~~October 2016~~Sew, it was the greatest Stitch Experience ever!~~Final Update 3/19/2017!

A TRIP IN ONE YEAR!?!?!?! 2018?!?!?


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Ohh Oops im supposed to keep that a secret??? Sorry i didn't mean to use caps and make it red, bold, and size it all the way up to a 6 add a really fun gif!!!
 
Good afternoon D and everyone,

I stayed home from work today. I have that awful cold others have mentioned. UGH. I work in the dean's office of the largest college in our largest state university, and I absolutely had to go to work the past two days to deal with a few things that no one else could do, but now that that is over I'm home sick. It really is just a cold, but oh my goodness. The left side of my head feels like an overfilled basketball.

I found out what is going on the day we have reservations for the BOG breakfast. It's Early Morning Magic, that $70 per person "deal" (on top of regular park admission) where you get in early (7:45 AM) to ride 3 RIDES in Fantasyland and they throw in a buffet breakfast at Pinocchio's. The rides being 7D, PP, and Pooh. WHO in their RIGHT MIND would pay for that? :rolleyes: Wait an hour and you can get in anyway. Wait for the right EMH day and you can get in at the same time for free! Regardless, it won't impact our plans, I don't think.

I have a question for all of you. Sorry to hijack your thread, D! I was browsing on Etsy for Disney clothes, and came across some amazing Disney dresses and skirts. Not costumes, just Disney themed stuff. For example, I found a site that has HM wallpaper, Orange Bird, Mickey waffles/snacks, and almost any Disney character you can think of printed clothing. How is that possible? You would think Disney would sell it if there's a market. The things are AMAZING but I just wonder how they're able to do that. I bought a few skirts from another Etsy site - Spaceship Earth print, Monorails, Vintage MK map, and Disney snacks. You Dorine are the undisputed bag queen :worship: but I go bagless at WDW. I am going to use a running belt underneath my shirt for the few things I will need besides my magic band. I'll wear bike shorts underneath for a skort-like deal. Wondering if my daughter will disown me if I wear crocs with socks and the skirts. LOL

We're getting winter storm warnings for tomorrow night here in GA, so you know what that means! We might see a snowflake or two!!!!!! :yay: As a native, I'm guilty of the winter weather stereotype and revel in it. :cloud9:
 
Is the Facebook group you had to motivate you with your eating still going on?

I'm glad to hear you made it through the logistic with the car unscathed :)

How exciting that you are looking into a January 2018 trip. Starting this far in advance will make it a little easier to save the money for the trip.


Today when Ulf tried to get my car out of the garage we discovered that the remote to the garage door didn't work. So Ulf had to go out of the car and push the button on the wall to get the door open. After doing what we originally planed to do today we had to go to the store and get new batteries for the remote and cross our fingers that it was just the batteries that was dead and not the whole remote. When we got back the remote worked again so that was good.

Later in the evening it was time for an geocaching event down town at a pizza place. We met some geocaching friends and had a good time.
 
I am glad you were able to get the timing right for everyone to be where they needed to be. I sure hope you are able to get the truck fixed without too much time or money involved. I hate having to fix vehicles- I feel like they should just work, LOL. Hopefully, you didn't catch anything nasty at work yesterday.

It sounds like you are doing well at keeping to your renewed commitment to being healthy. Even if you have gained, at least you have been working out all along and don't have to start from scratch. Today is day 5 of my W30. I think you were right about the fatigue- I read on the FB page where some others were complaining about that too. I am definitely feeling better than I was on days 2-3. I think this weekend, I need to do better prep for the week. I feel like all I have done this week is cook and cook. Today, I am doing to dig through my dvd's and my pinterest videos and see if I can come up with some beginner workouts to add in.

January 2018!! Woohoo! We went in early Feb once and the weather was perfect. It wasn't too cold- my daughter even went swimming one day (it was too cold for me). We wore jackets in the morning, but it got warm enough to take them off & wear shorts in the afternoon. The only downside to Feb was that they were doing quite a few refurbs to get ready for the Spring Break crowds. But the crowds were very low at that time of year. I sure hope you are able to make that a reality!
 


Hi OP:
I'm a total ludite, so please excuse what should be a PAN.

I absolutely love your purses and would love to order some. Do you have an easy shop (other online venue)??
 
Your secret is safe with me. So exciting! I'm not sure when our next trip will be. Mark is not a big Disney fan -- he tolerates it for my sake, but I've now done as many trips without him as with him, if not more without him! Brie enjoys it but it's not her all-time favorite vacation spot like it is for Alyssa and me. Mark and Brie have asked to do something different for our next family vacation, which certainly won't be this year with Alyssa's wedding, us possibly moving this summer, and Brie heading off to college. No money in the budget for a big vacation this year. Perhaps next year. Mark and the girls really want to do a cruise, but of course we'll be up to five people and would need two rooms so Alyssa and Andrew could have their own room....we shall see. Who knows.

I hope you don't catch a cold! There are several really horrible colds/bugs going around right now and I'm praying they all stay away from our house.

We were supposed to have started another W30 round this week but with Alyssa home that hasn't happened. And we still have Christmas goodies (a few) in the house, although all of us have been really good at avoiding them so it's probably time to throw them out. Whatever candy Alyssa doesn't take back to school with her tomorrow will go in the trash. All of the meals I have planned for this week are compliant, though, so that's good. Alyssa made baleadas for us for dinner last night (a traditional Honduran food -- essential like a bean burrito with scrambled eggs, avocado, crema (like sour cream), and queso duro (a hard cheese). Usually she handmakes the tortillas but she was tired last night so she bought them. It was really yummy -- definitely not compliant, but good. Tonight we're trying a recipe from the Real Plans program and I'm excited to see if we like it. I am finding that it's much easier for me to stay compliant with the dinners that I cook than lunch and dinner, but since I think we're going to do more of a Paleo approach than full W30, that may be ok.

We finally got all of the Christmas stuff put away last night, other than the front porch decorations we are still drying out from two days of rain this week. I just need to wash the Christmas tablecloths and put those away and I think we're pretty much done.

Wedding plans...oh goodness...we're actually in good shape, although the stress of planning so much in such a short period of time got to Alyssa yesterday and she had a bit of a rough day. She's matured so much...a few years ago, this kind of stress would have sent her into a meltdown. She holds it all in and it builds and builds and builds until she meltsdown. She's learned better how to deal with it and Andrew is great at helping her with it. Normally I'm her "release valve" and she vents it all at me. That hasn't happened and it's been bittersweet -- nice because it's hard to be on the receiving end of all of that, even though I know it's not aimed at me, but sweet because she's turning to Andrew for that kind of emotional support and that's how it's supposed to work. We got the photographer lined up yesterday, the invitation proofs look fabulous, and we have her appointments set to meet with the photographer, florist, cake person, bridal salon, and the reception venue all this month. Every Saturday is booked with wedding stuff for her, but then anything she has to do in person is done except wedding dress fitting and shopping for her shoes for the wedding. We've crammed so much into the time she's been home. She, like every bride, wants everything to be perfect, and of course I want it to be perfect for her. So far we're doing ok on the budget that I set...which is good and a relief...the last variable is the food budget. We've made decisions for the reception food but the ice cream float people didn't call me yesterday to talk about that, like they were supposed to, so I need to get their quote before I can be entirely comfortable about where we are on the budget. So much to think about...I really wish we had money in the budget to pay a wedding planner/director but I just don't. *Sigh*

Have a great day!

I agree - the years just go by so quickly and with so much on our plates - it's hard to find the time to take a trip - especially one where everyone can be there. And, of course, finances always play a part in the decision. ::yes::

Thanks - me too - LOL, so far so good... No cold yet.

It sounds like you have a good game plan for the week... I just need to finish going through the rest of the cabinet and throw out what is left up there - which isn't much. I froze the last of what I plan to freeze last night. We received some amazing caramels from our neighbors... I need to find out if those are something i can freeze or not... I definitely don't want to throw them out and waste them - so I am hoping they will freeze... Google to the rescue I guess. LOL

I am anxious to hear if you like this Real Plans program as well... :scratchin

Yay for getting all of your Christmas stuff put away - I still have that one area I need to take down... I did finally get a bin - I just have to do it. ::yes::

Awwwh... The wedding plans... It sounds like everything is moving along wonderfully... I am so glad that Andrew has become a person in Alyssa's life that she can trust and lean on - you are exactly right - that is how it should be and the foundation for a good and lasting marriage. They are lucky to have found eachother - and as a mom (as I hope to one day) to take comfort in knowing that. :lovestruc

I hope all of the variables fall into place soon and you are able to breathe a sigh of relief regarding the wedding budget... This is such a joyful time - and i hope you get the chance to enjoy it!

I saw on FB last night that they have left for home... Wishing them safe travels and sending you big hugs! :hug:

The mirrors were a great find! For some reason we don't have any full length mirrors in our house. Maybe that's on purpose?? Disney in Jan. sounds good! I've been in Jan. before and have lucked out on the weather. Such a nice break from the midwest winter weather. My DH and other family members gave me Disney gift cards for Christmas - I was thrilled! Now trying to decide when to go - I'm thinking late Sept?? I've never done the Halloween party and it seems worth it just to see the parade. Happy planning to both of us

They are!!! I just have to find a good place for them to go now. LOL I sooo badly wanted to use one in our down stairs bathroom - it's such a bummer that it won't fit.

Allison and I went in January last year - it was much warmer than what it was at home - but we were not prepared for the cold... It was a lot uncomfortable at times... If we do end up going in Jan again - we will definitely bring warmer clothes. ::yes::

Yay for Disney GCs!!! I came home with $$ left on mine from V's trip... It's my plan to put that towards our next trip - it isn't much - but it's a start! I love going to Disney in the fall - such a wonderful time to be there! Happy planning to you! :woohoo:

Love the mirrors. Now just to figure out where to put them all. I know when we added our new furniture that wasn't a sectional like our old stuff, it took me a while to figure out how I liked it best. It took moving stuff around many times.

