My Top 10 Beautycounter Products

I've been using Beautycounter products for a little over two years now, I was even a consultant at one point just so I could save on my addiction. During that time I was able to try some really great products and here's a list of my top 10 Beautycounter products


10. Lip Gloss in Peony ($29) This lipgloss was the perfect pink shade for me. Vanilla scented and not super sticky, it was a nice pop of color for everyday makeup.

9.Counter+ Charcoal Face Mask This always leave my skin feeling purified and clean, I use it 1-2 times a week followed by a moisturizing lotion.


8.Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser ($26) Leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh without drying it out. Little bead gently exfoliate and its gentle enough for daily use.

7.Countermatch Adaptive Body Moisturizer ($39) This is expensive but so cool. I can truly say it absorbs fast and keeps the skin hydrated for 24 hours. Doesn't feel greasy and has a light scent that doesn't overwhelm you.

6.Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 ($21) My go to face sunscreen for summer. Good for the environment and doesn't leave your face white after application. I find it goes on easier than most bar sunscreens and Ryan screams less when I don't accidentally rub his face off trying to get his face covered (toddler life)

5.Volumizing Mascara ($29) Great mascara for extra volume, works just as well as other "normal" mascaras.

4. Hand Cream in Citrus Mimosa ($18) Just like the adaptive body lotion, this hand cream absorbs fast and leaves my hands hydrated without being greasy after scrubbing them a million times a day now.

3.Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation ($42) Love this foundation that's somewhere between a tinted moisturizer and a typical foundation. Coverage is buildable and never looks cakey.

2.Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion ($49) I use this lotion after the charcoal face mask or the overnight resurfacing peel. Highly moisturizing without making me break out. Great for days when my skin feels tight.

1.Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Peel ($62) This is my hands down favorite BC product. I still buy this item and use it probably 5 times a week. You wake up with softer feeling skin from the first time you use it and I got my sister and friends hooked on it too. My one splurge that I keep buying even without my discount.

What are your favorite products that didn't make the list?

Disney Trip Planning: Where to Eat- Part 2 of my Ultimate Disney Guide

Eating is my favorite part of a Disney vacation. Let’s be real, food is life. Disney goes above and beyond your typical theme park food and has some really unique dining options.

Spicy Mickey Dome Cake from Pecos Bill's in Magic Kingdom

I’m going to break down dining options into 3 categories: table service (TS), quick service (QS), and snacks.

• TS is your typical sit down type restaurant. Some are better than others, some I would skip entirely. These can be 1 or 2 credits on the dining plan depending on whether or not it is a signature restaurant. 
• QS is a counter service restaurant where you order at a counter or kiosk and either take your food back or it is sent out to your table. You do not have a waiter like a typical restaurant. Don’t be fooled, some of the best food options at Disney are QS locations. 
• Snacks are just that; delicious, can’t miss sweet or savory treats. On the dining plan you get 2 per night of your stay. Snacks change frequently and without notice. We may list something here that may be gone by the time you take your trip. Sad but true.

Farewell Churro Ice Cream Sandwich, you will be missed

Dining reservations open 180 days before your trip and some of the restaurants will fill up pretty soon after that. When booking I usually start with my hardest to get reservation and work back from there. Many restaurants can have same day availability and cancellations but I wouldn’t risk not making reservations in advance. 

Ok, now that we have that sorted out lets dive into my favorites. 

Magic Kingdom

1. Liberty Tree Tavern is a must do for my family for every trip. We love the food and theming here, which is described as a "colonial-style inn serving traditional New England-inspired fare." The all you care to enjoy option is great as is the lobster roll. The ooey gooey toffee pudding is the bomb dot com and definitely hits the spot. (TS)

Lobster Roll from Liberty Tree Tavern

2. Be Our Guest Restaurant. Where else can you eat inside the Beast's castle? The food is good and the dining rooms are super cool. Be sure to walk around and look in the different rooms. From an enchanted portrait of the Beast, to freshly fallen snow, the dining rooms are magical. My favorite dish here is the Coq Au Vin (braised chicken). This is a QS restaurant during breakfast and lunch but  TS for dinner. Reservations are required and they fill up fast, you'll want to book this one at the 180 day mark. (QS/TS)

Enchanted Rose from Be Our Guest Restaurant

3. Sleepy Hollow Refreshements is home to the nutella waffle, corn dogs, and recently removed churro ice cream sandwich. They always have fun and delicious snacks here, be sure to stop by. (S)

4.Gaston's Tavern has huge cinnamon rolls and a tasty apple flavored frozen drink called LeFou's Brew. I always stop here for breakfast and a brew to cool off on a hot Florida day. (S)

Ice cold LeFou's Brew, apple flavored with passion fruit foam

Two LeFou's Brews and a Cinnamon Roll

5. Two words. Dole whip. Three if you make it a Dole whip float. Aloha Isle is the only place in the Magic Kingdom park that sells these delicious snacks although they can be found in every park (Tamu Tamu and Pineapple Lanai both have alcohol versions as well) and even some resorts. If I had to pick only one iconic snack to try, this would be it. I'm team dole whip float all the way! (S)

Dole Whip Float from Aloha Isle

Magic Kingdom is home to too many snack to name, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for new and limited time treats.

