~~Part 2 ~ They're leaving the nest, sew it's time for a trip-or two-or three ~~Off plans 10/11 ~~

[Ladyfish77]

Was Sassagoula down when you were there? I am trying to remember when it went down for refurb... If it was - how difficult was it in the food court area? V and I are hoping to get over there for beignets.

Apologies for the late reply! I was out of the country on a tough work trip to Cayman Brac to take a group scuba diving all week. I know it sounds like a terrible trip, but we managed to have a great time even with the threat of Hurricane Matthew breathing down our necks!!

Anyways, we were at POFQ during the refurb of the food court. We didn't eat there but we did get snacks and drinks. They have a good system set up where you order then they give you a number to put on your table and they bring you your food. I can't believe we didn't even get beignets this time, but it was a short trip and we really didn't spend much time at the resort!

I'm enjoying reading about your trip. I know you are excited. All the months of planning are coming to fruition! So much fun.

Love the Vans. I don't think I can wear them. I have funny feet. Very narrow heels and I need arch support. That tends to mean no cute tennies for me. They usually just don't fit me. I wear Tevas when at WDW and they have been the best thing for my feet.

Hope you had a great weekend!

 

[anniebean]

Awww...sweet pic of the girls and pups! And I love your wallet!

 

[LoveMyTwoPrincesses]

Thanks for the kind welcome!

This will be the first time we are traveling without my husband. I am a bit nervous about this, but it will be good for us to have to handle things on our own. I am just hoping for limited bumps in the road!

Right now we are booked to stay at Pop. We have stayed here in the past, so it is in my comfort zone. Something new for us on this trip will be experiencing the water parks. Our previous trips with the kids have both been in October, so I guess the summer weather will be a new experience for us as well. We have always had great weather in October, so I am sure the periodic rains and humidity will change how we tour. More breaks might be in store for us.

Your off day sounds great. We stayed at AoA for one night back in January in the Cars section and thought it was really cute. My girls also enjoyed the Little Mermaid area a lot. I bet V will love the sketches and art throughout the lobby.

 

[DMGeurts]

That is smart. My DH only took one pair of shoes with us to Disneyland. His feet were killing him.


Love the wallet. Do you have a picture of the Id pocket?

Yes - I remember our first trip - I had 2 pairs of shoes with for each of us... And I've just progressively gotten worse. LOL Some of my shoes, I cannot wear for long, but just having something different on my feet helps - so I will wear those around our room or around the resort. Even if we just go back to our room for a quick break - I will throw on a different pair of shoes for that short time, it seems to help a lot.

Shoot, I forgot to take one. I'll try to remember to do that today.

Your wallet looks great.

How nice of you to remake V's Harry Potter wallet. I'm so glad she likes it much better now. That makes your hard work worth it.

YAY for Cindy findin some Vera Bradley patterns for you

I can't believe V is getting close to being ready for her road test. Parking practice is important because when you take the car somewhere it's often because you need to park it so you can walk somewhere. I'm a little scared for my parking practice with my new car. I really hope I can learn to park that thing in my garage without damaging it

What a great picture of the girls and the dogs.

Your day off at Disney sounds like a fun day. How nice of Cindy to say yes to take you to one (or both) of the Disney Outlets. I'm sure the prices are much nicer there than at WDW.


No frost advisories here yet. The weather is very warm for this time of year. It looks like it's going to rain here on Tuesday. Crossing my fingers it won't be too bad since it's a little harder to drive in rain than in cloudy weather. The sunset is at 5.30PM now and soon we are turning the clock one hour back and then it will be dark even earlier.

I'm not used to driving in the dark since I haven't had to do it since early May. It's weird how fast you forget how to drive in the dark when you don't do it for almost 5 months.

The hours can't go fast enough now. I'm so excited about getting my new car and I can't wait until Tuesday at 1.30PM when I have the appointment to pick it up.

Ulf and I are going to Stavanger next weekend from Friday to Sunday to a geocaching meeting. I do look forward to the trip but at the same time I can't help thinking about the hours I loose to practice driving my new car. The weekend after both Ulf and I are at home. But the last weekend of October Ulf is going away on a Tai Chi course again so then he won't be able to practice driving with me. So I'm crossing my fingers that I have gotten enough practice by then so I'm confident in myself to drive the car alone. If I don't feel a can handle the car on my own yet I will just have to drive my old car. I'm planning on keeping my old car for a while until I see that the my new car is working as it should and that I don't need to go into the garage to adjust the customized pedals.

I'm so sorry to rant so much about my new car. It's just that I'm so excited to get it and I really can't wait until Tuesday.

