tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25666064165734572152024-03-05T11:17:15.161-05:00Zero to DisneyMy journey from the All American surgery to running a 1/2 marathon at Disney WorldAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08890867682942465463noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-7567287958180375282018-11-28T20:56:00.002-05:002018-11-28T20:56:17.336-05:00A Slightly Overdue Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYPmTicAK7NPtRi8wi7ELkTUjIVm-7jTPhmOA4XpNu-4lpNnzbdNhtxbNaqyrUXi0BGcrG0mQ60ELlZuELEKYCn1X1RW2JpJcPn28EaoGO4IZJN64I3vqPQwWOk9LqPdWQ97CUPb9Nr4/s1600/pregnant+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYPmTicAK7NPtRi8wi7ELkTUjIVm-7jTPhmOA4XpNu-4lpNnzbdNhtxbNaqyrUXi0BGcrG0mQ60ELlZuELEKYCn1X1RW2JpJcPn28EaoGO4IZJN64I3vqPQwWOk9LqPdWQ97CUPb9Nr4/s320/pregnant+christmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppy Doggo helping me decorate the tree on Saturday!</td></tr>
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Actually, technically speaking, I won't be overdue until December 14. That's right, we are expecting a little girl, arriving sometime in the next couple of weeks! We are thrilled and terrified, which I think is a pretty normal reaction. At this point, I am so impatient! I know our lives are about to radically change, and I am just ready for it to start. And to meet this little lady who has been kicking and punching away for all these months!<br />
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When we decided to start trying to get pregnant, I was really anxious about how my body would hold up - between the multiple ankle surgeries and the chronic shoulder problems, I was not sure I was up for the task of carrying a pregnancy. But, I am happy to report that at 38 weeks, things are going very, very well. I have complaints (oh boy do I) but none of them are outside of the usual "being pregnant is not fun," particularly at this late stage. My back aches all the time, my hands keep puffing up, and I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a month, but all of this is totally normal and has nothing to do with my ankle or shoulder. Huzzah!<br />
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Now my big anxiety is how my shoulder will react to motherhood. First, of course, is the not sleeping for awhile portion. That tends to make it flare up; actually, right now it is a little grumpier than it has been in a while because sleep and I are not getting along. Second is the physicality of motherhood. The good news is that she won't all of the sudden be 30 pounds, so I can do some "baby weightlifting" and get my shoulder in tip-top shape. I even got a special baby carrier that is supposed to be very little strain on your shoulder; if it works out well for us, I will write up a review on here!<br />
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The one big baby bummer is that, because of the timing, we are not going to be going to Walt Disney World with my family in January. If you've read any of my other posts, you know how much I LOVE Disney, but with Baby Girl being so little at that point, and also holy cow do you know how much baby stuff costs, we decided that at this stage we couldn't justify the expense.<br />
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I have no idea how often I will update this blog going forward, as our lives are about to change pretty dramatically, but I really appreciate everyone reading and commenting!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-61592644883188039552017-03-15T22:01:00.000-04:002017-03-15T22:01:01.069-04:00Commuting 45 Minutes One WayHi Friends!<br />
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Long time no blog (again). A lot of life has happened since the last time I wrote, but I figured my second consecutive snow day was a good time to get you caught up on everything that was going on.<br />
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Since mid-December, I got to go home and spend a whole week back in Iowa with my family after Christmas, which was wonderful. One of my best friends in the whole wide world had her own ankle surgery and got to play with her own peg leg. I turned 30, and our oldest furbaby Seamus turned 5. I restarted physical therapy, this time for my shoulder. And the last week of February, I started a new job as the Curator of Education at an art museum about 45 minutes away from our house.<br />
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First, I have to say how amazing this job has been. I was pretty nervous going in, as my background has been entirely in history museums, but so far the transition has been great. The whole institution is going through some really exciting changes and there is such a positive energy.<br />
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The only downside is the commute. Spending an hour and a half in my car every day is taking a big toll on my shoulder, which I need to keep in check or I risk my migraines kicking back up again. A lot of the fight for me is about keeping my posture correct and keeping things relaxed. I have a few things I'm doing to help keep it a little more manageable:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I pulled out my old <a href="http://amzn.to/2mNVk2I">TENS unit</a>. If you've ever done PT before, this is the electro-stim that they use at the end of your session, but a personal size. I put it on my shoulder when I get into work before anybody else or when I get home and am cooking dinner - <i>my insurance covered the purchase of this when I first bought it. I don't know if my current plan would, but it would be something to look into!</i></li>
<li>I've got a <a href="http://amzn.to/2nabLre">hot pack</a> that I wear to help remind my should to stay relaxed while I'm driving</li>
<li>I've had this <a href="http://amzn.to/2nshtCg">lumbar pillow</a> in my car for years to help with my posture. Seriously years. I got it from my physical therapist when I was still living with my parents back in college. When I get into the driver's seat of my husband's car, I reach behind myself to adjust this pillow and grasp empty air. </li>
<li>At work, I have this <a href="http://amzn.to/2naaK2u">stability ball chair</a> in another attempt to help keep my posture correct while I'm sitting at my desk. I do still slouch a bit, but I catch myself more often than I do with a regular chair. Plus, it has the added benefit of being about to bounce. The wheels help take off the strain on my ankle that it would be as just the ball alone.</li>
<li>My laptop also sits on top of a <a href="http://amzn.to/2mZVR29">desk stand</a> so my head isn't tipped down. This is by no means fancy, it is made of plastic, and I don't use the fans at all anymore. I bought it years ago when I had a laptop that constantly overheated, and the fans did work decently, but now it just sits on my desk and lifts my laptop up to eye level. </li>
<li>Every night before I go to bed, I lift weights. I do these in bed because several of the exercises require laying down, and I also do my ankle exercises at the same time. </li>
</ul>
In addition to all of this, I am still taking daily migraine meds. I have another follow-up appointment next month with the neurologist. I am hoping I can start weaning off of these meds. The biggest side effect for me has been weight-loss. It sounds like a great problem, right? Overall, I've lost about 24 pounds. On one hand, this has been nice, because I definitely could have lost the weight. I had gotten to the point where my doctor actually printed out a sheet on BMI, which I would like to point out I was still at the high end of healthy for, but she told me it was something I needed to watch. However, I am now at the absolute bottom of healthy for where I should weigh for my height. Granted, BMI is not the only measure, and it is a flawed measurement at that. The other issue is that, if I'm not careful, I skip meals without realizing it. I have no appetite at all.<br />
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Here's a comparison:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1guv9mO7Qp1yNdfLrAAd40rlovUue2AlWRS8vUSDQMTsa8REGhKCPhlTns6TqII606v3S_f-er8i_5RmYT76eMEUC-auhyK9s61Ci0BCAhhf4S-FQ5tVd5pf6QC0S8Nw7_tHfmFQRWY/s1600/IMG_20160318_111436418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1guv9mO7Qp1yNdfLrAAd40rlovUue2AlWRS8vUSDQMTsa8REGhKCPhlTns6TqII606v3S_f-er8i_5RmYT76eMEUC-auhyK9s61Ci0BCAhhf4S-FQ5tVd5pf6QC0S8Nw7_tHfmFQRWY/s320/IMG_20160318_111436418.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2016</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MpQxyeVfPwEcS8Ycj_GaRbvvH3WEGQw6cP9nSjgUn1l3f496JMSq8eVUS8X_Kw0BIYEeQVTL70s3Z-vNzf9fYASQrQ3cW_lXZ3hAm81HGLv7cdHwStr-Mx0uPKQHaC6fTR8OI-fRgKw/s1600/IMG_20170215_230238493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MpQxyeVfPwEcS8Ycj_GaRbvvH3WEGQw6cP9nSjgUn1l3f496JMSq8eVUS8X_Kw0BIYEeQVTL70s3Z-vNzf9fYASQrQ3cW_lXZ3hAm81HGLv7cdHwStr-Mx0uPKQHaC6fTR8OI-fRgKw/s320/IMG_20170215_230238493.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Obviously, the lighting and outfit are very different in both pictures, but I think you can really see the weight difference in my face. I know, this seems like a dumb thing to complain about, but I want to start training for a 5k that our friend group has signed up for, and I'm worried about doing that and maintaining a healthy weight at the same time. Blergh.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing the items linked on this page, you will be helping support this blog, my student loans, and my reading habit, all at no additional cost to yourself :)</i></span></div>
<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-69903058440241271862016-12-17T15:45:00.000-05:002016-12-17T15:45:29.136-05:00Why hello there, shoulderHello, friends! The good news is that my main reason for starting this blog, my journey with my ankle surgeries, has largely come to a resolution at least on the medical side. My flexibility has returned, and I am slowly continuing to build up strength.<br />
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On the other hand, I have still been struggling with constant migraines. In late September, however, I was finally able to pinpoint with what I felt was a fair amount of accuracy the cause. Following this summer's excitement with a round of vertigo, I had a follow-up appointment with an ENT specialist.<br />
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I went into her office and was blown away by how thorough and holistic this doctor's approach was. Although my ear, nose, and throat checked out fine, she put her hands on my neck and shoulders and said, almost casually, "Say, you've never had any trauma to your left shoulder or neck, have you?" Because you've got a tremendous amount of tension here and that might be what is causing these constant migraines."<br />
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Those of you readers who don't know me in real life might not be aware, but I have had chronic pain in my left shoulder since 2008 when I slipped on some ice in my parents' driveway and fell onto my back. It took us nearly 4 years to figure out that when I fell I had detached the muscles along my scapula, and in 2012 I flew down to the Shoulder Center at the Lexington Clinic in Kentucky where I had surgery to reattach those muscles. As far as I am aware, these guys are still the only ones actually doing the procedure.<br />
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Here's <a href="https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/1685">what it looks like</a>:<br />
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This surgery took me from missing a year of grad school and a 6-8/10 on a pain scale to a 2-5/10. It literally gave me my entire life back and made my shoulder something I barely noticed, to the point that when the migraines started up again in January, it wasn't until that ENT doctor mentioned my shoulder that it all clicked into place. </div>
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Of course it is my stupid shoulder. On one hand, thank goodness I'm not adding another weird medical thing to my list of weird medical things. But, I'm really not thrilled that after all this time this stupid thing is still an issue. I made an appointment with my neurologist. When I got in to see (not the neuro, but one of his PA's) I explained what I had discovered to date, then said that I was interested in exploring physical therapy as an option. She said "I'd like to see you back in three months, and let's explore physical therapy then. First, I want you to try taking this additional prescription which is good for tension-type headaches." </div>
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So, I walked out of that office and called my primary care physician, got in to see her PA the next day, and got them to write me a script for physical therapy. Low and behold, my near-daily migraines cut down to weekly.</div>
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And, when I got into a minor car accident that gave me whiplash in my left neck and shoulder (of course)? They jumped right back up to daily migraines. </div>
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The good news is I have another appointment with the neurologists the second week of January. I'm going to take all of this information in with me, and if they don't listen, time for a new neurologist. Again. But, all of this is about being your own best advocate. And the best news is that I have an amazing physical therapist who is a dream to work with, and has really been a great part of my care team, through both my ankle and my migraine journey.</div>
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<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-85585674021083969722016-10-23T18:30:00.000-04:002016-10-23T18:30:24.931-04:00Modified Brostrom - See Ya Later, AlligatorTwo weeks ago, I had my four-month follow-up appointment with my ankle surgeon after my third surgery on the left ankle.<br />
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AND<br />
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I am completely released from my ankle surgeon's care.<br />
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We're DONE!!!<br />
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Granted, the ankle is still a thing, and it'll never be 100%. Case in point, that following Saturday I went to a wedding and danced like an idiot, then this weekend had a big event at work and so now it is a little grumpy, but nothing some ice, aleve, and my wrap brace can't handle.<br />
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But I can't tell you how relieved I am after four years and three surgeries to finally be done with this.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-67787048779561576682016-07-05T17:58:00.000-04:002016-07-05T17:58:03.935-04:00Happy Independence Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh1hv2ID8W7khcC9qA_Lw7Dz0rEsfVHXWNNrgJBVKDpZ-vmSpjRh20auCpDV-Z5S5BiJNBm4hkDh2gVGo32piPzsZ-sVtpo1QlYwuHJ9ICuXlN6KXaNWbXH_tYHEfKm2_pr4-WCYTFDY/s1600/independence+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh1hv2ID8W7khcC9qA_Lw7Dz0rEsfVHXWNNrgJBVKDpZ-vmSpjRh20auCpDV-Z5S5BiJNBm4hkDh2gVGo32piPzsZ-sVtpo1QlYwuHJ9ICuXlN6KXaNWbXH_tYHEfKm2_pr4-WCYTFDY/s320/independence+day.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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Today was my six-week follow-up appointment after getting the stitches out after my <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/2016/04/modified-brostrom-ankle-surgery.html">Modified Brostrom surgery</a>. The appointment itself was a pretty quick, he checked the flexibility of my ankle (a little stiff) and we discussed the knee swelling (shouldn't be an issue now that I'm out of the boot) and the game plan for the next six weeks. Here's how it looks:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Heavy-duty brace (seen in photo) all the time for the next four weeks</li>
<li>After the first four weeks, transition out of the brace, the wear it when on grass and rough terrain for the foreseeable future</li>
<li>Physical therapy on my own, unless I feel like I'm not improving</li>
</ul>
I've been in physical therapy more often than not over the last four years, and "you know the drill at this point. No point in wasting your money on co-pays when they're not going to tell you anything you don't know, and I don't see the need for any physical manipulation at this point." His recommendations were using a theraband to do 12/6s, 9/3s (although not pushing the 9:00 side, as that's where the repair is), as well as doing calf raises, towel toe scrunches, and building up from there. All the stuff I'm used to doing. I will keep you updated!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-45069204780285894652016-06-24T21:32:00.002-04:002016-06-24T21:32:17.695-04:00Keep On Keeping On<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyp85o1BavD1QK1R9AXv1Iqxct0L8pDsOB-OYJ9r75DSOPYXdBbxf7eNUy2KdOgD-xIRisMBzdzEBfuSYAb9vcHLUAbNQmdwN-7JXp9-oeUwfGx7ItHi5wC_G0PCbVyrA1IAQTj9ObBM/s1600/waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyp85o1BavD1QK1R9AXv1Iqxct0L8pDsOB-OYJ9r75DSOPYXdBbxf7eNUy2KdOgD-xIRisMBzdzEBfuSYAb9vcHLUAbNQmdwN-7JXp9-oeUwfGx7ItHi5wC_G0PCbVyrA1IAQTj9ObBM/s320/waterfall.jpg" width="131" /></a>Hello Friends,<br />
