Hallmark + Christmas + Disney = Magic ✨❤️🎅🏻🏰🎄🐭💚✨

If you're reading this, then it's no surprise to you that I'm a big fan of Disney.  But if you've hung around here for any amount of time at all... you know that Eliot and I are also huge fans of Hallmark Channel movies, especially the Christmas ones.  Hallmark's annual 'Countdown to Christmas' is something we look forward to every year.  And I'm sad that we gave up both our cable and Fubo package so we can't watch the movies live in the background.  (Don't worry, we still have access to Hallmark+ because you'd have to pry my full access to my romantic, sappy movies out of my cold dead hands.) 

Photo Source

Anyways... it should come as no shock to you that Eliot and I were both over the moon excited when we found out that Hallmark was filming a Christmas movie at Walt Disney World last holiday season.  (It's been all over the Disney chats, vlogs, blogs and social media.)  And as if that wasn't magical enough, it stars Lacey Chabert (who we both love) and Christy Carlson Romano (aka Kim Possible & Wren Stevens) is also in it!

The first preview for the movie popped up online just before the July 4th weekend... and it's making me so excited to see it this holiday season!  I'm going to be a sucker for all of the magical Disney references in this film.  I'm already giddy with anticipation! 

And as if that wasn't not all enchanting enough for me... Hallmark and Disney are making a ton of new merchandise specifically themed around the movie.  We're talking Loungefly bags, mouse ears, Vera Bradley bags, coffee mugs and matching holiday pajamas.  I've seen the pictures and it's ALL calling my name... so now I'll also be counting down to the merchandise release- which is supposedly sometime in October.

Thus begins one of the most beautiful partnerships I've ever experienced.  I'm hoping this means Hallmark and Disney will partner together to bring us more movies from Disneyland, Aulani, Disney Cruise Line and maybe even some destinations overseas!

Hallmark + Christmas + Disney = A Magical Match Made in Heaven!!! ✨🎅🏻🏰🎄🐭✨ 

Chronic Disease Awareness Day 2026 🎗

Today is Chronic Disease Awareness Day. 🎗

This is the second year that I've known about this day... after discovering it while struggling to come to terms with my new reality since my endometriosis diagnosis.  A year ago, I was still in the deep depths of discovery and pain- and hoping that my upcoming excision surgery would be the answer to my prayers.  And it was... to a point.

This Chronic Disease Awareness Day, I'm acknowledging that I didn't know what the hell I was even talking about a year ago.  A chronic disease is just that... chronic.  There isn't a magic surgery that will take it all away.  And while I feel loads better now that my insides aren't all attached to each other, the endometriosis still exists.

Sure, my symptoms are much better.  But unfortunately, a few of the most annoying ones that I was looking forward to getting rid of, are the ones I still have.  Exhaustion and being nauseous seem to be my new MO.  And to be frank, it's annoying as hell.  

I'm so tired of being tired.  I never used to be someone who could simply fall asleep anytime and anywhere.  Now, that's all that I seem to want to do.  No matter how much I sleep, I'm still tired.  And not "I didn't get enough sleep" tired... more like "I feel like I've been run over by a bus and sick for a week" tired.  People don't really 'get' that part.  It doesn't ever go away... it's just... there.  Always.

And the nausea... it's still plaguing me.  Thankfully it's mostly just when I'm hungry now.  But it's still really annoying.  I thought it would go away after surgery- but apparently not.

My life looks different now.  I'm still me and I still do the things I want to do.  I just have a lot more of an internal dialog and planning phases than I did before.  And I have to pace myself more... I can't do all the things in one day.  Or I'll pay for it severely the next day.

Endometriosis has made planning things like Disneyland and Walt Disney World hit a bit differently too.  Thankfully I have still fully enjoyed my trips to both parks this year.  But what you don't see in the perfect Instagram photos is that I was in a wheelchair for a good portion of it.  I walked a 5K RunDisney race, and spent a good part of the rest of the trip in a wheelchair.  It's a major paradox, but I'm learning to go with the flow.

Which brings me to our current adventure... London.  I have to admit, I've had a lot of anxiety leading up to this trip.  Sure, I've mostly had excitement, but the dread has been there too.  Europe has a lot of walking and it's not wheelchair friendly.  It might have been almost 20 years since I went, but I remember that.  I can't just fall back on Plan B and ride around in a wheelchair here... so Eliot's family has had to go out of the way to not overbook any one day.  Eliot and I are planning to be happy with whatever it is that we're able to do.  And if I need a break, then we'll take it in our hotel room.  

Still, it kills me to feel so needy... but I keep telling myself that this is just what my life looks like right now.  The people who really love me and care for me will want to make sure that I'm ok.  They wouldn't want me to drive myself into the ground in exhaustion.  And they wouldn't want me to be silently suffering in pain.

Today, I now fully understand why someone created Chronic Disease Awareness Day... because if you've never experienced a chronic disease, you probably won't get it.

