Author

Jill

Where Am I Now? Come Say Hi!

by Jill May 21, 2019

written by Jill

A couple months ago, I asked if I could come back to this space, but fully me- not just a pregnancy and baby blogger. And you all were so supportive of that move.

And then I didn’t come back and this space just sat here, unchanged.

If you’ve solely been following me on this blog, you might be confused and maybe worried about me? LOL.

I’m BLOGGING and I’m LOVING IT more than I have in a long time. I just decided to start totally fresh instead of coming back here and trying to turn it into a whole other thing.

A dot com name change is actually kinda a GIANT deal, and it would put the money I’m making off the content here on Baby Rabies at risk. My ad network was basically like OMG NO STOP when I told them I was just going to redirect everything to JillKrause.com.

Photo of Jill Krause

So I listened to them because I like paying bills.

If you didn’t know, now you do- you can find me at JillKrause.com now! And Baby Rabies is totally staying up as is, and I’ll probably keep adding new content here, too. I’ll be promoting both sites on my social channels, so make sure you’ve liked my FB page and you’re following me on Instagram- that’s actually changed to @JillKrau.se now.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jill Krause (@jillkrau.se) on May 11, 2019 at 9:50am PDT

Some of my fav. pieces on JillKrause.com have been:
Talking about how I’m managing all this late-30s gray hair
Lots of posts about my anxiety
And even a really open post about abortion and women’s rights

I hope you’ll come find me over there, and also check out my Google Doc! Oh yeah, totally making Google Docs a thing. Read all about how that works here, and find my doc here.

May 21, 2019 0 comment

Lifestyle Parenthood

Can I Come Home?

by Jill March 7, 2019

written by Jill

Can I Come Home

A couple years ago, when we decided to sell our house and head out for a year+ trip around the country in an RV with our 4 kids, I planned to transform this space into a hub for pregnant mommas to come, and hoped to take our personal story to another platform- Happy Loud Life. It was a business decision- I’d have two streams of income and two more narrow niches to work with brands on. It was also a personal decision. After my first baby turned one, and with no plans of having more babies, I just felt stuck here in this space that’s always been, mostly, about my life pregnant or with babies.Baby Rabies is a weird name to become linked to when you think about it. I get looks and laughter when I tell people I write a blog called Baby Rabies. I have to explain it all the time. Brands have refused to work with me because it’s “off color.” And yet, it’s memorable. It stuck. It’s funny. People who know me get it. People who don’t? The confusion can get tiresome.

More and more, this space didn’t feel like home, but the problem was the other space didn’t either. And the last year, as we moved around the country in an RV, I felt just as transient online.

I didn’t have the time to turn this space into something like Scary Mommy with contributors- not in a way that felt authentic and in a way I would have full control over. And I didn’t know what part of my story to tell on Happy Loud Life. Were we just an RV blog? Were we travel bloggers? Where could I write about the swimsuit I found and loved? Where could I write about my mental health struggles that were brought on by the stress of freelance and growing a businesses and not pregnancy this time?

So I’m doing something wild and I’m listening to my gut- it’s been screaming at me about this for years and I just refused to pay it any attention until now.

I’m saying goodbye to Baby Rabies. I’ll own the trademark and will set up redirects and nothing will happen to the old content. It’s going to be a whole lot of work, but I’ve hired a team to help me and we’ve hit the ground running.

When everyone is advising to niche down online, I’m going to expand this place. I’m not going to stop talking about parenting, from toddlers to parenting tweens and (eventually) teens. I’m just also not going to stop myself from talking about other things here, too- like photography, travel, and home renovations we’ll likely be starting up when we get back into a house, and anything else I find personally important. Me and my wandering through the phases of my life- that’s my new niche. That’s what you’ll find here.

Like I said, there’s a lot of work to be done, and I’m still figuring out what to do with all my digital spaces. I’ll update you along the way, for sure. I hope you’ll stick around, and I appreciate you riding it out with me while I was lost in transition over the last 18ish months. I am confident this will be a wholly positive move for me, for my content, and for my connection with all of you- especially those of you who are right there with me in this weird spot as we say goodbye to being the moms we needed to be to raise babies.

