Disneyland Tips and Tricks

Hi Lovelies!

Hope you all had a great long holiday weekend! I spent an amazing weekend at Disneyland to celebrate my son's 4th birthday. I've been to Disneyland a handful of times over the past fews years and I have to admit that this trip was by far our favorite thanks to the Disney MaxPass (and the fact that my son could finally go on most of the rides 😀).

If you don't know what the MaxPass is, it's basically like a FastPass but you can reserve ride times from your mobile phone using the Disneyland app rather than having to go to each FastPass ride to print a ticket. It costs $10 per day per person. We visited Disneyland Park one day and California Adventure the next day. We bought MaxPasses for both parks and it saved so much time on some of the most popular rides. We were able to ride Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Radiator Springs, etc. without having to wait long. It was so worth it!

This was our first time purchasing the MaxPass so as a first time user, here are some of my tips and tricks if you are planning a visit to Disneyland anytime soon and are thinking about purchasing MaxPasses:

• If you purchase your tickets ahead of time online on Disney's website, you have the option of upgrading to the Disney MaxPass which I recommend doing. If you purchase your tickets from anywhere else but Disney's website, you'll have to purchase your MaxPasses from the Disneyland app as soon as you enter the park. You won't be able to purchase them ahead of time if you don't purchase them from Disney's website. Another important thing to note if you purchase tickets online on Disney's website is that it can take up to 24 hours to receive your tickets so make sure you don't wait until the last minute to purchase them.

• Make sure that you choose FastPasses for the most popular rides first as those tend to go pretty quickly. For example, we got into California Adventure Park at 10:45AM and the next FastPass for Radiator Springs was at 8:05PM. 

• As soon as you check into a ride, you can make your next FastPass selection. If there's a long wait time between rides, you will be able to make your next selection after 90 minutes from your last selection.

• Order your food through the Disneyland app. This was so convenient! You literally order the food from your phone at participating restaurants and it's pretty much ready when you get there. We usually ordered our food about 15 minutes before we got to the restaurant and it was always ready when we got there. They will send a notification once your order is ready (be sure to turn your notifications on).

• Another cool feature that you get with the MaxPass is PhotoPass. PhotoPass allows you to download all of the pictures that PhotoPass Photographers take of you as well as all ride photos (if the ride has a camera). We got a lot of really great pictures from the PhotoPass Photographers. 

• Check the ride wait times on the Disneyland app. This will help you plan out your day and figure out which rides to go on first depending on the wait time. We tried to go on all the rides that had the shortest wait times first. 

• Dining with the characters is a must! I made reservations for Storytellers Cafe at the Disney Grand Californian Hotel and it was so worth it. We got to see Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale. They came to each table multiple times and always interacted with the kids. This is a great way to get pictures with the characters without having to wait in line. Oh and the food was delicious!

• Bring plenty of water! We bought Hydro Flasks before the trip and it seriously saved us. Bottled water is a bit pricey in the park so we were glad we had our water bottles and didn't have to buy any water there.

As I mentioned earlier this was a super fun trip and I think it was really due to having the MaxPasses and the Disneyland app. It saved us so much time overall and we were able to truly maximize and enjoy our time at both parks. Hope these tips and tricks help!

Lots of Love,

Marcia

MOTIVATION MANTRA: Stop Doubting Yourself!

Hi Lovelies!

I'm going to get a little vulnerable in this blog. I typically am a very private person but I wanted to share some thoughts with you today. Even if this only reaches and helps one person, I'll feel like I've accomplished something.

Here goes...I've been feeling really down lately and kind of feeling not good enough. I guess you can say that I've been in a funk. A few days ago, I was at Target, and I happened to be walking by the book section where they had a display of self-help books. Mind you, I was feeling really horrible about myself on this particular day from a few things that had been going on. Anyways, I'm looking at all of the self-help books and I came across this one:

For some reason I was drawn to this particular book. I started reading it the other day and literally could not put it down! The author gives some really good advice about how to stop doubting yourself and live the life you want to live regardless of your circumstances or financial situation. She basically says if you can think that it's there and are grateful for it, then it will come into your life. A few of my favorite quotes from the book are:

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." - Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible." - Audrey Hepburn

Aren't those quotes so powerful? I just finished the book today and I have a whole new outlook on life. I am no longer going to go through life with negativity and instead positively manifest the things that I want to accomplish. One of the things the author says is that it's there but we just can't see it yet. My next step is to create a vision board and see what happens...

So for anyone out there who is feeling down on their luck or just needs a good reminder that you should always love yourself, I highly recommend reading this book. You will not be disappointed!

