Annette Legako

February 27, 2019 By Annette Legako

Magically You Leggings Have Arrived

LuLaRoe’s Magically You leggings have arrived just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! They are the buttery soft leggings we have all come to know and love! My box arrived yesterday and I was immediately impressed with the patterns and variety. Several of the patterns are good to wear past the St. Patrick’s Day holiday and for the Irish loving friends you will be styling all year long!

How do they fit?

The fit is DIFFERENT than the mainline. Be sure to refer to the sizing chart in my VIP. One Size (OS) fit sizes 2-8 and Tall & Curvy (TC) fit sizes 10-16. As with all sizing this may vary depending on body shape.

Where can I buy them?

LuLaRoe clothing is only available through Independent Fashion Retailers. You can find my amazing patterns on my retailer website HERE. You can add your items to your cart and checkout right there in a few clicks!

To shop my full inventory click HERE.

Be sure to also join my VIP HERE to get first viewing of all new inventory!

August 10, 2018 By Annette Legako

How To Survive Yosemite National Park With Kids

Headed to Yosemite? Asking yourself how to survive Yosemite National Park with kids? Here are my top tips.

Our family was blessed to have two entire weeks for an epic summer family vacation – one of our many stops was Yosemite National Park. I’m here to tell you how to survive Yosemite National Park with kids in tow. When the hubs and I were kids, family vacations involved long road trips. We didn’t know anything different. However, our children think 15 minutes across the entire town is long, this means a road trip through California and the massive national park makes riding in the car quite overwhelming. How did we survive?

Electronics – Yes, I am saying it out loud.

I’m just going to throw it out there and be honest – electronics – yes, I am saying it out loud. Judge me if you must. While we do limit daily use of electronics in our home, we do not leave home on vacation without our old iPhones fully charged. Each phone is loaded with favorite apps for each of the kids (currently ages 9, 6 and 4). While they do not get unlimited use of these phones, I have them ready to pull out when the stress level gets high! For some reason I just don’t understand (wink, wink), the phones don’t always have enough charge to be used all the time. They also stay in the car while we venture out on excursions. This is key for your survival in Yosemite National Park with kids!

Food – And lots of it.

This is so simple and the most important, food – and lots of it. All snacking rules go out the window on vacation. If you can live with your kid eating it, pack it! For long road trips, we do take a soft sided cooler. Load it with fruit, cheese and sandwiches in addition to typical fruit snacks, fish crackers and chips. Seriously, just feed them even if it ruins their appetites for meals. I will repeat it one more time in case you missed it, feed them constantly, everyone will be happier.

Junior Ranger Hand Book/The Little Cub Hand Book – Best $3.50 purchase of your vacation.

As soon as you arrive go to the Visitor Center and purchase the Junior Ranger Hand Book or The Little Cub Hand Book! The Junior Ranger Hand Book is for children 7 – 13 years old. For your 3-6 years old, there is The Little Cub Hand Book. Very reasonably priced. I believe they were $3.50 each. With the purchase of the book, your child will also receive a small trash bag and disposable gloves. Your child will need to complete the required number of activities in the book. Those activities also include a guided program (several to choose from) and each child fills their trash bag with liter from around the park. Once completed, they can sign the official Junior Ranger/Little Cub book. Plus they earn their Junior Ranger Badge or Little Cub Pin. Okay, this sounds mildly interesting but what is the big deal?

Kids Now View Yosemite as a Challenge!

Before we made this small purchase, dad says “let’s take this trail to the waterfall!”. He is met with moans and groans and “can we take our phones?” or “my feet hurt”. However, once they were given the simple challenge to fill 3 small trash bags they wanted to take every trail they could find! It was now a game! We carted those 3 trash bags in and out of the minivan for 3 days. (Didn’t want the bears to break in and abscond with them!)

Another story – a fellow park visitor noticed what good stewards of the environment my little ones were. He complimented them on their efforts and gave them all crisp $2 bills! I felt a twinge of guilt they were not doing this kind act out of the goodness of their heart. However, hopefully this small task has made them aware of the mounds of trash discarded and they will continue with their kind acts without the expectation of an award.

The activities in the hand books made this trip to Yosemite an adventure and challenge on the kid level. Consequentially, the parents have excited kids to explore places like Glacier Point and we can experience what a family summer vacation is really supposed to be!

