All Posts By

admin

0

The Suite Life! |Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa

  My family and I were hosted for 2 nights at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed belong to me ;). 

If you don’t know it is ALL DISNEY, ALL THE TIME in our house. I wanted to take RJ to Disney for his birthday last year but timing didn’t work out and I chickened out with taking Zayn while he was only 3 months old. So this year, our plans were SET. Disney for Zayn’s first birthday because we were ALL ready to go. RJ had started asking, I’ve never been, we were ready. I googled for MONTHS about what to do, where to go, how to get there, what to wear what to eat, but most importantly I had to know where to stay. I knew we would see more than Disney on this trip and while I know there are amazing benefits to staying on Disney property, I just wasn’t sure if we were ready for that. 

*Enter Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa*

When I came across LBV resorts condo style suites online I IMMEDIATELY fell in love. If we can, I try to stay in suites whenever we vacation for multiple reasons. The comfort, space and amenities definitely make it worth it and more often than not the location is ideal. Our resort was located right next to Lake Buena Vista Factory stores so when we realized last minute that we didn’t shop for RJ’s stepping up ceremony which was the day after we got back, we walked over to Osh Kosh and got the kids cute clothes at outlet price! In case you need further convincing, here is a complete breakdown of why you need to reserve your next Orlando stay at Lake Buena Visit Resort Village and Spa.

Location 

I already told you that the resort is located right next to the outlets, but Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa is centrally located close to many of the must see attractions/parks in Orlando. Our first night we drove to Disney Springs, the outdoor shopping complex at Walt Disney World Resort. It was about a 15 minute drive to most attractions, and the resort is also close to many restaurants, and we saw a few other outlets close by. 

All Suite Style Rooms

The rooms at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa are BEAUTIFUL. My photography really doesn’t do it justice. The resort features all suite style rooms of different sizes. Each suite includes a full kitchen and a private balcony. There was ample space for our family and we only ended up sleeping in one room (cosleeping problems). The extra spacious suites definitely give the feeling of being at home and would be perfect for families. 

Images via LBV Orlando Resort

Outdoor Pool & Bar

While neither of my kids are swimmers, they both think they can. THE FIRST thing we did after checking out the room was head to the pool located on the resorts property. The boys loved the pirate ship (which actually has a slide if you can tell from my picture) and I loved all the outside seating available. There is also a bar located on the pool deck that serves drinks, ice cream and different “bar type” foods. I definitely went there by myself when I had a VERY BRIEF free moment ;). 

On-Site Dining & Grocery 

We went out to dinner our first night but the second night after had a long day at Magic Kingdom, no one felt like going back out. The Pizza Hut express was perfect for all of us to grab something quick to eat. RJs favorite food is pizza and daddy was able to get pasta. Plus there was a fully stocked grocery section in case you needed to grab anything to cook in your full kitchen! We weren’t really grocery-minded but I wish I would’ve remembered to head down there when I realized that I had forgot to bring deodorant. They literally had EVERYTHING. 

Customer Service

All in all, the customer service at Lake Buena Vista Resort and Spa made the trip even more special. The concierge was available to answer all the thousands of questions that I had being a Disney newbie, we were able to check in early without there being a lag in service and the smiles were genuine and didn’t feel forced. Even with the resort being as beautiful as it was if the customer service was poor, it would’ve ruined the experience so I’m glad that was not the case. Everyone was more than willing to help us out at all points of our stay and I was so grateful for that. 

We had an amazing experience at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa and it made our first family trip to Disney even more magical. I’m so grateful for our experience and I would definitely stay here again, check out the spa, and maybe even take an adult trip =). 

Have you ever stayed on a resort that was off Disney property? Where do you Disney? 

July 16, 2018 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0

5 Tips for Breastfeeding Moms at Disney World

Last week my family took their first trip to Disney World and not to sound cliche but it was MAGICAL! The boys are still young and we had a bunch of other things planned for our trip so we dedicated a day to Magic Kingdom and we got their EARLY. I think being from New York none of us were prepared for the intensity that is … the Florida HEAT. When you’re a nursing mama, that amount of heat means your baby is going to want to nurse WAY WAY more than usual and I KINDA was prepared but I just wanna give the breastfeeding moms a few tips so that you’re more prepared than I am.

5 Tips for Breastfeeding at Disney World

Know The Park

With a place that is as huge as Disney that seems impossible but for real, I’m telling you… utilize those maps! It makes it so much easier when you know where you’re going, when you’re going to be stopping, and what you’re going to be doing. Everyone will be way less aggravated if you don’t feel like you’re wandering aimlessly. You can easily access maps to any of Disney’s parks HERE and you can filter it by activity, age, thrill level etc etc.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

More than you have ever hydrated before! ESPECIALLY if you aren’t used to the southern heat because neither I nor my kids were prepared. Keeping yourself hydrated will help you with milk production and you’ll be able to keep your baby hydrated. Also, if you’re nursing a toddler realize they are HOT and that is why they’re nursing like a newborn again. It’s perfectly OK to give your toddler water, they NEED it. The great thing about Disney is that there are water fountains a plenty and you can ask for a cup of water at any concession stand.

Utilize the Baby Care Centers

Each park has a Baby Care Center that is perfect for moms with little ones. Each center has an air conditioned seating area, space to nurse, pump, changing stations and any supplies that you may have forgotten when you were in a rush to leave your hotel room. These rooms are perfect for taking a break from the beautiful chaos. And you can cool off while you tend to baby. Make sure you familiarize yourself with where the centers are located in each park, and don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Ditch the Nursing Cover

Or use a very very very lightweight cover. Trust me when I say…. it’s too hot for all that. The fight to cover Zayn alone would result in us losing 20 pounds each from sweating. Nursing two kids for over a year I’ve come up with all kinds of discreet and quick ways to nurse without drawing attention to us. And honestly this far into the game, I don’t care anyway. Plus, it’s a family park. I didn’t run have that fear that anyone was going to boob-shame me out there, if anyone even noticed.

