My Disneyland Paris Wish List

Want to win a great toiletry bag for your next trip? Enter to win the Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit from Travelon.

Well, I'm on schedule. We officially have airfare to London and Paris, so this fall is going to be an amazing traveling experience. If you missed my last wish list posts, you can view my London list and my Paris list. Though we have been to Disneyland Paris before, we were rushed and only had one day to see both parks. Now there are new things to see and do and we are taking 3 days to see it all, including exploring Disney Village. I'm super excited for this trip, as you can imagine. Here are some of the things I consider must-see highlights at Disneyland Paris and the surrounding area.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

In the dungeon of Sleeping Beauty's castle lies the dragon. It breathes fire, even! It's one of the coolest things we've seen at a theme park and we definitely won't be missing this when we go back.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

You know how I love a Halloween Party. Well, Disneyland Paris has one, too, though it's only one night. If I can get tickets, we're going to dress up and be there to see special parades, fireworks and shows.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Everyone loves Space Mountain, but Space Mountain Mission 2 is a whole other adventure. It's a traditional roller coaster that goes upside down. It's crazy fun and worth waiting in line for...though the line is still never as long as the original ride at Disneyland.

This photo of Disneyland Paris is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Cars Land is a thing in Paris, too. We're hoping it's less crowded than California and we can enjoy it more this time. Don't you love Luigi and Guido?

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Instead of just a show, Crush has his own ride! It looks a lot like the Matterhorn, but we love that ride, so we are excited to test it out.

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I wish Disneyland also embraced more of the Toy Story franchise. We're going to be getting on the new (to us) RC Racers, Slinky Dog Coaster and Army Men Parachute Drop.

This photo of Walt Disney Studios Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

No trip to Disney is complete without a few meals out. I've read such good things about the Earl of Sandwich, though it won't be the only place we eat at Disney. I'm looking forward to making reservations for some actual sit-down restaurants, too.

This photo of Disney Village is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Have you been to Disneyland Paris? Did you have a favorite ride?

Review & Giveaway: Travelon Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit

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So, I don’t know about you, but when I travel, I like to have all my toiletries together and organized. I am not one to just toss a bunch of stuff in a bag and assume it’s everything I need. I have a list of every necessity and then add a few non-essentials to make me feel pretty. At the end of this month we are going to Las Vegas for three days and I am starting to pack already.

Travelon set me up with their Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit, which is perfect for taking the necessities – and then some – for one person and most likely large enough for several people going on a long weekend (or a longer trip if the majority of your stuff is liquids and goes in your 3-1-1 bag and you are good at paring down everything else). Usually when I travel, I take the regular size hanging toiletry kit, but I find it can be a little large if I’m going alone or we go for a short trip.

Look at all this stuff that fit in there!

This kit is definitely compact, but it has a lot more room than you think it does. Look at all this stuff I was able to get into it. Half of it will go in my 3-1-1 bag, but when I get to my destination, I like to have everything in one place, so keeping it all in the bag is really convenient, because I don’t have to search a bunch of places. It’s easy to keep organized, too. There is one large compartment, which is where we stash things like our toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorant. Items that we need to find more quickly, like sunscreen and shampoo, can be slipped into the elastic loops – and it keeps bottles from turning over and spilling on everything by accident.

There are two zipper pockets, one mesh on the top that we use for small things that we might need: bandages, tweezers and stain remover towels. In the front is a PVC pocket that is good for things that might make a mess. I like to use it for little things that I use a lot, like my lip balm and contact lens cases.

 

When we get to our room, the compact toiletry case is never in the way. Closed, we can hang it on a hook in the bathroom by the attached loop on the back. When we are actively using the bag, we can unzip it and use the sturdy hanger to hang it on that same hook, from a towel rod or anywhere else it might be fitting. Your necessities can always be at your fingertips, and if someone is using the bathroom, you can hang it somewhere else in the room and have access to your toiletries.

As you can see, once my liquids have been put into my 3-1-1 bag, there is a considerable amount of free space in the toiletry kit. I probably could fit my mini flat iron in there or some hair accessories. It’s the perfect size for my trip later this month, and both Eric’s and my stuff fit into it. It won’t take up much room in our carry-on either, which is important when we are just trying to take the bare essentials and still have some room left to bring purchases home. And you know there will be some, because I’ll be wandering the Forum Shops for a while during the NBA Draft. Eric isn’t going to shop at H&M or drool over Jimmy Choos and I can only watch so much of the Draft before I fall asleep, so there will probably be a few buys to go back home.

