If you’ve been following my Instagram feed (@childmode), Twitter feed or are friends with me on Facebook, you know that my family and I spent last week at one of the most magical places on earth – Walt Disney World Resort. This is our second time at the Resort and I have to say, it gets better and better each and every time we visit. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll give you the inside scoop on what’s new (trust me there is a lot!) and what’s happening at WDW.

First and foremost, I want to encourage anyone who is living in Florida or currently making plans to visit Disney World to check out Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival. I’ve heard so much about Disney’s gardening magic, but hadn’t experienced the festival until now.

Presented by HGTV, the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival runs from March 7-May 20. The event features stunning displays including the largest-ever Disney front-entrance topiary, an illuminated Haiti produce garden with marketplace and a stellar cast of HGTV design celebrities.

The eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer Mickey topiary holds court in front of the park’s iconic Spaceship Earth and stands on top a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff where he directs a riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney film, “Fantasia.” The scene pops with pink geraniums, white poppies, violet petunias, blue delphiniums and pansies.

Take a walk through the World Showcase and visit Haiti where you can enjoy music, art, culture and refreshments while enjoying the displays and rich heritage of Haitian culture. My girls loved it here! It was our first trip through the World Showcase and I have to say each and every country offered such an authentic feel. The gardens at Haiti are gorgeous, but be sure to check out the other countries as well as each one has something unique to offer.

It takes more than one year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists to plan and prepare for the 75-day festival.

The displays are incredible and take an incredible amount of preparation to pull off. There is over thirty million blooms, 240 floating mini-gardens on two ponds, 700 container gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables, dozens of Disney character topiaries, 30 “flower towers” of impatiens and sweeping beds of original floral designs that are displayed across the 260 acre Epcot.

Want to take part in the festivities? Disney gardening experts are at hand to meet with guests every day. You can swap landscape ideas for 2012 or even dig into projects that you can take home at the end of the day. Just head over to Future World between Universe of Energy and Mission:SPACE to take advantage of this.

Kids will love the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden where play structures are designed in a whimsical manner with Disney fairy topiaries around every corner. The garden offers a nice break from the craziness as well. It was nice to enjoy the garden after a day at the rides and my kids were able to calm down quite a bit by walking through the gardens. The magic does wonders for the mind and soul ;).

More information about the 19th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639) or by visiting disneyworld.com/flower. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission, but remember it only runs until May 20th, so make a point to visit while the festival is underway!

Photos courtesy of Child Mode and Walt Disney World.

This morning, Stride Rite and Marvel released the new X-celeRacers™ by Stride Rite® Marvel collection. Featuring every child’s favorite Marvel Super Heroes including Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man, these shoes inspire kids to be ‘super’ with their super cool features.

The new X-celeRacers sneaker features a fast strap with an adjustable closure for a great fit, X-Grip with a grooved outsole for traction, extra flex with a lightweight outsole for agility and lightweight cushioning for comfort.

Stride Rite’s marketing campaign, called “Imagination” will target boys ages 3-8 with commercials airing on the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney XD, where boys are highlighted imagining themselves as the legendary Marvel Universe Super Heroes through the Power of X in their X-celeRacers shoes. Stride Rite displays the new collection with Super Hero size character clings and a limited-edition gift with purchase movie poster, at participating locations.

Dressing up my little man is something that brings me an incredible amount of joy. There is just something about dressing up a baby that gets me ridiculously excited.

Miniclasix is a company that I was recently introduced to, one that designs clothing suitable for both fancy functions and everyday wear. Using gorgeous fabrics such as linen, cotton, soft knits and chiffon, Miniclasix has created a collection for little men and little women that looks stunning and provides quality to match.

We were sent two outfits for my son which have traveled with us to two separate functions and after washing and drying them several times, they are still as good as new!

For Spring 2012, Miniclasix features everything from natty nauticals to dainty florals and exquisite crochets. Fabrics that are soft to the touch, adorable trompe l’oeil, and extensive detailing mark the undeniable style and quality of their line.

Miniclasix is available to purchase through fine department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.

I nursed my first two daughters for two years and didn’t have any issue with doing so discreetly, however my son is very active and likes to move around a lot, which makes it a little difficult to stay modest while feeding him. Bebe au Lait recently sent me one of their nursing covers to test out and now all I can think is, “Why the heck didn’t I pick one of these up sooner?”

Unlike blankets or receiving blankets, these nursing covers have a rigid neckline that allows you to keep eye contact with your infant, or just keep peeking at your little one as he/she eats. The cover gave my son the ability to stay focused (for a little while anyway) without jumping around and looking everywhere during his lunch.

The nursing cover also has an adjustable neck strap to fit every mom and the bottom features two super soft terry cloth pockets that are great for wiping up drool or dribbles.

Bebe au Lait’s Nursing Covers are also excellent for travel and can be bunched up and thrown into any diaper bag without taking up much room.

As a mom who prefers fashionable prints to fun ones, I really appreciate the huge assortment of 21 gorgeous sophisticated prints. Bebe au Lait’s Nursing Covers are also available in a gift set which includes three matching burp cloths, a great idea for any new mom.

Price: $35.00 from Bebe au Lait