The Purple Pumpkin Blog

Week One of my Nine Week Weight Loss Challenge!

2013-06-17T17:50:00.000+01:00

So, I set myself a 9 week weight loss challenge...you can read my ramblings here about it. I set myself a goal of 3 to 5lbs loss each week leading up to our summer holiday. I'm over the moon to report that I not only hit that goal, but smashed through it, losing 10lbs this week :) I don't expect such a big loss next week, but if I can get to a 3lb loss I'll be very happy!

I said I'd colour in the Mickey ears on my chart each week...I have the chart stuck up on my fridge along with a photo of me with my husband, the last time we were in Florida.

I never expected a 10lb loss, and only coloured in 5 ears since I planned for 5lbs a week :D If I have any spare ears over the coming weeks I'll fill them in! I hope that I keep this momentum up this time and keep going, I am sick of yo-yoing!!

Reminisce [Project 365:2013 - Day 168]

2013-06-17T17:14:00.001+01:00

Reminisce, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

Today, my sister Maria & I met up with our cousin Natalie in Wanstead. We've not seen each other for far, far too long! Had such a great catch up and can't wait to do it again very soon!

It made me realise just how little time we make for ourselves, with excuses of "I'm busy" or "we must catch up soon" and that soon, turns into months, years and decades...life is too short and precious to waste, so we are all going to make the effort to meet up more often - we've got about 20 years of catching up to do!

A walk around Wanstead, where I grew up always makes me reminisce about my childhood, even a simple walk through the park is enough to spark memories! I turned and took this picture on my phone and remembered all the times spent playing in this park as a kid!

This is a photo of the three of us, must be from about 1981?!

Hero [Project 365:2013 - Day 167]

2013-06-16T18:16:00.001+01:00

Hero, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

A camper van is parked across the street - it looks super cool!

Sunday Sounds - Father's Day

2013-06-16T12:35:00.003+01:00

Today is Father's Day, I've already been to see my dad this morning and give him a card and his gift - a photo of his two grandchildren ♥

Today's Sunday Sounds is one of his favourite songs - Don't Cry For Me Argentina by Madonna. I know he reads my blog, so dad, this one is for you!

And it's a twofer today, as I've got another song to share - Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. This was our daddy/daughter dance at my wedding in 2009.

Happy Father's Day Dad - you are my hero ♥

Red is the Colour [Project 365:2013 - Day 166]

2013-06-15T13:23:00.001+01:00

Red is the Colour, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

It's Trooping the Colour today - which is the Queen's Official Birthday. As well as a parade, there is a flypast of aircraft, the spectacle being The Red Arrows.

We never see the Red Arrows from where we live so it was a surprise to see aircraft flying past in the entourage (what do they call a load of planes flying past??!) and the Red Arrows were the finale! They flew right past us - had to grab the camera quick to take a photo, so it's not the best :P

I love the Red Arrows, with their coloured smoke emitted when they fly over Buckingham Palace - always a great sight to see.

Here are the other couple of photos that I just managed to get!

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, Magic Kingdom [Review]

2013-06-15T10:27:00.000+01:00

Dining Date: 24th August, 2011

On our last full day in Orlando, we went back to Magic Kingdom. We decided to go to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café for lunch.

Fragile [Project 365:2013 - Day 165]

2013-06-14T18:16:00.001+01:00

Fragile, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

A tiny egg shell fallen from a nest...broken.

Father's Day BBQ Ideas!

2013-06-14T13:34:00.001+01:00

As it's Father's Day this Sunday I thought I'd look back and share some of my favourite recipes for a BBQ - who doesn't love a barbecue? Hubby loves 'em and my dad loves 'em....a BBQ is a dad domain thing isn't it?!

If the sun isn't out, you can still make all of these recipes and have them indoors..let's hope the sun comes out for the dads this weekend :D Here are my Father's Day BBQ Ideas!

Juicy Handmade Burgers

Higher and Higher [Project 365:2013 - Day 164]

2013-06-13T19:18:00.001+01:00

Higher and Higher, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

A break from the rain and some sunshine...come back properly soon please!!