Pictured Above Left: Middle child stops at nothing at Glacier Point to keep it free from liter and to fill his bag first.
Pictured Above Right: All 3 making their pledge to be a responsible Junior Ranger at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.

Keep it simple.

Keep it simple – follow these tips and you will survive Yosemite National Park with kids too!

Looking for other activities in California? Be sure to read my other travel posts HERE.

August 9, 2018 By Annette Legako

LuLaRoe Carly – The Go To Swing Dress

The LuLaRoe Carly is most definitely my go to swing dress. Lets hope the hubs never decides to count just how many Carly’s have found their way to my closet. Depending on the fabric, pattern, and your accessories the Carly can go from daytime casual to date night. The LuLaRoe Carly has short sleeves, scoop neck, a high-low hemline and sometimes a small patch pocket. The LuLaRoe Carly sizing can be tricky but this swing dress is just the right amount of modesty and comfort this mom needs in her life!

Variety

As with most LuLaRoe pieces there is a wide variety that ensures everyone will find a Carly they love. This swing dress is available in solids, patterns and in the past also available in their Elegant Collection as well. I fell in love with the crushed velvet released in the 2017 Elegant Collection immediately! The Elegant Collection is generally available right before the holiday season but the pieces are perfect for any special occasion.

LuLaRoe Carly Sizing

As with most LuLaRoe pieces you have to solve the mystery of sizing. As with all styles it will depend on your body shape but typically you can size down 2 sizes from your true size (your Carly size is generally the same as your Irma size). Currently I’ve been wearing a 2XL Classic T and I can comfortably wear a large Carly. At one time I needed an XL Carly. I absolutely still wear those Carly’s! The biggest difference is the length. The large hits above my knees and the XL hits below my knees. One of the many things I love about LuLaRoe pieces is the flexibility to wear different sizes!

I have a particular obsession with black and white. The below is a large Carly that can be dressed down with a pair of Converse or dressed up with a pair of black obsidian Tieks!

Looking for a Carly? Be sure to check out my current inventory HERE and join my VIP HERE to be the first to see new inventory!

August 7, 2018 By Annette Legako

LuLaRoe Christy T

It takes a lot for me to get excited but the day LuLaRoe announced the launch of the LuLaRoe Christy T I may have squealed with delight! I have loved the Classic T with the scoop neck, but I had dreamed of the same top but only with a v-neck. LuLaRoe read my heart, they gave it to me and they certainly did not disappoint!

How Does It Fit?

Anytime LuLaRoe announces a new style the first question everyone asks is “how does it fit?”. This top is true to size. The LuLaRoe Christy T is basically a Classic T with a v-neck. Therefore, if you have a Classic T then that is the size you should wear in a Christy T. It fits very nicely in the shoulders and relaxed at the waistline so it hides any lumps and bumps.

How Does The LuLaRoe Christy T Feel?

The LuLaRoe Christy T comes in a variety of fabrics, solids and patterns. Just as with the other styles you will find different blends, some with a t-shirt feel, others with a smoother feel. A few in my inventory are even ribbed. Definitely a fabric and pattern for everyone!

The LuLaRoe Christy T is definitely in the running for being my go to top! It pairs well with legging but can also be dressed up as in the picture below paired with a Jill skirt. This Fall I expect it will be a great layering piece as well!

The Christy T is comparably priced to other tops in LuLaRoe’s Collection at $36. Wanting to buy a LuLaRoe Christy? Be sure to join my VIP HERE or shop my available inventory HERE.

Have more questions about the LuLaRoe Christy T? Be sure to contact me HERE, I would love to help you find the perfect Christy T!

August 5, 2018 By Annette Legako

How To Entertain Children On An Airplane

Planning a trip with your children and wondering how to entertain children on an airplane? The answer to this question will vary depending on the child and age. Traveling with our kids has certainly became easier over the years. We live right smack dab in the middle of the United States. Until you are planning a family vacation, you don’t fully realize how large the United States is! We really enjoy road trips because of the ease of having your own vehicle and the cost savings. However, any trip over 8 hours and we are out! Bring on the plane!

Since we love to travel, I probably should be keeping a travel journal for each of my children. I bet my oldest has been on at least two dozen trips if not more. We have certainly picked up a few tips along the way.

