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. 💖