Planning a WORLD of fun; a... WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE!!!

[midwesternbelle]

ADRs: Food, Food, and more... you guessed it: FOOD!​

[Continued from Previous Post]


December 26th 2012
Breakfast: Snacks at Starring Rolls YUM YUM YUM!

Lunch: Sci-fi Dine-In Theater @ 11:15

So before adding the extra day i debated and debated and debated so more... should i try the sic-fi diner or stick to our favorite 50s Prime Time... Obviously being adventurous won out! I must admit i quite excited for this lunch... it will be a fun adventure away from the normal disney dining experience... plus i hear the food is very good--for movie food!

Dinner: [Hoop-Dee-Doo: No Reservation]

This is the meal i am most looking forward to... want to know why? Well, that is because my favorite disney memory just happens to be... this show! I LOVE IT! So much fun, food, and good memories. My brother and i both love this show so it is a wonderful bonding moment for the two of us. We are extremely close to begin with but as he has aged he has drifted away from me... he is still excited to see this show with me though! BEST BROTHER IN THE WORLD!

[This is him holding our winnings at Dave and Busters when we visited Penn State last summer!]
He is so cute right? He is very smart as well--although not as smart as me--he is an A student!(I am a proud sister)

December 27th 2012
Breakfast: Kouzzina

This was a recommendation by DsnyMama (clearly i listen to every word she says ) I must say this had escaped my radar until she mentioned it, but after looking at the menu... it looks amazing!

Lunch: Via Napoli @ 12:45

FINALLY! I have wanted to eat her for... so... very... long! I must admit that this is one of my most anticipated meals for this trip. Italian food is.... well our families "thing" we love it. Also, my grandmother's family is from Naples so i think my mom will get a kick out of eating here! Hopefully i don't build it up to impossible standards.

Dinner: La Hacienda de San Angel @ 8:00 EPCOT

This was a last minute choice... i desperately want to see Illuminations from here so hopeful it will not be took crowded because it could be VERY cool... or... it could be AWEFUL Well... i guess we will have to wait and see. My dad loves mexican food though so hopefully that will be good at least!


December 28th 2012
Breakfast: 1900 Park Fare

Let me preface this by saying: I have been here before.... BUT not for breakfast so i am counting it as a new experience... because really the food is different, the characters are different... almost everything is different! I love Alice, the Mad Hatter, etc... so hopefully this will be lots of fun!

Lunch: Tony’s Town Square @ 12:50

So can i just say... I LOVE Lady and the Tramp... top 10 disney movies: easily. This is a must simply for the ambiance. Hopefully the food will be good too, but honestly it will mostly just be a good place to chill out and enjoy the A/C and grab a bite to eat! Maybe hydrate a bit too...

Dinner: The Wave

This is the only place i have never eaten at the Contemparary... it should be fun to walk over from MK and walk back for the fireworks! Super excited to try this place out... plus, who doesn't love american food? CRAZY PEOPLE!

December 29th 2012

Breakfast: MORE STARRING ROLLS! Or the writers shop...
Lunch: 50 Prime Time Cafe

Ok, Ok, you caught me... i couldn't help myself. It has been 4 years (!!!!!!) since we have been here... and we LOVE this place... so as soon as i found out we were going for an extra day i rushed to the computer and BOOKED this place!

Dinner: Narcoosee's

YAY! Finally we will eat at a signature restaurant from the Grand Floridian!!!! When it cam down to the decision between Citricos and Narcoosee's I decided on Narcoosee's because it was on the water... Which means we can Take a little boat ride after dinner... if we are so inclined.

December 30th 2012
Breakfast: ‘Ohana

This was the breakfast was most excited to book... i think that it will be something fun to look forward to on the last day of our trip. Plus, we will get to see characters on last time...
...Then we must leave


Overall i am VERY happy with all my reservations and hopefully nothing will be changed (Yeah right)... Anyways let me know what cha think!

Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[midwesternbelle]

Nice ADr's! you guys are going to be eating REALLY well, and its awesome you get to be there for christmas eve and day!!

I cant wait for BoG!!

Thanks... honestly i am a bit worried there will be too much food. Hopefully it will not go to waste... my brother and my dad will surely do fine, but my mom and i... well hopefully we won't get sick!

I am so excited to go for christmas! We usually go at that time of year because my brother and i get school off and it is easier to take off work for my parents! It seems so far away though! I cannot wait !

I know! BOG sounds so cool... and the pictures look amazing too! Hopefully it will live up to the hype... i mean it is disney imagineering... so i am sure it will!

