Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wordless Wednesday 2/22

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!

 Since I missed a Wordless Wednesday for Valentine's week, I figured it was time to share a little Disney Romance thanks to Snow White & her handsome Prince!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Two Weeks Til WDW!!! The Countdown Continues...

Hey everyone, I'm back with an update on the Walt Disney World vacation countdown.  In my last blog post I started a list of things that I needed to get accomplished prior to the trip.  Today I'm going to update you on my progress and add more items to that list, so here goes!

The first item on the list was to begin looking at the wardrobe.  Well, I definitely did that!  I started making a list of both mine and Payton's Disney shirts, as well as pulling out our shorts to see if they all still fit.  I also found the swim suits just in case we have time to enjoy that super cool pool area I've seen in the photos of Coronado Springs!  This week, I will be going over to my mom's to compare our clothing options with what she has laid out for herself and for my nephew.  Now this may sound a little over the top to some of you, but I actually tend to plan out what we will wear on each day of the trip, to coordinate with the park we are visiting but also to make sure that we all coordinate with one another.  I think this comes from the photographer in me who wants our photos to actually look like we came to the park together and didn't just bump into each other in front of a Photopass Photographer!  Anyway, thankfully my mom is being a really good sport about it.  :)


My next item was to make some t-shirt designs for the boys.  I can check that off as well!  Now I may still make a few more, but I got busy on Photoshop and put together some designs with their names.  What do you think?

Third, I listed a goal of ordering whatever needed to be ordered.  Luckily for me, I had already made an avon order, so I'm good in that department.  My main concern was having contacts for the trip.  So I called Eye Mart and my contacts have been ordered and paid for.  Hoping those will be in this week.

Fourth, I mentioned the importance of a semi-fresh haircut before vacation.  Well mine has been scheduled, and Payton's will be very soon.  The next big question:  to color or not to color?  :)

Finally, it was time to not only look at the details but get them all together.  Well, a new Disney folder was purchased, just in time to find a home for our Magical Express documents, my print outs of our flight itinerary and our confirmation number for the hotel where we are staying the night before we fly to Orlando.  Mom just got our vacation documents in the mail two days ago, so those will be added to my folder once I visit her and pick them up.

As you can see, I'm sticking with my checklist so far.  So now it's time to add more to it!
  • Get those t-shirts made!  This is crucial.  It's time to finalize what shirts need to be made for the boys, pick up the iron-on transfers, and get them printed and on the shirts.
  • Put together the first aid kit:  I always feel more secure about a trip when I know I have a little first aid kit ready if we need it.  Band-aids, antibiotic ointment, Tylenol, a thermometer, Pepto tablets, etc.  Most of the time, we never use any of it, but when you are traveling with kids, it's always a good idea to be prepared!
  • Prepare for the pre- & post-entertainment:  Although both of the boys will be super excited to be flying down and back, that excitement will only hold out for so long, and then they'll be looking for something to do.  Who am I kidding?  I will be too!  So it's time to download some movies onto the netbook and touchpad, make sure music is up to date on the Zune, and have a new book or two for the Kindle app.  I may even need to invest in headphone splitters so the boys can both watch the same movie but have their own set of headphones.
  • Customize our touring plans:  I love the TouringPlans.com website.  I admit it.  I love looking through their touring plans, which can save you so much time in the parks.  But what I didn't realize until recently is that I can save one of their touring plans and then customize it to what our family wants to see and do.  Now granted, I consider myself an excellent park tour guide, but it never hurts to refresh your skills and add new options to your touring plan.  (Oh, and if you don't have their Lines application on your smart phone, get it NOW!)
  • Picking up the little extras:  It's now time to start shopping for those little extra things that help to make the vacation more enjoyable, but are generally much cheaper when brought from home.  Things like plastic throw-away ponchos, glow sticks and glow necklaces for the nighttime parades and events, and fun, Disney themed snacks and breakfast foods that we can eat quickly in our room.  Plus, when you pack these things, then use them on the trip, it makes more space for souvenirs on the way home!
Well, another to-do list waiting to be tackled!  I'll check in soon to let you know how my progress is going & to share my excitement as the trip countdown continues!  Oh, and if you have any suggestions on things I need to get done or other things I need to shop for soon, please let me know.  
My new Mickey folder, Magical Express documents, & way in the back is my clothing plan for the trip!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

25 Days & Counting - A Checklist!


Well, I'm sitting here at 25 days and counting until being back at Walt Disney World and I've decided, it's time to start tackling the final preparation steps before vacation.  In order to stay on track, and to hopefully give you some good ideas for your next vacation, I'm going to share my next few weeks of prep work with you, and of course, follow it up with a trip report.  So here goes...

When you're planning a Walt Disney World vacation, especially at a year or more out, it seems like you do all the big stuff, then you just sit and wait.  Decide where to stay...check...how many days/nights...check...make that deposit...check...at 180 days, make your dining reservations...check...pay off the balance (at least 45 days in advance)...check.  So now you're in the home stretch.  What's left to do?  Well, that really depends on you and the type of vacationer you are.  Are you an over-the-top uber-planner who wants everyone to wear matching clothes on certain days and plans to bring enough snacks to feed a small army?  Or are you a throw your clothes in the suitcase the night before and don't worry cause you're on vacation kind of person?  Maybe somewhere in between?  I personally tend to plan a lot, but I'm never completely packed until the night before.  So anyway, here's my starting point for the next 25 days:
  • Begin looking at the wardrobe:  So for this trip, it will be me, my mom, my son Payton & my nephew, Ari.  We are not going to do a bunch of matching shirts, but I would like for us to look like we coordinate just a little bit.  So I'm going to start looking at Disney shirts that Payton & I have, as well as look for a few for mom and Ari, and see what kind of combinations I can come up with.
  • Make some T-shirt designs for the boys:  Now I know the cousins would like some personalized T-shirts for this trip, so I'm going to work on making some iron-on designs for them.  There are so many creative Disney fans out there on the web, so do some searches and see what's out there.  One of my personal favorite past t's was a tie-dye Mickey head shirt I made for my family a few years ago using a bleach pen.  Really easy& affordable, and we got a lot of great comments on the shirts.
  • What needs to be ordered?:  There are always some things you need for your vacation that you can't just walk into a Wal-Mart to pick up.  For example, I am running low on replacement contact lenses.  I refuse to go to Disney without a spare pair, so it's time to order more so they'll be ready to pick up well before the trip.  Also, if you use specialty products like Avon or Mary Kay, you might want to make those orders now.  Any prescription medication you might need?  Better refill ahead of time!
  • Time for a haircut:  Now some people can get into their hairdresser really quickly, but it might be wise to go ahead and make that appointment now to get the hair trimmed up a few days before leaving on vacation.  Ladies, if you're like me, maybe make it closer to a week before vacation so you have time to get used to the new do.
  • Looking at the details:  If you're old-school, like me, you like to have print outs of all of your vacation documents.  Airfare, reservations, dining ressies, etc. are all good things to print out and put in a folder to take with you on vacation.  Or, if you like using a travel app, such as trip it, maybe it's time to update that, or become more familiar with the application you are wanting to test out.
Well, that's just the first few things on my list.  Stay tuned to see what I get accomplished and what gets added to the vacation preparations.  Only 25 days....WOO HOO!!!