FREE

http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Kathleen-Turner-Series-ebook/dp/B0055EJ0VQ/

This weekend only, the first book in the Kathleen Turner Series, which I mentioned in my post the other day, is FREE for Kindle download.

Don't miss it!!!!

99

That's right.  We're now in the double digits for our Countdown to Disney.  So excited!!

In the meantime, have I told you about what I'm reading these days?  No!  What is wrong with me.  I have fallen in love with this series.  There are currently 2 books out...No Turning Back and Turn to Me.  I read them both, and then I read them again.  So good!  And today, the author, Tiffany A. Snow, gave us a sneak peek at the 3rd book, which is due out for Christmas, entitled Turning Point, by releasing the first chapter on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/TiffanyASnow 


You can also check her out at: www.tiffanyasnow.com

If you like suspense, intrigue, romance...all rolled into one, that's what you'll get.  I'm a huge fan!

It looks like there will be 5 books in the series, so I'll have something to look forward to.  Maybe that will be my next countdown...to each book.

100 Days!

Well...we're 100 days away from our Disney trip.  I've been really bad about updating this blog, but once the dining reservations were made, there wasn't a lot of Disney planning to talk about.  Maybe there will be more within the final 100 days.  We shall see.

My 42nd birthday is also a week away and I've already received presents.  I love presents.  But I think there may not be many more coming my way.  Michael and I went shopping last month so I could get some beads for my Chamilia when they were having the special where you got a free bracelet with purchase.  So he bought me a bead for my birthday.  My sister sent me a gift certificate to Chamilia so I could get some more beads, one of which is a Disney bead.  This one!  On the other side it says "Dreams Really Do Come True"

And then today, a friend who just returned from her honeymoon at Disney sent me a pin set.  They are bride & groom Mickey ears and they say Mr.and Mrs.  She had gotten them for herself and I loved them, so she bought me a set too!

So it's already a Disney birthday!

And sometimes, things stay the same

Change is good, but sometimes, things just stay the same.

First, at my weigh-in yesterday, no change.  Same weight as last week.  I guess it's better than a gain, and I'm sure that if I worked out more I wouldn't have stayed the same, but I'll always wish that every week would bring a loss - especially since I only have 1 more weigh-in before vacation.  And that vacation begins with the Chocolate Buffet (YUM), then our anniversary dinner (plus whatever other dining we do in Chicago) and then the graduation party.  I am really going to have to do a lot of walking and make use of the fitness center at the hotel.  I always think I'm going to, but usually go once and that's it.

And speaking of Chicago, I had gotten an email from Hampton Inn about a special that they were running.  So I took a peak and I could get the room for $169 per night, instead of the $199 I booked it at.  The catch was that it had to be paid for in advance and once it was booked, no changes or refunds.  So I was waiting to make sure that nothing came up that would force me to change our reservation and then I was going to re-book it today or something over the weekend.  A $30 per night savings would have been fantastic.  So I go to the website this morning and can't find that rate.  I search for the special and then click through to that hotel and it says that they only had limited availability for the offer and that there is nothing available for our dates.  UGH!  I really wanted that extra $90 in my pocket for the trip.  Oh well...what can I do?  Maybe something else will fall in for me and I'll be able to save some $$ elsewhere.  We shall see!

Ch-ch-changes

So last week's WW weigh-in was pretty good.  I was down about a pound and a half.  I will take it.  Still have a long way to go to get back to where I was, plus even further to get to my goal, but at least I'm making some progress.

Another change to me...I cut my hair.  It's above my shoulders and once I get a decent picture with the new 'do, I will post it. 

In other news, vacation is coming up, so I'm getting ready for that trip to Chicago.   Flights are booked and there was a sale last week, so I was able to rebook and have a nice little credit with Southwest now, which I'll be using toward our flight home from Disney in October.  I should be booking that next month.  I can also get a great deal on the hotel, but I'm waiting a little longer before I rebook that because that will require me to pay up front and I won't be able to make any changes or get a refund once it's done.  So I'm waiting until the last possible minute to do that.  It will mean a savings of about $90, which is great.  We also have the Amtrak booked.  I did get a good deal on that, just over $40 for the 2 of us, but the downside is that we won't be on the train the entire way.  Part of the trip will be via bus...about 3+ hours actually.  I'm not really looking forward to that, but hoping for the best.

