Jane.com is a website that hosts 3-day sales from mostly women owned small business' (88% of sellers on jane.com are owned by women-thats approximately 1,760).  New sales launch daily and last for 3 days or until they sell out.  I find that most sales average from 40-70% off regular price so you can find some really awesome, unique items at a fantastic price!  I've purchased so many items over the years!  The sales range from clothing for Ashlyn & I, to beauty products and unique home decor items & even fun things for pets.  
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Here is a little know fact about me-I spent about 5 years running my own online business where I personally hand-made organic infant/toddler clothing.  Sewing was a hobby of mine since I was a child and I was excited to turn that hobby into a business.  And I loved it for a long time!  

One of the avenues I used to help advertise & sell my products on was jane.com.  They were so easy to work with & I got an incredible amount of exposure working with them!  Plus I loved seeing all of the other women owned small businesses and all of the unique items!  I am a jane.com shopper for life! 

Fast forward to today & I still work with jane.com, just in a different way.  I help to promote all of those small businesses by sharing their products with all of you in my DAILY PICKS page.  AND I STILL LOVE WORKING WITH THEM!!!  I love being able to support other small business owners any way I can!!  
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Well, we are officially potty trained via the 3-Day Potty training method!  Read on to find out what worked, what didn't & how we are all holding up (including my furniture & floors) after the whole process.  Plus, links to everything I used!!
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This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you-BUT, I ALWAYS choose the products I post here based on my experience with quality & experience! 

I spent a bit of time getting prepared so that I was (or thought I was) 100% ready to go!  Here's a list of everything I had on hand and whether I ended upending it or not. (Most products are linked at the end of this post to make it easy for ya!)

• Training Potty
• Treats (I used the organic bunnies linked at the end of this post and some fruit strips I got at Whole Foods-I planned on giving her 1 bunny per potty & 1 fruit strip per poop)
• Glitter
• Stickers
• Pens
• Potty Pads (for furniture & beds)
• Cozy/fun socks
• Fun papers to decorate after going in the potty
• Tons of paper towels 
• Floor cleaners (hard floors & carpet)
• Big girl undies
• Overnight Pull-Ups 

Oh. My. God.  I am so exhausted!  I had no idea going into this that it would be so draining.  I knew that it wouldn't be easy, but emotionally & mentally draining was not something I had prepared for.  

Day 1 was supposed to be focused on getting a potty into the toilet.  I knew there would be accidents, I had prepared for that!  I knew it wouldn't happen right away, I was prepared for that too.  But I wasn't prepared for full blown battle.  She did not want anything to do with the toilet.  Nothing.  Didn't want to talk about it, sit on it, look at it.  Nothing.  No treat, game or bribe of any sort was going to change that!  And every time I tried it turned into the most inner ear damaging screams, stiff body resistance, clawing to get away,-she even took a swipe at me once-straight up battles!!!   So my Day 1 goal quickly changed from getting a potty into the toilet to getting the toddler to calmly, happily sit on the toilet.  Yep.  Just sit.  I'm talking baby steps here! 

I had read the 3 day potty training books so I knew that rewards had to be very specific to pee-in-the-potty ONLY.  But, you know what, forget that.  That wasn't working for us.  By late afternoon I decided to offer her a sucker (check out the linked products below for the sugar free suckers i decided to use) that she could only suck on while on the potty.  AND IT WORKED!!!!  It was great!!!  She was happily sitting there and getting used to the idea of it.  We sang songs & looked at the sticker page to pick which one we would get to put on the paper once she decided to finally put her pee in the potty.  It was great!  Then, after 2-3 times doing that I stopped giving the sucker and she was fine!!  Sitting there so calmly!!  Still no pee, but I felt a small success was made today!

Ok, here we go again...

I had a total "preparer fail"!  Last night for bed time I excitedly opened the package of overnight "undies"/pullups only to quickly discover I had instead gotten overnight DIAPERS!!!!  The #1, absolute NO-NO!!!  Ugh!!  Well, nothing I could do about it at that point.  As I put the diaper on her I told her it was her new nighttime underwear but she just kept saying  "Diaper!" excitedly. UGH!! 

The next morning she fought taking the "diaper" off!  Protesting "no take DIAPER OFF"!!!  Complete with tears, cries & total melt down.  It felt like I had taken 2 steps back.  But, I simply explained to her that those were only for sleeping and she needed to go in the big girl potty again.

