PixieB

She does jersey family fun, I saw your FB page you arefriends with Jen!

Yes! I met Jen, she was awesome! :)

Shared :)

Thank you so much!  I really hope the photos make it to the couple!

This is a really cool story, and I hope that you find that couple.

 

But, what is #MyPrintlyMoms?

 

I've never heard of it. 

 

TCD

I was curious too so I searched. Sounds like a group I'd like to join. Although I don't have a social media presence so that's probably a "no".

 

"Disney was the first major company to tap the influence of moms across a wide spectrum of social media, but the approach is now being used to promote a range of products, including Hewlett-Packard printers and Cottonelle toilet paper.

HP hired 14 mom bloggers to post print-at-home craft and project ideas on a website called MyPrintly. "

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/disneys-powerful-marketing-force-social-media-moms-2015-6

I went to the HP Print & Pamper Retreat by MyPrintly in San Diego last week.  We were there to go behind the scenes at HP and give feedback on some new ideas and products they had, which was quite cool!  There were also crafting, keynote speakers and more.  On the last day we boarded buses to Disneyland, and that's where I had taken the photos. The event was organized by BSM Media, the same people who do Disney Social Media Moms. :)

Thank you guys so much!  Hopefully we can find this couple!

If it's ok to post; here is the public FB Post, and Twitter as well!  Thanks again! :)

Oh... that's so sweet!!   You should see if it will go viral on FB; that's probably you're best bet at finding them :)

I'm working on FB, and posting in a bunch of FB groups too! :)

Were you at an HP thing? My friend was there too!

I agree, post on FB and make it public I bet they will be found quickly!

Ooh! Who is your friend? I probably met them!  I did make it public on the PixieBudget.com page too :)

Thanks everyone! :)

Hi There!

I was with the #MyPrintlyMoms group at Disneyland this past Saturday (10/10/15).  I had been taking pictures of the castle, and had seen a couple celebrating with a ring, who had obviously just been engaged.  When I got back to my room that night, I was scrolling through photos and found that I actually had 3 photos of the proposal.  I had no idea since I was focusing on the castle!  I would love to find the couple and get the photos to them!  Thanks for your help! :)

First page bragging rights? Yay! Can't wait to see more!

Catching up, great stuff so far.

We agree on a surprising number of topics-

-You will never see me buy DVC from the mouse. However, I do enjoy renting DVC points. I have also not ruled out buying at resale for "the right price". And "the right price" is practically free, so that's happening any time soon..

-I have stayed at Saratoga Springs, but would prefer to take my rented points elsewhere, exactly because of the blandness factor.

-Coronado Springs is nice.

-We diverge on the subject of Old Key West. I really like it. It's peaceful, the landscaping is pretty, and the rooms are huge.

I must know of this Dollar Store you speak of that has Disney merchandise.....

Looking forward to reading more!

AM-A-ZING!!  More Please!  :)

Great report so far!  Page 6 bragging rights?

I officially just priced out cruise options from Vancouver.  Hubby won't be happy.

:)

Congrats on the pregnancy! I too lived in WNY for a time, but it's been years since I've been to Niagara. Great report so far! :)

Great report so far! This just reminds me of how much I NEED to get back on a Disney ship! :)

And I wonder why I am hungry every time i get on FF.net

Ha! Me too!

Why do they have the building and crane at the top of the falls? Seems like a shame.

There is a hydroelectric power plant up there as far as I know.

Finally caught up.  Great TR!  

And.. sprinkles do not exist, only jimmies! :)

BAM!

After we visited the falls, we decided to do some exploring.

There's a railway museum that I'd like to visit in the future.

There's a small main street too.

A friend had texted us that we needed to visit the cafe from the show Twin Peaks.  Here it is-

What you can't really tell from the photos, is that the building definitely could have used some maintenance.  And if that was any indication of what the kitchen looked like..  Hubby and I did a simultaneous "Eehhhhh....." and kept on driving!

