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Falling in Love with Disney

Posted on February 13, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

My first real memory of a trip to Walt Disney World was when I was in kindergarten. Of course, I had actually been there several times before that. My parents have a cool 1970’s style photo album that they turned into a scrapbook of my adventures there. There are photos of me running around the Contemporary Resort kiddie pool, taking a big sister only trip with my parents, and more. Still, my memories are of a family trip with another family. I remember going to Chef Mickey in what would eventually become Downtown Disney.

Epcot had just opened and I fell madly in love with Dreamfinder and a cute purple dragon named Figment.

My love for Figment held on during that trip when it was time to pick something special out. The figment I am holding below was the special friend I picked out from a bribe my father made with me for going on Space Mountain.

Growing up at Walt Disney World, I watched as it went from one park to four over the years. The Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Resort soon had more and more resorts cropping up throughout the sprawling land that Walt Disney had purchased in Florida. Going to Orlando and spending time at Walt Disney World with my mother, father, and brother was priceless. It was a place where we were carefree, all kids at heart, and my father and mother laughed, smiled, and were relaxed. Memories of my father leaving his lens cap on during the Hoop-De-Do Review always make us laugh. Then there was soaring high over the Seven Seas Lagoon with my brother as we went parasailing for the first time. Classic times that were even more magical at Disney.

It’s no wonder that TechyDad and I picked Walt Disney World as our honeymoon destination. He had never been and I wanted to share my passion for this special place. I do not think it took a day and he was hooked. We even had a special tenth anniversary trip planned there in September. Unfortunately, that trip was canceled thanks to Hurricane Irene.

Now we both have watched as our two boys have caught the Disney bug. We have watched NHL and JSL meet characters, grow big enough to try out new rides, and many other items with us.

There are other places that we could go on family vacations, but each time is unique and provides us with special moments. Disney World is like a home away from home where we can forget about our troubles and enjoy time together.

So now it is your turn. What made you fall in love with Disney? Feel free to share a story, link up to a funny memory, or anything else in the comments.

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!

Categories:
Blog Hop Disney DisneySMMoms family jsl looking back me moments nhl photos TechyDad travel vacation

Counting Down the Days to Disney

Posted on February 6, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

To tell the kids or not to tell the kids? That is often the question that many families contemplate as they plan a Walt Disney World vacation. I will admit, as we finalized our plans to go to the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I was not sure what to do.

I wondered how I would be able to keep this BIG secret from my boys. I always watch the videos of people surprising their children the day of and wonder how they do it. TechyDad and I just did not think it would work for several reasons.

Our house is not large enough to have a secret packing area. Packing for a big trip is stressful enough in a smaller house. I could not even imagine trying to do it while in stealth mode.
How does one talk to teachers and others at school about missed days, but not tell their child? My eight year old would know something was up as I went into school and came out with a load of work.
I am WAY too excited and can’t stop thinking about everything. I wanted to be able to share the magical planning and joy in my heart with the kids now. Winter can be depressing enough, so having something to look forward to as a family seemed like a great idea.

There were other items on my mind, but those were the biggest things. To date, we have never been able to keep a Disney trip a secret from the boys for long and I think it has been the right decision for our family. When we told the boys that we were going to Disney World, their faces lit up. Then, they wanted to know when and how many days away it was. Chatter about rides to visit, places to explore, and Hidden Mickeys to find have dominated things in recent days. The boys sit together and read planning guides and think about how they will notice a new Hidden Mickey in their adventures.

Each day, they recite how many days are left until we head to see our favorite destination. Excitement is definitely in the air. At eight, NHL gets that we have just under three months until we go to Disney. JSL is only four and does not quite get it. I have thought about making a Mickey Ears paper chain to help us count down the days. This will help him to see as we get closer to the day of our trip.

Have you ever kept a Disney trip or something else a secret to surprise your children on the day of your trip? I would love to know how it went and if you have any other count down traditions that you do with your family.

LINKY

P.S. A huge thank you to Mariana from The Domestic Buzz for creating this magical Blog Hop!

Categories:
Blog Hop decisions Disney DisneySMMoms fun jsl looking back nhl photos TechyDad travel

The Sleeping Blanket

Posted on January 23, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There is nothing better during the cold months than to curl up under a cozy blanket and read a book. It doesn’t matter whether the book has pages to flip, or is found within my Kindle – it is just as relaxing. All that I need are my newly knitted blanket and current book.

I am about half way finished reading Kingdom Keepers IV – Power Play by Ridley Pearson. I love these books and have written about them before. Although they are not specifically written for adults, I enjoy them because the story puts me into the magical world of Disney. There is something special about favorite characters battling the evil Disney Villains like Maleficent and Cruella De Ville.

