Doing Disney with Verizon

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

It's been three years since our family took a 'real' family vacation. You know the kind, where you take more than one day off from work at a time, and travel more than 90 miles from your home?

We had been to Disney World once before, and were excited to visit again, this time with 6 & 7 year olds in two. (They were 4 & 3 years old last time.) Having been there before, we had some idea what to expect - and some ideas of the pros and cons - at least for our family.

If you come around here much - you know that I love love love pictures. Pictures of this, pictures of that and the pictures of other thing...Of course I would need to be able to take a couple (thousand) pictures during our 8 day vacation in Florida ~ but part of our pros and cons list means pairing down and bringing the least amount of stuff possible.

To bring the DSLR camera (and it's accompanying lenses) or not?

After relying on the Verizon DROID INCREDIBLE 4G LTE by HTC for the last few months for quick, in the moment shots and videos, I knew I could trust this phone to capture most, if not all of our vacation memories. 


The Droid Incredible boasts an 8.0 megapixal camera. It not only has front and rear facing cameras, it also has a wide angled lens to capture more of the shot...and 'simple activation' from the lock screen, making it easy to whip out and grab pictures whenever I want!

Not once, did I miss lugging my DSLR around on our family vacation -
And I still think I got some pretty 'Incredible' (PUN INTENDED!) shots!


Cinderella's Castle by day ~ 

Cinderella's Castle by night ~ 



While I was happy and content to give our Disney trip a whirl via the Incredible 4G - I was able to get my hands on the shiny new Windows 8 phone.  With a ::BRIGHT:: ::BRILLIANT:: HD screen.


Again, the phone part, I can take it or leave it...Give me texting, access to my email and my social media networks...and most importantly for me, personally, a camera that impresses.

I LOVED the camera on the Windows 8 phone.  Being able to grab the super slim phone out of your pocket, and instantly launch your camera, even from your lock screen, with the touch of a button on the side of the phone? YES PLEASE!

The official details about the camera as taken from the Verizon website:
8MP Auto Focus Rear–Facing camera with Single–LED Flash
f/2.0 aperture lens, backside sensor illumination for low light performance, and the exclusive HTC ImageChip which allows continuous shooting for up to 20 images
2.1 MP 88° ultra–wide–angle front–facing with improved low light performance
Formats: bmp, .jpg, .png, .gif
Smart Shoot, Panorama, & Cinemagraph Lenses available via download from the Windows Phone Store
Photo Sharing: Facebook, Twitter, SkyDrive, and more

But here's the line that got me ~
Save photos as you take them to the cloud using SkyDrive to provide quick access to people who want to see them.

Do you see that part...the part that says 'SAVE PHOTOS AS YOU TAKE THEM...'

YES! This!
I recently asked via Facebook how people organize and save their photos on their computers, and I know that I am not alone in being freakishly paranoid about losing my pictures. Having them uploaded AS I TAKE THEM in a safe and secure spot?

::SOLD::

From there, I simply enter an email address of a friend I want to share them with - and viola! I didn't have to dooooo anything!

A few of my favs from the House(s) of Mouse...



A couple more shots of the castle at night - via the Windows 8 phone:


A sun setting over the countries in Epcot.


My absolute favorite shot I captured, is below - via a cell phone no less! When I took this shot - I had no idea the castle was reflecting off the water. We were heading out of the park after a very long day...we didn't even stop walking, I just grabbed the phone out of my pocket, snapped a couple of shots...
And WOW!

I just loved what I saw from a bridge off to the side of the castle - and later, when looking at my phone, I realized just what that slim little phone had captured.

Gorgeous.



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Disney - Minnesota Style - Disney on Ice - A Give Away!

My family just spent a wonderful, magical week in sunny Orlando Florida, at the Happiest Place on Earth - Walt Disney World.  What a wonderful time we had! Even if we are still playing catch up almost a week after we've returned home!

Do you love all things Disney too, but aren't planning a trip to Florida or California anytime soon?

Why not do Disney - Minnesota Style...

Come experience a magical Disney fantasy on ice!

This is the first time World’s of Fantasy has played the Twin Cities and I know it’s going to be popular, especially since it features four Disney stories, including everyone’s favorite CARS!


Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney•Pixar's Cars race across the ice. Dive into The Little Mermaid's enchanting undersea kingdom and enter the mystical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies as they reveal the magic that lies within! The toys are back in town with heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home, in their most daring adventure ever!

From wheels to waves, playtime to pixie dust, your family's favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories.



Ticket prices are $15, $22, $42 and $65 with Opening Night tickets (Thursday, February 28 at 7 p.m.) available for just $10 (not valid on front row or VIP seating). Additional handling and service charges may apply.

Tickets are now on sale and available at Target Center’s box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000.

Show Times:
Thursday, February 28 10:30 a.m., 7 p.m.
Friday, March 1 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 3 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

And...thanks to the great folks at Feld Entertainment - I have a GREAT give away for 1 family four pack of tickets to Opening Night – Thursday, February 28 for one lucky reader!!

How awesome is that!
To enter - simply toss your name in the Rafflecopter hat below!  One lucky winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 12th!

Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


To discover more about Disney On Ice, go to www.disneyonice.com, or visit us on Facebook and YouTube.


About Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 70 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!

