GUEST POST | SHELLY - THE QUEEN IN BETWEEN

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

yessss...i have a feature for you today! it's shelly from the queen in between!

and friends - she has a treat for you today! she's talking all about her recent family disney world trip...which is extremely valuable to me considering i'm desperately trying to twist my farmer's arm into taking his first born in october for her birthday.

so here's the deal - on my blog shelly has detailed all the dos. on her blog she's telling you all about the do nots about taking a trip to disney world. it's a two-parter, people...and totally worth the read!

and if that wasn't enough - shelly is active on instagram. she posts wonderful outfit inspiration for all of us who...are...ummm...challenge in that area.

me. it's me. i'm challenged in that area.

not only that...but she's giving one of you the chance to win some glorious rod an + fields self tanner. (you can find that at the bottom of this post!)

now...i bring you HRH (her royal heighness) - shelly of the queen in between!

I'm super excited to be sharing with Karli on September Farm today!  We recently took a quick trip to Orlando and spent a few days at Disney World so I thought this would be the perfect chance to share some of my tips for creating a magical experience for your family.  

DISNEY DOS

Do choose a time to visit during a non peak period.  The very busiest times for Disney are the week after Christmas, Spring Break and summer.  While your kids are young take the opportunity to pull them from school and head to Disney when the crowds are low.  

Do arrive before the park opens!  I cannot tell you how big of a deal this is.  If you arrive early you will make it through the gates and be allowed to wander just inside which will allow you to take a few pictures, etc before the official opening time.  This way you don't waste valuable time when the rides are open for business.  

Do buy your tickets ahead of time.  This is pretty much a given for most people planning a multi-day vacation but we are Disney marathoners and have mostly done Disney in a day type outings.  The sooner you can plan your trip the better because as soon as you have those tickets you can immediately begin scheduling your daily Fast Pass.  Read up and understand the Fast Pass you will be so happy you did! 

Do study the park map and become familiar with the layout.  The parks are large and you can waste so much valuable time wandering from area to area if you are not aware.  So much information is on the internet to help you plan and I would definitely suggest reading up.  Specifics down to where to stand for parades, fireworks, etc will be so helpful.  When we went to Disneyland I remember a suggestion to watch the parade near the area where the princesses are available to meet and as soon as the parade passed we jetted over and there was no wait. 

Do go left!  I thought this was a slightly odd piece of advice but it is so true.  Most people instinctively will head to the right upon entering the park.  Study up and head left and you will find a much emptier area at the beginning of the day.  

Do download Disney apps.  The Disney Experience app held all of my fast pass info at a glance and actually was critical at one point when my actual band was not showing I had a fast pass.  The gate attendant was able to see the data on my app and see the FP was unused and let me right through. The Disney wait times app was also very helpful especially when noting a ride was closed.  

Do take snacks!  Disney allows you to bring food in so take advantage.  There will be some rides and character lines you will have to wait at least some time in which is the perfect time to have snacks ready for your family.  We ate a big breakfast at the hotel but skipped a traditional lunch and instead drank plenty of water and ate snacks. I carry a backpack with a water bottle for each member which can be refilled, nuts, beef jerky, goldfish, etc.  

Do purchase My Photo Pass package ahead of time as it is cheaper than if you wait until after your trip.  With the Photo Pass anytime you see a park photographer (lots of them!) they will take your picture and with just a scan of your ticket or wrist band the picture will be loaded to your account.   You can still have your pictures taken and sent to your account but buying the package is definitely the way to go.

Do take a break in the afternoon.  The crowds will become larger as the day goes on so plan an afternoon break.  Leave the park and head back to your hotel for some swimming and naps to be sure everyone is ready to head back and finish off the night at the park.  You don't want to miss the fireworks! 

Do dress comfortably.  There will be lots of walking (I logged over 18K steps both days) and be prepared for layers depending on the time of year.  Watch the forecast and plan accordingly if there is a high rain chance.  Rain will not be a fun killer unless you are not prepared.  I packed ponchos and flip flops in my bag the first day just in case.   So many rides are actually inside so rain will not shut them down.  

