Adventure Awaits

Well the countdown is well and truly into single digits, the week ahead is planned out and today, as I start writing this post, is probably our last completely 'normal' and relaxed day before the adventure begins. It has been our usual Monday with a home gym workout, followed by a sauna and then a lovely two and a half mile walk to our favourite coffee shop. A couple of coffees and a little time for Simon to get some art done and for me a little bit of port research and writing time before heading back home and the mundane tasks of laundry and grocery shopping.

The early part of this week is all about getting things prepped ahead of the end of week madness. I am determined to get the majority of the packing completed over the next few days rather than it all happen at the last minute!

And now as I come back to this post my hair has been refreshed... 

Back to my nice and bright pink hair!

...a segment for my podcast has been recorded, my nails have been 'Disneyfied'...

Cute nails...a touch of Disney to hopefully last a tad over four weeks!

...Simon has had his haircut and the majority of the packing is done! 

This does mean that our last full day at home can be taken at a fairly relaxed pace. We have enjoyed a breakfast out followed by a treat of coffee and cake as we walked the 3 miles home - hoping the 16000 steps walked by lunchtime has burned off the shared cake!!

Brekkie at one of our favourite local spots

And a little stop on the walk back home for some carrot cake!

The Uber has been booked to get us to our local train station, e-Sims have been bought ready for use when we get to the US, last minute jobs around the house have been done (always nice to come back to a clean and tidy house), check lists have been checked, checked again and checked once more just for good measure.

I'd achieved my goal and managed to get the majority of the packing done before the end of the week by getting everything in compression packing cubes which meant on Friday all I had to do was to get the cubes into the cases! I'd been a bit clever by making sure that one of the cubes had the clothes we would need for our first couple of nights in Southampton so that we wouldn't have to 'unpack' prior to boarding on the Monday. Next it was getting the backpacks sorted with all those things we wanted to have close to hand...and then everything was all done...which meant packing paranoia set in and I began questioning whether we had everything we needed! Or it could just be that taking our third big trip in around 18 months means that I'm now getting better at packing?!

All that remained was to grab some takeout food with our son and spend some time with him before we disappear for a few weeks. Oh and before I forgot I remembered to paint my toenails!

All that was left was to get a good nights sleep ahead of our first travel day!

Disney Time Again!

We have a countdown that is moving along at a pace but are we ready?

Everyone loves a countdown and you can't beat one that involves Disney but how come the closer you get to that all important date the faster it seems to go? And that is exactly where we are at the moment! Are we ready? Have we got everything sorted? Are plans in place? Do we even know what we are doing and more importantly when we are doing it? Well at times it can all feel a little bit out of reach but I think if we go through it all I am probably more prepared than I think we are...well at least I hope so!

So what is happening?

Well it may be a little obvious but yes we are going to Disney! What again? Yes again!!

Late last year we were extremely fortunate to take a transatlantic Disney cruise from Southampton in the UK to Port Canaveral in Florida and loved it so much that we booked a Disney 'placeholder' whilst on board. This gives you a discount on a future cruise booking if taken in the following two years, but if you don't they give you your deposit back! Win! We had friends (made on our very first Disney cruise back in 2023) who had already booked this years transatlantic which made it a very easy decision to book again for this year to join them.

Now flash forward a few months and unfortunately our friends had to cancel their booking due to work commitments but this didn't deter us from our plans. So we are now fast approaching our sail away date that will see us leave the UK for Port Canaveral followed by a couple of weeks at Walt Disney World.

Last year our transatlantic cruise on the Disney Fantasy left the UK in early November which did mean that some of the weather we had whilst at sea was a tad choppy! Crossing the Bay of Biscay was 'interesting' to say the least and resulted in a day spent mainly in our cabin only venturing out for more carbs than I had eaten in the preceding 12 years! We also had one port day cancelled due to the severity of the weather which ultimately resulted in an unplanned, but very much appreciated, stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. But this year our cruise is happening in mid-September which is the usual time of year that Disney have their transatlantic cruise back to the US, so we are hoping for calmer weather!