In Disney planning, we found out that they canceled the Haunted Carriage Rides, which is something we were looking forward to doing on Halloween night.  I'm not sure if we'll try to find something else to do that night or if we'll just "wing it."  I have to look at the bright side...that's $60 I didn't spend.

Oh...and I bought a Kindle Fire.  I'm going to see if I can access the blog from the Fire.  It would be great if I could update it while we're traveling.  Maybe then it would be more updated and not just a bunch of random posts.

Well, if I have any readers...I hope you're all having a great day and with summer just around the corner, here's to warm sunny days!

Into every life, a little rain must fall...

This title really only has to do with the weather.  It's been raining much of the week, so I thought that would be a good title for today.  It is supposed to clear out of here soon and the weekend is looking fabulous, which is great since we're going to the Red Sox game on Saturday.

Speaking of rain, lately I seem to see a lot of people talking about the weather at Disney.  There are some who are also going in October and they say they are holding off on getting tickets for the Halloween Party until they know what the weather is going to be like while they are there.  I have to say that I honestly never think about the weather when planning vacations, especially Disney.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We do try to go when it's not likely to be ridiculously hot, but when it comes to rain, I just don't think about it.  I just go on the assumption that it's not going to rain while I'm there.  It's not as though I can control it, so I just don't want to think about it so far in advance.  So I'll just pretend that wherever I go on vacation, but especially Disney, will be under a bubble and that no rain will fall.  Isn't that a nice dream?

Chugging along...

Things are coming along nicely, both in vacation planning and getting healthy.

In vacation planning, Chicago is a go just 4 weeks from today.  Everything is booked, except the Amtrak, but that will be easy, and ready to go.  I am struggling with graduation gift ideas though.  I don't want to just give her money.  I want something that she'll remember, something that makes a statement.  What to do, what to do?  If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Disney is also going smoothly.  Our MNSSHP tickets arrived in the mail yesterday.  This will be our first party and we are really looking forward to it.  We do need to work on costumes though.  Hey, I wonder if there is a costume shop in downtown Chicago.  I might need to look into that.  Finding some time when the hubby and I are both free to go shopping for costumes is not easy.  Oh, and we're still trying to book the Haunted Carriage Ride for Halloween night, but they still aren't booking those yet.  I'm a little nervous because there are only 12 openings per night and I think Halloween night is going to be quite popular for this, so I don't want to miss out.

As for getting healthy, the weight isn't exactly falling off, but it's not holding on for dear life anymore either.  It's leaving at a nice little pace and I'm feeling better all the time.  I am bummed that my stretch class is on hiatus for a while though.  I was really looking forward to it now and it looks like it's shut down for the next 3 weeks and then we're away, so that's a bummer.  But I guess that means I should break out the Just Dance 3 and start shaking my groove-thang.

Here we go...

We've passed the 180 day mark for Disney, which means I made our ADR's (Advanced Dining Reservations) and we were able to get all the places that we wanted.  And tickets for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party went on sale on Tuesday, so I ordered those too.  We'll be heading to the party on Oct. 30th.  Now I'm waiting for them to open up reservations for the Haunted Carriage Rides at Wilderness Lodge so we can book one for Oct. 31st.  Can't wait!!

On the weight loss side of things, I seem to be doing well.  I'm now running on the Wii for 20 minutes again instead of 10, which is what I was at since the torn ligaments issue.  Hopefully soon I'll be back up to 30 and then I need to start getting my butt to the track and work on doing that again.  I just need to focus.

Yesterday was the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park and I was lucky enough to be one of those in attendance.  For me, baseball has been a big part of my life.  I have attended thousands of games.  I have been to Spring Training several times.  I have traveled to other ballparks.  I have so many memories that revolve around baseball.  So to be at the 100th anniversary of Fenway, the home of my beloved (and sometimes infuriating) Boston Red Sox was incredible. 

