Having a GRAND time - the NEW Official GF Chat Thread PART 3

[mickeynut1]

Morning Gals and Marvel


No snow or rain for us today but VERY WINDY . I think the high today is only supposed to be around 10-12 degrees . We are going to DH's parents around 11:00-12:00 to celebrate Christmas . Shouldn't be there too late as everyone will want to hit the road early with this nasty weather . Everyone else is out of the area so I'm sure they won't want to stick around all night and travel late.....but that works for me if ya KWIM .


Marvel........Glad you made it safely to GA and only have a short distance to travel today before you are at the GF . I'm not a driver but good thing you didn't fly as you would most likely still be in NY . Have a safe trip today and enjoy the GF .


Mandy.......Good luck and have fun singing today .


Chan......How sweet of you to send your parents a goody package .......I'm sure they really appreciate your thoughtfulness . Baking IS a lot of work . I am wiped from yesterday.......and I get to do it all again tomorrow/Tuesday . I try to clean up as I go but it seems like it's still never ending . The Greek cookies are called "Kourambiatis" (DH calls them "Couldn't Be Betters" because he can't pronounce it correctly ). Anyway.....they are little ball-like cookies with the recipe being very similar to your peppermint ball cookies (which....BTW.....I did try Friday night....very yummy ). Also like the peppermint ball cookies, the Greek cookies use ONLY butter.....NO substituting with margarine.......then 5-6 cups of flour, some powdered sugar, chopped nuts, etc.......only you roll them in sifted powdered sugar instead of peppermint candy/p. sugar mix.......so very much like yours . DH always tells everybody to have a gallon of milk handy to wash them down with because they stick to your mouth like glue with all the powdered sugar and flour that's in them . But they are worth the hassle because they are delish .


Hi to everyone else . Where's Kristin and Traci ??


Deb

 

[vbarry]

Anyone hear from Marci????

Marci if you are out there I hope to run into you this week!!

I forgot to tell you guys I also tried to upgrade to RPC but they did not having anything with the Visa discount but they did have a room. I am going to ask at check-in and see what it would cost. Maybe I could get a deal...haha deal at WDW . Send me some pixie dust that it works!!!

I am just crazy excited this morning!!

 

[magical4us4]

Lives and Mickeynut, I am very impressed with your Greek cookies!!! I still have not made any as of yet in my lifetime, and I am Greek! I have my mom and MIL baking for all the holidays so I get to steer clear of them, but I do bake sugar cookies and Spanish cookies so the kids can use the cookie cutters and decorate their cookies for the holidays.

We are getting an ice storm here in the morning, so that means no church services for us.

Have a wonderful day!

Magical

p.s. I forgot that I do make one Greek cookie...called "Fanikia". They are delicious! Instead of dipping them in powder sugar, you make a syrup and dip them and let them dry! The are easy to make.

 

[mickeynut1]

Vanessa.......I'm so glad your packages arrived . I am sooo excited for you........ONLY TWO MORE DAYS and you will be at the GF . It doesn't get any better than being at WDW during Christmas staying at the GF . You've got EVERY RIGHT to be excited . Sending a little pixie dust your way for that RPC room upon check in . Have a FABULOUS trip .


Deb

 

[tinklvr64]

BRRRRR!!! It is friggin cold here. (can I say that ) It is -1 and I have no idea what the windshield is but they are cancelling come church services so that is not good.

Shel and Channing- You are cracking me up. I have to agree to talk to Mandy. Thanks goodness someone is close enough to the big guy to put a good word in for us!

Marvel- Glad you are almost there! Have a safe trip.

Siobhan!! Glad you made it back and had a good time. I am worried about how my kids are going to act. I am all excited but they could suck the excitement out most anything so we shall see. They are good girls but my youngest has a mind of her own and my oldest is used to getting her way and LOVES to shop at WDW and thinks she needs just about everything. We are already having the "NO you cannot have something every two minutes"talk.
Well I need to get going. I have to be at church at 9:00 for our Bible Bucks program and the kids get to buy for their parents and we wrap the gifts for them. Very cute. Our Xmas program at church is tonight and then I think we are done with the holiday stuff at home and can concentrate on one thing....Christmas at WDW!!!!!

I did call the GF yesterday and my packages have arrived!!

Have a great day ladies!

Vanessa funny! I hear ya on that one.....except its now 2 teen boys who give each other a punch...

