Disney World Travel Information

Free Dining Now Available to Everyone

2011-05-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today, Disney announced that the Free Dining Promotion for late August- September is now open to all guests. Now is the perfect time to boko that late summer/early fall getaway! This is a great time to visit Walt Disney World Resort due to low crowds. Contact me today to book your trip!

New Offer For Disney Visa Card Holders

2011-04-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney World Resort has announced a new offer for Disney Visa Reward Card Holders. The special is for Free Dining with a package. Here's the info

Free Dining is back at the Walt Disney World® Resort! Don’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of this special offer for stays most nights August 28 – September 24, 2011. Enjoy the Disney Dining Plan FREE when you purchase a Magic Your Way room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World® Resorts!

Make your family’s stay more magical with these Resort extras:

Free Disney Dining Plan* – Get most of your meals for FREE at over 100 select Walt Disney World® Resort restaurants.
Disney Photopass Photo Book – Included as part of your package.
Disney’s Magical Express Service – Complimentary motor-coach transportation and luggage delivery to and from the Orlando International Airport.
Extra Magic Hours Benefit – Each day, one of the Parks is only open for Walt Disney World® Resort Guests an extra time to enjoy select attractions. (Valid Theme Park admission and Resort ID required.)
Guest Transportation – Complimentary transportation takes your family from your Disney Resort Hotel to all four Disney Theme Parks, the two Water Parks, the Downtown Disney® Area, and more!
This offer is currently only available for Disney VISA cardholders.
Stay tuned for general public availability!
Contact me today to request a quote.

And, there is a rumor that this will be offered to the general public beginning Monday.
Stay tuned.
Visit here for more info! http://offtoneverland.com/2011/04/free-dining-and-photobook-at-the-walt-disney-world-resort/

New Blog Title and Postings

2011-04-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have come to the realization that I need to put a little more into my blog. I already do some freelance writing and have content on several content sites like yahoo?contributor, bukisa and examiner.com. Sometimes they get a little huffy about what I write though, so I think writing everything here first will help my content there. And maybe one day, I'll have some followers:) Either way, I plan to now post Disney promotions and information.

I would love for you to read it all and comment. I'd also love for you to visit my site and book a Disney trip with me! There is nothing that I love more than planning a trip to Disney- whether for myself or others. I promise to do everything in my power to make your trip magical in every way.

So, go visit my travel agent site.....NOW!

http://branditryon.offtoneverland.com

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort Treehouse Villas

2011-04-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

We recently stayed at the Treehouse Villas in Saratoga Springs Resort located at Walt Disney Worldin Florida. The Villas are part of the Disney Vacation Club properties, but may be rented by non vacation Club members. There are sixty Treehouse Villas for you to enjoy. They are all located along a route that is set back a bit from the actual resort itself.

The Villas all have three bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen, living room, dining table and washer/dryer combo. This is a perfect place to "get away from it all." Each Treehouse is located back away from the road so you feel like you are all alone in the woods. It's a beautiful place to stop and unwind after a long day in the Disney parks. One of the best parts about the Treehouse is the master bathroom. The shower and bathtub area is connected so that you can step from the shower into the tub. This was a wonderful addition to the Jacuzzi tub. The shower part also had two shower heads. One was a rain-style shower head while the other was able to be removed. That worked great for washing my toddler's hair. After Disney, everyone is dirty!

In the living room, you have a pull out sofa and chair, so really three extra guests could stay out there. In total, the Treehouses are set up for nine guests. We had seven on our recent trip, which worked well. Disney is also the best at keeping a theme going in a resort and the Treehouse Villas do not disappoint in that area.

The negatives of the Treehouse Villas include the lights- they are very dark and just not enough in the rooms to light it up. Another negative was the size of the beds. Both the master and one of the guest bedrooms have only queen size beds. I would much prefer a King-size bed. You would think Disney would make sure that was an option in the Treehouse Villas.

I also did not like how low it took to get around the Walt Disney World Resort area from the Villas. We never had to wait long for a bus, but you have to get on one bus to get to the main resort area. Then, you have to transfer to yet another bus to get on the Disney park bus. The takes a good hour at least to get to a park- assuming you get right on both buses and don't have to wait.
Would I recommend the Treehouse Villas at Walt Disney World Resort? Yes, especially for larger families and if you want to really get away from the hustle and bustle of Walt Disney World Resort. The few downsides are more than made up for by having wonderful scenery and the peaceful surroundings.

RunDisney Announces New Half Marathon

2011-04-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Tinker Bell Half Marathon has been announced by RunDisney recently. This marathon will take place at Disneyland Resort in 2012. This race, which is geared towards women, is slated to take place January 27-29, 2012. It will include the marathon, a family 5K run and a race for kids. The races will take runners through the parks on a magical running adventure. They also will host an Expo plenty of vendors with running merchandise specially designed for women.

Each race begins and ends in a different place and has different prices to enter. Here are the details:

Tinker Bell Half Marathon - Sunday, January 29, 2012 5:45 AM
This race will begin and end in Disneyland Park. Registration is now open and costs $120. Participants will receive a Champion® Women's Long-Sleeved Tech Shirt, an Inaugural Finisher Medal, a goody bag, a personalized bib plus a few more extras.
The Neverland Family Fun Run 5 K – Friday, January 27, 2012 10:30 PM
This race will begin and end at the Disneyland Resort. The $99 registration fee for this run includes a T-Shirt, finisher medal, goody bag and a Twilight Park Ticket, which allows entrance into one of the parks after 4:00 PM on one of the race weekend nights.
The Disney Kids' Races will take place at various times on Saturday, January 28th at the Disney California Adventure Park. Many races are slated, including a 1-mile run as well as dashes for the babies through 8 year-olds. The 1-mile run registration is $25, while the dashes are each $10. These also include a T-Shirt, personalized bib and goody bags for participants.

