A Very Glittery Birthday

I'm so excited to share the pictures of Kenzie's party! Here's what you'll see below: 

Glitter forks

Glitter vases

Glitter cups

Glitter filled balloons

Glittery banners

Glittery cakes

A darling little babe all in blue

And one happy momma :)

So I went overboard, I get that. But what better time to get carried away celebrating then for your baby's first birthday?! And also, LOOK AT ALL THE GLITTER! 

It was such a fun day and I'm so grateful for the family and friends who supported my glitter obsession and came to celebrate with us! 

Seriously, all of it just makes my heart happy. And I'm already planning birthday party number two. Kidding! 

Till next year! 

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July! 

Disney World With a Baby

This post is a little late, but better late than never, right?! 

Last month we went to Disney World, which is seriously one of my very favorite places! Kenzie was so happy in her stroller at the parks and completely entertained seeing new places and people watching. She loved the parks, which made me love the trip.

This was her second time going to Disney World, which has four different parks, and the whole time I kept mentally making a list of advice I would give to other moms going with a baby. Does anyone else do this?

I kind of laughed at myself, then thought, wait, I really am going to make a list of advice! My list is small, but I think these things could made the difference between an exhausting day at the parks or an awesome day at the parks!

This list could work for Disneyland too, or really, any amusement park. So without further ado, here is my advice!

Take the big stroller
Wondering what stroller to take, the big one or the small one? I've done both. The umbrella stroller is lightweight and great for travel, but not my favorite for the parks. If I'm going to commit to a stroller for hours upon hours, I want to have my big, sturdy, stuff-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-in-the-bottom stroller. Plus I wanted Kenzie to be as comfy as possible and have a little tray for her sippy cup and snacks.

Bring snacks
Speaking of snacks, Gerber baby puffs were awesome for keeping Kenzie happy. I would sprinkle some on her little stroller tray and she was content for a long time. I also brought yogurt bites, which she loves. We took a lot of baby food breaks, but I thought both the puffs and yogurt bites were a great, quick, non-messy snack for her to eat in her stroller.

Take a lot of snacks for you, too! At the end of the day you have literally walked for miles around the park. A small lunch isn't going to cut it. I bring trail mix, grapes, tons of water water bottles, cookies, and anything else that will give me energy to play all day. 

Take a Break

Nap time can be a little tricky to navigate at the parks. But I have to say, it's always best to leave during the hottest part of the day, which tends to also be the most crowded time of day. The combination of the two can lead to a big baby meltdown. And possibly a mommy one too.

So definitely leave! Go back to your hotel for a nice break. You can eat lunch, rest, let your baby take a nap, or go swimming. We did all four. When we got back to the parks I felt refreshed, Kenzie was happy, and we had such a good evening! 

Go on all the baby-friendly rides

Okay, if you're worried that there aren't baby attractions, don't be, there are tons. Not only that, Disney offers a rider's swap pass that lets parents take turns riding attractions. But if you're wondering what rides your baby can go on Disney World, here are a few:

Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
The Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan
Midway Mania (Toy Story ride)
Winnie the Pooh
Little Mermaid
It's a Small World
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Finding Nemo
Spaceship Earth
Kilimanjaro Safaris

There are so many more throughout the parks, but that gives you an idea. Plus are a lot of little play areas and a splash zones that's great for babies and toddlers (once they can walk or hold themselves up).

If I left anything out that you would suggest for Disney parks with a baby, let me know!

Also, most of these pics are from the resort we stayed at, Disney's Port Orleans. As you can tell, we took a lot of swim breaks, considering most of the pictures are at the pool :) And the carriage is the real carriage from Disney's new Cinderella film! How cool is that?

The fun swimsuits are from Radswim.com. I love their suits so much and it was so fun to match with Kenzie! 

My First Film Role

Last month I got to be in a short LDS film called Alberta's Story, and it was such a cool experience!

I grew up taking acting classes, but I only did extra work (background actors) and theater. So this year I jumped back into the acting world and began auditioning for different Utah films.

The whole experience of auditioning is crazy, and scary, and exhilarating, and fun. It seriously pushes you out of your comfort zone. If you want to get a role, you have to be bursting with personality and show that you are willing to work really hard.

A few weeks ago I got an email from my acting agency about an audition for an LDS short film. I sent in a video submission, got a call back, and then met with the writer and director of the film for the final callbacks. Not long after I received the good news that literally made me do a happy dance at 11:30 at night, even after an exhausting day with my baby. I got a role! Wahoo!

The film is based on a true story about a family and their experiences with family on the other side of the veil. I was so grateful that my first credit role was working on an uplifting movie about family. I play the midwife who delivers the baby! And that was interesting trying to figure out how to best portray that role.

On my way to set, I was sooooo nervous. I started second guessing myself and kind of freaking out because it all felt so foreign to me. But once I got on set, my nerves calmed. I met some of the cast and crew and was so relieved how kind everyone was.

One of my favorite parts was going into the hair and make-up trailer and getting "camera ready." Even though the hair and make-up for the film was supposed to be simple, the actors still had to wear a lot more make-up for the cameras than they normally would. The make-up artist put my hair into a fishtail braid and airbrushed my make-up on (side note, airbrush make-up is insanely awesome). Then she sent me to set!

I wish I had taken more pictures of everything, but I'll be honest, I was scared! One of the most important things in the acting world is being professional. And as much as I wanted to run around and snap pictures of the actors, director, and set--I didn't want to get in the way or distract people. I was just happy to be a part of everything!

The film premiere will be in Utah, and from there it will be submitted to different film festivals, which is really cool. I can't wait to see the finished product. I'll post more about the premiere when it happens!

Hair by Gaia Hair and Make Up Artistry

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This week I got to visit my cute friend Cassandra to freshen up my highlights. While she round brushed my hair, I decided to film the whole process. It takes forever and it's so much work! But it's fun to watch the whole video sped up, and I absolutely love how it turned out! Make sure and check out Gaia hair and make up artistry in Draper! 

Catch a Wave!

I have SUPER naturally wavy hair and every once in a while I like to embrace the waves and let my hair go crazy! (And by crazy I mean get as much volume and wave as possible). Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your natural wave! 

Tips for voluminous natural waves

*Flip hair on each side of your head and upside down while blow drying 

*Lift up roots with your opposite hand while blow drying near your part

*Use shine serum with your favorite curling product to eliminate frizz

*Continually curl the ends of your hair with your hand or "scrunch" while blow drying

I made a little video tutorial below if you want to see how I created these waves. 

P.s. Don't forget to dance to "I whip my hair" by Willow Smith afterward just for fun ;) 

Just for Fun Friday--Cinderella Inspired Shoot

Okay, so I've been pretty excited for Cinderella to come out. Here are the reasons why:

*It's a clean, lighthearted fairy tale (yes, please)

*It stars Lily James from Downton Abbey (I love her!)

*It's full of pretty gowns and beautiful cinematography 

I'll be honest, I decided months ago that I wanted to do a Cinderella inspired shoot! If you know me, you know I l-o-v-e dressing up. Halloween, my birthday, a movie, Flag Day--I' will find any excuse! It's just too fun. So since I already had the blue dress and the dreamy location, there was nothing else left to do but dress up! I mean, if the shoe fits, am I right?

P.s. after this shoot I found this gem from when I was little!