Anniversary Trip

5 years, a new state, new jobs, new house, and one adorable daughter later....

we decided to head back to the mouse's house to celebrate our 5th anniversary!

We left Zoey for the very first time with, I'm proud to say, only a few tears here and there on our part and flew down to Florida for a quick 4-day adventure!

We stayed at Pop Century and went for the dining plan - Disney food is a can't miss for us. We started our adventure at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and oh my word, is it gorgeous! Incredible architecture, decor, and the African Serengeti backyard is fascinating.

We dined at Boma - an African cuisine inspired buffet.

On top of the incredible desserts, we also received a little celebratory dessert from our waiter, Gil.

Obviously, after this meal, we went back to our hotel and passed out in a food coma for the next incredible 10 hours. We haven't slept that long in at least 21 months!

Day 2, rested and ready for some magic, we hopped on a coach and headed to Epcot. Where we were greeted by the beautiful Spaceship Earth.

We used our magic bands to set up a fast pass for Test Track (Soarin' was closed) so to kill time we grabbed some breakfast and checked out the Seas exhibits. While there, we came across this really cool Dolphin research demonstration.

We rode Spaceship Earth...

Ate an AMAZING lunch

5 years ago....

Rode Test Track...which, by the way, is way cooler than it was 5 years ago. While waiting, we created these sweet cars.

So then my phone decided to ride Test Track again when I lost it. Some kind soul picked it up intending to turn it in but decided he needed to ride Test Track first. If you're wondering, Find My iPhone DOES work!

We got a little preview of the Flower and Garden Festival.

We visited all of the countries in the World Showcase to complete Chris's passport souvenir. Arendelle is going to be so cool...

Finally, we headed to Teppan Edo to enjoy a hibachi dinner.

It ruined all other hibachi and I ate every last bite.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for another blissful night's sleep.

Day 3 - We hopped on our coach and headed to the Magic Kingdom! We discovered Leap Day is a huge Disney day but we made the best of a very crowded park.

The new Fantasyland is really cool...

and 5 years ago....

The Hall of Presidents

And yes, we did make reservations for the Crystal Palace Character Dining.

It was delicious and Zoey thinks it's pretty cool that her daddy knows Pooh Bear.

Beast's Castle at night...

Rapunzel's village...

We headed back to our hotel for one final night of good sleep. Before heading home, we had a huge breakfast at our resort and hopped the bus to Disney Springs. We did a little souvenir shopping for Zoey, who we were missing A LOT at that point, and finally saw the new Star Wars movie. We grabbed an Earl of Sandwich and headed to the airport. 

It was a fantastic way to spend our 5th anniversary and we can't wait to take our sweet girl back with us SOON!

Thanks for following along on our adventure!

Stepping Up My Accessory Game

Um hello, my name is Stephanie and I have this little thing called a blog that I was once very dedicated to keeping updated. Then life happened....my baby became a toddler who no longer took multiple naps a day and learned the word "outside". I also took a small leadership role at my school so between mommy duties and teacher duties, blogging took the back burner.

I've missed this little blog and I'm going to make a concerted effort to carve out a little time each weekend to dedicate to a few posts a week. Let's see how it goes, shall we?

If you scan my previous posts, you'll find I've mostly used my blog to discuss my love affair with {Stitch Fix}. I've been using their styling services for almost 2 years now and it has changed my life. However, I do not like to receive accessories from them (low quality, too pricey) so my accessory game is weak. Enter {Rocksbox}.

For $19 a month, Rocksbox will send you 3 pieces of jewelry based off of your style survey and wishlist. The cool thing about Rocksbox is you can wear the pieces as much as you like and then send the set back for another 3 pieces whenever you decide it's time for a refresh. They pay shipping both ways and provide a return label and packaging. 

If you fall in love with a piece, you can purchase it for a discounted price. You also receive a $10/month credit to use towards anything you decide to keep. 

I discovered a code for a free month on a blog I follow and decided to try it out. Thanks to their fast shipping I was able to switch out my set 3 times within the month.

The last set really hit the nail on the head and I had so much fun wearing the beautiful jewelry, that was a tad beyond my normal price point, out and about. Ultimately, I decided not to keep anything but I thoroughly enjoyed wearing it and I can't wait to see what comes next! I haven't captured photos of all 9 pieces but here are a few....

If you'd like to try Rocksbox for a month, here is a code that will get you a free month of unlimited jewelry to borrow or purchase as you like and $10 toward anything you decide to keep. stephaniepbff4

I did end up scoring this dainty little Elisa necklace from Kendra Scott for $30 during my free month. That's a steal for this necklace.

If you decide to give it a try (stephaniepbff4), let me know! I'd love to see what you receive and love!

Stitch Fix #13

If you haven't heard about Stitch Fix, read about it {here} and sign up if you're interested! If you use my link to sign up, I get a $25 credit and once you sign up, you can share your link for a $25 credit too! I wear my Stitch Fix purchases ALL THE TIME and love how I've been able to refresh my wardrobe with unique, quality items without spending my precious evening and weekend time at the mall. I'm hooked - I mean seriously, I can't shop for clothes anymore...I'm lost without Stitch Fix. I also recently cleaned out my closet and Stitch Fix clothing is taking over...I've also never been happier with the state of my clothes.

Oops, I really intended to pause my monthly fixes! I swear! I just can't quit you, Stitch Fix! I can't quit you! *ducks head in embarrassment* eh hem, okay, um so, I received my thirteenth fix and again you get a bad picture of the contents because I got too excited. Let's just get straight to the clothes....

