~~~~ Sew, help me... A bittersweet "Epic Girls Trip"... January 2018! ~~~~ UPDATE 1/7!!~~

Sounds like you had a good day yesterday.
How great that your mechanic was able to fix so much on V's car even if you had to kick in $111

Your outfit for your Donald bag looks great :)

How great that your dad seems so much happier now.


Last night it has been temperatures below freezing point here. So this morning it was ice on the roads and the police warned everyone to drive safe and have all their windows on the car free from ice.
At 1pm it was 35.6ºF outside. I'm so relieved that I have winter tires on so I can use my car this weekend.
Today I have to use the webasto (engine and interior heater) for the first time this season since I can't reach up to the windows to get them ice free. It's so nice to be able to go into a warm car when it's cold outside :) My engine and interior heater goes on fuel so I can use it where ever I am which is good because then I never have to worry about having ice and snow on the windows.
 
It's a Tusker House lunch reservation with the RoL seating attached. ::yes:: Since we haven't seen the show at all yet - I've heard it's good... Has anyone here seen it? Thoughts?

We didn't make it to ROL in July but we have a Tusker House breakfast with ROL seating in November. I'll let you know how we like it. I've read that it's a nice show but not very exciting and story line is lacking. The floats are beautiful. Honestly my family will most likely like it. Brynn, my dd5, likes pretty things and loves animals so it sounds like the perfect show for her.

The Donald butt bag is so cute! I like your plaid shirt and it goes perfectly.

I'm hoping to go through our clothes and figure out some outfits for our trip this weekend. Enjoy your weekend!
 
Yet again - I am so thankful for a mechanic that watches out for our girls! :lovestruc
He's a keeper! So glad you have someone you can trust with your vehicles!

I love my Duck Butt Bag so much
We all love the Duck Butt Bag! I can't imagine you not taking it with you!

I have an awesome button up shirt
Great shirt! Goes so well with the outfit.
I personally did not get the fashionista gene. I'm lucky if things match! I love cute shoes but they do not love me. I get blisters with anything with a cute factor. No amount of breaking in or bandaids can alleviate the shoe issue--I've given up fighting it. I have seriously narrow heals and skinny, bony feet that rub in anything other than tevas or sneakers. No vans for me--they don't fit.

I've been watching the dog debates also. I just don't understand why someone who loves their dog would want to lock them up in a strange, small room all day while they are at the parks. Just not fair to the dog or the other guests.

And because we knew it wasn't over--the evil one has filed another court document. Lucky for us this one will help prove harassment so we hope to get the courts to acknowledge it and make them pay all court costs!
 
We did go to ROL when we were there in Feb. when it first opened. We thought it was beautiful. We were able to fastpass it but I don't really think we needed it. We got there as soon as they started letting people in. We figured it would be packed but it wasn't. People were still coming in for quite a while. I don't really think there are any bad seats either as you had a good view from everywhere. I don't think I'd pay extra for a lunch package though.

You have an amazing mechanic to do all that work and not charge her for the front end work. I would hang on to him too. My brother-in-law works on cars since he retired and has a small garage. So we've had him do some work for us. He lives a little ways from us though and takes his time getting things done. So it's 2 trips with 2 cars so we can leave one. He saves us a little money though and we know he is honest about what needs to be done.

I love the Donald butt bag and your whole outfit. I think it is one of your cutest ones. I think I just really like the whole color scheme. And the bag is so cute and unique. When you mentioned washing your bags takes out some of the crispness, I was wondering if you ever tried spray starch. I can remember my mom using it when she ironed my dad's shirts. I've never used it and don't know how good it would be for your bags though, but thought I'd mention it.
 


Born 2B a Princess I feel your pain. We built a house last year and I always thought it would be "fun" to have a blank canvas to work with. It was so frustrating at times. I had a general look and feel I was going for. I found it helpful to have plenty of pictures and pintrest helped. There are lots of warm grays that may work well with your darker furniture. My cabinets and countertop look like luvpoohandcompany but I have a more old fashioned (think grandmas kitchen) cup pull handles and a warm sage color on the walls (I like beige neutrals, it is hard with grey being so popular to find things to match right now). We have radiant heat so I have engineered hardwood (because you can't put nails in the floor).

It can definitely be overwhelming! This is our second time building a home so at least I wasn’t surprised by all the decisions that need to be made. I was surprised and having to make some of them so early. I’ve been scouring Pinterest and magazines for ideas. There are so many people out there who are talented at this sort of thing...I am not one!
 
Isn't it wonderful to have a good, reliable, trustworthy mechanic???!!! Worth their weight in gold! So glad V's car is now safe -- and very glad he fixed that exhaust issue! And I know you're happy to have your car back to yourself -- that makes life so much easier. And I'm sure V is very grateful you were able to pay the additional $111. It's worth it to know the car is safe.

One of the things I really miss about Virginia is that there is no Aldi here in Utah. I was SO surprised by that -- and disappointed. I bought as much of our produce there as possible, as well as eggs, cheese, bread, and cooking oils. We do like their sweet potato chips -- I believe they're just sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and salt. Yummy!

As for the Donald bag you don't really love -- I remember when you first used it you weren't sure you were going to like it, and you didn't. I vote for leaving that one at home. Or maybe sell it. If it causes second thoughts about whether you want to take/use it or not, that's a vote for no. Your Donald Duck butt bag is adorable. I love that one! Your Donald outfit is really cute, too.

