Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom--My First Visit to Disneyland

This post came about from a nap time YouTube rabbit hole I went down today.

Last week, blogger Adam the Woo uploaded a video showing the band No Doubt's homes and filming locations, which are all block or two away from Disneyland in Anaheim, California.



The band's hit album was Tragic Kingdom, and had more than one reference to the twisted fantasyland that Disney can be. I imagine as emo/ska kids they grew up with it right in their face, so it was edgy to hate it. Damn the man.

ANYWAY, I spent most of my my junior high years belting out Gwen Stefani's lyrics while dancing on my bed. My best guy friend Eric was OBSESSED with Gwen. I loved the band Silverchair too, and would go to lots of music festivals in my Dr. Martins, JNCO Jeans, terry cloth cropped tank, wallet chain, Manic Panic hair color, Delia*s catalogue . Oh yeah, the good ol' days.

So, right about when I started getting nerdy about Disney and history was 2011-12ish; my dad had a work trip to LA planned, and I tagged along. We stayed near Glendale and went to the Tam O'Shanter, did a D23 Walt's Hollywood self-driving tour, visited the Disney Studio lot and the archives located there, and went to Disneyland for my first time ever! (Reminder to do post featuring Archive photos).

My dad has family that lives local to Disneyland, and works in several different roles. So we had a few magical moments sprinkled in too (more to come). All in all, it was the most memorable and happiest Disneyland trip possible.

And it started with us checking in to the Disneyland Hotel (we splurged for two nights- go big or go home) and getting upgraded to a suite! So that was perfect, for a dad and daughter traveling together. We also had Mickey and Minnie sugar cookies and milk appear each evening, courtesy of the mouse.

Next was a stop into Trader Sams! We sat inside. It was fun.  Then we headed into DCA for Carthay Circle dinner and drinks, followed by a VIP seating for World of Color?! In the words of Little Orphan Annie, "pinch me please." And "I think I'm gonna like it here!"

Aw that pic of us closing to Radiator Springs. 

My dad headed back to the hotel after World of Color, but I moseyed over to Disneyland and entered, for the first time, under the popcorn lights and mild California August evening. 

I don't need to get all cliche here, but there's a vibe to Disneyland.

Hi Walt. Thank you. 

So I then went to to corn dog stand and tried my first Disneyland corn dog! 

I also rode Indy, and honestly think that's it!

On the walk back to the Disneyland Hotel from Disneyland's Magic Kingdom, I passed by House of Blues and heard karaoke going on on the outside upper deck. Someone was belting out No Doubt, and it was FREAKING convincing that it was Gwen. I mean, we all knew it wasn't, but still, I was drawn like a moth to a flame, and went solo into HoB karaoke night. It was ok, but that moment... walking past, hearing No Doubt 'live,'... it stuck with me. Everyone who performed was top notch though, which is one of the small things that sets Disneyland apart from Walt Disney World; the talent pool. Disneyland gets the LA Hollywood dream talent. 

I can share more about my first visit in another post soon. I really have so much I want and like to share, but it's A. easier to just talk on IG stories or B. by the time I have 'free time' to do something, I want to consume, not create. I want to watch a show, read something, not write etc. So that's why blogging is so hard for me. I'll dump a handful of pictures here for the time being. Make up your own words. :)

So who knows when that will come. I still have our honeymoon Disney Fantasy cruise recap to finish. I also have the following in drafts:

How John and I Met

Our Wedding

Will's Birth Story

Sam's Birth Story

Yeah.

But the kids are happy (Will has meltdowns every day and Sam is teething),  we're all healthy (the scale proves that), and God is good. 

Thanks Dad for this awesome first trip. Love you. 

XO, Ashley 

How to Make Easy and Nutritious Bone Broth

Homemade Bone Broth

- 2 rotisserie chickens, picked clean
- 3-4 peeled medium carrots, or 1cup baby carrots
- 3 celery stalks, rinsed
- 1-2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 3 (or more!) garlic cloves, smashed and skin removed
- handful of fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Clean chickens by removing meat and skin. Some meat can stay on the carcass; it will add collagen, protein, and flavor. Put all those nasty bones in a pot. Add all other ingredients.  Cover with water, but stay below MAX FILL line on pot.
Seal and set to Manual pressure
Cook for 2 hours (120 minutes).
(Can also combine and cook on large pot/Dutch oven/Slow Cooker for 8-12 hours on low).
Strain solids through a mesh sieve over large container.