Others don't understand what I'm going through.  I try to explain things, but I'm afraid that people will think that I'm just complaining, or that I'm weak, or that I want attention.  All the things you read in people's careless comments to strangers on the internet.  It would kill me to think that people I care about might think those sorts of things about me... so I've withdrawn a lot socially.  I'm not the social butterfly, group outing organizer anymore.  Nowadays, I mostly just stay home and keep to myself.  And it's lonely.

But in this phase, I've also learned a lot about myself.  I'm stronger than I thought I was.  I have more willpower than I thought.  I can do hard things.  I've learned to listen to my body more.  And most importantly, I've learned that my 40+ years of living in my own body far outweighs any medical professionals dismissals towards my experience.

Endometriosis is not something that I would wish on anyone.  But it's now a part of my story and it's a part of who I am.  So today, I'm sending love to all of the other chronic disease fighters with a shout out to my fellow Endometriosis Warriors. 💖 

There are still some days when I have to remind myself that "you are stronger than your pain," but then I remember how far I've already come.  We’ve got this. 💛🎗🌻

We're Off to England!!! 🇬🇧✈️

We're so excited because Eliot and I are officially on our adventure to England!!! 🇬🇧

I'm looking forward to the fun... but first, it's time to buckle up for a long day packed full of travel.  This afternoon, we're taking the bus from Portland down to Boston- giving ourselves lots of extra time since we're traveling internationally.  We leave Logan tonight at 11 PM and fly overnight to London.  Eliot and I land in London tomorrow at 10:40 AM (or 5:40 AM Eastern) after *hopefully* getting some sleep.  His parents and sister Sara also arrive tomorrow, and we all land at Heathrow within an hour of each other.  Then, we'll probably drop our stuff off at our hotel before we jump right into sightseeing! 

Fortunately, I will have cell service during our trip!  I wasn't sure if I would be able to... but it worked out!  I just switched my cell phone over to Spectrum about two weeks ago and they were able to upgrade my plan to international for only $10 for the next month!  So if I have a chance, I'll try to post something on social media live from our trip!  (You can follow along on Facebook or on over on Instagram!)

Things online should look pretty normal in our absence.  I've already scheduled my daily social media posts for the week we'll be gone.  I also have a few blog posts that will be going live during our time away.  I'm glad that I was able to find time to write, because Eliot and I have been so busy the past few weeks that I was afraid I wouldn't have anything!  But thankfully I haven't been stressing myself out about it- focusing on getting ready for our trip abroad has been my top priority!

I can't believe this day is finally here- but I'm super excited that it is!  I hope we have a wonderful time and that this is just the first of many adventures with our new passports.

And so our journey begins!!!  London... here we come!!! 🇬🇧

Happy 250th Birthday USA ❤️🎂💙

Happy 250th Birthday United States of America!!! 🇺🇸✨❤️🎂💙✨🇺🇸

Today, our nation reaches another milestone in our history... and one that I'm excited to experience in person.  But first I have to admit, leading up to this, I haven't been all that pumped for today.  Thankfully, that's changed over the past few weeks.  It's hard when we're at a moment in our history where we probably look like buffoons to most of the world.  Our country feels painfully divided, and hatred and hostility have run rampant.

Then, the world came here.  I am not into soccer... but seeing how the rest of the world now sees us after visiting for the World Cup has sparked something inside of me.  For the first time in a while, I truly feel pride instead of shame.  Seeing all of their videos online and their reactions to how friendly and welcoming we are, it brought something that America really needed leading into our big 250th birthday.

We are a wonderful country... filled with lots of people who are friendly and welcoming.  It might not look that way at the glance, but the background of our country was built on all of us normal, hard-working, regular Joe Americans- not the politicians that have sometimes made a mockery of everything our founding fathers worked for.

The United States is one of the (if not the) top countries in the world.  We've created so many inventions that the entire world uses.  We invented airplanes.  We went to the moon.  And we continue to be a leader in development of technology and innovation.

The other day, I watched the 20/20 special "Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness" on Disney+.  It was really interesting, and I was proud to be an American and a Disney fan.  Disney was built in America... and while there are now theme parks all over the world, it was definitely built here.  (And as a Mainer it was also very exciting to see Portland Headlight featured in the footage for Soarin' Across America!)

If you're interested in staying inside and cool today, Disney is doing a 24 hour takeover broadcast across it's platforms- ABC, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, Freeform, ABC News Live and more.  It will include coverage from all 50 states.  It looks really interesting... so I hope it will be available to watch after today. 🦅🇺🇸🗽🎆

Speaking of today... Eliot and I are celebrating this Independence Day with my Mom and my brother Jeremy.  We're planning to go see Toy Story 5 earlier in the day.  Then, we'll spend the evening with Slugger and the Portland Sea Dogs!!! ✨🇺🇸❤️⚾️💙🇺🇸✨

American friends, no matter how you celebrate, I hope that you have a wonderful and safe celebration of our nation's 250th birthday.  

