Good morning friends, it's the black friday of online shopping- CYBER MONDAY!

Who prefers shopping from the comfort of your own home? In your pjs? With a cup of coffee? Ok, then you're exactly like me and here are some hot deals that I found online for today! Happy Shopping.

1.| Gap

50% off with code: CYBER

extra 10% off with code: TREAT

$25 in cash back for every $50 you spend

 8% cash back with Ebates 

Plus Free Shipping

2.| J. Crew

40% Off any Order

+ extra 10% off today only

 10% cash back with Ebates 

Plus Free Shipping

code: SHOPFAST

Top Picks

Milk & Cookies Pajamas

Girls mock-neck Sweater

3.| Etsy 

 2% cash back with Ebates 

Favorite Etsy Shops

Camryn Girl Handmade

30% off the shop today

+ holiday gift wrapping option

Chalk Homes

The Sassy Barn Boutique

20% off today no code needed

4.| UGG

Up to 60% off select UGG styles in the UGG Closet

10% cash back with Ebates 

5.| Nordstrom Rack

30% Off Clearance

50% flash sale on smashbox

Plus Free Shipping

2% cash back with Ebates 

6.| L'OCCITANE 

 20% off sitewide with code: CYBER

Free Shipping over $49

The first holiday gift guide I'm going to share includes items from one of my favorite companies to buy things for the kids, Land of Nod . I love their style, their curated items and this own exclusives. They rarely run big sales but for Cyber Monday they are running a 20% off of everything + Free Shipping deal!

- Plan Toys Mini Balancing Cactus || - Pocket Etch-A-Sketch || - Fingernail Friends at the Zoo || Little Paint Pods Kids Watercolor Kit - Little Paint Pods Watercolor || Lion Baby Rattle - Lion Love Handle Rattle || - Plan Toys Mini Construction Set || - Plan Toys Triceratops Dinosaur Car

- Chewbeads Baby Silicone Links || - Fisher Price Chatter Phone || - Melissa and Doug All American USA Floor Puzzle || Grimm's Little Pink Wobbly Stacker || - Ice Cream Matching Game || Little People, Big Dreams - Audrey Hepburn

A year ago we moved our oldest two girls into a room together, we bought them bunk beds and crossed our fingers that they would adjust well to the change. Up until that time they had their own rooms and space, they were great sleepers and we worried we were tempting fate. But- there was a new baby on the way and she was getting the nursery. Everything went smoothly and now they love sharing a room (Charlotte will cry if ava is away for the night and not home). And after a year the room still looked like 'Ava's room'-- I had decorated for her when she was a toddler, all of her favorite things had a place, it's the wall color she had helped pick out, and there were just photos of her hanging on the wall. 

So, over the past few weeks I've been on a mission to create more of a shared space, equal to the both of them. I finally finished their wall collage that I started months ago and we love our new interchangeable wall art from Flipside Prints! It's fun, easy to install and the combination possiblities are endless because there is a image printed on both sides-- all you have to do is flip the board on the magnetic strip. Two of our favorite print collections are the Beautiful Blooms and the Mythical Unicorns Collection. The girls love picking which ones they want hanging up for the day.

Flipside Prints Mission Statement: Our mission has always been simple: create bright, imaginative wall art that is wonderfully easy to change, so parents can match their growing kids' changing taste

Check out Flipside for all of their creative art pieces, including their Jingle All The Way Christmas set! 

Other Room Details:

White Bunk Beds || Matteresses || Dresser (IKEA - discontinued) || Bedding Set ||  Sheets || Wall Flower

Hello Friends!

I decided to start a new series of blog posts highlighting some of my favorite small shops. The first shop in this series that I'm going to share with you is Teeny Weeny Toys, they have a home base of Dubuque, Iowa. This is a husband and wife team, Kayla & Chisum-- they run a brick & mortar store as well as an online shop. Their shop features a wide array of classic wooden peg dolls, custom peg doll sets, wooden blocks, wooden stackers, wooden buses, firetrucks and lace up toys. They have also recently added Babylit books to their site! The classic princess set will be under our Christmas tree this year, no doubt. [Also, if you're  a Harry Potter fan you really need to check out this shop!]