I’m genuinely thankful for the conversations that sparked after I shared a rude comment left on my last post about Disney World. I realized that there are a lot of people who are here for the long-term, who are experiencing their own version of an identity crisis, who are excited to hear about anything I’m excited to share. That was the push I needed to feel like it’s going to be okay to let go of Baby Rabies and move on.

I’m @JillKrau.se on IG now. If you already following me as @BabyRabies, then no worries! I just changed that account name. If you’re not, I’d love if you’d follow me now. I’m not done sharing on @Happy.Loud.Life, but as our RV adventure comes to a close, I think it will make sense to move most of that story back to one IG account.

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A post shared by Jill Krause (@jillkrau.se) on Mar 3, 2019 at 4:20pm PST

The dot com hasn’t changed here yet. Baby Rabies will be phasing out over the next month-ish and my new home will be JillKrause.com. But I am going to start treating this place like the home I want it to be right away. So I have a ton of Disney content that I’m going to get up soon, but fear not! This is not becoming a “Disney blog.” It’s just becoming Jill Krause’s blog. Again.

March 7, 2019 30 comments

Travel

Where To Take Little Kids While You Wait At Walt Disney World – Ultimate List With Maps!

by Jill March 1, 2019

written by Jill

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World with toddlers? Will you have to balance entertaining small ones while big ones ride rides? I’m sharing my favorite toddler and preschooler friendly spots in all 4 WDW parks in this post! Be sure you save or screen shot the maps for each one, too!

image of a toddler held up around lots of balloons

We just wrapped up an epic family vacation at Walt Disney World with kids ages 2, 5, 8, and 10. Not everyone was tall enough to ride all the rides. Not everyone wanted to ride the same rides. It’s a challenge when you’ve got to divide and conquer, but it’s not terrible if you know where to go while you wait.

My husband and I would take turns and split up with the bigs waiting in the ride line, and the littles who needed to be entertained while they waited. Even when we had FastPasses, we could expect to wait 20-30 minutes for our riders to exit some rides.

Of course, we tried to time this during stroller nap time. And if that was the case and I only had the 2 year old with me, I’d find a shady spot and enjoy the relative silence. When he was awake, though, he wanted OUT. And if I had another kid with me, we were certainly not going to enjoy any kind of silence just sitting and waiting.

So we hit up the following spots in each park while we passed the time:

Walt Disney World – Magic Kingdom

Rides: Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain

There is a play area to the right of the entrance to Splash Mountain. It’s right near a bathroom, has plenty of seating nearby, and it’s pretty easy to keep an eye on runners without having to helicopter them.

Ride: Space Mountain

We spent a lot of time getting energy out at the space in front of the Tomorrowland stage. In the past, this has been home to a dance party that our then 1 year old loved. This year, there didn’t seem to be anything happening on the stage, but that meant that space was left wide open for running and playing with his Buzz Lightyear bubble blower.

There is a little bit of seating, but you definitely have to be ready to chase a runner since there’s no fencing or barricade to keep them from running into the crowds. You could also take them onto the PeopleMover while you wait if the line isn’t too long (generally it doesn’t seem to be). It’s our 2 year old’s FAVORITE.If your little will sit still for it, and you have the budget and the desire, there’s a face painting spot near the Tomorrowland stage, too.

Rides: Barnstormer, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Dumbo

Anyone can ride Dumbo as long as littles are seated with adults, but did you know you don’t have to ride Dumbo to get inside and play under Dumbo’s Big Top? It’s an indoor, climate controlled play space that’s 90% contained, and it’s glorious! I’ve nursed babies here, I’ve sat and enjoyed coffee in peace while big kids played, and I’ve brought them here to entertain them while we wait for riders.

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A post shared by Jill Krause (@babyrabies) on Oct 29, 2015 at 8:02am PDT

If you do plan to ride Dumbo, they will give you a buzzer, like you get at a restaurant, and when it goes off, it’s time to jump in line. Never waste a Fast Pass on Dumbo if your kids will want to play in the tent!

If it’s hot out and you are cool with your kid getting wet, you can also take them to Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station right outside the Dumbo ride. As of today, it’s closed for renovations, but should be open by the end of March, 2019.

Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

Walt Disney World – Epcot

Ride: Mission Space

After you say goodbye to your riders entering the line, walk to the left and head into the exit. You’ll walk into a gift shop, and on the other side of that is an area with video simulations for big kids and kids-at-heart, and then you’ll see a play area, complete with climbing tunnels, to the right. This climate controlled area is an awesome space to step out of the heat. I’ve found a quiet corner to nurse babies here a few times. The playground has spots for toddlers and bigger kids. And there is only one way in and out so if you have a runner, you can just park yourself there.

Ride: Test Track

This is one of those lines that is long even if you have a Fast Pass, so settle in. No worries, though, the BEST new play area in Epcot just opened within steps of the ride. To the left of the MouseGear entrance, you’ll find what is now a Ralph Breaks The Internet themed outdoor playground. It’s fully enclosed (except for the entrance) with quite a bit of seating for adults. I’m told the theming will change, but this playground is a permanent fixture.

Ride: Soarin

Soarin is inside The Land pavilion, and you can certainly let your littles run around the waiting area there, but it’s not very entertaining. If you’d like to stay inside the pavilion, check out the wait time for the ride Living with the Land. It’s about a 20 minute ride, and the wait has always been next to nothing while we’ve been there.
If you would rather not sit and hold them, head over to The Seas with Nemo & Friends and take the escalator to the 2nd floor. There’s an incredible aquarium that they can walk through with windows right at eye level.
There is a splash pad at Epcot between Future World and the World Showcase. Just be sure your child has a change of clothes before you let them discover this.

Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

map of Walt Disney World Epcot

Hollywood Studios

Ride: Tower Of Terror and Rock & Rollercoaster

Hollywood Studios is lacking in dedicated play spaces for kids at the moment, so here it’s all about finding places littles have space to safely get their sillies out. The open space in front of the TOT exit may seem like a good spot at first glance, but I’ve found it’s a nightmare. There are stairs that my danger baby insists trying to go up and down, and there’s a pathway that’s also a designated smoking spot that he is determined to explore. So if I can’t convince him to stay in his stroller and enjoy a snack at this spot, I take him to the open area in front of Rock & Rollercoaster.There’s still a lot of foot traffic in and out of here so it’s not a place you can let runners run free, but you can usually find an empty spot off to the side and let them play with a toy or enjoy a snack. If you’re feeling festive, there’s a face painting spot here!

Ride: Star Tours

We rode this ride A LOT so I have a few options that worked well for us. The SciFi Drive-In Theater restaurant is adjacent to this ride, and there’s a car out front that entertained the toddler for maybe 5 minutes each time. He climbed in and out and pretended to drive and honk a horn. It was never entertainment enough for an entire ride cycle though.
There’s a courtyard in front of the Muppet Experience and a dead end road to the side of it (for now) with a Star Wars backdrop that will stop your runner from running off. Both are decent places to let them get their energy out.
I actually found the best solution for us was to take my 2 year old across the park (it’s not a big park) to the Animation Courtyard and into the Star Wars Launch Bay. I was able to nurse him in the quiet Han Solo museum and then we got in line to meet BB-8 and Pluto was right outside. We timed it perfectly to meet the rest of the fam on their way to Toy Story Land once they exited Star Tours.

Rides: Slinky Dog Dash & Alien Swirling Saucers

Toy Story Land would have been the BEST PLACE for a playground, right? Sigh. Sadly, there isn’t one, and with height restrictions on two of the three rides (Alien Swirling Saucers is only 32”), if you’re traveling with a little little, you’ll have to find something else to do with them while you wait.

Our 2 year old was OBSESSED with the Green Army Men, and they were out and about nearly the whole time we were in TSL, each time we visited. He even got to bounce a Pixar ball with them! This was plenty of entertainment for him for one ride cycle.
If you can manage to get a FP for Toy Story Mania for the same time your other riders will be on the height restricted rides, it’s an easy enough ride to manage littles on your own and the FP line seems to move pretty swiftly. You could also hop in line to meet Woody & Jessie or Buzz if you think you have the patience for that.

If none of that is working and you need a place with a little more space to run and perhaps a dance party, head out of TSL and just after you exit, to the right, will be the old Pixar Place alley. It is currently home to An Incredible Celebration. If you’re into cookies or bribing your kids with cookies, you gotta get a Jack Jack’s Num Num cookie while you’re there.

Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

Animal Kingdom

Rides: Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, Primeval Whirl, Flight Of Passage

Animal Kingdom, in my opinion, has THE BEST play area for littles- The Boneyard. It’s HUGE and there’s something there for kids big and small. We just really love Dinoland U.S.A. as a whole, especially now that Donald’s Dino-Bash is going on. There many character interactions throughout the day, and a dance party later in the afternoon that lasts through the night.
Another cool thing about Dinoland is it’s not a bad place to hang no matter what ride you’re waiting for riders finish. You can all meet back up in the center of the park on Discovery Island.

You might also like: 6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

There is also the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party, which lasts a good portion of the day, on Discovery Island.
The Muziki Drums across from the Harambe Market are a family favorite for us, too.

Pandora has winding trails and tons of beautiful foliage to look at, especially at night. You might also catch the Pandora drums that play throughout the day. Fair warning: this can be a stressful place to let runners out of strollers. The combination of foot traffic and all the trails can make it easy to lose sight of an excited kiddo.

Screenshot or save this map to your phone for quick reference in the park!

map of Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom

I hope this helps you on your upcoming Walt Disney World trip! I’ll be writing more about taking babies and toddlers to Disney here soon, so be sure you’re subscribed and following me on Facebook and Instagram for updates. For videos about family travel, be sure you subscribe to our travel and lifestyle channel Happy Loud Life.

Click here to read more tips and tricks for Walt Disney World.

And if you love my photos and want to know how you can take and edit pix of your family at Disney World with just your phone and a few cheap apps, be sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter to find out when my next ebook- Picture Play At Disney World- goes on sale!

If you found this helpful, I’d love if you’d pin it to your Pinterest board!

image collage a pictures of the main highlights at WDW

March 1, 2019 29 comments

Babies

5 Things I Love That I Did With My First Baby

by Jill February 21, 2019

written by Jill

The other day I heard a first-time mom talking about planning her baby’s first birthday party and all the favors she was hand-making, and I was taken right back to my first baby ‘s first birthday and the alien stuffies I sewed up myself to give the other babies coming to the party.

image of baby's first birthday with parents

I could feel the mom-of-4 in me laugh at mom-of-one me, and then I told her to STFU because you know what? I love that I did that even though I’d probably never have the time or desire to do it again.

So, in that spirit, I thought I’d share 5 things I’m glad I did with my first baby – no shame- even though I wouldn’t go on to do that again for baby #4 (and sometimes #2 & #3).

1. Cloth Diapers

I love that I cloth diapered him 100%. I was FULLY committed. He was in cloth diapers nearly his whole diapered life, including nights, potty training, and even when we traveled. I would never be able to commit that fully to cloth diapering the other 3, but damn we saved some crazy money on baby #1 by doing that! And we needed it. Our budget was suuuuuper tight when he was a baby.

2. Made Baby Food

I love that I made all of his baby food. It’s important to note here that back then I didn’t have a job. I had this blog, but it was not a business back then and I had a lot more free time. Making his baby food was fun for me. It’s not something I prioritized as my time became more scarce with the other 3, but I’m glad I got to do it when it was fun and I had time for it.

3. Weekly Playgroups

I love that I took him to Gymboree classes and playgroups weekly. These activities were less about him and more about me, to be totally honest. They gave me a reason to get dressed and get out of the house regularly, and they introduced me to some incredible women I am still friends with to this day. Regular commitments like this became harder to stick to with each baby after him, but I had a solid base of local mom friends by then, and I knew all the words to the Gymboree bubble song.

4. Incredible Birthday Parties

I love that I planned him some really incredible birthday parties. We’ve moved away from doing elaborate, themed parties every year, but it was a fun creative outlet for me. I didn’t plan them because I felt like I had to impress anyone. I did it because I enjoyed it. And I’m actually looking forward to doing more for my littles when we get off the road and settled into a community (sans hand-sewn favors). My oldest, though, is pretty much past this stage, and I’m glad I relished it while I could.

5. World Revolved Around My First Baby

I love that our world revolved around him for a couple years. That one-baby life was pretty special, and while I do lament that I wish I had ignored him more, I don’t regret the hours and days he was our only entertainment. I don’t regret the nights we kept him up a little late or the mornings we let him sleep in bed with us. We were much stricter about routines with him than with the other 3 kids. I think that mostly had to do with us needing to feel in control of this wild and new thing called parenthood. I’m most fond of the memories of when we let those routines fall away for a bit.

