My Grandma's Coffee Cakes of New England { Review }

I had the privilege of being able to try out one of these delicious cakes from My Grandma's Coffee Cakes of New England. I chose the Cinnamon Walnut cake because it sounded so delicious to me! When the cake arrived at my front door, I was surprised to see a special gift in there - 3 mini cakes of different flavors for me to try out as well! I could not wait to dive in to all this goodness.

The first mini cake I tried that night was the Chocolate Chip one. Little N and I shared it after dinner and it was so yummy! I warmed it up in the microwave for a few seconds and that made it even better. The cake was moist and the chocolate chunks on top were a great addition.

The Cinnamon Walnut cake was what we tried next. It was so delicious! This was perfect for us for a special breakfast treat on the weekend. The cake was so moist and the flavors worked so well with each other. The cake was so big! I was able to take some of it to work with me every morning that week for breakfast - so I really enjoyed every last bite of it.

We were also given a Blueberry mini cake and a Granny Smith Apple mini cake. They were both very good. I am not usually a fan of blueberries, but this cake made me re-think that! The Granny Smith Apple cake was so yummy too and the topping on it was just fantastic!

I was unsure at first how these cakes would taste, since I've never had anything like this shipped, especially so far away! However, I had no reason to worry at all. They tasted like they had just come out of the oven (once I heated them)! If you are looking for a special treat to send someone, then look no further than My Grandma's Coffee Cakes of New England. One (or more!) of these yummy cakes would be perfect to send to someone who just had a baby, had surgery or just needed something to pick them up! Whats a better way to show someone you care than by sending them a delicious and beautiful looking homemade cake!

These cakes are wonderful, not only because of their great taste, but because they can last a while! They have a shelf life (un-refrigerated) of 14 days and can last up to 6 months in the freezer! Also, for those with allergies to nuts, any cake can be baked without walnuts. On top of that, all cakes can be made in a lower fat version, with the exception of the chocolate.

My Grandma's Coffee Cakes of New England has been gracious enough to offer a wonderful discount to all of those who would like to try it!

*For $4 off your next purchase, click here.

*Follow My Grandma's on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates, contests, promotions, discounts, news, and more!

I highly recommend trying one of these delicious cakes out . . . and soon! You won't regret it!

Amanda

Five Question Friday ~ 5.6.11

Well, I missed out on Five Question Friday last week because of the tornado's and storms we had here in Alabama. If you missed the post I wrote about it you can check it out here. Thank you to everyone who has donated, spent their time helping others or just prayed! It's going to be a long process rebuilding, but it's nice to know that others care!

On to the fun! Here are my answers to this week's Five Question Friday!

1. Have you ever had roommates?

Unless you count my family or my husband, then no. I never lived out on my own with roommates.

 

2. How many names do you/your children have? (i.e. Prince Charming William Phillip Arthur Louis John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt)

I have 3, like most people. If you count the Jr., my son has 4 since he is named after my husband.

 

3. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

No, I was unable to watch any of the Royal Wedding. Although I did see her dress and thought she looked regal and elegant!

 

4. What is the messiest room in your house?

Ummm. . . all of them? LOL! Right now the messiest is probably a tie between our master bedroom and the extra room because we still have all our Christmas decorations in boxes all over that room.

 

5. What is your ideal mothers day?

My ideal Mother's Day would be to start off with church, then head to my grandmother's for lunch with my family, especially my son. We would relax the rest of the day, playing outside, cards (Spite and Malice!) and just enjoy the day together! I love spending time with my family so that would be the best day!

 

 

If you want to check out other Five Question Friday posts, head on over to My Little Life and thanks for joining me!

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday

Amanda

Devastation

Please check out my post at Bitten by the Disney Bug about the devastation that we are facing in the south from the tornadoes and storms that came through Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

Devastation

Please pray for everyone who was affected by these storms.

Amanda

Five Question Friday ~ 4.22.11

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

My favorite Easter tradition is going to my grandparents house right after church and having lunch with my family. We always do an Easter egg hunt for the kids and just enjoy relaxing and spending time together!