Do bring your best patient mom attitude!  Kids will get tired, there will be other people there who are not like you and every attraction may not be for every member of your family.  Losing your cool will surely have your kids telling stories about "that one time mom cried at Disneyland" for years to come. 

The Disney Tourist Blog has endless information and pretty much all the "insider" tips that will definitely make your trip more magical.  

Now.....if you want to see what not to do head on over to read the Disney Don'ts here.  

Thanks so for having me today on Sept. Farm, Karli!

now get yourself entered to win some self tanner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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in other news....

friends! i'm always looking for wonderful new blogs to feature here on Sept. Farm. if you would love to see your beautiful face here all written up with a shiny bow...i'm your gal! check out my ad space options! 

and ps. you may have noticed i've done away with my group giveaways. are you applauding or a little miffed? either way...i have some good news - if you want to get in on a feature post but at a discount, i can totally help you out.

40% off 4 X FEATURE - code GROUP40

want your very own feature all to yourself? yes and yes...

30% off GET IN THERE, GIRL feature post - code FEATURE30

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YOUR SPRING CLEANING CHECKLIST

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

i have a treat! and by treat i mean - the least exciting post i've ever written...but maybe the most practical and useful. 

bonus - there's a printable so you too can be the very proud owner of a list telling you where to clean in your home. yay.

10 on TUESDAY - how to get your clean on

1 | did you clean out your refrigerator? good. more specifically, did you clean the top of the refrigerator? you should probably take a peak behind it as well.

2 | pull your stove out. what’s under there? you’re not sure what that is? clean it. 

3 | your car. was this on your spring cleaning list? refrain from the 38 animal cookies you found in the backseat, throw away the rest of the garbage. wipe it down. vacuum it out. pull out the car seats and deep clean those too. 

4 | take a moment to go around your house and clean all your light switches and all your door knobs. germ central. oh…and don’t forget to wipe just above and below the door knob. those areas get touched a lot too. 

5 | when was the last time you put your coffee maker through a vinegar cycle and changed it’s water filter? do yourself a solid and help your coffee taste even yummier. 

6 | did you wipe down your garbage can? how about the inside of it? was it disgusting? i know…it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. 

7 | don’t even get me started on the tops of mirrors // picture frames // art we hang on our walls. did you dust those? you should. odds are they are totally gross. 

8 | you’re going to hate me for this one, but you should do a quick glance at your kitchen drawers and cabinets. they need vacuumed and wiped down i’m guessing…and your pantry probably needs a little organization as well. bonus - you can grab a snack while you’re in there. 

9 | how about your washing machine? if you have a front loader like us this is a necessity. i ordered some tide washing machine cleaner off of amazon and it keeps that little space smelling fresh…instead of like mildew. 

10 | and lastly…your baseboards. you probably didn’t forget to wipe these down…but there’s a good chance you’ve been putting it off for far too long. just do it. get it over with. call it a day.

pick three of these tasks and do them in one sweep - you can consider it your workout for the day.

don't stop there...keep it going! what do you think neeeeeeeds added to this list?! i'm always game to get my clean on. a clean home is a peaceful home. decluttered and wiped down = relaxing for this mama!

but seriously - what are your MUST-CLEAN spring cleaning? it can be organizing your kids clothes / cleaning out closets. it can be outside chores like prepping your garden! share in the comments!

don't forget to pin me for later use!

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EASTER 2016 | FOOD - FRIENDS - FIGHTING

Monday, March 28, 2016

easter weekend has come and gone and i once again failed to snap a sweet picture of my two best gals in their darling easter dresses. i mean...there was one point that i made the girls stand next to each other...but i'm that mom that just doesn't care that much. if my children are going to get all bad-attitudy with me because i'm hindering whatever important thing it was they were about to do...like smashing a hard-boiled egg...it's not worth it to me.

maybe in a few years it won't be such a freaking process...but getting my girls to stay put for a sweet picture is like tying a cat's tail to flaming stick. it's just not going to happen. (not that i've ever tied a stick to a cat's tail before. but i imagine this to be only possible in the jungle book.)

anyway...for the third (or is it fourth?) year in a row we headed to amy's farm for a get together with friends and family. they have a huge, flat yard making it the very perfect space for egg hiding // hunting.

