Partying it up Bachelorette Style

This past weekend we had my niece's bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was truly one of the best girls' nights out I've ever ever ever had. Everyone got along so well and we just had a great drama free, stress free, fun night. It was hard to believe I was the oldest in the group (that has NEVER happened!) but not by much. :)

DisneyWorld Recap (a little more positive)

Whew! I'm finally recovered! I'm literally laughing out loud that my initial recap was so negative. Overall we had a lovely time and I'm thrilled that my kids enjoyed the trip. We were only there 4 days, but we really covered some ground.

Day #1, we checked into the Grand Floridian resort around 10am. Our room wasn't available for a few more hours, so we checked our bags in and headed straight to the Magic Kingdom. We were able to ride several rides without too much of a wait. Pirates of the Caribbean will always be my favorite ride, and I was thrilled that our son enjoyed it so much. Marissa was a little "ehhh" It made her nervous, but she muddled through.

Once we checked into our room, we had a couple hours of downtime. We were Club Level guests, so we were able to pop up to the 4th floor for drinks and goodies. I'm telling you, I will never do Disney again without being Club Level. I'm thinking that with going Club, you don't need to have a dining plan. We had so much food left over on our plan because we just at on the 4th floor at the Floridian. Most of the food at the parks is really terrible anyway, so our options were so limited. I think next time, we'll just do Club Level and then make reservations for the character meals.

After we had some time to rest, we went back to the Magic Kingdom and rode more rides and caught a little bit of the parade fireworks. We were able to get on the Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, that was a FUN FUN FUN ride! All of us really enjoyed it. It was interactive, fast moving and the props and scenery were so well done (of course, its DISNEY!) but I really felt like we were in action with the famous toys!

We all slept like rocks that night; it had been an extremely long day of travel and theme park adventures.

Day #2, we slept in. Until 7:30 AM! I know, that's what vacation is all about! We hopped on a bus to Hollywood Studios where we were able to catch a Camp Rock Parade. Marissa danced and sang along as the cast members rocked it right there in the middle of the street. She was Star Struck for sure! We then headed over to Hollywood and Vine Play and Dine for breakfast/brunch with all the Playhouse Disney characters (it was really just Handy Manny, Agent Oso, Leo and June from Little Einsteins) Christian was a disaster. He just couldn't not handle the excitement. He refused to eat and would not so much as even look up to greet the characters as they came to our table. We made it through the meal and I was feeling a little deflated, but the day improved from there.

We were able to sit in at Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor. That was really funny and I'm still trying to figure out how they were able to interact with the audience as well as they did. The jokes were great, the answers were definitely not standard answers/questions or scripted. It was a great show. I thought it might have been over Christian's head, but he laughed so hard and I think it definitely left an impression on him.

I was disappointed that we were unable to get onto the Toy Story ride. They had released all their Fast Passes by 11am for the day. I'm glad that my kids did not fully understand what the ride was or that they would not be able to ride it. I'm thinking that they were overwhelmed by everything else they didn't really feel they were missing out. I do wish we had been able to see it though. Because of their ages, I don't know if they will enjoy it so much next time we go...

After Hollywood Studios, we went to Epcot. That was fabulous! Actually, I think Epcot is my favorite. Surprisingly, I think Epcot turned out to be my kids' favorite park too. People might not think that there is a lot for the kids to do at Epcot, but I think it is loaded with fantastic kid activities. We actually saw a lot of Characters too! My kids LOVE the "giant golf ball ride" Spaceship Earth. They wanted to ride it THREE times! LOL!

I love that Epcot has the Kidcot activities in all the different "countries". The kids loved looking for the Kidcot stations and getting their passports stamped. I also like the food in Epcot. We ended up eating in Italy at Via Napoli. The pizza was a traditional italian pizza and the wine was just what this mama needed! I would have loved to have had their fresh spaghetti and handmade meatballs, but I didn't notice that until we were leaving! Darn!

Another great thing about Epcot is that they do have so many hands-on kid friendly activities that have absolutely zero wait time. Marissa was able to participate in some great science activities and also get a realistic view of the future. I love the age she is at right now and that things are really starting to make sense to her.

Day #3 We started our morning at Downtown Disney. Marissa spent about 2 hours getting pampered at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. She was transformed into a princess and she totally lived it up! This year, she chose to be dressed as Princess Aurora. She chose the Disney Diva hairstyle, and even though I wasn't thrilled, she chose Princess Pink hair extensions; she looked adorable! After her pamper session, complete with hair, make-up, a gorgeous dress, shoes and accessories, she had a photo shoot and it really did make us so happy that she felt so special. I love how Disney does that for the kids! Christian didn't participate at the boutique, but they did give him a sword and shield. I thought that was pretty cool. He LOVED it.

