Trick or Treat Sale

Just wanted to remind everyone of our sale tomorrow.

One for the Money . . . Two for the Show

If you remember repeating this as a child, you’ll also remember that it finished “Three to get ready, and Four to go”.  Shortly, my family and I are going to Walt Disney World in celebration of Rod and my 40th anniversary (and just because we love Disney)  Here’s how I’ve applied this little ditty our upcoming trip.

One for the Money - First we decided which days to spend at WDW, and booked our trip with our a travel agent.  It doesn't cost you anything, and she can not only save you money, but also give you some great tips for Disney. Once that was done, we needed to figure out how to save money to pay for the trip.  We started putting loose change in our “jug” bank, to use toward our "Mousekeeping" tips.  Disney recommends $1 per day per person.  It's just easier for us to stick a $5 into each envelope.  I make special envelopes for our tips, and put the money in them before we leave home. This is a sample of one of the envelopes that I have made.

 I’m a pin trader, so I searched out some good values on eBay where I was able to get pins for about $1 each. Free dining helped us save some money, too.  And each pay, we purchased Disney gift cards from a local supermarket that offers fuel perks on groceries and gift cards.   These gift cards and grocery purchases have also earned us discounts on gasoline.  And so, we have these gift cards to use for paying off our trip, use toward our spending money and we saved a little on fuel in the process.

Two for the Show – We looked at our favorite parks, and everyone in the group made a list of have-to-see’s, want-to-see’s, and have-no- interests. Then everyone decided where they would like to eat.  We try to accommodate everyone’s favorite eating spots. Mary, who is our unofficial tour guide, worked with Pam and I to put all these lists together and worked diligently to formulate touring plans for each park on days that were alleged to be less crowded.  After the parks were decided, we discussed our food choices.  Since this will be Izzy and Jake's first trip, we concentrated on chaaracter meals, where they could interact with their favorite characters.  And, at our 180-day window, we worked our magic with our dining reservations.  Some have changed since that day, but we’re all very satisfied with the final results.  We have made reservations for the 4 grandkids to participate in the Pirate's League, where they will be made up to be a pirate.  We made plans to see Fantasmic and booked a dinner package. This gives us preferred seating at the show. Attending the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas is also a definite must.  It even snows on Main Street! We've researched which rides are most handicapped friendly and which rides the kids are all tall enough to ride.  And we set our fast passes for the rides with the longest wait lines.  And we have made a reservation for a Wishes Cruise.  It will be our third, but Kristin's family's first.  A cruise is a great way to experience the fireworks. And, finally, the “show” is set.

Three to get Ready – We’ve gone over our check lists, and are making last minute purchases.  We are all waiting to receive our document packs,  so that we can put everything in a safe place.  Those needing to request time off work have done so, and gotten approval.  I’ve pulled out the quilt blocks that I didn’t get signed on the last trip in the hopes that maybe this trip I’ll get those elusive autographs.  And I've been making lists of what gets packed where. I have made backpacks for the kids and wristlets for the ladies.  Oh yes, we are getting ready. 

And Four to Go – And now we are just 28 days from our trip.  The excitement just keeps building.  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and I can’t wait to see all the new decorations.  And I love seeing all the gingerbread creations in the Deluxe resorts, the large house at the Grand Floridian (where I can't resist buying some gingerbread); the carousel in the Beach Club; and, the tree at the Contemporary.  So in less than a month, we will board our flight for Orlando.  We’ll pick up our rental cars and head to our resort, (Coronado Springs, this year), check in, and meet at EPCOT.  And, it’s not four, but 28 and we are ready to go.

Disney With Diabetes. . . It's All About Choice

My name is Linda and I’m a diabetic.  Diabetes hasn’t been easy for me.  I wasn’t born with a sweet tooth . . . I was born with an entire mouthful.  But I’ve learned that living with diabetes is all about choices. 

When I was diagnosed eight years ago, I began keeping a food journal.  Here I recorded what I ate for each meal and my blood sugar levels before and after each meal.  This was a necessary step for me for two reasons – it kept me honest as far as what size portions and what foods I was eating, and it enabled me to learn what foods raised my blood sugar levels.  This might be a good thing to try a month or so before you visit Disney.  You will have some idea as to what foods you should definitely avoid.  Bananas are one of my worst food choices – I love them, but don’t eat them. 

