Twice As Nice & Double the Fun: an offsite October PTR where “2” is the magic number

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

That one is cute!

I thought the beige one was a pochahontas dress at first until I saw the sequins

I'm sure you'll find something that will work. And you can always have her add more fringe

I agree that the black one is very cute. The diagonal fringe will be flattering.

Oolala! I really love the red fringe one, but red is my favorite color. Now I need to throw a Roaring 20s party as an excuse to buy it for myself! You would look so cute in any of those.

I like the beige one. While not my favourite colour I think it would be nice with your dark hair, and I think the cut is the most flattering.

ETA) and yes I got the Travelzoo deal for Hash House A Go Go too! I am really looking forward to that one!
We also grabbed two restaurant.com certificates for the O'Charley's on Turkey Lake Road when they were in stock. That will be another first.

And thanks for the thoughts on Aquatica! I agree, it should be a no brainer. My hesitation is just the budget since there are so many trips coming up. I'll sit with the idea a bit longer before I pull the trigger.

I think you would look great in this one. I love the red one you picked out too.

Have you thought about just using fabric dye to dye the vest for Steve? I don't know how you'd get the pin stripes in it but at least it would be a plain color. Have you tried JCPenny or Sears? I'm not sure if they ship to Canada or have stores there but they might have a vest.

Good luck choosing your dress.

Were you asking for opinions on the dresses? I've got one anyway - I really like the red. But instead of the feather hat the model is wearing, I like all the golden bedazzledness/accessories of the burgundy dress. I do think the beige one would wash you out. Beige just isn't a great color for most people. And you're dressing up in costume, the whole point is to stand out and be noticed. Break out of that comfort zone!!!

I'm going to multi-quote all of you guys, since this reply will be all costume-related and apply to each of your comments in some way.

After our visit to the costume store and a(nother) frustrating night at a selection of local retailers, I think we're going to throw in the towel in our search for gangster-wear . It's just become WAY too difficult.

We headed to Claire's yesterday after work, and she was very confident she had a vest that would fit Steve and that could be modified with new front panels in a pin-stripe fabric. Unfortunately, while the vest was (by all accounts) made for a "larger man", it wasn't nearly large enough......nor LONG enough....for my "larger man". She was disappointed, of course, but we assured her we would run up to Value Village later that evening and purchase the Aztec-print ugly vest that we had spied on Sunday afternoon (a 4XL which fit him with room to spare). She said she would replace those panels as was her plan on the vest she had in stock, and we would be good to go.

While we were there, he tried to purchase a gangster hat but again ran into a roadblock. I am trying not to laugh as I type this, but none of the standard sized hats would fit his head. It's funny, but its also frustrating (especially when we had the same issues with those available for purchase at Party City). Apparently that big body needs a head size to match. Our only option would be a rental hat, which was neither the specific style nor the colour (it was light grey) he was hoping for. After the vest disappointment, this was strike 2.

That first dress above? (the burgundy one?) $101.69 with tax . Geez Louise. That seemed excessive for a Halloween costume. AND.....she didn't feel comfortable with me paying for it, and then returning it if I didn't like the way it fit. I wanted the opportunity to try it on in the comfort of my own private home, so I could walk around/sit down/get a true idea if I liked the way it FELT. And sometimes, I need the flexibility to try something on more than once (with an hour or two between try-ons) to really decide if something is for me or not. Considering the cost, I left it there.

After a quick dinner, we headed up to Value Village only to find ...... THE VEST WAS GONE . Some other Big Man in our city is now walking around in the world's ugliest Aztec vest, and we were gutted. We were just there on Sunday afternoon! Our Plan B was just pulled out from under our feet. Poor Steve was sooooo gutted. I felt so incredibly bad for him.

@vrajewski10513 .... I did check out the links you sent, and they are awesome (style and price-wise) but one doesn't ship to Canada. The other makes me concerned about sizes (I'm not sure if a "medium/large" would be big enough.....especially when I would be ordering on line with not much hope to return it if it didn't fit, I would rather go with the full size up).

@chicagoshannon ... we did check Sears here and they don't offer sizes large enough to fit Steve's 52" chest. We also tried Sears Canada Online and no luck there, either.

