Why we're a #DisneyCruise couple (before we have any kids!)

It's no surprise that since we went on our first Disney cruise 4 years ago that I am quite simply enamored just with cruises but with Disney cruises also.

Each time I go on a cruise, the convo always seems to feel like this, especially if its with someone who doesn't know me as well.
Friend: What are you doing on your vacation?
Jess: I am going on a cruise!
Friend: Oh, cool, what ship?
Jess: Disney!
Friend: ::insert awkward stare at ceiling:: minutes later: oh, cool.

Yeah, you called it - that obvious elephant in the room. I don't have kids and I love Disney cruises. Yes, Disney is geared towards families with kids. Yes, that's not my current family dynamic. BUT - here's why I Disney cruise. It has nothing to do with THAT.

1) I love kids. I grew up around kids and when GOD is ready to bless us with that next step, though we are very excited and praying for that to happen sooooon - it's gonna happen.

2) I love Mickey! My husband & I are both avid fans of Disney in general. We go to the parks often. We buy Disney souvenirs for our home and for each other.

3) We love time together on our cruises. We've been married for 5 years in June. But we are the very best of friends and while we enjoy soaking up the time on the ship ONLY for adults - we do welcome the trips and memories to make with our future kiddos on the family sides.

4) We are both kids at heart. Each of us get excited about the features and benefits of what Disney offers us on board like new movies on the ship, the chance to meet the characters & see Mickey at dinner, and the fact that you can order Mickey bars for room service. Each cruise is such a fantastic getaway and while we don't have kids -- we hope that will be changin' soon.

So, there you have it. In case you were curious why I Disney cruise and yes, we're that couple at dinner that doesn't have kids at our table or kids in our room or kids with us -- it's the type of cruise that honestly fits us just fine all the same.

Merry Christmas + Happy New Year//What I've been up too.

Hello friends + other bloggers who stumble upon my page of the internet: 

I didn't mean to take a break off the blog - it just got SO crazy for me in November with being out of town for Thanksgiving with my inlaws, then my husband's grandma passed unexpectedly, and then Christmas happened (my favorite day).. But now I am on vacation + approaching my workiversary (#4) at my company so I have time to breathe & reminisce.

Thought I'd say HELLO! & share a little bit of the past 6 weeks what #therobinson household has been doing. :)

From top to bottom - Dec 2nd - we saw the Candelight Processional @ Epcot with Neil Patrick Harris. He is fantastic :)

Before this happened - on my roadtrip to the Midwest for Turkey Day - we stopped by my old childhood home in Tennessee. Actually made me tear up after 17 years since we moved + all the memories that flooded in. I got to introduce my husband to a small part of my childhood. :)

Below, a selfie with my mom + sistas before Christmas shopping. Love this picture of us! <3

Below this, posing with my mom before my work Christmas party @ Universal Citywalk!

Lastly, Christmas has always been my favorite day to celebrate. This year marked our 6th Christmas together & regardless I love getting to do life with this guy - sharing moments and adventures :) This was us at my parents on Christmas in front of the tree. :)

  

 

Without further ado -- Merry Christmas + Happy New Year!
                                              Are you excited as me for what 2015 brings? I've started making some plans:

- Getting back into church

-Disney passes renewed//Working hard on the weight loss train!

- Feb 2015 - My niece arrives!! 

-February 14th - been training for my second 5K with my parents :) 

-March 15 - Celebrating my best half's birthday <3

This is just a snapshot of my year. What about you? I hope that this New Year brings you opportunities to do something great - whether its a promotion or a chance to do something great/different. :)  2015 is the year when I start a new era - I turn 30 in October! Been working hard + picking up the pace to lose weight/be proud of the moments to come in this year until my big celebration.

One of the big ways I started doing that is by babysitting to pay down student loans. I am going to continue this process to help make small dents. I am praying for opportunities to find more families or positions to give me a boost.

I hope you enjoy these next few last moments of 2014. :) I am definitely going to refocus attention back on here.  :)

From 28 to 29 years young//Pre-Birthday Interview.

Happy Thursday! I know I am WAY more excited to wake up tomorrow because it's my BIRTHDAY & it landed on Friday this year. :) Quite a bonus if you ask me!

