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

Good morning everyone!

I wanted to stop by and do a little life update... And then a trip update... And then hopefully work on some replies. ::yes::

So, life...

I have had a busy week with work... On top of watching the Florida weather forecast like a hawk... I have a lot of friends in WDW right now, freezing... Praying for warmer weather in the coming days! ::yes::

First things first... I am officially done at Target - unless I happen to get scheduled during the last days our store is open... I am technically on "paid vacation" for the remainder of January - due to my "using it or losing it" option - which I found out later - I would have been paid out anyways. Whatever - it doesn't matter - whether I get it in January or February. ::yes::

Our store is rapidly emptying... I did go in yesterday - and some of my fellow Team Members told me that on Wednesday, we received an 1100 piece truck... :scratchin Which is sort-of a normal sized truck for us... So we are being restocked a little bit yet. Though - you can see a huge difference in the back of our store... Seasonal is gone, completely...

This is what seasonal looked like over Black Friday week...

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This is the same corner of the store now... :(

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It's very sad... but I am trying to move on.

I've been very busy in my sewing room - on top of work, I've also been playing... :woohoo:

I made myself one knit raglan with fabric I just fell in love with...

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Trip stuff:

And then I made myself one knit raglan for our trip - but looking at weather, it might be too warm to wear it. Not complaining at all... I may switch up my days/themes a bit so it might be possible to wear this at some point - I really like it.

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Victoria has also been working on trip stuff... Last month - I made her a Te Fiti UPB, and she finally finished her Ears the other day... She went a totally different route with Ears than I did - and made them out of wire - they are pretty cool!

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She also made a set of Rapunzel Ears which happen to coordinate with one of her older bags from our 2014 trip - so this set will be making an appearance again... These are my favorite actually - I just love how she used different gauged wire!

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I am not sure if I mentioned it in my updates last week? We did purchase all of our dining GCs... So our dining is paid for! :woohoo:

Yesterday, I signed on to our airline and paid for all of our baggage to/from MCO... I also paid $6 for one seat - when I booked our flights, I was able to get 2 seats together near the front of the plane, but the 3rd seat (Allison's, she volunteered to sit by herself, or I would have) was a center seat... So, we opted to get her an aisle seat right in front of us - as she likes to get up during flights anyways. On our way home - we have a row to ourselves, so I didn't have to purchase any seats on that flight. ::yes::

I also booked and paid for our Town Car. :woohoo:

The last thing we have to pay for is our resort - which we do at check-in... Allison just has that $$ sitting in her savings right now. ::yes::

We also have hair and nail appointments to pay for - but those were budgeted separately - and the option of each person... As it turns out, I am splurging and doing hair, mani and pedi... The girls are just doing nails - I think?

The girls have their Universal Studios ticket $$ also sitting in their savings... They have decided to purchase the military discounted tickets at SoG when we arrive. ::yes::

Souvenir $$ was also budgeted separately - but we are done saving for that as well.

So, we are done... All 3 of us have completely paid for this trip in cash. :woohoo:


What would a life update be without the boys???

MM cuddling with my slipper... :lmao:

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And Cooper napping with me... ::yes::

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This weekend - I plan to take down the tree, I also hope to get to Dad's to get his tree down... I detest taking down Christmas stuff... I am half tempted to follow my Foster-Mom's lead and throw a trash bag over the tree (decorated) and call it good... Then next year, I can just take the trash bags off and be done. ::yes:: Very tempted. As it's entirely possible that next year, the girls won't be living at home and I'll be stuck decorating myself - and while I love decorating for Christmas, it's more fun when they are with me and helping. :lovestruc

I have a pretty full schedule this coming week too...

Wishing you all a great and warm weekend! Pixie Dust to all! :hug:

D~
 
Sounds like you had an relaxing day yesterday.


I celebrated New Years Eve at my parents house with one of my sisters, my brother, Ulf and my parents. So we were 6 people. We had a 3 course dinner and Turkey as the main course.
After dinner there was still 1 hour left until midnight so we played 2 different board games. We didn't finish playing the second game before it was time for the fireworks. So we paused the game and looked at the fireworks and then going back to the game when the firework was done about 20 minutes past midnight. We ended up playing until 2AM. So I didn't get in bed until 2.30AM. Today I slept in. I get a terrible head ache if I don't get the amount of sleep that my body wants. The first time I woke up I had a head ache because of too little sleep. I knew the head ache came from too little sleep because I don't drink alcohol so I knew that wasn't the cause of the head ache. So I just turned around in bed and fell a sleep again. The next time I woke up the head ache was gone and I was ready to get up.

In the evening there was a geocaching event inside that I attended at. It's always nice to meet geocaching friends. People were encouraged to bring leftovers of Christmas cookies and pastries. So we had a nice time eating leftovers and chatting.

Tomorrow it's back to normal. All the stores are up and running again and have normal opening times. I have to go grocery shopping, but other than that I have no plans.

Your New Years Eve and Day celebrations sounded wonderful... Glad your headache went away after the 2nd time you woke up. ::yes::

I really enjoyed the video you posted on my FB page yesterday - I watched it, but I wasn't able to comment. :) Very interesting... We just pile our snow wherever we can fit it and let it melt in the spring. ::yes::

Hope you are staying warm and life is back to normal for you. :)

Hey D!! I am so excited for your upcoming trip. I love your matching bag/ear sets. I can't wait to see them in action. I can see that you all had a good Christmas! I love the matching shirts from your FIL. I am pretty sure I saw those in a shop in Hawaii! We had a pretty good time in Hawaii. Aulani was amazing. I wish we would have gone at a warmer time of year, because it was a little chilly at times. I still prefer the parks, but it was nice to say we have been there. The second half of our trip was bitter/sweet. I was so happy to be with my family. However, by the first night at our beach house, Emma got sick. Like really sick. I thought it was just something she ate, until Quinn got sick the next day...in the rental car. Then it just spiraled out from there. I got sick at the Polynesian Culture Center which we all were really looking forward to because we were going to the Luau that night. I tried to brave through it, but I got sick until I passed out and they had to cart me to first aid. Some of the family stayed and Emma got to experience the night show. 9 out of 10 of us were sick in one way or another. From there the rest of the week was...well, you know that scene in the movie Bridesmaids where they get sick in the dress shop? That was our week! We had 3 bathrooms between 2 adjoining beach houses and we went through a whole bottle of bleach from cleaning them. I did feel better by Christmas Eve, and we went to Pearl Harbor. That was on my do-or-die list for Hawaii. It was so humbling and a somber experience. I am glad we did it. We definitely made some memories-and I am sure we will be laughing about it for years to come! Anyway, I am sure glad to be caught up with you and am looking forward to experiencing some vicarious Disney Magic from your TR. Happy New Year, D! I truly hope 2018 brings you many blessings and much happiness!

