"Amuck, amuck, amuck!" A Pre-TR (link to TR in the first post)

[grizbuzz]

Hi Beth--

Just made it over to your trip report today! All those Halloween pictures make me sad we won't be making it to DL this October Our APs expire Sept 26, so we'll be making a Sept 12-15 trip instead. And I'll miss the mini-meet to boot! Oh well, maybe next year...

I share your addiction to Disney, but I can't say I'm particularly attracted to travel sized toiletries. Well, it does seem a harmless, kind of cute, not too expensive addition, so go for it!

Have fun planning and thanks for sharing all the great pics!

-Jen

 

[reyasmommy]

What book is this? It's been forever since I've read any good books. I used to read all the time. Not sure what happened. I guess the DIS is what happened!!

She was talking to me Beth. Sorry. We're both reading Breaking Dawn...

Anyways ............



I noticed your 30lbs lost banner ~~ YAY YOU!!!! Congrats!!

I had to get rid of mine for a week or so, I had gained some weight back.

Luckily I lost it again so I brought the banner back. Hopefully by next Week I'll have the 35 pounds banner up.

I have a question for you …. Are there any shows in Vegas that you Highly recommend? I really want to see KA but not sure if I want to pay that much money.?!?

 

[mommaU4]

Right there with you ladies. A lot of them come home with me from vacation, too. It was funny, when Teresa (CrossFamily) and her kids came up to our hotel room in Atlantic City, her son asked me if we take home the soaps and shampoos and I said yes. He said they always do too. I think T was embarrassed, but it's not like taking the towels, right?

Hey, we should form some sort of group! The TSAU. Travel Size Addicts United.

I don't really take the ones from the hotels though unless they are a good brand that I am familiar with. I guess that means I'm not only a travel size addict, but I'm a travel size snob!

That's why I like buying them in the stores because you can still pick and choose the brands you like, just in miniature. LOL

Although when we stayed at that beach hotel in Pismo in June, their hotel items were all from Bath and Body; the Coconut Lime Verbena scent. So needless to say all those came home with me.

As a side note, my SIL used to ask her co-workers, friends, family, etc to collect those hotel bottles of soap and shampoo when they'd go on trips and bring them to her. Then when she had several bags full she'd take it to a local homeless shelter where they would pass them out to the people spending the night there along with some donated washcloths.
I thought that was a nice idea.

 

[mommaU4]

Hi Beth--

Just made it over to your trip report today! All those Halloween pictures make me sad we won't be making it to DL this October Our APs expire Sept 26, so we'll be making a Sept 12-15 trip instead. And I'll miss the mini-meet to boot! Oh well, maybe next year...

I share your addiction to Disney, but I can't say I'm particularly attracted to travel sized toiletries. Well, it does seem a harmless, kind of cute, not too expensive addition, so go for it!

Have fun planning and thanks for sharing all the great pics!

-Jen

Awww, I'm sorry your sad. Our APs expire exactly one month after yours do.
I really wish you could make the mini meet. BUT just think, the holiday months (Oct, Nov, Dec) are going to fly by, and before we know it we'll be in January and only two months away from the Girls Only trip!


Thanks for stopping by and reading along.

 

[mommaU4]

She was talking to me Beth. Sorry. We're both reading Breaking Dawn...

Anyways ............



I noticed your 30lbs lost banner ~~ YAY YOU!!!! Congrats!!

I had to get rid of mine for a week or so, I had gained some weight back.

Luckily I lost it again so I brought the banner back. Hopefully by next Week I'll have the 35 pounds banner up.

I have a question for you …. Are there any shows in Vegas that you Highly recommend? I really want to see KA but not sure if I want to pay that much money.?!?

Yeah, I knew she was talking to you, I was just wondering what this great book was that had her up until 1 a.m. LOL I don't think I've ever heard of Breaking Dawn, which isn't saying much since I've been out of the book scene for awhile. I'll have to Google it and see what it's about.

Thanks for the congrats! You reminded me I need to update my weight loss ticker on the front page. I still have a long way to go. Slowly but surely I'll get there. And good for you on getting your banner back!

Let's see..... Vegas shows....

Well, these are the ones I've seen:

Carrot Top
Bottoms Up
Mac King
Ronn Lucas
American Superstars
Skintight
Showgirls
Jubilee
X - An Erotic Adventure
Splash
Spamalot
The Producers
Crazy Girls
V The Ultimate Variety Show
Stomp Out Loud (only DH & kids saw that)
Mega Bubble Show
Tony & Tina's Wedding
Siegfried & Roy
Danny Gans
Mamma Mia
KA
Love
Mystere
Zumanity


Some of those aren't playing anymore, but if you have any questions about the shows I'd be happy to answer them. Also www.Vegas.com has good info on each show and sometimes a clip of the show you can play.

