Bad Trip Burn-out

[newtexan]

Help!
I had a very bad time on my last trip with my husbands family, I had pre-made about twenty layouts, and didn't use them at all. I didn't even print pictures. Some of them are dated for '12 but most can be used again.

As we are about 2 and a half months out, I'm getting into the mojo of grab bags, ponchos, light sticks, and those things...but I can't seem to get into my scrapbook bag and think about an album for this trip. It's going to be an even bigger family reunion with his side, and I am not really dreading it but I am quite apprehensive.

How can I get over that and just get into the Disney spirit, get rid of the pages I can't do over because of the dated parts and start making some great pages for memories for this year.
Any advice?

 

[Reagan&Co.]

Gosh, I don't know how you can get over that feeling of having a ruined trip....I think it just takes a little time. Later, you may be able to laugh about it. There are quite a few posts on the rest of disboards talking about "worst vacation ever", etc. and they almost ALWAYS involve extended family!!

Thank you for inspiring me to pre-make my pages! We are doing a Disney cruise at the end of the month and I have had NO motivation to scrapbook in over a year. But yesterday I bought a cute nautical scrapbook and thought I would look on here for ideas. I should pre-make some of my pages like you did.

If some of yours are outdated, keep them anyway. If you loved the layout, I would just re-copy them for your upcoming reunion. You can probably use bits and pieces of the papers again for matting, letters, etc.?

 

[JandJ]

When my niece turned 3 we went to Disney with my sister's in-laws - her MIL, FIL, 2 SIL and their spouses. It was awful. I mean, spending time with my niece was great and she had an amazing 3rd birthday, but my sister's in-laws were awful. When I finally did scrap that trip, I just left them out. I used the pictures of me and my niece, her with the characters, the parades, etc. but I think there might be only one picture of those in-laws in a group shot. It helped to scrap it that way! It really did! I can look at those layouts now and remember the happy times we did have on that trip

JMHO - maybe, this time, don't pre-plan your layouts. You might keep from setting yourself up for disappointment. You might also need to leave people out (like I did) and then you'll want to be more flexible with your layouts.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm right there with you!! I have my Dec 2005 trip in the staging boxes for 2 years, I still can't make myself scrap them.

I have pages that I can't or won't use for various reasons. If I can salvage the pieces, I usually pull them apart and use the mats and journal boxes, the titles if I can use that title again. If not, I just toss it. I also have some pages that I did before my style changed so those get tossed too.

Your other option for this upcoming trip is to maybe do a Project Life album instead. Maybe just making the 3x4 and 4x6 cards will help keep the overwhelming feelings down to a minimum. And when you are there focus your photos mostly on you and your DH.

And if all else fails, grab your DH's hand and take 3 steps to the left!! Lose the in-laws in the crowd!!!!!

 

[newtexan]

I'm so glad someone "gets" me on this.
I love Disney and Mickey, but we didn't even stand in line to meet the mouse last trip cause noone could agree on when the line wasn't too long to stand in. UGH!
My hubs has agreed that we will do rope drop with our kids no matter what. then just meet up with the gang when they stroll in at ten or eleven.
I've never done project life...Imay look into it a little more. Little bits of the trip might not be bad to scrap.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

PrincessNancy and I went on a trip together and it was literally a text saying"
"hey we are in AK"
"cool so are we!"
"we are in line with Stitch"
"cool, we are headed that way, meet you there"

It was sooooo easy!!!! We met up when we felt like meeting up. They went to Epcot while we stayed in AK, we knew they got the Epcot because it poured! It always pours when they go to Epcot.
The only two things we planned were meeting at Everest so the kids could buddy up and ride and we met at MK the last day and did a big family pic.

Nancy's family was the get up and go early people, we were the stroller inners at 11. It worked out well because we didn't feel the need to entertain each other.

I know I dread scrapping my Dec trip because we were with a family that wanted to do it all. I was 6 1/2 months pregnant at the time and I just wanted to die. I ended up being in an incredible amount of pain by trying to keep up.

 

[3pletprincesses]

Don't worry about the scrapbook yet. way until you come back and I bet your mojo will come back with you. as for getting ready for the trip look at it this way, it's your trip and you will be doing what you like and not have to worry about others It will be much better this time around. I think we all had trips like yours at one point and believe, they are not fun. that's one of the reasons why I don't plan extended family trips any more.