Hey you!!!! Thank you - I had so much fun stalking your Hawaii trip on FB! I am sure that you did see those shirts while on your trip - I am pretty sure that's how my FIL found the company, as they went to Hawaii last year. ::yes::

That is so terrible that you all were sick!!! :( I am so sad for you as I know you were so looking forward to this time with your family. :hug: I am glad you got to see Pearl Harbor though - that would be a tough one for me - as I am sure it is for most people... While you want to see it and honor the men and women who died there - it would be such a somber and sad experience... It was very much the same for me when we visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam - something I truly wasn't prepared for at the time - though I knew it would be sad - I wasn't prepared for the magnitude of it.

I hope that one day you are able to laugh about the sickness that you all endured on your trip... Wishing you a wonderful New Year my friend! :hug: Welcome "home"... Any other trips coming up?

I am so beyond late to this PTR, but I'm all caught up! And yes, I may have spend way more time than I care to admit reading through all the updates I've missed. Your plans are great, and your bag/ear combos are so cute! Happy New Year to you and your family!

Hahaha! No one is ever late her! Promise! Thank you - and thanks for stopping by! :hug: Wishing you a Happy New Year as well! :)

Hey D! I missed a ton of updates because my notifications weren't working for some reason

So glad you are able to fit in another trip to see Suzi! I don't blame you for wanting to go to FL not Maine LOL!

I am planning to get my nails done the day before the trip too. Not sure what I will get.. should start looking into that.

WE GO TO DISNEY THIS MONTH! I am sooo excited I can't even wait!!

No worries at all! :)

Super excited to see her! And hoping for some nice weather those days too...

I like to do mine pretty classic... Dots are my staple. ::yes::

Wahoo!!! :woohoo: Cannot wait!!!

All of that looks amazing! Is it a buffet?


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Adorable!

I finally went to my local Aldi's to pick up some stuff for Christmas. My husband didn't want any sweet in his stocking so I bought a few things of nuts at Aldis. I also bought some chocolate for the kids. I'm kicking myself for not going there sooner. The prices on the nuts were great. I didn't have a lot of time to look around but will definitely be back. Possibly this weekend. I need to get some low carb snacks. I know you go there often so I'm wondering what stuff you like to buy there.

Sounds like you all had a great Christmas and your trip is coming up fast! It's really nice that the girls can spend some quality time together in Universal while you get to spend time with your friend.

Yes - it is a buffet... In the Contemporary Resort. :)

Awesome! I love Aldi - I buy so many nuts there... I think Josh gets irritated at me, because he *knows* how expensive nuts are, and I always have BAGS of them on hand... I don't think he realizes how cheap they are at Aldi? :scratchin I buy so much there - I hardly shop at Target for groceries anymore... The more I try at Aldi, the smaller my Target list gets. ::yes:: Which is a major reason why I've chosen to "retire" instead of transfer to another Target - I honestly don't get a lot of use out of my discount anymore.

We did - we had a very nice holiday... Now I have to get all of this decor down - not looking forward to that. LOL

I think the girls will do well in U/S together... And I think it will be great for them to venture off on their own... My heart skips a beat a little bit every time I think about it - then I remember - they've traveled the world without me, going from WDW to U/S will be a breeze for them. LOL

Happy New Year!!!

Either way, your nails will be cute. I wish I could do acrylics but they are a big no no at work. But I’m trying to let them grow a bit and I’ll do gel for Disney.

I went to the store today and restocked The Who fridge and cupboards with healthy food. I decided to try weight watchers freestyle through work. They have really revamped the system and it looks like something I will be able to do, fruits veggies, eggs, lean proteins are all 0 points. So I’m going to give it a shot can’t furt. I was going to go to Zumba tonight but work called and asked me to pick up for a bonus and I thought Disney $$$ lol. So I made a huge pot of turkey chili and it smells wonderful.

We are in a cold spell here -12 today. New Years morning we had something happen to a power grid and we lost power for a while. It was about -10 out so that stunk. We have generators but I really felt bad for those who didn’t. Luckily the power company got right on it and it came back on in a few hours. Brrrrr. I cannot wait to go to Florida. Even if it’s only 60 while we are there. That will feel wonderful.

I think I’m going to change up some of our dining again lol. I wanted to try a few new restuarants but reviews and a pod cast I’ve been listening too have me second guessing.

I wish we could squeeze a day or two into universal this trip but I am
Going to try and talk chris into maybe a quick trip down next fall, but he wants to go on a cruise so maybe we can do a few days pre cruise. I’ll start exploring it after Disney.

Thank you - same to you!

I prefer to do just gel manicures too - but when my nails are really dry in the winter time, I have to do acrylics or the gel just peels off in a few days. Looking forward to having nice nails again though. ::yes::

Interesting! Good luck on WW! :lovestruc I gave up on them years ago - I was tired of the yo-yo diet affect I had from their program... If I did it religiously - I had great results, but the second I slacked off (even a little), I'd gain it back and then some... That, on top of their previous mind set of "eating anything, regardless of food quality, as long as it's low in points" mentality... Though it sounds like they have rid themselves of that part of their program - which makes me (personally) feel much better about it. Wishing you lots of success! :woohoo: And keep me updated - I'd love to hear about your progress and how you like the new program! :)

It sounds like our entire nation is in a "cold snap"... Suzi and I were just talking about it this morning - and how this has been such an extended time for this to happen... I think we have been in the terrible cold temps since before Christmas - that is just way too long. Looking forward to (hopefully) warmer weather soon!