Entertaining Toddlers on an Airplane

Entertaining toddlers on the airplane I find to be the most challenging. Yes, you can take an iPad or Kindle but, at least with my toddlers, it lasts at most 15 minutes at a time. Now what will we do for the next 2 hours? While my motto with the 4, 6 and 9 year old is “go simple”. it was not with a 2 year old! Your bag better be full of options! I’m not a fan of crayons (because they melt when hot when left abandoned in a car) but if I can find the ones with the shape of a triangle (so they don’t roll) and washable I grit it and bear it. I also really like the Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Markers! They do roll (I know, so frustrating) but I don’t have to worry about turning my head to find my angel has created a mural on the airplane wall. We will pack a book or two because lets face it, toddlers can read the same book over and over and over. Lastly, my most unusual tools are masking tape and bandaids. I haven’t met a child yet who doesn’t love bandaids or tape! The masking tape I tear off and just let them go to town taping whatever they like. The bandaids – I hand over the entire box. I’m actually helping my children develop their fine motor skills. It takes a lot of work and time to remove the bandaid from the box, remove it from the wrapper, remove those little bitty strips and finally to find the perfect placement for said bandaid. So much entertainment in that $2 box of bandaids! Oh, and of course, pack snacks!!! No matter the question, when it comes to children the answer is always snacks and lots of them!

Entertaining Preschoolers on an Airplane

Entertaining preschoolers on an airplane is definitely not as challenging as the toddler. My youngest is 4 years old. On our recent trip to California she was actually pretty pleasant on the plane. Her Kindle Fire has apps that keep her entertained for a solid 45 minutes or so. I made sure to download a few movies to her Kindle Fire and to my iPad, boom another 1 1/2 to 2 hours! The rest of the time is spent answering endless questions on why each person she can see is doing whatever they are doing. Oh, and snacks, don’t forget the food! Food is a necessity when trying to entertain children on an airplane.

Entertaining School Aged Children on an Airplane

After surviving the airplane with toddlers and preschoolers, traveling with your school aged children is your reward! At home we have strict screen time rules but when we travel those rules pretty much don’t exist. Thus, a trip on an airplane is absolutely magnificent to a 6 and 9 year old. Not only do they get to fly through the air they get 3 hours on the phone to play non-educational games and maybe even catch a movie. Pretty awesome. So for your school aged child be sure to pack electronics, headphones, a book (just in case that electronic dies) and of course – you know this by now – snacks!

Be sure to check out my other posts HERE about traveling with children!

August 4, 2018 By Annette Legako

Best California Beach To Visit With Kids

Recently we took a mega vacation to California, we had 2 weeks to fit in as much as possible! Of course, we needed to work in beach time but where should we go? We decided to fit this in after our trip up north to the national parks on our way south to Anaheim. We decided on Santa Monica. Here are my tips and tricks for a quick beach day to the best California beach to visit with kids!

Annenberg Community Beach House at the Santa Monica State Beach

We settled on the Annenberg Community Beach House at the Santa Monica State Beach. This turned out to be an excellent decision for a number of reasons:

Parking – Coming from a small town parking is always a worry when visiting a majorly populated area. Three days prior to our visit I was able to purchase a reserved parking spot! These spots are limited and only held until 11 am but we had prime parking!
Bathrooms – The Beach House has plenty of bathrooms to get your kids changed.
Food – There is a quick service window for food to go or a full service restaurant right there! When traveling it isn’t always easy to pack a picnic lunch. Having food options convenient is perfect for a family on a road trip.
Rentals – While we did not take advantage of this service, we did notice a kiosk with chair and umbrella rentals among other things.
Other amenities including a splash pad, pool (the pool is an additional cost), playground and wi-fi.
We visited on a Wednesday in July, arrived by 10 am. While I am sure the beach can get crowded, the beach was perfectly pleasant and not too crowded.

A little tip though, if you are spending only a day at the beach, save money on a hotel and stay in Santa Clarita. We saved quite a bit on lodging this way. The distance is not too far but with California traffic be sure to leave plenty early to arrive by the 11 am deadline for the parking spot.

Planning a trip to California? Be sure to check out my other posts about our trip to Yosemite National Park!