#1 Skies are Blue - Suzana Printed Short - $38
 

I'm so glad Victor included these in my fix! I've been wanting to try on a pair like this for a while and I just haven't. I loved these but...A. they were mediums and too big (I had forgotten to update my style profile with my new skirt size) and B. I have nothing to wear with them. So now I know that I'm not quite stylish enough to wear these bad boys.

Just one of the many reasons I love Stitch Fix - I get to try on things like this with the contents of my closet so I know what I've got to work with without having to buy first.

Status: Returned

#2 Pixley - Tammi Printed Dress - $68

I had this sweet little dress pinned on my {Pinterest Board} and I really loved it, but it was a tiny bit too short for my comfort level. It was also too fancy for how I spend my summers and I simply wouldn't have been able to wear it more than once or twice. If it had been a tiny bit longer, I could've paired it with a red cardigan and worn it to work (It would've been SO FUN!). Alas, it was not meant to be.

Status: Returned

#3 Pixley - Edmond Chevron Print Henley Shirt - $54

Yes! I adore this top and this might be the first time I've taken the style card advice! It said to pair it with olive shorts and I just so happened to have a pair so I gave it a whirl and was pleasantly surprised! This top is so soft, MACHINE WASHABLE, and hugs my body in all the right places. It's also super necessary to wear a camisole under this if I don't want to show off the girls when bending down.

Status: Kept

#4 Skies are Blue - Kiska Scalloped Trim Blouse - $48

This top looks so pretty with my Mavi Skinnies! I might be a little sad that I sent this one back but I just didn't think it was anything to write home about. It has some gorgeous detailing but it's really not noticeable and I'd have to cover up the pretty straps with a cardigan for work anyway. I do really appreciate that Victor sends me different items to try and doesn't totally stick with my {Pinterest board}, I mean that is the whole point of the service, after all.

Status: Returned

#5 Loveappella - Crawford Knit Top - $48

Victor sent this top after I commented on the Loveappella Chanti top I kept from my {previous fix}. I loved the color but I just didn't love it as much as the Chanti top from last time. I think I liked that the Chanti top had the pocket and solid color at the top to break it up. 

Status: Returned

This fix was really fun because I got to try some things I hadn't considered or hadn't tried before and I love that Victor reads my feedback and pushes the envelope a little with my style. I'm also relieved that I only kept one thing since I wasn't really supposed to even get this fix...............can't stop, won't stop.

Stitch Fix #12

If you haven't heard about Stitch Fix, read about it {here} and sign up if you're interested! If you use my link to sign up, I get a $25 credit and once you sign up, you can share your link for a $25 credit too! I wear my Stitch Fix purchases ALL THE TIME and love how I've been able to refresh my wardrobe with unique, quality items without spending my precious evening and weekend time at the mall. I'm hooked - I mean seriously, I can't shop for clothes anymore...I'm lost without Stitch Fix. I also recently cleaned out my closet and Stitch Fix clothing is taking over...I've also never been happier with the state of my clothes.

I received my twelfth fix and was so busy with end of the school year work that I just tore into the box without taking a pretty picture....so, you get that horrible photo above. The good news is that I finally got to keep my stylist, Victor, and he did not disappoint. Spoiler alert: I kept it ALL!

Let's get to the goods:

#1 Fun2Fun - Clarise Mixed Print Tank - $38

I may have pinned this on my {Pinterest board} after I saw pictures of my sister and one of my friends wearing it! I liked it on but was a little skeptical about the material and wondered how often I'd wear it. In the end, I decided to keep it and two months in to owning it, I can tell you I've worn it a TON and it's perfect. I can see wearing it to work with a cardigan and skinny pants. Bonus points, least expensive top I've ever received from Stitch Fix!

Status: Kept

#2 Liverpool - Stacia Cuffed Ombre Shorts - $48

Best fitting shorts I've ever owned, hands down. I have a pair of Liverpool jeans and I adore them. This was the piece that had me making a game time decision though because of it's funky detail and ombre coloring...

I kept them to get the discount (When you keep all five items, you receive a 25% discount! Did you know that?! {go sign up!}) but I'm yet to wear them. I may try to sell them on one of the Stitch Fix B/S/T groups.

Status: Kept

#3 Mavi - Sonja Boyfriend Jean - $88

So, I received the KFTK Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jeans in my last fix and really loved the Boyfriend fit but did not love the "distressed" look. I can't wear distressed jeans to school. I mentioned this in my feedback upon returning those jeans and Victor sent me these beautiful jeans! Mavi is my new favorite brand. They never stretch and sag after some wear and they wash up beautifully. Big fan - sorry, wallet.

Status: Kept

#4 Mystree - Manny Dress - $78

I really love this dress but not like this...again, I was forced to style an outfit! I think I'm getting better at this styling thing...

Yes, we have a winner! This dress is really versatile too - I can totally change the look with a colorful cardigan or belt.

Status: Kept

#5 Loveappella - Chanti Knit Top - $48

I think this is easily my husband's favorite Stitch Fix top of all time. I love it too, it's soft, comfortable, form fitting...done deal. 

Status: Kept

So I kept it all and received my first 25% discount AND a coworker signed up for Stitch Fix through my link so I got a $25 credit. I still promised myself I'd quit for a little while after this big purchase, at least over summer....