I've been watching the dog debates. Honestly, as much as I love my dogs, I know that taking them on vacation to Disney with us would not be the best thing for them. We spend pretty much all day, every day (other than a brief resort break in the afternoons) in the parks, leaving early and getting back late. I know that there is no way my dogs would be quiet -- they bark like crazy any time someone approaches the house (they stop the moment we open the door, LOL) and they wouldn't be quiet in a resort room. It wouldn't be relaxing for us because we would be worried all the time about how much noise they might be making. We used all pet friendly pets on our move out to Utah and I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the rooms were at each hotel, but even so -- it wouldn't be relaxing for me if I'm constantly worried about the dogs back at the resort. We had friends in Virginia that we swapped dog-sitting with and that worked out very well. When we lived in Georgia my parents kept the dogs when we went out of town, and now that we're here in Utah, I imagine someone in my husband's family will keep the dogs if we go out of town. I haven't ever boarded my dogs at a kennel or anything and prefer not to do that. I think Disney *has to* have separate, designated dog-friendly rooms, so I'm glad they're making that change. Interesting that they've taken off the seven hour limit -- what did they change it to? It's going to be interesting to see how this all goes. The other thing is the cost -- the dog fee is steep... But, then again, if someone doesn't spend all day/night in the parks and spends a lot of time at the resort and can be with their pet, then that's a different matter. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Have a wonderful weekend!
 
Your car repairman is a gem. Victoria is really lucky that he gave her so much service for such a reasonable price.

Your plaid shirt is really cute. It goes really well with the new bag. I like the shade of blue that you used for it.

We've had quite a bit of drama over our upcoming stay at Port Orleans Riverside. We received an email from Disney last weekend telling us that our resort was now a dog friendly resort. This was something like ten days notice and I was livid. How dare they change the rules with such short notice! So I fired off an email about my husband's dog allergy and how I don't want to be put in a room that is dog friendly and I don't want to be disturbed by barking dogs. I received a call from guest services telling me that they would order a VIP cleaning for our resort room and they would add a note that we wanted to be away from the dog area - but it was not a guarantee. I was still not happy about Disney's response but I figured with the size of the resort, over 2,000 rooms, I had a good chance of getting what I wanted.

There has been a lot of drama about the dog announcement on the discussion thread in the resort section. The Disney execs did not expect the uproar they have received over the dog friendly policy. The initial announcement said that dogs could be put in any resort room and that they were not going to designate dog friendly areas. They also said that dogs could be left unattended in the rooms for up to seven hours. Those were three of the aspects that people were most upset about. In addition to that you had guests that were furious that the announcement was made without adequate warning and guests like us were unable to change to other resorts because there wasn't any availability.

Disney has listened to the guests and has now announced that there will be designated sections of a resort that are dog friendly and any guest who requests to be in a canine free area will have their request honored. They also removed the verbiage about allowing dogs to be unattended for up to seven hours. This dog trial is supposed to last for one year, from Oct 16, 2017 to Oct, 2018 - but they removed the end date from the website, so we'll see what happens. Right now the only dog friendly resorts are the Yacht Club, POR, AoA and the cabins at FW. We'll see how it all rolls out but the unhappy people seem to outnumber the happy people and that is not a good thing from a PR standpoint,

Anyway, I am now looking forward to our trip next week without any fear of barking dogs in the room next door.

I agree! I am very thankful for our mechanic this week!

Thanks!!! I am really happy with how that shirt goes with my Donald items... I didn't plan it that way - I was just standing in my closet one day and thinking "hmmm..." LOL

I haven't been following the dog situation very much, considering that we are staying at SoG - which is NOT a dog friendly resort - so this decision by Disney does not affect us at all. However, I will add my opinion - as a dog owner - I would never even consider bringing our dogs on vacation, not only are they LARGE dogs, but they would not be happy being cooped up in a hotel room for any length of time - and to be honest, we aren't in our room enough to properly care for them.

Personally, I think the "dog friendly" decision was a big mistake... Not sure who thought it was OK to allow them. I see no good that can come of it - for the dogs or for the guests.

I sure hope that you are in an area that has no dogs at all - I am certain there is ample room to accommodate you - it sounds like they have set aside specific buildings? I thought I saw on the Port Orleans fan page on FB that only 4 "dog specific" bookings are currently booked at POR - and the author thought those may be just bloggers testing out how it all works so they can write about it??? Like I said - I haven't been following, so I could be very wrong.

Sounds like you had a good day yesterday.
How great that your mechanic was able to fix so much on V's car even if you had to kick in $111

Your outfit for your Donald bag looks great

How great that your dad seems so much happier now.

Last night it has been temperatures below freezing point here. So this morning it was ice on the roads and the police warned everyone to drive safe and have all their windows on the car free from ice.
At 1pm it was 35.6ºF outside. I'm so relieved that I have winter tires on so I can use my car this weekend.
Today I have to use the webasto (engine and interior heater) for the first time this season since I can't reach up to the windows to get them ice free. It's so nice to be able to go into a warm car when it's cold outside :) My engine and interior heater goes on fuel so I can use it where ever I am which is good because then I never have to worry about having ice and snow on the windows.

I did! :) And it's so nice that V has her car now. :)

Thanks! I am really happy with that specific outfit.

I think he is, he is doing so much better.

Yikes!!! Sounds like winter is definitely coming quickly for you! I am not looking forward to it myself... Typically we have snow before mid-Nov, so it's coming... Sigh.

We didn't make it to ROL in July but we have a Tusker House breakfast with ROL seating in November. I'll let you know how we like it. I've read that it's a nice show but not very exciting and story line is lacking. The floats are beautiful. Honestly my family will most likely like it. Brynn, my dd5, likes pretty things and loves animals so it sounds like the perfect show for her.

The Donald butt bag is so cute! I like your plaid shirt and it goes perfectly.

I'm hoping to go through our clothes and figure out some outfits for our trip this weekend. Enjoy your weekend!

I will be VERY interested to hear your thoughts on this. My thought is, our odds of getting anything related to FoP FPs is probably nothing - I will try, obviously, but I am really not even holding a glimmer of hope. LOL But, I would like the option to try *something* new in AK... So, this might be it? LOL

Thank you - I am pretty excited about it. I figured, when I am cold, I can leave the sleeves down and if it warms up during the day, I can roll the sleeves up? ::yes:: I am just hoping that it isn't too cold.