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I'm sorry I haven't given much of an update but at this point, there hasn't really been a whole lot to report. The last month has been one of the more difficult ones I've dealt with in awhile. While I'm still dealing with the headaches and migraines, the most difficult part has been coming to terms with the fact that my family lost my beautiful, vibrant cousin Sarah in a car accident earlier this month. Needless to say, it has not been an easy few weeks, and traveling out to Oregon in a walking boot while using a cane was a bit of an adventure, but it was good to get to spend some time with my family, even if it was for a very sad reason.<br />
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On the ankle front, things feel like they're stuck in a holding pattern. I don't have my follow up with the ankle surgeon until the 5th, so at this point am just sort of waiting, clomping around in the walking boot until that point. Hopefully, when I do go back in, I'll be able to gradually start weaning out of the boot, as well as being able to get into physical therapy. I'm pretty frustrated that I haven't been allowed to start that at all this time around, but I understand the need for patience. Sort of.<br />
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Over the last week, one of the problems I have encountered as a result of using the walking boot has been swelling and pain in my left knee, the same side as the boot. I know what this is, as it is the same problem I had while using the boot after the first surgery. It is a result of an uneven gait for too long, so I've started using a cane again. It is 100% the last thing I want to do, but it really does help. One recommendation? Be careful how many waterfalls you agree to hike up. Granted, I only went two viewing points above the bridge, but it definitely left me hurting a bit this week. Hard to resist the view, though.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-45638786305797321712016-05-30T22:49:00.000-04:002016-05-30T22:49:38.287-04:00Modified Brostrom Surgery - Return of the Frenemy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSbiyd9JNmEoAMtGC43E3dDoJSemYoPoR2lb8km9B9kuN6rVE9pPGpAxR5qAtuUXJ0_IZYExsvkYeZlmQijS29Ji_Zbt6p6iipaDDPjTXMuRUb6Xt5yG6uPFkI2i24CGUke7XagXzmKA/s1600/IMG_20160525_164405879.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSbiyd9JNmEoAMtGC43E3dDoJSemYoPoR2lb8km9B9kuN6rVE9pPGpAxR5qAtuUXJ0_IZYExsvkYeZlmQijS29Ji_Zbt6p6iipaDDPjTXMuRUb6Xt5yG6uPFkI2i24CGUke7XagXzmKA/s320/IMG_20160525_164405879.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
I apologize for being a bit slow to update you with my progress following this latest surgery. Unfortunately, I'm still battling this darn migraine on top of the ankle, so I've been limiting my time on the computer, which seems to aggravate everything. Sorry, but thanks for sticking with me!<br />
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On the plus side, the ankle recovery seems to be going smoothly. The first few days immediately post-op were a little rough. I was a little surprised by the initial pain levels, but that was purely my own fault for expecting this to be more in line with the hardware removal, rather than an actual surgical procedure. Silly Jenna. Added to that my stomach's usual disagreement with pain medications and it was a slow start, but once we got a prescription filled to help that out everything settled down quickly.<br />
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I spent a very long two weeks and two days stuck on our couch, keeping my ankle elevated and being entertained by the kitty cats. I did a full read-through of my favorite book series (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484707230/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1484707230&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=QCUMN7LK5LG6PTAP">Percy Jackson</a>), watched a few movies, had some great friends stop by and say hello, and took a lot of naps. I'm not a good sit and wait person, so honestly I'm so glad to be back at work and back in the swing of things.<br />
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Last Wednesday, I had my first post-surgical follow-up appointment. I didn't see the surgeon himself but saw his PA who I've seen before and like quite a bit. I also met with a student that studying with them for the year, and a nurse who was there to remove my stitches.<br />
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After the stitches were out, the student physician and the PA took a look over everything. They were quite happy with the lack of swelling and redness around my incision, but apparently during the surgery, both the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments were exceptionally thin. Although they were still able to do the surgery as planned, that did change their post-op a bit. Initially, they thought I'd be in the boot for 2-4 weeks after the splint/cast, but now I get a full six weeks at least. Woohoo.<br />
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I'm a little frustrated by that, but after three separate surgeries on this ankle, I'm trying to remind myself that it is better to move slowly and do this correctly than to rush this and risk injuring everything all over again. I'm bummed I won't even be able to touch physical therapy until July, but I guess this is a good opportunity to practice being patient.<br />
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Initially, when the student physician came in and talked to me, he said that a lot of people who have had this procedure go into a half boot at this stage, rather than the full walking boot. But upon looking at my surgical notes and the thinness of the ligaments, plus hearing the demands of my job (outdoor historic site, chasing after 4th graders, giving walking tours that cover uneven grounds) they put me back into my old friend/enemy/frenemy, the walking boot. Check out my first, painful little baby steps below. By day two back in the boot my calf had stretched back out enough that I was walking comfortably again, but that first day or so was not super comfortable.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MLBCgWaC-4Y9O8KHn2aRLDklMAsHZnxFpkW1nK07Dl9cfFBZ2wid7d-18_yH4hqe5SwYjoWm7D_cpKxqF-bK-uvJeFwOpKV1lD6NDzeu2NpcH7lztVcGnOqbjiyyBDPG-ldBgjt870c/s0/VID_20160525_171111693.mp4" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6290671924657976226?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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The next morning following my appointment was my first day back to work. And of course, it was an insane chaotic day where we had one 4th grader pass out from heat stroke (because why wouldn't it be 90 degrees in May) and had to deal with a volunteer being exceptionally rude to my new intern (wheeeee), plus just the general chaos that comes with trying to shepherd 75 ten-year-olds around a historic site. According to my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N3BS1I6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00N3BS1I6&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=3QFB25KXQKAX7XN4">Jawbone Up Move</a> activity tracker, I went from taking about 300 steps on Wednesday to taking almost 4,000 on Thursday and 5,200 on Friday.<br />
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So, from here, it is really just trying to be patient with myself, not pushing too hard at work, and doing what I can to keep the rest of my body healthy while I wait until July 5th, which is my next appointment. My stamina levels are slowly returning, so after another few days of work I'm going to try heading back to the gym and will start doing some upper body weights. Gotta start somewhere!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.79px;">This post contains Amazon Associate links. If you purchase any of the items found in these links, there is no additional cost to you, but it does provide a small source of income for me that helps fund my reading and Disney habits!</span></div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-45525696165088230782016-05-12T14:58:00.003-04:002016-05-13T19:03:12.707-04:00Bathing with a Leg Cast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5T6QFvJOiBagyEdT4ClUE08YpK2Kx24TBLzgGgBdLBvcUqCLbLii2i0bnCc2-Y0UEAxzJa4nu6AE5ZKtakKMTP22PVqQILPXTl71JDJM08rZjdmccoh5VI9Hx_xtpletOGNvFvCc7Dk/s1600/Bathing+with+a+Leg+Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5T6QFvJOiBagyEdT4ClUE08YpK2Kx24TBLzgGgBdLBvcUqCLbLii2i0bnCc2-Y0UEAxzJa4nu6AE5ZKtakKMTP22PVqQILPXTl71JDJM08rZjdmccoh5VI9Hx_xtpletOGNvFvCc7Dk/s320/Bathing+with+a+Leg+Cast.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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***UPDATE 5/13 AT BOTTOM OF POST***<br />
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One of my dear friends (and I know occasional readers, hello Debbie!) has also dealt with some unfortunate ankle issues, and the other day asked me about the realities of keeping my cast dry while bathing. I was more than happy to answer her, but if she has questions maybe some of you do as well so today I thought we'd get up close and personal. Obviously everyone's experiences are going to be a little different, and as always I am not a healthcare professional, but here is my reality of bathing with a cast after three ankle surgeries.<br />
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<b>Supply list:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007PQYHJW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007PQYHJW&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=6BFNYL2UAEPJI2QW">Dry shampoo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHHJXYI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00CHHJXYI&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=VDMHXCQHZMJIMUNK">Cleansing wipes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FHDV68/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FHDV68&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=NWAAUW7KWCLH3NYZ">Cast protector</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00499RX3K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00499RX3K&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=WE2U4RH3WQNIV5U2">Shower bench</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OQGDNC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001OQGDNC&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=6YOEOEOWULTUUUBH">Handheld shower head</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JE0U8HW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JE0U8HW&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=TEVZNTN6CMY3N3AX">Relaxing bubble scent of choice</a><br />
An extra towel, hand towel sized<br />
Whatever other regular bathing supplies you use (my favorite <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C2H0HA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007C2H0HA&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=5E5GFHVIF6R4PD5P">shampoo </a>& <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C2GZKS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007C2GZKS&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=AUP25F774GFW7BZM">conditioner</a>, FYI)<br />
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Honestly, The name of the game here is SLOW & STEADY. The absolute last thing you want to do is slip and fall and further injure yourself. For all of this, I suggest, if possible, bathing while someone is home (which sounds weird, but that way you can holler for help if needed) or at least keeping your phone nearby so you can call someone you're willing to let see you in a quite compromising state, It is good to have at least one of those friends though. But, safety is important, and sometimes beat out modesty. Obviously, make adjustments for your own situation, but here's how I go about it.<br />
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<b>Day one:</b><br />
The first day or two after your surgery, ignore the rest of this post. You do not want to deal with trying to get in and out of a tub or shower, no matter how appealing freshly washed hair might sound. Trust me on that one. Make use of my best friend (even when not recovering from surgery), dry shampoo. Boys, even you can use this, they make unscented versions. You just spray it in your hair, let it sit for a few minutes and absorb the oil, then brush it out and voila. Seriously it is great. Combine that with a wipe down from some cleansing wipes and you'll few maybe not good as new, but a lot better than falling on your face from trying to climb into a bathtub one-day post-op.<br />
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<b>For baths:</b><br />
Position the shower bench along the outside of your bathtub. Prep yourself for your bath, and gently place your cast protector on your leg. Ensure that there is a snug seal (I usually tug the protector back down towards my toes a bit just to make sure it is secure).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBQzFZgPjnBpBkObahu3QlU5gCQ-WJDB8iDCbksfpG4QHNDaYRLjqek-wS9-SA0mAb-COgD5L_i4vZ0Cgg22wCXh1XAce8wGJpklVJQgJu2LkZRBwor6Ubp-ACjm7PfkgMsfz3m4gd_I/s1600/cover+and+bench.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBQzFZgPjnBpBkObahu3QlU5gCQ-WJDB8iDCbksfpG4QHNDaYRLjqek-wS9-SA0mAb-COgD5L_i4vZ0Cgg22wCXh1XAce8wGJpklVJQgJu2LkZRBwor6Ubp-ACjm7PfkgMsfz3m4gd_I/s320/cover+and+bench.jpg" width="200" /></a>Place the hand towel on the shower bench. This will allow for what I call "swivelabilitiy." It is a technical term. Trust me, I am (not) a professional. Sit on the bench with your back to the tub, then slowly swivel yourself, lifting your legs so they are in the tub. Place your good foot solidly into the bath. Here's where you want to make sure you've got secure handholds. Gently shift your weight into the bath, only on your good leg, and gently lower yourself into the bath. Now, relax. You'll notice your lovely cast protector will inflate. Enjoy the sight of your cast covered leg floating in the tub. Pretty silly, right?<br />
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Once your bath is completed, use your good leg to gently push yourself up to the lip of the tub. Go slowly, slowly, slowly, and make sure your footing is secure! Shift yourself carefully over to the bench. Gently remove the cast protector without disturbing your cast and/or wrappings. Hang up the protector to dry. Swivel back to the outside of the tub, dry off (especially the bottom of your good foot so you don't slip) and continue on your merry way.<br />
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<b>For showers:</b><br />
Position the bench inside of your bathtub or shower. Prep yourself for your shower, and gently place your cast protector on your leg (I usually tug the protector back down towards my toes a bit just to make sure it is secure).<br />
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Enter the shower, and remove the shower head <b>before </b>you sit down on the bench. Trust me on that one. We have a tub with a shower, and even with the cast protector on, what I actually do is set my leg up on the rim of the tub out underneath the curtain, resting on a towel. That way it was out of the way, I didn't have to worry about accidentally dropping a bottle of shampoo on it or getting it wet (although really those cast protector are great) and the towel helped keep it comfortable.<br />
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I hope this makes sense, and I hope this helps. Again, this is what works for me, but tweak it for yourself and remember to go slowly and be careful. But you know what else works for me? Tonight I have an appointment at my hair salon to get my hair washed. Just washed. Because as much as I've written all of this out for you, it is a pain to do, and the process of drying my hair and styling it and making it look pretty enough to go out in public is even worse so I'm more than happy to fork over some money to have my lovely stylist do it for me as a special post-surgery treat. What about you? Do you have any advice to staying not-so-smelly after surgery? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjowInvdjOOwn8yGHf2aeKIvq4sbufXaZ_-El57mVgXyj-kyKZGpKY4ClIdr7R9dHBsNyOCALWgrNANDUrIJLpIYTiz_HmppRhcY275IpLECmsVIv-Mj2VS3YAJqypnJ9aV_vDt4gVOhE/s1600/soggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjowInvdjOOwn8yGHf2aeKIvq4sbufXaZ_-El57mVgXyj-kyKZGpKY4ClIdr7R9dHBsNyOCALWgrNANDUrIJLpIYTiz_HmppRhcY275IpLECmsVIv-Mj2VS3YAJqypnJ9aV_vDt4gVOhE/s320/soggy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>***UPDATE 5/13***</b><br />
So yesterday while writing this I, of course, emphasized the safety issues of bathing while in a cast, but the entire reason we go to so much trouble is to keep the cast dry, This morning, I took a bath to get ready for the day. As I drained the water, I had a sinking, sloshing feeling. It seems there was a leak in my cast protector, and water had not just trickled in but done a proverbial Niagra and completely soaked through my dressings.<br />
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I followed the above procedures for exiting the tub. and called my surgeons office. Of course, they couldn't fit me in today, but they do have an urgent care clinic that opened at 1:00, and my dear friend (and New York Mom) Debbie, who is the most wonderful and amazing person and if you would take time to thank her in the comments I'd appreciate it drove me this afternoon. They changed out my splint (turns out it isn't technically a cast) and redressed everything nice and quick and we were back out the door.<br />