Thanks - I am happy with how both wallets turned out. We'll see how they work for the trip - I am sure they will be fine.

I am very excited about having new VB bags... I am tempted to break out one of my new ones today (from my own stockpile) to celebrate. LOL

I've heard that the prices at the outlet are much better than those at Disney - if they are well stocked. Which I hope they are. LOL

I totally understand - I hope you are able to get enough practice so you are comfortable with your new car before the roads get bad. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and looking forward to pictures of you new car when you get time.

Which Disney Outlet location had the Vera Bradley stuff? It's highly unlikely they'll have any when I'm there next month (next month!!!) but since our departure day will be spent at Disney Springs before we head to Tampa to catch our flight, I think we can squeeze in a trip to the outlet if it's worth going....

Your wallet is so cute! I have a couple of little VB wallets that size but I'd like to get a Disney one. Might have to look for one while I'm there... I use a huge wallet normally, but when I am at Disney and just carrying my hipster I don't want my huge wallet -- just a little zipper pouch like that one. Hopefully they'll have one in the print that matches my hipster....

Sometimes we all need a day spent in our pajamas! I have been in my pajamas until noon every day that I worked from home this week! LOL Some days are just like that.

I have a problem with Target, too -- it's an addition. It's terrible!

Your trip is getting so close! Very exciting!

Cute picture of the girls with Cooper and Max!

I wish I could tell you - but i have no idea? Cindy didn't tell me which one she was at. I can ask her if you'd like?

Yes - I have several of this size of wallet, they carry very nicely in the Hipster - they are the perfect size. I also have a bigger wallet - I think it's a cell phone wallet (or something similar to that) - I carry it because it keeps my stuff organized, but it's slightly annoying as it's too big (IMO) for carrying in the Hipster.

Hahahaha... Yes - that's true.

I know - right. And I think they know that too. LOL

Thanks - they were so cute trying hard to get Cooper to cuddle on the couch, it just wasn't going well. Even though he's 1.5 already - he's still so much like a puppy - I am starting to doubt whether he will ever grow out of it? LOL

I'm glad Cindy found some Vera that you liked for you. When we were there last month there wasn't anything. I really didn't like the 2 patterns that Disney had at that time. I love the triple zipper crossbody but note the black pattern they had so I still have gcs I didn't use.
I pack a lot of shoes, too. We go stuck in the tropical storm when we were there and ended up with very wet shoes so thee is a good reason to bring extra.
It's getting cooler here, too. I really don't want to turn the heat on. We're supposed to go out today and get apples and then go to Geneva on the Lake and walk around. We'll see if wee actually get there. The wind is coming from the North today which means it's coming right off the lake.
I'm taking a week's vacation this week because after October 31 I won't be able to and I has so much PTO time. I have no real plans other than working on a few sewing projects.
I can't believe your trip's almost here. I wish I was going back.
Have a good day.
Liz

I know - I was so excited! I am the same way - I really do not like any of the patterns available in WDW right now - and I was hoping to get a new bag while I was there. This is even better because it's my 2 favorite patterns. I just wish Disney/VB would come out with some great ones again. I hope there's some good stuff at the outlet when we go.

Yes! Which reminds me, I need to pack my Keens too - I haven't worn them in several trips - but they are great if the weather is wet. I should really take a peek at the extended forecast... I don't think it's very accurate this far out - but it's fun to look. LOL

We turned the heat off yesterday - there's a bit of a chill in here this morning, but I am OK in a sweatshirt. I dislike winter more and more every year - it seems.

Nice!!! I am glad you get some time off before the big rush! That will be nice - even if you aren't going anywhere.

I know - I am very excited. And sad. As far as I know, this is my last trip for quite some time. It's going to be hard, very hard, coming home from this one.

Thanks Liz - same to you!

I'm sorry that I didn't check in sooner. I was suffering from a little Disney depression, something I don't usually get, and I was avoiding the Dis a little. Anyway, we are excited to be returning to WDW Dec 3rd to 7th. And with the new 13 month AP renewal, we can return next December.

The funny thing about the AP renewal was that we arrived in WDW on Oct 1st, the day the discount was released. I was in line to buy a TiW discount card when I decided to check my email. While I was reading the email from Disney Destinations about the new 20% off discounts for Annual Passholders, the CM was processing our TiW payment. If I had only read that email about five minutes earlier, I wouldn't have bought the TiW card. Oh well. But we were able to use it at Liberty Tree Tavern and Crews Cup Lounge where we ate both lunch and dinner, and so we will eventually break even or come out ahead. We also have a trip planned in March with my sister and friend, so it will get used.