The family behind the brand: 
Chisum is the wood worker and numbers guys, he grew up in Dubuque and spent 5 years in the US Marine Corps as a Weather Forecaster and then finished he business degree. He pours a lot of time into cutting out and sanding each piece of the toys, his favorite is the wooden car. Kayla is the artist and marketer for Teeny Weeny, she went from teaching preschool to forecasting the weather in the US Marine Corps to becoming a full time student, mom and small business owner. Kayla is passionate about early childhood development and raising creative and caring children. Kayla's favorite toy is the Rainbow Family color sorting set. They have two sweet children, Zoey and Charlie. Play is how children learn so it is their passion to creative toys to spark imagination with classic style to butter innate desire to play.

Mission Statement:

Teeny Weeny Toys are inspired by the basics with the goal of cultivation creative and imaginative play. Because we believe that play is the key to a better world.

|| Q&A ||

Why did you decide to start your small shop?
I started making wooden toys for my daughter as a creative outlet. I studied Early Childhood Education and have always loved the simplicity, beauty and nurturing qualities of wooden toys. Soon my friends and family were asking for toys and thats when I decided to try my hand at starting a small shop on Etsy.

How long have you been in business?
We have been in business for close to 3 years! The shop has grown to a website and now a brick & mortar location. Each time we take another step its like jumping off a really high diving board; you’re nervous and excited and slightly terrified-but you just have to take the chance.

How do you balance home life and running your store?
Honest answer- I don’t. I struggle every day with trying to balance all of the hats I wear and there are days I just cant hold it together. I want to be there for my kids and be the mom they need at this important part of their lives, but I also want to be an individual person. Im learning how to achieve this a little more every day.

Can you describe your customers?
My customers are intelligent and creative individuals who care a lot about the little ones in their lives.  I’m so happy when I get to meet them in person. The children we meet are just so full of life and imagination, you can tell they have a lot to give the world.

Happy Monday, friends!

This morning I'm sharing my favorite bread recipe. This is something that I've really had to work at because for some reason it's taking me a reallllll long 'hot minute' to figure out working with dough. I've tried so many different recipes and then finally I just gave up- either I couldn't get the dough to come together, couldn't get it to rise, and the list went on, and after many trials and errors, I discovered that my water was too hot in most cases. So, when I found a recipe for Dutch Oven Bread I decided to give it one more try. It's no secret that I love my le creuset dutch oven; it's probably my most favorite kitchen item and I use it for so many things. I read and reread the directions a thousand times and although this recipe only has 4 ingredients I knew for sure that I would screw it all up. But, surprise, surprise I actually had my first successful loaf of bread sitting on my counter the next day. It was like the heavens opened up and angels were singing and the first bite didn't disappoint. This particular loaf of bread has earned a spot as a staple in our home and I love gifting it to friends and taking it to holiday gatherings. Last year for Thanksgiving I made a rosemary, olive oil, and sea salt variation and served it with a homemade whipped herb butter.

So, even if you think you can't make a specific recipe turn out right just keep on trying because I'm sure you will eventually be successful!

Happy Friday friends!

I am loving all of the velvet and corduroy that has come back for this season, also the colors! The colors are so good this season. Here are a few things that I'm {crush}ed on when it comes to velvet. 

1.| Shoes

Girls -  Velvet Sparkle Chelsea Boots

Women - Velvet Sneakers

2.| Dresses

Girls - Crushed Velvet Cutout Dress [on sale]

Women - Strappy Back Dress

3.| Tops

Girls - Freshman Peplum Tee [on sale]

Women - Peplum Top with Sleeves 

[use code: thehessgirls10 for 20% off]

4.| Lounge

Kimono Robe

Chill Leggings [on sale]

5.| Home

Washed Throw Pillow

[use code HERO for 15% off]

Oversized Plush Throw

[use code VETSDAY and QUICK15]

[THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS]

Hello friends!

