"Not so" Wordless Wednesday: Darby O'Gill and the Little People

"Singin's no sin & Drinkin's no crime" - King Brian

This week, Deb is ready for the new Beauty and the Beast movie (as well as everyone else,) and she shared pictures from the Be Our Guest restaurant inside Magic Kingdom.  We love this restaurant as well.  We've been a few times for lunch and really enjoy it.  The atmosphere is fun, the food is fast (once you order) and it's yummy and just a little different than your average quick-service meal.  We've never been for dinner, so we haven't met the Beast yet, but on our upcoming trip we've got an early reservation so we can try the breakfast.   Honestly, I'm more excited about the 8:00 reservation than the actual location/food even though I'm sure it will be good.  You really can't beat getting into the park before it opens though.  

 Merging Deb's idea and my quote of the week, I'd like to share one of my family's new favorites.  Gaston's Tavern!

We love this LeFou's Brew, especially on a warm day.  Here's the description from Disney: Frozen Apple Juice with a hint of Toasted Marshmallow and topped with All-Natural Passion Fruit-Mango Foam.  We've gotten it with and without the foam, and really you can't go wrong either way.  We usually get one for the family and share it since it is pretty sweet.  If you choose to stay outside the tavern with your drink/snack, you can sit around this fountain, which my little one loves.  (In all honesty, she loves all water.)  If your timing works out, you can be entertained by Gaston himself even if the line is too long to actually meet him yourself.  (As a bonus, there are also restrooms nearby, so it suites everyone in our family to rest here for a minute.)

If you choose to sit inside, there is a small room to the right that is amazing to take in.  Gaston's big throne chair is there and you can even sit in it.  I thought we did this, but I can't seem to find any pictures.  Plus, check out this ginormous cinnamon roll!

If you can manage to look past the big, yummy cinnamon roll, you can see they also serve bottled apple juice here.  Stops that sell those have been crucial for us the past few trips since my weird kid refuses to drink water.  Although this place is a little small, if you hit it at a somewhat off time, this side room can seem almost empty, making it a great place to rest and enjoy a little downtime.  Even if it is busy, it's a great spot for a quick grab and go.

What quick service places do you enjoy?

Hello Monday

Weekend Recap

I am so grateful that I have family that lives in town.  We woke up Saturday morning and decided we would take Littlecjc to the cheap theater to watch Sing!  I sent out a text to Grandma and her aunt and uncle, and everyone was able to join us.  She had a little trouble staying in her seat, but she loved the music.  We had so much fun watching little one dance around in her seat and even in front of it.  She left the theater singing "Shake it off."  Besides a trip to the library after the movie, this was the excitement of our weekend.  On Sunday, we made it to church and then did some car maintenance by getting an oil change and going through the car wash.  Otherwise the only thing we did Sunday was clean up the house.  It's kind of sad, but I guess this has become our new schedule; cleaning the house on the weekend.

Hello Monday
This week isn't super exciting in the bullet journal, but what do you expect? It's St. Patrick's Day week, so it's another repeat Disney Dinner since you have to watch this classic every year.  It's Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

Hello Blake Shelton, Grandma, and Grandpa

Thursday night, Blake Shelton is in town and it's going to be a family event.  My in-laws love Blake Shelton, so we got them tickets to this concert for Christmas and Patrick's sister and her husband are going along too.  I would say that this event is another reason this week's quote is appropriate, but since I started Whole30 last week, I guess I will be the one driving this time around.  Since my mother-in-law works in a school, this week happens to be her spring break.  This works out well since they wouldn't be able to drive home after the show anyway.  So, they have decided to board the dog and they will be staying with us a few days.  (Another reason we tried to clean house this weekend.  Even though it only takes a few minutes for Littlecjc to wreck it.)

Hello Insanity Max 30

Last week was our last week with the T25 program.  I'm so happy that I finished the program.  Yes, I admit that I did skip a few days of workout, but I still completed the schedule, mostly.  We only have 6 weeks before our upcoming Disney trip, so we won't be able to complete any of the programs that we currently have, but Patrick was wanting to get back into some of the Max 30 workouts so this is what we are starting.  I didn't really remember these workouts, so I just previewed today's workout and I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot more modifying than I've been doing the last few weeks.  I was so happy with how little modifications I was making during the second moth of T25, but it seems like Max30 is a lot more cardio intense.  Then again, today's workout is called Cardio Challenge, so maybe the others won't be quite as bad.  Either way, a modified workout is still way better than no workout.  This just gives me something new to work for.

