Planning our Wilderness Lodge Adventure! Nov 8-15 ~ We are back!

[CJsMom]

We went with the hard drive video camera as well and I'm really happy with it. The only thing I was nervous about was the hard drive failing for some reason and losing all my video - as I didn't have a laptop to download the video to during the trip. Luckily it didn't happen - and we have 7 wonderful hours of video! I had fun making movies out of it and getting it all organized on DVD. It's a fun toy!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Very Cute!! Our bananas had those stickers earlier this summer and seeing Mickey and the gang brought a smile to my face! They're even cuter when Henry is sporting one!

And congrats on your weight loss! Way to go!

Thank you on both things! I about flipped when I saw the stickers on the bananas-DH just sorta rolled his eyes, but I also saw the smile creep across his face...

We went with the hard drive video camera as well and I'm really happy with it. The only thing I was nervous about was the hard drive failing for some reason and losing all my video - as I didn't have a laptop to download the video to during the trip. Luckily it didn't happen - and we have 7 wonderful hours of video! I had fun making movies out of it and getting it all organized on DVD. It's a fun toy!

I REALLY need to do that with all our video! We have hours and hours of trips and Henry...but nothing is put together into something nice. Another project to add to the list!

 

[brookelizabeth]

07-29-2008 - Our Sytlin' Diggs

As I mentioned a few days ago (maybe a week ago? All our busy summer days are blurring into one!), we have selected our t-shirt themes for each day of our trip.

Arrival Day: Henry in his Buzz Lightyear, 1st trip shirt that I got off the DISigns board, I need to be brave one evening while I'm feeling crafty and attempt to iron it on. Which sounds easy, but totally intimadates me! Joe and I in whatever we feel like wearing that day. I just might wear my Mouse ears on the plane though...

Hollywood Studios Day: Muppets. Henry in a Beaker shirt. Joe in the Sweedish Chef, me in the 'balcony dudes' who's names I cannot ever remember. I will attempt purchase these before becoming crafty-but I most likely will end up using Zazzle (which only takes some minor craftiness).

Animal Kingdom Day: Monsters Inc. Doesn't exactly go with the park, but we were talking about the Yeti, which led into Sully, who is sorta Yeti-like, except cute and cuddly versus scary ...and Joe loves Monsters Inc, so we settled on that.

Magic Kingdom Day: Mickey & Friends. Henry in his Mickey/Minnie/Donald onesie. Me in Minnie, Joe in Mickey.

Epcot Day: Wall-E shirts all around! We love the 'techy' side to Epcot, and while we still haven't seen Wall-E, it's techy looking!

Day Off: No theme, but I still want a Disney shirt for Henry at least!

Departure Day : No theme. Sigh.

Birthday Dinner: Henry in the Winnie the Pooh DISign I showed earlier. Joe and I in whatever we were already wearing for the day, or something else.

Extra Shirts for Henry: Since he's a baby, chances are he'll get a bit messy eating and playing, so we have Cars for DHS, the "I Mickey Head Mom" for MK. I have to find a few more.

We haven't bought anything for Joe and I because we are still loosing weight. Henry is growing like a weed, but should still fit into what we have bought. I'll probaly wait until late September to buy our shirts. Until then, I'll browse and plan and hope they have what I want in stock.

After they are bought, I will share the pics!

I hear Disneyshopping.com calling my name....

 

[jordanyosh]

I gotta get on the themed shirt bandwagon.

Your ideas are great.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I gotta get on the themed shirt bandwagon.

Your ideas are great.

Thanks! I am usually anti-themes, but it's Disney-where Crocs and fanny packs are stylish.

 

[stagemomx3]

but it's Disney-where Crocs and fanny packs are stylish.

 

[brookelizabeth]

 

[jaycns]

Just dropping by to check your plans and I got caught up in your mini TRs! It looks like you all had so much fun in NY!

I love your planning of outfits. I am gettint ALMOST to the point where I can pull out suitcases and start throwing things into them (okay, so what if I start about a month before we go, I will be packed in time to leave and that is the main thing, right?!).

Are you going to do the WL photo shoot thing?

 

[brookelizabeth]

Just dropping by to check your plans and I got caught up in your mini TRs! It looks like you all had so much fun in NY!

I love your planning of outfits. I am gettint ALMOST to the point where I can pull out suitcases and start throwing things into them (okay, so what if I start about a month before we go, I will be packed in time to leave and that is the main thing, right?!).

Are you going to do the WL photo shoot thing?

We had a fantastic time in NY. I miss it so much!

There is NOTHING wrong with packing early. Nothing at all! Just ask any DISer.

I want to do the photo shoot thing, but I don't think it will work for us because we are part of a Photopass Share....if I remember to, I am going to call the number and find out the details. It would be so neat to document Henry's first trip with some really nice pictures right at the lodge.

Are you planning on doing it?

I need to get caught up on your PTR too - I'm so excited to read your TR when you get back too! You have such a beautiful way of sharing the magic that brings tears to my eyes.

 

[thewesterberg]

Love your t-shirt ideas!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Love your t-shirt ideas!

