Happy New Year Everyone

We spent our New Year's Eve celebrating with our friends and neighbors. We gather at our neighbor's house, about 60 of us, and celebrate with our kids at nine o'clock. Our neighbor is the stickler for time and as you walk in the front door she has posted on the wall, as well as two other places in the house, the itinerary for the evening. Last year she not only had the itinerary posted but she also had all of us 'signed' up for jobs to help out. While we didn't mind helping with the events, we did rib her a bit for being super organized and this year I noticed that she didn't have us assigned to a particular job but just recruited us as needed. So tonight the itinerary went something like this:

5:00 - people arrive buffet dinner and appetizers start

6:30 - Dance Studio back yard

7:00 - Piniatas at front drive

8:45 - Preparations for New Years (pass out champagne, sparkling cider, and noisemakers)

9:00 - New Year's Celebrations

9:30 - Fireworks at corner of street

The kids have a blast and she borrows our outdoor firepit and the adults stand around and drink while the kids play out in the yard. We all bring a food dish and everyone has a great time. What is even better about it is that we are all home by 10:30 and to bed early. What cracks us up is the itinerary. We joke about it but it keeps the party moving and because we are all friends we don't mind.

This year was like the others. The best place to be on New Year's Eve, with friends and family and kids.

Happy new year all! I hope you are surrounded by your family and friends this year.

How to remove wallpaper border

The best way I have found to remove wallpaper border from my walls is to use a hot steam iron. I get it started with warm water from a rag or sponge and then get the iron (yes the same one I use to iron our clothes), plug it in and heat it up to steam then I use a wet rag and place it on the iron and then begin to steam the wallpaper. When it gets nice and hot and wet you start to pull and for the most part it comes off in one big piece.

Okay, not my idea. It was my husband's. Great job hubby! I let him finish the job for me.

Why, you ask am I removing wallpaper border? And, sister, which room am I redoing? It is my bathroom. I was cleaning it and thinking how gross it was and then impulsively began to pull at the border which I was sick of anyway. I did that yesterday and today I painted it with left over sage green from my mom's leftover paint. I have one more coat to do and then the husband will hang a new light fixture that we had from the last time we redid the bath (five years ago).

Pictures will come when it is done!!

Just a few last minute things

I have never been so organized for a trip than this one. The trailer is almost all packed. Food is packed, clothes are packed for the kids and I am almost done packing me. Beds are made, kitchen floor is clean (thanks to my son tonight), and just have a few last minute things to tidy up and get in the trailer. Really we just need to get our toothbrushes that morning, pillows, and the coffee maker and we are set to sail.

I watched a special on Food Network last night about the giant gingerbread house, the lights down main street, and the holiday extras they put into making our experiences "magical". I tell you I took NOTES while watching it! I am WAY more excited than the kids are.

We got them all matching tshirts (well ones for us too) and I am going to give them to everyone the morning we leave so they can wear their Mickey shirts to school that day. I am wearing mine too!! Too fun...

So I have finished addressing our Christmas cards and they are stamped and will go in the mail tomorrow and I packed my address book and will be sending out post cards while we are there. I am hoping that Disney has wifi somewhere and we can use our laptop to up load a few pictures to you all via email. If you want to be on my email list, email me your address if you don't think I have it.

Wow, the adrenaline of excitement is running through my veins right now and I can FEEL it!

And for this trip we got our handy-dandy housesitter to stay here while we are gone. He loves it here because we have a big backyard for his two ginormous German Shepards. Unfortunately he doesn't always find all the land mines in the backyard and the kids find them later, tracking it in the house! Yuck! Oh well, we still love him.

So much to do so little time...

It always happens this time of year. I feel the pressure of making sure I haven't left anyone out and making sure that the house is decorated and somewhat clean. Well this year the pressure is on even harder and because of our impending trip we have had to be ever dilligent about getting things we want to get done done. We have crammed a months worth of work into a two week period.

But I have good news. We are just about done. But just when you think you are done someone drops a bomb on you. So last night my husband and I were out shopping and he mentions that what he REALLY wants for Christmas is a new laptop computer AND he would like the gift presented to him early and not under the tree on Christmas morning. So no buying it off the internet (most likely the cheapest place to get it). So I call up my best friend who works at Circuit City. She says no problem she will help me get a laptop with her discount. Yippee. Now that is efficiency working for me. So I am meeting her today to get the laptop. Word to the wise (or not so wise): unless you have a most fabulous wife who will forgo decorating the last of 6 (count them 6) Christmas trees in the house to run out to get you a last minute gift, don't wait till the last minute.

Our fun filled 8 days in Disney World is coming to a start quickly. The count down is on!! Our advent calendar has quickly become a count down to Disney calendar. The kids are more than excited and there are times it seems that they are floating on the ceiling. We are shopping for snacks and food for the trip today and getting laundry done. Tomorrow is the beginning of packing the trailer.

A month ago I made reservations for where we will be eating during our stay. We have the dining package so all our food for two full meals is included. We will have a 'walk up' meal each day and a "sit down" meal. For the walk up meal we each get an entree, drink, and dessert. For the sit down meal we get an appetizer, entree, drink and dessert. Salad comes with most entrees so it makes it a four course meal. Wow. So all we need to take is food for most breakfasts, one dinner, and snacks. (Oh we get one snack each day per person in the parks also). We are eating with the princesses one night, with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger another night, we are eating at the Grand Floridian (fancy), Wolfgang Puck's Restaurant, and at the 50's Prime Time Cafe, Toy Story Pizza Planet (Woody and Buzz hang out around there), and at the Trail's End Restaurant in our campground.

You know, I think I am more excited than the kids right now!