Enjoying our surprise stop at Castaway Cay - November 2025

Our travels will start by taking a couple of trains from our home in the middle of the UK down to the South coast and the port of Southampton. We have purposefully booked a hotel for a couple of nights before we set sail so that not only do we take away some of the stress of travelling but we will also be able to spend some time with our daughter and her partner as they live close by. 

Our cruise check-in was completed a few weeks ago and we have our 'port arrival time' confirmed, and all printed out. This year we are aboard the Disney Dream and our itinerary sees us visit Vigo in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal and Funchal in Madeira with our final destination being Fort Lauderdale in Florida after seven consecutive days at sea! We haven't booked any port excursions as each port is within walking distance of their main centres and we will simply get off the ship, walk, explore, find a coffee and soak up the atmosphere. And on one of our sea days we have brunch booked at Palo one of the up-charge restaurants aboard the ship. The cruise is very much a chance to switch off, decompress and watch the world float by!

Once we reach Fort Lauderdale we will then take the Brightline train to Orlando. We have opted for their 'premium' seats as after taking advantage of a discount code they only cost us $5 more than their 'standard' seats. This means that we will have access to their Premium Lounge at the train station with free drinks and nibbles and then while on board we will be served complimentary meals! The train gets us to Orlando International Airport where we will pick up a Mears Shuttle to take us to our Walt Disney World resort hotel; Coronado Springs.

Coronado Springs at night is stunning - taken February 2025

We had the pleasure of staying at Coronado Springs in February 2025 for just a couple of nights before our 3 night sailing on the Disney Wish and were impressed by how beautiful the resort was. We had chosen this resort because in 2013 (our last visit to Walt Disney World prior to February 2025) we had been booked to stay here but upon arrival were upgraded to the Wilderness Lodge (that is a story in itself). So when we needed a hotel for just a couple of nights we decided to stay at the hotel we'd never gotten to experience. So when it came to booking for this vacation we decided that we wanted to stay at one of Disney's 'moderate' resorts and the only request from Simon was that he'd love it if there was a gym we could use...well Coronado is the only 'moderate' resort that has a gym (in fact it has two!) which made that decision an easy one. And because it's a convention hotel it has some of the expected 'perks' of a higher graded hotel but at a more affordable price - kind of the best of both worlds!

We then have two weeks to spend at 'the most magical place on earth' and those friends we made on our first Disney cruise will be joining us for the first part of our vacation. And we have friends from Texas who will also be at Disney and we have arranged to catch up with them over BBQ!

Tickets for the parks have been bought, spreadsheets are in progress, dining reservations have been made, plans with friends are in place and all the necessary transportation has been booked to get us there and home again. 

What is left to do? Well I need to sort my e-Sim for when we are in the US. Packing needs to be done and I am currently working out what we actually need and what needs to be in our hand luggage and what can stay in our main luggage. After all I need to make sure we have appropriate outfits for both the cruise (pirate night...need I say more) and the parks as well as keeping within weight limits and more importantly ensuring sufficient room for anything that I may pick up along the way!!

And just to add a small amount of inconvenience to proceedings I had an unexpected visit to the dentist in the last few days after a crown decided to fall out...perfect timing I think not...so a temporary fix is now in place until after our travels. I have the very important hair and nail appointments in the calendar, and we have now hit the single digit countdown! The Google calendar is clearly laid out with appointments and things to do so all that remains is to stop typing and actually get some things done!

March 2025

Disney Bubble Here We Come!

Welcome to the first of a few posts documenting our recent return to the Disney bubble otherwise known as Walt Disney World.

Where shall we begin...

So for context this was our first visit to Walt Disney World since August of 2013 and was long overdue. Our Disney fix had been satisfied with two short trips to Disneyland Paris and two Disney cruises in the intervening years but this was our return to the place where my love of Disney and its parks had started.

It was also the first time visiting WDW on our own since 1996! And it was a trip that we were determined to make the most of. Now ordinarily when planning a vacation you have to factor in work commitments which can determine not only when you travel but also the length of your trip, but now being 'a retired couple' we had much more freedom in picking the when and the how long! 

With that our trip started on Tuesday 25th February 2025 as we made our way from our home in the middle of the UK to London and then onto Gatwick airport by train. 

First train of our trip...London here we come!

