Monday, October 27, 2008

Fall Table Tops

I received my November 2008 issue of Southern Living and fell in love with some of the tabletops. (And perfect timing as I just learned that I will be hosting Thankgiving at my home again this year--yay!)
Oh, so pretty! You can check them out here: www.southernliving.com/falltabletops And not be to outdone, BHG has some pretty great ideas too, including this one:

Monday, October 13, 2008

Autumn At Disney's Magic Kingdom

So the positive of visiting Disney in October...

I love the Fall, and I especially love the decorations at Magic Kingdom (at the main entrance and Main Street) during September and October. There are pumpkins everywhere. I took several photos today to share with you!

Now for the DOWN side of visiting in October. First, the weather. It is still hot, very hot, in Florida. It was freaking 87 degrees on Thursday and we were MISERABLE!!!

Also, the park was CROWDED. It used to be that October was a good time (meaning low crowds) to visit Disney; however, since so many schools have started "Fall Break" the parks are busier in October compared to years past. (In fact, the new Toy Story ride at Hollywood Studios had a 130 minute wait time--um no thanks!)

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Resorts at WDW

You all know that I live in Central Florida --And you have probably figured out that I have annual passes to Disney World. We usually make "day trips" to the park, but with mom in town, we decided it would be fun to spend the night. So, we made a one night reservation at Disney's All Star Music Resort. We were put into the "Jazz Inn 2".

In the past, I have stayed over at the Caribbean Resort, All Star Sports, Boardwalk, and the Grand Floridian, so I thought I would take today's post to share my thoughts on lodging at Disney World.
The All Star Resorts are the "value resorts" so are basically the "motel style" hotels on the property. The price is great (um, cheap!), but you also have much more noise (due to more kids) on property (you may hear your neighbors through the walls or hear kids running the corridors at night) and only one dining choice (counter service). Also, the All Star Resorts are furtherest from MK and Epcot so you will have a longer bus ride to the parks.
The Grand is my favorite but many can't afford to stay there. I would suggest the Grand for a honeymoon or anniversary trip, especially a trip without the kids. The location is AWESOME and the service is excellent--plus, the view to Magic Kingdom is great (you can see the firewords at night). But even better, in my mind, is the Boardwalk.
I love that the Boardwalk has easy access (walking path or boats) to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and I love the atmosphere at night. Also, there are great dining options...and let me add, the Boardwalk as a killer swimming pool area!
Of course, let's get real, most families are on a budget, so I suggest the moderate resorts like Caribbean or Port Orleans. These hotels are a little closer to the parks yet and offer more dining options than the value resorts.
So there you have it, my two-cents! BTW, for great pictures and hints about where to stay at Disney, visit http://www.allearsnet.com/!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Beautiful Harvest Table

I found this photo on HGTV's web site. I love the use of apples and pears! (On another similar setting HGTV took out the apples and replaced with pumpkins, so clever.)

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Kraft's Great Pumpkin Cake

I saw this cake today and thought it was so cute. So cute, in fact, I may try to make it for our Halloween party. (Do you know the stem is actually an ice cream cone!:?) Here's a quick video and recipe:

Friday, October 03, 2008

No-Sew Costumes

So I just got invited to an adult Halloween party. How fun. I used to go to this event every single year, but skipped the past three or four years due to "my babies" . I started looking online today for a quick costume.

Check this out: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/no-sew-costumes?rsc=dl_home02.

Martha Stewart has several "no sew" costumes on her web site--for adults and children! One is made from coffee filters and another from garbage bags. Martha is just too creative! (I am not so!). But it's fun to look at the creations.