Redesign

Will be re-designing this website soon. Staying so busy with school lately, but I will make time.

I need rehab

While I study, I have been jammin' out to Rihanna's Rehab like it is the only song on my iPhone. It's so addictive. I will need some rehab, in order to stop playing this song five million times!

Rihanna - New Music - More Music Videos

Update on school:

Everything is going better than I expected. I have made myself a "schedule", so I can have plenty of time for fun and studying. Algebra is easier than I remembered it being, and then at the same time, I get ahead of myself and want to learn it all and master it all at once.

English is easy so far, and my instructor is cool. We are studying Creative Non-fiction and he encourages more modern writing techniques. I am enjoying it so far, and I am on my way to becoming the "Teacher's Pet of the Year". Oh Yeah!

New Year's resolutions I will try to keep...

I phrased it that way on purpose, thank you very much. I will try. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Volunteer in my community.


2. Stop complaining, in general.


3. Assume that other people have my best interest at heart.


4. Eat at home more.


5. Take advantage of the beach being so close.


6. Stop keeping such a messy closet! Its ridiculous.


7. Drink more water.


8. Put all I have into my schooling.


9. Let my husband be the leader, more.


10. Stop worrying so much about the little things.

I'm so ready for the New Year... Are you?

Happy(Early) New Year!

Wishing you a happy and healthy start to 2009. Since Australia has already had their celebration, here is a video from Sydney. Their fireworks show is pretty awesome.

Favorite things: Twitter

Dealing with the public, I am always talking to them about technology, computers and the iPhone.(Usually because they are also interested in it, too). I often get on the subject of Twitter and I usually have a way of leaving them totally confused about what it is and what purpose it serves. It's very simple, "What are you doing"?




All you have to do is answer that simple question. That is what its all about. Nothing complicated. Your friends can keep up with you(good or bad thing?) through your updates. They can respond to your updates and vice versa. You can also upload pictures to your update.


I think its more fun when you are updating on-the-go, otherwise it can be a little boring. Example, "Ugh, I'm just sitting on the couch eating bon-bons. Okay..that's all." That doesn't make for the most interesting post, and probably no one would care, unless they LOVE bon-bons. I know I have made some of those type posts before. When I really am doing nothing.


So, I try and update about something I am doing, or somewhere I am going. I have made some good online friends using it, and I feel like I know them in a way. I even like some of them so much that I think we would probably get along really well in person, too. So if you're not using Twitter yet, I suggest you get on there and get started tweeting. Come on. Go. Then we can be friends. :)

Christmas Day

Today was so nice, lots of family time and fun. I feel like it went by really fast though, it seems like I just started buying presents...oh wait, I did. I'm a procrastinator when it comes to some things, and buying gifts is one of those things.

Justin woke me up this morning(twice) to open gifts and when I finally got up, we exchanged the smaller gifts we had bought each other. Its funny, among other things, we both got each other shaving cream. I guess we are trying to tell each other something. You know you have been married a while when you buy each other shaving cream.



Then we headed to Justin's parents for breakfast and gifts. There were so many presents this year! We have a new addition to the family, Aubree, who is 4 months old. It was fun watching her react to her gifts, she is adorable. I want one. In time.

Later we went to my parents, where we played Wii Sports and had our gift exchange. Wii is great exercise by the way, especially when you play it the wrong way like I do. The game doesn't require you to actually walk up and bowl or hold it like a baseball bat, but I choose to just to feel like I'm really playing.

I ended up with everything I wanted, plus some. I got my new laptop a week ago and have been using it, but that was actually my Christmas present. Other things I got were gift certificates, money(like that a lot!), Massage G.C.(awesome), perfume, laptop bag, and some other random items.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas too...Just 364 more days until we can celebrate again! :)

My Quarter-Life

2008 was such a good year. I really changed a lot and became closer to who I really am. I know that sounds crazy, but its true. Instead of trying to be something I'm not, I have become very comfortable being myself whether someone likes me that way or not. I have gained a lot of confidence in my career, which has helped with other things in my life.

