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Magic Mondays : Animal Kingdom

22 Apr
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Days at Animal Kingdom were never really my fave. We would go and see the animals and enjoy the park, but nothing really took the day in the park from good to GREAT!
*I have only been to Animal Kingdom twice – once when I was 18 and then again when I was 31.

But now things have changed…

One, we have an older child now. This time, our Ella was much taller and could go on everything!
{Most of the rides in AK have the taller height minimum which meant that last time there wasn’t much to do.}

PANDORA

And two, Pandora.
Ahhhhhh….
{Insert sparkles and magic and gorgeousness excitement here}

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park that opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at the resort. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself.  And I think the older I get, the more appreciative I become of places that serve to better this world, not only with love and magic but also by taking care of its inhabitants.

KILILMANJARO SAFARIS

We started the day at Kilimanjaro Safaris which we say is a must-do and the earlier the better. The animals are so gorgeous and you are what feels like right in the middle of their space. And while there are plenty of safeguards in place, it does feel much more intimate than a zoo.

Disney’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve is where this ride takes place.  Did you know it’s a 110-acre animal sanctuary?  And it is the home to 34 species of native African animals ?!  What I love about this ride and the reserve is that the animals can roam freely and pretty much to wherever they’d like.  The reserve is a beautiful and well done recreation of grassy, open plains, forest areas that provide a shady respite for the animals during the peak heat times of the day, making you feel like you are right in Africa on the plains.  

HARAMBE

After that, we headed over to Dino USA for a ride on Dinosaur.  ***Spoiler Alert – We made it out alive!  While this was not the best move to keep our step count low, we had a fast pass and Dinoland is fun for the kids. The best part is that while you are waiting with a little who can’t ride, you can pop into The Boneyard, which is an enclosed play area. {By enclosed, I mean your children can’t run right out of it, not covered or hidden from the sun.} That was a major win with us this time around since little sis couldn’t ride much so this was fun for her and didn’t cost us anything but time!

DINOSAUR

DINOLAND

On our way to DinoLand, we had grabbed our Wilderness Explorer books and got a few badges while we were back there too!   I loved this inclusion of UP and it was also a fun way to learn about the planet and its creatures without the kids realizing!  Also, who doesn’t love Russel and Kevin?!  Oh ok, and Carl too!  And since we had pulled our child out of school for the week (which I would do again), I thoroughly enjoyed my older daughter learning about habitats and other things!  Science fun for the win!

WILDERNESS EXPLORERS

FLIGHT OF PASSAGE

And next stop PANDORA!  We had a fast pass for Flight of Passage and couldn’t wait to check out this ride. Since Olive wasn’t big enough we used Rider Swap and Ella got to ride twice.  Have you ever ridden a banshee before?!  Umm, me either until this ride and now I want to ride one more often!  But seriously, we have watched Avatar multiple times since we returned from this trip AND are super excited for the next installments!  Not to mention, we can’t wait to go back to AK to visit Pandora again!

This. Is. The. Best. Ride. At. Disney.

We all loved it and couldn’t stop talking about it!   The movements are so real.  You can feel the breaths of the banshee and the water on your face and the wind in your hair.  You are an avatar and you are IN Pandora.  And we even made an Indiana friend In the fast pass line! Because we had done rider swap, which inevitably takes a little more time, we had to then BOOK IT to lunch afterward.  Lucky for us, Mike was able to snag another FP for FOP later in the afternoon while he walked with Olive to our reservation as we were finishing up riding. 

PANDORA IS AMAZING

It was Tusker House for lunch!  This might be my favorite stop in AK!  It’s a character experience, buffet, and only one table service credit!  I am not a buffet fan, but there is SO much food to choose from!   I actually kind of hate buffets, but when in Disney… and this one is different from the rest.  The food is authentic and ethnic.  Not only that, but there is such a huge variety.  Even my husband who NEVER TRIES ANYTHING NEW, tried a couple of things there that he LOVED and even went back for seconds.   

We were on a dining plan and we had picked all or character meals bEfore knowing our two years old would not get near anyone in a costume!  But she did enjoy the parades {this one was the kids following Donald around shaking maracas and I think other instruments} most of the character meal locations offered so she still got to enjoy some fun times too. 

TUSKER HOUSE

After lunch, we headed back to Pandora to take in the drum show, waterfall, signature drinks and more!  We did all that before we decided to pop in the 85-minute line for Navi River ride because we had some time to kill before our FP and Olive could ride this one. It was pretty magical. Short, but magical.   And of course, in true Disney fashion, friends were made in the line and treats were shared.

