Services – Rockland NY Mom

Checking off the “To Do” List

Posted on November 6, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in In the Home, Reviews, Services .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

We all have “to do” lists. Some items are what seems like perpetually on it, like the car clicker to my “mommobile” that has been dead for probably a year and a half. I love having a place that you can stop for a bigger ticket item that you need and check off some other boxes, ESPECIALLY when you don’t even realize it until you are there.

I went to Wallauer this time because I needed color matched paint. I KNOW that this is a service that they offer, and so I went straight there.

Backstory: A year ago we purchased a lake house in the Pocono Mountains. We spent the summer there and enjoyed every moment, except the sand when we got home. After a day of swimming and playing in the sand, we found that a ton of it was being brought into the house. After enduring it all summer, we decided to add an outdoor shower for the family to rinse off before coming inside.

In the general area where we wanted to add the shower, there was a hose holder affixed to the house. When the plumber removed it, we found that the house had been painted somewhat recently, and that when it was, they painted right over the hose holder, and underneath was still red. It stuck out like a sore thumb, and looked horrid with our new beautiful shower fixture. It HAD to be fixed.

At first I wasn’t sure how to get a color sample and my husband suggested the hose holder. So, I brought the unlikely sample to the folks at Wallauer to color match. Even they chuckled at it, but admitted that its not the oddest thing that they have ever had to duplicate. They said that they would do their best.

While I waited for my custom Regal Select Outdoor paint, I decided to wander the store and see what else they had. So I headed over to the Ace area. While I wandered I checked out the different areas of the store. While I was in the plumbing area I found a new tub stopper (which I desperately needed), and then I found what I really needed. A new battery for my car clicker. I’ve been manually unlocking my doors with the key for a year and a half!

They have a full battery area there and once we got the clicker open they showed me how to measure it (we couldn’t read the little numbers) using the display to find the right fit.

At this time my paint was ready. Nervous about the color match I asked if we could test it. They already had, and when they showed it to me I was so pleased, it was a perfect match. I paid for my treasures, and went outside to change the battery. It worked! I know its so silly, but I achieved a new level of freedom with that working remote. I am crazy excited about it, and I have finally checked it off my list :o)

The paint went back to the lake with me that weekend and we used it on the house. It looks PERFECT!!! I am so pleased, and glad to say thanks again to the folks at Wallauer for being so helpful!!!

Wrapped Around My Heart -My Mother’s Day Gift

Posted on June 28, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Services, Uncategorized .

Disclosure: This is an unsponsored post, I have always just loved this place and had to share with you.

I am a total sap. You already know about my obsession with hand made items, and handprints. Well it turns out that I am well within my rights. I have always thought that your kids are little for only such a short time and as mine turn 11 and 8 (how is that possible) I find that I was correct. (A) is off to middle school and is 5′ 2″ and (E) is heading into 3rd grade!!! Time really flies.

All the more reason to personalize and make those special gifts/take the photos while your kiddos will still comply. I stumbled upon this adorable ring that was conveniently showing up on my social media outlets and I adored it! It actually turns out that my Sister in Law, saw the same ring and got it!!! When I saw it I couldn’t believe it, she has such good taste :o)

This is not my ring, just an example of what I saw.

I had mentioned when looking at it online how cool it would be if it wasn’t just a pretty script that was used for the kids names, but if it was their ACTUAL signatures that wrapped around my finger.

Well, RNYD heard me loud and clear and knew right where to go. He headed up to see Andrew at Bourghol Brothers. Our family has used them since before I can remember. A local treasure, I received my first item from them for my sweet 16 and have been back a million times since. In fact, I was just there ordering another super special and sweet gift for (E)’s communion this September that I plan to write about soon.

Andrew said it would be no problem. He took the kids’ signatures, and said it would be ready in about a month.