Hello Whole30, Week 2

On Wednesday, I will start my second week of the Whole30 program.  The program includes a mental timeline to help you prepare and be ready for what's about to hit you.  Within this first week, they tell you to expect "the hangover," where you will likely experience headaches and feel a little like you're hungover.  Luckily, I didn't really experience this too much.  Next I was expecting to want to "kill all the things."  Again, I didn't really experience this one either.  I did maybe a little on Saturday afternoon/evening after the movie.  I was fine at the movie when everyone was eating their popcorn and candy, but afterwards I was hungry when everyone else wasn't.  I should have packed one of the compliant Larabars that they suggest using in emergencies, because we stopped by a dollar store filled with candy, which is when I got snappy.  I was fine again, when we got home and we fixed some dinner.  Today and tomorrow, the timeline says I'll "just want to nap."  Well, so far this morning I still feel good, but I'm sure I'll be toast after that new workout.

So what have I been eating this past week?  A lot of eggs and potatoes for one thing, but surprisingly, I'm not tired of them yet.  Another go-to is of course a salad.   

This week, I'm expected to experience possible bloating as my stomach finishes adjusting to the lack of sugar.  Day 10 and 11 are apparently the hardest days since this is when most people quit the program.  And then apparently, I may start dreaming of junk food.  I think I'm ok with that.  As long as I can get past day 11.

Hello Menu
A good aspect of Whole30, I didn't eat out once this past weekend.  I did eat out on Monday and Tuesday last week when we were out of town, but since starting Whole30 on Wednesday, I've eaten at home for every meal, which is a nice change.  Since I started Whole30 on a Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday this week were already planned, so I'm still working out the details of this week's menu, but here's the current plan.

Monday - buffalo chicken stuffed pepper, guacomoli
Tuesday - tilapia, sweet potato, brussel sprouts
Wednesday - balsamic chicken and vegetables
Thursday - steak fajita (in lettuce for me)
Friday - BBQ casserole chicken
Saturday - leftovers?
Sunday - Dublin Coddle

Hello Repeat Books and Binges
I didn't finish my audio book, Uprooted, last week, so I'm still working on that this week.  I'm also embarrassed to admit, but I'm still working on Dragonfly in Amber, as my current physical book.  So, I'm definitely not starting any new books this week, and hopefully I'll finish at least one if not both of these this week.  As for my binge watching, I'm making good progress on Gossip Girl, but with 6 full seasons, it still takes a while.  So, nothing new here either.  Probably a good thing on both accounts with our busy week ahead.

Hello Snow?
I thought we had a chance of snow today, but that it wasn't going to amount to anything.  I guess the roads may be too warm to do damage in that regard, but the largest snowflake have been falling the entire time I've been writing this post.  The grass is mostly covered already, and the roof across the street is completely covered.  I would take a picture for you, if a certain little one hasn't stolen my phone this morning to play her games.  Looking outside, I'm sure glad there's no where I have to be today.

Now Bring it ON
I think that is all for this morning, so bring on the week.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Robin Hood

Last weekend, our Disney dinner was Robin Hood.  What else could I possibly fix besides beef stew?  We had some cornbread to go with it and had a laid-back evening.  We kept it simple, just the way I like it.  It was fun sharing this classic with Littlecjc.

Wordless Wednesday: Beauty and the Beast

How appropriate that today is International Women's Day and Deb has chosen this as our topic today?  This week is Beauty and the Beast in our house and Belle is one of the strongest female characters I know.  I thought I would share some photos of the female ruler of our house with some of our favorite female characters.

