At least no one lost their marbles....

Ok I failed, I promised to try and blog last week but as I said it was the blokes birthday Sunday which kind of took priority; I did consider doing it Monday but what with working in a supermarket and the freaky weather we had it never materialised but I'm here now full of my usual random thoughts.......

So James had a birthday, one of those milestone ones (my lovely toy boy turned 40); a while ago in one of our normal off the wall conversations he mentioned that as soon as you turn 40 you lose your marbles - well that comment stuck with me considering I'm older than him! Guess what he got for his first birthday present - yep marbles; worryingly though I'm not sure I have seen them since the big day so maybe he was right (sometimes this happens you know)

The days are finally ticking down on not only our holiday countdown but also 2013's days are numbered; this year has had some fantastic highs including a bonus trip to Walt Disney World, my £2 wedding ring being replaced with a tiffany silver band, spending precious moments with my amazing family and friends - and so the list could go on

As for work I can definitely say I am happy that 2013 is coming to an end, it's been a tough year where colleagues who I have worked with for years left the business and everything changed; although there have been a couple of high points - being voted colleague of the year made me quite emotional (but as Emmie Lou would tell you that's not difficult considering tv programmes also have the same effect). I have everything crossed (including my eyes) that 2014 will be a little easier, although working in retail you can never tell...

What else happened in 2013, well as this is a blog normally based around my love of all things Disney World lets cover some of the highlights:
- Disney launched the my Disney Experience app to help you plan your holiday
- Magic bands were announced and are currently being trialled, the band replaces the Key to the World card and can act as your room key, be used for charging, is your park ticket, holds your Fastpass reservations and can be used as your photopass
- Merida from Brave became the 11th Disney princess
- A talking Mickey Mouse began greeting guests at Magic Kingdom (is it wrong that I can't wait to see this in person?)
- And my favourite - glow with the show ears came to WDW (some of these are coming home with me even if I have to wear them home on the plane)

What Disney dreams are coming for 2014 - well the biggest one to think of is that Bungle, Emmie Lou and I are returning and today we reached a milestone and finally managed to view our reservation on the Disney app as well as pick up our airline log in code; yay!!!!(I keep logging in just to see it there)

As for park news apart from the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster and the ongoing work creating Avatar land who knows what is going to happen; all I do know is that it will be magical.

So as the clock ticks slowly by all that's left to do is wish you a happy new year, here's to a good one xxx

It smells a little like.......strawberry ice cream?!?!

There are lots of things that evoke memories; sights, sounds and also smells....while the bloke is off out for his work Christmas dinner I am enjoying a chilled evening at home with the xfactor on tv, a glass of cherryade (yep I'm on the hard stuff tonight) and a lovely yankee candle burning

Now you would think that with Christmas 10 sleeps away that I would be burning something festive, but no I am a rebel and I have chosen Summer Scoop; it smells so amazing but boy does it make me want to eat strawberry ice cream - and I don't even like the stuff!

So what smell could I have burnt that would make me think of Christmas, if only yankee candle did a sage and onion stuffing candle we'd be sorted. Seriously a smell that now always reminds me of Christmas is cinnamon, I was never a fan of eating it and don't even get me started on how wrong cinnamon toothpaste is (Emmie Lou orange is good, as is foaming toothpaste!) but now I can't help but smell cinnamon and get all festive

I love opening the door at the Days of Christmas shop and as the chill of the air conditioning hits you so does the smell of cinnamon, there are some smells associated with this time of year that really don't float my boat and that includes sprouts and the relevant after effects (especially when the person creating said smell has also eaten pickled onions, beetroot and parsnips!)

There are other smells that remind me of Florida, it's totally indescribable but that smell as you walk off the plane - I would associate it with wet dog (you know what I'm talking about, it just smells damp).  How I wish I could be there now where it's 80 degrees instead of listening to the wind and rain here, well that would be perfect as long as my nearest and dearest are with me

So what would I be doing whilst there, I don't want for much really I said to James I would be happy if I could go and meet Rapunzal (yes, grown ups like characters too - just for that brief moment you can think like a child and believe in anything you want) and after that I would want to see Wishes (wouldn't that be a good Christmas present?)

Next Sunday the love of my life has a little birthday and sadly we also have to work so next weeks blog maybe a little late but fear not I am sure I will be full of Christmas cheer - I'm off to find me some ice cream xxxx

Ok so I'm a little late....

Today is not Sunday, so what am I doing here.....well yesterday I had every intention of writing this weeks post but I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open Sod's law as soon as I get into bed I was wide awake and I struggled to get to sleep at all so I should be grateful that James forgot to change the alarm so I got an unexpected lay in (how confused have I been today, waking up that quick really threw me)

So what am I also late for.....thanksgiving; yes I know we don't celebrate it here but I think we should - after all we should never be to busy to be thankful either for something that someone has done or just for having that special person in your life 

Last week I got nominated for an award at work by a store manager which was really sweet, but the last thing I expected was to get picked as a winner because I was just doing my job - but I now have a certificate hanging on my wall saying colleague of the year 2013 (and if I do say so myself it's a pretty cool certificate; I did a good job there - I promise I didn't create an award for myself it's just part of my job is to make the certificates for regional awards)

A little thank you can go a long way,  whether thanking a person who holds a door open for you (my parents taught me good manners) or recognising someone is doing a good job. There is a lot we can learn from the Americans about service and recognition, especially the Disney company after all the US government sent some of their customs teams to view their training (they still scare me though - they have guns and everything)

So, I still have Christmas and birthday shopping left to do and I definitely need to pack my patience when I go out to do it (now I just need to get the love of my life to give me some ideas....yes that's you mr marchant) and remember my own advice and say thank you for good service and be thankful that I have the people I love to spend my time with 

I'm off to make sure the alarm is set for the right time tomorrow, sorry for the short blog this week xxx

And so the madness begins.....

So it's finally December which means silly season has commenced, today operation christmas shopping in earnest began ; there was just one problem it would appear that half of Kent had the same idea so we all trotted off to Ashford outlet.

We arrived just after it opened, or when we thought it opened - only us Brits can make something like shopping complicated. All of the small shops opened at 11am but the bigger shops opened for browsing at 11.30 but no sales until midday; who came up with that bright idea - obviously some numpty sitting in an office.