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!! ✨❤️🎂💙✨

#tbt 4th of July 2023 ❤️⚾️💙

Today I'm sharing a deeply personal Throwback Thursday... to the 4th of July 2023. 

I've debated with myself on if I ever even wanted to share this with anyone... because I cling to it so tightly as if the memory of it might slip away.  Because 4th of July 2023 was the last time my nuclear family was, and will ever be, whole.

This particular 4th of July, my family didn't want to do the Bar Harbor thing.  We had just lost Nana a few months earlier, and we were ready for something new.  It felt like it was a time for some new traditions now that Grammie & Grampie and Nana & Papa were all gone.  I suggested going to see a Portland Sea Dogs game, and that was that.

Mom and Dad came down to Southern Maine, Jeremy drove up from NH, and Eliot flew out west to spend a few days with his family... skiing.  (Yes, that's right- skiing on the 4th of July... because Tahoe had gotten so much snow over the winter.)  He was really excited, and I knew he would enjoy it.  So on the 4th of July, Mom, Dad, Jeremy and I went to Hadlock Field for their first ever Sea Dogs game.

We all wore the matching Mickey baseball shirts that I'd found online and insisted that we wear.  It was really hot and my body (and endometriosis that I didn't know I had at the time) didn't enjoy the heat, but we had a wonderful time.  They laughed at Slugger the mascot's antics.  Dad finally got his Sea Dogs biscuit after waiting very patiently.  (The concessions kids in the stands never got over to us before running out... so Jeremy went downstairs to the concourse to get him one.)  I don't even remember if we won or lost... because in the end it didn't matter.  I was with my family sharing a place that Eliot and I love... and we had a great time together.  The 4th of July fireworks at the end of the night were the icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, that ended up being Daddy's only Sea Dogs game before we suddenly lost him just over a month later.  But I'm so glad he was able to go to at least one game with me though... because I know how much he enjoyed it.

This year, Eliot and I will be going to the Sea Dogs for the 4th again... this time with Mom and Jeremy for their 2nd Portland Sea Dogs game.  It hurts to know that Dad won't be there with us.  But I know that he, Grammie & Grampie and Nana & Papa will always be with us in spirit... especially on the 4th of July. ✨🇺🇸❤️⚾️💙🇺🇸✨

Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦

Happy Canada Day to our neighbors up north!!! 🇨🇦

I don't usually write a post for today, but this particular Canada Day is very special to me.  I won't go into the specifics why right now, but I will mention that I did tell you my Mom was actually born in Canada... ✨ Although I haven't been to Canada recently, it was a part of my childhood.  (You can read about my other memories here.)

Canada has always held a special place in my heart.  While I haven't been there very much, growing up in Maine has meant that I have always been neighbors with it.  My Mom grew up on the border and literally went back and forth between our two countries as if she was popping over the river to another city- not an entire separate country.

And speaking of just popping over the border, I don't think I ever told you about the time when my aunt, my cousin Kaitlin and I literally walked over the border when we were visiting my Mom's hometown of Calais during one of the International Festivals years ago.  Kaitlin and I were paranoid just walking over the bridge to another country with all of the security, but Aunt Sherrie didn't seem phased by it at all.  

Nowadays, the borderline feels a bit more secure and I don't see myself walking up to border patrol to walk across the river.  And since Eliot and I haven't even had our passports until recently, we haven't ever visited Canada during the 18 years that we have been together- but hopefully that will change soon!  We would love to see some Sharks games in Canada, and there are a few places I would like visit.

So I see a bright future that will have us visiting soon.  To all of our neighbors up north, I hope you have a wonderful day of celebration!  Happy Birthday Canada!!! 🇨🇦

One Week Until London!!! 🇬🇧✨🧚

It’s a very happy Topiary Tuesday because one week from today Eliot and I will be landing in London!!! ✨🇬🇧✨ I can hardly contain my excitement, but it's hard to focus on the actual trip when we still have so much to do.  Still, I wanted to pop by really quickly to share this photo of my adorable little plush pal at the Tinker Bell topiary near her fairy garden in the United Kingdom Pavilion of Epcot from our trip in April. 🇬🇧🌸🌿🌐🌳🌼 

Eliot and I are hoping Tink can spread a little magic because we’re going to need quite a bit of faith, trust and pixie dust to get through the mountain of things we still need to accomplish between now and our trip!!! 💚✨🧚✨💚

But we're slowly making progress.  We had a giant 4th of July order for Happily Ever Hatter that we just finished and sent out... but it's been requiring a lot of the printers' time.  So now Eliot and I plan to 3D print, assemble and finish as many Etsy orders as possible between now and next Monday before we leave for the airport.