 

[laura&fam]

I was going to suggest you do a small signature album instead but it sounds like that might not even work. If there's something you know you are going to do, like the rope drop, you could pre-do that and just do the rest when you get back and print photos.

It's your vacation too and extended family trips for me seem to go better when we do some things together but have some time with just our family. Good luck.

 

[newtexan]

Well, the "boys", (all married men with children of their own) had thought each would do their own thing in the am and meet sometime near 3 at hotel pool for kids to play together, take a short break, then all go to dinner together. Maybe some would hit a ride while the most of the group would just find a place for parade/fireworks.

Grandma has evidently complained to Grandpa that they aren't going all that way and spending all that moola to only have one meal a day together. He called the boys and told the 3 of them to fix it.

Isn't there a memo about this being the happiest place?

 

[laura&fam]

It sounds like you'd be spending from 3 pm to park close together or together-ish (some saving spots for fireworks and some doing rides). That's more than one meal. Any chance of convincing Grandma 3 pm to park close is enough? We make waiting for the fireworks a big event with glow sticks and card games. Maybe you could sell it that way?

 

[newtexan]

laura&fam
thanks for the cheering up. If I could make real magic happen...
anyway. the grandparents don't swim, i have no idea what they are planning on doing other than dinner and then fireworks/Fantasmic/Illuminations. Last time, they offered to babysit and let the adults go to the park for late night hours alone. Noone has even mentioned that this time.
My husband has said, we are going with our plans, and the others have their own alarm clocks and tickets to do what they want. Giving up our entire evening is enough.

I am trying to get myself motivated to at least put together a travel book for my youngest. I went to michaels over the weekend, but as I said before, they reset the stickers to one aisle, mostly Jolee's and zero Disney. I really don't remember seeing any licensed character stickers now that I think about it.

I am just going to let it stew until school is out next week. With my oldest having finals, and my youngest a field trip and field day to plan for....I just don't have time to worry about it right now.

 

[laura&fam]

Is there a JoAnn's near you? The one near me has a decent selection of Disney stickers and paper.

 

[newtexan]

no Joann's. the mall it was in closed after JCPenneys moved out of this area. and there is a hobby lobby, but it is between a 30 and 45 minute drive, depending on the traffic. I don't like to drive downtown, so unless hubs is off and willing to take me I don't get there very often at all.

I think I'm just going to concentrate on enjoying my little family during the days. My husband usually is in charge of our little waterproof sony camera, and I'll ask him if I can carry it this time. I'll snapshot my kids doing silly or precious things and try to get some strangers to take family shots of us too.

then after we head back to the hotel for our break and start of the whole family part of the evening...I'll give him the camera to capture what he wants of all of them, and I will take time to look at the Park and enjoy all that Walt imagined.

Scrapping will wait until whenever the mood strikes. And if it doesn't happen within six months, i'll just buy an album and put my favorite shots in it so the kids can remember how much fun we had.

 

[JandJ]

I think I'm just going to concentrate on enjoying my little family during the days. My husband usually is in charge of our little waterproof sony camera, and I'll ask him if I can carry it this time. I'll snapshot my kids doing silly or precious things and try to get some strangers to take family shots of us too.

then after we head back to the hotel for our break and start of the whole family part of the evening...I'll give him the camera to capture what he wants of all of them, and I will take time to look at the Park and enjoy all that Walt imagined.

Scrapping will wait until whenever the mood strikes. And if it doesn't happen within six months, i'll just buy an album and put my favorite shots in it so the kids can remember how much fun we had.

That actually sounds like a really good plan!

 

[newtexan]

And on it goes,

My children and I are in Myrtle Beach this week and we stopped over at My in-laws for one night on the way down...we had a perfect list made of our dinner reservations places and times...and each ticket listed by number to match names for each family. We gave them instructions for MDE, and a little about the dining plans "rules", plus the all ears website to go look up the menus now.

You would have thought I gave them something in Greek or Old Latin. No idea what any of it meant, and this was just the grandparents. I am not a teacher nor was I endowed with much patience.

I'm lucky we got of there on time the next morning. I just kept telling them to call my husband or the sis-in-law with the travel agent friend.

On the up side, I got some practice packing for a week, and oh crap. My suitcase was almost 89 pounds! I have long ago made up one of those ultimate packing lists - this time, I even took off all the baby stuff since my youngest is out of that stage. I can't imagine getting this down to 50lbs for the plane. I can't decide whether to pay luggage fee or the FedEx charge to mail myself a mid size box of things... Any ideas?