So.........we talked about it a lot last night. A LOT. And I think we've decided to just give up our efforts to dress up for Capone's and stick with our pirate wear for both MNSSHP's. Our only vest option for Steve is $100+ at Mr. Big and Tall, and it won't be pinstriped (not an option there). He would still need a dress shirt (big bucks for his big neck size), and a hat (assuming we can even find one to fit). Then there's my dress and all the required accessories. With our Christmas trip taking shape (and some fun extras for that already in the works), it just doesn't feel to either of us that we would get the full value of out of the financial output that gangster-wear is going to require.

But we're still kind of bummed . And I feel so bad for Steve, because I know he feels responsible for all the roadblocks we've encountered.

I think I'm going to start a new business: a costume store for plus-sized men. Not just the short-and-stocky ones, either: we'll make awesome options for the tall and broad ones with barrel chests, thick necks, and big heads .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I love your Fort Wilderness night plans. You are really making the most of it.
I think you're adding in just the right amount of Disney
Fingers crossed on the HDDR!

I called Disney Dining this afternoon to see if I could get an idea of when HDDR ADR's might be opened for December. The CM I spoke to was wonderful, but could only say they hadn't opened up for either December or January and told me to keep checking back. I could tell that I wasn't the only one who had called with that very question LOL. I can only imagine its an annoyance for them, too.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Not sure if this is common knowledge or not. Local news this morning talked about the nexus program and how it's also good for global entry and tsa precheck.

We had thought about this a while back, but decided against it at that time since Jake would need it also (and we didn't want to have to pay for all three of us when he was not travelling with us as regularly). Now that he's taking his official steps into adulthood, it might be an idea we need to revisit. AFTER our Christmas trip is paid for, of course!!

 

[pigletto]

Gina, while I know it's disappointing, I think you made the wisest choice with all things considered. Poor Steve might would have also been brutally hot in a dress shirt, vest, pants and hat in early October heat. The pirate costumes seemed lighter weight fabric and hopefully way more comfortable on a humid night. And the money saved can go to another trip .

I made a similar financial decision yesterday. My son is just entering his allergy season and was very uncomfortable last night. We simply needed a better vacuum to get dust and pet hair out of the house. So we bought the Dyson Animal. Not cheap at all, but hopefully will relieve some of his breathing discomfort .. a small step in a multi faceted plan for his awful allergies. That also means no Aquatica since we weren't expecting a large purchase like that right now (and Aquatica was going to cost about $300 when we figured food, cabana and exchange in) , but it's the right decision.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, while I know it's disappointing, I think you made the wisest choice with all things considered. Poor Steve might would have also been brutally hot in a dress shirt, vest, pants and hat in early October heat. The pirate costumes seemed lighter weight fabric and hopefully way more comfortable on a humid night. And the money saved can go to another trip .

I made a similar financial decision yesterday. My son is just entering his allergy season and was very uncomfortable last night. We simply needed a better vacuum to get dust and pet hair out of the house. So we bought the Dyson Animal. Not cheap at all, but hopefully will relieve some of his breathing discomfort .. a small step in a multi faceted plan for his awful allergies. That also means no Aquatica since we weren't expecting a large purchase like that right now (and Aquatica was going to cost about $300 when we figured food, cabana and exchange in) , but it's the right decision.

If we had been able to get him in a true costume (versus real suit pieces), it would have been totally doable from both a cost and suitability-for-the-weather standpoint. Alas, it was simply not meant to be. I'm looking on the bright side and taking heart in the fact that the costume savings will literally cover the full costs of our park-and-fly package in Buffalo and our night in the hotel when we return Christmas Eve. It will definitely be nice to clear those two expenditures off the list.

Also.....we had decided to buy annual passes again to Universal (hoping to get not only get good use out of them on this Christmas trip, but hopefully on 2 more vacations sometime during the course of 2017) which demands us being money smart in other areas. It goes back again to the whole "value" consideration, and I do think that money invested in Universal APs will serve us better than mobster-wear in the long run.

