I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[LB002]

I can’t do canned icing. Homemade buttercream frosting all the way!

You are my people.

I had them put in my contract for my wedding venue that the cake would be made with real buttercream, no processed oily frosting.

 

[Haley R]

]

Well, I said last night I was bringing them. Apparently you weren't listening. I think my post flew under the radar.

I bought mine on Etsy. Too much work to make them, plus I’d have to buy colored ink for the printer.

Right. Out of town. That’s our story.

I just realized we only have black ink I think. I may buy some on amazon or something that are cheap

 

[GusGus16]

I had a super awful day at work, just sitting reading catching up on the thread, just made my night! I'm all for the toaster strudels I prefer raspberry, but have not had them for a few years. I try not to buy them otherwise I will eat them all!

Thanks for everyone posting about the amex lowe's offer I was able to add it to my SPG lux.

 

[elgerber]

What all do you take to the parks to use a backpack? No criticism, I am a serious overpacker but I use a very small purse or crossbody, big enough for my phone, Kleenex, pain meds, and moleskin/bandaids for the parks. DH uses a drawstring backpack (a fancy one lol, not the freebie type) with pockets for water bottles. We only have one kiddo though and he’s 10, so no little kid stuff. When he was younger we did carry more stuff.

I carry as little as possible. Phone, ID, credit card/AP and lipstick/gloss. I don’t even want to tell you what I carry it in

 

[afan]

I can't understand folks who refuse to eat something that comes out of the mouth of a cow ... but are fine eating eggs?

Eggs come in a container that gets washed that we don't eat, totally not the same thing, not even close.

 

[LB002]

What all do you take to the parks to use a backpack? No criticism, I am a serious overpacker but I use a very small purse or crossbody, big enough for my phone, Kleenex, pain meds, and moleskin/bandaids for the parks. DH uses a drawstring backpack (a fancy one lol, not the freebie type) with pockets for water bottles. We only have one kiddo though and he’s 10, so no little kid stuff. When he was younger we did carry more stuff.

I have a serious water consuming issue. Like I have been tested for a variety of medical conditions (I don;t have any) to figure out why. So water is a big one for me, and I am too cheap to pay $3/bottle and too picky to drink FL water. I will easily drink 6-8 bottles during a day in the park, plus 1-2 for each of the other family members.

For Disney we usually have:
Water
ponchos
sweatshirts/bathing suit for kids in splash pads (depends on season)
shorts/undies for DS (we may be beyond this by our next trip)
small camp towel (used for 101 things)
plastic baggies (also 101 uses)
hand wipes
SNACKS - usually a soft lunch bag with cut up fruit and veggies and some frozen water bottles as well as dry snacks
cell phones and extra batteries
sunglasses
variety of disney crap like spinners, bubble wands, popcorn bucket or whatever else the kids talk me into buying
maybe hats for kids if hot
Purse things - small wallet with ID, medical cards, cash and CC, chapstick, gum, pen, hair bands, advil, bandaids, small swiss army knife, pen

On a recent trip to DC we had a more pared down version, but still had water, light rain jackets, change of clothes for DS, dry snacks, sunglasses, hand wipes, cell phones and batteries and purse things.

DH usually plays the pack mule with a backpack (not his motherlode!!!) and I carry a cross body, but after our DC trip I realized that now that we are stroller-free I need a small backpack for more comfortable carrying.

 

[amalone1013]

Yes, I remember them coming the same day I think. You will need to use the confirmation email from Chase to pick the actual tickets up at a will call kiosk either outside the parks or at your hotel. Don't forget to bring a credit card that has the same last name on it as the one you used to book the tickets as they will need that for verification.

I'm hoping if I order them now I'd be able to pick up in the morning...

 

[LB002]

Curious what the risk really is to holding onto Hilton and Marriott points. We’ve got 240kish Hilton points and 360k-ish Marriott. One grouping I am hoping we can use to get away for our 15 yr anniversary, Aruba, St Johns, etc. But it’s going to be hard with 4 kids at home. It’s also hard to use these points as very few hotels, especially tropical beach locations sleep 6. By the time we get one room free and pay for the other, we may as well just pay to go somewhere else. I’m just trying to determine if one is more risky of being devalued or severely changing and I should focus on using first.

To me, risk is always devaluation.

I only picked up a few things in my MBA program, but the time value of money (or points) was one, LOL!

 

[bernina]

What all do you take to the parks to use a backpack? No criticism, I am a serious overpacker but I use a very small purse or crossbody, big enough for my phone, Kleenex, pain meds, and moleskin/bandaids for the parks. DH uses a drawstring backpack (a fancy one lol, not the freebie type) with pockets for water bottles. We only have one kiddo though and he’s 10, so no little kid stuff. When he was younger we did carry more stuff.

We take one backpack for all 3 of us. I also bring a smaller travel purse (crossbody but I don’t usually wear it that way).
Sunscreen, hydro flask, extra shoes for DD, rain jackets/ponchos and/or sweatshirts for me and DD, umbrella, a few snacks for DD, battery pack, I think that’s about it

 

[cajunmommy]

Dang that they were all out of Iguana, because that’s what I was going to buy.

View attachment 436964

Good Cajun girl here who’s enjoyed at least 8 of those “exotics”. And that’s ok for those of you who don’t enjoy crawfish... more for me!

Weighing in on the pop tarts - main breakfast food for a long time in college & grad school. My diet improved with my budget. Toaster strudels were so much better. No “bones” like pop tarts (edges w no filling or frosting!)