Today - I am sharing another #tbt from birthday pasts. 

                                     

Hooray! Tomorrow's my Birthday, and the last one of my twenties. When I was growing up, my mom always 'interviewed' me at the beginning/end of a school year to remember my favorites at each time. I really miss it! I've decided each October 2nd, I am going to interview myself from the past year while getting ready to ring in the next. Think of it as the excitment (on my part) for Macy's Thanksgiving Parade + Scandal + Parenthood on the same day with a trip to Target/Starbucks SIMULTANEOUSLY.

My 28th Year Interview:

What are my top 3 favorite shows this year?

1. Scandal.

2. Parenthood

3. Bones

What is my favorite place to shop? (Top 3)

1. Target

2. Amazon.com

3. Kohl's. 

What are my top 5 favorite Disney attractions?

1. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

2. Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom)

3. Big Thunder Mountain (Magic Kingdom)

4. People Mover (Magic Kingdom)

5. Spaceship Earth (Epcot)

Top 5 Moments: 

1) Celebrating my 28th on a Disney Cruise. 

2) Paying off all UNSUB student loans. 

3) Celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary! {celebrate HERE!!}

4) Disney Annual Passholders!

5) First work promotion (ever).

Top 5 Goals for #29th year:

1) Mostly kick sweet tooth to curb.

2) Finish writing book/publish with Amazon.

3) Get in the fittest, healthiest version of myself.

4) Do more of what makes me HAPPY.

5) Be intentional & consistent in everything. :) 

Favorite memories to come in 2014/2015?

~ Cruising again w/Disney.

~ becoming a Aunt again!

~Hopefully starting our family *fingers crossed*

~ Published Author title.
~ Paying down more of student loans.
~ Keeping my blog consistent//learning how to design my blog.

What I've learned from my husband/marriage?

I can't imagine my life/future without him. We make success look easy but we both make sacrifices daily that have positive long term benefits for later. Hard to believe we've been together for 5+ years already. Seems like 5 min ago, we met online & Got led us together. There is simply no me without him!

Overall, I am thrilled to celebrate #29 (at midnight!)

& with family tomorrow night with some fun plans up my sleeves.

Thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow I'll be posting my Top 5 Birthday related gems on the Happy Birthday version of Oh Hey, Friday linkup! See you tomorrow :) xo. 

Dear Ladies, WE are good enough!

Happy Saturday! Honestly, I have been thinking about this post for months on end. I've been hearing a lot and reading alot of news where it feels like it keeps circling back to women questioning their worth whether its in a relationship, lack of self confidence, or both. To that I say, I've been in your shoes.

Let's take a beautiful walk down memory lane, shall we?

Long ago, when I was a teen, I was in the same boat as these women. Even on my best days, I didn't feel confident. I knew that being raised in the church and by my awesome family, that I was loved and capable of anything I set my mind too. It's a tad bit different when you don't believe that yourself. I used to memorize scripture passages for the sole purpose of encouragement. To this day, that comes in handy on a bad day. But I could quote those passages with my eyes closed & in my sleep. But did they encourage me deep down and make me feel like I was Miss Confident? Not all the time.

I realize that every lady is different. Everyone has had different circumstances in their lives, they've made the choices that has shaped and transformed them into who they are TODAY. I get it, I do because again, I am in the same boat and can relate. Every choice, thought, smile/frown, what I say has a positive or negative reaction that will have a long term effect on my life whether or not I recognize it.

But we as women need to stop either playing the victim card or trying to hide from being the confident, charming, awesome, talented women we are every second of the day. Regardless if we're not living up to our true potential or we're in the process of doing so, we have to stop letting other people dictate our joy and living our lives.

I know its easier said than done to stick up a few quotes and instantly force people to believe in themselves but at the same time, I love finding quotes to inspire & encourage. This is my mantra in life & it is the sole purpose of the book I've been writing to publish women at any stage of their lives.

So, ladies. Regardless if you're single, dating, been married for twenty years - each one of is incredibly awesome in our own distinctive way. Take time to know yourself and read up on what God thinks of you because regardless of what others see, He created you + looks at your heart, not on the materialistic things everyone else does. Be positive.. and like my dad told me growing up, 'Dream Big :)' You are meant for greatness even if you don't see it.