We found a Factory Outlet Mall and decided to do some shopping.  There was a Carter's Outlet, which to me really didn't look much different from a regular Carter's store, but I still scored a pair of jeans and a dress for Miss V for about $11.  From there we went to Stride Rite and actually found a pair of shoes that Miss V didn't rip off in 1.3 seconds flat!  The shoe-dini actually liked this pair!

Here's the view from the outlet mall-

I believe that is Mt. Si.  Which makes me giggle because I can only think of Duck Dynasty!

Our bellies were rumbling, so hubby turned to Yelp to find something nearby.  He said he found a great BBQ joint, so I was game.

What he neglected to tell me was that it was in a gas station.

But it turned out pretty good.

I had the Trailwagon Biscuit and jalapeno mac and cheese. 

Hubby had the Trailwagon Sandwich-

And guess what?  We found Sasquatch!

And that is the end of this adventure.   :)  Thanks for following along!

I'm going to try to wrap this thing on up :)

Hubby and I have only lived in Seattle for about a year.  So, we've been making an effort to get to know the area a bit more and explore new neighborhoods.  The Snoqualmie area was on our list, so a couple of weekends ago we made the trek.  Ok, it's not really that big of a trek, it's about 45 minutes east of Seattle.

The drive out there is actually pretty nice-

Once we got off the highway, there was a roadside cherry stand, and we had to stop!

Probably some of the best cherries I've ever had!

(sorry all of the photos were taken with my iPhone)

Parking was actually super easy.

I kind of expected a bit of a hike to the falls, but it's actually only about 50 yards from the parking area.

This one vaguely reminds me of the ET queue at Universal-

I'm close to the photo limit, so more in the next post.

Sounds like a great event! And as the mom of an asthmatic 4 year old who always has a runny nose in the winter, I have to say I LOVE Boogie Wipes. They are the only thing that prevents Z from looking like Rudolph all winter.

It was really a great event!  That's awesome! :)

It does sound like a great event.  Glad you had the opportunity to attend.

I'm extremely lucky and very thankful that I as able to go. :)

Boogie Wipes?

 

Social Media Moms?

 

I feel like I've been living under a rock.

 

TCD

I read your reports, and you totally do stuff I've never heard of!  Like the 5K, no idea there was so much fun stuff!

me too

Boogie Wipes and Disney Social Media Moms have really only been around for a few years.  DisneySMMoms is totally worth a Google!

Boogie wipes are nose wipes with saline on them. When kids get that red, sore nose, they sooth it. Or you can use them in place of tissues for kids who frequently have a runny nose to prevent it. They work great! I also used them when I got the flu.

Mindee mentioned they're actually developing Boogie Wipes for adults.  They're going to be called Puff's Fresh Faces. :)

I will still be here for the bonus updates.

 

At least you got the extra seat!

Thanks!  I'm sooo glad I got that seat!

Disney Social Media Moms – On the Road Seattle

If you’ve never heard of Disney Social Media Moms or seen #DisneySMMoms, it’s a yearly event where the top 150 mommy-bloggers are invited to Disney.  The celebration is three days long and includes the entire family.  We’re talking celebrities, back stage events, and the overall VIP treatment.  Amazing.  The type of event that any of us would probably give a limb to attend!  Anyways, a few months ago I was drooling over some of the pictures, and I noticed a mention that Disney Social Media Moms was taking it “On the Road” and would do half-day events in four cities this summer.  One of those cities was Seattle.  I was all over it like white on rice! Like really, where do I sign up?! There was a form you could fill out to have your blog considered.  My fingers couldn’t type fast enough!

My blog definitely isn’t in the upper tier.  So, I wasn’t expecting a response.  But a few weeks later I received an email inviting me to the Disney Social Media Moms- On the Road Celebration- Seattle.  I think there were heart palpitations!

In the weeks leading to the event I tried to connect with as many of the other bloggers as possible.  Surprisingly there were very few Disney bloggers.  Most of the moms blogged about a range of topics like fashion, fitness or family.

