Exciting News!

Hey y'all!

After a short break from blogging, I have some very exciting news to share with you. But first a little background story...

Maybe you are like me? You like fitness (or you are fit-like). You enjoy being healthy (or try to be). But you have a hard time sticking to a program. Am I right?!? Or maybe you've hit a weight-loss plateau. Because, you know, there's wine, cheese, and WINTER! Ugh, winter.... I just want to wear yoga pants, sweatshirts, and be under a blanket all day! And I'm pretty sure I did that all winter long. Again.. UGH!

If you can relate, then listen up!

I heard about this program from a couple of fashion blogs that I follow (shout out to Putting Me Together and Cyndi Spivey). I was seriously intrigued but seriously skeptical also. What intrigued me was the "no scale victories" mentality, carb cycling and intermittent fasting. What made me skeptical was the carb cycling and intermittent fasting! What the WHAT??? But still I watched their progress, did my research, and waited.

The waiting ended on February 2nd when I took a leap of faith and signed up. Nearly 7 weeks later, the FASTer Way to Fat Loss ® program is so much more than a program. It is becoming a lifestyle for me. This is not a quick fix program, my dear readers. This program is a game changer. It's backed by science (very important to me!) and teaches women (and men) how to live a healthy lifestyle. You will learn proper nutrition with REAL food. No shakes, drinks, or supplements required. You will do effective and strategic workouts. And you will REST! I've never slept better, felt better, or had more energy.

I have one more week to complete this "round" and then I will share my before and after photos with you. I can't wait for you to see them!

This post is not sponsored by FWTFL, I purchased the program myself. However, I can earn a referral fee if you sign up through the program link that I posted above. If you are inspired by this post or future posts, I would be so grateful if you signed up through my referral link. Thank you!

It's been how many weeks?

Twelve.  It's been a dozen weeks since my last post. Three months is quite a long hiatus considering my goal was once a week. Maybe I should consider writing once a quarter.

So what have I been doing during this time? Obviously nothing too exciting to write about. I'll give you the quick rundown with a few photos, of course.

I'll skip February. It was cold. Enough said.

March 8:   I ran a beer mile! This was a fun event. Four laps, one beer per lap, try not to fall down or puke. Check, check aaaand.... CHECK! I did not fall down or puke! In fact I had a victory beer after the race. My race time was terrible, but that wasn't the point! I would totally do this again.

March 25:  We went to Branson for part of Spring Break! We received season tickets to Silver Dollar City as a Christmas gift (really great idea), so we decided to take a long weekend. However, the weather was kind of crappy. It rained really hard on our way down. It was sunny the next day but really windy and chilly. We went to SDC anyway, and it was super crowded. We waited in line for over an hour for our favorite rides. It rained the next day, so we found other things to do like Ripley's Believe It and hiked along Table Rock Lake. And on the way home, we stopped at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and Bass Pro. All together, it was nice to get away for a few days as a family.

April 18:  Missouri Beer Fest! Always a fun time. Breweries from across the state meet in Columbia to share their craft. We had special shirts printed up for Broadway Brewery which I was geeking out over! Don't you just love them?

Welcome to the Craft Side!

So that should catch you up to the present day. I promise I won't be as much of a stranger on here.

More posts to come!!!

Twas The Night Before Kickoff 2014

A couple of years ago, I wrote this poem to commemorate Mizzou's inaugural season in the SEC. I made a little update for 2014.

Twas the night before kickoff and in every house
not a fan was sleeping, just ask their spouse.

The coolers were packed full of bratwurst and beer.
It's almost September and football is here.

We're choosing our outfits, our black and our gold,
I swear this excitement will never get old.

The buses will stop, the team will unload.
They'll be fired up, ready to explode.

On Sasser! On Murphy! On Ray and Mauk!
On Golden! On Boehm! We're ready to rock!

The cannon will fire, the band starts to play,
the stands will be full, it's finally game day!

Every True Son exclaims all through The Zou
Fight Tigers, Fight for ol' Mizzou! 

College Colors Day!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's the day before the first football game. Campus is full of excited students. Everyone is wearing black and gold for College Colors Day. Mizzou is full of team spirit, and I love it! Football season is finally HERE!

To celebrate, I'm in black and gold from my head to my toes. Literally!

