It’s been a rough week and a half.
ROUGH.
And it’s not over yet.
As this is posting I’m going through a meeting I don’t wat to.
A meeting where I must get and use a backbone.
And I still have much to deal with in the fallout of last week.
So there is little left to do.
Except follow the immortal words of Dory…
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…”
One leaking drain…in the wall.
One homeowners insurance claim.
One giant salamander in the backyard (for treatment of water damage).
Three different companies (so far) dealt with in repairs.
One doctor pissing me the *bleep* off.
One car deceptively decent attempting to bleed us dry.
One 100* home (due to aforementioned treatment for water damage).
One new extra PT job.
Five cranky household members.
One miserable pooch.
Zero capability to cook in an already over-baked home.
One teenager eager to flee the coop.
Two exhausted adulters ready to turn in their adult cards.
Can I go back to Disney?
And never ever leave?
~le sigh~
Done.
That is me.
Just done.
A big thank you to Jenn Naas for visiting today to discuss what she does as a Disney Vacation Planner! I haven’t had the pleasure of using her services yet, but I’ve certainly peppered her with questions since our introduction! Our most recent trips to Disney have made us addicts, so we’re already dreaming and planning. There is a giveaway at the bottom of the post so stay tuned!
My family LOVES Disney World. I’m not sure if I used that word strong enough so let me bold it- LOVES Disney World!! About eight years ago my husband had a work trip in Orlando so we decided that I would join him, we’d bring our (then) two kids along and try out Disney. Our love affair began then and has been in fast forward ever since.
There is this wonderful thing that happens when you take a Disney vacation with your kids, you cry tears of happiness seeing Disney through their eyes (it’s ok to admit it- we all do it). You leave all the cares of the real world behind while being transplanted into this magical, happy place you never want to leave. I am not kidding- If you don’t believe me, ask around, you’ll see.
(Parade time is a MUST for my family- I never watch the
parade though, I watch my kids watch the parade)
Many families love Disney vacations, yet with increasing costs, new technology, and the limitless amount of information available on the internet, planning a magical family vacation can be a bit overwhelming.
First time guests and seasoned Disney-goers can both benefit from the advice of a Disney expert. This is where a certified Disney Planner comes in! I love nothing more than creating perfect, magical vacations for families and adding my own pixie dust along the way. Best of all… my services are FREE! Yes, you read that right, my services cost you zip a dee do dah zilch!
Too good to be true? Not in this case! Disney pays planners like me so you don’t have to! I then get to work with you to find the best dates, resorts, and packages for your family within your budget. I take time to build an itinerary to include dinner with princesses or pirates, fastpasses to meet Anna and Elsa or for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine train coaster, and so much more. All of this is included in the packages and no surprises.
And it’s not only Disney parks. Disney Cruise Line takes you to magical locations like the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Hawaii and even the Mediterranean. Disney service at sea… it doesn’t get much better.
By now, you may be wondering about some of the benefits of using a Disney Planner. Let’s start with all the time-consuming, stressful parts. Like waking up at 6:00am to snag the perfect reservation at Cinderella’s castle for your little princess. Constantly worrying if there is a better deal available. You leave those things to me so you only have to worry about how many sets of Mickey ears you need to budget for. The questions are endless and I’m here to answer each and every one and I’m excited to work for you to ensure you have the most magical vacation.
When you call Disney directly to book your vacation, you will begin chatting with a wonderful Disney Cast member trained to book your trip and move on to the next phone call. Sometimes you won’t even speak with a Disney employee at all but rather a 3rd party costumer service rep. While these employees are wonderful people, they can’t give advice or opinions. I am lucky enough to be the personal side of Disney that can and will give opinions. Not to mention you will work with me the entire way not some new person each time you call. I get to know you on a personal level and can easily adjust your trip to best fit your needs.
For those seasoned Disney families that feel they don’t need any help- a good planner will allow you all the control you want, but take over the parts you don’t AND sprinkle a little extra pixie dust as a thank you for working with us! As a special bonus for cruisers, many planners are able to offer you onboard credits that you can spend while on the ship on just about anything! This is one big bonus you are unable to receive when booking yourself! Don’t forget Disney is ALWAYS changing and having someone on your side to let you know all the new and updated happenings is always a bonus!
Extensive knowledge of different Disney resorts, the theme parks, pricing trends, and crowd patterns makes Disney planners’ knowledge invaluable to our clients. This comes from experience, frequent trips to the Theme Parks and on Disney Cruises, and love for the product.
My favorite part of this job is getting to know each client and what will make their trip special. I want my clients to leave for their vacation knowing that they got the best price possible and feeling prepared for their experiences – whether they are at land or at sea.