Last week, we were very busy checking things off of my personal to do list- switching cell phone plans, moving storage units around, blood draws, helping Mom change her postal address.  It was a whirlwind, but it felt good to get things done!

Now, Eliot and I are in overdrive mode and this week is going to be mayhem.  Between finalizing plans, packing, finishing our business stuff and making sure that we are prepared to leave the country for a week, it's going to be busy!  I've also got a few blog posts that I'm trying to get wrapped up between now and when we leave if possible.  I can already tell this is going to be another whirlwind week... especially with 4th of July and America's big 250th birthday this weekend.  But I couldn't let that pass without writing something to celebrate this big milestone in our history! 

Basically, I'm sure that I'll probably be trying to do multiple things at the same time... so by the end of this, Eliot and I will have earned that vacation!  Bring on the insanity!!! 

And so begins my own personal salute to all countries... but mostly America.  (On here we're starting the week with Canada and winding up in England). ✨🇨🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧✨

Happy Stitch Day 💙💜💙

It's 6/26, a day that Disney fans have affectionately dubbed as "Stitch Day".  (As you may recall, Stitch is also known as "Experiment 626" in the 'Lilo and Stitch' movie.)  A few years ago, I shared a bunch of Stitch photos on a post here.  Today, I wanted to re-share a special one of those photos from our Disneyland trip a decade ago.  

Eliot LOVES Stitch and he was so excited that he was the featured character at the Disney Visa Cardholder photo spot at California Adventure during our trip in June of 2016.  They change characters at the private meet and greet, so you have no idea who you will get to see.  But luck was in our favor because it was our favorite blue alien! 

We took a few photos with him.  And Eliot was also able to get a big hug from Stitch while we were there... resulting in this special photo!  We love Disney character hugs!!! 

Happy Stitch Day!!! 💙💜💙

Halfway to Christmas ✨🎄✨

We're officially halfway to Christmas!!! ✨🎅🏻🎄🎁🤶🏻✨ 

Today, I wanted to share a Throwback Thursday to 2024 when Eliot and I spent the evening playing at the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!!!  

That Friday morning, Eliot and I had disembarked from the Disney Wish and we were definitely feeling sad after having the most magical time.  But thankfully there wasn't much time to be gloomy, because we had tickets to MVMCP for that evening!  Eliot suggested that we wear our new Disney Cruise Line holiday spirit jerseys... and it was the perfect way to go from cruising with Mickey to playing in the parks. 🎄 

We skipped all over the Magic Kingdom having a wonderful holiday time.  And wearing our spirit jerseys made it that much more magical.  We took a ton of Photopass photos, and one of our photographers on Main Street insisted that we get the back of our spirit jerseys after we told her that we'd literally just gotten off the Disney Wish that morning.

For our next cruise on the Disney Wish, we won't be going to any holiday parties after disembarking- but we are going to visit the theme parks for two days before heading home!  (I'm so excited because heading home right after our cruise sounded really depressing.)  And the Halloween decorations will be out... so we'll get to enjoy those!  

We love cruising with Mickey and visiting the theme parks!  This was definitely a magical holiday adventure rolled into one day that I won't forget!!! ✨❤️🛳⚓️🐭💚✨ 

National Pink Day 💕

Happy National Pink Day!!! 💖💕💖 

If you've hung around here at all, you know that pink is my favorite color- whether it’s a bright, hot pink or a softer baby pink.  It's always called to me... so much that Eliot's and my wedding colors were lipstick (magenta) pink and lime.

Today I wanted to share a special photo with you.  These beautiful pink flowers at Mom and Dad’s house bloom every June right around their wedding anniversary. ✨ 

Last weekend, we went up to clean the house out some more- since we're planning to put it on the market in late summer/early fall.  I specifically picked this weekend; I knew it would be a hard one anyways due to cleaning the house.  But on top of that, Mom and Dad's wedding anniversary was last Thursday and Father's Day was on Sunday.  Still, I had to go this weekend in order to see these in bloom one last time.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, I immediately looked across the front yard at the giant rhododendron bush, and there it was all of it’s beautiful glory. 🦋🌳🌸🐝 

I spent a lot of time watching that bush this weekend.  It had a lot of visitors... from little bees buzzing around, to butterflies fluttering around the flowers, to a small bird sitting on one of it's branches.  And of course there was me... I spent some extra time at it, photographing Mom and Dad's rhododendron bush, trying to capture as many of the delicate flowers with my phone camera as I could- praying the photos might do it justice.