Anyone who ever played for the Sox was invited back for this event.  And during the pre-game ceremony, they each walked onto the field.  Jim Rice, former left fielder, Hall of Famer and someone who I can actually claim as a friend, was the first former player to walk onto the field.  Others, such as Pumpsie Green, who finally broke the color barrier with the Sox; Pedor Martinez and Kevin Millar, who played a huge part in finally bringing the World Series trophy back to Boston in 2004; Nomar Garciaparra, Lou Merloni and Mo Vaughn, all of whom I saw grow from obscurity in the minor leagues to making their Fenway debuts; Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr, who played with Ted Williams and have been Red Sox icons for as long as I can remember.  There was just so much history of that field yesterday.  So many Sox Greats all in one place.  It was a true Dream Team!

And even though the Sox won their very first game at Fenway in 1912, beating the New York Highlanders (Yankeees) 7-6, it just wasn't to be yesterday as we lost to those same Yankees by a score of 6-2; but even the score couldn't take away from the excitement of the game and the excitement of 100 years of Fenway.

Little by Little

So what shall I talk about today?  Weight?  Disney?  Waiting for Disney?  LOL

Well I did go to my WW meeting yesterday.  No change, but that's ok because I've been slowly going down and as long as it's not up, I'm fine with it.  I am hoping to get out to the track this weekend to walk and possibly even jog a bit.  A little at a time and then hopefully I can work my weight up to running actually laps at the track again and work my way down to the weight I was at on my 40th birthday.

We're 6 months and 21 days from Disney, and I calculated that out to 28 weeks this morning trying for figure out what I could reasonably attempt to lose between now and then.  If I average about 1/2 lb per week, that's only 14.5 pounds, but I'm going to aim for at least that and hope that I do much more.  We shall see.  I do need to kick it up though because I'm not sure any of my summer clothes are going to fit at my current weight.

Disney planning is going well.  I haven't been obsessing over it this week, which is good.  I'm waiting for a little more info to trickle in before I make my official dining wish list.  Call in day for our ADR's is April 30th, and I decided to take the day off since it is a Monday and I don't want to be stressing about making the reservations and then trying to get to work at the same time.   

So many countdowns...

April has arrived!  It was a pretty mild winter, which was great, but there's something about the month of April that just makes me happy.  It's a sure sign of spring and that summer is quickly approaching.  Baseball season is about to start.  Flowers are blooming.  And there's just something in the air.

And this year, April is even more exciting.  We're 6 months and 25 days until our Disney trip.  And on April 30th, we get to make our dining reservations for the trip - so now that is less than a month away.  It's very exciting.  And over the next few weeks, we should be learning more about the different things that will be happening while we're at Disney.  Hopefully we'll soon know more of the musical acts that will be performing at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival's Eat to the Beat concert series.  And we're waiting to hear if the new restaurant at Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest, will be open during our trip.  There is just so much going on.

And now our anniversary trip to Chicago is just 2 months away.  And that trip leads right into my niece's graduation.  I swear it was just yesterday that she started kindergarten.  How can she be graduating already?  And I need to get her a gift, but I have no idea what to get her.  Hmmm, maybe some Disney stock.  Isn't that a good graduation gift?  I'm not sure she would think so though.

Anyway, there are just so many exciting things coming up now that April is here!!  And I am certainly looking forward to all of them.

Be Proud of Yourself!

I typed this up a while ago, but for some reason, it was never published.  So here it is now.

When we were kids, wasn't it the best feeling ever when someone said they were proud of you, especially your parents? And it was absolutely devastating when they said they were "disappointed" in you.

But lately I've realized that I am proud of myself and I think that is even better. I'm not claiming that I'm prefect and I don't expect anyone to gush over me, but I am proud of the person that I have become. I didn't follow the pack. I made my own path. I've made mistakes, but I've taken responsibility for them and I've corrected them or overcome them.

And sometimes, hoping for someone else's approval is a complete waste of time. Because no matter what you do, they will always find fault. But you need to look at your own accomplishments and find reasons to be proud of yourself. Do not wait for someone else to validate you.

6 Months and 28 Days

So that's the countdown until our Disney trip. 6 months and 28 days until we fly south for 7 glorious days in the central Florida sunshine and the land of the Mouse!