Athena [Project 365:2013 - Day 163]

2013-06-12T19:40:00.001+01:00

Athena, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

I went to my first networking opportunity today - never done anything like that before. It is for women in business and it was a really great experience and I look forward to doing more of that in the future. Working from home, on my own can be a lonely time, so it was nice to get out and be in the company of others...not just my cat!!

Received these gorgeous flowers (purple of course!) from one of my website clients, that made my day :)

Creep [Project 365:2013 - Day 162]

2013-06-11T20:22:00.001+01:00

Creep, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

Today has been horrible out - really cold, really grey and drizzling with rain :( I popped out for a walk to clear my head, saw this ivy climbing the walls (a bit like me on some days!)

Christmas Crafts [Index]

2013-06-11T18:13:00.000+01:00

Christmas Crafts Index

You'll find the links below for my Christmas Crafts index.

Create your own link parties and post indexes with InLinkz

Halloween Crafts [Index]

2013-06-11T13:37:00.000+01:00

Halloween Crafts Index

You'll find links below for all of my Halloween Crafts.

Create your own link parties and post indexes with InLinkz

The Birthday Times Personalised Newspaper Front Page [Review + GIVEAWAY!]

2013-06-11T11:17:00.000+01:00

"The Birthday Times is a personalized newspaper front page with real events and news of your birthday. The perfect gift for yourself, your friends and family!"

I was approached by The Birthday Times to review their product, and they kindly gave me four downloads to giveaway on my blog!

The Birthday Times is a family run project which has been a labour of love for the father, mother and son team. Mum and son collect and manage the information to go on the personalised newspaper front page, with the software and website also designed by computer engineer dad. I think it is a fab idea and I couldn't wait to try it out! The fact that this is a family run project makes me feel happy to purchase a product from them, knowing how much time and effort that they have put in to create a great product.

The website is available with four countries of birth - so that you know that you are getting the right news for your country: USA, Portugal, Brazil and UK. At the moment birth years 1952 - 1988 are available, but they say that new years are being added every week. This would make such a wonderful keepsake birthday gift. (I also hope that they add other countries in the future!)

The website is super simple to use - add the first and last name of the recipient and their date of birth. (The flag icon at the top tells you which country your newspaper front page will be from, just click to change to another country.) Then click preview...you'll be presented with a demo version of the frontpage. You are also given the option to change the type of ad that appears at the bottom of the paper, which is a great feature!

You can then purchase your personalised newspaper front page for just £2.90 (prices may vary for the other countries) which you can pay for via PayPal. You will receive a high resolution PDF for you to print as many times as you wish. For such a unique gift, I think this is a great price!

Since we are moving all my stuff is packed up, so even though I've printed it off, I can't show it to you how I would present it - in a frame! The document prints nicely on A4, and Adobe Reader which is used to print a PDF document means you can scale it to fit most paper sizes. When printing, it doesn't print the background as you see here, but that means you can print it on any kind of paper you like (an off-white would be fab!)

And now for the GIVEAWAY! I have kindly been given four downloads for my blog readers.

This giveaway is open to UK readers only. Please note that the newspaper front pages are only available for those born between 1952 and 1988.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway ends on 18th June 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pizza Planet, Hollywood Studios [Review]

2013-06-11T10:14:00.000+01:00

Dining Date: 22nd August 2011

We revisited Hollywood Studios and ate a late lunch at Pizza Planet where we had, you guessed it, pizza! Well, actually, we got a mix of things including pizza, a chicken salad and a meatball sub. The pizzas/sub also come with a tub of Caesar salad so there was a fair bit of food, but the pizzas are pretty small and Liam ended up having two. With drinks and a Mickey shaped rice crispy treat we spent $50 in here. Expensive? Very!

My Walt Disney World Tips [Part Two - Planning]

2013-06-10T18:25:00.000+01:00

Welcome to part two of my Walt Disney World tips. Today's post is all about planning! (See part one here - it's all about keeping comfortable in the Florida heat.)

An Orlando holiday is a busy but fun packed holiday There are the four Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios); there's the two Universal parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.) Don't forget the other theme parks: SeaWorld, Busch Gardens (out in Tampa) and Legoland.