This is probably the last time that we will ever see it in bloom, and I’m definitely in my feelings about it. 🙁 But Eliot and I have talked about getting a rhododendron bush for our yard… and I can only hope it will be as beautiful as this one. 🌸🌳🌸

First Day of Summer and Father’s Day

Happy First Day of Summer and Father’s Day!!! ✨☀️✨ 

Today I wanted to share a photo of me in my natural summer habitat… 💙⚾️❤️ I HAVE to get my baseball hat ice cream (with sprinkles!) and this is exactly how I’ll spend many of my summer nights… 😊 It doesn't matter if we're watching the Portland Sea Dogs or Boston Red Sox... when Eliot asks me what I want to eat, this is usually the answer. 🍦  

There's nothing better than a cold ice cream on a hot summer day at the ballpark.  And if you're already paying that much for ice cream, you might as well get the souvenir ball cap bowl!  (We have so many...)  In fact, my baseball hat ice cream is such an inside joke between me and Eliot that I own a Sea Dogs ice cream baseball hat… and I might also have the Red Sox hat, t-shirt and matching socks. 🤣

I'm sure there will be many of these in my future... along with sun, BBQs, beach, pool, lakes, ocean, mini golf, s’mores and all of the fun in the sun that summer brings!!!  ☀️

A Toy Story #tbt In Honor of Toy Story 5 💛💙❤️

Today I'm popping in with a quick Throwback Thursday to Eliot and me hanging out with some of our favorite Toy Story friends in Andy’s room at the Funko Hollywood store.  It’s hard to believe that we have loved these characters for over 30 years now.  

I remember going to see Toy Story 3 in theaters with Eliot (back when we lived down in Massachusetts) and how I dressed up for the movie.  I left the theater with tear streaks down my face after bawling at the ending.  After that movie, I really thought that was the end we'd see of Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the big screen.

Then came Toy Story 4- much to my surprise.  It was emotional, but I admit that I didn't really like it that much.  I haven't committed that one to memory as much as the others.  And I wasn't a fan of the ending.  But I absolutely adored Forky.  In the years since that movie was released, I've found myself feeling kind of bitter about the ending, wanting better for my beloved toy friends.  (You can read my review of Toy Story 4 here.)  

Now we're here at the dawn of Toy Story 5.  I'm so excited that our friends are going to "get the gang back together" in this film.  I'm encouraged because I've heard good things about it so far.  I'm excited about the Taylor Swift song "I Knew It, I Knew You" and what it could potentially mean for Jessie.  And mostly I'm looking forward to seeing Woody & Buzz together again!  Hopefully Eliot and I won't wait too long to go see it!

Who else is excited to see our toy friends' new adventures in Toy Story 5?!?!?! 💛💙❤️

National Mascot Day

Happy National Mascot Day! 🙂 

If you've hung around here at all, then you know that Eliot and I love our mascot friends from our favorite sports teams!  From local favorites Slugger, Beacon, Bananas and Moxie, to our professional mascot friends Sharkie, Blades, Pat Patriot, Wally and Tessie... the love of these larger than life characters is strong in our household.

Pair that love with our adoration of mouse ears, and you have lots of mascot mouse ears!  Eliot's made us Slugger ❤️⚾️💙 and Beacon 💚🤍💙🥅🏒🔱 mouse ears to wear to our local Sea Dogs and Mariners games.  We're working on finishing up the designs for our favorite brother-sister duo in major league baseball… ❤️⚾️💙 And I’m thinking we also need some for our favorite Shark and the coolest mascot in the NHL. 💙🥅🏒🦈  

These are only a fraction of the mascot photos we've taken through the years... so I'll have to put together more for next year!  (And hopefully we can get more photos of our friends while we're wearing our mouse ears.)  Happy National Mascot Day friends!!! °o° 

National Sewing Machine Day

It's hard to believe that I've been sewing for almost a decade.  I first started taking my adult education sewing class back in the fall of 2017.  I had always wanted to learn how to sew, and my Nana insisted that I take a class- so I did.  I was immediately hooked and my instructor Lori hasn’t been able to get rid of me since. 

In the fall of 2023, I convinced Eliot to join me.  I figured he’d take one session and know enough to use the combination sewing and embroidery machine that he bought from Goodwill.  Here we are years later... and he hasn’t stopped going either. 💖 

Eliot and I love the freedom to create that sewing gives us- and you have probably gathered that we are both especially fond of making fluffy friends. 💕 Today I wanted to introduce you to Sparkles the Seahorse.  I’m really proud of her and I love how she turned out.  To this day, her belly is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever sewn and I’ll tell anyone who will listen… even if you can’t see the perfect seams inside of her. 🤣

I'm so grateful to my Nana for giving me an appreciation for sewing.  I'm thankful that I've learned so much from Lori.  I'm blessed to have met many wonderful people in my classes.  And I'm so glad that I can share this experience with Eliot.

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!!! ✨ 

100 Days... ✨🛳 ⚓️🐭✨

Happy Wish Wednesday!!! ✨🛳✨ 

Our final cruise payment is due in 10 days… which means we’re only 100 days away from our 14th wedding anniversary cruise aboard the Disney Wish!!! ❤️🛳✨💙🐭⚓️💛 

Eliot and I are in full preparation mode because we've got London, our cruise and a few other things that are in the works.  Earlier today, we were looking at flights, hotels and transportation options for our cruise trip.  But a lot of that is dependent on our adventure following that one... and another one that we're trying to take next year.  Needless to say, there are a lot of balls being juggled around here right at the moment!  

