A Day at Disneyland! Daily Manna: 10/11

Disneyland!!!!!! That is basically how I sound/act every time I go to the happiest place on earth. I love everything about this place from the music, characters, rides, princesses, and just the Disney feel of being there! I was blessed to be able to go yesterday with a bunch of my cousins, and I couldn't have asked for a better time!!! Thank God my hip was doing better or walking would have been a nightmare. I think walking actually helped open up my hip a little more by constantly moving it throughout the day.

I wanted to write this Daily Manna post last night, but was so exhausted by the time we got back from Disneyland that I decided to save it for today! I was very pleased with the day, including my food choices (maybe minus lunch, which I'll get to!) But overall, I felt that I was able to enjoy what I wanted throughout the day while making health conscious choices and not depriving myself! Here is my Daily Manna Disney edition!

As you may have read a few days ago, my hip and knee have been giving me some trouble. After icing and elevating my leg multiple times on Thursday, I woke up Friday feeling really good and wanting to get a short run in before heading to Disneyland. I had a couple squares of my pumpkin bread (same recipe as the posted muffins!) and headed out the door. We were meeting there pretty early, but I was able to fit in a 3 mile run and some push ups before picking up my cousin!

Most people think I am kind of crazy for working out on a day when I will be walking all day! But, running has become more for me than just a workout. It has become a stress reliever, a time with just me and The Lord, and a time to clear my head before the day begins. That's why I love to start every day with a run or some kind of movement to get my body and brain moving in the right direction!

After my run, I didn't have time to make a nice big breakfast, so I just grabbed a quest bar and carrot sticks and had them once we reached the park around 10/10:30!

These snacks held me over well, but I was starving by the time lunch time came! We usually eat at the Pizza Port for lunch, so I had already decided to get the pizza salad that I love from there (and NOT the pizza, which is pretty good too). However, (surprise surprise) the line was CRAZY long, so we decided to go to one of the many burger joints Disneyland has to offer. My cousin and I saw a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado salsa on the menu that looked good. We love avocado so we decided to get the sandwich lettuce wrapped! However, when the meal came, there was no avocado anything...just a piece of chicken with lettuce :(

I would have taken a better picture but seriously, the picture basically says it all. We were both so sad but didn't feel like getting back in the long line. Luckily, my other cousin was feeding her toddler an avocado (yay!) so we were able to eat some of that, which helped add some healthy fats and fullness to our meal!

After a few rides, one of which being the Little Mermaid ride (one of my favorites!), we decided it was ice cream time.

I love the ice cream at Disneyland! I don't think it's a special one-of-a-kind brand, but for some reason, it just tastes better there. Last time we came to Disneyland for my birthday, we got brownie sundaes from Ghirardelli's in California Adventure. That sundae was amazing, but I definitely didn't wanna go all out again! This time, I got a scoop of cookie dough ice cream and that satisfied me perfectly!

After ice cream, we went on the Haunted Mansion ride, which is presently decorated as "The Nightmare Before Christmas." I loved all the decorations on this ride and the fusion of Fall and Christmas! I love coming to Disneyland around this time of year; it is definitely my favorite! :)

Around 6pm, only my cousin and I were left (we had originally come with about 10 of us!) and we were already hungry for dinner. I decided to get tacos at one of the Mexican places in California Adventure. I got beef tacos in flour tortillas (should have gotten corn but I had already ordered before I realized they had a gluten-free option!) with some rice on the side. I was starving by the time we ate but focused more on the tacos and less on the rice. I was definitely satisfied after this meal! Much better choice compared to lunch, but I definitely need to go the corn tortilla or tortilla-less route next time since my tummy is feeling it today...but it was well worth it because it tasted amazing!

By the time we finished dinner, California Adventure was packed! We wanted to do a few more rides but didn't want to wait the 45-60 minutes each ride demanded. We decided to head home around 7, which ended up being a good choice because we were so exhausted! Overall, I had an amazing time at Disneyland with my family and was glad to be able to have a healthy but balanced day as well!! Now for a relaxing Saturday! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!