We got a call yesterday that our order(s) (yeah there’s another post coming) were ready. RNYD and the kids didn’t want to wait another moment so we went right over. Well, it far exceeded my expectations. The rind fits like a glove, and matches their signatures EXACTLY! I love that we have someone who can bring our ideas to live so close by. Please excuse the cuts on my hands, as well as the unmanicured fingernails (COVID). Additionally, this is simply a phone photo that doesn’t do justice to the real thing.

Walking in is like visiting family and I can’t wait to go back (no really my father in law said he needs to head over this week for a certain little lady’s Communion gift). If you are looking for something special for a loved one, this is the place to go.

BASICally the Perfect INVITE!

Posted on April 25, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Events, Items, Party, Photo Obsessed, Reviews, RNYM Events, Rockland Babies, Services, Specialty Items, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, all opinions expressed are my own.

I am a High School Teacher. More specifically, a teacher of Senior students. It stands to reason then that at this time of year (every year) I am very focused on Senior events. All which culminate in the big event, graduation.

Last year the kids didn’t get much leeway in terms of celebrating. This year, we are able to again have some gatherings, especially when outdoors, and distanced in some way. Having just spent a year (give or take a few months) with so many restrictions, it’s no wonder that people may be doing things up a bit more than usual.

Well, it’s almost MAY and time to get planning. I know that lots of people have made the switch to online invitation platforms, but I still LOVE a paper invitation. In fact, if you follow me you know that I am VERY picky about my invitations. I like them to usually be photograph invitations for that personal touch (also makes a nice memory), something you can really personalize (180 colors- and you can customize EACH element on the card). In addition, I like the invite itself to be of sturdy card stock. There is something about receiving a card or invitation in the mail, that is made of nice thick card stock.

So, as always I will share a favorite with you, and then explain why. You need to check out Basic Invite. Their invitations, announcements, photo graduation announcements etc are completely customizable. While looking around I found that they had some really cute nurse graduation announcement choices as well (quite a few of my students go into nursing)! They are printed on sturdy card stock, attractive and fast, but there’s more. There are 40 different color choices for envelopes (which are also peel and stick, thank goodness)- so your envelope can coordinate with your card!!

There are also these SUPER cool clear (we called them see-through) ones you can order!!!

Basic Invite has great customer service, and even a service where they ADDRESS the cards for you! Don’t have time to upload them? There’s also an address capturing service!!! As a super busy working mom, this is HUGE! This allows you to share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media to request your friends and family’s addresses. The addresses are stored in your account and can be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders!!

Then ANY TIME you are sending cards (think parties, announcements, holidays) you can click on the people you want to send the correspondence to and BAM, Done. For me personally, this is AMAZING, it’s hard enough to find time to design all of these things let alone sit and write them all out.

My 5th grader is also “graduating” this year. So it’s even more on my mind. We may do a small family event to celebrate for him (think immediate family BBQ), since he is missing so much. Well, it stands to reason that I would need to look at invitations or a grad announcement. I was able to find a few that I liked, customize them just the way that I wanted, and then order SAMPLES to see which I would like the best, yep that’s right custom samples! Changing colors and fonts as well as the style or card was super easy, you do not have to be super computer savvy to do it. I even let AJ customize one (can you guess which one?). Uploading the photos was also easy as pie. I was given an ETA of one week and they arrived as promised. You may have watched me unveil them on our social media stories. Excuse the cell phone photo, I couldn’t help myself… The quality is impeccable, in fact, we have decided to make my new nephews birth announcements with Basic Invite as well. ANNNNNND, we may have fallen in love with this Birthday Invite…

Let’s get social! If you want to see more Basic Invite check them out on their social media handles: Facebook –Pinterest –Instagram –Twitter!

I (of course) have a discount code for you too!! Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51

Askenas Chiropractic adds Acupuncture to its Assets!

Posted on April 6, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Fitness, Services .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are our own.