Have fun!!! I love planning my outfits! :woohoo:

He's a keeper! So glad you have someone you can trust with your vehicles!

We all love the Duck Butt Bag! I can't imagine you not taking it with you!

Great shirt! Goes so well with the outfit.
I personally did not get the fashionista gene. I'm lucky if things match! I love cute shoes but they do not love me. I get blisters with anything with a cute factor. No amount of breaking in or bandaids can alleviate the shoe issue--I've given up fighting it. I have seriously narrow heals and skinny, bony feet that rub in anything other than tevas or sneakers. No vans for me--they don't fit.

I've been watching the dog debates also. I just don't understand why someone who loves their dog would want to lock them up in a strange, small room all day while they are at the parks. Just not fair to the dog or the other guests.

And because we knew it wasn't over--the evil one has filed another court document. Lucky for us this one will help prove harassment so we hope to get the courts to acknowledge it and make them pay all court costs!

Yes - I am feeling especially fortunate after this week and all the work done on V's car. ::yes::

Thanks!!! I love that bag too!

I shouldn't laugh - I can't say that I am a "fashionista" either... I just know that I wear a lot of coordinated accessories - and when I am lining up for endless Photopass photos, they turn out better if my clothes aren't clashing with my accessories... So, I do my best to coordinate as well as I can.

I suffered from Plantar Fascitis (sp?) for many years - so for a long time I had to spend a fortune on shoes... I did manage to heal it eventually, and in recent years, I've been able to wear good shoes - but not cheap shoes... My Vans have been perfect - as they are go with most of my wardrobe and they are comfy. ::yes:: And they come in so many colors - currently, I just have the basics... Black, Navy and my dots... However, I do have a pair of red ones on my Christmas wish list. :scratchin

I gave my dog opinion above in my reply to Sue. :)

Grrrr... So frustrating. :( It saddens me to think that this person may not go away for a while. Sending you hugs! It's sad and sick that you have to continually deal with this situation instead of being allowed to grieve. :hug:

We did go to ROL when we were there in Feb. when it first opened. We thought it was beautiful. We were able to fastpass it but I don't really think we needed it. We got there as soon as they started letting people in. We figured it would be packed but it wasn't. People were still coming in for quite a while. I don't really think there are any bad seats either as you had a good view from everywhere. I don't think I'd pay extra for a lunch package though.

You have an amazing mechanic to do all that work and not charge her for the front end work. I would hang on to him too. My brother-in-law works on cars since he retired and has a small garage. So we've had him do some work for us. He lives a little ways from us though and takes his time getting things done. So it's 2 trips with 2 cars so we can leave one. He saves us a little money though and we know he is honest about what needs to be done.

I love the Donald butt bag and your whole outfit. I think it is one of your cutest ones. I think I just really like the whole color scheme. And the bag is so cute and unique. When you mentioned washing your bags takes out some of the crispness, I was wondering if you ever tried spray starch. I can remember my mom using it when she ironed my dad's shirts. I've never used it and don't know how good it would be for your bags though, but thought I'd mention it.

That is good to know... Hmmm... :scratchin Well, the girls and I will look over our budget and see if we want to keep this ADR or not... We LOVE Tusker House breakfast... We did a late breakfast one year that overlapped with the lunch selections - we tried a few lunch items and were not impressed, so we've done exclusively breakfasts for the last several years and trips... We are definitely considering dropping it... And since it's January and not too busy there - you are right, it's probably not even necessary? :scratchin I just got caught up in the whole "better get it while I can" mentality. ::yes::

It's so nice to have a trustworthy mechanic... And they can be hard to find. When we lived back home - my uncle had a shop, and he did all of our vehicle work... He never gave us any deals at all - but he never sabotaged our vehicles and he did good work... It took us almost 10 years to find a mechanic here - and we are so thankful to have him!

Thank you! I do love my Donald outfits the most - typically. I do have a bottle of starch (not the spray starch), but now that we have a front loading machine, I'll have to reread the bottle and see how I go about adding that? I miss my regular washing machine so much! ::yes::

Isn't it wonderful to have a good, reliable, trustworthy mechanic???!!! Worth their weight in gold! So glad V's car is now safe -- and very glad he fixed that exhaust issue! And I know you're happy to have your car back to yourself -- that makes life so much easier. And I'm sure V is very grateful you were able to pay the additional $111. It's worth it to know the car is safe.

One of the things I really miss about Virginia is that there is no Aldi here in Utah. I was SO surprised by that -- and disappointed. I bought as much of our produce there as possible, as well as eggs, cheese, bread, and cooking oils. We do like their sweet potato chips -- I believe they're just sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and salt. Yummy!

As for the Donald bag you don't really love -- I remember when you first used it you weren't sure you were going to like it, and you didn't. I vote for leaving that one at home. Or maybe sell it. If it causes second thoughts about whether you want to take/use it or not, that's a vote for no. Your Donald Duck butt bag is adorable. I love that one! Your Donald outfit is really cute, too.