It felt like we were back at square one.  Sitting on the potty while she cried and said "no-no-no".   I took her off the potty and had a conversation with her about what to expect again today and how proud I was of her for all of her progress yesterday.  I gave her some water and about 20 min later we tried again...this time with the sucker.  And again, it worked!  She was happily walking into the bathroom and asking to get up in the toilet!  And then.............POTTY!!!!!!!  WE HAVE A POTTY IN THE TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!!!    WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!  We celebrated, hugged, high 5'd, wiped, put glitter in the toilet, flushed and waved goodbye, and finally put a sticker on the paper!!!!!  SUCCESS!  I felt like SuperMOM!  NO wait, I WAS Supermom!!!  ....Then, 20 minutes later she peed on the floor again... **head officially out of the clouds** lol

All in all, by the end of Day 2 it felt like a success.  After about noon we were 100% potty in the toilet with 0 accidents on the floor.   And we had 1 poop in the toilet and 1 in her undies.  We also went outside to play for about an hour and had 0 accidents and I went to Target and got the correct nighttime underwear!!!  So, I am going to chalk this one up as a WIN!!

We started the day off with a pee accident and a HUGE poop accident.  So again, I felt like we were starting 2 steps back.  But then...no more accidents for the rest of the day!!!  She was FANTASTIC!!  I was starting to see her queues and get her to the potty quickly enough that we were mess free! We even went to a birthday party for about an hour and a half with no messes!  I used some nighttime underwear for her nap and she stayed dry for the entire 2 hours!!  YAY!!! 

It finally felt like we are getting there!  **HUGE sigh of relief**

Ok, I was definitely over prepared with everything I would need but I would highly recommend that you are too!  Because you NEVER KNOW what will work for you & your little one.  SO be ready just in case!!  

This is a list of all the things I got in advance & how they worked for me:

• Training Potty-I always gave Ashlyn a choice of the big potty or the little potty (training potty).  She chose the big potty every time!  Still has never used the training potty!  But, it is early in this process and per the advice of many friends, I will keep it in my car for the inevitable EMERGENCY!!!
• Treats-Ashlyn was not overly motivated by treats.  The suckers worked to get her comfortable on the toilet but I stopped giving them to her after the morning of day 2.  She could care less about a treat after she went potty though.  So, for us, I put the treats away.
• Glitter-This was a BIG WINNER!!!  She loved getting to put the glitter in the toilet and wave goodbye to it and the pee while she flushed!!  Definitely recommend trying this out!!
• Stickers-Also a BIG WIN!!!  She was very motivated by the stickers!  Plus, sometimes she would "goof-off" on the toilet & wouldn't pee unless she concentrated.  We would focus on picking out our sticker then a pee would happen shortly after!
• Pens-Nope.  Not interested at all.
• Potty Pads (for furniture & beds)-Yes!  Just for peace of mind.  Ashlyn only had accidents in certain places (her play area) so we never had an accident on the furniture but it made me feel so much better when we snuggled on the couch!
• Cozy/fun socks-It's mid winter here (well...california winter, but it still gets cold in the house!) so I definitely used these!
• Fun papers to decorate after going in the potty!  Yep!  She only chose stickers but it was a WIN!!
• Tons of paper towels-Yep!  Its amazing how much liquid come out of them during that first 2 days!!!  Lots of cleaning up!
• Floor cleaners (hard floors & carpet)-YEP!  See previous comment
• Big girl undies-Yep!  Not only are they super cute but they do seem to help Ashlyn get used to the change.  She gets excited to put on her Big Girl Underwear!   
• Overnight Pull-Ups-Again, YES!  In my opinion Ashlyn is not ready to go accident free all night.  She is about 50/50 for waking up dry currently.  And I KNOW I'm not ready for her to go into the bathroom by herself to go potty. So, for us, overnight underwear are a go!

Overall we are very happy with her progress!  We are now at day 5.  She only has pee accidents in the morning for some reason.  She is 50/50 for poop accidents so we are still working on that.  But we have gone outside to play, gone to a birthday party & gone out to dinner-ALL SUCCESSFULLY ACCIDENT FREE!!!  She even went potty in a public restroom! (My advice to you on this is-use one of your hands to cover the automatic flush sensor!!  Otherwise it will flush a bunch of times and its scary for the little one sitting there!  So try to avoid it flushing until little one is done!).

And keep in mind this is an on-going process.  Yes, I consider Ashlyn potty trained.  But that doesn't mean that she is going to take herself into the bathroom on her own and be accident free.  It just means she holds it between bathroom sessions and I have to take her frequently.  So make sure your expectations aren't too crazy!   

I would highly recommend this method if you are looking at potty training your little one!  Be prepared for the first few days!! It going to be SO HARD!!!  But its over pretty quickly and totally worth it!!   And I've made it super easy to get prepared by linking everything I used (including the "treats" since they WILL WORK for some kiddo's)!  

​GOOD LUCK & let me know how it goes for you!!!!!
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If you know me at all, you knew I LOVE to shop small!!  So I am loving this opportunity to share my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE small shops with all of you!!!  I hope you find some amazing things for yourself & maybe a few gift ideas!!  (Full disclosure-I am not affiliated with nor do I have a direct connection with any of the shops listed here.  They are simply some of my favorite places to spend money!)