We then spent the next couple hours shopping and collecting souveneirs for ourselves and family and friends. Everything was extremely overpriced, but of course, we had to get things! We got my niece, who is 15 months old, a Minnie Mouse plush dressed as Tinkerbell and a Minnie Mouse accessory set with bag. Christian got a hat, "Not too Large, But Definitely In Charge", the kids picked out candies and other goodies and we picked up a few other small random things.

After Downtown Disney, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom and rode some of the "kiddie rides". We also took the train around. Christian loved the train. I think that was another highlight...oh the simple things! Of course, everyone ooohed and ahhhhed over Princess Marissa and her pink hair and gorgeous gown. :) We goofed around at the MK for a while and then Marissa and I had to get ready for our dinner at the Royal Table at Cinderella's Castle.

The boys split and headed over to Animal Kingdom. I was sad to miss it, since I know how much Christian loves animals it would have been much fun to see his reaction while he was on the safari. Marty says that they had a great time and that the park was not crowded at all.

Meanwhile, Marissa and I caught a "Hannah Montana" themed parade in the street and then we did a little shopping on Main Street. We then headed over to the castle and this was the evening where all her dreams came true; she met Cinderella!!!!!!

She had her picture taken with the princess and then we were led upstairs to the Royal Table. There we ordered a lovely dinner, and met Belle, Ariel, Aurora, and Snow White. Marissa could hardly contain herself. It was truly a magical evening and the two of us had a great time together. She was just a doll! The food was "ehhhh" but they tried really hard to make it fancy. I imagine it is difficult to create high quality meals for such large quantities of people and that also suits children. Marissa is a foodie though, and I could tell she was somewhat disappointed in the quality of the food. :(

We finished the evening catching up with each other and sharing details from our separate experiences. We took a boat ride in the lagoon and watched fireworks.

Day #4 We were at the Contemporary Resort for breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 7 AM. Christian was a totally different kid. He was ecstatic to see Mickey and Friends. The kids ate great, the buffet was actually pretty good. They got to meet and get autographs from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. They were thrilled! We got some great family pictures and had a wonderful time.

After breakfast, we headed back to Epcot...yeah, that's where the kids wanted to finish their trip. We rode the Viking Voyage and had lunch in Mexico. It was a calm day and I truly felt like we had spent the perfect amount of time on this vacation. This is not a vacation that is peaceful or slow-paced. The kids were completely satisfied with all we had done and I think all 4 of us were ready to go home.

So there's my recap. I hope it sounds a little more positive that my initial post. I think it will be 2013 before we go back. I think our max is every two years. :)

SUCCESS

NO TEARS SWIM DAY!


We are so proud of Christian! Not only did he get through lessons today without a single tear, he had FUN! YAY! I can't tell you how great that felt to not have to listen to him wailing through the entire 50 minute class. My husband was the hero though; he came with us to lessons, made a deal with our son and reached SUCCESS.


Marissa also advanced to the next swimming level and actually swam laps this week (in her "own lane" I quote) She demonstrated great techniques and even though the back stroke was difficult and a little scary for her, she persevered and did a fantastic job!


The kids were rewarded with a special family outing to see "Rango", which I was sort disappointed in, but the point is they worked hard so they deserved it and we were happy that they were able to pick a family treat.

Dress it up!

While on vacation, I came across this book, so the first thing I did when I got home was order it from Amazon.

I haven't had much time to really sit down and dive into it, but from what I've seen and read so far, it was totally worth the purchase. As many people know, I love fashion. I believe that we should love what we wear and wear it with sass.

This book gives you real insight to fashion materials, styles, trends, classic looks, accessories and even tips on how to get more bang for your buck. I love how each section tells you what materials are safe for all year wear and then it tells you how to layer, add on and optimize use. For anyone who loves clothes, but has a limited budget...this is a MUST!

I'll never forget what a newly divorced woman told me just a few years ago. She said she forgot how to be a "woman". She was so busy being a mom and wife that she just let herself go. She didn't focus on keeping herself put together. She wore sweatpants and a ponytail every day and never felt good about herself, in or out of clothes. That really spoke volumes to me and I've made it a priority to feel good about myself. I want to feel good EVERY DAY. Comfort and style can go hand in hand and I believe if done right, a woman can pull off a style that suits, or jeans, or dresses her comfortably and fashionably!

