opening and closing

with the Olympics coming to a close tomorrow, i figured it was time to offer up my recap and review of the opening ceremonies, before we see the closing ones....

first, let's tackle 'the worst' of the opening ceremonies....

• when the show opened, i sat in awe at the incredible 'shire' (ala lord of the rings) that had been created in the stadium.....it was magnificent....and then, my thoughts turned to - how the heck are they going to change the scene in any kind of timely fashion - the answer?  they're not.  that transition from the shire to industry was painfully slow and lost a ton of momentum from the previous scene to the next incredible industrial one (see 'the best' for more on that!)
• the kids and the beds and the nightmares....well, i liked the nood to great british literature....however, i never felt like this scene resolved itself in a positive way...sure, mary poppins fly in (all dressed in black....no 'spoonful of sugar' bright happiness there....) and so it just seemed kinda scary and weird.
• the queen - everything she did after she arrived at the games.  you've seen her.  you've heard her.  'nuff said.
• the entire 'digital age' montage with frankie and june and the rapper and then dance montage thing or whatever....it was not impressive.  i did not enjoy it (perhaps because i don't give a lick about frankie and june?!)  the dance stuff was okay, and their formations were neat...but not given their 'size' in the scope of the entire stadium.  a couple dozen dancers...okay.  hundreds of dancers would have been spectacular... alas, it was not.
• i'm gonna say it - Mohammed Ali.  i'm not entirely sure why he was there.  to me, it was just an exercise in the incredible damage that Parkinson's Disease causes.  it was painful to watch - i'm not sure he knew where he was or why.  he could not do whatever it was he was supposed to (ceremoniously touch the flag?!).  it was a honor given to a worthy athlete - i just don't think it served its purpose.
• and my final 'worst of the opening ceremonies' - paul mccartney.  i get the 'ode to england' nature of the opening ceremonies.  i certainly believe that the beatles and paul mccartney deserve their place - but 'hey jude'??  just because the entire crowd could sing the lyrics, doesn't make it appropriate for the opening ceremonies, let alone as the 'grand finale'.  to me, it was a very anticlimactic ending.

and now, for the best of the opening ceremonies - lest you think i didn't enjoy them, because i DID! and here's why:

• i enjoyed the 'shire' scene and the little path to the tree and the flags...cool.

•  um...david beckham.  on a boat.  smirking.  yes, it's superficial, but come on, it's david beckham.

• the entire industrial scene - oh, how i loved the contrast from the first scene...the smoke stacks...and the forging of the rings - BRILLIANT.  awe inspiring.  verklempt.  awesome in every way.  (in fact, this was probably my single most favorite part!)

 

•  the queen and 007.  there is nearly no greater thing than the queen proving she is a person with a sense of humor.  the entire montage and her 'arrival' were incredible - i cannot think of any better way for her to make her debut at the opening ceremonies.  sadly, the rest of her 'performance' sucked. (see 'the worst')

• ode to british literature - loved scenes from the classics new and old.  i take great enjoyment in the harry potter series, and i enjoyed it's representation with both voldemort and j.k. i'm not sure i enjoyed the nightmare-ish nature of it, since i don't feel like the marys really fully resolved it...but it was pretty cool to have them come flying in to save the day...i just wish the tone would have turned to a 'i love to laugh' type of tune...

• my side-splitting, wiping tears from my eyes moment came with rowan attkinson - classic british humor by one of the best.  i will never hear 'chariots of fire' the same way again...

• and finally - as true olympic moment - the lighting of the torches.  the incredibly ingenious plan to give each country a portion of the flame....to have them light each other...to make one olympic torch - genius.  and each country getting to return with their caldron...to keep that olympic spirit alive for the next 4 years....love it.  it was slow to light, but powerful...

 i have high hopes for the closing ceremonies tomorrow...rumors of elton john (would be a good choice), spice girls (eh....) and adele (well, okay....)...i don't know that an entire recap of british music phenoms is the route they should take...england is so much more than its music...i'm sure that the passing of the torch to Rio will be a highlight.  the rest...well, we'll see!

food clubs and more!

time for a quick Tastefully Simple business update!

it's time to get our Triple D Club rolling again!  Read below for details and let me know if you're in!

So, if you watch the Food Network, you might be familiar with the show Triple D, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" starring Guy Fieri....well, I've got all ALL NEW Triple D that will be just as delicious, starring YOU!

DRINKS, DIPS AND DESSERTS!