We made the wise decision and parked in the overflow car park straight away otherwise we could have wasted  most of the day trying to find a car parking space, but once done we were ready and raring to go. If only everyone else had that mentality, I ended up walking out of one shop because even though the queue was nearly out of the door the person on the till was having a good old chat with one of their friends?!?!?!

I don't know why shopping over here makes me so angry, when it's one of my favourite things to do in Florida; most of the time it's very civilised. I say most of the time, but last week it was Black Friday; this happens the day after thanksgiving and Black Friday gets its name as it is traditionally the day businesses go from in the red to in the black.

This year this American tradition came to the UK which involves retailers offering some amazing discounts; the only thing is this can bring out of the worst in people and there were fights and I think a couple of arrests.  That's not my kind of shopping, although I do love a mooch round the Orlando Premium Outlets looking for a bargain (please note James I said mooch and not dawdle cause you're wasting my precious shopping time). Can't wait to have Emmie Lou keeping me company when we go next year!

People are always surprised that I will happily take time out of the theme parks to go shopping and although I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth considering my Disney addiction but taking a day out whether it's to go shopping or going to a water park  can do a lot for your sanity.

So what are the best bargains to be had, that all depends on what you like - personally my best saving has been on perfume; I don't have expensive taste in perfume but I can tell you it definitely smells nicer knowing you paid approx £8 per bottle instead of £30......just remember your duty free allowance is only £390

I would say its definitely worth doing your research and finding out where and what the best savings are on, I found that Chamilia and Pandora are normally the same price in dollars as they are in pounds ( if a bead is £30 you will normally pay $30; of course there are exceptions but its a good guide)

All this talk of shopping and I've hardly made a dent in my Christmas shopping so I guess I'd best go and make a start as this online lark; its so much more civilised and who cares if I'm in my pyjamas with no make up on

xxxx

I can multi task I promise .....

So this week another lucky Brit joined the Disney moms panel, joining Disney Emma (of Phil, Ben and Emma fame - what do you mean you've never heard of them off you go to youtube to watch some of the best Disney holiday videos there are). Anyway back to the point, sadly that lucky lady wasn't me but its great to see another Brit got in......I'm not disappointed much

If you don't know what the Mom's panel is it's an official Disney forum where you can ask panellists questions about your upcoming holiday and can be found on the official Disney website

But what else has happened this week.....I tried and failed miserably to do some Christmas shopping so I am thinking I might have to go down the online route; which has the added addition of not having to deal with the masses but the downside you don't get to actually see the products you are just relying on a little picture

As well as that work has been absolutely mental and finding time to just take a breath has been difficult so to amuse myself and give myself a little bit of light relief I got right back into listening to my podcasts.....yes I was sitting in my office laughing out loud to myself I won't lie

I have a few favourites which you will always find on my iPod including the Dibbcast, dis unplugged and mouse chat....all of which aren't necessarily the sugar coated version of Disney but the views of Disney fans. Podcasts are a great planning tool which you can take with you.....and are great for making the walk home more bearable

You get restaurant reviews, news, the Dibbcast does a new starter guide which is brilliant even if you aren't a first time visitor; but enough shameless plugs there is one thing that happens when I listen to them at work......I get distracted and start holiday planning in my head when I should be concentrating on what I should be doing which probably means I send emails that make absolutely no sense.....well less than normal

So the moral to this story, yes women can multi task but as long as it's doesn't relate to disney (James, please note I said women can multi task - telling me you are watching sport while reading the paper just doesn't cut it!!!!)

Until next week xxx

Where did they all come from?

Something strange seems to have happened over night, its like everyone has suddenly realised that Christmas is less than 6 weeks away; so they decided to set up a flashmob and all go to Lakeside today.

We went to Bluewater one evening during the week and although it was busy there was an air of calm about it (well everyone else was calm but me, Emmie Lou and Nicola Claire seemed to have a bit of mischief in us) No one there seemed in much of a panic and it was all very polite; but just a couple of days later  and after a quick trip through the Dartford crossing it was bordering on mayhem and all I wanted to do was get out of there as fast as I could.

I can deal with crowds, after all I've been to Magic Kingdom on July 4th which is definitely a challenge to deal with but I just don't understand why everyone is suddenly in such a rush......after all Christmas is on the same day for all of us.

As with everything in life there are always those people who think they are more important than everyone else (like the person on the motorway who flashes their lights to try and get you to pull in) where as I will happily wait my turn as long as no one invades my personal space (that's what irritates me)

I wouldn't say I enjoy queueing, actually I can tell you times when I down right hate it - check in at the airport, waiting to board but that is more about my fear of flying than anything else; but if I have to queue I will

At Disney they post the current wait times outside of the attraction so at least you can decide if you want to join the queue and now they are getting smart and making the queues interactive - so far they have done Soarin, Little Mermaid, Big Thunder Mountain and the Haunted Mansion or you have the option of Fastpass and coming back at a specified time with a shorter wait

So what would I queue/ wait for - here are some of my favourites:

And yes, I know its sad but I will queue for the TTA, its one of my favourite things to do; its 10 minutes away from the madness with some air conditioning thrown in for good measure!

Maybe some of our retailers could start doing interactive queues, and I don't mean putting more impulse purchases there but its a thought....maybe then you wouldn't have so many angry shoppers tapping their feet and sighing loudly (behave James).

I'm off to see what presents I can find on the net and then the postman can take the strain; until next week xxx

Holidays are coming.....

Last night it became official that the holiday season is finally upon us (even though its a whole six weeks away) when the Coca Cola christmas ad hit our tv screens; I know its sad but I love it and I think from the comments on my facebook page last night I am not alone.

Working in retail its hard to get excited about Christmas when we start working on it so early but I did manage it while doing a little bit of holiday research; oh my goodness this is looking like one very busy holiday for us next year.

