Tag Archives: Disneyland Paris

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Hard Fought Progress

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I have to tell you this is the hardest I have ever worked in my life to take off weight. Each pound, heck, each ounce, is slow, steady work. I do feel stronger than I did ten weeks ago. I have to make an appointment to see my Doc though. After having high blood pressure for years and being on meds, suddenly my blood pressure is low. I’ll keep checking for a few days just to make sure.

All this work. All these healthy, calorie conscious meals. Taking two walks each day. This is hard work for me. But I am happy being 18 pounds down in my ten weeks on Noom. Is all the work worth it? You betcha!

I have visions of Disneyland Paris dancing in my head. It’s still nearly two years until we hope to visit there. I might have just enough time to take off a few more pounds. 🙂

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Disney Dreaming

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Today I received a package in the mail. The return address showed that it was from Pixie Dust Delivery Service! My heart beat a little faster, my pupils dilated, and I let out an involuntary, “Woo hoo!”

A little over a week ago I messaged Amy at Pixie Dust Delivery Service and requested three, new Old Key West Resort things: a magnet, an ornament, and a shirt. (See photos below this blog.)

I really dig the new emphasis on the lighthouse, the palm trees and of course Mickey and Minnie Mouse! It was a real “treat myself” kind of moment and a much needed shot in the arm to my exhausted-from-working-out body.

You see, even though I’m being careful when I take my walks: knees slightly bent, rolling from heel through toes, tucking my pelvis under, staying as relaxed as possible, and above all breathing, breathing, breathing, I am tired! This is hard, sweat inducing, knees aching, ankles and hips protesting work! At my weight and at my age, a simple walk exhausts me.

This package today helps me to refocus, to embrace this new more active lifestyle, to savor healthier food choices. My trip to Disneyland Paris is ever closer to becoming a reality. And I am renewed in my determination to be a healthier me when I get there.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

P.S. Thank you to http://www.disneyfoodblog.com for the photos! This is my favorite blog, and I check it out every day.

P.P.S. Thank you to Amy of Pixie Dust Delivery Service! I’ve ordered many time from Amy, and she has never let me down. Check her out at http://www.pixiedustdelivery.com.

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3 steps forward, 2 steps back

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Time to check back in with you, Dear Readers. Eight weeks in on my Noom program, I am down 13 pounds. I have faced large ups and incremental downs on the road to 13 pounds. In a day and a half at the 4th of July I gained six pounds, and I didn’t eat nearly as crazily as I have in the past. but it was salty, heavy foods. It took me a week to re-lose the six pounds. BUT it did happen with hard work and determination.

Then we traveled back to the beautiful U.P. to visit with relatives and friends. There are two foods that are prevalent in the mid-U.P. (Land of many, many Finns like me) that I choose to not resist: pasty and cudighi. And I enjoyed both twice while there.

Pasty consists of potato, rutabaga, onion, ground beef wrapped in a crust. The U.P. is Iron Mining Country. (Please, don’t call it the Rust Belt! That has a very negative connotation.) So when the Cornish miners came over to be the bosses at the iron mines, they brought pasties. They made a great miners lunch, kept warm in tin foil in their lunch pail. They could wash them down with hot coffee from their thermoses. Anyway, they were the meal of choice at least a couple of times a month when I was growing up in the U.P.

Cudighi is really only found in the U.P. It is like Italian sausage, but the spices are a bit different. There are many Italian descendants in the U.P. too. Cudughi is usually served on a crusty white bun, with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, onions, green pepper. So scrumptious!

Well, after five days away, I gained 10 pounds, yes, a shocking 10 pounds! It was mostly salt and retaining fluids, but it was still a shock. The weight came off in five days of eating well and walking more.

Do I recommend this type of binging? No. Do I regret that I did it? No. I made the conscious decision to eat and enjoy these childhood favorites while I was on vacation. I savored every bite.

