You just went on the most amazing Disney vacation with your family!  It was beautiful.  You saw the castle, you whirled through space on Space Mountain, you shook hands with Mickey, and you ate the most amazing Disney food.  

The thing is, now you miss it.  Regular life, its a mess.  You now are faced with responsibilities, work, your kids school projects, getting them to practice and to top it off you actually have to cook them all dinner.  Ugh.  

Here are my tips on how to cope with a Disney Hangover and hang on to some of that magic for a bit longer.

1.  Play Disney Parks Music

There is a channel I love on Spotify and I know they also have a similar channel on Youtube that plays the actual Disney Parks music.  It really does bring you back to the feeling walking down Main Street.  

2.  Watch Disney Movies

This is a great way to recapture some Disney magic.  Why not watch the movies that inspired the rides?  Some of my favorites that bring me back to the parks are Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid.  The good news is that all of these are represented in the parks so just watching the movies can take you back.

3.  Create a Photo Memory Book

I personally love Social Print Studio.  They print more than just books, however, the book printing is the best and most user friendly platform I have ever worked with.  I have the app on my phone and literally create our photo book on the plane ride home most trips.  It arrives quickly and the quality is great!

4.  Check out Instagram

I follow some amazing Disney Influencers.  Of course, you should follow my Disney Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mountainboymom
I share all sorts of travel inspiration but mostly I share Disney!  

5. Order and Read Disney Books

 

There are some super in depth Disney books out there.  I personally love the Imagineering coffee table book.  It has so much information and beautiful photos on how the parks and rides were created.  The Secrets of Disneyland is a great read and will really fill you up for your next trip.

6.  Check the Disney Apps and Wait Times

I leave the app on my phone all year round.  Anytime I am feeling a little extra longing for Disney, I simply open the app and check it out.  I love seeing that Space Mountain only has a 20 minute wait.  Although sometimes it makes me want to go more.

7.  Make Mickey Waffles

Something about Mickey shaped food makes the longing for Disney feel less.  We received this Mickey waffle maker for Christmas and we use it ALL THE TIME!  

8.  Watch Attraction Ride Throughs on YouTube

There are several channels on Youtube that play actual full attraction ride through.  My kids love to watch these and remember how much fun they had on their trip.  I personally love SoCalAttractions360 channel.  These will bring you back to your own favorite ride experience!

9.  Watch the Fireworks on the DisneyGo App on Roku or Apple TV.

I absolutely love the Happily Ever After Fireworks show.  It can bring tears to my eyes.  Even watching it on the Disney Channel app will make me tear up!  

10.  Start Planning Your Next Disney Adventure

This is my favorite strategy for getting over the Disney blues.  I like to start daydreaming of our next trip right away.  And I usually start planning our next tentative adventure right away, in my mind if nothing else.  What better time, everything you loved is fresh in your mind and the things you wished you would have done differently are very clear.

I hope you are already feeling better about your Disney blues!
XOXO,
Leah

Shopping for boys can be a little tricky especially when they get to be a certain age.  This is my list of things that my boys will be getting in their easter baskets this year. If you are interested in looking at these for your kiddos, just click on the image and it will take you right to the Amazon page where they are found.

I am going to start with my preteen boy. 

He will be 10 next month and is teetering on the edge of boyhood still.  He still likes toys and games as much as the next boy, which is awesome.  I never want them to grow up too quickly.  I do want to point out a caveat that we have always had for our Easter baskets, no video games.  So while my 10 year old would love if Sea of Thieves for Xbox found its way into his basket, its not going to happen in our house.

1.  We always like to have one large item in the basket that the boys were wanting.  Usually something useful or educational.  This year a Roller Coaster Building kit is going to be the big item for our youngest.

2.  Right now, he is in a stage where he is drawing in sketch books all the time.  He says he wants to be an animator.  How cool is that?  These learn to draw books come in many different themes and are super helpful for our budding artist.

3.  Drawing pencils are a little more expensive than regular pencils.  He has been asking for some more as Santa had given him a few in his stocking this year.  The bunny might do the same.

4.  Building and creating are a bit of a theme here as you can see.  That is all my little guy seems to want to do, which is fine by me!  He built an easy model plane not too long ago and loved it.  This one is super affordable and might be a fun project.

5.  We love Calvin and Hobbes and our son seems to be at a stage where he wants to read things that are funny.  Some of the "comic" style books our there are a bit crass and full of words like Stupid and Poopy Pants and maybe I am a stick in the mud but I think my sons mind is worth  some more intellectual thought than that.  Calvin and Hobbes seems to be a nice go to for us in this arena.