The Expo will set up in the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hall all weekend. This is where you will pick up all of your race packets and merchandise for the weekend.

Disneyland Resort hotels are offering special packages which include special ticket prices exclusively for the weekend. Contact your travel agent to book your trip so you can run with Tink!

For registration follow this link: http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/tinker-bell-half-marathon/index?page=registration

If you'd like to book a package, here's my travel agent page: http://branditryon.offtoneverland.com

Off to Neverland Travel

2011-02-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

SO, if you know me, you know I'm a self-confessed Disney World addict. I help friends and family plan their vacations and get the best deals all the time. They always tell me that I should find a way to make money helping people with their Disney vacations. Of course, the idea of becoming a Disney Travel agent has popped into my mind a few times. However, companies that will let me do it on the side until I have a large client list also charge a large fee to sign up. I just never wanted to put money into it until I see that I will do it well and keep at it. I mean, I know I will, but convincing my husband to fork over a few hundred dollars on a side job just really doesn't appeal to me.

I started looking again at the possibility of being a Disney travel agent over Christmas. I kept coming across Off To Neverland Travel. They offer a Magic Maker program to help Disney lovers, like me, become certified travel agents through their company. Everything I've read about them and their owners has been great. So, I applied.

The first part of the application is just basic info and Disney stuff. After that, I had to answer questions that many Disney vactioners ask- like "What rides will be closed while I'm there?" Or, "What's the Disney Dining Plan and should I get it?" For me, those were fairly easy questions to answer. But, after speaking with Chet, the owner, not everyone can answer those. This tells me I was made to be a Magic Maker!

After I passed those first two application steps, I had to set up a phone interview with Chet. I set it up for the first available time- about two weeks away! That wait was killing me. Yesterday was my day to speak with Chet about the possibility for me to become a Magic Maker. I've read about how nice he is, but WOW, he really was great. His Office Manager, Rose was also listening in and she was wonderful as well. Turns out that Chet is from Bossier, which is not too far from Monroe. We are both Yankees by South Louisiana standards! We had a great conversation and I know I will enjoy working with him and Rose as we make Disney vacation magic.

Within a few minutes of getting off the phone with Chet, I got the official invitation and contract to join their team! Did I mention that it doesn't cost me anything to get started? I printed out the contract, read and signed it immediately. I almost ran to our office to fax it, but everyone was gone and the fax room locked. Shoot!

Well, hubby is suppose to fax it today. I've emailed them to look for it and that I am ready to get rolling. I am so excited to plan people's Disney vacations that I can't stand it! Of course I can book other types of travel, too. Chet said it'd take about 2 weeks for me to be able to book vacations. I've already had three friends ask for me to book their trips, too!

My oldest son is sick today, so I am stuck at home. I let the Off to Neverland Travel folks know that, too. The idea is that if they get the fax, I can go ahead and start taking courses or whatever online today. I hope!

Ready for a Disney Vacation? Contact me!!

Almost two weeks done!

2011-01-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

So, I've been on Medifast for 12 days now and have lost a total of 11.2 pounds! My first week was 9.4, so over the past 5 days, I've "only" lost 1.8 pounds. However, I knew it'd slow down. Plus, I was at conference for two days and on the second day I ended up not getting all of my meals in. I know I was way under on my water as well.
But, that's OK, 'cause I'm still down 11.2 pounds!! WhoopWhoop!
I'm hungry right now, but just a little, nothing bad and I have a meal left so that's OK.
Got my hair cut this week for my 10 pound reward, too:) I got it layered, so it really look much better. I know that it will be even better when I hit 20 pounds and I get it highlighted.

I have lots to tell you about for my class, too. We are starting Project Based Learning and our first project starts Monday- it's on Shoes! I'll post more as we do it and I get a better understanding.

All I talk about is dieting!

2011-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

That's just sad, isn't it? Every time I get on here to blog, it's about something new I'm doing to lose weight. I mean really? I am so sick of my weight being one of the most important things that I worry about. Yes, I have started something again- Medifast again. And my mindset is totally different this time- I am 100% On Plan, all the time. I will not stray and have no desire to stray. I have got to lose this weight- period. Done- that's it. And in the past 5 days, I've lost 6.5 pounds! So, that's all I'm saying about that.
What else is going on? Well, I am loving my life right now. School/Work is great- I really love my school! My boss is working with me and the other Prek teacher to learn new things and get better at teaching these kids. It is so amazing to have someone want to help you grow as a professional and not just see your weaknesses. She sees what we can become and is fine that we are new teachers- that's why she hired us. She wanted people she could help grown into great teachers. Whoopeee! I will be that great teacher!
What else again? Oh and you know that crazy obsession I have with Disney World? I'm thinking of putting it to good use. Off to Neverland Travel has "Magic Makers" who are basically work at home travel agents, specializing in Disney. I am working on becoming one of those Magic Makers! I have passed the first whatever- the questions and application. Now, I have a phone interview with the owner. They didn't have an opening for that until February 10th! So, at least then I will have my phone interview so I can ask questions and get more info. I'll have to sit and think about all that I have questions about.
Paul just said nobody reads my blog. So, if you do- please just post to let me know! I guess I'll get him to read it- he'd learn more about me that way!

