What To Do When Your Vacation Goes Wrong

Growing up I remember some of my favorite cartoons being set to music…no words were ever needed to create the feeling they were made for, and up until a week ago I never knew what they were called (sad I know). LONG before I watched these cartoons, or shorts, back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Disney Silly Symphony shorts played in movie theaters before the main feature. 75 Silly Symphony shorts were made, usually performed by a 32-piece orchestra! Due to limitations in technology, each piece has to be played perfectly in one sitting or they had to start over to try again. Some amazing advancements were made using these shorts…The Skeleton Dance was the first musical animation and Flowers and Trees was the first full-color animation using Technicolor.
Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration
Last week at the D23 Expo 2015, we were able to sit in on Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration with a LIVE ORCHESTRA! This was a 32 piece orchestra which is what would be similar to what it would have been for the recording, and original viewing, of an original Silly Symphony films.
This event was hosted by Leonard Maltin and music was performed in synchronization with the original Silly Symphonies shorts being shown on two screens. It really was quite exciting! It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been able to listen to a live orchestra, and to have it go along with cartoons/shorts that I remember as a kid was a once in a lifetime event!
This D23 Event was in honor of the release of The Silly Symphony Collection box set. This set features restored soundtracks from the 75 Silly Symphony shorts from 1929-1939 on 16 vinyl LPs. If you are an LP collector like my hubby, this is a set you will want to have!
This event was part of an all expenses paid press trip to Anaheim for the #D23Expo, all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Even though I’ve had three other kids, potty training parties were never a thing…so I was excited to get together with Pampers to bring you this post on How To Throw A Potty Training Party! I had so much fun planning this party for my little guy and his friends! Pampers sent over some goodies to help me get started, including goodie bags for my guests, decorations and matching paper goods for snacks. I couldn’t wait to get planning!
How To Throw A Potty Training Party
1. Pick A Theme: I like color schemes when it comes to parties…and pampers has a bright a fun one! I didn’t go with a character theme for this one, I stuck with the Pampers colors because I would have both boys and girls at my party so it was easier than doing Thomas & Friends® and Dora the Explorer® themed products…plus the kids really won’t notice the “absence” of a cartoon character at their potty training party.
2. Make Goodie Bags: This doesn’t have to be difficult, it can be a lot of fun for a potty training party! Toss in some Pampers Easy Ups, Hand Soap, Potty Training Book, Potty Training Progress Chart & A little something for Mom! In my bags I included some nail polish (theme colored) and some soap that Mom will enjoy as well, because lets face it..we get a little nasty during potty training too!
3. Pick Out Snacks: Toddlers can be picky, but there’s a few things you can set out that you know they will enjoy. I put out some granola bars, fruit bars, yogurt pouches, and Capri suns! It doesn’t have to be a whole lot, they have small tummies and it’s only a snack..not a meal.
4. Have Something Fun To Do: A photo booth is always a hit at any party. And with toddlers, they love to dress up and take pictures of themselves (as long as you show them when it’s taken). Here you can download a copy of my speech bubbles…just cut them out, laminate or use contact paper to laminate then cut that out and put on a popsicle stick or dowel. Since our potty book was about a superhero, we included plenty of superhero capes to choose from for pictures!
Potty training is an amazing milestone for toddlers and parents alike, but it can also be stressful. Spring is the time many families kick-off potty training so they are ready for summer fun and then for the start of preschool. Potty training can feel like an overwhelming process, and when minor leaks or accidents occur, it can be a disappointment. Pampers Easy Ups helps makes this journey a little easier by providing better leak protection than the leading competitor.
We all want potty training to be a positive experience for our toddlers, but leaks, accidents, and switching from training pants to diapers overnight can feel like setbacks. This is why Pampers want to empower our little ones to overcome these obstacles to achieve and celebrate potty training success. Pampers Easy Ups support the diaper-to-underwear transition for toddlers as they have a more underwear-like look and feel while still helping to keep messes off clothing, bedding and other surfaces no matter where accidents happen: at home, on-the-go or overnight.