 

[cajunmommy]

Have fun! The football games are so much fun. We are going down to the LSU game this year in November. They have tents set up all over the grove. I'd imagine that there is a tent or two for the visiting team, but I really don't know how that works. We usually go to our DD's sorority tent and the St Louis area tent. We typically just stand around and visit with other people as we don't pay anything toward the tent cost, so I don't know what the protocol is for taking the food, etc. So much fun though! I truly can't believe they do so much every time there is a home game.

Nothing like an SEC Saturday tailgate! Proud LSU alum (Geaux Tigahs! ) but I’ll begrudgingly give Ole Miss credit for their festivities at The Grove. Y’all have fun!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Purse things - small wallet with ID, medical cards, cash and CC, chapstick, gum, pen, hair bands, advil, bandaids, small swiss army knife, pen

How do you get that in? ^
The rest I get. I think we do a pared down version. Any toys etc are carried by whoever bought/brought them. We have wipes, ponchoes (the tiny disposable ones), sunscreen. I have no need for hair bands or chapstick, no gum etc. I know it all adds up. I usually have a pr of socks for me and DS, ID, credit cards. Never have cash. Lol. Both our phones have charging cases so no phone chargers needed.
DH carries something like this
https://www.footlocker.com/product/model/adidas-alliance-ii-sackpack/236641.html

 

[wendow]

I prefer homemade almost anything. I’ll admit it doesn’t happen as often during the summer because baking heats up the house so much. I have never made homemade tortillas though. (I’m pretty sure there’s a tortilla press in my parents basement I could dig out. Already stole the bread maker. So retro. Lol)

I also make mostly homemade everything. It just tastes so much better and I like that I can control what goes in. Homemade tortillas take so much time but are totally worth it. My kids eat them faster than I can get them off the skillet lol!

 

[wendow]

@PolyRob How did find the list of availability for the CP dining packages that you were screenshotting for me last night? I'm stressing trying to get something booked and having trouble finding much of anything.

 

[bernina]

Rather than going to the actual CP page, I went to "Things to Do" and "Make Reservations"
View attachment 436835

Then I filtered to Epcot, date, meal type, and party size.
View attachment 436836

The availability for the CP packages are weird. It will also fluctuate as people drop regular Epcot ADRs.

@wendow

 

[ten6mom]

Sugar cookies don't have brown sugar and have a little milk and more flour. They really are a vessel for whatever you put on top, sprinkles, frosting etc. But while not the same a chocolate chip cookie base, because really you could put whatever chip you wanted in it, is just sugar, flour and butter it's just that it also has brown sugar which is probably why you like it more.

Aaaaand now I want some cookies! (let's be honest... if I had this type lying around all the time, I'd always want them).

Well, you have to admit, everything is better with butter...yum...

yes, yes indeedy

Um lets talk raisins in cookies. That's a hard no. There should be a law against it. My MIL makes great home baked items, but puts freaking raisins in all her cookies.

Omg it’s raining!
View attachment 437075
I literally stood in my pajamas looking out the front window like I’d never seen rain before

Ha, I do this too! And if we are at work we all have to take turns going out to the balcony and looking at it!

 

[wendow]

Thank you @bernina!

 

[wendow]

Looking at the menus of the places that are left...not too appetizing How does the dining package work? I read you get an app, entree and dessert. Is it a fixed menu or you get to choose?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Omg it’s raining!
View attachment 437075
I literally stood in my pajamas looking out the front window like I’d never seen rain before

It's crazy - you guys got rain when Dorian rolled through though, lol so I think you have me beat.

It rained in Pittsburgh overnight on 9/1 and since then it has not rained...at all...once... I know this because I got our driveway re-done & a basketball court put in back and then I planted a bunch of grass the week after Labor day... and now every night I get to spend an hour of quality time with my hose watering said grass because IT WON'T RAIN!!!!! I seriously do not understand how it has not rained at all in almost 3 weeks. And our long term forecast shows no rain until Monday... This is nuts!!

I finally put in all kinds of drainage (and spent a lot of money doing it) to avoid getting water in my basement, (for those of you that recall that story from 2018 right before we went to Myrtle)...and now it will never rain in Pittsburgh again. Haha!

 

[afan]

Does anyone have a luggage scale they really like? The one I had died. It did both lb and kg which was nice. I'm hoping to get it from amazon since I'm not planning on buying enough anywhere else to get free shipping

It's crazy - you guys got rain when Dorian rolled through though, lol so I think you have me beat.

It rained in Pittsburgh overnight on 9/1 and since then it has not rained...at all...once... I know this because I got our driveway re-done & a basketball court put in back and then I planted a bunch of grass the week after Labor day... and now every night I get to spend an hour of quality time with my hose watering said grass because IT WON'T RAIN!!!!! I seriously do not understand how it has not rained at all in almost 3 weeks. And our long term forecast shows no rain until Monday... This is nuts!!

I finally put in all kinds of drainage (and spent a lot of money doing it) to avoid getting water in my basement, (for those of you that recall that story from 2018 right before we went to Myrtle)...and now it will never rain in Pittsburgh again. Haha!

You can have ours. The weather we're getting now is 4 weeks earlier than normal. We've already had 2 inches which is the norm for Sept. We're in the low to mid 60s instead of the low 70's. I saw we're getting into the upper 40's tonight, that shouldn't happen for at least a few more weeks. I've had to use the heavy fleece blanket on top of the bedspread the past few nights, which shouldn't happen before Oct. I try not to put the comforter on until Nov since that's when we start getting into the low 40s upper 30's and it's needed. I'm not amused since we barely had summer as it is.