*I know the idea of 'bone broth' can be kind of off putting, but from the bones comes A TON of goodness, and from *that* crazy immune boosting vitamins and minerals.

* Animal bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and other trace minerals — the same minerals needed to build and strengthen your own bones. (healthline.com)

* Connective tissue gives you glucosamine and chondroitin, natural compounds found in cartilage that can support joint health. 

*Marrow provides vitamin A, vitamin K2, minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese and selenium, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. 

*All of these animal parts also contain the protein collagen, which turns into gelatin when cooked and yields several important amino acids. 

* As the ingredients simmer, their nutrients are released into the water in a form your body can easily absorb. This is a great way to get more of these essential nutrients into your body. 

*Garlic and onions are full of antioxidants, are antiviral and anti fungal. If you love garlic, add more! 

*The herbs are kind of optional, since this would be ok without them, but they add such depth of flavor and are FILLED with immune boosters. Thyme and oregano are heavy hitters in the plants-for-heath realm.

*You can use dried herbs if you don't have fresh. I'd bundle them in cheesecloth and place in the pot, or add them straight to the pot (you'll strain the broth anyway). Use about half of dried herb in place of fresh.

*You can also use one drop of high-quality essential oil in place of herbs. Seriously one drop though- they are super concentrated and a little goes a long way. (Make sure your oil is marked 'safe for consumption' before using internally).

*An acid is required to break down the collagen from the bones. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are essential. Plus both are yet again really great for immune health. Very cleansing and detoxifying.

*Use as a base for soups, or to cook rice/grains. Or warm up a cup and sip straight.

*Save chicken meat for use in soups and more. Freeze both chicken meat and broth if not planning to use within 3 days.

*When stored in the refrigerator, it is normal for a gelatinous layer to form. This is from the collagen and more, and will dissolve once warmed. Think of all that goodness your body is getting!

(No final photo because it's currently simmering. Will add later. Enjoy!)

XO, Ashley 

Steady

I just had one of the most whirlwind moments and felt like I needed to record it somewhere, so here we are. Can anyone relate?

Let me preface by saying that Will is at my mom's, so I have a relatively 'open' day- the possibilities are endless!

I went to our bedroom and started organizing the baby clothes (removing the Newborn sizes, pulling out the 3month stuff), then I split the pile of the newborn stuff into 'donate' and 'keep' in case we have another (baby?!) (BOY?!?). I think to pull out maternity stuff because I saw a sign at my OBGYN during my 6 week follow up that they accept maternity clothes to donate to women in need.

Off to the kitchen to pull out Trader Joe's paper bags to put the donations in. See the dishes in the sink that need to be put in the dishwasher, and also thing about dinner prep. And lunch. And feeding my offspring. Oh, the cats both want food too and they both need to get to the vet sometime in the near future. And have their flea meds applied. Add that to the calendar.

 End up in Will's room to put the Newborn 'keep' clothes away and discover the 50+ hangers he's scattered in his closet (this kid's showing some behavior, I'll tell you. Classic new sibling mixed with terrible twos goodness). Pick those up (hangers and Christmas lights are two of the WORST things to untangle btw). Take the donation bags and put them in the front hall closet, where I see a bag of Disney shirts I've been meaning to post and sell online. See bag of boy's clothes that need to be donated. Think about putting a 'donate day' on my calendar to organize and knock all this stuff out. I need to go through my closet and pull the maternity, heck, even just the stuff I've carried around for 10+ years and still don't wear?! What's that about, anyway? Why do we do that?!

To my desk to write a to-do list (big mistake) because, well, my desk. I see the handful of Disney vacations that need small details attended to (nothing time pressing per say, but still...). I see my oils- I need to schedule a Full Moon rollerball making class for June! And those are just the two things at the top of my list because they're fairly time sensitive- I could do down a blasted rabbit hole with all the little stuff I have on my lists for work. There's always something, no? Organizing. (I need to get a system for and file the mail). Accounting. Customer outreach. Social media. Listening to professional development podcasts and videos, doing research to stay current on new offerings, etc etc etc. I really do love it but I feel like I'm not giving 100% to anything right now- that can't be good, can it?

