2010 December 12

So, how did Derek and I conclude Holiday Spirit 2010?

With a little Holiday shopping, of course.

Holiday shopping with the family. Isn’t that how all weekends in December end up being spent?

Derek and I had a little Christmas shopping to catch up on. I’m happy to report I walked out of the mall with one Christmas gift for someone else and three new shirts for myself. Ooppss.

Our morning started casually. I called out a few breakfast options for Derek to choose from and he picked smoothie.

Smoothie it was!

Frozen Mango
Frozen Pineapple
Rolled Oats
Peanut Butter Powder
Chia Seeds
Almond Milk
Vanilla Yogurt
Almond Butter (topping)
Granola (topping)

It was pretty warm this morning, so the smoothie was nice and refreshing.

After breakfast we hit up Hot Yoga for a sweaty stretch. It was odd doing Hot Yoga in the daylight, but I enjoyed the smaller class and fast flow.

Derek had been to Hot Yoga once before and handled it wonderfully, but – as I told Derek – not every practice is created equal. Derek felt light headed for the most part and spent the majority of his practice in child’s pose. I was so proud of him for understanding his body’s limit and backing off rather than pushing forward. Yoga isn’t always about ‘keeping up’ it’s about discovering what YOUR body can do, not someone else’s.

I had the last of last night’s Gingerbread Shingle as a post-yoga snack.

The rest of the day was spent at the mall. Shopping. Shopping. and More shopping.

With lunch thrown in at California Pizza Kitchen.

I started with the Smashed Pea and Parley Soup (tasty, but a tad watered down for my taste).

with bread

And Derek and I split the Goat Cheese and Pepper Pizza with the honey wheat crust.

The pizza was nice and thin – it basically melted in your mouth. It was a great lunch and I’m glad I got to spend time with Kelly, Anthony, and Ben.

A little shopping later…

Dinner time.

This was all Derek’s idea and I 100% supported it – Spicy Italian Sausage with Onions, Peppers, and Spinach on a Multi-Grain loaf Bun.

Mouth watering delicious and really easy to create. Dinner was ready in 15 minutes – love that.

On the side some steamed fresh green beans.

Dessert: the last (:() of my Pumpkin Ice Cream.

I better get wrapping!

Good Night!

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Happy Holidays from Walt Disney World 2010!

I love Christmas time. I especially love Christmas time at the theme parks. It’s my favorite time to visit because each park always goes all out with decorations, shows, and various Holiday festivities.

Yesterday morning I was able to experience the Holiday Cheer at both Sea World (during the reindeer 5k) and at one of the happiest places on earth – Disney World!

Derek and I had earned a free one day Disney park pass when we had volunteered at the Princess Half last March and have been holding onto them for a visit during the Holidays (I’m such a pass hoarder!). In the two years we have been dating we have had the opportunities to visit Epcot and Magic Kingdom, so it seemed logical to take in Hollywood Studios (aka MGM) this time around.

We arrived just around lunch time yesterday and basically sought out the first place we saw with food for lunch. We had made the mistake of leaving the house with little thought to food for the rest of the day – big mistake on our part – and it ended up nipping us in the butt all day. Learned my lesson on that one.

$10 worth of Turkey later we had lunch.

The sandwich was actually a very tasty one with a pesto aioli and fresh mozzarella.

I was pleasantly surprised and gobbled it all up.

I especially enjoyed the option of fresh fruit on side – a nice cold apple that was sweet, crisp, and fresh.

My favorite parts of Hollywood Studios are the live performances of my favorite Disney Classics.

Fun fact: When I was little I begged my Mom to tell the school my name was Belle. She never did though.

The rides are pretty sweet too.

And the beer – can’t forget the beer.

My friends Jessica and Ryan joined us in the evening for lights, dinner, and gingerbread hunting.

Jessica and Ryan were recently engaged (congrats again you two!) and were sporting these spiffy ‘Just Engaged!’ buttons!

Man, as soon as Derek decides to put a ‘ring on it’ we are so coming to Disney and wearing those buttons. Jessica and Ryan were offered congrats all day and kept getting offered free stuff. Heck, I think next time I’m going to wear the button, ring or not.

I had a mini Luna Bar just as it was getting dark.

Our time at Hollywood Studios concluded with the Osborne Family Lights Display near the back of the park. Thousands of light synced with Holiday music? I’d say there’s no better way to get in the spirit.

Dinner was a little… complicated. We were all starving, but had no clue where to go. After a few wrong turns and a couple of rides on the Monorail we were determined to eat at a restaurant called the Wave in the Contemporary.

The menu was pretty $$, so I stuck with a couple of appetizers.

The Harvest Salad.

And Rock Shrimp Flatbread.

It was all good, but nothing memorable.

After dinner we decided to check out the famous Disney World Hotel Displays.

The Gingerbread Christmas Tree at the Contemporary. (see video here)

And the life size Gingerbread House at the Floridian. (see video here)

I’ve always wanted to see this display, but have never had the chance to make it out to the hotel. The GIngerbread House is massive and every detail that goes into it is beyond impressive.