The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 2

[KristineN]

OK..so somehow (and I am not sure how) I am in charge of doing the program for our Church's annual luncheon...this years' theme "The Four Seasons" I need to come up with the cover design. Do any of you have any ideas??? I toyed around with 4 separate images (1 for each season) but it looks choppy. Any help would be appreciated...

Kristine

 

[Glynis]

OK DDA, I need a little advice. Actually, I need you to tell me that I am being a baby and to grow up!! Or not, you tell me what you think:

As you know, we are going to WDW in December. I have always wanted to be there at Christmastime and after some prodding, DH agreed to go. His parents are coming too. Not sure what I think about that since I am an obsessive planner and she is too (but in a whole different way). Now, the inlaws have invited their daughter and her family to come with. First thing she wants to do is change the dates to make it more convenient for her. Also, they will need to stay at a value since the trip is going to be a real budget crunch for them. MIL thinks we should all stay at the same hotel (Yes this is the same MIL who has reservations about staying at mod and not a deluxe and now she wants to go value!).

DH will never rock the boat where MIL is concerned so I am on my own here.

I am losing some of my excitement over the trip.... am I being a baby or do I have the right to feel a little deflated?

I think you have a right to feel the way you do. You've put a lot of yourself into planning this trip. Is there any way you can compromise on the dates, explain why you chose the dates you did and maybe see if that would make a difference. As to the hotel, just because they want to stay at value doesn't mean you have to. You can always make a plan to meet up somewhere every day. Just remember that you are going to Disney, and that's the most important thing!

Can't help you with the MIL thing. My DH would never invite his mother to go on a vacation with us. He knows that she and I don't see eye to eye. Alll I can do is send you a
. Good luck!

 

[Steffy]

A few more...

Your autograph book pages are great! Your family looks so happy.

 

[rosiejo]

OK DDA, I need a little advice. Actually, I need you to tell me that I am being a baby and to grow up!! Or not, you tell me what you think:

As you know, we are going to WDW in December. I have always wanted to be there at Christmastime and after some prodding, DH agreed to go. His parents are coming too. Not sure what I think about that since I am an obsessive planner and she is too (but in a whole different way). Now, the inlaws have invited their daughter and her family to come with. First thing she wants to do is change the dates to make it more convenient for her. Also, they will need to stay at a value since the trip is going to be a real budget crunch for them. MIL thinks we should all stay at the same hotel (Yes this is the same MIL who has reservations about staying at mod and not a deluxe and now she wants to go value!).

DH will never rock the boat where MIL is concerned so I am on my own here.

I am losing some of my excitement over the trip.... am I being a baby or do I have the right to feel a little deflated?

I say you do what you want - this is your holiday afterall - I just got back from a trip with the wider family and I tried to plan something to please everyone and keep all happy and ended up feeling like i missed out on some of the magic myself along the way. One of reasons I think DH is considering taking me back so soon.

You don't need to all stay at the same hotel - you'd be better off being in seperate ones if it means you can do your own thing for some time on the trip - you can always meet at the parks after all.

And if they are joining you on your trip then they should stick to your dates - if they want to go at a slightly different time then maybe you should just stagger the trip - they arrive first then you then you have time together then they leave and you stay on - or whatever order it is.

JMHO - love my family and we had a great trip but I think we'd have ahd a better one if we hadn't lived in each others pockets for a fortnight

 

[tink2020]

OK..so somehow (and I am not sure how) I am in charge of doing the program for our Church's annual luncheon...this years' theme "The Four Seasons" I need to come up with the cover design. Do any of you have any ideas??? I toyed around with 4 separate images (1 for each season) but it looks choppy. Any help would be appreciated...

Kristine

Do any of these help get you started?

It's still the same concept as one image for each season, but I like that idea!

 

[rosiejo]

It has changed the way I approach most things, these days; housework, homework, kids, etc. Sometimes my patience only lasts 15 minutes, and then I can concentrate on other things. My kids love it, because they know if I say I can play with them, once the timer goes off they know I have to leave, but for those 15 minutes they have my undivided attention. I highly advise it to anyone.

Might try it out at work as I have a lot on at the moment

 

[rosiejo]

Do any of these help get you started?

