~~~~~~ Oops SEW we did it again! ~~~~~~ June 2019 ~~~~~~ BAG & OUTFIT UPDATE 5/19/2019!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi D~

It is nice to hear about your upcoming trip and it is odd that it is only 6 nights long. But it looks like you will have a lot of fun. We like going to AK at night. The buses are always empty on the way back to the park and it is almost like having a private bus. :) We were disappointed with Flame Tree BBQ when we ate there last year. We like Yak & Yeti and I liked the "bowl" at the counter service restaurant in Pandora.

That is nice that you can meet up with Suzi again. How long has it been since you saw each other?

Tusker House has the best breakfast and the best characters. We really like it there. We had breakfast at the Wave and it was good, but not something I would have to do every trip.

They are replacing Illuminations with a new show in the fall. I don't know how you feel about it, but a lot of people are making sure that they see it before it goes away. I'll miss the music but not the stupid globe.

It would be nice if the gondolas were running for your trip, but I would think you are just a bit early for it in June. I can't wait until thy are running, though, because I want to ride them. It looks like fun. We rode gondolas that were almost identical to the Disney ones in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and now I have an idea of how they work. I think they will be very popular. :)
 
Hi D~!

So glad you're back here. I don't Facebook so I have no idea what you're up to (which is always something, lol!) if you don't post on the DIS.

AK is a food desert for me, and I'm just a regular old eat-anything person. I think the Y&Y counter service is on/below par of what you could get in a mall food court. Nothing wrong with it, just not what I expect from Disney. FTBBQ looks pretty good - the chicken salad and pulled pork mac & cheese, and heck the kid's meals. Ribs and baked beans sound a little heavy for continued touring to me, but we've eaten ribs there and it was good. I would probably try Satu'li Canteen; it looks tasty, different, and has a rating of 9.2/10 on All Ears Net.
 
I don't think I've commented yet, I usually pop in to your reports and then get sidetracked!

Just wanted to say, I feel you about being busy and trying to keep up with Dis related things. I just realized yesterday how close our own June trip is and started panicking, b/c while we have things planned, I didn't have a lot of our days laid out in a practical way. We always end up winging it to some degree, but I like having an outline in place to start!!
 
Hi D. Your plans sound great. I’m excited for you and love that you’re getting some one-on-one time with each of your girls :)
Lovely that you are meeting up with friends while at WDW. Fun times :banana:
You certainly sound like you have a good mix of planned and unplanned meals. So relaxing sometimes to just wing it!
Even better that you have a 2020 return trip in the books before you’ve done your 2019 trip. Exciting times ahead :goodvibes
 


I am slowly getting caught up on replies...

I'll still have yesterday's to do after this, but at least I'll be caught up to there. :) Thanks for being patient. ::yes:: I've read everything though - so that's good right? LOL

Glad to see you back!

LOL - I am trying. :)

Hi D~! Glad to see you back on the boards. I hear you about being busy, never seems to stop here and race season hasn't even started for us yet!

Thanks! We had a fabulous time on our trip. Seeing our friends DS and DD see things for the first time was really special. Even better, they might be in love with Disney as well now! Adam was not really sure he wanted to go to Disney as Andrea and I started planning the trip, but she really wanted to go this year because their DS will soon be a 'Disney adult', which would make it just that more expensive. Once we actually booked everything though, he got interested. And once they got there, I think he was more excited than the kids! So much so, that he suggested we all go back again in a few years before their DD hits double digits! :)

As you saw, we stayed at POFQ this trip. That was a new experience for us as we have always stayed at one of the value resorts. The resort was beautiful. We were in building 2, room 2103. So main floor, right on the end near the main building. We loved the little courtyard outside the door and spent a bit of time sitting out there enjoying the late evening with our friends. We might have even indulged in some beignets a couple of times! Overall, even though we really liked the resort, we felt like we don't spend enough time at the resort to justify the added cost. For us right now, the resort and room are just a place to sleep and shower as we are usually at the park open to close. We keep saying we want to slow down a bit and enjoy some time at the resort, we just never seem to follow through on that. Maybe next trip, lol! :) Although DH says that we are taking the motorhome and staying at FW next time. I am looking forward to that!

As for the race, it was interesting. Nothing like getting up at 3am to be on a bus at 3:30am to get to the staging area by 4am so you can sit around and wait for 2 hours. There were quite a few character meets you could do before getting in your corral, but the lines were ridiculously long even though we were there essentially when everything started. We ended up just going to my corral (DH dropped back to corral G with me, even though he could have started in C) and waiting for the start. They had a great dj pumping up the crowd in the corrals, so the time went by pretty quick. The one thing we weren't prepared for was the heat and humidity during the race. We did our last long training run the week before at home and it was 23 deg. It was 78 deg and about 80% humidity when we left the resort and was 86 deg and about 95% humidity when we actually started the race and about 92 deg when we finished. Talk about a huge difference! There was so much moisture in the air, that it really added to the atmosphere of the Ewok-Empire battle they had during the early part of the race! Nothing like running through fog with 'lasers beams' cutting across in front of you! My run itself was okay, not exactly my best, but I finished. And I was faster than my practice half a couple of weeks before, which considering the temperature difference, I was more than happy with my result. Unfortunately, I did not finish in front of the Death Stars balloons, but they only passed me with about 3/4 mile to go and I was so completely depleted and exhausted at that point, I couldn't stay in front of them. We were in the no sweep zone by that point though, so we were able to complete the race. Overall, it was a cool experience but not one that I am going to repeat any time soon. Would I do a Disney race again? Absolutely! But it will be a 10K at most. I don't think I will ever do a half again, not even here at home where I am more used to the temperature and humidity level.