Sunday afternoon, the boys were busy playing Nintendo and it seemed like the perfect time to catch some more of the Kingdom Keepers adventures throughout Walt Disney World. I read for quiet a bit and then I felt like I was being put under a spell. Of course, the Evil Queen was not in my house. I felt the need to close my book and eyes.

After I woke up from my nap, I joked to TechyDad. I think there is something to this blanket. Several nights this week, I would curl up on the couch to sit and watch television or read, only to fall fast asleep under the blanket.

Does this cozy, soft, warm blanket have special powers to make those who curl under it forget their mission to read or get work done?

Hmmmm. . . could it be?

After TechyDad and I came up with this theory we asked the boys to test it out, but for some reason they refuse to try it. Of course, I still am going to test it with them one of these days – insert evil laugh here!

Do you own a special blanket, pillow, or something else that just seems to make you fall asleep? Makes me wonder if the baby blankets like this do the same for those that have received them?

Categories:
books Disney knitting laughs me moments photos sleep TechyDad

Say No to Censorship

Posted on January 20, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Wednesday, I likely confused some members of my family if they stopped by my website. First, they would have seen this:

This was a widget for WordPress that TechyDad and I placed on our blogs to show support against the new bills that the US Congress and Senate are trying to put on the books. We really liked that this would help to inform people about what these bills will do to the average American – including bloggers like us. If you continued to my blog, this was at the top over my header/logo:

I did not blackout my website like Wikipedia, Reddit, and others. Instead, I did not post new content during the blackout period and had this information to educate people about the cause. If you look up in the right corner, I now have a Stop SOPA ribbon.

As someone who has had her content copied and used without my permission, I get that piracy is not ok. The problem is that SOPA and PIPA go far above and beyond that. Oh and IF you have seen the commercials promoting these bills – they are horrid. Scare tactics against citizens without all of the information is unacceptable. Here check it out (commercial begins at :29 mark):

For more information, please head over to read TechyDad’s post about the legislation.

So my question to you this week:

Did you blackout your website on Wednesday? I would also like to know why you opted with your choice. Please remember to make some noise and contact your representatives in Congress and Senate to let them know that censorship is NOT acceptable. We need to kill these bills and revamp to properly stop piracy.

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #187

Categories:
Aloha Friday me moments photos PSA real world news TechyDad television

Winter Means Pinning Lots of Soup

Posted on January 12, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Yes, I do mean I am pinning lots of soup this winter. If you don’t know what I mean come on over to Pinterest to find me.

Thanks to a sweet four year old that shared his cold, nothing sounds good to eat. I am craving my mother’s chicken soup, but that isn’t going to happen. So while trying to clear the congestion in my head, I went to Pinterest. I wanted to find soups for my family to enjoy, keep warm, and devour the rest of this winter. It may not have been THAT cold yet, but there are many more months where Mother Nature will likely have her last laugh.

I sent a call out to my friend on Twitter to see if they had any soup recipes to share. @Kimberaka who writes at From My Corner of Saratoga sent me three items on her blog. She shared how to make soup into dinner, a great New England Clam Chowder recipe, and the one below for Corn Chowder. Thanks Kim!

Source: frommycornerofsaratoga.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

Then, I started to do random searches on Pinterest for soup. Something I have also been craving is Pho. Since TechyDad does not like to eat meat when out, we have not been able to locate a place to get Pho for him. Thanks to this pin, we just may be able to make some at home soon.

Source: keepitskinny.wordpress.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

It was hard to decide what to and what not to pin, but I was selective at this point. My love of cauliflower and the fact that my oldest son also likes it made a recipe for Caramelized Cauliflower Soup jump out. This sounds really delicious and different to me.

Source: sproutedkitchen.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

Since we keep a kosher kitchen, we often make vegetarian soups. I do miss the hearty meaty soups, but love when I find alternatives. Plus with “burger crumbles” from companies like Morning Star, you can easily revamp a great recipe. Here is one for Morning Star Vegetarian Tortilla Soup.

Source: morningstarfarms.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

Of course, a girl can also dream of a soup that looks like a major splurge. I wonder if this one from the Disney Parks Blog for Loaded Baked Potato Soup can be tweaked into a kosher variety (hello soy bacon in a pinch).

Source: disneyparks.disney.go.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share? I would love to know about it. Please let me know about it in the comments. Feel free to leave a link to a post or the recipe online. My need for soup thanks you and I will add it to my soups pins on Pinterest.