Sundays And Snuggles - Mom and Lifestyle Blogger

January 18, 2021

My Cheating Ex Husband Saved My Life

Let me start this off by saying one thing: I do not condone cheating. With that said, it saved my life. I met my ex husband while we were both Cast Members at Walt Disney World. He was from Indiana and I was from Minnesota. When our college internship was over, I left everything I knew in Minnesota to be with him. My life was a true fairy tale… or so I thought.

I was warned.

His ex girlfriend had actually reached out to me and warned me about his cheating. Not only did he cheat, but he was cheating on her with other guys. I laughed it off and thought she was jealous. But then it happened to me. Just a month or so into our relationship I came home early from work and thought it was weird that he didn’t answer the phone when I called. He always answered. When I walked into our apartment I saw him scrambling to put on his shirt and a guy sitting on our couch who I didn’t know. I was told he was just a friend and they were just “hanging out”.

My trust was broken.

That marked the day that I no longer fully trusted him. However, as a lot of people do, he told me he was sorry and that it wouldn’t happen again. That left me confused because I thought they were “just friends”. I wanted to end our relationship then but I would never hear the end of it if I moved back to Minnesota and I couldn’t afford to be on my own in Indiana. I was stuck.

Eventually, we wind up engaged. Don’t ask me how that happened. I’m sure I convinced myself he loved me and that he had changed. I was wrong.

It happened on my birthday.

We were spending the night at home and he had his phone charging in the bedroom. I had gone back there to get something and he had asked me to bring him his phone. When I unplugged his phone it lit up that he had a text from “muffin”. My heart was instantly shattered. I knew what that meant. He was cheating. I played dumb and asked him who muffin was. It was a guy. He gave me every excuse in the book.

We were engaged though. My broken heart couldn’t take the criticism if I called it off. I cried for hours. He told me it wouldn’t happen again. I thought I had no choice but to believe him.

We had a fairy tale wedding.

Since we met working for Disney, we had a Disney Wedding. My dream wedding. He had convinced me he was a changed man. I even put in my vows the line that I promised to “trust him” and when I said it I distinctly remember giving him a look that was impossible to mistaken what it was regarding. We were “happily” married for two years. Then he got a promotion at work.

He started traveling for work quite a bit. It became more and more. Towards the end he was home maybe 1 day a month, if that. I was lonely, I was scared, I had major trust issues and it was taking quite a toll on me mentally. It was showing at my job and no matter what I did, I couldn’t kick the funk I was in. I just felt like he was cheating again.

He left his Facebook logged in.

On the one day he was home, he was on our shared computer and left his Facebook log in. I’m not proud to admit this but I suppose it all brought things into perspective. I read through every message he had. He had multiple guys he was cheating on me with. He never stopped cheating on me.

Instead of being a man about it, he ran from his marriage. He ran from me and he ran from our joint responsibilities. He decided we were going to “separate”.

I told my parents EVERYTHING.

They were so supportive. We immediately hired a lawyer and filed for divorce. But honestly, without his cheating and walking out, I’m not sure I would have ever had the courage. I’m a firm believer in “everything happens for a reason”. Although, if you asked me what the reason was that I had to go through that, I would never have been able to tell you.

Until 2019.

Happiness and Love are REAL.

I put myself out there. Dating is hard. I’ve never been good at it and man, did I have some serious issues some poor man was going to have to understand. But I learned to love myself again and in doing so, found a true man. A man I couldn’t love more, who bends over backwards for our family on a daily basis.

Without going through hell, I wouldn’t have our absolutely AMAZING daughter. She is the light of my entire world. I wouldn’t have the worlds sweetest stepson. I’ve literally never known of an almost 15 year old boy who is so caring. My life is beautiful and in some twisted way, I have my ex to thank for that.

Thank you.

Thank you for putting me through hell so I know how to appreciate my husband now. For walking out on us so I learned how to confide in my family. Thank you for giving up on us. I never want to make the people I love feel the way you made me.

Thank you for saving my life.

January 13, 2021

Disney Cancels Magical Express Service

The Disney Company has announced that it will be canceling their Magical Express service effective January 1st, 2022. This service was done in partnership with the Mears Company. As a result, Disney guests will be forced to find alternate transportation to their Disney Resort. In other words, additional expenses will be added to your magical vacation.

So how do I feel about this?

This frustrates me greatly. I realize that there are much bigger problems the world faces other than free transportation provided by Mickey. However, the Disney guest often pays thousands of dollars for a few days of that Disney Magic. As a result of this service cancellation, the guest will be forced to pay for other means of transportation. Don’t get me wrong, there are numerous ways to get to your Disney Resort. For instance, you can rent a car from the Orlando International Airport (MCO). If I’m being completely honest, this option doesn’t completely suck if you can afford it. This option would allow one to get out of the Disney bubble if they so wish.

There are countless number of activities that can be done in the Orlando area and having a means of transportation could be a big plus. Yet, is it worth it for you? That answer would depend solely on each family individually. A huge benefit of the Magical Express service was that it allowed you a complimentary, comfortable and convenient way to go from your plane to your resort. This service would pick up your bags for you and have them delivered to your hotel room door for you after you check in. Talk about nice! Especially if you had an early morning flying with young kids.

It has been mentioned that the Disney Magical Express transportation to Port Canaveral for Disney Cruise Line (DCL) will still be in place. All assuming DCL resumes sailings in 2022.

In addition, Disney recently suspended their Minnie Van service done through Lyft. Although this decision was primarily made as a result of the Covid 19 Pandemic, it’s just another inconvenience to the Disney guest. I follow a few Disney Lovers on YouTube such as Michael Kay and he shares my opinions about all of this. You can watch his video on this topic HERE .

