Finally, Florida!!!!

The fact that a sign is needed is quite scary!

Every spring break the partner and I make sure to take a trip. This year we traveled to the exotic lands of.......Florida. I have to admit the start to the trip was really pretty awful. We arrived in Florida way after midnight on on the 27th of April. Because of a massive storm, the Orlando airport closed down for a time and our plane was almost diverted to another airport. Luckily, by the time we arrived, the airport was in full operation again, but the baggage handlers weren't. Due to the closure and one passed out baggage handler, our luggage was delayed about two hours. Oh and the rental car, yep that was an entirely different ordeal. I think we finally left the airport at 4:30 local time.

Driving to the condo we were staying in was a bit interesting. We passed through two toll booths. I'm familiar with the California Toll Roads and the HORRID fast track lanes, but these are optional. In Florida, they aren't. I'm not completely complaining, we only paid $3.25 (one way). The pain was having to remember to keep some cash handy.

The Condo itself was completely amazing.  It was the WorldMark Orlando Kingstown Reef. Each room was painted a tropical color. The King sized bed was exquisite. I can't wait to stay there again. Oh how I miss it so! I didn't get to use the pool or other amenities, because my trip was really non stop, no rest for the wicked.

After a short Easter Sunday nap, (5 a.m. to 9 a.m. is a nap) we got up, to drive the hour long stretch of highway, through three toll booths (each way) to Cape Canaveral. This day was really my husband's day. I enjoyed it too, don't get me wrong. Atlantis was O.K., we have Endeavor at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and I've seen that.  The coolest thing to see was the launch site. We sat out on some bleachers and all I could think of was Armageddon and the lyrics to "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" kept playing in my head. For Easter dinner, we ate at Cici's Pizza before heading back to the condo. We ate Easter dinner at Cici's pizza, that's funny!

The next day was probably the best day of the entire trip. We drove 2 1/2 hours to Port Charlotte, Florida to see my nephew. He's been in Florida since February 16th.  He doesn't usually head back to Florida until March, but this year he left early for spring training. After watching him play 5 innings, we had dinner at this amazing at Laishley Crab House in Punta Gorda.

Watching the game

My nephew (and godchild), husband and I celebrated a late Easter dinner. And by late, I mean the Tuesday after. My mom treated us. She said that it would make her happy to see her loved ones together, enjoying a nice meal. The conversation and company was great. The hardest part was having to say, "See you in September" and "I love you from infinity and beyond." By the way, there were no toll roads out to Port Charlotte.

We made sure to go straight to bed after our 2 1/2 hour drive (it wasn't bad, it's just like going to Santa Barbara, except I wasn't familiar with the roads or area) because the next day was Disney Day!!! I bought my husband and myself the four day park hopper ticket. I downloaded the app, but was only able to reserve 3 fast passes per day, per park on my mobile device. This was a bit annoying because I also couldn't use the Fast Pass Kiosk either. I had passes for Space Mountain, Big Thunder and Peter Pan's Flight.

Tram ride to Disney World 

What can I say about Disney World? Well, I was completely overwhelmed! It's huge. I haven't had my Disneyland pass since 2008. Boy do I miss it! Disney World is really a "world of it's own."  You enter where you pay for parking, which is really like transitioning to another highway, drive another 3-6 miles to the park you want to visit, hop on a tram to the monorail that will eventually take you to the front gates of the park. If you don't want to take the monorail, you can take a ferryboat across the "Seven Seas". I'm just so used to parking in the Mickey and Friends parking lot and taking the tram to the front gate.  All of this seemed like a huge waste of time.

The beginning of the day was beautiful. I wore a 3/4 sleeve top and no light sweater (trust me, this is important for later). The first ride we went on was Space Mountain. It was fun, but I like our Space Mountain in California better. Then we went on the Florida lame version of "Autopia".  It started to get very cool and breezy, but I was comfortable. We ate, then went on some other rides. Somehow I got separated from my husband, I forgot what happened, I went on The Little Mermaid ride, this was about 4 p.m.. I got off the ride and it was pouring down rain. My husband was across from the exit of  under shelter waiting for me.

Hiding out waiting for the storm to pass.