A dream is a wish your heart makes... and my heart is dreaming of magical outfits for our trip.  So naturally, I'm already working on putting together outfits and planning what mouse ears we'll need to make.  Not only are we going on our cruise, but we might have a day or two at the parks as well.  Of course, I'm also in full wedding anniversary celebration mode... so I'm trying to tie that in.  And since it's a Halloween on the High Seas cruise, we've got to have some spooky outfit and accessory options too! 🎃 

With our trip to London less than a month away, I'm probably going to need all 100 of these days before our cruise to get everything together.

If anyone needs me, I'll be busy preparing and counting down days... ✨🛳 ⚓️🐭✨ 

Eliot's Birthday 🎂

Today is Eliot's Birthday!!! ✨🎂✨

As those of you who have followed me for years already know, Eliot shares his birthday with none other than Donald Duck!  I usually share the photo of him and Donald from 10 years ago when we were actually at Disneyland over Eliot's birthday.  (We made sure to seek out Donald and we even got an extra birthday button to give him!)

However, this year I wanted to share one of our newer photos.  Two years ago, Donald celebrated his 90th birthday and at my insistence, we finally made some special mouse ears for the occasion.  And Eliot made himself a pair that said "Happy Birthday Donald" so he could wear them every year- and not just for Donald's 90th birthday.

Eliot's not wearing his mouse ears today, but he has to work.  As of right now, we don't have any big plans for today.  But Eliot did like my idea to get some ice cream at our favorite local place, so that's probably what we'll end up doing tonight.  Yum!!! 

Happy Birthday to Eliot and his birthday buddy Donald!!! 🎂💙❤️💛 

One Month Until London 🇬🇧

The countdown is on!  Eliot and I only have one month until we leave for London!!! 🇬🇧

Things are coming together and we're starting to prepare for our week overseas.  I've started to make mental lists of what we will need to pack.  Eliot and I have both been hard at work preparing the businesses for our departure.  And the most exciting thing is that we've made a list of what we want to do while we are there!

Obviously, we have included all of the "normal" touristy famous landmarks... Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, etc.  Eliot's sister and I are both huge Harry Potter fans, so we have also included a Warner Brothers Studio tour and visiting Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station.

And naturally, I had to include a few Disney things- like visiting the Disney Store in London!  (Quick side note: Eliot and I were actually trying to get over to France to visit Disneyland Paris for a few days, but it didn't work out this time.  But our passports are shiny and new; hopefully we'll be able to give them a workout over the coming years!)

I'm sure things will start to take shape more over the coming weeks as we finalize plans with Eliot's family.  We're both really excited about our upcoming London adventure!!!

Let the countdown officially begin!!! ✨🇬🇧✨

One Month Until 250!!! ✨🇺🇸✨

Only one month until we celebrate the United States' 250th Birthday!!! ✨❤️🎂💙✨

As of right now, Eliot and I don't have any big plans for it- other than potentially going to a few baseball games.  The Sea Dogs are home that weekend and I believe they're having fireworks displays both Friday and Saturday night.  But since it's our nation's big 250th birthday, I feel like we should go all out and party like it’s 1776!!! 🇺🇸

Since the 4th falls on a Saturday, we might end up having a BBQ or something with Mom and Jeremy that weekend.  I would love to go swimming somewhere... so maybe we'll hit up a local waterpark.  And I always enjoyed playing mini golf at Pirates Cove while home in Bar Harbor, so I think Eliot and I will have to put that on the agenda.

But no matter what we end up doing, there's sure to be lots of red white and blue!!!

I also wanted to point out something- because it's not lost on me that literally a few days after we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence from England, Eliot and I are traveling to... England. 🤣 (Not gonna lie, every time I think of that, I chuckle a little.)

So here's to our big birthday America.  I'll spend this next month working on some actual plans for the big day.  I'm thinking that weekend needs to include things like cake, flags, eagles, hot dogs, stars & stripes, apple pie and fireworks. 🦅🇺🇸🌭  

Try Everything 🐰🏃‍♀️🏰

Happy National Running Day! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ As most of you know, Eliot and I have done a bunch of RunDisney events over the past 12+ years.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it once again… doing events at Disney is basically the only place you’d ever catch me even remotely attempting anything with the words 'race' or 'run' in it. 🏰 

RunDisney events are fun for so many reasons.  My favorite part has always been how dedicated people get with their costumes.  In the past, I've Disneybounded at most.  However, these past two races at Springtime Surprise in April were the most I’ve ever committed to a costume.  (I dressed up as Judy Hopps and Eliot was Nick Wilde.) 🐰🦊 

And while I had a good time, I think after these past two races, I’m headed back into RunDisney retirement again.  (Unless I can get into a 5K that isn't in April in the future.)