Thanks for continuing to read!
Ariel

 

[rachel09985]

Im joining along and ready to read more.

We went to Disney in June for my sisters high school graduation also!

 

[midwesternbelle]

Im joining along and ready to read more.

We went to Disney in June for my sisters high school graduation also!

Welcome!

Wow! Disney is an awesome grad gift!

P.S. How was AoA?

 

[rachel09985]

Welcome!

Wow! Disney is an awesome grad gift!

P.S. How was AoA?

We haven't stayed yet =( Oops, I probably should have wrote that after our trip! We are heading there in November for 5 nights so I hope I will love it!

 

[midwesternbelle]

We haven't stayed yet =( Oops, I probably should have wrote that after our trip! We are heading there in November for 5 nights so I hope I will love it!

No, i jumped the gun! I am sure the resort will be perfect!
have fun in november!

 

[niknakk]

Thanks... honestly i am a bit worried there will be too much food. Hopefully it will not go to waste... my brother and my dad will surely do fine, but my mom and i... well hopefully we won't get sick!

I am so excited to go for christmas! We usually go at that time of year because my brother and i get school off and it is easier to take off work for my parents! It seems so far away though! I cannot wait !

I know! BOG sounds so cool... and the pictures look amazing too! Hopefully it will live up to the hype... i mean it is disney imagineering... so i am sure it will!

Thanks for continuing to read!
Ariel

I am worried about that same thing! Being on the DxDP is overkill on food! But I would rather be stuffed than starved. I tried to offset eating all day by picking 1 sig. per day so for breakfast we would probably just use a snack credit. Hopefully that will help

I think even if BoG has mediocre food (which I doubt) I think well be so happy that we actually got a ADr that we wont even notice!

I am counting down the days, I think its going by quickly but yes December is SOO far. Im sure both our trips will be worth the wait

 

[midwesternbelle]

I am worried about that same thing! Being on the DxDP is overkill on food! But I would rather be stuffed than starved. I tried to offset eating all day by picking 1 sig. per day so for breakfast we would probably just use a snack credit. Hopefully that will help

I think even if BoG has mediocre food (which I doubt) I think well be so happy that we actually got a ADr that we wont even notice!

I am counting down the days, I think its going by quickly but yes December is SOO far. Im sure both our trips will be worth the wait

True! So true! Too much food is always better than not enough

Oh my goodness! I am so exited for BOG! I know the food will be awesome, but think about being INSIDE the beast's castle... SO amazing! Only disney can do that!

I am at 165 days... i am sure the time will pass quickly especially since i am off to college in a few weeks... it is going to be a crazy semester so disney will be something amazing to look forward to!

 

[DsnyMama]

Good luck with college! It's CRAZY insane - I'm in the middle of summer semester! A bit easier w/o a hubby and two kids though I'm sure! I graduated HS in 2006, did one semester - realized I had to clue what I wanted to be when I grow up - then got married and had two babies!! Finally figured it all out and I started back last year and have *FIVE* years left til my end goal!

ADRs look AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you should stick to Tutto - it may surprise you!!!! Glad you picked Kouzzina!

 

[RachVH]

ADR's look great! Nice balance between fancy and fun!

 

[midwesternbelle]

Good luck with college! It's CRAZY insane - I'm in the middle of summer semester! A bit easier w/o a hubby and two kids though I'm sure! I graduated HS in 2006, did one semester - realized I had to clue what I wanted to be when I grow up - then got married and had two babies!! Finally figured it all out and I started back last year and have *FIVE* years left til my end goal!

ADRs look AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you should stick to Tutto - it may surprise you!!!! Glad you picked Kouzzina!

Thank you! Geez, it seems daunting to balance work and school and living on my own... but throw in kids and i would not be able to handle it! That is crazy! HOW DO YOU DO IT! Seriously though, major props to you!
Also, if i may ask, what do you want to be? Maybe hearing someone else who is sure will help me decide! g

Thank you! I like the ADRs i have too, i am a bit worried about Tutto because it is christmas day when i planned it, but i think i will just stick it out and see how it goes... As for Kouzzina, i saw the menu and i knew i had to eat there! It looks soooo good!

ADR's look great! Nice balance between fancy and fun!

Heheh, thanks! I tried to get just enough character meals where i would be happy but my brother wouldn't die of embarrassment (as i have previously stated... he is at THAT age). Plus my parents really wanted some nice meal so Narcoosee's, Artist Point, and Yachtsman should appease them.

