by Sarah | Mar 18, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Home, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All About Ripley, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Universal, Universal Studios Mom
*disclaimer* I am writing this over a week before publication. All information is subject to change. I’ll try to update if that happens, but I’m working a LOT, so it’s not 100%
It’s been a month of a whole lot and a whole lot of nothing.
Erik and I both got no’s from our interviews last month. However, they were exceptionally positive no’s as both of the managers liked us and wanted to hire but there were key things preventing it from happening. Both of us were asked if they could keep our resume, and keep in touch in hopes they could find the right fit.
So while nothing happened with those, they had positive feedback and left some hope that they could eventually work out.
I have had another interview in the interim. It went pretty well, but I have not yet heard back.
I’m not worried, though. Every time I think about the move and us getting to Florida I keep hearing “June. June. June.” Every single time.
So, I’m thinking June may be our month.
In the mean time we are starting the long road of packing up 16 years of our lives. I started on my office last week in some time off from work. Packed up all but a few books, with one last large stack to go to half price. I threw away three bags of trash in the process of cleaning out my office. It’s not done yet, but it’s close in there.
The girls took a cue from me, apparently, and cleaned/packed much of their room. I heard a rumor that several bags of trash went out during the process there as well.
No, we don’t have jobs yet. That means we certainly don’t have a house yet…but once things happen, they’ll happen fast and the more we prepare ahead, the less we’ll be pressured at that time. Well, that’s the theory at least. 😉
It’s weird living in a house of boxes…but it’s also nice to be just chucking so much excess we’d built up over the years.
So no major news yet…but it’s coming. In the mean time we are keeping the faith, keeping our hopes up, and keeping busy.
by Sarah | Mar 12, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #4 on the list…
An Alaskan Cruise
Okay, okay…this one is kind of a cheat of a two-in-one. Honestly, it doesn’t HAVE to be Alaska for the cruise part, I’d take any cruise, really…BUT…if I had to pick one that would be my top choice to go on first, it would be this one – and not just because I don’t require a passport to do it.
I’ve long wanted to go on an Alaskan Cruise specifically. Even though I’m opposed to cold weather anymore – the beauty and wonder of Alaska still pulls me in. I’ve seen so many pictures of Alaskan cruises on my perusal of the internet that I’m truly fascinated by the sights to be seen. The glaciers alone would be worth it…but all around the state is a beautiful sight to be seen…even if I’d never want to live there.
The cruise portion is a no-brainer, though. The food, the activities, everything about a cruise is something I’m all on board for. My parents have been on like 20, but I’ve never been on one. I had one planned for my honeymoon…but ended up cancelling that (stupid, stupid, stupid). I want a chance to do it all.
Have you ever been on an Alaskan Cruise? Or any cruise for that matter? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Mar 11, 2019 | All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect
When I started this blog, they were toddlers.
Off and on the past ten+ years I’ve posted about them, their special needs, our struggles…everything.
Now?
My oldest is legally able to drink.
My girls?
They’re teenagers.
A couple of weeks ago, I snapped a picture of a piece of Molly’s artwork and posted it on Social Media as I have for ages…since Kennedy first displayed her amazing talent.
Molly chastised me when she found out. “No! I did not give you permission to put that on social media!!”
And it hit me…
They are autonomous now. They have some internet savvy, and much still to learn, but they are now capable of telling me NO.
I want to foster that strength of character. Especially in my young daughters. I want them to be fierce and proud and in control of their own wants and needs.
They aren’t babies any longer. While I’m still their mother and have a modicum of control over their life – I no longer have control of their social image here on my blog, facebook, instagram, or any other social media. They have every right to tell me NO, I can’t post that.
I have to give them the right to use that right. I have to let them sit in their own power. I have to ask permission. Always.
Their body, their minds, their abilities are their own.
In my mind sometimes it’s hard for me to comprehend how mature they have become. They are no longer my “Babies”…they aren’t as immature or young for their age as they’ve always seemed before…they are now growing into their true selves.
I am going to foster that.
So you may “see” less of them. The timing is good as I’d begun to adjust the meaning of this blog and what it is for me lately.
That is their right.
They are strong girls.
Long live the Girl Power!
by Sarah | Mar 7, 2019 | All About Family, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, DisneyTips, Redefining Perfect, Universal
I haven’t been to Disney hundreds of times (yet. Give me a couple years), but I’ve been my fair share.
I’ve done it with crazy intensity, and in a casual jaunt.
I’ve done Disneyland (finally), and Disney World.
I’ve picked up a few tips along the way. And while there re blogs across the web, I wanted to hand out my own Disney advice I’ve learned along the way, and tips I’ll be learning as I begin to go more frequently.
This months tip is one I wholeheartedly support – but have never used myself. So I asked my good friend Liz to come over and guest on my blog as she’s used this tip quite a few times in the past few years.
Use a Disney Vacation Planner.
From here, I’ll let Liz tell it…she’s the expert.
*~*
We consider ourselves Disney World experts at this point. We have had 3 family trips, a secret husband and wife trip, and I’ve just booked a mom and daughter trip. We go to Disney just about every 2 years and fully embrace the magic and fun that comes with a complete Disney vacation. While we talk about a Disney cruise or Adventures by Disney, we just can’t seem to stay away from Disney World.
I never intended to go to Disney World, honestly. I loved Disney movies and characters but had only ever been to Disney World once – my mom took me when I was 5 years old. Fast forward to my adulthood and I went to Disney World for a conference. And I fell in love and knew that I had to bring my family. What I didn’t know was how to make it happen.