Now I’m back home and recommitted to my Noom program and to my pilgrimage to better health. I really do want to be able to walk around Disneyland Paris with my family in 2021. This is the journey I am on. And, hey, today was really exciting because I dropped below another 10 pound mark on the scale. Woo hoo!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Living with Peaks and Valleys

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My body is driving me crazy!! It’s never been this hard for me to take off some weight before. I’m nearly three weeks in, and I’ve only lost eight pounds. Eight freaking pounds! Being 63 years old and trying to take weight off is almost torturous. Argh!! So frustrating.

Here’s my current MO: I gain a bit of weight two days in a row, then I lose enough on the third day to put me at a new lower weight. Then it’s gain, gain, lose again and again and again.

There I needed to vent that. Now let me say how my life has improved in those same few weeks. My blood pressure is down to normal numbers. My blood sugar levels are so much better. I’m not exhausted after climbing a set of stairs. I have so much more energy. I’m not so depressed. And I just plain feel better. So…forget you scale! I am winning this battle ever so slowly, but surely.

This morning when I weighed myself, I was bummed! But after take my other stats, taking my daily walk, eating foods that actually fuel my body, and thinking and praying about it, I feel renewed.

I can do this. I can be healthier. And if I lose pounds along the way, that’s a wonderful side effect.  My focus has to be my health and wellness, not just my weight.

I want to be able to really enjoy walking around Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studio Parc is two years. And maybe even spend a couple days touring Paris. This is my goal. This is my journey. I’m claiming it, and I’m sending it out into the universe.

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Disney’s Sequoia Lodge?

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Today’s featured image shows my sweaty, but happy, face after my walk. After being so sedentary for so long, it is a real challenge for me right now to take a 10-15 minute walk. But hope springs eternal, right? So each day that I take a walk is another milestone on the way to Paris. Step by step, I’ll get there.

And when I do get there, I hope to be staying at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge. I’ll use my Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points to stay there, so it’ll be like the hotel is paid for before I even get there.

Here’s What Disney has to say about it:

“Patterned after the classic inns of the American West, Disney’s Sequoia Lodge is a rustic retreat at Disneyland Paris Resort in France. Here, you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty—including lush pine trees and the shimmering waters of Lake Disney.

Stay Close To The Magic

From here, the theme parks are only a 15-minute walk away—and quicker by free shuttle. Disney’s Sequoia Lodge is also located conveniently close to Disney Village.

Dining

  • Hunter’s Grill and Beaver Creek Tavern, serving country-style cuisine in a log-cabin setting
  • Redwood Bar and Lounge, a cocktail lounge with a large, open fireplace

Recreation

Discover fun for everyone, with activities and recreation to delight all ages.

  • Indoor pool with waterslide
  • Seasonal outdoor pool
  • Sauna and steam bath
  • Fitness center
  • Boutique
  • Kids play area

Services & Amenities

Enjoy an array of comforts and conveniences to help you feel carefree and cared-for during your stay.

  • Wi-Fi Internet, available at no extra charge
  • Safety deposit box
  • Currency exchange
  • Room with access for Guests with disabilities
  • Disney and international TV channels
  • Dry cleaning (fees apply)
  • Concierge services
  • Shuttle service to the Disneyland Paris theme parks and Disney Village, available at no extra charge”

Sounds great, right? I am very excited at the prospect of visiting Disneyland Paris after all these years. I was last there in 1999. At the time there was only one park (now there’s two), and there were only three hotels onsite, now there are eight. It will be a whole new adventure.

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

P.S. Hey, I just discovered that there is a whole new possibility for our DVC points. Villages Nature Paris would offer us accommodations with a kitchen. And we would have a bigger living space to all hang out together.

Hmm…three hotel rooms at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, or one two-bedroom and one one-bedroom villa at Villages Nature Paris? Stayed tuned for more details.

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Taking the Good Grains Path

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Today has been a wonderful Saturday. I started out my day with Stay Steady Cereal; I had their Original flavor. It was very tasty and sweeter than I expected with no artificial sweeteners. I found it on a Facebook ad. Here’s what they say about it:

“Eating on a low to no-sugar diet is tough. Plus, there simply are not a lot of convenient or tasty choices. That’s why we made The Steady Box!