This is one of my favorite shops when we travel to Hawaii!  As you can see, we have quite a selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts & tank tops from over the last few years!  I you need a gift for a guy, this is your place!  The quality that they use with their shirts is phenomenal & they last forever!  Plus, you get the awesome graphics to show off-like my absolute favorite plumeria T-shirt in the center of the above photo!!  I love my tanks & sweatshirt as well!  Love rocking this brand!!  Shop HERE
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Ahoy Surf is another super cute boutique near me!  This is my goto shop for swimwear and I LOVE shopping here for the best clothing finds from brands like:
Billabong
Amuse Society
RVCA
&
Free People
Need to get a girlfriend something for the holidays?  Check out their accessories page for the most stylish hats, bags & sandals!  Or get her one of their beach towels!!  Everyone will love this gift!!  Check it out HERE

Need I say more...?  Look at all of the fun things we've gotten for Ashlyn over the years!  We've gotten baby shower gifts (gorgeous baby bath towels & bamboo muslin blankets), toys/dolls/tshirt gifts for some of Ashlyn's friends as well!  But we've mostly gotten Ashlyn these 2 pretty dresses (both handmade/handpainted on the islands), adorable bikinis & these dolls!  We absolutely love stopping in whenever we are visiting the island!  Shop online as well to give an unexpectedly unique gift for a little keiki (kid) in your life!  SHOP HERE

Y'all, this is a brand new boutique (they used to be/continue to be a traveling boutique as well) in the shopping center near me!  Absolutely love their style & plan on doing a good majority of my female family & friend holiday shopping here!!  Check out some fun finds via their instagram @lilblucoconut!

This was the first boutique to FINALLY open in the shopping center near me.  I was so excited & they have not disappointed!!  The prices & quality of the items I've purchased there have been fantastic!!  Check them out on instagram @barefoorboutique or their website HERE

I love visiting this shop in San Luis Obispo for all the fun accessories!  hats, shoes, purses, jewelry, you name it!!  And they also have an awesome collection of clothing to match ;) (see what I did there! lol)  Check em out HERE

I have been shopping on Jane.com for years now!!  I love the unique options for clothing, gifts & home decor!!  And I have always had a good experience shopping with the different vendors! Check out the post below for details about my experience shopping on the site & I've featured some of the products I've purchased!  All just in time for holiday shopping! ;) Check out TODAYS PICKS some featured items from jane.com today-CLICK HERE!!! Also, click each image for similar current deals!!

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you-BUT, I do choose the products I post here based on my experience with quality & experience! 

So...If you aren't aware of what jane.com is you NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!!  It's really fantastic!  They run new "deals" each day that then run for the following 3 days.  The deals are offered from various vendors and they mark down products for a short period of time-and you get an incredible deal!!  Items ship directly from the vendor and usually arrive within a week (but sometimes up to 2 weeks depending on if its handmade or customized).  I LOVE getting my daily email with the new deals for that day!  And, as you'll see here, I've purchased a few things...! lol 

I had to include some of the items I bought when Ashlyn was just a baby & the ones I got for a friend of mines baby.  The pants & infinity bib are all ORGANIC & purchased from a small etsy shop!!  I loved that I could give my friend something so unique & support a small business at the same time (each deal has a link to the vendor so you can learn more about them & their history on jane.com)!  And look what fun holiday pictures we took in them last year (OMG Ashlyn was so little)!!!  

I also bought a 100% organic nursing cover that I could wear as a scarf.  I got so many compliments because it was so unique!!  Since then I have tried many tank tops-a few styles I have in multiple colors, t-shirts, lounge pants, cardigans (oh so many cardigans!!), shoes (these pink ones with the prettiest detail on the back), boots, even my current makeup bag...the list goes on and on.   (CLICK IMAGES TO SEE MORE LIKE THIS)

But the best part is that Jane.com has been so easy to work with!  The descriptions provided & size charts are spot on & super helpful!  Only once did I have an issue (they sent me the wrong color) and it was resolved SO QUICKLY & directly with the vendor!!  I was so impressed with this experience it made me even more happy to support Jane.com and the vendors that participate!!  

So...check out the link below to see for yourself, or check out TODAYS PICKS for some incredible holiday deals launched today!!! ​ And, if you have any questions about shopping with Jane.com please send me a message or comment below & I'll be happy to answer them!!

Everything about our stay at The Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea was fantastic!  Our room was incredibly comfortable & had plenty of space for a toddler to entertain herself!  Speaking of toddler-everytime we walked into our room she would say "Its nice in here!"  It was so cute!!!  I think she was a HUGE fan of the entire experience & looks forward to visiting again!!