Thankfully, a friend had recently shared about becoming an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. I contacted her and was thrilled to find out that it wasn’t going to be nearly as overwhelming as I had feared. I chose to go the full Disney route – staying “on property” (meaning at a Disney resort), having a Disney Dining Plan (meaning all meals are part of the vacation package expense so it’s all paid for before you get there), and so on.
My planner is Katie Dixon from Hi Ho Vacations. She lives local to me so for that first trip, she actually met with me face to face and walked me through park maps and suggested what to ride first and ways to navigate each park. At the time, I had no idea all the ways that she would prove to be an invaluable asset. Even now, as updates happen and construction is going on and things change, Katie helps me navigate and understand how to book my Fastpasses, how to get the most use out of Fastpasses while in the park, where to request special things or how to find the best seat for fireworks or parades.
Here are just some of the reasons why we always use Katie to book our trips.
She watches for specials and price changes. I usually book a trip 6-9 months in advance. Disney may release specials or discounts after I’ve already booked. If I booked it myself, I’d have to be watching for specials, determine if they apply to my trip, and then contact Disney to have my trip updated. By using Hi Ho Vacations, Katie is monitoring that on my behalf and applies any discounts that come up for me!
And on that price point – using Hi Ho Vacations means that I make payments. I pay $200 to reserve the trip and then I can make payments towards the trip. Payment in full is due 45 days prior to travel. This means we’ve been able to Disney without going into debt. One of the biggest reasons I love our Disney trips is that everything is paid for before we go. The resort, the food, the theme park tickets even the photography – it’s all in the package and paid for. In fact, the only cash I bring along is for table service server tips and “mouse”keeping tips in the room!
Katie has also been a huge help to me when we have been in the midst of our vacation and something isn’t going right. She has been able to change reservations for us or contact someone for help on our behalf. When we learned on our first trip that an 8 p.m. dinner with our little kids was a bad idea, she was able to look at the rest of our itinerary and make suggestions of what to change and then did the work to make the changes. I didn’t have to take any time away from my vacation to handle the problem.
If there were a circumstance where we need special assistance on our trip – maybe I have a kid with sensory issues or I get hurt before my trip and now need a wheelchair and assistance – Katie helps navigate and arrange all the things. And I guarantee you she thinks of things I never would have known about because her Disney knowledge and experience is fantastic.
I’ve also enjoyed the sprinkles of Pixie Dust we get by using Hi Ho Vacations. They take very good care of their customers – either by a surprise “hook up” on a dinner reservation for better seats or maybe a small gift in your room or some other fun bit of magic. Katie always has fun things up her sleeve to make our trip special – even before we get there!
Booking through Hi Ho Vacations also benefits the Make A Wish Foundation for Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana – they donate $10 to Make A Wish for every trip booked through them.
The most important question is – what will it cost me to use a vacation planner? Absolutely nothing! Here’s how I understand it – if I book everything myself, Disney considers themselves the planner and basically pays themselves out of my trip. However, by using an authorized planner, my planner gets paid what Disney would have paid themselves. The commission either goes to Disney or goes to my planner – and I’d rather have someone helping me step by step get that money.
Even as I prepare for my 6th trip to the parks, I know I need Katie in my back pocket. I’ve been more independent planning this trip – but I feel confident about it because I’m asking Katie questions and getting her advice as I go!
*~*
Soon as I read this post, I told Liz I wanted to book a trip NOW! I love the idea of the usual stresses being handled by an expert so that I have to do nothing but enjoy my trip along the way. I also, as a former Wish family, love that Hi Ho Vacations donates to Make A Wish for every trip booked!!
After this – what do you think? Would you use a planner?
Here is the information for Liz’s All-Star Vacation planner, Katie:
Katie Dixon
317-374-2849
Katie@hihovacations.com
http://www.hihovacations.com/
by Sarah | Mar 5, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #5 on the list…
Colonial Williamsburg
Once upon a time my family took a trip to Virginia. We went to Busch Gardens so we could ride some amazing rides…and then we went to Colonial Williamsburg because my dad has a degree in history and we always visit these places.
On the same note, I always loved towns like this. Though I hated history class…I’ve always really loved history brought to life in books, or places like this.
I would love for my girls to see the way Colonial Williamsburg brings history to life in such a big way. We have a lovely small town that does something similar here…but there’s something about the whole large community bringing it to life that was something special.
There is so much to do there that isn’t available at other similar style towns. From the restaurants with period-appropriate foods, to the governors mansion, to the fife and drum march and carriage rides. I could spend days on end. My kids would probably hate it after a day or two, but the kids can’t love every family vacation, I sure didn’t love all the ones my parents dragged me on.
Have you ever been to Colonial Williamsburg? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Feb 26, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #6 on the list…
Colorado
I know, I know…that’s a WHOLE STATE. It’s just…some states deserve to have the WHOLE STATE on a list like this, you know?
Unfortunately, in this case, my kids have totally beat me to the punch SO HARD on this. They went, they saw, they conquered, and declared it their favorite state…which only furthered my desire to go.
I have an entire book series set here. I’ve been in love with Colorado (as a place to visit, I’m too much done with snow to want to live there) ever since I watched Dr. Quinn and saw the Red Rocks featured on an episode. I’ve always felt called to go see it some day…and I’m not jealous at all that my kids beat me to it.
I’ve heard really amazing things about all of the sights and the activities that can be done there. My friend and former coworker went a couple of years ago and still talks about it. My kids still talk about it.
I just want to see it ALL…including the area where I set my little town at (there’s a real town there that I could visit) to see what I’ve always envisioned it looking like come to life.
Have you ever been to Colorado? What was your favorite part? Do you live there? What do you recommend as a MUST SEE?
It’s been a month of a whole lot and a whole lot of nothing.
