Saratoga Springs | Disney

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It seems like only a moment ago I was writing THIS blog post about my sweet baby being born, but now, fast forward almost four years and she's a proper little child. 

 (I want to remember how little these leggies are forever)

I took these pictures thinking I was going to write a 'Baby OOTD' but when I looked closely, I realised all of these clothes are from last year and so if you wanted to buy any of them, you'd be pretty frustrated. I decided instead just to share some pictures of the resort we stayed at and have a little chat. 

(This little area was right outside our building -there are lots of different blocks of villas- and was the perfect spot of OOTD photography. Obviously if you're not a blogger, it was also a great spot for family photographs. I liked it a lot).

(I also like this little goober a lot too).

About six weeks ago, Disney invited our family to come and experience one of their holidays and despite having a subsequent holiday to the same destination with the BitsandClips family booked, we said yes- you can't say 'no' to Disney!!

We stayed at the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is modelled on a late 1800's New York retreat that was famous for it's horse racing and spas. Everywhere you go on the property there are nods to horses and I enjoyed that. It didn't feel at all like a kids hotel but at the same time, there were obvious elements of Disney, which as you can imagine, really pleased me. 

(Sweet chairs for sweet babies to watch films in the lobby whilst you check in or wait for taxis and transfers)

(Horsey! I thought this might be from Mary Poppins?)

 (I thought this was really cool. A little shaded area with picnic benches, a BBQ, lights and a fan. It was right by the pool and looked like the perfect place for a family get together or a small party. I love that those facilities were provided). 

(I love that even the pool had a horse racing theme and it looks so fun for kiddies. I had actually gone to PlaylistLive by the time Darcy had a play in here but Matt said she really enjoyed it).

(Darcy wasn't thrilled about being splashed in the face with the water springs but she did enjoy toddling round them all haha).

The villa we stayed in was a spacious one bedroomed apartment which a huge bath, separate shower and toilet room, patio area looking over the golf course, fully equipped kitchen and double pull out sofa bed for Darcy. It was very lovely. 

The property is huge, with several pools, places to eat to suit various budgets and a spa (which I didn't go to sadly). I wish I had had time to really wander around and learn more about the place and see it all but we were often rushing from one place to another and so time escaped us. 

Things I liked about Saratoga Springs :: 

♥ Everywhere felt REALLY clean, pristine and well cared for. 

♥ When you arrive in the lobby, the man opening the door or the people on front desk say, 'Welcome Home'. It's weird at first but then it feels really nice. 

♥ It was a haven of pastel colours- pinks and creams and sages as far as the eye could see. 

♥ The lobby had little tiny 'fancy' chairs in for little tiny 'fancy' people to sit in and watch films. 

♥ The gardens were well tended and just felt really pretty. 

♥ The little food shop was a welcome addition. 

♥ The ease of getting to all the parks using the free bus service.

I will be uploading all my Disney vlogs over the next few days (since it's only 8 days until we go back haha!) so you will of course see more of the resort, including a full apartment tour. 

Have you ever stayed at Saratoga Springs? What did you think? We were gifted our week's stay there but haven't been paid to write this post or say nice things, I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. 

Coming up next -

Holiday OOTD's

Disney Design Love

Disney World Photo Dump

Hollywood Studios

Travelling With Toddlers

Eating At Disney

Toodlepip!

xx

Amazing Advertisers || February 2015

Aloha Sprinklerinos, 

I do believe Spring is in the air and this pleases me muchly. And what better way to introduce the sunshine than with some cracking monthly advertisers! I hope you're all cosy, perhaps with a snack or two ready because it's a long'un. Enjoy! 

Source

The Crown Wings 

The Crown Wings is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog written by Jessica, she’s quite the brainbox don’t cha know? If there’s a vintage market, an accessory sale or a trove of shiny treasures, Jessica will be there to blog about it all. As well as blogging about her fashion finds and love of all things sparkly, Jessica writes in depth, helpful reviews on beauty and skincare products. I feel there is no facemask that has not had the luxury of being placed upon Jessica’s beautiful face, she’s reviewed them all I tell ya! If you too are a beauty lover then Crown Wings is your muse.