Did you change any of your reservations? If so, to what??? So curious!

I wish it wasn't so expensive to do Universal... Just one day for the girls - each - is about $250-$300, depending on how much they eat. To me, that is insanity... but people do pay it - so they can get away with it. It just sucks. LOL Love HP though - even if it's something I can't afford to do on each trip.

I know you don't like to tell what dates you'll be in Disney, but have you seen the temperatures now? It's so cold and 41° right now at noon. I bet you are glad you're home in cold Minnesota. We used to go the 3rd week of Jan, and we went the last week of Jan. in 2017. But I don't think we've ever been down when it's that cold, except maybe at night. It does look like it's going to warm after this week thank goodness. I'm content to stay in the house when it's this cold although I did get out shopping yesterday. That was my first day of really doing anything since I got the flu. Today I'm starting to take down my Christmas decorations. It takes me a few days though as I have so much. I will start with the tree today. I still have a few of my heavier Disney ornaments on it so I want to separate them and get them in the box for my new tree next year. I will have so much more room for ornaments and I know it will hold even the heavier ones. I was even tempted to put it up and try it out, but of course I really haven't felt like that so I'm waiting until next year. The good news about feeling ill is I've lost another 6 pounds! I hope to keep going although I haven't exercised again at all.

Looking forward to another picture of all your nails. My nails are so short and break so easy that I never have them done. My granddaughters usually do theirs so cute before we go though and their toes too.

Yes - I've been watching the forecast like a hawk! I am so nervous! Hopefully it warms up a little in the coming days!

Hahha - yes, I've been spending a lot of time indoors too... It's just too cold to go out - though I am getting pretty sick of being inside. ::yes:: I will be working on taking down Christmas decor too this weekend - I am NOT looking forward to it.

WOW!!! You must have been pretty sick to lose that much! I am glad to hear you are feeling better now!

I can't wait to get them done - and my hair too... My gray roots are getting bad again. One day - I'll go "all gray", but not until I am over 50 - so I have some time... and I'll reassess then - I may up that age to 60. :lmao:

Oh my word Dorine; your timing with Florida. I would not want to be there right now. I think it will be better when you and the girls go? Let's hope. I hope everyone is okay in your neck of the woods. We have had some mighty cold temps for Texas. It was 15 Tues morning and 21 Wed morning, with highs in the 30's. Crazy weather right now.

I am so very excited for you to see Suzi in February. What a treat for both of you.

Your salads always make me so hungry Dorine. I need to put out a list of ingredients for me to bring to work. I usually don't have time to make a proper lunch, but if I brought some of the stuff up to work I might be more inclined to eat a salad for lunch. I usually just eat chips and hummus or a boxed soup. I don't have official hours, I am paid hourly, long story. So, I usually come in late around 9:00 and work straight through lunch.

Starting this Saturday I will be house and pet sitting for my SIL and BIL. This always adds a lot to my plate where I will not be able to exercise next week. I try to juggle my house and cats and juggle their house and dog and cat, and work of course. But, it is wonderful to have my SIL pet sit for me when needed. We have been trading off for years. It is so nice to have someone I trust and I know she feels the same way.

I have been so enjoying your ears and bags and all that you have created for this epic mom/daughters trip. I saw V's ears and bags! I am blown away. Disney is right around the corner Dorine! I absolutely loved the HP worlds at US. I know your girls will have a wonderful time. I agree with the lockers, I absolutely hated the locker areas and trying to cram your belongings in those tight spots. I will try something else if we ever go again. Yay for paid time off for Allison! Is Josh going to check in with your Dad when ya'll are gone?

Well, a late happy and blessed New Year Dorine. You have a lot to look forward to this year! Sending a huge squeeze. Have a wonderful weekend.

Yes - I have so many friends in Florida now, and many of them are miserable... I do not envy them one bit. I actually feel terrible for them - it's so busy down there now due to the races...

Thanks - I am very excited to see Suzi again - it has been too long!

Great idea!!! I stopped at Aldi yesterday and restocked my salad makings... Though they did take all of their romaine off the shelves - which kind of scares me... However, I ate it and I was fine - I didn't read about the E. Coli outbreak until well after I'd finished off my romaine - so it was too late for me. ::yes::

That is so awesome that you trade off pet sitting... That is one major reason why Josh and I don't often travel together, unless we are going to the lake... When we go to Europe this summer - the girls have STRICT instructions - even if they move out beforehand - they will be living at home during that time to take care of MM and SC. ::yes::

Thank you - we are SO EXCITED to go!!! We have been so excited all along - as we just never imagined we'd get to do another girls trip - we can't wait to spend this time together! Allison is planning on bringing her wand to U/S... So she will be getting a locker for all of the rides... I think they will be OK though - they are smart girls and know how to go against the flow. ::yes::

Josh will be checking in on Dad while we are gone - so that's a relief for me... I've also contacted dad's local siblings and asked them to visit while we are gone too. ::yes::