To cool off, there are lots of water parks...Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (Disney) Wet 'n' Wild (Universal) and Aquatica (SeaWorld). Oh, and there is also Discovery Cove. Don't forget everything else there is to do - Kennedy Space Center, shopping, mini golf, relaxing, the coast, the swamp tours...and loads more that I as only a "first-timer-going-back-for-a-second-timer"doesn't know about!

The key in co-ordinating a holiday to Orlando and Walt Disney World is PLANNING!!

Now, some people like to plan their holiday with military precision. Knowing what they are going to do, at what time. To. The. Letter. Some people, don't plan, they go with the flow. Us, we fall somewhere in the middle, so I'm going to give you my tips for planning a holiday at Walt Disney World (and all the rest!)

Tip #1 Knowledge is power, so get a guide book! The Brit's Guide to Orlando is packed from the first page to the last with everything you need to know. We bought it last time, we bought it this time - it is invaluable. I go through each section of the book, highlighting the things that are relevant to us. A bit like doing exam revision!!

I highlight the rides we want to go on and the restaurants we want to eat at. Plus any other helpful tips along the way - like the rules for driving in Florida, and how to navigate the airport. I can then easily flick through the book and find what I need, without have to re-read everything.

Tip #2 Following on from the whole knowledge is power vibe..get online and join in at a forum. I used the Dibb a lot when planning our first holiday, because I didn't know a thing about Orlando and needed all the help I could get. There are also the Dis Boards which I browse through from time to time. There is also a great planning website called All Ears which has tons of useful information. There will always be someone out there who can help you with your query - or search the forums as there is bound to be a simliar question to yours.

Tip #3 There is no denying, that theme parks are busy - you're going to have to queue for a ride at some stage, and if you can plan what days are less busy at certain parks, then all the better! Luckily, there are a couple of places online where you can find out that information! The one we used in 2011 to help us plan our days is Touring Plans. They have both a free and paid for service, as well as an app for your smartphone. They give you crowd levels based on historical evidence, e.g., 5/10, as well as the best parks, the parks to avoid and which ones have Extra Magic Hours. Touring Plans is only for WDW (and also for Disneyland California), so you need something else for the other theme parks. That's when I turn to the Busy Day Guide at The Dibb. It gives a fab picture view of what parks are busiest when. Using both of these resources helped us plan our 3 weeks Orlando holiday in 2011, and will do exactly the same in 2013!

Tip #4 Whilst virtual planners are great, I created my own planner that I could tweak and use whilst sitting at the table and using my guide book to plan our days...you can download and print my Orlando Vacation Planner [Free Printable] which I shared on my blog a while back. Or, of course you can create your own, or just scribble things down on sheets of paper!

Since I hate having a messy sheet of paper, with lots of crossings out and the like, I created a week to view page and then for each activity, created a token for it - this would enable me to switch things around without having to write everything out again! Then I can transfer it to print and take it with us on holiday!

Tip #5 Try and look at park maps before you go in...this will help you plan your way around the park - the parks are huge and if you have a rough idea, it will take the stress out - especially if you have small children in tow. Again, I'm referring back to The Dibb who have park maps to download.

Tip #6 Study the times for things like parades, character meets, shows etc. The Dibb once again is amazeballs for information when it comes to Walt Disney World and Orlando. I remember when we went to SeaWorld and picked up the map as we walked in, then having to sit (whilst waiting for the Shamu show to start) trying to plan what times we should see each show. With all the excitement going on around us, it was hard to concentrate and plan effectively. I didn't realise I could get this info in advance (from the Dibb) so was a bit blind last time...not this time though!

Similarly, we missed out on several character meet and greets at Universal - I should have taken the time to work things out in advance - even if it meant a trip to City Walk to pick up a couple of maps!

