Dana Stanley 00:00:00  Hey, and welcome back to The Laid Back Magic Way Podcast. Today we’re trying something new and I hope that you’ll love it. This is the first ever report episode, which is basically a roundup of all the things I’m currently reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating. It’s an acronym. I first heard this from another podcast, your BFF Kate. I will link her in the show notes. Great podcast. And then I started seeing the trend on TikTok, I think, I don’t know, I really like seeing other people’s reports and long story short, I’ve been sharing mine in my newsletter for a while and you guys seem to love it. So we’re bringing it here to the podcast. Hello and welcome to the Laid Back Magic Way podcast. I’m your host, Dana Stanley, creator of Laidback Magic. As a mom of three, I know how tough it can be to find time to plan a Disney World trip that doesn’t leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed. That’s why I’m here to help moms like you create Disney vacations that feel even better than they look on paper.

Dana Stanley 00:01:08  Here we’re not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories. So whether you’re brand new to Disney or looking to go deeper into the details, this podcast is your go to for simple tips, mindset shifts, real life trip recaps, and expert insights to make your trip magical and manageable. New episodes drop every Monday, so be sure to subscribe so you never miss a moment. Okay, let’s dive in. You can think of this as a non-Disney peak into my life, but with actual recommendations. Not just me, hopefully rambling and anything that I mention. That’s a tangible thing. I will definitely have linked in the show notes for you, so let’s get into it. First are for reading. Okay, I have been waiting to talk about this book, Ina Garten. Be ready when the luck happens. If you don’t know No Aina. You must know Aina. She’s the epitome of just casual, effortless cooking and has been on the Food Network, you know, forever. She has so many shows now, one on HBO called Burgas, which is very, very good.

Dana Stanley 00:02:21  But her brand, Barefoot Contessa is what she’s known for. What blew my mind in this book is that she didn’t actually create the Barefoot Contessa brand. She bought it and on a whim back in the 70s, it was this tiny gourmet food store in East Hampton, and she just randomly saw an ad and bought it. Not even living there at the time. I think they were like three hours away. And she saw an ad. This looks fun. I drove, bought it, and I don’t know, that was just wild to me because I thought that she was Barefoot Contessa. So then get this. When she eventually sold the store, she thought that she was going to be done, like with her food career. And if she had stopped, then she really wouldn’t have become as known as she is. I wouldn’t have known of her because she wouldn’t have been on Food Network or have cookbooks. So that start really of her career was 52, 52 years old. She also never like, was working hard, like, I’m going to build this brand and this empire.

Dana Stanley 00:03:40  She just focused on what was right in front of her, and she did it really, really well. And that’s really the title. You know, just be ready when the luck happens. Just doing your best, staying in your lane, and then things will kind of come to you. So this was is not a business book at all. And I think it taught me more about business than like any other business book I’ve read. I think I want to read it again, like I really, really enjoyed it. It’s funny, if you know Ina, she kind of has like that dad joke type humor, but it just makes me laugh. But the fact that she was 52 when her career really, like, took off was really inspiring to me. And a good reminder that your next big thing, you know, might be five steps ahead of you and you can’t see that yet, so you have to just focus on that one step ahead of you. What’s cool about the book, too, is like when she talks about certain things in her past or at the store, if she mentions like a recipe, like her outrageous brownies or something, she’ll put the recipe in that chapter, which is really cool.

Dana Stanley 00:04:48  Ten out of ten recommend this book. I really, really enjoyed it. E for eating is I have somehow found myself with this giant bag of medjool dates left over from like birth prep of my son because they’re good for labor and now they’re like my nightly treat. So I’ve been splitting them in half. I fill it with peanut butter, close it, and then melt a little bit of dark chocolate, drizzle on top, some sea salt on the top. Sounds like more work than it actually is, but it’s really good. It feels a little fancy, but it’s also like literally just dates. I mean, it’s still like full sugar and sweet, but it makes me feel a little bit better versus like the other things that I reach for at night when I want something sweet and for playing. We have been playing Moana two on Disney Plus quite a bit. We saw it in theaters and I actually feel like I like it more watching it the second time. I love the story and I’m not going to say much if you haven’t watched it yet.

Dana Stanley 00:06:00  The music doesn’t hit for me like the first Moana, but it’s such a sweet story. I really, really, really liked The End. And yeah, we’ve been putting it on, especially because my husband wasn’t there when we went to go see it, so we wanted him to watch it. We’ve been playing that. Something I’m obsessed with is keeping my phone out of my bedroom at night. I’ve gone through phases with this, but I finally figured out which is like, seems so silly now that the problem was that I was using my phone as my alarm clock. So I finally, like, had this light bulb moment of like, why don’t I just buy a clock and put it next to my bed? And then I don’t need to rely on my phone. I didn’t get like, anything fancy, not a hatch. I just got one from Amazon that dims all the way down. So it’s like a digital clock with a light. But I love that I can turn it all the way down.