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend. Time to spend time with my favorite at my home away from home.. :) **

                         

                          

              

#throwbackthursdays

Every week, I join the world in remembering those flashback moments from years ago. I think I am going to start using Thursdays to post more than just one #tbt photo. If you follow me on Instagram HERE, you can see all my various pics but on here I want to keep track of the best memories I've made. (This could be a fun link up - all of us sharing our stories of special memories every week!)

Four years ago, this July I got engaged at Disney's Boardwalk Resort. (I make a big deal about dates - I loudly & proudly share why their important - got this gem of a memory from my dad!) One year prior to that, I started dating my boyfriend. In order to share the engagement & collage, let's back up and start from the foundation of where it all began..

I met my husband online. After a string of unsuccessful relationships online, there was something about his profile. When I first read it - I was smiling. (That's a good start, riiight?) He wrote that he liked The Office, time with his family, catching Cardinals games and to those that know him, he's basically a Disney fanatic!
He had me at hello. We started talking right away and would spend hours getting to know each other, daily. At the time my parents weren't thrilled because I had just graduated college and I was supposed to be finding a job, the dating scene could wait. But when you know, you know. He told me right off the bat that after his summer internship with Disney ended, he would be returning to finish his last semester of college. I told him that wouldn't be an issue, that's not a deal breaker for me. Our first date was park hopping at Disney, we managed to do all 4 parks and saw a movie in ONE day. (Not sure if you've ever done that, but it's exhausting!) After our really long first date, we kept talking and I kept job hunting. The latter had no real success. A couple weeks before he left, I had landed an volunteer internship position in the Education field. I kept going to job interviews but nothing was happening. My relationship with C blossomed fast. I was able to introduce him to my mom & sister the day he was leaving to fly home. They both liked him which also, a good sign. Part of my heart broke once he boarded his flight. I had fallen hard quickly but knew that he was my future.

After he left, the job front was basically crickets. Job fairs, interviews and lots of tension because I missed C and wanted to be with him. After him being gone for a month, I realized that it was time for my next great adventure. He was pretty excited of my plans. His parents who'd never met me allowed me to come live with them temporarily in transport to my first apartment. So, I told my parents who immediately weren't thrilled. We didn't get along. But I was moving two weeks after my 24th birthday. My birthday present from my parents (the only thing I asked for) - a oneway ticket to Kansas City, Missouri on October 14th, 2009. Which they gifted me with and while they didn't like it, I spent my birthday in tears, packing because all I wanted was to leave. However, I still enjoyed my birthday. I went out to dinner w/my parents and had Key Lime Pie for my dessert. I was also happy because it was the first time in my life when a boyfriend got me a birthday gift. Part of the reason I was more compassionate towards my parents was after talking to C's mom who told me she was praying for me in all of this. She wished me a Happy Birthday. That was the sweetest gesture from the mom  (who I'd never met) of my then-serious boyfriend who I was relocating halfway across the country for.

I fell hard for my husband and I do everyday. Next week, I will share my next #throwbackthursday post on moving to the Midwest and all of the adventures that arose from that. Thanks for stopping by. See you back here tomorrow for Five on Friday - celebrating my week!

Why I've been here before.

You remember that feeling when you were little and it seemed like a good idea to ride the merry-go-round over and over as much as possible? Or to run around in circles with your friends so that when you stop, not only are you dizzy but you feel like you are seeing stars? That's what the last six months have been like. We started 2014 out like many of the years before with sparkling cider, on cloud nine and with a big smooch. We listened as our neighbors partied a little too hard with their fireworks and good times. We made goals to make this year big, get some projects done and enjoy ourselves.

