Behind the Scenes: the Disney Christmas Cruise aboard the Fantasy with Buckets 'N Boards part II

lets see, where was i? here?

yeeek

i believe i was here:

the kids club(s)  aw yes.  there is a kids club and and a lab.  the club side is packed with different play rooms and the lab has different craft,art and learning stations.  both places are joined by a big dining room area.  both sides have computer games.  and both sides have an abundant supply of crew members that will play ALL DAY with your kids.  so lets say your child is feeling antisocial towards the other children, well she will have her very own grown up to play with the entire time.  and if she missed her mom and dad, she can call them to come get her. each parent is  equipped with a wave phone.  these phones are your way of staying in constant touch with others on the ship.  each kid has a bracelet with a chip in it that they wear the entire time onboard.  if you check your kid into the club, you have to have your "key to the world" card to get them out and know your special code word.  then, they track your kids on the computer and send you in to get them.  otherwise, parents are not allowed in the clubs.  they have unlimited activities going on for the kids like a how to course on making flubber. or volcanos.  or Snow White and Dopey come in to read. or the real Peter Pan is there playing.  usually when you go to get them, your kids want more time. so you turn around and take off running back up to the adult only section of the ship and sip on fancy drinks and relax in the spa. (fall asleep while eating 2nd lunch reading a book)  at the entrance of the clubs there are futuristic hand washing machines. (no not just a sink) i didn't get a picture but i might update with one soon...G is onboard there as i type.  anyway, you stick each arm through tubes that automatically turn on and suddenly water and soap are forming a hand cleaning cyclone that lasts long enough to get your hands clean. then you dry off.  these stations are throughout the clubs.  and kids love using them.  parents too. these are pictures of the club.  each playroom is all about monsters inc or pixie hollow or toy story.

these are wonderful examples of what makes Disney so very Disney.  it is all in the details.  it is obvious that they want every object perfectly placed and perfectly made.  this is a new ship, so there isn't any wear and tear.  anyway, the kids places are very much top-notch to say the least.

so the 2nd day onboard was a Sunday...

and the Broncos were playing...

but they weren't showing it on the big jumbo screen outside by the swimming pools...i guess they just show Disney movies on that one...

and the navigator...you remember what the navigator is right?said the pub was airing the Steelers  and then the Giants so...no Broncos game.

but i have a duty.  ever since i purchased my Broncos sweatshirt a few months ago, the Broncos have not lost.  they will not lose as long as i am wearing my sweatshirt while they are playing. this is so true, i have a story to prove it: they were playing on a Thursday night. i forgot they were playing because it was Thursday night.  i don't have the NFL ticket or the NFL station so i wasn't able to watch it anyway.  my friend Will called to give me an update saying they weren't playing too hot and Demaryus Thomas left the stadium with a shoulder injury.  i immediately realized that i had FORGOTTEN TO PUT MY SWEATSHIRT ON!!  Will had him on his fantasy football lineup so he said calmly "GO PUT IT ON!!!" so i did. he then returns to the game...and they win 26-13 against the Raiders.  all because of my sweatshirt...
so it was 80 degrees and i didn't know when they were playing, but regardless i had to wear it.  i had it on for breakfast and i ran into a nice guy.  he asked if i was with BnB and if we were Broncos fans.  i said i was, so my husband is too then.  his boys were all wearing Broncos jerseys and his wife was wearing an Elway jersey.  living in Missouri you only see Chiefs jerseys...Chiefs.... so this was bonkers.
i ran into the pub every once in awhile to see if an update would pop up and finally it did!  and then i saw my fellow Broncos fans and their whole family!  and they just so happened to be in our dinner rotation!!!  this means were destined to be the bestest of buds! and other good news: the game was nearly over, they were up, so i could change out of my sweatshirt...which was a good thing because that night was formal night!!!

most of you have seen this picture probably:

well this is the only good picture of us that night.  the lines were really long to get the fancy pictures.  and this is unfortunate because the next time it was formal night again, i was pudgy.

this one ain't bad:

the only one that is wearing their own clothing is G.  very generous pals of ours lent us fancy duds for the cruise.  LUCKY!!  and take note of teeny Noii's dress.  she met Belle earlier and Belle told her that she will be wearing the same dress later.  this is Belle's formal Christmas dress, you see. and no one else had one like it...and if people weren't coming up to talk to G about BnB, they were coming to tell Noii that her dress was gorgeous :) and then we ran into Belle! 

twins!!