We’ll also be staying in two different places within three days, so being able to pack up quickly will be very useful. Since everything can fit into my toiletry kit, I can zip it up, toss it back in my carry-on and then hang it up at my next destination. Easy peasy! Can you tell I love this bag? I think you will, too.

More information

Where you can buy it: Travelon online

How much it costs: $25.00

Colors it comes in: black | blue steel | snake | leopard | zebra

Other specs: 420 D. Polyester fabric that is easily wiped down if you spill on it – the snake print comes in crinkle nylon fabric, 9 X 7 X 4.25 

Want to win your own Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit from Travelon? Enter below!

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Disclosure: I was provided with the Compact Hanging Toiletry Kit for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Review: Snugg iPad Mini Case

So, what do you do when you go on a trip and want to take along your iPad mini? If you’re like me, the first thing you do when you get a new electronic gadget that seems fairly fragile is get a case for it. TheSnugg.com contacted me and asked if I would like to review their popular cases. How could I refuse? For a few minutes I contemplated calling everyone I knew to see if they had a more recently produced iPad that I could borrow for a day to review one of their awesome headrest cases for the car, but I decided instead that most people I know now are all into their minis, since they are more portable and easier to travel with, so I asked if I could review the Snugg mini in a fun color.

I think I’m becoming a case snob now and I’m excited to have several different ones to choose from. I like items that coordinate, too. My netbook that I travel with is royal blue and I asked Snugg to send me the baby blue case to go with it. I figured Eric would be none too thrilled if we got a pink case and it didn’t match with anything. I did like that it was an option though.

Snugg claims they have sold their leather cases all over the world and to many celebrities, so if you want to be like Justin Timberlake – and now me! – you can buy one after you read about how great these protective and stylish cases are. They are available for all generations of iPad, iPad mini and iPhone.

Snugg makes cases that are sleek and colorful. I love the variety of hues they come in and you can be sure that they are sturdy, since they are made of leather. The case has a magnetic closure that keeps it from flapping open if you have it stashed in your bag. Once open the mini is kept in place by a snug (ha!) frame and a convenient Velcro closure that is hidden behind your device. You tuck the tab in to stick it together. I tested its security by waving it all around me and my mini didn’t budge at all. That’s pretty great, especially if you are a one-hand-user or your kid(s) uses it.

The inside cover is soft and sueded to protect your screen, though you can buy special screen defending sheets from Snugg, too. You’ll also find a handle that you can slide your hand under to help you hold onto your mini even better. Slide the cover into the back slot to make it more ergonomic for book or email reading. The handle is soft underneath and is also elasticized to keep it comfortably tight to your hand, so it can’t accidentally slide off and onto the floor. Plus, it’s easy to use if you are right or left-handed.

You don’t have to just hold onto your mini. Once the back has been fit into the slot, it angles the case to be able to use it hands-free in two different positions. You have both a low angle and a steep angle, so it can be used in any way that is comfortable to you.

Another great feature of this case is that your mini does not need to be taken out of the Snugg to be able to use the camera/video function or FaceTime. You can happily snap away while out and about and still keep your mini safe. There are also convenient cutouts for all the iPad features: volume, power button, headphone jack, power jack and microphone. And if you like to use a stylus pen instead of your finger to work your screen, it has a handy little slot to stash it on top, which means you never have to fumble around in your bag for it, because it’s always right at your fingertips.

Even though the Snugg is sturdy and made of leather, it is still not as thick as many other cases are, which makes it easier to pack into any bag you carry, as it is lightweight and doesn’t take up much more room than your actual mini. Do you have a bag with a slot specifically for your iPad? This should fit perfectly in it.

All their cases are attractive, stylish and can be both fun and professional looking if you use your mini for business purposes. I chose the baby blue, but you can chose from anything from basic black to a pixelated camo print and every color in between. If you are looking for a gift for your gadget-loving dad for Father’s Day, there’s still time to pick up one of these nifty cases for his iPad/iPad mini. He’ll love that you were thoughtful enough to get him something to protect one of his most versatile electronic items.

More information

Where you can buy it: Snugg online

How much it costs: $24.99-29.99

Colors it comes in: Black, Baby Blue, Electric Blue, Pink, Orange, Red, White, Distressed Brown, Camouflage, Denim

Other specs: Soft inside with PU leather outside. Automatic sleep/wake function: Open the case to wake your iPad mini, close it and Sleep mode is activated. Lifetime guarantee.

Like Snugg and their great products? Find them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

Disclosure: I was provided a Snugg Mini for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% mine.