We will probably let our SeaWorld passes expire for year. We will have done a lot of Seaworld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove this year, so I am sure we will live through a 12 month hiatus. I'm not saying we definitely won't renew (especially if the BOGO offer is extended again this Black Friday) but its not in the current plan.

I am sorry to hear that your kiddo is suffering so badly from allergies. This year has been a KILLER for allergy sufferers: the intense heat and punishing dryness have been a crippling combination. I will be interested to hear your review of the new Dyson: I have long since vowed to switch camps when my current vacuum takes its final breath, and leave Team Kenmore for Team Dyson. Sears has been leaving me less than impressed with their service, even under my maintenance contract. The last time it was "out for repair" a full month before it was finally fixed and back home.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Whoops, somehow missed the countdown update. I'm not sure if counting down the days makes the time pass more quickly, or even slower?

At any rate, its

64 days to the October trip .

128 until our Christmas vacation .


Over the past couple of days, I have discovered the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums, and have been indulging in a healthy dose of holiday music as we "enjoy" (ahem! ) some record-setting heat and humidity here in Southeastern Ontario. By a wonderful fluke of luck (or the fact that Kerry is completely amazing ), the date she picked for our Universal day happens to be one of the days Mannheim Steamroller will be performing their live holiday concerts. I am so pumped! The plans were already shaping up to be rather spectacular (kicking off the day with breakfast with the Grinch) so this is just like the icing on the cake .

 

[juniorbugman]

I too can listen to Christmas music all year round. I have a few songs on my mp3 player that I just leave there all the time. Most are from the Bare Naked Ladies Christmas Album.

 

[Raeven]

I think Universal APs are the way to go, you'll have to tell us how the Grinch breakfast goes! We were going to do it, but decided to just do the meet and greet and spend the money elsewhere.

 

[Lynne G]

Sorry to hear all your costume troubles. While always fun to dress up, the pirate costumes you have already look great.

Wahoo to the countdown. Less than 6 weeks to October for me. Still not on the December count down yet. It's been SO hot, and humid, the thought of Christmas is not that strong. Even though at the mall last night, there's Christmas stuff and decorations creeping into the stores. Oh, and we like the Mannheim Steamroller music. We play the CDs during the holidays. Really gets you in the spirit. More power to ya to see them in person. I heard people camp out to watch hours and hours early. But, to be in the park when they perform. That a big wahoo for sure.

And a wahoo for getting a Universal pass again. I think mine's been renewed for several years now. With the opening of Volcano Bay, I bet my kids would enjoy visiting Universal again. We're back and forth with SW parks too. Haven't had yearly Super Grover passes. After this year, we may pass for a few years again. Next year, while we end up in Orlando often, who knows. California called us 3 times so far, so did a cruise, and well, if our dollar stays favorable, horizons may be broader. I don't think the family vacation until early in the new year.

Oh and Piglette, my DS has had bad allergies for years. I was hoping he outgrows it, but at almost 19, and having it since age 3, it may always bother him. We close the house vents in his room, his room is warm enough in the winter, and he has his own window AC. No rugs, so easy to sweep, and we have a HEPA air filter and humidifier for our heater. That, and a mix of drugs keeps him moving. I hope your DS gets relief from his allergies. It's a bad time of year for my DS too.

 

[Joanna71985]

Aww, I'm sorry about the gangster outfits

But yay about Mannheim Steamroller!! I LOVE them (and listen to them all the time)

 

[ArwenMarie]

I missed the gangster costume discussion. Sorry to hear it didn't work out, but I think that's wise to go with the costumes you already have and I know you really like them and are comfortable in them.

@pigletto , sorry about your son's allergies. It's a tough time of year. You will love the Dyson Animal though. We had a cleaning service about five years ago. But you still need to keep a vacuum. So mine died and I went out and bought a Dyson Animal. Came home and vacuumed the carpets for the fun of it. Canisters of dirt! Yes, plural. And it just kept coming. The cleaning service's vacuum wasn't picking anything up apparently (they would only use their own). So I fired the service and me and my Dyson have been happy together ever since.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I too can listen to Christmas music all year round. I have a few songs on my mp3 player that I just leave there all the time. Most are from the Bare Naked Ladies Christmas Album.