It's still the same concept as one image for each season, but I like that idea!

oooo love this one - and it looks good without having to blend them in together.

 

[tmfranlk]

Hey DDAs...... I could use a little pixie dust today, if you have some to spare

I'm looking over all this stuff that has to be done from March 16th - June 1st and I'm SO overwhelmed, it's not even funny.... and Kyle is out of town and can't calm me down.

What excited me for so long (Match Day, moving, buying a house, starting a family, etc) is REALLY stressing me out.... because it all has to happen so quickly. Someone, HELP! Tell me it's going to be ok even BEFORE residency's over.

We knew better than to plan our lives out.... as soon as you do that, you're thrown a curveball and I HATE curveballs. So we didn't.... we just had a general idea of the direction it was going, and that seemed like enough of a light at the end of this monstrous tunnel.

Now I've ran some numbers and talked with realtors in the places we are looking, and have spoken with employers and schools, etc..... and it is SO much that it has my head spinning.

On March 17th, we wake up after Match Day and the madness begins. Now just the stress of the Match is enough -- finding out where you live, looking for a place, etc in a couple quick months. But add to that grad school, etc...... and I don't know where to begin! If we want to buy a place.... and we're not looking for the house of our dreams, big enough for 3 kids, etc yet.... I'm talking a place that we dont have to deal with crappy landlords, that has a yard and allows dogs, and has a few rooms. And isn't falling apart, because goodness knows we won't have any spare time to deal with home improvements. But if we want that, I can't afford to do a Nurse Practitioner program yet. Which is fine, lots of people wait.... but I wanted this done before having kids, because I want to stay home with them if our situation allows.

So now I feel like we have to chose having a place to live or finishing school or having kids, but can't have more than one. And that's probably not the case, but I just don't even know where to begin right now........

Before anyone says otherwise, I realize that this is no bigger than most people handle. People put off going to school to have kids. People rent for a year before buying a house..... I'm not saying my problems are bigger than the next girl's...

I'm just having one of those days where the light at the end of the tunnel just escaped me again......




Thanks for listening. I feel like I'm alone here without Kyle around and just the dog staring at me crying like I'm nuts!

Lots of hugs and pixie dust, Jennifer! I can't even imagine how stressful having so many life changes at one time can be. I know that everything will work out for the best in the end. You and Kyle will make it work.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

JMHO - love my family and we had a great trip but I think we'd have ahd a better one if we hadn't lived in each others pockets for a fortnight

Thanks for making it "English!" (And for agreeing with me )

 

[Steamboat Marti]

Jennifer - I wish I had some great advice, but I will echo what someone else said, just take it one day at a time and everything will work out. If you keep playing what if, you can drive yourself crazy. I know some days are harder than others so to you! Try not to let yourself get too overwhelmed. I know, easier said than done!

Tammi - I absolutely love your autograph books! Kate is just so creative to come up with the idea, and you did a great job of putting them together. I wish I had seen this idea when my kids were little. Now I will just have to find people I know going to Disney and make books for their kids. Or make one for myself, which I will probably do! Just one more way for me to torture DH, making him wait while I go get character autographs!

Ellen - I hope you don't mind - but ditto to everything you said!!

 

[bear74]

Jennifer -- I think you've gotten some good suggestions. I just wanted to tell you to hang in there. We're all here as shoulders for you to lean on.

Marci

Hi Marci,
Just wondering How your husbands job interviews are going does he have a new job yet.

 

[UP Disney]

OK DDA, I need a little advice. Actually, I need you to tell me that I am being a baby and to grow up!! Or not, you tell me what you think:

As you know, we are going to WDW in December. I have always wanted to be there at Christmastime and after some prodding, DH agreed to go. His parents are coming too. Not sure what I think about that since I am an obsessive planner and she is too (but in a whole different way). Now, the inlaws have invited their daughter and her family to come with. First thing she wants to do is change the dates to make it more convenient for her. Also, they will need to stay at a value since the trip is going to be a real budget crunch for them. MIL thinks we should all stay at the same hotel (Yes this is the same MIL who has reservations about staying at mod and not a deluxe and now she wants to go value!).

DH will never rock the boat where MIL is concerned so I am on my own here.

I am losing some of my excitement over the trip.... am I being a baby or do I have the right to feel a little deflated?

