I found a great kids' holiday gift idea - personalized cds for kids is a definite WIN in my opinion!




The online store http://www.musicandbooks4kids.com has a variety of books and CDs to choose from. They have Scooby-Doo, The Wiggles, Mother Goose, and our favorite - several Disney characters! We are especially fond of the Disney music CDs because the character voices are actually the licensed Disney characters themselves - how's that for authentic?

Check out the site - you can preview the music and hear your child's name in the song before making a purchase.  Don't forget to get a book or two as well!

Visit them on Facebook as well:
Music and Books for Kids on Facebook

As some might remember, last year I booked a cruise on the Disney Dream only to have second thoughts and cancel it. We ended up staying at Disney World. Although I did not absolutely love the Disney Grand Floridian Resort, to me it seemed better than the Disney Dream.

Since we did not go on the Disney Dream, a friend of mine has been asking me to go on one of those celebrity cruises. A celebrity cruise is a cruise where the ship is packed full of famous people for you to intermingle with. Now my friend is a huge fan of reality television and celebrity gossip magazines. I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with the Brad Pitts of the world, but never thought about taking a week’s vacation with them.

I’ve yet to commit to the celebrity cruise but the idea is warming up with me. I could see my self sunbathing on the poop deck with Leonardo, Brad or even with Drew Barrymore. The more I think about it, a cruise like this sounds like a great getaway just for the ladies!

Oh what I wouldn't give for a weekend getaway. I know we just got back from Walt Disney World but I need recoup time! I know we cannot go anywhere any time this year because of finances. Next year CJ and I are supposed to go to Disney in March, then a family trip in June and another in October. However, I am thinking of skipping the June trip (gasp!) and taking the kids somewhere different  - possibly the New England states.

I just took a peek at a beautiful Cape Cod vacation rental and it brought back memories of when I was last in North Truro and Provincetown with my mom, grandma, Olivia, and Dante. Here is a picture of Olivia and I on the beach in North Truro. I was 7 months pregnant with Wyatt in this photo!


It was a really nice relaxing vacation. I think I would like to go there again and stay for a long weekend. I know the kids would love the beach area. I would also plan a day trip to go into Salem of course!

Now that Olivia is involved in cheerleading, we have to go all over the country (it seems anyways) for her football games and cheerleading competitions.


Unfortunately, the leagues website offers very little in the way of usable directions. Cj went out and purchased a trucking GPS unit for our SUV. He said, “if it works for truckers, it will work for us.” We used it for the first time yesterday and it got us to the game on time.

This is one of those pictures that I will forever cherish. My grandmother and the kids at the airport the day we left for Disney this month.


We tossed around the idea of driving again, even renting an vehicle for the drive but the thought of the possibility of breaking down always deterred me. I mean, I know we have an excellent roadside assistance plan but I am still not sure I want to drive there again.

My mom and grandma split the cost of buying this bunkbed for the boys. The boys loved it and it gives them so much more open space in their bedroom. The beds come apart so they can be set up individually in the future.



Again, thank you mom and grandma!

Most people do 'spring' cleaning - not me tough, I do 'fall' cleaning. Starting with the boys' room. My mom and grandma went half on a bunk bed for the boys. CJ is up there right now finishing the last bits of putting it all together.

I have been going through my closet and wow, do I have a lot of 'undergarments' I never wear anymore! Of course I wear plus size bras and I am glad I bought more recently because the ones I just got are no much nicer, sexier, than the ones I had! I am almost embarrassed to think that I had some really ugly, out of style looking bras and panties! I am 38, not 68!!! I need to stop being so conservative. Oh, I am only that way because plain white/black undergarments are cheap. However, I found some really nice sets online that were not too pricey at all!

So, the upstairs is first on my list for fall cleaning, then the downstairs. The basement, which is finished, is the kids' mess - they get to sort that placer out!

We got home from Walt Disney World yesterday :( I want to go back already. We had such an awesome time! Only had a day and a half of rain out of 8 full days!


But now it's back to reality. Back to pinching pennies, using coupons for grocery shopping, kmart coupons for odds and ends, and just going into save mode in general because we are going back in March! It will be just CJ and I on that trip!

A little while back I mentioned the fires in Austin, Tx and how http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-cleaning-services/ works well for these situations. I have a friend who lives near Austin, Texas and he said it was really bad--just the smoke in the area. He had to find a company to help get rid of the smoke damage in his office. The smell was really horrible in the rugs and carpets. I suggested activated charcoal for odor removal - that was the first thing I thought of.

I wonder if there is a service like that here where we are - the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It is beautiful outside but wow, the decor inside is so old fashioned and that was expected because of the type of resort this is, but my eyes cannot take the carpets! Not only are they pretty ugly, I wonder how old they are and how often they are cleaned.



I have no idea why they went with such crazy looking carpeting but oh well, he place is nice and the staff is wonderful so really, that is all that matters, right?

Our flight here was uneventful. We got to the airport earlier than we needed to but I would rather be early than late! We had Subway at the airport for dinner--about $40.00! Sheesh, we weren't even in Walt Disney World and we were already spending money! Something tells me getting a cash advance would have been a good idea! The one thing about my job that I am not a fan about, I am paid on a net 30 basis - this means I do the work but payment never arrives until 30 days later.

So, this is my view this morning! We are on the 8th floor, we got a standard view. As you can see, I have an excellent view of the pool and I can see the lake too:


Today we will likely go to the pool, then head to Downtown Disney for an early dinner and the kids will get their faces painted. Then it's off to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Tomorrow is Epcot, Tuesday Disney's Hollywood Studios, Wednesday back to the Magic Kingdom, and then Thursday my mom and grandma go home and we move over to the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for 4 days!