Disney On A Budget

2 weeks from today we will be leaving on our little "trip". Little HA! This is a big trip for us and with that has come a lot, TONS, of pre-planning to make sure that it goes nice and smoothly.

As you know vacations can become pretty pricy. And trips to Disney, well they are pricey! We are attempting Disney on a budget this time around. So here are some ideas that we have come up with to help save some pennies on this trip.

~Since we live on the east coast we decided to drive and take what we wanted with us. We figured that driving would be about as much as flying since Mason now requires a ticket to fly so we would be paying for 3 people to fly. We are splitting up the driving between 2 days though to make it easier on this momma to be and a 2.5 year old. I am so excited to be stopping in cities that I have never visited before!  Since we are driving we can take Mason's mattress with us since he has never slept in a twin sized bed yet plus his toys and some of his plates and cups. Plus toys and other things that he likes. I feel like we are going to pack up the whole house just for this kid! (so thankful for my van! It can haul a ton of stuff!)

~Time share- We are going on this trip with a friend and her hubby and we are staying in a time share as opposed to staying on the Disney Resort. (The night before the race K and I will be staying on Resort while the men stay at the time share so that her and I can get some sleep before the very early wake- up call!) By doing this we are able to save money. Try to see if timeshares have transportation provided to the parks or not because then you have to pay for parking everyday or every time you leave and come back to the park. Which can get pricey.

~Bring your own food. With staying in a Time Share we are getting a full kitchen. Disney resorts do have some accommodations that have full kitchens in them so there are some options there. And if you fly it is hard to bring your own food but you can still shop at the store and make your own food and still save money. Food at the parks can get expensive!  Dinner- I am bringing 5 freezer meals for dinner with us. We are keeping them good in a chest with dry ice on the way down to make sure they stay frozen. Pack a lunch- We will be brining our lunches with us on most of the days. I am making all the bread needed for PB &J sandwiches and will have some snacks pre made for the days to keep the kid entertained. We are stopping at the store to get the basic essentials that we will need for the week, fruit, veggies, milk and eggs.

~Bring you own water bottles. There are drinking fountains all over the parks and water bottles get expensive if you have to buy one every time you get thirsty, and our kid, LOVES water! So this is a must for us, his cup and water bottles for us.

~There are different ways to get discounts on ticket prices. Military can go through their MWR to get military priced tickets. Travel agencies can possibly get you a discounted package price or AAA might have variation prices or purchase a package with lower prices. Most people want to spend 5 days at the parks but they might only have a 4 day and 4 night package. It might save you a ton of money to do that option instead of the 5 day option.

I still have a ton of things to do before we leave but I can't believe that this is so close now! I love Disney and am so excited to see Mason experience Disney for the first time!

Good Days & Bad Days

I am at that point where I will often have a good running day and a bad running day thanks to this little guy I'm carrying. And they can be completely back to back. Case in point: Yesterday. BAD RUNNING DAY. The whole day my stomach just felt queasy and every time I got ready to go running I would need to postpone because it just didn't feel right. So I didn't run or walk yesterday.

Today, good running day! I felt strong and ready to get going. Mason is the one who took forever to let me get him dressed to get to the gym. I did my 3 miles with a different type of plan in mind, didn't really work and went back to my old plan but at least I tried something new. I still finished in just over my 15 min/mile requirement I have placed for myself. The first mile and a half though, wow, my round ligament doesn't like me very much but after that point it lessened up a bit and I was able to continue. But now I know that it will take me at least 2 miles to feel comfy running.

On another note, all the half marathon paperwork is up on RunDisney along with the course map. I found out what corral I am in, and it isn't the last one, YEA! But there are also 1,778 other runners with me in my corral alone! Looking at the map too, after this Saturdays run I will know I can do 11 miles and miles 12 and 13 are at Epcot so that makes me happy because once I am in Epcot I know I will almost be done! The only thing they don't list on the course map is the bathroom stops! I know that there is a "real" restroom in Tomorrow land. But reading another blogger today from her review of the marathon is that there were really long lines for that bathroom, for most of them, so a little worried there because I don't have too much time that I can slow down and stop and I will probably need at least 2 stops. Anyhew! Less than 3 weeks to go! I CAN DO THIS!

QOTD: What do you do when you have a "bad" running day?