Dr. Todd has been taking care of me and my family members for years now. He has been an integral part of keeping us healthy. We are so happy to see the addition of a new member, with special talents!!!

Askenas Chiropractic is excited to announce the addition of a new doctor to our practice: Dr. Zach Truncali. With the introduction of our new doctor, we are delighted that we will now be able to offer expanded hours as well as Acupuncture to better serve our patients.

Dr. Zach Truncali is a licensed Chiropractor and Acupuncturist and has been practicing since 2017. His uses a variety of evidenced-based techniques to treat spine related pain. His goal is to quickly relieve pain and to empower people to understand and take control of their health.

He graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 2016 and the Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2017.

Some of his post-graduate studies include Primary Spine Provider certified through the university of Pittsburgh in 2021 and McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy for the Lumbar Spine in 2019.

Dr. Zach enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is an avid reader and lifelong learner, always seeking new perspectives and ways to refine and evolve his approaches to healthcare.

His passion for Chiropractic and Acupuncture was born out of a desire to help others not just with a short term relief, but with tools to create lasting wellness, empowerment, and connection with their bodies and movement.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Zach by coming in to schedule a visit!

Askenas Chiropractic

(845) 735-3737 | Email us | Visit our website

67 South Main Street, Pearl River, NY 10965

Communion Prep Begins! Saying “Yes” to the Dress!

Posted on March 23, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Events, Party, Reviews, Services, Shopping, Specialty Items .

Disclosure: This is an unsponsored post. We simply got an appointment at this amazing shop and wanted to share.

With E’s health issues at the forefront of our mind we needed to start making preparations for her First Holy Communion. Although we are still unsure of what it will look like for her, we wanted to make it as special as possible. E loves fashion, she chooses my clothing most days. I knew she would want an extra special experience for her dress shopping. I researched a few places that we could take her, and decided on Little Nikki’s in Ho Ho Kus NJ. It’s less than a half hour away from us here in Rockland, and the shop just looked special.

Well I was right. I emailed to make an appointment, hoping that we could do it safely and solo. Well, that’s the only way they do it. You book a 1 3/4 hour time slot and its just you and whomever you would like to bring. We decided to invite the ladies in the family. The whole making of the appointment was easy as pie.

The day of we showed up and what a CUTE SHOP! So many beautiful dresses, I wish my wedding shopping had been this sweet!!! You start by getting a quick tour of where to find things, and then a rolling rack that you can add any dresses you are looking to try on to.

Once we selected the options that we liked, E and I went to start the fashion show. There are shoes you can wear while trying for effect, and of course we had to try the HEELS!

We tried so many variations of dress (there is really something for everybody) from layered, to eyelet lace, to classic, to prairie style. Our second runner up even had POCKETS!!! It is not easy to decide (especially when you have a lot of opinions).

Here is what I LOVED. As we modeled, the owner watched carefully, and provided some input but watched more carefully. She waited for E to have a reaction. She knew when E had chosen a dress before I did. She came right in and completed the look with a veil and a tiara (how did she know E was a tiara gal?), and that was it. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and neither could E. We were sold.

After we made the decision we got to go over to the adorable photo-op area (now you’re speaking my language) to take “Said Yes to the Dress” pic ( I am saving the dress one because I want it to fit well when you see it). What a great experience!!! As always, should you decide to go to Little Nikki’s we appreciate you letting them know you heard it here.

What was even better, is that my sister is due with baby #2 in April, and so we walked next door to check out the fabulous collection of Baptism clothing as well, something tells me this is not our last trip :o)

Little Nikki’s – Luxuries for Baby & Child

618 North Maple Avenue, Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey 07423, United States

(201) 445-7888

Pandemic Learning SOS

Posted on October 18, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Classes, Reviews, Services .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am always excited to add new and interesting businesses to our directories for families. I am also very proud of the fact that we offer a wide variety of services to meet your needs, and that we are able to help small businesses reach the people who need them.