We knew we were going to be there to see the Halloween decorations but there was a big question mark over us being able to see the Castle Dream Lights or the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing lights but it would appear the Disney gods had been listening to my random thoughts and the internet was full of info

This year the Halloween parties finished on November 2nd and the first Xmas party took place on the  8th with all of the decorations in place on Main Street and to top it off someone posted a video of the holiday version of the Celebrate the Magic projection show which end with the dream lights......poor Emmie Lou has received loads of texts from me this week where my excitement is hardly contained

Normally James and I don't really plan to much, we have even been known to change our minds at the hotel bus stop about where we are going but I think next year is going to be a bit different with all of the things taking place while we are there and I want to make sure Em gets to see everything she wants to 

So here is the dilemma, do I go full on planning and become even more OCD than normal with a laminated plan with each day planned with military precision (you know the type even the toilet breaks are scheduled) or do we make a list of things that we must do and ensure these are crossed off which I am sure will make the holiday a whole lot more enjoyable?

Personally I think we are going to have to go for the latter as its the little things that always throw a spanner in the works - like James saying he needs to go to a shop in world showcase and walking the long way round or Emmie Lou clearing a shelf of cuddly toys and having to forcably remove them from her (I have my eye on you young lady!)

What would be on my list.....of course Wishes, Soarin, the Castle Dream Lights, Philharmagic; actually I am now beginning to wonder if it wouldn't be easier to say what I dont want to do - on that thought I'm off to dig out some park maps and ponder.....until next time xxxx

A bit of a bang.....

This week got off to a bit of a bang and I don't mean some numpty setting off their fireworks a week early but instead autumn came in with full force. We were warned of torrential rain and gale force winds and it didn't disappoint, James was on call that night and I prayed that he wasn't going to get called out; which he didn't but still I didn't get much sleep as you could hear stuff flying around - all very odd.

On top of that the lovely husband decided to share the gift that just keeps giving with me and I have been full of a snotty cold all week which has also impacted on my sleep; I see a theme here.....I don't sleep because of James!!!! My tiredness has been all consuming to the point I was beginning to think I was seeing things....

Whilst walking to work on Saturday morning, I walked past a person dressed as a skeleton but with no face paint on (this was just before seven in the morning); for a brief moment I was confused but then remembered it was Halloween this week either that or it was a serious walk of shame

Halloween this year for us is very different to last year, where we had our first experience of how the Americans do it. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with going all out and I don't even object to adults dressing up but we were at Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party and I reckon about 50% of the adult females costumes came from a sex shop - Snow White never showed off her assets like that!!!

So what can you expect from MNSSHP, dance parties, exclusive meet and greets, different parade, amazing Hallowishes fireworks and to top it off trick or treating. I am sure I read somewhere that for each party they use over 2 trucks of candy.....look at our haul from last year

And then to finish the week it has also been bonfire night, strangely I don't do fireworks here but I think that's because I have been spoiled by Disney cause you can't beat a bit of Wishes; on that note I'm off to watch the xfactor to see who's still in it - take care xxx

A change is gonna come....

Another week has gone by and we are a week closer to our next trip to the world, apologies about the lack of blogging action last week but we spent a lovely day with family in Portsmouth and I was a very tired little bunny when I got home so it was off to bed for me

So what has happened this past week, well its all been a bit strange.....I am the first to admit hating the unexpected and change and although I couldn't put my finger on it something just felt a little off for me. There have been tears and frustration but I have snapped out of it because after all none of that will make everything just how I want it to be so I just need to go with the flow

The question is if I can realise that now why can't I just live by my own advice? We have been going to Florida now for 15 years and the amount of rides I go on is quite limited because I don't like not being in control or the unexpected............I'm the person you see sitting there guarding the bags or taking the photo's of the rides (here's one of those shots - Expedition Everest from near Kali Rivier Rapids)

I have asked loads of questions on different Disney forums about ride advice for wimps and I still get no closer to conquering the completely irrational thoughts that go around in my head; I mean if a 6 year old can ride Splash Mountain why can't I?

Well next year (we will soon be able to say this year) I have promised Emmie Lou that I will do Splash Mountain with her; I'm going to try and gloss over the fact that I might have said that I needed to start taking my kalms now in preparation for it.

After all I think a lot of my thoughts are caused by apprehension and also the warning signs they post by the rides; now don't get me wrong I understand Disney are erring on the side of caution but for those of a nervous disposition they are like a red rag to a bull.

But saying that, we queued for about 30 minutes the first time we did Soarin and I was anxious all of that, then I read the warning signs and was already to head for the chicken exit where I would wait for James but no; I got on that ride and now rank it as one of my favourite things to do whilst we are there

So the whole point of this blog......a change is gonna come and we had just better hang on tight for the ride! xxxx

All the little things..........

Well Autumn has finally hit this fair land with a bang, this week we've had wind and plenty of rain; and this kind of weather makes you wish that you could go on holiday because at least in Florida the rain is usually warm and once it has thrown it down the sun comes out all over again

And to make matters worse the papers are full of talk of this being a really bad winter; I am sure I saw that it could be the worse winter in 100 years. Me personally I will take that with a pinch of salt because they have problems getting the forecast right for a couple of days time so the ability to forecast that far in advance makes me think someone might have paid a visit to mystic meg!

But back to this week, even though the sun didn't really shine there were bright moments  - James and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary and right on queue I got another email from the lovely wedding team at Disney just reminding me how truly special they could make the big day

I am sure that they are right in what they are saying, I mean everything that Disney does has that special bit of magic to it and a wedding ceremony would be no exception but for me the thing that would make the day for me is sharing it with people I love......which  if we did it at Disney would be James (obviously) and Emmie Lou

Not I've not gone all soft and this blog isn't going to turn into a mills and boon book its just when the chips are down, yes money can buy you things but a hug is priceless; and its the little things in life that make it special

There is magic to be found in Florida; but I think if you go with the mindset that you want/ actually expect something magical to happen it is highly likely that you will miss all of the magic happening around you. Just because it isn't your little piece of magic doesn't mean it isn't!

That's why I love people watching at Disney, yes you seem some pretty odd things - like the 2 families that nearly came to blows over a parade spot (just get there early people it saves lots of aggravation).

Last year while James watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (yawn) at Hollywood Studios I sat in a nice air conditioned shop and had a lovely chat with Em on the phone; but there was loads of commotion in the street so I went outside and watched as a mum was reunited with her daughter who had been serving in the military

So take your time, not just when you are on holiday but also every day to see the little things that make this roller coaster we call life just that little bit more special

xxx

You can't judge a book by its cover.....

