Meeting Princesses | Disney

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

I am just loving writing these Disney posts and sorting through all my pictures, I feel like I am reliving the experience all over again. 

On our most recent trip to Disney World (remember how we had one gifted to us by Disney and our next one was previously booked months in advance- it just happened that they were only weeks apart), we were given a Guide to take us round the park and help us with anything we needed. It was amazing! At $400 an hour for a minimum of 6 hours, they are a real luxury but the benefits of having them include - being picked up and dropped off from any location, being able to dine at pretty much any of the restaurants without a reservation, fast pass to every ride, VIP seats for parades and shows, a wealth of insight and knowledge into all things Disney and fast pass to meet all the Princesses. 

With a Princess obsessed 3 year old, they were top of our agenda. When I was little we never stood in the queue's to meet anyone because I think my Dad preferred rides, but knowing how much Darcy loves those ladies, I would have waited hours. 

I'd already prepped her for maaaaybe meeting one Princess (at this point I didn't know we were going to be given a Guide) but at least seeing all of them in the parades or shows. So Darcy would say, 'When I see Cinderella I'm going to cuddle her all the day and all the night and all the conkers!' (conkers are a measurement to her. ie. 'Mummy I love you as much as all the conkers in the park'). In return, to manage expectations I would say, 'Well, we can see Cinderella in the parades and give her our biggest waves and smiles' and Darcy would be really pleased with that. 

Thinking we weren't going to meet any Princesses at all made it all the more special when we met so many (six in total. Or five. Is Tinkerbell a Princess??). 

Each Princess is completely in character and will spend a good few minutes with you or your child, talking and chattering about things kind of related to them. So when Darcy said, 'You got earrings on' to Cinderella, she replied, 'Yes I do. Do you know who gave them to me? My Prince Charming of course' and such like. It was brilliant. I was so impressed by them and Darcy was fully immersed in the 'I'm meeting real Princesses' experience. 

The Princesses will allow you to film, photograph and touch (as in hugs and Darcy wanted to touch their hair or feel their dress, yanno, innocent touching obviously) them and when asked, will do little video messages for you (we asked several of them to say something to Scarlet BitsandClips which will be revealed this week). I am so impressed that they take so much time with each guest and really give them such magical memories. 

Although I didn't have to queue long for these experiences, I think next time I most definitely will line up because just hearing all the little things Darcy wanted to talk about made my Mama heart melt.

If you are ever able to meet the Princesses, some bits of advice I would give are ::

♥ Have two cameras. One for photos and one for filming. If we'd only had one we would have had to pick either or and I treasure the snaps and the vlog footage equally. Disney do have a photographer at each station so if you don't have 2 you can still have the pictures but I like to have my own.

♥ Prep your child so they know who they're meeting and might be able to think of the things they want to say ahead of time. Darcy was a little start struck so just said whatever came into her head but this might be handier for older children.

♥ Be prepared for the Princesses to stay in character even with you. At first it's a bit weird because deep down you know it's an actress but after a while it's just really cool.

♥ Be prepared to cry. Watching Darcy run and throw herself only Cinderella's dress was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Just to witness pure, innocent, unrestricted, uninhibited joy like that was a privilege and was so, so beautiful.

(When Darcy saw Tinkerbell, she ran, grabbed her legs and stayed like this for a LONG time. It took all of Tink's pixie power to prize her off.)

(Tinkerbell asking Darcy where she got her oh-so-sparkly shoes. *Whispers* Primark). 

We are returning to the parks in one week and I think if the lines aren't too cray cray (I've heard it can be up to 5 hours to wait for Elsa and Anna) then we might give it a go. I really wanna get a full length shot of Ariel because I'm annoyed I didn't get her beautiful tail in frame- grr!

What do you think? Would waiting an hour or so to meet the Princesses be worth it to you? If you didn't have a child or young person with you, would you still want to do it? Lemme know because this Princess meeting thing is pretty new to me!

Toodlepip!

xx

Saratoga Springs | Disney

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It seems like only a moment ago I was writing THIS blog post about my sweet baby being born, but now, fast forward almost four years and she's a proper little child. 

 (I want to remember how little these leggies are forever)

I took these pictures thinking I was going to write a 'Baby OOTD' but when I looked closely, I realised all of these clothes are from last year and so if you wanted to buy any of them, you'd be pretty frustrated. I decided instead just to share some pictures of the resort we stayed at and have a little chat. 