June 27^th

The celebration was held at The Sheraton Bellevue, and started at 7:30 am.  I live a stone's throw away.  Shouldn’t be a problem, right?

But, I knew this was going to be the deal.  So, I left the house at 6:35, and arrived just a few minutes early.

Most of the moms were corralled in a hallway outside the ballroom. 

We were welcomed and given name tags and swag bags.  Awesome.  If you wanted to know I got a Snow White Tee that said “I have Seven Followers”, and a really nice media case for the car.

Breakfast was served quickly, and I got to know some of my tablemates.

It was actually really good!

There was a really cute Monster’s Inc plush on each table.  Here was ours-

The first speaker was Michelle Himmelberg, PR director for Disneyland-

(sorry, I was pretty far back for good pics)

Michelle had a really interesting story about the beginning of her career as a sports writer.  I really admired her tenacity.  She’ll be featured in an upcoming ESPN documentary “Let Them Wear Towels”.

Next was Erin Glover, lead blogger for Disneyland and Aulani on The Disney Parks Blog.

She went over all of the latest park updates for Disneyland and Disney World.

Mindee Doney was the keynote speaker.  She is the creator of Boogie Wipes.

Mindee made one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen.  It was about her journey of motherhood combined with creating a national brand at the same time.  She was surprisingly forthcoming.  I actually don’t want to spoil her story; I couldn’t do it justice anyways.  She has an upcoming book tentatively entitled “Boogie Wiped”.  If it’s anything like her presentation, it’s going to be an absolutely terrific read.

From here we had a break. 

Yummy!

I got to meet Becca from Love Our Disney, which is a great blog.

(..and I totally stole that from her Instagram!)

Up next was a panel of mom-entrepreneurs who answered questions-

Finally, Michelle Stepney, Global Content Manager for Disney World gave us some basic training for on-camera media work.

The event ended here, but many of the bloggers went to lunch at Azteca next door-

It was great to network with all of these wonderful ladies.  I don’t think a visit to Azetca will be in my future, as I wasn’t thrilled with the food.  But, this was really one of the highlights of the day.

Disney Social Media Moms is probably one of the few events where it’s not rude to be looking at your phone the entire time.  Everyone was tweeting, pinning, and Instagraming their hearts outs.  During the meeting #DisneySMMoms Seattle was a trending topic on Twitter.  Incredible what 70 ladies in a room can do!

The main event will be at Disneyland next April.  

Overall, I feel extremely lucky to have attended.  I took a lot away from this event.  The speakers were polished and full of information and advice.  The networking was amazing.  It's not often that a bit of Disney comes to Seattle.  If there are other moms (or dads) who have the opportunity to go, I would say GO!

:)

So does Alaska Airlines have open seating like Southwest?

 

 

I'll still be here.  Is Snoqualmie Falls the one they used to show in that Twin Peaks tv show?  That was one weird show....

No, but I have the Alaska Airlines app, and had the heads up that no one was assigned to the middle seat.. yet.   :)

It is.  I've never seen Twin Peaks, and didn't know the connection until a friend texted us that we needed to go to the cafe from the show.  More on that later..

Great report until the puddle.  LOL  Glad I'm not a cleaning crew member. :D

Me too!  I felt terrible!  I changed V during the flight, but apparently made it too loose.  Double fail.  

Departure Day

Before I left I wanted to see if I could get Dad up in a Parasail. So I did some research.  Cocoa Beach Parasail is located at Rusty's Seafood, which is right at Port Canaveral.  We headed over there.  The information booth is also the hostess stand at Rusty's which was interesting.  Anyways, they ask that you allow an hour and 45 minutes to get out there and back, and they have set times when they depart.  Unfortunately, the times didn't work out with my flight schedule.  So we had to rain check.  But, we decided to do some exploring anyways.

Here's the boat:

They're also doing a ton of construction at Port Canaveral. They have an observation deck to the new "egg" they're building.

From here we picked up Sister E and headed to the airport.