I turned 25 years old, which made me feel like a real grown-up. (Gasp!) I realize now that time really does fly by. It's hard to believe that my grandparents are almost in their 80's, feels like they should still be in their 60's. Most of the girls my age have already had a child, which really lets me know that time is ticking! I am the only girl in the family who has no children now, I guess I am next.

I had the opportunity to take my grandparents to Animal Kingdom this year, they hadn't been to Disney World in 20 years, it was overdue. It was more fun than I could have ever imagined. I am so lucky that I have them and they are able to go do things with us. Although, next years trip is coming up and I think we will have even more fun this time at EPCOT.

This year I decided to go back to school to pursue my degree in Computer Science. This was an idea I had played with many times, but never actually did anything about it. I was being lazy, I admit it. This is a personal goal, as well as something that I want my children to look at and get inspired from to pursue their dreams.

I think 2009 will bring a lot more changes in my life, a child, possibly. No matter what happens, I know I will always have my family and friends to be there with me and help me.

Happy Holidays!

I need your help fellow nerds!

I am taking a poll of which laptop will be best for me. I will be using it for school/work. The choice is between the Sony Vaio or the Dell Inspiron. I have never used either. My choice would be a MBP but my online classes use the Blackboard and it does not support Mac computers. Help!

Giving Back

I can tell that I am definitely getting older when I stop making a Christmas list of things I want and start thinking of things I can give instead. This year I feel very strongly lead to give and help those in need. With all that is going on with our economy and country, it lets you know that nothing is certain and people end up in bad situations no matter who they are.

Last year, I met a fascinating and self-less woman(I wish I could remeber her name) at Amelia Island Plantation. She was one of the organizers for Samaritan's Purse(International Relief) and she told me all about it and I knew that I wanted to get involved. Specifically, Operation Christmas Child interested me. You pack a shoe box for children in war-torn countries or natural disasters, or just in unfortunate situations.
They recieve it as their Christmas present, and this is usually something they look forward to because they are not used to getting toys. You can include your picture and a letter to them, so they may be able to write back to you. Whether they do or not, its very rewarding knowing that a child is enjoying something you did for them and that you made them happy.



To find out more information on Samaritan's Purse, go to www.samaritanspurse.org. :)

Countdown to Disney World!

So we leave in 3 days for our trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! I cant wait because I plan to take a lot of pictures this time. Well, I did take a lot the last time too, but if youve read my other posts then you know that I deleted them all on my memory card during reformatting. Dont remind me!

I do need some tips on shooting good parade pictures. I have a Canon Powershot S5 iS and have not really had the opportunity to take good parade pictures with it. Ive tried using the nightime setting, since the parades take place past 6 pm, but it doesnt have the quality I want. I guess I will have to play around with it. Any tips, send them my way, please!

Until Monday... Then I should have pics up!

Review of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

This is my personal experience from our visit to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in August '08. We arrived on a Sunday and stayed through Tuesday for a weekend getaway. Our trip also included a visit to The Magic Kingdom. The main pool was closed for renovations during this time.

Guestrooms

We checked in early at the main house at about 12:00 and were able to get our room since it was available. Our room was located in the "Aruba" section of the resort. It was very quiet and empty when we arrived, due to school being back in session. (Perfect time to go, by the way!) The little villages were cute and colorful in pastel colors. Our room was near the lake and not too far from the pool in Aruba. The rooms are your average size hotel room with two double beds, a shower/bath combo and a sink/vanity area.

If you stay in Aruba, you have a little bit of a walk to get to the restaurants and Main pool area. We didn't mind this because it was a nice, scenic walk by the lake and through the gardens. If walking or convenience is an issue though, I would stay at a Preferred location.

Transportation

Every village has its own bus station for catching your ride to the parks. We never waited longer than 10 minutes each time we rode. The bus stop was very close to our room, just a short walk across the parking lot. You have to wait on your specific bus to arrive for wherever you are going, including Downtown Disney.

Overall, its very easy getting around Disney World with their system. The buses run often and hold a lot of people per bus. They are also wheelchair accessible.

Resort Activities

We enjoyed the pool in Aruba since the main pool was closed for remodel. It was large enough that people were not right on top of you, but the pools that are in the villages are just your basic pool, nothing fancy. The pool area had patio tables and lounge chairs. Across from our pool was a "beach" with sand and hammocks overlooking the lake.

