Hello and Happy Hump Day to you! Today is a very special day for me and my girlie Cosette. Today is her 19th birthday!!! Can you believe that this kid is 19 years old. GASP. She'll always be my little angel baby. My sweet little girl. My precious darling. So as it would be expected for my mini me, this girl loves to plan and we have a day full of fun little activities to keep us busy on this fine day that marks 19 years of me becoming Cosette's mommy. We started off the day with enjoying a delicious Acai bowl. Filled with fresh fruit, nuts, and other goodness, this breakfast is gonna kick off the day to a healthy start. Next up is picking up some of the rest of the clan and going to Downtown Disney - which will be a great warm up for our trip to Disney World. Can you believe that we leave tomorrow!!! After that we are gonna pick up lunch to eat at the beach and go do a little dip of our toes. Then we are off on a shopping adventure at the Irvine Spectrum. Finally we are heading back home for more birthday celebration, a homemade vegan Cabonara dinner, cake, presents and more. But before ya know it, it'll be bedtime and a short night it'll be. We need to leave the house by 4am tomorrow morning and head to the airport for our next adventure...in Florida! I've done a little timeline photo tribute for you to enjoy and so that I can share some pics with you. Happy Birthday Cosette! Back atcha tomorrow, -Travelin' Tanya | Hi there! Here we are once again mid-week at Hump Day. This day is also very special because it's my little cousin Cosette's 19th Birthday! And lucky for this young lady, not only does she have a celebration day today, but she will be off to Walt Disney World tomorrow! A Big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to Cosette from her cousins on Long Island! Have I mentioned to you guys just how jealous I am of Tanya's gang as they head off on their Florida travel adventure?! I would love nothing more than to grab my girls and head on down to the happiest place on earth! But, alas, we have school on this end and the timing just did not work out (Boo!) On a positive note, I CANNOT wait to see the pictures and read the stories as Tanya makes her way through the Sunshine State during the next two weeks. We'll be bringing you lots of videos and blog stories and of course, creating a fun YouTube video in the coming weeks! Speaking of Florida and Disney World, Kelsey and I have another piece for you today for Walt Disney World Wednesday, however, before we dig in, I wanted to share with you just how fabulous your's truly is doing with her walking regimen!! I am currently averaging 4 to 5 miles daily!! Let me share with you my daily walking routine secret! Each day, after I drop off Kelsey at school at 8am, I do my errands for the day (food shopping, bank, post office, etc.) before heading back home. I make sure I'm very hydrated and head on out for a minimum of 2-1/2 to 3 miles walking.. The time goes by pretty quickly, since there's lots of see walking around the neighborhood and I also bring my trusty headphones for listening to either my favorite tunes or one of my downloaded books.. If you track your steps, you know that five miles is in excess of 12,000 steps., so I do my best to hit 6500 to 7000 steps on this morning walk. Once I get back home, I settle into my day - writing, blogging and any other tasks I need to get done, including getting an early prep on dinner. As soon as the kids get home from school - or I should say, Kelsey, since Gianna is doing remote school these days - we usually have an early dinner since they are famished. (We make our big meal at around 4-ish and then have a light snack at what other people would call a normal dinnertime at around 7pm.) With dinner over and the kids off doing their homework, I head out once again in the late afternoon for yet another walking excursion. This time, doing at least another 2-3 miles again. The above screenshot shows my walking distance for the combined two walks today! It's a great way to get my daily dose of Vitamin D and much needed cardio! Walt Disney World Wednesday: Our All-Time Favorite Disney World Rides Today, Kelsey and I decided to focus on our favorite rides in the four Disney Parks, in hopes that Tanya and gang would go on them in our honor. This way, we gals stuck here in New York can live vicariously through her adventures!! So, let's get started! Magic Kingdom While there are so many rides and attractions in Magic Kingdom, there are a few that we go on NO MATTER WHAT, each and every time we visit Disney World. Thunder Mountain Railroad Located in Frontierland, this rollercoaster is, in my opinion, one of the best rides in all of Disney World and me and my gang never miss an opportunity to go on! It opened in September 1979 and currently exists at Disneyland Park (California) and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park (Paris) as Big Thunder Mountain.. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin This ride is based on the 1992 film, Aladdin. and as riders go around and around, riders in the front rows control how high their carpets fly, and the ride lasts about 90 seconds. It's not terribly exciting but, it allows you to get a view of the park when it goes high! It's a Small World Probably one of the most iconic attractions in Walt Disney World, this water-based boat ride is located in Fantasyland This ride originally premiered at the 1964 New York World's Fair before permanently moving to Disneyland in Anaheim. EPCOT Soarin' As hard as it is to do, this ride is probably my favorite in all of Disney World. Also known as Soarin' Around the World, it debuted in 2001 and is a flight motion simulator attraction. Upon starting, passengers are "lifted up" as if on a glider as they watch the projected presentation on an 80 ft concave 180-degree dome screen. It is so cool how you feel as if you are "soarin" over several locations across six continents around the world. The ride also includes artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight. Frozen Ever After This ride is in the Norway Pavilion in Epcot in the location where the previous Maelstrom ride was in Norway. Based on Frozen the Movie, this log flume ride is set to music. The area leading up to the ride is totally fun and full of interesting movie settings. Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safaris If you ever dreamed of getting up close and personal with the animals of the plains of Africa, then this Animal Kingdom ride is not to missed!! Kilimanjaro Safaris simulates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa. The animal sightings are truly amazing. This photo was taken from the ride and there are so many other wild animals lounging about and walking around the grounds! From rhinos to lions, elephants to alligators, you get to see them all!! Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain Debuting in 2006, this a steel roller coaster ride themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbidden Mountain next to Mount Everest. What's more, according to the 2011 edition of Guinness World Records, Expedition Everest is listed as the most expensive roller coaster in the world. Including sets and extras, its total cost was reported to be US$100 million for six years of planning and construction. It held this record up until 2019 when the $300M Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opened. But, the best part is that it is super fun with a surprise backward ride as well!! Hollywood Studios Slinky Dog Dash Roller Coaster Taking place in "Andy's backyard" based on the movie, Toy Story, this very family-friendly roller coaster twists and turns past giant toys that look so real and submerges riders in a toy filled environment. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Wow guys - this super thrill ridin' roller coaster combines the excitement of a coaster and the rockin music of Aerosmith as you race along the darkened freeways of Los Angeles in a super-stretch limo! It seriously gets the blood pumpin!! Well, my dear peeps, that's about it for now! -Travelin' Elisa xoxo |