On the way there I breathed a sigh of relief, as there were a good 25 seats still open on our flight.  That meant Miss V would have a seat of her own.  If you ever wanted to know, Alaska Airlines is staffed by American Airlines in Orlando.  Of course once we got there I immediately asked about an extra seat, and the guy deadpanned no. But.. I just checked and there's TONS of open seats!   The guy said there were more employees on this flight than he had ever seen.  Crap!

We got through security fairly easily.  Once we arrived at the gate, I went to ask again.  Except it was the same American Airlines guy who checked me in at the counter a few minutes ago.  Well, I asked anyways, and the guy said he wouldn't know until everyone checked in.

It was finally time to start boarding, and I visited AA guy to chat about an extra seat.  He said he hadn't checked everyone in yet, and that I would need to take it up with the flight crew.  ??  I was adamant that I was taking Miss V's car seat with me, and that if I absolutely had to gate check it I would.  So I schlepped the car seat, stroller, V, and the bags.  Not very quickly I might add.  On the way to my seat I asked every flight attendant I could about the possibility of an extra seat, and every one of them said the flight was full.  But I could keep the car seat with me until the last second.  I claimed the seat next to me as my own, and put the car seat in it.  So, in not knowing I put Miss V on my lap.  In just a few minutes she somehow got to the floor and put a pretzel in her mouth, grabbed the phone of the person next to me, and threw an in-flight magazine at the seats behind us. Calgon take me away. She's usually very good I tell you! 

More and more people kept getting on board.  I was trying not to make eye contact.  No eye contact here.  This is my seat.. the one that I paid for, right? 

After what seemed like an eternity (and in fact they held the plane for more people), I finally got the all clear from the flight crew, two people were no-shows.  Thank god!  I strapped Miss V in, and we were on our way!

Miss V wasn't into sleeping this time, so I kept her occupied as best as I could.  About 4 hours in that she started to nod off, and slept until we landed.  

The guy next to me commented about what a great traveler she was.  It wasn't seconds later that I moved her car set, and what did I find?  A humongous puddle.  I cleaned it with antibacterial wipes, and told the flight crew.  I'm sure they were glad to see me go! :)

So you might think this is the end..  But if you're up for sticking around there's a Disney Social Media Moms event, and a side trip to Snoqualmie Falls. :)

Wow!  So many comments.. 

I am way-super-late to this party.  Just wanted to say great TR  - thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks for following! :)

Okay, one comment on the spa and then I'll keep my mouth shut.  

 

If I saw a billboard for "Affordable Spa" while driving down the interstate, I would definitely put that in the same category as a different kind of "spa."  

 

I'm relieved that the Affordable Spa is indeed a reputable place.

 

That is all.

I actually snorted when I saw that!  The affordable spa is indeed reputable, and not of ill-repute.

I would think the same!

Apparently I haven't driven down I-75 in a long, long, time. Ha!

A Pollo Tropical is opening in my town soon.  Looking forward to trying it...you're not the first person to rave about the place. 

In my opinion the fried yuca was the best.  If you haven't had yuca before it's in the potato family, and cut thicker than french fries.

I would have also thought bad things about the spa.

 

And Dave is correct.

 

I have seen too many signs along I-75.

Ha!

That strip center is unassuming.

 

There is a Pollo Tropicale in the on-campus food court at FSU.  I've never tried it as my DD said it was awful.  It must just be that one.

 

What are these signs on 75 you guys are talking about?

 

Are you talking about around Gainesville?

 

TCD

I hope it's just that one.  But it has been 7 years since I've been to Pollo Tropical.

And I quote...

 

Strippers, need we say more?

 

Strippers, as seen on Jerry Springer.

 

 

They seem to be every few miles all the way down 75.

 

Seriously.

Strippers, as seen on Jerry Springer.  I have no comeback for that.  I think it speaks for itself..

For once, we are not making fun of UF. There are signs that say things like Happy Spa and We Bare All all along 75.

 Wow.  Just wow.

Forgot about the We Bare All.  