This week we have had a well earned week off, it wasn't until late last week that we actually decided what we were going to do after the crushing reality that a trip to Disney World wasn't really going to work when we only had 7 days off......poor James has had to put up with me sulking all week but I have come to terms with it; just

So what did we do with our week; no we didn't hop on an easy jet flight and pop over to Spain for a couple of days as if you have been paying attention you will by now know that I don't like little planes - they are just wrong!

Instead we went on a trip what seemed to be halfway round the country and visited quite a few service stations on our travels; no we weren't looking for Eddie Stobart lorries like a couple we saw (whatever floats your boat but not my thing) but we were off to visit some UK tourist attractions that were on our to do list.

Day 1 saw us drive up to Birmingham - I had booked a Travelodge in the city centre which made me slightly anxious but we were pleasantly surprised; it was in a great location and really clean and quiet. This was just a means to an end as we had tickets to Cadbury World the following day....

Tuesday morning it was an early start to get across the city to Bourneville and to say James was a little bit excited was an understatement. I wouldn't say it is the most thought out attraction but we had a good time; we saw loads of chocolate and got to eat a little bit too.....but this was in its liquid form which is a sure fire way to make you think like you've sat down and scoffed a whole bar it was that rich.

After Cadbury World it was a trip across the city centre to head towards our next destination for our second nights stay which was to be in Northampton....we were hopeful about the hotel as it had the same ratings as the one we had stayed in the previous night but lets say things didn't quite go exactly to plan

We arrived in Northampton prior to our check in time which was perfect because it meant that James could visit Franklins Gardens the home to Northampton Rugby.....I sat in the car playing candy crush while he popped to the shop cause after all rugby is just another game with men running around after a ball; albeit a funny shaped one

Back to the hotel, and we went to check in and to say this place was not good is an understatement; it was dirty and noisy not exactly what we had planned - so after much discussion we found a premier inn closer to where we needed to be the next day which although had the same trip advisor rating as the one we were in we decided couldn't be any worse so we were back in the car and off down the M1 to Luton

And what a great decision it was, the hotel was clean, quiet, great location and everything we needed. So it really does seem that you can't judge a book by its cover - if I had paid attention to the review we would never have stayed there; and this is quite true when it comes to any trip planning. One persons chocolate is another's marmite - yes read reviews before you go but be prepared to be open minded and make your own decisions (if some people listened to that advice they might just stop asking me why I go to Disney World after all isn't it just for kids?!?!?!?)

The last day on our trip meant a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour; now this is a well run attraction along the lines of the service you see in Florida. There is loads to see there and gave me a whole new appreciation for the films....although I am not convinced about Butterbeer but the cheese sandwich was good (easily pleased me)

Well I need to go and sort out some bits as its back to work tomorrow, until next week  xxxxx

How long? How big?!!!!!!!

This week I, and what felt like 50 million others awaited the release of Ios7; apples latest operating software (I love my gadgets me - either that or as I have previously said I am easily pleased).

So there I was poised at 6pm on Wednesday, I must have been lucky as I managed to do my phone with little or no wait but my ipad now that was a whole other story.....I pressed update and the little cogs started turning and this must have been the point that the rest of the world also decided they were going to start their updates as the time remaining went from 4 minutes to download it to 26 hours in a nano second

I pondered what to do for about, actually I didn't ponder I just decided that the world wasn't going to end if I didn't update it then and there and decided that there was better things to do with my time; like play with my phone and see what the fuss was all about. After you get used to the new look - it has been described as looking like a fisher price toy there are some really nice new features which make it far easier to use.

After a quick play I went back to my not updated ipad and started searching the internet for a short break, an odd occurrence is happening shortly when both James and I are off at the same time ( and he has no fire brigade commitments or courses either - I feel honoured)

There is just one problem, it's not like we can do what others do and hop on a plane to somewhere in Europe for a short break and that's all because of me. I have this irrational dislike of little planes, no I don't understand it either! I will happily fly on an airbus a330 or a 747 but I can't bring myself to go on a little plane (in my head bigger is better ;-) )

I realise this is very odd, why do I think that a big plane can fly any better than a small plane as I happily fly to Orlando (maybe happily is a bit of an over statement) ; or is it just that I haven't been on one for probably ten years; and don't even get me started on the incident in Jersey when it looked like our plane was a propellor one!!!!

Every day I watch planes of all sizes fly over my house and don't think anything about it, but the little ones are not for me! So we, well me really has been spending my time trying to find a short break in the UK which is not as easy as you would think....we did find availability at centre parcs but that appears to have gone because I dithered so long so it's back to the drawing board

So if anyone knows of something we can do that doesn't involve little planes or needing a bank loan let me know xxx

It's the little things.....

No matter how much we have in life we always want the latest gadgets or the best of something, why can't we take pleasure in the little things in life?

Now me, it has often been said that I'm happy with the simple things in life (and no I'm not talking about my darling husband!) but I mean who else gets excited about a pair of mouse ears, and this week it's been all about the ears both very small and then proper head sized ones.

This week Disney announced that they were finally bringing their glow with the show ears to Walt Disney World; these are light up mouse ears which interact with their environment. They have had them in Disneyland for a while and they work with World of Color and also come alive when you visit Cars Land.

At WDW they will work with Fantasmic, Wishes and Celebrate the Magic.....I can't wait to stand on Main Street and see how they work; but because I am all a little bit funny in the head it wouldn't be hard to imagine that James will come home and find me sitting in the living room with them on; actually I can't think of a time they wouldn't be appropriate head wear ( actually my boss might think I'm a little over dressed if I wear them at a meeting but if I'm alone in the office you never know)


As for the little ears, I love Chamilia beads so was very excited to see that this year they have new locks for my bracelet; its like someone got inside my head and could see exactly what was on my wish list for new beads...so I am now the proud owner of 2 Minnie Mouse locks.They are so cute with one side showing the polka dots on her bow and the other side you can see her curly little tail and they look stunning on my bracelet next to another Disney bead. 