Tip #7 If you want to have a meal at a certain restaurant at Walt Disney World, you can make an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) with 180 days to go. Especially so if you want to do character dining! You get a guide time (and some ADRs you have to pay for in advance) and you turn up - you may still have to wait a while (most of the time we were sat within 10-20 minutes), but you know you'll at least get a table at your chosen restaurant. At the other restaurants at Universal and SeaWorld for example, you can book on the day. We got to eat at Mythos in Islands of Adventure, and Shark's Underwater Grill at SeaWorld by getting to the parks early and reserving a table. You can also phone ahead at some restaurants off site, so make sure you have the contact number to hand!

Tip #8 As I've said earlier, Walt Disney World and the other theme parks are huge. There is so much to see and do at all of them, that you can't possibly fit everything in in one day - and probably not even in several days!

So, what we did was to prioritize ride/attraction must dos. This meant visiting the website of each theme park (and/or go through the guide book) and we all picked one ride and/or attraction that we wanted and must do. And so, we made a beeline for those first when entering the parks. That way, even if we couldn't do a single other thing, we had at least done the things that we wanted to do the most.

We did the same with places to eat - we all had a list of 'foods to eat in Orlando' before we went, and we ticked them off as we went along (in our minds that is - we never wrote them down!) We also knew we wanted to eat at certain places due to recommendations from others, so they were at the top of our list!

Tip #9 What with the heat, walking around all day, lining up for rides, the excitement, eating more than usual (I know we did!) and being jet-lagged, you are really going to want to plan in some rest days.

On our first visit I was paranoid about burn out. That we wouldn't cope with the walking and heat and so, factored in probably a few too many days of not doing too much - but we coped a hell of a lot better than we all thought..or maybe it was because of those rest days? Who knows?! But, my personal advice is to give yourself a little down time - especially if you have little children.

I'll never forget when we were at Magic Kingdom waiting for the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes Fireworks, a mum was getting really antsy with her husband and her kids were crying and falling asleep...I felt bad for her, because she must have planned this amazing holiday for her family, but I also felt sorry for her family who were just so tired! Even if it is just an morning in the pool, or an afternoon siesta before the night-time festivities, you'll be grateful that you did.

Tip #10 Despite all of your planning and prepping, things may have to change, so my biggest tip is to be flexible!! As it turns out, the first couple of days in Orlando I wasn't feeling 100% and so we ended up having to shift days around. It was no big deal, and the truth be told, we ended up switching lots of days around! The beauty of planning is that it makes you excited about your forthcoming trip, and it helps you to feel organised too, but as long as you have a basic plan in mind, it doesn't matter if things have to change!

I just LOVED planning our first trip and I'm loving planning our second trip (and no doubt 3rd and 4th and 5th.......!)

I hope you've found these planning tips helpful..what are your top tips for planning a holiday to Walt Disney World and Orlando?

Stronger [Project 365:2013 - Day 161]

2013-06-10T16:37:00.001+01:00

Stronger, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

After a pretty low Sunday, I went to visit a friend today who lives in a small village out in the countryside - such a lovely place. This is the view at the back of her house.

Kermit [Project 365:2013 - Day 160]

2013-06-10T07:27:00.001+01:00

Kermit, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

Why are there so many, songs about rainbows? And what's on the other side?

Today's emotions have been all over the place. I didn't take a photograph, but had this one from yesterday that I could use.

Nine Week Weight Loss Challenge

2013-06-09T16:36:00.002+01:00

You may or may not be able to tell from my rambling posts here on my blog that I have a huge battle with my weight. I have done since about the age of 5. I seem to constantly be on a diet, and always trying to lose weight through healthier eating and exercise.

In 2011, having tried every diet in the book, I started the Cambridge Weight Loss plan. It is a replacement diet, however, they also have plans which involve food. Due to my medication and BMI I couldn't do a complete replacement, and instead followed a 1200 calorie plan to start with and when my BMI went down I dropped to 1000 calories. I lost 5st in about 6 months. I was ecstatic, never before had I dieted with such success.

We then went to Orlando, and I gained around 10lbs, which I managed to get off, however, through lack of willpower and motivation to continue losing weight, I constantly yo-yo'd. Beating myself up and feeling guilty for eating, for not eating...for a year and a half I maintained that 5st weight loss, but slowly, it started to creep back on. By the new year 2013, I'd allowed around 2 stone to come back - well over my '10lb margin' I'd allowed myself.

