Desires of my Heart Blog

Free to be Me, or am I?

marsha0727 — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 01:42:35 +0000

I am tired…

Tired of having to overthink even the easiest of tasks like picking up groceries or visiting a store…

Tired of our world full of fear, confusion, judgement, and anger…

Tired of hearing about the “new normal” that is anything but normal…

Tired of trying to protect my family and our freedoms when there are no clear answers…

Just tired… emotionally… mentally… spiritually… physically… tired.

I’m not one to post my thoughts often, especially if it would likely be a sensitive subject. I have always despised confrontation, and avoid it at {almost} all costs, even when I have strong convictions about a topic. I long to be “free to be me”…free to not worry about what everyone else is thinking or doing…free to make my decisions and stand by them! I do my best to do “me” and pray daily that if I am doing “me” wrong, that God would show me and change my heart to see what part of “me” needs to be changed. But it isn’t easy! In fact, it is downright exhausting.

Over these last few “social media” years, and especially over the last few longgg months of 2020, I have quickly learned that, even in our free country {that I am oh! so thankful for}, it’s becoming increasingly impossible to feel “free to be me.” Everyone has strong opinions about everything.

In a world so quick to judge…in a world where the only right opinion is the one that agrees with you…in a world where everything is offensive…where there are more grey areas than black and white, how does one decide how to be your own person confidently and unapologetically?

I don’t know about you, but it is just plain exhausting {like 104% tired!}. I am learning and trying so hard to remember that I have an audience of ONE in God…He is ultimately the only one I answer to. And sometimes, in the quietness of a moment at home, I feel that peace where I am no longer worried about what others think about me or my family’s decisions, but it is such a short moment…nothing but a glimpse just out of my grasp, as life pulls me back toward people, community, and world, and all of their opinions.

In today’s world, do you truly feel “free to be you” or do you feel oppression for lack of conformity?

It’s No Wonder We Are Crazy

marsha0727 — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 00:47:54 +0000

Though my kids may disagree since I was born before the internet, I don’t consider myself “old”. But it seems that in my short 35 years of life, I’ve seen so many facts change to fiction (and vice versa), that I don’t even know what to believe many times. Yes, I get that we are always learning new things…and “when we know better, we do better”…I totally get it. But thinking about it makes my head spin. It’s no wonder we are crazy!

A few examples…

Eat more grains. Oh, no! Don’t eat any grains. But wait, maybe we do need grains, just use them sparingly. Fats? Sparingly of course! But wait, here’s some that are “healthy” fats.

Technology has come a long way! Make sure you’re teaching your kids how to use it, so they can be successful in the workplace. Don’t let your kids have technology…it causes ADHD and a myriad of other things. We should go back to the dark ages before we had technology.

Shop on the outside aisles of the grocery store for healthy living. Oh, but you really should avoid red meats. And not too many fruits…actually only eat berries, the rest are bad for you.

Give your kids options to explore extracurricular activities, so they can find their passion. Do you really think your kids need so much “extra”?? When we were young, we didn’t get to do all that…we just played outside all day with kick-the-can and mud pies.

Don’t work outside of the home. Your place is in the home teaching and training your kids. Why don’t you go find a job? You know you need car funds, college funds, retirement funds, and more not too far down the road.

Don’t ever just rent a house. You waste so much money that way…you may as well throw it away. Why don’t you just rent a house instead of buy so you can move if you ever wanted to without the hassle of buy/sell and profit/loss? And you may not even have yard work to keep up with.

Always vaccinate. Never vaccinate. Well, maybe we should…but on our terms.

Make sure you don’t let your kid have a smart phone…there’s so much bad on it. They get nothing but a good ole flip phone. Train your kids with technology while they are in your care/supervision, so they know how to act and handle it carefully when they are outside of the home.

Now, before you jump on my case…I know EVERY one of these topics have truth to them…good and bad. And I know that we have to do our due diligence and research the good, the bad, and the ugly on it all, and then, after lots of prayer, make a decision that we feel is right for our families. But do you ever get tired of making those decisions? Especially when it comes to your own kids?? I know I am. Allowance or not? Movies or not? This app or that? Vacations or not? These styles or those? Guard them or let them live and learn? This rule or that? College or no college? On and on and on it goes…if you let it, it consumes you daily. Every day, I feel like I am faced with 1,000 (or more) decisions that I’m helping (directly or indirectly) my kids to make…and there isn’t one day that I’ve been confident of those decisions. Especially when I think back to how many “truths” have changed in my lifetime alone.

