Making my way back

It's been a while since I have sat down to write anything on my blog. Life has been busy and chaotic since last June. You might be wondering why...well the simple answer: I had a baby.

Last August I celebrated my 40th birthday only to discover 1 1/2 weeks later that I was expecting my second child. What a shock! That was not something I had been planning. Life after that time has been a roller coaster.

So, this post is just to let you know that I have not abandoned this blog altogether. No, I have been thinking about it a lot lately. Especially since we are planning to take our now two month old to Disneyland this fall. There are many thoughts that I would like to share and still many questions that I need to ask. However, I look forward to sharing this new Disneyland experience with you in the many months ahead.

Until Next Time,
Sean

Getting in Shape

Every spring I cringe when I look in the mirror. Do you know what I am talking about? There seems to be extra weight around my middle and it does not look pretty. This spring, however, I am rejoicing. Before you ask why... let me tell you.

In January my husband decided enough was enough and set out to find a plan that would work for him to get into shape. He found someone to hold him accountable and a program he could use. Being somewhat jealous I began asking him for advice.

You see I had been going to the same gym, doing the same routine, for over five years. It wasn't working and I had struggled with my weight loss. I was completely discouraged. That's when he challenged me to try working out at home. We have cable and so they have a channel on demand called Exercise TV. I began working out on my non-gym days and found that I loved it!!! After a month I quit my gym membership and am now working out six days a week at home.

After a month I was only seeing minimal success in my struggle with losing weight. I needed another plan. That is when he introduced me to a program that he found online, my fitness pal. What is it? I simply would say that it is calorie counting for dummies (me). This has been a wonderful tool and has helped me to realize how much I was really eating.

I began at the end of February and now, more than 3 months later I have lost 22 pounds. Is my body bikini perfect? Oh no.... but, I am continuing to try to find healthier ways to eat and stick to my daily calorie count. It's not easy and I find having an accountability partner makes it much easier for me.

So, what does all of this have to do with going to Disneyland? Well, this year instead of dreading wearing a swimsuit I actually am excited that I might have to shop for a smaller size. I am not dreading getting into the pool with my daughter. Instead I am praying for wonderful warm weather and am hoping to soak up as much of it as possible. If you are struggling with your own weight loss, I feel your pain. Head on over to myfitnesspal.com and check it out. It's free and they even have an app for your smart phone that I love.

Blessings to you.

Until Next Time,
Sean

Getting Paid to Shop Disney

That's right...you heard me correctly. You can get paid to shop Disney. If you have an ebates account you can earn 5% cash back on your online purchases at the Disney Store. How? It's easy.

1. Sign up for ebates: by clicking here. You'll recieve a $5.00 cash back bonus just for signing up.
2. Each time you want to make a purchase at the Disney Store login to your ebates account and search for the Disney Store. (For me the easiest way is to click on toys in the left hand menu.)
3. Once you have selected the Disney Store ebates will automatically send you to the Disney Store website. All you have to do is shop and complete your transaction as normal.
4. Once your transaction is complete you will receive an email from ebates telling you about your cash back rewards. (This can take some time, but for me I have never waited longer than 24 hours.)
5. All you have to do now is wait for your check to arrive in the mail. They send out checks four times a year.

Of course you can use ebates for many other purchases as well. There are hundreds of online stores to choose from. All of my ebates checks go straight into my Disney Savings Account to be used on my next vacation. It is an easy way to save on purchases you are already making. So next time you are going to shop online, stop by ebates first and see if your store has a cash back bonus award.

Until Next Time,
Sean Brown

Airfare Woes

For those of you that know me it won't be of any surprise to you that I check airline prices everyday. We have set our dates of travel and now we are just waiting for airfare and hotel expenses to come down to a price point that will fit within our budget. Lately the airlines are making me crazy!!! One day I will check and tickets are $114 one way. The very next day I will look and they are up to $160.

How is that possible? How can a ticket change that much in 24 hours? The other day I had found a ticket for $99 on a different airline into a smaller airport. I almost bought it. However, upon checking on hotel prices I realized that the hotel was still to expensive for me and I would be locking myself into a specific number of nights at Disneyland not knowing if I could afford it.

I have found that there are many days lately where I have panicked over the cost of airfare. If you are in the same boat...relax. If you have set a budget stick to it. Sometimes the best deals are found within 30 days before your trip as airlines are trying to fill still empty seats. Also, I have heard to check airlines at the beginning of the week and not to buy until Tuesday evening. Often times airlines will drop prices at the beginning of the week. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

My point is...anxiety over airfare isn't helpful and can lead you into making a rash decision out of fear. Don't be ruled by fear it will hurt you in the end.

