by Sarah | Sep 14, 2017 | All About Erik, All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Florida Dreaming, Redefining Perfect
Florida.
Sun. Sand. Palm Trees. Oh, and those little places called Disney & Universal.
My son is down there now, and I have every intention of packing up to follow him as soon as is possible. (Unfortunately I’m no longer 19 and packing up to take off is a bit more complicated than it was for him).
Now, before you go saying, “it’s your vacations that make it so relaxing.”
It’s not about that.
It’s about a sensation. An instinct.
I’ve been there for other purposes. I’ve worked my ass off there for a week & never saw a single vacation destination. Never saw anything beyond the convention center.
I still felt it.
Recently Erik and I got to go down for his 50th birthday (for my 40th we took a trip around the state & visited a haunted spot. He got to drink around the world for 50 😉 ).
We got to spend some time with our son after not seeing him for six months.
Within minutes of seeing him, he was already annoying us with his antics, his puns, and snark. I loved every annoying minute. Â He planned surprises for hubby. He planned out our perfect spot for the fireworks shows. He showed us where he lived, where he worked, and in general spent a lot of time with us.
It was fabulous.
Erik and I got to lay out in the sun.
Go on a date.
Relax.
Talk about moving.
Or not.
When, or how.
Enjoy the sun.
Enjoy the parks.
Discuss our next trip.
Next time we go back will be at Christmas.
This trip will be about a lot more than Disney. Of course, we will go for a couple of days…but we’ll do more.
We’re going to take the girls to see more of Florida.
Take Erik to see more of Florida.
Because there’s more to life than the theme parks (though they are awesome).
And if I ever hope to move there, I want to see it all.
by Sarah | Feb 9, 2017 | All About Denver, All About Family, All of Us, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect, The Teenager
To have heard Denver tell it way back in 2014, Kennedy made a “stupid” wish.
How could he, a 16 year old, ever expect to have fun at Disney World?
This picture he almost appears to be smiling, but he wasn’t. 1, because he hates pictures, and 2, because we were at Disney.
Can I tell you how much magic Disney World holds?
It holds enough to take a teen so dead-set against going to Disney, and in three little days turning him into a die-hard Disney fan.
It turned him so quickly and completely that he wanted to change his wish, but didn’t think he could. We were all slightly giddy when his original wish fell through and we were able to return – because of course the teen picked Disney for his second wish.
From that point on, all Denver has wanted is to move to Florida and work for the mouse.
A week ago today, his dream came true.
Denver is moving to Florida. He’ll be working for Disney – and you’ll be able to find him at Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.
From a Make-A-Wish kid…into a Disney Cast Member.
Living proof that dreams can come true.
(And let’s not talk about the fact that the next day as he was on the phone with Disney, Give Kids the World Village also called to request an interview for a job there, as well)
I’m so excited for him, it’s easy to hold off the tears (mostly).
He is the inspiration to all of us in this house that we can achieve our dreams.
I can’t wait to follow the kid to the land of sunshine and magic.
For now, I’ll rest happy knowing one of us made it out of the land of winter.
And look forward to visiting him as often as humanly possible.
by Sarah | Mar 10, 2016 | All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Giveaway, Redefining Perfect
A big thank you to Jenn Naas for visiting today to discuss what she does as a Disney Vacation Planner! Â 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!Â
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.
Who wants a giveaway?!?!
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? Â 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: Â Giveaway is open until 12noon Wednesday, March 16th, 2016. Â
by Sarah | Mar 3, 2016 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Me, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect
There was one little detail Denver didn’t bother to tell us.
Of course, this was during the time he didn’t speak to us much at all, so that shouldn’t be surprising.
But, still, he didn’t mention that he didn’t choose Disney as his initial wish for one reason, and one reason alone.
He was certain he would hate it.
It would be stupid.
He was sixteen, what did he care about a land that all began with a mouse?
And then…
And then he went. He remained stoic through a good portion of it, but yet there were smiles.
Here and there.
Somewhere in that time, in that brief week of time – it happened.
He fell in love.
With the land that started with a mouse.
With the land he now calls home.
With the dream.
And I say we are a Disney loving family, but he is the king of it all.
Disney has transformed him in ways I had only hoped would happen.
He is focused, and driven (though not on school – that’s another story). Â He is ready to move on and out, and head back home.
And if I could, I would be right there with him.
It’s funny how Disney works that way. Â How it takes a teenager who’s too big for his britches, and too cool for such things…and makes him a believer.
Disney was special to me before – now it’s even more so because it brought my kid back to me.
by Sarah | Oct 8, 2015 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Cystic Fibrosis, Disney, Make-A-Wish, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Special Needs
The past four months have been chaotic and filled with a secretive sort of excitement.
Denver has us keeping a rather large secret from the girls.
We are returning to Disney this fall!
I have been scrambling for dining reservations, suitcases, and other necessities that I have to sneak into the house and hide from the girls.
Because they do NOT know.
Part of Denver’s wish at Make A Wish was to keep this whole thing a big, fat, humongous secret from his two little sisters.
So we are whispers, sneaking, and super secret planning and count-downing. Texting ideas instead of saying them out loud.
Oh, we’ve nearly been caught several times…but any time the girls hear Disney or we discuss anything in front of them, it’s “in 2021”. Â (For the record, we are planning a trip in 2021 that will be larger in scale and involve good friends along for the ride)
2021 is a great cover story when we get caught.
But we are going back…and the teen and I are making a serious effort for real planning.
We have secured all the reservations we REALLY wanted (getting into the parks early! Yay!). We’ve scoured maps and discussed what was missed last year and will not be missed again. We’ve supplied ourselves with a bunch of pins for trading (and keeping!!). Â We’ve watched and re-watched all the Disney shows to be had (thank you, Destination America) until our DVR broke.
In 20 days from now, a limo will arrive bright and early while the girls are still in bed. We will have everything packed and ready to go and we’ll burst into the girls room yelling that they’re late for school and rush them outside to the waiting limo!!
The excitement is palpable.
The countdown is a way to get us through the rough days.
And there have been a lot of them these days.
Thank goodness for the mouse.
Florida.
I still felt it.
It was fabulous.
Enjoy the parks.