IT. IS. EXHAUSTING.

It’s no wonder we are crazy!

But, my heart finds solace and rest in knowing that none of these decisions affect the one absolute truth that has and never will change…the love of God. I may make a mess of parenting on a daily…or even an hourly…basis. I may “scar my kids for life” with weird habits, “truths” that change over time, and personality quirks. But, as long as I make sure to live a life for Christ…share Christ and His love with and to my kids…and ultimately do all I can to lead them to their personal salvation in Christ, where they too will follow Him in all of life’s crazy turns, then I’ve succeeded.

NOTHING. ELSE. MATTERS.

So, bring on the craziness, Life. I serve a God who listens and answers my prayers, even the ones from an exhausted, confused mother who has no idea what she’s doing. I’m ready to quit worrying over the little things that are bound to change time and time again, so I can fully focus on the ONE who never changes.

5 Things I learned on my Journey to Becoming a Working Mom

marsha0727 — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:35:00 +0000

Well, here we are, nearing the end of another school year (even saying it, I still can’t believe it!), but not just any school year. This year was one of huge changes for our family…good changes…but hard ones, too!

Last August, just before Katie and Austin started their 7th and 5th grade years at Cornerstone Christian, I was asked to consider a secretary position at the school. This opened the door for Addison to also start at Cornerstone in their amazing K4 program, which we had been praying about for months but just couldn’t figure out how to make it work. So, with God’s leading, we nervously leapt into a whirlwind of changes!

I went from a busy stay-at-home mom of 12 years to a full-time job outside the home, part-time job inside the home, and large ministry responsibilities with Mark at church. My wardrobe changed, our routines changed, even trying to juggle when to buy groceries (let alone cook them) changed! Addison went from a non-structured daily play time while I worked in the home to a very structured full school day 5 days a week. Katie went from elementary school with one teacher to high school with 7 different classes, and multiple different teachers and rules. Austin and Mark just “went” with it, as they so calmly always handle change. To say our lives were turned upside down would be the understatement of the century!

But God is good ALL the time! He knew so much that we needed before we ever did!! I absolutely LOVE my new role in the school. I not only get to see my kids as they grow and learn at school, but I get to be there with them! I get to help the school in ways I never had in the past. It’s given me renewed purpose and passion in life that had somehow became foggy as a stay at home mom with older kids. And Addison, wow! I can’t even begin to explain how good school has been for her! And, other than the fact that she hates early mornings ALWAYS, she has loved every part! I am so thankful that God saw a need and filled it above and beyond my dreams before I even knew what the need was! Here are a few things that my journey to becoming a working mom has taught me:

1) Each family and their dynamics were designed and created perfectly by God, but are all different. Just because working outside the home {or being a stay-at-home mom} is right for one person definitely doesn’t mean that it will be the same for someone else. It just doesn’t work that way. And, just because it worked one year {or in my case, 12 years}, doesn’t mean it’s going to work forever. Life changes…seasons change. God told us to expect it, embrace it, and learn from it (Ecclesiastes).

2) Self-given guilt trips are not recommended or productive. It does no one any good whatsoever for you to make yourself feel guilty about your family’s decision for change, or the changes that came due to the decision. Self-given guilt trips are not helpful, but harmful for you and your family. Just don’t go there.

3) It does not matter what anyone else thinks about your decision, your reasons for your decision, or the details surrounding it. I am the world’s worst about worrying about what others will think about what I do/wear/think/say/write/whatever….and you know what, that’s PRIDE, and it’s a sin! It doesn’t matter what others think as long as you and your family are following the direction God has called you. He gave you the child(ren) you have for a reason, knowing that you would {and should} sometimes do things different than those around you. So, don’t worry about anyone else.