Dining~
​We did the breakfast buffet every morning.  This was a fantastic way to start our day!  Fresh papaya, omelette bar, bread pudding, fried rice!!  They put on a nice spread!  Everything was fresh & warm and gave us a great start to each fun filled day!  Let me tell you ,there is nothing like starting the day with a fresh glass of Guava juice!  No joke!   We did make one mistake in this department though.  But it was totally our fault.  When we checked in we were told that we could get a To-Go breakfast in lieu of the buffet in case we were going on an excursion.  We decided to take a day off from the buffet to go straight to the beach with our breakfast in a bag.  And it was great!  A huge amount of food came in each one!  Fantastic!!  Came in a reusable insulated bag!  WOoHOo!! Until I had to walk back to the room to get something and saw what was happening in the buffet restaurant.  Beautiful live music, hula dancer, roast pork and carving station.  Then it occurred to me that it was Sunday.  Sunday Brunch.  HUGE FOREHEAD SLAP!!! SO, by all means, I recommend the togo bags.  M-Sat.  Not on Sunday.  Definitely not on Sunday! lol

We ate at all of the restaurants on the property, other than room service.  Our favorite (but it also makes the top of the list of favorite all time restaurants!!) was HUMUHUMU!  I don't think you can beat the ambiance here-from the open air to the gorgeous wood & location floating on a pond!!!!  Then you add that the food was fantastic from seafood to steaks & shrimp.  To top it off, the live music was always so beautiful & the service was top notch!  We ended up eating in the bar all but one time because we didn't make a reservation so-make a reservation, but if you don't, the bar is a fantastic place to be as well!  Dress code is a little nicer than casual but its always so nice to put on a pretty dress after a day in the sun!!  Then, on the one night we did make a reservation, it was our last night on the island, and we got upgraded to the famous Table 70!!!!! Whaaaaattttt???!!!!  You guys, it was amazing!!  The view-FANTASTIC.  The privacy-WOW!!  We felt like we were "floating out on the lagoon" just like they describe!  We were so surprised and realize how lucky we were to get it!! Thank you again Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea!!! (check out the photo on the right to see what I mean)

"Float above the lagoon for sunset views, and seasonal Polynesian and Hawaiian cuisine from award winning chef, Mike Lofaro"  Check it out HERE

Oh, and they give the kids a little stuffed animal!  Ashlyn got a Humuhumunukunukuapua'a fish (aka trigger fish)!  Then she got a whale & a honu (turtle) from the other 2 restaurants on the property!  This really topped of our overall experience!  She loves having them now and says "Hawaii" when she plays with them! 

The other 2 restaurants are more casual.  Bistro Molokini & The Volcano Bar & Grill.  We had a late dinner at Bistro Molokini and it was perfect after a long day in the sun.  Casual, relaxed atmosphere!  I literally went with wet hair after my shower! lol!  

The Volcano Bar & Grill was really great!  It is located poolside & offers table seating or lounger service by the pool!  I love this!  We loved (well, the kids REALLY LOVED) that we didn't have to get cleaned up from the pool to have lunch.  We could enjoy it right there in our suits and get right back to swimming!  And the food was impressive!  Really nice!  
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PLAYTIME~
​Now lets talk activities!  The pool was so much fun!  We went with our good friends & their 2 kids as well.  So we had 4 adults, 1-7 year old, 1-5 year old & 1-2 year old and we all had a BLAST!!!!  Nothing was too "grown up" for the kids (except the swim up bar-that one was for us grown ups!!) or too boring for the adults.  We all loved going down the slides (there was one exception here-2 of the slides have a height requirement that none of the kids fit, but there were so many other slides, the kids didn't even notice!).  The winding river was so relaxing and Ashlyn thought it was so awesome!!  Oh yeah, the rope swing.  Have I mentioned the rope swing?  Im not sure who enjoyed that more, the 7year old, 5 year old or 2-35 year old dads!! hahaha!  And we got some fantastic pictures from this little area! hahaha

I am going to go ahead and HIGHLY recommend you consider The Grand Wailea if you are heading to Hawaii-kids or not!  Fantastic place!!

We actually ate most of our meals at the hotel on this trip but we did venture out a few times to grab a bite.  Here are our favorite places in no particular order :)

Da Kitchen
"Island style food made with Aloha"
Yes it is!  We look forward to stopping at this place as soon as we get to Maui!  The food is so good!!!!  Every time!  There are 2 locations, 1 is very close to the airport in Kahului and is a sit down casual place.  The other is in Kihei and is a very casual (order at the counter) place.  We like both locations!  We usually can't wait until we get to Kihei so we stop at the Kahului location after we land.  Then. at some point during the vacation we run and grab take out and bring it back to the hotel to enjoy!!  

Leoda's
I have never eaten lunch or dinner here but I do stop and grab a pie when we drive over to Lahaina side.  Because, OMG THE PIES!!!!!!  So I can only assume that the food here is also awesome!!!

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The Mill House-Maui Tropical Plantation

On elf our favorite restaurants on the planet!!!  The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, complete with ponds that are home to fish & ducks, gift shop, coffee shop & zip line options!!  We spent a good amount of time, both before lunch & after, feeding the ducks & exploring the grounds (mostly goofing off but also exploring! lol).  