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I have updated the cast protector link so it is no longer the protector that I had that broke but <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FHDV68/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FHDV68&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=NWAAUW7KWCLH3NYZ">the one that I recommend now</a>, the one that I used on a daily basis during my first surgery with no problem but somehow misplaced in the move from the apartment to the house. I reordered that sucker on Amazon, one day shipping. If you're going to get one, get that one.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This post contains Amazon Associate links. If you purchase any of the items found in these links, there is no additional cost to you, but it does provide a small source of income for me that helps fund my reading and Disney habits!</span></i></div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-38913030568259978912016-05-09T20:04:00.000-04:002016-05-09T20:05:05.583-04:00Hello from the other side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGonaRQfu_ZmNa6Fw5xiejlTgBZiNsBZq0Zx85TxvYBfi7nebEyPUfL5xqZkqqAv3Cw1u6aFTy7dJl8IDInJx9q9x0NiZE5zmwRORfRUdbYPsN0CGBL5BRMKdy08xC3moXn0IgBvMUuCQ/s1600/Brostrom+Recovery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGonaRQfu_ZmNa6Fw5xiejlTgBZiNsBZq0Zx85TxvYBfi7nebEyPUfL5xqZkqqAv3Cw1u6aFTy7dJl8IDInJx9q9x0NiZE5zmwRORfRUdbYPsN0CGBL5BRMKdy08xC3moXn0IgBvMUuCQ/s320/Brostrom+Recovery.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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I won't write much now as I'm on some pretty serious pain meds and quite exhausted to boot, but today's surgery was very successful. The ligament was very thin, but the doctor was pleasantly surprised by how little scar tissue was in the area. Just goes to show why sticking with a PT who does a lot of hands-on manipulation is a good thing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOHkrkr-BwxBTzxAtXJgyeZ8TkkcETBCwarqEx0e7s3bSqvCUlFJkLL2UQmD14tBLgxaM7R8tgCFyVPvdX9lLhXu6An4vIwzDyYnKigPkOyqMQK0-owpqDbEsQS-LMRLLqAsdwjWN4tY/s1600/hamilcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOHkrkr-BwxBTzxAtXJgyeZ8TkkcETBCwarqEx0e7s3bSqvCUlFJkLL2UQmD14tBLgxaM7R8tgCFyVPvdX9lLhXu6An4vIwzDyYnKigPkOyqMQK0-owpqDbEsQS-LMRLLqAsdwjWN4tY/s320/hamilcat.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internet, meet Alexander Hamilcat</td></tr>
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For now, I'm parked on the couch with my Netflix subscription, and a DVR full of Kim Possible episodes (thank you Freeform!!!), the newest book in the Percy Jackson universe, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/148473274X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=148473274X&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=ORPJZWKKCAMMPYJS" target="_blank">The Trials of Apollo</a>,</i> and a fridge full of yogurt, applesauce, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088MXS6U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0088MXS6U&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=QUJ5BVICRJOJICWF" target="_blank">Bai drinks</a> (my post-Diet Coke world beverage of choice). Added to that, our family has a new addition who I am hoping to slowly coax onto the couch for some cuddling. He's a little shy so far, but even since he came home on Friday has warmed up considerably. Plus, I've got the next two weeks at home on the couch to get to know him even better!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post contains Amazon Associate links. If you purchase any of the items found in these links, there is no additional cost to you, but it does provide a small source of income for me that helps fund my reading and Disney habits!</span></i>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-60886602765776233522016-04-29T20:39:00.000-04:002016-05-23T14:31:23.179-04:00April 2016 Stitch Fix<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIODIAWDhvQdq77RHLHvpvZPqdAbENfd7Z3_tdIiULfPP03a3FO3k4hRY8TQ_KqyBsXTRfzsz7KeMIXGPcxGHcpEJdAOUVr6HriYcyvqzRneMVeraxZn3RlRFW11remtmHMH9VLqRdIiw/s1600/pink+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIODIAWDhvQdq77RHLHvpvZPqdAbENfd7Z3_tdIiULfPP03a3FO3k4hRY8TQ_KqyBsXTRfzsz7KeMIXGPcxGHcpEJdAOUVr6HriYcyvqzRneMVeraxZn3RlRFW11remtmHMH9VLqRdIiw/s320/pink+flowers.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice Blue Simona Henley Blouse</td></tr>
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In light of scheduling my third (and please, final) <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/2016/04/chronic-ankle-sprain-surgical-repair.html" target="_blank">ankle surgery</a>, I decided to sign up for my first <a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3602669" target="_blank">Stitch Fix</a>. I'd actually registered for an account like two years ago, but had never pulled the trigger, but really needed an emotional boost and hoped that some cute new clothes would help.<br />
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Here's how Stitch Fix works. At its most basic, you pay a $20 styling fee, get matched with a stylist, let them know your style, and they send you five pieces whenever you request a fix based on your profile. If you buy any of those pieces, your styling fee gets refunded. Pretty simple, right?<br />
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I like it because it seems like they do try to get to know your style, and it also seems like the more fixes you receive, the better they get to know you. Right off the bat, you take a "Style Profile" quiz that asks you your measurements, how you like your clothing to fit, and has you look at photo groups of various types of styles; romantic, casual, glam, boho, etc, and rank how much you do or do not like them. They also ask where you want to focus your wardrobe. Are you looking to build more of a work wardrobe? More going out clothes? More pieces for the weekend? And how much do you want to spend? For me, across the board, cheaper is better, but maybe you want to invest in some really good quality pieces. I like that they give you that option.<br />
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From there, they ask you to give them the link to a Pinterest board. They have their own account with plenty of pins to choose from, but you can, of course, browse on your own. They also suggest that you actually comment on everything you pin to that board so your stylist knows why you like the things you are pinning. You can check out <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/zerotodisney/glam-fashion-inspiration/" target="_blank">my Pinterest board</a>!<br />
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The first item in my box was the Simona Henley Blouse by Alice Blue, seen at the top of the post and again below. Oh man, I love this top. I think I've worn this four times already (perhaps including right now as I type). More than anything, i adore the print. it is so pretty and perfect for spring, honestly, I could probably tailor the middle a little bit so it isn't quite so baggy when I leave it untucked, but it fits really well otherwise.</div>
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I particularly like the Simona because it transitions really well from casual to work, which fits my wardrobe perfectly. I took it up to Lake Placid with me last weekend for the conference I presented at and wore it with a navy pencil skirt and fuschia cardigan, then wore it last weekend at brunch with jeans and my favorite blue leather jacket.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_n798-o7t-S7L5P5ci23Mqd1d61TzAtQ78rAg1rWIneie7KkOdWPrMghoZWR9vqR5yP4EU6XHmffFp8yaaaiKH_lbA4HtL9mM1aMZMtCIIHq3YHbSJTO8HMBR9IUyafjoHoR4HVa_ei4/s1600/simona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_n798-o7t-S7L5P5ci23Mqd1d61TzAtQ78rAg1rWIneie7KkOdWPrMghoZWR9vqR5yP4EU6XHmffFp8yaaaiKH_lbA4HtL9mM1aMZMtCIIHq3YHbSJTO8HMBR9IUyafjoHoR4HVa_ei4/s320/simona.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simona Henley Blouse by Alice Blue & Luciana Faux Draped Skirt by Loveappella</td></tr>
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Photo number two is the Simona Henley Blouse again, but featured the Luciana Faux Draped Skirt by Loveappella. I debated for a long time about this skirt but ultimately decided against buying it for two reasons. First, let me tell you what I did like about it. I<br />
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I loved the color, especially when matched with the Simona blouse. I have a hard time finding fun colored skirts and pants that are long enough and so am always excited to try new ones. Second, I really liked the drape across the front, which in itself I thought was very flattering.<br />
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The two things I didn't like, and ultimately why I sent it back, were the fabric and the length. The entire skirt was made from jersey, which is what gave the front that cute drape. While I would have been fine with that on the front, I wouldn't have minded a sturdier (and slightly less revealing) fabric for the back panel. And, as is the curse of those with long legs, this felt too short for me to be comfortable in. I left a note for my stylist for next time!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv2zwUZ8RMaEXREL9fUOqjRtlv6_qojm2mqfsWPxiVcLxCWiX8b76hBI7b909NTFI52hY-V-0_fDsqMv14YCCJJQuQ5TfqBVLR6tJq9x5YvW41uYTovovEEtBSKNpDJZQYNPWzHaPnLk/s1600/navy+floral+skirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGv2zwUZ8RMaEXREL9fUOqjRtlv6_qojm2mqfsWPxiVcLxCWiX8b76hBI7b909NTFI52hY-V-0_fDsqMv14YCCJJQuQ5TfqBVLR6tJq9x5YvW41uYTovovEEtBSKNpDJZQYNPWzHaPnLk/s320/navy+floral+skirt.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christiana Printed Pencil Skirt by Margaret M</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I first opened my Stitch Fix box, the Christiana Printed Pencil Skirt by Margaret M was the first thing that caught my eye. The print is really pretty, and it was blue, my favorite color, and I thought for sure I was going to love it. But, then I tried it on. While I did love the length, the skirt itself just didn't really do much for me. I decided that I was only going to buy the pieces that made me feel really happy when I wore them, and this one just didn't light me up the way the Simona blouse and the Pinson cardigan did, so back it went. I think perhaps it was that the fabric of the skirt was quite stretchy, so didn't give my lower half much structure?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRzt5w2kdrVzauJjNdTgfpM7mZQg6HXW0W4WD1ZlcsmKvFdrh9NzlHQg2Vc1Mg5oSinH0A6BXNHogJJFwlTKHO_QhuRH0mrQZON6fH-MCwwvlkV8k_qiV4bhvnLNgl1uFzQ2OhwVHBPQ/s1600/teal+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRzt5w2kdrVzauJjNdTgfpM7mZQg6HXW0W4WD1ZlcsmKvFdrh9NzlHQg2Vc1Mg5oSinH0A6BXNHogJJFwlTKHO_QhuRH0mrQZON6fH-MCwwvlkV8k_qiV4bhvnLNgl1uFzQ2OhwVHBPQ/s320/teal+top.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dursley Lace Detail Blouse by Le Lis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJC_98OXx-CVTJ6amT_wzEvZFbQzyUc-3zgPG5Ij9Hzz0Gs702V_laGCQOXaF3wFFQKMOd_MT08xzRvaR9-1ge2p5A1o6vefUVnocAmfyLochHyHQ5uoaYTwJ4N6cpkONiClb5DRQUXs/s1600/flutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJC_98OXx-CVTJ6amT_wzEvZFbQzyUc-3zgPG5Ij9Hzz0Gs702V_laGCQOXaF3wFFQKMOd_MT08xzRvaR9-1ge2p5A1o6vefUVnocAmfyLochHyHQ5uoaYTwJ4N6cpkONiClb5DRQUXs/s320/flutter.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own blouse, The Limited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oh, Dursley Lace Detail Blouse by Le Lis. The idea here was good, but ugh I look about fifteen pounds heavier. I love the color, I love the idea, but this went straight into the return bag. I'm not sure if it was a sizing issue or a boxiness issue, or what it was.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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The funny thing is, I actually already have a similar (and I think more flattering) blouse. Same day, same makeup, same room, same lighting. Definitely look a little heavier in the first shirt, right?<br />
ring) blouse from The Limited that I've had in my closet for a few years.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpemYVT5PLMxhXOT_a5YAJcP_QPsV-tJmaVNMjUKL_5ppzMDfK6dqpCZ7Eupgla4ep5wyXxY9vKXAsS-O38fT_YPesxcndkwgGSDsP0d-rbHSJKqFpV0nlzZVHY0PCIo48eNzap9lwLbA/s1600/drape+cardigan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpemYVT5PLMxhXOT_a5YAJcP_QPsV-tJmaVNMjUKL_5ppzMDfK6dqpCZ7Eupgla4ep5wyXxY9vKXAsS-O38fT_YPesxcndkwgGSDsP0d-rbHSJKqFpV0nlzZVHY0PCIo48eNzap9lwLbA/s320/drape+cardigan.jpg" width="121" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinson Drape Cardigan by Brixon Ivy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final item, and the only other item from my Stitch fix that I kept beside the Simona blouse, was the Pinson Drape Cardigan by Brixon Ivy. I also went back and forth on this one, but not because I didn't like it. One of my girlfriends in grad school once told me while shopping that I wasn't allowed to buy any cardigans because I had too many. My hesitation was that this one was a little higher price than I usually spend on a cardigan, but its such a pretty piece and very versatile in terms of weight, it will definitely one I'll wear a lot. Plus, I love the sort of pink silky drape fabric. It is so pretty!<br />
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I should say that, when I wore this work, my coworker/friend said, "oh, this looks way better than it does in the picture you sent me!" The picture I sent her was the one here on the left. I think the issue is the t-shirt underneath. When I've worn it since I've worn it with a silky white tank with a scoop neck that I think fits the sweater a lot better.<br />
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So, if you're interested in getting your own Fix, which I definitely recommend, <a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3602669" target="_blank">here's my referral link</a>. If you sign up using that link, I do get a $25 credit, and you will get my undying gratitude (and if you're local, the drink of your choice at one of our local watering holes)!</div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-28609260866419535142016-04-19T20:38:00.001-04:002016-04-19T20:38:15.819-04:00Modified Brostrom Ankle SurgeryI got the paperwork for my pre-operative physical, and I now officially know that the name of my surgery next month is a Modified Brostrom surgery. I tried very hard to find all of you some nice anatomical photos so you could see what exactly the surgery is but to no avail. This is the best one I could find.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="130" src="http://d3rzbccgedqypw.cloudfront.net/content/jbjsam/92/14/2375/F2.large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jbjs.org/content/92/14/2375" target="_blank">Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As you can see there are different versions of the actual repair itself. I'm not 100% positive which version we will be doing. I will be calling the surgical center tomorrow to try to schedule a time to chat with the anesthesiologist about my migraines, and I will also be asking them for a few more details about this. My surgeon did say he would be borrowing tissue from a neighboring ligament, so perhaps it will be a graft?<br />
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In the meantime, I did find a <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/LEDocDave/brostrm-procedure-presentation" target="_blank">very interesting slide presentation</a> about the Modified Brostrom procedure. If you're not okay with seeing surgical photographs, even fairly mild ones which I would say these are, this link is not for you. But, if that doesn't bother you, it is pretty interesting to see at least one version of this surgery.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-16032942093517691122016-04-14T21:19:00.000-04:002016-04-19T20:23:43.540-04:00Chronic Ankle Sprain Surgical RepairWell, there went my New Year's Resolution. I bet you didn't make it nearly this far with yours, did you! My resolution for 2016 was to make it through the year without any major surgeries, but alas it appears that I will not make it. On Monday, May 9, I will be having a "modified brostrum" surgery to reinforce the anterior talofibular ligament on the left ankle.<br />
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The good news here, because this is actually good news, is that the diagnosis is a lot less severe than we thought. Officially, a chronic sprain requiring surgical intervention. Rather surprisingly, the MRI showed no major tears in the ligament, which is really great. So, rather than having to do a major repair, we are reinforcing the anterior talofibular ligament using local tissue, going in through the same incision we used during the <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/the-all-american.html">December 2014 All-American Surgery</a>. He'll also clean out any scar tissue that is certainly not helping with the inflammation that has been building up in there.<br />
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I will be in a cast for about two weeks, in a walking boot for 2-4 weeks, and will get to head into physical therapy at 8 weeks post-op. The trick, of course, is that we aren't really sure right now on how quickly I'll be able to return to work. Hopefully no more than two weeks out, but my job in the summer requires a lot of mobility so I will just have to be careful with that.<br />