You know how, as a kid, you would count "one, one thousand, two, one thousand" after lightning to see how many miles away the lightning is. Well, I didn't even get through one before the earth shattering thunder. Thor was out in full force. This rain wasn't warm tropical rain, this was cold rain and I had no jacket!! Who needs a jacket in Florida? We took shelter in a nearby store and kissed our Fast Pass for Big Thunder Mountain sayonara because outside rides close down when there's lightning!! I refused to leave before Peter Pan's Flight. Our Fast Pass for that ride was between 7:30 and 8:30. We went on more indoor rides, even though in some areas of the park we were shin deep in water. We managed to get on It's a Small World. It's all in doors! Even when you get on the little boats. This It's a Small World seemed to tiny compared to ours (I say ours like I own the place or something). It's one of my favorite rides at Disneyland, so this was a little disappointing.

I was freezing cold and looked like a drowned rat. I needed to get a hoodie and of course so did everybody else---AT THE SAME TIME!! Boy were the shops crowded. Many people were just waiting out the storm.  I ended up getting a Stitch hoodie that I probably could have gotten in Anaheim. I asked someone in the Emporium Shop if they had a Jack Skellington sweatshirt, because that's what I really wanted, and she told me, "Maybe if you want to go all the way to California." I replied, "I'm from Anaheim." She was a little rude, but whatever. Another nice lady told me that in Florida, they don't change the Haunted Mansion for Christmas.

After my search for the "perfect hoodie",  I didn't need to use it again the entire week. For that day only, the rain did not let up, so after Peter Pan, we cut our losses and went to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I've already written a review of the movie in a previous blog posting.

Wednesday was by far my favorite Disney World day. Epcot was so nice. I loved the Land, Ocean and Space theme. I loved the International Gateway. I picked up quite a few nifty things for some nifty people. I loved the topiaries of all the characters in each of the countries. I was disappointed that there weren't more countries to "visit". We stayed out of America and LOVED China the best. We didn't buy anything, most of the stuff we could have gotten in Chinatown in L.A.. We felt the same thing about Mexico, we have Olvera Street right next to Chinatown.

I really loved England and Ireland. I enjoyed Shakespeare's Garden, it was beautiful and I may use it in my classroom next year. My favorite Disney princess has always been Cinderella. (On a side note, it's taking me forever to write this post and trying to move these photos into the right spot is a real pain!) I really like this park the best, and no, not because I can walk around with alcohol. I didn't even drink, it was way too hot! Epcot closed at 9 and after the rain out we had the previous day, we decided to head back to Disney World to see some of the things we missed. Thank God for the park hopper pass. That really saved us! So this is where I realized that getting into Disney World is an absolute headache. We took the monorail and got off. I thought that we were already by the Disney World gates, no were weren't, we were just at the transportation center! We had to take another monorail to the actual park. It's all very confusing!

Heading back to Disney World

We got into the pack during the Electrical Parade. Disney still has the Electrical Parade? If you don't know already, I absolutely despise this particular parade. It's something about the music that gives me the heebie jeebies! We headed toward Tomorrowland and went on the People Mover!! I haven't been on a People Mover for years. They took ours out to bring in Rocket Rods and that ride lasted only a few years. It was a relaxing end to a fun filled day.

Selfie

Hollywood Studios was quite interesting. Actually no, it really wasn't. While there were a few things that I loved, I felt I could have spent another day at Disney World instead. I think it's because I live 30 minutes away from Hollywood and have been down Sunset Blvd. many times before, that I wasn't too impressed with the replica. When I had my Disneyland pass I never went to California Adventure. I'm living the actual adventure right now!

What I did love, the Star Wars area. The Walk of the Jedi was amazing. I loved taking a selfie with Kylo Ren. I didn't even want to go to the meet and greet. It's not even Adam Driver wearing the suit (isn't Adam Driver from San Diego?). It's just some random dude, but when I got into the meet and greet, I couldn't help but feel giddy, so giddy in fact, Kylo told me to calm down. Star Tours is just like the Star Tours at Disneyland, except for the line in Endor. When this park closed, we headed back to Disney World one last time before our Saturday morning departure.  This was bitter sweet for me. I was excited to get home to see our puppies, but I loved being at Disney World and felt that I had so much left to see. We finally rode the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggy. I loved this version. Don't get me wrong, ours is fun too. This one was located in "Liberty Square", not "New Orleans Square. The Haunted Mansion was our last ride at That Magic Kingdom.

There were a few rides I didn't get to go on, like Pirates, Big Thunder and the Dwarves Mine Ride, but that gives me a reason to come back!