Now more than ever tutors are in demand. Hybrid programs, and fully remote options are leaving lots of responsibilities on parents who have jobs that call them away, parents who don’t know the curriculum, parents who are exhausted.

Well, meet Jeffrey Ventola. He is a college professor who just started his own local tutoring business. He (along with some other adjunct colleagues) have jumped in head first to help out the parents and students who need them.

What he offers: Both virtual and in person models are available. Jeffrey will also see single students or groups (up to 4 at a time). All subject areas are welcome.

When he decided he wanted to do a review, I offered one or both of my children and he enthusiastically said he would work with both, at the same time. This is of special note because I have a 7 and a 10 year old. In elementary school that is A HUGE DIFFERENCE. We determined that he would work on writing with them, and it would be in person at my house with masks and proper social distancing. (You may recall that my children are full remote due to my daughters health concerns). WELL… the best laid plans. This week there was a spike in COVID cases county wide, and nervous about those consequences I sent my kids along with my husband to our Lake House, which we set up with wifi for just this occasion. You see, I am a teacher at a local High School, I could expose them. So I wrote to Jeffrey and asked if remote would work and he was quick to say absolutely.

Jeffrey used a zoom classroom with my kids and I logged in without a camera or microphone to watch (I wanted it to be as authentic as possible). As an educator of course, I have a unique perspective and was curious.

He took time to get to know each kid, allowing them to introduce themselves which of course they loved, and I did too. You can’t get a kid who you don’t know to buy into what you are trying to teach them.

Jeffrey then projected some notes up onto their screens and had the kids write them down. His wait time was on point, my 7 year old took a little longer, and he has the patience of a saint. He even took time throughout to commend my son on his patience as he is a little quicker at a lot of the tasks presented.

I won’t bore you all with too much teacher jargon, but I will add that he used multiple modalities (learning styles) with the kids even via zoom. They went over key writing factors, did two writing pieces (differentiated by kid 2 paragraphs for my 10 year old and 1 for the 7 year old). Offering them feedback and having productive conversations each time.

At the end of the hour the kids were clearly done, he took the cue, thanked them, complimented them, and discussed quickly what he would like to do with them the next time they meet.

The lesson was good, each child got something out of it, and the educational conversations being had were important. My children are both pretty good students, but they don’t love writing, and the fact that they were engaged for an additional hour of online writing was pretty impressive.

Jeffrey has immediate openings at World Tree Tutoring, but I anticipate that they will not for long, so if you or your pod are looking for someone to enhance or facilitate some of the learning your child is currently receiving give him a call. worldtreetutor@gmail.com (845) 558-2686 They even have a referral program!

**Edited to add:

World Tree Tutoring will be doing free virtual homework help through the Valley Cottage library October 22nd 4-6pm. Students can sign up for 30 mins – 1 hour long sessions, and while the age range listed is 6th-12th grade it’s still available for younger students.

I’ll send the link for registration here: https://www.valleycottagelibrary.org/quaranteens

So this is 40….

Posted on October 18, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Fitness, Reviews, Services .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

I turned 40 in January. For the most part I am ok with it, pandemic aside. What is INSANE is that everyone was right. 40 is literally the point where my body started to fall apart.

I’ve always been an athlete. Played my whole life including college sports. I know my body, I’ve had injuries, I know how to deal. I am the proud owner of leg metal from my 4 knee surgeries. What I was not prepared for was back and neck pain.

It happens now when I am stressed, or I have spent too much time on the computer (umm, I am a blogger and teacher so now that ALWAYS). My lower back gets a little sore so its tough to get my full range of motion in. Then I have trouble sleeping, and eventually my neck is KILLING me.

But I don’t have time to be sidelined, I have recently taken up running, even getting the kids involved in running virtual 5k’s (we even created some amazing ones for the kids’ birthdays this year).

I had NO idea what to do about that. I don’t have those issues, the issues I’ve always had were because of sports. Luckily, my husband did.