everyone brought food - potatoes, eggs, blueberry french toast, fruit salad, pie, and i made this amazingly delicious blueberry + oat + pecan crisp. it was so easy...definitely healthyish...and a win in my book. add it to your breakfast pinterest board. just like i did.

after brunch we headed out for egg dying // hiding // hunting.


blah blah blah - the kids had a great time.


but the real action were the adult competitions.

in the preceding days of the race i may have talked some trash. i'm pretty competitive and really thought i was going to win. i'm not above pushing someone down. but i lost. miserably. my strategy of going to the part of the yard that none of the other girls ran to was not a good move. there was a bright point when i lifted kaye into a tree to get an egg i couldn't reach. there was a low point when i was told there were two eggs that couldn't be retrieved in a deep, dark hole. i tried. i didn't get them. i even had kaye try...nope. then the guys tried. the eggs were retrieved. i cheated and put them in my basket.

the male competition was fierce as well...but there was quite a bit of complaining. i guess the girls did a little too good of a job hiding the eggs. 

there's nothing like seeing three grown men rush a swing set from all angles.

needless to say...my farmer didn't win. 

this guy won...and there was some celebrating. 

and lastly...we snagged the opportunity to get some family pictures. in an attempt to help sawyer smile...we failed. but there really is nothing like two grown men playing peek-a-boo from behind the photographer. i thought it was hysterical.

sawyer was nonplussed.

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OH HEY, FRIDAY! | ONE DAY WE'LL HAVE A SECOND BATHROOM

Friday, March 25, 2016

it was another one of those thursdays.

sawyer was ON one...and woke up in a terribly fowl mood after only an hour nap...which was a far cry from her normal three hour nap.

can i get an amen for three hour naps?!

so by the time my farmer made it home at an unexpected early hour (5:30 pm - yay!!!) i was like...nobody talk to me.

i'm such a treasure.

but seriously...if i have to wipe sawyer's nose one more time...i'm going to lose my sh*t. we're going on 2+ weeks of runny nose-ville over here.

while i'm wiping sawyer's boogers for the 200th time before 7am...you go ahead and get yourself linked up and i'll try to put on my pretty face so my farmer doesn't think i'm going to run away...

1 | grab this here snazzy spring-themed button and link back to Sept. Farm.

2 | link up your post at the bottom of this post.

3 | tell all your friends + have a fantastic friday.

<a border="0" href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/karlib83/SPRING-16_zpsg1r2jmfp.png"/></a> a tale of two bathrooms
we got farm-probs up in here. we're on year four of only having 1 1/4th bathrooms...if you can even call that coffin in our laundry room 1/4th of a bathroom. 
some backstory - when i married my farmer we moved into a lovely, little single-wide trailer. it was no secret - i loathed the single-wide trailer. 
my farmer immediately got cracking on building me our home on a hill. and i love it. we moved in a few months before kaye was born and it's wonderful. it has windows EVERYWHERE. a very open floor-plan. four good-sized bedrooms. a large daylight basement. it's great...except for the lack of bathrooms. i don't even know what we were thinking not adding in some sort of nicer bathroom upstairs for guests. i guess we thought we wouldn't be having many visitors. too little, too late now. i digress...
we do, however, have a very very unfinished bathroom downstairs. as in, it's in studs. cement floor. this is so unfortunate. poor kaye has to haul her booty all the way up the stairs in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. i have to haul my booty up the stairs mid-workout to do the same. don't get me started on the struggle of what it was like potty training. oh...or if we're in the backyard. it makes me wish they were boys and they could just drop trow. no such luck. 
however - a large part of me is glad we've waited this long. my tastes have changed so drastically in the last four years...i've gone in a totally different design direction...which brings me to my five - 
five must-haves for our second bathroom

hampers // stool // towels // vanity // lighting

basically i have everything picked out. i know i want some simple lighting. i know i want to keep on a very neutral color pallet and just jazz it up with some towels and accessories. 

1 | simple, classic, gorgeous tile

2 | a killer sink // vanity

3 |  simple lighting

4 | colorful towels

5 | simple details that won't clutter

okay! happy friday...and here's to two bathrooms!

linkup!