AVATAR

Then we rider swapped it again for FOP.
Again, AMAZING.

MORE DISNEY FUN

EVEREST

And we were off to check out Expedition Everest!   Well, we had decided to split up so Mike and Ella could go get one last thrill in before the evening was over.  Olive and I were going to head back and check out some of the animals but were unpleasantly surprised that the animal areas closed at 5 (or it could have been 6).  So to make the time pass while waiting for the thrill-seekers, bubble wands were purchased and we watched the Tree of Life light up. 

RIVERS OF LIGHT

I will say…
We did not wait around for the Rivers of Light Show… I really wanted to, but after a long warm day, we were spent and no one could give me a real reason to stay for it.  I wanted to see it just so say we saw it, but no one was convincing enough with love for this show to make me stay.  So I gave in and we headed out for the night…

TREE OF LIFE

ANIMAL KINGDOM

All in all, it was a great day.   And the Animal Kingdom did grow on us this time!  After our last visit, we were hesitant to even hit this park on this trip.  Now, it might rank as high as 2nd in our books!  It might be a short-lived second with Galaxy’s Edge opening soon, but we will let it live in 2nd place as long as possible.

I decided to share about the Animal Kingdom today because (1) it’s Earth Day and (2) it opened on Earth Day in 1998.  It seemed a fitting choice for Magic Mondays.  But what will you do on this Earth Day to help with our planet’s current situation?!  Maybe walk around the block and pick up trash?  Recycle more today?  Share with a friend about an animal you love?!  Get out there and enjoy this beautiful planet but also think about ways you can save it and keep it a magical place!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

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Categories:
2019, Blog, Disney, Disney, Kids, Magic Mondays, Travel
Tags:
days at disney, Disney Mom, disney world, Walt Disney World

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A little about me…

Hey There! I'm Abby. Some people started calling me "Little Miss Martha" a few years back and this blog followed. I started it to share my DIY wedding progress, but it's now evolved to include other good things. Read More…

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Abby || Lifestyle Blogger
Happiest 1️⃣1️⃣th birthday to this Sweet c Happiest 1️⃣1️⃣th birthday to this Sweet child of mine!  Love you to death Ella and I hope you don’t kill me for some of these pics since your last birthday!  It’s amazing how much you have changed and grown in just one year! 💕

Happy Birthday Ella! 
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#happiestbirthday #turning11 #elevenyears #2012baby #onthisdayinhistory #tweengirl #happybirthdaytoyou
When @abigailmackboutique was interested in collab When @abigailmackboutique was interested in collaborating, I knew this print was pretty much perfection in summing up my current life.  So… if you are still here hanging out or new here, welcome to the shitshow!  This piece will probably end up floating around my house, but I do feel like it’s 💯fitting for me.  And with my quirky design sense, I think it also works well in a bathroom but my hubs isn’t keen on that idea 🤣. The other gold foil print I love of #abigailmackdesigns is “Everything is Fine,” because let’s be honest, that’s also something that’s constantly going through my head over here!

I used to feel like weekends were a way to catch up on what you couldn’t get done during the week.  You know… like cleaning, prepping, watching Netflix etc.  Now though, as I get older and older, I’m learning that my weekends are really just an attempt at mentally preparing for all that will go wrong during the upcoming week and continually thinking “Welcome to my Shitshow.” LOL

Does anyone else feel like this?! Maybe this is why I have such high anxiety on Sunday nights…

Print #gifted by @abigailmackboutique 
Check out her other pieces here:
https://abigail-mack.myshopify.com/

#collaboration #welcometotheshitshow #lifeunexpected #lifeisstressful #justrollwithit #laughitoff #weekendscreatestress #momlife #justmomming #goldfoilprints #decoratewithhumor #funnyprints #sillyprints #sarcasm101 #abigailmackboutique #socialcat
Do you like black rooms?! Bathroom things happen Do you like black rooms?! 

Bathroom things happened. I know I shared sneaks before, but I’m not timely ok?! You should know that by now!  So… even though some said don’t do it, I did it. 
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#blackrooms #paintitblack #moodyrooms #halfbath #designupdate #halfbathmakeover #builderupgrade #ilikeitlikethat #dontdoit #ididitanyway
Lately, Olive has been my little shadow. She’s Lately, Olive has been my little shadow.  She’s going through something, and she must always have me in her sightline.  I’m hoping it’s just a phase (because it’s only while we are home together), but that means she’s not sleeping in her own bed.  She’s never been good at sleeping/staying in her own room, so we have been trying all kind of things and our latest try was a new #snugglepuppy.  I feel like we’ve tried it all at this point, BUT the @SnugglePuppy_Hero is super soft and cuddly and has a real heartbeat so we figured it might help. 

