Off to Neverland! (and packing ideas)

Yes, it was a busy day out in the world for little Julia and I. After dropping big sister at kindergarten, we made several shop stops, gathering little things to make our upcoming Disney vacation a dream come true. For packing ideas - read on to the end.

After shopping, Julia went to tumbling/trampoline class. That really tired her out and by the time we went back to pick up sister at school, she was off to dreamland, sleeping soundly in her car seat.

This is one reason I like to get to school early. Julia gets to nap. I get to sit in total quiet and regroup before the second half of my day. Since finishing my Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, I've been jonesing for a new book. I almost got Mouse Junkies. I almost got Hidden Mickeys. I almost got the Luxury Version of how to tour Disney. They all looked great but the problem was, they were concise enough that I practically finished them in the store while Julia played with the toy train there.

So instead I got a Disney biography. Nice and fat at 850 pages, this book will likely last me all the way to the trip, weeks away. Just like Belle, one of Disney's princesses, I'd like to daydream the days away with my head in a book.
It's always a good sign when the intro is interesting enough to read.
Later I did some work on the quilt. The sewing room was under siege by BlackJack the Cat. He knocked over my sewing machine. He stepped on my glasses. He managed to get up on the high mantle and knock over my entire bulletin board and glass jar of buttons! Huge mess. I'll have to sort and wash the buttons from the shards of glass. I wish I could dump them out but there are valuable buttons in there and I want them all. Crazy attention grabbing cat!
I don't know why I imagined a cat to be a natural part of sewing in a country home. He is more like a gorilla sometimes, wreaking havoc with my neat and clean treasures. I worry that even with the company of pet sitter, he will go on a rampage while we are out of town.

Packing Ideas for Disney World: Here are some little extras we're bringing:

1. Light sticks. These little light sticks are exciting and fun for the kids to wear as necklaces when we are out in the evening. Kids don't normally have any nightlife. So it will be fun to live it up during the night time activities such as fireworks and parades at WDW. I noticed in photos that they sell them there but I betcha I got a good deal picking some up for 3 bucks at the party store.

2. Autograph Books and pens. I think it will make it easier for the kids to interact with the characters at WDW if they have a little autograph book to hand over. It takes the nerves of not knowing what to say down to a more simple conversation, or lack thereof. We did a role play game where we take turns being the child or the character, and asking and granting of an autograph. We were going to buy an autograph book there but I found some perfectly sized little books with colorful covers and a gem on top, for only 3 bucks each at TJMaxx. They look plenty fancy and this way the kids will still have some fun spending allowance for something else. I also got an Ariel pen and a Hannah Montana pen for a dollar each at the party store.

3. Birthday decorations. I wish I had gobs of money to special order the Disney florist to decorate our hotel room for Julia's birthday. Instead we got some things she'll enjoy just as much for under ten dollars: streamers, balloons, ariel tablecloth and plates. We're going to put up some simple decorations in the hotel room so Julia is sure to know it's her birthday celebration and feel special about it. She said she'd rather have the cake in the room instead of at a character meal. I think that's a good idea so it doesn't feel overwhelming to her. We will save some money one place and have more to spend it where it counts, in this case, on a better cake than we probably would have selected. I am going to call the Grand Floridian Bakery, which apparently makes some amazing cakes, even in small sizes. You can research and see photos of Disney cakes on the Disboards.

4. A small Ariel snow globe. I got it at the Disney store for 8 bucks. It's what Julia really wants. In the past, I've bought too many presents, trying to please her and impress her. This year I'm not going to have a lot of gifts to hand over on the trip. Instead I am focusing on the overall experience, going for magic and love. She has been wanting a snow globe forever. I'm going to carefully set it on top of her cake (fondant icing don't worry) and she'll be very happy indeed. Just like a dream for her, since she's imagined her own cake out of thin air and described it to me. The cake toppers they offer there are quite costly and made of a chocolate I might not need to eat anyhow. So this 8 dollar keepsake is going to be the best thing ever AND save me a wallet of money. That's my theme here, more magic from dollars spread out. It would be great to spend a "value" amount of cash for a "luxury" level experience.

5. A few little toys. I read that some moms bring along small toys for the plane ride or hotel stay. I wasn't really planning to do it but having that thought in the back of my mind led me to notice dollar priced items that called out to me. I got a couple mini flashlights with switchable plates that cast shadows of princesses on the wall. I got two inexpensive viewfinders and some cards of disney scenes. The girls don't know about these things so I'll be able to pull them out when needed, or save them for the return flight perhaps. Just the little extras to make the trip smooth. These are things moms do sometimes.

6. Snack packs. Again in the dollar section, I found a couple mini snack pack plastic boxes. The idea here is to bring a few snacks in our stroller for times when we might be in line or at a play area. Moms suggested bringing a box of ziplock bags for every other need. I've got that too. Seems like a good idea for snacks on the go or sealing up restaurant leftovers, or who knows what.

7. Earplugs. I have memories of holding my ears through Winnie the Pooh and the parade, etc. Sometimes the volume is ridiculously loud.

And of course we're still packing the regular stuff for vacation like shorts, tees, swim suits, croc sandals, sweatshirt, one pair of pants in case there's a cool day or night, tooth brushes, etc.... I wonder if we need a beach towel for the beach there or if they have some on hand at the hotel?

Planning is fun! Peter Pan probably didn't plan much, which is perhaps why he is wearing that outfit. Even Wendy, who strikes me as more of a planner, just soars off into the night sky in her pajamas. Ahh, the carefree life...