This will be a monthly Social & Food Club, designed primarily for those of you that are familiar with Tastefully Simple products, or just really want food and socialization! Here's how it's going to work:

I'm looking for a minimum of 9 club members - and the club will run from September - May, likely on the 2nd Sunday night of the month (though there is a month or two where it might need to be the 3rd Sunday).

EACH MONTH one club member will host a Triple D get together.  The host/hostess will pick a drink, dip and dessert from my selection and prepare it (food will be provided by me).  Hosts should also consider other beverages to serve, but that's about it!

Hosts will also pick the social activity for the party - be it "Just Dance" or karaoke on the Wii, card or jewelry making, Bunco, whatever!  It could be nothing, or something extravagant, but it's totally up to the host!

Every club member agrees to place an order of $25 or more in Tastefully Simple goodies at each month's get together (whether you can attend that particular get together or not).  This guarantees that each hostess will earn the minimum amount of free product for hosting a Tastefully Simple party!

When it is your turn to host, you may also invite non-club members and collect outside orders to help boost your party sales and benefits.  If you get any bookings for a traditional taste-testing party, then you receive the benefits from that as well (a 1/2 off item for each booking!)

So if you're ready to commit to our Triple D club, please reply ASAP (aka - send me a note on facebook and i'll add you to the Triple D group page...)  and I'll get you on our schedule!  Invite your friends to join the club, too - or, if you have enough friends that you think you can assemble 9 in a group on your own, I'll facilitate more than one club!

ALSO - NEW THIS YEAR - FREEZER MEAL WORKSHOPS!

Stay tuned for workshops in September, November, January, March and May!

Every other month you will have the opportunity to create 10 meals in a social setting for $15-$20 per meal (and each meal will feed 4 - 6 adults!)  For smaller families, that means even more meals...for larger families, supplement with an additional side, veggie and/or salad and you'll still have enough for your whole family!

Our first menus will be released soon - and registration will be required before the event.

Want to host your own workshop for you and your friends?  You can do that, too!  Earn host rewards AND fill your freezer at the same time!  Book your party today!  Back to school is a busy time, so get your meals planned well in advance and the prep and cooking done all at once!

email me at carascreations*at*charter.net or contact me on facebook!

whatta bunch of characters

we've been to many a disney park....we've seen many a character...in shows, in parades....and also with LONG, LONG lines for autographs and pictures throughout the parks...

it is a rare occasion that we wait in a line for a photo - we tell the kids to wave, but park days race by, and we don't want to spend our time in a line for a character...

but on the disney cruise...just, you know, walking here or there - holy smokes, it's cinderella!  oh, wait, ariel!  stitch!  donald!   let alone the couple of 'meet and greets' the kids went to, they also ran into characters here, there and everywhere - and it totally made up for any time that they really wanted to see someone and we said 'no'...

here's a sampling :)

and, the 'best' part as a parent - again, i've mentioned the 'interactions' - so much more than you can get in the fast-paced environment of the parks - but, guess what - every time you saw cindy, it was the same cindy...or tiana....or ariel...and while the girls 'know' that they are just people in costumes...when they talk like a princess, and act like a princess, and it's the same princess every time you see them...it starts to feel more real and that much more magical...

stingrays, snorkeling, slides and see ya' real soon

 our second day at Castaway Cay, we DID have relatively early morning plans, so we ate and headed on our way...this time, rather than walk the boardwalk to the beach, we opted for one of disney's famous trams :)
 

 

 

 we proceeded to Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure (the same structure we took cover in during the short storm the last time we were here...)  we got some great introduction and education from one of the ray's caretakers (who lives full time on this little island)...

you see the backs (l to r) of lilly, porter, maya and celia

 after our intro, we made our way to the stingray lagoon, where we met with our small group and a trainer (there were 9 of us...6 bakers and my brother and his 2 kids...i love that we could experience this with just the family!)

 

our trainer has a floating stingray buffet...the stingrays are 'trained' to come up the right side, swim thru and exit the left side...when they come across a mickey head silhouette, they know that is their 'plate' and they stop to slurp up whatever is being offered there from the hand of the unsuspecting tourist (except, we weren't totally unsuspecting, as jason, andy and i have all done stringray adventures/feedings on other cruise ship excursions...) but the children were (insert slightly maniacal laugh here...)

so we practice putting our hands on the flat surface, as the trainer instructs you to put food in-between your fingers and hold your hand flat on the mickey head...the ray will swim over your hand and suck up the food...

and then we all take turns feeding the rays, either a shrimp, squid, or 'stingray jello' - a greenish/brown concoction of vitamins and nutrients.. we each got 3 or 4 opportunities to feed them, which was great!

lilly feeds the ray

 

 

you can see molly laughing here...she pulled her hand away :)

jason makes his menu selection while jared feeds

andy's turn...and you can see a piece of stringray jello in jared's hand

maya feeds another girl...

i love my face here...it think it says it all!