Thank you Carol!!! Same to you! :lovestruc

Yes, I was really disappointed that MIL didn't let Brie use the room. I think I mentioned that it's her "office" and her sewing room, and she does use it every day. But she also has a laptop she can use. She uses it for women's auxiliary leadership meetings for church once or twice each month, and she's in there working on her banking stuff, paying bills, etc, etc, etc., during the day. We just wanted Brie to have a place to put her things and to sleep at night and to "retreat" to during the day when she needed some peace and quiet and space of her own. No such luck. MIL means well -- she truly does -- but she is just SO set in her ways, so regimented, and so stuck in her way of doing things. In fact, Mark commented just yesterday that he never really realized before just how regimented and stuck in her ways she is -- I had to laugh at that. I've known it since I met her 26 years ago! LOL Anyway, we would have needed to slightly move the furniture in that room to fold out the sofa sleeper for Brie, and move her work table and sewing table out of the way. Brie tried not to have hurt feelings about it, but I had hurt feelings for her. So Brie ended up sleeping downstairs either on the couch or with me (when she would kick Mark out to the couch, LOL). So I was VERY happy she ended up going to visit her friends in Portland. She got home yesterday and she truly had a wonderful time -- it was so good for her to go, and she has been working through a major decision in the last few weeks and needed some downtime to sort through her thoughts and find some clarity, so it was a good trip for her. Her two friends (also on her lacrosse team at BYU) are really good kids and the three of them have bonded and become quite close, and she had a wonderful time with them sightseeing in Portland and going to see the Pacific Ocean. Anyway...long story short...she and I are both frustrated about the whole thing with the bedroom, but trying to be understanding because this holiday season was so hard on MIL since it's the first Christmas without my FIL and we're coming up on their anniversary later this month and the first anniversary of his death later this month.

I love the two shirts you've made -- they're fabulous! And thanks for the info on the salads. YUM. I love a good salad! I have been able to find Tessamae's dressing much easier out here than I could in Virginia -- which surprised me -- and I'm so glad.

The bank stuff ended up working out fine -- it turns out that it was part of the insurance company check that was on hold through the bank and those holds show up as debits. I never knew that! So it's all good. I still need to comb through the account for the last few months, though. I'm working on being brave enough to do that. I know....it's terrible. LOL

Your nails will be cute no matter how you decide to do them. I think the black and white dots with the thin red line is really cute, but so is the red and white dots. I started having my nails done again when we moved here and I'm glad I did. I love to do fun Disney nails.

So sad that your Target store is emptying...I'm still sad that they're closing it. I found out today that another store where we used to live in Georgia is closing. And a huge Sears store where we live now is closing. I haven't shopped at Sears in years...but it's sad to see these local "institutions" closing down.

House update...We hadn't heard from the builder since 14 Dec and I'm getting nervous. Brie talked me into going to look at two houses today...one of them we ended up not seeing because it went under contract yesterday. The other one (in the neighborhood we want to build in) went under contract this morning but we were still able to look at it. I loved the kitchen and liked most of the rest of it, but there were a few things I didn't like. It's across the street from the lot we want to build on. I don't think we're going to put a back-up offer in on it. There are two other houses in that same neighborhood that just got completed and went on the market so we're scheduled to look at those tomorrow, but I looked at pictures of them online and one of them I know is absolutely not a house I would buy. But I guess we'll look anyway. I texted the builder's brother (a friend of mine) to see if the builder is in town...and he got in touch with his brother and told him that if he didn't contact me ASAP he'd be disowned. LOL! So he texted me this afternoon (after I texted him) and sent me the price build-up...without the changes we discussed. So we need to have him make the changes. if he can commit to having the house done by the end of July we'll proceed with him. Otherwise, we'll have to buy a house and go another route. Financially it would be better for us to build and not have the house done until June/July.....but he has to commit to the end of July or it's absolutely not going to work out. So we shall see...

Have a great weekend!

Gosh - what a terribly stressful situation... Truly sending you hugs and grace during this time - it has to be so hard! I am relieved to hear that Brie had a good trip though - and much needed too - it sounds like. I am sure that helps you too, just knowing that her trip to visit her friends was so necessary and good for her. :hug:

Thanks! I am having fun making them! I really love this pattern, and I can't wait to make more! All of my family has said that it's so flattering on me - which is a rare compliment, LOL... So, I plan on making lots. ::yes::

Glad to hear that the bank fiasco wasn't one... That is always a relief! I hope that one day, that is an area of your life that you can face... It has been truly satisfying for me to learn and understand it all - very confidence building. ::yes::

Thanks! I am very much looking forward to having both my nails and hair done - at the same time! LOL It's been over a year since I've had my nails done and I've missed it. ::yes::

It's so hard watching our Target "die off"... But in a way - it's good too, I think it would be harder to deal with it if they just closed the doors - now it's something we can get used to slowly. It's sad seeing so many brick and mortar stores close... There is something about being able to browse and touch stuff...

It sounds like you are making some progress on decision making with the house project... Hopefully looking at the houses this weekend will give you more clarity to come to a decision you are both comfortable with. Sending you lots of Pixie Dust for this - as I know your living situation is so hard on you, and having an end date will really help with that. :hug:

Wishing you a wonderful week!

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FYI... I did an update this morning in the post above this... So, no update down here!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :hug:

D~
 
WOW your Target store is really empty in the back of the store. How great that you are still getting restocked.

The knit raglans you made looks great. You are so talented :hug:

V's Mickey ears and the bags you have made looks great. You are both so talented :)

Looks like the dogs are doing well :)

I can understand it's tempting to just put a garbage bag over your Christmas tree and store it so you don't have to decorate it again next year.


Life is back to normal here.

I'm glad you liked the video I posted on your facebook yesterday. After new year they have started a documentary series on TV where they are following the people that plow snow around Norway. They have had this series on TV before, but this is the first time they are following the people in Tromsø plowing snow. Most days they pile our snow wherever they can, but when we get a lot of snow it's not enough room to pile any more snow. So then they get their snowblowers and trucks out to get the snow into the sea. Then they can pile snow again until it gets too much again and they once again have to get the snowblowers and trucks out again and get rid of the snow.
 
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Love your new shirts and they do look very good on you. What a cute idea for Victoria to use wire for the ears. That must be the artist in her coming up with something so neat. I bet you are glad you're not in Florida this week. I changed my weather to Orlando so I could watch the temps. Our first day at Disney in Jan. was mid 50's and rainy in the morning, but we still had a good time. We waited a while to see if it would let up and then just thought let's go. Our first photopass picture was in the rain with our hoods of our windbreakers up. Somehow we were just so happy to be there we didn't care.