Candied Pork Belly found in Frontierland September 2019

EPCOT

1. Biergarten is the second restaurant that we eat at on every Disney trip. With traditional German fare celebrating Octoberfest all year long, this restaurant is great for the kids. A Yule time celebration with a live show and music entertains the whole family and you can even get a boot of beer too! (TS)

2. At the front of the Germany pavilion, Karamell Kuche is a caramel lovers heaven. The best caramel treats can be found here. My favorites are the caramel apples, caramel corn, and the caramel apple cookie. I bring home some of these snacks and freeze them so I can continue to enjoy them after I get back from my trip. (S)

Shortbread Pecan Caramel Bar from Caramel Kuche

3. Les Halles has traditional french pastries from wall to wall. We usually get a box full of snacks and bring them back to the room for breakfast in the morning. I'm not always a fan of Disney desserts, a lot of them taste too processed for me, but these are heavenly. Chocolate chip cookies, croissants, and even lobster bisque are some of my favorite dishes here. (S)

Raspberry Macaron from Les Halles

4. You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream. L'Artisan des Glaces is the ice cream shop in the France pavilion. They have great, unique flavors as well as an ice cream sandwich like no other.

Ice cream and seasonal Pumpkin Spice Macaron sandwich 

They take a rich, buttery, brioche bun and heat press some of their craft ice cream between the two buns. My favorite was the white chocolate pear ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce that I got two years ago. I still dream about this snack. They also have classic and season flavors of macaron ice cream sandwich which are delicious. You can't go wrong with any treat from here. (S)

Croque Glaces from L'Artisan des Glaces

5. If you like margaritas you must try La Cava del Tequila. They are tequila experts and have pages upon pages of specialty margaritas. The horchata margarita is my favorite and the cucumber and avocado margaritas are great as well. This is the best place to get margaritas in my opinion, followed by the premixed flavors at Choza de Margarita outside of the Mexican temple. (S)

Cucumber Margarita from La Cava del Tequila

6. Garden Grill is a family-style, character dining restaurant with views from Living with the Land. The restaurant slowly rotates to give you glimpses from the ride where much of the food is sourced. This is great place to get breakfast before the park officially opens (before 8 AM) and by the time you're done you can hop right in line for Soarin' with little to no wait. (TS)

Hollywood Studios

1. 50’s Prime Time Cafe is a blast from the past with its '50s theme and American comfort food. The waiters play, joke, and even remind you to wash your hands and keep your elbows off the table. They have some of the best fried chicken on property and is home to the peanut butter and jelly shake. All around crowd pleaser even for the pickiest of eaters.

2. Baseline Tap House has craft wine, beer, and hard sodas. With delicious snacks to accompany the unique brews, Baseline Tap House is a great place to stop, rest, and recharge during a busy park day.

Baseline Taphouse Charcuterie Board

3. Immerse yourself in this Star Wars themed lounge. Oga's Cantina has out of this world (no pun intended) drinks for all ages. The buzz foam on the Fuzzy Tauntaun will momentarily numb your lips and the Blue Bantha is a great non alcoholic option of blue milk (better than what's served outside).
The Rodian Ration was super fun and the fanciest jello shot I've ever had, but I got no kick from the vodka and sour apple pucker in it (whomp, whomp). 

From left to right. Rodian Ration, Blue Bantha, Fuzzy Tauntaun

Animal Kingdom Park

1.Yak and Yeti is a pan asian restaurant which is ornately decorated in a Nepalese-style. From potstickers to ahi tuna nachos, ramen to lo mein, adventurous and picky eaters alike will be able to find something delicious to eat here. (TS)

2. Flame Tree Barbecue has huge portions of delicious BBQ. With platters big enough to share, the ribs, chicken, and sides all hit the mark. Great lunch option or to grab a quick bite before the river of Lights show. (QS)

3. Tamu Tamu Refreshments serves huge double chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches as well as Dole whips with RUM!! No better way to cool off than with a tropical drink that packs a punch and a melty, chocolatey ice cream sandwich. (S)

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich

4. Trilo-Bites is home to two of my favorite park snacks. Buffalo chicken chips and a chocolate bourbon bacon milkshake. The combination of salty, sweet, spicy, crunchy, and chocolatey goodness can't be beat. These are two must eat treats for me whenever I go to Animal Kingdom Park. (S)

Chocolate Bourbon Bacon Milkshake

Disney Springs


*Disney Springs is filled with so many places to eat I could fill just a single post with pages and pages of places I love to eat. I'm only going to include my top two places and I'll save the rest for another post.