Good Canadian Girl that I am , I adore the Barenaked Ladies Christmas album! Their version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of my faves.

I think Universal APs are the way to go, you'll have to tell us how the Grinch breakfast goes! We were going to do it, but decided to just do the meet and greet and spend the money elsewhere.

I will definitely come back with our full review. I have high hopes for that meal after our awesome experience at the Superstar Character Breakfast in April: I can only imagine that this event, too, will exceed our expectations. I have been watching youtube videos of last year's Grinchmas Breakfast and it looks like a blast! We're currently working on finding some Grinch Christmas t-shirts to order so we're appropriately decked out .

Sorry to hear all your costume troubles. While always fun to dress up, the pirate costumes you have already look great.

Wahoo to the countdown. Less than 6 weeks to October for me. Still not on the December count down yet. It's been SO hot, and humid, the thought of Christmas is not that strong. Even though at the mall last night, there's Christmas stuff and decorations creeping into the stores. Oh, and we like the Mannheim Steamroller music. We play the CDs during the holidays. Really gets you in the spirit. More power to ya to see them in person. I heard people camp out to watch hours and hours early. But, to be in the park when they perform. That a big wahoo for sure.

And a wahoo for getting a Universal pass again. I think mine's been renewed for several years now. With the opening of Volcano Bay, I bet my kids would enjoy visiting Universal again. We're back and forth with SW parks too. Haven't had yearly Super Grover passes. After this year, we may pass for a few years again. Next year, while we end up in Orlando often, who knows. California called us 3 times so far, so did a cruise, and well, if our dollar stays favorable, horizons may be broader. I don't think the family vacation until early in the new year.

Oh and Piglette, my DS has had bad allergies for years. I was hoping he outgrows it, but at almost 19, and having it since age 3, it may always bother him. We close the house vents in his room, his room is warm enough in the winter, and he has his own window AC. No rugs, so easy to sweep, and we have a HEPA air filter and humidifier for our heater. That, and a mix of drugs keeps him moving. I hope your DS gets relief from his allergies. It's a bad time of year for my DS too.

Fingers crossed the crowds aren't too bad for our Universal day: at that time of year, we expect them to be heavier, but hopefully not to the point of unbearable (perhaps we are there just early enough that we will miss the worst of the onslaught which descends the week following). I can't believe you have stores that are bringing out Christmas items already: our Walmart doesn't even have Halloween merchandise for sale yet. Everything is back to school. And summer clearance, of course: winter is a comin' .

Aww, I'm sorry about the gangster outfits

But yay about Mannheim Steamroller!! I LOVE them (and listen to them all the time)

We are definitely pretty pumped! And I have read nothing but positive reports of their Universal concert: it must be excellent, because I'm hard pressed to find a negative comment (and that's saying something as far as the internet is concerned!! )

I missed the gangster costume discussion. Sorry to hear it didn't work out, but I think that's wise to go with the costumes you already have and I know you really like them and are comfortable in them.

@pigletto , sorry about your son's allergies. It's a tough time of year. You will love the Dyson Animal though. We had a cleaning service about five years ago. But you still need to keep a vacuum. So mine died and I went out and bought a Dyson Animal. Came home and vacuumed the carpets for the fun of it. Canisters of dirt! Yes, plural. And it just kept coming. The cleaning service's vacuum wasn't picking anything up apparently (they would only use their own). So I fired the service and me and my Dyson have been happy together ever since.

How does your Dyson perform on hardwood? We have no carpet in our house (with the exception of our rec room in the basement, where we have berber) so I'd be very interested to hear if you find its equally effective on hard surfaces.

 

[pigletto]

OH MY. We have emptied the canister three times and have just vacuumed the upstairs!!!!!! Holy cow!! I vacuum regularly and I just had no idea how much dust and dirt was in these floors. I am so impressed with this vacuum Gina and it's been one day!! You guys were right.. the Dyson is something else! Gina, I have carpeted bedrooms but all the main rooms are hardwood. I did the bathroom and kitchen floors as well which are ceramic. The vacuum is fantastic. We have a Chocolate Lab that just sheds constantly, so this vacuum was a necessity.
DS gets allergy shots leading up to his bad season, takes a pill a day and has an inhaler and he's still not doing well.
We are taking the rug out of his room and putting a HEPA filter on the furnace. It just seems to get worse every year. Getting the dust and pet hair out of the house should really help.