You see, he’s got a horrid back, which I don’t really want to get into, but because of his history, he has an amazing support staff that he sees and that’s exactly where he sent me.

Enter Dr. Todd Askanas, chiropractor. He treated RNYD until his fusions and other hardware made it impossible for him to do so, and in the process, bought him a few more years of mobility, and relief. So when I started having these issues, he sent me right there.

Dr. Todd, as he is known in our house, is funny, energetic, and always has a story to tell. He is always genuinely concerned about you and your family as well as your health. When I come in he knows its bad, usually knows I was up to no good, and treats me accordingly. He’s a good judge of character, he had my number right away.

You see, I can’t not workout. I need it in my life, I need to run, kickbox, whatever. So when it’s bad he doesn’t tell me not to do things, he gives me other options, and asks me to scale back a bit. He doesn’t schedule me for millions of appointments, just enough to get) me back up and running (lol). I highly recommend him- if you’re experiencing back pain of any kind- I would give him a call for an evaluation. (845)735-3737

–

Take the Trip…

Posted on January 22, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Health and Wellness, Money Momma, Opportunities, Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Self Care, Services, Things to Do!, Thoughts.., Travel .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

A little while ago, I posted about how I am done giving gifts of “things” and am moving toward gifts of time and experience. I am about to turn 40. I don’t only believe in time and experience for others, I do for myself too. I’ve always dreamed of traveling, especially to Europe, but everywhere. For one reason or another it just hasn’t happened. Well with 40 knocking on my door I decided to do something about it.

EDIT TO ADD: I wrote and was supposed to post this article early fall, but I am kind of glad that I didn’t. Due to normal “Life” situations, I am more glad than ever that we got a chance to do Disney this year as well as to have taken this trip myself. I do not know when the next time I will be able to take the family on a trip or go myself might be able to happen. Those who know me know that I am not exaggerating, my new advice…..When you have the chance, Do it. I intend to try to figure out how to continue to travel, and bring the family along, but its going to take a whole lot more work now.

Due to unforeseen circumstances RNYD was not available to travel (which is cool anyway cause he’s much more of a home body), so I begged my bestie Michelle to come with me. I gave her a list of places on my bucket list and let her choose. I also wanted to hit up a cruise if possible because I have never done one. She was game, and she choose Greece. Perfect for a cruise, and really one of my top two trips.

We picked a cruise and booked it, since it left and returned to Rome and neither of us knew when we would be back, we decided to take 2 days to explore there as well.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

I will never book a trip with a travel agent other than Scott Walters (sorry dudes say what you will, he’s bailed me out 2x now).
Cruises are great because you don’t have to pack up your stuff every day to move, you have a home base.
You can make friends on cruises, which is neat for when you are done sightseeing for the day you can meet for dinner/drinks/dancing later.
Get the drink package (just saying)
Try all the different foods
Clarks are the best sandals ever (and yes you can find some that don’t look like your grandmothers shoes).
Greece is REALLY HOT in the summer so May or September may be better.
I AM OBSESSED WITH TRAVEL.

At each of the islands we went to Scott sent us 2-3 excursions that he thought we would like based on our “profiles” and we chose 1-2 for each. The tours that we took were so complete that I actually don’t think we missed anything, BUT we didn’t have tons of time so it was more like a taste test, I may have a list of places that I’d like to get back to if I ever check off my list the other trips I want to take.