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The one downside, but honestly the thing that was no different before this whole chronic sprain, was that my ankle function will never be 100%. With this procedure, we're hoping to get it up to 75-90% functionality. He did say the two things we'll need to watch out for will be any future injuries (so we'll invest in a bubble, maybe?) and arthritis, but that is a bridge that we will cross when we get to it. As my mom said, time to get on taking those omega-3 supplements. I wonder if they make a chewable version...<br />
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There are, of course, a couple of upsides. One, we now live in a house instead of on the top floor of a three-story apartment. Huzzah for not having to climb three flights of stairs! Two, I get to pull my old peg-leg buddy the <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/2015/01/iwalk-20-upsides.html" target="_blank">iWalk 2.0</a> back out of the basement and make small children think I am missing a limb! Three, I am an old hat at outpatient surgeries at this point, so I am really not too stressed at this point. not to say that I won't be stressed right before, but it won't be three weeks of stress, just a few days.<br />
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I'll try to post a couple of times about my process for getting ready for surgeries, which hopefully some of you find helpful! Plus, some post-surgical downtime on the couch should give me a chance to catch up on the rest of my Disney trip reviews!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-43870336529781151432016-04-11T22:15:00.000-04:002016-04-11T22:15:55.069-04:00MRI Follow-Up & My Pre-Surgical Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rNUJmzmdoIswknPjBnY4cHFYgRTOSmIxVSQoDVksKsQtzS56t8Hg4ITCGWBCyOXDeAj3MwBEZKaov5FfvJC7AOP_eI9gdMa5anvd5MdB_kdPyYzMRW5r9eZXYh-KyyQ9JLS50T95FLE/s1600/hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rNUJmzmdoIswknPjBnY4cHFYgRTOSmIxVSQoDVksKsQtzS56t8Hg4ITCGWBCyOXDeAj3MwBEZKaov5FfvJC7AOP_eI9gdMa5anvd5MdB_kdPyYzMRW5r9eZXYh-KyyQ9JLS50T95FLE/s320/hiking.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
Well gang, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Two weeks ago I had (another) MRI of the left ankle, and tomorrow afternoon is my follow-up appointment with the ankle doc. In our last appointment, he was fairly certain I had a tear in my anterior talofibular ligament. At this point, it is really a question of to what degree. I've pretty much resigned myself to this being a surgical fix, which means that if tomorrow he says it isn't, I will be very pleasantly surprised.<br />
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Before any big doctor's appointment, it is a good idea to come up with a list of questions to ask your doctor to make sure that you have a good understanding of exactly what is going happen. If possible, it is also a great idea to bring along a buddy to your appointment. Tomorrow my hubby is actually coming with me. He wasn't able to come with me for the appointment before my last surgeries, but I had a dear friend who did, and she was a great advocate. Hubby will be perfect for this because while I get very emotional which sometimes makes it hard for me to listen, he is very analytical and can stay calm in stressful situations, which this will be for me.<br />
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I've also written out a whole list of questions that I will print out and bring with us in the morning. Now, several of these are tailored specifically to me, but please feel free to look this over if you're going through something like this yourself and cherry pick those that will be helpful for you as needed.<br />
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Questions for the Surgeon:<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Diagnosis</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What is the official diagnosis?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Is this a further complication of my previous problems, or a new problem?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Between now and when we schedule the surgery, do you have any suggestions for pain management, especially as I am trying to avoid even otc pain killers because of concern over rebound headaches?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Surgery</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will this require surgery? At this point are there any alternatives?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What is the procedure that you recommend?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will this surgery completely solve this problem, or will further work need to be done in the future?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What are the risks associated with this procedure?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">How does this differ from what we did during the December 2015 surgery, and will that prior surgery cause any complications?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will hardware be required?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">If so, how will we avoid the titanium hardware rejection we saw with December 2015 surgery</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">How long will the procedure last</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Which hospital will the procedure be done at?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will it be inpatient or outpatient?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">How soon are you scheduling surgeries?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">I am suffering from daily migraine headaches. Will that complicate the anesthesia and/or recovery?</span></span></div>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Recovery & Outcomes</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fb95af31-080c-cb5c-6a80-9ee4a3ece051"></span></span><br />
<ol start="15" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What are the optimistic and realistic recovery times for this procedure?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will I be in a cast following the surgery, and if so for how long?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will I be in a walking boot following the surgery and/or cast, and if so for how long?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">When can I return to physical therapy, physical activity, and work?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Will I continue to have further problems with my ankle after this surgery, regardless of this individual procedure?</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What can I do in future to prevent further damage to my ankle?</span></span></div>
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Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-72529010682613630602016-03-26T11:56:00.000-04:002016-03-26T11:56:04.179-04:00Ligaments & Bone Chips & Migraines, Oh My!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSC_2cgW7EmHjCGDl1-bNqR-41YWnIXRKurMttJYM8INvXc_vQibccH0XTGBO57lVpDfoMHrtLujvFhagySxnwUwT9ygbk53_x1_YD_f7N6vo1vgzlZ34LhaTxybwnEc1PQ5ULaJ0BLg/s1600/laser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSC_2cgW7EmHjCGDl1-bNqR-41YWnIXRKurMttJYM8INvXc_vQibccH0XTGBO57lVpDfoMHrtLujvFhagySxnwUwT9ygbk53_x1_YD_f7N6vo1vgzlZ34LhaTxybwnEc1PQ5ULaJ0BLg/s320/laser.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In my last post I apologized for not having written for awhile, and while I wish in this one I could give you some answers as to exactly why that is, unfortunately, I am still waiting on those myself. Life has sort of given me a one-two punch lately of both a significant return of my ankle problems with what is, to date, a 22-day long headache with no known trigger.<br />
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Needless to say, it has been a pretty difficult month, but I started this blog to try to help anyone else going through at least part of this same process so I figured it was time to let you know what I've been up to. First, the ankle.<br />
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If you'll recall my <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/2015/12/all-american-surgery-one-year-later.html">last few ankle posts</a>, back at Thanksgiving I sprained my ankle doing yard-work. Prior to that, things had been feeling great and I was actually jogging and feeling really good. That sprain never wanted to heal, in spite of my babying it.<br />
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In December, I had my one-year follow-up appointment for my <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/the-all-american.html">All-American surgery</a>. At that point, I told my surgeon about the discomfort on the outside joint of my ankle and said that I felt like I was falling very heavily on the outside of my little toe. He sent me back to physical therapy. I love my PT but boy I am sick of seeing them.<br />
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From December through February I went back through PT twice a week. Things got much more serious following our late January Disney trip when I spent two days in a wheelchair. After that trip, I was also dealing with severe Achilles tendinitis, which we resolved after going back into the walking boot for a few weeks, but the pain in the outside joint not only persisted, but got worse.<br />
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In mid-February, after trying every trick in her bag, including several weeks in the walking boot, my PT suggested we call the surgeon back up again. Unfortunately, it took over a month to get in to see him, so my appointment with him was only last Tuesday. He palpated my ankle and found a spot that made me break out into a sweat with barely any pressure. I'm going in for an MRI next Monday, but his initial guess is a tear to the anterior talofibular (ATF) ligament with the possibility of a bone chip or spur adding to the fun.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5WVkezRwU3w/ThwHFwMVkrI/AAAAAAAADic/CMGVwU-IIXk/Foot_Ankle-Ligaments.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5WVkezRwU3w/ThwHFwMVkrI/AAAAAAAADic/CMGVwU-IIXk/Foot_Ankle-Ligaments.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2011/07/12/lateral-ankle-sprains/">InsideMNSoccer</a></td></tr>
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<br />My follow-up appointment with the surgeon is on the afternoon of the 12th. My husband is actually taking time off of work to come with me, which I'm really grateful for. It is always good to have someone else in the "big" appointments with you to make sure all of the important questions get asked. I find I sometimes get overwhelmed and I either forget what I meant to ask in the first place or don't remember their answers, so it is helpful to have someone else in the room.<div>
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To further complicate things, I have had one continuous migraine headache since the evening of March 4th. I got my first migraine back in 2014 but only had two or three until the start of this year when I suddenly was getting them every two or three weeks, typically with full-blown nausea as well. I definitely managed to ruin our Valentine's Day dinner with one of those. But, none of those have ever lasted more than three days. </div>
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Right now I feel like my doctors and I are on two different tracks. They are trying to figure out what drugs will treat my migraines, I am trying to figure out what is causing them. And this right here is really the big problem that I discovered during my shoulder journey. So many doctors seem much more willing to pull the trigger on filling endless scripts instead of trying to take the time to dig down into an underlying cause. </div>
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Last week during my second appointment with my primary care in five days (because, hello, never ending headache) she was able to get me in to see the PA at the neurologist's office in the same building. I have had one single more frustrating appointment in my life, and that was a shoulder doctor who never once touched my shoulder. </div>
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The PA didn't ask me about allergies, my diet, didn't give me even a brief eye exam, simply wrote me a script for three different drugs, including one that is a preventative, which means I will now have to take it every day for the foreseeable future. Oh, and it's an anticonvulsant, so it comes with some pretty nasty potential side-effects (one of my good friends took it and lost so much weight she stopped triggering the airbag on her husband's car). When I asked her what she thought was causing these migraines, she actually shrugged and said that it could be any number of factors and that there was no real way to tell. When I asked if there were any lifestyle changes she could suggest so I could help prevent these from continuing, she said, "drink a lot of water and get some sleep." </div>
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Needless to say, I was not happy. At this point, I've realized I can't rely on my medical practitioners so need to take my care into my own hands. I called my primary care nurse and got a referral to a chiropractor, with whom I have an appointment on Monday. I also got a referral to my health insurances <a href="https://www.cdphp.com/providers/support-your-patients/case-management">case management program</a>. I have a lot of medical balls in the air, and hopefully, this person can be an advocate for me to help keep everything sorted. </div>
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I'm trying to think of what else I've got on the calendar. I have a massage scheduled on Wednesday, both to try to help with my migraine and also for my mental health. Next week I scheduled an appointment with the actual neurologist attached to my doctor's office, so hopefully we can discuss other options and try to find out some actual causes. </div>
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So, as I said, it has been a rough month, on top of a rough couple of months, on top of a rough year. But, I'm slowly making progress. I'm trying to think of the headaches as a science experiment. Does taking an antihistamine make it better? Nope, okay then probably not an allergy thing, on to the next project. I've been trying to go through my regular foods too to see if anything makes it better or worse. So far, nothing really seems to have an effect one way or the other.</div>
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But, on the plus side, the preventative pill they put me on for the migraines (Topamax) makes carbonated soda taste terrible so I have completely kicked my Diet Coke habit. And, with feeling as awful as I have been, I've actually been eating a lot more fruit and veggies trying to sort of counteract it all. So, there have been some positives!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvU3Ucveeadn4-0uo0l5DKm1qWiRkT-2JcqXtsRwGznm1HoxTzqj55rQzgW8xB0Iodv9ZRqv_61hxLWhnXpyoX0Uc9z_XJtJ9Gg85vL6iLfPxFYctWg4aFxzhawLCtRgO8obkyljjvoI/s1600/corny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvU3Ucveeadn4-0uo0l5DKm1qWiRkT-2JcqXtsRwGznm1HoxTzqj55rQzgW8xB0Iodv9ZRqv_61hxLWhnXpyoX0Uc9z_XJtJ9Gg85vL6iLfPxFYctWg4aFxzhawLCtRgO8obkyljjvoI/s320/corny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to help an Iowan with a headache? Give them a bag of frozen corn.</td></tr>
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Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-10272357167273291352016-03-14T20:55:00.001-04:002016-03-14T20:55:48.262-04:00ApologiesI just want to apologize for the lack of posting lately. I am unfortunately dealing with some major issues both with the ankle (will have more to report on the 22nd) as well as severe migraines (seeing a neurologist on the 2nd). I will work on some Disney related posts soon, but just wanted to let any readers know that I am still here and still plan to continue writing.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-15904490721783470732016-02-10T14:50:00.000-05:002016-02-10T14:50:05.027-05:00Flame Tree BBQ Lunch Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxr0uMISeDgOY_y0doszocmfYnrEkiaq-HMi_zMwA2KBdw8ScoXTNIpBKr8JA6YAEiF5y3b3iKyBZkTy8ZqO09y3DwgFjzCQNjViWrXdrEULTAsHrG4FLA3tjwSxFT4TVWEBHe8LdbLA/s1600/flame+tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxr0uMISeDgOY_y0doszocmfYnrEkiaq-HMi_zMwA2KBdw8ScoXTNIpBKr8JA6YAEiF5y3b3iKyBZkTy8ZqO09y3DwgFjzCQNjViWrXdrEULTAsHrG4FLA3tjwSxFT4TVWEBHe8LdbLA/s400/flame+tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, Animal Kingdom. I love you but you have a long way to go. I will be really interested to see what Avatar Land does. Hopefully brings more air conditioning. We managed to land at the park on a day when it was a balmy 95 degrees with a heat index that got up to 105.9 degrees. We wandered a bit trying to decide on our best lunch option and finally settled on <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom/flame-tree-barbecue/">Flame Tree Barbecue</a>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Flame Tree BBQ Lunch, August 2015</b><br />
