Tasty Planning Time with ZeBrook! A 2 for 1 PTR - 12/24 - All our bags are packed

[brookelizabeth]

Woo Hoo! I love Mickey mail!!!

And dirty or not, that shirt that Henry has on is adorable!

I know just what you mean about being a single parent for a few days. DH travels alot for his job, which is the main reason why I stopped working in the first place - it was just too much to have a job plus handle everything at home. It does get easier though after you've done it for a few years - HA!

Henry insisted on wearing a car shirt that day, and thankfully there was one clean....well....it was clean in the morning!

to you for doing the single parent job while DH is travelling! I can very much understand leaving your job due to that! The ONLY reason our house wasn't a complete sty when Joe got back after this week was because I worked from home on Thursday, had several work meetings, and was able to do a lot of multi-tasking! Henry was at daycare that day, so it was unique cleaning and the toys staying in the toy box for more then 22 seconds. How do those single Mom's and Dad's do it, day in and day out???!

 

[IluvXU]

Mickey Mail is the best. I am waiting somewhat impatiently for our DVC book for 2010 or any DVC mail!

The Mickey postcard was a hit here too!

 

[jenjolt]

YAY for Mickey Mail!! I just love when I get mail from Disney or get mail in relation to Disney projects!!!

I have the Deluxe passporter and I just love it!!!! It is absolutely wonderful!!!

Hope you have a more relaxing week coming up!!!!

 

[KathyRN137]

Love the PassPorter knock-off....

Now with the $$ you saved on that, you can buy Henry another cute Disney shirt!!

Yay for being able to say "next month!"


Kathy

 

[DreaGirl]

Oh I love Mickey Mail!!

That is so cool that Henry got a postcard from Mickey.

I like your Passporter "pockets". That is the main reason why I bought mine this year, really wish I would have gotten the Deluxe though.

 

[mrsksomeday]

Mickey mail is the best mail EVER!!

This is one of the most adorable pictures I have ever seen!!

He looks so into it .

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Love the Bubba-Porters! (In Texas, homemade versions of items are referred to as having been Bubba-fied). Congrats on the 1 month mark! Can't wait to see how trip 1 goes down. And I see you are almost bootless! WOOHOO! You may now do a happy dance!

 

[mickeysmyboy]

I love mickey mail!!!! It's so exciting when those packages start coming!!

I love the look on Henry's face with the postcard in his hand!! Too darn cute!!

Did you watch the cruise DVD yet?! I'm telling you that podcast cruise is calling my name! I've be so tempted to check it out! But, DH is so ain't cruise!!!

Were planning on a trip in Dec 10 I have this idea in my head that I could tack the podcast cruise onto the end of the trip and if DH doesn't wanna go I'll go all alone!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, a week of Mickey Mail -- how wonderful!!!

Did you request the Cruise line DVD or did they just send it to you since you had booked the trip?

I love your handmade Passporter envelopes!

Wow! I can't believe your next trip is so close!!!

 

[A.Mickey]

I first have to apologize to everyone...this PTR is jumping around all over the place between trip plans and Wisconsin Dells...and, I have a very good feeling, it's just going to get worse.

So, if you are getting lost or confused, my apologies.


So, you might want to know "Why does Brook think this PTR is going to get even MORE confusing?"

Well...

I have a secret.

And I can't keep it any longer!!!!!!



I have an Annual Pass burning a hole in my back pocket.



And apparently my husband does too!

Back in January, knowing were coming back to to WDW in December, plus having the very nice DVC AP discount, we thought it best to buy the APs.

Being that it's June, and it's been 6 months since our trip and another 6 more to go...I have to admit, that AP is burning a hole in my back pocket!

Between the two of us, I cannot tell you how many trips we have "secrectly" priced. These discounts Disney keeps throwing at us are irresitable, aren't they???

Joe admits to me about his faux-trips...I haven't admitted to all of mine...


I don't know how it came up AGAIN, but it did. Someone threw the noodle at the wall to see if it would stick, and it's been hanging on...

At first it was me saying,

"We can eat Pop Tarts the entire week at Pop Century!"

then it was,

"Pop Tarts at All Star Music!"

or,

"Pop Tarts at any Value, or ANYWHERE!!"

We were even considering...<dum dum dum> off-site!

ANYWHERE, ANYHOW JUST GET ME TO DISNEY WORLD!


And a recent trip was priced...with free dining, in September for 4 nights, 5 days.

Joe's Response:
"Dang."
<pause>
"That's cheap."
<pause>
"Crap."



I priced out airfare and found it cheap.

We continued discussing it, I promise you, he brought it up as often as I did!