I've been watching the dog debates. Honestly, as much as I love my dogs, I know that taking them on vacation to Disney with us would not be the best thing for them. We spend pretty much all day, every day (other than a brief resort break in the afternoons) in the parks, leaving early and getting back late. I know that there is no way my dogs would be quiet -- they bark like crazy any time someone approaches the house (they stop the moment we open the door, LOL) and they wouldn't be quiet in a resort room. It wouldn't be relaxing for us because we would be worried all the time about how much noise they might be making. We used all pet friendly pets on our move out to Utah and I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the rooms were at each hotel, but even so -- it wouldn't be relaxing for me if I'm constantly worried about the dogs back at the resort. We had friends in Virginia that we swapped dog-sitting with and that worked out very well. When we lived in Georgia my parents kept the dogs when we went out of town, and now that we're here in Utah, I imagine someone in my husband's family will keep the dogs if we go out of town. I haven't ever boarded my dogs at a kennel or anything and prefer not to do that. I think Disney *has to* have separate, designated dog-friendly rooms, so I'm glad they're making that change. Interesting that they've taken off the seven hour limit -- what did they change it to? It's going to be interesting to see how this all goes. The other thing is the cost -- the dog fee is steep... But, then again, if someone doesn't spend all day/night in the parks and spends a lot of time at the resort and can be with their pet, then that's a different matter. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yes - it's so nice and such a relief to have a good mechanic... Especially now that my girls are car owners themselves - to have someone that looks out for them - he is A+++++ in my book! ::yes::

No Aldi???? :eek: Oh no!!!!! I am not sure what I would do??? I would be lost! I am so grateful every time I walk out of there with a cart FULL of groceries for $100... The same groceries would cost me double anywhere else. Is there anything comparable near you at all? They have so many stores all over, I just assumed they were everywhere by now. ::yes::

Yes - I did debate on selling it... But in the end, I was so uncertain - I figured I better hang on to it, just in case... But you are right - I am 99% sure that bag is staying home on this trip... I started on one of my own bags last night - sometimes I just get in a "mood" and I can't pull myself away from it... So - yah... :scratchin

I gave my dog opinion above in my reply to Sue... It is much the same as yours. :)

Thanks Stephanie! Same to you! :hug:

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

Ahhh... So, I had a busy and productive day yesterday...

I had some business stuff I had to take care of in the morning...

And then V and I headed out to do some shopping. ::yes:: I had to go to the mall... I wanted to get a shirt I've been holding off on getting at Old Navy... And then I had to go to Bath and Body Works to stock up on my Moonlight Path shower gel - I've been nursing my last bottle along for months - holding out for a good sale and coupons. ::yes::

I was a bit disappointed in myself at Old Navy, as not only did I get the one shirt I'd wanted (it was 50% off + my 10% military discount), I also got a second shirt (same shirt, different pattern) and another long sleeved black tee shirt (I wear these all the time in the winter!)... In the end, I spent $31 - when I could have just spent $12 if I would have only purchased the one shirt I went in there for. I justified it though, because well - we had $$ just sitting in our "clothing fund" - so it's not as if I couldn't afford it. ::yes:: But then - they were giving away "super cash" or something like that... So, V combined her purchase with mine, then we could earn more... :scratchin Yup - you guessed it... Now we have to go back today to spend our "super cash"... Sigh. I've decided that when we go back - I won't be buying anything for myself - this trip will have to be spent on Christmas gifts, so it comes out of that fund and not the clothing fund. ::yes::

And then, I did make it to BBW... Moonlight path was buy 2 get 1 free, or buy 3 get 2 free... I stuck with the buy 2 get 1... Plus I had a coupon for an additional 25% off my entire purchase... I did OK here. No guilt - I've literally been making my last bottle last for months. ::yes::

V and I had lunch at Chipotle... It's been a while since I've eaten there.

Then I grocery shopped at Aldi. ::yes::

I came home, dropped off groceries and V... Then I went back to town to get what I needed on my list from Target.

After - I came home and started working on one of my own trip bags until the wee hours of the night... I have 2 ideas of what I am going to applique on it - but I have not made a final decision yet... I may end up with 2 bags out of the deal? :scratchin

Today... I was supposed to go out of town for the weekend, but plans changed unexpectedly yesterday, so now I am staying home. I plan to finish up some work upstairs... and then I plan to work on my own trip bag. ::yes:: Depending on my progress there, I might read a little too? :scratchin

Oh and I have to go spend my super cash... LOL Maybe? :scratchin

I think I will post another outfit, just because I can. :)

7E424EB0-DCCE-45B4-B01A-47207E965943.jpg

I love my Goofy stuff... It's probably another of my favorite outfits to coordinate with. For this outfit - I am feeling VERY optimistic, I have lime green J Crew chino shorts with a black tee shirt and a black fleece jacket - plus all of my accessories - ears, magic band, sunglasses, bag and black Vans. If it happens to be cold out this day - I will wear jeans with a lime green (or orange) tee shirt. ::yes:: Not nearly as fun as lime green shorts - but I am hoping for ONE warm day while we are there. :scratchin

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Prayers and pixie dust to all! :grouphug:

D~
 


I have to agree with you about dogs and Disney. I don't think a dog should be locked in a strange room for 7 hours. Image how much damage it could do.
Your Donald butt bag is my favorite. However I do like the Goofy outfit you planned.
I'm glad you found the shirts you wanted. Whenever I wait, the item is gone when I get back. You sound like me ,though. I almost always spend more than I mean to at Old Navy.
It didn't cost much to have the lug nuts removed and new ones put on. I think it was around $20. It was just the driving from one end of town to the other and then back again that took all the time.
I do like my hair cut. It's a little shorter than I usually get it cut but it's easier to take care of. I have very straight thick hair that has to be layered. It was hard to find someone who could do it right,found the shirts
Today and tomorrow are the last two days of my vacation. I'm cleaning the bathroom and kitchen today. Tomorrow I'd like to go to a park and do some geocaching. I'll have to see what the weather's like.
I did walk down to the lake yesterday. There is almost no beach after the storm last week and there is no way down to what's left. The lake is at the bottom of a cliff here.

Enjoy the weekend
Liz
 
Yes - I did debate on selling it... But in the end, I was so uncertain - I figured I better hang on to it, just in case... But you are right - I am 99% sure that bag is staying home on this trip... I started on one of my own bags last night - sometimes I just get in a "mood" and I can't pull myself away from it... So - yah...
