Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

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Shopping and Walking…Walking and Shopping

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Day 50 in making my way to meet Mickey

Today’s plan is to go grocery shopping and pick healthy, low-sugar, low salt products, and to take a walk.

We had breakfast at Denny’s this morning.  They now have a a FitSlam which is egg whites scrambled together with fresh spinach and grape tomatoes, plus two turkey bacon strips, English muffin and fruit.   I only left one half of the unbuttered English muffin and half the fruit.  It was a delightful find.

Then we shopped at Trader Joe’s for our groceries.  We found everything except olive oil (They only had EVOO which is not great for cooking.) and a few specialty items.  (unsweetened pumpkin puree, unsweetened shredded coconut and vanilla powder)  Off to the health food store for me this week.

When I finish my blog, I’m going to start walking to the farm for a sauna.  Mike will pick me up in 20 minutes this time.  However, far I make it, I make it.  Period.  It’s a warm, beautiful day here today, about 78 degrees and sunny.  Actually a bit warm for me, but bring it on!  No more fear!  [I talk so tough, hey?  🙂  ]

Wish me luck/blessings, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Shout out to Jean.  I am really enjoying reading “Trim, Healthy Mama” by Pearl P. Barrett and Serene C. Allison   I don’t understand it all yet, but I am in there swinging and learning all I can.

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Whistling While I Work (Around the Soreness)

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Day 49 in my moves toward meeting Mickey

When I spoke with my Mayo Clinic Health Coach on Wednesday, we decided on a two step goal for the next three weeks.  1) I would attempt to walk for 20 minutes three days a week, and 2) I would dance while listening to my iPod for five minutes every hour on my days off while I putz around the house.

Since I’m off today, my plan was going to be a 20 minute walk and some dancing. However, I think I hurt myself yesterday with my rather vigorous trek at the mall.  My back and side are very sore today.  (Although the side might be my diverticulitis kicking in.)  So instead, I will cook Mike and myself a primo turkey breast dinner tonight with baked sweet potato and steamed green beans, with plenty of fresh veggies and hummus dip.  And I will research a menu for this next week with at least two new, healthy recipes.  Thanks to Eliza, I have found some new recipes in “I Quit Sugar” by Sarah Wilson.  I hope to make a “Breakfast Casserole” for dinner one evening this week.  The recipe has rutabaga in it, should be interesting.

I’m off to research, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: The Destination Channel is playing shows about Walt Disney World today.  Woo hoo!  I’m loving seeing some of the new things to see and do on our trip!  Instant inspiration!  And a great reminder of why I’m on this quest.  🙂

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A Walk on the Wild Side

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Day 48 in preparing to partake of a park party with Mickey  (Should’ve said Pluto, right? Or Pocohontas or Princess Aurora )

Today’s plan has already been fulfilled.  I went to the mall today and parked a bajillion miles from JC Penney’s styling salon.  Then I walked to the salon.  I had a cut and color today.  My hair is the most alarming shade of red…and I like it!  I’m sure it’ll settle down after a few washings.  And it’ll be good for Nathan’s (my husband Mike’s nephew) wedding next week.  Then I walked the bajillion miles back to the car.  Now I’m home and happy to be here.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Resources for Disney Research

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Day 45 in my travels toward all things Theme Park, but especially Mickey

Today’s plan was to do some more research.  There was a really interesting post on Facebook today by TouringPlans, called “A Guide to Walt Disney World Attraction Vehicles and Seating: Magic Kingdom.”  It describes all the seating at all the attractions in the Magic Kingdom Park.  It makes it easier to decide which attractions to try and which to pass.

I highly recommend TouringPlans.  It costs to subscribe, however, you can check on historical attendance dates.  So say I want to go to EPCOT on the 5th of October.  It will show how busy EPCOT has been on October 5th for several years back.  And it shows the same info for the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  And there is a lot more information there, too.

Also, Disneyphiles, I super-highly recommend WDW Magazine which is available as an app.  Again there is a subscription fee, but it is amazing!  I just watched the entire train ride for Hogwarts Express at Universal Studios, and the Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Parade.  Just the best!

That’s is for today.  But I am still off sugar, moving more and making the best, healthiest food choices that I can.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Dr. Yoo Who?

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Day 44 in my trek to meet Mickey at the Magic Kingdom

Today’s plan is phase three in my quest to be healthier when I meet up with the Mouse.  I went for my yearly physical this morning.  (So early…I do not usually rise before 7-something o’clock, but today was 5-something o’clock.  Argh!)  I wanted to check and make sure that it’s OK to ramp up on the exercise portion of my plan.  She (Dr. Sandra Yoo) assures me that even though I am out of breath when I move, it’s OK as long as I don’t experience any chest pain.  So far, so good.  No chest pain here.  So now I need to start walking on a more regular basis.  Baby steps, to be sure, but it was great to get the green light from my doc.

Mike teamed up with me yesterday.  I wanted to take a sauna, so I started out walking toward the farm.  He waited 10+ minutes then he drove up, picked me up where I was, and we went and sweated it out in the sauna.  He’s such a great support person!  I really appreciate him and am thankful for him every day!

Nothing more for today, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

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NO MORE FEAR!