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Nick Hotel ~ Character Breakfast!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

When our kids were younger...
A sure fire way to get them to sit still for more than 2 minutes was to entertain them with Dora & Diego.

I did many a conference call with someone shouting 
'GO DIEGO GO' in the background.
Our kids love the Nickelodeon Characters.

Our recent visit to Nick Hotel had the kids spotting one of those familiar 
old friends from their younger days.


And meeting fluffy, spongy new friends that they aren't all that familiar with ~ 

And what's better than a waffle in the morning, than a character shaped waffle?


Maybe breakfast WITH the same character on that waffle?

Yes, SpongeBob himself was there to join us for breakfast at Nick Hotel...
But for some reason I don't have pictures of that.

Perhaps it's because I was so busy watching him move it and shake it up and down the isles of the restaurant...WOW! Could SpongeBob move it!
Our kids were rolling with laughter watching him dance around 
while we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet.

While SpongeBob danced all around, 
other characters stopped by to say hello...





So many people associate the Orlando area with other characters - and sure, that's what they are known for there.  But if you have younger children and are looking for a fabulous experience and a character meet and greet for a fraction of the price and NO WALKING FOR MILES AND MILES and lines as far as the eye can see...

Then Nick Hotel is the place for you!
During our character breakfast the kids were able to interact with SpongeBob Square Pants, SquidWard, Dora the Explorer, Boots, and Blue from Blues Clues - 

(We also enjoyed a character dinner - featuring everyone's favorite heroes in half shells, 
More on that later.)

Our food was great - with choices ranging from fresh fruit, cereal, oatmeal, breakfast burritos, made to order omelettes, american fries, waffles, french toast sticks, bacon, sausage...and...and...and...

The pricing, extremely reasonable, especially when you consider that the food was all you can eat and includes a fun and interactive show.

Our kids enjoyed their time at the Nick Hotel Character Breakfast, and when they'll actually eat the food too? Well, that, that's just topping on the waffles!

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Pocket Your Dollars Book Give Away...

Monday, January 28, 2013

If your New Year's Resolutions involve getting your financial house in order...

You will not want to miss my latest give away...



Pocket Your Dollars: 5 Attitude Changes That Will Help You Pay Down Debt, Avoid Financial Stress, and Keep More of What You Make



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Nick Hotel ~ What a great place for Families!!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

When we first arrived at the Nick Hotel property located in Orlando, Florida...

Our kids were impressed with the not one, but two, super fun, super colorful pool areas.

(Never mind the squinty eyes...we aren't used to seeing the sun around here this time of year, so this was somewhat of a shock to the system!)


But as a parent, who incidentally works in a clinic, in the prime of the worst flu season we've seen in many years...What impressed me most was the little *touches* - literally, that Nick Hotel had all over their property.

From the hand foam located in many places around the hotel...

 To the smoking reminders that said more than just NO SMOKING...
'for the health of our children........'

YES!

And who doesn't love choices like Subway for dining when you are staying at a hotel?
 And while not a big deal to everyone - having recycling in the restaurant and main areas is a really huge bonus for our family!
 When we walked into our room, on the 6th floor overlooking the pool...
I was so so happy!

Hurray for rooms that aren't simple two double beds and a tiny bathroom!
We have learned over the years, that having some sort of little kitchen, no matter how small, can make, or break, a vacation. Having a fridge and a microwave is now essential.


 Rob and I HAD. OUR. OWN. ROOM!
And not only that...the bed was actually comfortable.

What's worse than getting to a hotel with a super bad bed?

And we not only had our own room, with a comfy bed...
But we had a TV in there too!
So nice to be able to unwind and watch some mindless tv on vacation...

And not only did we have our own room, with a TV!
but so did the kids!
They LOVED having their own space!



 And their own space...had a TV!
That was pretty nice too...

They don't have TV's in their rooms at home, so this was a total treat for the kids!


And the view from our 6th floor balcony?
Pretty impressive!


 I have more to share on our visit to Nick Hotel ~ 

Excellent Room Rates, Great Pool Areas, Fun activities for the kids, Amazing Food...

Stay tuned for more details...
And PICTURES of course!!

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Celebrating Six at Skateville

I don't know how it happened, but somewhere along the way...

Six years have passed since we brought home our bouncing baby boy from the hospital.

Minnesota winters are tough to celebrate a birthday...
So we gave him many, many options that did not include our house.
(well, we gave him that option too...but knew we would all do better somewhere else...)

Having never roller skated before - but really enjoying the hockey skating...

He chose...


Skateville!


I don't think things have changed there since 1977!


Happy 6th Birthday Derek!
These kids are so flexible and bendable and adaptable - that in no time flat, 
they were cruising around on the roller skates.


Some of the parents even got in on the action, and laced up the skates themselves!








The Birthday Boy spent some time in the Wind Tunnel collecting monopoly money.







 




  They even have 'Skate Mates' for those a little unsure of themselves...LOVE that!




Who doesn't love a photo booth?

We had a surprisingly great time celebrating at Skateville - I was a little nervous about this being our 'introduction' to rollerskating, and it being a party and all...I was praying it would go well and that everyone would have a great time...
We all had fun adn then some, and look forward to going and doing some rollerskating as a family! What a fun (FLASHBACK!!) time!


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