House Update

So we got final approval for our house the other day. We just have to wait for the docs to get ready, then we can sign and get the keys! Since I am leaving before the docs are going to be ready, I will sign a form before I leave that authorizes my hubby to sign for me. He gets to move stuff over. Of course, that "stuff" includes our animals!

So I am going to make things a little easier for him. I am disinfecting all of the cages and cage furniture before I leave for my vacation. Most of the animals are going to get a temporary substrate (paper towels) that will be much easier to clean in case they make any messes before the move. That way, he doesn't have to worry about dumping old carefresh or wiping out cages.

I also set aside all of the transport carriers for the animals. We have enough snake bags, sterilite bins, and critter keepers to move everyone over in one trip.

Some of the transport "cages" 

One of the most exciting things about the new house is that we have a huge room to put all of the reptiles in. Oh, and we get to paint :) We are thinking of painting the whole room in Behr brand "Carolina Parakeet".

Carolina Parakeet 

It looks more green (and less yellow) on the actual color swatch we got from home depot. We want to paint the room with a bright, fun green.

"First Disney Vacation" Gift

At the end of this month, I am going on another Disney World vacation with my mom, sister (who is seven-years-old), and sister-in-law (who is twenty). This is my sister-in-law's first Disney vacation! I decided to make her a "first disney vacation" gift to help her survive and enjoy the experience. I know this is a little off-topic from what I usually post. But I should have lots of reptile and amphibian photos to share once I get back :)

I wanted to get things for her that are essential for a disney trip but are also things that she wouldn't necessarily think to get for herself (tums, hand sanitizer). I also wanted to put together a packet of Disney info that would be relevant. And of course, I wanted to throw some fun stuff in there, too! So here are some photos of the "first disney vacation" gift that I made her.

 So I started out by getting her a bag that she could take into the parks. I didn't want her to have to take her purse into the parks! Most seasoned Disney World vacationers know to bring a disney bag just for the trip. This mini backpack is small enough to go on the rides but large enough to carry the essentials. Plus, it is cute!

Attached to the zipper pull you will see a sweet pea pocketbac from Bath and Body Works and a pocketbac holder. I have always brought pocketbacs into the parks. Kids have a tendency to touch icky things and then touch rides/rails/tables/and so on. Plus, people come from all over the world to visit Disney and they often bring nasties with them. I can't tell you how many times I have heard of trips being ruined by stomach bugs! So I always wash my hands or sanitize (often both) before eating. Seriously, you can't be too OCD about this while you are in the parks. That 30 seconds you saved by skipping the sani isn't worth the two days spent in your hotel room with a bug!

This is the stuff in the front pocket of the mickey bag. The big flower thing is a hair tie for the Animal Kingdom park (I bought a leopard print one for myself because I think they are so cute). I also got her another pocketbac, two five-hour energies, and a roll of tums. We are on the disney dining plan and we are going during food and wine, so the tums are essential!

I took a regular mead folder and decorated it with Alice paper (one of my sister-in-law's favorite movies). I added a tinker belle light-up pen, two packs of travel tissue, and one of those magic towels from the dollar store (for fun). The little blue thing is alice-themed EOS chapstick ("blueberry potion" flavored). It has a little mickey head on the front :)

The folder contains our flight info, a suggested packing list, a disney guide brochure, DDP brochure, 3-1-1 info from the TSA, and a page from Ridemax explaining Fast Pass. It also contains an itinerary for every day we are at Disney World. I used Ridemax to create itineraries for the trip. Ridemax is a computer program that tells you which times would be best to visit attractions with a limited wait. You simply plug in your date, park, and desired attractions and ridemax tells you when to go to each ride and how long the wait should be. I would never travel without making plans with Ridemax!

 The back of the folder.

I made maps on Disney.com and had them shipped. The maps are free and they look awesome! I put these maps in her backpack along with a mini Disney guide, luggage tags (not pictured), Magical Express tags (not pictured), a first-aid kit, glow bracelets, and a glow necklace.

So there you have it. The "first Disney vacation" gift that I put together for my sister-in-law. Cute and functional :)