6.  It wouldn't be an Easter basket without some candy.  I love the Lindt Gold Easter Bunny Chocolates because they are not enourmous.  My boys don't need a ton of sugar, just a little treat. 

On to my oldest fellow.  My teenager is a little harder to shop for.  

He is 14 and super active.  We just finished a crazy ski season here in Colorado as the snow has been coming down like crazy.  This summer will be on to swim team, mountain biking and active water sports for this guy.  When filling a basket for him I need to remember that he cares more about things he can use in his life and unfortunately brands matter to him right now.  Again, we steer away from video games. Honestly, he is too busy to play them most of the time.  You may see that he will get less in his basket, that is because the things he wants and uses are higher price points.  

1.  His big item will be one of these take along JBL waterproof bluetooth speakers.  He can attach this to his paddleboard or take it to the pool and not worry about it getting ruined.  He has been wanting one of these for awhile so its the right call.

2.  Also to go along with his summer water sports and our travel plans, some sunglasses that can go anywhere.  These aren't so expensive that he will be bummed if he loses them but nice enough that he will want to wear them.

3.  In order to enjoy his time on the water he will need some sun protection.  This rash gaurd offers sun protection up to UPF50 and is pretty darn affordable!

4. Of course, we have to add in that chocolate!  Just a little treat!  I love that the Lindt Chocolate Bunnys come in different flavors.  Each of my boys prefer different chocolate so this makes it easy for them to get the same bunny, different flavor.  My oldest prefers dark chocolate so that will be whats in his basket.

What do you put in your preteen and teen boy Easter baskets?  Do you fill with a ton of fun silly less expensive items or just a couple nice items that they will use?  Each family is different!  I hope our lists maybe sparked some inspiration for you to fill your boys baskets this year!  This post does contain affilliate links, but as always, I will never post anything I do not personally love and purchase myself.  I truly believe in promoting things that you love and sharing those ideas and products with other moms can be super inspiring and helpful.  I hope these links helped you today! 

The Cape is full of beaches.  Some more beautiful than others.    For beautiful views I recommend The National Seashore.  There are hundreds of amazing beaches on the Cape.  I could do an entire post cataloging the beaches best to worst.  I must say, The National Seashore is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  When you think of the quintessential Cape Cod scene, this is what you imagine.  Muted tones of blue, gray and beige, gorgeous waves and seagrass.  I don't recommend The National Seashore as a place that you will let your children swim, as it is a gathering place for seals, which means sharks will often congregate there as well.  However, it is a fun place to watch the waves, build a sandcastle and take in the views.

If you want to get into the water, I suggest going on the beaches on the inner side of the Cape.  One of our favorite beaches is Loops Beach.  It has calm waters, lots of great seashell finding and a great place to relax.

We loved our experience with Capn' Kids Fishing Excursions!  This experience is especially made with kids in mind.  It only takes a couple of hours, which is great for a child's attention span.  First you get on the boat and get briefed on the rules and safety.  You are given fishing poles for all parties that are interested in fishing.  They take you out first to set crab traps.  They stop about 20 minutes off shore and drop the crab traps, explaining to the kids how crabs are trapped and what type of bait is used.  From here you head out to sea!  There are helpers who will assist you and your children in catching fish.  It depends on season what you will catch.  They will let you keep your catch if you wish.  On the way back in, they stop to pull up the crabs!  This for my kids was the best part.  They dump them all over the deck floor and kids are instructed to assist the crew in making sure all the crabs make it back into the water.  They also give the kids mops and they are expected to help clean the deck as part of the experience.  It was a great time and something my kids still talk about today.  If you want to take your kids fishing on Cape Cod, this is the way to do it!

There are many places to play mini golf on the cape.  Our personal favorite is Pirate's Cove in South Yarmouth, MA.  It is pirate themed and actually a great little course.  After you are done golfing the kids get a free ice cream cone inside the gift shop.  

If seeing Marine life is your thing, definitely check out Dolphin Fleet in Provincetown, MA.  You board and the boat takes you out about an hour off shore where the whales often hang out and like to feed.  We have been lucky to see whales each time, in fact once we saw a mama whale and her baby who wanted to interact with the boat and us!  One of the best experiences we have ever had.

History is abundant on the Cape.  Located in Plymouth, MA, Plymouth Plantation takes you back in time to the days of the early settlers in our nation.  There are actors/educators who roam around in costume and give plenty of information about the time.  An indian village is also available to explore.  Here there are no actors but actual members of the Wampanoag Tribe who volunteer to educate people about their tribe and history.  It is such a fascinating way to spend a day.