I am excited to hear about your updated plans. I think you and the girls are going to enjoy HDDR! We did it on my birthday trip in 2017 and again this time. Our DS was quite grumpy before the show and he ended up getting right into it and loving it. I hope you and the girls have a great time on your trip!

Yay for new Disney loving friends! :woohoo: That's the best!

We love staying at FQ - it is a great Disney resort! It's just so quaint and small... And Beignets! :lovestruc

I hear that so many people love FW! That will be a great trip!

I am glad that you were able to finish the race and that you mostly enjoyed your experience. Bummer that you were passed by the balloons, but at least you were in the no sweep zone.

I am worried about the heat too - and not being acclimated to it... and I am NOT running a race. It's a legit concern. ::yes::

We are soooo looking forward to HDDR! :lovestruc

D~'s Back!!!!
:yay::yay::yay::yay:
Your outfits are adorble as usual. :cutie:

Cannot wait to read your upated plans! :D:-)

I am trying - really trying! LOL I have SO MUCH to post and not a lot of time to do it! :scratchin

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

Do I dare try to squeeze in a life update???

We have really been so busy, the girls especially.

Allison... She is still living with Gus, nearby. She just finished up her Freshman year of college - she missed a 4.0 by just a fraction of a percentage and she is not happy about it - she had a pretty tough professor who was not very good at teaching/testing about what he actually taught or what was read, but testing random stuff - no one did well in this class and there were a lot of formal complaints filed, so I am told. Anyways, we are VERY proud of her! She was going to take classes through out the summer, but then decided last week to drop summer classes & resume in the fall - she is tired and needs a break. ::yes:: She is still working full-time as an Activities Aide and loves it so much - she still gets to interact with her residents, but on a much more pleasant level. The Director has taken Allison under her wing, and it's really nice to see someone take such an interest in my dd and help her expand her horizons. :lovestruc Allison also still picks up the occasional weekend or off day as a RA - she doesn't get the bonuses that she used to get, but she does get the OT, which helps her a lot. She is so busy between work, school and homework, it's hard to nail her down to spend any decent time with her - but she seems to be juggling it pretty well. She is also still scheduling photoshoots to pick up some extra cash - her customer base is mostly her friends from high school and work - so she is currently doing mostly weddings and engagement photos, with the occasional baby thrown in. This summer, without school, she is planning to work more and to pad her savings account a little better - after years of not watching her $$, she has turned into quite the frugal person, and it's fun to watch (and tease) her about how frugal she is. But I love it. :lovestruc

As you know - Allison's 21st birthday was on Easter Sunday (bars were closed)... So we had a nice BBQ here (the weather was amazing that day) and Josh made her, her first legal drink.

20190421_165331_HDR.jpg


20190421_171708_HDR.jpg


The following night, we all went out for dinner - Allison requested a burger place, it was a lot of fun.

20190420_184025_HDR.jpg


Victoria... She is just as crazy busy as Allison is! She is just finishing up her Freshman year of college too... Though she isn't as much of a perfectionist as Allison is, concerning grades - she is plugging along and doing quite well. It makes a huge difference whey you have to PAY for school. ::yes:: V has already paid for summer classes, and is taking a full load - she plans to work a little less over the summer and concentrate more on school. She will still be working about 30 hours per week. Currently - her days are pretty insane... On the days she works at the daycare, she is often out the door by 6am and often working until 6pm - then, most days, she goes straight from the Daycare to her pizza job - sometimes stopping by home to change - and then closing there (which varies between 10pm to 1am, depending on the day)... I wish I had her stamina - I thought, for sure, she'd only be able to manage this schedule for a week or two, but she has literally been doing this since September. :eek: On school days, she gets to "sleep in", as her first class isn't until 10am (believe me, she is still VERY DIFFICULT to wake up - every day) - she goes to class until 4pm, and often goes to her pizza job until close. On the weekends, she goes to visit Carter. She takes her laptop everywhere with her and does home work at every opportunity. I do get to see V a little more often - since she does live here... but at the same time - I usually kiss her goodbye in the morning and often don't see her again until the next morning. I am just as proud of her for all that she has accomplished while juggling everything - Like I said, I just don't know how either of my girls do it?

V and I on Easter Sunday...