And my office mates and I entered a door decorating contest sponsored by the MU Staff Advisory Council. I had college flashbacks of pomping floats. I think it turned out great! Now if we can just preserve it for the rest of the year. And hopefully we'll win the prize! Voting will start on Monday on Facebook!

Mizzou-RAH!

July 100 Miles Challenge #July100miles

Am I crazy or what?

I joined this challenge on Facebook sponsored by ilovetorun.org. The challenge was to run (or walk) 100 miles during the month of July. When you average that out over 31 days (thank you extra day in July), it is a little over 3.2 miles per day. That's doable. I joined knowing I probably wouldn't be able to run all of the 100 miles. I do love to run, but my knees don't love to run as much as my mind does. I told myself I'd run as much as I could and walk on the days I just felt like I couldn't.

I needed a fitness refresh, and this challenge was a great motivator. Plus, it taught me a few things along the way.

1. Morning workouts ROCK!  If you know me, you know I'm not really a morning person. I'm more of a mid-morning person. My favorite time to exercise is around 7:30 a.m. after I'm fully awake. During the work week I try my best to get my butt out the door by 6:30 a.m. Doesn't always happen, but when it does, I feel so much better. My metabolism is off to a great start, and I'm full of energy. Getting started is the hardest part. 

2. I love my Fitbit!  I should say I've been tracking my miles via my Fitbit. This may seem like "cheating" to some because I wear my Fitbit all day. If you don't know what a Fitbit is, it's a tracking device that records every step I take and adds those steps into a mile total for the day. I say... it's not cheating; I'm being smart. I'm tracking my activity (or inactivity), and everything should count. And I'm really close to reaching 500,000 steps. If I could complete 100 miles this month, I'll have met that milestone. Midway through the month, I hit 50 miles total. YES! Right on schedule.

3. It's all about attitude. But towards the end of the month, work was a lot busier and my activity level started to decline. After July 28th, I had completed 85 miles. That's only 5 miles per day, but more than my usual daily average of 3.2. My daily average the week of July 21 - 27 was only 2.55 miles. Ugh! Where was my momentum? Where was my drive? I was struggling with my knees, busy with family obligations, and making too many excuses and not enough time for me. I started to get a little nervous and wondered if I was going to make it to 100 miles by July 31.

And then I saw this....

Yes. This is MY challenge. I will not fail. This is MY journey, and no one else's. I will do this. I WILL reach 100 miles by the end of July! I found my positive attitude and kept going.

4. Self-discipline will get you there! I logged over 15 miles in the last three days. I met my goal of 500,000 steps and... I completed 101.47 miles this month! Set you goal. Don't lose hope. You will get there.

Proud? You bet I am.  Now beer me.

You only get so many...

I love summer. The days are longer, weather is warmer, and the schedule is a little less hectic. No school schedules to contend with and work is even a little slower... for a while. June is my favorite month of summer. The kids are finally out of school. They're not bored (yet). And I can take vacation time!

Bear Bottom Resort

We decided to spend our family vacation time at the lake. It was wonderful to get away and not have a schedule. We did whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. That meant spending a lot of time kicked back lying in the sun. It was pure bliss. We kicked a few drinks back too.

At the bottom of the water slides was a bar!

I told myself I wasn't going to check my email this week. Well, I made it until Thursday. Not bad, huh?!? I'm seriously addicted to technology, so I think this is REALLY good for me. While logged in I just cleaned out the list serve junk, the out of office updates, and the other stuff I didn't have to answer. I must point out that I didn't answer any of my email. In fact, I really didn't read most of them, so I still count that as meeting my goal. I have to tell you... I highly recommend it. Just log out and forget about what's waiting on the other side of vacation. It will definitely be there when you get back. Vacations are rare. Work is not.

On a boat with beer and good friends.

My favorite thing to do at the lake is watch one sunrise and one sunset from start to finish. I'm not really a morning person, but nothing beats watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand on the dock. It's soooo peaceful. The boats aren't out yet, so the only sounds are the sounds of nature - fish flipping out of the water, birds flying, frogs croaking....you get the idea. But in case you don't, I made a couple of videos from the photos I took. They're posted below. Check them out, and you'll see what I mean.