BRRRR its friggin cold here too.....-6 below and -34 below windchill...sucko cause I have to go out today and still shop BUT at least the sun is out!
Be careful IL Gals and stay warm!!!!

TTFN! Dawn

 

[tete01830]

Hi!

Well I am sick again! Cough cough cough....Close to a foot of snow yesterday and another one coming today! I have a few odds and ends to pick up but I am not going out in this....I can do it later (I hope)!
While at WDW I ran into Basin and was so sad to find out that they are no longer doing the make your own lip gloss!!! My DD was so bummed! They now do a make your own bath salts....Much like sand art but with bath salts... Chan said it best.."That is exactly what a little girl wants to make"... DD asked what are bath salts!

i should make a gingerbread house with the kids today...Oh the thought of it makes me cringe. I will have to do something to occupy them...They are out in the snow for now with DH but that wont last long! Ugghhh! Baking??? Maybe!

Marvel... happy driving!

 

[goofygal531]

I'm off to start my baking. I'm going to try to make Italian Lemon Drop cookies. I've never made them before but DH's Aunt makes them and they are delicious! It's a lemon cookie with a lemon glaze on top. YUM! DS4 wants gingerbread men again so I took the easy way out and bought Betty Crocker who was on sale! Just add butter and we're in business! I also found that gingerbread train he wanted last night at Target. One left and it was on sale for $9.99. I hope it's not broken

Deb: My DH and I LOVE those Greek white sugar cookies!!! He goes to Queens to this Greek neighborhood to pick them up with some amazing Gyros! We love greek food!

Marvel and Vanessa: They're an awful thread about this WDW bug going around the resorts. Thankfully for us, they're saying it's really bad at the French Quarter resort. But my kids did get sick, so did Kristen's. So please pack plenty of clorox wipes, travel lysol and hand sanitizer. Make sure to hand sanitize after buffet meals (I never thought of that!). Marvel, Walmart makes Germ-X pens that do not contain alcohol and is safe to use on Baby Marvel. I wish you both the happiest and healthiest Christmas in WDW

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2035242

Hello to everyone else. Gotta get my baking started. I've been pushing it off for days and I really could have used a cookie this morning with my Starbuck Winter Blend Coffee I found at Target!

TTYL,
Mare

 

[Lives4Disney]

morning all!

Another lazy day for me!!!

Marvel, thanks for checking in. That is awesome you made it so far!!! OH..that is the BEST feeling to leave the sub zero temps behind and suddenly get out of the car and it's 70 degrees!!!

Vanessa, that is so exciting you are almost there, too!!! It is WICKED cold here... Wow....an rpc room opened up?!!?! Maybe it was meant for you.

OH...I hear you guys...my kids have sucked the fun out of my last several trips. For various reasons....from losing stuff to moaning and complaining and harping on I WANT THIS>....I WANT THIS......that is why I am sooo soo sooo excited about the US ONLY trip! I bet you guys won't be doing as much moaning ...I am sure there will be some, but not as much.

Dawn.....I am glad you got to have a nice day with your mom. I have not dared to go near any malls......none. I did all online shopping or Target or that type of store. Mostly AMazon...they made a mint off me this year...it was easy. And I feel kinda bad that I didn't go to Woodfield and see the tree/Santa and deocrations...but I am scared of that crazy place!!!

Shel...OK...we have Mandy on our side. We're good as gold now.

Mandy, Lucy and I always go & sing the Messiah....we missed it this year!! I can't imagine a new version of the Hallelujah Chorus! I just love that whole thing....gives me goosebumps typing. I hope it went well. That is sure to put anybody in teh Christmas spirit.

Deb and Magical....oooh...my Italian friend makes those cookies with the powdered sugar. Yep...I thought the same thing about the peppermint balls. Sorta the same. Very buttery and light.

Oh..Dh's parents loved to cook all that Greek, Italian, and Mediterranean anything food. Tons of stuff with Phylo dough & puffy light airy dough. They made all kinds of baklava and goodies.....and it's hard because I ask MIL for the recipe and she looks at me like I have two heads....just a little of this...a touch of that....duh to me because I can't follow that. So...I don't bother...but I miss it!

Today it is like subarctic temps....warnings all around and the wind is howling thru the trees. I have to go out to get Tatum some food. So..I HAVE to go. Crud.

TTYL...having my tea because I am too lazy to make coffee.

Chan

 

[Lives4Disney]

ok..done with my tea...have places to go and people to see.