IMG_09902.jpg


Josh - well, he has been very busy too... Tons and TONS of overtime at work. He has been saving for a new topper for his new truck - and most of his OT is going towards that. It's kinda fun to see him saving so hard - I am very excited for him to go and order it - as it will be a big deal... Back in the day, we would have just put something like this on a CC and not thought about it. But he is saving and saving hard - so awesome! On the weekends that he can, he has been going to the lake to work on projects there - it's good for us to get a break from each other, maybe most couples don't understand this - but being a (former) military couple - we were used to having time to ourselves - so it's a good balance for us to have the occasional weekend apart. :lovestruc Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?

20190420_183830_HDR.jpg


As for me... I have been so busy too. I seem to go from one side project to the next - with a vacation in between. LOL I feel like I am always behind - when in reality - I am always on schedule. LOL Some how I seem to juggle it all. ::yes:: I am still struggling to lose size - and I am kind of getting to the point where I am giving up on fighting myself all the time. As hard as it is to come to terms with - I'll likely never be much smaller than what I am - and I am TRYING HARD to be OK with that. I am mostly done with making Disney trip stuff... I plan to start working on V's last bag today and I should be finished after that? I hope. I still have a lot of packing to do and a lot of shopping to do (sunscreen, ponchos...), but I do have a good chunk of what I am bringing laid out on the guest room bed (it's so NICE to have a guest room to do this in)... I am so nervous about the heat and getting sunburned. I've been working really hard on getting a base tan for the trip - so I hopefully don't burn - I've been laying out for an hour every day that it's semi-sunny out, regardless of temp... Let's just say, there have been days where I've laid out and froze to death. LOL

20190509_123201.jpg


My *tan* as of yesterday... I think this pic makes me look much darker than what I am... but not too bad for a MN girl. :lmao:

20190515_145605.jpg


The boys are doing well... Always in trouble. :lovestruc

Dad is doing well... He is still feeling very "cooped up"... Sadly - I just can't take him out as often as he wants to go (which is almost every time I visit), and he doesn't go out on his scooter, or to even sit outside on a bench (which there are many of). He is in much better spirits though - overall, and it's so refreshing to see him smiling more often. Health wise - he is pretty steady and nothing major or new going on. :lovestruc

I think that's all I have to update on?

I need to get on with my day and work out - so I don't have time to do another update today. I will, for sure, this weekend though - I have all of my outfits to post... All the pics are uploaded, so it should be an easy post to do. :lovestruc

One final pic of all of us on Mother's Day.... Celebrating V's 20th birthday and Mother's Day. :lovestruc

20190512_190553_HDR.jpg


Prayers and pixie dust to all of you! :hug:

D~
 
Great update! It's nice to read an update on you and your family. Busy, busy. I'm sure you're VERY proud of your DD's. They are able to juggle a lot of things and do them well. They might have gotten that from their Mom?? Your trip is right around the corner! Hope you have a fabulous time and have great weather (hopefully not too hot). The next 2 weeks will be crazy for us. My son and his little family from OR will get here on Fri. and stay 2 weeks. They have a 2 1/2 year old and 4 mo. old. They rented a house so not staying with us. My 2 sisters and their husbands will also be here and we'll celebrate our Mom's #96. It will be a little crazy but fun. Looking forward to more updates and eventually your TR!
 
Your girls are SO grown up!! You must be so very proud of them as they work hard and continue their education at the same time. :)

I am hoping to skip over to DHS for a hot second to see if I can spot Photopass Joe... I am afraid he has retired and I didn't get to say goodbye. :( I've had people checking for him for months and no one has been able to find him. So sad!
Have no fear....I SAW HIM!!!! When we were at DHS for May the 4th, Ariana and I literally walked right past him. I looked back over my shoulder to see that it was definitely him (I have recognized him previously from your TRs!) We didn't stop for pics, but I promise you he is alive and well and still in action!! :)
 


Great update, D! It is nice to hear how everyone is doing. Your girls are super women! I don't think I could have juggled all of that at their age. The pictures are so nice- your outdoor spaces are to die for! The bar and everything just turned out so nice. I totally get what you mean about enjoying your time apart from your husband. Jason has done more TAD trips since we have been in Japan than ever before. Most last 1 week sometimes 2, and I am like "yeah, it is time". Even though I am sad that we will have to travel without him, selfishly, the main reason is that Quinn is often difficult when we travel (mostly not her fault-her sensory issues get triggered when we are off routine). But I will say, it will be nice to visit with my family and be able to call all the shots about where we go and all that.

Your trip plans look great. Are you nervous or excited to not have some of your dining planned out? Have you done the mobile ordering thing yet? I've never done it, but it looks like it might be a real time-saver with quick service. And, who knows, you may stumble onto a new favorite that you wouldn't have otherwise tried. It's kind of exciting. I do think your trip will overlap some of our move. Although, you will be back before we actually leave Japan. They are coming to pack up our house on the 6th and 7th of June and then we will be in Temporary Lodging for about 10days like we were when we first got here. So by June 6, we have to pack up what we can carry that will have to last us until our shipment arrives probably at the end of July or early August. We are scheduled to close on the house on July 1. I am really excited. I think we have one more inspection to do that just has to be done within 30 days of closing. We will have to tighten our budget for sure and I am looking at going back to work at least part time, but it will be a great feeling to own a home again.