I didn't realize it at the time, but when I took all those pictures of my kitchen to send to you I was creating a photographic record of what my kitchen used to look like. I'll be sure to send you the finished product. You'll have to wait until January, though, until it is finished.

What are you going to do for all that time? We like to be out early like you do. DH would go nuts if he had a relaxing morning.

We are planning to eat there in December. We want a trip without a lot of things planned out and the Wave is perfect for last minute ADR's.

We had fun exploring both AoA and Pop Century. We had never been to a value resort before and wanted to see what they look like. We ended up eating lunch at the Pop food court and it was pretty good food. We were able to use our TiW card there, since they take the discount.

I totally understand. I fear mine settling in already and our trip isn't even here. This is going to be a hard one to return from. Thanks for checking in though - I appreciate it. I am glad you were able to get out before the storm, and arrive home safely.

Grrr... That is annoying about the TiW card, too bad you couldn't have returned it. LOL I think I would have tried at that point. I hope you are able to get your $$ worth out of it just the same.

Yes - that is really exciting, I am glad you shared those pictures with me, they will be very nice to have to show people your befores and afters. I am anxious for you to get to work on this project. LOL

I am sure I will try to sleep in myself - if I can. I'll probably sneak off to Starbucks, and hang out on a resort bench, enjoying the hustle and bustle, I"ll probably also take the time to update my trip journal - I sometimes fall behind on that, and it's easier to remember if I can keep up... Then I will get ready and wake V... It will be OK. Realistically - she won't get to sleep in that much... We will have to be out the door of our resort by about 10:15-30... So, she will have to be up at about 9:45 - which really isn't that late, just later than the 6am wake-up on the other days. LOL

I am very excited to eat at The Wave again!

I have heard that Pop has good food, we have only ever spent time at AoA, we've never been to the other resorts.

Have a great week Sue!

Loving reading about your plans as always. Your U/S day sounds just perfect - Harry Potter all the way. I could live on the Butterbeer...mmmm. That Lavender and Cream ice cream sounds divine. Also the first "day off" sounds great too. I find it really funny that when people who have never been to Disney or Orlando ask me for advice, I always say that you should try to have extra days to not go to a park because it is exhausting. People don't seem to want to get that sometimes....until after their trip....

Thanks! I am so excited! Yes - we are also very excited to be spending a lot of time in the HP area - I had so much fun there with Allison in January... And the ice cream/butterbear was my favorite part. LOL

Yes - I agree, I love having our days off too. Although - they never really seem to be "days off" like i want to have, ya know? It always seems like we are doing something anyways. I have a friend that is going soon, and she will be there for 6 days - she has 5 FULL park days planned with NO breaks and NO time off... I hope she can make it through - it's gonna be tough, I think. I prefer to go longer - yes it costs more, in the grand scheme, though I don't buy longer tickets - we just plan days off. It seems to make the extra airfare cost worth it to me, if we can do a longer trip.

Hey there D - happy Sunday and happy almost Disney time. I love your last minute shopping. The new Van's are too too cute. I have a serious Target addiction as well. I have a Super Target which is stocked really well. I "dropped in" late last night and of course had to throw in some cute Halloween stuff.

Your V and my Shane; so not morning people. It would drive me nuts even on a down day at Disney not to do SOMETHING! I would have to sneak away early and come back.

Hope you incorporate more varieties of food this week. Your stomach will thank you later. Sick stomachs at Disney are not allowed.

Love your Universal day; I haven't been to Universal in a million years; way before HP was even dreamed of there. V is so going to love it.

Wishing you lots of pixie dust and energy for the week ahead!!!

Love and hugs

Yay!! I know - I am excited for the Vans to get here. Now they show a delivery date of one day later - which makes me a little nervous. This gives me NO time to break them in. Sadly. Oh well - I will still try to wear them a little bit down there, especially on the days I know we are taking an early break.

Hahahaha... It won't be that bad, I dont' think. I'll just take my time getting ready - maybe sneak off for a coffee and to find a bench to watch people rush out to their park of the day. It might be kind of fun? She won't get to sleep in that late - she will have to be up at about 9:45, because we have to be leaving the resort for our breakfast ADR at about 10:30ish. So, a little time to sleep in - but not much.

I am, it's just really hard... It's been a rough few months, and I am struggling to get past how I see myself. It's really tough sometimes.

We are very excited to be doing some HP when we are there - I am glad i get to experience it with both of my girls!

Thank you Carol - same to you!!!!

Apologies for the late reply! I was out of the country on a tough work trip to Cayman Brac to take a group scuba diving all week. I know it sounds like a terrible trip, but we managed to have a great time even with the threat of Hurricane Matthew breathing down our necks!!

