5 Fabulous Days in Paris (for the First Time!): Trip Report Part 1 of 3

August 9, 2019

This year we finally said “Oui!” to visiting Paris. This trip has been a dream of Julie’s for many years and we finally put a plan in place. Since this was our first time visiting France we spent a ton of time researching everything. It’s easy to accidentally overbook your day when there are so many things to see. We tried to figure out our top must dos in the City of Lights while also leaving in some room to relax and wander Parisian style. We came up with this itinerary and had an absolutely amazing time. For all the details read on for part 1 of 3 of our trip journal…

Completing the Disney "4 Parks in 1 Day Challenge" Plus Summer Survival Tips (Disney Friends Blog Hop)

August 5, 2019

It is time for another Disney Friends Blog Hop! The theme for this month is “Summer”. We weren’t super sure what to write about as we had never actually been to Walt Disney World during the summer season (hard to believe right?). But that fact has recently changed. Since we moved to the Orlando area, it was a no brainer for us to become Disney Annual Pass (AP) holders. We decided to celebrate acquiring those little yellow cards by taking on a little bit of a crazy challenge: hitting all four parks in one day….in the middle of summer. Read on to hear about our long day and for a few of our tips for surviving the heat… (Also make sure to check below for a list of other fun Disney blogs in this hop to go check out!)

"Le Belmont" - The Perfect Parisian Boutique Hotel in the Middle of it All

August 2, 2019

For our first visit to Pairs we had a few goals in mind when finding a hotel for our stay. We knew we would want to see a lot of the sights and sought a location that would be easy access to popular spots. Secondly we wanted to find a more boutique style hotel with Parisian character. We were also hoping to find something that didn’t cost and arm and a leg, but also wasn’t too low end. We searched for what seemed like awhile and finally came across the perfect place for us: Hôtel Le Belmont. Read on for our full review and see why we recommend this four star hotel (especially for a first time visit to Paris).

Flight Review: Feeling Parisian on Air France (Economy Class Airbus A380 to Paris)

July 29, 2019

This year we were super excited to check off a couple bucket list items on our list: Paris and Disneyland Paris! Being a first time location for both of us we researched every minor detail to no end. One of the components to this trip was how to get there. We were a little surprised that the best option price wise ended up being a direct flight on Air France. We were excited to try a new international carrier and get a head start on the French experience en route. (Hello free champagne!) Read on for all the details of this round trip flight experience…

Looking ahead, our financial future is looking pretty bright. Setting goals and sticking to them makes moments like this one in Disneyland Paris possible. PHOTO CREDIT: Silvy Maatman — Looking ahead, our financial future is looking pretty bright. Setting goals and sticking to them makes moments like this one in Disneyland Paris possible. *PHOTO CREDIT:* *Silvy Maatman*

Planning for our "Happily Ever After" with The Financial Gym (Part 2): 5 Ways We Improved Our Financial Fitness

July 23, 2019

Earlier this year we signed up with The Financial Gym to help improve our finances as a couple. (If you haven’t already, make sure to read PART ONE of this article.) It’s been a little nutty for us schedule wise, but we finally sat down to schedule our Quarterly Review with our trainer Victoria. It was time to see how working the plan has paid off (see what we did there?) and how we are doing with our life goals. Read on to see how we did, and for the top 5 ways the Financial Gym helped us improve our finances in the last several months…

The iconic opening act in full fur and feather glory.

"The Lion King" Live Action Movie Review: Worthy of Pride Rock?

July 14, 2019

2019 has certainly been the year for Disney to make 90’s kids excited! In Disney’s latest live action, the animals of 1994 The Lion King are brought to life. This classic was a favorite for both of us growing up, so needless to say we have been pretty excited for this one. This week we were invited to an advanced screening of the film, but unfortunately Andrew couldn’t attend due to a work conflict. Julie decided to still go check it out anyway (sorry Andrew!). How does this reinvented version compare to the iconic film of our childhood? Read on to see what she thought…

Seeing a Concert at House of Blues Orlando in Disney Springs

June 25, 2019

So in the middle of our crazy move we decided to add on one more activity that we couldn’t resist. Andrew noticed one of our favorite bands would be in Orlando the same weekend we would be moving to the area. The venue they were playing at? House of Blues in Disney Springs. We had always seen House of Blues at the West end of the shopping district, but neither of us had actually been over to check it out. This sounded like the perfect opportunity to see what this intimate venue was all about. Read on to hear about our fun night out…

Following Our Dreams and Our New Castle

June 21, 2019

Hi friends! Sorry we have been a bit M.I.A., the last several weeks have certainly been a whirlwind. It has been quite the adventure to sell a house in one state, find a new home in another, then pack up everything (including three cats!) to travel almost 1,000 miles. But even with the craziness we have been super excited to move to our new “castle” so close to the Mouse. It has always been a dream to “one day” leave the area and try somewhere new. When the opportunity came to head to Orlando we thought that sounded pretty perfect for us. So while change can be scary and stressful we know this new adventure will strenghten us and bring up all sorts of new opportunities in the future.

In the meantime we have been super busy unpacking a sea of boxes and setting up our new home. (Who knew almost a whole day would disappear jus grocery shopping and heading to Home Depot for things like lawn mowers!) Andrew has started his new job and is enjoying it so far. We have been exploring and learning our new area (and maybe getting lost once in awhile too). There have even been little pockets of time for a little fun to enjoy the new pool and head to Disney Springs. We just wanted to say thanks for being patient and all of the well wishes. We will back to our normal blogging schedule really soon!