Arriving at Gatwick we checked into our first hotel of the trip; the Bloc hotel. The hotel is located in the south terminal of the airport and was great for a convenient overnight stay; smart and compact room meant we had a comfy nights sleep ready for the following days travel.

Small room but it did the job!

We were able to grab breakfast at one of the airport restaurants before checking out of the hotel and taking advantage of their complimentary 'fast pass' through security. 

Full English brekkie to start the day

Bags were dropped, security cleared and a Starbucks acquired all by 8.50am ready for our flight leaving at 11.20am. We couldn't have asked for a smoother and more relaxing, stress free start to the day.

Pre-flight Starbucks

Our plane on a grey and wet day in London

And we are ready for take-off

Best get comfy!!

Our flight left on time and a mere nine and a quarter hours later we landed at terminal C at Orlando International airport. With thanks to my friend Michelle we had downloaded the MPC app which meant that we could 'skip' the border control main line once we had our bags and we sailed through with ease. We made our way down a few levels and found the Mears Connect reception and checked in for the transportation to the first Disney hotel of our trip; Coronado Springs. 

On the bus to Coronado Springs

Back in 2013 we were booked to stay at Coronado Springs but upon arrival we found ourselves upgraded to the Wilderness Lodge! So when planning this trip we decided that for the first couple of nights we would stay at the place that we'd planned to stay at all those years previous. 

Arriving around 6pm we took the evening to get settled into our room, grab some food and explore the resort. It had changed a fair amount since 2013 with the addition of the Gran Destino Tower, new restaurants and lounges and the landscaping was much more vibrant and plentiful than back in 2013. It is a truly beautiful resort.

New to us on this trip was the 'My Disney Experience' app and all that that entailed. This meant that prior to arriving at the hotel (in fact prior to leaving the UK) we had completed an online check-in so when we arrived we received a notification telling us our room was ready. We were also able to magically open our hotel door via the app as well. Although more on this in a later post!!

Our first full day started rather early as our body clocks adjusted to the 5 hour time difference and we found ourselves awake at 5.30am. Simon decided to go out for an early morning run completing 5 km by running four laps of Lago Dorado. We then both made use of the resorts gym, which happened to be quite close to where our room was. 

Up and about bright and early

After grabbing some quick service breakfast at 'El Mercado de Coronado' we headed out for the day jumping on a Disney bus to Disney Springs.

This is when I had 'a moment'...one of those 'I'm home' moments...one of those moments that catch you unawares and before you know it you're getting all misty eyed and choked up. We were on the bus making our way to Disney Springs and I was taking in the scenery around me and experiencing a deep feeling of familiarity as I watched the roads pass by and then I saw something that I'd never seen in person and it triggered a surprising reaction. What was it?...the Skyliner (Disney's cable car system that links a number of hotels and a couple of the parks). And as I looked out the window I felt all the emotions come over me and I began to tear up! And I knew then I was home and in my happy place.

Back in 2013 Disney Springs was called Downtown Disney and in the intervening 12 years had undergone an extensive expansion and while some areas were very familiar others were all brand new to us. We had a lovely day exploring all that the Springs had to offer and ended up spending much more time there than I think we had imagined.

We enjoyed some quiet time drinking iced coffee in Starbucks (just days before it closed for a refurbishment) while Simon created one of his many drawings that he completed over the course of the trip (we will devote a post to his art at a later date). Bargains were purchased at Zara! Shops were perused and lots of money was spent in my head! We enjoyed a salad from Earl of Sandwich and then later in the day discovered D-Luxe Burger and enjoyed a French Onion Soup burger, which was delicious!

As we waited for our bus back to Coronado Springs we discovered the magic of bus wraps! A good percentage of the Disney bus fleet have been wrapped in different themes and we rode our first one back to the hotel; it was Frozen themed.

I then gave myself the challenge of photographing as many of the bus wraps as possible over the next few weeks! Another post I think will be devoted to my collection of bus wraps and more!

Arriving back at the hotel we dumped our shopping bags in the room and headed out for another explore of the hotel. We grabbed some decaf coffee and enjoyed the resort as the light faded and the hotel lit up. 

Once back in our room we had the task of making sure we were packed and ready for the following days adventure...