<b><i>Ordering & Atmosphere</i></b><br />
Flame Tree is set up a little differently than some of the other quick service restaurants I've eaten at. After standing one long queue, each different party is directed to a different channel with two stops. At the first station, you actually place your order with a cast member. Although the menu is on a sign overhead, our lady also handed us laminated menus that we could reference. We placed our orders quickly, then moved up to the window.<br />
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This got chaotic quickly. There was already a man and his kids waiting at the window, which was narrow and had metal railings on either side. There really was not enough space for everyone. We waited for quite awhile, with more people placing orders and moving up behind us. Finally, we got our food on a tray and moved out of the ordering area towards the seating.<br />
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Behind the actual restaurant are a number of little shelters, like in a park. There are also tables scattered around on tiered patios. It is a nice setup but was quite crowded the day we were there. We ended up walking all the way down to the bottom shelter, which overlooked the central lake. It was actually a very lovely view and was a little quieter than some of the other parts of the restaurant. We waited a bit for my husband's parents to find us, which gave me a chance to check out the decor. I really love the "circle of life" theming that is all around, definitely check that out if you get the chance!<br />
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<b><i>Food & Drink</i></b><br />
<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/animal-kingdom/flame-tree-barbecue/menus/" target="_blank">Here's what we ordered:</a><br />
Me - Ribs & chicken combo with baked beans and jalapeno cornbread, and a bag of grapes<br />
Hubby - Pulled pork sandwich topped with pickled slaw and served with baked beans, and lime mousse<br />
MIL - 1/2 chicken with baked beans and jalapeno cornbread, and chocolate mousse<br />
FIL - Pulled pork sandwich topped with pickled slaw and served with baked beans, and lime mousse<br />
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I'll be perfectly honest, I am not a ribs person. I don't like being messy when I eat, and it is pretty much impossible to stay clean while eating ribs. I tried going at them with a knife and fork, and eventually had to give up. I've tried some ribs where the meat is so tender it just falls right off of the bone, but these were not those. The flavor was good, but I wasn't a huge fan of the texture.<br />
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Hubby is a big pulled pork fan, and he was not disappointed in his sandwich. The flavor wasn't quite as intense as he would have liked, but luckily they had a station with dispensers of barbecue sauce that added a lot of great flavors. My chicken was good if a bit bland, and also benefitted from the application of barbecue sauce.<br />
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For what the chicken lacked, the baked beans more than made up for. They were awesome and were everyone's favorite thing on the table. They weren't too mushy, as sometimes baked beans can be, or too soupy. They really were great! The cornbread was quite good as well, with a nice heat from the jalapeno.<br />
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I decided to pass on a dessert, and if you're using the dining plan quick service meal you can substitute your dessert for one of the snacks that that individual restaurant carries. I switched mine out for a bag of grapes, which to be honest was a great choice. They were exactly what I needed on a hot and sweaty day. I tried a tiny bite of Hubby's lime mousse. I'm honestly not a huge fan of lime unless it is in a margarita so it wasn't the dessert for me, but he liked it well enough.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>TLDR Breakdown</i></b><br />
Food Rating: B-<br />
Atmosphere Rating: B (especially if you can get a seat along the water!)<br />
Service Rating: B-<br />
Overall Rating: B-<br />
<b>Bottom Line: If you like generic barbecue and are looking for a quick meal option, this is not a bad choice. Definitely get the baked beans!</b><br />
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Check out my other Disney dining reviews and planning tips <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/my-brother-mom-and-i-at-epcot-nye-2010.html">here</a>!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-40329683038445138292016-02-03T19:34:00.000-05:002016-02-03T19:34:02.387-05:00Decorating Our Disney Magic Bands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimir66AVAUQaniLMJgXhyRWpGAtfBz4cxIAIXwIytGz6rh9NxSgTwP6_q-3k3k9aJFEYyzrDZ00zSIE7Z2mSMZ8j4wxoIBYcZh1OLpoS5jpyhIcttvvBpJf3YAtGvyACSWEE3tW-r6-54/s1600/magicbands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimir66AVAUQaniLMJgXhyRWpGAtfBz4cxIAIXwIytGz6rh9NxSgTwP6_q-3k3k9aJFEYyzrDZ00zSIE7Z2mSMZ8j4wxoIBYcZh1OLpoS5jpyhIcttvvBpJf3YAtGvyACSWEE3tW-r6-54/s400/magicbands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I have to be honest, I was a little anxious about decorating our MagicBands but I really wanted to give it a try. For our trip back in August, I ordered vinyl stickers from the company Magic Your Band, and while these worked alright, they weren't quite as durable as I liked. Plus, I like to pretend I'm crafty. I'm not really, I don't have the patience for it, but I think if I did have patience I could do well with lots of fun little crafts. My parents' MagicBands were delivered straight to their house, so I only had four out of six of our bands to play with.<br />
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Before starting with each band, I attached them to an empty soda bottle, as you'll see in some of the photos. First, I've got way too many of those lying around, and second, it allowed me to set them down easily without messing up one side. I heard many warnings about painting the bands while they were laid flat, so I wanted to make sure we could avoid that problem.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv2G1WeNb_2lbicYM0DRMG19gRNim77C25KtIVFS2T5Sv1G-glSd6fbostfOh34t3uqZrHBkqF07PizrliXQ3oEN5N4mWOvcuh7PgwNwys8S2eFHInkyym1esx-PeW5FJfv6oM3yNshw/s1600/andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv2G1WeNb_2lbicYM0DRMG19gRNim77C25KtIVFS2T5Sv1G-glSd6fbostfOh34t3uqZrHBkqF07PizrliXQ3oEN5N4mWOvcuh7PgwNwys8S2eFHInkyym1esx-PeW5FJfv6oM3yNshw/s320/andy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Band #1 - Toy Story</b><br />
One of the movies I most associate with my little (6'2", 23-year-old) brother is Toy Story. He sort of came of age with those films and I know they mean a lot to him. For his band, which started orange, I went over it twice with a brown nail polish. FYI, solid brown, non-sparkly nail polish is very hard to find, at least where I'm at. It took one Target and three different CVS's before I finally found one I liked! Anyway, once I went over his enough you couldn't see the orange peeping through, I used a black sharpie to write Andy's name. My initial thought had been to smear and smudge it, ala Woody's boot after he has been well-loved, but it seemed to hold firm after I wrote it. Maybe if he wore it long enough :)<br />
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As you can see in the photo, I still had some cleaning up to do. I went back in with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol and wiped down the gray edges and managed to clean up most of the overreach from the brown polish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-_0PaywvJ6lpdlmi3efrsipUixg79aC4dLNBOWl4gNgIufYFbZe1vE1CQ7zpvZZcF6FnTmqZsqGLHOxseauRGdJT0KuAj3InQ_zOoiuOdNFEZpV-HUbKRhzjllCSSE1FmR6c1epFj2M/s1600/bee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-_0PaywvJ6lpdlmi3efrsipUixg79aC4dLNBOWl4gNgIufYFbZe1vE1CQ7zpvZZcF6FnTmqZsqGLHOxseauRGdJT0KuAj3InQ_zOoiuOdNFEZpV-HUbKRhzjllCSSE1FmR6c1epFj2M/s320/bee.jpg" width="260" /></a><b>Band #2 - Winnie the Pooh</b></div>
I asked my brother what his girlfriend's favorite Disney character was, and he mentioned that she really likes Winnie the Pooh. This design was actually one that I had seen on Pinterest before and thought was really cute. Her band was originally red, so I had to go over it with several layers of yellow polish before I felt like it looked good. In future, I'll definitely plan out what designs I'm going to do in advance so I can better match colors. Once I'd done the yellow, I went over with a black pen and did Mickey's head and the bee bodies then finished off with a white pen.<br />
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Her design was the only one I had that wrapped all the way around the band, so I took a quick little video so you can see all of the different angles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d1xqxT7b3pNA3bU1nddQKtzcHWrYBRUD1q0dgs0wUJ3ibMQTATIHTJWybkzOy4PeZweRKwralZlGYfbJ9xd4R_3PXRd2HxXe-vW48jWnx1iA3SiL3wK2adSX-UAlkKtiV8AXcZHJ5xY/s1600/star+wars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1d1xqxT7b3pNA3bU1nddQKtzcHWrYBRUD1q0dgs0wUJ3ibMQTATIHTJWybkzOy4PeZweRKwralZlGYfbJ9xd4R_3PXRd2HxXe-vW48jWnx1iA3SiL3wK2adSX-UAlkKtiV8AXcZHJ5xY/s320/star+wars.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Band #3 - Star Wars</b><br />
My husband is not big on overt display's of Disney, so I wanted to do something subtle for his. I found a beigy-gray polish in my reserves, went over the central circle a few times, then drew over it with my paint pen. I debated redoing this one with a darker gray color, but he immediately recognized it as the Death Star so I left it as is. This one was by far the simplest of the designs, but that was just the way he liked it. His, surprisingly enough, was actually the only one I heard any comments about<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAgtX8Lck50VAjUCfAaN1XiCG_covXqMgpV1LiJlUYvTZ7HFLoiOmDGOneGOMJktK9iFHpDVkZXWOBHCAezAov7TdcbawGE9sOIXztUgWd6cQxX6ILKBJXcX8L2GJvS1OsmIye9zV4L0/s1600/kp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAgtX8Lck50VAjUCfAaN1XiCG_covXqMgpV1LiJlUYvTZ7HFLoiOmDGOneGOMJktK9iFHpDVkZXWOBHCAezAov7TdcbawGE9sOIXztUgWd6cQxX6ILKBJXcX8L2GJvS1OsmIye9zV4L0/s320/kp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Band #4 - Kim Possible</b><br />
Mine was by far the toughest, and in fact, I completely scrapped the whole thing at one point and started over. Growing up one of my favorite shows was Kim Possible, so, of course, my band needed to be the Kimmunicator. My band started green, and in the end, it took three coats of the teal to cover it completely. In my first design, I had the lighter mint color all the way around the "screen" area and actually laid that down as a layer before going over it with my black paint pen. The texture got really gummy and gross and resulted in my redo. The second time around I put down the black first, then put two strips of the mint using carefully applied tape as a guide. If you do use tape for straight lines, be very careful that everything is VERY dry or you'll make a huge mess. Voice of experience here.<br />
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After taking this photo I actually went in over theMickey head with yellow and green, trying to replicate the Kim Possible logo. It looked awful, and I went back over the whole thing again with black.<br />
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When I finally decided that my designs were good enough (after all, art is never finished, just abandoned) I sealed them with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VY9DNM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003VY9DNM&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=S2EDK5V6JM6K3HEW">Modge Podge Arcylic Sealer</a>. I chose the matte version, as I didn't want them to be too shiny. I sprayed the entire surface, including the gray outside part as I wasn't sure how to avoid that. All-in-all, it worked out very well. There was some slight cracking of the bands by the end of the trip, but really nothing that I felt disrupted how they looked.<br />
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I hope this helps anyone thinking about decorating their own bands. I would love to see pictures or details of how you personalized them!<br />
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<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-89676772843328751602016-01-27T18:12:00.000-05:002016-01-27T18:19:06.463-05:00Home Sweet HomeWe've officially returned from our trip to Walt Disney World. I'm exhausted but happy and don't plan to tackle my suitcase for at least another two or three days. I'll get around to posting recaps and reviews (promise!) but I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite photos from our trip.<br />
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<b>Day One - Magic Kingdom</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGc34XbIC8aOkpuvPux7iRyVaLY9cJG2_2StgCjmxhNlpRwyHtkqsI0gqT8T8OUbNgQp16VTKaaL2fIQtH5yx5LgwQVm0HY3BImBp4orsXVVR-3hewlNhEkYaN74ypyzMuDV9YEiN8HU/s1600/dole+whip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGc34XbIC8aOkpuvPux7iRyVaLY9cJG2_2StgCjmxhNlpRwyHtkqsI0gqT8T8OUbNgQp16VTKaaL2fIQtH5yx5LgwQVm0HY3BImBp4orsXVVR-3hewlNhEkYaN74ypyzMuDV9YEiN8HU/s400/dole+whip.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm...dole whip, and when its 55 degrees no line!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSyRusk2OTKgceF_onY0L-SrWK0PHkvQtEDqtnFgyfiAi8LBFkUSREkMEDqqq7ZH7LKURp9HUm7oB3Gwhw7zGP55sdClD7c7j39MeennUcctPOaI_5M3pmaL9Rddw4vciUIESRVJsxuk/s1600/best+day+ever.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSyRusk2OTKgceF_onY0L-SrWK0PHkvQtEDqtnFgyfiAi8LBFkUSREkMEDqqq7ZH7LKURp9HUm7oB3Gwhw7zGP55sdClD7c7j39MeennUcctPOaI_5M3pmaL9Rddw4vciUIESRVJsxuk/s400/best+day+ever.jpeg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Day Ever!</td></tr>
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<b>Day Two - The Big Question & California Grill!</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6gwnfus0u1voMc_CaEUkvJfR6elwnLi6AoSChh8Kgo39spBRWBWk1iRcNC_FBc-74WLUQmf5OBNAfwc1OffCEFHGBNelcALS02d-9ppQleQdLLorbc5_IwrF_hgq1jS0y2Lt56DFsEk/s1600/IMG_20160120_153833595_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6gwnfus0u1voMc_CaEUkvJfR6elwnLi6AoSChh8Kgo39spBRWBWk1iRcNC_FBc-74WLUQmf5OBNAfwc1OffCEFHGBNelcALS02d-9ppQleQdLLorbc5_IwrF_hgq1jS0y2Lt56DFsEk/s400/IMG_20160120_153833595_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and his now fiancee :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgnDwEtp6YNEcve2q8EJzowpBcIplbW9AdIJLDeIBMTHSgRyZ-D3vwY8WSCxYRWf4Vov96NNYk8lR_Ka6ixWh9wveoYAfBjPq8l_tNuaGx0HW1J_zy7HAnDzgtHd1XWxouSYaAV3LHRY/s1600/IMG_20160120_201217127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgnDwEtp6YNEcve2q8EJzowpBcIplbW9AdIJLDeIBMTHSgRyZ-D3vwY8WSCxYRWf4Vov96NNYk8lR_Ka6ixWh9wveoYAfBjPq8l_tNuaGx0HW1J_zy7HAnDzgtHd1XWxouSYaAV3LHRY/s400/IMG_20160120_201217127.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our dinner table at California Grill</td></tr>
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<b>Day Three - Dad's 60th Birthday</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G5L65nsUZ1wJGg9Utaobo5zf1bWjGuGcbFAZKNhQDhBnDNDOgNiu9zb-2fhyphenhyphenDDc5jYRKr73UhIcDESRK-WvXNNGU0Z75cqKR-i8iXitkTtatRJH84aVFhJ6Vn18fvOIIDO4gc42plmA/s1600/IMG_20160121_073510555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G5L65nsUZ1wJGg9Utaobo5zf1bWjGuGcbFAZKNhQDhBnDNDOgNiu9zb-2fhyphenhyphenDDc5jYRKr73UhIcDESRK-WvXNNGU0Z75cqKR-i8iXitkTtatRJH84aVFhJ6Vn18fvOIIDO4gc42plmA/s400/IMG_20160121_073510555.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad opening his "1990's" era gift, one for each decade!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLzYzD_MqG47_NQM3voXJyfqd6zskr5HU8DfRa-GAtQxtSfAnuOwP0LQmhoSXshkXgV6jMkzA1Fx3X7qquvKDPLUEft1rSVp1DYVRMTPEAPZXlNKkMSCg9KrYAayGYJ6DlAPC0-7DPHA/s1600/wdw2016021389384212_7584654730_dsnyRes-base_dsnyLoc-reg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLzYzD_MqG47_NQM3voXJyfqd6zskr5HU8DfRa-GAtQxtSfAnuOwP0LQmhoSXshkXgV6jMkzA1Fx3X7qquvKDPLUEft1rSVp1DYVRMTPEAPZXlNKkMSCg9KrYAayGYJ6DlAPC0-7DPHA/s400/wdw2016021389384212_7584654730_dsnyRes-base_dsnyLoc-reg.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got to meet Baymax. We fist bumped, because we're awesome.</td></tr>
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<b>Day Four - Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDAquVAAZOVTpA8GRkJoAZwu_MIY15y3bHJnyXFAuPhufHVYC3YqGWgIs8M7SiI9je0A7INgR3BhNYn1i_g8K2kGf9RX04j_Tea70MUO6on-eFCZxm69-GL5O52QdSqscSz11G5mMTh4/s1600/IMG_20160122_120240601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDAquVAAZOVTpA8GRkJoAZwu_MIY15y3bHJnyXFAuPhufHVYC3YqGWgIs8M7SiI9je0A7INgR3BhNYn1i_g8K2kGf9RX04j_Tea70MUO6on-eFCZxm69-GL5O52QdSqscSz11G5mMTh4/s400/IMG_20160122_120240601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved the Hogwarts Express "ride"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S0cD7SmDad1y2FzNnF6O0u9m_Uc5ITNrkS35xnW_tV0glWjxMSLwdeBpcl_Vj3vH0J_nDPHy19jshg8uQDEfLK0uEt8pEWx6owYNSDbCTVzj50YNtKavesPlPt2LcFlCzeKdtdhQkU8/s1600/IMG_20160122_162533870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S0cD7SmDad1y2FzNnF6O0u9m_Uc5ITNrkS35xnW_tV0glWjxMSLwdeBpcl_Vj3vH0J_nDPHy19jshg8uQDEfLK0uEt8pEWx6owYNSDbCTVzj50YNtKavesPlPt2LcFlCzeKdtdhQkU8/s400/IMG_20160122_162533870.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My amazing hubby who won all of the points after pushing me in a wheelchair the whole day</td></tr>
