It’s been another very interesting year for me personally as well as for my blog and I’ve appreciated those of you who have been following along! Here is what I’ve been up to this year and what I have planned for 2017.
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Me, in a shirt from Etsy seller MouseApparel
This Life
Last year I’d found out that I was being laid off from my full time job and would be a stay-at-home-mom for the first time. That offered enough challenge on its own but then I also found out I was expecting another baby! We live in a small home so I “nested” before she was born and I got busy and organized the house on a budget and shared the tips in my post Budget-friendly & Practical Organizing Solutions for Small Spaces
I tested out a few new recipes on my family before sharing them with my readers here including Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Potato Soup, Slow-cooker Baked Beans and Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies. Since having the baby and working to get the excess weight off, I’ve been focused on cooking “real food” and limiting processed meals, prepackaged items and other than the occasional Chick-fil-A lunch, have been dining mainly at home. I will continue to find and post budget-friendly recipes that incorporate real, wholesome foods.
LEGOLAND Blogger
Early in the year I was asked to be a LEGOLAND Official Blogger! We’ve been visiting LEGOLAND California since it had first opened so this partnership was welcome. We visited several times this year, including the Brick or Treat Halloween Party.
LEGOLAND California – A Delightful Amusement Park for Preschoolers
Brick-or-Treat Party Nights Halloween Celebration at LEGOLAND® California Resort
Traveling Mom
Before baby girl was born, we squeezed in one last Disneyland trip. It gave me plenty to write about and I was able to cover several topics for TravelingMom including Important Advice You Can’t Ignore If You’re Pregnant at Disney and Tweens & Toddlers at Disney – What You Need to Make Everyone Happy.
I loved my second year as a TravelingMom in 2016. The TMOM crew is extremely supportive and I’ve been living vicariously through those who are touring the globe! Having the opportunity to travel more outside of my small community is one of my goals for 2017. In the meantime, while I have a young baby at home, I’ve been exploring my area and wrote about it as the Day Trips TMOM.
Free in San Diego – 21 Things for Families in Beautiful Balboa Park
Little Italy San Diego – A Day Trip Tour of What to See, Eat and Do
My baby girl was only a few weeks old during the Traveling Mom’s annual spring retreat so I had to miss it in 2016 (believe me though, I was trying to convince my husband to the bitter end that I could travel alone with a 3-week old!). Fortunately for me, Traveling Mom hosted a retreat in the fall and I was able to travel cross-county alone with my girl (who was 6-months at the time) to Walt Disney World. It was my first solo trip with any of my kids and fortunately she appears to be a born traveler! We never had any issues and we had a fantastic time exploring the parks and Disney Springs at our own pace. The Traveling Moms lovingly welcomed #TBABY during the retreat.
I wrote for Traveling Mom about the character buffet we experienced at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista.
My Number One Viewed Post for 2017
Given the questions I receive via email from my readers, I wrote this post that was extremely well received. It’s my #1 most viewed this year!
5 Things You Need to Do Before Your First Disney Vacation
Preschool Playdate #DisneyKids
About a week before I delivered the baby, I hosted a #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate at the park. It was a blast and I was honored to be invited to host two years in a row!
Celebration Fun at Our #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate Party 2016!
Insider Disney Tips
As a Disney travel “expert” I wrote several articles about planning trips that were successfully shared via social media. Pinterest is my number one traffic driver, so it’s a good thing I love Pinterest and enjoy creating “pinnable” images! I love when my readers share, so please continue to pin and share away!
7 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Disney Vacation
12 Things to Do Waiting in Line at Disney Parks
Disney Baby
In mid-July I was approached about a dream writing opportunity, as a contributing author for the Disney Baby blog! I have been able to blend my love for babies and Disney into these posts and have so loved this amazing opportunity. I am writing about Disney Parks travel tips for families with babies as well as other baby tips as a “seasoned mom”!
9 Guaranteed Ways to Get Baby to Nap at Disney Parks
8 Tips for Breastfeeding Your Baby at Disneyland
Taking Baby to Mickey’s No-So-Scary Halloween Party
Social Media Moms On-the-Road
In August, I was delighted to receive an invitation to the Disney Social Media Moms On-the-Road Event at Disneyland. This year was invite-only and the bloggers there were able connect with each other in a small venue, hear from celebrity speakers and watch a sneak peek of Moana! Afterwards we were able to enjoy the Disneyland parks, my baby girl’s first visit!
Disney Social Media Moms On-the-Road…at Disneyland! #DisneySMMCDLR
New Affiliates
I picked up a few new affiliates over 2016. Thank you again for anyone who has clicked and purchased through my affiliate links; it continues to help me in a small financial way to run my business.
If you’re needing Disney vacation tickets, hotel room or an entire vacation package, Park Savers is my go-to!
Target is a favorite and I happily welcomed them as an affiliate this year. Gotta love saving that 5% with a Target Debit RedCard!
What to do with all those vacation photos? Put them in a book, on a place mat or on a coffee mug from Shutterfly! A Shutterfly calendar has been my must-do family gift for 10+ years so I really appreciate being able to share their products as one of my affiliates.
Baby Girl in her new Gymboree outfit
I’ve been shopping at Gymboree for nearly 13 years for my kids and love that they are one of my new affiliates. My kids received a lot of Gymboree clothing this Christmas (their sales are exceptional!)
And naturally The Disney Store is a favorite place to buy gifts for my fellow Disney-lovers (or gifts for myself!)
Blogorail
I love my Blogorail community and how we’ve continued to grow and learn from each other! They really help me think of new and exciting topics to write about. Some of these posts are among my most popular and in part, because they are shared in the Blogorail community.
Insider Tips -Make the Most of Your First Two Hours at Disneyland
What to Wear in the Parks – Best Disney Outfits for Kids
Kid-Friendly Road Trip Tips for Driving to Disney
Jamberry
I continue to run a side business as a Jamberry Independent Consultant. I was beyond thrilled to see the Disney Collection by Jamberry come to fruition and have the hardest time deciding on a favorite wrap! Remember that if you’re saving up for Disney too, all those little ways you can earn money count and Jamberry is a great way to do that. Let me know if you’d like more information about becoming a consultant (or would like to host an online party!)
Family Media Day
I was tickled to receive an invitation to Family Media Day at Disneyland in 2016. It was my first visit to Disneyland during the holiday season in 4 years. We loved being able to have one last visit for the year and taking fantastic family photos together at the Happiest Place on Earth. I welcomed having new holiday photographs as well, since it had been so long since we’d last visited during the holidays and I’d used every Christmas shot I had in my portfolio!
I also had enough new material to write this post for Traveling Mom.
9 Must-Do Attraction Tips for Disneyland Christmas Celebrations
My most Pinned post of the year came right at the tail end of 2016! Hoping this one will grab some traction for next year too (Click through and Pin it yourself!)
If you’d like to take a look back at my blog over the years, here’s how Saving Up for Disney has evolved –
Looking Forward
Looking forward to 2017, I’d like to give thanks to my readers and subscribers. I particularly appreciate the comments and connections and seeing you share my posts via social media (that’s what really helps me to grow!) I’ve had a few readers reach out with personal trip planning questions and I’ve enjoyed the personal connection and helping them out.
Thanks for bouncing along with me in 2016!
I’ve said it before, but please continue to comment and share my posts via social media if you can, it helps me (as a small business owner) to grow and succeed. Reach out to me or comment on the posts if things resonate with you!
Blessings to everyone in the new year and cheers for what’s to come in 2017.
Brandi Riley
Saturday 31st of December 2016
You've had an incredible year, but most importantly created awesome memories for your family! So fun to watch! Happy New Year!