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

I am most definitely a shower person. I very, very, very rarely take a bath - I think I've had 1 in the last 10 years or so.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

Yes, but not very well. I can't remember the last time I did it though.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Cadbury eggs - by far! I love them :) I also like Peeps!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

We do both. The Easter bunny leaves a basket of small goodies and some candy, then we go to church where my husband and I sing in the Easter Cantata. This year I want to do something a little different with my son to help him better understand what Easter is and why we celebrate it so after lunch at my grandparents house I plan on making Resurrection Rolls with him.

 

Check out My Little Life for more Five Question Friday posts!

 

Amanda

Fiesta Chicken - in the Crockpot!

The heating element in our oven broke, so we are unable to use it until we can get a replacement. For me, this is very hard because I like to make casserole or bake things in the oven for dinner - not to mention my serious withdrawals from desserts (cookies, brownies, cakes!). So I am trying to find new recipes to utilize my crockpot.

I found this recipe somewhere (can't remember where now!) a few weeks ago and have been meaning to try it out. Well, I finally did it yesterday. I was able to throw everything in there in the morning and it was ready to go  at dinnertime - I love those kinds of meals. Here is the recipe:

Fiesta Chicken
2 or 3 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 can corn - drained
1 can black beans - drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup of salsa (any kind you like)
2 T taco seasoning
2 cups white rice
Shredded cheese/sour cream - any other toppings you like

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot (mine were frozen and did fine). Put cream of chicken soup, corn, black beans, salsa and taco seasoning on top. Cook in crockpot for 3-4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low. The chicken should be very tender and should shred easily when you stir everything together.

Cook the rice as directed on the box. Put rice in a bowl, Fiesta chicken on top of it and add any toppings you like and enjoy!

This was super easy and delicious! Everyone in my family enjoyed it and it made enough for us to eat another night as well! We will definitely be making this more often.

I apologize for not having any pictures - I completely forgot to use my camera on it because it was on the charger. I hope to have some pics for the next recipe I do!

What good recipes do you have for skillet or crockpot dinners?

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday

Amanda

Five Question Friday ~ 4.15.11

I'm back with another edition of Five Question Friday! I am really excited to be a part of this blog hop and am loving getting to meet new people through it! I hope you are enjoying learning more about me as well!

Here are this week's questions:

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?

My favorite sign of spring would have to be the beautiful flowers that are in bloom everywhere. I love going to the local Botanical Gardens and seeing all the flowers and plants that come to life in the spring!

 

2. What was your best birthday ever?

My best birthday ever would have to be when I was about 11 or 12 (can't remember the exact one). I had it at Skate Station and all my friends and family were there. The best thing about the birthday was the gift that my parents gave me - my pink ice ring! I loved that thing and even wore it on my pinky until it didn't fit anymore!

 

3. What is your favorite dessert?

This is a tough one for me - I love basically anything that has chocolate or sugar in it :) But, my ultimate favorite dessert would probably be Tiramisu - it's just the best thing ever!

 

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?

I have never had to use an excuse, thank goodness! I have been pulled over 4 times and never gotten a ticket! The first time was like 2 weeks after I got my license, so he let me go with a written warning. The second time I had just had my car put in my name and he let me go because of that (He was a state trooper!). The third time it was pouring down rain and I was going down a local road way too fast, but the cop got another call when he was checking my information, so he had to leave really fast (I was VERY lucky with that one) and the last time I got pulled over for "impeading traffic". Apparently if you drive in the left hand lane in rush house traffic at the speed limit, but the cop wants to go faster, he will pull you over! Thankfully he didn't give me a ticket though!

 

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?

I set my alarm for 45 minutes to 1 hour before I "have" to get up so I can "start" waking up. This always helps me and then I am able to get up when it's time!

If you want to check out a lot more Five Question Friday posts, check out My Little Life!

Amanda

Crossing things off

We had such a great time at Disney World this year! We did several new things that we haven't done before and learned a lot. There were also a few things I was able to cross off my Disney Bucket List(s)!

Here is a list of what I am now able to cross of my lists:

* Eating a Kitchen Sink from Beaches & Cream!
* Watching Illuminations @ Epcot
* Seeing the Beauty and the Beast Live show
* Buying a Christmas Ornament from the Christmas Shop in Downtown Disney
* Going to a Braves game at the Wide World of Sports
* Having a family picture made in front of Cinderella's Castle, Mickey's Scocerer hat, Tree of Life, and Spaceship Earth

I am so excited to be able to cross these things off my list and hopefully our next trip will result in even more to cross off!!!