The rest of my week was all a bit blah really, what with work, feeling poorly and also water coming through our bedroom ceiling; fingers crossed that gets fixed soon. But today is a new week and I can see brighter things on the horizon; today I have had a lovely day with Emmie Lou (happy birthday by the way) and now just chilling at home watching the xfactor whilst it blows a gale outside.....

The time has come to put the flip flops away so I'm off to find my real shoes....now where did I leave them? xxxx

There aren't enough hours in the day....but there are way too many calories

Today for the first time in a while I decided to do a bit of holiday research, this was prompted by looking at my Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards.....and then James mentioned the Halloween and Christmas parties as next years holiday hopefully covers both

I am hoping so much to see the castle dream lights when we go, I can't explain how I feel when I see the castle for the first time each holiday so to see it glistening like snow will be amazing.....I have everything crossed that we get to see them; when Disney do decorations they really go all out....they even change the statues up by the castle with the season

So off I went to the Disney website and I can actually say I was surprised by the amount of events and tours there are and more to the point it added something else to my thoughts about our holiday which I hadn't considered....not only do we have MNSSHP and MVMCP to think about but on top of that its also the food and wine festival at Epcot while we are there.....I wouldn't say this is something I would put at the top of my list but it does need thinking about

There is only one thing that puts me off, having read some people's comments it does seem that's its just another excuse for more people to get drunk and I can't be doing with crowds let alone drunk crowds....so I guess that means our plans might have to take into account that Epcot will be a no go on a Saturday night (I'm not bitter that I can't hold my drink; well I can after all that's what my hands are for but as I haven't had a drink in like forever I don't think it would be a pretty sight)

While we are on the subject of food....I am currently trying to be really good but it doesn't help that I get a daily email about Disney food and am starting to add things to my must try list. The thing is I don't think there is one healthy thing on it, and most of them seem to contain chocolate. Actually there is some fruit on my list it just goes with a waffle smothered in Nutella

With that I think Im off to catch up  on the Great British bake off, this week is dessert week.....good job they haven't invented smelly vision yet otherwise I might just have to eat the TV xxxx

A little bit of what makes you happy.....

I am watching my countdown decrease daily but it is going way too slowly for my liking and what with how tough work has been lately my mood hasn't been the best so I have been pulling out all the stops to find those things that are like a little ray of sunshine

There are obvious things like my family who no matter how bad things are will always be there for me and will try their hardest to make everything ok but when the going gets tough me and Reese Witherspoon have to spend an evening together

So I cracked out Sweet Home Alabama, as after all what wouldn't lift my mood than watching the most romantic proposal EVER! James you need to pay attention here, I know you love Star Wars but a proposal in Tiffany's is way better.....however bless her cottons Reese failed me this time

Onto plan B, I turn on the soundtrack to Wishes which normally acts quicker than you can say Jiminy Cricket and will make me smile like the Cheshire Cat but this was some proper gloomy mood that would even rival Eyeore for the grumps.....I kept expecting to see a little grey cloud hovering above my head raining just on me

But there was salvation in a place I was least expecting it, I had a day with the girls on Friday firstly Nic and her little people who always make me smile and as always there was a classic one liner when Niamh told me I didn't need school uniform as I'm not a kid anymore.....maybe I don't look like a kid but I am definitely a child at heart

And then I finished the day with an evening with Emma and Ariel, oh my god I couldn't believe that Emmie Lou had never seen the Little Mermaid (which I hear is being rereleased on Monday). James said he didn't want to watch it but secretly he was......anyway what was it that lifted my mood; when the song part of your world came on just for that brief minute I was transported to Philharmagic when Ariel puts her hands out - totally my wow moment and a very welcome pick me up

So, a new week is here and I am ready for whatever the world is going to throw at me but whatever happens be gentle with me!!! Walt Disney said "I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter"

Until next week xxx

Souvenirs and a bit of bling.....

For those of you who are lucky enough to work in something other than retail I am sure you are all enjoying this lovely bank holiday weekend; as always the weather has obliged and yesterday I think it rained for nearly the whole day. Today was a whole different ball game and it was humid beyond belief pretty similar to a summer day in Orlando....but just not as much fun

I did ask James if we could go to florida today but he said no; obviously he has no sense of adventure! I read a thread on a Disney forum about you know you're a disney addict when; worryingly most of them just seemed to describe me to a tee:
- you randomly ask can we go to florida today: check
- you can look around and see something disney in every room of your house: check
- you wear something related to Disney everyday: check
- has a Disney playlist on their iPod: check
- has a Disney picture as their phone wallpaper: check

And so the list continues, and this week I was very excited as Disney infinity was finally released in the UK - this is a new game a bit like skylanders but the best bit is as well as the preloaded games linked to each character there is also the option to build your own game. There is just one problem it's going to cost me a fortune as they plan to keep adding new characters; oh well another thing for me to collect - just like these

But anyway onto the bling, this week I got a lovely email from the wedding team at Disney which gave me some more info on the vow renewal that I thought was a good idea; as I thought it wasn't the cheapest option coming in at just over £1,500 but that does include the service, bouquet and also photography

So, by now you know me well enough to know that I like to change my mind or come up with another plan and that I did....I thought that maybe instead of spending all that money on the vow renewal I might like a nice new bit of bling; after all I have spent 15 amazing years with James so maybe an eternity ring might be in order???

As I have said before I love a bit of bling so have spent my weekend customising a new t-shirt, frustratingly though I ran out of crystals before I could finish it.....but fear not I have ordered them and I will be dazzlingly everyone with crystals before you know it

And right now after watching over 3 and a half hours of cricket I am doing what any self respecting girl would do and I have turned to Reese Witherspoon for salvation - under much protest I turned the TV over and am enjoying sweet home Alabama and with that I am signing off as the best bit is just about to happen xxx

Trashy tv and a full cup...

Last week I kind of got myself into a little bit of trouble by researching a Disney vow renewal without talking to James first, so I thought I'd best own up just in case the brochure dropped through the letter box like I thought it might......

So I plucked up the courage and met him at the gate when he got home from work....I was a bit worried about how the conversation might go as we seem to have a sort of top trumps thing going on. If I say I have a runny nose James will have the flu, or if I have a paper cut James will have cut his finger.....you're getting the picture?

