DisneyWatch 2010: Restaurants!

This is such an exciting day for me! This is the first "real" installment of Disney Tips Tuesday! Today I'm asking for all the tips you can think of in regard to restaurants.

So far, here's the advice I have received:

1. Make reservations NOW. (So really I should have done it last week. But what I haven't done, I haven't done, and I really want your input ... so I'm waiting until tomorrow.)

2. Plan what park you'll visit based on the night you have reservations at one of the restaurants in the park. (Again, restaurants first, parks second.)

3. Do the Disney Dining Plan. (Done.)

4. Eat at 'Ohana (at the Polynesian) and Chef Mickey's (at the Contemporary).

The other restaurant I think we might like to try is Coral Reef at Epcot. It just looks cool, but I don't know anything about the food.

So, Internet: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? Hit me!

Next week: PARKS.

Homecoming

We had such a beautiful weekend here, and we got to spend the bulk of it outside, which was great.

We headed out to our alma mater, Samford University, on Saturday morning for homecoming festivities. Although we knew we couldn't stay for the game (it fell during Jake's nap time), we planned to attend a presentation of honors for some graduates of the Journalism/Mass Communication department (I was a JMC major) and to enjoy the free BBQ following it.

The boys behaved WONDERFULLY for the first 20 minutes of the presentation, and then all bets were off. We ended up escorting them out to the Quad until the "formal" part was over. While we were out there, we ran into the SU mascot: the bulldog.



Just after we ran into him, the boys discovered a Hole in the Ground. What's better than that?



NOTHING, that's what. I think it became the highlight of their day.



It was a real shame when we had to tear them away from it to go to the BBQ ... which was delicious, by the way. The highlight for me was getting to see my friend Rachel and her husband Mark, whom we haven't seen since they moved away after college.


We haven't been great about keeping in touch over the last several years, although recently we hooked up on Facebook, so we've been able to look at each other's pictures and are now privy to each other's kids' fevers via Status Updates. You know, the important stuff. I love how easy it is to pick back up with some people, though, you know? She's just an easy person to be friends with.

After the BBQ, the boys wanted to "run on the big grass," otherwise known as the Quad. Samford has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, in my opinion, and I have always loved walking it. On the way to The Big Grass, we passed by the library:



Once on the Quad, the boys looked for a big hill. Because why go to The Big Grass if you can't then find A Big Hill? I don't know why. Their hunt ended in success.



They surveyed the hill and its rolling potential from the top.



They walked off sections of it to determine the best point of entry for maximum velocity while rolling.



The prime point of entry was defined. Satisfaction followed.



And then the running and the rolling began. Jake took off down the hill like a shot.



Then he climbed back up and asked (non-verbally, of course) to be rolled down.


(And yes, he has his paci. It was our last resort back-up plan for the Very Quiet Reception we attended at the beginning of the day, and once he had it, he wasn't giving it up.)

Nathaniel rolled.



Nick rolled.



And at the bottom of the hill, the boys discovered candy in the grass that had been thrown by the occupants of the cars in the Homecoming Parade. Jakey found Solid Gold, otherwise known as a Dum-Dum sucker. He endured Sophie's Choice: paci or sucker. Paci or sucker?



SUCKER!



He dug in with gusto.



He even tried the paper-handle end of it.



Apparently that end isn't quite as tasty as the sucker end.



He ran along the perfectly manicured shrubbery, fascinated by its appearance.



He couldn't help himself ... he HAD to touch it.



And by the time we rounded them up to head to the car, they were COVERED in grass stains. All of them. COVERED. I do not believe these pants will recover.



On the way back across the Quad, I stopped them in front of the chapel for a picture.


I'm not really sentimental, but I love having a picture of the boys on the campus where Grayson and I met. Lots of good memories there.

Walking back down the sidewalk, we admired the Fall foliage and decided to stop at the library for the boys to get a drink from the water fountain inside.



I bet the kids studying all the way up on the third floor could hear the slurping. We are not a quiet brood.