Ok, upstairs to put away clean sheets in the guest room, and handful of baby items that my mom brought over (this is another thing- do you ever feel like you can't stand for one more item, one more THING, to enter your household? Sometimes I look around and just stare at all. the. stuff. Toys especially. They get everywhere! But my mom had a great response to that with, "yes, they are and they will be for this season of life. Get over it." She's so right.) Put the sheets away. Go into the guest room and see the tv you've been meaning to set up in there- think of bringing up a table from downstairs to put said tv on. That would require organizing the front closet where the table is located. SPEAKING of tv's, look into how to dispose of our big screen tv with a shattered screen (Will + drumsticks + Under the Sea = "well, shiiiiiiiiit") and a printer that doesn't work. Those two items are currently being stored in what will soon be Sam's room when he turns 3 months old and we move him to his crib. The crib that is still in the box, unassembled. The back half of the room is filled with my teaching supplies and classroom toys/activities, all that have been sorted through and kept because they will be great teaching tools to use with Will. That's a lie, there's so much I need to sort through. Files of worksheets and college papers and textbooks and teacher resource books. We need to hang a divider curtain to split the front half of the room (Sam's) from the back storage area. We need to hang blackout curtains as well. The shelf is crammed with stuff that we pulled out of the downstairs tv stand when our new tv wouldn't fit on it and we had to switch around three pieces of furniture to make it work. Which we did!

So yeah, thought of that. Also saw the patriotic bunting and door hanger that needs to go up before Memorial Day weekend (because THAT weekend we're... POTTY TRAINING!!) The list just goes on and on and on and I bounce around like a kangaroo from one task to another. Is that normal? Is it ADD? OCD? Anxie-D? Being a mother? Running a household? I can't be the only one who does this, right? There's dentist appointments to make and preschool appointments and car appointments and pest control appointments and doctors appointments. And where does exercise fit into all of this? In between taking inventory of what you need to put on the grocery list, making the grocery list, and grocery shopping? How about in the evenings when it's husband time and you both actually have a minute to reconnect? Crap, here it is already 1:30 pm and I *really* wanted to repot some plants and go to Lowes for a new fern. Carwash too.

But also playing with, teaching, entertaining a toddler. Tending to an infant. And when I write it out like this, I know where the priorities lie. But damn, it's still hard to practice what you preach.

Oh, as I passed by my essential oil stash, I looked for something help center me, steady me, focus me, and *ta-da* this blend jumped out at me. I mean, it's CALLED Steady for crying out loud. It's part of our Kid's Kit which means it's already diluted with fractionated coconut oil and is super gentle for all ages, but packs some potent powerhouse essential oils. Amyris, Balsam Fir, Coriander, and Magnolia.  I could go into detail here but I'll just point you to my oily Instagram which is @suit.essentials where you can read more about how crazy it is how oils and emotions work together, and other cool nature stuff, man.

Ok y'all, this turned into a bitch fest and that was not my intent. I'm going to put up some pictures of the past while and leave you with those. Thanks for reading! (Honestly, I can't believe you made it all the way down here. Thank you.) And hey, I *did* do a blog post, which was on my wish-list of things to get done today, although this was NOT the topic I intended. But small victories, right?!

A visit to the Grand Floridan to see the annual chocolate easter egg display. This was my first venture out with both the boys, and Sam's first WDW visit.

Easter morning after church; Easter lunch at Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Mom's Night Out- Dapper Day edition. Boardwalk/Crescent Lake bar crawl; can't get enough oysters after being pregnant and out off limits for nine months.

Mother's Day visit to my mom's with dinner at The Melting Pot; (not pictured) massages at the spa the next day.

Rope Drop Disney's Hollywood Studios (MGM) to ride Slinky Dog- a first for both me AND Will. He liked it. We did it three times.

4th Anniversary dinner at Rocco's Tacos.

First venture out with the double wide stroller!; bubbly lunch at Wine Bar George in Disney Springs with some mommy friends.

Will and Mommy day at Magic Kingdom; Will on MSUSA; Hei Hei cone from Aloha Isle.

I started Weight Watchers again (did it after having Will and LOVE tracking my points/getting creative with foods/observing what all I put in my mouth during the day) and make this bomb ass taco salad last night.

Sweet Sam in a sleep sack that Will wore as a baby. He looks so much like his big brother here!

**Edited to add (because I just found this image on my computer and it is SO relevant to this post):

Xoxo, Ashley