I started Cambridge again, full of gusto and resolve to 'get back on track' and shift that 2 stone again and another 5 stone before going back to Florida. However, depression hit me, I wasn't losing weight as quickly as I wanted to...I decided to give up that diet. I felt like I was wasting my time, my consultants time, my husbands money...I felt like a big fat failure. I thought I would try it alone through calorie counting using My Fitness Pal. Some weeks I was successful, other weeks not so much. I couldn't understand why I would do well one week and not so well the next. I tried a detox, and after a month on that, my husband had lost around 10lbs...I had PUT ON a stone. That put me back to having "only lost" 2 stone. I was devastated.

I made the decision to go back to see my consultant at Cambridge. With her support, I shifted 10lbs in my first week and 3lbs in my second - over the moon, I felt like this time I was good to go and get it gone, once and for all. But, depression hit me, a lot of stuff was going on at home and at work. I got complacent and guess what? I've put back on about 8lbs of that...I'm back to see her tomorrow knowing that this week I've not lost a thing, that once again I've failed myself.

In 9 weeks we step back on a plane to Florida - I had planned to have been at my goal weight or thereabouts by now. I'm even further from that now. I could beat myself up, and believe me I do, but I can't let this beat me. I MUST DO THIS.

I've set myself a 9 week weight loss challenge...ideally I would like to lose between 3 and 5lbs per week and I've made myself a chart...with 5 Mickey ears against each week. For every pound I'll colour a Mickey in.

I hope to see this full of colour by the time 2 week 9 rolls around....

I've printed this off an put it on my fridge along with this photograph of hubs and I at Magic Kingdom - to remind me that I can do this, that I have done this and I will do this again.

I can't explain the way my body works. I feel like I've tried everything. I can't understand how my husband and I can eat the same things and he puts on a pound or two, but I'll put on 5 or 6. I can't understand why I am so full of self-sabotage. I can't understand why I've not been able to do something about this my whole life. I can't understand why something that makes me feel so miserable can't be beaten.

I was so excited about going back to Florida and losing weight for it...to go on the rides I didn't go on before, to buy new clothes in smaller sizes, to feel less self-concious...yet I failed. I feel like a failure, constantly. Every day. If I eat I'm miserable that I will put on weight, if I don't eat, I'm miserable because I feel like I'm missing out (going out for a meal with my family for example), I deduced, when I was at my lowest that I must just be a miserable person. Yet, at the same time I try not to let it get to me. I'm never sure if I need more support or less. I feel like no one understands. I know that I am judged for my weight, and that makes me sad. I find myself having to justify myself far too much because of it.

Look, I'm rambling. I feel like I had to get [some of] my feelings out...wish me luck x

Force Majeure [Project 365:2013 - Day 159]

2013-06-09T12:08:00.001+01:00

Force Majeure, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

So today (yesterday when I write this!) hubs and I had a lovely day out in Greenwich. We walked along the river Thames, had a late lunch in a Brazillian restaurant and then watched the brilliant and hilarious, Mr. Eddie Izzard at the O2.

This is the cable cars going across the river Thames - rather them than me!!

Sunday Sounds - Eddie Izzard

2013-06-09T11:24:00.003+01:00

Last night, hubs and I went to see one of our favourite comedians - Eddie Izzard at The O2 in London performing his Force Majeure Tour. He was absolutely hilarious (as always!)

Today's Sunday Sounds isn't a song, but one Eddie Izzard's his sketches - 'Death Star Canteen' This video is a Lego animation and makes the scene even more funny! (contains swear words)

A couple pics hubby took from last night's show, which was being recorded for the Force Majeure DVD. Can't wait to be able to see the show again!!

Bahama Breeze Island Grille {Lunch} Hwy 192 [Review]

2013-06-07T17:34:00.000+01:00

Dining Date: 21st August, 2011

Today we met online friends in real life! We chose Bahama Breeze Island Grille again as we knew we would get a good meal, and we were not disappointed!