This was the sickest I've been since I started getting flu shots. I hadn't weighed myself on Monday (Christmas) like I usually do so I don't know if some of the weight loss was from the previous week. But for 3 days I really only drank water and didn't eat anything. Then I forced myself to eat a little but the only thing that tasted good was cold cereal. I really didn't want to eat anything hot or that smelled. While I feel a lot better now, I still am coughing and blowing my nose and my chest muscles still hurt from all the coughing. Luckily my husband never got it. He did get the extra dose for seniors but I got mine at CVS at Target this year, and they never asked me about that. It was my first time getting it there because of the $5 gift card. I think next year is back to the doctor as I hope never to be that sick again.

We're still trying to decide about Arizona, but I think we will just save our money. If I can't go to Florida I'd rather just stay home. Besides finishing our windows this year, we also need to buy my husband a new car. He really just needs an economical car to drive back and forth to the lake. He has money from his retirement plan he has to take out every year so that is earmarked for a new car. We're thinking there are some good deals around the auto show, so he may get one then. It will be interesting to see what he chooses. He actually was thinking about another Equinox because we really love mine. It gets ok mileage and on our trips we get around 30 mpg, but then he decided he'd rather just get a smaller car. My son has a Cruze he really likes so he's thinking about that.

Well it looks like we're finally getting a little warm up. Enjoy it!
 


Your new shirts are so cute.

It was freezing Christmas week in Disney. Even though I had checked the temps when we where packing We didn’t have enough warm clothing.

I’m trying to figure out when we can plan a trip to universal as well as a trip to wdw again.
 
WOW your Target store is really empty in the back of the store. How great that you are still getting restocked.

The knit raglans you made looks great. You are so talented

V's Mickey ears and the bags you have made looks great. You are both so talented

Looks like the dogs are doing well

I can understand it's tempting to just put a garbage bag over your Christmas tree and store it so you don't have to decorate it again next year.


Life is back to normal here.

I'm glad you liked the video I posted on your facebook yesterday. After new year they have started a documentary series on TV where they are following the people that plow snow around Norway. They have had this series on TV before, but this is the first time they are following the people in Tromsø plowing snow. Most days they pile our snow wherever they can, but when we get a lot of snow it's not enough room to pile any more snow. So then they get their snowblowers and trucks out to get the snow into the sea. Then they can pile snow again until it gets too much again and they once again have to get the snowblowers and trucks out again and get rid of the snow.

Yes - sadly - we won't be restocked for long, I don't think. There won't be much left in the store when we return from Disney.

Thank you - I am very excited about them... I need to stop making them actually - LOL... They are so fun and comfy though!

Well - I took the entire tree down yesterday, and I took the ornaments off... I asked Josh if I could just put a bag over it, and I got "the look" - so I backed quickly out of that conversation and began putting ornaments away. LOL I managed to get the Christmas decor entirely down and most of the bins into the basement along with the tree... I still have one ornament bin that is overflowing - so I need to get 2 more bins... One for the remaining ornaments and one for all of our Christmas linens. ::yes:: My goal was to have Christmas entirely put away before we leave on our trip... I should be able to do that. :)

Very interesting! And how fun to watch that in your own city. ::yes::

Love your new shirts and they do look very good on you. What a cute idea for Victoria to use wire for the ears. That must be the artist in her coming up with something so neat. I bet you are glad you're not in Florida this week. I changed my weather to Orlando so I could watch the temps. Our first day at Disney in Jan. was mid 50's and rainy in the morning, but we still had a good time. We waited a while to see if it would let up and then just thought let's go. Our first photopass picture was in the rain with our hoods of our windbreakers up. Somehow we were just so happy to be there we didn't care.

This was the sickest I've been since I started getting flu shots. I hadn't weighed myself on Monday (Christmas) like I usually do so I don't know if some of the weight loss was from the previous week. But for 3 days I really only drank water and didn't eat anything. Then I forced myself to eat a little but the only thing that tasted good was cold cereal. I really didn't want to eat anything hot or that smelled. While I feel a lot better now, I still am coughing and blowing my nose and my chest muscles still hurt from all the coughing. Luckily my husband never got it. He did get the extra dose for seniors but I got mine at CVS at Target this year, and they never asked me about that. It was my first time getting it there because of the $5 gift card. I think next year is back to the doctor as I hope never to be that sick again.

We're still trying to decide about Arizona, but I think we will just save our money. If I can't go to Florida I'd rather just stay home. Besides finishing our windows this year, we also need to buy my husband a new car. He really just needs an economical car to drive back and forth to the lake. He has money from his retirement plan he has to take out every year so that is earmarked for a new car. We're thinking there are some good deals around the auto show, so he may get one then. It will be interesting to see what he chooses. He actually was thinking about another Equinox because we really love mine. It gets ok mileage and on our trips we get around 30 mpg, but then he decided he'd rather just get a smaller car. My son has a Cruze he really likes so he's thinking about that.

Well it looks like we're finally getting a little warm up. Enjoy it!

Thank you! I am truly enjoying making them! Even if the weather is warming up day by day down there - and it's looking like I won't be able to wear anything I made. :scratchin I may end up making a 2nd Toy Story raglan with shorter sleeves - as I would be so disappointed if I couldn't wear that.

I am glad you were able to enjoy your trip, despite the weather... I feel so badly for those down there now - as I am sure many of them were unprepared.

Interesting... I never would have thought there to be a difference in flu shots. :scratchin Hopefully you are back to normal soon! We are all washing our hands and everything extra now (and we do when we travel too) - just to be safe... So far - I haven't ever been sick on vacation and I truly don't want to start... There is just so much going around right now. ::yes::

I understand - I am much the same way about travel - I'd rather go to Disney than anywhere else.

Gus drives a Cruze and likes it a lot... If that helps any? LOL It's a nice car. ::yes:: Good luck - I hate researching and buying new vehicles.

Your new shirts are so cute.

It was freezing Christmas week in Disney. Even though I had checked the temps when we where packing We didn’t have enough warm clothing.

I’m trying to figure out when we can plan a trip to universal as well as a trip to wdw again.