BE EXTRA if you want, first-time parents! There is no shame in cherishing this new role and going all out IF YOU WANT TO.

image of mother with first baby at hospital

Tell me what brought you joy when you had only one baby that you refuse to feel shame about.

February 21, 2019 9 comments

Parenthood

Momfirmations Are Exactly What You Need To Hear At Exactly The Right Time

by Jill February 15, 2019

written by Jill

Motherhood is challenging and I am always so thrilled to see when mothers reach out to help other mothers. The village can be such a wonderful place.

Graeme Seabrook, who you may remember from when we shared The Mom Center, her online support network for mothers, has just released a deck of beautifully illustrated affirmation cards called The Momfirmations.

The cards can be used in a variety of ways to inspire and support mothers.

Cards can be pulled daily as a reminder, you can repeat them to yourself in the mirror, you can place them around your home, or use them as a jumping off point for journalling.

There are 55 cards in this pack– Graeme, who has been sharing her #momfirmations on Instagram as well, describes the cards like “a visit from your very best mom friend”.

It’s all about reminding you that you’re a good mom, even on days when you feel like anything but.

One of the reviews reads:

As soon as I got them in the mail I couldn’t wait to open them. When I did I was blown away, the artwork and words, are just so beautiful. I felt like I just received a hug in the shape of little cards to use every single day. I struggle with depression and these help me stay grounded and I’m already planning on buying more for clients because I know they’ll love them just as much as I do.

Each card has an affirmation along with a reflection question, fully illustrated on the opposite side.

As soon as the cards launched, Graeme noticed that nearly every order coming through was for more than one set of cards- people are buying them as gifts for friends and family members. They would make such a wonderful keepsake for any mom- think baby showers, Mother’s Day, birthday, and beyond.

You can order your own deck– and one for a friend!- for only $15 each. Graeme is also offering up three Momfirmation decks to three of our readers.

Momfirmations Giveaway

Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

February 15, 2019 1 comment

Tech Travel

One Of My Favorite Travel Apps Just Got Better For Families!

by Jill February 14, 2019

written by Jill

I can’t stop procrastinating, and that’s ok! I’m done guilting myself over it. It’s how I operate and honestly procrastination has it’s perks sometimes.

There are even companies completely dedicated to living that last-minute life, like HotelTonight. The longer you wait to book a hotel room through their app, the more you save! That means you are right on time to book something for tonight, and even this coming weekend. You can use the app to book hotels for future dates, too.

We had a chance to take a very last minute trip to Fort Lauderdale last weekend and got to hop on over to the Everglades.

I’ve worked with HotelTonight a few times before, and they are sponsoring this post, too. You know a brand is awesome when we team up long-term, you guys.

In the past, though, I had to be careful about messaging, only promoting their last-minute hotel reservation app as an option for a solo or couples getaway or staycation because the app didn’t have the option to book multiple rooms at one time for larger groups or families.

THAT ALL CHANGED! HotelTonight is now an incredible option for last-minute-lifers who want to book rooms for their whole family or big group! This is a brand new update.

On the iOS app, you can book up to 4 rooms in a single booking. Just open the customized search menu located on the top of the screen and select the number of rooms you’d like to book. If you’d like more than 2 people to stay in a room, that’s still up to the discretion of the hotel and could be subject to additional fees. I’d call just to be sure.

In Fort Lauderdale, we stayed at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort in two rooms. It was boys vs. girls!If you’d like to save $25 off your next HotelTonight booking, use my referral code JIKRAUSE.

The two rooms were not connected, but we did manage to get on the same floor with just one room separating us, and that room wasn’t occupied. It was being renovated.

When you book more than room, it will note in your reservation, but it’s best to call the hotel ahead of time or a HotelTonight rep to ask that they work to get your rooms next to each other.

Leyna was not complaining about the silence and solitude in our suite. We kept all the clothes and toiletries and general mess in the boys room so our room really felt like a quiet escape at the end of the day.

I love this option for larger groups just as much as I love it for solo or couples getaways and staycations. HotelTonight partners with hotels at a variety of levels- from basic to super luxe. I always discover quirky boutique hotels in great locations through their app, but you also have the big brand chains to choose from, too.