 

And now that you mention it, we could still make fun of uf.  

 

My dog even makes fun of the gators.  I can ask her if she would rather be a gator or dead, and she immediately plays dead.

 

Bam!

That is a talented dog!

For the record, I have no allegiance any NCAA team.  I went to a geek college that has no football team. I majored in nerd.

Day 7

Day 7 was a spa day, whoo hoo!  Stepmom recommended The Affordable Spa, which she frequents.  The Affordable Spa is actually not very far from Port Canaveral, so if you have some time before or after a Disney cruise this could be an option.

I didn't take any pictures, so I borrowed some from the internets.  First, The Affordable Spa is in an unassuming strip mall on Merritt Island-

And it really is affordable.  Check out these prices:

In Seattle, the prices would be at least double.  Disney Cruise Line, I don't even want to think about it!

There isn't anything fancy, no steam room, hot tub, or expensive decor.  But it gets the job done.

I had the hot stone massage and basic facial.  The massage was really relaxing, and I was ready for a nap!  The guy was amazing.  For the facial, I think the girl was probably new.  It wasn't as zen as the massage, but I can't complain one bit.

Day 8

Day 8 started out as a sisters' day.  E, G, and I went to The Avenue Viera, which is a open-air shopping mall, right off I-95, and about a half-hour from Port Canaveral.

First, as we were pulling in, I saw Pollo Tropical!!!!!  

Ok, I lived in South Florida for about 3 years, and Pollo Tropical was one of my favorite places to eat.  I love me some good fried yuca and a TropiChop!  And for the record I haven't had any in about 7 years.  I freaked out a little.  Ok, maybe a lot.  But, there was some cruel trick, as we were pulling in, it wasn't open.  It was brand-new and still under construction.  Poop.  There was almost a tear.

I set my devastation aside, and we went shopping.  The Avenue Viera is actually pretty nice.

And of course we can't get too far without Disney-

We had lunch at Pizza Gallery and Grill which has a decent-sized gluten-free menu.

Sorry for the blurry pic.  I had a gluten-free pizza, as I didn't want to eat something ooey gooey right in front of both sisters who were having gluten-free.  Over the past couple of years I've had many gluten-free pizzas with family.  This one ranks in the top tier.

After more shopping, we headed back to my dad's.  And we did a bit more boating.

Beyond that bridge is where all of the cruise ships port.  Unfortunately on this day there were no cruise ships to be seen.

Up Next: Departure Day

You shut your mouth, PIxie. 

 

I had such high hopes for you...

Aren't you the guy who likes Mickey's Philharmagic?  I rest my case.

I've often wondered if Beverly would be a good mixer for Gin. 

That could make that darn Italy drink a heck of a lot better!

Caught up...

 

Way too much to comment on but I will say that I liked the illuminations pics through the palm trees, the pics of the kiddies on the boat and with the characters........and that Figment still SMB.

Thanks! :)  I can be real in saying that liking Figment puts me in a very small minority.  Ha!

Nice! :)

Edit: If you're a D23 member (silver or gold) you get 10% off at Ghirardelli

Day 6!

We’re headed to Epcot, baby!

So, Dad and I discussed arriving in early afternoon and staying through the late evening.  This was to accomplish two things, avoid the morning rush, and take advantage of cooler temperatures after the obligatory rain shower.  I was in all agreement ‘cause I was still on West Coast time!

On this day was Dad, Stepmom, Sister E, and Nephew M, and of course myself and Miss V.

We arrived at the gates around 1:20.

Yay! Epcot!

This time we got a parking spot right away, and frankly it was pretty good, right next to the handicap spaces.  No tram (and taking apart a stroller) needed!

Security was just standing around.  Ha!

This was a complete 180 from the Magic Kingdom.  The temp was in the 80’s, and it wasn’t nearly at the same humidity level as it was a few days ago.  I guess we can thank TS Andrea for that!  In the words of Dad; it was quite delightful!