Thank you - I am very excited about them... Though it's looking like it may be too warm to wear them... I am debating on remaking my Toy Story shirt, with shorter sleeves - I would be so sad if I couldn't wear that one. ::yes::

On average - it's looking like 70s for highs while we are there, and 50s for lows... I do know, this time of year, it does feel chillier down there than the temps dictate... I am hoping I"ll be OK in capris/tees and light jackets for in the mornings/evenings?

I hope you are able to figure it out soon! :woohoo:

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I continue to watch the weather like a hawk... The closer our trip gets, the warmer it looks like it's going to be... Every day - it gets a few degrees warmer. :scratchin It's so hard to figure out how we want to pack... I keep going up to my luggage and adjusting... And now I am debating on adding one swim suit. Temps seem to be in the mid-70s for highs and mid-50s for lows for our entire trip. I just don't know what to do??? I'd love some help with this. ::yes::

I put so much thought into my outfits... and this time, so much thought into how to layer them - then make it all coordinate... All while bringing as little as possible...

Reminder - this is everything I am trying to coordinate...

AC6E6EAA-D196-4772-86C5-B1834A956987.jpg


Packing list:

I am bringing 4 light weight jackets... The heaviest of them all is my black/gray fall jacket - it's hooded, wind proof and minky lined. This coordinates with all of my themes, except for my Carl and Ellie set. I will be wearing this one on the plane, as I will need something semi-warm to wear to the airport and I tend to get cold in flight.

12FD6DBE-4B79-42D6-BED4-4CB8D7460133.jpg


Then, last night, laying awake, I decided to bring my new red quilted mickey jacket from Box Lunch - it's the 2nd heaviest, and lined/hooded. This coordinates with 3 of my outfits.

http://www.boxlunch.com/product/dis...e/11046540.html?cgid=womens-outerwear#start=5

I am bringing one Columbia fleece jacket - this is my only jacket that coordinates with my Up! set... And Josh gave it to me for Christmas specifically for this reason. I hesitate to bring such a bulky item that only coordinates with one set - but I would hate to not bring it and need it.

https://www.jcpenney.com/p/columbia...&pTmplType=regular&searchTerm=columbia+fleece

And finally - I am bringing my denim jacket... This one is lightweight and adds very little warmth... but it does go with everything... I guess - if I take anything out, it will be this one. Even though it's the most versatile. I wore it almost exclusively on our January 2016 trip - mostly because it was the only thing I had with me... For the most part - it was adequate. :scratchin

PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_75832392401.jpg


Bottoms:

I am bringing ONE pair of denim jeans and ONE pair of long black leggings. I was going to bring more pairs of long jeans - but the closer we get and the warmer the forecast becomes, the more I back off of these. This is the bare minimum, and these will definitely be coming with me.

I am bringing 4 pairs of denim capris and 2 pairs of black legging capris. I've added to both of these in the last days, as I feel like I can wear capris even when it's warm out. And let's face it - my legs are SO WHITE right now, they are almost transparent. :lmao: No one really wants to see me in shorts. ::yes::

However, I am planning to bring 2 pairs of denim shorts. I took out my lime, royal blue and aqua J. Crew chino shorts... They are still slightly "muffin toppy" on me, and I don't want to have to suck it in all day long... I am very sad, because these are light weight and small... but back to the white legs thing too... I took them out. They might go back in if it gets any warmer though and I have room. :scratchin

Tops:

OK - I am bringing several light weight long sleeves still... My Toy Story raglan, my Mickey raglan, and a gray oversized lightweight shirt.

The majority of the tops I am bringing are 3/4 sleeves... Several colors that coordinate with all of my outfits.

I've added a few more basic tees over the last few days... Solids in basic colors that should coordinate with everything.

Shoes:

My ever present and necessary black Vionic Tide II flip flops...

My black Classic Vans... These - man - they are my favorite shoes right now... They are actually pretty worn in at this point - I wear them almost daily.

My black Classic Dot Vans... Yes - the dots are still a little pink... I may try to wash them again soon, so they have time to dry before we leave. I also need to wear them a few times, as when I washed them last time, they became a little snug on me again. ::yes::

9312CB5A-7648-4282-A034-762C3B1C526F.jpg


My aqua runners... Just to have something different to put on my feet... They only match with my one aqua Mickey/Pluto bag set - but I will likely wear them this day just to have something different to give my feet a break.

And then, a pair of Birkenstock flip flops - I bring these with on every trip - I never wear them in the parks because the cork foot bed hurts my feet if I walk too much - but they are great around the resort to have something different on my feet.

Socks: Lots of pairs, colors and styles...

Mole skin and bandaids... Which has saved us on MANY occasions... So much so, that I actually carry these things in a small first-aid box in my bag at all times.

And PJs...

Maybe a swim suit...

Underwear and bras - but you all don't want to hear about those. :lmao:

So... Do you think I am covered?

All of this has to fit into ONE checked bag and 2 carry ons. ::yes:: Don't forget my 7 park bags up top + ears. :scratchin It's a process - believe me. LOL


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

OK and a final update for our other day off...

It will be my Goofy set... This one...

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


Though - I did come up with a brainy idea during the night (I really need to work on sleeping...)... I have some lime green knit fabric I'd purchased eons ago... I might make a 3/4 sleeve raglan with it??? I really like the lime green shorts with this set, and if I am not bringing them with - I may go that route? :scratchin We'll see - my ambition level would have to be high. ::yes:: I'll look at the fabric again and see if that's what it really wants to be.

Anyways...

We have a breakfast ADR at The Wave... It's a late one - the last one before lunch, I believe?

And then... Not sure. LOL LIke I said earlier - I don't like to plan anything for our days off...

I do know that we want to make it to FQ at some point for beignets - so we might do that?

If it's nice, we may go back to the resort to swim? If we bring swim wear... :scratchin

We will likely nap...

We will probably meet up with Cindy at some point...

Just not sure?

That's it, my final official update...