4) You have to let some things go. When things change, things can’t stay the same. That’s deep, huh? But seriously…you may have made from-scratch, gourmet meals as a stay-at-home mom (not me…but maybe someone did)…and you may be doing good to make quick throw together meals (or even cereal dinner nights or take-out) as a working mom. And don’t even get me started on house-cleaning and laundry…but, you know what? It’s okay! Let go of those little things that don’t matter, and hold on to those little ones God entrusted to you.

5) Following God’s direction back into the workforce as a mom {or whatever your decision may be}, does not make you a failure; it makes you obedient! Everyone can have their opinions here, but the truth is, if you are following God’s direction, you’re not a failure, a slacker, or a selfish mom…you’re an obedient one. And, friend, there’s no place I’d rather be than in the center of God’s will, because He always knows what’s best for me!

I don’t know what change in season you may be experiencing, or may be about to experience, but if you find yourself in a changing season, I hope these things help you on your journey, as they have me. {And maybe you’ll learn them earlier in the process than I did, since I am only able to see these more clearly as I look hindsight, change after change.}

“We must learn and move on. Moving on means I must be willing to say yes to the unknown ahead of me and trust God’s leading.” — Bill Hybels

So, now, I am going to say YES to new adventures! Big and small! And enjoy the ever-changing journey God is taking us on. What about you?

Devotedly | Book Review

marsha0727 — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 21:26:40 +0000

I have always loved the story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliott and how God used them in such mighty ways, even through and after Jim’s martyrdom early in his ministry. I remember hearing even at a young teen age, his well-known quote “He is not a fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” But even more powerful in my life was knowing that after all that she saw and went through with her husband’s martyr, Elisabeth chose to continue in his footsteps and minister to the same people who killed him, and show them the unfailing, relentless love of God.

When I saw that Jim and Elisabeth’s daughter had published a new book full of letters and journal entries between the two of them from their early years of life on, I knew I had to read it. To have to opportunity to “get in the minds” of such well-known heroes of the faith was such a blessing!

This book is beautifully designed from cover to cover. The different fonts and even pictures of some of their letters, etc., make it quite easy to distinguish who is talking throughout the book. These two individuals were sold out to God long before meeting…both seeking God’s will alone, even when they had met. You can see their love for each other, but their love for God overpowering all else…to the point that they didn’t even think they should be together at one time.

It was really neat to see how God wrote their stories individually and together for a greater purpose that neither of them could have imagined! If you are fans of these two heroes of the faith, I definitely urge you to take time to read this. It isn’t a quick read book, as even their journal entries and letters were often deep in content. But, it’s a book well worth your time!

I am so thankful that their daughter, Valerie, decided to publish these special, private writings for us to see and learn from. What beautiful testimonies of God’s faithfulness their lives were and continue to be!

I received this book for free from Lifeway Blogger Program for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Dancing In No Man’s Land | Book Review

marsha0727 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 13:31:27 +0000

Last Veterans Day, I took time to dive into a new book, “Dancing in No Man’s Land.” I don’t pretend to understand all of the terminology of war, etc., but this book takes those terms, explains them in ways even a civilian can understand, and then compares it to our Christian life. So often we live in our bunkers, our safe place, anytime conflict arises…but God calls us to speak out in truth and in love, not to hide in fear.

This book is heavily packed with thought-provoking and convicting thoughts that I believe every Christian could benefit from. It took me much longer than normal to read this book, but that was only because I didn’t want to fly through it like I would normal “easy reading”. Each chapter ends with reflection questions to ponder and pray over. I wanted to let it soak in so I could learn from it and apply it personally.

I’ve always been called and have considered myself a peacemaker throughout my life. I’m not one to rock the boat…I don’t like conflict or confrontation, even when I may be in the right. I would prefer to call it a truce and move on as to avoid a difficult conversation. But this book explained that there is a big difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. A peacekeeper does what it takes to keep peace (like not speaking up, even when they should) when conflict comes their way, while a peacemaker gets out of their conform zone, their bunker, and meets people where they are, and works to find a way to “make” peace. Is it easy? Not a chance. Will it ever be easy for me to peacefully discuss hard topics that the world brings up that are contrary to Gods Word? Never. But God still expects that of us. Ohh this book is so good!