How would he react to the oh by the way I have been researching vow renewals at Disney, I was expecting some kind of Jerry Springer type of confession; I had visions of by the way I'm a bigamist or I am in love with my car but thankfully he took the news really well and said that it sounded interesting, phew!!!

All I have got to do now is see if the brochure turns up and then work out if I will need a lottery win or not for it to actually happen.....but as always my brain is running away with me and I have dresses and colours on my brain; I guess I still need to get a grip.

The other news that has made me happy this week, and trust me it appears little things make me happy is the news that you can mix drinks with Disney's rapid fill mugs; I love pomegranate lemonade and sprite mixed after a long day at the parks or for that matter at breakfast, lunch and dinner too.

Guests staying at a Disney resort can purchase a souvenir refillable mug good for the length of your stay which can be filled with soda, coffee, tea or hot chocolate; however this has been open to some serious misuse with people filling up mugs from other places, past trips and also soda bottles.

So Disney have new drinks machines which will only work with an RFID chipped cups and yay the news is you can mix your drink as many times as you like until the cup shows as full......then you can't refill your cup for 2 minutes and this is shown in the display on the machine.

There is mixed views on the machines with people saying its only soda and Disney probably get the drink mix for free but there must have been some cost otherwise they wouldn't be spending all that money on new machines or cups....all I know is that I don't mind what they do as long as I can get a cold drink that I like and I get a new design mug to add to the collection we already have in the cupboard - I bagsy the purple one

Until next week xxxx

I think I have a problem....

Oh my goodness I really have a problem which I am sure by now some of you have figured out; but first a little explanation - yes I normally blog on a Sunday and for those observant people today is Monday but its been a tough week at work and I was a little poorly; but I couldn't not let you into what is in my head this week so here we go....

I have known I have a little Disney addiction for quite a while, my jewellery, my bags, clothes, home would clearly tell even the most unobservant person that but I never thought said addiction would plant itself so firmly into my personal life and now my head.

So what's the big deal, well our next holiday to the happiest place on earth is October/ November next year and it just so happens that this will be shortly after our 15 year wedding anniversary and in a throw away moment I said maybe we could renew our vows whilst we are there....

Then I read some post about a couple who had an unofficial wedding in Magic Kingdom ( Disney weren't too happy about this), but I jokingly suggested that Emmie Lou could do our service if we got her ordained through one of those online companies; obviously I stole that idea from Friends but you've got to admit it is a good one

I thought no more of it until this weekend when whilst catching up on my dibbcasts the episode was all about getting married in Florida and disney weddings and now its all I can think of....I have even spent this evening researching Disney weddings; now all I've got to do is tell James about this  before the brochure drops through the letter box; ummmmmm can someone help me with that one?

Would I really do it, well if money was no option I would do it in the blink of an eye having had a look at the Disney website the weddings look amazing and that's even without a character in sight and minus the Cinderella's carriage (I have everything crossed for a lottery win). Our original ceremony was a very intimate affair which was amazing but wouldnt it be incredible  to celebrate 15 years together by renewing our vows on the beach at the Grand Floridian

And what better excuse for a new bit of bling, see what I mean once I have an idea in my head I just can't stop thinking about it and persuading myself that its a good idea.....if anyone knows of a good therapist who can treat not only my disney addiction ( not get rid of it but at least make me get a grip) but also my candy crush addiction I would be most grateful ....until next time xxx

Is it bed time yet?

I am sure I am not the only person in the world who was grateful that it cooled down just a smidgen last night which meant I got my first decent nights sleep in a week. What with the warm temperatures and the storms my sleep pattern has been all over the place, which I am sure my nearest and dearest will tell you is never a good thing

I am a bit of an odd case (happy to admit it as well) lack of sleep and too much sleep basically have the same effect on me that I get all a bit hyperactive and can talk for England.....Em just think you have this to look forward to after our flight; yay for you! I would love to be one of those people who can sleep anywhere and anytime but no such luck, although a lady from work who can fall asleep at the lunch table said the only place she struggles to sleep is on flights; so is there a secret to it?

I'm not fussed about not sleeping on the way out as its just like having a late night; but its the way home that is the problem; I think the most I ever manage is about half an hour which is not worth bothering with. And this week has definitely felt the same as the first couple of days back after a holiday when everything just seems more effort

So, what have I done with my week apart from not sleep well......I have gone to work, caught up with the girls and had a birthday. I had a lovely day and was treated like a princess, but as per usual I was very  awkward and didn't know what I wanted so we went shopping......after spending a couple of hours at Lakeside I had a lovely new charm for my bracelet but I still had pennies to spend.

James must have asked me about 20 times what else I wanted, did I want the money towards the new Disney Infinity game that is coming out soon or something else? I decided on something else as I had already made up my mind that I was going to buy the game and the thing I wanted was a new bag - although finances couldn't stretch to a mulberry I did get a gorgeous one that is really me; so my Disney nerd bag is in the cupboard waiting for the cold weather to appear again (it really does have disney nerds on it, its not that I am a nerd - well maybe a little bit)

Until next week......can someone turn the light off I'm trying to sleep here  xxxx

They say money can't buy happiness

This week I had a night out with the girls from work, where there was a long conversation about a Mulberry handbag which my boss had (well spotted Nicola Claire - now all you've got to do is read this to know I mentioned you again!) - half of the room was saying it was worth every penny and the other half thought it was an incredible amount of money to spend on what they considered to be just a bag

My views on it, it was gorgeous and if spending all your hard earned cash on a handbag makes you happy then good on you; personally I would rather spend all my money going on holiday (well not all of it but I will do what I have to, to make it happen)

Every year I hear the same thing from people at work, "you must earn loads to be able to go to Disney every year". Well no actually but I obviously have different priorities in life than you and would rather save my money and have a really nice holiday than go out every weekend and have nothing to show for my hard earned cash.

So can money really buy you happiness? I would say yes and I have the evidence to prove it.....I hate having my photo taken with a passion and have spent years avoiding it with great skill; but every year I have my photo taken in WDW (and there doesn't always have to be a character involved and I don't mean James in the annual amusing hat photo) and in each one I can see genuine happiness

See what I mean......smiling happy me (and the camera lens is still in one peice); I have had a thought though yes WDW is my happy place but is my happiness rating affected by things that are within my control? I mean would I be happier if I had planned my holiday to within an inch of its life so that I could tick off everything I wanted to do or am I just as happy taking my time enjoying the sights and sounds and doing half of the things I planned to?