Where to next?

A couple of links that may help to explain my love of Disney (plus there are lots of other posts talking about Disney, as well as those documenting past trips!);

About this Blog

Why Disney

Disney Time Again!

After many years away from Walt Disney World we've just returned from the most amazing time away fully immersed inside the Disney bubble.

So let me fill you in.

Back in 2020 things started to align that meant a visit to Walt Disney World was on the cards...but then we all know what happened that year! Our plans and dreams were once again put on an indefinite hold while we waited for the world to get back to some semblance of normal. Fast forward to September of 2023 when in an attempt to get a little Disney fix we embarked on our first Disney cruise (and first cruise ever!) aboard the Disney Dream. Not only did this give us that Disney magic we'd been looking for but it also gave us a whole new way of 'doing' Disney, which we fell in love with! So much so that we made new friends while aboard and were booked for the following year (dragging the kids with us!) almost as soon as our feet touched land!

So after our second cruise in September of 2024, and with Simon joining me in retirement nine months earlier, our thoughts turned once more towards Walt Disney World. When our new friends from our cruise in 2023 mentioned that they too were hoping to visit WDW in early 2025 we vowed to meet up and set about coordinating diaries. As soon as dates were confirmed we were able to sort flights, hotels, tickets and more.

Our itinerary ultimately involved a couple of nights staying at Disney's Coronado Springs resort, followed by a 3 night Disney cruise aboard the Disney Wish, returning to Walt Disney World for a 19 night stay at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter resort, with a 14 day park ticket to experience all that the parks had to offer!

Suffice to say we had the best time and have lots to tell...so stay tuned as I try over the course of the next few posts to recount our travels.

Disney you say...

So how did my love (some may call it obsession) of Disney come about?

When I think back Disney has always just 'been there' in my life. I remember as a child growing up in the UK we would watch 'Disney Time' a movie clip compilation show that would appear on the TV at special times of the year. 

I have a vague memory of one of my very first trips to the cinema being to watch 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks', although I can't be sure this was during its initial cinematic release as I would have only been about 4 years old. But growing up in the 1970's and 1980's Disney was simply a part of the pop culture we were exposed to.

I very recently re-discovered an album that I still own to this day and which was probably bought for me as a child, it's dated 1975.

Then in November of 1990 during a trip to London we made a point of visiting the then brand new Disney Store on Regent Street; it had only opened that month and was the first Disney Store outside of the US. I have this photo of me wearing the Mickey ears that we had bought. I remember them being of a very hard, shiny plastic and that they dug into my head so hard it meant wearing them for anymore than a few minutes just wasn't doable! Oh how times, and ears, have changed!

Then in 1991 Simon and I made our first trip to Orlando, Florida which was kind of by accident. We had originally intended to go on vacation with my parents who were planning a trip to Austria but I'd gotten the dates mixed up and had booked the wrong weeks off from work. It was also the time of the Gulf war and the rumours were that flights to the US were 'going cheap' so we decided to take advantage and book a Florida vacation. However, when we came to make the booking we soon found out that the rumours of cheap flights were just that, rumours! But as we had chosen where we wanted to go we decided to book the vacation anyway staying in a hotel on International Drive.

On 30th July 1991 we made our way to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World for the very first time and stepping onto Main Street USA I just knew I was 'home'.

Taken 30th July 1991, waiting for the fireworks.

Since then there have been numerous trips to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris, one trip to Disneyland, one Disney cruise and Simon has been lucky enough during work trips to visit Tokyo Disney Resort. I have lots of books and memorabilia, handbags, clothes and just the odd one or two Disney themed tattoos! Oh and I co-host a Disney theme parks podcast with my very good friend Michelle, called the Disney Dream Girls.

So yes Disney plays a big part in my life and I think it always will. 

There is something in the ethos of Walt Disney and the company that he created that draws you in. But it is still hard to explain what it is exactly that drives this love of all things Disney and the indiscernible magic that it creates. It's in the story telling, the attention to detail, the characters, the customer service, the ability to leave the real world behind for a little while and for everyone no matter what age or background to enjoy something together. 