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MY COMPUTER UPDATE + HOW WE'RE PREPPING FOR EASTER

Monday, March 21, 2016

so much to say this morning...so little time before the girls wake up.

if you read oh hey, friday! a few days ago you saw that my mac ca-rashed. i was in the middle of uploading pictures and it just went dead.

i googled a few things, tried to reinstall snow tiger // leopard // lion whatever about 309 times...nothing was working. i was either seeing a folder on a white screen with a question mark (not good) or the international no sign - circle with a slash through it. also not good.

so...first thing friday morning what did i do? i tried again. because everyone knows if you let technology sit for a few hours it'll probably have resolved itself.

surprise - that didn't work either.

when i called mac life (not the apple store - these guys are local!) the first thing paul told me was - the last thing you want to do is mess with it a bunch. don't try to turn it on.

i was like...uhhhh...whoops. i should have known since you're also not supposed to turn your iPhone on if you drop it in water.

luckily kaye had gymnastics in boise, so before we hit that we dropped my computer off and went about our boise day.

gymnastics has been so fun with kaye. she's a little rockstar (bias?) and i love watching her make friends. kaye is totally the weird kid that's overly friendly // huggy // let's be best friends. no personal bubble for that girl. she's going to be the weird farm kid.

as if gymnastics wasn't tiring enough, we decided to hit up the park while we waited for paul to call with news regarding my computer.
kaye ran an absolute muck and ate sh*t more times than i can count. she's a wild woman. sawyer is officially a slide-master. it really doesn't matter how large the slide - sawyer is going to own it. what she sees kaye do - sawyer will do. i adore her admiration for kaye. it reminds me of me with my older sister.

it was at the park paul called to tell us the good news regarding the full recovery for my computer. it would only cost us $400. $400? sweet jesus. he told me we could pick up my computer the following day after he backed up all my files for me. thanks paul. i think he was shaming me a bit for my back-up negligence.

after the park kaye requested pizza. who am i to shut down her pizza dreams? pizza for everyone. we hit up our favorite joint. it was at pizza when i noticed both girls were getting a little erratic. this happens when they are ready to crash. unfortunately, this was the last thing i wanted. it meant they were going to take a nap at 5 pm, all the way back to the farm...which then meant they wouldn't be ready to go to bed at 7 pm. #fail

sure enough they slept the entire way home.

the next day, all of us - farmer included, went baaaaack to boise to pick up my computer and shop around for a new bike for kaye.

since the weather has been a bit nicer i've been taking kaye out on some rides with her little strider bike while i push sawyer in the stroller. our last ride was over three miles and kaye was using her feet to pinch the front wheel to slow down on hills. guys - not only is this extra dangerous, but girlfriends is straight crazy. time to get kaye a big girl bike.

as you can see...kaye was super jazzed about the idea of a new bike.

no really...she was. she tried out every single style and color and ultimately concluded she would like them all. however - for $250 the farmer and i were going to check out our options on craig's list first.

but beyond bike shopping, park visiting, and computer crashes...the girls and i have been getting in the easter spirit.


i saw these plastic eggs at the store and knew they would be a great option for kaye and sawyer. you can dye them just like regular eggs...but without the worry. sign me up. aaaaand...i tried out a new method of dying the eggs this year. basically, you just have little packets of color and some plastic baggies. you drop the color over the egg...voila! your egg is dyed. it's a super quick and easy way. very kid friendly...but not very nostalgic.


i pulled out my five easter decorations and printed a few easter egg coloring pages. i got the girls' baskets down and we've been hunting eggs all day err day. unfortunately (or fortunately) kaye doesn't quite get the hiding part. she'll have us go in the other room, then she'll put all the eggs, literally, in one basket (or spot). then she'll say, "okay! come find them!" she'll then grab our hand and point to them. so helpful.







this sunday we'll be heading to amy's farm to partake in easter brunch. i can't wait to show my girls how egg hunting is really done. the competish is extreme.

oh! last bit of news...and i'm terribly sorry for the quality of photo, but i got a new dress! not for easter...just a dress. and i'm in love! it's lightweight, figure forgiving, short!, and i love it. and i think everyone should get one because it's just darling. you can get it in blue or black...and for sizing i'm wearing the extra small.

dress

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