The Happy List: Week of June 23

Happy Tuesday! I meant to post this yesterday but the day got away from me. Here are some things that are making me happy this week.

I love this picture I found on Pinterest a couple days ago. Summer always makes me dreamy and nostalgic. This picture reminds me of long, carefree summer days at the beach with my best friend when we were teenagers.

All the awesome press I'm seeing about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. I've been a Harry Potter fan since it was just a book no one had heard of. I haven't been to the Wizarding World yet, because I'm the only fan in my family and Disney always wins out on Florida vacations. But I'm loving all the news I'm seeing about the additions, so I think it might be time to think about a visit.

Unpacking! It's a long story, but we've decided to stay put for another year until we're ready to buy a house. This will be the longest we've stayed in one place since I met my husband. I know he's itching to move, so I'm trying to change things up and redecorate a little bit in our current spot. This move was also going to be the transition to a "big boy" room for Little Man, and I'm excited to be making those changes for him here. I'm really happy we're staying another year--I love this place and our neighborhood.

A penny for your thoughts: what's your summer story?

Creating A Healthy Living Mission Statement

Now that we've hit the midpoint of the year, I've been thinking a lot about my goals. When I got sick--and most recently brought down by a fire ant--I had to readjust my thinking to what I would accomplish. I started feeling overwhelmed by my goals. There just seemed to be a lot of them, and they were all over the place: personal goals, fitness goals, literary goals. But the underlying theme is that I want to live an overall healthier life. I've just felt really off balance lately--when I find a good pattern in running, my writing slips. When I find a good groove in writing, my healthy eating goes out the window. So I decided to write a Mission Statement to help guide myself and figure out the million dollar question of finding balance. Here's what I came up with:

When I lay it all out there, it seems a little corny and more than a little obvious. But I feel like if I base my short term, monthly goals on those four things I'll find more balance, instead of making goals that are all over the board each month.

A penny for your thoughts: do you have a mission statement? How do you find balance in your life?

Running Into Another Obstacle (And Looking on the Bright Side)

I ran four miles this weekend, and I felt great. It was my longest run since March, but I recovered well and was looking forward to adding mileage before my 10k on July 4th.

Then I took Little Man to Stone Mountain, got bit by a fire ant, and my foot swelled up to epic proportions.

"Wow," my doctor commented yesterday when I went hobbling into the exam room. "I've never seen an allergic reaction quite that impressive." And then he called his buddies in to take a look.

"Do you think I'll be able to run a five mile training run this weekend?" I asked me. He gave me a look.

"Okay..." I tried again. "Will I be ready for a 10k in two weeks?"

"As long as you're not planning on winning it," he said, handing me a prescription for a week of steroids and antibiotics. "And if your foot starts to swell, take your shoe off or it will get stuck."

I pictured myself hobbling down Peachtree Street with one shoe on and 60,000 other people. And I cringed.

I'm just not having much luck on the running front, guys. What is going on? I'm frustrated, but I'm trying to look on the bright side. At least it's my foot that's swollen, and not my spleen anymore. At least it's not half marathon season. At least I have a couple of weeks before my race and not a couple of days. Being off my feet for another few days means more time to read and write, and more time to plan some summer fun--although perhaps this time with sneakers and a healthy dose of bug spray.

A penny for your thoughts: How do you look on the bright side when an unexpected road block pops up?

How I'll Spend My Summer Vacation

How I'll Spend My Summer Vacation
By Allyson Brandt

I know it's customary to write this essay at the beginning of the school year, but I thought I would get a jump on things this year. I'm planning on having a really great summer.

To start things off, I want to be outside. The winter was long and cold, and I'm welcoming the heat with open arms. 90 degrees by 11 AM? Bring on the sunscreen and wide-brimmed hat. I want to swim and splash in the fountains. I want to see outdoor movies and live music. I want to pack away my jeans until October and wear nothing but flowy skirts and sundresses. I want to eat outside--find one of those adorable picnic baskets and a shady spot and eat fresh berries, corn on the cob and maybe even a hot dog or two.

Speaking of food--I want to make homemade ice cream this year. I have a fancy ice cream maker that we received as gift when we got married and I've never used it. Time to brush the dust off and churn away. I also want to spend time meandering through all the farmer's markets that have popped up in my area.