If you haven’t downloaded the HotelTonight app, be sure you do that. It’s free and even when I’m not planning to escape somewhere that night (though the idea is always tempting), I love to see what their Daily Drop is. This feature offers up to 30% off HT’s already low prices, but the catch is after you swipe you only have 15 minutes to book it. Sometimes it’s SO good that I want to make up an excuse to get away.

Thank you to HotelTonight for sponsoring this post. If you’d like to save $25 off your next HotelTonight booking, use my referral code JIKRAUSE.

February 14, 2019 1 comment

Photography

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

by Jill February 11, 2019

written by Jill

By far, the coolest thing to come out of releasing my Picture Play eBook back in November, has been seeing all of the incredible edits that people have been doing since they’ve read it.

Inside the Picture Play Facebook group (you get access with your purchase, no extra fee!) readers have been sharing photos ever single day.

I’m totally blown away.

If you’re still feeling frustrated with your phone photography and editing skills, take a look at what’s possible with just your iPhone or Android and some super cheap or free apps.

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

It’s incredible just how much ambiance you can bring out in a photo like this one! And did you see the disappearing act in the bottom left corner? Love it! Photo by: Sharon C.

unedited and edited image of a Piña colada taken by Krystyn

Cheers! This one was shared with the caption: “Not only good for picture of our kids, right?” Right! Photo by: Krystyn

unedited and edited image of the Statue of Liberty taken by Becci L.

This photo was taken from a cruise ship as they sailed past. Can you believe the difference?? Photo by: Becci L.

unedited and edited image of a child napping taken by Sharon C

That sunshine makes nap time something special. What a moment! Photo by: Sharon C.

unedited and edited image of a white house taken by Calley P

More sunshine! A gloomy day turned bright and cheerful. Magic. 😉 Photo by: Calley P.

unedited and edited image of children playing by Megan H

I LOVE all the colors brought to life in this edit. Another tiny moment made into something truly special. That light makes all the difference, don’t you think? Photo by: Megan H.

These are just a tiny handful of the photos that readers have been posting in the Picture Play group. There are HUNDREDS more inside. If you’re ready to take your phone photography skills to the next level, click here to learn more about the book and check out the reviews (up to 50 now!) that people have left.

image of the Picture Play ebook

Picture Play is a 161-page eBook, dedicated to phone photography and editing.

Download your copy at ShopBabyRabies.com and jump inside the group with us too. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

February 11, 2019 1 comment

Travel

Budget For This Extra On Your Walt Disney World Vacation

by Jill February 6, 2019

written by Jill

When I am old, my treasures will be photos, and this will be a crown jewel.

We recently hired Melissa Ann Photography to meet up with us for an hour at Magic Kingdom and what she captured was more than I could hope for.

I am always the magic manufacturer when we do Disney, and I mostly don’t mind, but combine that with being the family’s primary documentarian, and there’s rarely proof I exist, let alone proof that I made that magic happen in our vacation photos.

So I know, I KNOW WDW is already a pricey experience, but maybe consider this if you have a trip planned.

Why Hire A Professional Photographer For Your WDW Vacation?

1. These trips are, for many people, rare, long planned for and, just like other big and expensive moments of your life, you will love having high-quality images to look back on.

2. Park photographers at Photopass spots do an ok job most of the time, and you get access to those photos when you purchase Memory Maker or they will happily take them with your phone or camera, but they are not going to be able to follow you onto or between rides and capture the small moments when the magic really happens.

3. This is a guaranteed way to be sure everyone in your party gets in the picture, beyond the posed and staged shots.

4. Your photographer will also know all the coolest places to capture moments that will stand out and not get lost in a sea of other people.

How Does It Work?

We coordinated our plans with Melissa beforehand. She’s an Annual Passholder and was able to get fast passes on a few rides the same time as us. We met her in the park, she followed us back to the rides and then walked around with us to a couple other spots. In all, it took about an hour and then we were free to enjoy the rest of our day.

We tried to be considerate of people around us and didn’t make a big deal about the photo shoot. We waited in line and got on rides just like everybody else and Melissa would do her best to get a good vantage point, so there are some factors that will be out of your control. You need to be ok with that and trust that your photographer can capture the magic even if you don’t get the perfect seats on the ride or your favorite color Dumbo. We really tried to keep the whole session low-key and not get in the way of someone else’s magic that day.