If you have even been thinking about Disney – contact a planner. I promise you will say it’s one of the best decisions you made when planning your Disney trip!
Mention you saw this post to get a special gift upon travel with a
minimum of a three-night vacation package to Disney World, Disneyland,
Disney Cruise, Aulani, or Adventures by Disney vacation.
Jenn has been so great to not only tell us about what she does, but has provided a fun giveaway of some pretty awesome Disney stuff.
Leave a comment below about your Disney dreams to win this amazing prize package!
Who doesn’t want Mickey ears, an autograph book and a Disney picture frame? Shoot, if I could, I’d enter for the frame alone! It’s awesome!
Leave a comment below about your Disney dreams to win this amazing prize package!
*Disclaimer: Giveaway is open until 12noon Wednesday, March 16th, 2016.
I work in a bank. I have for years, off and on.
My first teller job was in 1999 in Virginia. Back when banks had actual banker hours, and checks were still a thing.
Now it’s over 15 years later and the world of banking, like everything else, is so different.
I’ve seen what a plastic culture we’ve become.
Every day I see people that don’t have a register to keep track of their spending.
Don’t even know how to balance a checkbook.
Then wonder why they are in the hole, how could a charge have hit?
There have been so many times I’ve asked, “Do you keep a register?” only to get the identical response every time, “No…but I know what is in my account. I check it online every day.”
I’ve had teenager upon teenager, and quite a few adults come up to my window in a panic because they forgot their card, and “How on earth can I get money out?”
I am stunned on a regular basis on the ineptitude of people and how to handle their checking account. (and for the record, it is checking account…one of my biggest pet peeves is calling it checkingS. ~shudder~)
How did we come to this?
Plastic. It’s made everything so easy. I’m guilty of it myself.
So I implore every single one of you.
If you don’t know how to handle a checkbook, LEARN. Do NOT count on what you see on your online banking every day. Pending charges can drop off only to return. Some online payments don’t show up right away. And god forbid you actually write a check…you are bound to forget about it.
If your kids are coming of age to get their own accounts, teach them how to balance a checkbook. Teach them what a withdrawal is, and how it can be done without an ATM.
Remember that just because the card works doesn’t mean the money is there. It’s very possible your bank allows a certain amount of overdraft.
Also, remember you are dealing with real money, even if it doesn’t cross your fingertips. Plastic doesn’t make it fakes, just easy to abuse.
Oh, and please don’t blame the tellers for fees or errors. While we do make mistakes, often your issue is not our mistake. I promise, we really are there to help.
And lastly, teach them, and yourself, some basic bank protocol. I have some examples, but this’ll turn into a lecture. Let’s just say, use common sense and be kind to your tellers.
*~*
One final note: Try going plastic-free for one month. Use checks and cash. It’ll change the way you view money inw ays you never imagined.
For almost two years I thought we’d lost him. He never talked to us, he didn’t care about anything but the (now long gone from his life) girlfriend.
Back then he wanted to be a doctor. Now that dream has been put aside for another, but that’s another post for another time.
Because two days ago this kid came to me with a question.
He asked if there was a way to raise money, because he wanted to do something with his spring break. He didn’t want to go on vacation with his friends, or go party somewhere.
He wants to volunteer at Give Kids the World Village, the magical, wondrous place that provides a second home to kids receiving wishes for Disney World.
Together we are working on finding a way to make this happen.
I don’t know where this kid came from, or rather how we found him again. However, it seems my thoughtful, generous boy has returned into our lives.
I can’t tell you how many times I heard “One day it’ll just click and his head will be screwed on right again.” I honestly never believed it would happen, but it seems to have come true.
So welcome home, son. I hope we can find a way to send you away (for spring break).
I have so many words.
So many thoughts.
So many hurts.
So many joys.
I am always the shiny happy.
I build walls.
It drives my husband nuts when I fight against breaking them down.
But they are built.
Because I cannot bear what is happening some days.
I am scared by my own inability to handle it.
Because it is happening.
Some days faster than others.
And it is happening again, although I am a distant witness of my own making.
Because I built walls.
And I am fine.
Most days.
Every day.
I handle things because it is what I do.
I support.
I live.
I cajole.
I laugh.
I rarely ever cry.
I am the best listener.
I am the peace maker.
The peace keeper.
The introvert.
The black sheep.
When the walls fall I fear I will break.
But some days.
Some days the bulldozer knocks them down.
And I am unexpectedly shattered.
And I weep.
And I pick myself up.
And I rebuild the walls.
Because I know nothing else.
But to go on.