✨And she loves it! ✨

Although she’s still not sleeping in her own bed, she has been sleeping with it every night since Christmas and she truly enjoys the beating heart.  Something about it really does help with calming her down before bed!  It helps with bedtime struggles and making bedtime less stressful so we are still making progress with extra #snugglepuppyhero snuggles!

The Snuggle Puppy Hero is perfect for anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed kiddos.  It’s BPA free, super soft, and for ages 3 & up. 

#gifted #snugglepuppyhero #snugglepuppy #anxietysupport #originalsnugglepuppy #snugglepuppy #dreamdreamdream #kidinfluencer #sensoryplushtoy #sensoryplush #giftideas #sleepwell #sweetdreams😴
If you’ve been watching stories, you know that s If you’ve been watching stories, you know that some things went down this weekend in the bathroom… So I figured it was time to share my mood boards for the space. 

We currently have to keep the pedestal sink (but hope to change that out down the road) and we hit a few hiccups with the board and batten plans so black was the big change for the weekend but that doesn’t mean we are DONE…

Swipe to see 3 different design options and comment below which is your favorite!
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#moodboardmonday #bathroomdesigns #bathroomdetails #bathroommoodboard #bathroommakeover #halfbath #paintitblack #boardandbatten
Starting the week off right by getting a walk in w Starting the week off right by getting a walk in with a friend yesterday and this morning with a great breakfast and signing up for the Franciscan Health's Inspiring Women Community - @InspiringWomenFH. Health & Wellness is top of mind this year and I know this program is going to give me the right amount of inspiration to improve mind, body and spirit on this journey! 

I'm so excited to partner with @franciscanhealth for this free program for all women (living anywhere) that'll keep you inspired, motivated, and promoting your overall wellness!  As a member of the community, you'll receive specially curated content like recipes, inspiration, and the Inspiring Women magazine not to mention invitations to special members-only events. 

Want in?! 
✨Link in bio to sign up ✨ or visit inspiringwomen.org
And if you do sign up, comment “Yes!” below because it's always fun to know who's joining in too! 

I've been wanting to start a blog series about the women who've inspired me along the way and this might be the little push that gets us there!  Keep an eye out for that on the horizon, but until then, I hope you'll join me and @InspiringWomenFH in working on our overall women's wellness! 

#sponsored #wellness #mindbodyspirit #women #healthandwellness #inspiringwomenfh #inspiringwomen #motivatingmonday
Hey Y’all! It’s been a while and some of you Hey Y’all!  It’s been a while and some of you have been here forever, and others are new around here, so I think it’s time for a quick into to me!

Hey Friends!  I’m Abby ✨

Welcome to Little Miss Martha.  I used to be all Martha-y and so the name stuck.  Then I got married and had kids and now I’m a little more Semi-Homeade with Sandra Lee… IFYKYK. I think both these references probably date me. 

✨Things That Make Me Happiest – sitting at home, drinking coffee, perusing gorgeous spaces, reading home magazines (yes they still print those), styling décor, decorating for celebrations, and listening to entrepreneurial podcasts. 

✨Current Occupations – wife to Mike, mom to Ella & Olive, Dog mom to Louie, Blogger, Fairy Coordinator (@adoptafairyco) + full-time job as a civil servant. 

✨In A Past Life – Vintage Rentals Owner (@maevevinteage), Starbucks Barista, Professional Figure Skater.

✨Astrological Sign - Cancer

If you’ve made it this far, and you know me, share something I may have missed in the comments below! 
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#introductions #allaboutme #welcomefriends #hiabby #dearabby #quickintro #pinnedpost #sogladyourehere #heythere #littlemissmartha
Off we go! Back to our routines and back to busin Off we go!  Back to our routines and back to business at @goldfish_carmel!  This year is we are letting the girls pick a few things they really want to do and one HAS to be a physical activity.  Anyone else do this? 