How Much Does It Cost?

Rates will obviously vary based on who you hire. Melissa Ann Photography starts at $375 for an hour, including your final digital files. For us, an hour was plenty. If you have a bigger family or group, though, you might want to consider a longer shoot.

Budgeting Ideas- Some Ways You Might Be Able To Allocate Money For A Photoshoot:

Start with your food. If you’re doing the dining plan, I strongly encourage you to really crunch the numbers and see if it’s worth it. We’ve done it three different ways now: free dining plan, paid for the dining plan, no dining plan. Obviously, the free dining plan wins every time (a promo they offer 1-2x a year when you stay at a WDW resort.) But if you are paying for the dining plan, there’s a strong possibility you’re not actually going to come out ahead financially. You could easily make up for the cost of a photoshoot by paying out of pocket for meals, bringing in your own snacks, and not eating at a table service restaurant for a few days. Not as hard as it may sound. Lots of quick service restaurants have great food, and many meals are easily shareable.
Downgrade from Park Hopper tickets. In my experience, park hopping is a time suck and a huge stress when dealing with littles anyway. If your itinerary allows, consider paying less for tickets that only let you in one park a day.
Prioritize photos over other souvenirs. It’s very easy to get sucked into buying stuff at WDW, and even if they aren’t huge purchases, they add up fast. If your kids will want a WDW souvenir, consider buying Disney merch on Amazon or from Walmart or Target before you go, and then sneak it in your luggage and gift it to them there.

We are basically living at Walt Disney World right now and have been for nearly a month- popping in and out of Fort Wilderness, Disney’s official on-site RV park, and other Orlando area RV parks. Don’t hate me, please!

This is such a rare and wonderful thing, and we are fully taking advantage of it. Partly because when else in our children’s lifetimes will we be able to do this with them? Homeschool part of the day, and then run up and catch the fireworks or snag a fast pass for a favorite ride- we are so super lucky, and I know that.

Also, a big reason for the extended stay is so I can get all the research I need done here for my next eBook (title still pending) all about how to take photos of your family at Walt Disney World. After the jaw-dropping success of my first eBook Picture Play- CLICK THROUGH to read reviews and buy-over 1100 copies sold in less than 3 months and still going strong, I was so inspired to keep creating content that will help regular people take and edit gorgeous photos of their families and of themselves with whatever camera they know and use the most.

Be sure you’re signed up for my newsletter so you can find out when the next Disney-focused eBook presale starts!

But even while I’m here working on a book to teach you how to take pictures at Walt Disney World yourself, I still think it’s worth it for you to consider budgeting to hire a professional photographer for your trip to WDW just so you can feel confident that YOU will be represented in some of those magical moments.

Yes, I know WDW is already an expensive endeavor, and a professional photographer is an additional expense that not everyone can add onto an already pricey vacation. But, with a little bit of planning and budgeting, it’s possible it could work out for you!

This post is not sponsored. We hired Melissa Ann Photography and loved the experience so much I had to share.

February 6, 2019 0 comment

Babies Parenthood Travel

You Could Turn Your Baby Gear Into A Legit Sidehustle

by Jill February 1, 2019

written by Jill

I got an email from a biz called BabyQuip last week. They wanted me to tell you all about how you can use them to rent all the baby stuff you need when you travel so you don’t have to worry about renting things like high chairs and car seats and strollers. They even have packages that include toys and full-size cribs.

And I think that’s a valuable service for many people. Definitely check them out if you are traveling and would rather rent that stuff than haul it all with you.

I started looking into how the stuff gets to you when you rent it, though, and that’s when I stumbled on what I thought was more exciting to share with you- becoming a BabyQuip Quality Provider, or, as they call them, a QP.

My links to them are affiliate, but this is how bad I suck at affiliate marketing: I only make money off people who click through to RENT things and not what I’m writing a whole blog post about.

QPs own all their own baby equipment that they then rent out to traveling families through BabyQuip. BQ is a “platform business” similar to what Uber is. You use their platform to service people with stuff you own. The people using you have assurance that you are legit. You are insured through them (billed monthly on a sliding scale based on what you make). And they make it easy to list what you have available to rent on their website.

