Count Down to The Happiest Place on Earth Starts today!!

Source

Today we officially have only eight days until our first BIG family vacation.  We are headed off to Disney World for eight wonderfully blissful days. 

 So excited!!!

We have been saving and planning for this trip since January and the kids have actually been doing their own little countdown since then.  

This defiantly has not been a very frugal trip to plan, but we knew that.  We knew it was going to be very, very pricey, but we have been able to get some good discounts on a few things that normally would have cost us a lot more for.  For example because my hubby is a firefighter we did get a 20% discount on our trip package.  saving us hundreds.  And because we grouped everything from the tickets to the Hotel room we also saved.  One thing we decided to do was stay at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Disney Resort.  The cabins are great because it comes fully loaded with a kitchen so that you can bring your own food and save a lot of money.  Any theme park you go to the food is always off the charts expensive.  At Disney World you are also allowed to bring in your own water.

Source

  Staying at a Disney Resort also has a lot of its own perks like staying in the park after hours, complementary transportation either by bus, boat, or train, and the kids will be able to meet up with Chip and Dale and have s'mores around the campfire at night. Among other fun free activities.  

How fun!!  

We have decided that it would be much cheaper to drive the 1,138 miles than to load all eight of us on a plane.  We do have plans to stop halfway to sleep and play on the beach in Panama then head out the next morning.

While we're in Florida we also have plans to go down to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to visit Winter the dolphin who's story inspired the movie "Dolphin Tale"  one of my kids' favorites.

Source

 So as you can probably see we are very excited for our end of summer vacation.  

and cant even wait one more second (as my youngest put it)

What vacations are you planning, or have already gone on??  Did anyone make it to Disney and can share some tips with me?? One blog that I have found helpful for anyone planning a trip to Disney World is Affording the Mouse.  She has tons of tips on saving money at Disney.

Vanilla Lemon Hand Scrub

I absolutely love the smell of lemon and vanilla together.  Especially in the summer time.   So I decided to make up a sweet little hand scrub that is very nourishing to dry hands.  If done once daily you will see a big improvement in the way your Hands feel, and the way they look. 

All the ingredients are found in most households, and the great thing about this hand scrub is that it's so cheap and easy to just make up a batch that will last you a week, as opposed to buying a very pricy hand scrub that is chalk full of ingredients you really shouldn't be putting on your body. 

Ingredients:

Two broken capsules of vitamin E

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 cup of olive oil

1 cup of sugar

1 cap full of vanilla extract

1/2 of a juiced lemon

Mix the ingredients together and put in an air tight jar. Keep it up to one week. Something I like to do is keep it next to the kitchen sink so that I'm reminded to do my hands every time I wash the dishes. 

What a very easy and inexpensive way to keep your hands exfoliated and looking younger.  J

Happy Monday!!!

I'm linking up to

The Dedicated House

Making The World Cuter Blog

                                                       

Pinterest Challenge Part 2

                                                                                 

So while looking all over my boards for a perfect project for my first Pinterset Challenge, I told myself that it would be best to find an easy one.  I finally decided on doing a three tiered stand similar to the one found here. 

I looked everywhere for those darn pie pans but could find them nowhere.  Finally I went to our local Goodwill store in Arlington thinking I would surely find them there but no, not one cake pan could be found.  And let me just point out on any other given day they would be all over the place, but because I needed them, there were none to be found. :(

Anyway moving on.

So while at the thrift store I did come across some burner covers, which were fifty cents, and a Christmas tray that was also fifty cents, which I thought would work pretty well.  I then picked up a dowel from Michael's for three bucks and a round thing for the top for fifty cents. All together this project only cost me five big ones.  Not too bad.

I used Krylon in banner red to paint it, then my hubby drilled the screws into the dowels and through the tin trays. Sounds easy enough right? Nope (I tend to do things the hard way)

Unfortunately its been a big pain in my behind from day one.  I have to say, I love the idea of the tray.  In my head it looked awesome, but I defiantly think it could use some improvements, and you can bet that I will continue to make these things till I get it perfect, because I hate to fail, it's frustrating and makes me crazy till I figure it out. 