PAMPERS EASY UPS PRODUCT FEATURES
Fun Thomas & Friends® designs for boys and Dora the Explorer® designs for girls
A more underwear-like design for growing toddlers
Graphics that fade when wet to help little ones learn
Super-stretchy sides to make them easy to pull up and down when using the potty
Available for Boys and Girls sizes 2T/3T through 4T/5T
Pampers Easy Ups work during the day AND night, enabling toddlers and moms to confidently and completely transition from diapers to underwear!
Pampers Easy Ups Potty Training Tips by L. Jana, MD
1. Promote potty learning. Learning how to use the potty takes plenty of time and patience. It’s more than just training; it is a learning opportunity for toddlers and parents alike that should be enjoyable. After all, mastering this concept of “potty learning” with your little one is a big accomplishment and milestone.
2. Team Spirit. It is important to keep in mind that “teamwork makes the dream work,” especially in the case of potty training. You are not only your child’s biggest fan, you are also their potty training coach. Remember to stay calm in the face of potty accidents and encourage your little one to not worry and try again!
3. Be Prepared. Potty training is an unpredictable adventure that you can best prepare for by ensuring you have all practical supplies on hand. These supplies will help you through any obstacle and can help foster your child’s interest and independence – from a step stool (to improve access to the toilet) or potty seat to training pants. That’s why I’m happy to partner with Pampers, whose Easy Ups training pants are designed to help the diaper-to-underwear transition by allowing potty-training toddlers to set aside their diapers and wear something with a more underwear-like look and feel that still helps contain accidental messes no matter wherever they happen: at home, on-the-go or overnight.
4. Celebrate every win. As with any learning experience, young children can learn a lot from both their potty successes and their setbacks. While potty accidents are an inevitable (and admittedly inconvenient) aspect of potty learning, they shouldn’t dominate your day-to-day discussions. Instead, simply help your child learn to cope with and clean up any messes, and focus your attention on celebrating your child’s efforts and successes with plenty of hugs and words of encouragement.
5. Watch for signs of readiness. Just about all children give subtle (and some not-so subtle) signs that they are ready for potty training. These signs of readiness typically include using their words to express themselves, toddling their own way to the bathroom, pulling down their own pants, saying they want to use the “big potty,” and being aware of the sensation of peeing or pooping, characteristically noticeable when young children suddenly stop what they’re doing as they feel themselves start to go. It is also helpful and increases the likelihood of potty training interest when children start to be bothered by their messy diapers, as that can serve as a good motivation for using the potty instead!
6. Start making connections. There’s a lot that you can do to help your child be well-prepared to successfully use the potty long before he or she actually starts doing it. Making up a fun song or reading engaging children’s books about potty training, such as You and Me Against the Pee! (which I co-authored) can go a long way towards making the idea of potty training a more welcome and eagerly anticipated activity. You can take this familiarity a step further by letting your toddler accompany you in to the bathroom when you need to go so that he both becomes familiar with the routine and comfortable with the idea of using the toilet, rather than being afraid of or intimidated by it!
As you can see, throwing a Potty Training Party can be a lot of fun for both child and parent! It really is a great way to kick off potty training! Have you hosted a Potty Training Party? What are your must haves?
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

There’s not much more frustrating than a sleepless night, tossing and turning, mind racing, and feeling run down the next day. We all have those nights now and again, but for some of us, it starts to be more of a persistent problem. If you’re suffering from the effects of insomnia, whether occasionally or ongoing, there are many different ways that you can try to ease your predicament.
Supplements, Oils & Herbs
There are plenty of supplements, oils, and herbs out there which can help you to improve your quality of sleep. When you’re next doing some online shopping, make sure that you lookout for some of these life-saving sleep aids:
Chamomile
Chamomile is an herb that is made from a flowering plant. The flowers are often dried out and then added to hot water to make chamomile tea. Chamomile contains apigenin; this is a type of antioxidant which binds itself to receptors in your brain. The process helps to lessen the effects of insomnia. You can buy chamomile tablets or consume chamomile in the form of a tea before you go to sleep.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that is involved in many different reactions in the human body, from muscle movements to protein formation. Magnesium has been linked to reducing the effects of depression, helping to ease the symptoms of diabetes and to promote a better night’s sleep. Magnesium is available to purchase in a supplement form or for an amazing magnesium body lotion try 8 Sheep Organics.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body which encourages your brain to sleep. Melatonin levels in your body will be low in the morning and high at night. If your sleep cycle has become a little out of sync, taking a melatonin supplement could help you to go get your sleeping patterns back on track.