For the moment, that’s swimming for Olls!  And she’s blowing my mind!  Hahah Get it?! The song choice?! 😂🏊‍♀️ But seriously, I love watching her progress with great feedback from the staff and am so excited for how ready she’ll be for pool season this summer! 
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#sponsored #goldfishswimschool #swimclass #letsgoswimming #justkeepswimming #goldfishcarmel #readyforpoolseason #swimmingskills #lifeskillsforkids #stayactivestayhealthy #activekidsarehappykids
Weakness - ✨ Dollhouses ✨ I think just the tin Weakness - ✨ Dollhouses ✨
I think just the tiny mini things make me happy. So when this dollhouse was basically staring me down as I walked in the door of @homegoods today for the first time in like 2 months, she quickly made her way into my cart. But seriously, how do I hide this from the hubs?! 
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#dollhouses #dollhousesofinstagram #homegoodsfinds #kidsplay #dollhouseupgrade #rattandollhouse #rattanlovers #beautifultoys
Anyone else back at it in the “gym” this week? Anyone else back at it in the “gym” this week?! It’s been a long time since i’ve walked these steps and it’s time to get back at it!  One of my ‘23 goals is to feel comfortable and good in my own skin again…It’s also been a while since that’s been the case too! 

So this week i made the first steps back onto the treadmill… If you’ve been around, you might remember i’ve been having some major foot pain which really got me down and now I’ve decided to push through and try some new things because interestingly enough, while I hate sweating, I like the after workout feeling!  So this week it’s walking, next week it’s walking more and hopefully i’ll be back to running soon. 

So with that being said, I hope you all are tackling your goals this week and every week do ‘23… and remember, you have to start somewhere and somewhere can be small… It takes a lot to make small strides sometimes, especially if you’ve been out of the game for a while but you’ve got this! 

*And I plan to add strength and weights - anyone have a good at-home program they love?! I’d love to hear! 
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#gettingbackontrack #gettingbacktome #gettingbackinthegroove #mommasgonnaloseit #2023goals #losingweightmotivation #losingweightishard #gottastartsomewhere #youvegotthis #uncomfortable #exerciseathome
Are you goal setting this year? Taking it one day Are you goal setting this year?  Taking it one day at a time?  How are you tackling new years resolutions this year?!! As per usual, I’m behind. I am taking it slow over here trying to get organized in my thoughts so I can have a successful year mentally, physically, and of course here, with Little Miss Martha. 

2022 ended a little darker than it started and not for any other reasons than I just lost track of what I was doing and wanted. Plus like 10000 gray days from Thanksgiving to Christmas didn’t help.

But I’m taking a min and taking it easy with 2023. Keeping my goals focused around me, my family, and my home.  Here are the things I’m hoping to accomplish or even just start over the next 12 months!  Fingers crossed for a great 2023 and I’m hopeful there’s a little more sunshine on the horizon! 
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#2023goals #welcometo2023 #startfresh #anewyear #newgoals💪 #keepitsimplethisyear #stayfocusedonyourgoals #bemindful #dontlosesight #progressnotperfection👌
Calm has returned to our home… In the last week Calm has returned to our home…
In the last week we survived bitter temps, a winter storm, seven additional bodies in the house, Christmas, a few accidents 🤣, and lots of laughs… 
It’s nice to have everyone around for a while but i will say i’m looking forward to enjoying my last few days off sitting back and enjoying this view…. 
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#christmastimeishere #winterwonderland❄️ #holidayhouse #houseguests #holidays2022 #sitbackrelax #timetoclean #guestsaregone #happyholidays2022
We had a lovely Christmas afternoon with all the f We had a lovely Christmas afternoon with all the fam together!  So glad we have been able to spend time together this holiday season 💕 Hoping everyone else had a great holiday and a very merry Christmas too! 
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#happyholidays2022 #christmasvacation #bighappyfamily  #merryxmas🎄 #christmasday🎄 #familyallday #4generations #fourgenerations #wewishyouamerrychristmas
This holiday season (or at least break so far) has This holiday season (or at least break so far) has been full of sickies here and because of that, we haven’t been out and about as much as we’d like!  But if we were  going to head out, here’s a few throwback pics of where we’d go…
1. @childrensmuseum - Jolly Days and more! 
2. @connerprairie - A Merry Prairie Holiday
3. @carmelchristkindlmarkt 
4. Jingle Rails @eiteljorgmuseum 
5. @newfieldstoday for Winterlights
6. Christmas at the @indianapoliszoo 

So… there’s one more good-ish weather day here before Xmas (and before 4pm🥶)… what are you still needing to check off your winter break or Christmas bucket list?! 
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#holidaybucketlist #christmasbucketlist #winterbucketlist #aroundindy #thingstodoinindianapolis #visitindy #holidayhappenings #merrychristmaseveryone
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the swim Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the swimming has to stop!  Actually, water safety is very important no matter the temp outside!  And why not take it all in as a family?! Goldfish Swim Schools (Carmel) offers open swims every Friday from 1p-2p, and one Family Night Out per month from 5p-6p or 6p-7p!  How often do you swim together?!! 