Some will look at Disney and the theme parks and assume it's 'just for kids' but it is so much more than that. And to use a quote attributed to Walt himself from the opening of Disneyland in 1955, and then immortalised in plaques at both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom...'here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy'...oh and remember 'adults are only kids grown up anyways'!

Day 867 & Day 868

Day 867...Wednesday

And the day started with another two minute and thirty second cold shower followed by our early morning walk of 1.9 miles in 36 minutes. The clouds were rather grey but there was a hint that the sun was trying to get out and my weather app told me that there was only a 13% chance of rain...suffice to say we experienced the 13%. Just as we stepped out the door it began to rain so I quickly grabbed my lightweight rain coat and Simon grabbed the umbrella. Thankfully within about ten minutes the rain had stopped and although it was a little cooler than yesterday it was actually lovely and refreshing.

First job of the day was to head out to Lidl for a little catch-up shop, all those fresh things to keep us going over the next few days.

Once back home I had a relatively quiet day. I had a few odd jobs around the house to do, a little laptop work and a little internet distraction! I have been eyeing up some Funko Pop Vinyl figures that I had seen in Forbidden Planet in Nottingham and thought I would look online to compare prices. Now I'm not normally a Funko collector, we have a few odd ones that have been received as gifts but this particular set had caught my eye. It's a set to mark the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World and involves one of my all time favourite attractions; the People Mover. There are four in the set and they feature Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Stitch each sat in their own People Mover carriage. Although it looks like the Stitch one maybe a little hard to find at a reasonable price but I think the other three should be quite reasonable. I am still in two minds but they would go rather lovely in our new study/craft room!

Mid-afternoon I hooked up with my good friend, and podcast co-host, Michelle to record an episode of the Disney Dream Girls podcast. We chatted about the new Magic Band + that has just been released in Walt Disney World as well as looking at the Halloween foodie offerings. Would you believe that Halloween starts mid-August in Walt Disney World and as Michelle will be visiting in a few days time she has booked an evening at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! While it's great that more people can get to experience Halloween Disney style I still think August is just a tad early!

I was able to make a little more progress on my latest jigsaw before we headed down our gym. This was our second weights workout of the week and it was another warm and muggy evening that just seemed to sap the strength out of you. In fact I did most of my exercises outside of the garage in attempt to feel a little cooler although it didn't give me any extra energy!

Although my second cold shower of two minutes and thirty seconds was actually quite pleasant!

Day 868...Thursday

It was a lovely morning with blue skies and clear views for miles around as we completed our usual walk of 1.9 miles in a sprightly 36 minutes, our pace has definitely improved over the last few walks.

I wasn't really sure what I had planned today but knew that I had a couple of boring online jobs so got them out of the way first thing. It was then onto the ever so exciting (sarcasm here!) ironing before I decided to defrost the freezer! I know I am just living the dream! 

Although defrosting the freezer would have been easier if I'd actually switched it off. To be fair I thought I had as we have a plug that is clearly marked 'Fridge' (it's a combined fridge and freezer) and I dutifully switched it off. What I didn't do was actually check to see if it had actually switched off, it was only part way through defrosting that I heard a noise from the fridge, opened the door and saw that the light came on. I then looked at the oven which is plugged into the same socket as the fridge and lo and behold that was off! So somehow or other we have managed to label up the wrong plug. I did start to make a little more progress with it switched off and Simon lent me his heat gun to help speed things up! But as it had been quite some time since it was last defrosted I didn't manage to get it as fully defrosted as I would have liked but as it had taken up most of the morning I decided to call it a day and attempt the remainder another day.

After a spot of lunch it was time to catch up on a few more jobs. All not very exciting just those need to get done things. I spent a few minutes chatting with one of my elderly neighbours who is a 'tour de force'. She is in her very late eighties and lives alone having been widowed 28 years ago but she is active and gets herself out and about in her car and shows no sign of letting up. She is a gleaming example of how to embrace life and carry on whatever is thrown your way.

I did manage a little more jigsaw today and was able to grab a little time outside in the sunshine with a coffee before rounding the day out with another session down our gym. Tonight it was body weight exercises with a focus on legs and tummy!