But I’m so dang proud of myself right now... especially after everything that I’ve been through over this past year.  I quite literally went from being officially diagnosed with endometriosis last April, to spending all last summer basically on the couch, to finally having my endometriosis excision surgery in September, to months of surgery recovery, to participating in two RunDisney events this April. 💕

Looking back, my Judy Hopps costume was appropriate with my "try everything" attitude towards race weekend.  I pushed myself back out of my comfort zone to sign up for two races right after my endometriosis diagnosis.  Then this April, I completed the Zootopia Springtime Surprise 5K on Friday, and then I turned around and attempted the Winnie the Pooh and Tigger themed Springtime Surprise 10K on Saturday.  After the 5K, I knew the 10K was going to be a real challenge on my body, but I tried anyways.

I probably could have finished it, but the ridiculous Florida humidity was too much for me.  And I really didn't want to hold Eliot back when he was doing the challenge.  I'd also walked about 24,000 steps the previous day, so I got my 10K in.  (I want to add that the most steps I've walked in one day in over a year has been 12,000 steps.  With endo, 10,000 steps usually is my limit before I start having severe pain issues.)

Reflecting back on my past races this National Running Day, I’ve got a lot of RunDisney bling.  But I don't think I've worked harder and earned one more than my medal from the Springtime Surprise 5K... and because of that it might just be my favorite one of all. 🏅

The Dawn of a New Horizon

It's been a while since I gave you all a business update... and today I've got a very exciting one!  About four weeks ago, Eliot and I sat down to watch the "maiden voyage" of our newest 3D printer down in the basement.  For years, we've talked about getting another printer... but we have hesitated with what direction to go in.  After what feels like forever, (and many pro and con lists), we finally settled on a Bambu printer.

I won't deny it... I sat in complete awe at how quickly it printed the tiny sample boat.  Our current 3D printers are a decade old at this point.  However, we are both in agreement that they are work horses and we still plan on utilizing them for the bulk of our business prints.  But both Eliot and I have also found ourselves wondering "what if" on numerous occasions.  After all, technology has progressed so much in 10 years.

So we finally decided on one and bought it.  Ironically, our new 3D printer resides in the basement because we don't have anymore electricity bandwidth available in Eliot's office without blowing a fuse.  Both of us are loving it so far.  Besides the incredible speed, our new Bambu printer can also print in multicolor.  For over a decade, Eliot and I have created layered mouse ear designs that we could glue together.  Now, Eliot has designed our first set of ears that are totally 3D printed in three different colors.  He's also re-designed a few of our current designs so we can print pieces faster. 

Of course, this new printer also opens the doors to many new possibilities.  We've got a few other business ideas that we have wanted to do, but up until now, they haven't really panned out how we had planned.  But now that we can print things in multicolor, some of these ideas will be much easier to put into action.  Eliot and I both already have lists of new products and design ideas that we're excited to tackle.

So the dawn of a new horizon has arrived.  Welcome to the family Bambu printer!!!

Daddy's Birthday

It's June 1st… what was once a day of joy is now full of mixed emotions.  Today is my Dad’s birthday- and it’s the third time we’re celebrating without him. 💔 

But instead of posting something about the pain that today brings, I’m trying to focus on the positive. ✨ Today is also the start of Pride Month. 🏳️‍🌈 So today I want to focus on bright rainbows and love. 💕 Daddy loved his family more than anything.  Even the fact that I’m trying to focus on the positive today kind of feels a rainbow after the storm. 🌈 

I want to celebrate love and happiness.  I love equality.  I love celebrating people for who they are.  I love rainbows and bright colors.  And above all, I love love. 🏳️‍🌈

So Happy Pride Month Everyone. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜  

And Happy Birthday Daddy. 🎂 We love you and miss you always. 💖

A Feeling of Complete Freedom

Hello again friends! 💕 You have probably noticed that I've popped in over here a bit more than usual lately.  I wish it was because I've suddenly found more time... but unfortunately that's not the case.  Instead, it's basically because it's suddenly dawned on me that I can use my social media posts as quick templates for blog posts.  I spend lots of time (usually hours) planning posts for my Magically Melissa Facebook and Instagram accounts, as well as both of Happily Ever Hatter's accounts... so I figure that I might as well put all of that time to use over here.  I actually used that technique for a few posts back in 2024, and it made it much easier and quicker to write a blog post.

I'm not sure how that will work going forward, but I'm hoping I'll be able to pop over here more often.  Every time I come back after a hiatus, I'm reminded of how much I truly love writing.  And I easily get sucked into re-reading my own blog posts from years ago.  My blog entries have basically become somewhat of an online diary of my life... and now that Nana, Papa and my Dad are all gone, I find myself really enjoying reading about our many adventures over the years.