The fam:

We immediately headed back to see if we could get Fastpasses for Soarin.  No dice.  Sold out.  So we went over to Test Track.  No dice there either.  I guess there is a drawback to arriving at 1:30.  So, the plan was to return right before closing to see if we could get on either.

Nemo had a 10 minute wait, so we boarded up for that.  I like Nemo, I think it’s cute.  After Nemo we went to Turtle Talk with Crush.  I had never sat through Turtle Talk, and for little ones it’s great.  Nephew M thought it was cool, and kept using “dude” for the rest of the day.

From here we went to Figment.  I know I’m going to catch a lot of heat for this, but I like Figment.  It’s catchy.  Anyways, Figment wasn’t in full working order.  The skunk scene wasn’t skunky.  But I still liked it, and so did V and M.

Miss V LOVED the musical squares in the exit area.

After this, we headed to Club Cool for the free soda.  Heck, who doesn’t like free?

In the PixieB world rankings of soda tasting, China is first, Italy is the worst, and Japan is just plain weird.  Seriously, I’d like a giant slushy mug of the China watermelon stuff.  Disney marketing fail.

Moving on, we headed to meet Duffy.  Duffy happens to be Miss V’s favorite stuffed animal.  However, it took some coaxing to get the picture.  At first she ran right by Duffy, and out on to the World Showcase. 

I’m still not sure she was thrilled with the whole teddy bear/come to life thing.

From here we went to Mexico and Nephew M got into the Kidcot crafts.  He also started Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure.

The adventures were nifty, but took a whole lot longer than I imagined.

We made a pit stop in Norway.

On to China!

Nephew M did the Agent P adventure here, and apparently freaked the hell out of some unsuspecting tourists when one of the statues moved.  Ha!

I decided to try a Lychee drink.

It wasn’t terrible.

Sister E was saying all day how much she wanted to eat in China.  So the plan was to check out the Lotus Blossom Café.

There were two problems; Sister E is a vegetarian and apparently the vegetarian meal here isn’t really vegetarian.  Secondly, there are no gluten-free options.  Sister E eats both.

I knew that the best chance of getting a gluten-free and vegetarian meal was probably going to be at a table service restaurant.  The only problem, there were no reservations to be had.  Anywhere.

Sooo…  we decide to take our chances in Japan.  Everyone was starved at this point, so we booked it over there.   I immediately went over to the Tokyo Dining/Teppen Edo stand.  After a little back and forth we got a table at Tokyo Dining right away!  How fantastic was that?

Sister E got some vegetarian sushi that also happened to be gluten-free.  Dad and stepmom got panko breaded gluten-free chicken, and I got the sushi sampler.  Nephew M had some other chicken, but came out on what looked like a space shuttle!  Anyways, I must have been too famished to take pictures, because I forgot entirely.

The sushi sampler was terrific.  A couple of years ago I had a California roll at Katsura Grill across the way.  It was good, don’t get me wrong, but it was more of the grocery-store variety.  For exactly $4 more, the sushi sampler at Tokyo Dining blew its socks off. 

By the time we finished it was approaching 8 pm.  Nephew M kept telling us he wanted to go in the “golf ball” like really bad.  Sister E wanted to shop in Mitsukoshi.  So we split up.  I went with Nephew M and Dad.  We rode Spaceship Earth, and M thought it was the greatest thing ever to be inside the giant ball. 

We met up with the group in front of Test Track at about 8:50.  There was an 80 minute wait posted.  Dad, M and  E decided to take their chances.  Stepmom, Miss V and myself headed over to the gateway to catch Illuminations.  I have seen Illuminations a million times before (really when are they going make updates to the show?) and Stepmom was exhausted, so we found a bench outside one of the shops.

Here’s the view:

After Illuminations we did some retail therapy.

It was about 9:40 when Dad texted us to let us know they were done with Test Track.  They were literally the last ones off.  Security escorted them through a closed portion of Future World to the Mouse Gears area.

We made our way to the front of the park.

And that is all she wrote.

Up Next: The Affordable Spa near Port Canaveral.