There is so much more I could say…but I like this quote and think it’s a great way to end my review…

This book is “a rallying cry, a life-giving and practical journey into the way of Jesus that will revolutionize how you view conflict. You can choose to speak both truth and peace in the midst of war. You can step out of your bunker and into no man’s land, where only brave souls tread. It may look like you’re dodging cultural land mines. But you might just be learning how to dance.” — Brian Jennings

Do yourself a favor, and go get and read this book!

I received this book for free from the Tyndale Blogger Program for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

A Million Dreams

marsha0727 — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 20:40:35 +0000

“‘Cause every night I lie in bed…The brightest colors fill my head…A million dreams are keeping me awake. I think of what the world could be…A vision of the one I see…A million dreams is all it’s gonna take…A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make.” [from “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack]

If you’ve seen or heard The Greatest Showman, you probably just sang that song…and you’ll probably hear it the rest of the day (you’re welcome!)

I don’t know if I’ve hit my “mid-life crisis” now or if this is some weird way of coping with my turning 36 tomorrow (you know, I’ll be marking “36-49” on those lovely surveys now…great way to make you feel even older!), but lately, I’ve done a lot of thinking about dreams. Not the ones you have during your sleep. But real dreams…life goals…bucket list type stuff.

My first thought was…why don’t I have any dreams anymore? Or, if I do have dreams (because we all know we had great aspirations and dreams in our younger adult years), why have I hid them so far from myself? How do I get them back? Do I want to get them back? I think back to my young adult years, and some of my biggest “dreams” at that time were finding the right one God had for me (and God sent me way above and beyond with Mark!), settling down and finding a house to make our own, and having a family. And God has blessed in immense ways in all of those areas. But sometime after becoming a mom (times 3), it seems like dreams just took a backseat and life turned to survival mode on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t bad days (well, some were, of course), but I don’t mean that each day was bad…on the contrary, most were incredibly good! But they were all focused heavily on taking care of all of their needs (immediate and future).

Now I find myself in this weird area of life…a time where I’m even more busy with the kids and their activities (and mine!) with family, school, church, etc. But despite the busyness, I find myself longing for my own dreams to go after again. And, it’s kind-of scary! I don’t like the thoughts of “dreaming big”…because I don’t like failing. I don’t like thinking of putting myself ahead of the kids by carving out time to follow dreams. But I don’t think we were made to stop dreaming just because we had kids…just like we weren’t made to stop “dating” our spouse after marriage/kids…because, if we stopped due to the kids, what happens when the kids are grown (which is much closer than I care to admit) and we are just lost and lonely?! I don’t want that!

Mark and I have been trying very purposefully lately to get back to making our marriage priority, above the kids…taking time for us in addition to good family time. And, I’ll be honest, it’s been wonderful! I try so hard to slow down time to enjoy these years with our kids, but at the same time, I have this quiet desire for the day that we’ve raised our kids into adults, and we get to go enjoy endless “us” time. But that’s a whole different post for a different day…

So, here I am…

ending my 35th year…

about to jump head first into my 36th year…

and ready to dream again.

I’m starting a list…

no matter how scary it may be…

and plan to soon share some of those dreams…

maybe…

mostly for accountability…

but that’s another step…

for another day.

Today, I’m just going to enjoy dreaming.

Wordless Wednesday | Birthday Surprise = Upcoming Projects

marsha0727 — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 22:56:17 +0000

Throwback Thursday | 2013

marsha0727 — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 07:07:08 +0000

This seems like only yesterday…these two were posing for me at church right before I started taking pictures for a member directory. And now, Katie is 5 years older, in the youth group, and going to 7th grade. Austin is 5 years older and going to 5th grade. And, I’m completely in denial! Where, oh where, has time gone so quickly?!

All The Colors That I See | Book Review

marsha0727 — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 22:57:18 +0000

I don’t often get the opportunity to review children’s books, but when I do, I jump at the chance! My kids love books, and I love finding new ones for them. I recently received the book “All The Colors That I See” board book (written by Pamela Kennedy and illustrated by Holli Conger). My youngest is now 4 years old (YIKES!), so I wasn’t sure if she’d enjoy a simple board book about colors, but I decided to see what she thought about it. Little did I know that we would find her new favorite book (as in…we read it throughout the day and every night before bed!).