At this point, in a world of quick videos, reels and "shorts", blogging seems kind of outdated, and I've told myself numerous times that it's probably time to figuratively 'hang up my pen'.  But then a little voice reminds me that I started doing this for me... not because I wanted to be a big famous blogger.  I've always been content to share my stories with whoever wants to follow along.  And at the end of the day, I think doing it for me is the real reason that I'm still sticking around after all this time.

At one point, I had dreams of this making some side income.  And I think that's why I was very strict with myself about posting almost daily for a while.  But this little blog has never made me money... and writing long posts almost daily was not sustainable.

For a long time, I would get discouraged and beat myself up if I missed a post.  Or if I skipped a few days.  Or if I totally disappeared for months on end.  Or if I didn't finish that one post I had planned.  There are SO MANY drafts of blogs posts on here.  (As of right now, I have exactly 300 drafts if anyone is counting.)  Basically, the guilt that I allowed myself to feel was becoming unbearable... and blogging became more of a chore at a few points.  Which is probably why it has become so sporadic over the past few years.  I'm a busy person, and I only have so much time in each day.

So now, I'm moving forward with complete freedom.  Freedom from whatever I was allowing to hold me back and chaining me to what I thought I "should" be doing with my blog.  I'm going to continue to move forward writing when I'm able to, simply because I enjoy it- and not because I feel like I need to post daily in order to impress companies that I will probably never end up applying to for affiliate marketing anyways.

In the end, I know that it was me chaining myself to these boundaries... but now that I've let all of that go, I have a newfound feeling of complete freedom.  And I love it.

National Creativity Day 2026

Happy National Creativity Day!!! ✨🎨✏️✨ 

Lately, I've been having a major craving to make something creative... but due to limited time and limited space right at the moment, I haven't been able to.  But since today is National Creativity Day, I was determined to make something to celebrate!!! 😊 

The other day, (on It's a Small World's 60th birthday) I had an idea when I was playing with my Small World clock Wishable… and I immediately knew that was going to be my creative project for today.  It was quick and simple, and the supplies needed to make it wouldn't take up a ton of room.  Thankfully, Eliot was able to pick up the two things I needed from Michael's after work yesterday, so I was all set to go this afternoon!

After a few minutes of "making magic" (aka trial and error), my new little creation was completed!!! ✨ Say hello to my It's a Small World Wishables Hippo Plush Keychain Bag Charm!!! 😍 I am completely in love with it and now I can't wait to make more of them!!!  I expect that I'll have a lot of friends in my future to keep this one company. 💖

Happy 17th Birthday to Disney Pixar’s Up 🎈🏠

Adventure is Out There!!! 🌳 

Disney Pixar's "Up" movie officially turns 17 today!  For those of you who don't know, Up is one of my all-time favorite films.  The story, the iconic symbols, the music, the colors and the characters give the story so much heart.  So in honor of the film's anniversary, I'm going to share a special memory with you from my 40th Birthday Trip.

Some of my favorite Disney memories over the past decade or so have come from days where I've dressed up in something special.  So for my 40th birthday trip, I had about 20 different outfit ideas.  Since we were splitting the trip into both land and sea adventures, and I could only fit so much in my suitcase, I had to narrow it down.  But by far the best decision that I made was to keep our Wilderness Explorer outfits in the mix.

Because after all was said and done, and we returned from my 40th Birthday trip, one of Eliot’s and my favorite parts of our entire two week trip and Disney experience was dressing up (with the donkeys) as Wilderness Explorers at Animal Kingdom! 💛🏕🧡🌳 

I spent over a year planning for that day and putting everything together.  It took me quite a while to gather all of the elements of our outfits... Wilderness Explorer costume sets, baseball hats, the perfect yellow polo shirts... but in the end, it was SO worth it! ✨ 

The Disney cast members working at Dug & Russell's location loved our playful and fun energy.  Other park guests loved our dedication to the costumes.  And best of all, both Russell and Dug loved meeting some fellow Wilderness Explorers!!! 💕 

Our interaction with them was longer and much more special than your average Disney character Meet & Greet.  Everyone loved when we finally got to the front of the line and Dug and Russell first saw us.  They definitely were excited to see Eliot and me in our outfits!  And both Dug and Russell loved the little plush versions of themselves that we brought with us.  (They both ran off with the minis of themselves... it was hilarious.)  

Then, we showed them the donkeys little matching outfits with their yellow shirts and miniature Wilderness Explorer Mickey ear hats.  (All three hats eBay finds that I literally spent months stalking for the best pricing.)  I didn't get a chance to make their sashes for this trip... but it's definitely on my to do list for another time!

It was definitely an experience that we will never forget.  And if all that wasn’t already magical enough… we also got super cute family photos with Eliot, me and our three donkeys that we both will always cherish!!! ✨📸 💖

"The wilderness must be explored! Caw-caw, RARR!" 💛🏕🧡🌳