There is a $100 fee to get started, which covers your first month of insurance and setup & admin expenses. After that you make 80% of your rental and delivery fees and BQ keeps 20%. You get to keep 100% of your tips. People will (hopefully) tip you because you’ll be delivering immaculate baby gear that you lovingly care for and thoroughly clean in between clients, setting up cribs, demonstrating how to fold and unfold strollers and more. In addition, hopefully they will be rating you highly on BQs internal rating system.

They have QPs in many cities, but it doesn’t seem saturated, and many cities still don’t have QPs. So this seems like a really great opportunity for the right people to put some of their gently used baby gear to work! Or even for someone to slowly invest in new baby gear and build a business.

The Ultimate Baby Rabies Book Launch Giveaway

On the FAQ page, in response to “Do I need to buy gear to get started?” BQ replies:

“No. We can get you launched on the BabyQuip (formerly Babierge) platform and open for business before you buy any gear. We recommend (but don’t require) that you purchase one item– a full-size portable wooden crib–because that’s our most requested item and could easily be your first order. It fits in many cars and all vans and SUVs. We’ll tell you how to order a crib later. If you’re close to a baby store, or use Amazon Prime, you can actually purchase gear after you get an order most of the time. That’s how Quality Providers build their inventory. You can also purchase used gear in great condition.”

I’m kind of regretting giving away some of our less abused baby stuff now! If you’ve got some gently used baby gear you could do without, or the means or desire to build up a stash of baby gear, and if you’re looking for a way to bring in some extra money each month, head over and read more about becoming a BabyQuip QP.

Not an MLM, and this is not sponsored. But if you would like to rent travel gear through BQ, I love if you’d click through my affiliate link.

February 1, 2019 3 comments

Parenthood

If Your Productivity Needs Help, Check This Out

by Jill January 22, 2019

written by Jill

My word of the year is Hydrate, I’m not even kidding.

I mean like literally drink more water because honest to God there were a few times last year when I thought something was seriously wrong with me, and I just hadn’t had actual water all day, if we’re not counting the water used to make the coffee.

But I also mean to hydrate what needs worked on. What you water, grows.

So this year I’m trying to keep myself hydrated and water the things in my life that need work. And one of those things that needs a giant can of intention water poured all over it is my productivity and my daily systems.

I’m a mess, is what I’m saying. This is not news to anyone who’s been reading or following me for a short amount of time.

One thing I got a lot better about last year was letting go of the guilt. Yes, I suck at systems and my productivity is scattered, but also I’m balancing 2 businesses, a marriage, full time travel, and keeping 4 kids alive at the same time. Nothing good comes from feeling guilty about my shortcomings. It just makes me freeze up.

It is AMAZING how much easier it is to move forward with your life and your plans when you just go ahead and forgive yourself for being behind on things, or being a total mess- acknowledge that that part of you needs work, then give yourself the space to work on it.

So I am thrilled to jump into the new Edit Your Life Productivity E-Retreat in February.

Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest (Edit Your Life Show podcast co-hosts + Minimalist Parenting co-authors) are launching something awesome: a 21-day interactive productivity e-retreat that will boost your productivity and help you develop habits that will work all year.

Christine and Asha’s mantra is that “productivity isn’t about getting more done, it’s about getting the right things done.”

The e-retreat kicks off February 1, 2019, and each day you’ll receive a key productivity exercise, exclusive audio, a series of printable worksheets, and access to a private Facebook community. Go register now! It’s only $21!

Yes, I’m sharing here because Christine and Asha are my friends, but also? You guys know how they became my friends? Well, let’s start with me following both of them on Twitter circa 2009-ish, back when Twitter was THE place to find incredible people. Their blogs and their book were a huge inspiration, and I was totally fan-girl-y about meeting them at blog conferences.

They. Know. Their. Stuff.

Christine and Asha are two of the most organized people I know (I roomed with Christine when we got to visit the White House and she was the MVP, showing up with an actual printed agenda and driving directions to the WH from out hotel for our driver), but they approach life and parenting in such a real and relatable way.

They also could not be kinder people.

And now, thanks to the magic of the internet, I get to call them both friends!

Christine and me getting ready to head into the White House in March 2016.

I hope you’ll check out their e-Retreat if you’re also feeling like you need some solid help from actual experts to refine or setup your routines and boost your productivity this year. WHAT YOU WATER, GROWS.

January 22, 2019 0 comment

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