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!
​

Continuing with the past disney trip overviews, I present my 2011 summer trip- the first summer trip to disney... EVER! Hopefully this will help you get to know me and my family a bit more, and entertain you... it is sort of like a short TR, but much less detailed! Enjoy!

This was a bit of a "last minute" trip in the sense that it was planned only 2 months before we went. My parents had a business trip down in Orlando so they told my brother and I that we could each invite our best friend! Then we (the kids) would go to the parks during the week and meet up with the adults for dinner. And on the weekend our parents would join us in the park!
This trip was absolutely amazing because not only did i get to go with my very best friend, my brother, I got to take another best friend (Micaela) and Luke (who is my brothers best friend, and practically my second brother)! Plus it doesn't hurt that we got to spread our wings and go off on our own to the park, it was really amazing that our parents trusted us like that! I was 16, Micaela was 17, Derek was 12, and Luke was just turning 12 on our trip! We celebrated Luke's birthday, my mom's birthday, and my parents anniversary! Lots to celebrate on this trip!

With out further ado, let's meet the cast and let the magic begin!

[sorry that this is not a very good picture, but i wanted to post this one of me and woody!]
Me: Ariel (16 years old on this trip- and blonde... yeah i am a natural blond... and as i got older it started to get darker. I always wanted to be a brunette so about a week before my spring break trip of 2012 i dyed my hair. So, in all pictures of me taken 5+ months ago... i was a blonde! Just figured i should explain that..)
Favorite Ride: Splash Mountain, Everest, ToT
Favorite Princess: Tiana or Ariel!
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Jikos, Whispering Canyon Cafe, or Turf club Bar & Grill at Saratoga Springs Resort!
Favorite Memory of this trip: Riding Everest 13 times in one day, and going to Fantasmic! with Micaela!

Derek: my brother (AKA ) - Age 12 @ time of visit
Favorite Ride: Splash Mountain, Everest, ToT (we are very similar)
Favorite Disney Character: DONALD!
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Jikos and Whispering Canyon Cafe
Favorite Memory of this trip: Riding Everest 13 times in one day, Meeting Bob our server at WCC, and hanging out with Luke!

Luke: Derek's Best Friend - Age 12 @ time of visit
Favorite Ride: Space Mountain
Favorite Disney Character: Mickey Mouse! (Luke was surprisingly into characters, which I was pleasantly surpassed by!)
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Jikos, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and all our other dinners... luke likes food
Favorite Memory of this trip: Riding space mountain 6 times in one hour!

Micaela: My Best Friend - Age 17 @ time of visit
Favorite Ride: Rock n' Roller Coaster!
Favorite Princess: Belle or Snow White
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Akershus
Favorite Memory of this trip: Fantasmic! with Ariel (me), and riding RnRC 7 times!

And finally, my parents who will rarely make and appearance this trip

Mom: Age- confidential information
Favorite Princess: Ariel
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Jikos
Favorite Memory of this trip: Touring EPCOT with Luke and Derek!

Dad
Favorite Restaurant of this Trip: Jikos, WCC, Akershus, and Turf Club... he enjoys all meals!
Favorite Memory of this trip: Touring EPCOT with Luke and Derek (and mom)!


WHERE DID WE STAY?

Because we had a larger group (of 6) this trip we stayed in a two bedroom villa at OKW, which was amazing! So much space! My parents go their own room, and Micaela, Derek, luke and I shared! We had our own washer/dryer too which came in handy! Plus we got two bathrooms which made life MUCH easier for us all! And there was a porch where Mom and Dad could relax while we (the kids) paraded around disney world!


Ok, and now for the massive amounts of pictures:

As soon as we arrived the kids went to Downtown Disney while our parents scooted over to their "work place" . We got to eat lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express... for the first time... it was amazing! We ate there twice on our trip!

Derek and Luke on the boat to DTD (btw, the boats from OKW to DTD are amazing!)... looking gangsta as usual

Our driver was so cool... he gave us forth of July beads... because it was veteran's day!
Mine ended up staining my skin... but they were still very fun!

We were being a bit silly at lunch...

Dinner was so good omg!

Luke gave his lunch the thumbs up! But how will dessert go... can it live up to lunch's impossible standards?

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!​

[Continued from Last Post]

Now for Dessert:

I think we all got ice cream except my brother who got creme brûlée! So delicious!

Then we decided it was time to tour Downtown Disney... we didn't even buy anything... but it was still ridiculously fun!

Silly, silly...