My HCG Journey

2010-11-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

So today I am starting Phase 2 of the HCG diet. Yes, I've done several diets and now here's a new one! haha I must first say that all of the diets work fine for me. What I do best at are those diets which require a set and very strict eating plan. I tend to do great on those. I did Medifast and WW with a lot of success. The problem is that I tend to run out of money for the program and then just stop. So, this one isn't really expensive if you take the drops rather than injections. So, I am trying it with homopaethic drops. I got mine from amazon and they are by Natural Health Labs. So, I did my load days on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was Halloween so that worked well as I was able to enjoy that day and got kinda sick of it all. So, now today is my first day with a VLCD (very low calorie diet).
I woke up starving! Oh well, I told myself- that's OK and it will get better. So, I took my HCG drops and got ready. On my way to work I had my Melba Toast. Well, I actually bought Melba Snacks and wasn't sure hwo much to eat, so I just had one and then water. Now, it seems that I can have four of those for the 50 calories. YAY!
My day's not over, but so far it has not been bad at all. I had great willpower at lunch, too! My school has a chef on staff, so lunches are pretty darn great. It's hard to not eat whatever is on the menu. Today, it was chili, rice, gumbo, grits & grillades, shrimp & grits, etc. WOW! I had a bowl of tomatoes, a little chicken breast from the gumbo and that's it. He also had blackberries on the salad bar and it was very hard not to talk myself into eating those. I feel great about it now, though. I have had a ton of water already. It's about 1:30 PM for me now and I've already had 6 cups of water at least. I have this Tervis Tumbler and I measured this morning that it holds 2 cups of water when filled halfway with ice. Since my morning one, it hasn't had ice again, so I'm sure it's more than that. But, I'd rather count it lower than it is.
Right now, I am super sleepy, but I think that's because I didn't sleep well last night more than anything. I did take my multivitamin this morning to help that as it has the B12 in it. I am also worried about my being "regular" so I will see how that goes.
Here's the plan for the rest of the day:

On the way home snack:
Apple
Dinner:
Spinach
Chicken Breat
Strawberries

Before bed:
Melba Snacks

Plus more water, of course! Here's hoping to a good loss in the morning! I gained 1.6 over my load days, but had gained 2 before that, so I really hope that 3.6 is gone at least. Wish me luck!

Brandi

Long Time, No Write

2010-09-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, duh, I tend to get all excited about something and do it for a while, then just forget about it! As with this blog, huh? I only remembered it because I was reading someone else's blog. I found her on the disboards and she works from home making ADRs at Disney World! I want to do that! I mean, I LOVE my teaching job of course, but how cool to do that in my spare time? Wow- A girl can dream, right? So, anyway- what's going on in the Tryon world? Hmmm...let's see!
I am currently planning 2, yes TWO Disney World trips- you know I'm in heaven with that! Our family one is the week of Mardi Gras in 2011. That's with the four of us, as usual. But, even better, my cousin from Maryland, Tracey, her Mom, Aunt Kathy, and Tracey's son, Alex are coming as well! My Mom is suppose to come too, but we will see.
The other trip is a last minute kinda thing. Alex, Cassidy and I are going the first part of Thanksgiving week! It was just an idea I had, Paul said Yes and boom- Alex and I were all set! Then, I decided to ask Cass because she hasn't been in a while with us and I miss her terribly. So she's coming along! I hope Alex will ride everything so it's not too weird with the uneven 3 of us.
I am so excited about this trip because we can stay up late and ride, ride, ride! Nate won't be with us, so we won't have to go back for naps or turn in early! Now, we might need naps, but we'll see. It's just 3 days in the parks, so not much time. And I'm a little worried about the trip down- just me driving all that way. But, I think it'll be fine. I'll be exhausted, but fine!

I think I've decided that we'll do the Dining Plan for the first night and then nothing for the other nights. See, due to the last minute issue, we have a split stay- the first night is at BWV in a Studio- boardwalk view studio! Then, we move to the Villas at Wilderness Lodge in a 1 bedroom for the next 3 nights! I'm a little concerned about the logistics of it, but it'll be OK. I am just so happy that Alex gets to come on a big kid trip and Cass gets to come!

OK, well my Benadryl is kicking in and I need to get to sleep, so I will sign off. I hope I will think about getting on here and updating what we've been doing the past few months! Paul and I went on a cruise- I have pics to share and all that stuff. And I'm in my new school and I love it so much! I never ever want to leave! Unless Disney needs me of course!

Goodnite all!

Meal Ideas

2010-07-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

OK, so here goes what I have so far.

Breakfast- We usually fend for ourselves here- Nate will be back in daycare and they'll provide that. Alex will be in daycare soon. He will eat poptarts, waffles, eggs, etc. I think I'll use some of those eggs today and boil them for Alex for later. I'll also go ahead and get some flour and mix up waffle batter. Then, I can freeze those for later. They do great in the microwave. Paul eats waffles, but I don't know if he'd do it on work mornings. He has to have chocolate milk, so I need to add Quick to my list. He also normally has a honey bun, but I'm hoping to find something healthier and cheaper that he'll eat each morning.