Haunted Mansion a little dark

On Friday, our last day, we went to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We figured the park closes at 7, we could head back one last time to Epcot, then head home to pack. I loved the Safari ride. I have so many photos on my camera, but I don't know where my cord is to upload them. I'll find it soon and then update my blog with more photos. It was fun to see the animals. They have a dinosaur ride that mirrors Indiana Jones. It was fun. There were more things to see than to ride, so wear amazing walking shoes. I had to buy some in Florida because Flip Flops didn't work out. Other than that, I really don't have much to say about the Animal Kingdom. Tim went on the roller coaster, but I was too chicken.

Well, that was the end of an amazing trip, except for the food, the food was far from amazing. The food in the park really sucks. If you want to eat at a nice indoor restaurant, make sure to use the app to make a reservation otherwise, you won't get seated. I know the trip started out crazy, but it was an adventure that I will never forget. Coming home was an adventure too, we almost missed our flight and there was another storm that almost made us miss our layover! I know one day I'll go back, in the spring only, I can't imagine what summer feels like.

Next year we're heading out on a new adventure to San Antonio, Texas. Technically, I've been to Texas, our layover was in Dallas.  My goal is to visit every single state in the US, even the crappy states, like the states in the middle that no one goes to visit!

1st time to Epcot. I loved all the flower gardens!

Happy travels XOXOX from Florida!

The famous Epcot ball that looks like the Spruce Goose

Rain soaked Disney World. This was the middle of the afternoon!

Last night in Florida and one last time in Epcot

ColourPop Your Lips

I'm sitting here in my PJ's, it's a lazy, cloudy Saturday, the time jumped ahead a few weeks ago. It's 5 p.m. and the sun is still shinning brightly through my window. Even with grading and accounting to do, I decided to start my reviews of ColourPop Cosmetics.

I'm splitting up my ColourPop reviews in to two posts, because I have a lot to say and this could get long. I've been hearing about ColourPop on YouTube for quite a while, and in my search of cruelty free cosmetics, this brand keeps "ColourPoping" up. I was hesitant to purchase anything because you can only buy online, but a few weeks ago I built up my courage, pulled out my credit card and went to town, so to speak. I bought five items and got one for free. Shipping is s flat rate of $4.99. With all of that my total came out to be a little more than $30.

The company is located in Oxnard, California. I love being able to support local companies, please don't sell out!

I know they are a cruelty-free brand, my only concern is that I haven't found information to say that these cosmetics are paraben-free or if they use more natural ingredients.

Things I love:

The price!!!!!!  OMG! prices range from $5-10 an item.
The colors and pigments. Vibrant, bold and beautiful.
The ease of shopping from my home.  Sometimes I don't want to go to the mall.
It's a local company. Support local companies!!!!!
They're cruelty-free.
I love the detail they put into the shipping. They sent a personalized note with my order. Thanks for making me a part of the family.
A free Lippie Stick sample. 

Things I don't like:
The packaging. The writing in the outside of the liquid lipstick rubs off. 
How they are mailed. One of my eyeshadows came to me broken. Apparently it's an easy fix.
I don't know natural these products are. 
I wasn't able to access the $5 off coupon.
I can't try the product before I purchase it. I just have to guess if it suits my skin tone or not.

Lyin' King

The Rabbit   

I purchased two Ultra Satin Liquid lipsticks in The Rabbit (a bright fuchsia with blue sheen) and Lyin King (a saturated raspberry). These are priced at $6 a piece. Not bad. I definitely like them better than the NYX Soft Matte Liquid Cream lipstick.  They are not long lasting, but the description states that.   Expect to reapply. That wasn't a problem for me. They do stain your lips a bit. There is one more color I'd like to get in Spritz. Spritz came out after the initial release of the Ultra Satin Lipsticks.

I took both colors on my trip to Florida, and really, these were the only two lipsticks I used the entire week. I didn't notice bleeding or feathering if left alone (if I wasn't eating or drinking), but these lipstcks transferred all over the place!! Somehow I got the lipstick all over my thumb and hand. Don't ask how. Another thing I had an issue with was that the color bunched up in the corners of my mouth. I just cleaned it up with some tissue and we were good to go.  

I've never tried their Ultra Matte Lipstick, so I can't judge, but I hear that these are creamier. From my research the Ultra Matte do not transfer, but are very very drying on the lips. I felt that these were a bit drying, but they didn't flake off my lips like most matte liquid lipsticks (Kat Von D's matte lipsticks). The sample I got of the Lippie Stick in Poppin' is a completely different story. Poppin' bunches up in the corners and flakes off in the middle. It's too drying, I felt like I needed ChapStick at the end of the day.

ColourPop

Overall, I liked this product better than some other liquid lipsticks. I loved the two colors I purchased and I would buy them again at $6 a piece. I would rate these 3 1/2 Pink Gerber Daisies out of 5.

Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice in Florida

"Hello Superman. It's time you met your doom," Batman says. With all of the hype surrounding the new "Batman/Superman" movie, I decided to take one for the team and watch so you didn't have to. Just kidding, I was going to watch it anyway. Unlike most of the general public, these new "Superman" movies don't bother me too much. I actually sort of like them, even though Superman II will always be my favorite. Man of Steel was so much better than Superman Returns. Next to Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill is my favorite Superman. OK, Superman is an American hero and Henry is a Brit, but there is something about his look and about him that seems to embody the character. Sorry George Reeves and Brandon Routh. Side note, Brandon Routh is great in DC's Legends of Tomorrow. 

Batman vs. Superman (from here on out will be referred to as BvS) came out March 25th, the night before I left for Florida. I told my companion that it would be fun to see it at the Downtown Disney in Orlando, our travel destination. He was game for waiting, so on a cold rainy night, we left the "Magic Kingdom" and headed to the nearest theater. 

The critics' reviews were abysmal. I think on Flixster it had a 22% rating from the professional critics and 75% from the novice critics. I'm a novice, I rated it a 4 out of 5 stars. I don't always follow what the critics have to say. I hated Birdman with Michael Keaton (my 2nd favorite Batman), talk about a snooze fest. I love comic books, but I don't own any. I read about them online, and what I know is based on Wikipedia and the movies I've watched.  I felt that the critics were too harsh on the actual film and way too harsh on the actors. They didn't deserve the "beatings" they received. Are critics wrong? certainly, they're only human, they're not Superman.  

Ben Affleck didn't suck as Batman. He's no Christian Bale (my FAVORITE Batman), but he wasn't as bad as he was in Daredevil. I think for the time in Bruce Wayne's life, Ben was good. He was angry and brooding and rough around the edges. Some of his fight scenes were silly and his acting wasn't the greatest. My husband asked who acted better? Henry or Ben, I responded, Jessie Eisenberg. OK OK, Henry's acting was better. Ben is amazing in films like Argo... serious, non-action roles. Overall though, he isn't bad.

Things I thought were bad and could have been better:

1.  I thought that having both moms named Martha, was dumb, but that's a stupid comic book move, not something the writer's made up.

2.  Superman and Batman became "friends" because there moms were named Martha. Stupid.

3. Doomsday looked stupid. 

4.  There was too much going on in the film. There were too many storylines, too many plot points.

5.  When Superman and Wonder Woman fought Doomsday, Batman did nothing but watch them save the world. 

6. I didn't like the Flash. The CW Flash is so much better than this one.
7.  Jimmy Olsen. No explanation needed.
8.  The dream sequence. The acting was terrible in this, sorry Ben.

9. An uber distaste of Wonder Woman!

Actually, I'm a bit tired

Wonder Woman has been my favorite superhero since I was a little girl. Lynda Carter will always be Wonder Woman to me. I wanted to be Wonder Woman, I had my truth lasso, my red boots (knee high socks), my Wonder Woman underoos and I would watch Wonder Woman in my little red rocking chair. Gal Gadot had big red boots to fill, she is not Wonder Woman to me. She isn't a bad actress, I  don't like Wonder Woman with an accent. 

Here's what I loved 

1. The romance between Lois and Clark. It takes me back to Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville. 

2. Baywatch Aquaman
3. Lex Luthor. I don't like Jessie Eisenberg as a human. I've seen interviews with him and he comes off as being arrogant, but boy can this guy act!
4. Henry Cavill with his shirt off.
5. Wonder Woman kicks butt!

I know, I know I said I didn't like her, but I'm so happy we get to see her in a movie and let's face it Wonder Woman really does kick some arse. With the box office saturated with male superheroes, it's nice to see a woman finally take charge. Now future generations have a female superhero to look up to. Having a strong female hero is important for young girls to admire. 

All in all, this movie was a fun filled action packed, (with some occasional snooze moments) Batman/Superman adventure.  Could it have been better? Of course. Did the acting suck? Why yes it did. Will I purchase it when it comes out on DVD? I most certainly will. If you're into comic movies, but not overly into the comic book lore, this is an enjoyable movie to watch. This will never be an awarding winning adaption of comic literature and it never set out to be. Just have fun watching it.

I give Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice 3 out of 5 Gerber Daisies. (I should change my Flixster/Rotten Tomatoes review)

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." Batman from Batman Begins

March IPSY: Hello Spring

It's already April and I haven't even reviewed my March Ipsy Glam Bag yet.  I'm so backlogged with reviews.  I have about six, maybe seven more posts I want to write before the end of April, but I digress.