 

 after the feeding session we got to snorkel in the ray lagoon for half an hour or so...there are 58 rays in the lagoon, only 1 male, and as you can see from the gratuitous pictures i have included here, they are EVERYWHERE.

molly and jason headed out for a snorkel

lilly

  

  

andy, jared and maya...with, you know, just our little cruise ship in the background...paradise?  probably...

porter

  

i was thankful, particularly for the children and their swimming abilities and endurance, that the entire lagoon is shallow, so when you need to, you simply put your feet down and stand.  you do, however, always have to be on the lookout for a ray that is attempting to go incognito...

can you see the ray?

 after our incredible stingray adventure, the littles wanted to head to the kids club on the island, so jason checked them in, while i took lilly, maya and celia snorkeling...but before we separated, i found a photographer on the beach. in the photo gallery on the ship i had seen several pictures of families on the beach, and since we'd basically already committed ourselves to purchasing a rather large photo package after the previous night's escapades on the grand staircase, i figured we should take advantage of their photo services whenever available.  so i flag the photographer down, and have jason gather the kids...while jason is gathering everyone, the photographer turns to me and says "what happened to that beautiful bun you had in your hair last night?"  

WWWHHHAAAA???? 

(go back to the previous post and see how my hair was done...)

rather than expound on my incredible hair-styling ability, i'm going to remark, rather, on the incredible disney cast member that can remember one of 4,000+ guests and how they had their hair the night before (when i'm in completely different context)

 

and in addition to her unbelievable memory and great taste in hair, she took this great pict of us with the kids! 

so then we get to the snorkeling...castaway cay has a snorkeling lagoon as well, with 'sunken treasures' marked by floating buoys, so you know where to head to see the action...again, not near as much action and old, established reefs that i've snorkeled in other areas, but a great starter for the girls...
 

maya and a sunken boat

 

 

not wanting to have another castaway cay lunch, and being worn out from stingray and snorkeling adventures, we headed back to the ship for the rest of the day for lunch, and to take advantage of some of the ship's offerings that we hadn't done yet!

another great lunch at cabanas...where the kids had figured out how to make their own drink mix of mango juice and sprite

the view of castaway cay from cabanas

 our afternoon activities finally involved taking in the aquaduck - the famous slide that caught the girls' attention in the disney cruise line commercials.  with so many folks off the boat at castaway cay, the line was reasonable, so we headed aboard!  our first trip through we all went...and, like i had read might happen (because apparently it happens with some regularity!) someone got stuck during the ride (they don't quite weigh enough to keep their float moving...) and the ride shut down for about 15 minutes...other than that delay, our wait wasn't long (i had read stories of REALLY long waits, etc, so we were glad we had really no trouble at all!)  everyone else went for a second trip, while i snapped some pictures from below...

 the very beginning of the ride starts in the funnel and then shoots out over the edge of the ship and that turns back around and down a hill that keeps you going on your loop around the deck...it certainly was not as face-paced and thrilling as the rides at atlantis, but it's not designed to be...it's a waterslide on the top of a cruise ship....that, in itself, is enough.

lilly and jared

jason and molly

maya and celia

porter...i rode with him the first time, and he went solo the second!

then came some other pool deck dance party, and the girls got up on stage and danced around...i found it amusing, and they were having a blast...

 before dinner there was another character meet-n-greet, so jason took the kids, once again, for photos in the main lobby...again, not just photos, but great interactions were had by all...

by now, it seemed like nearly every girl and many women on the ship had had their hair braided (there were braiders on the ship....for those that didn't have a 'certified hair braider' do their hair in bahamas..."mama, you get the girls hair done??  my name is beverly...beverly hills...you remember me..."...um, no thanks, "beverly"....) the girls were interested, so before dinner, we sent them up to get braids...and here they are with braids and smiling faces...

 after molly saw the other girls' braids, she decided she'd like a few, too...so during dinner, jason ran her up to the pool deck, and the braider was so fast, that molly was back before the crew left for 'dine and play'....dinner was back in the royal palace, but another 'common' menu for each restaurant...mickey mouse doesn't say 'good-bye' - he says "see ya' real soon" - so that was the theme of the last dinner...

 

sesame seared tuna for my appetizer...

 

and our final turndown service....a now infamous, towel elephant....