I want to get reacquainted with the morning. I've been sleeping so much recently, and I want to be up earlier in the day. Watch the sunrise, do some yoga, and start summer days off refreshed.

I want to read and write. They are my two favorite things, after all--so why aren't I doing more of them? I have a whole wish list of books to read this summer. You can check it out here.

I want to introduce Little Man to some summer traditions, like sparklers, water balloons and fireflies. Do you remember the first time you caught a firefly?

But most of all this summer, I'm going to--as an old friend like to put it--put stress in a bubble and blow it away. It's time to slow the pace, take time to explore, walk barefoot in the grass, and build sand castles. It's time to ride a Ferris wheel, run through a sprinkler and drink lemonade. It's time for summer.

A penny for your thoughts: do you get a summer break? How will you spend it?

Things I've Learned (So Far) About Eating at Home

One of my goals for this month was to cut WAY back on my eating out and to make and eat more meals at home. I've been at it for a little over a week, and I've already learned a lot:

• Making a plan is essential, but you have to be flexible. Last week, I made a menu for each day. Then on Wednesday, life happened and I didn't feel like making the dinner I'd planned. Then on Friday I came home later than intended and the home-cooked meal I'd planned for would have made our dinner time close to 9 PM. I guess I'm a little type-A about following lists, and not following my meal plan made me cranky--plus both nights I didn't make the planned dinner we ended up eating giant bowls of pasta. This week I made a list of 7 meals with no assigned days, prepped everything I could on Sunday, and halfway through each day I'm picking the meal I'm going to make depending on how our day is going. It's working out much better for us.

Breakfast for dinner is a big hit at my house!

• I'm learning about my snack habits. For example, I like something crunchy after lunch, and I crave sweets after dinner. I plan ahead for my cravings and pre-package snacks--cut up carrots for when the need to crunch hits and little boxes of raisins and 100 calorie packs of cookies for my sweet tooth. I was surprised at how much I liked the raisins!

• Eating at home doesn't automatically mean healthy eating. Sure, I might know exactly what ingredients are in my lasagna and I can make an entire one for less than I would spend on one portion at Olive Garden--but that doesn't make the piles of cheese I put on it any better for me. 

Making homemade pizza dough was fun!

• I need to invest in a little cooler--one that is big enough to carry a meal for an adult or two but small enough that bringing it out and about with me isn't a Herculean effort. 
• Every meal does not have to be a gourmet meal. When you're eating at home and  you're the only one doing the cooking, it can get pretty time consuming. I need to find some more quick, tasty recipes. 

A penny for your thoughts: what are your favorite things to make at home? Are you well known for a certain dish?

June is Bustin' Out All Over

Hello June!

I'm excited about this month. I spent most of April and May sick, but I'm finally back to myself and just in time for summer!

I did pretty well on the goals I set for myself in May. I took the month off to think about how I was going to focus on getting healthy again, and now I'm ready to implement my plan. I did a lot of research, some trial and error with eating, and now I'm ready to embark on an immune-boosting, energy-producing lifestyle.

I was very good at Disney--my husband and I kept our phones stashed away and I did not live the trip looking through a camera lens. It meant I didn't have a ton of photos to share, but I did have a really good, relaxing trip. And the world did not end while I was taking a mini break from social media. Shocking, I know.

I'm still in the process of purging before I pack, but I've donated a ton of stuff already. My rule of thumb was that if I hadn't worn it in a year, it went out the door. My closet is looking pretty bare, which I suppose is a testament to how much I was hanging on to.

Here are my goals for June:
I'm going to make memories by...working on my "to do" list for a fun summer.
I'm going to focus on...eating at home. I did a meal plan for the whole month and spent yesterday prepping food for the week--I made a big pot of homemade marinara sauce (I snuck in TONS of veggies), cut up veggies and fruits and pre-made lunches. I'm hoping that having a plan will help us eat healthy and cut back on eating out, and free up some time for me to write and exercise.

I'm going to do good by...continuing to donate items as I pack.

A penny for your thoughts: do you meal plan or prep your weekly food?

Disney Dreaming: May Trip Review and Thoughts

We took a trip to Walt Disney World the week before Memorial Day weekend, and it was the perfect time. The weather was warm but not scorching yet, and the crowds were light--even at opening weekend of Star Wars Weekend.