How sweet of Allison to undecorate the tree for you. I finally finished yesterday except for my little Disney tree. I'm leaving it until this weekend. Unfortunately I have way too much stuff, even though I've committed to donating some to Goodwill every year. I have it all in plastic tubs and I have 20 tubs. Most are the 18-22 gallon, but I have a few 30 gallon too. I now have 2 empty tubs though after this year's donation. I try to get it there a few weeks before Christmas, so I usually am not done decorating when I take it in. I do not buy anything for myself anymore at after Christmas sales like I used to. And I only got one Jim Shore Disney Christmas decoration this year. That is part of my problem as I keep boxes for everything so those take up a lot of room.

Hooray for a possible trip in Jan. 2018. It's too bad that we are taking next year off as we really need new windows. I want to have a good chunk of money to put down, and then hopefully pay the rest off quickly as they have no interest for a year. I would have loved to meet you in person. We may have a possible trip to Disneyland in 2018 after my grandson graduates. He said that's what he wants as a present. We went once when he was 5. It was very warm in California in Jan. that year. He couldn't understand that it was winter and finally said "If this is winter, why don't we live here?" Good question, lol. Not sure if we will have the money for it, but I think we will have to go with if we can.

I'm surprised I'm getting all the fast passes I want for our upcoming trip. Since we're staying offsite again, I really was afraid I wouldn't be able to get Frozen Ever After. But it seems like I can get what I want, maybe just later times. But that's ok with us as we are there 3 weeks, so are pretty flexible. We are also trying Sci Fi dinner theater for the first time. We try a new restaurant every year. I hope we like it. We did the Plaza last year and weren't impressed at all. We were seated right next to the swinging door to the kitchen and the food was just ok. We're going while my son is down with us, so I hope we like it.

Hope you are able to get the truck fixed soon so you have another vehicle.

Yes - it's going to be interesting, as we try to figure out where they are going to go... 2 down, 2 to go. LOL

I agree - it was such a nice surprise to come home to an undecorated tree. :lovestruc

20 tubs! Wow!!! I don't think I have 20? :scratchin But maybe...?? By the time I figure in the 2 trees, plus the bins for the village - it's entirely possible. I guarantee one thing - I am NOT counting. LOL I don't want to know if I have that many. :lmao:

I completely understand... It's no small chunk of change to put in new windows... We put new ones in, back in 2008, and we did new steel siding at that time too... and it was just under $30k! :eek: On top of that - the process of getting it all done was a nightmare! I wish you the best of luck - and I hope it goes much quicker for you than it did for us (we did all of the work ourselves - so it took almost 2 years to get the entire house done! And another 8 ~ahem~ to get all of the interiors of the windows trimmed - we still have a few upstairs to do)... This year - for us - I hope to tackle the main floor bathroom - and I want to have it totally gutted and finished before V's grad party in June... Thankfully we have a full bathroom in our master upstairs - so it will be inconvenient, but not down right terrible. ::yes:: I've already started shopping for that project and assembling ideas on Pinterest. :woohoo:

Yay for getting all of your FPs! :woohoo: And Sci-Fi is a great place to eat - I enjoyed it when we ate there. However, if given a choice between 50's and Sci-fi, I'd choose 50's. That's just my personal preference and nothing wrong with either of them. Enjoy your new to you meal!!! :)

We have a lot saved for it already - which is a good thing. I am hoping to get it in within the next week or so, so we can have it diagnosed and know what we are up against financially. It really isn't fun not having a 4wd vehicle in the snow and living in a rural area... Thankfully - we haven't had any real big accumulations yet - I am sure they are coming though. ::yes::

Have a great weekend!

Yay for a maybe trip! I will keep my fingers crossed for you for a great deal at FQ or SoG! Have a great day!

Thanks!!! If nothing else - it gives me something to dream about over the next few months. ::yes::

Have a great weekend! :lovestruc

OK, this fascinates me, so of course I googled it! FYI: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-...tucky-fried-chicken-on-christmas-1-161666960/

Ohh, me! I'm going to have that AP burning a hole in my pocket! Would have loved to go this January, but no way to make it happen.

Yep. I lost 5 and gained 3 back. I'm trying to lose the rest of them and keep going. I have a goal for my birthday of 10lbs. I should be able to lose more by then, but I want to make it a very realistic goal I can stick to!

Your secret is safe, as long as none of your family visit the Dis! ;)

Let me know what you see--you are better at finding them than me. January is rough for military discounts for WDW (which is the best I've seen) because they release the next year's discounts so late (if they continue them). I used the military discount for my last two FQ trips. But then I do have that above mentioned AP, so if those prices are the best, I'm willing and able to share!

Oooh - interesting! I will have to go read that - thanks for posting! ::yes::

Woohoo!!! I will let you know!

I am working my way down too... I thought I gained 5 over Christmas - but it was more like 3... Still... It feels like 50... LOL I have a small goal for the time being and I hope to build on that like you are. You can do this!!! ::yes::

Hahaha... I know that Josh used to sneak on here once in a while to read... Not sure if he still does?

I will definitely let you know if I see anything interesting! :)

Finally got around to reading your latest updates...how FUN! I am so with you on the MNSSHP...our favorite parade as well...and that MUSIC just sticks with you. It is probably the MAIN reason we upgraded to APs during our Thanksgiving trip. We tried to take the kids to MNSSHP two years ago, but we decided to wait it out and ride stuff during the first parade and watch the second one. BIG. MISTAKE. They ended up cancelling the parade due to weather, RIGHT before a HUGE thunderstorm rolled in around 10:30pm. The kids (and my in-laws) didn't know what they were missing of course...but they were still disappointed. I love it for the same reasons you do...well I remember the grave diggers but not the ghosts and that photo doesn't appear to be working for your report right now. Anyway it's definitely a high priority for us to return this year and make SURE we see the parade this time!

On a side note, I thought at some point I had replied to you way back a few pages ago when you got your new phone...and had to go to i-Phone. Our family is very anti Apple products but of course now you only have Josh I guess without an i-phone. I wanted to say we've all managed to buy unlocked phones that we've been quite happy with, between a few Go-Phones from ATT (they are Samsung go-phones...run around $100 each) and a few Motorola phones we've bought directly through the Motorola website (at about $200 each) we've been quite happy with all of them. I love not having to be locked into a contract for paying for the phone any longer...and when we need to replace them they aren't terrible expensive. The Motorolas have been quite nice for all of us and they continue to get better with the new phones...and are so affordable buying unlocked.

Ok side note over, very excited to hear about your possible January 2018 trip!

Welcome back!!! How was your trip?

YES!!! I honestly think the parade is worth the trip! I hope you guys are able to go and enjoy it! ::yes::

Hahaha... Yes - Josh is now the only one without an Iphone. For that matter - all 3 of us have the exact same phone again. LOL

The girls' last phones were Motorolas... V had her's for almost 3 years - it was a great phone! She dropped her's countless times and it never shattered... I remember her telling me, on more than one occasion, where she dropped it down an entire flight of stairs at school, with out any damage.... I reminded her that Iphones are not nearly as durable, and she won't be as lucky... So she better guard it with her life. I think it also helps that both girls paid for their own phones - it's always different when you have to pay for something yourself, vs. having someone else buy it for you. ::yes:: I have no idea yet if I am keeping the Iphone... I will keep it for the required 6 months, and then I will decide. I used to enjoy not being locked into contracts... But I've been with my cell phone provider for 12 years now - I have no intention to go anywhere else - as my plan is pretty Grandfathered in... So, I gave up on the contract thing a few years ago - I've resigned myself to being a lifer. LOL So, contract or no contract makes no difference to me. :)

Thanks so much for your Motorola review! I agree completely that they are great Android phones! And I love that you can buy them unlocked. ::yes::

Marissa moves in with her new family the end of January. She has lined up friends to help transport her stuff on the train. The homestay program offers no help with moving.

January...that is an idea. Colleges don't go back till next week. Chelsea was supposed to go back this week, but it snowed. Although, the beginning of January might be too crowded still. I have been hearing that it is crowded. I want to go at least one more time with all the kids before we have to start not only juggling school schedules but multiple work schedules. Jacob said he is on board to pay his share of the trip, so late August / early September might still be a go. We shall see. I really want to have my mind made up before the 180 day mark.

3 major loans being paid off? That is great. I need to go through stuff that I have hung on to in order to sell and actually make an effort to sell them. Have a great rest of your day.

I cannot believe that the program doesn't help with moving... I apologize - but my thought on that - it's terrible! As I am certain you probably feel the same way. Sending lots of hugs and pixie dust that the move goes easy for her and she is able to adjust quickly! :hug:

I sure hope that you are able to get one more trip in with your kids together... That is kind of where I am at too. I was just thinking the other day - the last trip I did with both girls together was in 2014 (with bff and O) and the last one we did with just the 3 of us was in 2013... So, I do think we are overdue for another girls trip. ::yes::

I've almost resigned to the fact that no matter when we go - it will be busy... I do have to say though - of my last 3 trips... Jan, Oct and Nov... Jan was the least crowded of them all. I think Oct and Nov were pretty tied. ::yes::

Yes - we are quite excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel... It's been a little difficult over the last year with all of the trips and graduations - it will be nice to have that freedom in our budget again to be able to take the trips and not have it be quite so stressful - even though our trips never came out of the family budget - it was still stressful. If that makes any sense? :scratchin

Have a great weekend Shannon! :lovestruc

A TRIP IN ONE YEAR!?!?!?! 2018?!?!?


Boy-Meets-World-1444858179.gif


Ohh Oops im supposed to keep that a secret??? Sorry i didn't mean to use caps and make it red, bold, and size it all the way up to a 6 add a really fun gif!!!

OMG!!!! You, my friend, crack. me. up.