I was feeling pretty good for a few weeks when I got sick one day with symptoms I'd never had before. One of my best friends who has medical history told me it was probably gallstones -- which immediately scared me. I remember driving home that night shaking because I was in so much pain. I got sick that evening and thought I could brave the next day at work. Ironically, I had that Friday off to enjoy a long weekend off, not realizing my day would be spent going from my doctor's office to a specialist, back to my parents when I got that dreaded phone call that I had gallstones and would require surgery. I met with a surgeon on my lunch break who ordered me to report to the hospital that evening. My thoughts were swirling around in my head about how serious this was. I remember my mom driving me to the hospital that evening and I was trying to put on a brave face but internally I was scared. I didn't look sick but inside I felt absolutely horrible. I got stuck with 3 horrendous roommates and I grew really sick of being poked and prodded by needles/blood pressure throughout the nights. My surgery was delayed twice and I really had to cling to God in that hospital room. I was in pain I didn't think was possible, apparently I had passed a few gallstones (I apologize if that's a TMI) but by the time I got to have my surgery - I just wanted to feel better. Even after my surgery, I had no idea what ride I was in after having my gallbladder removed.

I felt after this that my entire year had just taken about six steps backwards. I felt wobbly and shaky afterwards for awhile. I really wanted to get back on the weight loss train but since I had abdominal surgery, I had to make sure my incisions healed properly. The week of our Disney cruise in March, I finally got the go-ahead from my surgeon to get back into working out, especially Zumba which I LOVE. But as anyone knows, when you go on a cruise even with your best intentions - you don't really lose weight. I think I gained 2 lbs from my cruise which isn't a show stopper by any means but when you have a LOT to lose, you don't want even a feather more than what you have.

**For those that didn't see any of our cruise pics, I'd like to share a few with you now!**

Anywho - after our cruise, I made every attempt to get back into losing weight but after coming back from our cruises and having some stress that undid the relaxation, we got back into the swing of things and focused ourselves on working on our home. We finally made some headway - we got our living room painted and our kitchen painted. We got other rooms in our house painted last weekend and now our house is looking more our personality. So while it feels like these past six months have felt like I keep circling back to the same place, I felt like it was time to mentally and physically process our year so far. I only feel like the year will get better. We have our staycation coming up relatively soon. We live in Florida where theme parks and days with Disney happen. We're where we're supposed to be even if it's been where we've been time and time again and will be back here again in the future.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here tomorrow to remember the good ol' days: #throwbackthursday :)

Thursday Thoughts.

I am so glad this day is over! I walked into work today, knowing it would be crazy and when I got there, someone had called out and I inherited their work on top of my own.

What do you do when you find yourself in this situation?
You immerse yourself in a mini Scandal marathon courtesy of Netflix.
You pet your two beautiful dogs, who sometimes make your life chaotic but like to give you love.
You enjoy some of your favorite snack - i.e. Kettle Sea Salt & Vinegar chips.
You enjoy giftcards from your wedding and peruse what things could be used at home.
You talk to your husband whose smile and hugs take away all stress from that day.
You take the reins of your blog and pop out both posts, while brainstorming your next ones.

Today was not my best day. But when I take a moment to encourage others and thank the Lord that I am actually too blessed to consider myself in a bad rut. I'd like to share my biggest reasons for why I am blessed and overall thankful for everything in my life. Some of these may seem silly but they make me SMILE!

1)

                             
                             

                        

Why am I so blessed you may ask? I met and married my best friend in 2011.

I've been blessed to go on 3 cruises, two of them being Disney Cruises & being introduced to Disney's private island - Castaway Cay in the Caribbean. 

When I have a bad day, and imagine being on a beach - that's where my mind goes, everytime!

Starbucks is a close friend. & that last one? My mantra in life.

I am slightly, well pretty open about my Target addiction.

I have two dogs who always keep me on the go!

I spend many weeknights, weekends at Disney World & wouldn't have it ANY other way.

I have some pretty freaking amazing friends in my life.

& it helps that my guy always keeps me smiling! :)

This is only a sneak peek or a glimpse of why I am blessed. Thanks for stopping by.

& I look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow for Five on Friday :) :) 

our recent #weekendadventures

Last night while laying in bed, that's honestly when C & I decide to chat at night. Worst time ever really because I am usually either in the extreme of super tired - will fall asleep when my head hits the pillow or wide awake. In the past few nights, I've been reflecting on how blessed my life is. I live in Florida (a LOT of people here hate living here for whatever reasons). I have annual passes to two of the best theme parks around (can go/leave when I want) and I'm a homeowner. I also am blessed to have my family live close by as well as most of my close gal pals. This has allowed me to have some pretty fantastic impromptu coffee dates or other adventures. Thought I'd take this post to share some of our recent adventures.