So happy reading, happy dressing and hopefully...happy shopping!

Where Dreams (or Nightmares) Come True...

DisneyWorld. The place where everyone's dreams come true; unless you're a parent, then it's where your nightmares suddenly become a reality...

My family just spend 4 glorious days in the gorgeous Florida sun, park hopping our way around the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios... Sounds heavenly, right? For the most part, yes. What parent doesn't enjoy watching their child's dreams come true? Don't we want the best for our children? That's why we pay ridiculous amounts of money to stand in lines with 30 minute minimum wait time, if you're lucky, and food that might as well have been made of plastic since it is loaded with perservatives and probably made weeks ago in a little food factory, wrapped in a cellaphane wrapper then frozen only to be microwave-zapped later to an edible state. Ahh yes, the American dream, amusement parks overloaded with snack foods, oversized characters, overpriced souveneirs overweight tourists and overtired toddlers, tikes, tweens and teens. OVER OVER OVER. That's how we do it right!

Why am I so negative after these past few days of family bliss, you ask? Well... BRATS. Yes, I've said it. BRATS. I've seen them all now. Every shape and size; every age; every over-entitled BRAT you could imagine. This does not exclude my own. I love my children. I love them with all my guts, but this week was anything but my dreams come true. I watched as my three year old became a tyrant and demanded more from my husband and I than ever before. I stood stunned as my six year old oozed drama and suddenly forgot what the two little flaps of cartilage on the sides of her head are meant for... It was like my children time warped into a land where parent's words were merely suggestions to be taken with a grain of salt. BRATS.

As we strolled merrily down Main Street USA, it was a common site to see a child being dragged by one arm, kicking and flailing wildly, with a traumatized parent pleading, bargaining, bribing the child to just smile, stand up, look at Mickey... It goes on and on; same old scene. A juvenile meltdown and a helpless parent with about a million set of eyes watching, judging, empathizing, nodding along and finally just gawking.

I was flabbergasted at the comments I heard from passerbys: "I want to be THAT princess!" or " I want ice cream! Not that ice cream, ice cream shaped like GOOFY!" or "Carry me!" or "I want to ride in the stroller!" Never mind that the child is almost 8 years old!

Tears, temper tantrums, shouts, screams, swats, spankings, bribes, and parents just plain walking away. How did we get to this point in our society? Where we spend thousands of dollars to take our children to the happiest place on earth, only for them to spit in our faces and demand more!!?!?!? We did it to ourselves. Perhaps the problem is we don't say "no" enough. Without arguement, we open our wallets and deliver. I'm guilty of it too! My children are a FRACTION of brattiness that I witnessed this week, but nonetheless, I felt exhausted and defeated.

We stayed at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa at Disney World, right on the Monorail. It was fabulous. We were on Club Level, which meant snacks and goodies were out for us almost 24/7. Anything we could want. My daughter attended the Bippity Boppity Boutique, dined with all the Princesses at the Royal Table in the castle, got souveneirs that cost a fortune and will probably be forgot by this time next week and got just about autograph you could imagine from characters around the parks. My son had two meals with characters, Handy Manny, Agent Oso, Mickey and Friends, etc., got a sword and shield, was not forced to eat vegetables all week and rode on his father's shoulders all four days...yet, they both found themselves in heaps of tears and tantrums. Why? What more could they ask for?

I believe it was just all too much. What happened to just having fun? Without overdoing it?

I need to take some time to reflect and recover. I'm spent. Something went seriously wrong with our Dream Vacation and what is even more sad is that I don't feel like we were alone in this scenario. Are we setting our children up to be entitled? Are we giving too much?

To be continued...

New Year's Resolution Update

Now that February is here, I wanted to reflect on my New Year's resolutions and see if I've been holding true to the commitments I've made myself. Overall, I think I'm doing pretty darn good. 2011 is off to a fabulous start and I'm optimistic that the year is going to be a great one!


Resolution #1 Be a better wife.

Ha ha ha! Man is that loaded. As Marty and I approach the celebration of our first decade together, I looked back at the years we've spent as a couple and I came to the conclusion...wait for it...this is not easy for me to admit...ok, here goes...

I'm spoiled. I know, I know...you all already knew that, but its taken me a bit to realize just how good I have it. My husband is an incredible human being, the greatest friend, phenomenal father and the love of my life. (enough with the eye roll please) Over the last 2 years, I have really noticed just how much he does for me and how much he thinks about me and ways he can make my life more enjoyable.