I had to read all the obnoxious threads about that stomach bug...omg.....bring and use wipes. I don't care what they say THEY DO HELP. And it's the friction of the rubbing that makes the germs go bye bye. And the obnoxious thread about seeing is believing. What has happened to people's manners? That always amazes me when I am at WDW.... Bums me out.

BUT..Siobhan I wanted to know & kept forgetting to ask you how your kids took the surprise news that they were going to WDW!?!?!!?!?

OK! I am off...ttyl..have a nice Sunday everybody,

Channing

 

[Maxie86]

Vanessa:

Shioban: They must have just stopped the lip gloss thing. It was out when we were there on the 12th. I remember seeing it and thinking oh that is what everyone is talking about.

It is still snowing. The streets are a mess, they are not plowing. It is supposed to change to rain and with all the snow on the roads it will be a big icy mess when it freezes again. GRRRRRRRR.

We didn't get the virus, but DS got the flu and the rest of us came back with a cold. There are a lot of sick peeps there. Of course, they are here too, everybody seems to be sick.

 

[tete01830]

I hear ya about the bug thing but I was sick before I left so I cant blame it on WDW!

Chan and anyone else who knew I was surprising the kiddos...I woke DS up first because I knew he had no clue what so ever! He was so excited!!! He started jumping up and down on his bed saying we are going to Disney over and over again! My DD on the other hand spotted a suitcase on my bed the night before and said heyyyy are we going to wdw??? I was like no I am just packing up my summer stuff! When I woke her up she was excited but said she thought so! It didnt matter they were both sooo excited! I dont know if that contributed to their poor behavior though??? Before hand we talk about restaurants and rides they want to do but we didnt get to do any of that this time....Anticiapation is half the fun! I learned my lesson this time....Next time we go as a family, I will tell them we are going but not the day that we are leaving!
Another part of the problem is that my kids KNOW WDW now! So when I said we were going to Pizza Planet, DD didnt want to go there and made that very clear! She knew what she wanted to do and didnt want to do the things she knew she didnt like! Whatevah..I know now...either leave them at home or tell them ahead so that way we are clear on what we are doing!!!

They decorated the Gingerbread Doghouse! It is Snoopy...Chan I thought of you when I bought it! It has candy dog bones all over it! Cute!

I need to make a dessert for Christmas...Any ideas???

 

[Lives4Disney]

Hi, I am back from running errands...OMG..>OMG....it is take your breath out of you COLD....it's -4 on my car. AWFUL...and the wind is what is the worst. It's like the arctic. I have a super warm down EB jacket so I was fine until the wind blew directly at me....nasty.

Siobhan!! Oh how cute!!! I am such a mega Snoopy fan!!!!! Peanuts all the way.....not sure how I wound up a Disney fan...because Peanuts are my first love! That dog house sounds adorable. Jojo is mad because I am so not into doing the gingerbread house this year ...first time ever..but I am just burned out. Overshopped, overbaked, overspent, overwrapped....over IT.

Wow..you made some really good points about the kids. I think several ring true for mine, also. I am so over family vacations. (is that a bad thing? LOL)

My movie last night was "Holiday Affair"....1949 with Robert MItchum (not very handsome IMO) and Janet Leigh...it was cute and I am glad I watched it...something different.

Who loves "Meet Me in St. Louis"? I DO!

Mandy!! I was listening to the podcast call in show and heard you!!! You are AWESOME!!! GREAT CALL!!! You sound so comfortable and composed! I could never do that!!!!! You were AMAZING!

Well...off to catch up & get a few things done here.

TTYL!
CHan

 

[WishesQueen]

Hey everyone!!

I am at the GF June 24th until July 2nd. My DH has off the 3rd for the 4th of July and the weekend that follows, so it will great for him not to come home and go back to work.

I just read about the ADRs, I had no idea!!! I am so out of the loop!!! So now what do we have to do??? What!!

 

[princessesrule4]

Marvel - Glad you made it safely to Savannah! We are just up the road in South Carolina! It has been in the 70's and almost 80 's here for the past 2 weeks! I'm sure you all don't want to hear that but this is the one time of year that I like it cold!! My kids would love to see snow!
You are probably at WDW all checked in and at a park today! Have a great time!

Vanessa - you are almost there! Have a great trip!! Don't worry too much about the bug - we just Purelled before eating and after we got buffet food and touched the utensils, we Purelled again. We didn't get the stomach bug! I had a cold which I thought was gone before we left for Orlando...