Well, I best sign off and see you all tomorrow.
xx

p.s. I even managed to get those Funko figures ordered...well all but the Stitch one so I now have a mission to track one down.

Day 532...Last Day of Summer Break

Day 532...

Today has been the last day of my summer break from work. Working in education means that I am fortunate enough to have a six week break from work over the summer, although this doesn't stop me from doing some work as well!

But tomorrow we are back, well kind of. We have two 'inset days' planned; these are days for the staff to get back into work, go over plans for the coming weeks and get to grips with a revised curriculum that comes into effect this new academic year. We then re-open to children on Monday!

But my day today was all about getting caught up on a couple of jobs around the house. The first being to clean Molly's bedroom and ensuite bathroom whilst she is away this week. To be fair Molly is pretty good at keeping both rooms clean and tidy but with her not being here it's a good time to get in there and have a good clean through. Plus, as we are due our main bathroom revamp next week, it does mean that we will all need to use her ensuite so I thought it only right that I took on the cleaning responsibility!

I had perfect timing as the cleaning was finished just as Simon broke for his lunch which meant our usual walk out and about. It was another very grey day and although not cold it was a bit damp in the air again but we still managed 2.4 miles in about 44 minutes.

After a spot of lunch my next job for the day was to tackle the ironing pile, which thankfully didn't take me too long to master. And then I decided to scan in a few more photos. As the last few I'd scanned had been from our Orlando trip in 1992 I thought I would see if I could find the rest from this trip as I knew there were more. But in searching through the masses of photos I came across some loose photos that had been removed from albums and discovered a number that belonged with our 1991 Orlando photos. I knew when I'd worked through the 1991 albums that some of the photos were missing but couldn't for the life of me remember what I'd done with them. I think they had been removed and scanned for use on this blog, many moons ago, and had, obviously, never been put back from where they came.

So my focus became scanning these remaining 1991 photos and then uploading them to my laptop and then trying to figure out whereabouts in the timeline of photos already catalogued they fitted. A little detective work was needed to match up location and then outfits and weather conditions so that I could be sure exactly where they fell.

And today in the post I received the copy of Birnbaums Walt Disney World 1991 that I was missing. Going through all the photos I had remembered that our 1991 copy of Birnbaums had been lent out and never returned. After purchasing the book in 1991 it has become a tradition to buy a copy each year we visit and so it felt wrong to no longer have it in our collection. But today that has been put right...

...and as I flicked through the pages look what I found....

...a park guide that has a print date of 1990! What an amazing, and lucky, find!

And I think that is where I shall leave it for today...see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 527

Day 527...

Well we have a Friday and I'm rather late writing this one today! Not because it's been an overly busy day just because it's fell that way.

This morning was taken up with a few work emails that needed replies as well as some personal ones that needed sorting. I then updated all the photos that I'd scanned in and downloaded to my laptop yesterday with information relating to the date, time and whereabouts.

It is proving to be an interesting exercise finding the information for these photos, especially as at the moment I am going through our very first visit to Walt Disney World. I am now thanking my past self for saving all the park maps and guidebooks so that I can make sure I have the correct information relating to each photo...well as correct as I can make it.

When we were getting ready for our first visit to Walt Disney World I bought a book called 'Birnbaum's Walt Disney World' and found it to be a fascinating source of information and opened me up to the stories behind the parks and the attractions. It has now become a tradition that each year we visit we buy the latest 'Birnbaum'. So when cataloging all these photos I turned to my copies of 'Birnbaum's' and that's when I remembered that I no longer possessed the 1991 copy; I remember loaning it to someone but never getting it back. But the park maps, the subsequent year's edition and a little googling have proved to be extremely helpful when tracking down the exact details relating to the when and where the photos were taken. But because I was missing the 1991 copy I decided to see if I could find a copy online. My first instinct was to look at Ebay and whilst there were copies for sale they were all in the US and consequently the shipping was almost as much as the book itself! Most copies were being sold for between £15 and £25 (plus shipping) so I decided to do a 'google' and lo and behold I was able to track down a copy in the UK for just over £5 and free shipping!