1. Amorette’s Patisserie is filled with high end desserts almost too beautiful to eat...almost. You can also find wine slushies, teas and coffees. Although it is a little expensive, these desserts to not disappoint and are scrumptious.

Wine Slushie and Pumpkin Creme Brûlée

Key Lime Tart from Amorette's

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake from Amorette's

2. The Polite Pig. Barbecue and bourbon, need I say more? Hand crafted cocktails and modern BBQ fare makes this restaurant my favorite place to eat in Disney Springs. When I was pregnant I even considered flying down for a night just to have this chicken sandwich, before I shook some sense back into my head (I kept telling myself this wasn't a totally outrageous idea since RT flights were under $100, still would be one expensive chicken sandwich). Smokey, crunchy, salty, and sweet, this sandwich is a perfect balance of all things BBQ.

Smoked Fried Chicken Sandwich from Polite Pig

Spend a day eating around Disney Springs, you won't regret it!

Hang in there were almost done!!

Hotels
There are so many options at the hotels it would be impossible to list them all. If you find yourselves at any of these resorts be sure to snag a reservation at any of these bar/restaurants:

• 'Ohana (family style dining) and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto (awesome interactive and themed bar) at the Polynesian. Make a night of it and hit up both. Make sure to arrive early as Trader Sam's has limited seating and fills up fast.
• Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club is a classic soda pop shop home to the Kitchen Sink Sundae (you have to see it to believe it)
• Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge has unique, African inspired dishes.

For high end dining it doesn't get better than Victoria and Alberts at Grand Floridian

California Grill at the Contemporary.

Disney Trip Planning: When to Go and Where to Stay- Part 1 of My Ultimate Disney Guide

I am a self proclaimed Disney addict. In the last 3 years my family has gone to Walt Disney World 5 times. Friends often ask for help planning their own vacations. From where to stay, how long to go, and even how to plan each day. I’m going to break down my ultimate Disney planning strategy into a short 4 part series so you too can plan like a pro.

This first post is going to be dedicated to the where and when. If you have children in school their break schedule may dictate when you’re able to go based on their breaks and if they’re able to miss any classes. My personal favorite time of the year to go is the fall but more specifically, October. 

1. Holiday weekends are always busy at Disney. September is usually the quietest month, followed by beginning to mid December and the week before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Years are extremely busy and I don’t recommend going then unless that is the only time you can go. Mid January is also a great time to go although lots of rides go down for refurbishment during this time and it can be a little cold, especially in the morning. 

2. Once you pinpoint the time you want to go, the next choice is what resort and for how long. I like to go for at least a week. I would love to go for 10 days but my family needs 2 rooms and that can get quite expensive. I usually like to go to Magic Kingdom for 2 days, EPCOT for 2 days (especially during festivals), and 1 day each for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. I like to have one extra day to revisit my favorite park/rides or to do some extra shopping. Budget plays a big part of the length of your trip and what resort you choose. 

3. Next is whether to stay on or off Disney property. I always prefer to stay on property. The perks for me are worth the difference in price. Staying on Disney property gives you round trip transportation to and from the airport (they even collect and deliver your bags as long as you’re not on a red eye), magic bands with the ability to charge and deliver things to your room, extra magic hours at the theme parks, and a 60 day window for fast pass reservation (only 30 days if you stay off property). 

The resorts are value (from $120), moderate (from $240), and deluxe (from $380). I usually stay moderate or above unless we’re doing a budget trip. Value resorts do not have table service restaurants, only food courts (though some of the food options are still great). Amenities are also more basic. Moderate resorts often have better locations, food options, and amenities when compared to value resorts. Deluxe resorts are the best of the best and considered Disney’s high end resorts with the best locations, food, and amenities. We’re going to focus on mostly deluxe resorts for this post.

View of Wilderness Lodge from the Copper Creek

I’m going to further break down the Disney hotels into 4 locations. Magic Kingdom area, EPCOT area, Disney Springs area, and Animal Kingdom area. I prefer to stay at EPCOT area resorts followed  second by Magic Kingdom area resorts. 

EPCOT Area Hotels

To me, EPCOT area is the most centrally located to all of the other parks. My favorite EPCOT area hotel is the Boardwalk Inn which is located right next to the Yacht and Beach Club. Both are within walking distance to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The walk to EPCOT from both resorts is approximately 5 minutes or less while the walk to Hollywood Studios is about 15 minutes. Both hotels have boat service to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios while they use buses to the other parks.