INNOVATIVE FARM-DRIVEN DININGUsing only the highest quality ingredients, carefully selected within our plantation's grounds, and in close collaboration with select farmers and providers.  Prepared with integrity, expertise and fearless creativity.  Click to go check out more on the website

We have eaten here several times now.  It has become a must visit when we are on the island!  Even spent our 10 year wedding anniversary here!!  The food is THAT GOOD!!!  Absolutely incredible!!  New menu every day & fresh ingredients from the on-site garden are included in most dishes!!

I you eat at one restaurant during your visit, make it this one!!!  Seriously!!!

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Monkey Pod Kitchen

You guys, this place is so fun!!  Super casual atmosphere with table service that has always been fantastic!!  We visited the Wailea location this time but have also been to the Ko Olina location on Oahu.  Both were awesome!

And if you take a look at that photo above you will see yellow foamy deliciousness on top of that Mai Tai!!!  That, my friends, is honey lilikoi foam.  And it is GOOD.  REAL GOOD!!  

The food here is also very yummy!  And lots of local options-like the burger from  Maui Cattle Company.  You know I'm a sucker for local food!!!  

I could seriously go on and on about so many more wonderful restaurants, hotels, beaches etc... But this post is Sooooooooooo long already.  So please comment or message me if you have any upcoming trips and need some advice!  Id love to help! :)

Aloha & A Hui Ho!

Oh My Gosh!  Where does the time go?  How is she already 2??!!  I, once again, got emotional as I was making her cake (Does this feeling ever go away?? Does my mom still cry on my birthday ?lol).  But it didn't last long!  I have (mostly) reconciled with the fact that she is not a baby anymore,  She is a full blown kid!  And she is fantastic!  Her little brain is growing like crazy and I love watching it happen right before my eyes!  She started with the "whats this?" and "why?" questions this week & I love trying to explain things to her!  So, to all you mommas (and daddy's) out there that might be struggling with how fast your little ones are growing, know that it these next phases are SO MUCH FUN!!!  

So...this being her 2nd birthday & the fact that we just got back from our Hawaii trip less than a week ago I told myself that we were just going to have a small bbq with close family & friends.  No theme.  No invitations.  Easy Peasy!  

Then I got on pinterest and it was all over!  1 TeFiti Banner & a Moana cake from scratch later we had a party!  haha!  I made everything myself (with the help of my most artistic & creative friend Dori!).  It was super fun to do & didn't take up too much time (but Ill also give you some links to similar items you can buy for less than $10 if crafting isn't your thing!!)  

I was searching Pinterest & came across this picture!  It was the inspiration for the entire party!  And anyone that has seen the movie Moana knows that the TeFiti scene brings all the feels!!  SO I loved the idea of her being the focus of the banner!  And I could buy the printable fromthis etsy shop (and you know how much I love supporting small businesses & it comes with some extra super awesome printable for table decorations too!!) but I REALLY wanted the flowers to be Plumerias (since Ashlyn's middle name is Hawaiian for Plumeria-Melia) & I love to craft....  So, I decided to get all my paper supplies out, make a quick run to The Lakeshore Learning Store for the green backdrop paper, called Dori & got started!  

SUPPLIES NEEDED

• scissors
• construction paper (15 sheets of light green & 9 sheets of dark green)
• Medium green paper roll (link HERE-I got mine at my local Lakeshore Learning store and was able to find a smaller roll that ended up being $7.99 instead of the larger one they offer online)
• white printer paper
• chalk (pink, orange, yellow)
• glue gun
• brown paper roll (Link HERE)
• small flowers (I bought the ones I used at Michaels-link HERE But the ones I got were in a tin and did not have the jewel in the center.  Check your local store to see if they carry the tins of Paper Flowers)

PREP
Cut out the flowers & leaves.  I used this pinterest link for inspiration on the leaves.  It helped guide us but was ended up freehand cutting them instead of making a pattern.  They were pretty easy and we could make all different sizes!  I messed up on a bunch of them (like by cutting the into the center instead of from the edges...I swear I don't know hoe I get through he day sometimes!)

For the Leaves We Cut:
16 Large Leaves-10 light green, 6 dark green
8 each of medium, small & really small leaves for TeFiti's hair decorations-16 light green, 8 dark green

For the Plumerias:
ok, these were A LOT harder than I thought they would be.  SO MANY FAILS!!!  Thank goodness I was able to use 3 of them (with a lot of glueing to the leaves so they would stand up...).  I had found a tutorial on making them but the tutorial was for a much smaller finished product.  In hindsight, I probably would've been happy with a bunch of smaller plumerias but the image in my head at the time said BIG!  so I went BIG! 

For The Hair
I happen to have rolls of this brown paper so I cut them into 12" x 54" strips & rolled them up lengthwise and twisted them into "hair".  This was the easiest part of the entire process!lol!

For the size of your banner, I wanted mine to fit just above my table so I measured it  (54") then added 3" to each side for a total of 60" wide.  But this is totally adjustable depending on how big you want it to be.  