After seeing the "sneak peak" of my bag for March, I think I was probably the most excited I've been since starting this "service". However, when the bag came in the mail, my excitement completely disappeared.

The bag itself was very adorable. The products on the inside a lot less so. 

Peach and Turquoise, very Springtime!  

Let's start with the two products I will never use: The Nail Buffer from Margaret Dabbs and the Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo in Rose Gold.

The nail buffer I will never use, EVER. I have a horrible, disgusting habit of biting my nails. I know it's a bad habit, but most times I can't help myself. When I signed up for Ipsy, I took a test of products I wasn't interested in sampling. Nail products were the only things I was unwilling to try.  Don't get me wrong, I tried the buffer and I worked great. My nail was super shiny. I just know this isn't something I'll use, ever. The company I've never heard of. The nail salon is located in the UK. The price of the buffer is 7 pounds or $9.96, almost the price of the bag, which makes my heart hurt. The salon looks very classy

 I can't find if the products are free of animal testing. I do know that everything is made in the UK and they ship all over. If they ship to China, they may test on animals. Margaret Dabbs

The next product that I will NEVER use, and not because I don't want to, is the Pixi by Petra.  This was one of the products that I was very excited to try, but it came to me completely shattered. I think this was a full sized sample too.

I emailed the customer service and they were quick to respond and send a new blush duo, but that one came to me completely shattered too, from dust to dust, literally.  It was nice of them to send me a new blush, kudos to Ipsy, but it was trashed.  The color was Rose Gold and looked really pretty. It was a sheer pink blush and white gold highlight. The texture (broken powder) seemed velvety enough?

The new one sent to me was worse

If I could have used it, I would have, I'm obsessed with highlighting right now (blushing too). I may have even liked it more than the Gwen Stefani Urban Decay blush set.  The blush duos retail for $18.00. Ugh, I'm so sad about this, because I'm obsessed with highlighting right now! They don't test on animals and they use natural ingredients.  Pixi Beauty


In March, I also got the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in the color Kitten Heels. I love the name, it's very sexy. The NYX site says it's a bright red.  I was hoping to get Pink Lust (Hot Pink), so I was a little disappointed in the red. Apparently, they sent out a few different colors. It's a pretty color and I'll use it.  It's more on the warm red side for my skin tone. I love NYX products. I know the NYX line is cruelty free and I love their matte lipsticks. This is a liquid matte lipstick and therefore is a bit drying. This was a FULL SIZED SAMPLE, which was very cool.  Make sure to use a lip liner with this color. 

I do have an issue with the flat doe foot applicator. I don't like it. I feel like product gets all over the place. The NYX site claims that this is a long lasting, velvety soft, waterproof, liquid lipstick. I just took a drink of my water and there was product on my water bottle. Kiss test: quite a bit came off there too! It does transfer quite a bit actually. You can buy these on the NYX site for $7. They vary in price at the drugstores. NYX Cosmetics

UPDATE: The lipstick had a lot of transfer, even a few hours after I put it on. It will stain your lips, but it's not entirely "long lasting" 

In my bag, I got a Aphrodite Skin Care eye cream.  These products are made in Greece. They claim to use all natural ingredients. I used the eye cream quite often and it wasn't spectacular, it didn't wow me by any means. It was a nice sized sample and I'll continue to use it.  I have other eye creams I like better though. I will say, this was the perfect size to take with me to Florida.

I don't know it these products are cruelty free. They have an online catalog, but I don't see pricing or how to purchase/order.  Aphrodite Skin Care. 

The last thing I got in my bag was an eyeshadow by Vera Mona, in Clover. On the website, Clover comes in an eight shadow palette for $32.99. I don't see the shadows sold individually. To be honest, I haven't used this color yet. I will try it, though. It seems to be more of a peachy color and peach really isn't my style. Some of the other colors in the palette I liked better, for example, Hibiscus and Hydrangea. But that's just looking online at the colors. I got a pretty large sample of product and I'm always happy about that!

I can't find whether or not these products are cruelty free. I looked throughout the site and I couldn't find much information about the company except it's from Temecula with a 626 number. Isn't 626 Hacienda Heights? Vera Mona

 Overall, I wasn't too impressed with my bag. There were some hits, some serious misses and some that sort of fell in between. 

Always remember "Spring is natures way of saying, "Let's party!" Robin Williams