Love you tons... Miss you bunches!!! Hard to believe it's been over a year since I've seen you... :cry:

Good afternoon D and everyone,

I stayed home from work today. I have that awful cold others have mentioned. UGH. I work in the dean's office of the largest college in our largest state university, and I absolutely had to go to work the past two days to deal with a few things that no one else could do, but now that that is over I'm home sick. It really is just a cold, but oh my goodness. The left side of my head feels like an overfilled basketball.

I found out what is going on the day we have reservations for the BOG breakfast. It's Early Morning Magic, that $70 per person "deal" (on top of regular park admission) where you get in early (7:45 AM) to ride 3 RIDES in Fantasyland and they throw in a buffet breakfast at Pinocchio's. The rides being 7D, PP, and Pooh. WHO in their RIGHT MIND would pay for that? Wait an hour and you can get in anyway. Wait for the right EMH day and you can get in at the same time for free! Regardless, it won't impact our plans, I don't think.

I have a question for all of you. Sorry to hijack your thread, D! I was browsing on Etsy for Disney clothes, and came across some amazing Disney dresses and skirts. Not costumes, just Disney themed stuff. For example, I found a site that has HM wallpaper, Orange Bird, Mickey waffles/snacks, and almost any Disney character you can think of printed clothing. How is that possible? You would think Disney would sell it if there's a market. The things are AMAZING but I just wonder how they're able to do that. I bought a few skirts from another Etsy site - Spaceship Earth print, Monorails, Vintage MK map, and Disney snacks. You Dorine are the undisputed bag queen but I go bagless at WDW. I am going to use a running belt underneath my shirt for the few things I will need besides my magic band. I'll wear bike shorts underneath for a skort-like deal. Wondering if my daughter will disown me if I wear crocs with socks and the skirts. LOL

We're getting winter storm warnings for tomorrow night here in GA, so you know what that means! We might see a snowflake or two!!!!!! As a native, I'm guilty of the winter weather stereotype and revel in it.

Awwwh - that is such a bummer... I sure hope you are feeling better by now! :hug:

Yes - I definitely wouldn't pay any extra to get in early just to ride those rides... On top of that - you will burn a lot of that paid for time eating breakfast... I'd definitely cancel and continue looking for a different day and time for that ADR. I was always amazed at what I was able to find if I was diligent. ::yes:: Good luck!!!

Well - I can't speak for anyone else and their business model... And I definitely cannot talk about my business here on the Dis... What I can tell you though, is that Disney does print and sell licensed fabric, and that fabric needs to be made into something - as that is the intent of it... And if there is a market for the item being made... It's only logical that item will be sold. :lovestruc

I think your idea of wearing the running belt is a great one! I wish I could go bag-free in the parks, ahh but that is part of my whole outfit and image - so I just don't think I ever could. I do love my Sparkle-skirts though, and I love the pocket in the shorts - it is magnificent... I've seen many people use those as part of their outfits in the parks - and they work out great! ::yes::

Crocs with socks... I hate to say it - but I am of the opinion that ANYTHING goes in Disney... So - go for it - if it's comfortable for you! ::yes:: Especially if you have adorable Disney socks! :woohoo:

Hehehe... I was reading on FB the other day - a friend of mine just moved from MN to TN... Schools were closing and people were stocking up for the storm... She looked on all of the weather apps and couldn't find anything... She finally discovered that there was a 30% chance of snow and that's what all of the fuss was about. LOL We barely close in blizzard conditions... LOL However - knowing that I am a decent winter driver and could handle the roads probably pretty easily... I would NOT want to be on the roads with any one else with very little winter driving experience - and it's quite likely, in that area, I would be surrounded by many. LOL

I hope you have a great weekend! :lovestruc

Is the Facebook group you had to motivate you with your eating still going on?

I'm glad to hear you made it through the logistic with the car unscathed

How exciting that you are looking into a January 2018 trip. Starting this far in advance will make it a little easier to save the money for the trip.


Today when Ulf tried to get my car out of the garage we discovered that the remote to the garage door didn't work. So Ulf had to go out of the car and push the button on the wall to get the door open. After doing what we originally planed to do today we had to go to the store and get new batteries for the remote and cross our fingers that it was just the batteries that was dead and not the whole remote. When we got back the remote worked again so that was good.

Later in the evening it was time for an geocaching event down town at a pizza place. We met some geocaching friends and had a good time.

Some of them still are open and active... I belong to several of them - and all of them motivate me... So, I think that the answer to your question is yes? LOL

Yes - me too... LOL I am sure we have many interesting car days ahead of us. ::yes::

I hope so... Right now - it's just a glimmer in my imagination... If everything falls into place - I should be able to pull it off. A major factor will be the truck though and how much that sets us back.

I am glad you were able to get your garage door opener to work and it was just the batteries that needed replacing. Phew!!!

It sounds like you had a great time! Have a great weekend! :lovestruc

I am glad you were able to get the timing right for everyone to be where they needed to be. I sure hope you are able to get the truck fixed without too much time or money involved. I hate having to fix vehicles- I feel like they should just work, LOL. Hopefully, you didn't catch anything nasty at work yesterday.

It sounds like you are doing well at keeping to your renewed commitment to being healthy. Even if you have gained, at least you have been working out all along and don't have to start from scratch. Today is day 5 of my W30. I think you were right about the fatigue- I read on the FB page where some others were complaining about that too. I am definitely feeling better than I was on days 2-3. I think this weekend, I need to do better prep for the week. I feel like all I have done this week is cook and cook. Today, I am doing to dig through my dvd's and my pinterest videos and see if I can come up with some beginner workouts to add in.

January 2018!! Woohoo! We went in early Feb once and the weather was perfect. It wasn't too cold- my daughter even went swimming one day (it was too cold for me). We wore jackets in the morning, but it got warm enough to take them off & wear shorts in the afternoon. The only downside to Feb was that they were doing quite a few refurbs to get ready for the Spring Break crowds. But the crowds were very low at that time of year. I sure hope you are able to make that a reality!

I hope so too... We have a good chunk of changed saved towards it already... I truly have my fingers crossed that we can get it in to be diagnosed this week and with any luck - we can have it fixed with what we already have saved. I am hopeful! Pixie Dust to us. LOL

True... It sounds like you are doing great too! I agree- prepping ahead is essental! I never cook as much (or do as many dishes) as I do when I am doing a W30... There is a LOT of kitchen time involved... Batch cooking helps a lot though! I always try to make things in triplicate or more, so I can eat for many meals... I am lazy by nature though. LOL And if eating the same thing for 12 meals in a row means I don't have to put a lot of effort in over time - I am game. LOL Oh and I eat a LOT of eggs... Eggs are easy... Sauteing lots of veggies (broccoli slaw or coleslaw with onions is a fav) and throwing a couple of eggs over the top + a leftover protein, makes for a super easy meal. Not sure if you have the Aidell's chicken apple sausages available over there? That is a super easy protein that is compliant. ::yes:: You are doing great! I am so proud of you! :)

Love my Walk Away the Pounds DVDs!!! Easy enough for a beginner - or adding weights if you are more advanced. And most of them are under 35 min. :thumbsup2

Allison and I did Jan 1 year ago... It was definitely colder than what we were prepared for - but crowds were great! ::yes:: If we do another Jan trip - I'd definitely pack warmer! Right now - it's just the glimmer of a dream... Many things would have to fall into place - especially this major truck repair, in order for it to happen. We will see... :scratchin

Have a great weekend Brandi! :lovestruc

Hi OP:
I'm a total ludite, so please excuse what should be a PAN.

I absolutely love your purses and would love to order some. Do you have an easy shop (other online venue)??

Hello there and welcome to my TR - I hope you are enjoying it? :lovestruc

Sadly - I am unable to talk about my business at all here on The Dis - I hope you understand and will continue to follow along with my TR. :lovestruc Have a great weekend! :)

**********************************************************************************************************

I know I should check in here more often that what I have been... In all reality - life has been quite boring. I get up - I have coffee - I get the girls off - I work out - I work - I make dinner - I peruse The Dis/FB/Pinterest and I go to bed... Day after day. Quite boring and nothing exciting to update there. ::yes::

I am staying busy and I am getting a lot accomplished though - so that is a benefit of being stuck at home a good portion of the time... Especially if you have a personality like mine - where I can't stay idle ever. LOL

So - that's about all! I have my next update or 2 ready to go... So I am working on that next. :lovestruc

I hope all of you are well... Sending prayers and pixie dust out to all of you! :lovestruc

D~
 
Friday, October 21, 2016

Day 7 Part 1​


I was up on my own at 6:30...

I made my coffee and sat out on the balcony with my tablet - my morning ritual of Coffee/FB/Dis - I am a creature of habit, as most of you know, and the only deviation I ever have from this is the location from which I do it. LOL

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I had a good amount of time to sit here this morning - it was very nice!

I woke V up at 8:45...

We took the Shady Shuttle to the Poly at 9:45, where we hopped the Monorail to the Contemporary for breakfast...

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We were seated at The Wave almost immediately... However - it did take our server a VERY long time to take our drink order and release us to the buffet... I was almost ready to go up there with out placing our drink order.

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My first - and only plate of food... I did note in my journal that I was getting VERY sick of food at this point.

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Sweet potato pancakes with pecan honey butter and warm syrup, Mickey waffles, eggs Benedict, sausage and the grits! All of which were super yummy!

An extra photo of the pecan honey butter - just because I can...

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Such a good value as an AP holder. ::yes::

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Once we were done eating... We headed up to the gift shop... We brought V's Ears (+ receipt) along from the night before. Despite trying to "stretch them out" on a lamp base in our room for the past 3 days - she still only wore them for about 2 hours the night before... They were soooo tight they were giving her a headache. We had cut the tag off when she purchased them in AK... However - I did have to insist that they take them back, if she cannot wear them for any amount of time - they are not worth keeping, even if they are cute. They did take them back, but they weren't very happy about it... We offered to exchange them for something else - but in the end, they flat out returned them for us. Which was nice.