I guess that is the advantage of being a UK visitor that we usually go for longer than the average US guest so we have the option of going back for the things we missed and can even make return trips to our favourite attractions. 

My opinion if you haven't already guessed is that money can buy happiness as long as you know what makes you happy and mine just happens to be this view (the picture below)......I'm off to count the pennies in my piggy bank until next week  xxxxx

Funny how time flies.....

This week has definitely been a game of two halves, on one hand there has been the day to day stuff and then something just a little out of the ordinary....

Lets start with the day to day stuff, work has been full on this week what with a trip to head office but I also had to attend a course; now I am sure you may remember I blogged a couple of weeks ago about how to avoid the heat and listening to your body well through no fault of my own I think I ended up with a bit of heat stroke and owe a lot of thanks to my lovely sister Emmie Lou for rescuing me (love you Emmie  Lou)

The course was run in a vintage village hall, you know the type basically made of tin so with this glorious weather we are having I might have well have just wrapped myself in tinfoil and popped myself in the oven and it would have been cooler but after lots of fluids, a cold bath and a little snooze I began to feel normal again (well normal for me).....anyway enough of that and on to the good stuff

This week I decided to treat myself so bagged myself some very nice Swarovski hotfix crystals, I am sure James would tell you I have enough crystals to bling up nearly everything at home but you can't beat the real thing to add that extra bit of sparkle - so this evening there is a heat gun with my name on it ready to make a t-shirt sparkle (I promise I will also work my magic on your bracelet Em)

Then today I nabbed an absolute bargain; while we were in Florida earlier this year Disney released a line of makeup. There are 2 versions beautifully disney or wickedly disney and every time I saw it in the shops I said I was going to buy it; but there was always something else to do with the money especially as the nail varnish set was around $20. So, as you do we popped into the Disney store at Bluewater today and in the sale section was my makeup and it was an absolute steal so it had to come home with me; at lunch I painted each nail a different colour or combination and don't want to take it off but I would get told off at work so know I must........I am now sitting here pondering how I can get some more

Anyway the highlight of my week has been meeting my Aussie pen friend for the first time; we started as pen friends back in 1986 when she posted an add in No1 magazine looking for fellow A-ha fans to write to her. Leo is currently over here for the cricket (she is sitting at Lord's as I type waiting for England to thrash the Aussies in the second test), and decided she would stay in Tunbridge Wells.

We have had 2 amazing evenings out this week and it has been great to finally meet her and put a face to the name; it seems strange to think that I have known her longer than I have known James and even though this is the first time we have ever met it didn't feel like it (you were right Nic and Emma)

I do wonder what impression Leo must have of me after I told her the reason I want a new tattoo of fairy wings is because I can't grow my own! Actually she probably has me figured out, I am special and proud of it.....until next week

xxxx

I'm melting....

Us Brits are obsessed with the weather but we are never happy with what we have; when its cold we want the sun and when we get it we complain its too warm.....I love the heat while we are on holiday because there is always (well apart from seaworld) somewhere to take a break in the air conditioning.

Over here doing the day to day stuff is not so easy - its too warm to eat and definitely too warm to get a decent nights sleep; and what happens when I get tired I get the munchies and want to eat everything and anything (well stuff that I like that is). But I have been resisting the temptation and eating loads of salad and fruit; so was very miffed that I am not dropping pounds at a rate of knots

So I have been sitting here and thinking of all the yummy food I could have eaten instead and maybe I might not have minded no weight loss. First thing on my list would be an Earl of Sandwich brownie; now it just so happens that this week I have got to go to head office which is within walking distance of the London store (would have been better if our head office was in Florida) but I might just have to pop in and pick one up (then it will be rabbit food for the next 2 weeks to make up for the heavenly naughtiness that it is)

As for work every day seems to have turned into casual Friday for me (I don't have to wear the standard uniform), with cropped trousers the norm....but with the temperature only going to go up soon I am going to run out of suitable clothing and although I will wear shorts in Florida I really don't think work is ready for that sight - or is it that I'm not ready for them to see it and the only reason I wear them on holiday is because I'm not going to  bump into anyone that knows me?

Do other people feel like this? The reason I ask is because of the sights you see while you are on holiday; well not even on holiday whenever the weather is warm....last week we had a young lady come in to do her food shopping in a bikini with a sarong over it?!?!?  I mean, what is that all about?

Whether I get the answer he thinks I want to hear I will always check with James if what I am wearing looks ok and is appropriate for where we are going but I am sure some people lose their modesty radar when it gets warm; so think of me tomorrow when I am on a course where the dress code is casual and budgie smugglers have been mentioned - I'm scared

With that thought in my mind I think I need to hit the kalms to get me through the day

Until next week xxxx

Warm enough for you?

English strawberries are in season, Andy Murray has won Wimbledon and I have seen so much sunburn its unreal.....which can mean only one thing; the longed for summer has finally arrived  and us Brits and that includes me will now spend our time complaining that its too warm

Which makes no sense considering we spend (ok not every one just us WDW addicts)  counting down the days until we can step off the plane and feel the heat of the Florida sun again. So the trick is how to enjoy the sun but stay cool????

I will say I am much better at this these days after a bout of sun stroke which totally came out of no where and probably wasn't helped by the lovely lemon drink James got me to try and cool me down; even the thought of drinking cloudy lemonade now makes me come over all a bit funny (more than normal that is)

So first things first drink loads preferably clear liquids most counter service restaurants in WDW will give you a glass of iced water; I really hate the taste of Florida water so we take flavour sachets to the park or even better a mini and I mean mini flavour bottle ( Walmart has a great range of these, other major supermarkets are available)

Or you could always grab a frozen coke or 2

There are so many other tips out there:

- take advantage of the air conditioned shops for a quick cool down

- take a damp flannel in a zip lock bag and place it on the back of your neck

- take ride on Kali River rapids if you fancy getting soaking wet

- apparently wearing 2 tops works, first you wear a vest like top and then your normal one; the vest top should absorb the moisture from your body which in turn will keep you cool

If none of that works, what about one of these?