Thanks Teena!!! 

and check out how fancy i am down there!  my friend Becky lent me jewelry too as well as the dresses!

by the way, G brought that water into the fancy dinner.

dinner is interesting on the ship.  you get a menu, you pick all the courses you want, and if you don't know what you want, they'll bring you just about everything.  as much as i love the dinner food...i still longed for Cabanas! you remember what Cabanas is right?  

anyway, the girls started getting restless (bored...don't they know this is FANCY TIME?) so G took them back to the room and they watched a movie.  (other best thing about the ship...if you have a kid old enough to work the phones, you have a little freedom!) (oh and your room is just an elevator ride or a staircase hike or in this case literally down the hall from anywhere else on the ship)

so we had this picture taken:

BnB had an adult only show that night.  this is funny to me because there isn't much about their show that is for adult eyes only.  our Broncos family was there and i guess he told everyone that we celebrate the birth of Peyton Manning every year and give each other presents. set your calendars everyone! March 24th...

here's a peek at the princess gathering:

6 Disney Princesses...one gathering...stay...tuned...

(if you dare)

Behind the Scenes: the Disney Christmas Cruise aboard the Fantasy with Buckets 'N Boards part I

i am very aware that i am a lucky gal.  like lucky lucky.  or is it blessed..or what is it called when you take a risk and it pays off? or what is it called when you spend a lot of time stuck at home cleaning up barf and poop, making trips to the doctor, even scary ambulance trips, feeling all alone but strong as a mother all while your husband is off in a luxurious, beautiful tropical location, and now you get to finally join him at this paradise for the ultimate family Christmas vacation?  i might need to explain.

my incredible husband Gareth (i count my lucky stars that he is my husband) and his super pal Matt have a successful show called Buckets 'N Boards.  i am proud to call it successful because they worked very hard to make it a success.  and now, they call Disney their 2nd home.  They fly BnB to a Disney cruise ship (usually the new Fantasy) for 4-7 days to perform their own show as a headliner, then they return them safely home.  since they are a hired act, they are treated with guest status each time, instead of crew that stays on for 6 weeks at a time and performs in various shows onboard.

after a year of ups and downs of holding down the fort all by myself, our family got to go with BnB on the Disney Fantasy Christmas Cruise.  just typing that makes me smile.  i had the best time of my life.  and i wanna tell you all about it!!  i will break it up into a few posts so you wont overdose on the excitement so here goes.

to speed it up to us boarding the ship, here's the shorty short:

we boarded a couple early morning flights, made it to Florida where we stayed at a Disney World Resort, went for a quick trip to Disney World, froze our buns off, and woke up bright and early to set sail on what would be the most amazing time our family has ever had.

so very happy to be traveling with the 3 Levingston ladies!

                                 

wrapped in a $37 blanket... totally worth it.

this is where i began gasping and hollering for G to take pictures...even though he's seen this a billion times.

we had no idea what we were in for!

once we went through checking in and security we boarded the ship.  and then my heart was in my throat.  up until this very moment, various strangers were saying "this is your first cruise ever? and you're on the Disney Fantasy? do you know you started at the top?"  and once we were onboard i got what all those super friendly strangers were saying.

man.  this place is legit.  i didn't take as many pictures of the actual beauty of the boat throughout the week.  i was soaking it in.  and something wonderful happens.  you don't really have easy internet access and your phones don't really have much signal, so you are transported back to the early 90s when you had no phone/computer distraction.  something i did not welcome back when we went home.

many a nap was taken on this cushiony window seat.

once we got settled into our stateroom, and i officially declared that we could live here forever, we went to what would be my favorite place on the ship.  the buffet.  it is called cabanas and i lived there.  i worked hard to drop a few lbs before the trip so i could gain them back without thinking twice. 

  

last picture before my 5 pound weight gain. notice the bowl of spinach.  that was the last time i ate spinach (or really any other veggies) on the trip.  notice my cheek bones.  that was the last time i saw my cheek bones on the trip.  2 of the 5 lbs i gained were stored safely in my cheeks.

also at this magical buffet was a deck full of happy people.  people about to celebrate Christmas together.  people giving up their seats for others.  happy faces that stayed that way for a week.  and i haven't even started talking about the best part of the ship: the Crew...wow the crew... more on them in a later post.  at every opportunity,  other guest wanted to be helpful. 