Travel Agent Extraordinaire Scott Walters helped me out immensely on this trip, and I am so grateful. I have just reached out to him again, about a possible trip for 2021, that I would like to start saving for. I am so excited, and hopeful that we can make it happen despite our challenges. He’s been super helpful in understanding and helping us with the physical needs of our family, and I am hoping that his expert advise will help us to be able to make the trip happen for our whole family.

cott Walters (845) 558-1225

scott@goawayoftentravel.com

http://www.goawayoftentravel.com

A full service travel agent specializing in family vacations to amazing destinations. From simple weekend getaways to multi generational once in a lifetime bucket list filling journeys, Go Away Often Travel can get you there. It’s YOUR VACATION, let me do the work! Worth noting here that I always thought I couldn’t afford a travel agent. Turns out that you don’ t pay one, they are paid by the people they book your trip with. The few times I have reached out to him to see if he should be consulted about a trip and he couldn’t help me with a deal, he encouraged me to book on my own to save the money.

Why choose SOHN Real Estate?

Posted on June 18, 2019 by RocklandNYMom Posted in RNYM Savings!, RNYM's Picks, Services, Uncategorized .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Selling your home is personal. No matter what the reason you are leaving your special place (upgrade, downgrade, relocation, etc) you are allowing someone to speak for and sell your home. THIS IS A BIG DECISION. And let’s face it, there are so many choices that you can go with. Many of the names you have seen for years, and seen EVERYWHERE! Does that make them better?

https://sohnrealestate.com/

Let me introduce you to the owner/broker of SOHN Real Estate- Sheri.

She has 28 years of experience as a full time broker who is licensed in both New York and Florida.

She has closed over 55 transactions in the last 12 months.

Sheri also has a company that does pre-home inspections that can bring to you attention any issues that may arise during the process so that you are aware, and can either fix them or price your house accordingly.

Right now prices are going way up. It’s truly a seller’s market, especially when you use a broker like Sheri who can price your house appropriately to entice buyers to come and see it, and make an offer. There have recently been bidding wars.

Here are some of the additional benefits of booking with a boutique agency like SOHN.

Flexibility in making a deal work
One on one personal support
Family atmosphere
Flexibility in method of Advertising (video, social media, print, fliers, and more)

A glance at her testimonial page tells you just how personalized and dedicated Sheri is to her clients. https://sohnrealestate.com/testimonials/

“Sheri gets deals done and goes beyond the call of duty of a normal agent. She helped us make sure the property was ready for sale and as an absentee landlord she really made the difference. She is quite pleasant to work with and is deeply knowledgeable about the marketplace. Big Thumbs up!!” -Dean M. Fort Lauderdale

If you contact Sheri to list your home and mention RocklandNYMom you will receive a FREE pre-home inspection by a licensed home inspector.

To contact Sheri to list your home, receive a free valuation, or have her find your perfect home, you can message her through her facebook page, email: getitsoldwthsohn@aol.com or Phone: 845-639-HOME (4663).

Special things I planned before our big Disney Trip

Posted on April 2, 2019 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Out and about..., Photo Obsessed, Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Services, Travel, Uncategorized .

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All experiences are my own. This article contains affiliate links.

I’ve loved Disney as long as I can remember. My mother can attest to that. Its no secret that our first family trip had to be epic (and i’m pretty sure the kids are hooked too). There was lots of planning involved and I thought I’d give you a behind the scenes of some of the special things I did in addition to the trip to make it special. Happy to answer questions if you have any <3

Nails

Little (E) ADORES having her nails done (yes I realize I’ve created a monster). But for special occasions we indulge her. Therefore the first thing we did when getting ready to fly out was to go have our nails done (toes too cause #Florida). We always head over to Rainbow Nails in New City and have them done. While I am sure that others in the area cater to kids, this one makes her feel like a #princess, and do the cutest designs for her. I went with the Shellac so that they would be durable for the trip (worked like a charm).

New Fun Pajamas (Kept a secret)

(A) is a HUGE Dinosaur fan, and although there isn’t too much Dino stuff at Disney we went ahead and got him some Jurassic World ones cause he loves them. (E) of course needed a princess so I got Belle as she didn’t own them yet (no I actually have no idea how). I packed them right up into their bags so they didn’t see them until we got there. It was a really sweet realization. Now that we are home every time they put them on they remember the fun we had there and talk about it.