Anyways, we were at POFQ during the refurb of the food court. We didn't eat there but we did get snacks and drinks. They have a good system set up where you order then they give you a number to put on your table and they bring you your food. I can't believe we didn't even get beignets this time, but it was a short trip and we really didn't spend much time at the resort!

I'm enjoying reading about your trip. I know you are excited. All the months of planning are coming to fruition! So much fun.

Love the Vans. I don't think I can wear them. I have funny feet. Very narrow heels and I need arch support. That tends to mean no cute tennies for me. They usually just don't fit me. I wear Tevas when at WDW and they have been the best thing for my feet.

Hope you had a great weekend!

That does sound like a tough trip! It's great to see you back, and I am glad you managed to have a great time despite the weather.

That's good - since we will be spending a little bit of time there this trip... That almost sounds like a better system than the one they had previously?

We are very excited to get going. V is almost totally packed now, except for her last minute things. It makes packing so much easier when the weather here is so much different than it is there, we can pack shorts and tank tops so much easier when we aren't needing them at home. LOL

That reminds me, I need to find my orthotic inserts, I sometimes carry those with me (my feet are much better since losing weight - so I don't need them all of the time like I used to) - they might be way better to put in my Vans than the inserts that they come with?

I know a lot of people like Tevas in the parks. I have yet to try them, I really should.

Thanks - same to you!

Awww...sweet pic of the girls and pups! And I love your wallet!

Thanks! I am looking forward to using a new wallet on this trip - I think it will work perfectly.

Thanks for the kind welcome!

This will be the first time we are traveling without my husband. I am a bit nervous about this, but it will be good for us to have to handle things on our own. I am just hoping for limited bumps in the road!

Right now we are booked to stay at Pop. We have stayed here in the past, so it is in my comfort zone. Something new for us on this trip will be experiencing the water parks. Our previous trips with the kids have both been in October, so I guess the summer weather will be a new experience for us as well. We have always had great weather in October, so I am sure the periodic rains and humidity will change how we tour. More breaks might be in store for us.

Your off day sounds great. We stayed at AoA for one night back in January in the Cars section and thought it was really cute. My girls also enjoyed the Little Mermaid area a lot. I bet V will love the sketches and art throughout the lobby.

You are very welcome!

I remember being soooo nervous the first time I flew with my girls alone. I was a total basket case! Once we did it though, there was NO turning back, and it opened so many doors for us - and the ability to be able to travel alone together. I am so glad I was brave enough to do it the first time!

Exciting! I've never stayed at Pop... I hope to get across the bridge wile we are at AoA this trip and explore a bit of it, if we have the time.

The water parks are awesome - I would never do a summer trip with out water park tickets - they really are a life saver during the heat of summer! Highly recommend!

Thanks - we are really looking forward to exploring a bit more... All of AoA we have really seen is the Cars section and the Nemo section... So we'd like to venture off into the other areas too.

I hope you have a nice week!

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

Sorry guys - not much time to do my own update this morning...

I honestly don't have much to update anyways... LOL

I did the last of my laundry for packing yesterday... Now I just need to find the time to finish packing...

I took V out to practice her parking - it took her a few tries to get herself lined up, and once she did that, she was perfect! She will do great on her test. I am thinking she will likely take it sometime the week after we return from our trip?

And that's it... Josh made an excellent meal of pork chops on the grill last night... It was amazing!

Today is a Target day for me... It's a nice short shift, and a very nice way to lead into my time off from work for our trip.

I have a VERY full schedule this week - with so much going on. It's so exciting!

I hope you all have wonderful day! Sending Pixie Dust out to all of you!

D~

 

[Terkina]

How great that V is doing so well with the driving.

I hope you're day at Target goes well.


I came over this bag yesterday and I fell in love with the pattern on the bag
http://www.**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/7501055880594.jpg

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Have a great day!!

 

[gopherdame]

It's so hard to come back from Disney not knowing when you will go again. I had that feeling when my daughter decided to skip a year after going 5 years in a row. It wasn't too bad until my grandson mentioned that this is the week we would be at Disney. That got me sad for a while, but we were already thinking about our trip the next year. That was the year my husband decided we should take a trip there for our 40th anniversary so we got annual passes for the 1st time and went twice in one year! So you never know what will happen and you just have to know you will get there again.

I only bring 2 pairs of shoes and we drive so I could bring more. Last year I got a new pair before our trip and broke them in well. Since they were so great on my feet, I've just saved them for our trips and hope they will last me a while. Luckily I've only gotten one blister in all my trips and that was when I got a hole in my sock. Now I make sure I take new socks.