Lunch- well this is hard b/c Paul is on the road now and can't always go store something in a fridge then heat up. And he hates sandwiches. Well, he hates taking them for lunch. I know, but he won't change this and that's that. So, I have to be creative in this department. I think I'll have him do one sandwich a week. Then, I'll have him meals he'll have to heat the other days. But, I can put them in a lunch box that will keep them cold. Maybe make him a salad or two and keep that cold for him- could throw on some of that shrimp. While on my official school days, they feed us. There will be about a week that I'll have to bring my lunch. I have no problem with leftovers though so that's easy. Alex will be with me some days and I think I'll do sandwiches for him. He likes subway, so if I make his on a bun like that or a bagel, he'll eat them. So add some type of bun to my list and sliced cheese.

Dinner: Here's the biggest part, but the easiest in ways b/c we are all home to eat. I need about 15 meals- maybe less as we do eat leftovers. Here's what I have so far:
1.(&11) Hamburgers and fries- can do this as many times as we need to!
2. Hamburger Steak and Baked Potatoes- with those same patties!
3. Taco Soup- Big pot w/leftover taco meat and veggies- just add a couple of things.
4. Jambalaya- frozen leftovers
5. Shrimp w/garlic bread- A good BBQ recipe is on the crock pot site
6. (&12)Spaghetti- a staple around here- 2 meals we can do from this
7. Fish- bake one night and fry another? not sure how long it will last once I thaw it out?
8. Fried chicken strips with twice baked potatoes- I make the best ever and have the stuff.
9. Baked chicken with potatoes or rice and green beans.
10. Chicken Spaghetti- a variation of Mamaw's recipe will be fine
13. Sunday Turkey? I'm thinking of doing this as a last resort option if we are running low and sick of the regular stuff.

OK speaking of food, I gotta go get the boy some lunch...

Trying to do meal plans

2010-07-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

ARRGGG! That's about how I feel right now! We are on a very tight budget from now until August 13th and I am trying to plan out our meals so we can stick to the budget. I've been searching everywhere and did find one cool site for crock pot cooking. It's also here on blogger and is www.crockpot365.blogspot.com. It's a great site with a ton of recipes. Since I go back to work officially on Monday and will actually go back tomorrow to start working on my room, I need some crock pot recipes or things that are easy. There are a ton, well 365 to be exact, on that site and I have found several that I will try. I thought I could document my experiences since I like to write things down.
So, first task is to come up with my meal plans. I will use what I have here and try to spend as little as possible over the next 17 days. My total budget for grocery items for the 17 days is $100. Not a lot considering how much milk these boys drink. They go through a gallon every 3 days, would be 2, but I've been trying to limit them. And I have been cutting Nate's milk with water by about 1/3. So, here's some of the things I already have on hand:

*Chicken Breast Strips- big bag from WalMart
*1 lb hamburger meat
*Large Ziplock bags of fish fillets- this will feed a ton but it's frozen so once I open it, we're eating it. (Probably 5 bags)
*5 lbs frozen shrimp- Paul got this free from a customer and they are already peeled. We already made stuff with the other 5 lbs last weekend so I'm looking for more ideas and ways to stretch them.
*Jambalaya- frozen from a few months back
*Taco Meat- frozen from a week ago
*Red Beans and Rice- from yesterday so we will eat again today and freeze leftovers
*Hamburger Patties- frozen and a lot of them
*Hot Dogs- frozen and a few I thawed and cooked for the boys yesterday
*Frozen Butterball Turkey
*Frozen Fries
*Tortillas
*Red Kidney Beans(1 can)
*Can of Mixed Veggies
*Can of sliced potatoes
*Can of Tomato Sauce
*1 Dozen eggs- need to use soon
*1 1/2 boxes Spaghetti Noodles
*Can of French Style Green Beans
*Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
*Vegetable Oil
*Frozen Hamburger Buns
*Shredded Cheese- need to use or freeze
*Popcorn Kernels- I can make popcorn on the stove for snacks!
I know I can do a lot with this and a few staples. I will need Milk, Flour, Cokes, Rice, Potatoes, fruits.

I do include toiletries in this budget but I think we are good with diapers and tp and all. I will need paper towels, but may have some at school from last year that I bought.

So, for 17 days, I think I can do this under $100. There is a site somewhere that you can put in your ingredients and it will tell you meals I think . I have to find it again and will post here when I do. I'll keep updating. Next up, meal ideas!

Live your life full of life....

Brandi

2010-04-03T05:04:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Alex and I colored Easter Eggs. I swear that child bugged me to do this for 3 days at least. And then, he had to get it done in five minutes because he has no patience to let them sit and get pretty. So, 2 dozen Easter eggs took about 15 minutes to color! Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. While they were drying, Nathan and Alex played with the plastic ones Nate got at school. It was too cute seeing Nate toddle around picking up eggs. Of course, he kept breaking the plastic ones, but that's a toddler. Once a few of the real eggs dried, we wanted to see how he'd do with those. Should have known, he threw them like balls! We went back to plastic with him.

Last night on P90X was Legs and Back(or maybe chest) and then Ab Ripper X again. When we did the Ab Ripper the other night, I felt like I didn't do as much as I should have done and really waned to try harder this time. So, the Legs part wasn't too bad. Of course, there were parts that were harder than others, and I couldn't do everything to the max like them, but I know I'll get there. The other part was all pull ups. I can't even do part of one pull up, so I just got my weights and pushed them up from my shoulders. Paul did great on the pull ups. He was upset that he couldn't do a ton, but he still did great. By the end, he was doing about 10 a set- I think that's awesome! We are going to get some bands so I can do the modified pull ups with those. OK, then to Ab Ripper X! I think I did great!! Of course there were some I couldn't do still, but that had more to do with this tailbone I cracked many years ago. I just can't rock on that tailbone without major pain. I tried to stack a blanket under me in addition to my mat, but it didn't help much. I am hoping that I'll either get used to it or build up the tolerance for those moves? But, I did great on most everything else. I really worked hard and fought through most of the exercises to the end. YAY!! I'm not too sore this morning, just a bit. My back is a bit sore- but that's why I need to work my abs and core, to strengthen that. Overall, a great workout. My heart monitor said I burned 330 calories. I'm happy with that.