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<b>Day Five - Animal Kingdom</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2bs-VTmYFqnxFsRDA-6X0bL_xzWXtr6ddjUmmTaxQnF4rscwkcSnk6aB1r3tTYk2UDocBkwu2gIWIR3xiBwgcRTlM2rtgLN2c5mJay_iVbjK-sXpCxThyEOHAwzEOT7Yes0lXkEQIzI/s1600/IMG_20160123_133545544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2bs-VTmYFqnxFsRDA-6X0bL_xzWXtr6ddjUmmTaxQnF4rscwkcSnk6aB1r3tTYk2UDocBkwu2gIWIR3xiBwgcRTlM2rtgLN2c5mJay_iVbjK-sXpCxThyEOHAwzEOT7Yes0lXkEQIzI/s400/IMG_20160123_133545544.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absolutely fantastic ASL interpreters during the Finding Nemo musical</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb16Wjo-JGTrkY0ZB1nrtH4S8dz41m0w9ic8WioUVEZxSLolMzLv3VFZvUJAC5VchYpvfDtf70fh9_HuKgbVzUE4vTk1dvtZOF499pRYh30jGEuRXhy2Ttwlxz87XKrnIN-vKRnPhGOs8/s1600/IMG_20160123_140924601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb16Wjo-JGTrkY0ZB1nrtH4S8dz41m0w9ic8WioUVEZxSLolMzLv3VFZvUJAC5VchYpvfDtf70fh9_HuKgbVzUE4vTk1dvtZOF499pRYh30jGEuRXhy2Ttwlxz87XKrnIN-vKRnPhGOs8/s400/IMG_20160123_140924601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How my family spent most of its day: staring at the Tree of Life</td></tr>
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<b>Day Six - Star Wars Day (aka Hollywood Studios)</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06DrCtrURc7RCy9a4DPCf6rM19HaWb9iHTlpsLNtQAWwkBLMqzjzybxEfPsxEw3xYAC7z3jv1glh05FOEDqeH5p7fWdP0bWpL9xq7j9AYIDSHXa8xwvQlEMw_6gSJFVDJiDEYB6P-UsM/s1600/IMG_20160124_094642505_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06DrCtrURc7RCy9a4DPCf6rM19HaWb9iHTlpsLNtQAWwkBLMqzjzybxEfPsxEw3xYAC7z3jv1glh05FOEDqeH5p7fWdP0bWpL9xq7j9AYIDSHXa8xwvQlEMw_6gSJFVDJiDEYB6P-UsM/s400/IMG_20160124_094642505_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny Jedi, one of whom had Rey hair. Squee!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh694v3vC-XfOLlE4FtWBwejCm05M2TvuSHpP868nJdGj7RBQES-_JzzzazuoKutGhuDfV_kAtU5wKoSaykMAONV5WBqck5eRfqLJyhd4Ogf-rtyXu6Vp-SNj0c5WuOzq12HmjQz68b71Y/s1600/VID_20160124_200732155.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh694v3vC-XfOLlE4FtWBwejCm05M2TvuSHpP868nJdGj7RBQES-_JzzzazuoKutGhuDfV_kAtU5wKoSaykMAONV5WBqck5eRfqLJyhd4Ogf-rtyXu6Vp-SNj0c5WuOzq12HmjQz68b71Y/s400/VID_20160124_200732155.mp4" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AMAZING new fireworks, "Symphony in the Stars"</td></tr>
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<b>Day Seven - Back Home :(</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN0abOiEjSu7hnHFNOo9f_RSk9wrtuO6bOBwns3SfyoEYYYnKbwKwxEaSA3UyH5O0O_qq4Lm-iOfEgdeQNCxP4Dju2JiSxx_ha1x_TPxsWI-n7l8uBnGNSK5adw-DxfiD1DSctplbbtM/s1600/IMG_20160125_092855486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN0abOiEjSu7hnHFNOo9f_RSk9wrtuO6bOBwns3SfyoEYYYnKbwKwxEaSA3UyH5O0O_qq4Lm-iOfEgdeQNCxP4Dju2JiSxx_ha1x_TPxsWI-n7l8uBnGNSK5adw-DxfiD1DSctplbbtM/s400/IMG_20160125_092855486.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning in Epcot, one of my favorite times of day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpFOWQra9_Z0a42kGNd3YWFMki1opW9MrhyphenhyphenGsUK5qrgu5yfmmm73WOiRHt9TVbMjr2mMcqwpDp5O4x65IuwH6xaF4jLLJwD2qD9qruSWc_bD1Rijo0T-DQAqdmjc20Wy2UNWMrTMYlAc/s1600/IMG_20160126_181459177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpFOWQra9_Z0a42kGNd3YWFMki1opW9MrhyphenhyphenGsUK5qrgu5yfmmm73WOiRHt9TVbMjr2mMcqwpDp5O4x65IuwH6xaF4jLLJwD2qD9qruSWc_bD1Rijo0T-DQAqdmjc20Wy2UNWMrTMYlAc/s400/IMG_20160126_181459177.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got actual kitty cat cuddles upon our return. A Disney miracle!</td></tr>
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<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-28438231583351812432016-01-16T15:29:00.000-05:002016-01-16T15:34:01.732-05:00What I'm Wearing to Disney: January 2016 EditionWe're heading back to Walt Disney World on Tuesday (eek!) and <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-im-wearing-to-disney.html">once again</a> I did my best to put together fun outfits based off of some of my favorite characters for each of our days in the park. The weather, as is usual in Florida in January, is going to range quite a bit. With the exception of Tuesday we're looking at anywhere from low 60's to mid 70's for the high, and at night, it is getting down into the 40's.<br />
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Here's what I'm packing:<br />
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<b>Tuesday: Travel & Magic Kingdom</b></div>
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My whole family all together in Walt Disney World? Talk about BEST DAY EVER! I absolutely adore this t-shirt, which I got from the Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HappilyEverTees">Happily Ever Tees</a>. The shirt itself is super comfortable, plus I think it is the perfect fit for our first day in the park. </div>
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<b>Wednesday: Magic Kingdom</b><br />
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I've seen a few other people Disneybounding as Gaston, probably because all told it is a fairly simple outfit. Plus, the face character of Gaston is said to be quite a ham. For me, one of my best friends and I got into a heated discussion about whether or not Gaston is actually a villain, so this is a bit of an homage to her. </div>
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<b>Wednesday Dinner: California Grill</b></div>
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Wednesday night, we're going for a very special (and late) dinner at California Grill. I'm SUPER excited about it, and am breaking out my adorable ribbon Sleeping Beauty headband that I got several years ago from the Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/daniellimb?page=1">ArtSENAL</a>. There aren't a lot of places I can wear it, so I'm pretty excited to get the chance. My dress isn't quite the one pictures, mine is actually from New York & Co this summer, and I might try to find a darker pink cardigan to go with it before we leave. We'll see.</div>
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<b>Thursday: Epcot</b><br />
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So I don't know about you, but we've already seen Star Wars twice, and if you were to ask me today if I wanted to go back I'd go. Like, let's go, tonight, right now. I absolutely loved it. I wasn't really introduced to the original triology as a kid, so I haven't been as obsessive as (my husband) some people, but I really loved Force Awakens. And while Rey is my absolute favorite, I adored BB-8. I still haven't decided yet, when he flips his lighter at Finn, is that a thumb or a middle finger?</div>
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<b>Friday: Universal Studios Orlando</b></div>
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When I was eleven years old, my middle school librarian brought me the first two books in a brand new series for me to read. I've been a Potterhead since the beginning, and am VERY excited to head back to Universal now that Diagon Alley is open. I went shortly after the opening of Hogsmede and can't wait to see the expanded park. My husband bought me this tank top awhile back as a gift. Isn't it great? Team Hufflepuff!</div>
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<b>Saturday: Animal Kingdom</b></div>
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One of my all-time favorite Disney characters is Mulan, and my mom feels the same way. She is her own kick-butt, take no names sort of gal, and I know that by Saturday I'm going to be slowing down. Animal Kingdom is a tough park if you're not super sturdy on your feet, and after being on the go since Tuesday I'm going to need to channel my inner warrior to keep up. </div>
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<b>Sunday: Hollywood Studios</b></div>
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Since the Buzz Lightyear ride in Magic Kingdom will be closed during our stay (BOO!) I thought it best to reinvent my summer Buzz outfit for wintertime while we're shooting targets at Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios. Plus, construction has started on the new Toy Story land. I can't wait to see how that turns out!</div>
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<b>Monday: Epcot & Flying Home</b></div>
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Even though we're seeing Fantasmic the night before, our last day in the parks we actually have a Fastpass to get our picture taken with Mickey. I'm not sure what he'll be wearing in Epcot, but I thought I'd channel my favorite broom-weilding version. Plus, this is a nice outfit for the flights home. </div>
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<b>Spare Outfit #1</b></div>
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If you're anything like me, you know to always pack a couple of spare outfits for your trip. You never know how drenched your going to get riding Splash Mountain, or when you're going to drop all of the chocolate from your ice cream bar across your shirt!</div>
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<b>Spare Outfit #2</b></div>
And just in case your first spare outfit gets ruined, having a second one is always a good idea!<br />
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So what do you think? I'll try to get pictures of the whole outfit together everyday, ideally with something that fits along with the outfit. I'm getting so excited, only four days to go!!!<br />
<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-62482367308676364212016-01-10T12:41:00.002-05:002016-01-10T12:41:58.895-05:00The Walt Disney World Boardwalk Inn & Resort Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkyBGytNPW8FDI6ApA_OqtHECcPzRPWn88EluFY5-QgLhE0OMzcnBdTqqlLVldcQAQlEvlMlNMFAmRuD6IiY-Su1y07IL0l9ZiS8MmnIxTPor-I-_X991Q3VGsNT9Dl8NnJ7GENS871Q/s1600/Boardwalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkyBGytNPW8FDI6ApA_OqtHECcPzRPWn88EluFY5-QgLhE0OMzcnBdTqqlLVldcQAQlEvlMlNMFAmRuD6IiY-Su1y07IL0l9ZiS8MmnIxTPor-I-_X991Q3VGsNT9Dl8NnJ7GENS871Q/s400/Boardwalk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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During our Walt Disney World trip in August 2015, we had the pleasure of staying at the Boardwalk Inn & Villas Resort. This was my first time staying there, and it was a big upgrade from Caribbean Beach. Not to knock the latter, it always served my family well, but you really can't beat the convenience of the Boardwalk.<br />
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The Boardwalk at large, which includes the resort as well as a number of restaurants, shops, kiosks, and portrays the elegance and grandeur that combined with the carnival atmosphere to create the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the early 1900s. One thing that can be said about the Disney Boardwalk? It is absolutely beautiful. The main lobby is really stunning and is full of tons of intricate <a href="https://www.mouseplanet.com/10250/Treasures_of_Disneys_Boardwalk_Inn_and_Villas__Part_One">details</a>. Some of my favorites were the working miniature carousel (ya'll know I love a good carousel), the hippocampus electrolier light fixture, and, of course, the creepy nanny chairs. As always with Disney, make sure you look up.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34esjpdZgw9SimYcAX-wCwBq9HGdPMygXj4noCZOpPIPWp7l2tzhTdbloM6aRbpWIADsC1miRGTnM3Dl5YKxomRP8kXnXNur5kTTu-_tsyeYZH9eF9ffttKbqcxaCXT7juW8Hwxwsh0I/s1600/premium+bar.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34esjpdZgw9SimYcAX-wCwBq9HGdPMygXj4noCZOpPIPWp7l2tzhTdbloM6aRbpWIADsC1miRGTnM3Dl5YKxomRP8kXnXNur5kTTu-_tsyeYZH9eF9ffttKbqcxaCXT7juW8Hwxwsh0I/s320/premium+bar.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
My husband and I took the Magic Express from the airport and got to the resort a little earlier than my in-laws (who were driving in). We went up and let them know we had arrived, and were told that our room wasn't quite ready yet. This was no problem, as our bags would be placed in our room once it was ready.<br />
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Since we were there and had some time to kill, I asked about linking our credit cards to our separate Magic Bands. There was a young gentleman on his second day at the job, and with some guidance from his mentor, we got everything all set up. We wandered around, browsed a bit in some of the shops, and nabbed my first Mickey Mouse Premium Bar of the trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhdT7pk1yN1uReERkI2UH-mH2woIb1QEMZci9Fmh6e8deQuSW90m9soqk7VS_3FwX6C3gj8Rm5omzYzLwumuil4OuDtkag2MQ-OUHS6kPdccFCeTVnRayLCcP4YtvY9YkYi2s7y2d0Zc/s1600/running+trail.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhdT7pk1yN1uReERkI2UH-mH2woIb1QEMZci9Fmh6e8deQuSW90m9soqk7VS_3FwX6C3gj8Rm5omzYzLwumuil4OuDtkag2MQ-OUHS6kPdccFCeTVnRayLCcP4YtvY9YkYi2s7y2d0Zc/s320/running+trail.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
We wandered down by the swimming pool, where I was very impressed to find a sign for the "<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/jogging/">New Balance Running Trail</a>," an eighth-of-a-mile loop that takes you along the Boardwalk, past the Yacht & Beach Clubs. You could also increase the distance by crossing over to the Swan & Dolphin and head over towards Hollywood Studios. How cool is that?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWKri3jzqNSbiF84gY6YT0EJwjhdRlfS13I6MxC_Xtbc6BnVXNf8h8gmhfZFk5srgSC03QNJ6klY3OD-6_Gjhr9DMf_S4Y3XY7UE01JRMYWdskuXigpAIjzgOG0X3lubaxmw9-vKG_0k/s1600/hallway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWKri3jzqNSbiF84gY6YT0EJwjhdRlfS13I6MxC_Xtbc6BnVXNf8h8gmhfZFk5srgSC03QNJ6klY3OD-6_Gjhr9DMf_S4Y3XY7UE01JRMYWdskuXigpAIjzgOG0X3lubaxmw9-vKG_0k/s320/hallway.jpg" width="320" /></a>For four people (two couples), we rented two rooms. My mother-in-law asked when she booked if we could get adjoining suites. They told her they would try but couldn't make any promises, but we ended up having adjacent rooms with the little door between. Also, check out the cute Ferris wheel themed carpet in the hallways. Super adorable, right?<br />
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The only blip in service that we had was with our luggage. My husband and I came in from the airport via Magic Express, and our bags were delivered to our room no problem. My in-laws drove in themselves, and my mother-in-law left her bags with the bellhop. It took a VERY long time for them to come up to the room, to the point where we were waiting around for them instead of going to the park. Eventually, she called down and they were brought right up, but it does knock the service rating down a bit. To correct it back a little, my husband was having some minor allergies to something in the air, and when the hotel's little gift shop didn't carry anything other than very expensive large quantities of otc allergy meds, the woman called down to one of the gift shops along the boardwalk and found out exactly who had something less expensive so I didn't have to run around a bunch.<br />
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To be honest, the rooms themselves are never a big factor when I stay in a hotel, especially in Disney. Is it clean and does it have a bed? Then I am good to go hang out in the parks and really only sleep and get dressed in the room. We had two double beds, plus a little fridge, and were just down the hall from the ice dispenser which is handy when you have a malfunctioning ankle. That said, our rooms had a beautiful view looking out towards Hollywood Studios and the Swan & Dolphin, and the beds were very comfortable.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbzuyN0UyfWtr5GOA_klFvs4_j1dV3JwRwHXUfSLbQ0cC9CLX8zJicfDH-UYINiddrdN7cHa-68rtbkDguwt8uxV_xy3Xn0pOL0lBfZoX61wwWEcbFQ8LTqy8Te8wKOzoSGfe5Q86CyQ/s1600/walking+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbzuyN0UyfWtr5GOA_klFvs4_j1dV3JwRwHXUfSLbQ0cC9CLX8zJicfDH-UYINiddrdN7cHa-68rtbkDguwt8uxV_xy3Xn0pOL0lBfZoX61wwWEcbFQ8LTqy8Te8wKOzoSGfe5Q86CyQ/s320/walking+back.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The biggest upside of the Boardwalk is its convenience to Epcot. We were an adult only group and completed our goal of having one drink in every country spread out over the course of our trip. That meant that, even after a day in another park, we'd take the bus back to our resort, relax for a few minutes, then head into the World Showcase. It worked out perfectly, and I think in the future I will definitely look hard at all of the Epcot resorts because of this. Plus, you can either walk back along the Boardwalk or, as we often did with my ankle getting grumpy by the end of the trip, take the Friendships back and forth from the hotel to Epcot. Plus, it is pretty hard to beat that view.<br />
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<b><i>TLDR Breakdown</i></b><br />
Room Rating: B+<br />
Atmosphere Rating: A<br />
Service Rating: A<br />
Convenience Rating: A+<br />
Service Rating: A-<br />
Overall Rating: A<br />
<b>Bottom Line:</b> I would 100% stay here again, and on future trips will likely do so unless given a really good reason not to or outvoted.<br />