I can picture your Donald/Chip and Dale applique on the back of a jacket or shirt. It would be adorable there. ;)

I love my Goofy stuff... It's probably another of my favorite outfits to coordinate with.
I love the Goofy ensemble. :) I know that you don't get a MB when staying at SoG. Are you going to buy any of the new ones?

I hate those buy 2 get one free deals, especially when it is something that takes a long time to use up. And Kohl's is the worse one for dragging you back to the store with Kohl's bucks and 30% off coupons. I'm really good at maximizing sales and limiting purchases. But it is hard to walk away from those "buck" coupons.
 
Last edited:
I have to agree with you about dogs and Disney. I don't think a dog should be locked in a strange room for 7 hours. Image how much damage it could do.
Your Donald butt bag is my favorite. However I do like the Goofy outfit you planned.
I'm glad you found the shirts you wanted. Whenever I wait, the item is gone when I get back. You sound like me ,though. I almost always spend more than I mean to at Old Navy.
It didn't cost much to have the lug nuts removed and new ones put on. I think it was around $20. It was just the driving from one end of town to the other and then back again that took all the time.
I do like my hair cut. It's a little shorter than I usually get it cut but it's easier to take care of. I have very straight thick hair that has to be layered. It was hard to find someone who could do it right,found the shirts
Today and tomorrow are the last two days of my vacation. I'm cleaning the bathroom and kitchen today. Tomorrow I'd like to go to a park and do some geocaching. I'll have to see what the weather's like.
I did walk down to the lake yesterday. There is almost no beach after the storm last week and there is no way down to what's left. The lake is at the bottom of a cliff here.

Enjoy the weekend
Liz

Well - I didn't make it back to Old Navy yesterday... So, I have plans to go back today with Allison. :) Gotta keep my spending in check! :eek:

That's not bad for the lug nuts - but it did sound terribly inconvenient! Glad it's all taken care of though. :)

It's so hard to find a good stylist - It took me many years to find mine after we moved.

Enjoy the last days of your vacation! :lovestruc

I can picture your Donald/Chip and Dale applique on the back of a jacket or shirt. It would be adorable there

I love the Goofy ensemble. I know that you don't get a MB when staying at SoG. Are you going to buy any of the new ones?

I hate those buy 2 get one 3 deals, especially when it is something that takes a long time to use up. And Kohl's is the worse one for dragging you back to the store with Kohl's bucks and 30% off coupons. I'm really good at maximizing sales and limiting purchases. But it is hard to walk away from those "buck" coupons.

That would be very cute!

I haven't decided yet - probably not... I have so many of the old versions and in all the colors I want/need, so it's really not necessary for me to buy any... However, if I happen to be at one of the outlets or something and they have a good deal - I may? ::yes::

I know, right??? They totally got me the other day... And now I have to go back and spend. Sigh.

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

I had kind of a crazy day yesterday...

So, I had work to tend to in the morning...

And just as I was dealing with that - Allison called me... She was stranded at a rest stop 200 miles from home. :eek: She was on her way to see Gus at college and noticed that her car was starting to over heat... So, she turned her heat on high, and noticed it was blowing cold - she was also smelling a sweet "syrup" smell. Thankfully there was a rest stop 1/4 mile ahead, so she pulled in there - and when she shut off her car, it started smoking. :(

Thankfully - she was only about 30 miles from Gus, so he came to her rescue with coolant - which didn't work. So, she had to tow her car... We are talking hours here. When she first called me, it was 9am... by the time her car was towed, it was noon... Finally - after 2, they were able to look at her car and diagnose... It was a measly radiator hose. $80 and 7 hours later, she was back on the road. Phew!

910806D8-5035-4CDC-B779-DC969AB38C33.jpg

A few lessons were learned yesterday... Roadside assistance and an Emergency Fund are essential in life... because of those two things - what could have been a stressful situation for Allison turned into an inconvenience and nothing more. She knew there would be no charge to get her car to a mechanic, and she knew she had enough $$ in savings to cover a large amount of repairs... It was just a matter of getting it done and finding an open shop - with time - on a Saturday.

For me, as a mom... Thinking to myself - had this situation happened 1 year ago... We would have had roadside assistance, but Allison likely wouldn't have had any $$ to do the repairs - so her emergency situation would have become our emergency situation and we would have had to scramble to find the funds to do the needed repairs for her. ::yes:: I had a moment of "pat yourself on the back momma" - as over the last year, we have taught our daughter how to be self reliant and financially responsible. :woohoo: Yesterday was the perfect example of that... I really couldn't be more proud of her!

She is still determined to save up $$ for a newer car - which I am supportive of... We may have to re-look at the reliability of her car for longer road trips like this - especially with winter approaching... Thankfully Gus graduates before Christmas - and he will be moving back "home" after - so this is really only a 2 month situation. :scratchin

Anyways - rather than going to Old Navy yesterday, I wasn't sure if I'd have to drop everything and go get Allison... So, I stayed home and worked - which was the responsible thing to do anyways. ::yes:: I managed to finish last week's custom order, and I am almost done with my first bag for myself for our trip. :woohoo: I am hoping to finish it this morning. ::yes::

I made myself an amazing dinner last night.... When I was grocery shopping the other day at Aldi - I noticed that they sold sea scallops, I love them so much, so I purchased them... YUM! I've never made them before - but Pinterest (as usual) to the rescue.... Found a good recipe on there... Threw a butternut squash into the oven - and dinner! It was delicious! I ate the entire pound of sea scallops myself! :eek: I was so stuffed after!

73A7573F-9111-42B0-8A76-BE569EEE5651.jpg

I went back up to my sewing room after dinner and worked for a few more hours... then Allison called, on her way home, and she was having a hard time staying awake... So, I talked her home for a couple of hours... Finally - at 10pm, after a LONG day, she was home. :lovestruc

Today... I am going to go upstairs in a few minutes and try to finish up my bag... Then I will get ready and head to town... Allison and I are going to run to Old Navy, and then we are going to try to make it back to have lunch with Grandpa.