Don't forget to check out my other new blog: Bitten by the Disney Bug for all things Disney!!

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday

My nephew, Brennen enjoying icing at Nicholas' birthday party!

Amanda

2 New Recipes!

I haven't had a whole lot of time to try out new recipes, but this past week I was able to get back in the routine of it. I made 2 new recipes and they both turned out fantastic! Unfortunately, my camera is acting up and I was unable to get any pictures of these yummy meals.

The first recipe is one I got from the Kraft Foods website. I had a coupon to try out the new flavored Philadelphia cream cheese so I went in search of a good recipe. We love Mexican type foods in my house, so I choose the Santa Fe cream cheese and this recipe sounded perfect for us!

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I actually used Rotel and it was perfect!)
2 green onions, sliced (I omitted this because we do not like green onions in my house)
1 tub (10 oz.) Philadelphia Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme
3 flour tortillas (6 inch)
3/4 cup Kraft Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add 3/4 cup cooking creme; mix lightly.

Spoon1/3 of the chicken mixture into 9-inch pie plate (I actually used a round Pyrex casserole dish); top with 1 tortilla, half the remaining chicken mixture and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover with second tortilla, remaining chicken mixture, 1/4 cup shredded cheese and remaining tortilla. Top with remaining cooking creme and shredded cheese; cover.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through; uncover. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

______________________________________________________________________________

This next recipe was suggested to me from my good friend, Mel. We both have similar tastes when it comes to food, so I knew it would be good. Plus, the recipe is from The Pioneer Woman and I LOVE all the recipes I have tried from her! The only thing I would do differently next time is make a little bit less for us because it made a big casserole dish and we couldn't eat it all - even after leftovers!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake
1 1/4 lb. ground chuck
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper
8 oz egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions (we left these out!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of black pepper (I didn't use any because I don't like pepper). Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the shredded cheese. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as our family did!

Amanda

Check out my other blog!

I have decided to start a new blog that is all about Disney! I have recently become obsessed with all things Disney, so I figured I would write about it. Please check it out, let me know what you think and if there is anything you would like me to discuss!

Bitten by the Disney Bug!

Thanks so much!
Amanda

Menu Plan Monday ~ April 11th

Last week was a little bit hectic and we didn't entirely stick to our menu. My sister had her baby late Tuesday night, so we were up at the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday night spending time with them! I will have a post up soon with some pictures of the beautiful baby girl! We are hoping to stay on track better this week though!

Here is my menu for this week:

Monday - Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

Tuesday - Mexican Pie

Wednesday - Easy Beef Stroganoff

Thursday - Parmesan Style Baked Chicken w/Pasta (thanks to Mel for this idea!)

Friday - Stuffed Pizza Sticks

Saturday - Blue Devil Market Day @ Moody Elementary School

Sunday - Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

If you need more ideas, head over to OrgJunkie for tons more recipes and menus!

Amanda

Five Question Friday ~ 4.8.11

I loved being apart of the Five Question Friday group last week, so I am going to continue doing it! Here are the questions for this week:

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I wish I were more outgoing and not so shy. Even on the Internet, I am too shy to introduce myself to wonderful bloggers who I wish I could "meet". I have always had a hard time introducing myself and putting myself out there. I wish I had more confidence in myself to be able to do these things!

2. Write about a time when you got lost.

This was actually not too long ago - about a year or so. I was returning from a doctor's appointment from downtown and *thought* I knew a different way to get home. Apparently, my brain tricked me. I ended up going through these windy roads with houses everywhere. I had NO idea where I was. Thankfully, I had my beloved GPS in the car, so I pulled over at a Stop sign and plugged it in. I was surrounded by houses and trees, so it took forever to get a signal. When it finally did I was just up the road from where I thought I would be - ha! I actually did know where I was going, kinda :)

 

3. Camping or 5 star hotel?

Without a doubt - 5 star hotel. I am definitely not a woodsy/outdoors person. I would much rather be in a nice warm, comfortable bed with electricity!

4. Have you donated blood?

Yes, I have a few times. I have O- blood type, so I need to do it more often.

5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?

I have a basic budget set up, but sometimes it doesn't work out :)

 

Don't forget to check out My Little Life for more fun answers to this weeks questions!