Now we wait... And wait... And wait... ::yes:: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Have a great Sunday all! I will check in as I can through out the week! :lovestruc Pixie dust to everyone! :hug:

D~
 
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Love reading about your plans! It sounds like you have the outfits covered. Can't think of anything you've missed. I do like to take 1 rain type jacket just in case. I prefer a rain jacket to a poncho. If you do have some cool days you should still be OK unless it's windy. I can take cool weather if it's sunny and the winds are calm. I'm excited for the 3 of you! Hope you all stay healthy - so much flu around here.

We had a little get together at our home yesterday so I was forced to de-Christmas the house. After New Year's just looking at it stresses me out so I was glad for the push to put everything away. We had so much going on this year I cut way back on my normal decorating. Yesterday, I was glad that I did. It went much quicker than it normally does. Now I feel like I can focus on my goals for 2018!
 


It looks like you have everything covered with your wardrobe for your trip. I only have 3 pairs of nikes that I wear most of the time and one pair is in my locker at work. I have that Columbia jacket in lime green. I wear it a lot in the spring and fall. the shirts you made are really cute. Maybe you can wear one in the evening when it's cooler? I always forget to pack a swimsuit.
The weather here have been really cold for us. I've been wearing the jacket that formerly had the grease stain. Now I just have to figure out how to get the salt off my solid navy Vera bag.
You've been busy taking the tree down. I think that's the worse part of Christmas, putting everything away. My tree's in the spare room waiting to go back into the garage. I don't wan to drag it through the snow.
I finally got the day shift at work. It only took almost a year from when they asked me if I wanted it. Actually, it was moving the other person that took that long.
Have a good day
Liz
 
I’m watching the weather too. Every week closer looks like it’s getting a bit warmer. However 40 would be a heat wave.

I love the shirts!!! I am loving raglans this year. I have sever from Lula Roe, then I just bought two super cute ones from Zulily. But yours

I traded Tutto Italiano dinner for 1900 Park on our last night there. The reviews were awful, I may it again. Idk. Then I changed yak and yeti to via Napoli for Monday dinner.
 
The knit raglans you made are adorable. I really like them!

Definitely bring a swim suit. I regretted not packing them on a trip last year & was kicking myself. They take very little room if you just pack one.

On our 4th of July trip I wore mostly dry fit capris. I found that the material is pretty light weight & made to keep the sweat off. I didn’t feel any hotter in them compared to my shorts. I don’t like wearing shorts though so I’m sure that makes me a little bias.
 
I so love all your bags and ears, they are just so adorable and I love how fun they are and it is so cool when the characters interact when they see themselves on the bags. Hoping whenever your trip is that the weather is warmer for you and that you girls will have a blast!!!!
 
We're getting down to the wire!!

Packing is so tough! I think all that you mentioned is great. I am doing the same, stalking the weather apps and trying to decide how much I actually NEED to bring. I have to fit all my stuff in two carry-ons! :scared: I really need to get that going and just throw in what I think will be good and hope for the best LOL. That is part of my plan for this week, get packed, hair, mani and pedi.
 
So close to your trip. I love all your outfits and how coordinated you are :)
Definitely think you should bring a swimsuit (just in case ) :)
 
I'm having the same struggle, D. I started laying stuff out last night. I think it's going to be pretty much all leggings and long t-shirts. At least with the leggings, I can pull them up to capri length if it gets too much warmer. I'm also taking my denim jacket and one sweatshirt. Shoes...my Saucony runners, one pair of black low top Converse and my Sanuk flip-flops. Swimsuit, Pjs, socks and unders, my two amazing park bags and...I think that's it.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something. :)

Em and I are going to get our haircuts, manis and pedis the day before we leave. One of Em's Christmas presents was having our hairdresser dye her hair. She's decided...I think...on a teal blue/green color. It should look nice with her blond hair and blue eyes. I've told her that I'd rather it not be her whole head and she's shown me some great ideas so far. Should be interesting. I'll send you a pic when she's done.

And now we wait...
 
Hi D!

Having been to WDW in January a couple of times, if you and your girls enjoy swimming I would totally bring a swimsuit. When my kids were little I would get in to be with them, and since the pools are heated it's not bad at all - especially if you have actual beach towels or a terry robe to put on when you get out of the pool.

I was reading an article this morning about a product called Compeed to combat blisters or hot spots, that you can get from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Compeed-Blis...e=UTF8&qid=1515442085&sr=8-7&keywords=compeed

We're 26 days out. So excited!

I wish you safe travels and good health for your trip!
 
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Hey D! So I guess you saw that we took a little trip this weekend as well. It was exhausting to take another trip so soon after getting back from a long trip, but we went down to see an extended family member who is Japanese. She came back to visit her family, so we drove down to meet up with her and her family. The town was called Karatsu just south of Fukuoka. It is directly across the Sea of Japan from South Korea. It was a nice visit. Although, I am sure you saw the videos of FB of us eating live squid. Ironically, neither Jason nor I even like seafood! But we ate it (at least a little bit) so as not to appear rude, and it was a fun experience to say that we tried it. We learned recently that it is actually cheaper to fly to Hong Kong than to fly to Tokyo, so a long weekend trip to Hong Kong Disneyland might be in the works? I would like to go since we are this close especially if it is affordable. Jason really wants to go to China while we are here, but that is an expensive trip (less than coming from the states, but still expensive). Honestly, I am sure I would enjoy the trip, but for that much money, I would rather go to London or Paris. I am much more interested in European History and culture than Chinese. Also, I just get squeamish with all the political upheaval in the world right now.

Anyhoo- your trip is fast approaching! I echo the above posters that you should bring a swimsuit just in case. Also, I think with your capris, you will be fine wearing the long-sleeve raglans. Plus they are super cute- you can't NOT wear them! You may just have to make sure you have a bag or something to put your extra layers in when it gets warm. Likely, it will depend on if the sun is out. If it is mid-70's and cloudy, it won't seem that hot. I always over pack, so I am not the person to ask about down-sizing, LOL. Good luck fitting it all in! I am soooo excited for you, and I can't wait to see and hear about all your adventures!
 
Just got back tonight from Orlando dropping my son of at college and it was freezing that whole week we were down there. Hoping when I go back down in April its so much warmer.
 