after a safety drill, we set out to check out our new home.  this place is like a small town.  i would always forget i was on the ocean floating.  by the way, i was super worried that i would get motion sickness.  i am happy to report that i had absolutely none.  (thanks to my friend Ashley telling me it was probably in my head that i was gonna get sick)  i loved the slight rocking that i felt, which was typically at bedtime.  anyway, the ship is luxurious with signs of Disney tastefully throughout.  upon seeing the Disney of it all, is when i started to miss my parents.  i don't even see them a lot, but right there, i wanted them with me.  i was thankful that they raised me on Disney and drove us across the country to Disneyland for a few vacations growing up.  i started getting the warm feeling of old Disney movies we watched.  everything Haley Mills: the parent trap, polyanna, summer magic...when i was young Disney still emphasized on Mickey, not as much the princesses.  and while the Disney princesses join in on the Fantasy action, Mickey is the star of the ship.  and that made me want my mom and dad to see.  they love Disney.  

we only saw a few things that day, it was a whirlwind.  we had dinner, and we all met Mickey.  the guys did a small bit in the "welcome aboard show"  this was the beginning of me getting choked up.  first of all, they came up out of the stage, like they rose up and rocked the hizzy. and everyone on board saw these welcome shows.  so everyone was eager to see the BnB full show.  so these guys are very popular to say the least onboard. not only with guest but also with the Crew since this is BnB's 2nd home.  (ahhh the Crew...the best part of the cruise..have i mentioned that?) 

we made it back to the room, just in time for 2nd dinner, since we had eaten more than an hour ago, it was indeed time to eat again. 

every night a navigator is left on your bed (along with other fun stuff and your beds are all ready to get cozy in and hidden bunkbeds now appear!) the navigator is valuable and filled with what is going on throughout the boat at any time of day or night.  i kept these with me at all times bc i was nervous i was gonna miss something!!

room service...24 hours...free...i am holding the fruit as if i ate the fruit and not the pizza.

we went to the kid's clubs that day to check them out.  they're like mini Disney Worlds.  high tech and amazing, your kids want to be there instead of watching you tear up every time you realize how lucky you are to be there.  they are open all day til midnight...  here is a sneak peek:

coming up: more on the kid's clubs, fancy dinners, and fellow Broncos fans!  tune in!!!

"It's the sport of kings...better than diamond rings..."

I realized the other day what my sunshine is...

Football...I started getting into it a few years ago, but this year I LOVE it. I love everything about it: 3rd down conversions, interceptions, sacks, kickoff return, pass interference... but it has to be:

I suppose I am the opposite of most of my football watching pals. They love college play. NFL all the way. When it is on, there is nothing else I would rather be doing. nothing. It is the only activity that I can shut off most mom responsibilities since the girls know that it is football time. I didn't even have that luxury with cake making. What is put in place of mom stuff is team/player pride, heartache, excitement, angst, nervousness, etc...I also have a ritual for game watching. I eat nearly an entire bag of this:

and drink a couple of these (sparkling water):

And no matter what, I have to wear my favorite sweatshirt or my team will lose. Since I purchased my sweatshirt, my #1 has not lost. That was 8 weeks ago. I even wore my sweatshirt to a hot and muggy indoor pool party...ick...but i had to..

I have 2 teams. Each team happens to have a Manning on it. My #1 is the Broncos. All around this team has it all.

Peyton Manning...the Great.
He's my favorite player of the NFL. They call him the Sheriff. I love him.

Demaryius Thomas...wide receiver
He's amazing. He can catch anything, but he has the sheriff throwing to him, so together they are unstoppable.

Von Miller...line backer
He is my 2nd favorite NFL player...he is a bad mam-ma-jam-ma... In this picture he has just sacked quarterback Cam Newton and is doing Cam Newton's Superman dance...just as he said he would before the game.

Champ Bailey...cornerback
He is a veteran in the NFL, and he is fast and stops plays from happening...

These are just my favorite Broncos. Of course, they have other amazing (attractive) players

Eric..hubba hubba.. Decker...wide receiver

It has been 2 weeks since I've gotten to watch the Broncos. Next year I will get the NFL ticket so I can watch every game. But, they do air most games of my #2 team...the NY Giants. The other Manning's team. They are in the midst of a fierce division title fight right now. The NFC East is nearly neck and neck with the Giants having a slight advantage, but they also have some tough competition in the next 3 weeks. (the Broncos already clinched their division, but have a tough game against the Ravens this Sunday) If you are wanting to get in on some NFL action, I suggest following this division to see how it plays out: the Redskins (RGIII, the rookie badass leads this team if his knee is ok) Cowboys (Romo, my least favorite QB, but he ain't bad) and Giants (they have a newly discovered weapon see below)

Rookie David Wilson...running back
During Sunday's game against the Saints he had 227 kickoff return yards and 100 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns!!!