 

[ArwenMarie]

The Dyson is great on hard surfaces. Furniture too. It's not light though, so I'm not sure how often you like to vacuum hard surfaces, but I don't think you would want to drag it out every day.

I have the handheld one too, like a Dustbuster? That thing is great too.

For the kitchen, I have my eye on this one, cordless, for those quick daily pickups instead of having to sweep all of the time

http://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/dyson-v6/dyson-v6-animal.aspx

And they're also coming out with a hair dryer...squee. $400, can you imagine. Maybe Santa will bring it to me lol

 

[ArwenMarie]

OH MY. We have emptied the canister three times and have just vacuumed the upstairs!!!!!! Holy cow!! I vacuum regularly and I just had no idea how much dust and dirt was in these floors. I am so impressed with this vacuum Gina and it's been one day!! You guys were right.. the Dyson is something else! Gina, I have carpeted bedrooms but all the main rooms are hardwood. I did the bathroom and kitchen floors as well which are ceramic. The vacuum is fantastic. We have a Chocolate Lab that just sheds constantly, so this vacuum was a necessity.
DS gets allergy shots leading up to his bad season, takes a pill a day and has an inhaler and he's still not doing well.
We are taking the rug out of his room and putting a HEPA filter on the furnace. It just seems to get worse every year. Getting the dust and pet hair out of the house should really help.

Isn't it crazy?!?! I'm so glad it's working good for you, hopefully it will help

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The Dyson is great on hard surfaces. Furniture too. It's not light though, so I'm not sure how often you like to vacuum hard surfaces, but I don't think you would want to drag it out every day.

I have the handheld one too, like a Dustbuster? That thing is great too.

For the kitchen, I have my eye on this one, cordless, for those quick daily pickups instead of having to sweep all of the time

http://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless/dyson-v6/dyson-v6-animal.aspx

And they're also coming out with a hair dryer...squee. $400, can you imagine. Maybe Santa will bring it to me lol

Oh, my word......I had no idea they made hair dryers. It's even pink! But at a whopping $500 in Canada , I can almost guarantee you will never find it in my bathroom. I can get a villa for a week in Florida for that!

On a positive note, it kinda makes your $400 price tag look like a bargain, now. You might want to use that rationale in your letter to Saint Nick this December .

http://www.dysoncanada.ca/en-CA/haircare/supersonic.aspx

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's nuts. But if my hair dryers burn out every year and they each cost $20, it will be paying for itself in twenty years

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It's nuts. But if my hair dryers burn out every year and they each cost $20, it will be paying for itself in twenty years

I like your logic .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So, we have found some super cute t-shirts that I think we're going to order for our December trip. Kerry and her boys will be ordering a set for them as well, so we'll all be festively matchy . I know they're minions and not Mickey Mouse, but I really REALLY want to wear these to our MVMCP:

I think I'll get the red, and Steve likes the green best. Before I order, I have to make sure that the sizing is going to be okay. Until now, I had no idea there was a difference between European and North American sizing so I can officially say I learned something today.

We're now currently on the hunt for some good Grinch-themed clothing for our Grinchmas breakfast. So far, this one has made my short list:

What do you think? I'm not a fan of white t-shirts in general (they are so hard to keep clean!) but the cuteness factor of this one might make me relax my OCD just a little. A Tide To Go pen in the purse will keep us safely protected .

 

[pigletto]

I LOVE the white ones. Really cute!! I know what you mean about white shirts but those are perfect for the breakfast in my opinion.
Also, I'm not sure if you saw this thread, but it looks from the pictures on the second page that The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is looking close to completion! I thought I would mention it in case you planned to work it into one of your trip plans . We will definitely be going in October!

http://www.disboards.com/threads/toothsome-chocolate-emporium.3529235/