You can also rent boats at the main area near the restaurants, which I do not recommend. We have rented them before at Downtown Disney, which allows you to go further and actually see things. The ones at Caribbean Beach Resort will only allow you to go around the lake and then under the main bridge to the other side of the lake. We got tired of it after about 10 minutes and returned back to the dock. I believe it was about $45.00 for 30 minutes, but I am not sure on the price. So, I would recommend renting a boat at DD if you want to take a boat ride, you will have a much better view and be able to go more places for the same price.

The main pool was being renovated during our stay, but it sounds like it is very nice!

There was a family movie night in the garden area. The movie is shown on a big screen in the gardens, with beach chairs by the lake.

There is also live entertainment at the main area, near the shoppes and food court. There are patio tables setup around so you can sit and enjoy the music or have a drink at the outdoor bar area.

Restaurants

We ate at the food court for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have a "market" style setup with several different choices of food types. We had burgers at one of the quick service's and they were the same as you would find in the parks. Overall, good choices for everyone in your family.

We purchased a souvenir thermos to use for the weekend at the resort, which allows you to have free refills anytime you want. You pay around $14.00 for the cup, but its worth it.

Shutters is the only table services restaurant here at the resort. The atmosphere of the restaurant is a little loud and not so "beachy". Its casual, and a little noisy and crowded. Wouldn't recommend for a romantic evening for a couple. We did have a nice view from our table, which faced the lakeside.

I ordered a seafood pasta dish, which was surprisingly good. My husband loved the steak he ordered, too. The prices were decent, average prices for a sit down place. Our waiter was very attentive to our needs and made sure we were happy with the food. A very good Cast Member. :)

Overall Experience

We both had a great time here, and unless you are looking for the real Caribbean, I would suggest it for a family getaway or a romantic weekend. It will not make you feel like you are in the Caribbean, there are just touches of "the islands". It offered us a relaxing weekend, and like most things with the Disney resort, it lived up to the service and quality that its known for. We will definitely go back in the future.

If you would like to ask me any questions about this resort, please email me here.

An Unexpected Surprise!

I am so excited right now because me and Justin just booked our trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at MK. Of all the times I have been to Disney, I have never been to this. Im looking forward to walking down Main Street with the snow flurries falling and Christmas lights all over my Castle, err, I mean Cinderella's Castle. Well, for now.

Have you ever been?

I thought that we wouldnt be going back until next year for my birthday. So, this is really exciting! I was kinda having a little depression/withdrawls knowing thats so far away. The weather should be nice and crisp too, it gets pretty miserable in the hot, hot, summer days here. So I am ready for the cold weather.

For my birthday in April, I am going to take the "Keys to the Kingdom" Behind the scenes tour at Disney World. I have been researching it and it seems to be pretty cool. I want to see the Tunnels. I remember the first time I found out that The Magic Kingdom was the 2nd story..I was blown away! I couldnt believe there was actually an underground world, haha! I look forward to that.

Mickey Mouse Runs His Own Newspaper

I just won this book on eBay and I cant wait to get it! It was published in 1937 by Walt Disney, of course. The book is really big, which probably has a series of stories inside.

Happy Mickeyween!

It's that time of the year again... Pumpkin carving! And of course, cupcakes. But, this year I made my pumpkin extra special and turned it into a Mickey Mouse carving. It's definetely not the best, seeing as how my attention span is that of a 5 year old.
Nonetheless, I love how it turned out. Im saving my REALLY big pumpkin for next week, because I dont want it to rot and die before Halloween.
I have never been a big fan of Halloween, but I am all about decorating my house and baking up something sweet and chocolatey. So, I love most holidays just for those reasons. I am thinking about doing Thanksgiving at our house since I wont be doing Christmas here this year.
Anyways, I will post a picture on flickr later of my carved pumpkin! Go check him out!

All I have is memories.