I am excited to see more of your outfits and share your excitement as you count down to your trip! Have a great weekend!
 
I have a suggestion for you for your AK day. You should check out Satu’li Canteen in Pandora. It is a quick service, but it has Table Service quality food. Check out the menu, I think you might be surprised. The kids menu is more than enough for lunch, I ate off of it last September.

Another is the Nomad Lounge next to Tiffins restaurant. The drinks are nice and they have a small plates menu as well.

Have fun!
 
Your plans sound good! Plenty of time with your daughters, friends, some down time and a few ADR's thrown in. Our next trip (sometime in 2020!) I plan to book fewer ADR's. FP's are a must but fewer ADR's allows for a little more go with the flow - something that's now hard to do at Disney! I think you will love HDDR! We've stayed several times in cabins at Fort Wilderness. I just love the atmosphere there. Family trip in 2020 - with Josh - wow! :cool1:

Yes - I feel like there is a good mix this trip - even though it's a shorter trip for us. :lovestruc

Agreed... We are all feeling a little more relaxed that we don't have as many ADRs this time around. And FPs are an absolute must... We have a few "junk" ones that I am not sure we are going to use? LIke Figment and Nemo in Epcot - as those are usually walk on rides anyways. ::yes:: I am excited to see FW, we've never seen it, except for by boat, but we never left the boat.

Yes - a big family trip coming. :woohoo: We are very excited - Josh, not so much. LOL I think he will enjoy it, as least a little bit - as he will get to see the Littles enjoying themselves - and he will get to spend some time with the girls as grown ups... It's a VERY different experience and dynamic than it was the last time he was there... 2008 and the girls were 9 and 10. :scratchin... And I had every last minute scheduled - Park open to park close 7 days in a row. :eek: We are much more relaxed now. LOL

Sounds like you have a great trip planned.


I'm trying to figure out my next Disney trip. Sydney has a basketball tournament at ESPN wide world of sports (or other gyms in the area). I'm guessing we won't know her game schedule till 2 days before we go. We are staying at a Hilton that is 1/2 way between Disney and universal. So I know we will be at some theme park that weekend. Just don;t know which one and for how much time we will have.

DH has a work trip to France, so the girls and I are going with him to see a women's world cup soccer game and go to Disneyland Paris. I really have to start planning that trip. Make sure that the hotels that DH picked are good. I'm flying home with the girls while DH stays for his meetings.

It sounds like you have some very busy weeks coming up!

And France! Exciting!!!! And DLP - even more exciting!!!! When does this happen?

Hi D~

It is nice to hear about your upcoming trip and it is odd that it is only 6 nights long. But it looks like you will have a lot of fun. We like going to AK at night. The buses are always empty on the way back to the park and it is almost like having a private bus. :) We were disappointed with Flame Tree BBQ when we ate there last year. We like Yak & Yeti and I liked the "bowl" at the counter service restaurant in Pandora.

That is nice that you can meet up with Suzi again. How long has it been since you saw each other?

Tusker House has the best breakfast and the best characters. We really like it there. We had breakfast at the Wave and it was good, but not something I would have to do every trip.

They are replacing Illuminations with a new show in the fall. I don't know how you feel about it, but a lot of people are making sure that they see it before it goes away. I'll miss the music but not the stupid globe.

It would be nice if the gondolas were running for your trip, but I would think you are just a bit early for it in June. I can't wait until thy are running, though, because I want to ride them. It looks like fun. We rode gondolas that were almost identical to the Disney ones in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and now I have an idea of how they work. I think they will be very popular. :)

Many people have recommended the CS in Pandora - we may give it a try... The last time we were there, it was lunch time and it was PACKED, and we just didn't want to wait. I am hoping we might be able to get in there for dinner on our arrival night? :scratchin

Suzi and I last saw eachother on my trip to Florida in February 2018, when I stayed with her and her parents in Ft. Myers. So, almost a year and a half now. ::yes:: We talk almost every day though on a group chat on FB between Suzi, Mo, Ariana and I. :lovestruc

We love TH breakfast, and we also love The Wave... Both are must-dos for us on all trips. LOL That's what I love about WDW - there's something for everyone! :lovestruc

I saw that about Illuminations... We've only actually seen it once - on our 2008 trip. All of us can kinda take or leave the night time shows - while they are beautiful, we just don't do well with the crowds. We enjoy watching them from afar. ::yes::

I agree - I think we will be too early for the gondolas. I am excited to see them running though while we are there - it will be nice to get a good perspective. :)

Hi D~!

So glad you're back here. I don't Facebook so I have no idea what you're up to (which is always something, lol!) if you don't post on the DIS.