So, today I have to try to go find a Barney stuffed doll for Nathan. He is obsessed with Barney, so I want to give him one for Easter. I can only see that Toy-r-us carries them. I hope the store in BR has one!

OK, off to check my AC stats and see if any of my new stuff has been accepted yet.

See ya real soon!

Checking in

2010-04-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks! Well, if anyone is reading, that is. Who knows? Maybe I'll get some followers one day. OK, so we did our P90X workout for day 4 last night. It was Yoga X night. Oh my! I thought Paul would have a hard time with it, but I really did. I have some back issues and boy did I feel those! I think that, in the end, it will help with those issues, but wow! Who knew the Downward Dog would hurt so much after the 100th time you do it? Paul really did great and, although he was as flexible as I am on the moves, he was able to hold them longer while I had to take a breather once in a while. And I had no idea we'd sweat so much in Yoga! Paul was pouring it more than the cardio. So, yep, Yoga X rocked and kick my butt!

OK, now on to other news. I am trying to restart my writing on Associated Content. You will see a link below so I urge you to follow it and visit all of my writings. There are only 5 up there right now, but I submitted two more yesterday and one so far today. Basically, that is a site where you can write about anything and get paid for it. If you have ever wanted to write or get better at writing, that is the place to go! Now, you won't get rich off it. Well, at least I won't! But, it is a good way for me to flex my creative and writing muscles. I have always liked to write and feel like I could be good at it, but just don't have the time to devote to it. So, I am trying to devote more time to it. AC will help me do this while teaching me to write better along the way. Now, I just have to figure out how to up my page views. You can get money based on how many times people visit/read your articles each month. The way to do that is to have people find your content. That is the part I am not sure about. There are many articles talking about it, but so far they just say to do it, but not exactly what "it" is and how to specifically do it. So, I'll try to find that information out.

And, I'm hoping I can submit at least one article a day. It will be hard once I go back to school next week, but I hope I can. I'm sure for now they will mostly be about Disney or maybe teaching, since that is what I know. Anyway, that's the focus of the day.

Oh, and dying Easter eggs. Happy Good Friday! Nate is napping and Alex is having a fit to start dying the eggs. So, I'll run get dressed and get us ready to do that as soon as Nate wakes up.

Have a great day and See ya real soon!!

P90X Day 3 down!

2010-04-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was day 3 of our P90X program! Did I already tell you that we are doing the Lean Plan? I think I did, but want to make sure in case you are following the Classic Plan and think we're off the plan. Let's update on the day I missed, though. Day 2 was Cardio X. WOW! It was easier than I expected, but not easy by any means. I think that I was able to do it because of my background doing aerobics and dancing. I did do all of that for years, so I am coordinated at least a little. Paul, not so much- lol. He did great and really likes the cardio. It had some kickboxing in there, which we really liked. It was a fun routine and I think we'll like it more as we get better and have more stamina.

Last night was Arms & Shoulders, plus Ab Ripper X. Yikes! I have no upper body strength and my core is terrible. Again, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. BUT, I did not get through everything by any means. I did stick with it until the end, but there were some exercises that I just could not do for long. The Ab Ripper really killed me! I have a bad lower back and I really need to strengthen my stomach and core to help that get stronger. But, many of the moves for the abs involved kinda rolling on your back and I just was not able to do many of those due to the pain. I guess I'm using my back more than I should on those and that's the problem? I don't know, but I hope it gets better. I feel like I didn't get much accomplished with my abs because I just couldn't do some of it. It would have been a better workout for me if it was things I could do, but were just hard. Hopefully, tomorrow will go better. We do the Ab Ripper on Friday as well, so we'll see how that goes.

Today is day 4 and will be Yoga X for us. I think this will be really hard due to the positions and holding the poses for a long time. I am fairly flexible still, so I think I'll do OK. Paul is not flexible at all, so I know he'll have a hard time. I think he'll hate this one most, but it'll probably be the best one for him because he'll gain the flexibility needed to do a lot of this. And that should help with his fitness in many areas.

OK, so not too much Spring Break left! Technically, it's half over if you count the weekends. I have a ton of clothes to fold and put up- ugh! I hate doing that part. Oh well, such is life. Yesterday, we went to the zoo in Baton Rouge. Nate did a good job until about 11:30, then he was tired and ready to take a much needed nap. This was great preparation and knowledge for our Disney trip. I now know that we have to be back in our room for nap as soon after lunch as possible. I was hoping that we could stretch a few days until 1 or even 2, but now I am thinking probably not. Unless he does better with a stroller than he did with the wagon. He wanted to pull the wagon all day and when he got tired, he wouldn't pull it or ride in it. He would just stand there and do nothing. It was awful and frustrating. This is why I say we need to get out of there early for a nap.

I do agree that would be the best policy anyway, so we can avoid the afternoon crowds. I am still hoping he'll sleep in a stroller or at least ride in it and have more energy for later. We plan on renting a stroller from orlandostrollerrentals.com. I just have to go ahead and reserve and pay for it. I'll do that next Friday when Paul gets paid. I have our budget all planned out and that's when it's set for!

