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny: First of all, this costs less than three dollars! It's also totally worth the hype about it. It is a matte powder with no shimmer at all which I love for a more natural look. I just don't need gold shimmer all over my face most days. When I really contour my face this bronzer makes a world of difference. I tend to always be shopping for beauty products I don't need but I rarely find myself looking at the bronzers since I am just so satisfied with this one. Yay! 

4. E.L.F. Tone Correcting Powder in Cool: E.L.F. is known to have a lot of dupes (good or bad) for higher end products so I always like experimenting with their stuff. I was so excited to find how much I liked this powder! For me, I think it really evens out the coloring of my face and makes my foundation, concealer, etc look more natural. It also doesn't make everything look cakey which is a problem I have found with several drugstore powders. 

5. Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-In-1 Foundation: This one is the most recent addition to my makeup collection (stash?hoard?). I had heard lots of gurus talking about it and finally just gave in and had to give it a try. I looooove it! I really love the finish. I think it looks very natural and maybe even makes my skin look healthier? Does that make sense? Probably not. It's supposed to do the work of a primer, a concealer, and a foundation all in one. I still use other primer and concealer but I can see how it would still work well without them. 

6. Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal Eye Shadow in Barely Branded: A lot of gurus talked about using this as a base for your eyeshadow to make the colors "pop" more and they are totally right. It's also beautiful by itself and easy to apply, even with just your fingers! I like it so much that I bought a few more in some of their other shades and they are all great! 

7. Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner: Last but not least, this liner is an absolute staple to me. Honestly, I haven't heard that much about it from the experts but there is no other eyeliner out there (some high end included) that has worked as well for me just yet. I never even wore eyeliner until a few years ago and this one is just so easy for me to use. I have it in blackest black for a more intense line and in black brown for a less dramatic look.

So, there it is. My first beauty post! If you made it this far, let me know what your favorite drugstore beauty products are!

- Lindsay

One Girl's Disney Bucket List

At this point you've probably noticed the Disney reference in the title of this blog. I hope for this to become an overall "lifestyle" type blog but I would be lying if I said the subject of Disney won't be coming up...a lot!

To me, the word "Disney" represents SO many things. From theme parks to movies to just a positive way of living your life, Disney and everything that word encompasses is one of my greatest passions. I live only a few hours away from Walt Disney World so I am able to go there often and I feel so fortunate for that. 

Another one of my passions is travel. While I haven't done nearly as much of it as I would like just yet, seeing and experiencing the world is a huge priority to me. Take that and combine it with my love for Disney and I could have a bucket list a mile long! I narrowed it down, though, to my top ten (ok, eleven). This list has existed in my head for a long time so there are a few things I have already done. I love being able to check things off! 

My Disney Bucket List

1. Visit the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

2. Visit Walt Disney World during the holidays. - I have done this one partially. We visited this year with some friends just after Christmas so we were able to see many of the holiday offerings but taking a full blown trip at Christmas time is still on my bucket list. Plus, we still haven't been to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! 

3. To have stayed at ALL of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels. - So far I've stayed at All Star Movies, All Star Sports, Pop Century, Port Orleans Riverside, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Grand Floridian. A repeat stay at a few of those wouldn't be unwelcome, either! 

4. Become a Disney Vacation Club member.

5. Take Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour. 

6. Dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

7. Become an authorized Disney Travel Agent.

8. Visit the overseas parks, particularly Disneyland Resort Paris.

9. Go on an Adventures by Disney trip.

10. Get married at Walt Disney World and honeymoon on my first Disney Cruise. - Ok, this one is done! We were married at Disney's Wedding Pavilion and the Grand Floridian in October of 2013! We honeymooned on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship for a glorious 7 days right after! Best trip ever!

11. To, one day, experience the Disney parks with my child(ren). 

So, there it is! Of course, there are a million other Disney things I haven't done but those are the heavy hitters. 

If anyone is out there reading this, what's on your Disney bucket list? 

-Lindsay

My Second Star to the Right

"The second star to the right shines in the night for you, to tell you that the dreams you plan really can come true."

This quote is my inspiration for this blog. What I love about it is that while it seems to be the typical Disney, "when you wish upon a star" kind of idea, it actually contains a bit of self responsibility. This line from the classic Disney song "The Second Star to the Right" holds the dreamer accountable in that it tells us that the dreams we plan really can come true. As in nothing is going to just fall in our laps but anything is possible if we are willing to do the work.

This reminds me of another quote I've come across (admittedly, on Pinterest) that says "She turned her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans." Those same two words.

To me, both sayings communicate the idea that there is nothing at all wrong with dreaming, they actually encourage dreaming, but you have to make something of those dreams. Personally, I do a lot of dreaming but I don't always do what needs to be done to make those dreams a reality. So many seemingly unachievable things in life could be more easily attained if we formulated a plan and put it into action.

So, I hope that this blog will act as my second star to the right, my very own Neverland. A place to keep my thoughts, dreams, and plans so that I can return to them and turn some dreams into realities. Here, I plan to write about anything from the tiniest musings to the biggest life goals. As Walt would say, if you can dream it you can do it!

"And when our journey is through, each time we say goodnight, we'll thank the little star that shines, the second on the right."

-Lindsay