We went down to the bus stop to wait for the bus to DTD...

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I texted Santos on the way - to let him know we were headed that direction. He met us at the WoD store.

I purchased my Jimminy AnA bracelet and we picked out Thomas' Duffy, outfit and book... Which we had sent back to the resort.

I was also texting my friend Athene... Athene is a fellow Disney addict and seamstress... We became friends on FB many years ago... We've exchanged lots of messages and even some sewing supplies over the years - though we had never met in person. As it turns out - she was in WDW at the same time... And we were determined to finally meet! :woohoo:

We met up with Athene at the Alex and Ani store in Disney Springs... I didn't know that they had a free standing store here - PLUS they honor the 20% AP discount! :woohoo: Life is GOOD! I miss my AP already. LOL Here, I purchased a beaded wrap and also an "Aunt" bangle for Myrthe for Christmas. My wrist is filling up - LOL!

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Afterwards - we all wandered around... We found a few Photopass photographers... We took advantage...

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We did some more shopping... I really wanted to get this shirt for Josh... He is a pretty big Star Wars fan - and on Wednesdays in the summer, he and his co-workers have contests for "the most obnoxious shirt"... Last summer - they all gave up, as he was the clear winner for several weeks in a row... I knew this shirt would bring him above and beyond, and I desperately wanted it for him... However, with the $85 price tag - even with my AP discount - I couldn't choke it down... It is a cool shirt though - and someday I may break down and get it for him. ::yes::

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I also went into Sephora to get a bottle of black nail polish - ahem $10!!! Insane!!! But it was their ONLY bottle of black - and my nails had chipped in several places - which needed to be repaired.

It was at this time, we made our way into the Photo Studio in DS - we wanted more pictures to commemorate this day. Some how - I was roped into a push-up challenge, which I happily took on ~ and won... In all fairness though - I was the only one competing, so the odds were in my favor. LOL

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At one point - I was laughing so hard, that I was stuck on the floor (YUCK!!!!!)

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And then we decided to have some fun...

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And to show that we CAN play nicely...

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Around this time - we decided that it was time for V and I to start heading back to SoG - we wanted to rest for a little while before we had dinner at 1900 Park Fare... We said our good-byes to our friends, as this was the last time we would see Santos on this trip, and the only time we could meed up with Athene... It's always so hard to say good-bye.

V and I stopped to take a few more pictures...

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~~~ As a little side note here... Up until this point in our trip - I was feeling very unsure of myself (quite disgusted, actually) - I did not like how I looked at all... I felt like each photo of me was terrible and my self esteem was the lowest it had been in years... However - when these Disney Springs photos loaded, I was able to see a different version of myself... It was the first time in months that I had worn shorts - and even though I was incredibly insecure wearing them this day - I saw the pictures and I thought "WHOA!!!" - those legs! I may be 41 years old... I told myself... But girl - you WORK OUT hard and you lift Olympic weights... And it shows! It was at this point - I may not have liked how I looked at most times, but I became proud of where I was and all the hard work I've put in over the years... It did a LOT for my self confidence for the remainder of the trip and since then. ::yes::

Link to Day 7 Part 2

D~
 
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Day 7 Part 2​


We hopped a bus back to the Poly...

V was tired... and I love - no matter what - she is still my baby girl and needs her naps. She was always my child who could fall asleep anywhere... LOL (She'll kill me if she see's this - so we'll just keep this one between us. Mmmm-kay?)

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When we got back to SoG - I went to apply a coat of black nail polish to my nails... I twisted off the cap and the entire bottle broke apart - I didn't realize it had happened at first, but as I was painting my nails - I had a BIG drip plop on to the tub...I went to put the brush back in the bottle and this is when I realized what had happened. I was SOOOOO upset!!! I frantically tried to clean up the BLACK nail polish from the WHITE tub before it dried - so I wasn't charged for damage to the hotel. GRRR!!! Which I was able to do with a LOT of scrubbing. I took a photo of the bottle from many angles - as there was no way I could get back to Disney Springs to return it and there was no way I could get it home safely... I wrapped it in a bag and thew it away. Upon returning home - I sent a lengthy email to Sephora with many pictures included and a copy of my receipt... After going round n' round several times with several people (all I wanted was an exchange or a gc) - they refused to help me, unless I went back to the original store it was purchased at with the damaged items in hand. I gave up and chalked it up to $10 wasted. :( It wasn't worth any more of my time and I was just getting frustrated, as it didn't seem that anyone was actually reading my email or looking at the photos - I felt my circumstance was a little weird and the rules could have been bent a little bit in this situation.

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Anyways - I was able to fumble enough - carefully - with the nail polish to touch up the spots that needed touching up - and then I threw it away. I wrapped it carefully in several bags - so no one spilled it elsewhere and no one cut themselves on the jagged glass.

I took some time to take a picture of the items we had purchased thus far... A wallet for Myrthe, which matches her VB Hipster she carries a lot... And the Aunt AnA bracelet...

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And for Lara... Her Shellie May, book and outfit... A cute little Minnie romper and the adorable Bambi outfit we paid full price for in MK a few nights prior (which we HAD to have) - as I am sure you will all agree, it's adorable!

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V and I rested a little bit, we took the Shady Shuttle to the Poly and the Monorail to the GF...

Believe it or not - I didn't take one single photo at 1900!!! :eek: I know V did, on her Snapchat... I had them saved on my old phone - but when we transferred the data, none of V's Snapchat pictures transferred over. :(

I didn't notate anything exciting about this meal - with exception to the Squash Ravioli... YUM!!!! This is my favorite thing here!

Now, when you have dinner at 1900 - instead of doing the pictures before, you do them after... It's honestly still amazing that they do any pictures at all - as many of the sit down restaurants have discontinued this service... (Also - I hate how every photo I have ever had taken in this location, my face is soooo RED - no matter the time of day or the circumstancees)

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After - V and I talked to the Photographers for quite some time about V's Stitch bag and her Stitch Experience... It was fun to hear all of their stories about Stitch - as well as to tell our own. :lovestruc

We took the Monorail to the Contemporary (again - LOL) to exchange the ring V had purchased the first day (it was very bent) - as this was the only location that had it in stock... They happily exchanged it for her.

We took the Monorail to the Poly and the Shady Shuttle to the SoG.

We prepped for our early day tomorrow and we were in bed by 8:30!​

Link to Day 8 Part 1

D~
 
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Here I was thinking that you looked good in the pictures you've posted. I hate getting my picture taken, so there aren't very many of me.
I hope Josh's car gets fixed soon. It must be horrible stuck at home even if you can find stuff to do.
I finally got my crown put on my tooth. It took a couple trips because the first on didn't fit right. that was about the most exciting thing to happen lately.
I hope you do get to go to Disney in 20018. that's when we're planning to go again. We usually go the beginning of September. It down't seem to be as crowded. Hopefully we get to go to Night of Joy again.
Good luck with the Whole 30 program. Hopefully it resets everything for you.
My tree is down and put away. The outside decorations are up but buried under the snow.
Enjoy you weekend
Liz
 
Great trip updates! I am happy you were able to meet up with Santos and Athene. Did you know that, until your TR, I didn't even know there was a location for PhotoPass pictures at Disney Springs??? Can't believe I haven't known that! Such fun pictures.

You look great -- you really do. You are such an example and inspiration to me of working hard and never giving up. Thank you!

That Star Wars shirt is fabulous but I wouldn't have been able to pay that price, either. How frustrating Sephora wouldn't refund your money or send a new bottle of nail polish for what was clearly a defective product. Grrrr.... Poor customer service is one of my pet peeves. I'm glad the store finally agreed to refund V's money for the ears, but it shouldn't have been such an issue for them to do that to start with. :-(

As a result of doing W30 and completely changing his eating habits, my husband has lost 40 pounds! I didn't realize that his highest weight right before we did W30 was 246. He's now down to 204 and looks great. He has almost entirely cut out snacking and when he does snack it's mostly fresh fruit (he keeps a bunch of fresh fruit in the mini fridge in his classroom). He doesn't eat ice cream anymore (he used to eat ice cream every single night) and instead makes a fresh/frozen fruit smoothie with coconut milk or coconut cream and no sweeteners. He completely cut out sodas and now drinks only water (we love the various flavored sparkling waters) or, occasionally, fruit juice. It's been amazing to see the complete transformation in his eating habits and his determination to stick to the changes he's made. We didn't do fabulously over the holidays, but we actually did pretty well. While Alyssa was home I cooked a lot of her favorite meals which are definitely NOT compliant, but we're doing ok and are getting back on the wagon. We didn't have as many treats and sweets in the house over the holidays as we usually do and, for the most part, we didn't pretty good at not going overboard. But now that Alyssa is back at school, all of the remaining candies and sweets will be thrown out today. I'm in the process of planning the menus and grocery list for next week and we're going to try some recipes from Real Plans. I love that you can customize the options so I can choose fully compliant W30 (making modifications as needed for things like allergies, dislikes, etc.), Paleo, Primal, or a customized profile. And it makes the grocery list for me! I love that. I made a compliant roast chicken in my Instant Pot last night and it was SO good -- so that's definitely going to be my go-to for chickens from now on instead of buying rotisserie chickens which usually have sugar in them. It took about an hour to do a 6.3 pound chicken -- so I can easily do one in the evenings and then package up the meat and put it in the fridge for salads, lettuce wraps, etc. Yum!

I head back to work on Monday...I'm dreading it. It's been nice to have so much time off (although I worked several half days from home over the break), but I'm ready to get back to my normal routine.

It's a very quiet house now that Alyssa is gone and Mark and Brie are back to school...I did have a melancholy evening by myself last night but I think that was to be expected. It was so sweet of my neighbor to bring those flowers over. And so unexpected. She is a sweetheart.