As of today, we have 49 days until we begin our drive! I can't wait! I am so ready to go and start summer.
Until next time,

See you real soon!

2010-03-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Well, good morning!! I am waiting to go to the Dr for lab work- yuck!!! I found out yesterday that I have early stages of hypertention- just great! For the last 3 visits, my "bottom" number on my blood pressure has been elevated. So, he's worried. HE said to lose at least 20 pounds and watch the sale intake. Now, I'll admit, I am a total salt-aholic. So, I won't add that to everything anymore. And I guess I'll have to switch to low salt Tony's. I also have to do a cholesterol test this morning. Geez, I hope that's ok. I mean, I'm only 34!! And I'm overweight, but not like way overweight. I guess family genes have some to do with it. Anyway. We did our first P90X workout last night!! I was so very nervous and did not expect to make it through it. But, I did! Of course, I couldn't do every rep on every exercise. But, I did a lot of them. The main ones I couldn't do were the push up ones- and the abs where you have to do the banana pose. So, I see what I need to work on! The lunges were good, though. And tonight we'll do the Cardio X. Oh, last night was Core Synergistics. Alex and I will go for a walk today, too. Not to exercise as much as to get ready for Disney walking!!! 51 days to go- whoo whoot!
OK, well, gotta get ready for the Dr. See ya real soon!

Trying again! Can we even do the Fit Test for P90X?

2010-03-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

HA!! I didn't even go back and read the lats post. However, I figure it had something to do with starting to try to lose weight once again as that seems to be my life always. Well, here I am again....again:) I think I will do a little better this time. Wanna know why? Well, Paul and I were watching the P90X infomercial- well, just a little of it as I've seen it before and I think he had as well. We talked about wanting to do it, but not sure if we would/could, etc. Then, said maybe when we have extra money since we're saving for Disney. Turns out, my friend, Ali, has the tapes and has made a copy that I can use!! She brought them to me on Thursday and so we can do this!!! We decided to start Sunday. Today, we went to get the equipment needed: dumbbells, mats, heart rate monitor and pull up bar. That crap was $160!!! Plus, we will probably need heavier weights at some point. Once we left Academy, Paul said, "well, we gotta do it for real now since we spent all that money!" YEP- guess so. I was thinking the same thing, actually. So, once Nate was in bed, we did our measurements and Fit test. We passed, YAY!! I was a little worried. But, I do totally suck! I mean, I was in great shape and thought I was fat, but MAN, now I see how really horrible I have become! We did the before photos as well. I am a lard, lemme tell ya! Even Paul, who is not big by any means, has let himself go a bit lately and is about 15 pounds heavier than ever. I'm about 20 pounds over him, though- UGH!!
Anyway, I'm not gonna put my weight or measurements at this time because I am embarrassed and if anyone does read this, I don't want you to know! lol- Maybe once I'm buff in 90 days, I'll go back and give before and after- we'll see. But, I will post my Fit Test results here. Now, for a review if you don't really know me or didn't in High School or College, here ya go: I was in great shape. I have never been a skinny girl, though. I danced all through high school and into my first couple of years in college- dance like on the school dance teams- not just in clubs;) So, I had these awesome legs with cuts and all- and a rock hard stomach with no fat there.
Of course, 2 kids and 15 years later.... here I am. Oh well, I can't gripe too much. It's my fault and I'll deal with it as I have for the past few years. But, now it's time to move on and get back in shape. Of course, I've tried this before- not P90X, but to get back in shape, but I never do it. I honestly believe that I need Paul's support and help. He normally just tells me how I have no willpower and just to eat better. Of course that is true to a point, but when he's eating anything and everything he wants, it's hard to cook two meals or not eat the yummy stuff. But now, since he wants to do it as much or more than I do, he will support me in a much better way. We'll be doing it together. I must admit that we won't do the nutrition part full out yet. I know we should, but Paul won't and I know I won't if he doesn't, so I am not even going to pretend that I will. I do plan to cut back and try to do it as much as I can. Since we are starting Spring Break now, I hope I can get to it now.
OK, so the fit test. Here are my stats:
1. Pull Ups- none, nada, zilch- Paul put 1/8 of one!! lol- I have no upper body strength. It's OK- that's a normal one for women to not be able to do. Paul passed with 4 and needed 3.
2. Vertical Leap- 13 3/4 inches. Pretty good I think - I needed 3 to pass and I did that. Paul needed more, don't remember how many, but his leap was 19.5 inches, so he way passed that, too. No surprise there.
3. Push Ups- man, I once could do these no problem- we did them daily on the dance team. Man style is what we did. Well, I had to do 15 girl ones and I did 20. But, I suck I know. Paul had to do man ones- 15 I think . He did 24.
4. Toe touch- basically how far you can stretch. I'm much less flexible than I use to be, but did 3 inches past my toes. Minimum is 6 inches before toes. Paul did 3 inches before toes- he is so unflexible! I beat him on something- lol!
5. Wall squat- OUCH!!! Where you put your back to the wall and bend knees at a 90 degree angle like you are sitting in a chair. Gotta do 1 minute. I thought- easy peasy to do one minute- NOT!! I did a whole 1 min 4 seconds before I DIED- my legs were shaking like a leaf!! But, I beat Paul here, too as he only did 1 min 1.8 seconds. YAY!!
6. Bicep Curls- I should have done at least 10 reps of 8 pounds. I don't have an 8 lb weight, so I did `0 lbs and did 20 reps before I died. Paul did 15 lbs and did 18 reps.
7. In and Outs- another OMG!! Basically sit on floor, hands by sides, legs out in front of you off floor and then bring them in and out- using tummy- ouch!!!! Did say OUCH!!!! Need to do 26- I did 40, Paul 45. I am proud of me here, though.
8. Heart Rate Monitor- Basically, just do jumping jacks for 2 minutes. The last 30 seconds are all-out as much as you can. Then, you just record your HR then, at 1 min, at 2, 3, and 4. You pass if you don't fall out with cardiac arrest. Well, i barely passed. Who knew Jumping Jacks were so hard? My thighs were still jelly from the wall squat, and they did not want to even move in and out at all! For a little bit, i could no longer jump- i wasn't out of breath as much as my legs would not move- period- I had to do like step jacks for a few seconds. But, alas, we both made it.
So, we start the program tomorrow. I am about to fall asleep standing here, so that's all I'm writing. Will try to let ya know more tomorrow! Wish us luck! We are gonna get our BUTTS handed to us!! lol- YIKES!!
Sweet Dreams................

