Five Loves on Friday

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Happy Friday!  Hope your week has been a good one!  I'm looking forward to sharing a handful of loves from mine.  Let's get right to it!

One  //  Disneyland 60 The Wonderful World of Disney

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Did you guys catch Disneyland's celebratory television special on Sunday?  It was so incredibly magical! One of the highlights for me was the surprise at the finale of "Step in Time"!  

 *If you are reading this blog post via an email subscription and cannot view the above video, please visit the original post at ChattingOverChocolate.com to watch this clip.

The special in its entirety is available now on Hulu.  If you're a Disney fan, it's definitely worth the watch!  

Two  //  Date Night In

My husband was sick much of this week, but was doing better in time for our date night last night!  Woohoo!  We settled in for some cozy couch time, tv, and pizza.   It was simple and much enjoyed!

Three  //  Essie Loveliness


essie penny talk

Yesterday was so dreary outside.  I cheered myself up with a pop of shine in a feminine coppery-pink.  Essie's mirror metallics are some of my favorite polishes.  I also love good as gold from this collection!  When the sun isn't shining at least your nails can be! ;)

Four  //  Comfort in a Mug

Another thing that's helping me get through this last little bit of winter is my favorite sippable sweet treat, Starbucks Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa with extra marshmallows.  YUMmm!

Saving the Best for last...

Five  //  TODAY is my Dad's Birthday!


A few of my favorite snapshots of/with my dad during our recent WDW vacation together!

If you've been reading Chatting Over Chocolate for a bit, you probably already know that I'm a daddy's girl.  My dad is one of my favorite people on the planet and I adore him with all my heart!  Today is his birthday and I can hardly wait to celebrate him!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!  Wishing you a day that's as wonderful as you are! 

XOXO

Thanks for stopping by today, friends!  Have a lovely weekend!

Trip Report Tuesday // WDW Day 8 {Part One}

Happy Tuesday, friends!  If you're in need of a lit'l Disney fix today, you've come to the right place!  And, away we go!

Day 8 - Friday, October 23, 2015 // Part One

The time had finally come to take in something we'd been anticipating for months, the new and improved Peter Pan queue!  This classic attraction became even more magical than we'd imagined with this incredible addition!

Think of a wonderful thought

Any merry little thought

Think of Christmas, think of snow

Think of sleigh bells

Off you go, like reindeer in the sky

You can fly!  You can fly!  You can fly!

Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning

The Darling Family portraits

The Nursery was so well themed with such intricate details from Peter Pan!  Jason was using our higher quality camera for video, so be sure to stay tuned for fab footage on our Disney YouTube channel, Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!

The bells shown below aren't simply shadows on the wall, they are interactive!  I felt like a kid again as I waved my arms back and forth ringing them!  That's right, they would move and even ring when you reached out and "touched" them!  Honestly, if that line had moved more slowly I would have been perfectly content to linger there a bit longer. ;) 

Another one of my favorite things was getting sprinkled with pixie dust (lights)!  It was truly magical!

This queue brought such joy and wonder to the faces of my family and all those around us in line, young and old alike.  After all, whether you're 2 or 102, who wouldn't want to visit the Darling's nursery and feel the magic of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell come to life all around them?  

Splash Mountain

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

My, oh my, what a wonderful day

Plenty of sunshine headin' my way

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

Brer Galley along the Splash Mountain queue

Funny story, Princess thought we should showcase our ears (or my mouse ears and her imaginary ears) for the ride photo.  Immediately after this photo was snapped my ears flew right off my head!  I panicked looking behind me, but thankfully they had landed at my feet and were just fine!  They were clearly a bit camera shy on that particular morning. ;)

Haunted Mansion

Welcome, foolish mortals.

"Dear Sweet Leota, Beloved by all, In regions beyond now, But having a ball"

Lunch at Columbia Harbour House

You may remember from a previous trip report that Columbia Harbor House is one of our favorite quick service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.  While Little One and I typically opt for their chicken breast nuggets and fries, Jason and Princess like to satisfy their seafood cravings here with things like their New England clam chowder, fried shrimp, and a lobster roll.   

Our favorite tables are the ones upstairs with a view towards Fantasyland!

Our last spin of the trip on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

Bidding farewell (for now) to Cinderella Castle

 Partners

"We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun - together."

- Walt Disney

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Next week we'll be moving on to a world (showcase) of delight and deliciousness at Epcot!  See ya real soon!

Don't forget that you can also watch fun footage of our Disney days on my family's YouTube channel, Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!  My husband Jason publishes a new video each Sunday, so be sure to click that "subscribe" button while there to catch future vids!

You may also be interested in:

Previous Disney Trip Reports

Direct links to each of my Disney trip reports can be found HERE.

Visit my DISNEY! page for magical crafts, recipes, and Disney goodness galore!

Join me in the adventures to come!

Facebook // Bloglovin // Pinterest // Instagram // Join via GFC, or sign up to receive new posts directly in your inbox @ left side bar

I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)   

Five Loves on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!  You know what that means!  It's Five Loves time!

One  //  A Delicious Weekend with my sweet Valentines!

My Valentine's Day wishes were quality time with my three loves (Jason and our girlies), and plenty of  yummy eats for all!  My sweet man made sure that these wishes came true...

Our weekend began with heart shaped donuts!  Pink, chocolate covered, sprinkles and all, they were perfection!

We spent Saturday cozy in our pajamas just relaxing together, until dinner.  Our favorite Thai restaurant is closed on Sundays, so we had to get early Valentine's takeout on Saturday night, of course!  My chicken pad thai and egg rolls absolutely hit the spot!  