Brie is my napper. It's funny -- when she was a baby/toddler she NEVER napped -- it was awful -- and now she naps pretty much every day after school if she isn't working. Alyssa, on the other hand, needed the naps until she was well into elementary school but now she can't nap to save her life, unless she's in a car or bus, or on the metro. LOL!

Hugs to you -- have a great day!
 
Hopefully your trip in 2018 will happen. At least it's a possibility.

Quick question - We have never attended any holiday party and can possibly attend MNSSHP if it is offered on the Friday we disembark from our Disney cruise. Would you recommend it? I am really on the fence. A part of me wants to go because they seem like a lot of fun and I like the added bonus of the parade and the possibility of meeting some different characters. The other part of me is hesitant because I keep on reading how crowded the parties can be. I will add our main point of the party would be to get into the MK to ride some of our favorite rides at a lower price point for the tickets vs. full day admission. I am really torn on what we should do.

Your time in DS looks fun. I enjoyed all your pictures!
 
What a great start to day 7 of your trip.

Crossing my fingers that the repair of Josh truck won't cost too much. Hopefully you will be able to have a new Disney trip in 2018.


I got a board game called 7 Wonders Duel for Christmas. It's a 2 players game so it's perfect to play only for 2 people. There is a board game called 7 Wonders, but that game isn't fun playing when you're only 2 people. This Duel game I got is a spin off from the bigger game 7 Wonders. Well Ulf and I tried to play the game I got for Christmas for the first time today. It says on the box that it should take 30 minutes to play. Well it took us over 1 1\2 hours to play it because first we had to read the rules. Then we started to play, but then we had to read the rules several times during the games because none of us remembered the rules. The game is really not that difficult to learn so I think the box is right that it will only take 30 minutes to play as soon as we learn the rules by heart. We have decided to play it again tomorrow because we both think that if we don't play it again soon we will forget everything we learned today and then we will have to start all over again learning the game from scratch.
 
I think it also helps that both girls paid for their own phones - it's always different when you have to pay for something yourself, vs. having someone else buy it for you. ::yes::
Truth! I made my DS buy his first Gameboy when he was 7. He had to save up a long time. He still has it, even though the sound no longer works. This is my son who loses everything! ::yes::

I do have to say though - of my last 3 trips... Jan, Oct and Nov... Jan was the least crowded of them all. I think Oct and Nov were pretty tied.
I went in Late Oct/Early Nov, then Late May then late July. Who know July would be the least crowded! We ran into huge crowds at the end of May--it was worse than Oct/Nov. I'd like to see how January is, although I'd rather sweat then freeze!

I wish I could go bag-free in the parks, ahh but that is part of my whole outfit and image -
I usually go bag free in the parks, but I guess that will have to change for my next trip! :woohoo:

Crocs with socks...
Disney=comfortable feet, all ideas of fashion come second or you will be sorry and miss out on things due to blisters and unhappy feet.

She looked on all of the weather apps and couldn't find anything... She finally discovered that there was a 30% chance of snow
Yep, but in our defense, we don't have the preparation of roads or plows that places with more snow do. We try to avoid driving, because it just gets crazy. Last year I had to sleep at a friend's house because we had a surprise ice/snow event and either there were hills blocked by sliding cars, roads blocked by non-moving cars, or the police had shut down the road so I had no way to get home from work. Sure was glad I could crash with them rather than return to work and sleep there!:eek:

I had a good amount of time to sit here this morning - it was very nice!
Love the patios and balconies at SoG--one of their best features!

An extra photo of the pecan honey butter - just because I can...
HOW did I miss this??? Note to self--don't miss pecan honey butter next time.

I purchased my Jimminy AnA bracelet
You are going to have to photo them individually so we can see their cuteness!

However, with the $85 price tag - even with my AP discount
Yikes! Maybe ebay will be your friend on that one.

WHOA!!!" - those legs!
We are always our own worst critics. You look great in shorts!

A cute little Minnie romper
OMG, so cute. I'm secretly hoping for a granddaughter some day because I've never gotten to shop for cute little girl clothes!!! (We are a family of boys--I only have one niece).

I will add our main point of the party would be to get into the MK to ride some of our favorite rides at a lower price point
If this is your goal, you will love the party. We went with the same idea. We rode lots of rides, the kids (I'm talking 18 year olds) and adults did a bit of trick or treating when the lines were low, and we saw the parade which is awesome!

Hope you get your truck fixed soon. That light snow that we get teased about has hit us today (about an inch or a bit more) so I know our roads are crazy. DS's GF is coming to visit on the metro, but we still have to pick her up--I told DH we'd take my jeep, since it has 4WD. That was my #1 requirement in a new car, since as I stated above--it gets crazy here when it snows!!! You have real snow, so I know you need that truck!
 
Thanks - it was a lot of fun and truly an incredible experience! Definitely brought Stitch up to one of my favorite characters, as well. ::yes::

That's cool about your Country Bear experience... Where did you meet them at? I can't say that I've ever seen them... :scratchin Exactly - I love being a part of the entertainment - I'd do it more often if they would give me the opportunity. ::yes::

Sorry I thought I had replied to this much earlier but I guess I didn't.

The country bears (there were four in the area) were walking around and entertaining people near their Jamboree in Frontierland while waiting for the parade to start during the Christmas party. My daughter and I had staked out our spot along the parade route while my husband went in search of hot dogs (he had a craving and had wanted one all day). While we waited she got to dance with the two bears that were near us. Plenty of hugs and had lots of fun (no lines etc wasn't a formal meet n greet). Suddenly there is laughter and calls of "oh no!" "look out!" and "he's gonna get you" coming down the sidewalk.

I can hear my husband laughing and shouting "stay away" "no siree" "Help! Help!"

I look up and he is weaving in and out and around the crowd while carrying a tray of hot dogs being chased by Liverlips! They get to me after many shenanigans and Pat starts doing a quick trot in a circle around me (the crowd parted for them) with the bear is still chasing him. Everyone is laughing and taking pictures til my daughter said "aww Daddy he is hungry can't we share?". So Liverlips stopped and gave her a big hug and his handler gave her some stickers and assured her that he would make sure all the bears got something to eat when they went inside. Everyone congratulated Pat for evading the hungry bear. Of course none of the photos I tried to take turned out (it was night and I was enjoying the moment too much take many anyway) but we'll never forget.

I just realized we never did go in to see the Country Bear Jamboree show and now I feel guilty lol.

Anyway I am really enjoying your trip report and am all caught up now. We never got to Disney Springs either. Disney World seems to be one of those places that no matter how many things you do and how cram packed your day is there are so many more things you didn't do! I guess that is one of the reasons you need to keep going back.
 
What a fun trip! Mother-Daughter trips are the best--my mom and I have taken 2 by ourselves, and those trips are some of my favorite memories in WDW. We're taking an all-girls trip this summer for my graduation trip, so I've really enjoyed reading about yours!
 
Great updates! Your park day off sounded like it was pretty relaxing but still fun. My next trip (probably Sept) I want to build in a non park day which I've never done before. I think my DH would love it. Funny you mention your shorts! As I was looking at the pictures, I noticed right away you had on shorts. I was thinking how good you looked - I'm glad you did too!
 
Day 7 looks fun and relaxing. I am sure it was faster paced when you were actually are. It seems really disappointing that you had to return so many items and then couldn't return the nail polish. I am glad you got to meet up with Athene and Santos as well! Yay for DisMeets. I absolutely love the outfits you got for Laura!Duffy and Shellie May are huge here in Japan. There is also a cat, I think? It's name is Gelatoni. I am interested to see what different kind of merchandise they have when we go to Tokyo Disney. The photopass pictures are a hoot: I love them! And I think you look great in your shorts! You are right, your legs are so muscular- I am glad you can see it, too!

We are on Day 7 of W30 now. YOu are so right about the cooking and clean up. I have done so much of it the past week. Today, I made some egg muffins for breakfasts and a big batch of tomato sauce that I put in the crockpot & I'll freeze some of the rest. Emma thought today was a good time to make the last batch of Oreo truffles that was leftover from the holidays. Grrr. Of course, I had to help her with a little of it, and it was SO hard not to just lick my fingers or something! But I did it. Anyway, it's been a LONG week, but I am determined to keep going. I went to the library to see if they had any workout dvds and they had 30 day shred. I am going to try it out, although, I don't expect to make it through a whole one on the first try, LOL. I had a mishap with a Japanese sweet potato that wanted to post a pic of, but I can't figure out how to do it here, so I will maybe send it to you on Facebook.

I hope you are having a good weekend- Prayers and pixie dust that you get your truck fixed quickly and cheaply!
 
Here I was thinking that you looked good in the pictures you've posted. I hate getting my picture taken, so there aren't very many of me.
I hope Josh's car gets fixed soon. It must be horrible stuck at home even if you can find stuff to do.
I finally got my crown put on my tooth. It took a couple trips because the first on didn't fit right. that was about the most exciting thing to happen lately.
I hope you do get to go to Disney in 20018. that's when we're planning to go again. We usually go the beginning of September. It down't seem to be as crowded. Hopefully we get to go to Night of Joy again.
Good luck with the Whole 30 program. Hopefully it resets everything for you.
My tree is down and put away. The outside decorations are up but buried under the snow.
Enjoy you weekend
Liz

Thank you - trust me, I used to not enjoy having my pictures taken, though in the last few years since I've lost so much size - I don't mind it as much anymore... However - the last several months, I notice that I don't really like how I look - so being in pictures isn't all that fun. LOL

Thanks! It's a bummer about his truck - but we are making do... We are fortunate that we have a few vehicles. :)

I am glad you were able to get your crown done... I need to get one done this year as well. I hope it was relatively painless. ::yes::

I sure hope your 2018 Disney trip happens - September is such a good time to go... With weather and with crowds!