ASSEMBLY
I started by laying everything out where I wanted it to go.  First I placed the hair tendrils, 2 on each side.  Then I placed the leaves across the top.  I had to make some adjustments so the colors were spaced how I wanted them.  Then I used my glue gun to glue down the hair tendrils, then the leaves, then the paper Plumerias.  Then I grouped together 3 of the med/sm/xsm leaves & paper flowers for the hair decorations and glued those to the hair, staggering on each tendril (In the photos you see that I did this step 2nd but I should've waited so they were more visible as the top ones got lost in the bigger leaves-you live you learn.).  I let it all sit to dry overnight (not that that was necessary at all for the glue since that dries very quickly, but I wanted it to lay flat to the paper didn't "roll" as much).  

The very last thing I did was to draw the face.  I procrastinated on this for days!  I was so happy with the way the rest turned out, I knew I could ruin it all if I messed this up!  I thought about tracing it by making my own DIY projector (seriously, whats wrong with me?).  Finally, on the day of the party, once it was up on the wall, I got one of Ashlyns dark green crayons and went for it!  Completely free hand!  And Whew!!!  It turned out ok.  Not perfect but ok.  SO, If I could do it again I might draw the face first.  Before glueing anything.  That way if I mess up I can get a new piece of paper and start over.  No pressure!  
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I love to decorate cakes!  It is so much fun & I love tapping into this creative side of things.  But IM TERRIBLE at it!!!  Like most crafty things, I do the pinterest inspiration then trial and error method of learning.  So while I have this grand idea in my head as to what its going to look like, the finished product is usually somewhere between that and total pinterest FAIL! lol!!  

And when it comes to baking-T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E!!!!!  I just don't have the knack for it, but I keep trying anyway!  And I found this recipe this time & it actually turned out ok!!!  Like, really ok!!  yay!!!!  CLICK HERE for the White Funfetti Cake Recipe!!  I made 3-9" cake layers.  If I do this cake again I would do smaller diameter (maybe 6") and go to 4 layers so its taller and thinner.

I really like the frosting recipe that goes with this cake (its super yummy) but I would double the amount.  I definitely wish I had more for the filling and frosting the cake.  

While the cake layers were cooking I created the Fondant Flowers.  I have NEVER EVER used fondant for anything so this was all new to me!  And there are 2 HUGE things I would do next time and will save you the time & effort for your project:

1. Buy the teardrop cookie cutters linked below!!  Seriously, just trust me!  they're worth it!
2. Buy the pre-rolled fondant!  IM NOT KIDDING about this!!!  Its the same exact $ for the same amount but they do all the work for you.  (I decided to go with the bucket of fondant so I could see what it was like since it was my first time.  Mistake.  BIG Mistake! Fondant is not east to roll out.  it is tough (even after you kneed it) and you are never exactly sure how thick it should be or how consistent its thickness is).  So save yourself the time & get the pre-rolled stuff!  I got mine at Michaels.

Other than those 2 things these flowers were super easy and fun to make!  Here is the photo I used to figure out how to assemble the flowers.  

I found that once the petals are cut out and laid out in a fan shape & you pick them up and wrap them around, they instantly become a beautiful flower!!!  So pretty!  then i used a new paint brush to "paint" the dust on each flower, doing each one a little differently.  the powder goes on very lightly so don't be afraid to use more to layer the color so its darker.    I only got 2 colors-pink & yellow (they aren't cheap) but next time id like to add blues & purples !  

DECORATING THE CAKE

Place a piece of parchment paper (makes for an easy transition to a cake plate but if you are going to use the turntable for the display you do not need to use it) on a cake decorating turntable (if you don't have one, its ok, just make the process a lot easier) Then place the first layer of cake on the parchment paper and layer the 3 tiers of the cake with frosting in between each layer.  I left the frosting white for this but you could use blue or do something fun with some oranges or pinks as well.  

For the outside I started with the top first.  I added 2 small drops of blue food coloring to the entire batch of frosting then used that to coat the top.  Then I put a couple of spoonfuls into my decorator bag and, using a wide open tip, went around the top 1" of the cake.  Then added another few drops of blue to the frosting and repeated this step again leaving a little space in between.  Repeat with more food coloring and another strip until you have reached the bottom of your cake.  (HINT-Keep a little from each color level for touchups if needed)

Then, using a frosting smoother at a 45 degree angle, turn the cake turntable as you smooth the frosting against the cake  and blend the colors together, creating that Ombre look.  Voila!!  You have a frosted cake!

Lift the cake off the turntable with the parchment paper.  Peel back the paper as you gently place the cake on a cake plate.  Refrigerate to set the frosting-approx 30 min-1 hr. 

I used brown sugar around the base of the cake for sand.  The I placed my Plumerias & figurines around the base and on top.  I found the Maui figurine was heavy so I used a toothpick for extra support.  The plumerias were easy and didn't need anything to hold them on but if you did them down the sides of the cake you might want to try using a toothpick.