 

Amanda

Beauty and the Beast

One of the things I was most excited to see during this Disney trip was the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage show at Hollywood Studios. I have heard so many great things about it and couldn't wait to see it!

Belle!

We went to Hollywood Studios on our last day and were able to get great seats right up front! I have always loved the story of Belle and the Beast and they told it perfectly! It highlighted all of the important parts of the storyline. The actors and actresses did a great job of playing their roles.

Beauty and the Beast

Chip, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth

The show was so lively and entertaining. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good live performance! The actress playing Belle did such a fabulous job and looked beautiful!

Beautiful and colorful costumes!

Also, at the beginning of the show they pick one special little girl to receive a rose from the Beast after he is transformed back to his human self. The girl that was picked from our show was (if you are looking at the stage, sitting in the audience) on the right side towards the front. I'm not sure how they pick the girl, but it wouldn't hurt to try and sit there if you have a little one who would like this special opportunity!

Belle and her Prince!

Amanda

My baby is 3!!

**Ok, so I am really late posting this one, but I have had a lot going on lately! His actual birthday was on March 25th and we celebrated that Sunday - I will have a post of his party up soon!**

I still remember the day that I had Little N. It was a very long day. I went in the night before to be induced. By the next night at 5 he still wasn't here and I wasn't progressing very well. My blood pressure kept messing up, so the doctor decided that I should have a c-section. By 7:46 Little N finally made his debut!

A lot of people told me horror stories about their c-section recovery and how difficult and painful it was for them. Thankfully, I had a great recovery. I had minimal pain and no problems or difficulty. Actually, after hearing some stories about natural child birth - I'm kind of glad I had a c-section.

Fast forward 3 years later and my little baby is no longer a baby. He has almost completely mastered potty training (yay!), talks in full sentences and knows what he wants - and lets you know what he wants!

It's a little bittersweet for me. I LOVE watching him learn new things and my favorite thing to hear is, "Mommy, look I did it by myself!". But a part of me wishes I still had that tiny baby to hold, cuddle and take care of.

Wordless Wednesday

Braves game on a Disney trip?

Big N and I love to go watch the Braves play. We aren't huge fanatics - but we enjoy the games and they are the closest team to us, just a short 2 1/2 hour drive away. We have been to one game every season for the past 4 or 5 years - with the exception of 2010 because I had back surgery in June.

We always make a weekend of it and do other fun things around Atlanta. Last year we took a mini-trip to Atlanta in August with Little N for the first time, but didn't go to a game.

When Michelle and I were planning our Disney trip, we were looking into other things that were going on around the area the time we would be down there. It just so happens that the Braves would be playing down in Orlando at the ESPN's Wide World of Sports the same time we would be there. Since we had been to a few games with Michelle and Brian before, we thought this would be a fun thing to do with the kids!

Such a neat place!

Michelle and I decided to get tickets and keep it a surprise from the guys! We didn't tell them until the trip down to Orlando - which I think drove me crazier than anyone. I am NOT good at wanting to keep secrets when it involves giving to someone else. I will do it, but it drives me crazy the whole time!

Love this Mickey statue :) and the boy in the shades!

The day of the game it was super hot and sunny! I didn't have any sunglasses or a hat, so I went to buy me (my VERY first hat) and Little N a hat as well. We had really good seats and were excited about the game! Throughout the game, we took the little ones down into the walkways where there was a breeze and it was a little cooler - towards the end we ended up staying down there while the guys watched the game and the kids napped in our laps.



Michelle (R) and I (L) - how do I look in my Braves hat?


Around the 2nd or 3rd inning, a foul ball was hit into the press box that was just up from us. Big N happened to be standing up holding Little N at the time and the lady in the press box threw it down to him to keep! We were super excited about this great souvenir!! A little while later people were lining up between innings a few rows behind us with pens and things for someone to sign. We asked the people in front of us and realized it was actually Bobby Cox sitting back there! The man in front of us asked if we wanted the ball signed and took it up there for Bobby Cox to sign. We were grateful to him for doing that for us - it was so sweet!

Braves vs Astros - March 21, 2011

So we got the best souvenir in the park - a game ball signed by Bobby Cox!! I know Little N doesn't realize that this is special yet, but one day he will :)

Oh . . and the Braves won so that made it an even better day! Go Braves!!