Jake spied the grand staircase and NEEDED to climb it.



Of course as soon as the older boys were done slurping, they had to follow.



They explored some, peeking around corners and through balusters.



This picture makes it look quiet in there. That's because it was, until we got there.



And when we got so unruly that I was uncomfortable with the decibel level, Grayson carried Jake out -- under complete protest, of course.


When one has to be carried out of a library horizontally, you KNOW he's not going willingly.

There were many hops, skips and jumps along the route back to the car. The campus has so many steps, walls, slopes, Big Grasses ... it's a shame it's all wasted on college students, really.



Just before we headed back up the hill to our parking deck, we ran into a nice sorority girl who was trying to find kids to give the last of her balloons.



SCORE!


A fitting red-and-blue end to our fun homecoming adventure.

Bakerella does it again

In case you hadn't heard, this month Sesame Street celebrates 40 years of quality children's programming.

And today, Bakerella posted her latest creations in celebration of the momentous event. Please do yourself a favor and click over to enjoy it!


And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SESAME STREET!

Bitten by the holiday bug

I've got the Holiday Fever because I keep seeing things like this:


Christmas light canape knives, Pier 1, $12.95 for a set of four

And this:

Personalized gingerbread house, Williams-Sonoma, $56.95 FOR ONE

And:

Nutcracker dinnerware, Williams-Sonoma, $19.95 for a dinner plate (not listed per place setting)

And lastly, this:

Pomegranate feather wreath, Pottery Barn, $79

Which means it's almost time to break THIS out:


My reindeer china from Pottery Barn, which I bought about 10 years ago and love. I've only used it a few times (we're not really "china" people), but it makes me happy.

Merry almost-but-not-really-almost Christmas!

I'm a rightie ... I think

I write with my right hand and I play sports right-handed, but I'm pretty inconsistent about being a rightie in other ways.

- I can only carry Jake in my left arm. My right arm and right hip are completely incapable of supporting his weight and bulk. It's been that way with all three kids. Also applies to carrying groceries.

- I always put my left shoe on first, and I put my left leg in my pants first. Also applies to socks.

But then again:

- I hold a phone in my right hand. Cell phone or home phone, it doesn't matter. If I talk with it in my left hand, I lose all my senses and can't concentrate on the topic at hand. Also applies to cutting with knives.

- I am only capable of carrying my purse on my right side. If that strap isn't over my right shoulder, it's meeting the pavement. It's as if my left shoulder is a ski slope. Also applies to diaper bags.

It seems like my right side should be dominant in all ways, but it's not. Why do I notice these things? Why do I care? I don't know. I just know that it bugs me.

Maybe I need to take all those waltzes off my running mix

Monday night when I left the office and headed to my normal jogging trail, I forgot my iPod. I left it in its charging station on my desk, and by the time I realized it, I was five minutes out and couldn't take the time to go back and get it.

EMERGENCY.

Ever since I got spoiled by jogging with music, it seems like unnecessary torture to exercise without it. POP CANDY MUSIC, I CAN'T QUIT YOU.

So here's the thing: When I got to my starting spot and stretched out, I gave myself a little pep talk. "You can do it. Just start jogging and get it over with. You don't even have to do more than two miles, not without music you don't. Thirty minutes and you're outta here."

I jogged (in the pitch-black dark, mind you) and I jogged. I was aware of every breath and every footfall. It was tedious and boring. And then I was finally done, and I looked down at my watch to see how much slower I was without my beloved musical accompaniment -- and I'd finished my two miles FOUR MINUTES FASTER than I had three days before. I got out my calculator and figured out that that's two minutes off of my one-mile pace. WHOA.

I wish I could say that I'll keep it up; I'll keep jogging without my music. But people, I just don't think I can do it. Britney and Kelly, I NEED YOU.