I went with the color Banner Red

One thing I did love about it besides the beautiful color, (oh and let me just point out, I still have another coat of paint to go before its complete) I really like that I can change the paper out to match whatever theme I want.  And while spray paint is not food safe, I can easily add little mason jars to it filled with condiments, or just sit glasses on the bottom and napkins and silverware on the top and the middle. 

First though I defiantly want to redo this project until I get it right.

Oh well, you live, you do, and then you learn. 

Happy Monday!!!
I will be linking up to
Ten June Blog
Bower Power Blog
Young House Love Blog





br>

When I Carried You......

What a crazy emotional week I have had, and it's still not over yet.  So many high and low emotions, and stress over school, kids, our vacation coming up, and everything in between.  I was  unable to post my Pinterest project on time, but will defiantly have it ready to post for Monday.  

I was so excited to get started on it when I got horrible news from my financial adviser, just to turn around the next day and receive great news from said adviser. A lot of praying and more praying.  I prayed that God would just calm me down and give me the strength I needed.  I didn't want him to change the situation, just help me through it.  

But guess what, he went above and beyond just helping my attitude change, he taught me to have more patience in his timing, and put more faith and trust in his plan for me.  He totally changed the situation around for me, seriously he showed me how our Father is there for us ALWAYS!!!! 

He never leaves our side.

 This situation I went through this week reminded me of that poem "Footprints in the Sand" 

Creamy Breakfast Iced Coffee

I'm not a huge coffee drinker, (not a hot coffee drinker anyway) no I'm more of an ice tea kinda gal.  My mother on the other hand is a huge coffee drinker, always has been.  I don't understand how she can sit and drink all that hot, hot coffee especially in the summertime.  Defiantly not for me. 

One thing I do enjoy is a yummy glass of  very cold iced coffee with a little more milk than coffee. 

What I do first is brew a super strong pot of coffee.  I use Folgers Breakfast Blend because it has a very distinct flavor I also like to add a tablespoon of vanilla to the water before it brews to add the vanilla flavor.  You could just buy coffee or creamer with vanilla already added but like I said I really like the taste of the breakfast blend. 

Once the coffee is through brewing I mix about half a cup of coffee with half a cup of milk and one package of Stevia together then fill an ice tray with the coffee mixture.  This way I'll have coffee cubes for my ice coffee.

Then after I'm done getting that ready I just add the rest of the pre brewed coffee to a pitcher and put it in the fridge. 

The next morning I fill a glass with my already made coffee cubes, then just pour half the glass with coffee and half full with milk (or nondairy milk) add two packages of Stevia and stir.  Yumm!!

This can be a semi healthy drink by replacing sugar with Stevia and milk with fat free milk or non dairy milk.

 But who says it needs to be healthy ;)

Enjoy!!!
Happy Monday to ya!!!

I'm linking this post to

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Source

                                                                               

Today is seriously one of my favorite Holidays.  It's my favorite part of summer, and I love everything about this day.  I love the BBQ's, the time spent with family and friends, I love the colors, but most importantly I love what this day represents.  I love how on this day everybody can all agree on one thing, we love our country, and we are proud to call America our home.

Have a safe and happy Fourth!!!!

Summer Pinterest Challenge

I'm so excited today, you wanna know why???  Because today is the start of my very first Pinterest Challenge.  YAY!!!!!  I'm seriously screaming with excitement.  I'm nowhere ready and I have no idea what in the world I'll be doing, but I have a ton of things pinned and some very good ideas of what I may do.  

Surely by now your wondering what is the Pinterest Challenge?  Well let me explain,   Its a challenge put on by Sherry from Young House Love, and Katie from Bower Power, the challenge is to recreate something that you have pinned on Pinterest and then share it on your blog, and link it to other blogs.  Simple enough, but like I said I'm so unprepared.  I have a million and one things I would love to do.  

This Challenge has defiantly put that fire right where it needs to be to get me started. 

 Maybe you would also like to join us in the Pinterest Challenge, it would sure be nice to see what everyone comes up with.  :)