Your raglan shirts are adorable. I would think you could wear them in Disney at night - maybe one of the nights you are out late for fireworks. It usually gets cold at night in Disney in January.

I continue to watch the weather like a hawk... The closer our trip gets, the warmer it looks like it's going to be... Every day - it gets a few degrees warmer. :scratchin It's so hard to figure out how we want to pack... I keep going up to my luggage and adjusting... And now I am debating on adding one swim suit. Temps seem to be in the mid-70s for highs and mid-50s for lows for our entire trip. I just don't know what to do??? I'd love some help with this.
It looks like you have packed a good variety of clothes to handle every temperature. :) I have been following the weather in Orlando, too, and hoping that the cold weather is over and more normal temps will return now. ;) The weather forecasts for Orlando are always misleading in January. A predicted high of 67 means that it is 63 degrees most of the day and then might hit 65 or 66 for a short time in the afternoon, but never quite makes it to the predicted 67. But anything above 60 is fine with me, although 78 would be a lot better. ::yes:: We always bring swimming suits, just in case

We received quite a few Disney gift cards for Christmas and my birthday to cover a good portion of our food for our upcoming Disney trip. And my husband has a Disney Visa with rewards dollars for even more free food. Plus, it is a short trip, which helps. :) We bought Disney gift cards at Target to pay for the room and that 5% discount is really nice. :)

I hope you get good weather for your trip, especially on the days you are flying. ::yes::
 
I think you have more than enough jackets so I guess if you didn't have room I would leave one of the heavier ones out. I looked at our pictures from Jan. and we only wore coats the first day. We did have hoodies our last night at AK when we went to see ROL. We only did a few evenings though when you are more likely to need a light coat. Even when we used to fly I wore my fall coat on the plane and usually that's the only time I would wear it. I always bought a new Disney hoodie to wear if I needed one. But I know you like to coordinate your outfits and I tolerate the cooler temperatures really well. I often just leave my hoodie in the car and I can get it if I need it. I think I only went once to grab jackets when we were staying for a parade and it was cooling off. I hate carrying them around all day. I remember leaving DS in short sleeves and people were wearing coats. When we got back to the car it said 68° and we thought it felt wonderful. I would also bring a swimsuit as it takes very little room. We love swimming though and the big advantage of a house is not having to run back to the room, we can just jump right in the shower.

I got the last of my Christmas decorations put away yesterday. I was still feeling tired from the flu so I've done one room each day. I go a little overboard I guess, but I also have a lot of stuff I've collected over the years. I did give away a lot of stuffed snowmen I used to collect and had 3 tubs full. I never put them all out as I didn't have room. Now I have 2 tubs left but I just couldn't get rid of anymore. I also gave some other stuff to Goodwill too so I have a few less tubs. Doesn't help that I asked for Jim Shore Disney decor so I'm always collecting more, lol.

Looking forward to seeing more new shirts. I think raglan shirts should have 3/4 sleeves. That just seems like the style they should be and then you could wear them more often. Hope you have time to make more.

I forgot to mention in your Target picture that the tree by the $3 ornament sign is my new Disney tree. You can see it's not real full, but it has the strong branches that I need.
 
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Your trip is so close! I'm excited for you -- you and the girls will have a wonderful time. I hope the weather continues to warm up -- but it looks like you've got the contingencies all covered with the outfits you have planned. V's ears are so cute. And it's awesome that (as always) your trip is already paid for. Woohoo!! I absolutely love the shirts you've made for yourself. If it was me, I would probably take the swimsuit just in case. Does SoG have hot tubs? Those always feel so good on my feet after a long day in the parks.

Brie has thrown a potential major wrench into our Disneyland plans so I'm not sure if we'll end up being able to go in May or not. She's got a couple of big decisions to make and if things go the way I think they're going to go, she will need to head to Virginia for work as soon as lacrosse nationals are over in mid-May, and she doesn't get enough time off of lacrosse between the end of school (end of April) and lacrosse nationals for us to go then. And her school doesn't have a spring break, and she's not willing to miss classes for a day, which means our only option would be to leave after her early afternoon class on Friday, fly to California, rent a car, spend Saturday and most of Sunday at Disneyland, and then fly home Sunday night. I just don't think that's worth the expense, especially since the girls have never been to Disneyland before and I haven't been since 1989. I feel like we need a minimum of three solid days there, preferably four. My plan was for us to drive there -- saving the airfare plus that gives us our car while we're there. If we can't do May, there is a slight possibility we could do the end of August, but that's going to be a potential conflict with one of the major decisions she needs to make as well as a potential conflict with when Alyssa and Andrew have to be at optometry school (wish him luck -- his final interview is tomorrow and then we'll see where he decides to go....). So right now it looks like the trip is up in the air. :-(

Your sewing on knits -- do you use a serger for your seams, or how do you finish them? I think those shirts are SO cute and I have some basic sewing skills -- I've made basic clothing in the past and those look like something that I could possibly make....

I went through the numbers from the builder this morning and it looks like I can cut about $6K off the price with some changes to the kitchen that are changes I definitely can live with. One of those is to change from white cabinets/cupboards to stained cabinets/cupboards. White cabinets/cupboards in the kitchen and bathrooms added $2500 to the price because it's so much more expensive than stained. And I saw three homes last weekend with dark stained cabinets/cupboards that I actually liked quite a bit -- I didn't think I would, but I did. And that solves my concern of how the kitchen cabinets/cupboards would tie into my dining table, which has a dark cherry espresso finish. We're getting closer, I think......I hope.

So sad that your Target store will be closed soon. As much as I love the convenience of online shopping for many things (case in point -- I ordered some authentic German Christmas tree candle clips and candles this year -- I'm trying to learn and pick up as many of my MIL's German Christmas traditions as I can, while we still have her around to share them -- and I would not have been able to find those in any local brick and mortar store)...I really prefer being able to see items in person, touch and handle them, try them on, determine quality, etc. Target is one of my favorites, especially Super Target, and it makes me sad that your store is closing. Hugs....
 

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