AK is a food desert for me, and I'm just a regular old eat-anything person. I think the Y&Y counter service is on/below par of what you could get in a mall food court. Nothing wrong with it, just not what I expect from Disney. FTBBQ looks pretty good - the chicken salad and pulled pork mac & cheese, and heck the kid's meals. Ribs and baked beans sound a little heavy for continued touring to me, but we've eaten ribs there and it was good. I would probably try Satu'li Canteen; it looks tasty, different, and has a rating of 9.2/10 on All Ears Net.

Thanks! I know - I have several readers who don't FB... I do try to stop in every once in a while. :lovestruc

I've read several reviews like that about Y&Y... Someone mentioned the nachos at FTBBQ??? I think it was Ariana? I can't remember now, but I was thinking I'd like to try those? I think we are definitely going to try the CS in Pandora though - EVERYONE is raving about that. I need to look at their menu to see what looks good. ::yes:: Thanks for the recommendation! :lovestruc

I don't think I've commented yet, I usually pop in to your reports and then get sidetracked!

Just wanted to say, I feel you about being busy and trying to keep up with Dis related things. I just realized yesterday how close our own June trip is and started panicking, b/c while we have things planned, I didn't have a lot of our days laid out in a practical way. We always end up winging it to some degree, but I like having an outline in place to start!!

Hahaha - same. LOL

We kind of do the same thing when we plan our trips... And Suzi does it much the same way too. We usually plan our mornings, and then "wing" our evenings - which means that we end up at MK because that's the easiest park for us. But since this is a much shorter trip for us - we are pretty limited on where we are going and when. It's OK... I honestly think this will be a great trip - it seems that by the end of our longer trips - we are just "Disneyd out" LOL... So hopefully the shorter trip is just what we need? :scratchin

Hopefully you have your June plans a little outlined by now? You should PM me your dates to see if we overlap. :lovestruc

Hi D. Your plans sound great. I’m excited for you and love that you’re getting some one-on-one time with each of your girls :)
Lovely that you are meeting up with friends while at WDW. Fun times :banana:
You certainly sound like you have a good mix of planned and unplanned meals. So relaxing sometimes to just wing it!
Even better that you have a 2020 return trip in the books before you’ve done your 2019 trip. Exciting times ahead :goodvibes

Thanks! We are super excited too!

And we can't wait to see all of our friends... Suzi, Cindy, Monica... And a few new friends too. It will be a great time. :lovestruc

Yes - and we are very excited to have a little more freedom this trip, as far as ADRs go... There are so many snacks we want to try in MK this trip, I think we will just graze all day long there. :scratchin

Right? I don't think that the girls have EVER left Disney with a definite trip on the books to go back? :scratchin So this will be a very new experience for them!

Great update! It's nice to read an update on you and your family. Busy, busy. I'm sure you're VERY proud of your DD's. They are able to juggle a lot of things and do them well. They might have gotten that from their Mom?? Your trip is right around the corner! Hope you have a fabulous time and have great weather (hopefully not too hot). The next 2 weeks will be crazy for us. My son and his little family from OR will get here on Fri. and stay 2 weeks. They have a 2 1/2 year old and 4 mo. old. They rented a house so not staying with us. My 2 sisters and their husbands will also be here and we'll celebrate our Mom's #96. It will be a little crazy but fun. Looking forward to more updates and eventually your TR!

Thanks! Yes - we are very proud of them!

Hahahaha! Yes, they may have got that from me? :lmao:

Thank you!

Oh that is so exciting!!! You will be so busy - and how incredibly nice that they have their own space! That is really awesome! Enjoy your time with them - as I know you will! :lovestruc

Your girls are SO grown up!! You must be so very proud of them as they work hard and continue their education at the same time.


Have no fear....I SAW HIM!!!! When we were at DHS for May the 4th, Ariana and I literally walked right past him. I looked back over my shoulder to see that it was definitely him (I have recognized him previously from your TRs!) We didn't stop for pics, but I promise you he is alive and well and still in action!! :)

Yes we are so proud of them! Love them with every inch of my soul!!!! As I know you love your Jimmy too! :lovestruc

YOU DID??????? Seriously???? OMG!!!! You just made my week!!!! This makes me so happy... No one has seen him since we left and I was really starting to think he retired. YAY!!!! Thank you so much for letting me know! :hug: :lovestruc

Great update, D! It is nice to hear how everyone is doing. Your girls are super women! I don't think I could have juggled all of that at their age. The pictures are so nice- your outdoor spaces are to die for! The bar and everything just turned out so nice. I totally get what you mean about enjoying your time apart from your husband. Jason has done more TAD trips since we have been in Japan than ever before. Most last 1 week sometimes 2, and I am like "yeah, it is time". Even though I am sad that we will have to travel without him, selfishly, the main reason is that Quinn is often difficult when we travel (mostly not her fault-her sensory issues get triggered when we are off routine). But I will say, it will be nice to visit with my family and be able to call all the shots about where we go and all that.