<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-36456264776359904802015-12-30T10:00:00.000-05:002015-12-30T10:00:09.815-05:005 Ways to Deal with Pain in Disney<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMHyN5_Jqm-zBIR0bsS0c20V9mhIkzsfi_b-D1gM08mjoZIwgffuEiWyaC2dw8CCaPT7wQifceWgKAcDGNK4BavwM2sNVFaEH0A-0ODbpB9EQ2QNeIgMprJhdVrQVRIHZpeJ3Z-sBPO4/s1600/5+ways+to+deal+with+pain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMHyN5_Jqm-zBIR0bsS0c20V9mhIkzsfi_b-D1gM08mjoZIwgffuEiWyaC2dw8CCaPT7wQifceWgKAcDGNK4BavwM2sNVFaEH0A-0ODbpB9EQ2QNeIgMprJhdVrQVRIHZpeJ3Z-sBPO4/s320/5+ways+to+deal+with+pain.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have had the not so much a pleasure of traveling to Walt Disney World twice while dealing with chronic pain and am about to make that the charming third time. First time around was my shoulder and now I'm fighting with my <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/the-all-american.html">lovely left ankle</a>, the latter of which has flared up and will likely be a bit of an issue during our upcoming January 2016 trip.<br />
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Surviving Disney, preventing further injury, not slowing down your family or friends, all while still enjoying yourself can seem like a daunting task. But there are steps you can take that hopefully will still give you the chance to have a magical park experience.<br />
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<b>#1 - Identify those things that are going to cause you more pain or difficulty - there might be some that surprise you!</b><br />
When we went to Walt Disney World back in August 2015, I was actually in a pretty good place ankle wise. It held up a lot better than any of us expected and wasn't really until the last two days out of a five-day trip that it even slowed me down. I had planned ahead for a lot of walking through the parks but did not anticipate the rides. A number of the rides required a fair amount of bracing, which put a lot of stress on my ankle. Space Mountain, in particular, was hard to enjoy. I was really caught off guard by that, but now going into this upcoming trip I know to be more careful or to just be the official bag holder for some of the most intense rides.<br />
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<b>#2 - Train for your trip</b><br />
Now that you've identified those things that might cause you problems during your trip, do what you can in advance to prepare yourself. Worried about walking a lot? Try to take small walks every day to build up your stamina. Worried about jostling? Talk with your family about football-style blocking for you in the crowded walkways (this is what my dad and brother did during our 2010 trip!).<br />
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<b>#3 - Take breaks. Lots and lots of breaks. </b><br />
My first Disney trip with chronic pain was way back in 2010, pre-scapular muscle reattachment surgery. My family's usual pace through the parks was frenetic to say the least, and I just physically couldn't have kept that up. So instead of sprinting from ride to ride, we got the Dining Plan. We sat down and ate meals instead of eating on the run, we talked to each other, we relaxed. And our day at Universal after getting jerked around by the Spiderman ride, I called a cab and went back to the hotel. I was really bummed to miss part of a day, but it meant that I was alive the next day when we went swimming with manatees (still to this day one of the coolest things I have ever done).<br />
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During our trip last August, we had just finished the Finding Nemo show and my in-laws and husband decided that they wanted to do the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Now, I don't know how good your Animal Kingdom geography is, but those are pretty much opposite sides of the park, and the "trail" is a self-guided stroll. After some internal debate, I let them know that I would be happy to meet up with them once they were done, grabbed myself a bottle of soda, and parked on a nice flat wall where I could people watch and just bask in the awesomeness that is the Tree of Life. Did I miss that walk? Yup. But was I more alive and present for more of the trip because I took a break? Absolutely.<br />
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<b>#4 - Bring supplies</b><br />
What physical items will help make your trip easier? For me, I'll always have Aleve in my purse and I'm going to be wearing my ankle brace. A cane would probably also help me out, but I'm going to be too stubborn for that. I'll also have plastic bags with me and will ice my ankle in the evenings once we get back to our room using ice from the handy dandy ice machine in the hotel. There are some supplies you can get when you're in the parks, but they'll be more limited.<br />
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My last ditch if everything is awful plan is to <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/wheelchair-rentals/">rent a wheelchair</a> when we're in the parks. The cost per day from Disney is $12, $10 if you're renting for multiple days. Wheelchairs don't leave their respective park. Disney also has a partnership with five different rental companies who can deliver right to your resort, but for me the idea of traveling in the buses with a wheelchair seems cumbersome and I am not that limited mobility wise. The website All Ears has put together a much more <a href="http://allears.net/pl/mobility.htm">comprehensive explanation of dealing with the parks while in a wheelchair</a>, and I won't repeat their well-arranged information here!<br />
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If you've looked other places for information on dealing with mobility issues in the parks, you've probably heard about the Disability Access Service Card, formerly known as the Guest Assistance Card. Please note that Disney has modified how the card works and it is no longer available for wheelchair guests. You can see get more information about <a href="https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/media/wdpro-assets/dlr/help/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/Disney-Parks-Disability-Access-Service-Card-2014-04-10.pdf">the new DACS card from Disney themselves</a>.<br />
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<b></b><b>#5 - Don't be afraid to ask for help</b><br />
This can mean a lot of things depending on yourself and the people you're going with. Need a wheelchair? Don't be afraid to ask someone for help up a hill, especially in Animal Kingdom. Need to slow down for a bit? My family walks VERY quickly (I'm the shortest legged at 5'7") so I occasionally need to remind them that I'm falling behind. Need to sit down and take a break? Maybe suggest that it is time for your daily Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar break. Every family does one of those, right? (BTW, swap out the rando in that picture for a golden retriever and that is the most "my mom" photograph ever taken.)<br />
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I hope that this helps you, and takes some of the nerves out of your trip. I'm starting to get kind of anxious about my visit, which is in less than a month. I can't get in for physical therapy for another week, so I will only have a few sessions under my belt before the trip. I am thinking that if it is the week before and I still have a lot of inflammation and pain, I may see about getting a cortisone shot. I had one right before our wedding and it let me dance at the reception and wander around Quebec for our honeymoon.<br />
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Have you dealt with pain in the parks? Is there a piece of advice I missed that you think would be useful for someone else?Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-25848072515701686212015-12-28T18:31:00.000-05:002015-12-28T18:31:21.239-05:00All-American Surgery One Year Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Wednesday, just three hundred and seventy days after my <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/the-all-american.html">All-American Surgery</a>, I had my one-year follow-up appointment with my surgeon. It has been a long and tough twelve months, but I wanted to take some time to talk about where I'm at now and what work is still left.<br />
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Let's start with a high note. November was the healthiest month I've had in probably two years. On Thanksgiving, I went running. Outside. I went 2.3 miles alternating running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 and felt great. Like, might have sat down and cried a little bit from happiness once I was done. That wasn't the first time I'd run, I'd gone on several on the treadmill at the gym. I also was very successfully meeting with a personal trainer once a week and doing a variety of strengthening and stretching exercises, not just with my ankle but in general.<br />
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And now the low note. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, my husband and I were doing yard work (in Upstate NY. CRAZY weather this year). We've had one spot on our gutters that drips onto a windowsill when it rains, so we decided to go up and clean the gutters out. Ladders + unsteady ankles do not equal a good plan, so I asked my wonderful husband to go up for me while I held the bottom. We successfully cleaned the gutters out, he didn't fall off the ladder, and as he was coming down I took a step backwards to get out of his way and rolled my ankle on a clump of grass.<br />
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What has followed has been very frustrating. My Achilles tendon swelled right back up, and I'm having pain on the outside of my ankle joint, right where I was having problems prior to the surgery. I've stopped running and training, cut way back on my daily physical activity, and still have quite a bit of swelling.<br />
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The good news is that I had my one-year follow-up appointment on the 16th. As part of the regular appointment, we took x-rays of the ankle and bone wise, everything looks great. He gave me a script to restart physical therapy, and if things haven't improved after a few weeks I'm supposed to come back in for an MRI. The trick has been that we did a lot of traveling over the holidays (been gone since the 20th, heading home this afternoon) and we are heading back to Disney World with my family on January 19th. That doesn't give me as much physical therapy before our trip as I'd like, but we'll make do.<br />
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All-in-all, I'm glad I did the surgery but the recovery has been difficult. They said that full recovery was at least a year out and boy, I did not believe them. The sprain is absolutely because my ankle is still weaker than it should be, which just means I need to be more vigilant about doing my exercises. In my ideal happy world, once the swelling goes down I'll start doing yoga consistently to help keep everything flexible and strong. If you saw in the photo, I still have a lot of swelling but also quite a bit of bruising which at this point I'm just assuming I'll have from here on out.<br />
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So, sorry that this wasn't the glowing and excited one-year report I was expecting to write after Thanksgiving. Check back soon for my 2016 goals and ambitions.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-29745874456735552162015-11-22T21:22:00.000-05:002015-11-22T21:22:32.672-05:00Chefs de France Dinner Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW1H2vGGvxzhec6QIJvYRe3FtClkVg61TYKveZaLGRWkM2V9k-flqwoFOyg_QAQJo_WuaouwDn1-N70JFd5AHHYnydm7WhVPwQbKUyx9hVfLnp89Xa8kpxQvZNIFf9G9TvglQ5p24Rpw/s1600/Chefs+de+France.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYW1H2vGGvxzhec6QIJvYRe3FtClkVg61TYKveZaLGRWkM2V9k-flqwoFOyg_QAQJo_WuaouwDn1-N70JFd5AHHYnydm7WhVPwQbKUyx9hVfLnp89Xa8kpxQvZNIFf9G9TvglQ5p24Rpw/s400/Chefs+de+France.jpg" width="400" /></a> I love France. I studied French in college, I've visited the country six times, lived in Nantes for a semester, Paris for two separate months, and of course visited Disneyland Paris twice. So it is a given that whenever we're in Epcot, I love getting to eat at the France Pavilion. Our first in-park stop on our first day of our last trip was to try the first of our Drinks Around the World at <a href="http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/les-vins-des-chefs-de-france/">Les Vins des Chefs de France</a> (I went with the Grey Goose Slush, yum!). Our last day I'd actually been planning to eat lunch at the quick service <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/les-halles-boulangerie-patisserie/">Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie</a>, but we ended up eating dinner at <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/chefs-de-france/">Chefs de France</a> so we ended up eating our last lunch in Japan at <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/katsura-grill/">Kastura Grill</a> (review coming soon!).</div>
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<b><i>Making Reservations</i></b></div>
We actually made reservations on the same day that we ate at Chefs de France. We had originally planned to go to Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) and had reservations at Raglan Road. But, at this point we were on day four of the trip and after running around Animal Kingdom all day, my ankle was shot. I had actually been debating sneaky ways to excuse myself from dinner while not having my husband or MIL volunteer to stay behind with me (and looking into whether I could get food delivered to my room on the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw_nextgen/CoreCatalog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2015Dining.pdf">Disney Dining Plan</a>) when my MIL let me know that she'd changed our reservation. We took the boat from the Boardwalk over to Epcot, and ended up having a wonderful meal.<br />
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<b><i>Checking In</i></b><br />
This was probably the longest that we waited after checking in of any restaurant during our trip, but the place was hopping. But, they have lovely little benches under the awning that you can sit down on, so it didn't feel like it was too long. Before we knew it, our name was being called and we were led in to our table.<br />
<b><i><br />Seating/Atmosphere</i></b><br />
Having eaten at Chefs de France several times before I knew what to expect, but it always makes me miss France. In particular, there was a little cafe my best friend and I ate breakfast at several times in Paris and the styles of the two restaurants are nearly identical. It is a big space and loud, but not so loud that you can't hear the people you're eating with.<br />
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We ended up unintentionally booking our dinner during the IllumiNations show. While we couldn't see much but the occasional flare from our seats, I'm sure the people along the windows had a great show. We'd already seen it twice at that point so it wasn't a big deal for us, but that could be a fun option if you're looking for viewing reservations.<br />
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<b><i>Food</i></b><br />
<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/chefs-de-france/menus/dinner/">Here's what we ordered</a>:<br />
Appetizers - <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Assiette campagnarde (</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Rustic assortment of French patés and charcuteries) and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Plateau de fromages de France (Imported cheese board with raisin and walnut bread)</span><br />
My Dinner - <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Canard aux cerises <span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">duck breast and leg confit with cherries, sweet potatoe puree and patty pan squash)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">My Dessert - </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Fresh strawberry and cream cake (</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">with raspberry sauce and strawberry sorbet)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Hubby's Dinner - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soupe à l’oignon gratinée (French onion soup topped with Gruy<span style="font-family: inherit;">è</span>e cheese) Hubby's Dinner - and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plat de côtes de boeuf au Cabernet</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (Beef short ribs braised in Cabernet with polenta)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hubby's Dessert - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Daily assortment of fresh sorbets, madeleine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">MIL's Dinner - Filet de bouef grill</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">é (Grilled tenderloin of beef </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">with green peppercorn sauce, original potato gratin of Savoy and green beans)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">MIL's Dessert - Chocolate mousse</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">FIL's Dinner - Bouillabaisse de fruits de mar<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Seared scallops, shrimp and mahi-mahi served in a saffron broth with fennel and potatoes)</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Hubby's Dessert - <span style="font-family: inherit;">Crème Brulee</span></span><br />