(This little area was right outside our building -there are lots of different blocks of villas- and was the perfect spot of OOTD photography. Obviously if you're not a blogger, it was also a great spot for family photographs. I liked it a lot).

(I also like this little goober a lot too).

About six weeks ago, Disney invited our family to come and experience one of their holidays and despite having a subsequent holiday to the same destination with the BitsandClips family booked, we said yes- you can't say 'no' to Disney!!

We stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is modelled on a late 1800's New York retreat that was famous for it's horse racing and spas. Everywhere you go on the property there are nods to horses and I enjoyed that. It didn't feel at all like a kids hotel but at the same time, there were obvious elements of Disney, which as you can imagine, really pleased me. 

(Sweet chairs for sweet babies to watch films in the lobby whilst you check in or wait for taxis and transfers)

(Horsey! I thought this might be from Mary Poppins?)

 (I thought this was really cool. A little shaded area with picnic benches, a BBQ, lights and a fan. It was right by the pool and looked like the perfect place for a family get together or a small party. I love that those facilities were provided). 

(I love that even the pool had a horse racing theme and it looks so fun for kiddies. I had actually gone to PlaylistLive by the time Darcy had a play in here but Matt said she really enjoyed it).

(Darcy wasn't thrilled about being splashed in the face with the water springs but she did enjoy toddling round them all haha).

The villa we stayed in was a spacious one bedroomed apartment which a huge bath, separate shower and toilet room, patio area looking over the golf course, fully equipped kitchen and double pull out sofa bed for Darcy. It was very lovely. 

The property is huge, with several pools, places to eat to suit various budgets and a spa (which I didn't go to sadly). I wish I had had time to really wander around and learn more about the place and see it all but we were often rushing from one place to another and so time escaped us. 

Things I liked about Saratoga Springs :: 

♥ Everywhere felt REALLY clean, pristine and well cared for. 

♥ When you arrive in the lobby, the man opening the door or the people on front desk say, 'Welcome Home'. It's weird at first but then it feels really nice. 

♥ It was a haven of pastel colours- pinks and creams and sages as far as the eye could see. 

♥ The lobby had little tiny 'fancy' chairs in for little tiny 'fancy' people to sit in and watch films. 

♥ The gardens were well tended and just felt really pretty. 

♥ The little food shop was a welcome addition. 

♥ The ease of getting to all the parks using the free bus service.

I will be uploading all my Disney vlogs over the next few days (since it's only 8 days until we go back haha!) so you will of course see more of the resort, including a full apartment tour. 

Have you ever stayed at Saratoga Springs? What did you think? We were gifted our week's stay there but haven't been paid to write this post or say nice things, I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. 

Coming up next -

Holiday OOTD's

Disney Design Love

Disney World Photo Dump

Hollywood Studios

Travelling With Toddlers

Eating At Disney

Toodlepip!

xx

Amazing Advertisers || February 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos, 

I do believe Spring is in the air and this pleases me muchly. And what better way to introduce the sunshine than with some cracking monthly advertisers! I hope you're all cosy, perhaps with a snack or two ready because it's a long'un. Enjoy! 

Source

The Crown Wings 

The Crown Wings is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog written by Jessica, she’s quite the brainbox don’t cha know? If there’s a vintage market, an accessory sale or a trove of shiny treasures, Jessica will be there to blog about it all. As well as blogging about her fashion finds and love of all things sparkly, Jessica writes in depth, helpful reviews on beauty and skincare products. I feel there is no facemask that has not had the luxury of being placed upon Jessica’s beautiful face, she’s reviewed them all I tell ya! If you too are a beauty lover then Crown Wings is your muse.

Franco Florenzi

Ahoy there sailor! Or sailor accessory loving guy or gal, I’ve found a treasure trove of nautical galore. Franco Florenzi is a jewellery boutique specialising in watches and bracelets ideal for the sea lover, either man or woman. The watches are simple yet classic and the leather rope bracelets would make the perfect gift for those who prefer the casual yet sophisticated dressed down attire. Should you be in the market for said bracelet or a watch for the man in your life then give Franco Florenzi a gander!