There are so many “colors” books out there…so, what made this one special? This one reminds throughout the story that God is the designer of the colors in our world. In addition to that, it completely involves the child in the story! Instead of just simply reading the book, the book tells the child certain things to do (tap, knock, rub with your thumb, and my daughter’s personal favorite, touch with your nose) to the color represented on each page. It’s absolutely adorable! There is a simple (4 line mostly) poem for every color page, and lots of hidden items in each of the colors.

If you have a little one, preschool or younger, this is a precious book to add to your collection! We’re definitely keeping it in ours for a while.

You can find your copy here using my affiliate link:

I received this book for free from the Lifeway Blogger Program for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

A Mom’s Top 10 Take-Away Lessons Learned From Disney World

marsha0727 — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 19:57:31 +0000

I know it’s so cliche’ to say “hindsight is always 20-20”, but it is oh so true!

We just returned from a 7 day trip to Disney World with our three kids (age 11, 9, and 3). And, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you should know that we had a wonderful trip!!

My hug from Minnie

I L.O.V.E. Disney. I try really hard to convince myself that I don’t…especially Disney World…because, I mean, who in their right mind wants to save for soooo long for it to be gone in a fast-paced, crowd-crazy week of “vacation”. Well, despite my efforts to change my feelings for Disney…I do! Anyway, that’s a tangent for another day…

Throughout this trip, some by purposeful planning of our wonderful Magic of Mickey travel agent and some by happenstance, we left with several great “take-away” lessons that we plan to keep and use for any of our future Disney World trips. But instead of just saving them in a file, I thought I’d share them here, in case someone else may find them helpful as they think or plan for their own Disney trip.

But let me preface by saying that I’m not a Disney travel agent…I don’t know all things Disney…This was our first family trip to Disney since our oldest two were 4/5 (6 years ago)…and I am only discussing from our most recent experience. You know Disney often changes things…so, be sure to recheck these things before you go.

And, now that all of that is taken care of…here are my top 10 “take-away” lessons (in no particular order) from our most recent trip to Disney World:

1. USE A DISNEY TRAVEL AGENT. I cannot emphasize this enough! I’ve done it both ways…I’ve spent hours scouring the internet to try to plan our Disney World park days to perfection…using all of the mom sites on must dos/don’t dos. But this time, I fully entrusted our dear friend Todd Russell to plan our trip from start to finish. He charges nothing for his services, but they are priceless! He constantly kept a watch on our package to make sure he was getting us the absolute most for our money (and saved us hundreds by doing so!) He kept up with our countdown…he woke up at ungodly hours to get us the best fastpasses and food reservations…he gave us a daily itinerary that helped us to see how we could get the most done without running ourselves ragged. He answered a gazillion questions before and during our trip. Seriously…I’m not getting paid for this advertisement, but I will never plan for Disney without him again! I just got to sit back, relax, and pick out cute family Disney shirts And, have I said it enough…HIS SERVICES ARE FREE TO YOU!! Okay, I’ll get off this one…but seriously…do it. And, if you want, tell him I sent you, and we’ll both get a sweet treat!

2. FAST PASS PLUS + RIDER SWAP. I already mentioned how we were able to get the best Fast Pass Plus reservations thanks to our Disney travel agent, but you seriously don’t want to do Disney without them! Especially on the newer rides. We would never have stood in line to ride Avatar (which is my all-time favorite now) without Fast Pass! We “waited” (although, it really wasn’t waiting as much as it was just walking to the actual ride destination…INside…in the cool air) maybe 15 minutes with our FP…while the standby line was never less than 110 minutes in the blazing hot sun! And that’s just one example! We did this to meet the princesses, to ride popular rides, and even to see shows! But here’s where it gets even better…if you have a child that can’t or doesn’t want to ride the ride, you get a rider swap. And, while it’s a great idea to rider swap, it’s even more awesome that Disney doesn’t make you do it back to back (because what 3 year old wants to wait that long for two cycles of a ride they can’t enjoy?) — Disney gives you a Fast Pass ticket that is good YOU PLUS TWO for that ride ANY time during that day! So, for us, we would ride Avatar (as an example) — one parent and two older kids…get a rider swap ticket for later, go do something the little one enjoyed, and then later, make our way back for the other parent AND the two older kids to get to ride again…still with little to no wait! It was amazing.