Then, enter Fuzzy Disney Math:

Joe: "How much is our 4th of July to Mount Rushmore gonna cost?"
Me: "Not sure...at least a few hundred bucks with gas/food/camp site, etc."
Joe: "So, if we took that money and upgraded to that New Orleans resort....You have to drive 9 hours to South Dakota. And 9 hours back. In a weekend. And, we have Annual Passes..."



Nice, huh?


After much more discussion and browsing every Moderate Resort's pictures online, we put in a price quote for CSR!




And if you have noticed my ticker...................













WE ARE GOING BACK IN SEPTEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This is now a 2 for 1 PTR! I can't believe it!


I get to have Casey's Corn Dog Nuggets in just 2 1/2 months!


I love me some Fuzzy Disney Math.

Hi Brook!! I know I have a TON of reading to do! But oh my gosh! This post was just hilarious! Could Henry eat nothing but Pop Tarts for a week too? You two sound exactly like Jason and I! I love it!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Mickey Mail is the best. I am waiting somewhat impatiently for our DVC book for 2010 or any DVC mail!

The Mickey postcard was a hit here too!

Oh no! You still haven't gotten the 2010 planner??? They can be so slow with the mail. It was a thrill to get here, even though we have looked at the charts online. Just all the pretty pictures and stuff! I hope it comes soon...

YAY for Mickey Mail!! I just love when I get mail from Disney or get mail in relation to Disney projects!!!

I have the Deluxe passporter and I just love it!!!! It is absolutely wonderful!!!

Hope you have a more relaxing week coming up!!!!

That is great to hear about the Deluxe Passporter! The leather binder has little slots for stuff, right? I really have to look into it more, and take the plunge!

Love the PassPorter knock-off....

Now with the $$ you saved on that, you can buy Henry another cute Disney shirt!!

Yay for being able to say "next month!"


Kathy

I am likin' your Fuzzy Disney Math!

Oh I love Mickey Mail!!

That is so cool that Henry got a postcard from Mickey.

I like your Passporter "pockets". That is the main reason why I bought mine this year, really wish I would have gotten the Deluxe though.

I wasn't even aware of the Deluxe until fairly recently - it seems like a much more efficient - and cheaper - style. I really want to explore all the other things they sell on their site too, I know they have a ton of eBooks and other gear. I wonder if they JUST sell the pockets...

Mickey mail is the best mail EVER!!

This is one of the most adorable pictures I have ever seen!!

He looks so into it .

Aw, thanks! When he first got it he was pointing out "Mahee" and "dog" (Pluto) and then starting waving it around and shrieking/laughing. When I pointed out the words on the back he suddenly stopped and "read" them. "Hmmm...what does Mickey have to say to me?"

Love the Bubba-Porters! (In Texas, homemade versions of items are referred to as having been Bubba-fied). Congrats on the 1 month mark! Can't wait to see how trip 1 goes down. And I see you are almost bootless! WOOHOO! You may now do a happy dance!

Okay - I am SO adopting that term! That RULES. I even told Joe and he cracked up too! "Bubba Porters" Oh yes.

I love mickey mail!!!! It's so exciting when those packages start coming!!

I love the look on Henry's face with the postcard in his hand!! Too darn cute!!

Did you watch the cruise DVD yet?! I'm telling you that podcast cruise is calling my name! I've be so tempted to check it out! But, DH is so ain't cruise!!!

Were planning on a trip in Dec 10 I have this idea in my head that I could tack the podcast cruise onto the end of the trip and if DH doesn't wanna go I'll go all alone!

I love when the Mickey Mail starts coming, it means the trip is really close! I didn't expect it all until less than 30 days, so it was really a nice surprise!

We did watch the cruise DVD, I watched it the first night I got it and Joe watched it last night. We both drooled all over it.

I LIKE your plans of your land/sea. There are 550 people booked on the cruise, LOTS of them going solo, you could even find a roommate to cut the costs on the Podcast Cruise board! I think it would be a perfect Mommy getaway....!

A.Mickey (see her post above) was on Podcast Cruise 1.0 and is writing a TR...so is tiggerbell (Jaime)...both are making me VERY excited about it all!

Oh, a week of Mickey Mail -- how wonderful!!!

Did you request the Cruise line DVD or did they just send it to you since you had booked the trip?

I love your handmade Passporter envelopes!

Wow! I can't believe your next trip is so close!!!

I requested the DCL DVD off the website. I don't know very much at all about DCL or cruising, so I figured it would be a good place to start!

Tomorrow we start the actual countdown, I can't believe it!

Hi Brook!! I know I have a TON of reading to do! But oh my gosh! This post was just hilarious! Could Henry eat nothing but Pop Tarts for a week too? You two sound exactly like Jason and I! I love it!