We had our usual walk out at lunchtime, managing 2.4 miles in 46 minutes. And then my afternoon was taken up with a couple of work emails and more scanning of photographs. I have now scanned in all of our 1991 trip to Orlando and have started with our 1992 trip; I think I have scanned and edited around 150 (or more) photos today. Of those I still have about 90 that have been edited and uploaded but still need the data for each one inputting which I think will be a job for another day.

Later on this afternoon I got chance to chat with my very good friend, and podcast co-host, Michelle, who had just gotten off the Disney Magic cruise ship after a four night 'staycation'. It sounds like she has had a fabulous time and has enjoyed being able to get a little touch of the Disney magic into her life.

Molly's fella Dan arrived for the weekend earlier on today and they ventured into Nottingham for a look around. Molly came home with a Primark bag which can only mean one thing in this house...Disney! She also found a vintage store that was selling old Walt Disney World t-shirts...mmm...I might just have to pay Nottingham a visit!

The time seemed to fly this afternoon so quite late on I nipped out to a local supermarket to buy a few bits that we were running short on before getting home to cook dinner. Simon has been working late this evening as he wanted to get the piece of work he has been doing today all finished so I guess it's time to refresh my glass of red and call it a day!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 516...Monday...

Day 516...

The start of the working week for some but the last day of Simon's holiday for us.

First thing this morning we had a local landscape gardener pay us a visit to provide a quote for laying some artificial grass. We had their quote by early afternoon but have another couple of companies lined up to provide quotes before we decide whether it's something we want to do and whether the price is right!

We then headed off for a wander around Nottingham and explored a little more of the Arboretum. We'd only really discovered the Arboretum a couple of weeks ago and so decided to head back there today to walk around where we've not yet been. A coffee was then needed and we popped into a Starbucks...not our usual choice and although I have nothing against the coffee I don't think we will be frequenting this branch again. It was noisy, doors banging constantly, sticky tables, crumbs on the floor and it felt like we were sitting in the middle of a busy bus station rather than a calm cafe. Not really the experience I would have expected, nor wanted, and considering the number of staff working, there really was no excuse for the state of the place. Suffice to say we will avoid this particular store in the future and stick to our usual coffee stops.

Back home and we had an afternoon of Simon completing more digital art and me scanning yet more photos. I'm working my way through our holiday photos from Orlando in 1991 and as I came across some from the Magic Kingdom fireworks and Main Street Electrical Parade I wanted to check what time these would have occurred. I was going to google the question but then I had a thought and went on a search...

...and found these park guide maps and show times from 1991 which provided the answer I needed.

And I just love these photos...

...a rare photo of us both together on this holiday and I am guessing this was taken between the fireworks and then the parade...

...this photo has me with a rose...while waiting for the parade Simon bought me a 'light-up' rose. I still have this rose, and it still works, and is one of my most prized Disney souvenirs.

Our day was rounded out with Molly driving us over to her Monday night kickboxing class and sparring session.

And there we have a Monday, see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 143

Day 143...

Another beautiful and warm day again today.

This time last year we were in a very warm and very busy Disneyland Paris...I suspect that while the weather may be the same the crowds will definitely not!

A very busy entrance to Disneyland Paris, 8th August 2019

But starting the day with lovely sunny and warm weather got us reminiscing about our last trip to Walt Disney World back in 2013 when we were lucky enough to be staying at the Wilderness Lodge Resort as a result of a free upgrade from the Coronado Resort.

We loved being able to grab a breakfast from Roaring Forks and eat it outside soaking up the sunshine and the atmosphere. Nothing better than eating Mickey waffles off paper plates, with plastic cutlery, enjoying the crispy bacon and fruit compote with plenty of syrup...so not the food we eat nowadays but we would love to be able to eat breakfast there right now! Been too long since we were able to get to Walt Disney World and I fear it will be a while yet before we are able to get there again :(

Breakfast outside, waffles, bacon, syrup and more!

Enjoying pancakes with fruit and maple syrup!!

And talk of Disney food meant we couldn't mention breakfast without mentioning Tonga Toast from over at the Polynesian Resort - sourdough bread, bananas and cinnamon...mmmm....

Tonga Toast

Still I really enjoyed my breakfast this morning, my usual of sausage, bacon (with a little brie) and two poached eggs.

