Disneyworld

We are all booked for DisneyWorld.  Just in time too.  We can do all of our restaurant bookings on Saturday.
We are staying at Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

It looks so beautiful (I borrowed this from the Disney web page)

 I am so excited.  We try to stay at a different resort each time we go.  So far we have done offsite, Coronado Springs, Art of Animation (Cars wing) & Pop Century.  We are only going to be down there for a short time period so we are trying to plan really well.

Whenever you stay on resort you can book your restaurant reservations for the entire trip 180 days in advance.  We LOVE the restaurants in Disneyworld, expecially Epcot.  We have a few favorites that we try to eat at every time (Le Cellier, Via Napolini, & Be Our Guest)  We are going to be down there from 7 days and one of those days is going to be the races so we have to plan out the meals perfectly.  I kind of wish they would just do the meals & fast passes 90 days in advance because that would be 500 times easier lol.  The restaurants we are trying to make it to this time are:

Epcot

Le Cellier
La Hacienda
Akershus Royal Banquet - Breakfast
Via Napoli
The Garden Grill (Kiddo loves the character dining.  Food isn't to bad)

Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Brown Derby-Fantasmic Dining
Sci-Fi Dine-In

Magic Kingdom
Be our Guest

Outside the parks
Beaches & Cream
T-rex (Kiddo has always wanted to go here)
Chef Mickey


I know we won't get all of these, but I am trying to lay them out by each date to figure what is best.  We have to be really careful before the race to not eat anything to new or heave before the race on the 7th.   Plus it's also the Wine & Dine festival so we want to enjoy that. My chart is pretty crazy right now.  I might have to show you guys a before and after lol.

Do you have any must eat at restaurants while you are in Disneyworld?

April Favorites

One of my favorite things when I read blogs is seeing what that persons favorites are for the month.  It can totally turn me on to some new things that I never would have thought to try before.  So I decided that I would like to do that for my blog.  So without further ado, here are my favorites for April

Beauty

#1-Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo - $27 - I LOVE this shampoo. I have very fine oily hair and this stuff gives me so much volume and I can actually go one day without shampooing.

#2-Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 - $41 - This is my go to moisturizer. I have combo skin with a really dry T zone and this works amazing.  I buy one every year during the VIB sale at Sephora and it will usually last me a whole year.  I have tried a few others but nothing seems to work as well as this.

#3-Origins Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb - $39 - I just bought this during the VIB sale and I can't express how amazing this product is.  After just one use I could totally tell a difference.  It helps hide pores and some crows feet.  

#4-Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain - $44 - This is what I use everyday.  I have very pale skin and I have a really hard time finding a foundation that doesn't make me orange or white as a ghost.  This stuff is gives me a decent amount of covereage and o.  It's another one of those ones that I buy on sale that lasts me about a year.

#5 Neutrogena Microdermabrasion - $20 at Target - I started using this a few years ago and it is a great reasonable system.  I try to use it two to three times a week and it makes my skin baby soft. 

#6 - Posh 3D Blender Sponge - $5.99 - Fred Meyers - I have tried a few other blending sponges and this one works the best.

#1 Shea Superfruit Complex Body Lotion - $8.99 Target - This stuff is great.  My skin is supper moisturized after I use it and the Green Coffee Bean in it does firm up my skin, for a small amount of time, but it does work :)

#2 & #3 - Victoria Secret Pure Seduction Body Mist & Eau De Toilette 3 for $25 - I am not a big perfume girl.  I just like a bit of scent and these do the trick.  This has been my scent for probably 8 or 9 years.

#4 Tree Hut detoxifying Mediterranean Salt Scrub - $8.99 - Haggen - I really like this stuff.  It makes my skin super smooth especially my upper arms which I have had some issues with in the past.  I only use it once a week but it does wonders.

#5 & #6 Candy Mountain Bubble Bar & Fluffy Egg - $7.45 & $5.95 - Lush - My hubby got these for me for Christmas & my birthday and these two are some of my favorites.  I really like the sweeter candy scented ones.  

House

#1-Sugar Cookie - $4.99  Fred Meyers - This is my year round kitchen one, except during Christmas when I get the Christmas Cookie one from Yankee Candle.