January Week 5 Workout Recap

Sorry, meant to post this yesterday! I am at the point in my pregnancy where I am starting to feel, UGH when exercising. It is becoming more and more difficult to do my runs. I am noticing that I have started to slow down, just a fraction, but slow down the nonetheless. It is taking more energy to run and I am really excited that the 1/2 is this month, at the end of the month but still it is this month and then I can back off on running a little.

Mondays at the gym it is often difficult to find a treadmill to work out on. And I have only been allowed to get my 30 minute in before someone is waiting behind me for my machine because ALL of the machines are taken up. This happened last Monday. Tuesday was Mason's 2.5 year check up at the doctor and he got his flu shot and wasn't up for going out afterwards so we came home and I let him sleep. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday became my running days, and I won't be able to do that again. I need a day off in-between. On Friday though I did get my belly taped. It helped me on Friday and on Saturdays not so long, long run. I will have the guy tape the belly just a little differently as I still had some pulling on my right side from the round ligaments, but I think it is because the tape didn't go under my belly on that side, it kind of crossed over it and I need the "lift." I am getting it done again on Friday for my last LONG run before the 1/2 doing 11 miles. I will see if it helps. If it doesn't then I will try out a support belt which a friend at church offered to let me borrow. But I am just happy that the 1/2 is so close now because seriously every week I ask my self, "What are you thinking!"

Monday: 1.5 miles walk on treadmill 30 min elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3 miles walk/run (15 min/mile)
Thursday: 1 mile walk/run (15 min/mile)
Friday: 2 miles walk/run (15 min/mile)
Saturday: 5 miles walk/run (15:10 min/mile)

Total Mileage: 12.5 miles at 25 weeks pregnant

5 Months Pregnant

I am now into my 6th month of pregnancy and thought that I would write about how the 5th month of pregnancy
has gone.

Per whattoexpect.com at 20 weeks the baby is as big as a large banana and about 11 ounces in weight. By 24 weeks the baby is about the size of a cantaloupe and is weight at about a pound and a half.

At 23 weeks my belly felt like it went through a growth spurt and got a little bit bigger. It was also the week that I had massive round ligament pain in my lower belly so something changed but since then it has lessened.

I am still running thanks in part to having set my goal of running in the Disney Princess Half. To be honest if I wasn't running in that race next month I don't know if I would still be running right now. I would still be exercising but running, probably not. It is hard to run while pregnant. Half the time I don't have the energy to do it but I am doing it which amazes even me. So I am thankful for the goal I have made and am sticking to it.

With that being said, I don't think I would be running and not because of laziness but because I have been getting really bad round ligament pain while running. It usually occurs for the first mile to mile and a half then it goes down for a bit. I have to remember to drink tons of water starting on Thursday if I have a long run on the weekend to help so that the pulling, or cramping isn't so bad.

I am still napping or resting everyday for about an hour and a half to keep my energy up for later in the day. I feel like I am so much more busy right now than I was last month which I am thankfully, but I am starting to feel more anxious because I know that May is going to arrive very quickly! It is already the end of January and February ALWAYS flies by. But other than that I really am feeing great.

I am still under 2 lbs what I started the pregnancy at, but I suspect that I should start to gain some weight now that the baby is starting to pack on the pounds.

This next month like I said I know is going to fly by. I have recital pieces for my studio to find and assign, every weekend is packed with still like we have a baby shower one weekend and a birthday party the next. Plus I am painting Mason's big boy room this month and moving him into his new room when we get back from our trip, oh and WE HAVE OUR TRIP to WDW. I am so excited but nervous but excited! The month will fly!

Baby It's Still Cold Outside!

Brrrr! Anyone else thinking that this winter should be over and done with soon? It has been so cold this year. I am kind of missing the AZ winters I grew up with where the weather just stayed nice and chill not FREEZING COLD!

I am building my list of things to buy before next winter. I didn't invest this year since I am pregnant and I don't want to stretch out my pants or shirts this year and try to wear them next year, won't work. So here are a few items on my list:

I am still trying to find the perfect jacket still. And yes there is a ton of Under Armour on this list. But their cold gear clothing is really good and I have heard awesome things from my friends and fellow runners about it. Even from the hubs he likes UA.
Under Armour fitted cold gear tights. Not really looking forward to wearing tights in general (too tight) but I know that they will be really nice when running in.