Minus 23.6, and I still love candy

I've lost a little more weight over the past couple of weeks, but IT'S REALLY BEEN TOUGH. If you ever wondered -- while you're lying awake at night, thinking about me -- if after 14 weeks of dieting I would finally lose my sweet tooth, the answer is HELL NO. (And I would say, "Heck, no," for you fine, upstanding people of the Internet, but quite frankly, that just wouldn't be honest.) Remember that dieting makes me profane. (I typed "profound" first, and then realized that wasn't what I was trying to say. Or was it?)

MOVING ON. All that to say, I still love me some sweets, and Halloween Week has been hellacious. I have limited myself to just a few pieces, so overall I have stayed true to The Program, but my oh my if it hasn't taken EVERY STINKING MOLECULE of my willpower to do it. I would seriously consider subjecting myself to physical pain for a Reese's Cup right now. And that sentence will make a lot more sense once I share the following anecdote with you:

Yesterday I took Nicholas with me to Jake's 18-month pediatrician's visit. Once there, the nurse told me that their flu vaccine had finally come in, and she asked if I wanted to vaccinate both boys since they were both there. I looked at Nick:

Me: "Nicholas, I wasn't planning to do this today, and I would have told you if I were. I wouldn't have brought you here without being honest with you. But they have the flu shots, and I need you to get one while we're here."

Nicholas: "I don't want a shot."

Me: "I know, but you need to have one to keep you from getting sick this winter. I'll tell you what: If you cooperate and do a great job, I'll take you to the gas station afterward and you can pick out any treat you'd like to have."

Nicholas: "OK."

Nurse: "Hey, he's old enough to get the Flu Mist, and we just got that in, too. Do you want that, instead?"

Me: "Yes, he had that last year and it was great. Let's do that."

Nicholas: "So I don't have to get a shot?"

Me: "Nope. But I'm not going to get you a treat for taking Flu Mist, either. It's just a sniff up your nose. No needle."

Nicholas: "BUT I WANT A TREAT."

Nurse: "Honey, I'll give you a sucker when you're done."

Nicholas: "I want a BETTER treat than that. GIMME THE SHOT."

Internet, I believe that's the most absolute proof I've ever seen that my DNA is in there. THOSE WERE MY GENES TALKING.


P.S. He got the Flu Mist AND a treat -- because I'm just that much of a pushover. And he was that cute.

DisneyWatch 2010: It's on!

It's official! Following all of your encouragement about taking the kids to DisneyWorld next year, we decided to do it!

If you follow me on Twitter, I suppose that's not totally "news" to you, since I Tweeted last night that I was working on some Disney details. But it's all terribly exciting for US!

So here's the deal: I am going to be collecting a LOT of information over the next two months, before we travel to Orlando in January. I'm asking for your help -- on Disney Tips Tuesdays -- in a variety of ways, to help make my planning easier and ease my mind a little bit so I don't feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew in trying to plan it in such a short time with all the holidays falling between now and then.

Here's what I've done so far:

1. Book our hotel. Old Key West on Disney property, a two-bedroom condo for us and a studio condo next door for my parents ... who are generously footing the bill and creating all of these wonderful memories for our family!

2. Book our air travel. Thanks to my friend Lisa (a Disney pro, herself), who alerted me to the recent 72-hour fare sale, we were able to get "cheap" round-trip, direct tickets into Orlando at exactly the right time.

And if I were to now start typing the list of things that REMAIN to be done, I would just cry. So I'm not going to do that. I have many, many tabs left in my binder to fill. (And yes, I DO have a binder. If that surprises you in the least, you haven't been reading my blog long enough. WELCOME, NEW READER!)

Over the next many Tuesdays, I will be asking you for recommendations on the following things (so put your thinking caps on!):

Nov. 9: Restaurants

Nov. 16: Parks (even if they're not on Disney property)

Nov. 30: Events

Dec. 1: Air-travel tips (with kids)

Dec. 8: Money-saving tips

Dec. 15: What to carry into the park

Jan. 5: Photography

Jan. 12: Souvenirs & strollers

If you'll be thinking of all of that stuff (but save it until the day that makes sense), that would be GREAT. If I keep the Comments organized by Tip, it will be so easy to print them out and put them in my binder to pore over at my leisure. (CONTROL FREAK MUCH? Yes, thank you.)