We were shown a table and then we all decided on appetizers. I again went for the firecracker shrimp which didn't disappoint. This is a photo from the first time I had them, but here again for those who didn't read that report!

Keep Going [Project 365:2013 - Day 158]

2013-06-07T13:21:00.001+01:00

Keep Going, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

There are days when I feel like such a failure. Those days sometimes turn into weeks. There are days when I have to pull myself together and keep going. today is that day.

Crash and Burn [Project 365:2013 - Day 157]

2013-06-06T18:55:00.001+01:00

Crash and Burn, a photo by Mrs Pumpkin on Flickr.

A red rose on my travels.

My Walt Disney World Tips! [Part One - Comfort!]

2013-06-06T18:04:00.003+01:00

If you've been reading my blog regularly, you'll know that we are planning a trip back to the Magic this year. The magic being Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! We really can't wait!

My mind has been so far from blogging recently, I've not really shared much of late and it's bugging me that I haven't done so. I've had some Disney/Florida themed posts on my mind, and I thought I really must put pen to paper, or rather, fingers to keyboard to screen and get them done.

I've decided to write some Walt Disney World tips...there are lots of these online, God knows I've read enough over the last few years! But, these are my tips, things that worked for us as a family. We might have only been once (so far!) but we know what to expect the second (and third, and fourth...!) time around, and I thought it would be fun to share these tips with you :)

As the next few weeks go by, I plan to be park specific, not only to WDW and the four parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, but also to the other theme parks: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens! Let's hope I fit them all in before we step onto that metal bird to take us to Orlando!

So here we go, My Walt Disney World Tips! This one is all about comfort!

Tip #1 You are going to do a lot of walking and standing in lines at the theme parks, so my first tip is a no-brainer...wear the most comfortable shoes you own! Whether it be sandals, or Crocs, or trainers or flipflops...make sure that they are well worn in - now is not the time to break in new shoes! I personally wear Crocs - the Mary Jane style which aren't so clumpy! My husband and son both wear trainers. Whatever works for you - wear them. Your feet will thank you at the end of a long day in the theme parks!

Tip #2 Since I've spoken about the amount of walking you'll be doing at Walt Disney World, we found it good to get ourselves in practice over here in the UK! That means, we regularly go out for long walks (2-3 miles) to get our bodies and legs used to it! If you are quite sedentary (which we all are with work and school) then you'll be glad that you starting getting yourself fit and ready for Orlando! I'm not suggesting you go out and do that sort of mileage from the off, but work your way up in the weeks and months leading up to your holiday. A tired body is an unhappy body, and you don't want to be unhappy in the happiest place on earth do you?!

It doesn't matter where you walk, or the speed, just that you get yourself used to walking! We walk around the block, we walk in the park, we walk to the shops...we try and get a long walk in every day if we can!

Tip #3 The Florida sun is H.O.T! And so, it is vital that you protect yourself from the sun. I took regular suncream out with us to Orlando, but found that it was a mess to try and re-apply it throughout the day in the parks...

We kept seeng families using a spray can of suncream, so we hunted it down in Wal-Mart and bought that. The suncream that we brought with us, went right back to the UK unused! The brand we used was called Coppertone, and it was fab! We would re-apply it every hour or so to protect our skin and it wasn't messy to do either. In fact, we bought some to bring home to the UK for our next holiday (we thought we might go to the beach or something) but as it turns out, it's going all the way back to where it came from!

Similarly, you're going to want to cover your head with something. Hubs and son both wore caps, I wore a headscarf/bandana. I preferred that over a hat, which I wore on my first day and my head got way too hot.

Tip #4 As I mentioned in tip #3, Florida is hot. It is also very humid. I did worry how us Brits (who these days barely seem to see sun or feel heat any more!) would cope, but we acclimatized pretty quickly, which of course we were pleased about. Keeping cool in those sorts of temperatures is a must! It's great that practically everything that is inside is air-conditioned, so nipping into a shop to take away the heat for a while is a blessing. However, whilst waiting in the lines or just walking around you want to try and stay cool as well. We bought a couple of spray-bottle-fans which we filled with water in the mornings (and then re-filled at the water fountains in the parks), then turn them on for some moving air and water mist in your face! Refreshing!!