 Under Armour fitted crew top.

Under Armour cold gear infrared v neck long sleeve shirt. This is a nice cute fitted top.

 Champion by Target flip gloves. I had these on my list for Christmas and still haven't gotten them yet but next year I will have gloves to run in.

Postnatal Yoga Article

Hey guys! Here is a great article written by my prenatal yoga instructor, Eliza, about Postnatal yoga and getting back in doing yoga after baby. Check it out!

(Eliza Whiteman)

Postnatal Yoga- How a yogi got her groove back

Couple things about Eliza. She is a mommy of 4! And she did all of her births without drugs. She is a rockstar with yoga and knows what she is talking about. For about 3 weeks I got one on one yoga instruction because I was the only one attending prenatal yoga and it was pretty awesome! Here is her website for you to check out and if you have any yoga questions shoot her an email! She is so amazing and nice!

Prepping For Labor- NOT As Seen On TV

If you haven't seen What to Expect when Expecting…CHECK IT OUT! Super funny!

I think it is so interesting that a first time mom's (FTM) view on having a baby is determined by the shows we watch. Even before I had my first and educated myself I thought that labor was scream filled and insane. I was just going to deal with it even though I knew I wanted an unmedicated birth. There are so many movies out there that portray a birth scene. Showing the dad's sweating just as much as the mom's. The mom's screaming at the top of their lungs and just an overall crazy feeling to the room in general with nurses coming and going and doctors yelling at the patient to push while another nurse yells counting down backwards telling you when and when not to breath.

Some of the aspects are true. There might be nurses coming and going. If there is a possible problem with the baby there will be a ton more people in the room. It is also because that is what we expect to happen, because of TV. If it didn't happen than a FTM might think something was wrong. But birthing doesn't have to be like what we see on TV.

I promise it can be however you want it to be. You just have to figure out the things you want to happen and what not to happen. And talk to your doctor about it before hand. If your pregnancy is not a high risk pregnancy there are some things that you can "request".

First things first: MAKE A BIRTH WISHES plan and call it Birth Wishes. It is a birth plan but a "nice" way to say birth plan. Make sure that it is under 1 page long. Seriously if you have a 10 page document and show the doctor or nurse when you arrive at the hospital they probably won't read the whole thing or won't remember everything. Pick and choose the things you want on there. Include your name, date of birth, social security if it applies. Sex of baby being born and name of baby so they can write it on your arm band and bassinet when it is born.

Do Your Research: The way to pick and choose the things you want on your Birth Wish List is to read all about it. Be knowledgable about the things that could happen in labor and a possible outcome. Like: being cut vs tearing for an episiotomy. Or about what type of intervention you do and don't want, pitocin, epidural and such.

Make your Birth Wishes list organized: Break it into different sections with bullet points. Seriously the docs and nurses will love you for being so organized! Break it down to Labor, Delivery and Postpartum sections. It is easy to read and follow and it will sit in the front of your file so any nurse that comes in will see it right there in the front!

Ok next part: About labor and how it can be different from TV. You can ask to have the lights dimmed during delivery, music playing in the background, mother directed pushing so that a nurse is not counting at you. (probably won't work though if you have an epidural because you probably won't know if you are having a contraction). You can ask to labor as long as possible in the tub. For them not to ask you if you want any pain meds or suggest it unless you ask for it. There are so many different scenarios but one thing is for sure that however you have your baby, it will be exactly what needs to happen. That baby has to come out and it will come out one way or another but start planning now on how you imagine your birthing experience. Even if you are getting a c-section you can ask for certain things too or specify about skin to skin as soon as possible after the surgery. Just do your research and think about how you want your labor to be.

January Week 4 Workout Recap

As I said yesterday, it is getting more and more difficult to find the will power and energy to drag myself out of the house and get to the gym. This past week was one of those weeks. Monday was a holiday, Tuesday we got snow. Wednesday we had ice. Thursday had a sick kid and Friday I rested. Saturday I did workout and quite proud of myself but I need to get my midweek runs in more for safety. I can not do this again or else I will injure myself!

Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3 mile in home walking DVD (16 min/mile)
Thursday: 3 mile in home walking DVD (16 min/mile)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 9 miles (15:11 min/mile pace)

Total Mileage: 15 miles

So next week I am setting the goals again. I have to, HAVE TO go to the gym to walk on Monday. I know my legs will need it and I need a walking day before a run day. This is my biggest goal, because if I go in on Monday I tend to go more during the week. And I can't get sick! NEED TO GET BETTER!

26 days until my 1/2 marathon!

Can't Believe I Actually Did That

Most weeks I think I am CRAZY, nuts, bonkers for wanting to train and run in a half marathon while pregnant. Every week I question if I am actually able to do it as it is getting more and more difficult to find the energy and will power to get my butt to the gym to do my runs during the week. But today, I proved that I can do it.

I walk/jogged/ran 9 miles. MY FIRST 9 MILES EVER! I have done 9 miles. While 24 weeks pregnant and am still standing, (sitting while typing this though.) I survived!

Who would have ever thought that I could actually do this? I hoped I could do it and now I can say, I CAN DO THIS! I will say that the first mile was horrid. As it usually is. Body warmed up by 2.5 miles and I felt strong, and great until mile 6-7. Then I ran out of steam, no energy. I literally walked the next 3 miles to finish my run out but made sure I kept a quick pace to keep under the 16 min mile limit. But I did it, and that is the important part. I finished and kept under the 16 min mile pace restriction.

I will say that I am again suffering from a stuffy nose and didn't feel all that great today. And I was on a treadmill for the whole run.The good thing that this taught me though is that I will be fine at the half. There is going to be so much excitement and positive energy from everyone that will help fuel me, plus I will be running with my best friend who will push me to an extent, and I tend to run faster and better when out on the street so now I know, I CAN DO THIS!

The Bright Side

This pregnancy has been totally different than any other pregnancy I have had, in regards to the food that I am eating. When I was pregnant with Mason, the only thing I couldn't stand was milk chocolate and Subway. I could still eat at Subway but couldn't stand the smell inside so I never ate there. (nothing against Subway but something about all the meat and everything just overwhelmed my senses.)

Second pregnancy, I only knew I was pregnant for 1.5 weeks so no real changes there. Third pregnancy I ate ice cream. A LOT! It was my comfort food. I would celebrate with ice cream and have my own little pity party with it since the hubs was away. I didn't buy a whole carton of it I went to an ice cream shop and would get my butter pecan ice cream with peanuts and carmel in a waffle cone. That was my go to. (hence the reason I gained 15 lbs with the 12 week pregnancy.) I also ate out more, hubs gone and I just didn't want to deal with cooking after all the good or bad news I was getting.

Fourth pregnancy. I have a huge desire for more water at the beginning of the pregnancy, and can't really eat too much of anything else. My appetite has just diminished with this pregnancy. I am eating about a 1/3 of what I was eating prior. I just can't finish most of my food. I am finally getting that "full" feeling for like the first time in my life and it is while I am pregnant. Also, sweets aren't doing it for me this time around. Half the time I have a hard time eating sweet things, or have a little here and a little there. (except ice cream, I realized the other night that I can still down that stuff even if my "full" meter is going off. Keeping it in check though.) I am also way more conscience of what I am putting in my mouth this time around than any other pregnancy. Because I can't eat as much food I have to put the right foods in. My main priority is protein, protein, protein. When I eat a meal I really have to have protein. I crave it. If Matt gets pizza for dinner I have often had an egg on the side just to get the boost of protein. PB is a great friend of mine as are eggs. And milk. I have been craving milk so very much. My greens intake isn't so hot though except when I make green smoothies but I am taking supplements to help out with my fruit and veggie intake to make sure I am getting enough minerals in a day.

I think the lack of being able to gorge out on food and the increased in exercise has helped me maintain my pre-pregnancy weight from this pregnancy. I am still 2 lbs under what I started this pregnancy at. I still eat. And if I am hungry enough and my body will let me I can still put away a good amount of food, but it is the proper amount of food that my body needs and wants. Another cool trick. If it doesn't feel right to me I can't eat it. Couple times now I have tried to eat something and it was not what my body wanted and it was Bad, like BAD tasting to me.

Long story short. I am listening to my body. In the food dept. probably for the first time in my life and it is pretty cool realizing that I can still exercise, grow a baby and eat clean healthy foods and feel pretty good too! Thank you body of mine for being so amazing!