I'm loving how helpful you've been already, since your Comments were weighted so heavily toward, "GO! You'll have a great time! You'll make forever memories and it will be the best trip ever!" I'm really hoping it doesn't end up like Spring Break in high school, where we anticipated it so much that it almost never lived up to the hype.

Somehow I just don't think that's going to be the case. :)

It's practically Christmas already

I'm not one of "those people" who starts preparing for Christmas before Halloween even arrives, but I AM always on the lookout for wonderful Christmas gift ideas and beautifully decorated homes.

As we enter November, I thought I'd share a few things I've seen in magazines and on the Internet over the last month or so -- things that I'm either going to buy or -- at the very least -- drool over during the next six weeks. And if people sometimes lump you into that "hard-to-buy-for" category, you might want to direct them to one of these things!

Christmas stockings in designer fabrics

OMG. Why didn't I ever consider this as an option? These make my red and green stockings look downright DOWDY.

She has tons of fabrics, and you can customize yours to your own style. BRILLIANT! They're not cheap, but you could add one to your collection each year, and when your set was complete, you'd have some heirlooms. $40 each

Calling cards for moms, bloggers, single ladies ...

I bought a batch of these to give out to people who ask for my blog URL or to give out as calling cards to women I meet at blogging events. I am completely in love with them! I purchased them in this design:

... but there are so many cute ones from which to choose.

And each set comes in a cute little tin with a clip that allows you to attach it to your purse or diaper bag.

A great gift for your wife, babysitter, teenage daughter, teacher ... you can customize them to include her name, e-mail address, Twitter tag, home, work, cell phone numbers. The sky's the limit! $15 for 24 cards

Absolutely anything from lettergirl

In preparation for return-addressing 300 Christmas cards in a few weeks, I bought a return-address stamper that is going to do a beautiful job on my envelopes! I purchased one in this style:



but she has many, many from which to choose, and they are ALL irresistible! $38 each


The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ree's cookbook is finally here! One of my favorite bloggers published a cookbook of her favorite recipes this Fall. It's been fun reading about her journey over the past year or so while she's been getting it ready for publication.


Before the cookbook was even a glint in her eye, though, I'd tried three or four of the recipes she'd posted on her site. I give them all high marks! $17 each

Battling a serious sugar high

We had Captain Rex:



And Commander Cody:



And they protected their Ewok admirably.



I do believe we had the cutest Ewok in the history of Ewoks, including those hired by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.



Do I hear any arguments?



I didn't think so.



He charmed everyone all night long.



He peeked out of that little hood with those big blue eyes.



And no one could deny him a thing.



I couldn't blame them.



We went to the same neighborhood we trick-or-treated in last year, which is only a few blocks from our house. We met up with these shady characters: Bat Girl and The Grim Reaper.



Well, OK, Bat Girl wasn't exactly SHADY.



We convened at the house of Bat Girl and The Grim Reaper with our friends The Wicked Witch and Kung Fu Panda.



Witch and Panda belong to one of my dear friends, Laura.



Laura wore a beautiful set of butterfly wings and purple antennae.



We weren't sure how long we would last out there, but as it turned out, after having terrible weather for weeks and weeks, we had a Drop Dead Gorgeous night for trick-or-treating. Clear skies, a full moon and about 55 degrees.



I didn't count how many houses we hit, but it was A LOT.



Jake was in the thick of it the entire night. He bounded up the driveways and steps with the whole rest of the crew.



He bounded back down the sidewalks with just as much gusto, ready to tackle the next house.



He wasn't too shy to ask for candy.



It was just so much fun, and as we got to the end of the route, one house was handing out free Slushies, and the house next door was giving out free hot dogs!


What a great way to end the evening! The boys are already talking about next year.