1) That hot pink truck thing was what I designed recently when we were riding Test Track. My hubs gave me full creative control so what else but to design a funky, HOT pink truck. I was proud and couldn't stop smiling. Needless to say, this will NOT be our next car. 

2) The middle pic is from our experience at the Flower & Garden festival at Epcot in April. If you've never been to this - its amazing, the entire park is decked out in flowers with HGTV demonstrations and different individuals who've planted flowers/veggies, etc showcase their talents. There is food, entertainment. This was in the butterfly garden - hundreds of butterflies flying around, I snapped a picture of one resting in the flowers. 

3) Part of what I love about Disney and their details during the Flower & Garden festivals which made me smile: different Disney characters pop up around the park shaped and pruned from plants/shrubs. I love Winnie the Pooh, they had the entire cast there - but since I didn't want to dominate it - I had to take short/choppy pictures.

4) center: Prince Charming & Cinderella//Flower & Garden festival.

5) Belle & Beast//Flower & Garden festival.

6) Disney water tower from the Backlot Tour at what will always be MGM to me.

7) More butterflies/flowers.//Flower & Garden festival.

There are many more pictures - but I've essentially taken up residence at Disney this year. We just went Sunday and I am already excited to head out again. :) 

Tonight is elliptical/Jillian as I catch up on some shows. I am sad its the time of year when my shows all end till the fall. But I am excited for America's Got Talent to start back up. That will be fun to enjoy til we get some time off later this summer. What about y'all? Any big summer plans or things you're looking forward to? Yay for 5 on Friday tomorrow :) 

Thanks for stopping by//God Bless - J

five (on) FRIDAY faves

                        Happy Friday, friends!

            Goodness – each time I sit down to write a blog post, life gets in the way. Most of the time for good reasons. This week I finally did something good and positive – I started jogging while on my daily pup walks after work. But its FRIDAY & I knew that I needed to write out some faves of my week to share with y’all J

         

  This week at the University I work with was SPRING BREAK!

SUPER nice to not have to wrestle students for parking spots. They’re not technically supposed to be parking in the staff lots but they do & when you’re running late – it just makes those 50 circles around the lot even more frustrating. This week they treated us staff to some of my absolute favorite things: Tijuana Flats, bowling, 4Rivers and yesterday – Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. Made my day.

  This weekend & well tonight – I am going to Epcot for a few rides & fireworks. I’m excited to be back – I get to go so much I feel I’ve taken up residence!

From the Flower & Garden festival - Epcot//April 2014

This weekend while I’m at my second home – I am finally getting a new accessory – Minnie Mouse ears @ 20% off. Thank you purchase from Starbucks at Disney for giving me this opportunity!

Been eyeing this for months!

Last Friday night - I went grocery shopping before Easter & did all my grocery shopping at Target after work. Combined with Cartwheel deals, big ol' stack of coupons and my red card - I saved so much - I was proud. 

Lastly, while shopping – I finally tried out these new delish treats – Birthday Cake M&M’s. Oh my goodness, they have replaced my old fave peanut butter M&M’s. If you ever want chocolate cake and want lower calories, ladies – grab a bag, you won’t be sorry!

Hope you have a truly FANTASTIC weekend. Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully I will get rested up this weekend so I can get back to posting more than once a week! ~ J

       

Weekend Recap

Hiii friends. Hope your weekend was really fantastic. I had my sisters over for the weekend so that my parents could escape to the beach. They celebrated their 32nd anniversary last week. Unfortunately my dad got really sick so their getaway ended sooner but they still had a good time. My sisters helped me kick off my spring cleaning with a bam - by getting me to clean my room and my bathrooms. 

Last weekend when I got home from my cruise to paradise - I got a rude reality check. We had friends/family coming here to check up on our dogs to let them out. My next door neighbor literally called in my dogs as abandoned because she was barking. Not the ideal way to return home after a cruise.