As far as what show I'd recommend.....hmmmm. Obviously all the Cirque shows are great. KA was spectacular!! It really was amazing. I'd recommend that to anyone. The stage itself was amazing the way it moved and became almost like another character in the show.

Love was a lot of fun. Not quite as impressive as KA but still very, very good. And before going to the show I was not a fan of the Beatles. I knew maybe one song of theirs. But I still really enjoyed it, so for someone who is a Beatles fan it would be even better.

I wasn't as impressed with Mystere. I don't know why. Maybe after seeing KA and Love it just wasn't as good.

And Zumanity was really good. That would be nice if it was just you and your DH going out, because it's very adult themed and has nudity.

I know the prices are high. Confession time: We didn't win the lotto or anything to go see these shows. LOL
We've been lucky that we were able to see so many shows with a locals discount. Our KA tickets were only 50 bucks each for the 6th row from the front. Same with Love. Fifty bucks each.

Mystere, Zumanity, Mamma Mia, were all half off for locals. They just run these specials for locals during the off times to fill up the theaters. We just lucked out because if we had to pay full price, we'd never have gone.
Not that they aren't worth it, we just can't afford it.

So I can understand how you are having a hard time with the prices. I would too. What I'd suggest is to look for discounts. There are ticket brokers on the Strip that offer half price tickets for that night. It always varies as to what's being offered but in the past I have seen shows like KA up there.

Also if I hear of any discounts, I'll let you know. But you really can't go wrong with any of the Cirque shows. They are amazing. Especially KA and Love. (never saw O, but I also heard great things about that)

 

[kaoden39]

I didn't see Bette Midler. Well she isn't cheap I know that.

 

[dwheatl]

As a side note, my SIL used to ask her co-workers, friends, family, etc to collect those hotel bottles of soap and shampoo when they'd go on trips and bring them to her. Then when she had several bags full she'd take it to a local homeless shelter where they would pass them out to the people spending the night there along with some donated washcloths.
I thought that was a nice idea.

We've done that with the little bottles too. They told us it was great, because they buy big bottles and fill them up again, so it's easy for the folks to carry it with them down to the showers. Otherwise they use dixie cups, which tend to fall apart in the shower.

 

[reyasmommy]

Yeah, I knew she was talking to you, I was just wondering what this great book was that had her up until 1 a.m. LOL I don't think I've ever heard of Breaking Dawn, which isn't saying much since I've been out of the book scene for awhile. I'll have to Google it and see what it's about.

It's the last book in the Twilight series. You should check them out, I LOVE them.

Thanks for the congrats! You reminded me I need to update my weight loss ticker on the front page. I still have a long way to go. Slowly but surely I'll get there. And good for you on getting your banner back!

Thanks.... It's been Really hard. But I'm sure you know ALL about that.

Some of those aren't playing anymore, but if you have any questions about the shows I'd be happy to answer them. Also www.Vegas.com has good info on each show and sometimes a clip of the show you can play.

As far as what show I'd recommend.....hmmmm. Obviously all the Cirque shows are great. KA was spectacular!! It really was amazing. I'd recommend that to anyone. The stage itself was amazing the way it moved and became almost like another character in the show.

Love was a lot of fun. Not quite as impressive as KA but still very, very good. And before going to the show I was not a fan of the Beatles. I knew maybe one song of theirs. But I still really enjoyed it, so for someone who is a Beatles fan it would be even better.

I wasn't as impressed with Mystere. I don't know why. Maybe after seeing KA and Love it just wasn't as good.

And Zumanity was really good. That would be nice if it was just you and your DH going out, because it's very adult themed and has nudity.

I know the prices are high. Confession time: We didn't win the lotto or anything to go see these shows. LOL
We've been lucky that we were able to see so many shows with a locals discount. Our KA tickets were only 50 bucks each for the 6th row from the front. Same with Love. Fifty bucks each.

Mystere, Zumanity, Mamma Mia, were all half off for locals. They just run these specials for locals during the off times to fill up the theaters. We just lucked out because if we had to pay full price, we'd never have gone.
Not that they aren't worth it, we just can't afford it.

So I can understand how you are having a hard time with the prices. I would too. What I'd suggest is to look for discounts. There are ticket brokers on the Strip that offer half price tickets for that night. It always varies as to what's being offered but in the past I have seen shows like KA up there.

Also if I hear of any discounts, I'll let you know. But you really can't go wrong with any of the Cirque shows. They are amazing. Especially KA and Love. (never saw O, but I also heard great things about that)

Thank you for all the advice. I really want to check out KA. The ticket prices range from $80.00 - $165.00 I don't want the cheapest seats but I can't afford the most expensive, so I'll have to go somewhere in between.