Thanks! I also saw some close-ups of tie-dye Mickey shirts on a TR, I remember you mentioning tie-dye Mickey shirts and I said we weren't the tie-dye type. Well....after seeing the close-ups, I think I may want to try it. I was thinking of making a all blue one for DH, all red for me and maybe green for Henry. I still have to run this idea by DH (let the eye rolling commence!), but they would make excellent shirts for one of our no theme days, or some really great back-up shirts!

So, I might be asking you for those directions if I'm feeling crafty. It sorta scares me though. I am really good at screwing stuff up like this. Really, really good. I'm very non-crafty. Either that or I will make a huge-mongus mess and be annoyed, but the shirts will come out pretty good. I'm also a perfectionist.

This is a recipe for a disaster, isn't it?

How easy is this?
And, how easy is it to really screw up?
Are the directions in pictures? Diagrams help this girl.

 

[thewesterberg]

Thanks! I also saw some close-ups of tie-dye Mickey shirts on a TR, I remember you mentioning tie-dye Mickey shirts and I said we weren't the tie-dye type. Well....after seeing the close-ups, I think I may want to try it. I was thinking of making a all blue one for DH, all red for me and maybe green for Henry. I still have to run this idea by DH (let the eye rolling commence!), but they would make excellent shirts for one of our no theme days, or some really great back-up shirts!

So, I might be asking you for those directions if I'm feeling crafty. It sorta scares me though. I am really good at screwing stuff up like this. Really, really good. I'm very non-crafty. Either that or I will make a huge-mongus mess and be annoyed, but the shirts will come out pretty good. I'm also a perfectionist.

This is a recipe for a disaster, isn't it?

How easy is this?
And, how easy is it to really screw up?
Are the directions in pictures? Diagrams help this girl.

You're turning hippie! Peace, dude.

For tye dying... hmmm... I love doing artsy stuff, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. I ended up making 6 t-shirts. One of them didn't turn out as good as the others, but you could still tell it was Mickey. I found a tutorial on either the DISign board here or on TGM - there's something on both sites if I remember right. I'll see if I can find the links. There were pictures, which are always helpful!

Honestly, it is messy. Even wearing the gloves, my hands were very colorful for a couple of days. It's one of those suspenseful crafts - you do the tracing, sewing with dental floss, the rubber banding, and then dye, and then you wait. Over night. Wondering how it's going to look.

Let me know if you need any more encouragement or if you have questions! Or when you're in Duluth, stop by and we'll have a tye-dyeing party!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

You're turning hippie! Peace, dude.

Where did I put my Birks?

For tye dying... hmmm... I love doing artsy stuff, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Oh, I love it. I just SUCK at it. (are we allowed to say that word here?)

I ended up making 6 t-shirts. One of them didn't turn out as good as the others, but you could still tell it was Mickey. I found a tutorial on either the DISign board here or on TGM - there's something on both sites if I remember right. I'll see if I can find the links. There were pictures, which are always helpful!

Yes, pictures=good for me!

Honestly, it is messy. Even wearing the gloves, my hands were very colorful for a couple of days. It's one of those suspenseful crafts - you do the tracing, sewing with dental floss, the rubber banding, and then dye, and then you wait. Over night. Wondering how it's going to look.

Oh crud. Messy for someone who is crafy means a disaster for me. Tracing I can handle...sewing though, eep. That makes me REALLY nervous. Once I tried to sew on a button. It fell off again later that day. I was really excited that I did it, but apparently I didn't do it well enough! Is there anywhere you can buy the shirts already made?

Let me know if you need any more encouragement or if you have questions! Or when you're in Duluth, stop by and we'll have a tye-dyeing party!!

That would be so much fun!!!!!!!! My DH would not enjoy sitting around and tye-dying, but I know I would!

Speaking of Duluth-have you ever done the "Pizza Train"?

 

[thewesterberg]

Where did I put my Birks?

Got some John Lennon glasses to go with the ensemble?!

Oh, I love it. I just SUCK at it. (are we allowed to say that word here?)

Looks like you didn't get censored!

Yes, pictures=good for me!

Here ya go!

Oh crud. Messy for someone who is crafy means a disaster for me. Tracing I can handle...sewing though, eep. That makes me REALLY nervous. Once I tried to sew on a button. It fell off again later that day. I was really excited that I did it, but apparently I didn't do it well enough! Is there anywhere you can buy the shirts already made?

That would be so much fun!!!!!!!! My DH would not enjoy sitting around and tye-dying, but I know I would!

Send your DH and Henry off to the children's museum in town and come on over!

Speaking of Duluth-have you ever done the "Pizza Train"?

Yup, it's pretty nice. It's been a few years, but our son was probably about Henry's age when we went. We enjoyed it - fun to be a "tourist" in your own town!

 

[brookelizabeth]

08-07-2008 - Making Lists of Lists

I'm a pro list maker.
I make lots of lists.
Accomplishing the items on the list is another story.