Any who - this weekend was truly fantastic. After taking my hubs to work - I hit up Ross and Tarjay with my sisters. I find it successful if I can keep my 13 year old sister from texting every three minutes. But it was nice to be silly, kind of impulsive at Tarjay. I walked away with some Peeps and Easter cookie cutters - making bunny cookies for my family at Easter dinner. Pretty sure I was the most excited person about it.

Last night - we took my sisters to Downtown Disney, with the intention of going shopping and getting our free piece of Ghiradelli chocolate. However, with the constant construction and zilch parking available - we used our Annual Passes to our advantage - we went to the Boardwalk Hotel (one of Disney's hotels). It meant more to us because four years ago (this July) we got engaged there. Aw. 

Four years ago, he liked it & put a ring on it. We're so cute.

My new handbag from Disney. Totes love it!

However today - I had the distinct pleasure of baking for my parents. This year for my mom's birthday, I know she is busy finishing her Master's degree this summer so I wanted to cook for her. Today I made the dessert so I kind of went backward but she taught me everything I know. She shared her passion with me.

Later on this afternoon, I finally put up the beautiful collage that I found at Kohl's for 90% off. It looks beautiful. I'll have to get a picture up. For now - I need to stop watching Glee and hit the hay. Busy 6 day work week ahead for this lady & I'll need my sleep especially if I want this cold/sinus jazz to leave! Take care :) 

Five on Friday!

 

Finally decided that since my favorite Girl Between the Lines linkup is down finished – sad face – that I needed to join up a new one. So I am going to try to be committed to the Five on Friday craze that I see but I never remember to do. Lo and behold – here I am. - my first one.  

1.       Last night we hit up Tarjay & Walmart for our biweekly grocery shopping trip. I am happy to share that between the two trips with my Cartwheel App (if you love Tarjay/saving money, try it!), coupons and sales in the store – I saved $12. I was pretty happy. 

2.       When we were on our Disney cruise last week – on Friday, we woke up in Nassau to see that the Disney Wonder was also in our port. We were excited because usually we only see Carnival in the port when we’re there. More exciting since we booked our 2015 Disney cruise through the Wonder. They’ll be stopping in Nassau so its exciting to see this ship up close.

 

 

 

 

3.       First off – I realized the day after I got back that I have am allergic to pollen. Never in my life before has this so dramatically made me excited to breathe. I feel like it really does hurt me at work in terms of concentration. But this does sum up my week & has made me feel like I am suddenly old & hard of hearing. I hate (with a passion) being congested.

 

4.       The week before my cruise I participated in my first focus group that paid me. It was an interesting experience but nonetheless, I am excited because I am finally using it to buy my new handbag – I was originally waiting to treat myself for my birthday plus I’m a Disney Annual Pass Holder so I will get 10% off. I fell in love with it & can’t wait to own this bag.

 

 

5.       When I came home from the Bahamas on Sunday am, I saw on my Freebies 2 Deals email website, which you need to follow. She is amazing & just wrote her first book that I intend on buying. I just happened to catch the last day of a Snapfish photo prints deal that let me print most of my cruise pics for 99 cents + shipping. = $7 I plan on a few scrapbooking dates with my mom soon. It’s here in Florida and I am supposed to get it tomorrow!

 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a fantastic weekend. This week after vacay has been super slow and I am definitely counting down to my weekend starting at 6pm. I have my sisters over for the weekend since my parents are celebrating their 32nd anniversary simultaneously. :)

Spring is coming! {March '14 Goals}

Not saying when my cruise is but these are my favorite parts of my Disney cruise & I cannot wait to enjoy them! :) There's a few things that I didn't take advantage of last time that are on my bucket list for this one. <3

& now without further ado. Time to get my March goals out there.

1) Enjoy my husband's birthday next weekend. I am a big birthday person. I already have his gift but I cannot wait to enjoy his birthday with him for a few days after he took good care of me after my surgery last month.

2) Do something fun for St. Patrick's Day. Even if it's as simple as Shamrock Shakes ;)

3) Get my Yoga/Pilates/Zumba back on - to look good.

4) Get my beach pass. Already excited for that to pay itself off.

5) Work hard to make my house look great on the outside/inside.

6) Spend more time being creative. 

7) Take more 'me time' ..

8) Plan more cheap dates with my mister!