So, it is not too late to join me in my NFL watching freakdom. It's exciting like watching a real life action/drama. Will someone get hurt this game and be out for the season? Will the backup quarterback fill in for the starting QB and end up taking the starting QB's position altogether (49ers) Will a team lose their star QB, then their back up QB, then have to use their back up's back up? (Steelers) Will a player that fumbled on his first play of the season/career completely kick butt one game? (pictured above) Then, you get to watch Sportscenter and see if those guys were full of crap when they made their predictions. Literally, anything can happen. For instance, the Chiefs nearly beat the Broncos...

Tune in! You will not be disappointed! Let me know your favorite team...as long as its not the Patriots...(who totally creamed the AFC Conference leader last night, but they're still my least favorite team)


P.S. Do I end up watching games all day Sunday and also Monday night even if my teams aren't playing? yeah. Does it extend my Mom break? yeah.

BONUS P.S. I'll buy you a Coca Coca Classic if you can tell me where the title of this post came from, and I'll throw in a bag of white cheddar popcorn if you can tell me who my favorite character was in this movie.


photo cred:nfl1 2 Peyton,D.T.,Champ,VonEricDavid

Christmas TREEts

Get it?

I made a bunch of these the other day to hand out as party favors for Noii's bday party. I was inspired by this blog. I had a team of pals helping me which was very helpful since these are made out of materials I am not too handy with. They are actually quite simple and the result is pretty impressive..if I do say so meself!

Usually when I see that a list of supplies includes hardware items I skip it. DON"T DO THAT. I am so glad that I went for it.

Stuff to get at the store..or out of your garage..or from your contractor pal..

1 Can of Spray Foam (makes about 40 cupcakes)
Quick Set Drywall Mud (enough to make a large bowl of frosting)
Cupcake papers
Red Bells (or anything that you want to decorate your ornament with)
Sparkles
Paper Clips
Hooks or Yarn

First: Fill your cupcake up with the spray foam. This is tricky. You don't want to fill it up to much, but it is hard to stop the foam once it gets going.

These set up pretty quickly, but I waited til the next morning to mess with them. They look like this:

You can chop off the tip top of them to make them flat. This next part is very interesting. So interesting, that I forgot to take pictures.

You will need to put the compound in a bowl, add enough water to make it "frosting consistency" then add some paint to it...unless you want doo-doo gray frosting. We did one batch of green and one batch of red. Use a bowl that you can just throw away because you really shouldn't pour this compound stuff down the drain if you have a bunch left over. It is ok to wash small amounts down, like off your utensils.

Put your frosting in a plastic frosting bag or big ol' ziploc that you have put your desired tip in the bottom of. I have enormous tips. (i'm giggling right now) this is the one i used:

Keep the cupcakes in the pan and start squeezing out the frosting onto the cupcake, have a buddy sprinkle some sparkles and add a cherry on top. (I used a sparkly red bell, you could use a pom pom or go without a cherry altogether)

Put a paper clip in at an angle. (this will be where you put the hook or yarn)

Let these guys set overnight...maybe even more...

Add your yarn or hook, put it on your tree, making sure it is resting cozily on a branch and thereyahaveit:

These are fragile. If hit perfectly, the frosting will break off the foam. Make sure you wrap them up in a bunch of tissue and tell each person you give them to "this is not a real cupcake and it is fragile" a few times. Then, explain that it needs to be resting on a branch. I handed these out to kids at my 4 year old's birthday party...uhh..

These are perfect for giving to teachers, pals, your favorite waitress, etc..you end up with so many that you can hand them out to just about anyone.

So go make some of these!!! Graciously accept the compliments and feel an extra dose of the ol' Christmas spirit with every one that you lovingly deliver.

my first true love

the hardest part about losing Dixie is the little things. like walking into the house and hollering for her. or looking at the window when we pull up to the house to see if she was enjoying the sunlight. looking through the shower door to see if she is waiting for me when i am done. these are all tiny things i have done out of habit for nearly 16 years. and these are the little things that bring me to tears automatically. i can be just fine and talk about her sometimes but when i am home, it is tough.