Photo of Boardwalk Inn Hotel courtesy of Walt Disney World

The Boardwalk Inn doesn’t have a true restaurants within the hotel, but all the eateries on the boardwalk are right outside your door. They also have a clown themed pool which freaks some people out, but I didn’t mind it. Where else could you take a water slide that shoots you out of a clowns mouth?

The Beach and Yacht Club have a bunch of restaurants and quick service food options as well as an AMAZING pool. Beaches and Cream is a great place to eat and get ice cream, Cape May Cafe is a great seafood buffet, and there are many other great places to eat. That being said, I prefer the theming of the Boardwalk over Beach and Yacht Club since the latter felt a little cold to me the last time I visited. 

Magic Kingdom Area Hotels

The Magic Kingdom area hotels that I recommend are Polynesian, the Contemporary/Bay Lake Tower, Wilderness Lodge, and Grand Floridian. These are the most expensive hotels due to their proximity to Magic Kingdom park. Poly, Contemporary/BLT, and GF are all on the monorail loop with access to EPCOT (via a transfer at transportation and ticket center), and Magic Kingdom. Wilderness Lodge has a boat to Magic Kingdom and buses to the rest of the parks. 

The Polynesian has great theming (hello volcano pool!), restaurants (O’hana, Kona Cafe, and great quick service too), and snacks/bar options (Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, Pineapple Lanai, shaved ice). There are too many good things to list about this resort. 

Photo of Polynesian Hotel courtesy of Walt Disney World

The Contemporary/BLT is great because Magic Kingdom is about a 7 minute walk away and it’s also on the monorail loop. It has many great restaurant options (California Grill is amazing!), shopping, and views of Magic Kingdom fireworks. 

Photo of the Contemporary Hotel courtesy of Walt Disney World

The Grand Floridian is the crown jewel of the Disney hotels. Although I haven’t stayed here yet, we’ve spent a good chunk of the day eating, shopping, and browsing around this hotel. It’s gorgeous and has some of the best food options on Disney property, Victoria and Alberts is what fine dining dreams are made of. Every detail of this resort is thoughtful and well planned out, truly beautiful.

Photo of Grand Floridian Hotel courtesy of Walt Disney World

The Wilderness Lodge is a great place to stay, especially during the holidays. The resort is fairly large and if you have a far room can be a lot of walking. I request one close to the lobby so this is less of an issue after a long park day. The pool areas are beautiful and the food options are plentiful. You can eat a delicious meal with Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey or grab a gourmet meal at Geyser Point near the pool.

Photo of Wilderness Lodge courtesy of Walt Disney World

Animal Kingdom Area Hotels

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is very close to Animal Kingdom park but you cannot walk there and it’s pretty far from most of the other parks. The perk here is good pricing, the safari animals, and some great restaurants (Boma and Jiko have cult followings). This resort is great if you have a day off from the parks and want to lay around the pool or even do a resort or animal tour. 

Photo of Animal Kingdom Lodge lobby courtesy of Walt Disney World

I don’t my really have much of an interest in Disney Springs area hotels because most are large with internal bus systems (takes forever to just get out of the resort) or good neighbor hotels (not the same perks as Disney hotels).

Another great hotel is Pop Century which, although it is a value resort, has great food and transportation options (on the skyliner system). The rooms have been newly renovated and feature a fold away table bed which folds away during the day for extra room. We stayed here on one of our recent trips and we were very happy with our stay.

You can book rooms directly through Disney or rent Vacation Club rooms through a third party company. I used DVC Rental Store for my last trip and it couldn't have been easier. With renting you get steep discounts on deluxe resort stays, but that is only if they can match your request to a member wishing to rent out their points. We did this on our last trip and stayed at the boardwalk for about $275 per night. Disney’s rack rate for the same room was over $550 so the savings really add up. When we put in a rental request we usually book a moderate resort as a back up in case our request can’t be filled.

If you rent points you can get deluxe rooms at moderate prices so I usually rent. I’m not going to dive much deeper into the moderate resorts but if you have any questions about the moderate resorts or any of the deluxe options  drop a comment and let me know!

Let me know what Disney World hotels are your favorite and where you love to stay in the comments!

Have a magical day!

I’m Back

I’m back! After a long hiatus I’m going to attempt to start blogging again. Life here has changed greatly in the last two years. We bought, renovated, and moved into our first home...

We were lucky enough to visit Disney World a few times...

But most importantly, I became a mom to the most wonderful little boy.

My son Ryan is 21 months old now and a pure joy.

I’m still baking, cooking, and working full time but I’m going to try to post more of my daily on goings. So get ready, here come the posts...