Dear You, Love Em

Dear You, Love Em is a lifestyle blog written by long term advertiser and smiler, Emily. Dear You, Love Em is a feel good blog and if I’m after an escape for a little while to somewhere sunnier then the Aussie seaside, Emily’s optimistic attitude and beautiful writing is the perfect combination for a blog getaway. Recently Emily wrote a post about what she had learnt in her 20’s and it was so relatable that I could have written it myself. Thank you Emily for uniting us 20 somethings and advising the youngsters on their life journey and what to expect. I thoroughly recommend a read.

Get The Skinny 

Get The Skinny is a fitness blog written by beautiful gal and body confidence promoter, Tara. As well as writing about her own personal journey with fitness, Tara offers advice to others, creates recipes for a happy, healthy tummy as well as offering reviews on all the sportswear you can imagine, from finding the best trainers to the most supportive sports bra. If you too are a fitness loving gal or would like more information on all things exercise, then I would definitely hop on over and take some advice from Tara, she knows her stuff!

Sisterhood of the Travelling Wags

What a cracker of a blog! You only have to read about these fun gals briefly and their slightly tipsy story of becoming friends to fall in love with them and their antics. Sisterhood of the Travelling Wags is a lifestyle blog written by friends Aleks and Sophie and they’re a hoot I tell ya! With honesty being the best policy, Aleks and Sophie will offer you advice from controlling those shopping urges, to how to keep that sexual spark alive in the bedroom (oo err.) Their blog is simply fun and fabulous and I’ve found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion when having a scroll through old posts.

 Darling Dee Dee

Darling Dee Dee is a long time advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter and each month Dee produces the most beautiful content you ever did see on her beauty blog. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Dee has a talent for blogging and photography which makes for some impressive reviews and a space on the interwebs which makes my eyes swoon, and my beauty shopping list longer and longer after each visit. I also love that Dee reviews a wide range of brands and products, there’s something for everyone and as always, I insist you have a browse for yourself.

The What Now Blog

The What Now Blog is written by Louise, a lifestyle blogger with enthusiasm for work, opportunity and life in general. The What Now Blog offers inspirational posts for all as well as a refreshing positive outlook for when life becomes a little mundane and sad. Similarly, if you’re at a loss and not sure where your life is heading in certain aspects, Louise has advice for that too! From travel to work and dressing for your job, Louise knows it all! Should you be in need of some inspiration or opportunity then look no further than The What Now Blog.

Olivia Power

Youtuber Olivia does what she says on the tin, she just wants to make people smile. Olivia posts a variety of videos to her Youtube channel twice weekly and the variety is quite refreshing! From humorous rants to baby hedgehog reactions, Olivia has it all and her passion for Youtube and making people smile is quite apparent in her videos. She also has lovely long glossy hair, mmm. Why not make Olivia smile and send a view or two her way? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled!

Sweet Tea and Storms 

Sweet Tea and Storms is quite the swanky little blog! It is a fashion and lifestyle blog written by Mikayla, an avid photographer and all round beautiful gal. Mikayla is a fabulous lady with a contagious smile and love of life, her ventures are fun, her culinary skills are quite something and best of all, she’s a self-confessed Jesus and Country music loving kinda gal. If you too are a young gal studying your way through life whilst having fun and taking a few snaps along the way, then you should befriend Mikayla, or at lease show Sweet Tea and Storms some love.

SilverSpoon London

Ooh we’ve got a gallivanting blogger amongst us and she’s a good’un! Angie, a London based lifestyle and travel blogger shares her glorious and exotic adventures with us through her blog, SilverSpoon London, and they’re b-e-a-utiful. Not to mention Angie’s snaps of her travels are equally lovely and have my itching to find my passport. I love Angie’s free spirit and desires to try different things. She and her husband and friends are fine diners, world travellers and an all-round lovely bunch! Take a peek at the corners of the world Angie has visited, they’re divine!

Miya Embroidering 

Ooh swanky swanky alert!! I've a completely unique advertiser for you lovely lot this month and I think you'll be pleased as punch with what Miya Emoridering has to offer in the form of their beautifully crafted and kooky handbags. If you've got a taste for colour and pompoms (everyone loves a cheeky pompom or two) then look no further than Miya Embroidering. The bags come in a variety of forms, from rucksacks to totes so there is something for everyone! Go on, have a gander. 

Gee whizz! What a crackin' bunch of blogs we've had this month! Which has been your favourite? 

Toodlepip! 

xx