#2-Spun Sugar - $10 Target - This one is on our coffee table in the living room.  This is my go to summer scent.

#3-Marshmallow Pop - $5 Target ($10 for the bigger one)  I have two small ones for our bedroom

#4- Glade Hawaiian Breeze - $4.99- Target & Haggen - This one is for our bathroom.

Entertainment

 

The kiddo started watching a few older episodes with us and he wanted to start from the beginning so since we own all the seasons we thought why not.  I love this show.  My sister & I will quote lines from it all the time.

I really like Chasing Life.  It's about a girl named April who finds out she has cancer and it's her journey.  It's a really good show with some tear jerking moments.  It's also kind of speaks to me I think because my dad had cancer so I can relate a bit to some of the story line.

You can't go wrong with Brooklyn Nine Nine.  We have been watching this since it started and really enjoy it.  It's our go to when we just need to laugh.

And of course I LOVE Once Upon A Time.  I want a bit more Swan/Hook and Charming/Snow this season though.

This is the book the kiddo and I read everynight.  This was my book from when I was a kid.  It has a story for every day of the year.  The stories are very old and it's kind of funny to compare the differences between then and now.

Here is to a great May!!!

Work Outs

I did not get back on the bandwagon like I wanted to last week.  We went for a three mile walk around town on Monday night which was really nice.  It was so beautiful.  Its days like those that remind me why I love my city.

I got in two workouts of my DVD but that was it.  I took off Wednesday to help out my friend who is having twins and I went to her house after work on Tuesday & Thursday.  Thursday was bring your kid to work day so the hubby and I switched off halfway through the day and took him out to lunch.

This weekend I spent the whole weekend washing my kiddos old clothes and my friends baby clothes for her.  I don't know what it is with me and laundry, no matter how hard I try to hide it always finds me.

Here is hoping that this week I can get back on track.

Incentives

I don't know about you guys, but I am BIG on rewarding myself when I reach a goal.  Pretty selfish I know, but hey if it helps me accomplish my goals why not :)  So I gave myself a few incentives to lose the 40 lbs I would like to

10 lbs - New makeup
20 lbs - Mani/Pedi
30 lbs- Some new clothes
40 lbs - Spa Day

I reached my 10 lb goal and it coincided perfectly with the Sephora VIB sale.  So I bought myself a few new items, as well as repurchased some old stand by's.

I made a few New Years resolutions earlier this year, which you can see here and one of those resolutions was to learn make-up.  So I bought myself a few pallets to play around with.  I will give a run down once I play around with them and what I think.

I am really excited for the rest of the goals.  I have been putting aside money from what we would normally spend on junk food and eating out to help pay for my incentives.  It's amazing what we used to spend on meals out or even soda for that matter.  It's a lot more work to cook at home but its so so worth it in the long run.  Especially when I get the chance to get a Spa Day :)  I am going to go all out for that one, facial, scrub, massage, etc.

Do you guys have any special incentives that you give yourself to accomplish something?

Amazing Weekend

Wow did I ever have a great weekend.  Have you ever had one of those weekend where you just feel super happy and nothing can make you feel any different?  That was my weekend.  The sun has been shinning all week and this weekend was no exception.  We spend Saturday working in the yard and then we went out for a sail.  It was amazing.

We have spent the last 10 years slowly working on the yard (will do a story of how we came to where we are soon)  It has been a serious labor or love, but we are finally starting to see progress.  We have the front which we hardly ever use because it has no shade, almost always in full sun, and is the side that faces the road.  Then we have our back yard which we use all the time.  It's nice and shady and laid out very well.  The kiddo has a big toy out there (We just happened to be at Costco at the right time to get the floor model, total bargain)  we have a little garden, hammock, fire pit, and a table.  I love our back yard.  We spend a lot of time during the summer out there.  We will grill and eat followed by Smores and Banana Boats in the fire pit, or the hubby and I will hang out on the hammock while the kiddo plays.  Here are some before & after pictures of what we worked on (and what I remembered to take pictures of)

Before front yard

After backyard near our door

Half way through the front yard

Front yard mostly done.  Just waiting for the bulbs to bloom :)

Another part of the backyard done.