I plan on looking for new carpet today, continuing our work on fixing some things in our house. Just a little at a time as we have the money. Then I can do some work in my garden as it's supposed to be beautiful today. We also turned on the furnace as it was 63 degrees in our house one morning! Once we turn it on we just leave it, but don't set it very high until it gets colder.

If I don't get back I hope you have a great trip!

 

[Clio]

Have a good day at Target.
I ended up wearing my keenes last month because my other shoes were wet.
I'm glad you're almost done packing. that means your trip is almost here.
My daughter had trouble withe the parking part of her test. She did pass, though. In fact the last time we went downtown, she parallel parked my car with no problem.
I'm stuck at home today. The hot water tank decided to die and I'm wait for someone to come to replace it. Since it's an emergency it's whenever there's an opening. At least, I'll get some sewing done. The cable box is acting up, too. I know it's the box casue the other tv is ok.
Have a good day
Liz

 

[KathyM2]

Totally agree with you that a longer trip with some rest days built in is much better...though a lot harder to swing in life!! I can't usually manage longer than a week, but I always build in breaks as much as I can, and spend a shorter amount of time in less favourite parks...though that is hard to do!

 

[IowaTater]

How cute is this???? I love it! I've decided not to take my wristlet that I had another vendor make, mainly because the strap on it already broke, so now I have to figure out what I'm going to use as a wallet for our trip. GRRRRRR!

Let's just say that I have a nice personal stock pile of Midnight with Mickey and Perfect Petals hipsters. For less than the price of ONE at WDW.

What an awesome deal! I'm still determined to get a Disney Vera. I just have to get some money saved up.

She has so kindly offered (OK, I asked) to take us to one (or both) of the Disney Outlets

Aww, that's so sweet. That's one of the things I'm going to miss on this trip. Since we're not getting a rental car nor are we meeting up with our local friends, we have to miss out on the outlet stores this time. That last time we went, they had some awesome deals though!

 

[DIZNEKIM]

One of our days off - plans

Isn't it funny that I seriously debated on what to title this post... Day off A or B, Day off 1 or 2, Off Day X, Y, Z... Finally - I just settled on the above. LOL

So, V gets to "sleep in" a little bit on this vacation... I tried really hard to fit her "not a morning person" personality into this trip - which, as you all know, is super hard for me, as I am definitely an early riser by nature. Typically - my day is finished by noon every day, because I just get going that early.

Anyways...

On this day, we have a late (11:15am) breakfast planned at The Wave.... I am VERY excited to introduce V to the foods here - it is one of my favorites!

I gave V several options of things to do on this day, but in the end - she chose something that I didn't even mention....

Once we are done with breakfast - V wants to head over to AoA and explore. On our 2013 trip, we met Suzi and family there, and we wandered around the Cars area - V loved that so much and wants to re-explore that area, along with venturing off to explore the other areas. I thought this sounded like a fantastic plan! It will be fun to do this and explore their gift shops too... Maybe grab a snack? Any suggestions for what we need to do/snacks to eat at AoA?

At some point, while we are at AoA, Cindy is going to meet up with us. She has so kindly offered (OK, I asked) to take us to one (or both) of the Disney Outlets... I've never been there and always wanted to go. I am hoping that maybe they have more Vera Bradley stuff left? Or even some fun souvies to take home as Christmas gifts - seeing as I will have an extra piece of luggage with on this trip.

I am sure we will take her out for dinner or something fun this night.

I do hope that we can make it back to our resort with enough time to swim and relax too.

I'd like to be in bed early this day, as we have a full park day ahead of us the following day. ​

D~

If you have time you should wonder across the bridge to Pop Century. I like to check out there Icons and history quotes around the lake walkway.

 

[branmuffin]

Hi D! Your trip is fast approaching! I am loving the plans so far. Before I forget- I would love to see your makeup packing list that you mentioned! I am thrilled you found a purple top for your outfit! It seems like you have been searching forever for that! I can't wait to see your party outfit in action, Lol. It is so awesome and mature that V saved up her money to take y'all to the party & still save for souvenirs. You are going to have an amazing time! Are you going to post your Disney nails when you get them done? I would love to see them. Hopefully V got her schedule reworked. I am excited for you girls!
We had a pretty good weekend here. DH & DD10 ran in a color me aware run on Saturday. The baby & I met them at the finish line. It was a pretty good time, although, it started raining pretty hard after that & we had to walk about 1 1/2 miles back home in the rain. Anyway, Sunday, we borrowed One of the other Marine's car to go out to eat in town. We went to a Yakiniku place where you cook your own food on a little grill in the middle of the table. I thought while we were there, "hey, this is just meat & veggies- it's Whole 30 compliant, LOL". We were pretty lazy other than that.
I hope all your packing and plans go smoothly!