6 StaySteady Cereals – included in every box… you pick the pack of flavors you want.

Plus, a changing mix of low-to-no-carb snacks each box. This box includes:

  • 6 Keep Healthy Bars – Low Net Carb
  • 2 SmartCakes – only 38 calories each and 0g sugar
  • 1 Bada Bean Bada Boom – yummy broad bean snack
  • 1 SmartSweets Sweet Fish – only 3g sugar for the bag 

FRIENDLY for…
Folks looking for diabetic friendly diet options to explore, weight management, and fitness diets.
Please note that we’ve included a fun mix of low-to-no-sugar snacks…”

The price is reasonable, and I had my first bowl of cereal today. As a diabetic on Metformin, I am always looking for low to no sugar choices. So far, so good. I’ll keep you posted as I go along to see if I think it’s worth it. The prices are actually pretty reasonable. Check them out at: goodgrains.com.

Well, Dear Readers, I’ve got to go. There’s a ten minute walk waiting on me. Disneyland Paris thought for the day: “Disneyland Paris is a magical holiday destination with two Parks filled with endless attractions, restaurants and shops for Guests of all ages.”-Disneyland Paris Website FAQ. Gosh, I sure hope so. I like aiming for a magical holiday destination, don’t you?

Thanks for reading, Folks. Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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Routine and Surprise

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This morning I officially restarted Noom. So I weighed in (I hate that part), I’m logging my food, I did my ten minute lesson, and I started walking. Since I am retired, I can sustain the routine pretty easily. But I’ve got to tell you, I only walked for ten minutes, and it totally kicked my butt! (See the red, sweaty face in today’s photo.) The weight that I’ve regained in the last eight months is mostly in my belly and butt. Yugh! Moving around is so exhausting! That fat used to be more evenly distributed; now it’s concentrated in my mid-section. I’m not discouraged; however, I realize that I have  a long road ahead of me. I am not at all defeated, defeat for me is defined by quitting. I will not quit!

In 21 months we hope to vacation at Disneyland Paris. As Disney Vacation Club members, we can trade our points for five nights at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge in Marne-la-Vallee, France. We’d like to go Paris rather than Orlando next time so Emi (my daughter who lives in England) and her family don’t have the expensive flights for one vacation. So we’ll spend five nights there, visit the parks for two or three days, and head into Paris for a day or two.

This trip is my long term motivation for sticking to better food choices and for keeping more movement/walking in my daily life. I have 21 months to do this, and I want to focus every day of those 21 months on a healthier, more mobile lifestyle.

Now for the surprise: we had a short, but very sweet, drop-in visit from our dear friends Wayne and Caleb. They swung in for a cup of coffee on their way to a conference. What a delightful treat! It was a slice of Yooper heaven. Mike and I grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so we are Yoopers born and bred. This visit was such an unexpected blessing!

Thank you for you faithfulness, Dear Readers! Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Starting down the Road Toward Disneyland Paris

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Hello Dear Readers,

Well, I finally decided to face the music. Ever since our trip to Walt Disney World in October of 2018, I have been completely off the rails.  Eating every sugary thing in sight, and sitting all day long. I’ve packed on over 30 pounds, and I feel pretty lousy.  Low energy, cranky most of the time, isolating myself. And frankly, I’ve been a bit depressed.  Wow! First world problems, right??

I restarted Noom, an online weight management program, today. It worked well for me before, so I re-upped. Tomorrow I start my daily walks again. And I will choose less dense foods, foods with more water content. For example I’ll choose a cup of grapes over a 1/4 cup of raisins. I’ll pick 1/4 pound of salad over 1/4 pounder from McDonalds, a hard-boiled egg over a fried egg, lettuce rather than a tortilla for a wrap, and a baked potato over fries.

I’m also going to start some self talk when I walk. “Heart, this walk is for you, to make you stronger. Legs, this walk is for you, to build more muscle. Brain, this walk is for you, to get more oxygen to you.” Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

My ultimate goal is looking toward March 2021, when we hope to meet up with the kids and grandkids at Disneyland Paris for 6 days/5 nights. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise…  We make plans and God smiles, right? But this goal will help to keep me on track. They do not have ECVs there, only wheel chairs, so I want to be able to get myself around the parks. I want to enjoy every minute of our time together there.