Photo Mat

You can get the Mat anywhere, I went to AC Moore- its an 11×14 mat with an 8×10 opening. It fit into my standard book bag, and ended up being one of my all time favorite things. The cast members used it for fun poses when signing with the kids, and its the absolute best memento on our wall at home. The kids have planned to do it forever now (when we go to Disney or say Universal) to have a mat signed and frame a family photo of our adventure. We also ordered this pack of Sharpies so that they could color coordinate each signature.

Pearl Cages

I had heard about this from my travel agent (Scott) and thought that my rock hunting two would love it. So I ordered cages in advance one for each kiddo and we went when we traveled to Epcot. We researched the night before in the hotel room how to get the best Pearl when you choose, to be prepared. The kids ADORE them, and I am so very glad that we did it. The choosing was fun, and they love wearing them- what a special keepsake. Choosing a pearl is $18 and I didn’t want to spend too much on the settings so this was a great way to save a little.

Dragon

Mermaid

Park Clothing

I didn’t want matchy matchy- well kind of but RNYD REALLY didn’t. So we went with “themes” at my sister in laws recommendation (shes keeping count and has now made the BLOG 6 times). RNYD got t-shirts that were already made, and he would normally wear. I got a few of those too. (E) was easy She was a princess (Ariel) at MK, Chewie at HS and wore a twirly dress at AK and Epcot that I made myself. I actually made sweatshirts and shirts for EPCOT for the whole family- not sure making its for you? No problem- Marcie at MHC Creations would be the perfect gal for the job. Her work is impeccable as is her pricing and her turn around time.

Direct: (914) 645-5028

Email: Info@MHCCreations247.com

(A)’s wardrobe was more difficult. At 8.5 years old he’s a little old for a prince costume. So I made him a PPA (Princess Protection Agency shirt -Dad too). For HS he “disneybounded” (dressing like characters without traditional costumes) as Han Solo thanks to this vest, and at AK he did the same as Owen from Jurassic World– yes I know he isn’t Disney, but the kid loves dinosaurs and maybe we’ll use it when we hit Universal too.

Purchased Items

Meals

Go through all of the character meals in advance and see which ones are the BEST for your family. Your travel agent can help you with that. What I can tell you is that mine did NOT. I had to figure it all out myself. In fact, when my son got sick at one of the parks and we needed to cancel a sit down meal and I was freaking out because I didn’t want to lose my credits and hadn’t researched enough to fix it, I reached out to Scott Walters a DIFFERENT agent who came to my rescue. He cancelled my reservation and booked me an even BETTER one the next morning for our last breakfast. We got to meet 4 characters we would have missed otherwise, and gained early access to Epcot that day. It was FABULOUS- and that’s one reason why you will continually see me singing his praises.

Luggage

Got the kids their very own luggage so that they can use it every time we go on an adventure (or when they go to Nana’s). This set came with “personal” bag as well so they were able to pack their activities for the flight in there, while their carry on went in the overhead bin. Its easy for them to maneuver and has held up well. We took it locally to have a little picture and monogram added. Again, MHC could do this (I had done it before I met Marcie).

Kids Luggage

Most important is that there is SO much to do at Disney its a great idea to book with a knowledgeable agent. I highly recommend Scott Walters. He saved my butt a few times. I freaked out on a few occasions when I felt lost and the agent that I had booked with fell a bit short. I was disappointed in that. Your agent should ask you about what you like and dislike far in advance, fight for you to get deals, make suggestions for you based on your family’s needs and be supportive. When my son caught a cold and we had to cancel a sit down dinner, he booked us a character breakfast for the following morning (our last) in moments so that we didn’t waste the credits and still had the best experience ever. He will be booking any future family trips for us, that’s for sure.

Scott Walters (845) 558-1225

scott@goawayoftentravel.com

http://www.goawayoftentravel.com