 

[laura&fam]

My one thought is if the hotel has laundry facilities would you rather spend the time doing that or the money to ship it both ways. You also need to think about if you buy anything there and need to get it home.
We always drive so I'm not much help.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

On the up side, I got some practice packing for a week, and oh crap. My suitcase was almost 89 pounds! I have long ago made up one of those ultimate packing lists - this time, I even took off all the baby stuff since my youngest is out of that stage. I can't imagine getting this down to 50lbs for the plane. I can't decide whether to pay luggage fee or the FedEx charge to mail myself a mid size box of things... Any ideas?

How many people are you packing for in one suitcase?
We usually go for 10 days to WDW, 6 people and we travel with carry ons only, each getting one bag. 4 for clothes and 2 for on plane entertainment and snacks.
We wear 1 set of clothes and pack 4 more, plus socks and undies for all 10 days (hate having 1/2 a load of whites). Around day 4 or 5 I spend 2 hours doing laundry while the kids and DH hit the pool or after everyone goes to bed. I like during the night because I can usually take up 2 machines and get it all done in one shot.

What carrier are you flying and do you get free checked luggage or do you have to pay for every bag? If it's free, I'd pack a smaller bag for each person or split it up amongst the grown ups, or put 2 -3 people in one bag. If you have a fee for every bag, see what the overage fee is and see if it's cheaper to pay that than the per bag fee.

And we used to ship stuff down, not clothes but food items. We usually made breakfast in the room plus snacks. Shipping is easy and if you do the ground rate it's not terribly expensive. Plus with sending food down, we consume most of it and didn't have to ship anything back.

 

[newtexan]

Wow, all great questions, and I haven't a clue!

My kids and I just spent nine days in the South visiting family, swimming in the ocean, and of course, getting a little too much sun. My daughter had a large duffle + a bag for shoes + her make-up bag + a hair care bag + her purse + and came home with a large shopping bag too. Typical teen I'd say.

My son had the littlest suitcase plus his pillow and blanket.

My suitcase weighed almost 80 pounds. Plus I had the snack bag, my purse, the laptop, and the camera bag.

We are in big trouble if I pack like this for Disney. I think we are on Jetblue. One bag checked, one carry-on, and one personal item. I am definately planning on shipping down our snacks, swimvest and goggles, and maybe some of the shoes - to save space and weight in the suitcases.

Other than my teen, we are going to spread the clothes through all three other suitcases. She will give us one outfit and her back-up swimsuit. The rest she is determined to make fit in her bag and keep it under weight. I have so many ideas for outfits and Tink gifts, but no budget (blew it at the beach big-time) and no space either. I dream big, but will have to let reality (my husband) pull me back in and make it doable in the three weeks we have left to get it together.

**On a side note, we got our Magicbands! Except for the brother that has been bugging us for our daily plans...no idea what happened to theirs. They plan on calling Monday to ask where they are. AND I heard my mil is upset because the dining plan doesn't include appetizers and she really wants to have a salad at each dinner. None of the top 3 choices my husband and I sent it to be voted on got picked for dinner, I sent everyone the link to the menus on all ears, and there are two places that got picked where at least three people cannot find anything to eat. That is not my problem, because I didn't choose any of them. And if they (complainers) want to try and get reservations for 17 of us somewhere at this late date, they can go right ahead. I'm staying out of this!

 

[laura&fam]

Thank you for being aware of dietary needs. I've developed some problems over the last couple of years and it's so hard when you tell extended family repeatedly and they just don't get it.

 

[mom2rtk]

I hope you had a great time on your trip and found some inspiration to get you scrapping when you get home.

I'm just impressed that you are used to putting pages together before you go. Heck, I still have several trips I haven't yet scrapped. I make a point of sitting down and journaling the entire trip as soon as I get home. Then when I'm finally ready to scrap, the thoughts are all still there.

We met friends at WDW one trip and it just didn't go as I hoped. In the end, I just decided to gloss over some of the not so pleasant parts of the trip and eventually I was able to find pleasant things to scrap about. I think time between you and the unpleasant trip will help.

Maybe if you post photos of the pages you think you can't use people can come up with some ideas about how you can retrofit them for this new trip?