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In addition to the food, we all had a glass of wine, but each of us ordered something different and I can't recall which one I got, much less everyone else. With our wines we were brought an adorable little baguette to share, which was delicious. We ordered both the cheese and meat plates, and I loved them. I'll be honest with you, my in-laws and hubby are not big <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">patés</span> </span>fans, but it was great.<br />
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This is the second or third time I've eaten at Chefs de France, and I'm fairly certain I've gotten the duck each time. I love duck, and you just don't see it very often in American restaurants. Across the board, we were all really happy with our meals. I didn't even get a bite of my husband's, not because he wouldn't share but because he ate it so quickly!<br />
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Then, when we finally couldn't eat another bite, they brought out our desserts. Om nom nom. I debated for a long time about the c<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">rème brulee, which is one of my absolute favorites, but instead went with the strawberry cake. I'm glad I did! It was exceptionally light, not too sweet, and I love having a little bit of fresness at the end of the meal and this was perfect for that. As good as my cake was, the winner for the best dessert was actually my husband. He got the sorbet, topped with a </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">madeleine </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">and lots of berries. If I remember correctly, the sorbets were peach, vanilla, and strawberry, with the peach being the absolute standout of the group. I may or may not have spent much of the dessert portion of the evening stealing berries off of his plate. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I didn't really mention the service because honestly, it was perfectly unobtrusive. The young man who bought us our food was perfectly polite, helped make excellent wine recommendations, and didn't mess anything up. That's pretty great in my book!</span></span><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>TLDR Breakdown</i></b><br />
Food Rating: A<br />
Atmosphere Rating: A<br />
Service Rating: A<br />
Overall Rating: A<br />
<b>Bottom Line:</b> EAT HERE. Seriously. It is one of my favorite restaurants in Epcot. The food is top notch, the service is great, and it makes me miss France so much!<br />
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Want to see some of my other dining reviews? You can check them out <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/my-brother-mom-and-i-at-epcot-nye-2010.html">here</a>!</div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-68278207832824494202015-10-31T14:05:00.001-04:002015-10-31T14:06:22.801-04:00La Hacienda de San Angel Dinner Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite things to do in Walt Disney World is to eat, especially around the World Showcase. Sure, a lot of the food is a slightly watered down version of what you might get if you actually traveled to those countries, but it would much harder to eat lunch in Japan and dinner in France. My parents were never big on Mexican food, but my in-laws (who we took this trip with) eat it quite often so I knew this was a safe bet. </div>
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<b><i>Making Reservations</i></b></div>
We booked the Dining Plan, and that allowed us one table service meal each day. I'll get more into the details of that in another post, don't worry! As with all of our other table service meals, we booked our reservations through the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/hacienda-de-san-angel/" target="_blank">Walt Disney World website</a>. This is quite simple and easy to navigate. You go to the restaurant's page, type in how many people are in your party and which day and meal you're looking for, and they give you the available times. I highly, highly recommend you make dining reservations for any of your table service meal. Some restaurants fully book up well in advance!<br />
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<b><i>Checking In</i></b><br />
We made the mistake of booking our last FastPass+ reservation a little too close to our dinner reservation (give yourself plenty of time!) so we had to book it through the crowds already gathering for the Illuminations fireworks show. My MIL and I power walked all the way there from Mission Space. This might seem silly, but honest to goodness this was the first time in a year I'd walked fast. It felt SO good!<br />
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The check-in process itself was relatively simple, except that we managed to lose the boys. Inside of the Mexico pavilion is the restaurant La Catina de San Angel. Word to the wise, if you're not 100% positive your party is directly behind you, make sure they know which restaurant they're going to as the names are quite similar. Luckily they wandered out and the hostesses showed us to our table. otherwise, check-in was quite easy, and we were quickly shown to our table.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRuv7JfqSUkQFFvW4GL9vdI7FrMMEt3K8vTaQAIvsLJcx8B5R43oeFttVdFf6RNpCkB7gSPctEKRSuBQolGgdjqa2urteb1BP6PZo292ce3OT92W3bTZHXO1G63tmXHLSU5eFf0hWXnU/s1600/hacienda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRuv7JfqSUkQFFvW4GL9vdI7FrMMEt3K8vTaQAIvsLJcx8B5R43oeFttVdFf6RNpCkB7gSPctEKRSuBQolGgdjqa2urteb1BP6PZo292ce3OT92W3bTZHXO1G63tmXHLSU5eFf0hWXnU/s400/hacienda.jpg" width="263" /></a><b><i><br />Seating/Atmosphere</i></b><br />
The interior of the restaurant is quite nice. I especially loved the lanterns, although sadly my phone died so I didn't get many photos. We were seated fairly close to the hostess stand so I didn't get much chance to peak around, but with the massive windows I can imagine the daytime views would be awesome. Our nighttime view was pretty spectacular as well.<br />
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I intentionally booked our reservation at 8:00. Still recovering from my surgery and not really sure what the crowd levels would be, I wanted to make sure we could sit and watch the fireworks rather than trying to push through the crowds. I'm so glad we did, as the view was really spectacular.<br />
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<b><i>Food</i></b><br />
<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/hacienda-de-san-angel/menus/" target="_blank">Here's what we ordered:</a><br />
Appetizers - Gorditas<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">corn cakes, stuffed with chorizo, potatoes and arugula, topped with Chipotle sauce and sour cream) and Guacamole <span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">mango pico de gallo, Pomegranate and cheese, or corn and Poblano peppers with pumpkin seeds</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">)</span></span><br />
My Dinner - <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Seared Snapper (</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">snapper served atop Tequila-butter Cascabel pepper reduction. Accompanied with roasted tomatillos, onions, chiles toreados and queso fresco, and corn Esquites)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">My Drink - </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: right;">Mango Blueberry Basil Margarita <span style="letter-spacing: 4px;">(</span></span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Exótíco 100% agave premium silver tequila, orange liqueur, and lime mix, served on the rocks with salt on the rim)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Hubby's Dinner - </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Taquiza (</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">taco sampler featuring grilled chicken with green tomatillo sauce, grilled steak with roasted Chipotle sauce and rajas poblanos, pork Chilorio served with queso fresco, and battered fish served with a Mayo-Chipotle sauce topped with cabbage)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hubby's Drink - Classic Margarita (Exótíco 100% agave premium silver Tequila, orange liqueur, lime mix, served on the rocks with salt on the rim)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">MIL's Dinner - Taquiza</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">MIL's Drink - Horchata Margarita* (</span><span style="background-color: white;">Exótíco 100% agave premium silver Tequila, horchata liqueur, agave nectar, agua de horchata, and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey served with cinnamon sugar rim)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">FIL's Dinner - Taquiza</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">FIL's Drink - Dos Equis</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Once you sit down, they bring you chips and salsa. We had been sprinting around the park all day, so I kept them pretty busy also bringing me glasses of water. We joke in our house that my taste buds reflect my Swedish and Irish heritage so the red salsa was a little spicy for me, but the verde was delicious and I think I definitely ate more than my fair share.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">One of the things we were most excited about were the margaritas. My husband is a big fan (one of our favorite restaurants at home is known for them) so I was very interested to try them out. I'd read a good review of the <a href="http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013/07/31/guest-review-dinner-at-la-hacienda-de-san-angel-in-epcot/">Mango Blueberry Basil margarita</a> and boy, did it live up to the hype. This is honestly one of the most complex drinks I've ever had. There were so many layers in the drink, all topped off with the spicy chili salt on the rim. (I couldn't find an exact match, but if you want to try to recreate, here's a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EO7LHQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001EO7LHQ&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=4KN7N3RIKQQPZIW5">chili-lime salt</a> I think would get close!). My MIL and husband both also enjoyed their margaritas. My FIL is not a big margarita fan, and seemed to enjoy his beer well enough. </span><br />
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Somehow in discussing what appetizers we wanted in the presence of our waitress we ended up with the gorditas (which we wanted) and for some reason the guacamole (which we didn't). It showed up plain without any of the advertised toppings. Being us, we ate it, but it was very blah. Hopefully with the toppings it would be better. The gorditas, however, were delicious. The only problem was they were gone very quickly!<br />
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My husband and both in-laws ordered the taco sampler, aka Taquiza. My MIL asked to sub the pork out for more chicken and after two tries they brought her out the correct dish. All three agreed that the tacos were okay, but nothing special. even when compared with the Mexican restaurant we usually go to together. My snapper was actually very nice, a lot of flavor and the texture of the fish was excellent. One of everyone's favorite things was actually the bowl of black beans that accompanied all of our meals. There was rice as well, but the beans were by far the favorite. I don't know what was in those, but I could have eaten the whole thing just myself.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>TLDR Breakdown</i></b><br />
Food Rating: B+<br />
Atmosphere Rating: A<br />
Service Rating: B-<br />
Overall Rating: B+<br />
<b>Bottom Line:</b> The view was incredible, as were the drinks, but the food and service weren't quite what we expected. I'd give it another try, but we're not booking it again for our upcoming trip.<br />
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Want to see some of my other dining reviews? You can check them out <a href="http://zerotodisney.blogspot.com/p/my-brother-mom-and-i-at-epcot-nye-2010.html">here</a>!<br />
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Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2566606416573457215.post-74141754118715549792015-10-14T16:02:00.000-04:002015-10-14T16:02:00.108-04:00All American Surgery: Nine & Ten Month Recovery<br />
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I think that, at this stage in my recovery, it is easy to forget how far I've come. In the last two months, I went to and danced at a friend's wedding, I spent an entire day walking around the Adirondack Museum with a friend, and as you'll see below I'm even rocking walking tours at work. I no longer have to plan my schedule around my ankle, and that is amazing. It still hurts, it still definitely gets tired at the end of the day. My left hip aches quite a bit, largely because of my stride. But, I have come SUCH a long way from where I was even three months ago, and I'd be remiss if I get into the grumbling about not moving fast enough without mentioning that fact.<br />
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I'll probably give one year its own post, but the last two months have blown by so quickly and change at this stage is slow and incremental, so I didn't feel like each month warranted its own post. Sorry those of you who were waiting on baited breath!<br />
<b><br /></b><b>What I Would Have Done Differently - Been More Consisent</b><br />
Unfortunately some of this was out of my hands. I managed to get a really nasty sinus infection that is still sticking around, even post-antibiotics, and it has slowed me down a bit. But, most weeks I am making it to the gym twice a week, huzzah! It still isn't a habit yet, which is my next goal for sure.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>What is Frustrating - Still Not Running</b><br />
I've very, very, very gently tried it out going very slowly on the treadmill, and after about fifteen seconds my left calf muscle seizes up pretty badly.<br />
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<b>What I'm Looking Forward To - Disney January 2016 (still)</b><br />
Our dining reservations are mostly made, and in just a few more days I'll be making our Fastpass+ reservations. Going to my favorite place in the whole world with my husband back in August was amazing, but getting to go with ALL of my favorite people? I seriously cannot wait. As such, I'm very seriously considering pulling the trigger on this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O7ENVOW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00O7ENVOW&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=DFKO3ADOBO4LVGFX">adorable purse</a>. What do you think?<br />
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<b>What is Working - Training</b><br />
I recently joined a new gym (Vent Fitness for you in the New York Capital Region) and I'm really enjoying it so far. In addition to just being a good environment, they've got a great system of trainers. I'm meeting once a week with a young woman named Schuyler, and we're working on getting me back in control of my fitness. She kicks my butt, and I'm still sore today from Monday morning's workout, but it is awesome to be doing something for myself.<br />
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<b>What I've Accomplished - These Boots Are Made for Walking</b><br />
Last month I lead not one but two guided walking tours through our historic district wearing my all-time favorite, slightly heeled boots. And guess what? I didn't die, my ankle didn't fall off, and I could walk the next day. Huzzah! The boots themselves are from Target last fall, but here are some similar examples if you're looking to find a good pair before winter comes along! (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KMHW72A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00KMHW72A&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=TLQGNULZUXDINERM">here</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4PS6QS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00I4PS6QS&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=CCUHBLDDRRJMSECJ">here</a>, and <a href="https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/network/build-links/individual/get-html.html?ie=UTF8&asin=B00922IMHU&marketplace=amazon&quicklinks=1&subflow=sp_">here</a>)<br />
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<b>This Month's Goal - Something Every Day</b><br />
My goal for the next month is to do something active every day. I'm hoping for 5,000 steps on my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N3BU8N2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00N3BU8N2&linkCode=as2&tag=zertodis-20&linkId=HRC3EBBWZFOGK3GM">Jawbone UpMove</a> every day, and if all works as planned I'll either do lifting, cardio, or yoga each day on its own. Monday was lifting, yesterday was definitely yoga after all those sore lifting muscles, and tonight I'm going to go to the gym and go back through my lifting routine. Huzzah!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase the item using my link, it is no more expensive to you but I receive a small payment which helps keep this blog going!</span></i></div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417097530254920421noreply@blogger.com1