There’s nothing quite better than a day curled up on the couch with a warm pair of reading socks, a mug of coffee and a good book! I’m excited to bring you a giveaway today to win a few of my favorite things. Plus, several of my blogging friends are giving away some of THEIR favorite things! Check out all the great giveaways below!…

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I recently returned from one of my favorite brand trips each year, eating my way through all the parks at Walt Disney World. No matter how often I visit Disney, I always leave wishing I had more time to do ALL the things. The parks at Walt Disney World and Disney Springs offer so much enjoyment, it’s hard to pack everything you want to get done in one trip.

When you are planning your vacation to Disney, I know you’ll want to spend as little time in lines as you can and maximize the time you do have at each park. Today, I’m sharing 5 Great Ways to Maximize Your Time at Walt Disney World. Time is money, and time is a most valuable resource. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of the time you have, so every minute of your vacation can the very best!…

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Last month I had the opportunity to be a guest of Walt Disney World with a group of talented friends and bloggers. It’s no secret that Walt Disney World is considered the happiest place on earth, but to some people it can be somewhat overwhelming. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my 5 most favorite ways to Rock Your Happy when visiting Walt Disney World. Of course there are way more than 5 ways to find happiness at Disney, but I wanted to share some of my most favorite. Let me know what you would add!

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I recently returned from a “Disney Vacation” of sorts. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to explore Walt Disney World with a group of talented bloggers, take advantage of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and eat my way through all of the various Disney parks and several properties.

I first went to Walt Disney World when I was in 6th grade…our family camped and I remember going to Magic Kingdom and Epcot and loving it, but it was a very short vacation…not enough time to experience everything Disney has to offer. Since 6th grade, I’ve returned once for a 1 day Magic Kingdom visit with my family, but we’ve never done a full on Disney Vacation.

As you can imagine, things have changed drastically since I was first at Disney World 30 years ago. My recent blogging trip made me realize that there’s a lot I really don’t know about Disney Vacations – it was all so new to me. I thought I’d share some of the more obscure tips and tricks I gathered for those of you experiencing a Disney Vacation for the first time (or the first time in a long time!). (This is a long and picture heavy post, but hopefully you’ll gain some valuable insight for when you make your Disney Vacation dreams come true!)…

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So, with that, let me share with you what’s been making me happy lately!…

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This is my Friday night. A spiced chai tea latte with a little indulgent whipped cream, a stack of books to choose from, candles lit, and three sweet girls lying on the floor of my room engrossed in a Disney movie. The boys are out on the town at a baseball game, and at 6:30pm my girls and I are tucked in for a cozy fall night.

Ten years ago if you would have asked me if I would be content… happy, if you will… sitting at home on a Friday night doing absolutely nothing, I probably would have said not so much. Now? Girls night in on a Friday night, especially when the weather is cooler and we can be snuggled up under quilts with comfy PJ’s on, is my Friday night of choice. I look forward to low key Friday nights. I crave them and treasure them.

Whatever your Friday night looks like, I hope you are happy and find contentment in whatever season of life you are in.

Oh – and if you want a delicious recipe for Spiced Chai Tea Latte and a gorgeous blog to go along with it, head over to The Sprouted Kitchen. Enjoy.

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My kids are growing up. I knew they would, but seriously… why does it have to happen overnight? One day it is Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder and the next it is all sports and Pokemon. Little People are getting replaced with even littler Polly Pockets. Elmo and Zoe are no longer favorites and instead we love Troy and Gabriella.

I knew things were changing around here when we started back to school. On a shopping trip to buy my 7 year old new underwear, he told me, “Mom, will you please stop buying me underwear with characters on them? I don’t want Transformers or anything… just plain underwear.” While shopping at the Disney store, my big Kindergartner told me that “Princess backpacks are soooo preschool, mom. I just want a plain pink or purple backpack.” Well, then. Okey doke.

Even my 3 year old is getting in on the big act, saying things my other two never had even heard at this age. “I see London, I see France, I see someones pants on fire.” She doesn’t quite have it down completely, but still… so grown up.

The kiddos are even growing up with their meal time behavior. No longer am I getting the “Ewwww…what’s that?” or the “I don’t like <enter random veggie here>”. Instead I am getting at least one, if not two willing kid eaters for just about everything I put on the table. Jacob doesn’t question anything anymore and will try what is placed in front of him. He has always been a good eater, but this more “grown up at the old age of 7” version of Jacob does’t bat an eye at anything and pretty much devours whatever is on his plate.

If you’ve got a bunch of grown up little eaters in your house, try this Rachael Ray recipe out for Zucchini and Bow Ties (and incidentally, Rachael… no hard feelings about Dine & Dish suddenly being removed after a year of holding a very appreciative spot on your fave blogs list and being replaced with a blog that has a very similar name… not hurt by that at all, so don’t worry a thing about it, ‘kay? Incidentally, I do understand that apparently you and the other blog are “friends” so my being on your list was probably a mistake in the first place anyway, but still… was flattered and now, no hard feelings. ) Sorry…where was I? Oh – this recipe… the whimsical bow tie pastas and the grown up zucchini is the perfect combination of maturity (hello – High School Musical) and child (we love Elmo!).

Zucchini and Bow Ties from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Coarse Salt
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, cut into matchsticks
Coarse black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded (20 leaves)

(I added 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the bow ties al dente, with a bite. Heads up: You will need a couple of ladles of starchy cooking water.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO and the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini. Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of ladles of cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the zucchini. Toss with the cheese and turn off the heat. Toss for 2 minutes, until the liquids are absorbed. Serve in shallow bowls with lots of shredded basil on top.

Check out some other blogged about recipes from Rachael Ray 365 No Repeats:

• Florentine Meatballs from Family, Friends and Food
• Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Dressing from The Savory Notebook
• Park City Cashew Chicken from Tarheel Table
• Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Soup from A Good Appetite

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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One of the most annoying/challenging/predictable parts of living in the state of Kansas is the weather. People always say “If you don’t like the weather in Kansas… just wait!” It is so predictably unpredictable. One day this week we had temperatures in the 70’s. It was so lovely. Our entire neighborhood was out playing, chatting, firing up their grills and enjoying the warm sunshine beating down. By this weekend, we are supposed to have snow falling from the sky again. Yep – if you don’t like the weather in Kansas, just wait because something new will be coming along the next day….

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