 

[DMGeurts]

How great that V is doing so well with the driving.

I hope you're day at Target goes well.


I came over this bag yesterday and I fell in love with the pattern on the bag
http://www.**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/7501055880594.jpg

Yes - she is doing great! Still a couple of minor things that make me a little nervous - but overall, she is doing really well.

Thanks - it was good... A nice short 4 hour shift to throw me into my 3 week vacation from there.

Cute! I love Dooney bags, however I don't carry them because they have a warning tag on them - I'll see if I can find it... Here it is the Proposition 65 warning...

CA Residents: Proposition 65
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

So, as much as I love their bags - I stick to my Vera Bradley bags. Whether the cautionary measures are warranted or not, I just figure it's not worth taking the chance.

Have a great day!!

Thanks! Same to you!!!!

It's so hard to come back from Disney not knowing when you will go again. I had that feeling when my daughter decided to skip a year after going 5 years in a row. It wasn't too bad until my grandson mentioned that this is the week we would be at Disney. That got me sad for a while, but we were already thinking about our trip the next year. That was the year my husband decided we should take a trip there for our 40th anniversary so we got annual passes for the 1st time and went twice in one year! So you never know what will happen and you just have to know you will get there again.

I only bring 2 pairs of shoes and we drive so I could bring more. Last year I got a new pair before our trip and broke them in well. Since they were so great on my feet, I've just saved them for our trips and hope they will last me a while. Luckily I've only gotten one blister in all my trips and that was when I got a hole in my sock. Now I make sure I take new socks.

I plan on looking for new carpet today, continuing our work on fixing some things in our house. Just a little at a time as we have the money. Then I can do some work in my garden as it's supposed to be beautiful today. We also turned on the furnace as it was 63 degrees in our house one morning! Once we turn it on we just leave it, but don't set it very high until it gets colder.

If I don't get back I hope you have a great trip!

Very true... I honestly have no idea when I will go back. I would love to some how take a small trip next year, though financially - I don't know if I can make it happen? We'll just have to see. I'd love, more than anything, to renew my AP - however right now it makes no sense to do so, as I doubt I'll be taking one trip, much less the 3 I need to take to make it pay for itself.

That was super nice of your DH to take you to Disney for your 40th anniversary.

I still cannot believe that you drive from MN - that is a LONG drive! I will be sorting through all of my shoes today - and hopefully finding my white flip flps, so I can take those with too. The last time I had them was on Allison's trip in Jan - so they must be here somewhere? LOL

Have fun finding new carpet!!! We've done the same thing with our house - doing the work with cash as we have it. It's bad enough that we have to have 1 mortgage, I would never want two. LOL I hope you enjoyed your day - it was beautiful!

Thank you - we are getting incredibly excited!

Have a good day at Target.
I ended up wearing my keenes last month because my other shoes were wet.
I'm glad you're almost done packing. that means your trip is almost here.
My daughter had trouble withe the parking part of her test. She did pass, though. In fact the last time we went downtown, she parallel parked my car with no problem.
I'm stuck at home today. The hot water tank decided to die and I'm wait for someone to come to replace it. Since it's an emergency it's whenever there's an opening. At least, I'll get some sewing done. The cable box is acting up, too. I know it's the box casue the other tv is ok.
Have a good day
Liz

Thanks! It was OK - a nice short 4 hour shift to throw me into my vacation time.

I always take my Keens with me on trips - I've worn them before, and they are great for the water parks, however, I try not to wear them in the parks - unless it's going to rain and I know it. They are excellent shoes for getting wet though.

Yes - our trip is almost here - we cannot wait!

That's good to know... Both of my girls are pretty good parallel parkers.

Yikes!!! I sure hope you have hot water soon - we never realize how much we rely on our appliances until they break. And I hope it wasn't too expensive to fix.

Thanks Liz - same to you!

Totally agree with you that a longer trip with some rest days built in is much better...though a lot harder to swing in life!! I can't usually manage longer than a week, but I always build in breaks as much as I can, and spend a shorter amount of time in less favourite parks...though that is hard to do!

Yes... I guess that's why I save so hard.... I just like to go for longer. I know it's very expensive, however, once I figure airfare into it - it gets even more expensive... So, if I can do a longer trip, it seems to make the price I pay for airfare a little easier to swallow. We are very much looking forward to all of our days - I know once we get there, it will go by really fast, and before we know it, we'll be home again.