All in all, I feel like this will create overcrowding in parking lots. Not to mention the added stress for the family that is trying to save a penny. I’m so disappointed in the decisions the company has made over the last couple of years. it saddens me so much that my daughter will not get to experience most of the magic that I did when I was growing up.

it is unclear if there are any secret plans that Disney has to replace the Magical Express service. Further, there are rumors going around that Mears plans on doing some sort of service after the Magical Express is no more but there is a lot still up in the air about this. To stay up to date on the Disney Magical Express service, click HERE.

Have you heard anything else about this? What are your thoughts about all of the changes the company has made lately? Let’s chat in the comments below!

January 12, 2021

13 Amazon Must Haves For Your New Baby

Hi Friends! Let’s face it, shopping for your new baby, especially if it is your first baby, can be extremely overwhelming. If you ask 100 people for their opinions on the best items you are bound to receive 100 different options. My following must haves may very well be your 101st you hear about but I promise you this… they made me one happy new mama and more importantly, our baby girl seemed to love them as well! The following must haves are my own opinion. I am not getting paid to post about these items.

The Hatch Baby Sound Machine
The hatch baby doubles as a sound machine and a night light. It has an app for your smart phone so you can power it on and off, change the colors and sounds and set a routine and timer all without going into your baby’s nursery. Savannah’s favorite sound seems to be the lullabies. It puts her right to sleep!
Stretchy Baby Car Seat Covers
I love these for multiple reasons. First, they are a very soft material. They also have a soft net material on the inside so you can undo the front but still have your baby protected from bugs outside.You can also take off the netting layer and unzip the front of the cover completely. It works beautifully as a protector against any weather you may run into while you are out and about and in the current state of the world, can help keep germs away from the general public! We received many compliments on this cover!
Boppy Preferred Newborn Lounger
This was so nice to have sitting next to me on the couch! Savannah loved to lay in this and it was so soft! It is not recommended for safe sleep but as a lounger, it is awesome! It was nice to have something comfortable for her to lay on while we we interacting with her, reading to her, etc.
TanTan Smart Plugs
As you most likely already know, this isn’t really an item for the baby, but rather one that I highly recommend for the baby nursery! These smart plugs have their own app for your phone but they can also work with any Alexa device. I can’t tell you how nice it was to have her lamp and fan plugged into these and to be able to control their power with my phone as I rocked her and she was sleeping. We loved them so much we purchased more for other items around our home.
Hello Baby Baby Monitor
We went through many options when it came to a baby monitor. When we discovered this one, our search was over. There are many, many options when it comes to a baby monitor but we found this one to be on the affordable side and it does exactly what we wanted. It’s in sleep mode while she’s quiet but powers on when she makes movement or noise. You can adjust the sensitivity level and we love the sleep mode because Brad and I are both very sensitive to light when we are trying to sleep. It also has a very long (12 hour or so) battery life before it needs to be charged again. I love that I’m able to take the monitor with me as I’m doing things from room to room while she’s napping.
Ubbi Baby Wipes Dispenser
I can’t tell you how frustrating it is at 2 am when you’re doing a diaper change and fighting to get the wipes out of their packaging. This dispenser is great as it has a weighted top so it stays put as you pull each wipe out. That makes it easily used with one hand!
Three Step Cradle Cap System by Frida Baby
Savannah had some cradle cap after she was born and we tried a few different things to remove it and nothing worked until we used this Frida Baby three step system. All of her cradle cap was gone after two uses and her hair started growing so fast and is so healthy!
Summer My Bath Seat
A must for any baby once they have decent neck control. I loved that this bath seat had suctions on the bottom and “arms” on each side and the back to twist into place on each side and back of the tub. When used correctly, that seat won’t budge and even though I’m always right next to Savannah during bath time, it gave me added peace of mind that she was in a safe seat.
Copper Pearl Large Premium Knit Swaddle Blanket
My absolute favorite of all favorites! These swaddle blankets are the softest, stretchiest material I have ever felt! They are on the pricer side as far as swaddle blankets go but hear me out when I say they are worth E.V.E.R.Y P.E.N.N.Y! They are so easy to swaddle your baby in and when they get to big to be swaddled, they make fantastic blankies! Savannah loves snuggling with hers and they are her clear favorite from the countless number of other blankets she has.
Boba Wrap Baby Carrier
Because Savannah was born right before the pandemic, we didn’t have much need to use this outside of the home. However, this was wonderful to use around the home when I had things to do and she wanted to be held close. There were some nights I wore this when she was having a hard time sleeping as well. This baby carrier was extremely comfortable to wear for me, which was important in our buying decision. If you have a Buy Buy Baby near you, they will let you try them on in store and they have employees who are trained in how to wrap them correctly. We went to the store to try them on, but purchased through Amazon since it was cheaper.
Mommy’s Bliss Night Time Gripe Water
A must have if your baby has hiccups. Savannah had a lot of hiccups and the Mommy’s bliss gripe water stopped them almost immediately!
Baby Nasal Aspirator
Savannah hated the bulb that the hospital gave us when she was born. I wasn’t a fan of it either because honestly, how gross is the concept of all those boogies just hanging out together… yuck! Savannah enjoys this Nasal Aspirator because it has changing colors and songs such as “the wheels on the bus” to distract her. I love it because you can take it easily apart to clean it after each use. Win, win!
Boudreaux Butt Paste
There are a ton of diaper creams on the market but this clears up any diaper rash right away for Savannah! It’s a must have in her changing table and in our diaper bag!

I could go on and on about my favorite must have products for babies and I probably will in future posts. For now, I leave you with those 13 and wish you happy shopping!