I hope you all have a fantastic day! Prayers and pixie dust to all! :grouphug:

D~
 
Oh no. The car trouble for Allison don't sound good. I'm glad to hear it wasn't anything to serious and I'm glad they where able to fix her car so she could drive it back home. Sounds like a good idea to get the car checked to see if there are big things that could get broken on it in the near future. Sounds like Allison did an excellent job getting the help she needed at the spot.

I can't wait to see the bag you are making for yourself.


I'm so glad a got the winter tires on my car earlier this week because this weekend it has been a thin layer of ice on the roads. No snow on the ground yet and according to the weather forecast it's not going to rain or snow the next 3 days.
When I walked to my car yesterday I had my normal winter shoes on, but for each step I took I was afraid that it would be ice on the road I didn't see and then I would slip and fall. So today I will put on my other shoes that has spikes so I have a better grip. Better safe than sorry :)
 
It sounds like Allison had quite a day. Luckily it was just a radiator hose. It could have been much worse. She learned a lot from you about saving for emergencies.
It looks like you had a productive day even though it didn't go as planned.
I love pinterest. Unfortunately most of the recipes have onions in them which I'm highly allergic to.
Have a good day.
Liz
 
Glad Allison's car was a minor repair. So happy she had the $$ to fix and it all worked out. My DS had a flat the other day. Luckily he was home when he noticed it. He got it off the car, took it to Costco where they said it couldn't be repaired. He had purchased the tires there recently, so they replaced it at a discounted price. Glad he was able to handle that as I was at work all day.

Looking forward to seeing your new creations for your trip!
 
I'm so glad Allison's car trouble wasn't anything more serious and that it was able to be fixed easily and inexpensively. And wonderful that she knew what to do when the car started overheating -- she's been taught well! It must have been the weekend for car repairs -- Alyssa's car making a strange noise on Friday so after talking to Mark and Andrew she took it in to be looked at and a repair was needed -- I'm not sure what the repair was, but they were able to find someone to do it for a reasonable price on Saturday, and then that guy checked her brakes and said there were down to nothing and needed to be replaced so he took care of that, too. Mark usually does the brakes but there was no way he could do them until next week, and Andrew is still dealing with a knee injury so he couldn't do them. Mark agreed that they needed to be done, so now her car is taken care of. We were grateful they had the money in savings to pay for it. They are SO much more financially responsible than I ever was (and still am...). I think, rather than setting a good example like you and Josh, I am the poster child for what not to do...

I rarely ever shop at Kohl's so I always forget I have Kohl's cash and it doesn't get used. Oh well....

Your dinner looks good -- do you put anything on your butternut squash after you cook it in the oven? I love butternut squash and am always looking for recipes for it.

We got my MIL's kitchen/family room painted on Saturday and also got a good start on painting her bathroom vanities white. Andrew and Alyssa were here for the day and we worked them hard. Poor Mark has a horrible cold so he wasn't feeling well. So far I've managed to avoid it, other than a very mild case of the sniffles and a nagging sinus headache. I am hoping that's as bad as it gets.

Brie has two lacrosse games this week so we'll be on the road for those...one of them is an hour away and the other is two hours away. We're doing a physical fitness challenge at work so I need to get in a bunch of sit-ups and some mileage walked this week. I'm struggling with water intake and I really need to focus on that.

I'm excited to see the new bag you made for yourself. :-)
 
The Goofy outfit ensemble is my favorite so far! I think it's the colors. Love the bright colors. Glad Allison's car repair turned out to be a minor one! Nerve wracking for Mom I'm sure. Your instinct was probably to hop in the car and go help her. But 200 miles is quite a drive! In the end, it was probably good she (and her boyfriend) were able to handle it. Hope you have a good week!
 
How scary for Allison. I'm so glad that it was only a hose. She handled it like a pro. I'm sure she can't wait to get a newer car and I know she'll get the right one when the time comes.

Don't you just love Pinterest? I'm on there all the time trying new things. I have to admit that I've never tried scallops before. I don't know why just never did.

Is there a hint as to who will be on your new bag?
 
Oh no. The car trouble for Allison don't sound good. I'm glad to hear it wasn't anything to serious and I'm glad they where able to fix her car so she could drive it back home. Sounds like a good idea to get the car checked to see if there are big things that could get broken on it in the near future. Sounds like Allison did an excellent job getting the help she needed at the spot.

I can't wait to see the bag you are making for yourself.


I'm so glad a got the winter tires on my car earlier this week because this weekend it has been a thin layer of ice on the roads. No snow on the ground yet and according to the weather forecast it's not going to rain or snow the next 3 days.
When I walked to my car yesterday I had my normal winter shoes on, but for each step I took I was afraid that it would be ice on the road I didn't see and then I would slip and fall. So today I will put on my other shoes that has spikes so I have a better grip. Better safe than sorry

Yah - I am sick of cars. :( Well, sick of the girls' cars anyways. LOL My car is fine (knock on wood).

I am excited to share it - but I am waiting on some accessories, which may take a while... :scratchin

Me too!!! Be safe out there! It's looking like we will have our first snow on Friday - though it likely won't stay quite yet.

It sounds like Allison had quite a day. Luckily it was just a radiator hose. It could have been much worse. She learned a lot from you about saving for emergencies.
It looks like you had a productive day even though it didn't go as planned.
I love pinterest. Unfortunately most of the recipes have onions in them which I'm highly allergic to.
Have a good day.
Liz

She did... Yes - it could have been so much worse!

It was nice to make something for myself - it's been a while. :lovestruc

I love Pinterest too! Whenever I need to make something, I go there first. ::yes::

Thanks Liz - same to you!