Enjoy & Good Luck with Your DIY Moana Party!!!

We took the red eye flight home night before last.  Need I say more.  haha! This momma is exhausted!  But Ashlyn has been trooper and let me sleep a little when we got home so now that I'm a little rested I thought i'd take some time to share about our trip!  But if I ramble, oops!  Im probably falling asleep at my laptop! ;)

Oh my gosh, what a whirlwind of amazing adventures for the last couple of weeks.  I feel so lucky & blessed that we got the opportunity to take such an incredible family vacation!  And I am so excited to share all of our adventures with you!  As I started writing I realized that I had too much to say for one post so I am breaking it up into 3 posts this week.  Today I am going to talk about my Top 10 traveling tips (especially with a toddler)!  

1. Eat Local
   1. There aren't many national chain restaurants on Maui but they do exist.  GO TO THEM AT HOME!  Try the local spots.  From $ to $$$$, try them!  You will have some of the best food of your life!!  (I will talk about some of my favorites on both Maui & Oahu in the next post)
2. Shop Local
   1. Another "no brainer" right?  But seriously, This trip I massively scaled back what I packed because I know I am going to buy a bunch of things from my favorite shops there!  Logo T-shirts & tanks, gorgeous dresses that I can never seem to find locally, skirts, shorts, the list goes on and on!  (I'll go into more detail on my favorite shops on both Maui & Oahu on the next blog post). 
3. Explore the Island
   1. We stayed at one of the most incredible hotels on Maui.  It was so nice that we could see ourselves never leaving the property!  But Im so glad we did.  There is so much more to Maui than one beach, one hotel, one area.  Go to Lahaina side & walk Front Street.  Drive the road to Hana.  Go upcountry & do some shopping!  So many amazing places to see & explore!
4. Fly Hawaiian Airlines
   1. This airline is 100% the best for flying to the island.  I will NEVER use any other airline!  Why?  They always seem to be on time; You feel like you have arrived in the islands as soon as you step on the plane with the music & incredibly friendly attendants; The snacks/meals are actually edible & yummy; I have severe flight anxiety and appreciate the lengths they seem to go to make it a smooth flight (and the pilots ALWAYS warn you ahead of time if there will be any "bumps" along the way.  If I know they are coming & am WAY less worried about it).  And have I mentioned the free cocktail as you approach the islands!  Now that is ALOHA!!!
5. Bring a Cooler
   1. I know you have heard this from me a million times but bringing our yeti cooler has saved us so much money!  When we go to the beach or even just go exploring the area we can bring lunch, cold water, drinks to the beach, etc...!  Then we use it as a carry-on to bring home all the fun things we buy! ;)  I've linked the one we use here.
6. Shop Costco Deals!
   1. I. Am. So. Serious. About. This.  We NEVER could've afforded to stay at such an amazing hotel as The Grand Wailea!!  I mean NEVER!!!  But we just kept checking for deals and open day this one popped up!  We were so excited!  So keep checking because the prices change constantly & if you are flexible on your travel dates you will find an amazing deal!!
7. Get Toddler Headphones
   1. I'm so glad that we decided to buy headphones for Ashlyn on this trip.  She watched Moana & Nemo on the flight over and we were able to enjoy our flight as well!  She had never worn them before, so I had her use them a few times before we left so she was comfortable in them.  ( I really like the ones we got so I've linked them below!!)
8. Target Toy Packs
   1. I saw these $3 activity packs right at the entrance to my local Target.  And they are fantastic for my almost 2 year old!  Plus, I love how they re-seal so I can keep everything together and in her diaper bag & pull it out at restaurants, in the hotel room, anywhere.  The one i got had a coloring/activity book (Ashlyn colored, mommy & daddy  played the games! lol), crayons, stickers, foam stand up card & fuzzy coloring page.   So much fun!!! 
9. Stay in an Air BNB
   1. We have made so many friends that we visit each time we go to Hawaii because we stay in an Air BNB.  The owners are always so friendly and willing to help you with any advice for great food, hikes, sites, shopping, etc...  Plus, with a toddler, we have a kitchen, refrigerator, etc...  That being said, remember, you are in someones neighborhood so take care to park mindfully. ( I hate that this even needs to be said  but, unfortunately we have heard & seen some truly disrespectful things from travelers.  Huge bummer)  that leads me to #10:
10. Be Respectful
    1. This is mentioned last only because it is the most important so I hope it being the last thing you read will stay with you the most!  And I know, this seems like a no brainer, but seriously.  Think of the islands differently and take special care of them.  They are beautiful.  Help keep them that way. That means the obvious: clean up after yourself but take it a step farther and pick up after anyone else that you see that isn't (look around the beach as you leave & you'll find that people leave the craziest things behind & that all goes back into the ocean)!.  And it also means to slow down, be aware and present to those around you & smile every once in awhile.  Trust me, you'll have a better day & so will the people around you!  And take some if this feeling home with you. :)