Amanda

Menu Plan Monday ~ 4/4/2011

I can't believe I missed 2 weeks of Menu Plan Monday. One week because we were at Disney (fabulous!) and the other because we had basically just gotten back from our vacation, had a birthday party and I was too exhausted to think! But I am back on track now with my menu planning.

I actually have a few new things we are trying out this week and I am so excited about them!

Here is my menu for the week:

Monday - Working @ Melanie's

Tuesday - Not sure yet - I will be an aunt again this day!!

Wednesday - Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

Thursday - Sour Cream Noodle Bake (thanks to Mel for the idea!)

Friday - Fish Sticks, Broccoli & Cheese, Lima beans

Saturday - Stuffed Pizza Sticks

Sunday - Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Don't forget to head over to OrgJunkie and check out hundreds more menu's and recipes!

Amanda

A Whole Lotta Ice Cream!

Every since I saw a show about Disney and the infamous "Kitchen Sink" years ago, I have been dying to go and get one. Well, my dream finally came true!

The Kitchen Sink is exactly what it sounds like: 10 scoops of ice cream, an entire can of whipped cream, a whole jar of cherries and every topping you can imagine: candy bars, peanut butter, hot fudge, brownies, sprinkles, etc. All of this is piled into a kitchen sink bowl.

You can get this yummy treat at Beaches & Cream located at The Beach Club (which has an awesome pool BTW). We went there for one night after dinner a little bit later so we weren't as full. We didn't have to wait very long for a table, about 30 or 40 minutes, which wasn't too bad considering it's a small place and we needed a booth to fit us all in.

Before - can't wait to dive in!

When they get ready to bring out your Kitchen Sink - they go all out. They turn down the lights and having these flashing lights (similar to police car lights) in the ceiling. They announce to everyone that your table ordered the Kitchen Sink and yell what all is in it. They take the sink around so others can look at it and then you get your treat!

On the menu it says it serves 4 people - but those must be some very hungry people. Like I said, we had 4 adults (2 men, 2 women) and 2 toddlers (one of whom loves anything sweet!) and we couldn't even finish it all!

After - we just couldn't eat it all :)

I am so excited that we were able to order this and try it out. It was delicious and definitely worth doing at least once! The price seems a little high at first, but we split the cost and it ended up being a little less than $5 per person - which isn't bad when you think about what all we got to eat! My favorite part of it was the strawberry & coffee ice cream. hot fudge, brownie and those yummy cherries!

Little N decided he wasn't quite finished eating!

The next time you are at Disney World - head over to Beaches & Cream and try out the famous Kitchen Sink and let me know what your favorite part of it was :)

Amanda

Disney Bucket List: Memories

This is the final list of my Disney World Bucket List(s) and probably the list that is the most special to me. These are the things that I want to do that will create memories that will last a lifetime for myself and my family!

We took Little N last year to Disney World for his birthday and we are going again for his birthday this year. I would love to have this become a tradition and take him every year. What memories he would have when he is older!

* Go to Disneyland Paris
* Go on a Disney cruise
* Enjoy a Disney trip with my family (Big N, Little N, my mom, sisters, BILs, and nephew and niece)
* Get a picture of Big N, Little N and I with the Fab 5
* Get a picture of Big N, Little N and I in front of Cinderella's Castle, Mickey's Sorcerer hat, Spaceship Earth, and the Tree of Life.
* Have Mickey leave birthday surprises for Little N in our room every day!
* Find as many Hidden Mickey's as we can
* Find all 325 animals that are carved on the Tree of Life

Disney cruise

The Fab 5: Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Donald!

What special memories have you made at Disney World?


Here is a map to find all my Disney Bucket List(s):
Bucket List: Disney World Style
Disney Bucket List: Food/Character Dining
Disney Bucket List: Resorts
Disney Bucket List: Rides/Shows/Shopping
Disney Bucket List: Events

Amanda

Five Question Friday ~ 4.1.11

This is my first time joining in on the blog hop over at My Little Life and I am so excited! I have been looking for something to post on Fridays that will allow you to get to know me a little better and this is just perfect! If you have any questions you think I should answer or you are just curious about - let me know!