Franco Florenzi

Ahoy there sailor! Or sailor accessory loving guy or gal, I’ve found a treasure trove of nautical galore. Franco Florenzi is a jewellery boutique specialising in watches and bracelets ideal for the sea lover, either man or woman. The watches are simple yet classic and the leather rope bracelets would make the perfect gift for those who prefer the casual yet sophisticated dressed down attire. Should you be in the market for said bracelet or a watch for the man in your life then give Franco Florenzi a gander!

Dear You, Love Em

Dear You, Love Em is a lifestyle blog written by long term advertiser and smiler, Emily. Dear You, Love Em is a feel good blog and if I’m after an escape for a little while to somewhere sunnier then the Aussie seaside, Emily’s optimistic attitude and beautiful writing is the perfect combination for a blog getaway. Recently Emily wrote a post about what she had learnt in her 20’s and it was so relatable that I could have written it myself. Thank you Emily for uniting us 20 somethings and advising the youngsters on their life journey and what to expect. I thoroughly recommend a read.

Get The Skinny 

Get The Skinny is a fitness blog written by beautiful gal and body confidence promoter, Tara. As well as writing about her own personal journey with fitness, Tara offers advice to others, creates recipes for a happy, healthy tummy as well as offering reviews on all the sportswear you can imagine, from finding the best trainers to the most supportive sports bra. If you too are a fitness loving gal or would like more information on all things exercise, then I would definitely hop on over and take some advice from Tara, she knows her stuff!

Sisterhood of the Travelling Wags

What a cracker of a blog! You only have to read about these fun gals briefly and their slightly tipsy story of becoming friends to fall in love with them and their antics. Sisterhood of the Travelling Wags is a lifestyle blog written by friends Aleks and Sophie and they’re a hoot I tell ya! With honesty being the best policy, Aleks and Sophie will offer you advice from controlling those shopping urges, to how to keep that sexual spark alive in the bedroom (oo err.) Their blog is simply fun and fabulous and I’ve found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion when having a scroll through old posts.

 Darling Dee Dee

Darling Dee Dee is a long time advertiser with Sprinkle of Glitter and each month Dee produces the most beautiful content you ever did see on her beauty blog. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Dee has a talent for blogging and photography which makes for some impressive reviews and a space on the interwebs which makes my eyes swoon, and my beauty shopping list longer and longer after each visit. I also love that Dee reviews a wide range of brands and products, there’s something for everyone and as always, I insist you have a browse for yourself.

The What Now Blog

The What Now Blog is written by Louise, a lifestyle blogger with enthusiasm for work, opportunity and life in general. The What Now Blog offers inspirational posts for all as well as a refreshing positive outlook for when life becomes a little mundane and sad. Similarly, if you’re at a loss and not sure where your life is heading in certain aspects, Louise has advice for that too! From travel to work and dressing for your job, Louise knows it all! Should you be in need of some inspiration or opportunity then look no further than The What Now Blog.

Olivia Power

Youtuber Olivia does what she says on the tin, she just wants to make people smile. Olivia posts a variety of videos to her Youtube channel twice weekly and the variety is quite refreshing! From humorous rants to baby hedgehog reactions, Olivia has it all and her passion for Youtube and making people smile is quite apparent in her videos. She also has lovely long glossy hair, mmm. Why not make Olivia smile and send a view or two her way? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled!

Sweet Tea and Storms 

Sweet Tea and Storms is quite the swanky little blog! It is a fashion and lifestyle blog written by Mikayla, an avid photographer and all round beautiful gal. Mikayla is a fabulous lady with a contagious smile and love of life, her ventures are fun, her culinary skills are quite something and best of all, she’s a self-confessed Jesus and Country music loving kinda gal. If you too are a young gal studying your way through life whilst having fun and taking a few snaps along the way, then you should befriend Mikayla, or at lease show Sweet Tea and Storms some love.

SilverSpoon London

Ooh we’ve got a gallivanting blogger amongst us and she’s a good’un! Angie, a London based lifestyle and travel blogger shares her glorious and exotic adventures with us through her blog, SilverSpoon London, and they’re b-e-a-utiful. Not to mention Angie’s snaps of her travels are equally lovely and have my itching to find my passport. I love Angie’s free spirit and desires to try different things. She and her husband and friends are fine diners, world travellers and an all-round lovely bunch! Take a peek at the corners of the world Angie has visited, they’re divine!