Dana Stanley 00:06:57  I’ve had ones in the past where I have a memory of, like having to turn it so that the light wasn’t in my eyes, which is annoying. And it has a minimal alarm. That’s pretty low so it doesn’t wake up the whole house. And the fact that this was like the solution all along is so embarrassing. But it’s been great. I plug my phone in and my office, like next to my laptop and don’t bring my phone with me so I’m not scrolling. So now I have more time to be reading at night again. I get to bed earlier and overall just feel way less wired before going to sleep. So if you’re struggling with the same thing, just buy a little alarm clock. I know it’s so simple. Our second R is recommending and I was thinking about this while I’m currently packing for our trip to Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and we are very much a Caribbean only family, so I have very strong opinions about our luggage. Walker Family Goods has been hands down my favorite for years and years now.

Dana Stanley 00:08:01  The latest addition to my Walker Goods collection, if you want to call it is their there a v a rolling bag? I. It’s funny because me and my husband kind of fight about this because he does not like roller bags. He likes just backpacks and doubles. I prefer a roller bag just because we have so many. I feel like it kind of keeps my hands and back a little bit more free, since I’m probably baby wearing too. But they have every situation, like every scenario type of bag that you would want. So I kind of have all of them and then can mix and match depending on like my kids ages and what they can carry. So this trip we’re doing a roll away bag with the matching tote that slips on top, which is like perfect. Then Cohen has their backpack duffel. Then we have their new mini Tommy backpack, which is like the perfect size for Saylor. She’s four, so I’m going to just kind of make that, like the toy airplane bag, and then we’re set.

Dana Stanley 00:09:13  I know it doesn’t sound like a lot of luggage, but that’s what we bring. I’ve always been someone that, like, for every trip, I feel like I need a new bag. But the thing that makes me feel better is that Walker goods, they’re family owned. I really like them as people. They travel with their kids. They know the stuff that families need and how to make it super simple. No, they’re not paying me to say this. I just really, really love their stuff. I am currently doing a giveaway for one of my favorite bags that they make called the Louis Sling. It’s the bag if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen probably 100 photos of me wearing it in Disney World. It’s I don’t take it off while I’m there. I’m giving one away and my favorite color for leaving a review. So if you haven’t already, you could leave a review on this podcast if you’re loving it and be entered to win this sling. I will announce the winner on Instagram so you can head over there.

Dana Stanley 00:10:19  I have a little broadcast channel that you can join over there. Last is treating and the biggest gift that I have treated myself with this month has been Costco delivery. I have absolutely been hating meal planning, I’ve been hating grocery shopping, and I hate when I take the time to do all of those things and then still end up doing like $100 target trips every 2 or 3 days and then also still have nothing for dinner. I don’t know how I miss this, but I realized that you could do a Costco order like delivery through my Costco account under Instacart, so it’s like free delivery. I just have to tip the driver and just stocking up on everything that I’ve been Rebuying milk cucumbers. Like, why do we eat so many cucumbers? Dried fruit, meat like I bought a ton of meat. I froze half use the rest. And I’m actually using what we have because it’s like, I just know that I can like, repeat a meal next week. So far it’s been working. I’ll report back next month.

Dana Stanley 00:11:33  But if you also hate food shopping, this is your reminder that even if it takes you like 2 to 3 hours to meal plan the next two weeks, your future self will thank you and it’ll be worth it. If you ever want to commiserate with anyone as like the sole quote chef of the house, I am here for you. I feel for you. And this probably sounds funny because I was just raving about Ina Garten and like her recipes. So I have to say, I love cooking. It’s like one of my favorite things. But right now, I don’t know. I’m just completely burnt out. I’m just trying to survive dinner every night and breakfast every morning. And the snacks. Like so many snacks, I never really understood the importance or like expense of food and snacks until having like a third child. I’m like, okay, I get it now. Like this is absolutely insane. And the mental work of like trying to stay on budget and not waste food and oh well, this kid likes this but won’t eat that.

Dana Stanley 00:12:42  And like, my husband doesn’t really love this. I mean, he’s a good sport. He’ll eat whatever I make, but you get what I mean. You’re just always thinking about ingredients. And now it’s five of us. And, yeah, it’s a lot. If you’re in the same boat as me, I completely understand. Probably one of the solutions is to get the kids more involved in the kitchen. And I know that I’m just struggling with, like how to make that actually happen. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I would love to hear them. All right. That was the first ever monthly report. I’d love to hear what you think. Short and sweet. And I love doing these in my newsletter. So if you’re into it, I’ll keep bringing them back to the podcast on the first or last of every month. And if you want to get these in your inbox first and you prefer reading everything, sign up for my newsletter. I’ll drop the link in the show notes for you.

Dana Stanley 00:13:37  Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next time. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of the Laid Back Magic Way Podcast. If you enjoyed today’s episode and it was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me if you’d write a quick review. Your reviews help more moms like you find the show, and I read every single one of them. Seriously. Thank you in advance. You can find me on Instagram at Somewhere Worthwhile and I’d love to hear from you there. DM me if you have any questions about this episode or what you’d like to see in future ones. Until then, keep planning for your next favorite memory and I’ll see you next time.