We have a Disney vacation booked for this coming February. We plan to celebrate two special life events while there, the one is still under wraps (top secret) and the other will be Naomi's first birthday. My parents love to spoil the girls and take them every two years, this will be Ava's third trip, Charlotte's second and Naomi's first. I grew up going to Disney World but not quite as often. We went every 5 years starting at age 5, that being said I've definitely picked up more tips and tricks since we started taking the girls along. I honestly wish we knew a few of the things that we know now, such as how to get the most of out the parks, our resort and the dining plan. Over the next three months as we plan and finalize our itinerary I thought I would share our favorite dining spots, our favorite Disney hacks, even my touring plans that I spend hours pouring time into so I can make our trip extra special. I know, I know A LOT of people are thinking just book the trip, get there, go to the parks and just wing it. Well, I'm not a 'just wing it' kind of girl. First of all, a Disney vacation is pricey so I want to make sure we maximize our time and money while hitting up all of the attractions that are perfect for our girl's ages. 

Because the Disney website is only now starting to release the showtimes and schedules for our week there and we still under 30 days before we can pick our FastPass+ selections my touring plans are not complete just yet. So, today I'll share with you something that is 100% booked- our dining reservations! We include the dining plan on our trips because we find it to be easier, there are some people that like the dining plan and then there are some people that don't think it's worth it. But we think it's worth it because we like to visit some of the unique dining selections that can get expensive outside of a plan. We also maximize the plan to the best of our ability and there are new benefits rolling out for the meal plan in 2018.

For those who are unfamiliar with the dining plans here is what the 'Standard Disney Dining Plan' includes, each person on the meal plan will receive credits for the following, per day of your stay: 

• One table service entrée, dessert (lunch and dinner only), OR full buffet
• One quick service meal, including entrée OR combo meal
• Two snacks from a wide variety of options
• One Resort refillable drink mug per person, per package
• AND NEW FOR 2018: Guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage with their Quick Service and Table Service meal (including specialty beverages — i.e. Artisanal Milk Shakes,  Fresh Smoothies, Premium Hot Chocolates, or Soda, Coffee or Tea — where offered). Guests 21 and older can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) within their meal entitlement.

Our Dining Schedule:

Day One
(Hollywood Studios)

Table Service Credit- 8:05 AM reservation at Trattoria al Forno for the Bon Voyage Character Breakfast with Ariel, Prince Eric, Rapunzel & Flynn Rider. This particular restaurant is located on Disney's BoardWalk. We chose this because it's the newest character meal available and Ava is obsessed with Rapunzel (we missed seeing her on our last trip and Ava hasn't let me forget it). Our first full day just happens to be at Hollywood Studios so this will work out perfectly because you can take a boat from the BoardWalk to Hollywood. I've heard such wonderful things about the food selections and presentation, they offer a frittata with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, onions, potatoes and Pecorino Romano cheese. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes with bacon or sausage. A breakfast calzone with scrambled eggs, cured meat and a blend of cheeses stuffed in an oven-baked dough and served with Sunday gravy. Also seasonal fruit and freshly baked pastries including specialty pastries inspired by the movies for the table. We can't wait to try it!

Bon Voyage Character Breakfast @ Trattoria al Forno

Quick Service Credit - D-Luxe Burger at the new Disney Springs. Since it won't take us a full day to get through Hollywood Studios (most of the park is currently shut down because they are building TOY STORY LAND - opening 2019) we decided we will grab a bus and spend the second part of our day at Disney Springs. Disney Springs was still under constrution that last time we were visiting and I can not wait to see the finished project because I hear it's shopping heaven sprinkled with foodie delights. I picked D-Luxe Burger to try because while we do make sure to work in TONS of princess-themed meals we try and remember we have men traveling with us-- they are much more inclined to do what we want to do if we ocassionally feed them burgers and beers.