So here we go again, dear friends. One foot in front of the other, one healthy meal at a time. Will I sustain it forever? I believe I can. Mostly I believe I can do it today. And tomorrow is a new opportunity to do it again.

Join me on this road to Paris. The possibilities are so exciting. The road is mine, with the help of God, to create and choose.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

2017 Goals

Being Accountable

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The thing that bothers me about blogs, is that they seem so narcissistic. “This is me. This is what I know. This is what I do. Me, me, me, me, me….blah! I think of that each time I make an entry here. Even I get tired of reading about me, thinking about me, examining me. I am not writing this blog because I NEED an audience. I am writing this blog to keep myself accountable for the choices I am making everyday. Will I really move more? Will I really take control of the portions that I eat? Will I really make better food choices to actually feed my body and not just stuff myself with empty calories? Will I really test my blood glucose every day.  So this is my way of being accountable.

In that vein, let me share that I am having a very good day. Two meals consumed so far, nutritious and appropriately proportioned. Activity? I vacuumed the living room, changed the 4 ink cartridges in the printer, bagged some clothes to give away, worked the cat litter (Ugh!) and I plan to do some laundry today.

Now, why is this still called a Disney blog? Because it is a wonderful motivation for me. We had planned to go and spend four days at Disneyland Paris in the fall of 2018; however for our same amount of DVC (Disney Vacation Club) points, we can spend 8 nights in a Grand Villa at Walt Disney World in Florida. I want to be able to enjoy that time as much as possible. Watching my first grandchild (Ida, sweetest and smartest baby girl!) discover all things Mickey is a very exciting prospect! And sharing that time with the family? The best! I will use some visualization of that reunion when things get tough; it will help me to carry on. It may sound ridiculous, but Old Key West is my “laughing place.” (“Everybody has a laughing place, a laughing place to go-ho-ho.” From the movie Song of the South. Hmmm… no wonder I like Splash Mountain so much.) When I finally get there, I exhale and truly relax.

My latest Disney discovery is a book titled, “the easy guide to your Walt Disney World visit.” I really like it because it is snippets of info, rather than long tomes and epic-sized missives. In the Twitter universe where we want our info fast and short, I find this book very appealing. I highly recommend it; check it out.

Enough for today. Love and peace to you dear readers with prayers for our great country and the world.

Donna

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January 7, 2017

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Confession time: I have not been cleaning my house. There, I said it.  Cleaning is bloody hard work, and I have not had the energy to do it nearly often enough. I try to get Molly Maids in once a month to get the floors cleaned, most things dusted, kitchen cleaned and bathroom cleaned. But it’s been Christmastime and the money just hasn’t been there. So in an effort to be more active, yesterday I cleaned my toilet, tub and bathroom sink. And today I vacuumed through the house. I have heard that one should clean from the top down. We have a comfy Cape Cod house, so I started upstairs: two bedrooms, the bathroom, the landing.

Next, I vacuumed the stairs. I just hate that job! But with my relatively new and lightly used Shark vacuum it is so much easier.  I bought myself the Shark a year ago for Christmas, and I’ve probably used it less than a dozen times since then. I LOVE my Shark! (Thanks for telling Mike how much you liked using one, sister-in-love Julie!)

Finally, I vacuumed the downstairs: kitchen, entryway and living room.We took Christmas down yesterday, so it was a good day to clean up the living room. (I’m a little sad about not having the pretty colored lights in the living room for eleven months. Can’t help it…December birthday…I like sparkly, colorful things.)

I am a sweaty, tired mess. My back is sore, my knees are aching, but I’m still smiling from ear to ear. It feels good to have aches and pains from activity instead of from inactivity. It just feels so satisfying.

I hope this “dirty” post doesn’t gross you out, Dear Readers. My year of slug-like living, post-retirement is over. It feels good to be getting engaged in life again. 🙂

Thank you for reading, and God bless you!

BTW: I worked on my book for three hours on Thursday. It was so fun and frustrating at the same time. More to come next week. And next week I hope to contact Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and ask some questions about using our points to go to Disneyland Paris next year. I get so excited thinking about it that my stomach gets queasy.  🙂