You are not being a baby. Are the dates she wants, bad for you and DH? If not, maybe use that as the stepping stone to say "We'll change the dates to accomodate you, but we are staying at the resort of my choice. If you want to stay somewhere else, that is fine."

My recommendation is that even if you stay at the same resort, that you don't try to stick together. I tried this for one day at Cedar Point with my family, Mom, brother & his family, sister & her family & single brother. I still resent that I wasn't able to do what I wanted. It just wasn't as fun. I should have just met them for meals and maybe one or two rides. That would have been so much more relaxing for me and my DH & DD's.

I liked the idea of staggering the dates so that you overlap. That way you can stay at the resort of your choice anyway and have some days without them.

My DH and I have been selfish and have decided we are not inviting family for this very reason. We spent 20 years never going on a real vacation. Our vacations were spent visiting family. Now that we are actually going on vacation, we want it to be for us. I love to share my excitement with others but don't want to share my trip. I feel for you.

 

[bear74]

I say you do what you want - this is your holiday afterall - I just got back from a trip with the wider family and I tried to plan something to please everyone and keep all happy and ended up feeling like i missed out on some of the magic myself along the way. One of reasons I think DH is considering taking me back so soon.

You don't need to all stay at the same hotel - you'd be better off being in seperate ones if it means you can do your own thing for some time on the trip - you can always meet at the parks after all.

And if they are joining you on your trip then they should stick to your dates - if they want to go at a slightly different time then maybe you should just stagger the trip - they arrive first then you then you have time together then they leave and you stay on - or whatever order it is.

JMHO - love my family and we had a great trip but I think we'd have ahd a better one if we hadn't lived in each others pockets for a fortnight

good advice claire

 

[UP Disney]

Do any of these help get you started?

It's still the same concept as one image for each season, but I like that idea!

Where's all the snow & ice? You are missing one of my seasons! The longest one at that.

Oops! I forgot that half the world doesn't share our delight in all things white and frozen.

 

[KristineN]

Do any of these help get you started?

It's still the same concept as one image for each season, but I like that idea!

Jennifer...

Thanks I am going to try fading the tree picture so the text will be visible.

 

[Eeyorecln]

EVERYONE PLEASE READ!!!​

I am not even sure how to say this without sounding like a brat but I need to ask you all a favor:

recently I have seen some of my designs in other people's design gallery or posted in a thread without credit given to me - I see that it has happened to other designers as well.

I hate to sound petty - and I certainly want everyone to feel free to use the designs and to modify as desired but I spend A LOT of time working on new designs and it gets very frustrating to see it in someone else's design gallery as their own design

I have had people ask me to modify designs of people who are not available to design and have done that but I try not to post those in my public design gallery - if I do -I have added a disclaimer on the design

so I just want to ask everyone that when you borrow a design that you give proper credit to the original designer

That's not petty. You, designers, deserve credit for your creativity and hard work. As well as a heartfelt thank you.

 

[tink2020]

Where's all the snow & ice? You are missing one of my seasons! The longest one at that.

Oops! I forgot that half the world doesn't share our delight in all things white and frozen.

Hey, the tree one has snow and ice!

 

[tink2020]

Jennifer...

Thanks I am going to try fading the tree picture so the text will be visible.

Glad I could help! I think that will look nice, and I think I have a program that will fade it if you have any trouble!

 

[Eeyorecln]

Hi everyone!

Ok after all that drama about taking my kids out of school in Oct to go back to Disney I have decided to take them in August & just avoid the wrath of my kids school. My DH have been talking about it for a week or more now & it just seems like the best thing to do.

I am very excited because tomorrow I am booking our trip to my dream resort, the Beach Club with AAA!!!!! DH actually brought it up (I was going to book POR again to save $.)

So we are going August 20-August 30 & getting the dining plan. Going to take it easy this trip & enjoy the resort (we always go commando).

Yippee!!!!

Have fun planning.

 

[marcij]

Kristine -- I like where you are going with the pictures and the advice you have been given on here. If you aren't quite sure about the blending of the pictures, when you asked about the idea, I pictured the 4 parks t-shirt Kate designed. The layout is nice -- all four separate pictures, but very visually pleasing.

Just a thought...