Your trip plans look great. Are you nervous or excited to not have some of your dining planned out? Have you done the mobile ordering thing yet? I've never done it, but it looks like it might be a real time-saver with quick service. And, who knows, you may stumble onto a new favorite that you wouldn't have otherwise tried. It's kind of exciting. I do think your trip will overlap some of our move. Although, you will be back before we actually leave Japan. They are coming to pack up our house on the 6th and 7th of June and then we will be in Temporary Lodging for about 10days like we were when we first got here. So by June 6, we have to pack up what we can carry that will have to last us until our shipment arrives probably at the end of July or early August. We are scheduled to close on the house on July 1. I am really excited. I think we have one more inspection to do that just has to be done within 30 days of closing. We will have to tighten our budget for sure and I am looking at going back to work at least part time, but it will be a great feeling to own a home again.

I am excited to see more of your outfits and share your excitement as you count down to your trip! Have a great weekend!

Thank you! I knew you'd totally understand the need for time apart... It's just kind of how we are. I almost feel like it makes us a better couple - that we aren't 100% reliant on each other and we are independent people. :lovestruc

I totally get it about traveling - while I've never had to experience that - I can only guess how difficult that must be. :hug: Wishing you LOTS of Pixie Dust on your travel days - I'll be thinking of you! :hug:

Not nervous at all about not having dining planned out - if anything, we are more excited to have extra freedom this trip. :) We have never done mobile ordering yet - so it will be a new experience for us.

WOW!!!! That will be crazy!!!! I cannot imagine having to pack up to live "mobile" for such an extended period of time. How do you plan for that? At least you will be back in the States and near family - so if there's anything you need, it's easy to attain?

So excited for you and your house!!! And so excited for you to be back home again! We didn't "meet" until after you moved to Japan - but I know it wasn't easy for you to be away from your family (as I only imagine, I would be the same way) - it makes me happy that you will be near them again. :hug:

I went back to work part-time when the girls were about 4 and 5... I always took summers off though - budget wise, this always made summers and BTS time very difficult (financially) for us - but some how we made it through.... I don't think the girls ever knew that it was a financial struggle for us in the summer - they just knew that I was home and was able to spend unlimited time with them. I'd do it all over again, a million times over... The struggle was worth it. :lovestruc But I always worked while they were in school - and it was pretty easy to work my schedule around that, so I think you will do great! Wishing you the best as you transition to a whole new lifestyle. :lovestruc

Yay!!! I'll be posting my outfits shortly! :woohoo:

Your girls are gorgeous Dorine, you must be very proud of them. Sounds like they learned how to work hard from their parents :)

Awww... Thank you! Hahahaha - probably - I don't feel like I work very hard, most of the time. LOL

I have a suggestion for you for your AK day. You should check out Satu’li Canteen in Pandora. It is a quick service, but it has Table Service quality food. Check out the menu, I think you might be surprised. The kids menu is more than enough for lunch, I ate off of it last September.

Another is the Nomad Lounge next to Tiffins restaurant. The drinks are nice and they have a small plates menu as well.

Have fun!

So many people have mentioned this to me - so thank you for the suggestion - it is now on my radar (it wasn't before), and I am hoping to try it for one of my meals. I am headed over to Allears to check out their menu as soon as I finish my posts this morning.

Ooooh - I didn't know that! Thanks! I'll check out their menu too! :lovestruc

Lovely photos. You look amazing!

Awww, thanks so much. It's an endless struggle these days, but I am trying to be OK with myself. :lovestruc

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

Yay!!!! :woohoo: I am all caught up on replies! Phew!!! It only took me 2 weeks! :eek: Thanks for being patient! :grouphug:

Disney outfits coming right up! :lovestruc

D~
 
Alrighty! OUTFITS!!!!

As you all know - planning my outfits and my accessories is a HUGE part of Disney planning for me. It has it's own category in our trip budget. LOL

Forgive my ramble in advance...

When we were planning our trip to Aruba, I realized I had donated almost my ENTIRE summer wardrobe last fall when I was cleaning out our room! :facepalm: :eek: So, then I was trying to find a few fun "tropical" outfits to take with me to remake my summer wardrobe. Well, years ago - this Minnesotan girl discovered Lilly Pulitzer... I loved the fun bright colors and prints so much - I told myself that I wouldn't "allow" myself to buy anything until I got to my goal size 8. This was back in 2013, roughly. So, all this time, I admired from afar - always wishing I could wear it. Finally, here we were, going to Aruba - and the LP clothes would be perfect... I told myself, "D, you are being rediculous" - why not just enjoy wearing these clothes now? Who knows if I will EVER get to a size 8?? I mean, it's not as if I've only been trying for a few months - we are talking 6 years now - I've been trying to get smaller than a 10/12. I feel like I've given it the "good ol' college try" at this point. So, I "reneged" on my self-imposed rule, and ordered a few pairs of LP shorts (USED, off of various markets)... I loved them SO MUCH in Aruba - for the first time in forever - I felt good... Well, I didn't feel good about my bloatedness while I was there - but I felt good about the clothes I was wearing. LOL

Anyways... This sent me down a rabbit hole of Lilly Pulitzer love!