Thanks - it's going pretty well. :)

Yay for the Christmas decor put away - it's always such a huge stress to get it done. I know that I am enjoying my house being "clean" - even if it is a little bare, considering I havent' put up my regular decor yet.

Have a great weekend! :lovestruc

Great trip updates! I am happy you were able to meet up with Santos and Athene. Did you know that, until your TR, I didn't even know there was a location for PhotoPass pictures at Disney Springs??? Can't believe I haven't known that! Such fun pictures.

You look great -- you really do. You are such an example and inspiration to me of working hard and never giving up. Thank you!

That Star Wars shirt is fabulous but I wouldn't have been able to pay that price, either. How frustrating Sephora wouldn't refund your money or send a new bottle of nail polish for what was clearly a defective product. Grrrr.... Poor customer service is one of my pet peeves. I'm glad the store finally agreed to refund V's money for the ears, but it shouldn't have been such an issue for them to do that to start with. :-(

As a result of doing W30 and completely changing his eating habits, my husband has lost 40 pounds! I didn't realize that his highest weight right before we did W30 was 246. He's now down to 204 and looks great. He has almost entirely cut out snacking and when he does snack it's mostly fresh fruit (he keeps a bunch of fresh fruit in the mini fridge in his classroom). He doesn't eat ice cream anymore (he used to eat ice cream every single night) and instead makes a fresh/frozen fruit smoothie with coconut milk or coconut cream and no sweeteners. He completely cut out sodas and now drinks only water (we love the various flavored sparkling waters) or, occasionally, fruit juice. It's been amazing to see the complete transformation in his eating habits and his determination to stick to the changes he's made. We didn't do fabulously over the holidays, but we actually did pretty well. While Alyssa was home I cooked a lot of her favorite meals which are definitely NOT compliant, but we're doing ok and are getting back on the wagon. We didn't have as many treats and sweets in the house over the holidays as we usually do and, for the most part, we didn't pretty good at not going overboard. But now that Alyssa is back at school, all of the remaining candies and sweets will be thrown out today. I'm in the process of planning the menus and grocery list for next week and we're going to try some recipes from Real Plans. I love that you can customize the options so I can choose fully compliant W30 (making modifications as needed for things like allergies, dislikes, etc.), Paleo, Primal, or a customized profile. And it makes the grocery list for me! I love that. I made a compliant roast chicken in my Instant Pot last night and it was SO good -- so that's definitely going to be my go-to for chickens from now on instead of buying rotisserie chickens which usually have sugar in them. It took about an hour to do a 6.3 pound chicken -- so I can easily do one in the evenings and then package up the meat and put it in the fridge for salads, lettuce wraps, etc. Yum!

I head back to work on Monday...I'm dreading it. It's been nice to have so much time off (although I worked several half days from home over the break), but I'm ready to get back to my normal routine.

It's a very quiet house now that Alyssa is gone and Mark and Brie are back to school...I did have a melancholy evening by myself last night but I think that was to be expected. It was so sweet of my neighbor to bring those flowers over. And so unexpected. She is a sweetheart.

Brie is my napper. It's funny -- when she was a baby/toddler she NEVER napped -- it was awful -- and now she naps pretty much every day after school if she isn't working. Alyssa, on the other hand, needed the naps until she was well into elementary school but now she can't nap to save her life, unless she's in a car or bus, or on the metro. LOL!

Hugs to you -- have a great day!

I think the Photopass photographers in DS is a new thing with the expansion? :scratchin I dont' think they have always been there- if they have, it's been very few and far between.

THank you... We are our own worst critics right? I just keep on keepin' on. ::yes::

Yes - we had a lot of returns this trip - sadly... I usually have 1 or 2... I remember - on our last day, we had to return something too, though hopefully I wrote it down, as I can't remember what it was. LOL

I am so happy that the W30 was so good for your DH too - I sometimes wish that Josh would just give it a try... It seems to me, like he doesn't do it, just to prove that he doesn't have to - if that makes any sense. I think he would be amazed at the difference. Ahhh - but you can lead a horse to water, right? LOL

That is really awesome that the menu items can be altered and modified to any eating lifestyle! ::yes:: How cool! I know - I need to start planning my grocery shopping trip for this coming week too... I did super well on last week's, so far, I haven't forgotten anything - which is good. I do wish - still - that the family would give me more input on meals they'd like to eat... I get tired of trying to make things new and different and keeping the variation in our menu - I tend to gravitate towards 10-12 meals that are easy to prepare and items we normally have on hand, and I know - after a while - they start to complain that "we just had this"... Grrrr... Then give me some ideas! LOL

I agree - I actually took comfort in going back to work - it was nice to get back to my normal routine. I hope your first week back goes well.

That was so sweet of your neighbor to bring flowers - truly it was. I cannot imagine how hard it was to have your girls leave... One day - I will be in the same boat too.

Victoria is my napper - however - she could lay down at 4pm for a nap, sleep through dinner and all night long and STILL be difficult to wake up in the morning. LOL Allison is my girl who can't stay awake past 8pm... LOL... She's been better lately at staying up later and sleeping in later, but her clock has always been this way - since the day she was born... Therefore the reason I cannot sleep past 6am. LOL You all have her to thank for my early morning updates. ::yes::

Thanks! Same to you - enjoy your Sunday! :lovestruc

Hopefully your trip in 2018 will happen. At least it's a possibility.

Quick question - We have never attended any holiday party and can possibly attend MNSSHP if it is offered on the Friday we disembark from our Disney cruise. Would you recommend it? I am really on the fence. A part of me wants to go because they seem like a lot of fun and I like the added bonus of the parade and the possibility of meeting some different characters. The other part of me is hesitant because I keep on reading how crowded the parties can be. I will add our main point of the party would be to get into the MK to ride some of our favorite rides at a lower price point for the tickets vs. full day admission. I am really torn on what we should do.

Your time in DS looks fun. I enjoyed all your pictures!

I hope so too... I was talking to the girls about it the other day and I just told them to mentally block off that time frame. I was thinking of doing a week, but both of them still want to stick to our 10 day trips. I was talking to Allison a little more about it, ans as much as I would love to stay at FQ again (if there is a good discount offered) - I would LOVE to do the 3 of us at Shades of Green, as a "test" - the rooms are so much bigger and I would love to see if it would work out any better having a bigger room. We'll see... Like I said - many things have to fall into place first.

I would definitely recommend it - especially if you have never gone before - it really is a fun event. ::yes:: And a good way to get a partial MK day in without spending as much $$ as a day pass would cost. The party crowds really depend - Fridays are the worst typically - so you have that against you... But if you are going earlier in the season - Sept or even the beginning of Oct - it isn't nearly as bad - typically - as it gets busier at the parties the closer you get to the holiday. And honestly - the parade... Swoon!!! I love it!

Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed them - it was a really nice and relaxing day. ::yes::

What a great start to day 7 of your trip.

Crossing my fingers that the repair of Josh truck won't cost too much. Hopefully you will be able to have a new Disney trip in 2018.


I got a board game called 7 Wonders Duel for Christmas. It's a 2 players game so it's perfect to play only for 2 people. There is a board game called 7 Wonders, but that game isn't fun playing when you're only 2 people. This Duel game I got is a spin off from the bigger game 7 Wonders. Well Ulf and I tried to play the game I got for Christmas for the first time today. It says on the box that it should take 30 minutes to play. Well it took us over 1 1\2 hours to play it because first we had to read the rules. Then we started to play, but then we had to read the rules several times during the games because none of us remembered the rules. The game is really not that difficult to learn so I think the box is right that it will only take 30 minutes to play as soon as we learn the rules by heart. We have decided to play it again tomorrow because we both think that if we don't play it again soon we will forget everything we learned today and then we will have to start all over again learning the game from scratch.

Thanks! It was a nice and relaxing day for us! ::yes::

I sure hope so - I am hopeful that it's something easy... And it sure would make a trip to Disney so much easier to plan if this repair was fairly inexpensive. ::yes::

This sounds like a fun game! I hope you can play it again soon so that you can remember the rules. :)

I hope you had a nice weekend Lillian! :lovestruc

Truth! I made my DS buy his first Gameboy when he was 7. He had to save up a long time. He still has it, even though the sound no longer works. This is my son who loses everything!


I went in Late Oct/Early Nov, then Late May then late July. Who know July would be the least crowded! We ran into huge crowds at the end of May--it was worse than Oct/Nov. I'd like to see how January is, although I'd rather sweat then freeze!


I usually go bag free in the parks, but I guess that will have to change for my next trip!


Disney=comfortable feet, all ideas of fashion come second or you will be sorry and miss out on things due to blisters and unhappy feet.


Yep, but in our defense, we don't have the preparation of roads or plows that places with more snow do. We try to avoid driving, because it just gets crazy. Last year I had to sleep at a friend's house because we had a surprise ice/snow event and either there were hills blocked by sliding cars, roads blocked by non-moving cars, or the police had shut down the road so I had no way to get home from work. Sure was glad I could crash with them rather than return to work and sleep there!:eek:


Love the patios and balconies at SoG--one of their best features!


HOW did I miss this??? Note to self--don't miss pecan honey butter next time.


You are going to have to photo them individually so we can see their cuteness!


Yikes! Maybe ebay will be your friend on that one.


We are always our own worst critics. You look great in shorts!


OMG, so cute. I'm secretly hoping for a granddaughter some day because I've never gotten to shop for cute little girl clothes!!! (We are a family of boys--I only have one niece).


If this is your goal, you will love the party. We went with the same idea. We rode lots of rides, the kids (I'm talking 18 year olds) and adults did a bit of trick or treating when the lines were low, and we saw the parade which is awesome!

Hope you get your truck fixed soon. That light snow that we get teased about has hit us today (about an inch or a bit more) so I know our roads are crazy. DS's GF is coming to visit on the metro, but we still have to pick her up--I told DH we'd take my jeep, since it has 4WD. That was my #1 requirement in a new car, since as I stated above--it gets crazy here when it snows!!! You have real snow, so I know you need that truck!