1. Have you ever had surgery?

    

Yes - several! I have had 3 knee surgeries (2 laparoscopic and 1 to cut out a cyst on the side of my knee), a c-section, and in June 2010 I had major back surgery to replace 2 vertebrae and fix a herniated disc. I've also had 5 or 6 blocks done on my back, but I don't really count those as surgery since I didn't have to be cut open :)

2. Ever ride in an ambulance?

 

Nope

3. How are you in a medical emergency? Panicked? Calm?

 

Thankfully, I've never experienced a true medical emergency, but I think I would probably be a little bit panicked. I hope I would know what to do, but I'm just not sure why worrisome side would allow me to stay very calm.

4. Do you have a garden? Flowers or veggies?

 

No :( We really wanted to start a vegetable garden last year, but never got around to it. One day I would love to have a nice one, plus a beautiful flower garden in front, but I definitely don't have a green thumb - so that might not be a good idea for all the plants!

5. When did you move out of your parents house?

 

I moved out when Big N and I bought our first house in August 2005 - so I would have been 22.

Amanda

Disney Bucket List: Events

Events is the fourth list in my Disney World Bucket List(s) and these things I am really excited about! I would have added the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival to the list, but we were there while it was going on last year and will be this year as well. It's so beautiful to see all the flowers and neat to see what they can create out of simple flowers and bushes/trees. If you have never been - I highly recommend going to WDW during the festival for some beautiful sights.

* Attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
* Attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
* See the Braves play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

What special events would you like to see at Disney?


Here is a map to find all my Disney Bucket List(s):
Bucket List: Disney World Style
Disney Bucket List: Food/Character Dining
Disney Bucket List: Resorts
Disney Bucket List: Rides/Shows/Shopping

Amanda

Disney Bucket List: Rides/Shows/Shopping

This is the third list of my Disney Bucket List(s). When we went to WDW last year, we got to go on a ton of rides that I planned on and wanted to, so I won't add those to my list. Also, I had back surgery (have had back problems since I was 18) last June so I am unable to ride all roller coasters and rides that are jerky or bad for people with back problems.

I decided to add Shows and Shopping because there aren't many "rides" that I have on my list, so this way I can get more on it!

* Ride in Downtown Disney's Character in Flight Balloon
* Go on a behind the scenes tour
* Take Big N on a fishing excursion
* Go to a Cirque du Soleil show
* Get Little N to be able to ask a question to Crush in "Turtle Talk with Crush"
* See Illuminations at Epcot (did this as a child, but want to experience it as an adult)
* See every parade in one trip
* See the Beauty and the Beast show
* Get a Christmas ornament at the Christmas store in Downtown Disney
* Make our own Rice Krispie treat at Goofy's Candy Co.
* Design our own t-shirts at the Disney's Design-A-Tee shop

Characters in Flight Balloon in Downtown Disney

Illuminations at Epcot

What are your must buy sourveniers? What rides or shows do you do every trip?

Here is a map to find all my Disney Bucket List(s):
Bucket List: Disney World Style
Disney Bucket List: Food/Character Dining
Disney Bucket List: Resorts

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday

Photography done by MelanieAPhotography!

The picture on the left is of Little N when he was 18 months old and my dear friend Melanie starting photographing him. The picture on the right is his 3 year old shoot that Melanie did for us just last week. He has grown so much!

Ok, I know it's supposed to be Wordless Wednesday, but I had to explain :)

Amanda

Disney Bucket List: Resorts

This is the second list of my Disney Bucket List(s). I have never stayed at a Disney resort, so this one is very important for me to be able to cross off as soon as I can!

* Stay at any Disney hotel!
* Stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
* Stay at the Grand Floridian
* See the Gingerbread house at Christmas time at the Grand Floridian
* Resort hop to see all of them in one trip
* Watch the Electric Water Pageant and Wishes from the beach of the Polynesian resort
* Stay at The Beach Club

Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

What is your favorite resort to stay at? Do you have any secrets or tips to share with me about a Disney resort?

Here is a map to find all my Disney Bucket List(s):
Bucket List: Disney World Style
Disney Bucket List: Food/Character Dining

Amanda

Disney Bucket List: Food/Character Dining

This is my Disney bucket list for anything that deals with food and character dining. This is probably one of my longest list as I LOVE to eat and try new things, especially sweets!