Also Located in Plymouth, MA, The Mayflower is a great way to learn some history hands on!  There are volunteers on the boat who are playing the parts of actual members who road abroad the Mayflower.  You can explore the boat and touch and feel all the aspects of this impressive vessel.

This is a beautiful sprawling garden!  There are tons of beautiful local plant life displays, a labrynth, a gorgeous restored carousel, and some art displays that often rotate.  My personal favorite part of this park is the children's garden.  It is a lovely place for kids to play and explore with tons of hands on manipulatives to build and create or simply play pretend.  If you are in Mashpee or Sandwich area of the Cape, you must check this place out.

We love Nantucket and cannot wait to return for another visit.  In order to get to Nantucket, you will either have to fly or take a ferry.  The ferries are a great experience in themselves as you are out at sea and get a feel for how far the islands are from  Cape Cod.  Once on the island you are met with quaint shops and restaurants lining a cobblestone street.  It is one of the most charming places I have ever been.  On the island you can rent bikes to tool around and explore, or simply walk through town.  There is a museum all about the history of Nantucket's whaling history, the first mill built in our country and a few other historic spots.  There are restaurants of all types from fine dining to brewery pubs.  It is easy to spend a couple days here (or more if you can afford it!) and never get bored.

Another charming beachside town is found at the very end of Cape Called. Provincetown, MA to some is not a place that they would imagine taking children.  There is a undercurrent that runs there that make some people uncomfortable.  That being said, I loved going to P-Town as a child and my kids love it as well.  In Provincetown, there are tons of things for kids to do.  One of our favorites is Pilgrim Monument and Museum.  You can climb to the very top of it, which I recommend, and see the most beautiful views of the Cape and ocean.  It is only 116 steps and worth every one.  This tower represents that P-Town is where the Pilgrims stopped on their very first stop on land.  Everyone thinks Plymouth is where the Pilgrims originally landed but this is not true.  To find the whole story you have to visit the museum and find out!

Also in Provincetown, you will find a Pirate Museum which my little pirate lover enjoyed.  As I mentioned before, the Whale Watch fleets depart from here.  

I love just walking around the town and enjoying the shops and restaurants.  The famous Lobster Pot is found right on Commercial Street and I can attest is delicious.

Like Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard is so very New England.  In order to get there you must ride the Ferry, which in and of itself is a great experience if your family is land locked most of the time. If you wish you explore the island, I would recommend a car.  You can either take yours on the ferry or rent one there on the island.  Martha's Vineyard is a little harder to explore without a car compared to Nantucket.  Our favorite spot are the Aquinnah Cliffs and beach area below.  The views are phenominal and the exploring on the beach is enough to spend a few hours doing.  There are three main towns on the vineyard Edgartown, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs.  I recommend exploring all of them!  In Oak Bluffs there is an old restored Carousel along with shops, cafes, ice cream shops and the famous "Gingerbread Houses" which is a historic site.

Found in Woods Hole you can explore this small (I mean it when I say small) aquarium.  Rather than call it aquarium I will just called it as it is and its a research center.  Here they are actually actively studying the marine life of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.  

They also are rehabilitating Seals and every day they have a "show" where they discuss the type of work they do at the research center and bring out some of the seals they are working with before they are returned to the wild.  FYI- The ferry to Martha's Vineyard goes out of here so why not check it out after you return on the ferry?

If you are looking for a great rainy day activity with small children, this is the place!  I emphasize small children here as older children would find it hard to be excited about this spot.

There are plenty of manipulatives, puppet shows, science stations, arts and crafts and play pretend areas.  It is very well done and a great way to spend a couple hours with a little one.

Lighthouses are so quintessentially New England and Cape Cod does not have a shortage.  It is easy to find one close to any town that you can go explore.  Check out THIS MAP for a listing of all Cape Cod Lighthouses.  Talk about some beautiful pictures to take to remember your trip!  Certain times of year they will open some up for people to climb up into.  Definitely see if you can find them then!

If you get a license, you can fish off of most piers on the Cape.  We like to give this a shot at least once a trip while there.  Its a great way to relax and take in the ocean.

This one is dependent on the time of year you are exploring the Cape.  If you are there mid summer (Julyish) you can go to Coonamesset Farm and pick blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries!  They give you buckets and you spend a few hours sifting through the acres of beautiful bushes.  My children loved this experience and we took home bags of delicious fresh berries.  Oh, and the ice cream they sell there is amazing!