Downtown disney was so fun! But we had big dinner plans to celebrate my mothers b-day! And we were off to Jiko's! My favorite fancy dinner... and my mom's second favorite... Artists Point (her favorite) was all booked up... but Jiko's was amazing!

What a cute group!

The theming is so cute!

Most of my food pics are too dark... but this one looks good!
and dessert....

This was a really fun first day!

The next day we were off to:

YAYAYAY! This was another amazing day... the weather was perfect and we all got along very well... plus we did a TON of stuff this day.
But first a bus pics:

We hit everest pretty hard... 8 times in the first hour of being in the park...

DINOLAND!

Luke was photo bombing us....

Off to Lunch:
(at Restaurantasourus)

The food was pretty good... bad lighting though

Next up:

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!​

[Continued from Previous Post]

This show is amazing!

Another favorite:

And finally safari time!!

Then we used up our fast passes on Everest (making our final total 13! in one day!!) What a wonderful day...

and we still had dinner to come!
Turf Club Bar & Grill @ Disney's Saratoga Springs resort... here we come!

(Luke was hungry)

Yum!

This dinner was so great! Way better than i expected... and so quiet... we had the place to ourselves.

This was amazing sorbet!

My parents

After some sleep... it was time for Hollywood studios...
Mandatory bus picture:

Luke wasn't excited for pictures in the morning...
I don't remember a lot about the order of this day... so i will just give you a few pic's

Lunch at Pizza Planet was so delicious... but the lines were SO LONG!

(sibling picture)

FOOD! We all got pizza... and it was very good... but ya know... its pizza!

Pizza planet was really cool... Luke decided to model a little bit... so derek had to join in...

too many pictures oh my goodness!
[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!

​

[Continued from Previous Post]

Alright... back to the pictures... lets see... ahh! Micaela!

Derek loved the line at Toy Story Mania... actually we all did! So the 40 minute wait went by pretty quickly!

Best friends

Modeling the sexy glasses:

We all wear them so well... #Models


Then we saw Beauty and the Beast:
(Micaela was in this show at her school so she LOVED this!)

We went back to OKW and had some quick dinner... then Micaela and I headed back by ourselves to watch Fantasmic!

(Only one pic... sorry)

Sleep!

And the next day...

MAGIC KINGDOM... Yes we finally went to Magic!

More on MK in next post!

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!
​

[Continued from Previous Post]

Here are a few fun things we did:

Derek is right where he belongs!

The boys at Winnie the Pooh!

And now for Lunch (@Cosmic Rays)

Very good food... and the entertainment was fun too!

I totally recommend this place if you have CS credits to use, or even if you are paying OOP... It is a bit pricey though... honestly anywhere is pricey in disney!

Me and Sonny:

And since it was hot and crowded we went for a spin or two (or 5) on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority! This is great because there is a breeze and you can sit, talk, and enjoy MK!

The view is very pretty:

More fun in MK:

NO MORE!

TEACUPS!

What a day... and what a dinner we have planned... but to get there we need this:

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!​

[Continued from Previous Post]

TO WCC!!!

Our wonderful waiter... BOB! He took luke's Mickey hat and wore it the WHOLE time we were there!

Mom got a HUGE glass of ice tea... she told him she was really thirsty and this is what she got!

Oh Luke...

Our group... We were all so happy this night!

FOOOOD!

Derek and Bob (with likes hat!)

The boys had such a good time they got up and danced with the "little kids" hahahah!

And then dessert came...

Soooo yummy!

Finally Bob gave back Luke's hat, so he modeled for us...

Then Bob signed it!

What an unforgettable night... one of the best moments of the trip, and something i will NEVER forget... Bob really made our experience amazing!

We slept well that night... and woke up the next morning ready for:

EPCOT!

We all got to do some of our favorites:

Then, let me explain, Micaela is the BIGGEST ellen fan. I love ellen too, i watch her show everyday, but Micaela LOVES her. So of course we had to do:

Ahhh ellen...

Then it was time to split up.... Micaela and I headed to the World showcase!

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[midwesternbelle]

A History of Disney: Summer 2011 with our best friends!
​

[Continued from Previous Post]

The World Showcase really helps you remember the beauty of the world!

Then we saw some characters... i was so happy that Micaela took pictures with me! I was afraid she wouldn't... but she did... and she LOVED it!

These guys were awesome! They talked to us for a very long time!

So cute!
Then Micaela got a obligatory twin picture with her favorite princess!

This was the first time i ever saw Mulan in WDW!

Then it was time for dinner at Akershus!

The boys were obsessed with the cool water!

There is Snow White again!