Meditation
Meditation is the practice of calming the mind and helping us to be more aware of the present moment. Exercises to clear the mind of thoughts can help us to become more relaxed, at peace, and thus- to sleep better. It can be a good idea to meditate just before going to bed. If you’re not sure where to begin, there are plenty of tutorials online about the different types of meditation. Calming meditation, for example, focuses on one thing; it could be a visualization or your breath, for example. When your mind drifts away from the object, the idea is to focus it back.

There are plenty of myths about diet and exercise, but one of them that isn’t a myth is that when it comes to weight loss and fitness, diet and exercise come hand in hand. It is more effective to increase your activity and start to each more healthy at the same time than it is to do either alone.
Choose a form of exercise you enjoy. It could be that you like dancing, so you go to a dance fitness class at the gym. Maybe you decide to walk to places you would usually drive to. Whatever you choose to do is better than no exercise at all, however, don’t try to do too much before you are ready as it could overwhelm you.
Make sure you are never hungry
A diet plan that leaves you hungry will never work because you will end up caving in and eating something you are not ‘supposed’ to, to rid you of your hunger pains. Not only will you be more likely to give up on your diet if you feel hungry, but you will also be more irritable and unable to concentrate properly. If you want a diet plan, it is better to choose one that allows you to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables so that you do not feel hungry during the day. Foods full of fibre can also help you to feel full, and if you use a smaller plate, you will start serving yourself smaller portions.
Do not ban yourself from eating foods that you love. Stopping yourself from eating them will make you want them more, and there is no harm in treating yourself now and then.
Plan your meals
Having a plan for what you are going to eat in the week will reduce the temptation of a last-minute decision to eat something unhealthy that you bought from the shops. It will also allow you to keep track of what you are eating, and you can make sure that you are not eating as much unhealthy and processed foods. You should also stop buying junk food to have at home, stock up on alternative snacks instead because if you do not have junk food at home, it will reduce any temptation to eat it. Soon you’ll find yourself reaching for the healthy snacks.
Professional help
If you find that you are struggling to lose weight through diet and exercise, then you might have to consider weight loss surgery. If you book an appointment with a bariatric surgeon, they will be able to talk you through the options that might work best for you and explain to you how it would help you through your weight loss journey.

As you all know the timeless classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital earlier this month. In this story, friends (the seven dwarfs) come together to save someone they truly love.
Recently, a fellow blogger friend Tiffany unexpectedly lost her husband Sean, who was only 35 years. Tiffany is now left as the sole breadwinner & caretaker of herself and their two adorable young children named Jasmine (8) and Seanie (4).
It didn’t take long for our blogging community to come together & get behind her not just in spirit, but financially as well. Thanks to Teresa from Making it All Work, a GoFundMe account was set up to donate to help Tiffany and her kids to help them get through this gut-wrenching period.
I can’t begin to imagine what Tiffany and her kids are going through. I do know that she has a ton of support from her loving family & friends, as well as from the blogging community. She’s an incredibly sweet and giving person, so it’s no surprise that others are giving back to help her out.
Visit Fabulous Mom Blog
Follow Tiffany: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Donate to the Cruz Family Memorial Fund
Win a Mega Snow White Mega Prize Package
Over $150 Worth of Disney Goodies!
This giveaway below is being run in conjunction with a number of other blogs, with the help of some great Disney reps, to help raise awareness (and traffic!) to Tiffany’s Fabulous Mom Blog. PLEASE visit her site, follow her social networks, and just show you care. A simple retweet or even comment on a blog post can go a very long way towards putting a smile on her face. And if you click through any of the affiliate links on her blog, you’ll be helping out one blogging family that’s helped so many others out before.
1 Lucky Winner takes home all of the following:
Snow White Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Snow White Journal
Golden Books Snow White piece of art
A Snow White Mug
You’ll also receive Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs of:
Sleeping Beauty
Walt Disney Short Films Collection
Mary Poppins
McFarland
Inside Out
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe Fine Print: Giveaway ends on March 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 1 winner will be chosen at random from all entries across participating blogs, and announced on this site. Giveaway is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including District of Columbia), who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. The 1 Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.