Miya Embroidering 

Ooh swanky swanky alert!! I've a completely unique advertiser for you lovely lot this month and I think you'll be pleased as punch with what Miya Emoridering has to offer in the form of their beautifully crafted and kooky handbags. If you've got a taste for colour and pompoms (everyone loves a cheeky pompom or two) then look no further than Miya Embroidering. The bags come in a variety of forms, from rucksacks to totes so there is something for everyone! Go on, have a gander. 

Gee whizz! What a crackin' bunch of blogs we've had this month! Which has been your favourite? 

Toodlepip! 

xx

I Have A Growing Addiction and Fitting Into A Size A5

Hello All. I'm here with a confession for you today. Yes, as the title of the post today says, I have a growing addiction. The sad part about it... I have no desire to stop the addiction. Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram are all enabling me to feed my addiction. Now, if you follow me on Instagram, you may already know what my growing addiction is. If not, let me give you a hint.

And my last hint for you, a sneak peek at my desk.

Can you guess now? I have discovered the whole planner community and the love of decorating your planner. Let me tell you, it is so addicting. Everything is so pretty and girly and pleasing to the eye. You almost can help but to want to make your planner look pretty too. And since I create and offer printable planners on my blog, it was just a matter of time before I discovered this community.  I'm just surprised I didn't find them sooner! Why didn't you guys find me first!!!!

As I've been perusing all the pretty pictures, I've noticed that a large part of the community uses the Filofax system, specifically the A5 size. So guess what... I'm please to let you know that the 2015 Uncluttered Lifestyle Planner can now be downloaded in a compatible A5 size.

Yes, that's right, I didn't want to anyone to feel left out!

 

NEW!!! [Click HERE to download a free copy] - A5 Size

All, of the printables will eventually be released in A5 size... so stay tuned. Till next time.

DIY Kitchen Drawer Divider Project

I have a secret the share will everyone today... you ready? When we moved into our condo a few years ago, I instantly set about organizing all kitchen. Oh yes, the cabinets looked good and the "majority" of the drawers looked good. Wait, did  I just say the majority? Yes, I did. You see there there were two drawers in particular that proved to be my nemeses. 

My first nemesis came in the form of my silverware drawer. I have searched high and low for a drawer organizer that is narrow enough to fit the 17 3/4" x 9 5/8" x 4" drawer. However, I never found one narrow enough with a configuration that I liked. So this what we've been living with... and when the Mister constantly complains about it being too messy for him, you know it's time to address the situation.

So I decided to DIY an organizer and defeat my nemeses. But I had two criteria, they were must be removable because this is a rental and must be cute to look at. Then I remembered I had some cute Contact paper stashed away in my hoarder closet and my idea was born. I was going to use foam core board covered in the contact paper to build it. 

Supplies:

- Form Core Board

- Contact Paper

- Measure Tape

- X-Acto Knife

- Ruler (for straight edge)

- Hot Glue Gun (not picture) 

First, I emptied and cleaned out the drawer.

Next I measured and lined the bottom of the drawer and laid out the silverware for placement. Can you see how narrow it is... so frustrating.

Before I cut the foam core I had to measure the depth of the drawer to make sure I didn't cut the sides to high. 

I didn't take any pictures of the cutting part or covering the foam core with the paper, but that's pretty simple and self explanatory, I think.

Here my gorgeous drawer now... looooooove it!

I did run a bead of hot glue down the seams of the dividers for sturdiness.

Now it was time to take out my other nemesis... the utensil drawer.

 Following the same order as the first drawer, I emptied and cleaned it out. This time, I needed to go through all my utensils and even discard a few. Who really needs 4 sets of measuring cups and 4 sets of measuring spoons? Next I played with the configuration before I cut my pieces. (Side point: I hate those knobs, I should think about changing them.)

And here is the final outcome... as you can see I played around with the configuration a few times before I was satisfied. But alas the final nemesis has been defeated!

I was already happy with this project but as I sit here and type this post my smile is getting bigger. It just occured to me how inexpensive this DIY project really was. The form core was $2.50 for the sheet and I still have half of it left. The roll of 18"x 24' (yes, 24 feet) Contact paper was $6.00 and I barely put a dent in it. Hmmm... let's do the math on this one. It would be $1.25 for the foam core. The Contact paper equates to .25/foot, I used about 3.5 feet. So that's .88 cents plus 1.25 for a grand total of $2.13 for two organized drawers?!?!