How cute is this???? I love it! I've decided not to take my wristlet that I had another vendor make, mainly because the strap on it already broke, so now I have to figure out what I'm going to use as a wallet for our trip. GRRRRRR!

What an awesome deal! I'm still determined to get a Disney Vera. I just have to get some money saved up.

Aww, that's so sweet. That's one of the things I'm going to miss on this trip. Since we're not getting a rental car nor are we meeting up with our local friends, we have to miss out on the outlet stores this time. That last time we went, they had some awesome deals though!

That is a true bummer! Are you able to fix it, or can you return/exchange it? I really love my little Vera Bradley wallets - they are fairly cheap and work really well.

I love all of my Disney Veras - it's all I carry at home. I have to have Disney in my life with my accessories, and this is a fun way for me to do it. Aside from the fact that they are so comfy to carry.

I've never been to the Disney outlet stores, so I am very excited to see them and maybe spend a little of my hard-earned cash there.

If you have time you should wonder across the bridge to Pop Century. I like to check out there Icons and history quotes around the lake walkway.

I would definitely like to try, if we have time. I think they have some sort of tie-dyed cake I've heard about - if we make it there, I'd like to try it. LOL Leave it to me, to make a special trip somewhere for food. LOL

Hi D! Your trip is fast approaching! I am loving the plans so far. Before I forget- I would love to see your makeup packing list that you mentioned! I am thrilled you found a purple top for your outfit! It seems like you have been searching forever for that! I can't wait to see your party outfit in action, Lol. It is so awesome and mature that V saved up her money to take y'all to the party & still save for souvenirs. You are going to have an amazing time! Are you going to post your Disney nails when you get them done? I would love to see them. Hopefully V got her schedule reworked. I am excited for you girls!
We had a pretty good weekend here. DH & DD10 ran in a color me aware run on Saturday. The baby & I met them at the finish line. It was a pretty good time, although, it started raining pretty hard after that & we had to walk about 1 1/2 miles back home in the rain. Anyway, Sunday, we borrowed One of the other Marine's car to go out to eat in town. We went to a Yakiniku place where you cook your own food on a little grill in the middle of the table. I thought while we were there, "hey, this is just meat & veggies- it's Whole 30 compliant, LOL". We were pretty lazy other than that.
I hope all your packing and plans go smoothly!

It is coming very quickly - I cannot wait.

I will be working on sorting our make-up today and getting it separated out from the rest, so I will take pictures for you. Thanks for indulging me - I love make-up. LOL

I will try to post my Disney nails when I get them done... I am so excited for this - it's been so long since I've had my nails done, and it's something I thoroughly enjoy. I used to have them done regularly, and then my nails just started to get cracked and chipped all the time, and my manicures didn't last - so I took a break and just never went back.

I am starting to get excited for all of my outfits now... I've really been stumped on what to wear with my Donald/Chip/Dale bag - and I think that was throwing me off... I think I am just going to go simple and do a red tee and jean shorts.... I think that will work nicely.

Yes - V was able to find someone to work for her, so that's good.

That is awesome about the run, and not so awesome about the rain. Sometimes, things like that - you look back on later and laugh. I hope this is one of those things.

Your dinner sounds delicious and fun!!! We went to a restaurant once, when we were still dating, where we had to cook our own food - it was a lot of fun and very yummy. It was nice of someone to loan you their car so you could get out and do something fun as a family.

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Sooooo....

Yesterday was my last Target day for 3 weeks. That is so nice! By the time I get back - we will be in full-on Christmas and holiday shopping mode. Those of you who have been reading for years, know this is my most favorite/least favorite time of the year to work there. Love the hustle and bustle, and hate the holiday hours away from family.

I picked V up from school and took her to work after. In between, we figured out her financial situation for the trip and decided how much I need to purchase for her in GCs.

Then I sat around all night... I did a bleach load of laundry so I can finally finish the last of my packing.

Today is a BIG day in trip-getting-ready stuff!

I will work out this morning - heavy lifting... I need to be careful though, as I twinged my right knee (not the one I usually have problems with) at work yesterday, and it's acting a little funky.

Once I am done lifting, I will go upstairs and lay out all of my luggage... I did most of my packing last week, however - I need to take it all out again and just reorganize it... It's kind of a mess. This will likely take a good portion of my morning.

After, I need to get ready and head to town. I need to purchase the last of my GCs for the trip (and V's too).