Lots of love,

Marcia

REVIEW and SWATCHES: Stila All That Shimmers & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow Set

Hi Lovelies!

I'm back today with a review and swatches of the Stila All That Shimmers & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow Set. I've been wanting to try this for awhile so I was excited when I saw that it came in a set and for a great price. The set comes with three colors: Starlight, Kitten and Vivid Smoky Quartz.

Starlight is a nice golden color. This color is great for everyday and for those wanting a more natural makeup look.

Kitten is a champagne pink color and is my favorite of the three. It goes with everything and looks beautiful on the eyes. 

Vivid Smoky Quartz is a pretty dark bronze color. Definitely great for smoky eyes. 

Top: Vivid Smoky Quartz

Middle: Kitten

Bottom: Starlight

Overall, I really liked this set. The formula blends easily and is great for those who just want to put on something quick but still look like you tried. As a mom of two young ones, I don't always have time to put on my makeup so I really like things that are quick and easy to throw on. They also did not crease which is a miracle in this 80 degree weather! 

Have you tried this set? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments section. 

Lots of love,

Marcia

Candy Land Themed Birthday Party

Hi Lovelies!

I'm so sorry for the loooooonnnngggg break! I'm sure most of you know how it is when life happens and things don't go as planned but now I'm back and ready to start blogging for you all again. I am determined to post consistently this time so hopefully you'll stick with me. 😊

Today I'm sharing with you all a Candy Land themed birthday party that I did for my daughter's first birthday. I noticed that many of you are interested in party themed ideas so thought I would share more party ideas with you. Plus, I feel like first birthdays are always extra special and who doesn't love candy?!

                                                                      Candy Jars: TJ Maxx

A great place to buy bulk candy: https://www.candywarehouse.com/

                                                                                          

Welcome Sign: https://www.stumpsparty.com 

(I don't think they have this exact sign anymore but 

you can find several Candy Land themed items on their site)

Check out the lollipop trees I made! Let me know in the comments section if you want to know how to make these. They're super easy to make but somewhat time consuming. 

Gumball Machine Cookies: https://www.etsy.com/

Cake: http://www.lapatisserie.net

We also rented out a cotton candy machine for the party which was a big hit. I did an online search for cotton candy machine rentals and found a local vendor that offered this. You can also rent popcorn machines, soft serve ice cream machines, etc. 

Hope this gave you some ideas for your next celebration. Stay lovely and sweet!

Lots of love,

Marcia

                                                         

Owl Themed Baby Shower Ideas

Hi Lovelies!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Over the weekend I was looking through my Facebook and I noticed that a lot of my friends are having babies. This gave me the idea to post some pictures of a baby shower that I planned about six months ago for my sister-in-law. She was having a baby girl so I asked her what theme she wanted and she said she wanted an owl theme. There are so many cute things that you can do with an owl theme and it's not only a great theme for baby showers but can also be used for graduation parties as well as birthdays.

When I initially started planning the shower, I knew that I wanted to do something a little different so I started thinking of things that I could do that would be fun for everyone and decided to incorporate milk and cookies into the theme. We setup a table that had milk bottles with an owl cookie tied around the neck of the bottle, paper straws and a dispenser full of milk that guests could help themselves to. The bottles with the cookies served as the party favors. In case you're wondering, most of the items were purchased from Etsy so if you have a chance to visit these stores, they are all fantastic!

Bottles: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MylkandHoney

Paper Straws: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PartyPaperStraws

I forgot to take a picture of the milk dispenser 

but I purchased mine from Amazon for about $40. 

Owl Stickers: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovelypapercreations

Ribbon: Michael's

Owl Cookies: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TSCookies

While I was doing research for the party, I came across an idea that someone had posted about Wish Cards. Wish Cards are basically cards that you leave out for guests to write well wishes, words of wisdom or advice to the parents to be. I also bought a photo album for the guests to put their cards in. Not only did the the guests really enjoy this but the parents to be enjoyed reading all the comments as well. Plus they got to take a little keepsake home with them.

Wish Cards: http://www.etsy.com/shop/beebusy13

I wanted to incorporate the baby's name into the shower as well and I was having a hard time thinking of how to do this. I wanted to tie it to the owl theme so I finally came up with the idea of hanging letters on branches to make it look like her name was hanging from a tree. 

Vase, Branches, Letters: Michael's

Lastly, I wanted to make sure that there was plenty of dessert to go with the milk so I baked red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and ordered a strawberry short cake. Told you I have a sweet tooth! 

Cake: La Patisserie (http://lapatisserie.net/)

There you have it, an owl themed baby shower! I hope this gave you lots of ideas that you can use for your owl themed celebration. As always stay beautiful and sweet!