Glad Allison's car was a minor repair. So happy she had the $$ to fix and it all worked out. My DS had a flat the other day. Luckily he was home when he noticed it. He got it off the car, took it to Costco where they said it couldn't be repaired. He had purchased the tires there recently, so they replaced it at a discounted price. Glad he was able to handle that as I was at work all day.

Looking forward to seeing your new creations for your trip!

Yes - it was nice that she was able to handle it on her own. I was proud of her!

Glad your DS was able to get his car tire repaired too! :woohoo:

I am looking forward to sharing them... Just waiting on accessories... It might be a while... ::yes::

I'm so glad Allison's car trouble wasn't anything more serious and that it was able to be fixed easily and inexpensively. And wonderful that she knew what to do when the car started overheating -- she's been taught well! It must have been the weekend for car repairs -- Alyssa's car making a strange noise on Friday so after talking to Mark and Andrew she took it in to be looked at and a repair was needed -- I'm not sure what the repair was, but they were able to find someone to do it for a reasonable price on Saturday, and then that guy checked her brakes and said there were down to nothing and needed to be replaced so he took care of that, too. Mark usually does the brakes but there was no way he could do them until next week, and Andrew is still dealing with a knee injury so he couldn't do them. Mark agreed that they needed to be done, so now her car is taken care of. We were grateful they had the money in savings to pay for it. They are SO much more financially responsible than I ever was (and still am...). I think, rather than setting a good example like you and Josh, I am the poster child for what not to do...

I rarely ever shop at Kohl's so I always forget I have Kohl's cash and it doesn't get used. Oh well....

Your dinner looks good -- do you put anything on your butternut squash after you cook it in the oven? I love butternut squash and am always looking for recipes for it.

We got my MIL's kitchen/family room painted on Saturday and also got a good start on painting her bathroom vanities white. Andrew and Alyssa were here for the day and we worked them hard. Poor Mark has a horrible cold so he wasn't feeling well. So far I've managed to avoid it, other than a very mild case of the sniffles and a nagging sinus headache. I am hoping that's as bad as it gets.

Brie has two lacrosse games this week so we'll be on the road for those...one of them is an hour away and the other is two hours away. We're doing a physical fitness challenge at work so I need to get in a bunch of sit-ups and some mileage walked this week. I'm struggling with water intake and I really need to focus on that.

I'm excited to see the new bag you made for yourself. :-)

Thankfully Gus taught her many years ago - if she is ever having car problems to pull over immediately. I don't think that was anything I had ever said to her? LOL Glad someone was watching out for her though. ::yes::

Glad Alyssa was able to get her car repaired too... I hate car repairs and ever more so on weekends. ::yes:: It's so gratifying though when they can handle the financial aspects of life too... I wish I was as financially smart as my kids are at the same age... Our lives would be so different now. ::yes::

Hah! I was always the same way with Kohls cash... But now that I don't have a Kohls card, I don't get Kohls cash anymore. LOL So, problem solved. :lmao:

Fun that you were able to get some work done around the house... bummer that so many of you weren't feeling well. I hope you are better by now?

Sounds like you have a crazy week ahead! I hope you are able to get caught up on your challenge stuff... How long does it last for? And good luck to Brie on her lacrosse game! :woohoo:

Thanks! I am excited too! I am waiting on accessories though, so it could be a while before I get to share it. :scratchin Though I do have another one brewing in my head... ::yes:: I may get more themes this trip than I had originally intended? LOL

The Goofy outfit ensemble is my favorite so far! I think it's the colors. Love the bright colors. Glad Allison's car repair turned out to be a minor one! Nerve wracking for Mom I'm sure. Your instinct was probably to hop in the car and go help her. But 200 miles is quite a drive! In the end, it was probably good she (and her boyfriend) were able to handle it. Hope you have a good week!

Thank you!!! It's my favorite too - I love bright colors! I really detest all of the colors that have been out for the last few years - do the manufacturers not know that I am trying to coordinate Disney outfits??? :scratchin :lmao: I sure hope it's warm enough for my chino shorts... I have a story with those actually... I purchased a TON of JCrew chino shorts a few years back, and I never quite got into them... Ahhh - but now I am back super close to that size, I just KNOW that I'll be able to fit into them for our trip! ::yes:: I have 1 more pair I am planning to bring with... And maybe a pair of Lilly Pulitzer shorts too??? Depending on my next bag theme? LOL I figure - shorts are light and take up little space - it doesn't hurt to be optimistic. LOL

Yes - it was very nerve wracking for me... I did almost grab my keys and run out the door... Then, I was like "no, Gus is only 30 miles away... He can rescue her." LOL At least it didn't happen in January, where she would freeze to death... It was rainy and a little chilly - but not dangerous.

Thanks - same to you! :lovestruc

How scary for Allison. I'm so glad that it was only a hose. She handled it like a pro. I'm sure she can't wait to get a newer car and I know she'll get the right one when the time comes.

Don't you just love Pinterest? I'm on there all the time trying new things. I have to admit that I've never tried scallops before. I don't know why just never did.

Is there a hint as to who will be on your new bag?

Yah - she was a little nervous and anxious. But she did well, and handled it well too. Yes - she is saving and watching for something good to pop up... She has a little while to save yet though, I am thinking it won't be until after Christmas - and possibly after our trip before she gets another car.

I know - right? I always go there first when I need something - it's a great database, with pictures. ::yes:: It's my favorite go-to recipe place. I love scallops - and now that I know how to cook them, I will be making them more often - they were super easy and really delicious. ::yes::

No hints yet. LOL I am waiting for accessories - which have to be custom made for me... And there is a short turn around time... I probably wont' be able to share my new themes until after Thanksgiving for sure. But I am super excited about them - if that helps? LOL

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

So, where did I leave off? Oh yes - Saturday...