Until Next Time,
Sean

Disney Dining Discount

Are you planning to travel to Disneyland between April 17-23, 2011? If so, then this post is for you.

Today as I was doing my daily review of all things Disney I stumbled across something I had not noticed before. They will be giving a discount on dining at specific restaurants in Disneyland Park. Sound to good to be true? Well, it's not.

There are a few things to note:

1. In order to get the discount you must print the coupon found here.
2. The coupon is only good at:
   • French Market in New Orleans Square
   • Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country
   • Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland
   • Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland
   • Tomorrowland Terrace in Tomorrowland
   • Village Haus Restaurant in Fantasyland
3. You must be traveling between April 17-23, 2011
4. The coupon is valid  before 11:30 a.m. or between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
5. If used properly you will receive 25% off of your bill with the purchase of an entrée.

There you have it. Just one way of saving a little bit of money on your trip to Disneyland. Hope you have fun.

Until Next Time,
Sean

Wished I Were in Disneyland

Winters are hard and when you live in the land of rain and gloom they are especially tough. There are days I would give just about anything for a bit of warmth and sunshine. It doesn't take long before I realize that all I have to do is get on a plane and fly south to "The Happiest Place on Earth."

Oh, how I wished that I was there. Unfortunatley for me...money does not grow on trees and I can't sprout wings and fly. This became a moment of crisis for me. How was I going to experience Disneyland without even being able to be there in person? Then my husband suggested I take a trip to the nearest Disney Store.

Mind you nearest isn't really the right word. While I found the nearest one to me, it was still over 85 miles away. But I enjoyed every minute of it and decided that I needed to get there more often. The staff there was simply great.

We left the house early that Saturday morning and drove for an hour and a half to reach our destination. Once there we stood outside of the store waiting for them to open. Upon entering we discovered that it was Agent P day and Ainsley was given a mask that took her a bit to warm up to. Once she decided wearing it might be fun...it was difficult to get her to take it off.

There were many things that brought me back to my vacations spent in Disneyland. The costumes were cute and I wished that I had dressed Ainsley in one of hers from home. I would have bought her the new Rapunzel costume, but they were sold out of her size that day. It was adorable and I am contemplating buying online instead of waiting for our next trip to Disneyland.

Ainsley was able to find some lesser known characters and completely fell in love with a life size version of Bolt. Needless to say, we left with a smaller version that was easier on my pocket book.

Will I go back? You bet. I can't wait until my next trip that store.

Until Next Time,
Sean

Disney Dining Plans

Each time we visit Disneyland we try to eat somewhere we haven't eaten before. Of course, we always eat at our favorite spots, but it is always fun to try something new. One of the first questions I had on our trip in September of 2009 was "Should we buy the Disney Dining Plan?"

I asked around and read everything I could on the Internet about it. There wasn't a whole lot. I found things about Disney World, but not about Disneyland. Faced with a choice we decided to purchase it. Why? Well, simply, I wanted to have our food paid for prior to our arrival. Relieved with my choice I set out to plan where we would eat.



2009 Meal Plan



Let me warn you, we wanted to eat every meal in Disneyland. This was our daughter's first trip and we wanted her to experience all that Disneyland had to offer. As I sat down to plan all of our meals I realized pretty quickly that the Disney Dining Plan was not going to pay for everything. We would need more money than I thought. The Meal plan posted here shows the plan I made. If there is a dollar amount listed then that is what I estimated it would cost without the meal plan. Some meals state that we used the meal plan, but would also need additional money. If it just says meal plan, then my estimation was that the meal plan would be sufficient.

Each Disney Dining Plan provides you with a book of vouchers. Each voucher is worth a certain dollar amount. You will be able to use different vouchers together (meaning you can use a snack voucher with a dinner voucher, etc.). If your meal is less than the vouchers you provide to the cast member then change will be given in the form of actual cash. However, most vouchers will not cover the actual price of one persons meal. Most times Ainsley and I shared a meal to reduce our costs a bit.

Did we stick to the meal plan I prepared? For the most part, yes. However, I have learned a few things along the way. Ainsley does better if we let her decide when we are going to eat. Sometimes that isn't always possible, but we try to stay flexible. Meal plans are still important, because they help you budget. Consequently, I still make them. If you would like my vacation meal planner as a Word document, send me a message. I will be glad to share it with you.

Want to check out the Disney Dining Plan information click here

Until Next Time,
Sean