Hi Shanan! Thanks for reading! Ya....for Henry we'd have to bring some Gerber Puffs, Goldfish Crackers, and some chocolate and he'd be set. Can you even imagine how sick we'd all be by the end of that vacation??? Is your DS coming on PCC 2.0, or will it be another Mommy & Daddy Getaway?

 

[Lady Lallie]

You have just gotta love Mickey Mail!! You got tons of it this week, so very exciting!

 

[PNO4TE]

Hi, Brook. I am a little late jumping on board, but here I am, nonetheless! Sounds like you all have a great year of Disney travel planned. .

As for the PassPorter: I bought the spiral bound one the first year it came out. Second year I bought the Deluxe and have loved it. I have never had to replace the binder so it really is a huge money saver. Plus, you can remove pages you don't need for a particular trip and have a much lighter version.

Did you know that you can buy additional pockets? I have often done that if I am taking a few trips a year. Works like a charm. When we did our last DL trip I bought the refill for the Deluxe version only and saved money there too. Now I only save the pockets from our trips. Much easier and space-friendly than the whole book!

 

[wdwgirl03]

WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD NEXT MONTH!!

YAY!!!! Soon you will be able to say you are going to Disney World THIS month!

And how fun to get all that Disney mail. I wish we would get those luggage tags with DVC. You get those when you book some sort of package, right?

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Hey Brook,

Mickey Mail is the best!

And it is really hard to be a parent by yourself......(DH traveled for 6 months when DS was about 6 mos-he had to for work-and it was rough) my hat goes off to anyone who does it either because of a work situation or other family situation...)

I am a huge Passporter fan as well but they do get $$...did you know that sometimes towards the end of the year in the fall when the next one for next year comes out (which is usually Oct-Nov.) they have a $1 sale where they sell off the last year's? So when 2010 comes out say end of October-they'll have a $1 sale of all the old 2009 ones...

Btw-I've though Henry is adorable since I've seen him-but his hair color is amazing...I really noticed it in that postcard photo-gorgeous color-lucky little ginger...

 

[PNO4TE]

I am a huge Passporter fan as well but they do get $$...did you know that sometimes towards the end of the year in the fall when the next one for next year comes out (which is usually Oct-Nov.) they have a $1 sale where they sell off the last year's? So when 2010 comes out say end of October-they'll have a $1 sale of all the old 2009 ones...

I love when they do that! I usually order a few and put them away. When a friend or one of my students starts to plan a trip to WDW and comes to ask my advice, I have that to give along with my "words of wisdom." It is a very inexpensive gift and I find that many are returned to me to give to another family or they will pass them along to someone else they know who is going.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

YAHOO for Mickey Mail!!! I just love that picture of Henry reading his post card!!! I agree, it looks like he is so into it! Too stinkin' adorable I tell ya!

Isn't it awesome to say you're going next month? I can say it now too which is amazing since we booked in January! Granted we don't go til the end of the month, but still! Funny story - so of course I have lists, wants, ideas, numbers, etc all written down and I also have countdown calendars both at work and home. Well, AAA agent calls yesterday to remind me of the final payment due Aug 7th and it just felt so soon to me. I'm not complaining and I have the money saved and all, but it was like, really? Sure, take it now! I can't wait til we get our luggage tags and I'm glad they're different from last years!

Thanks for the tips on the Gran Fiesta and we will check it out this time!

I can't wait for your trip so I can hear all about it and SEE all the fall decorations in your reports!

Heather

 

[princess&her4princes]

Hi Brook!!!

Lovin' all the Mickey mail!!! Love the pic of Henry with the postcard, he was really studying that!!! Too cute!!

And glad to hear that you survived the week with Joe training, it's a lot of work! Todd use to travel cross country once a month for 4-5 days and it killed me so thankfully it only happens every other month or so now just overnight on the East coast but having him home every night, even if though it's only 1 1/2 hours each night before bedtime, still helps!!!

Yay that next month is your trip (that means mine is too!!!!)!!

 

[TyRy]

for Mickey Mail. I love opening the mailbox and seeing something from WDW!!!

 

[robinm1215]

Hi Brook! It's been a while since I've posted but I have been reading and trying to keep up with your PTR. Lot's going on with you! Great to hear about your trip in Sept -- you must be so excited, it will be here very soon! I will miss you by a couple of weeks as we'll be there until Aug 21 -- and then I'll be back again in Oct. Hopefully our paths will cross on another trip

Love the latest picture of Henry reading his postcard -- he is such a cutie!

Sorry to hear about your foot and hope that it is all healed up before your trip