Monthly Archives: November 2019

THE POLAR EXPRESS TRAIN RIDE ON THE BRIGHTLINE

My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!

The other day, we took a ride on The Polar Express on the Brightline! It was such an amazing time – and we highly recommend it as a Christmas tradition! I wanted to share some of our favorite things about it!

My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!
My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!

We’ve never been on the Brightline before, so everything was new to us. Can we just talk about how amazing the Brightline station is?! It was SO gorgeous. What I loved about The Polar Express ride was that they had their own check-in for this at the station. It made it feel special and totally awesome. This area of the train station was decorated, too!

After you check-in (which, by the way is super smooth!), you head upstairs to wait for the train departure. They have fun little activities for kids, here! We wrote letters to Santa and also decorated some popsicle sticks. It was great! They recommend you arrive 1 hour before your departure, and I definitely recommend that, too!

It was finally time to board The Polar Express and on your ticket it says your train car. We were in the Caribou car! I’m not sure if all of the cars are the same, but our train car was decorated SO cute! We didn’t sit at a table, but it was still GREAT seating. We could see everything! It was both of Gracie + Donovan’s Grandmas and Kaity, their aunt! We were all in AWE right when we sat down. Music was playing, and everything was just SO cute!

My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!

Our favorite parts were the hot chocolate song and the interaction with the characters! I really was not expecting so much interaction – I loved it! Donovan was NOT a fan of the interaction, though. He had quite a meltdown on the train (I had to take him to a different train car to calm down) but let’s not even talk about that. I’ve already erased it from my memory LOL. Gracie, on the other hand was ALL about the character interaction. She was chosen for SO many things and it made the train ride SO awesome!

I would definitely recommend to either read the Polar Express book or watch the movie before you ride! It will make it that much more magical!

My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!

Oh, and I forgot to mention! During the train show, you get a hot chocolate and a cookie!

After the 1 hour train ride, you arrive back at the station. We had fun buying some souvenirs at the cute little gift shop they had! Besides Donovan’s meltdown, we had the best time ever. I would highly recommend this!!!

My review of the Polar Express train ride on the Brightline!
Donovan post melt-down LOL.

PLAYING THE TOOTH FAIRY

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tooth Fairy in a Box . All opinions are 100% mine.

Tips for being a better tooth fairy!  // Tooth Fairy in a Box!
Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

Instilling better brushing habits and promoting independence when it comes to teeth is something that I’ve always wanted to get better at! I’m ALL for finding the best tips and tricks to making this area of parenting easier. And ahh – I feel like I found the perfect product!! It’s called Tooth Fairy in a Box, and it’s such an awesome tool for parents!

The Tooth Fairy in a Box helps parents instill better brushing habits in their children – starting with their first visit from the Tooth Fairy! The box includes all the essentials parents need to create these magical Tooth Fairy visits AND the tools to equip their kids for better oral health!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

My daughter Gracie hasn’t lost a tooth yet, but I’m sure she’s getting close. I still wanted to get started with our Tooth Fairy in a Box because I knew she would be SOOO excited about it all and I knew it would help with her brushing habits!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

And ohhhh my was I right. She was PUMPED about this!!! So the box comes with so many goodies (I’ll get to that in a minute!) but the best way to start off the experience is by reading “The Littlest Tooth Fairy” book to your child! Gracie and I read it and it was so fun. It also helped us know what to expect about the surprises inside Tooth Fairy in a Box!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

So after you read the book, or even the next morning… it’s a great idea to have the brushing chart somewhere in their room where they can find it in the morning! This reward chart is the perfect way to encourage these oral habits – but in a fun way! Just put a sticker on the chart every day if they brushed their teeth in the morning, at night, and ate healthy snacks that day!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

Another exciting gift they get is a new Big-Kid Oral-B Kids Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush. This toothbrush is AWESOME! I love that the head of the brush is round – perfect for those tiny mouths! Inside the box, there is also Kid’s Crest Strawberry Rush Toothpaste – which we’re huge fans of!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

The Tooth Fairy in a Box also comes with an adorable photo frame for when you need a great photo of the missing tooth! Makes for a great milestone pic!

When your child loses a tooth, the Tooth Fairy in a Box has a great Tooth Holder Door Hanger with a perfect pocket to place the tooth in!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

After your child falls asleep, it’s Tooth Fairy time! Use all your stealth abilities to exchange the tooth for the blue envelope with the Tooth Fairy letter and any other goodies you want to leave! I think the Tooth Fairy note is adorable + very well written!

Tips for being a better tooth fairy! // Tooth Fairy in a Box!

I definitely recommend the Tooth Fairy in a Box! It’s the easiest + cutest away to make a tooth fairy visit and also makes kids SO engaged and better brushers for life!

Nutritious Toddler Snack

Nutritious toddler snack from Gerber // We love these!!

This post has been sponsored by Gerber®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nutritious toddler snack from Gerber // We love these!!

We’re always trying to find healthy snacks for the kids, and we’re always shopping at Target! So of course I want to share the brand new toddler snack we’re loving (and yep! It’s at Target!). It’s the brand new Gerber® Organic Popped Crisps, and they are a new family favorite! 

The Gerber Organic Popped Crisps come in two flavors: Lentils and Green & Yellow Peas. Donovan loves snacking on these and I’m not ashamed to admit… I actually like them, too – LOL! Not only do I love the easy to carry pack they come in but I actually love the taste. This makes things easy when packing a snack in the diaper bag! I love when I can also snack on what the kids are snacking on. 

There are 2g of protein and 4g of whole grains per serving! It’s a plant-based snack with no artificial flavors or colors. I love that they are baked, not fried, and unsalted.

Nutritious toddler snack from Gerber // We love these!!

I love that you can actually SEE the veggies in each crisp! They are the perfect snack for toddlers who are exploring textures. And they’re perfect for parents who want to sneak some veggies in! 

Nutritious toddler snack from Gerber // We love these!!

Target actually has a Target Circle offer for these snacks that you can’t miss! As of 10/1 – Save $0.30 of ANY ONE (1) Gerber Snack Item

Would love to know what you think about Gerber’s brand new organic snack!

How to recycle baby food packaging // Gerber and TerraCycle's new recycling program!
Nutritious toddler snack from Gerber // We love these!!