Then we went out for a sail.  I am trying to learn more about sailing.  I took classes before we bought our first boat, but that was years ago.  I kind of just let the hubby take over and just enjoy the sail.  It's time for me to take the helm from time to time :)  We grilled up some sirloins and pasta on our grill and just enjoyed our time out there.  There is something about being in the water just sailing along, its so peaceful and time just kind of stands still.  Being able to enjoy it with my family makes it that much more special.

We had a sea lion following us

The kiddo and I on the bow of the boat

Dinner & Mt Rainier

The sunset

Today was just more working in the yard, and laundry.  I swear laundry is never ending.  You put the last load in the dryer and the bins are full again :)  That's ok though, I had some tea, watched some YouTube ad folded socks.


I really enjoyed this weekend and I am really looking forward to a nice fresh new week with hopefully a very positive attitude and outlook.  I am feeling so much better so it's back to the gym and yoga this week.  I can't wait.

Workouts

Well this week has been a total fail.  Nothing better than waking up on Monday with a nasty cough and a feeling of pure exhaustion.  I basically spend Monday through Wednesday afternoon laid up in bed.  The good thing was I had NO appetite and I got caught up on all the TV I had DVR'd over the last few months. Today I am feeling so much better.  I still have a bit of a cough and stuffy nose but I am ready to get back to exercise.  It's funny how I actually have been missing it.  Thats a good thing right?!?!?

So my last few weeks of exercise were good.  I got in 4 times the first week and 3 days the other week.  I had to run some errands for the baby shower I was helping throw so I didn't get every day in:

March 30 - 30 minutes and 2.47 miles
March 31st - 30 minutes and 2.52 miles
April 1st - 30 minutes and 2.49 miles
April 2nd 25 minutes and 2.07 miles

April 6th 30 minutes and 2.52 miles
April 7th 30 minutes 2.47 miles
April 9th 30 minutes and 2.49 miles

It seems like I am staying withing the same distance which I guess is good.  I get kind of down on myself when I don't increase my mileage each day.  But as long as I stay no lower than 2.49 than I am going to count it as a win.  It's kind of funny cause some days are way harder than others when I am doing it.  Almost like my body is telling my mind that its ok if I just go slower, I still have months to prepare.  I have been doing really well at talking myself out of that.  It feels good and I feel strong for being able to do that.

I also got in two days worth of a weight video while to boys were gone:

 I did this video in the past and it really helped me firm up. I am going to try to get it in 3x's a week.

Well heres to next week getting back on track, after I kick this cold.

Long time

Wow how quickly two weeks goes by.  I have been crazy busy and this is the first time I have actually had a chance to sit down in front of the computer.

The kiddo had spring break recently and the hubby and him sailed up to Seattle and spent the week together.  I went up there for Saturday and Sunday and then I came back for the week and spent the time cleaning up the house which was fantastic.  The boat was moored near the wheel in Seattle so we had beautiful views at night.  We went on Sunday to see the Star Wars exhibit at the EMP.  It was amazing to see the costumes that the characters wore.  The kiddo was a tiny bit scared but after we managed to get him upstairs he LOVED it.   I was amazed at how small the costumes were, especially the infamous gold bikini.  We are a big Star Wars family, but the hubby and kiddo are Star Wars nuts.

The Lombardi Trophy and Paul Allen's Superbowl Ring

Gotta love some Hans Solo :)

Then I had to get ready for my friends baby shower that I was helping host.  Which was fun.  It was a lot of work to do but so worth it.

I have been really good at working out and eating healthier.  I found it really easy to eat healthy while it was just me.  I could whip up a quick salad and be good to go for the night. I managed to get all the laundry in the house done, which was great because it was like the laundry monster had thrown up all over my bedroom floor.  So the house is all dusted, the nooks and cranny's no longer have any dust bunnies or spider webs.  The only rooms that didn't get touched were the kitchen and the kiddos bedroom.  It feels good to get rid of items.  I am trying really hard to live with less stuff.  It seems like the more things I have the more cluttered my house gets which sends my stress level sky high.  I also have a really hard time getting rid of things which also brings up my stress levels.  

I will post my work outs for the last two weeks followed by my pinterest meals, which turned out super yummy but slightly stressfull