We're headed back to the lake for the 4th of July annual celebration, so more posts are coming! Hope you are enjoying every moment of your summer. Your sunrises and sunsets are numbered, you know. Log off, get out there, and get lost in the moment. You won't regret it.

The Day Santa Stopped Being Real

I knew this day would eventually arrive. I just didn't think it would arrive so quickly. I've always been careful and a little bit sneaky because I've wanted to keep the magic alive for as long as I could. I love the magic of Christmas which includes Santa Claus. I would wrap the Santa gifts at work in a different paper than all the other gifts, and I'd keep that paper hidden. Or so I thought... I wasn't really prepared when my youngest child asked me THE question last night...

"Are you and Daddy Santa Claus? Because I see that wrapping paper with all the rest of the wrapping paper.... Santa used that same paper! Don't you lie to me!"

Yep, there's the wrapping paper. And ouch! Don't you lie to me?

I didn't want to hear that accusation because I've never viewed it as a lie. Santa is magic. You know, he's like a card trick, an illusion, smoke and mirrors. Not a lie. That's how I have always felt about bringing the spirit of Santa Claus into my house every Christmas. But she saw it as a lie, and I couldn't have that. So I told her...

"Mommy and Daddy play Santa and buy the gifts that you've received from Santa. But I don't want you to think we have been lying to you. Santa is the spirit of Christmas - love, hope, giving, and joy. Santa is magical!  We give those gifts as Santa because it's fun. We love to see your face light up on Christmas morning. And as long as you believe in the true spirit of Christmas, you'll continue to receive gifts from Santa. Let me ask you this... What if you never received a gift from Santa?"

She really didn't like the thought of that. She realized that it's better to have experienced the magic than to have never experienced the magic at all. But I could tell she desperately wanted Santa to be real. For nine years he was, and she was sad to hear the truth. I have to be honest; I was sad too. My little girl is growing up. Will Christmas be as magical as it was before?

I think so...

"And one day you'll be Santa for your kids, and you will absolutely love it. You'll teach them to believe in something they can't see. You'll teach them to have faith. You'll teach them about giving from the heart and love. And those are the most important life lessons you could ever teach your children. Santa may not be a real person, but what he stands for is absolutely real."

She gave me a hug and told me she wished she could stay little forever. Oh sweetie, you have no idea how much I wish that too.

April 365 Photo Project Wrap-Up

April is done! Spring is always a busy time for me, and this one was no exception. Oy! Between work travel and work projects, I had little time for personal projects. But I made it through my photo month...

Since I was so busy, I decided to put a theme to this month. I did a rainbow theme. One color of the rainbow each day, repeated for four weeks. It was a bit challenging at times (especially indigo) but very rewarding in the end. Here's a look at the video....

For May, I plan to do a month of "M" words. There is plenty of M things going on... Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and me!  My birthday is in May. So we'll see how this goes... Can I find 31 things that begin with the letter M?

Maybe...

Say It Ain't Snow

Alarm goes off like any other Monday morning, and I roll out of bed. I wake up my son for school, and we grudgingly go about our morning routine. Then the phone rings. The phone never rings at 6:00 a.m. unless it's terrible news. Who in the heck is calling us this early? It's Columbia Public Schools. No school! Really? We had received some ice over the weekend, but I thought the roads were somewhat passable. Nevertheless, no school today. So I let my son know and he promptly returns to bed. I walk into my daughter's room; she's still asleep. I whisper the news in her ear. Her eyes flutter awake and she smiles while rolling over to go back to sleep. Sounds like a good idea. I also head back to bed. I emailed work later that morning to let them know I'd be checking email at home. I had some things to get done because a huge snowstorm was on it's way. An extended weekend was sounding pretty good.

That evening we received texts and emails that just about everything in town would be closed on Tuesday. MU even closed the campus at 8:00 pm Monday night before a single snowflake fell. That's never happened. I thought to myself, "What if they're jumping the gun? What if this monster snow storm never reaches us?" Doesn't matter because I don't have to go to work the next day! So my husband and I open up a bottle of Westmalle Trappist Ale. Good stuff.