But once we got ourselves moving today we had some paperwork to sort for our other house which meant messing about online and a couple of phone calls. I had laundry to sort thanks to Molls return home last night and Simon had the new box/cover construction to lightly sand in a few places followed by another coat of varnish.

We had another visit to our 'other house' this afternoon to paint over a few holes in walls that had been filled where we had taken down some pictures and things. We also boxed up some of the items that we have decided to sell and brought them home so that we can start getting that process underway.

Once back home and fueled by coffee we had a new plant to put in the garden along with the removal of a couple of very old plants that had seen better days. I also decided to cut back a few off our larger plants to give them a bit more room to grow. While I was doing that Simon had some work to complete on his R2D2 build; a little sanding and then primer painting.

We had a treat tonight and had our first take-out meal since lockdown began from our local kebab shop; this is great for us and our low carb way of life as we eat just the meat (chicken and steak - yummy) and salad but discard the pitta bread.

We have been chatting today about the impact of Coronavirus and what we should or should not be doing. How it affects us on a day to day basis and what to do with the information that we are receiving from governments and scientific bodies - it is all very confusing, open to interpretation and all we can try and do is what we think is the right thing to do.

We have tried to do as much as we can to limit our risk and therefore we hope the risk to others. We will continue to 'risk assess' anything that we want or need to do and only move forward when we are happy to do so. To have a take-out meal tonight was lovely and was a treat as it would have been prior to lockdown. We have not been out to a restaurant for a meal yet but we didn't eat out that much before the lockdown...I am sure we will have a meal out at some point but we are in no rush to do so. We have shopped online as much as possible but have ventured out when we have needed to but taken all the precautions that we can; face masks, distancing and hand sanitiser!

We are taking things slow and steady and will do our part, as much as we can, to help keep this virus under control but it can be very frustrating when seeing reports that imply there are those who appear to not be taking as much care and consideration as us.

So whatever you are up to please take care, keep your distance, wash your hands and wear a mask.

xx

Overdue post...

Well it's been a while since I put finger to keyboard so I thought I'd better get my act together and write a post!

So firstly apologies for such a long time between posts...I'd always wanted to get at least a couple of posts done each month but time seems to have run away from me of late.

So what have I been up to? Well, unfortunately, nothing exciting to report I'm afraid it's just been the day-to-day life of a working mum and wife. So the typical juggling of work, home and getting children from one place to another!

As far as work goes pre-school is a continually evolving place and we are never ones to sit still for too long! We have been re-looking at what we do and how we do it to make sure that we provide the best possible care and education for the children that come to us. So this has meant working lots of extra hours as we plan ahead for the future. Plus we have been busy fundraising and in the last few weeks managed to raise £117 with a cake sale and then our Easter Eggstravaganza rasied another £560! We also celebrated World Book Day so I couldn't resist the chance to go dressed as a Disney character...

As you can see in the above photo work has started on my latest Disney tattoo as I embark on a full sleeve! I have now had two sessions with the lovely and very talented Rachael Huntington at Rampant Ink and I will be seeing her next week for the next instalment. I promise I will devote a blog post to it soon!!

Simon has been extremely busy with his work and I can now reveal that he is working on a video game called Dangerous Golf which will be the first release for UK game developer Three Fields Entertainment. Working for a small start up company is an exciting time for Simon, and we're all looking forward to their games release in a couple of months time (June 2016-ish!) and fingers crossed it gets the success that everyone working at Three Fields Entertainment deserves!

And the other thing that has been taking up our time has been the ongoing creation of our cosplay outfits for Star Wars Celebration this coming July. Simon's kit is almost complete with this weekend seeing us fit armour to legs!! Next is creating the armour for my outfit!! Once we are nearing completion I shall put a post together, with plenty of pictures!!

So as far as Disney goes I am still recording the Disney Dream Girls podcast with the lovely Michelle and I shall be living vicariously through her as she travels to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World this year. Whether we will make it to a Disney park this year is a complete unknown and as much as I would love it to happen I think realistically it probably won't, fingers crossed that 2017 is the year for us!

Oh and I just remembered I did manage to complete my Disney villains jigsaw.

And I've just started another...

Should keep me out of trouble for a little while!!