D - Luxe Burger

Day Two
(Magic Kingdom)

Table Service Credit- 11:45 AM reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom. I haven't eaten at this particular resturant since my first trip to Disney at age five. While the food and atmosphere are incredible we have always shyed away from dining here because it requires two table service credits. But, Charlotte is our Cinderella obessed child so we decided to give up an extra one of those precious credits and dine here for lunch. They also plan to shut down the restaurant for refurbishment from Feb 28th until April of this year so we will get there just in time! Charlotte is a lucky little girl that the timing worked out in her favor. This is also the day that the girls have their appointments at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique so at 8 am that morning they will be transformed into their favorite princesses, Ava as Rapunzel and Charlotte...yeah, you guessed it- Cinderella!

Cinderella's Royal Table

Quick Service Credit - we are going to try out one of two places we haven't dined at before for our dinner, Pinocchio Village Haus or Columbia Harbour House. I've heard lots of good reviews about both locations on the disney food blog and they are both in the perfect location for us to stop and nosh at before we make our way out to Main Street USA to grab a spot to sit to catch the new Happily Ever After fireworks display.


Day Three
(Magic Kingdom)

Quick Service Credit - 9:00 AM reservation at Be Our Guest (Beasts Castle) while this is a quick service option it is unique in the way that you still need a reservation. It's extremely hard to land one and some guests feel that the food is mediocre BUT the experience and the detail featured in this restaurant make it all worth it. You also order your food selections before you arrive, and once you are seated your meals are delivered right to you.

[Dining Tip] if you book a reservation in a park at a time before the park opens then they allow you in 'before rope drop'. When you finish your meal you can walk around the empty(ish) park and even jump in line for a ride like the Seven Dwarfs Mine train before the wait time skyrockets to 120+ mintues.

Be Our Guest

Table Service Credit - 6:45 PM reservation at Boatwright's Dining Hall located at our resort- Port Orleans Riverside. A lot of the resorts have awesome dining options and they are often overlooked. When we decided to stay at Port Orleans Riverside instead of Polynesian I was worried that we would miss out of some great resort dining but surprise, surprise Boatwrights comes highly recommended. I'm excited to try the Gumbo! Since we plan to keep our second Magic Kingdom day on the shorter side it will be nice to head back late afternoon, change, dine, bathe the kids and have them in bed early so we can hit the ground running the next morning.

Day Four
(Resort / Disney Springs)

Quick Service Credit - breakfast or lunch at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory while swimming at the French Quater Pools. We decided to have one down day at the resort, its something we've talked about doing in the past two trips and just never made the time for it. Since we have three little girls in tow and some jam-packed park days we thought we would be nice to have a rest day to rejuvenate. The Floatwork's is Mardi Gras themed, recently refurbished and supposed to have a ton of great food options.

Splitsville Luxury Lanes

Table Service Credit- 5:15 PM dinner and bowling reservations at Splitsville Luxury Lanes located at Disney Springs. Since there is so much to see at the new Disney Springs we decided that we would grab a boat from our resort and head back there to finish off our relaxing day. We've never checked out Splitsville before and we thought about how fun would it be to take the girls bowling! Ava went with her class last year and loved it. They have booths located at the bowling lanes so you can bowl and eat at the same time- which I think is a wonderful option and I can't wait to try it out.

Day Five
(Animal Kingdom)

Table Serivce Credit - 1:05 PM lunch reservation at the Tusker House for the Donald Duck Safari Character Buffet. In my opinon this is one of the best (there are many) characther meals offered on the Disney World grounds. Not because of the characters, while they are great but because of the food options! It's all so delicous and flavorful, a buffet style meal- one that I may have gone back up to visit several times last time. Also, we make sure to schedule this meal while we are in Africa hitting up the Safari Ride and catching The Festival of the Lion King show.

Tusker House

Quick Service Credit - there are SO many great quick service options in the Animal Kingdom, my two favorite spots are Yak & Yeti™ Local Food Cafes and Harambe Market. The attention to detail in these locations are incredible. I can never decide where I'm going to eat until I am actually there- also, you can't go wrong with Flame Tree Barbecue.

Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes

Day Six
(Epcot)

OK, guys! Epcot is my FAVORITE day. It's an adult foodie haven. I'll probably save a bunch of my snack credits just to use on this day because, well-- the stuff is just that good all around the World Showcase.

Quick Service Credit - Katsura Grill - We have tried many food options around the World Showcase, and most never disappoint except for in the American Pavilion, they are pretty basic with burgers and such. The one Pavilion we constantly overlook is the Japan Pavilion. But I've read rave reviews about Katsura Grill so we are going to give that a shot this trip! Sushi, Teriyaki, Plum Wine & Green Tea Cheesecake anyone?

Katsura Grill

Table Service Credit - Rose & Crown Dining Room located in the United Kingdom Pavilion of the World Showcase. Ok, first of all, friends do not waste a FastPass+ for the "Illuminations fireworks showing area' it's not worth it- save those for Mission Space, Soarin' & Test Track or Frozen! There are two amazing spots in the park to catch the fireworks, and if you time just right and request to be seated on the patio you can enjoy them from a front-row seat while they set them off over the pond. The two locations to dine at during Illuminations are Rose & Crown or La Hacienda de San Angel in the Mexico Pavilion.

Rose & Crown Pub

And that's it, folks, for our dining plans anyway! I have many, many more favorites so if you have any questions just ask! We try and switch up or restaurants picks on each trip to talior our wants and needs for that partilcar vacation. I'll do another post featuring my favorite snack picks and what items have made it onto my 'must try' list for this upcoming trip.

My dad grew up in a true Pennsylvania Dutch home. My grandparents are of the Mennonite faith, not Amish if you're unfamiliar with PA Dutch culture. My mom also comes from a different variation of German background so I grew up enjoying many Dutch Dutch dishes, but never scrapple- just no, I can not bring myself to prepare or eat scrapple. There are many delicious old recipes that are native to Lancaster, Pennsylvania that so many people are unaware of such as, Whoopie Pies, Shoofly Pie, Chicken Pot Pie (not the frozen stuff you find in the frozen aisle) Apple butter, Hamloaf, Amish Macaroni Salad, Potato Filling, and the tradition of Pork and Sauerkraut on New Year's Day. While I grew up eating all of these I have yet to make any on my own so over the next few months I'm going to take you on a journey of discovering and trying some Pennsylvania Dutch recipes- starting with my favorite, Chicken Corn Pie!

If you've been following along with me for a little bit now then you'll know that one of my favorite summer dinners is Zucchini Corn Pie, it everything cheesy, buttery and delicious. I think I like it so much because it feels like the lighter, summer version of Chicken Corn Pie. I received three different recipes for this dish, my grandma's, a family friend's grandmother's and one other recipe, I dissected them all and tailored it to fit our family's personal preferences. 

1.| Raspberry Kefir Smoothie
3⁄4 cup Raspberry Kefir
1⁄2 cup strawberries
1⁄2 frozen banana
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flaxseeds
ice as desired

Blend & Enjoy!


2.| Banana Mango Avacado
1 banana, frozen
1 cup mango chunks
1 cup spinach
½ medium avocado
1 cup of milk
Splash of vanilla extract
Few drops of stevia extract or another sweetener (optional)

Blend & Enjoy!


3.| Cinnamon Roll 
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or 2-3  drops of Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil)
1 frozen banana

Blend & Enjoy!


4.| Wild Orange Strawberry Trim Shake
1 scoop vanilla cream trim shake
3⁄4 cup milk
1⁄2 cup strawberries
1⁄2 frozen banana
1 drop Wild Orange Essential Oil

Blend & Enjoy!


{Copy Cat}
5.| Tropical Smoothie Café 'Blimey Limey'
2 tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice 
¼ c. strawberries, fresh or frozen
¼ c. pineapples, fresh or frozen
¼ to ½ c. water, to preference. 

Blend & Enjoy!