It'll be nice because one night my Brother and Sister-in-law will watch the kids while we go out and vice versa. A nice kid free night in Vegas sounds like heaven.

 

[mommaU4]

I didn't see Bette Midler. Well she isn't cheap I know that.

Bette Midler?? Who's that?




Kidding! I know who she is, but I'm not really a fan. Sorry!

We've done that with the little bottles too. They told us it was great, because they buy big bottles and fill them up again, so it's easy for the folks to carry it with them down to the showers. Otherwise they use dixie cups, which tend to fall apart in the shower.

That is a good idea.

 

[mommaU4]

It's the last book in the Twilight series. You should check them out, I LOVE them.



Thanks.... It's been Really hard. But I'm sure you know ALL about that.






Thank you for all the advice. I really want to check out KA. The ticket prices range from $80.00 - $165.00 I don't want the cheapest seats but I can't afford the most expensive, so I'll have to go somewhere in between.

It'll be nice because one night my Brother and Sister-in-law will watch the kids while we go out and vice versa. A nice kid free night in Vegas sounds like heaven.

Oh, ok. I've heard about that Twilight series but I don't know that much about it. They must be really good though. I've seen talk of it all over the place.

That's so cool you'll get a kid free night out! I know you guys will have fun no matter what you decide to do.

 

[kaoden39]

I like that she is outrageous. And I like her singing voice. But the wonderful thing is we all can like who we like. I too am addicted to the travel size items.

 

[mommaU4]

I like that she is outrageous. And I like her singing voice. But the wonderful thing is we all can like who we like. I too am addicted to the travel size items.

Yeah, she's pretty out there. I think she's really funny. I do like her movies. Beaches was one of my favorites. And she's in the movie my PTR is inspired by, Hocus Pocus. I'm just not that familiar with all her songs.

Oh and welcome to TSAU!

 

[mommaU4]

Well, I went out to the store last night. Now normally I shop at Target. That place gets way to much of our money, and there was a time when I was there almost daily!!

But since moving to Vegas, even though I have a really nice Target just down the street, I find myself at Walmart more and more.
It's one of those Super Walmarts and it's brand new. It actually opened after we moved here, so it's still nice inside. It's further away but since they have a grocery store inside, it's pretty much one stop shopping for me. I can get just about everything I need there.
So, like it or not, when I need groceries that's where I usually end up. LOL

Anyway, that's where I was last night. Oh, and I was good! Only two travel sized items. haha

The reason I'm rambling on about this is because while I was in there, I was passing by the clothing section and I've NEVER found any clothes I like in Walmart. That's one thing I won't buy there because they are usually just not my style at all. But as I was walking by I saw a Mickey on a folded shirt, so I stopped and grabbed one. It was really cute! Best part of all.....it was only $7. How can you go wrong for only 7 bucks??

So I bought it:

Since I was taking pics I decided to take a pic of the Halloween vest I got on clearance one year for around $5. It's a little ummmm, bold, cheesy, gaudy, whatever you want to call it. LOL But I usually wear it when the twins have their Halloween party and costume parade at school because the kids like it.
I'll throw it on over a t-shirt and pair of jeans.

This is the back. It's all black except for this small pumpkin and cat at the bottom corner:

If I can't find anything else, I might wear that to the Trick or Treat party. It's certainly festive enough.

 

[JaneJetson]

My aunt has vests like that for every holiday. And some that are just cats and stuff. She used to wear them all the time but I think her kids (who are all adults now) made fun of her too much because I don't see her wear them nearly as often...haha.

 

[mommaU4]

After spending a fortune last night on groceries, school supplies, and some household items, I'm feeling very broke! As I've mentioned before, back to school is always an expensive time. I still have lots more to do......hair cuts, new shoes, etc.

All that combined with the knowledge that our mini van still needs work before it will make another trip to CA and back, has me feeling like I really need to pinch pennies right now. Not fun when you are trying to plan a Disneyland vacation.
Let's face it, the words "pinching pennies" and "Disney" don't exactly go hand in hand.

So I'm thinking today I need to work on two different itineraries. A "regular" one, and a "budget" one.
Even though our regular plans are usually pretty budget compared to some I've seen, LOL, there's always more room to cut back and still have fun. So that's my plan for today.

Wish me luck! And if anyone has any ideas they'd like to share, feel free to do so.

 

[mommaU4]

My aunt has vests like that for every holiday. And some that are just cats and stuff. She used to wear them all the time but I think her kids (who are all adults now) made fun of her too much because I don't see her wear them nearly as often...haha.

Every holiday?? Wow. That's a bit much.

Hey wait, are you trying to say that looks like something someone's older aunt would wear?!




LOL Ok, so maybe it does, but the kiddos like it.