Dixie was a hard dog for the average person to love. she was stinky and whiny. and if she could tell that you didn't like her she wouldn't leave you alone. but she was all mine.

after i graduated high school and had started college, i made the completely odd decision to get a dog. i didn't even really have a house that i lived in. i was half staying at my parents and half crashing at my boyfriend's or best friend's apartment. but i really wanted a dog. so we went to the humane society and looked around. it was packed with big dogs so i asked the guy that ran it if they ever get little dogs in. he said when they do, they get adopted immediately but i could leave my number and he would call me when a little dog came it. so i left my number. that little action set my life on a course that would mean i wouldn't be lonely EVER for the next 16 years. a few days later my mom said "guess what! the humane society called me and said they had a little dog for me!" and i responded "Mom! they didn't randomly call you! they were calling for me! my dog has arrived at the shelter!" so we immediately made the trek out to the shelter. i told the guy that i was there to get the little dog he called about. and he said "she is so little and gets so cold, so i have her in my house, i will go grab her" apparently the guy lived right on the property. he walked back up and he had her in his coat. all i could see was one of her ears. then her head popped up and she saw me. he let her down and the first thing i noticed was her legs. she looked like a fawn. so long compared to the rest of her body. i immediately gave him $50 and we went to the college to show my parents. we spent the trip trying to figure out her name. he had been calling her Taco. at the time the tacobell yo queiro taco bell commercials were huge. she looked a little like a chihuahua... we quickly tested out new names and she looked at me as soon as i said Dixie. because i had spent all my money on buying her, my big brother bought her food and a leash and collar and a bowl. from then on she and i enjoyed a few years of partying pretty hardcore and dorkos always saying "yo quiero taco bell" it drove me insane. she moved with me to my first place...well every place. she would sneak out and run away. she ran SOOO fast! i had her for 3 years when i met G. at the time, she was staying with my parents until i found a new place to live at in Branson. i missed her so much. i needed her in my nook under the covers for me to fall asleep. so i would put a pillow there, but it didn't work, so we went and got her and we were never again without her.

until now.

people were always amazed that i still had Dixie. when i picked her up that day at the shelter i had no idea that she was going to be my gal through getting married and having children. we have such a history. Noii is even named after her. Dixie Mae..Sanoii Mae. i realized that since you don't really remember your life before 4, i have sorta lived more with her than without her if you think about it. that's what makes life without her so hard. i have had this tiny loved one around me for my forever and suddenly she is gone. she was so little, but without her, our house seems enormous and empty.

if i have one lesson to share from Dixie is this:
since she was 9, i started worrying about her dying. i thought she was old at that time and for 7 years i had a random worry that my time with her would be done soon. i guess i you could say i was trying to prepare myself for her to die one day. it didn't consume me, but i thought about it often. i am a worrier to begin with. i was trying to make it so i wouldn't hurt so much when it would happen for real. when we had actually said good bye to her, i was completely buried with sadness. all of those years of worrying didn't help me handle her death any easier. all those people (including G) that say worrying is a waste of time are 100% correct. i actually said that i thought about this moment so often, and it made no difference and how foolish i was to have worried about losing her for so long. i mean, it didn't keep me from loving her or anything but that thought just crept in a lot, esp when i worked at a vet clinic and assisted in so many euthanasias.

so my gift from Dixie is the knowledge first hand that worrying is lame. it distracts you from living in the moment. oh and it is okay to be stinky...

p.s. Dixie loved sunshine. so it was quite fitting that it was a beautiful sunny day yesterday. and today as well. so in honor of Dixie can you go enjoy the sun on your face for a minute?

oh KALE no! (or any phrase replacing the word hell with kale)

i am currently in a weight loss competition. trying to get back down to my "clinton chandler bootcamp" weight. so far it has been a success!

i want to share a super quick recipe. i love it and it is SUPER GOOD for you because it is basically just baked KALE. and kale is considered to be in the SUPERFOOD category. a top cancer fighter and all around good food. go here to check it out:here

i love a kale shake. just kale, a tomato, celery and a banana and BLAMMO!! a shake, that looks gross, you have to eat with a spoon, but actually ain't half bad.

but this recipe is tops: i found it here:

just preheat the oven to 350. take a bunch of kale that has been washed, dried and torn from the stem into chip-sized pieces and toss it with a bit of olive oil and (itty bitty) amount of salt on it. lay it flat on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. baked for 10- 11 minutes. eat it. feel great. and send me a text message thanking me for it.

p.s. i got that there kale picture from here.