Another good tip is to go to the parks early, hit all of the major rides then take a trip back to the hotel for a dip in the pool or just time to relax before heading back to the park in the evening.

But I think the best tip ever is listen to your body, if it all feels like its getting a bit too much take a time out. I totally get that people have been planning their holiday for what seems like forever and it could derail your plans for a little while but not taking a break could mean you are out of action for a whole lot longer (god I actually sound like a grown up)

In the past we have done the 4 parks in one day thing and although I wouldn't rule out doing it again I   now know when to give in; hmmmm I just remembered my temper tantrum that I had on our first day this year be cause we were both shattered and decided we weren't going to see Wishes......it's the law you have to go so go we did!

Well I'm off for a cold shower, until next time xxx

What's that smell?????

Today I have had a lovely chilled day at home, I've played Kingdom Hearts and loaded some new music onto my iPod so were now listening to the Main Street Welcome music.....it's funny how not only sounds but also smells can make you think of places.

I was reminded of this at work this week - I got given a new flavour tea bag by a friend who I was going to see so I had to try it before I saw her again; it sounded minging to be honest chamomile, maple and vanilla. I always think chamomile must be what it's like to brew some freshly cut grass but I thought what the hell and boiled the kettle.....

Well was I pleasantly surprised, it was actually really nice but more to the point it smelled like the Main Street Confectionary; you know what I mean that really sweet smell that hits you as soon as you walk in. Caused by lashings of melted chocolate, marshmallows, candy floss and a smattering of popcorn for good measure.....this is not the place for those watching the calories as I am sure you can put on a couple of pounds just by inhaling the fumes!

I was trying to explain about the smell of my tea reminding me of WDW to one of my work colleagues and they just looked at me like I'd grown another head; but I am sure that smelling different scents can evoke memories or is that just me?

Also this week I had the pleasure of spending some time with my favourite little people in the whole world, which really did make me think I a) need to grow up or b) need some serious therapy for my Disney addiction ( I know what you are thinking!)

Miss Freya and I had a very in depth conversation about princesses and that they are real; as real as fairies and she should know as she's four! She wanted to know who was my favourite princess, this might have been because I was taking great pleasure in completing her princess sticker book for her especially the rapunzal pages - so she decided it was her and she's right!!!!

Oh, I forgot to say I also blinged my flip flops today; its probably a good idea I am not left on my own too often otherwise I would bling any and everything......

Til next time xxx

Bling it on......

I love the weekend, its the one day of the week I am guaranteed some time with my family; but every week we ask the same question.......what are we going to do? Normally we go for the usual suspects Lakeside, Bluewater but yesterday I am sure James was not expecting the answer he got....

I must admit to being in a bit of a funny mood lately ( I can hear what you are saying Emmie Lou, what do I mean lately!) any how I digress so I turn to him and say.........

" I think we should start the day at Epcot and do Soarin and Test Track, then we should hop to Animal Kingdom and go on the safari and have a bit of a wander followed by lunch (sweet and sour chicken or egg fried rice for me).

I think Toy Story Mania will be too busy so we'll give Holloywood studios a miss so  it's off via the TTC to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, we'll do Philharmagic, Pirates, Haunted Mansion and Buzz and by that time it will be time for dinner so we can go and get a tuna sandwich from Columbia Harbour House.

Then it's a mooch round the new Fantasyland before we head to Main Street to find a spot to watch the Main Street electrical parade before Wishes"

Surprisingly he said that we couldn't do that and maybe we should go to Lakeside instead , but this clearly shows how bad my Disney addiction really is. There are 2 reasons for this....first I am all a bit strange or more likely I have been doing a lot of research lately and its all stuck in my head....

Yesterday I was on the Dibb which is a mine of brilliant information for holiday planning which I highly recommend but also for the craft addict in me; a lovely lady on there had blinged up her own sweatshirt with a cute Minnie Mouse; being the brat I am I had to do something the same after all a girl can never have too much sparkle and it would look really cool on holiday; so off we went to hobbycraft and here's I have spent my evening.

So if you are in WDW next October/ November and you see something glinting in the distance it might just be me......until next time xxxx

Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.......

To most normal people this statement sounds particularily odd in the middle of June but is quite normal when you work in retail....I only wish it was christmas everyday if it meant I got paid for spending the day at home and could as normally happens eat anything I want with only the smallest amount of guilt.

So what does this have to do with me and for that matter holiday planning; I am in full on Christmas planning mode at work and have so many returns to do anyone would think it was just around the corner; trading hours, food ordering, christmas cards.....christmas party?

Well, christmas parties aren't really on my to do list but wouldn't it be fun if it was? But I really am thinking about Christmas parties right now; mainly because I have a dilemma - do we do Mickey's not so scary halloween party or Mickey's very merry christmas party or if I was really feeling rich both?

Why do I have this dilemma, well my lovely bosses at work have agreed to my holiday dates for next year so it is all systems go. We have booked to return to Port Orleans French Quarter for end of October beginning of November 2014 and even though our countdown may only have just ticked over into the 400's I am already in planning mode.

What is on my mind:

• When do they first light the Castle Dream Lights (these weren't there the last time we went for Christmas)
• What's the temperature going to be like (hoping for 80's)
• What Emma will think of the resort and the dining plan (did I forget to mention Emmie Lou is coming with us and by staying in a moderate again we have got free QSDP - it was only £200 more each than Art of Animation which makes each day of the dining plan cost £14; bargain as you would never be able to get 2 meals a day and a snack for approx $20)
• And the big one - if we have the chance do we do MNSSHP or MVMCP? 

We have done both (in seperate visits) and really enjoyed them; I think the Halloween parade really knocks spots off the Christmas one but the Christmas version of Wishes is better than Hallowishes. The cookies and hot chocolate at the xmas party are great but trick or treating at Halloween (its just treats at WDW) was fun and the amount of candy we got was just obscene...so what do I do?????

Strangely they have just been talking about the exact same thing on the episode of the Dibbcast I was listening to; I think they thought the Christmas party was the better of the 2.....I know to ensure fairness in my decision I am off to post a poll on the Dibb - may the best party win

And Emmie Lou; this is just for you............Squirrel. Until next time xxxx