 

[mommaU4]

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be working on my "budget" trip plans, but that's no fun. So instead I was cleaning out some old pics in my Photobucket account (because that's so much more exciting) and came across some family pics. I can't believe how fast kids grow. Where has the time gone???

Anyway, I thought I'd share some pics of my munchkins back when they were all still little. Sorta like making people watch your old home movies. Feel free to skip right over this.

Adam and Noelle. He was almost 2 when she was born.

The twins sleeping. And no, I did not position them that way. They just ended up like that so I simply had to take a pic.

Taken when the twins were a few months old. Adam was 5 and Noelle was 3 when they were born. Yeah, I was pretty busy. LOL

Twins first b-day. Talk about literally having your hands full.

All four at Olvera Street. Not that you can tell from the background where we are. Not sure why I picked such a non-descript place to take the picture! LOL

This is one of my favorite shots. It was taken after the Waterworld show at Universal Studios Hollywood back when we lived in CA and had passes to US. I like the way Noelle and that one guy are sort of giving each other the same look.

Noelle with Sleeping Beauty and the Prince. (Does he have a name?? Shoot, I can't recall right now.) This was in the days before PFF back when the Princesses were free to roam the park. Sorry, but I am not a fan of PFF.

With the best Wicked Queen I've seen yet. She really looked the part!

The girls hanging out in Toon Town.

Future Disney chefs?

Halloween fun:

What a long day in the parks will do to you:

Ok, reminiscing time is over. Back to the task at hand.....

 

[reyasmommy]

Well, I went out to the store last night. Now normally I shop at Target. That place gets way to much of our money, and there was a time when I was there almost daily!!

Wow!! That sounds just like me. I LOVE target, can't seem to get enough of it. I probably could put Reya through College with as much money as I've give them.

The reason I'm rambling on about this is because while I was in there, I was passing by the clothing section and I've NEVER found any clothes I like in Walmart. That's one thing I won't buy there because they are usually just not my style at all. But as I was walking by I saw a Mickey on a folded shirt, so I stopped and grabbed one. It was really cute! Best part of all.....it was only $7. How can you go wrong for only 7 bucks??

VERY CUTE!

After spending a fortune last night on groceries, school supplies, and some household items, I'm feeling very broke! As I've mentioned before, back to school is always an expensive time. I still have lots more to do......hair cuts, new shoes, etc.

All that combined with the knowledge that our mini van still needs work before it will make another trip to CA and back, has me feeling like I really need to pinch pennies right now. Not fun when you are trying to plan a Disneyland vacation.
Let's face it, the words "pinching pennies" and "Disney" don't exactly go hand in hand.

So I'm thinking today I need to work on two different itineraries. A "regular" one, and a "budget" one.
Even though our regular plans are usually pretty budget compared to some I've seen, LOL, there's always more room to cut back and still have fun. So that's my plan for today.

Wish me luck! And if anyone has any ideas they'd like to share, feel free to do so.

That's a very good idea, I should do the same thing.

We REALLY can't afford to go on this trip this year. It's going to be realy tight up until the time we leave.

My husband was in a car accident back in March and we're still dealing with the insurance companies. We've had to pay most of the doctor bills out of pocket and as you can imagine that's been insane. He was rushed to the hospital so the prices have been through the roof because of the ambulance and ER visit. Then on top of that he needed knee surgery back in June. Our health insurance paid a good chunk of that, but we still needed to pay 20% which was a pretty penny.

Oh well! Once I'm at Disney all my worries will just melt away.

 

[reyasmommy]

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be working on my "budget" trip plans, but that's no fun. So instead I was cleaning out some old pics in my Photobucket account (because that's so much more exciting) and came across some family pics. I can't believe how fast kids grow. Where has the time gone???

Anyway, I thought I'd share some pics of my munchkins back when they were all still little. Sorta like making people watch your old home movies. Feel free to skip right over this.


The twins sleeping. And no, I did not position them that way. They just ended up like that so I simply had to take a pic.

All four at Olvera Street. Not that you can tell from the background where we are. Not sure why I picked such a non-descript place to take the picture! LOL

Ok, reminiscing time is over. Back to the task at hand.....

Ohhhh thanks for sharing. I love looking at photos.

The two up above are my favorites.

So freakin' adorable. You're one lucky momma!

 

[dwheatl]

I think Aurora's prince is Philip. Can't swear to it though.

Do you have a Disney Visa card? Then your Walmart purchases, car repairs, whatever, give you dollars for the Disney trip.

I can't remember where you are staying. Do you get breakfast, or have a fridge, coffee maker, etc to make breakfast. That's where we usually save money.

Here's my big cheapatude. I will not pay for water in Disney. The counter service places will always give you a cup of ice water, no charge. And there's a Food 4 Less on Katella, if you want to have fruit and other snacks without paying Disney prices. We load up there when we get to town.