Dinner was really good! I didn't get any pictures though...

We spent several more hours at EPCOT and then headed back to the hotel because the next day would be our last park day!

And we were spending it....

AT MK!

We did a lot of rides, but we spent most of the day enjoying the sights of the park... it was really cool to just relax and take in the disney air!

After dinner we came back and saw the parade/fireworks:

PETER!

Ahh what a fun trip! As we left i started to tear up... I'm a wimp... but really this had been one of the best vacations of my life. Micaela and Luke were really amazing additions to our family! They were so carefree and fun, and we all had a blast!

Sorry this was such a long History of Disney post... i had a lot of pictures to use... between mine and micaela's... well there were 1000+ so i really had to narrow it down.

Hopefully ya'll enjoyed! Stick around for more posts! I have some exciting news coming up!

Thats all for now!
Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[midwesternbelle]

WEIGHT LOSS: GOALS, TIMELINE, AND MORE.​

Hello ya'll! This is a very special part of my PTR. I know that my disney vacation is a good 5 months away, but i would like to start losing weight now... feel free to join in if you're so inclined.

Ok first let me re-introduce myself and explain my weight "issues" if you will...

Here i am:

[Excuse the awkward pose/facial expression... this is one of the only pictures i have of my full body (because i don't like how i look) and it was only sent to my mother to ask if this dress was appropriate for graduation (IT WAS!). I obviously don't take a lot of full-body shots... but hopefully this gives you an idea of where i am weight-wise]
Name: Ariel
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 142lbs
I know that this isn't so bad, but it also isn't good. I have always been "plump" even as a little kid... however i have never been "fat" which again is good... but i want to be healthy.
When i was a sophomore in Highschool i got down to 128ish and i was very happy with how i looked. I didn't keep it off for very long though and here i am two years later 15 gained! I would ideally like to loose between 20-25 pounds in the next 5 months... which i think is very do-able. I need to learn how to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I am sure i will slip a few times but 5 months is a lot of time so hopefully i will meet my goal.

GOAL: 118lbs by December 22nd 2012!

Alright here is the plan:
1. Exercise 6x a week (3 days strength and 5 days of cardio) totaling at least 12 hours a week!
2. Eat no more than 1500 calories a day and use MyFitnessPal (application on my iPhone: it's amazing you need to get it [for free]) to track calories and fat.
3. Soda only once a week! This is the toughie... I LOVE soda... so only having it once a week will we very difficult. And on this one day I mean only one glass... not refills!
4. No fast food. This shouldn't be too hard because i really hate fast food... but it is very cheap and i, as a poor college student, may be temped to stray.

Thats all the "rules" so far... but they may grow!
I am really hopeful because my college gives me free access to the gym and workout classes, so it should be virtually free for me to work out! (***I just found out that my school has yoga classes at the gym... which means it is free for me... and i LOVE yoga! So hopefully this will push me to go to the gym more often***)

Now for the timeline:

Today, July 10th: Program starts
August 14th: Goal Weight - 135lbs. (7lbs lost)
September 26th: Goal Weight - 130lbs (5lbs lost, 12lbs total)
October 20th: Goal Weight - 125lbs (5lbs lost, 17lbs total)
November 17th: Goal Weight - 122lbs (3lbs lost, 20lbs total)
December 15th: Goal Weight - 118lbs (4lbs lost, 24lbs total)

This is hopefully how it will work out. I have been watching extreme makeover: weight-loss edition and i think the idea of losing weight in phases will keep be on track to reaching my goal. I am thinking of coming up with a prize if i meet my goal... any ideas?

As you can see all my weight-loss posts will be in a different color than my regular posts... PURPLE!

Thanks a Million,
Ariel

 

[niknakk]

First off I want to start out by saying you are GORGOUS! And really beautiful hair. Brown looks good on you.

I completely support you in doing this for yourself, it is a very doable goal. And eating healthier and working out is good for your health and promotes longevity so good for you!!!

I am a total health/fitness nut so if you need any tips, or even just someone to talk to I am here for you

Also do you have a trader joes where you live? It is the same price or even less expensive than fast food. I swear by trader joes! Also farmers markets usually have great deals if you go towards the times they are about to end ( then need to get rid of what they have left for the week)

Another thing that I LOVE are juices! I highly recommend getting a juicer and start juicing everything and drink it as snacks during the day. They are FULL of vitamins and antioxidants and over all make you feel great. Great way to realign your system. Also pure pineapple juice is another thing I drink everyday, it reduces bloat and is great for your body overall.

Ps loved your mini TR!