In my quest to stay at all the Disney Vacation Club resorts, we tried out Saratoga Springs for this trip. It's very scenic, well-themed, and BIG. We stayed in the Congress Park section, which is closest to the walkway to Downtown Disney. It was a nice walk, but the sounds of Downtown carried right over the water and into our room every night. If you're looking for quiet, I'd avoid this section. The other downside to Congress Park was that it isn't close to the main pool, the restaurants, and the gift shop. The walk was too much for Little Man after a long afternoon in the pool, so we ended up driving back and forth a lot. The recreation was pretty great--the main pool has a graduated entry (perfect for little swimmers), a big slide and a little slide, and a Donald Duck themed fountain. There are a couple other quiet pools on property, as well as a water playground and another spray area for kids. If you're looking for room to stretch out and play in the water, Saratoga Springs would be a good pick for you.

A view of Downtown Disney!

We spent a day in Hollywood Studios for Star Wars weekend, and I have to admit--I had so much fun! I'm not a huge Star Wars fan--my husband is-- but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters that walked around interacting with the guests.

Then there was Boba Fett. He's quite the charmer.

And this dark chocolate and peanut butter cupcake totally made me go over to the dark side.

The Star Wars events helped keep the lines at the rest of the park to a minimum, which was a nice perk.

Goodnight, Hollywood Studios!

Our other park day was at The Magic Kingdom, because I can't go to WDW and skip seeing my castle, right?

Little Man was into the rides this year, which was fun--he had memories from past trips and had his own requests and agenda for the day. He was finally tall enough to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which we walked on first thing that morning. The verdict? "That ride was too crazy for my head, mom!" Turns out my boy isn't much into the thrill rides.

We visited Mike Wazowski at the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, where Little Man's joke was featured: what did a mother train say to her baby train at lunchtime? Chew Chew!

I missed the soft opening of The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train by ONE DAY. Oh, the agony...but I wouldn't have wanted to wait in a three hour line, which is what the wait was the next day.

We discovered something new at the Magic Kingdom--A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas. It's an interactive treasure hunt around Adventure Land and Frontier Land, and it's awesome. There are five different maps that lead to animated, animatronic clues from Captain Jack Sparrow and friends. We did it after dark and had a blast--clues emerge from under water, tucked in alcoves--hidden in plain sight. I never noticed them until we did the treasure hunt. There are five maps in all, and they make for fun keepsakes.

We spent the rest of our trip relaxing. We played in the pool, rode the monorail, ate our body weight in bacon at the Polynesian. It was just what the doctor ordered, and I came home ready to start packing and preparing for our July move.

Some thoughts on some of the hot button issues that I've noticed cropping up in the online world recently:

Cast members: I've seen a lot said about crabby cast members recently. I didn't encounter a single grumpy cast member on this trip--in fact, most of them went out of their way to make our trip special. I think people forget that even though working at Disney is awesome, it's still a job--and cast members get hot and tired just like we do. Cut them some slack and be kind to them, too.

FastPass+: Disney changed the way FastPass+ works, allowing you to collect more fastpasses once you're in the park and allowing for extra fastpasses if you have a parkhopper. I did see loooooong lines for the fastpass machines inside the parks, but I didn't have any issues getting the fastpasses for the rides I wanted the night before on My Disney Experience. In fact, the only fastpass that was gone the night before our Magic Kingdom Day was the visit with Anna and Elsa.

Speaking of Anna and Elsa--I'm sure none of my readers are the type that would knock people down  in an attempt to storm Fairy Tale Hall as the Magic Kingdom opens, but watch out for these people! The Magic Kingdom has changed the way they do the rope drop in effort to slow the stampede, but there are still those folks who are hellbent on getting there first. The standby line reached 100 minutes while I was there on a slow week. Disney just announced that Elsa and Anna will be greeting guests from open to close, so hopefully this will help cut down on the crazy lines.

There is a lot of construction going on! The Vacation Club resorts that are under construction at the Polynesian have a lot blocked off, and there are big sections of the Magic Kingdom that are fenced off. Downtown Disney is well underway with renovations for the new Disney Springs and there are a lot of walls up and sections closed off.  Remember to check ahead of time for closures and construction, especially if you're travelling off season.

A penny for your thoughts: do you like to travel off season, or do you prefer to travel on holiday weekends?