Well.... the snow storm reaches us.... in full force! It snowed for almost 24 hours. I set out my famous "snow gauge" to measure the snow. I bought some Mirror Pond Ale for the Super Bowl, so that was the snow gauge of choice. After a few hours of watching it blow and drift, I decided to increase the size of the snow gauge (the larger 750 ml bottle is the empty Westmalle from the night before). I'm glad I did because you couldn't even see the smaller bottle on Wednesday morning.

Needless to say, everything was closed on Wednesday too. I personally was happy to have an extra day to get the driveway clear. I wouldn't have been able to make it to work anyway. They closed school on Thursday as well because of the road conditions and extreme cold. The enthusiasm for my kids is now starting to wane. My daughter was calling it the longest weekend ever (indeed). Thursday night we started wondering if they would have school on Friday. Part of me thought what's the use of sending them to school for just one day? Let's just start fresh on Monday. 

Our suspicions were confirmed later Thursday night. No school again! After my kids heard the news they responded back with "No! Will we have to go to school in July?!?" Not quite. But I know we'll all be complaining about keeping the school schedule after Memorial Day. June 5th is the last day of school as it stands now. And winter isn't over yet, folks.

So please, Mr. Weatherman, I'm begging you. The next time you report the forecast...say it ain't snow!

Where has the time gone?

So, it appears I'm a little behind on my blog posts. I can't believe tomorrow is February. However, the part of me that doesn't like winter very much is really happy about that. Did I mention snow is on its way to Missouri? Sigh...

You know, snow is a funny thing to me. In December, I love snow. I wish for snow. I want a white Christmas! So I embrace the cold with the holidays. I don't mind wearing fleece and fuzzy socks if I can watch the snow fall while staring at my Christmas tree. Thinking about that whole scene makes me warm inside. But soon after the New Year, I'm counting the days until Spring. Winter around here is just dark, dreary and grey. The Christmas lights are put away and the kids are back in school, so at that point the snow can STOP! But this year, my friends, it hasn't been the snow of my gripes and complains... it has been stupidly and ridiculously cold. I don't ever remember having negative temperatures like this growing up. And we've had weeks of below freezing weather this winter. Schools have been closed simply because of the wind chill. That's crazy! And I'm starting to get cabin fever.

Thankfully I was able to escape for a while this month and spend some time in Puerto Rico. I went there for a work conference which I must say was almost cruel. Yes, cruel. It was difficult to concentrate on my work when there were sunny skies and a beach right outside my door. Another sigh... I received little to no sympathy from my co-workers back home however. It really was beautiful there, and I had a lot of fun. I brought my husband along, so we stayed an extra day to see the sights. I would love to go back when I have more time to explore.

I'm also pleased to report that my 365 photo project is going well. Despite the cold and nasty weather, I haven't missed a day. OK, Puerto Rico helped (that was 6 of the photos), but I'm still proud of myself for sticking with it. You know why I'm sticking with it? Because it's FUN and makes me HAPPY! That really is the key to sticking with any project that you start. You have to love what you're doing or you just won't continue. I find the time to take my photos because I love it.

Here's a quick video recap of my January photos that I made with Flipagram. This is a really cool app that is FREE, and it's SO easy to use. I recommend you check it out.

Next month I will focus on black and white images with a flash of red on February 14 for Valentine's Day. Should be an interesting month, and I think it will produce a cool video. Until then, I'll close with this final thought about the seasons:

Spring is about renewal and rebirth. Summer represents exuberance and excitement. Autumn reminds us that change can be good. And the winter??? Winter is all about perseverance. Hang in there, kids....

365 Project - Week 1

Do more of what makes you happy!

That's my resolution for the year. 2013 was a really great year. I did some traveling, went to some fun places, spent time with friends and family, and made new friends. Near the end of the year, I let one of my hobbies slip a little though... photography. I completed over a year of photo a day using the prompts provided by Fat Mum Slim (a blogger from Australia). But the prompts started repeating themselves a little and I lost interest. However, I really missed taking pictures!

So this year, I have resolved to do my OWN 365 project. No lists. No prompts. Just whatever I feel like snapping. In my mind, I will have "assignments" for myself to improve my skills but nothing formal. I think that's what was inhibiting me. The prompts were confining my creativity instead of broadening it.

So here is how the first week went:

Off to a good start, I think. I may incorporate a few themes along the way. But honestly, I just want to let it to evolve on its own. I'll continue to post updates here so you can follow along.