ADRs for Disney Trip

2009-11-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to post my daily plans today. For our trip, that is! Here's what I have so far:

Friday- leave work, get boys and DH- start driving! This is our actual last day of school, so I will leave right after that. Hope there is nothing that will stop me from going right away! We will spend the night somewhere on the way. We'll just drive as far as we can and find a spot. I'll probably try to plan that out as well, but I figure we'll get farther if I don't.
Saturday- Wake up as early as we can and head on to Disney! We are about 13 hours total away, so I am hoping to go 5 hours on Friday, so only 8 left on Saturday. If we leave by 7 AM, that puts us there at about 3 PM. I'd like to get there even earlier, but if not, I can handle it. We have ADRs for Chef Mickey's this night at 5:40 PM. Nate usually goes to bed at about 6:30, but after spending all day in the car, I think he'll be ready for a night of fun with Mickey! After dinner, we will go straight to bed! I figure we'll drive to the Contemporary and then back to AKV to save time.
Sunday- Animal Kingdom Day!! We have 8:05 AM ADRs at Donald's Breakfastasourus. We did this a few years back and loved it. We will spend the day here and have a late lunch at Rain Forest Cafe at 1- if we aren't yet hungry, we'll just get desserts! RFC is a must for us each trip and I have gift cards for there from Mypoints
Monday- EPCOT! Lunch @ 11:15 @ Le Cellier- our favorite place. I decided on an early lunch b/c Nate eats early and I figure he'll be hungry early. Plus, I hope we can get through it faster and he won't get fussy. I expect to take him back to the resort at this point for his nap, but we'll see. If not after lunch, then by 1 for sure. The big boys can stay if they want. We will head back after a nap. We may hop over to see Spectro tonight as well.
Tuesday- Typhoon Lagoon! (Or maybe BB, but probably TL)- Have ADRs at TREX for 5 PM- we have to try this due to our love of RFC and Alex's love of dinos. They will also take our gift cards, so that is nice! I figure we'll do the water park from opening to about 1, then back for a nap. Then on to DTD and T-Rex- can't wait to build dinos, too!
Wednesday- MK- Finally!! I am an obsessive planner, remember? I follow many touring sites to find out when to go where, so that's why I'm waiting so long in the trip for an MK day. We might hop over earlier for Spectro, tho. I did not plan on having an ADR today. However, I ended up making one for CP @ 11:40- may end up canceling it though, depending on finances and how Nate does for sit down lunches at almost 2.
Thursday- HS- Made an ADR for 50s at 11, but really don't expect to keep that one. We will for sure go to WCC at 6 PM tonight, though. I've been wanting to go for years and will make sure we go this year!
Friday- MK again! I made 11:35 ADRs for LTT today, but again, not really planning on making it. I think we'd be better off have a quick CS lunch and riding more, but we'll see.
Saturday- going home:( Dh doesn't have Memorial Day off, so we have to get back. I planned to stay until Sunday, but again DH wants to take our time getting back so he's not so exhausted on Monday for work.

So, this was way long and I'm sorry, but I wanted to get the ADRs out there for everyone to compare! Let me know what you think!

Intro!

2009-11-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

So, here we are:

Me, Brandi- I'm 34 and a Kindergarten teacher. It's my first year teaching after a long career in banking. I love it and love my students. It's very hard where I work, but I know that I am making a difference, which is what matters most, right?

DH, Paul- he's 35 and is a passionate LSU fan. He also loves Jimmy Buffet, as do I and our son, Alex. More on him later. Anyway, Paul is a purchaser at a food company. His hours stink and and he works way too many, plus it's an hour away and his benefits stink! But, he has learned a lot and really likes his job, so oh well.

DS, Alex- he is 7. Alex is funny and smart, I just adore him. He's reading this as I type, so I better say all of that up there:) He's in the 2nd grade and does pretty well in school. This is his first year in an advanced class, so his young age compared to the other students is starting to show. But, he is so smart, so I know he'll get it together! He has been to Disney 3 times. The last time was in October of 2007 and we actually went to Universal. However, we did go to MNSSHP one night, so we got to visit the Magic Kingdom once on that trip. So, by the time we go, it will have been almost 4 years since our last time to be there. He's super excited, but is scared of "big" rides, so i have to figure out how to get him to try some.

DS, Nathan- he is almost 17 months. He's funny and sweet. He just got tubes in and adenoids out a few weeks ago. It has made a big difference and he's much happier. This will be his first trip to Disney World! I know he'll especially love the parades because he watched the Thanksgiving one yesterday and loved it!