Makes me wonder what else can I organize with this method?

Surviving This Cold Season... And A Natural Disaster

I don't know about where you live, but here in California the cold and flu season has been a nightmare. It seems most people I know have been dealing with a fever and a nasty cough for several days. I thought I was going to make it through the season without catching anything. Buuuuuut.... Mr. UC brought the bug home and refusing to quarantine himself, spread his germs all around the house. And low and behold, it was then my turn, but I think I'm finally on the uptick.

But while I was trying to survive this little nasty bug, the mister brought home, I was also preparing for our family to survive a potential natural disaster. Living in California, there is one natural disaster that is constantly in the back of my mind... earthquakes. In the last year, California has had 6,930 earthquakes and add to it, the fact that we live in a flood zone, you can see our need to be prepared. 

 Let me introduce to you a little nine page handbook I created to use as a quick reference guide.

I scoured various websites to gather tidbits I thought would be helpful, because lets be honest, I'm no survival expert. Other than watching a lot of survival shows and commenting, "I would never eat that" or "Nope I'll never visit there," that's as far as my survival expertise goes. I mean seriously, there's no way I'll be in the Costa Rican jungle having to eat half of the creatures they put in their mouths. I am way to scary and way to picky for that. But alas, I do live in earthquake country and in a flood zone.

Sigh, I digress... the bottomline is, I am no expert.  I needed some help preparing this guide now so I don't have to hunt rodents in the future to survive on. Ok ok, now back to the guide.

In this handy little guide; it addresses water storage.

  

It addresses food storage. 

It tells you how to build your own first aid kit.

 

 It also gives suggestions on what to include in your family's survival kit.

And finally it has a checklist of everything I will include in our kit.

A few of the websites suggested creating a survival kit for your car and workplace. The truth of the matter is, you never know where you will be when disaster strikes. You could be in your car and if you live in an area where it snows there's a greater need for you to have a kit in your car.

Also, if you or a family member leaves the home for work, you should have kit at the workplace. The workplace kit should have enough in it to get you home, if you have to walk.

Lastly because many of us have furry four-legged family members, there is a survival kit list for them as well.

As soon as our kits are fully assembled I will share pics with you.

If you are interested in our little guidebook, please click {here} to download.


Till next time...

Red Breakfast Part Two

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my previous tasty toasty blog post! Yay for us, it's time for the second one!

Warbutons are currently working in partnership with the British Heart Foundation to support their 'Wear It. Beat It.' campaign and as part of that, 5p from the sale of each loaf is donated to help. To encourage you all to be part of such a great idea, this blog post is going to show you two more ideas to tantalise the taste buds and hopefully inspire you to host your own Red Breakfast and open up the discussion about family heart health and maintaining a healthy heart. 

Like last time, I have opted for one sweet and one savoury- I'm sure you can imagine which one Baby Glitter liked best!

Strawberries and Honey Wholemeal Toast

Baby Glitter was thrilled with this little treat. The idea of sliced strawberries seemed like such a novelty to her and with it being pretty healthy, I was happy to oblige. 

To Make :

Toast your wholemeal bread. Slice strawberries and place, drizzle honey over and if you're feeling wild, sprinkle some chopped nuts on top. Hurrah!

Tip :

After washing the strawberries, give them a little blot with some kitchen roll to stop your bread going soggy. 

Salsa and Spicy Cheese Wholemeal Toast

As a fan of all things savoury, this I think was my favourite of all four recipes. 

To Make :

Toast your wholemeal bread. Layer on fresh salsa, strips of spicy chili cheese, sprinkle red onions for an extra kick and garnish with coriander. Tada!

Tip :

This probably didn't need the onion, I just love it and could eat it on everything. Proceed with caution haha. 

I hope these ideas have given you a smidgen of inspiration and will help you on your way to buying a loaf of break, hosting your own Red Breakfast and helping support The British Heart Foundation. If you would like further information or the chance to win a Red Breakfast kit, check out the Warburtons Facebook Page!

Toodlepip!

xx

Allergy Advice - This product contains wheat, gluton, soya and is produced in a bakery which used milk, sesame seeds and barley. 

This blog post is sponsored by Warburtons.