Did you make a resolution for 2014?

New Tunes Tuesday - Christmas Edition Week 3

For me, it isn't the Christmas season until I listen to Straight No Chaser. Last year I included their Holiday Spirits album in my New Tunes Tuesday Christmas Edition. And this year, I add another of their albums... Under the Influence: Holiday Edition. 

It's eight tracks long in which four of the tracks include a guest singer. First they pair with Colbie Caillat on Every Day Is Christmas. It's a romantic ballad about how everyday seems like a holiday when they're with their lover. The blend is nice, and I really like the bridge, but it's a little too sticky sweet for my taste.

But the tracks keep getting better.... Next is CeeLo Green on White Christmas. I love the arrangement on this track. The doo wop beat is catchy and bouncy. CeeLo provides a nice lead vocal and makes it sound very current.

Merry Christmas Baby with Otis Redding is soooo smooth with a rocking beat. His vocal provides a unique twist on the album while Straight No Chaser is solidly in the background. This is my favorite track on the album by far.

Wonderful Christmastime with Sir Paul McCartney is safe and predictable. His voice just seems to disappear in the mix and the arrangement is very unoriginal.

The last four are original songs by the group. Home By Christmas Day and Song for Santa are excellent tracks for the a capella fan. Their sound is full and balanced, but they're really not very original. They do show their quirky and creative side with Nutcracker however. They lament attending the boring ballet instead of watching the game. "Guess I'm a guy what can I say. I'd rather watch football than ballet!" It's quite funny (and guys, I can relate!)

They wrap up the album with a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. It starts out slow then picks up with a really fun groove. A few key changes and an amazing lead vocal make it interesting.

Overall, not their "best" holiday album, but one I will listen to often. I'm a big fan of a capella bands (have I mentioned that?) and the men of Straight No Chaser do it well.

New Tunes Tuesday - Christmas Edition Week 2

First, I know it's Thursday. This is what happens when life gets in the way... your blog post is late. But, as I always say... better late than never.

This week I'm reviewing Wrapped In Red by Kelly Clarkson. This girl has amazing chops. I have watched her grow since she won American Idol in 2002. I was a fan of her then, and I'm still a fan now. I wish I could have seen her Christmas special last night, but again.... life stuff happened. That's okay. It was important life stuff with my kids.

On to the music....

She spans a variety of genres on the album including blues, country, soul and contemporary pop. There is a little something for everyone on this very Clarkson Christmas album. I think my favorite song on the album is Underneath The Tree. It has a 60's rockin' feel to it. I can definitely imagine it blaring through the mall speakers during this time of year. It was immediately added to my Christmas Favorites playlist.

Equally as rockin' is Run Run Rudolph.  She puts a Memphis Blues twist to it that's a lot of fun. Speaking of blues... Please Come Home For Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing) is full of soul. I found myself comparing it to the original just a little bit, but I still love her style. But I had to star Every Christmas, an original ballad where she really lets loose. She also really shines in front of a big band horn-section on My Favorite Things.

The album has a great mix of original songs and your holiday favorites. She sounds absolutely beautiful on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and White Christmas. Both songs really highlight her tone and phrasing. The encore at the end pairs her with country superstars Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood on Silent Night. I loved seeing this genre-jumping country twist. It's an elegant rendition that solidifies the whole album.

With her ever powerful voice, Wrapped In Red is destined to become a holiday classic.

'Tis the Night Before The Championship

On the eve of the SEC Championship game, I felt inspired to write about it. It's been an incredible ride this year! I couldn't be more proud of my team. Mizzou-rah!

'Tis the night before the championship and all through Mizzou Nation.
The fans are not sleeping, we're full of elation!

Our black and our gold is ready to wear;
And our hearts are in Atlanta (man, I wish I was there).

All through the media there has been such a clatter!
I flipped on the TV to see what was the matter.

We've had quite a season and shocked quite a few
Last year was depressing, conference winnings just two.

But we've won the SEC East and oh, so much more.
We've earned their respect, our team can't be ignored.

"Now Franklin, Now Josey, Now Sam and Bonner!
On Wilson, On Copeland, On Washington, and Ponder!