We were told by a cast member that this paper version would likely be going away soon, so make sure to ask when you go!

3. RIDE VOUCHERS FOR FAST PASS. So, what could possibly be more disappointing that getting to a Fast Pass ride only to see that it was closed for technical issues or weather issues?! We had this happen several times during our last trip…sometimes for technical issues…sometimes for weather. But, we quickly learned that if something like that happens during your Fast Pass reservation hour, CHECK YOUR EMAIL! Disney sends you a nice email that explains that your Fast Pass ride has been temporarily closed, and they not only offer you a new Fast Pass that is good for the entire rest of the day (should the ride reopen), but they also give you a nice long list of OTHER options you can use as a Fast Pass in place of the one that was shut down! Since, there were a few rides that we had FP reservations for that my youngest daughter couldn’t or didn’t want to ride, this was an even bigger blessing in disguise for us! One of those said rides shut down temporarily (and the older kids had already had a chance to ride it), so we were able to use those ride vouchers to visit a few characters that we just hadn’t wanted to take 60 minutes to wait in stand-by for. It was win-win for everyone! The cast members don’t always know what you are talking about if you tell them you had this option sent via email, but they offered to “let us try it” to see, and sure enough, every time it happened, our bands would recognize it as a FP, no matter what we chose from the list! The only thing is that I wish I would have known this earlier than day 3 of the parks, because, I wasn’t checking my email regularly until I found this out by chance. We would’ve had even more chances on those first 3 days when several rides were down. They DO NOT alert you via My Experience app, although that would have been handy, since everyone uses that to keep up with their reservations, etc. So, if you are in the parks, and you see a ride closed that you had a FP for, CHECK YOUR EMAIL…seriously…here’s part of what one of my emails looked like:

4. MAGIC BAND CUSTOMIZATION. Magic Bands are awesome! I love not having to carry cards around everywhere like we did before! But they are plain colors…unless you plan to spend $25-50 on average for specialty bands. UNLESS you know about Etsy! I found the cutest vinyl decals for our magic bands on Etsy for $3-7, so we decided to try them out! They were quite easy to put on, and they lasted the whole week, even in the pools, etc., without issues. We had soooo many cast members ask where we found our bands because they had never seen any like it. It was the perfect way to customize without breaking the bank! Here’s the link to my two favorites: Mermaid Glitter and Princess Glitter

Mom & Addison’s “glitter magic bands (thanks to vinyl stickers!)

5. DINING PLANS. I have told my husband again and again that you really can’t “do” Disney “carefree” without being on a dining plan! It is so nice to be able to treat the kids (and yourselves) to smoothies or slushies or any other number of deliciously satisfying snacks while in the parks (especially when it is over 100* heat index), without having to feel the hit on your bank account. The Disney dining plan is definitely the way to go! And, if you go in the fall, you may even get lucky enough to have it FREE with your resort booking. However, our big take away from our most recent family trip was that we would have rather had the quick service/snack ONLY plan. Our plan gave us snack/quick service/table service for each day. And, while the table service does allow you the character meals, it also means fancier meals (that my younger kids often didn’t care for)…reservations (which meant we had to plan our days around leaving early enough to get to the dinner destination)…and tips for a meal that in Disney “cost” $150-200 for a family of 5, which meant you basically paid for a quick service meal out of pocket each time you left a tip at a table service restaurant. If you are going for fancy…wanting lobster, steak, etc., then you probably would not want to leave out the table service meals. But if you’re like us…doing Disney on a budget…with young kids…who aren’t used to “fancy” food…trust me when I say, quick service will do you best! And the options are endless on quick service meals, too! You aren’t limited to hamburgers and fries all week! We preferred it to our fancy meals about 75% of the time! Just food for thought…