TAKE THE PONU PLEDGE
Pono is a beautiful Hawaiian word, one with multi-level meaning and a lot of importance for people lucky enough to visit Hawaii. When something—a place, an event, a person’s attitude or a way of doing things—is "pono," it is in a state of correctness. It is respectful, safe, accurate and responsible. 
The Pono Pledge (www.ponopledge.com), a creative new initiative by the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau (IHVB) and Hawaii County, encourages safe, responsible and respectful tourism. Its eight principles are simply stated, but cover a wide range of situations, experiences and thought-provoking possibilities for visitors on vacation, and for Hawaii residents as well.  Read More...

It had been so crazy busy around here the last few weeks!  We are getting ready to head out for another family adventure this week but this one will be full of relaxation, mai tai's & my feet in the sand!  And I'm going to want to take a million pictures of Ashlyn on the beach but she is totally on to me & refuses to smile for a picture anymore! ugh!!  She hates getting her picture taken!  SO I had to get creative to get her to take a few pics.  I hope this little trick lasts! lol

Do any of your littles hate getting their pictures taken too?  Ashlyn is so over it!  I usually have to hide the camera and sneak a picture in when she's not paying attention.  But if she sees that camera, oh gosh!!  Her little adorable face instantly changed to one of totally annoyed!  

I have a camera full of pictures of her grimacing at me for "one more photo".  All in a attempt to capture that moment when she is doing something totally adorable!!  

Then one day I remembered a trick one of our friends used on their little one.  "Show me your teeth"!!!  Ashlyn is obsessed with her teeth right now.  Loves to brush them & show them off!!  And if I ask her to show them, she suddenly doesn't care about the camera anymore & it kinda looks like she smiling!!  WIN!!!  

Here are a few of my successful photos using the "show me your teeth" method :)

Wish me luck that this will continue to work for a few more years!  lol!!!  What tricks do you have to get cute photos with your little ones?
​CHEERS

I had promised myself I would not have a living room full of toys when I had kids.   HAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!! Now that I have a toddler I know how totally insane I was!  But the toys really did drive me crazy so I was determined to create a space to contain them, so that I didn't need to look at them all day.  I met another mom that had converted her under stairs closet into a play room for her 2 boys!  It was genius!  But it just didn't work with my townhouse layout (plus I had made my under stairs closet into my "wine cellar" and I wasn't willing to give it up!!!).  We happened to be updating our living room with new flooring & furniture so I finally decided that we would move the sofas away from the wall a bit more (Where the old sofa & a sofa table were) and make a play area for her.  AND WE LOVE IT!!  Ashlyn is here close to us & her toys are contained! And We can play with her an all still be together in the living room!  WIN-WIN!!!!  

Check out the transformation:

I Knew I would need storage for all of her books first of all.  She LOVES looking at books and has quite a collection now.  This bookshelf was perfect because I could organize her books & add the toy bins for stuffed animals & the millions of little toys she has laying around!

The foam letter flooring was as much to protect the floor from scratches, protect her head from falls & add all that color!!!  Its so fun!  Plus she loves to pull up the letters & we work on her A-B-C's when we put them back together!

The rocking chair was a gift from her grandmother & the pillow I got at my local Home Goods.  I think I use it more than she does! ;)

Y'all, I have to admit I am SO TIRED this week.  We are transitioning Ashlyn to her big girl bed and lets just say sleep has been limited.  So please forgive the poofy eyes & dark circles because I really did LOVE this months trunk & can't wait to share it all with you!

HERE ARE MY TOP 3:

This is the 3rd trunk I've gotten from Trunk Club & I've always found something that I love!  And I COMPLETELY trust my stylist because she sends me things that I would walk right past if I saw it hanging on a rack in a store but once I try them on I love them!!  

In this trunk I wasn't necessarily looking for anything in particular other that needing a Fall wardrobe update.   

I will post a pic of the items in my trunk long with what they look like on me & what I thought of each piece.  Then, ill reveal what I decided to keep & what I sent back!  And if you love this trunk, contact me or leave a comment and I will refer you to my stylist so you can try it out!! 

So...out of this trunk, I decided to keep the jeans (LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!!!) & the 3 tiered necklace!  Above are a couple of photos of the jeans with an American Eagle Tee (left) & a Target top (right) from my closet.  I can't wait to see all the outfits Ill be able to make with them!!!  And that necklace!  Oh that necklace!!! 

And it is now so easy to send everything back.  I just put the items it didn't keep back in the box they came in, use the tape & return label they include & put it back on my porch or drop it off at UPS & thats it!  I also get to leave feedback for my stylist so she can adjust my next trunk!!!  

If you like some of the items in this trunk, I have included links on the photos (I DO NOT receive any type of commission or payment on these items).  Contact me via comments or email for a referral!!!