Siobhan - Did your DD do the bath salts? They still had the lip gloss when we were there on the 1st - 4th! The bath salts sound like something my DD would like. She did the lip gloss last June and still has it.

We are going to watch Fred Claus!
TTFN!

 

[mickeynut1]

Evening Gals


We're back early from the inlaws as expected since DH's sisters wanted to hit the road and do their traveling in daylight with this unpredictable weather . It's just as well as it's FREEZING and nasty outside ......I'm glad to be home . I'm so excited that I don't have to get the boys up and off to school tomorrow.......just have to get DH off to work .


Magical.......The only Greek thing I make are Kourambiatis.....I leave the Baklava and Fanikia to my mom . My mom makes an awesome Baklava.......everyone says it's the best around . But the funny thing is......it's my dad who's Greek......not my mom . She just made a batch for DH to take to work and has another few batches to make before Christmas . She's told me she'd be happy to teach me how to make it but it looks too complicated for me ......so I told her I'll leave it for her to make and I'll just put DH's order in every Christmas .


Annette......I think alot of us gals have overlapping trips in June........we are there June 19-26 . We usually plan our trips Fri-Fri so DH has 2 days to recoup before going back to work . And on the ADR situation.....it totally stinks . So far they're only taking ressies through March 22.......so needless to say it's going to be a BIG MESS come January when they open it up past that .


Chan.......I agree......it is absolutely NASTY COLD outside . And I don't think it's supposed to warm up anytime soon . We didn't get anymore snow but alot of the roads are still ice and this cold weather isn't helping the situation any .


Mare......We love Gyros too . My DH can't get enough Greek food (and he's not even Greek ).......he loves Gyros, Baklava, Kourambiatis (or as he says it "Couldn't Be Betters" ) and Feta cheese. Of course none of that food is fattening .


Hope everyone is having a nice Sunday .


Deb

 

[Lives4Disney]

Hey all...just checking in...kinda busy...

Hi, Deb. Glad you are back home and warming up.

I don't know what all the ADR fuss is though .....not sure what the situation is but I NEVER make my ADRs soo far out...who the heck knows where/what etc...6 stupid months out....can't tell ya how many times I go to make dinner and change my mind... I always manage to be happy and get what I want even up to a couple weeks before a trip. I see these threads on the rest. board and think WTH? I seriously wouldn't worry or stress over it. It's not worth it...if you can't book, neither can anybody else. Maybe I am missing the boat here? I seriously don't get the worry......

TTYL

Chan

 

[hobbester]

Sounds like a bunch of us were baking this afternoon. Tomorrow is my work party. I was making goodie bags for all 11 of my coworkers and 4 more for my DH's office. I made rk treats, pb balls, chocolate cover pretzels and solid chocolate in molds and threw in some small snickers bars. I agree with others, it is just too much work - and then you have to clean the kitchen several times. My office has decided to go cheap this year and order pizza and pasta, I baked a cake in case no one brings a desert.

Vanessa, it is almost time. I know you are about to go crazy with excitement and probably worrying about the unknown. Just keep taking deep breaths and everything will be okay.

DH just told me that the History channel is doing something on the history of WDW. It is from 2005, I've seen it before, but it is still interesting. Talk to you later - Lisa.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

hey cheeseballs just wanted to say hi
I went out this morning to run errands and stuff and then watched football.

 

[tinklvr64]

Hi all.....well we just got back from more shopping..IM DONE@! we froze our kahunas (well just DH's) off ...

I just made some rolo pretzel candies...anyone like those???? Now im trying not to eat all of them!

Keep warm all of you!

 

[goofygal531]

Deb: We love all Greek food, and we're Italian DH goes crazy for the lamb (I'm not a fan). My DS4 has school tomorrow and until 11am on Tuesday. Lucky you get to sleep in this week!

Chan: You always stay CL and have wonderful CMs to get you into a restaurant at the last minute. When you don't have that luxury, you're stuck. So making ADRs ahead of time means at least you have something scheduled, which you could blow off and change at the last minute, but at least you have something should nothing be available. KMIM?

Annette: You can try to call tomorrow for ADRs, but they're saying now it's looking like January. No word yet exactly when some people say the 2nd some say the 15th.

Lisa: Modern Marvels on History Channel My boys are watching the Grinch.

I baked so much today. I made the Italian Lemon Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Ginger Bread Men and a Banana Bread Loaf (had bananas going bad, last minute decision since the oven was on and I had the flour and sugar out ) I was so tired afterwards I took a nap then a Basin Bath

Night