6. CHECK YOUR BILL AT CHECKOUT. So, this should go without saying, but just putting this out there due to our experience. Magic Bands are wonderfully convenient. When you need to purchase something or pay a tip, scan your band and it’ll be added to the card you have on file. It basically charges it to your room, which is less convenient for people like me who watch each transaction as it posts…because, it’s a little harder to keep up with your many receipts from your dining plan throughout the week, to compare it with your bill at the end of the stay. However, my bill was astronomical, and I knew it shouldn’t be because I had kept pretty accurate records of each spending. Come to find out, they had somehow managed to bill someone else’s complete family table service meal (same evening, later time) to mine. They took a bit to research the issue, and did credit it back, but it really had me wondering, how does this even happen?! And how many times does it happen on smaller things that we may have overlooked? So, my suggestion, faithfully keep ALL of your receipts (even though it’s frustrating), and check your bill very carefully! Mistakes can (and do) happen…

7. OPT-OUT OF MAID SERVICE. When we checked into our resort, we were offered an immediate $60 gift card if we “opted-out” of maid service. Basically, telling them they didn’t have to make our beds daily (which, honestly, I preferred, since we could keep them fixed as we wanted them). They still came through and checked daily for security reasons…they still refilled our soaps, etc….they still took out the trash. (And honestly, they still sometimes made our beds, even when we told them not to). But, hey! We got an extra $60 to spend in the gift shops! If you’re given this option, take it! What’s not to lose?

Addison’s “Mickey” bed — it’s a child size murphy bed, and it was PERFECT for her!

8. PURCHASE THE MAGIC DISNEY PHOTO PASS. Our travel agent told us about this early on and added it to our package, so we knew in advance that we would be able to download high resolution images from ANY of the photographs taken by the cast members, so we took full advantage of it! We got amazing pictures (and even some videos!) of roller coaster rides, character meet/greets, shows, family pictures, and so much more. Of course, we had our phones for our own photographs, but it was so nice to let them “do their thing” with their high quality cameras and not feeling regret for not bringing my own. Each time they take a picture of anyone in your group (even if you aren’t together), they scan your magic band, and it “magically” appears in your Disney My Experience account for viewing and downloading. WIN!!

Addison’s first “big” rollercoaster — her picture looks concerned, but she said she loved it!

9. PRE-ORDER YOUR FOOD. I know I already touched on the whole dining thing, but many of the quick service meals can now be pre-ordered at Disney! When I saw this, my first thought was, “I won’t be doing that, because I won’t know when I’ll be there.” But oh, I was so wrong! You can pre-order at any time (the night before…or even when you just walk in and find the only available table and you don’t want to lose it)…pre-order from the app, tell them “I’m here, make my food”, and wait for it to magically appear! This is a LIFE-SAVER when you have kids, especially young ones! I’m hoping this catches on and even MORE restaurants offer it soon. But you can filter the restaurants on the Disney My Experience app to show the ones that do offer it (we did this often!). Because it is just SO convenient and stress-free. And for a mom with three kids at Disney World in one of the busiest times of the year, that means THE WORLD!

10. BE FLUID…GO WITH THE FLOW. I struggled to decide what would be my final “take-away” from this trip, but this was my husband’s one main take-away, and I felt that it was a very important one…one that helped us to enjoy our trip to the fullest! Buses don’t always arrive on schedule (actually, if they are on schedule, you should count that as magical!), weather isn’t predictable, health (or how exhausted you are) isn’t always what you expect, etc. Things happen. Life happens. It’s good to have a “suggested” plan for each day, but know that it’s just that…a suggestion. Sometimes, you need to leave early and take a nap, then return later. Sometimes, it’s best to sleep in instead of getting to early magic hours rope drop. Sometimes, you need a little extra time at the resort’s amazing pool/water park area. And sometimes, you need to take a late afternoon nap as a family, so you can enjoy the cool, breezy late extra magic hours that go til 1am (because even as typical “morning people”, this ended up being our favorite time of all due to the temperatures and lesser crowds)! Just be okay with change…when you don’t stress about it, the kids don’t stress about it, and you all have way more magical fun!

This is a “bonus” image from our Disney Photo Pass from one of our favorite shows!

Okay, I’m done. Well, not really, but I titled it the top 10, and I’m at 10 now, so I’m making myself stop for you. But, if you have questions, especially while it’s so fresh on my mind, let me know! I’m glad to share any of my “learning” with you. Maybe it’ll help in your future planning! And mine, too!! (Because I’ve already begged for a Mom/Dad only trip to Disney as an anniversary trip in the future…and he just loved that idea…haha…well, he didn’t…but he loves me, and that’s enough.)