Go DGB, Sasser, Sam and Gaines!
And don't forget Pinkel!" the fans all exclaim.

We're in this together, everyone is with you.
So go and fight Tigers, fight for ol' Mizzou!

New Tunes Tuesday - Christmas Edition Week 1

It's back! New Tunes Tuesday has been noticeably absent for a few weeks, and I apologize for that. But quite honestly, I haven't really felt a strong urge to review new music. But never fear, it's back for my favorite Christmas Edition series. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas, I'll review some of my favorite Christmas music.

This week I'm going to talk about Pentatonix - PTXmas (Deluxe Version). I fell in love with this group on the singing competition show, The Sing-Off, which is an a capella group competition. Pentatonix won season three. And by the way... the new season of The Sing-Off premieres on December 9th on NBC (don't miss it!).

First of all, their talent is amazing. Only five voices (and one is usually providing the percussion) yet they sound like a full orchestra. And they have this unique style and ability to twist and turn a song into their very own while still keeping the integrity of the song. I was very excited to hear that they put their creativity into Christmas music.

You may have already heard one of their songs that has gone viral on social media.

Amazing, right? The album is only 8 tracks long, but each one is just as amazing as the first. Carol of the Bells is definitely a jaw-dropping favorite of mine. The chorus is definitely the highlight. The "trumpet" solo in The Christmas Song is perfect and simply awesome. I've heard many versions of This Christmas and this one might be my favorite. The smooth beat and out of this world harmonies just simply make me smile.

And since I've run out of adjectives to describe this album, you should just click play and listen for yourselves. I'm going to head on over to iTunes and buy it right now! I think you will too.

 

Rustic

I went slightly out of order on the list of topics and skipped ahead to #4 because I can. It's my week, right!?! And there are no rules in our group. None.

I went on a little drive Sunday afternoon, found a cute little barn, and snapped some pics. Perfect for rustic, don't you think? This is what I came home with...

Favorite - I love how simple it is

Worn Out

Shut It Down

Forgotten Memory

Tiny Barn, Big Sky

Our Trip to Disney

We've been talking about it for years. We should take the kids to Disney World! It's every kids dream vacation, right? Well, we wanted to go at "the right time." You know, when the kids are the right age and during the right time of year. But is there ever a right time? Maybe. We decided to go this fall. We found a time where the kids aren't real busy with sports, they had a day off from school, and it worked with our work schedules. So off we went on Saturday, September 28th.

The Fountains Resort

We bought a three day park hopper with two days free from the internet. We also decided to fly from our small local airport. Time was crucial as we didn't have much of it. It did cost a little more, but it was worth it! And we had an extra bonus with lodging. My parents own a timeshare. The kids had their own room and bathroom, and we had a kitchen so we could cook some of our meals. Publix was right around the corner.

We arrived in the afternoon and after the grocery shopping, decided to hit the pool. We grabbed some lunch and walked around the grounds. The Fountains is a great place. We really enjoyed it.

That evening we decided to go to The Magic Kingdom! I never saw so many strollers in all my life. Tip #1. No matter what time of year, Saturdays are BUSY!!! Be prepared to fight the crowd. We rode a few rides (Space Mountain was shut down!) and mostly just walked around. We only made it halfway around the park when we decided it was time to go. It had been a long day and we were getting hungry. We caught a glimpse of the Electric Parade. Yes, it's still happening! And on the way to the car, we saw the fireworks go up. I knew right then that we had to come back in the evening to see the show. The kids agreed. In fact, we found out that every park puts on some kind of firework show in the evenings.

Day two was at Epcot. It's Sunday and the park isn't that crowded. Lucky for us, a food and wine festival was happening! I saw the schedule on a Disney blog. Tip #2. Follow the Disney blogs so you know if any special events are happening at the parks. Pat and I certainly took advantage of that. I think this was the least favorite for the kids, but we kind of knew that was going to happen. We warned them ahead of time. We ate a late lunch at one of the restaurants which is something we had planned to do. The food was fantastic.

Day three was at Hollywood Studios. The kids are happy again! The wait time was only 10-15 minutes on even the most popular rides. So we got to ride everything and see everything we wanted fairly quickly. We headed back to the hotel for some swim time because it was a hot and humid day! That evening we went to Downtown Disney for dinner. Again, this was a planned splurge and really enjoyed our meal. Tip #3. We heard there are new plans in store for Pleasure Island. So look for that if you are planning a trip soon.