Sunday we enjoyed a refreshing time in the Word, and after church stopped at one of our favorite pizzerias to snag a couple pies and cinnamon breadsticks.  Delish!  

It was as good as weekends get!

Two  //   The most fun that $2.88 can buy!

We're finally getting temps in the 60s here!  A bright new bouncy ball was totally in order!  We are so ready to get out and play, go for family walks, runs, and bike rides, and soak up the sun together!  C'mon springtime!!!

Three  //  We booked our stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa!

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If you've been following along here or on instagram you probably know that we have been California dreamin' the past several months as we plan our next family vacation.  Our excitement has grown even more as we booked our week stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel!  This trip will include a week of touring California, followed by a week at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure!  I can hardly wait to take in the beauty and magic of it all, and then come right back here and share it with you all! 

Four // #ShareYourEars


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Post your sweet mouse ear snaps on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with #shareyourears and help out a fantastic cause!

*See the my kids' favorite mouse ear shots on my IG account and a couple more on my family's YouTube channel Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat's Instagram!


Five  //  National Chocolate Mint Day!

If you're looking for an excuse to enjoy the decadent combo that is chocolate and mint, you have one!  Today is National Chocolate Mint Day!  Want to try something that checks both of those boxes and is as sweet as you are?  Check out this recipe I created a few years back with my oldest daughter in mind.  She enjoys a good brownie as much as I do, and cannot get enough of all things mint! 

Celebrate the holiday right with a pan of this gooey goodness!

Recipe link:  Ooey Gooey Minterrific Brownies

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Trip Report Tuesday // WDW Day 7 {Part Two}

Happy Tuesday!  Ready for another pixie dusted post filled with Disney magic and deliciousness?  Let's get right to the good stuff! 

Day 7 - Thursday, October 22, 2015 // Part Two

Last trip report left off with a memorable lunch at Be Our Guest.  After leaving Beast's castle we headed over to Hollywood Studios to continue on with the Beauty and the Beast theme, seeing the tale as old as time told live on stage!  

Our afternoon immersed in Beauty and the Beast goodness was one of the highlights of the trip!


Time for some epic adventure!



Those dark clouds set the scene for one of my all-time favorite shots of the Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

"Love in a Roller Coaster"

The Great Movie Ride

Singin' in the rain and on the rooftops!

Muppet Vision 3D

After a few more rides we boarded a Friendship to Epcot, took a nice stroll through the Park, and hopped on a monorail to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, 'Ohana!

Family and fantastic food ... these are a few of my favorite things!

Delicious Desserts

Dinner at 'Ohana comes with Bread Pudding a la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce.  

While this dessert is thoroughly enjoyed by most of our family, we do have a couple sweet loved ones with special dietary needs.  Little One has a coconut allergy which has resulted in a different finale to each meal here.  The chef's alternative did not disappoint!  This time around she basically received her own little dessert buffet!  She dug in with a huge grin!

My dad is diabetic and received a beautifully plated, delightful dessert as well!

When our tummies were full and our forks empty, we made our way to the monorail.  Our evening ended with a few more dazzling Disney views...

This was definitely a day to remember!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Next week I'll be sharing our last day in the Disney Parks, which included some fantastic firsts!  See ya real soon!

Don't forget that you can also watch fun footage of our Disney days on my family's YouTube channel, Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!  My husband Jason publishes a new video each Sunday, so be sure to click that "subscribe" button while there to catch future vids!

You may also be interested in:

Previous Disney Trip Reports

Direct links to each of my Disney trip reports can be found HERE.

Visit my DISNEY! page for magical crafts, recipes, and Disney goodness galore!

Join me in the adventures to come!

Facebook // Bloglovin // Pinterest // Instagram // Join via GFC, or sign up to receive new posts directly in your inbox @ left side bar

I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)   

Five Loves on Friday!

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Happy Friday, friends!  The past week sure has been a delightful and delicious one for my family!  I can't wait to share a handful of its highlights with you today!  Ready, set, Five Loves time!

One  //  Friends Dayte!

My dear friend Nikki and her sweet kiddos joined us for a fun-filled day of chatting, snacking, laughing, and playing games that revolved around our mutual love of Disney!  It was truly a treat having them visit and most definitely a highlight of our week!

Also lovers of food (all the best people are), they brought beautiful trays of fruit and cheese, and even a dessert straight from Beauty and the Beast!  The Grey Stuff was oh so delicious!  

Two  //  A Gift Bag of Girly Goodness!

Nikki, being the incredibly thoughtful friend that she is, also came bearing beautiful (& scrumptious) gifts!  

These goodies had my name written all over them!  I mean, pink & gold, chocolate, donut references, and cozy socks - she clearly knows me well!  Thanks again, Nikki!

. . . Days just don't get much sweeter than that!



Three  //  Date Night + a Date Day

My parents invited the girls over for a sleepover on Friday night, then took them to a birthday party on Saturday.  This allowed Jason and I almost 24 hours of couple time!  It was so wonderfully refreshing enjoying one on one time with my sweet, funny, and adorable hubby!

Four  //  Super Bowl Sunday Eats

I admit, all I watched of Super Bowl 50 was the halftime show (Coldplay is one of my all-time favorites so I couldn't miss that)!  Even sans football, Super Bowl Sunday is a great excuse for some taste bud touchdowns!  We ordered a smorgesbourg of yumminess from Pizza Ranch and had our own lit'l buffet of comfort food!  YUM!

Five  //  Dinner at My Parents' Place

Speaking of comfort food, my parents invited us over for a happy helping of of bread, cheese, and pasta, followed by one of my mom's always yummy dessert spreads!  It was a fantastic night with family and food, two of my favorite things! ;)

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Thanks for stopping by today!  Wishing you the sweetest of weekends ahead!