Lots of Love,

Marcia

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

Hi Lovelies!

Hope you are all having a great week so far! I don't know about you but I can't wait for the weekend.

So, I thought I'd share my nighttime skincare routine with you and tell you what I think about the products that I use. I have oily skin and tend to break out every so often. I also want to mention that my skin is super sensitive so these products work pretty well with my skin. Let's get started...

First, I use Philosophy's Purity Made Simple facial cleanser to cleanse my skin. I wet my face first, put about 2 pumps in my hand and gently apply it all over my face and eyes. Yes, even my eyes! This cleanser is gentle enough to remove eye makeup and is freakin' awesome at removing makeup residue. It's also great to use with a Clarisonic cleansing brush. 

Philosophy Purity Made Simple

One-Step Facial Cleanser

www.philosophy.com

Second, I remove my remaining eye makeup with Clinique's Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. I put a dime size amount on a small towel and gently press down on my eye. Then I wipe off the makeup around my eye and rinse my eyes with water to make sure my eye area is completely clean. Be careful if you use a towel to wipe off your makeup though as it might stain your towel. I recommend using a dark colored towel so the makeup won't show. Alternatively, you can use a cotton ball or cotton pad.

 Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup 

Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips

www.clinique.com

After my face is fully clean, I dab a little bit of Philosophy's Eye Hope around each eye. This eye cream is supposed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. I can't say whether or not this works since I don't really have fine lines or dark circles but it's all about prevention right? 

 Philosophy Eye Hope 

Eye Cream

www.philosophy.com

After applying my eye cream, I use Philosophy's When Hope Is Not Enough hydrating serum. I put about 4 drops in my hand and apply it to my face and neck. This serum is great at hydrating your skin and is supposed to firm your skin as well as help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. 

Philosphy When Hope Is Not Enough

Facial Firming Serum

www.philosophy.com

Last but not least, I moisturize my face with Philosophy's Hope In A Jar moisturizer. This is seriously the best moisturizer EVER! It's crazy because when you're applying it, you can actually see the water particles disappear into your skin. This is great stuff! I think this is even Oprah's favorite moisturizer. Can I just say that I love me some Oprah? :-)

Philosophy Hope In A Jar

Moisturizer For All Skin Types

www.philosophy.com

I wanted to also mention a new product that I've been using for a few weeks now that I actually think works pretty well. It's the Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads. I use this about 3-4 times a week to cleanse my skin although it says it can be used daily. I choose not to use it daily just because it's a little drying on my skin but it seems to be doing a good job at preventing breakouts so far. When I do use this, I first wet my face and then take one of the pre-saturated pads on the textured side and gently rub that all over my face to exfoliate. Then, I turn it over to the smooth side, wipe it all over my face to get rid of any dirt and oil and rinse well. I find that it leaves my skin really soft and smooth and the best part is that it's only $6.50! Great for all you ballers on a budget out there!

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily

Cleansing Pads

www.walmart.com

So there you have it, my nighttime skincare routine. Hope you enjoyed this and you get to try out some of these great skincare products. Until next time, stay beautiful and sweet!

With Lots of Love,

Marcia

A Little Introduction...

Hi Lovelies!

Welcome to my blog and my very first blog post! I'm so excited to start this blog and share my love of baking and beauty with you. I also plan to post about fashion, parenting, event planning and the list goes on (hence, the "Beyond" part of this blog). Before I start the fun stuff, I'd like to tell you all a little about myself.

First and foremost, I'm a wifey and mommy. I'm married to a wonderful husband of almost 6 years and I'm a mommy to a beautiful little girl who is now 2 1/2 and a handful by the way! :-)

I am addicted to all things beauty, fashion and baking. I love makeup whether it's putting it on myself or other people. Although I don't get the chance to do other people's makeup very often. I love fashion and have a serious online shopping addiction (just don't tell my husband). I also love sweets! I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and have no self control when it comes to baked goods, especially cupcakes. YUM!! I'm drooling just thinking about it!

I decided to start this blog because I've received so many compliments and questions on my makeup and clothes over the years. People usually want to know how I do my makeup, where I shop, etc. So, I thought why not start a blog where I can share this information with people that love the same things that I do?

I also enjoy baking so I figured I'd take you all on my baking adventures and share some recipes, tips and tricks with you. I am no Martha Stewart by any means but I like to make things that are quick and easy so I hope you are able to learn something new from me or at least save some time. Cause who really has time these days right?!

Well, that pretty much sums it up. I hope you enjoy this blog and please feel free to leave comments or suggestions on things that you enjoy or would like to see in future blog posts.

Stay beautiful and sweet!

With Lots of Love,

Marcia