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Day 43 in my charge to meet Mickey

Confession time again.  There’s just something about Sunday’s that bring out the confessions.  Hmmm…  I did pull off yesterday’s three phase plan and even added some extra minutes on my feet at Walgreens.  It felt good.  However, what I wanted to do yesterday was to go and work at the AJ Katzenmaier Back to School Carnival in North Chicago.  St. James pairs with some other churches to bring some support to the staff and kids at a school in North Chicago, which is an economically challenged town.  I was determined to go and work the carnival this year.  But when it came time to go and do it, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stand up long enough to be of any help.  Sad, but true.  My fear stopped me.  That makes me downright angry!  I let my fear stop me.  NO MORE.  The next time I want to try to do something, dang it, I’m going for it!  If I run out of steam in the middle of something, then that’s just too bad.  I’ll stand there and sweat and pant until I recover, and then I’ll keep on keeping on.  I’m done being afraid.  The bible says, “Perfect love casts out all fear.”  I know Him.  I know that perfect love, and I claim it right now in my life.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Now today’s plan: I planned my weekly menu and went and shopped for the ingredients.  BTW: Have you seen the Roasted Cauliflower recipe going around on Facebook?  It looks amazing!  That is definitely in my future.  Emi, let’s try it when you’re here, OK?  And I might try to squeeze in a little walk today, just to get out there and   breathe some fresh air.  (20 minutes a day walking in the sun for vitamin D, right Wayno?)

Love to you all, dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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It Takes a Village

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Day 42 in my quest to be my best for Mickey

Today’s plan contains a few things:

  1. Mike eats seeds everyday.  They are his favorite snack, and he is nearly out of sunflower seeds.  So step one for today is to travel to Walgreens and shop for Mike’s seeds.  However, instead of running in and running out like I usually do, I will stay and walk and browse for at least 20 minutes.  That way I’ll get some steps in for me and my handy-dandy Fitbit.  And I will mo-o-o-ove some.  🙂
  2. We are singing with our besties, the Carlsons, the next time we visit the UP.  So step two for today is going into the basement and putting on a full-court-press to find a song, “Come, Let Us Reason.”  This means more time on my tootsies, and I’ll walk the stairs a few extra times today.  Plus there will be stretching and bending as I search.
  3. My dear daughter-in-law picked up a book from the library for me to see.  It’s titled, “I Quit Sugar” by Sarah Wilson.  So my third step for today will be to come home and looking through this book.  There are 108 sugar-free recipes in it, so I will look for some new ideas to try.

There you are, dear readers.  A threefold plan today.  As you can see it takes a village for my plan today.  Thank you Mike, Wayne, Jean and Eliza for getting me up, moving and planning today.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: 42 days ago I would not have had the energy to pull off this three step plan.  I’m definitely noticing the difference that the nutritious food and the more mo-o-o-oving are making.  🙂  PTL!

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“Eye” Strive for Better Health

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Day 41 in my march toward Mickey

Yesterday was a much better day energy-wise than the day before.  It was such a lovely day that I took a walk at Crab Tree Farm after work.  I was so glad to have the blue sky, the gentle breeze and the 60+ degree temperature to walk in.  I listened to some songs from Frozen while I walked.  Let it go; let it go…   It was only a 13 minute walk, but it was a walk rather than a slump into my recliner.  🙂

Today’s plan is phase two in taking care of my health.  I will go  and have an eye exam today.  Since I am pre-diabetic, my doctor wants me to have an eye exam every year to make sure there are no diabetes related issues.

And I might just go for another walk when I get home.  Stay tuned to this blog for further developments.  And thank you so much for reading, dear friends!

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Magic Band Mayhem

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Day 40 in my dance toward Mickey

Forty days, wow!  I can hardly believe it’s been 40 days/posts already!  To celebrate, I did something fun today.  My plan for today was to research the Magic Band.  This is the latest thing in Disney World. When you make your reservation to stay on property, each person in your reservation gets a Magic Band.  You wear it on your wrist like a watch.  Then when you hold it up to certain things, magic happens.  Here’s what it does:

  1. Unlocks the door of your Disney Resort hotel room
  2. Let’s you enter Disney Theme Parks
  3. Checks you in at FastPass+ entrances
  4. Charges food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room.

And you can:

  1. Choose your color (pink, blue, red, green, orange, gray, yellow)
  2. Accessorize it with MagicSliders, MagicBandits, CoverBands  (I have to research this a little more)
  3. Seek specialty bands (like Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary-Halloween bands)
  4. Attach it to Memory Maker, so any photos taken at the parks are linked to it.

How cool is that?  Now I have to figure out how to make our 3 FastPass+ selections for each day we are there.  And all six of us won’t necessarily want to do the same rides/parades/fireworks/meals, so how does that work?  There is still much to discover.  I will keep reading up on it all.

Thank you to Disney Vacation Tips on Pinterest and Facebook for the info shared above.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Too Pooped to Pop

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Day 39 in my journey to see Mickey

Today I am just plain pooped.  True confession time: I didn’t make the 20 minutes in my walk yesterday.  I made 12 minutes.  I just have such a long way to go.  But I find it interesting that some days I feel full of vim and vigor and can push myself pretty far and other days it’s a no-go.  The walk was beautiful yesterday; I was just worn out from work.   I figure, at least I made the 12 minutes and I can push for longer next time.

Here’s my plan for today: take it easy on myself.  I will eat healthy: half of an omelet for breakfast with a piece of rye toast, lentil soup with a roll and an apple for lunch, a banana with sugar-free peanut butter for after work snack, and a grilled lean ham, 2% Swiss cheese, spinach and spicy mustard sandwich with a spinach and tomato salad for dinner.  Then I will go to sleep tonight (I hope I sleep better than last night) and try again in the morning.

Today I signed up for a 5K walk on November 29.  I will walk off some of my Thanksgiving dinner for a cause.  It’s called the COOL 5K/10K Walk/Run and it benefits the COOL Food Pantry in Waukegan.  They are helping me to help them.  🙂  They get the funds from the registration fee, and I get an incentive to walk more.  Win-win.

Meet you at the Kingdom!