Nurse on the Go  

When all else fails, when your kids are in that long line waiting to ride It’s a Small World for the 5th time in a row, when the Baby Center feels like it’s 100 miles away, when your baby JUST CANT WAIT…. there are plenty of shaded areas where you can sit on a bench and peacefully nurse your little. There was plenty of seating near stroller parking areas and I nursed Zayn by a few. It wasn’t bad at all.

When the day came to an end I was super proud of my nursing experience at Disney. I didn’t once feel overwhelmed or confused and I kept things super simple. Knowledge is power so the more you know going into the parks, the better. Breastfeeding at Disney World definitely does not have to feel overwhelming. Remembering these 5 tips could make your day 10x better!

Have you been to Disney with your nursling? What was the experience like for you?

June 27, 2018 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0

The Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE Fits ANY Lifestyle! |Car Review|

Mitsubishi loaned this vehicle to LifewithTanay in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. 

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of trying out the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE and I’m just gonna be honest and say, I was pleasantly surprised. The very first vehicle that I drove for review purposes was the 2015 Mirage and the vehicle has definitely been upgraded since then! The feel was completely different, the trunk space was plenty and the inside still had that spacious feel despite being categorized a subcompact car.

As I was driving the Mirage I found myself asking WHO IS THIS CAR FOR?

And the simple answer I came up with is point blank: “ANY AND EVERYONE”. My family of 4 fit comfortably inside the Mirage with a stroller in the trunk, ample space for groceries and the babies loved jamming to Apple Music at full volume (dancing kids *shrugs*). I could easily imagine college aged me, driving this car around full of friends and with a $17,000 starting price point for the SE version, it makes it an amazing first car for parents shopping for their teens (if parents still do that). Active stability control, rearview camera and enhanced visibility are just some of the amazing safety features that the Mirage are equipped with making it an amazing car for first time drivers/car buyers. 

In short, if you need a vehicle at an affordable price, equipped with amazing safety features, that doesn’t lack the things you love like Bluetooth capability, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the 2018 Mirage G4 SE is a fit for you. To check out more features visit Mitsubishi’s website here. 

Have you ever driven the Mirage? What are some of your must have features in a vehicle? Leave a comment below! xoxo

June 25, 2018 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0

Confession Time: I’m SICK of Having to Put My Kids First

Every morning (or night if you will) my alarm goes off at 230am. I snooze like 5 times, and then I try to detach Zayn without waking him up, sneak out of the room and get dressed in the living room so that I can be at work at 3 effing 30. In the morning. Since James works overnight also, that means I have two kids I then have to (sometimes) dress and move in the middle of the night to their respective locations so that they aren’t left unsupervised. Thank God for family!

Zayn’s first winter was ROUGH. I found myself calling out of work pretty often to stay home because one or both kids were sick and ain’t nobody trying to take care of a sick child that isn’t  theirs in the middle of the night. Love em or not! Returning to work is always led with “Hey what happened?” and then upon explaining my situation (sick kids, 3am, no childcare…) I always get the “empathetic “well, you have to do what’s best for your family”.

And I’m going to be completely honest with y’all and say when it comes to work vs family, I’m tired of choosing my kids. Because…. I feel like it shouldn’t even be a “thing”. I’m honestly annoyed by the guilt I feel of letting someone else down every time I have to stay home to be with them. I just want to parent guilt-free. Back in December Zayn (at 5 months old) was hospitalized for Croup and I actually had someone look at me with confusion and say, “you could’ve left him there and just came to work it’s not like he could go anywhere.” Miss……. what?!?!

I completely get that for some people the money is the motive but no one tries to make you feel guilty when you miss your kids 4th school performance for your lil $15 an hour, so why do I get so much crap for choosing the opposite end? I’m over it. I’m completely tired of the fact that I even HAVE to make choosing my kids a big deal but I’d never choose anything else. I don’t get paid enough for all that.

What’s your work/life balance like? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

June 7, 2018 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
0

8 East Coast Festivals Every Black Girl NEEDS to Be At This Summer

Festival season is upon us and I suffer from major FOMO every year. I find that I always find out about festivals at the last minute and then I don’t have the proper time to get my life/coins together so that I can attend. After going to Curlfest for the first time last year, I’m determined to hit as many festivals as possible this year and I’ve created this list of festivals that are (mainly) on the east coast JUST so I don’t forget where I need (want) to be and when. If you love good vibes, good food and good music then you probably want to check a few of these out too! *festival names are clickable… you’re welcome ;)*

Governors Ball * June 1st – 3rd – Randall’s Island, NYC

Roots Picnic * June 2nd – Philadelphia, PA 

Essence Festival * July 5th – 8th – New Orleans, LA

Technically NOLA isn’t considered the “east coast” but if you don’t know by now that Essence is THE festival to be at I’m not sure how you even came across this list. Do you even festival?? 

The Greatest Day Ever * July 14th & 15th – New York, NY

Curlfest * July 21st – Brooklyn, NY

Panorama Music Festival * July 27th – 29th – Randall’s Island, NYC

Swing through @BrooklynSteel to peep the fresh mural 🌐

A post shared by Panorama NYC (@panoramanyc) on

Afropunk * August 25th & 26th – Brooklyn, NY

Made in America * September 1st & 2nd – Philadelphia, PA

There it is! Which festivals are you most excited about? I can’t wait for Curlfest and Afropunk! Hype to go to a festival that I didnt list? Not tryna go alone and want to meet up? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. xoxo

May 8, 2018 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1