So, we are going at the end of May and I am super excited and ready! We'll be staying at the Animal Kingdom Villas- a 1 bedroom. If you are not familiar with DVC, our room will be like a condo, with a complete kitchen and laundry room, which is perfect for us!

I recently made our ADRs and realize that maybe we won't make them all, but that's OK. I am starting to wonder our Nathan will do and how we will tour accordingly. He does nap daily of course, but it varies in time. At home, it's usually from 10-12-ish. Sometimes as early as 9! And at times, as late as 1 or 2! At daycare, it's from 11-1 daily. I try to keep him on that at home, but he's usually falling asleep before then. So, we will see how he does when the trip comes around- that's still 6 months away, which is huge for a baby boy. We did go recently to the New Orleans zoo and I was impressed with how great he did. He stayed up for a while and didn't get too fussy. I'm hoping we'll be able to eat our sit-down lunches in the parks, another ride or two, then head back to the resort. Then, we can have dinner after nap and go back to the parks. We'll see...

Let's try this blog thing again, OK?

2009-11-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Hi to me and anyone who may find my blog! I just cleaned it up a bit and decided to make it where others can view it. I will see how that goes! I'm worried I won't be as open as I should be, or maybe actually too open- LOL! I decided to try it again because I was just reading trip reports for Disney on the disboards. I saw pre-trip reports and thought maybe I should start one. However, most of them are more just running commentaries of their lives leading up to the trip. I can do that here, right? And then, if I want to put it on the boards, I can.

So, it's the day after Thanksgiving. I am not out shopping b/c I don't really like to do that. Probably b/c I don't have the money to do that! I've done a good bit of shopping already, at least for the kids. I have just ordered my MILs and just have my parents, my sister and her family left- and Paul of course! But, I have to wait now until Paul gets paid next Friday! House note comes out Tuesday, so no spending!! Plus, I have the LRCE payment of $500 due on Monday, so really no spending! I'm sitting here hungry, because I am really hoping to work on losing weight again. I have medifast stuff left over from last year and will start with that plan. Once I'm out of that, I'll switch to Weight Watchers. I really want to lose 30 pounds by May. I think that's reasonable. Why May? Many reasons. First, it's the girls' trip to Florida. It's also the month we'll go to Disney World! So, not only do I need to get busy losing weight, but also on saving money as I am broke and need a lot for these two trips!

So, I'll post more in a bit, with intros and all so that new people can get to know me and the fam!

2008-12-29T07:09:00.001-08:00

What bugs me

2008-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

2008-10-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

So, over a month has passed and what have I done? Well, on September 30th, I started on Medifast. OK, so don't start with the nay saying yet. I have lost over 10 pounds already! I struggle at times, though. It is very hard still to not eat those fries with Alex or not munch on chips and salsa with the gang. But, I keep telling myself that being thin will feel better than anything tastes. Yes, some days I really think a cupcake tastes better, but it doesn't. That first bite is the best part, the it's all filler and way too much!

OK- just wanted to full you in. On to clean this house!!

First Day to blog

2008-08-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to find a way to stay motivated to work out, eat right and all of that stuff. I read on some site that I should start a blog. This way, I am accountable to at least my blog. So, I will try. OK, so I won't yet say exactly how horrible my weight is, but let's just say that it's bad. Over the past 2 years, I just let myself get out of hand. Call it denial, laziness, all of the above. I had 3 miscarriages in about 13 months. Each time, I gained a few pounds and didn't bother to lose them before getting pregnant again. Mistake. Well, then finally had a sticky little guy and Nathan was born in July. Love him. Gained about 23 pounds with him. As of now, 7 weeks and 4 days later, I am down 19 of those pounds. Ultimately, I want to get down to my high school weight. So, that's about 57 pounds from where I am now. 57, 57, 57- wow- that is a lot. So, baby steps. I first want to lose 10 pounds to get into my clothes. We will go from there. I use to exercise- walk, aerobics, whatever. Not any more. I say I don't have time- to a point, I don't. My days consist of getting up and dressed, taking Paul to meet his carpool, taking Alex to school, then going into BR to get PT. Then, back home to get some work done. Or, running around town getting work done or just errands ran. By the time I get home it's around noon. I eat, give Nate his bottle and then sit with him for a little while. I then try to get something done around the house if Nate will let me. If not, I get on the computer and work on school stuff. Yep, I have a work at home job that is full time, I keep Nate at home and I attend school- 9 hours worth all online. It's not as easy as I thought it was. I am exhausted at all times, too. I know exercising will help that, though. But, I am a morning person, so I think that I need to exercise in the mornings. But, I'll do it whenever I can I guess.

I really want to do this though. I want to look good again. To not be tired all the time. To have my husband think I'm beautiful again. Not that he doesn't love me the way I am, but I know he'd love to have "me" back. And I want to be back. It's just so very hard- duh, huh? So, I've been looking at the Couch to 5 K program. I see people who run and they are all thin. Maybe I can do that. I have never been a runner, ever. But, everyone says how it makes them feel wonderful, so I could try it at least. I will at the very least walk. I had the Kathy Smith Walk Fit program and did great on it years ago. I just need to do that again. I'll see if I can find it or download it.

So, tomorrow is Sunday, August 31st. I want to get up and walk in the morning. And do the first day of the C25K stuff. I'll try to let you know how I do.

Nate's hungry now, so off I go to fix his bottle.