I also carried around, a lace hand fan (which I'd actually bought for my wedding) to fan myself off whilst waiting in lines. I attached some string to the handle so that I could loop it on my wrist to make it easier to carry around with me. Even one of the parade entertainers thought it was a good idea since he nabbed it from me to fan off during the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party at Magic Kingdom :D And Chip thought Liam's spray-bottle-fan would help him cool off!

Tip #5 So, we've talked about the heat - protecting yourself from the sun's rays and keeping cool, but also very important is Staying hydrated!! And this means water! (You don't want to get nasty sun-stroke) If you are staying in accommodation that has a fridge, stock up on bottles of water from the supermarket - you can fill them up during the day from the water fountains dotted around the parks.

If you are lucky enough to have a freezer, do as we did and freeze a few bottles of water as well to carry around. The benefit of this, is that it keeps the other water bottles in your bag cold, and by the time you drink from the frozen bottles, they've started to defrost in the heat - and that ice cold water is soooo refreshing!

I've heard that you can also ask for cups of ice from counter service restaurants in WDW. We didn't know that last time, but we do this time ;)

Tip #6 With all that humidity and heat in Florida, also comes rain! It rained every day that we were there - sometimes just short sharp showers, sometimes longer ones - but we never, ever, let it spoil our day. So, if it does rain, put your best British foot forward (or just your best foot if you're not!) and keep on going! One of the days absolutely poured down whilst we were in Magic Kingdom, do we look like we let it spoil the day?! No sir-ee-bob!

To that end, I strongly advise you take a poncho with you to the parks! You can buy Disney ones (they're about $8) or you can buy them in supermarkets out there, we saw some in Target for $3, or you can buy them in the UK. Ours were actually 10p each when Tesco were getting rid of stuff a few years ago - always knew they'd come in handy!! We also quickly learned to stash a change of clothes in the back of the car - not just to change into if we got soaked in the rain, but from water rides! We got drenched at Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom and I was so glad to just be able to change out of my sopping wet clothes!

Tip #7 I've mentioned ponchos and water and suncream, so of course, you're going to need somewhere to stash your stuff for your park visits. I'm working on us as a family of three with a teenage son, so if you've got younger (or older, or no) kids, this tip may not fit exactly with what you need to take with you! Hubby was the nominated packhorse, and we had a small backpack to keep everything in. If you need to take more stuff than you can bother to carry around all day, there are lockers at the parks to stash your stuff.

You of course need the important things - park tickets and money! We kept our tickets in a lanyard which hung around hubby's neck. You only need your tickets to get into the park and then again if you are getting FastPasses, so, you can always just keep them in a wallet/purse if you wanted to. We had the aforementioned suncream spray, bottles of water (some frozen) and ponchos and we also took an autograph book and pen, for all those important character signatures! We also had a couple of snacks - packs of crisps or something easy to nibble on that wouldn't ruin in the heat.

Since hubs and I both wear glasses, we had our glasses cases in there with our prescription sunglasses/normal glasses to switch from when going inside and outside.

We took a bottle of anti-bac hand gel and I also had a lipbalm in there as well.

Another handy thing we took were plastic, zip-loc food bags - to stash our cameras and money in when going on the water rides.

Tip #8 And finally at the end of the day and it's time to go 'home', you need to find your hire car...they all look the same, there are a gazillion cars in the car parks...the way we remembered where we parked was to take a photo of the lot name and the bay number to remind us. The last thing you want to do is to be clicking the key fob, waiting to see which car unclicks and lights up!! (I had to do that at Epcot >_<) We also took a photo of our number plate to remind us which was ours!

The car also gets very, very hot, so we used a windscreen shield that we bought from the Poundshop to block out the sun, and we also placed towels on the [leather] seats to stop bum burn!! And remember us getting soaked on the water rides? Well, those towels then come in handy to dry off!

I hope you've found part one of my Walt Disney World tips helpful! I'll be writing more tips very soon!

What are your tips for keeping comfortable in the Florida heat?