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 9, 2019 | All of Us, Blogging Life, BlogRollin', Redefining Perfect
This was a busy month of posts that really caught my attention…so without further ado, I’m getting on with the show!
*~*
There seems to be a theme running through my old school bloggers feeds right now. The “oof” we are all feeling…puberty. We are feeling the pain, joy, turmoil, and evolution of our babies growing up.
Brittany, Herself talks about that all important first step on a young man’s journey in Boy, Shave Your Face.
Lindsay from Suburban Turmoil, having been through the teen years with her step-daughters, and heading into it again with her youngest, gives some beautiful, sage advice on How to Survive the Teenage Years.
A friend of mine linked this post on How to Help Teenage Girls Reframe Anxiety and Strengthen Resilience – and I’ve bookmarked it to read and re-read as a mom with some anxiety, married to a man with many anxieties and knowing our middle child has a fair few of her own.
I swear, the entire internet is aware my girls have hit puberty and is commiserating with me. Or maybe we just all got into blogging when our kids were the same age (i.e. babies) and we’ve just all grown up together. Misery really does love company, because it’s nice to know I’m not alone.
*
A few more posts I’ve loved this month…
Ali has a lovely post about less-editing/more truth with her post Dark Raccoon Eyes and All.
Liz once again proves we have tons in common with her post, Yup. I’m One of Those Disney People.
Once again Jenny (The Bloggess) makes me both laugh and cry.
First up, she talks a very serious, and all too familiar subject with me. Have the Talk. (Not THAT talk…the other one)
Then she makes me giggle when she exposes a deeply humbling encounter she had…
Lastly this month…this review of Captain Marvel over at Geek Mom was so good it made me almost want to watch the movie…and I’ve sworn off superhero movies for a while. (Burned out)
**
That’s it for now. I’m keeping my eye out for more.
If you think I missed YOURS, let me know in a comment here! I’d love to find some new feeds for my reader!
by Sarah | Mar 8, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Friday Feels, Parkinsons, Redefining Perfect, Special Needs, Story of Me
Once upon a time, there was a young woman whose family moved her halfway across the country. For years after they traversed the familiar path back “home” for visits with family and old friends. Along that familiar path, many traditions were formed. The start of every road trip with a Journey album. The swapping of control of the radio. The games of License plate and alphabet.
Then there was the Tale of the Tuttles of Tuttle Crossing. Tonya, Tina, Tasha, Tony, Tom, Travis, and the like. All started the day father and daughter spotted Tasha on her horse Tennesee Tuxedo.
Years passed, the trips slowed, and faded into occasional jaunts. The young woman and her family made several moves around the country before all managed to find their way back to that podunk town and settle in. The trips had since all but stopped except for funerals. The daughter married and moved out.
Then the father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s does much more than rob a persons muscle control.
It robs them of their brain little by little.
It robs them of themself.
It’s ugly.
Nasty.
Hateful.
**
Several years ago I realized that the man I’ve loved my whole life was no longer really my dad.
Hallucinations and dementia caused by Parkinson’s had taken the control freak of a father I grew up with (seriously, every minute of vacation was planned)…and turned him impulsive and…it’s hard to describe unless you’ve lived it, which I’m sure many of you have.
It’s just not the same person.
Then, one day a few months ago I spotted a familiar name among the hundreds of names I see every week at work.
Tuttle.
It sparked a smile in me, and I impulsively texted my dad to tell him I had just seen a Tuttle.
This triggered a back and forth texting frenzy of sorts speaking once again of Tasha, Tonya, their Grandfather Theodore, and Uncle Titus…and “let’s not forget their Native American descendant Tonto Tuttle…”
I laughed, I cried.
For five minutes of rapid-fire text exchanging I had my dad back. Our joking and laughing on those 9 hour road trips. Our anticipation of reaching “Tuttle Crossing” in Ohio every single time. For the joke that never got old.
I laughed…and I cried…
For a moment…he was there.