And one month from today is when I can make our ADR's (advanced dining reservations). If you've never been to WDW, then you probably don't know how important these are or how much time and thought goes into the planning. And you may even be thinking, "who knows 6 months in advance where they want to eat?" Well, for us Disney fanatics, this is all part of the planning fun. Granted, I have no idea what I'm having for dinner tonight, but I already know where I hope to be eating in October.

As fun as the planning is, it can also be pretty stressful. You just never know if a ride/attraction or restaurant might be closed for repairs/refurbishment. Then there are the new places that may or may not be open when we are going to be there. And if that's not enough to stress me out, I have something else in the back of my mind that is causing even more stress. I can't really talk about it yet, but something that is going on in someone else's life could force us to change all of our plans. I'm just hoping and praying that they don't make us try to do that, especially because the trip is all booked and paid for already and to have to change it would be a huge hassle and it could cost us more $$. And all because of someone else!

Oh look, a post.

I am seriously so bad about updating this Blog. How about if we pretend that my life has been so busy that I just haven't had a moment to post anything? Yeah, that's it. LOL

Maybe I'll start posting more since we're only 7 months away from our Disney vacation. Disney is exciting and so much fun to plan.

And while we're at it, we'll have to see if I can manage to lose some weight between now and the trip. Ok, so I can lose weight between now and then, so maybe it should be how much can I lose. Should I pick a number? Well, I need to lose at least 21.2 since that's how much I have managed to gain since my 40th birthday. Yes, that's right, over 20lbs. Sad, isn't it?

Coworkers

Sometimes the people you work with are just co-workers and sometimes you are lucky enough to work with people who become real friends. I'm so glad that I worked with such great people when I was in my 20's and that we have either kept in touch over the years or we've had the chance to reconnect. I still think about the times we would get together outside of work and I think that is a true testament to the friendship.

I'm going to Disney World!

So, 2011 was a big year for me. I paid off my debt. All of my loans and my car were paid off.

Several years back, we decided that once we paid it all off, we would plan a trip to Disney. And not a "tight budget" trip either, but a nice big celebration. We wanted to stay at a Deluxe Resort and enjoy the Deluxe Dining Plan. It was all just a dream for so long. But that dream is becoming a reality.

One week ago, I booked our dream trip to WDW. We are booked at the Yacht Club Resort for 7 nights. And no, we won't be going back into debt to pay for it. It will be completely paid for before we even get on the plane.

I'm thinking I should do a Disney blog while we are there and maybe this one will become more Disney-fied over the next several months. The trip isn't until October, but if you've ever been to Disney, you know that the planning can take months. And the planning is half the fun.

We need to plan where we are going to eat and when. And we need to figure out which parks to visit each day, which will affect or be affected by where to eat. And since we are going over Halloween, we have to plan for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. And then, of course, we have to decide if we want to wear a costume for the party. So many things to think about.

So who wants to come with me on this Magic Carpet Ride of Disney Planning?

Charging forward!

First post of the New Year! Yes, I know I'm a little slow, but that's life.

I've been in a bit of a funk through the holidays. Not that they were bad, but because of this air cast on my leg, it's kept me from being able to do my regular workouts and I started gaining weight. Because you know I didn't improve my eating over the holidays. Oh no. I ate what I wanted and when there isn't any exercise to go along with it, the weight comes charging back.

Why does it take weeks to lose 5 pounds, but a mere 5 seconds to put it back on? And it brings friends?

So this year's Biggest Loser is all about "No Excuses", so I guess I can't make excuses either. I should have found alternate exercises to do that didn't involve my leg. Instead, I fell into a funk and basically gave up. But, over the weekend, I bought myself a little stool so now I can sit in my living room and use my weights. I'm going to have fabulous arms! Can you imagine what they would be like if I'd started this weeks ago when I first injured the foot? I'd be giving the First Lady a run for her money. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but still, they would have looked better than they do.

And I am happy to report that when I weighed in at Weight Watchers today, I was down 2 pounds. That's right, 2 whole pounds. Amazing! So now I need to stick with the weights and I'm going to start some light step aerobics since I only need to wear the cast for another week and a half. I'll go slow and only for a short time, but even that little bit should help.

Well that and I've stopped eating junk like it's my last meal.