Ok, so Sunday, Allison and I spent the day together... We went to Old Navy - and I had a terrible time getting to my $75 threshold to save my $30... I ended up getting 2 more long sleeved shirts for myself and one more plaid button up shirt... Then I grabbed a few gifts for the girls for Christmas - I made it, just barely to $75.25 LOL I never get that lucky! :scratchin I was happy to get a few more Christmas gifts knocked out too though.

Speaking of Christmas... The girls and I are planning to go Black Friday shopping again this year - and we are all saving towards doing some damage that day - we are pretty excited. BF shopping used to be something we avoided - and now we LOVE to get up super early in the morning - shop for a while and then go have a nice breakfast together... It's become tradition and we can't wait for this year! :woohoo: That whole weekend is just one big Christmas mess and I cannot wait to decorate our house and eek!!!

20161125_133945.jpg


20161125_161513.jpg


20161121_202039.jpg

Oops - sorry - I didn't mean to get so carried away. LOL I just love Christmas!!! ::yes::

Anyways... After Old Navy, Allison and I went to visit Grandpa for a while, and then I came back home and finished my bag. :woohoo:

Yesterday... I worked out in the morning & worked upstairs for a few hours... Then I went to have lunch with Dad and run a few errands... Post office, Target... You know - the usual.

I am getting super close to my lowest weight of January 2015 - and as usual, I still don't "feel" it... but pictures are definitely improving. LOL So, I'll take that as progress. :) My food intake has been pretty good still... I've had a few days where I was eating a little of items I should be avoiding... So, I nipped that in the bud... I tell myself when I get this close to my goals, that I can "relax" a little, but a little slowly turns into a lot and then I am a mess... So, this time - no relaxing. LOL

6BF6AD30-93AE-4614-A148-772A3DA456DB.jpg

That's about all.

Today - It's a heavy lifting day... Squats - I hate squats. LOL Really, I do. I hate doing things I hate, but they are good for me - so I can suffer through the few minutes of effort it takes and just do it. ::yes::

I will be working from home all day today - I have no intention of going anywhere until later.

Josh and I are headed to Jan and Machteld's for dinner, they brought Victoria's last piece of full luggage back with them from Europe - and it has the last of her souvenirs and Christmas gifts in it... So along with dinner, we will be bringing that back with us. ::yes:: We love spending time with them, and look forward to it each time they are here... It seems that we see them more often than some of our family who lives locally. ::yes:: Sad, I know. Sadly - they are going straight from here to Brazil to see their other daughter and grand children, so they can't bring back any Christmas gifts on our behalf for BMTL.

I think I am also going to work on posting some of our daily trip plans this week. ::yes:: Since there is a lull in my outfit posting.

I hope you all have a wonderful day! Sending prayers and pixie dust out to all of you! :lovestruc

D~
 
Last edited:
Magic Kingdom

Ahhh... Yes - there is nothing better than a day at Magic Kingdom, right?

We will be there at rope drop! I promise you that! :woohoo: If I have to drag V out of her bed and bribe her with gallons of Starbucks... We will be there with the masses!

There is just nothing better, or more sparkly than MK in those first few minutes right? Specifically, Main Street... Ahhh - I could sit here all day and just take it all in! :lovestruc

20140826_074835.jpg


20140826_074543.jpg


20140826_074729.jpg


20140826_074903.jpg


20140826_075916.jpg


As usual - we will likely hit up every single photopass photographer from the train station to the castle, just because we can.

Typically - we start off with FPs for Splash, PoTC and 7DMT... However, brrrr... So, I am thinking we will save our FPs for later in the morning, and just ride standby this morning. ::yes:: It should be relatively painless to ride standby at this time of day during this season.

I'll probably FP all these rides closer to 10am and beyond. Sticking to this area of the park...

We have lunch reservations at 11:30ish at Liberty Tree Tavern... This was Allison's request - she is hungry for some Freedom Pasta - and we all agreed, it sounds lovely! ::yes:: The last time we ate here was on Allison's grad trip... so we are all looking forward to this. ::yes::

20160123_113611_HDR.jpg

After lunch is likely when we will use the remainder of our FPs... I am hoping that we will get a 7dmt FP, so we won't have to wait in standby for this ride.

And once the FPs are done, we will probably leave the park for a few hours to go back to the resort to take a short rest and maybe a nap. :lovestruc
We have no plans for this night - so we may hop to another park, or go back to MK - I am hoping to have the Pork Nachos at some point on this trip and this evening may be the perfect time to have them, if we are going back through the Poly for transportation? I am leaving this evening open for whatever we feel like. None of the parks are open very late this night, so we should be back to our room at a reasonable hour. ::yes::

Yay!!! :woohoo: DISNEY!!!!!!! :woohoo:

D~
 
I love starting a trip with magic kingdom. We bought annual passes. I’m excited to have photopass included.
I just realized that my trip is 9 full days. We land around 9:30 in the morning. Trying the fantastic dessert part that night.
Our flight home is at 10 pm. So that is almost a full day at a park.

Did you see that some good neighbor hotels are going to get the 60 day for fast passes. Hopefully SOG will be on the list and it will start in time for you to take advantage of it.
 
It is amazing how much Allison has grown this year into an amazing adult. Good job mom and dad. We had the Tusker House (breakfast) reservation with the RoL package. We got our tickets. We left the park for our afternoon rest and none of the kids wanted to go back. Jacob and Marissa went to a different park and Chelsea just wanted to stay at the resort and swim. Which meant, I didn't get to see RoL or Pandora at night. I am a little bit sad about that, but I was out-voted. I even gave the 4 tickets to Jacob and Marissa to try to give away, but they couldn't find anyone that wanted them.
 

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