I have since, almost rebuilt my entire summer wardrobe with LP... ALL of it used - or NWT off of the secondary market... because, let's face it, LP is ridiculously expensive - and we are VERY budget minded people... Honestly - I just cannot afford to pay new retail prices for it. So, I don't. I've averaged to spend about 70% or more below retail for everything I've purchased. :woohoo:

Anyways... For this Disney trip - I decided to combine my love of Disney, with my love of LP. And this is the result. ::yes::

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

For our travel day - not photographed - I've decided to travel in my standard black legging capris and a WDW tee shirt. I didn't photograph this outfit, I wasn't thinking.


Once we arrive and get checked into our room, I plan to wear this outfit for our evening in AK

20190501_081523.jpg



Our full MK day, is obviously my new Splash Mountain set... I am so excited about this one, as I've been wanting a Splash set for years, but I could never decide how I wanted to do it. I am still not 100% satisfied with how it turned out, but over all "it will do". LOL

20190501_085755.jpg



Our full AK day, I will be wearing this... It's not necessarily AK themed at all... I wanted most of my bags this trip to be versatile, where I could appropriately wear them into any of the parks... This one is geared a little bit more to MK, but eh... LOL The entire outfit is light colored and I think it will keep me cool in an extra-hot park. ::yes:: I hope. (Note that the bag ruffle and the entire bag interior is the same fabric as the shorts. :swoon: )

20190501_080819.jpg


Ear close-up for this outfit...

20190429_151859.jpg



My birthday... This outfit is still a surprise!!! I have not taken any pictures of it or shared it anywhere publicly (Suzi, Mo, Ariana & Cindy have all seen it though - and they approve). I do think, however, this day I am planning an "official" outfit to change into at some point during the day, as I am not sure it's appropriate to dress up for HDDR? Thoughts?



Epcot... Flower and Garden festival. The girls and I are pretty excited for this! We all have "flowery" outfits to wear. Except for me. Yet. LOL That could change if I find something on the used market that appeals to me. But for now - I am going with a classic Disney summer look and theme.

20190501_090211.jpg



And finally, our mish-mash day... 'Ohana ---> DHS ----> MK I did it - I finally did it!!!! :woohoo: Finally, after all of these years - I made a new Duck Butt Bag (or DBB as I've affectionately renamed it :lovestruc )... It's not the "classic" royal blue and white dots that my "original" DBB was... I went with a little more classy look - and kind of went off the theme of the Philharmagic theater. The main color of the bag is solid navy and though it's difficult to see, I stitched the quilting in gold and used gold accents through out - it's so very pretty in real life. And the reason I finally did a Donald UPB??? Ears... Disney finally came out with Duck Butt Ears!!! :woohoo: SO MANY people tagged me on FB for these ears, it was quite funny - there was just NO WAY I could do this trip without these ears! LOL

FB_IMG_1557917591083.jpg


And the Donald fabric I used inside. :lovestruc Duck Butts galore! Hahahaha!

20190509_165159.jpg




And that's it. I'll have several extra outfits with me to change into, but those are mostly jean shorts and tank tops - as it will be hot, and I will be yucky sweaty. ::yes::

Oh - and I also purchased a new pair of shoes for the trip yesterday... I've been looking for a pair of Skecher Go-Walks for YEARS and many trips, everyone raves about them, but I could never find a pair in a color I liked or a pair that didn't make my feet look stupid. Yesterday morning - V and I were out, and we had to kill some time at Kohls before the bank opened. I tried these on and fell in love! I literally wore them ALL DAY yesterday - and they were super comfy right out of the box! So, now I am in "shoes for Disney break-in mode"... I'll be sleeping in these shoes. LOL ::yes::

20190518_115909.jpg


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

Finally, V's new bags for this trip...

She also went "simple" this time... Actually - her pink bag was the reason we went simple. V designed it - It was the first bag I made for our trip, and I loved it so much that I based the rest of our bags off of it. It's really so very cute! She intended it to match and wear with her Rose Gold Ears from DLP. :lovestruc

received_319853828721056_1.jpeg


And then, yesterday - I finished the bag she designed to coordinate with her Purple Potion Ears (which Cindy was kind enough to pick up while they were in stock)... This bag was a little more difficult to make - not as in "difficult" but difficult to find the bow fabric and the sequin fabric to coordinate with the actual ears. In the end, we weren't able to find exact matches - not that we expected to... but we did end up with a few duds - as in glaringly obviously clashing - swatches of sequins which didn't match at all. So, while these aren't a 100% identical color, the sequins coordinate well with the sequins on the Ears. Make sense? LOL

20190518_153650.jpg


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

And that's it. I still have time to squeeze out another bag or two for ourselves, but I don't think I will. We just don't have anymore room in our luggage this time. ::yes::

Thanks for being patient with me throughout this PTR! :grouphug:

Pixie Dust to all! :lovestruc

D~

ETA... Not sure why my pics are so HUGE???? :scratchin
 
I have since, almost rebuilt my entire summer wardrobe with LP... ALL of it used - or NWT off of the secondary market... because, let's face it, LP is ridiculously expensive - and we are VERY budget minded people... Honestly - I just cannot afford to pay new retail prices for it. So, I don't. I've averaged to spend about 70% or more below retail for everything I've purchased
The LP clothes are adorable. You were lucky to get them at a reasonable price. :)
I am so excited about this one, as I've been wanting a Splash set for years
I love the ears for this set. The Brer Rabbit bag is is really cute. I would love to see you in MK with this outfit. :)

Note that the bag ruffle and the entire bag interior is the same fabric as the shorts.