Hello Monday

 Weekend Recap

While I would like to say that we had a nice, laid-back weekend, I have to add that it was with a heavy heart.  On Friday, Patrick's uncle died after a very long battle with cancer.  Even though we knew he was most likely in his final battle and he is now in a much more peaceful place, it does not make this news any easier to take in.  We therefore spent some time on Saturday making travel plans for the funeral.  The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, working in my bullet journal, and ordering supplies to make shirts for our upcoming Disney trips.  (More to come on that later!)

On Sunday, we did get out.  We started with church and a few errands.  In the afternoon, we invited Grandma to join us at the local zoo.  We are big fans of our local zoo, which is only about a mile up the road from our house.  Our zoo may not be amazing by big city standards, but it is really nice for the size of our city.  They have fun animals and great staff members that truly love the animals and therefore sharing information about them.  Since Littlecjc was just a few months old, we've been members there and enjoy walking around and visiting all the animals.  Since we took Grandma with us this time, Patrick and I might as well have not even gone, because Littlecjc literally ran from animal to animal showing Grandma everything.  They were the leaders and we were told to stay in back.

Hello Monday

If you've followed me from the beginning or done any research of past blogs, you know that this week is technically a Disney dinner repeat week.  However, with Beauty and the Beast opening next weekend, there was really no choice as to what would be this week's theme.  Here's your peek.

You may notice several crossed out items for Monday and Tuesday.  With our change of plans, we will be on the road both days  now so obviously, my plans changed.

Hello Whole30

You may also notice from the picture above, I decided to start Whole30.  I originally planned to start on Monday, but again, with being on the road, I pushed it back to Wednesday.  I have my first week of meals planned out and I'm almost ready to start.  I started some of my bujo prep this weekend.

This is me going public, so I can now check that box.  On Tuesday, regardless of what time we get back in town, I will need to take my measurements and photos.  As you can see, one of the guidelines of the program is to hide your scale until all 30 days are complete.  Well, Patrick has agreed to eat whatever I fix for dinner, but he has no interest in participating in the full process.  Therefore, I will not be hiding the scale so I'm going to need extra willpower to stay off of it.  I also need to add a few more pages with my meal plans, shopping list, room for reflection, etc.  I'm sure you'll hear more about this journey as it progresses.

Hello Meal Plan

I won't get into full Whole30 meal details here, but like always I'll share what's for dinner this week.  Let's hope this week I do better at following the schedule or else I'll be in trouble.

Monday and Tuesday - we will be on the road

Wednesday - taco potato

Thursday - tomato basil chicken with spaghetti squash

Friday - meatloaf pepper rings

Sat - balsamic chicken and veggies

Sun - Caramel apple pork chops

Hello New Reads

Last week, I did finish Lauren Grahams Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between.  This book was a fun, quick read that I would recommend to any Gilmore fan.  It really made me want to re-watch the entire series even though I had just watched them all this past fall.  So, what's on the plan for this week?  Well, I have already downloaded the audiobook Uprooted by Naomi Novik, but I haven't even opened it yet.

Hello Binge List

You'll notice the word "new" is missing in the title above.  I don't remember what day it was last week, but I was looking for something to watch and might have made a mistake.  In the past, Patrick has gotten upset that I start watching certain shows without him.  So, I was afraid to start anything new thinking "what if he wants to watch this one too?"  Instead, I thought "Hey, I'll just start re-watching Gossip Girls since I can just listen to it and not really pay attention to it since I've seen it all before."  Ha!  This is why it's called a binge list.  I'm completely sucked back in and almost half-way through the second season already.

Now Bring it on

I think that's it for this Monday, and now it's time to take action.

Happy Monday everyone!

The Princess and the Frog

My amazing sister-in-law and brother decided to host our weekly Disney dinner this week.  They were so amazing! They decorated their dining room in a Mardi Gras theme and served an amazing themed dinner as well.

They served Bourbon Street Chicken, which was so good.  We also had cajun rice and lily pad salad.

 For dessert we had king cake and paczki.

The food was amazing! I wish I had a better picture to show you, but I was much more interested in eating it.

We had a great visit over this amazing food and it was so nice to not have to cook and do the dishes!

Wordless Wednesday: Robin Hood

"Golly, what a day" - Robin Hood

Join the linkup fun with Deb from Focused on the Magic with your March calendar shot.