* Eat the "Kitchen Sink" at Beaches and Cream
* Eat a Dole Whip
* Eat a cupcake at Starring Roles
* Do all of the Character breakfast/lunch/dinners
* Attend the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian
* Enjoy a Chef's Table dinner at Victoria & Albert's
* Have a bowl of Strawberry Soup at Cinderella's Royal Table
* Eat chocolate from each of the countries in World Showcase
* Eat something sweet from Main Street Bakery
* Try all the drinks at Club Cool in Epcot
* Try as many Quick Service restaurants as we can




Kitchen Sink Sundae at Beaches and Cream
















Strawberry Soup at Cinderella's Royal Table



What are your favorite places to eat? Which quick service resteraunts are your favorite?
Here is what you missed if you are just joining us:
Bucket List: Disney World Style

Amanda

Blog Post Fail

Today is my first day back to work after our wonderful Disney vacation and it's not very fun. We went from 80 degree sunny weather without one drop of rain in Orlando to 65 degree weather and storms all weekend here in Alabama.

So sorry about my lack of blogs last week while I was out of town. I had all of my Disney Bucket List ready to go and thought I had to to post on different days, but apparently I didn't set it up right so they are still sitting as drafts. But don't worry - I will post them this week and be able to let you know which ones I was able to cross off the list on this vacation!!

I plan to have a recap of our trip (with pictures) up sometime this week or early next week. We had such a great time!!! The weather was perfect and the crowds weren't too bad. I can't wait to tell you about everything we did!

Amanda

Disney World . . . here we come!!!

We are headed to Disney World in just 4 short hours!!

We will be driving overnight so the little ones can sleep most of the way (and the adults can keep their sanity!). The trip is about 10 hours for us, so with 4 adults driving, that is only about 2 1/2 hours a piece. We plan on getting into Orlando early morning and stopping at Perkins for breakfast. This is a tradition in Michelle's family, so we thought it would be fun to join in and be a part of it!

After a nice breakfast and stretch of the legs, we hope to check in to our room. If it's not available, we are going to begin to explore Downtown Disney! If it is, we will be unloading the car and heading to the grocery store for the essentials.

Our families have taken many trips together over the 6 years we have known each other. From trips to where it was just the adults (newly married!) to trips with our kids. Atlanta, Gatlinburg, Gulf Shores - we've been to some fun places. But I have to say I am most looking forward to spending time with our great friends in the most magical place on earth!

I am looking forward to enjoying all our time together and seeing the smiles and joy our children will get out of a ride or meeting their favorite character. I know we will make many memories on this trip together and will remember it forever!

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and week. I have some posts scheduled and when I get back home I will recap our trip!

Nicholas dressed as Mickey for Halloween 2010

Amanda

New Winners for Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!!

Well, neither one of the winners for the 2 bottles each of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce emailed me to claim their prize. So that means I get to draw 2 new winners!

Congratulations goes to:

Alicia and Rachel

Please email me at mommyworking@gmail.com within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Amanda

Bucket List: Disney World Style

The past few weeks I have been immersing myself once again in all things Disney. Although, different from last year - I have been reading tons of Disney blogs to get ideas, tips and tricks for our trip this year and in the years to come. There has been one thing that really caught my eye on several of the blogs that I have been reading . . . a Disney Bucket List.

I wanted to write a disney bucket list of my own, but once I started putting all the things down I wanted to do, I realized the list would be out of control! Therefore, I have decided to break my list up into several smaller list with specific categories. I will have 5 different lists: Food/Character Dining, Resorts, Rides, Events and Memories.

Basically a Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you die. In this case - these things all have to do with Disney. I LOVE this idea!! I will keep these list and as I am able to do them, I will cross them off and link to the blog post about it.

I also will leave it open and add to it as new things come up and I learn more and more about cool things to do in Disney World!

What is on your Disney bucket list? Do you have any suggestions for me to have on my bucket list?

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday



(From left to right) Derek (BIL), Abraham (FIL), Big N in Disney 2010



And the Winners are . . . . .

So sorry I completely forgot to post the winners on Saturday!

Here are the winners:

1.) The Vail Family

2.) DaisyGirl

Congratulations! You will each receive 2 bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to try!

Please email me with your contact information so we can get those bottles out to you! You will have 48 hours to claim your prize or I will choose a new winner.

Thank you to everyone who particpated and thanks to Country Bob's for hosting the giveaway!!