Are the shorts from Lily Pultizer?

I do think, however, this day I am planning an "official" outfit to change into at some point during the day, as I am not sure it's appropriate to dress up for HDDR? Thoughts?
People wear all kinds of things to HDDR, but nothing too fancy. I think we tried to stay with a Western theme when we went their - although it was January and not hot. ;)

Disney finally came out with Duck Butt Ears!!! :woohoo: SO MANY people tagged me on FB for these ears, it was quite funny - there was just NO WAY I could do this trip without these ears! LOL
Those ears are great. I think you will get a lot of comments about them. :) I like your streamlined duck butt purse.

I finished the bag she designed to coordinate with her Purple Potion Ears
Victoria's ears and purse are really cute. I can see where you would have a lot of trouble matching fabrics and sequins. But you did a fantastic job with matching them.
 
Great updates! Your outfits, bags, and ears are all great! I wish I was talented enough to coordinate trip outfits like that. So cute! :)
 
Hopefully you have your June plans a little outlined by now? You should PM me your dates to see if we overlap. :lovestruc

Yes, I had the plan all nice and outlined...and then we were thrown for a loop. My MIL usually watches our dogs - well this time she was to be here for the kids as well. She's trying to bail on us while we're about 20 days out from the trip. So it may end up being a solo trip for me instead of me and DH :( Oh well, trying to make lemons out of lemonade!! I'll send you a PM with the dates :)

Anyways... This sent me down a rabbit hole of Lilly Pulitzer love!

I feel you! I love LP. I have a couple pairs of shorts and some halter-ish style tank tops that I love, and managed to catch the yearly sale once to get some lightweight sweaters. Sadly the sweaters don't hold up well, so maybe bypass any of those if you find some in your shopping!


This print is one of my favorites, but I am DYING over the splash bag!!!! I've always loved your bags, but this one takes the cake for me!!


I think this turned out great!
 
Love the outfits! I've looked at them several times trying to pick a favorite. They're all great but I do love the duck butt one! I guess part of it is the navy/white combo. Also love the tropical prints. The splash bag - so cute! Glad you're happy with the Go Walks. I just bought 2 more pairs at a Skechers outlet store. It was buy one get one half off. One is a very light tan with pink trim. That was a departure from my usual gray. Yes, always comfortable right out of the box! Your trip is getting close - so exciting!
 
As always, your bags and outfits are amazing!!! I have been trying to dress a little better when I go to the parks because I realize how horrid I look in the pictures, lol. I'm going to keep that in mind when we go again in June. It is just usually so stinking hot and humid that no matter what I wear, I just end up looking like a hot mess. You all will look amazing and I'm sure will have a great time. Looking forward to hearing all about your big trip next year with the whole family!! I'm sure that will be lots of fun to plan.
 
Alrighty! OUTFITS!!!! :scratchin

We leave in 13 days and I just pulled suitcases out and its stressing me out lol. Can I just pay you next time to outfit me lol. I'm usually packed and ready to go by now, but I have been working 40-50 hours a week plus I do a home craft business too that's been keeping me jumping.

Your itinerary looks great, we are going for a shorter trip but its jam packed. Our flight arrives Monday AM at 7:40 so I am now debating to take the Magic Express or Uber/Lyft to the hotel so that we can get the most out of our day. We are heading to Epcot and have am fast passes and then just playing it by ear, which we decided to do this trip dining wise besides some PPO breakfasts we don't have any other reservations for meals. My mom decided to join me and my son on our trip and she is super excited bc she has never been there.

Tuesday is our AK day and I am bummed I could not get a FOP FP For anytime that week, so I'm hoping to grab one and we've never done AK at night so fingers crossed we can get one.

Wednesday we are doing Early Morning Magic at Toy Story land and I was so excited to grab tickets for this, my son and mom are huge TS fans so getting to see the new land and ride the rides was a big priority for me this trip.

Thursday is our last day :( I've kicked around trying to bump our flight back friday bc its a morning flight too but I havent' decided yet. We are doing a PPO at BOG and then RD 7DMT, we have fast passes but we are probably going to cut the MK day a little short bc I bought us the MK After Hours Villians Tickets for that night, we may only get an hour or two of rest before we have to be at the airport but I think it will be worth it.

Ok now I need to run home and PACK lol, I love all your outfits and I squealed when I saw you got the Donald Feet Ears bc I thought of you when I seen them and that Purple Potion Purse has stolen my heart.

It's almost trip time!!!!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top