I am back from my Animal Kingdom trip with my family. It was awesome! This was the 20th Anniversary of my grandparents going back to Disney with me. I was 5 when we went last and they are now in their 80's, so this was a very special trip.
So, I should be posting pictures, right? No. Because I got stupid at the theme park and deleted them all by reformatting the memory card!(I had no idea what formatting meant when I did it!) Excellent. I erased everything on my memory card, including the awesome footage from my grandpa on the Safari and the footage of elephants bathing themselves in mud- right next to our vehicle. I was sad at first, then I decided to just take more pictures to make up for it before leaving the park.
When we got back home, I was looking for the (erased)pictures, hoping that they were not gone but just moved. So, I started messing with it again and realized that the formatting had erased them because I erased the other ones too. OMG. After crying and boo-hooing, I remembered that I had the Disney PhotoPass and we used it quite a bit, so I do have those, which have to be ordered from their website. Its pricey...but I will have nothing to show from this trip if I dont buy them. Disney saved the day! :)
Until then,

Leila's Day Out: Part II

Seeing as how Sunday was such a hoot going to the park, I decided today we would go to the beach. My mom and I picked up lunch and headed to the park to eat with Leila. Within the first five minutes Leila was covered in sand spurs. If you don't know what these are, think of a little tiny ball covered in spikes. They are real fun to get stuck in your foot or, paw. Poor thing was limping, so I had to do emergency spur removal and everything was back to normal. We had to leave the park, due to the amount of sand spurs on the ground.

After lunch, we made our way over to the beach. Leila jumped out of the car enthusiastically, Im not sure what she was expecting. I guess dog's do not have very good memories or she would have run the other way when she remembered getting tangled in seaweed or trying to dig a hole to escape the heat.

We walked down the boardwalk to the beach to find that noone was there. It was nice in a way... But then there was Leila. I forgot that she is a 2 year old child in a dogs body. She did not want to walk, so she would jump up on my leg and nip my jeans to let me know that walking is just unacceptable. Feeling sorry for her, I decided to carry my 22 pound doggie back to the car and our day was cut short due to Mrs. No-Fun Doggie.

Leila needs an intervention soon. She is a floor potato and gets winded when she runs. Are there any good doggie exercises for indoors?

Leila's Day Out

I own this adorable creature named Leila, she happens to be a dog. On Sunday, Justin and I took her to Hannah Park to let her frolic, but she would rather lye and do nothing. She also like to fling dirt with her little paws, right into my eyes while I try to nap. As you can tell from the picture above, she made quite a mess(Thats dirt around her mouth!). Even though we didn't really frolic or chase any squirrels, we still had a relaxing trip and we need to do it more often.

This is Hannah Park, we were underneath a canopy of trees. Across this field, there is a lake that has alligators in it, seriously. I wanted to go frolic in this nice green grass, but I had no one to frolic with. Leila doesnt frolic.


Leila was exhausted from lying around all day and digging holes in the ground. It must be hard being a dog, so much responsibility.

On the ride home, she rested some more in the back seat. This was too much for her, we will have to work our way up from lying on the ground digging holes to actually moving and chasing things, or fetching.

Stacy @ the zoo

Welcome Fall!

The good...

I am so glad that fall is here! I'm ready for cool weather, decorating the house, the smell of a pumpkin candle... the holidays! I haven't written in a while because I have been really busy with making the salon website and papa was in the hospital this week.

The bad...

Not to mention, this week was terrible. I spent all day yesterday with a permanent frown on my face. Sometimes I feel that the more you do for someone, the more they want, and the worse you get treated. I am not going into details here, and its also something I want to get OVER, not keep dwelling on. 

I wont let this keep happening though, I do have a limit too on how much crap I will put up with. Everyone has something that they could be sad about, or angry about if they wanted to, but most people know how to control their tempers and not let it get in the way of life. It is making my life harder for no reason at all. 

This past week I already had to deal with my grandpa being hospitalized, so you would think I would have been treated a little better than usual. Anyways, Im over it.  There is nothing that can be done just by talking about it, except make me feel a little better. 

Happiness is a cupcake.

I had my nieces over to bake cupcakes with me Monday afternoon. Here are some pics:
Three of the little baker's: Ryan, Natalie and Madison. (Looks like they are up to something..)
I let go of my "clean freak" side and let them make a big mess on my kitchen table. Of course I put down a paper tablecloth first.