As we planned our first trip to Disney, I worried about how Disney dining would affect my blood sugar levels.  We had elected to pay for the Deluxe Dining Plan, and it was a great choice for me.  It meant that I never had to choose which meal I should skip or have to pay for out-of-pocket.  We decided to do a good breakfast each morning.  Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day, and Disney’s breakfast buffets offer something for everyone.  On most days, my breakfast meal consisted of eggs, a breakfast meat, and a fresh fruit.  I’m not a big bread eater, so eliminating bread has many times enabled me to keep my carb levels, and my blood sugar levels, down.  I did splurge at 1900 Park Fare when one of my choices was to eat the lobster eggs Benedict.  Oh, when I close my eyes and think of those eggs, I swear I can still taste them.  And the strawberry soup was also a good choice.  Menus for the various restaurants can be found on several websites. I think it’s a good idea to look them over and get an idea of what you might find appetizing. Lunch choices aren’t difficult for me.  Since I’m not crazy about bread, not eating a sandwich isn’t a sacrifice for me.  Instead I choose a good healthy salad when it’s offered – and most times it’s offered.  However, if sandwiches are your thing, you can always choose to eat it open faced.  It’s your choice.  This year, however, we have opted for Basic Dining, which means we have one table service, one counter service meal, and one snack per day.  That means we haven't scheduled any breakfasts, which makes me sad since I love the scrambled eggs at Disney.  I am considering taking a 6 pack of tomato juice and 6 hard boiled eggs with me.  Another option is to purchase a jumbo breakfast at our resort, and then Rod and I share it - I eat the eggs and sausage and he eats everything else.

Most all of Disney’s dining establishments offer a sugar-free dessert on the menu.  But many times, I chose not to eat the starch portion of my meals and eat a small portion of the dessert that calls my name.  Sharing with a non-diabetic is always a good option, and sometimes just a taste is enough to satisfy me.  I usually try to eat the protein and vegetable portions of my meals first, and save the starches for last.  That way if I’m too full to finish,  I’ve eaten the good things and sent back the not-so-good.  But if you’re concerned, let the restaurant know ahead of time that you have a special food need.  They will do all they can to accommodate you.

One of the most important things to remember is to stay well hydrated.  You will feel better, and you’ll be less apt to overeat if your belly feels full.  And, don’t forget to test.  Keep your monitor with you at all times and test several times during the day.  I find that heat and sun will cause my sugar levels to rise more than normal.  But the best advice I can give you is to remember that no one is cramming the food down your throat.  There are no “food police” at Disney.  What you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, and where you eat are all your choices.  Making smart ones will make your trip more enjoyable.

Packing My Disney Bags

Our next Disney trip is just a little over a month away, so packing is definitely on my mind.  I thought I'd share a few of my tips with you.  Our family has T-shirts for each of the parks.  Most of them we've made with iron-on transfers, but some are handmade tie dyed and some are purchased.  As Hubby and I pack for our trip, we take the slacks or shorts that we are wearing each day and roll the tee shirt, underwear, and socks for that day inside the slacks.  Once we arrive at our resort, we unpack our suitcases and put our clothing in the drawers - Hubby's in one drawer and mine in another.  We then put the largest suitcase into the closet with the top zipper partially open.  Each night as we undress, the dirty clothes are put into that suitcase just as if it were a dirty clothes hamper.

My carry-on bag is a baggallini Message Sling Backpack.  This backpack is just loaded with pockets. I carry my water bottle in the outside pocket made of mesh.  In the other side pocket, I carry flavor packets for the water.  (Disney water doesn't taste magical!)  I carry our medications, a first aid kit, moleskin, my autograph book, my pin lanyard (when I'm not wearing it), the book of touring cards that I make, Hubby's camcorder and antibacterial wipes and hand gels.  (The hand gel size must meet TSA standards and be packed into a zipper bag).

In past years, I wore a neck wallet , like this one in my Etsy store.  But since Disney has replaced the Key to the World card with the Magic Bands, the neck wallet isn't as practical.  So last year I used one of my wristlets, also from my Etsy store.  My cell phone fits into the smaller pocket which is inside the main pocket.  You can also store your credit cards and identification cards in this pocket.  Inside the main pocket, I can carry my hand gel, a comb, my chap stick, and a pen.  The great thing about this bag for me, is that the wrist strap slides right over the tiller of my scooter.  But for the rest of the ladies in our family, they like the fact that when they are going on the rides, they can hook the wristlet to their belt loops with the attached lobster claw hook.

I have a to-buy list, that I have printed and am currently checking off the items as I purchase them.  Then, when it comes time to pack, I have another list (I love lists!) that I check off as the item goes into the suitcase, cosmetic bag, or carry on.

Disappointed and Sad

For the past six years, our family has used the same travel agent for booking our Disney trips.  Our trips have been fantastic, and this agent has been really great.  She has given us tips for touring, making dining reservations, and recommending things we shouldn't miss seeing. Altogether our family has booked a total of 21 trips with this agent. But for some reason, yesterday she turned all our trips over to an associate in her agency.  I was shocked, to say the least.  This trip, we didn't seem to have the communication with her that we had in the past.  Many of our emails from her have seemed short, and she seemed impatient when we asked questions. We are only 46 days out from our trip, and our final payments are due tomorrow.  Yet she hasn't applied our payments to our account, even though she has had our numbers for several days.  I am disappointed in the loss of this travel agent, who has always done a great job.  I can't believe that she has backed out at this late date.  But even greater than the disappointment I feel at the loss of this agent, is the sadness I feel at the loss of friendship that I felt I had with this person.  Goodbye, my friend.