I have found myself making lists of lists as well. Such as "Ride List", "Packing List", "Magic Makers List", "ADR list". And then combining those onto a giant "To Do" list.

It's just makes me feel more organized, but I think it's having the opposite affect! I am thinkin' I just need to go back to my Passporter. After all, that's why I bought it right? For organization!


Well, last night I made a list, here is what it looks like:

• Extra day at Pop? Go to Festival of the Masters. Explore resorts. Swim. Airfare + $99 + food
• Keep loosing weight!
• Cakes
• Packing list
• Magic Makers list
• Day by day detail --> put schedule into Passporter
• Lunch at MK - Columbia Harbor House or at a nearby resort, Contemporary? Check ADR list and that days details.

You see, at any given point I have a ga-jillion things about the trip floating around in my head. Ideas. Things DH mentions. Such as the last item. The other day while we were doing dishes he said something along the lines of...

"I'm looking forward to eating a quick lunch at a couple of the resorts. We can leave the park and go to a nearby resort."

"Uh...sure...I hadn't really planned on that...I kinda thought we would stay in the park for lunch, but maybe I can figure something out."

So, I need to re-look at the schedule and see if one, or more of the days, we could leave the park and go resort touring a bit.

But that naturally led into the conversation of tacking on an extra day. As you may recall, we discussed doing this with staying an extra WEEK, but that just isn't going to work out. So we threw around the idea of staying at Pop one night-I even called Disney for prices.

If we add an extra day to the front of our trip, then on that first day we can go resort touring and we can go DTD for the Festival of the Masters, which I REALLY want to see and was bummed to find out that it ends on our arrival date.

Plus, airfare is considerbly cheaper flying the 8th-15th rather than the 9th-15th. It might even break even!

Other things on the list are moving along-weight loss is going well still!

I have a bit of detail on the parades/shows/fireworks/etc to add in as well...gotta get it all straightened out in my notes and then I'll share with ya'll.

 

[stagemomx3]

Extra Day! I vote for an extra day!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Got some John Lennon glasses to go with the ensemble?!

Nope, just some nifty 70's "Police Officer" glasses that I could swipe from my hubby.

Looks like you didn't get censored!

I checked it right away too!

Here ya go! Send your DH and Henry off to the children's museum in town and come on over!

They make it look so easy! I'm very tempted to try it. The sewing totally intimidates me though.

Yup, it's pretty nice. It's been a few years, but our son was probably about Henry's age when we went. We enjoyed it - fun to be a "tourist" in your own town!

A co-worker of mine mentioned a train ride between Duluth and Two Harbors, so we looked into that and I noticed the Pizza Train. DH was already excited about the train, then I mentioned "Pizza" and he was SOLD. He's bummed that it's Domino's, but it's pizza none the less! I've barely planned our trip - we've tossed around ideas, but that's about where it stars and ends. Gotta plan that and Henry's birthday party and Disney! Good thing I like planning!

Are you headed to the State Fair this year?

 

[brookelizabeth]

Extra Day! I vote for an extra day!

Funny you mention that....


WE BOUGHT OUR AIRFARE A DAY EARLY!!!!!!!!!!

I gotta call Disney and book our night at Pop!

More on all that comin' soon....

 

[stagemomx3]

Funny you mention that....


WE BOUGHT OUR AIRFARE A DAY EARLY!!!!!!!!!!

I gotta call Disney and book our night at Pop!

More on all that comin' soon....

Congratulations!

 

[thewesterberg]

They make it look so easy! I'm very tempted to try it. The sewing totally intimidates me though.

We're going to build your confidence here...

First off, you're using dental floss... think of it as fancy flossing! It's not thread. Nope. It's not. Just some stuff from the dentist that you're adding to your shirt!

Second off, this is the easiest kind of sewing to do. You're only doing one layer, no joining things together. Just follow the pencil line with semi-even stitches (but don't get hung up if they're different sizes... it's not super critical)

Third off, it's tye dye... it's an art, not a science!

A co-worker of mine mentioned a train ride between Duluth and Two Harbors, so we looked into that and I noticed the Pizza Train. DH was already excited about the train, then I mentioned "Pizza" and he was SOLD. He's bummed that it's Domino's, but it's pizza none the less! I've barely planned our trip - we've tossed around ideas, but that's about where it stars and ends. Gotta plan that and Henry's birthday party and Disney! Good thing I like planning!

Planning = Gud

Domino's = Indigestion (but it = Gud when you're on a train, watching the beautiful scenery go by!)

Are you headed to the State Fair this year?

We thought about going the day before our flight leaves for Disney, but DH can't get off of work until noon so we won't get down there until 2-2:30. Plus we didn't want to wear ourselves out walking around and consuming various items on a stick knowing what we'd be leaving for the next day! How about you? I was a 4-Her (the city type, no animals here) growing up so I have many fond memories of living at the fair for a few days each summer... good times, good times!

Funny you mention that....


WE BOUGHT OUR AIRFARE A DAY EARLY!!!!!!!!!!

I gotta call Disney and book our night at Pop!

More on all that comin' soon....

HAPPY DAY!