I sure hope that it's the same with these phones! It's not as if they were inexpensive at all. ::yes::

I am shocked that July was the least crowded! You would think it would be the worst, due to summer vacations and crowds... :scratchin

Yes, yes it will... You may enjoy being bag free more than carrying a bag though? :scratchin At least you'll be able to accurately compare the difference. LOL

I agree - completely - comfy foot wear must be worn at all times!

That is very true - I totally get that you all don't have the proper equipment to maintain frozen or snowy roads - and that is huge too... Though, most often, during storms - since we live so far out - we are the last to be cleared, so many times - we are driving on roads that can't be cleared either. LOL

I totally agree - I love that every room at SoG has a balcony! It is one of my favorite parts too! It's so nice to be able to just sit there and enjoy the view!

They have stopped putting the pecan honey butter out on the buffet!! I was horrified!!! I found out, you have to specifically ask for the "pecan honey butter"... As the first time we ate there this trip - I asked where the butter was for the sweet potato pancakes and the chef told me that they took it off - but she would bring me a plate of it... I assumed she brought the pecan honey butter - she didn't though - she just brought me regular butter. :( This time - I specifically asked for the pecan honey butter and they brought it out to me... I took pictures of both and they are definitely different. So, when you ask - make sure you specifically name it, or you'll just get regular butter. Hopefully, by then - they will have it back on the buffet - as they will be sick of bringing butter out to everyone. LOL

I will - I finally had to call Disney about my Believe bracelet... The CM I talked to was none too friendly... I have to send my bracelet back in order to get them to send me a new one... I told the CM that I was worried they would run out of them before I had a chance to mail mine back, since they were discontinued - I was hoping that, at least, maybe they could send one to me while mine was en-route to them... But nope. Soooo hopefully they don't run out before mine arrives. ::yes::

Thanks!!! I sure hope we can fix it soon too... I hope you all don't think I am complaining too much about it? LOL It's inconvenient - yes - but so far, all things considered, it's not too terrible. Hopefully all of you were able to get where you needed to go safely yesterday. ::yes::

Have a great remainder to your weekend! :)

Sorry I thought I had replied to this much earlier but I guess I didn't.

The country bears (there were four in the area) were walking around and entertaining people near their Jamboree in Frontierland while waiting for the parade to start during the Christmas party. My daughter and I had staked out our spot along the parade route while my husband went in search of hot dogs (he had a craving and had wanted one all day). While we waited she got to dance with the two bears that were near us. Plenty of hugs and had lots of fun (no lines etc wasn't a formal meet n greet). Suddenly there is laughter and calls of "oh no!" "look out!" and "he's gonna get you" coming down the sidewalk.

I can hear my husband laughing and shouting "stay away" "no siree" "Help! Help!"

I look up and he is weaving in and out and around the crowd while carrying a tray of hot dogs being chased by Liverlips! They get to me after many shenanigans and Pat starts doing a quick trot in a circle around me (the crowd parted for them) with the bear is still chasing him. Everyone is laughing and taking pictures til my daughter said "aww Daddy he is hungry can't we share?". So Liverlips stopped and gave her a big hug and his handler gave her some stickers and assured her that he would make sure all the bears got something to eat when they went inside. Everyone congratulated Pat for evading the hungry bear. Of course none of the photos I tried to take turned out (it was night and I was enjoying the moment too much take many anyway) but we'll never forget.

I just realized we never did go in to see the Country Bear Jamboree show and now I feel guilty lol.

Anyway I am really enjoying your trip report and am all caught up now. We never got to Disney Springs either. Disney World seems to be one of those places that no matter how many things you do and how cram packed your day is there are so many more things you didn't do! I guess that is one of the reasons you need to keep going back.

What a SUPER fun character experience! Thanks for sharing it with me! :lovestruc It's things like that, that keep us going back - right? And now you need to go back because you didn't get to see the CBJ! LOL

I am glad you are enjoying my TR... I am coming into the final days of our trip. :)

What a fun trip! Mother-Daughter trips are the best--my mom and I have taken 2 by ourselves, and those trips are some of my favorite memories in WDW. We're taking an all-girls trip this summer for my graduation trip, so I've really enjoyed reading about yours!

They are the best!!!! Some of our favorite memories together! Congrats on your trip this summer - you are going to have so much fun with your mom! It sounds like more people are going than just you and her? I'd love to hear about where you are staying and some of your plans! :)

Great updates! Your park day off sounded like it was pretty relaxing but still fun. My next trip (probably Sept) I want to build in a non park day which I've never done before. I think my DH would love it. Funny you mention your shorts! As I was looking at the pictures, I noticed right away you had on shorts. I was thinking how good you looked - I'm glad you did too!

Thanks! It was nice and relaxing - not too much walking and very "go with the flow"... It was nice. :lovestruc

I love non-park days, I try to do them several times during our trips - otherwise we just get too tired when we are there for that long. One day - I will do a non-park day with a non-adr day too... Though I don't think I could skip The Wave. LOL

Thank you. :lovestruc It's been such a difficult year for my self-confidence, so changing my perspective has really helped me see myself in a different light... I have to remember that I am in my 40's and not in my 20's anymore, I need to adjust my expectations a little bit for age. LOL

Have a great weekend! :lovestruc

Day 7 looks fun and relaxing. I am sure it was faster paced when you were actually are. It seems really disappointing that you had to return so many items and then couldn't return the nail polish. I am glad you got to meet up with Athene and Santos as well! Yay for DisMeets. I absolutely love the outfits you got for Laura!Duffy and Shellie May are huge here in Japan. There is also a cat, I think? It's name is Gelatoni. I am interested to see what different kind of merchandise they have when we go to Tokyo Disney. The photopass pictures are a hoot: I love them! And I think you look great in your shorts! You are right, your legs are so muscular- I am glad you can see it, too!

We are on Day 7 of W30 now. YOu are so right about the cooking and clean up. I have done so much of it the past week. Today, I made some egg muffins for breakfasts and a big batch of tomato sauce that I put in the crockpot & I'll freeze some of the rest. Emma thought today was a good time to make the last batch of Oreo truffles that was leftover from the holidays. Grrr. Of course, I had to help her with a little of it, and it was SO hard not to just lick my fingers or something! But I did it. Anyway, it's been a LONG week, but I am determined to keep going. I went to the library to see if they had any workout dvds and they had 30 day shred. I am going to try it out, although, I don't expect to make it through a whole one on the first try, LOL. I had a mishap with a Japanese sweet potato that wanted to post a pic of, but I can't figure out how to do it here, so I will maybe send it to you on Facebook.

I hope you are having a good weekend- Prayers and pixie dust that you get your truck fixed quickly and cheaply!

It was a nice day! It was so nice just to be able to take our time and enjoy the day. :)

It was a bummer that we had to return so much - it's very unfortunate.

I am anxious to hear what sort of stuff they have in Japan too... If you have extra luggage space and $$, and they happen to have a Tokyo Disney Starbucks mug - would you pick it up for me? I would gladly send you funds to pay for it. ::yes:: I don't know many people in that area of the world... :lovestruc

Thank you... I tend to focus on the things I don't like about myself - so it really took a lot for me to see the good that day. I am just glad I did, it's done a lot for my self confidence since then. ::yes::

Oh gosh - making Oreo truffles during a W30 - I bow down to you my friend!!! That takes a massive amount of will power and I don't know that I would have survived that one! That is amazing! Great job! I would have had to go take a nap or something after that experience - as I'd probably be shaking from the denial. LOL

Have fun with the 30 Day Shred - that is one killer work out - IMO! I do that one when I really feel like I need a hard workout in my life - granted the changes I see in my body are always pretty dramatic after the 30 days - it's still tough! Remember to take it slow - and modify everything, you will likely be sore for the next day or two (hello DOMS) and you don't want that soreness to prevent you from working out in the following days - so just be sure to not push yourself too hard the first few times. ::yes::

Thanks - same to you!!! :lovestruc

*********************************************************************************************************

Ahhh - I had the best of intentions yesterday - truly I did.

I was going to do my updates here... And then I was going to go upstairs and work on some extra projects in my sewing room... And then laziness took over... LOL

I started planning our bathroom remodel - which needs to be done before V's grad party in June... I know everything I want to do to it - I know where we are getting all of our supplies from... I am truly trying to talk Josh into doing a clawfoot tub in there - I found this picture on Pinterest and it is exactly how our downstairs bathroom is set up... Ahhh, but Josh, the man who loves everything new and modern - isn't going for my clawfoot tub idea... Sigh. I still have a month or two to try to talk him into it... We'll see - if it's even in the budget at that time? Clawfoot tubs are incredibly expensive new... And since we have a cast iron tub at the moment - which has been chemically brutalized over the years, all of the enamel is GONE, and can no longer be cleaned by me (I just don't have the strength it requires to be scrubbed - so Josh has to do it) - I am fairly certain I want to go the new route, so we don't have this issue with a vintage one.

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Anyways - what started all of this, I happened to be on the Pier1 website the other night, and I noticed that they had the shower curtain (on sale no less) that I have been searching for, for at least a year, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere... Well - they had it and I still had that giant GC I've been hoarding. So, I ordered the shower curtain in white yesterday, which didn't cost me a thing (I still have $$ left on it) and now I am all excited to get to work on our bathroom. :woohoo:

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I seriously debated on the turquoise one too (and the purple, and the coral, and the mushroom...) - I loved them all - quite honestly!

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I also picked out the sink, and both of the faucets (shower and sink), the wall colors and the tile... We plan to do this with gray grout...

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It's going to be a huge project - as our bathroom needs to be entirely gutted... The only thing we plan to keep is the toilet (it's new and high end) and we want to keep the sink base cabinets - but put in new counter tops and more storage... Everything - floor to ceiling - including the ceiling itself and the sheet rock in the room is gone.... Down to the studs.