Find out more info about @goldfish_carmel on their profile! 
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#goldfishswimschool #goldfishcarmel #ad #sponsored #swimmingpools #swimminglessons #justkeepswimming🐠 #familyswims #letsgoswimming
There’s really nothing like the glow of warm Chr There’s really nothing like the glow of warm Christmas lights on the tree at night when you turn out all the other lights…  Something about those twinkling lights is just magic. 

And even though I truly am disliking almost all of my old, mismatched, minimal Christmas decor this year, I’m making the most of it!  Side note that has nothing to do with Christmas decor — I’m also taking in every single episode of @disneyplus @thesantaclauses!  Anyone else watching that show weekly and loving it?! I guess I really missed Tim Allen. 
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#thesantaclauses #disneyplus #christmasdecorating #trimthetree #christmaslightsatnight #christmasiscoming🎄 #seasonofgiving #christmasmagic✨ #webelieve #mostmagicaltimeoftheyear
Who’s ready to get back in the kitchen this holi Who’s ready to get back in the kitchen this holiday season?! I made chocolate chip cookies over the weekend with Olive and made a mistake on the brown sugar calculations 🤣🤦‍♀️… They were extra fluffy and totally still edible but wondering what you all will be baking this season?! Share your fave bakes below! 
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#bakingrecipes #letsbake #inthekitchen #letsmakecookies #holidaycookies #christmasbaking #christmascookie #holidaytraditions
Kick-off the holiday season the cutest downtown - Kick-off the holiday season the cutest downtown -  @fortville_in!  Winterfest 2022, presented by 3Rivers Federal Credit Union is this Saturday Dec 3rd!  Enjoy live music, a festive parade and tree lighting, food vendors, Santa, photo ops, a kids’ zone and local shopping.  This Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 from 12p-7pm! 

Opens at Noon
Parade at 1:30p
Tree Lighting 6pm

Happy Holidays! 
@fortvilleparks_rec 
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#fortvilleindiana #fortvillewinterfest #winterfest #aroundindy #smalltownusa #beautifuldown #fortville #holidaysarehere #visitindiana #indianatowns #fortvillefun #bundleup #winteractivities #beautifulsmalltown
Earlier this week, we were invited to a magical ev Earlier this week, we were invited to a magical evening at the @childrensmuseum to visit #jollydays in its final season, chat with the big guy, and enjoy a little stress free time with the girls! 

Watching the girls interact with Santa was adorable. Ella (who’s a recent non-believer 😥) played along while Olive told the big guy she’s looking for a “cooking baby” under the tree 🤣

I don’t know what it is about the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, but you just feel at home there. From the characters to interaction to the colors and the fun, it’s maybe one of the best places on earth. Ok, but seriously, it’s fun for everyone and there’s almost always something you’ve missed!  Check out #attcm in my highlights for all the Children’s Museum fun! 
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#santaclausiscomingtotown #indianapolischildrensmuseum #jollydays #finalseason #kidsfun #interactivemuseum #winterwonderland❄️ #magicofchristmas #sitwithsanta #visitindy #aroundindy #dontmiss
Life is tricky and complicated at times and gettin Life is tricky and complicated at times and getting back into routines can be a struggle, especially on busy weeks like this one!  What's the constant in your daily routine?! One daily routine I never stray from is coffee.  Coffee. Is. Life.  Said like "Football is Life" from Ted Lasso... But seriously, I wake up, go downstairs, and start the daily brew every single morning.  Now, that brew comes quicker than ever with my @simplygoodcoffee brewer.  Everything about this brewer is enjoyable.  It's pretty.  It's quick -6 mins!  And it makes 8 cups in those 6 mins -- and if I drink it fast enough, that's a whole pot just for me! 

It took a lot for us to move on from our old coffee maker -- just ask my parents who waited patiently EVERY time they visited for their first cup as our brewer tuckered along slowly.  But now, we are back in business and and my favorite part is the temperature!  Sometimes I would go out to get coffee just because it was HOT, but now I just brew another pot!  The taste is great and I'm really happy with this new addition to my daily routine! I can't wait to see our coffee loving family enjoying a hot cup on Christmas morning! 
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#simplygoodcoffee #simplygoodbrewer #coffeeinminutes #olson #brewme #coffeeislife #coffeelover #coffeeislove #coffeeeveryday #dailyroutines #morningroutines #dailybrew #socialcat #sponsored
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