I am picking V up about 15 minutes early from school... She wants to go with me to my hair appointment. My stylist had a baby this summer, and V wants to play with/hold the baby while I am having my hair done. Her last class of the day is an easy elective, so I don't feel too badly about pulling her out early. And while she is playing with the baby - I am going to have the FULL treatment done on my hair... I plan to chop it off again - a little shorter than shoulder length - and I plan to put my burgundy low lights in it again... This is going to be an expensive appointment - but one I've saved for intentionally. It's been since our August 2014 trip that I've had my burgundy low lights in my hair - so I am kind of excited to have them back. I thoroughly enjoy having fresh hair!

And that's about it for today - by the time I get home, it will be well past trying to make anything good for dinner, so I will likely make something easy for the family - and I will do my dependable stand-by of eggs. LOL

I hope you all have a fantastic day!!! Sending prayers and Pixie Dust out to all of you!

D~

 

[DMGeurts]

Our other day off...

This day looks a lot like our other day off. LOL

Again - I've tried hard to allow for V to sleep in a little bit - or as much as I can anyways.

During the morning, I will keep myself occupied with my morning coffee/FB/Dis time, I will also (hopefully it will be nice enough) update my trip journal out on the balcony.

I will wake V at about 9:30am, and we will head out to our second breakfast reservation at The Wave. LOL

Once we are done there, we've planned to spend a portion of this day at DTD... Oops - Disney Springs. I am not sure I will ever get used to that? Hopefully we wont' lose too much of our $$ in WoD.

I am hoping I will have enough room in my belly for a Ghirardelli Sundae... I haven't had one in several years.

We will likely do the loop at DTD, and end over by Cirque Du Soleil - as that is where the SoG bus picks up, so it will be an easy ride back to the resort.

Where we will get ready and head over to the Grand Floridian for our 5:30pm dinner at 1900 Park Fare... This was also one of V's meal requests for this trip.

Looking at our timing for breakfast/dinner... Do you think we will have enough time to do DTD? Or should I look for an earlier breakfast/later dinner time? By the time we finish breakfast and arrive at DTD, it will likely be after 1pm... I guess if we leave DTD by 3pm, we should be OK? I wanted to be back to our resort early tonight, so we could rest a little bit and maybe enjoy some pool time? What do you think?[/b]​

D~

 

[Pluto0809]

Looking at our timing for breakfast/dinner... Do you think we will have enough time to do DTD? Or should I look for an earlier breakfast/later dinner time?

Hmmm, I do think you will be cutting it a bit close especially since you want to go back to SOG before dinner. I know I can spend hours just in WOD alone. And don't forget the whole new area that opened up. You may not be interested in any of the stores but I know you will want to at least check that section out.

 

[KathyM2]

I agree...I'd try to get dinner a bit later if you still want to allow for sleep in and plenty of time in DS....only if it's possible...

 

[vrajewski10513]

Hey D~!
I just got back from our trip so I'm still getting all caught up on the Dis but I wanted to thank you for writing about your dealings with Fitbit. My Charge was doing the same thing as yours so I emailed them and they are sending a replacement for free! However, I am getting the same model my current one is, which is just the standard Charge. Did you have the Charge HR?

 

[IowaTater]

That is a true bummer! Are you able to fix it, or can you return/exchange it? I really love my little Vera Bradley wallets - they are fairly cheap and work really well.

I probably could get it fixed but I don't think it would be back in time for our trip anyway. Instead of being a wristlet, it now sits in my bathroom holding all of my hair accessories lol

I saw this yesterday and thought you might find it funny.



I know you don't get that angry but I got a chuckle out of it.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Your non-park days sound delightful My family would probably rather vacation with you and have some relaxing days scheduled in their trip, rather than my Commando touring pace
I wanted to suggest the Smoothies at Art of Animation as a snack for your wanderings over there. In 2013 we stayed at Pop and didn't check out their food court until our last day. I was so disappointed! I could've been enjoying those delicious things with my snack credits all week long! This time, I will be more prepared

We are doing our first ever meal at 1900 Park Fare the day of our vow renewal. We'll be having the Supercalifragilistic Brekfast Buffet, though I must admit I'd really love to do the dinner with Cinderella and crew. Oh, well. I've always got a list going for next time!!

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Two hours is never enough time for me at DTD (Disney Springs) -- there are just so many new, fun stores there...and the bakeries...oh my...Sprinkles is one of my favorite places ever and then there's the new high-end bakery by WoD that I absolutely love... I'm so glad I'll done with W30 so I can indulge in a few treats while I'm there... I would probably try to move your dinner ADR later so you have more time at DTD...or you could keep it as is and maybe go back to DTD after dinner for a bit? I enjoy evenings at DTD -- the entertainment is always fun, plus the temperatures are lovely.

Your hair is going to be so cute -- can't wait to see pictures!