Day four we decided to sleep-in and head back to The Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. We spent the morning at the pool, went through a drive-through for lunch, and got to the park at around 2:00. Tip #4. The Wishes Nighttime Spectacular is a MUST SEE! The park gets busier and busier as the day goes on because everyone wants to see the show. I would try to get a table at Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant if you can. We had an excellent view of the show. It was the perfect way to wrap up our vacation.

Some more tips... wear your walking shoes. We wore athletic shoes every day and were thankful for it. The fall is a great time to visit. Main Street was decorated for fall and Halloween. Try to visit the parks during the week. We NEVER used the fast pass. The wait time was minimal, so it was never needed. There is a Disney App called My Disney Experience that was very helpful. It contains maps, wait times, and descriptions of the restaurants. We used it a lot.

I think we did find the right time to go! The kids are 12 and 9. My oldest missed two days of school, and the youngest missed three. The weather was great, and the atmosphere was wonderful. Hope these tips are helpful when you plan your own trip to the happiest place on Earth!

Made By Me

Today's photo a day prompt is "made by me." Perfect opportunity for another shameless plug for my Blurb book of Mizzou photos. And today just happens to be my 15 year anniversary of working at Mizzou (halfway to retirement!)

You can view the whole book right here. If you love it (or know someone who would love it), you can purchase it on blurb.com.

A Seasonal View of My University 2013 by Photography by Cheri Marks | Make Your Own Book

It's here!

I received my book that I made on Blurb.com in the mail yesterday. I am so very happy with the way it turned out. It is gorgeous if I do say so myself.

I have always been impressed with the quality from Blurb.com, especially since the photos in my book were all taken with my phone camera. Every page is crisp, clear, and the color is brilliant. Prior to now I've always ordered a paperback book. But this time, I ordered a hardback image wrap book for this special project. I am so glad that I did. This will be a wonderful keepsake for years to come. I may order some more for gifts.

Here's a peek inside..

The book is public and available for ordering here. It would make a wonderful gift for the Mizzou fan on your Christmas list.

It is really satisfying and a little humbling to see my photos in print. Thank you for taking the time to look. I appreciate each and every view. Please stay tuned because I'm already working on an idea for the next one.

My Newest Blurb Book

I am sooooo excited to share this news! I've written about Blurb.com before (fantastic site, by the way), but this news is extra special. More on that in a minute....

Photography has always been an interest of mine. I remember putting together photo albums and scrapbooks when I was younger. I enjoyed documenting my time in high school and especially college. I have one book for each year and look at them often. Soon scrapbooking was all the rage. I have a scrapbook of my wedding, our vacations, and several of my kids, of course. One each year. And then life became really busy after my daughter was born. I think I stopped when she turned 2 (poor second children). Then Facebook came along, and now I hardly ever print a photo. I can share whatever I want with my friends and family online. And most of them are online now. So that makes it really easy to stay in touch.

But my interest in photography really increased after starting the Photo a Day challenge. And through that challenge I was introduced to the world of online scrapbooking. The best of both worlds! Blurb.com makes it soooo easy. It's fun, simple to use, and I can have the books printed at a reasonable price to give as gifts. I have uploaded photos directly from Instagram, Facebook, and my computer to make my books, and the quality has always been outstanding.

Now for the extra special news... As you may recall, I took a little break from Photo a Day in July. And I missed it actually. I'm really happy to be posting again in August. But during my month off, I had extra time to work on other photography projects. I have been busy putting together a book of my Mizzou campus photos. They were always some of my most popular photos, always received terrific feedback, so I couldn't think of a better subject for my newest Blurb book.... A Seasonal View of My University.

A Seasonal View of My University 2013 by Photography by Cheri Marks | Make Your Own Book

I would love to hear your comments about the book. And if you really like it, please order a copy for yourself on Blurb.com.

I'll be back posting Photo a Day photos in August. I've really missed it and look forward to sharing my photos with you again. Be sure to follow me on Instagram: clmarksonlife. I will be posting only the monthly summaries here on the blog so follow me, won't you?

-Cheri