I made a list of all the things he does to show affection. I was unable to complete the list because every time I thought of something, it occurred to me that there were ten more things to add to the list. It just never ended. It wasn't the fancy cars, jewelry, houses, vacations, etc. Those are nice and we are very fortunate, but it was the little things; silly things; personal things; non-tangible things that really stood out. How he makes sure I have all the right spices in the kitchen to make my favorite meals. He folds the laundry because he knows how I hate to do it because the heat of the clothes dries my skin out. He always hangs a white towel up for me in the bathroom because I hate using the red ones (funny quirk I guess). He goes through all my piles of things around the house and puts them away for me so that in my moment of panic when I can't find something he knows exactly where it is and saves the day. He organizes and updates my playlists and always adds my current favorite songs and I'm pleasantly surprised when I plug in my earbuds (that I actually forgot, but he remembered to put in my gym bag). He knows me. He takes care of me and he thinks its absolutely adorable that I'm frazzled and rushed and manic...and me.

So 2011, I'm doing little things to show him I love him too. For example, I have been starting his work truck in the morning so its nice and toasty for him when he leaves for work; although we quickly learned that he burned more gas with the truck sitting in the driveway than it actually used driving the 3.5 miles to work. Hey, I'm new at this stuff, cut me some slack! I often times feel like Amelia Badelia always messing things up, but I know he appreciates the thought.

In all seriousness, I think I'm going to earn an A+ on this resolution. I hope he knows how much I love him and how hard I'll work to be a good wife to him every day for the rest of my life...

#2 Adventurous Clean-Eating Cooking

This is going amazingly well! I am loving all the new recipes I've found. I'm cooking more and more, finding new ways to prepare veggies, seafood and chicken. I'm experimenting with healthier alternatives to my old ways of cooking and I'm very much enjoying the results! The family is happy and is eating well and that makes me feel good! You can check out my blog http://www.aaloftus.blogspot.com/ to get a peek at some of the recipies I've tried.

#3 Getting the Kids and Family More Active

This has been a really fun one! We've done Ice Skating, Bowling, playing outside more, exercising, swimming and visiting indoor gyms. I'm sure as the weather gets nicer we'll be doing even more. Marissa starts lacrosse this spring and Christian will hopefully get into a sport, although I think he's too young for anything organized yet. I love this quality time I'm spending with the family and I think we're setting an example of how to be fit and healthy!

#4 Do things myself that I would normally pay someone else to do

This really only applies to Housekeeping. I've had housekeepers on and off for the past several years and eventually something happens that makes me shake my head and say, "this would just be easier if I did it myself." I actually love to clean. No ones cleans my house as well as I do and it makes me feel so good to see my house organized and clean (especially when I've done it myself!) Also, its great exercise.

Unfortunately, I haven't been so successful with this resolution. I haven't broken down and paid anyone yet to clean the house, but my house also isn't staying in its best condition. Marty helps with the laundry tremendously, but I absolutely LOATHE putting it away. I hate laundry. period. Since my mom has been staying with us, she helps a lot too, but that makes me feel guilty. I wish I had more hours in the day or an extra day in the week that I could just devote to housekeeping...however, there isn't and I'm usually left carving any spare time I can find to get house chores done.

Yesterday, my mom, my daughter and I spent the day scrubbing, washing, vacuuming, dusting and steaming just about every surface we could think of. The house looks fabulous today; let's just hope I can keep up with it!

I suppose, overall, I'm doing ok with all my resolutions. The year is still young, but I'm optimistic that I'm making some changes in the right direction and I'm on track to keep up with my commitments and goals for 2011.

First they're sweet...

Then they're sour.

Sour patch kids. Yeah, I've got myself one of those! Christian is hilarious. One moment he can be the sweetest, most lovable, huggable, kissable little cuddle bug and in the same breath turn around and be a complete stinker (aka "little shit").

Yesterday I was using our little snow plow to clear out our driveway. He was already in his pajamas, but he bundled up and came outside. He comes running up the hill and says, "Mommy, this is hard work! Let me help you!" and he grabs his little toy shovel and gets to work. I was so touched! My three year old didn't want me out there alone! He wanted to take care of me! He wanted to help. Teamwork! (Channeling the Wonder Pets)

So in my moment of awe, I stop to turn around and tell him thank you for being such a big boy and great helper. I turn just in time for him to smack me in the face with a snowball. He giggles. Then he proceeds to pick up more snow, shape it and chuck it at me. The whole while laughing his silly little butt off!

Yeah, first they're sweet, then they're sour. Love that kid!