Anyways... The truck comes first... Then the bathroom... Then Disney. ::yes::

Oh - I read my book too... Machteld started me on a new book series for Christmas - and I am enjoying it very much... It's the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon... I am 2/3 of the way through book #2 - I have book #3 waiting in the wings and I think there are 2 or 3 more books after that - plus several smaller books to fill in the gaps in the novels. This has also been super helpful with my snacking - as i get so wrapped up in the book that I forget to eat. :lmao: Whatever works right?

So - that was my day yesterday... I was a total sloth. It was nice. :lovestruc

I did actually get up off of my couch to take a picture of our living room - a friend of mine on FB was looking for window treatment ideas... I thought I would share the picture here, since it's from a vantage point I don't often show... Kitchen is just outside the frame on the left...

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Today will likely be the same... I think Josh is planning to do some smoking on the grill - which is nice, as that gives me leftovers to eat all week, and usually a few dinners that I don't have to cook as well.

I might try to do another quick TR update?

I may also try to sneak upstairs for a little while this afternoon - we will see how ambitious I am? :scratchin

I hope you all have a wonderful day - sending prayers and Pixie Dust out to all of you!

D~
 
[
Saturday, October 22, 2016

Day 8 Part 1​


I was up at 4:45am - I was very tired and wanted to sleep in, but I forced myself out of bed.

I did my usual coffee/FB/Dis out on the balcony with my coffee in hand... This morning, it was a quick check in though - as we had to be on the first bus to AK.

I woke V at 5:45... While she was getting ready - I went down to grab us Starbucks for the ride to AK.

We were on the first bus to AK for AM EMH at 7:30 - Starbucks in hand...

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The lines to get in weren't bad at all - and bag check lines were non-existent at this hour...

We stopped for a few photopass pictures at the front of the park...

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And then a few more in front of the Tree of LIfe...

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We walked straight back to EE only to discover it was down - story of our lives... I really need to learn how to check the app to find this info out in advance - it would have saved some steps... Oh well. CMs estimated it would be 1-1.5 hours before it would be back up.

Instead, we decided to walk over to the Kilimanjaro Safari... It was pretty much walk-on, despite EE being down...

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I checked the app as we got off of KS, and EE was back up... So, we walked back.

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We hopped into the standby line (I didn't note the wait times).

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We rode EE twice - both in the standby line... If I remember correctly, the standby line wasn't long and single-rider wasn't open yet.

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Our only goal this morning was to ride EE during EMH... This was a last minute add on to our plans as this was not our main park of the day.

On our way to the front of the park - we happened upon Tarzan with a short wait... V was so excited, so we had to stop... He took a LOT of time with her and it was a great meet n' greet!

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As we were exiting the park - I got a text from Monica that they were entering, so we waited for her to get through the turn styles and we did a quick Dismeet... I also got to meet her other family members... Her daughter and her nieces - who were so adorable! Just a quick photo and we all went our separate ways - with promises to meet up again before our trips were over...

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I was happy that we were able to accomplish 2 rides + a ride on the safari, as we had to be on a bus to our next park by 10am.​

Link to Day 8 Part 2

D~
 
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Day 8 Part 2​


We were on a bus to DHS at exactly 10am, as planned.

As we got off of the bus - we noticed an incredibly LONG line for Photopass pictures in front of the Sorcerer Mickey topiary and the broom sticks... I really wanted this photo and even though V didn't want to wait in this line - we had time before our lunch reservation, so she grudgingly stood there with me. I am really glad she did - this was a photographer who took a LOT of time with each family - which makes the line so long, but the pictures so worth it - in my experience.

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We stopped for a few more Photopass pictures before we even went through the gates... I am pretty sure that V was getting sick of this already. LOL

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And then once we were inside - we stopped for a few more...

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We stopped into the Photopass store and inquired about "Photopass Joe" - as I call him... My favorite Photopass photographer in DHS - who has taken my picture there every year since 2013... He is just the best - and surprisingly remembers me by name all of the time. I was excited to find out that he was indeed working that day - however - at that moment he was on a well deserved break. They told me where I could find him later in the day, so I figured we'd check back. ::yes::

We checked in a bit early for our 50's ADR and didn't wait too long to be seated.

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All of my friends and family know, when I order drinks anywhere - I don't order soda... With out fail, I always order "water with a BOWL of lemons"... Most times, even though I am specific about requesting a bowl, my water is returned to me with 1 or 2 measly slices of lemon - sometimes worthlessly floating in my water.... As much as I hate to admit this - my waitress'/waiter's tip greatly depends solely on this one little thing... If I am brought an actual bowl - I will tip phenomenally... If they bring me 1 or 2 slices floating in my water, their tip is staggeringly less. It's a little thing - but something i am really picky about, as I like my lemons. ::yes::

Needless to say - this waitress received and AMAZING tip this day...

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We were seated in one of the back corners...

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Sadly - I didn't take any pictures of our food... V and I were starving (no breakfast today) and inhaled it the moment it was put on our table... Plates licked clean before our waitress even came back to check on us. LOL V ordered the pot roast and I ordered the sampler platter - both were absolutely delicious!

I did, however, remember to take a picture with my PB&J malt... Quite honestly, the only reason for this ADR.

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When we were finished eating, our waitress gave us two to-go cups for the remainder of our malts... We settled our check and we were out the door to meet up with Cindy for the remainder of the day....

Ahhh - but first things first... I was distracted by a Photopass photographer... This one is Photopass John... He was waiting for us right out side of 50's... I felt terrible because Cindy had just texted me that she was in the park waiting for us, and Photopass John decided to take us on a mini-Photopass tour... You know me, I cannot turn down the chance to get more photos. LOL

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Other guests kept approaching Photopass John to have their pictures done and he continued to tell them to wait "over there"... Most of them walked away disgusted as he continued to take pictures with us... It was sort-of funny.

V was quite honestly sick of pictures at this point - so she just left me there and found a spot on the curb to Snapchat. LOL John snuck over to grab this candid shot of V - I honestly don't think she ever knew he took this picture or that this picture exists. Hahhaha!

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John was having issues with the way my bag was being carried - apparently he didn't like my strap going through the middle of my chest? :lmao: So, he kept telling me to take my bag off... It was, at this point, I stepped out of my pose and told John that my bag must be in these pictures, as I made it... Sooooo then - he was very impressed and decided that my bag must be the focus of the next photos - rather then me. LOL He was so funny!

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Photobomb by V...

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There were so many more pictures - many of which didn't turn out at all... That's OK - we had a lot of fun... And it was fun to meet Photopass John.

V and I were off - we had already delayed meeting Cindy by at least 15 minutes - I had no idea it would take that long to have those pictures done...

Cindy was waiting by Toy Story - we all had FPs together... We hopped in line and grabbed our glasses... A CM jumped out from behind the glasses pick-up area and scared the crap out of us... Many people thought this was funny... Hmph! LOL

Our wits gathered, we grabbed a selfie...

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V decided to abaondon me and ride with Cindy - which was fine... I love that she loves Cindy as much as the rest of us do. :lovestruc

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I had a really good game (for me anyways)...

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Though I didn't win our vehicle's high score... I cannot remember which one of them did?

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We shopped a little... Cindy was so sweet and purchased a tee shirt for V (I think it was a 2 for $$ deal and V purchased one and Cindy purchased one for V? Because V couldn't decide on either of them).... Which will be shown in a later update in this TR... It's one of her favorites and she wears it all the time. :lovestruc

As an add on to this... I continued to try to pay Cindy some cash towards gas, since she ended up carting us around everywhere... So every time I rode in her car, I left cash stashed in it somewhere... Which she would end up finding and some how giving it back to me... In the end - I think this was the final time the cash exchanged hands - with the purchase of V's shirt? LOL

After - Cindy and V rode ToT, while I waited...

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I needed coffee in a bad way at this point - so we all stopped for refueling at Starbucks... It hit the spot as usual...

Then we determined that we were hungry again??? I don't get this (I still don't), as we had just had a GIANT meal not 2 hours ago... So, we walked over to Starring Rolls and I grabbed a ham sandwich for myself, a turkey sandwich for V and Cindy and I split a carrot cake cupcake... I only managed to to get a picture of the cupcake.

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Once we were done here - bellies definitely full this time... We decided to try for Photopass Joe for the second time this day...

You would think, at Joe's reaction to me, that he had been waiting there every day for me to come since the last time I'd seen him almost a year previously... I walked up to him as he was turning around, his face lit up and he said "Dorine!!!"... It was so cool that he still remembers me! He gave me a giant hug - I reintroduced him to V and Cindy... And then he proceeded to spend a lot of time taking our pictures and chatting with us... Most of my pictures didn't turn out good - the sun was just not hitting his lens right - but this one turned out pretty good...

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His line continued to get longer and longer as he did a bunch of pictures with us individually...

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I told him, I felt badly that we were taking all of this time... She said (loud enough for his entire line to hear) that he didn't care, he only gets to see us once per year. I always feel so sad leaving him there - as I fear, one day soon, he will retire and I'll never see him again or know what comes of his life...

We had taken enough of his time, and we had FPs to use for Star Tours, we said our goodbyes to Photopass Joe (if any of your are ever in DHS, please say hello to Photopass Joe for me...)

V and I rode Star Tours... Cindy sat this one out as it's a ride she doesn't enjoy too much...

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We were tired and ready for a break... Cindy offered to drop us off at SoG so we could rest up - promising to meet up with us at MK later this evening...

V's first ride on the tram... I think she was more excited about this than anything else this day. LOL

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Goof-balls!

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Cindy dropped us off at SoG - V and I gathered all of our packages at the front desk shipped to the resort from the parks... The CM was laughing at us - apparently many people don't take advantage of this service? We had about 7 or 8 giant bags to retrieve. LOL​

Link to Day 8 Part 3

D~
 
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