Recently, he forgot my sons name.
His golden boy, his favorite grandson, his first grandson whom he himself named.
Now I live for those moments.
Even if I have to go back in time to find them. I will. For as long as I can.
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 6, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect
https://amzn.to/2SCSlXD
February was pretty slow for me reading-wise. I worked a LOT in February, which made fitting in reading less of a priority. I have a BUNCH on the docket for March, though…so hold onto your hats for next months post.
Anyhoozles…here’s my (light) list for February.
Some may interest you, some may not. I hope it gives you at least a few ideas!!
Onto the post:
What I Read
One day a few weeks ago I saw this book somewhere…I don’t remember where or what made me think I would like it, or even what compelled me to put it on hold at the library. When it arrived, I almost sent it back without reading it because it didn’t seem like my kind of book. I’m not a horror reader…but instead I began reading.
The first chapter had me hooked in a “I have no idea what I’m reading, but I can’t stop” sort of way. This book had me guessing, and second guessing, every step of the way. You might be able to classify it as a campy sort of horror. People do die now and then…and the kids are trapped in a camp in the middle of nowhere…and there is magic…and beasts…and…so much more.
I gobbled this one up like there was no tomorrow, reading about 300 of the pages in one fell swoop at work one day. In some ways I’m still questioning what happened…in others, I’m just glad I read it.
This one reminded me that it’s good to take risks and step outside my comfort zone sometimes. It doesn’t always pay off…but when it does…it really does.
*I received a copy of this book via netgalley. All opinions are my own*
This was a quick, fun…if slightly predictable graphic novel.
The action was good…the scene in the lab was…well, it was what made it predictable and cheesy…and the side effect of that event was. The more I think about it, the less I actually think I liked this.
It was predictable. The fact that them having sex made this electric shield of sorts form was just *yawn*.
I think I liked the side characters a lot more than the main ones. Their friends, while also pretty cookie-cutter, were cute and added some fun life to the story.
*I received a copy of this book via netgalley. All opinions are my own*
How adorable was this? A boy who grows up in a small valley town with no in or out, lives his life through the adventure of reading. He lives many lives in his short life…but then one day, his greatest fear that he’s anticipated eagerly comes true…he finishes the LAST book in the entire town! There’s no more for him to read. He’s all set to go out on his own adventure, but his parents stop him…reminding him he is young and should wait. He acquiesces…of course, as most great adventurer’s do, he does so only to set off anyway.
The adventure leads him beyond the land he’s always known, and he meets all sorts of creatures. This graphic novel has the added bonus of ‘journal entries’ made by Timo about the creatures he meets and adventures he has.
It ends on a cliffhanger…which is so much fun until I realize that I have no idea when I can get my hands on the next one!
What I’m Reading Now
Okay, this has been on this list for a while. I actually returned it to the library recently, only to take it out again last week at the same time as Camp So-and-So. I’ve since devoured the other…and hope to do the same to this during my time off these next few weeks.
Fingers crossed I do, because this has been on my list WAY too long.
Like, seriously. Books 3 and 4 have BOTH already been released.
Seriously.
I’m halfway through this now. I don’t know why I’m reading it so much slower than book 1…but I’m trying.
So yeah…still on the list (sorry).
I promise, I’ll be adding something new here in a minute…really…
Maybe…
I think? 😉
I’ve gotten a start on this at least. Not super far in yet…but hopefully it turns out to be as quick a read as I remember the Alex Deleware books being.
I’ve always liked him in the past, but stopped reading for a while.
So, I’m gonna give it the old college try again.
Who knows? I may find myself hooked on them again.
Maybe.
Perhaps.
Assorted Graphic novels
No pictures for these. I have about 20 graphic novels from about 3 different series on hold at the library. I’ll fill you in as I get to and through them. Shouldn’t take long. 😀
*~*
I’m so glad I’m on a reading kick again. I have a LOT to catch up on. So stick around…more updates coming soon!
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #4 on the list…
