Regal Palms Villas, Davenport, FL

I chose Regal Palms Resort and Spa because we had been there a few years ago and we really enjoyed our stay. This time, we enjoyed our stay but the unit we had, #2224, lacked many of the things we had in our previous villa.
During our stay this time, our house phone did not work the entire time, our king bed squeaked when I sat on it, there was one cooking pot in the kitchen (had to purchase a set), the pillows on our bed were flat ( had to purchase more), there was no bathroom tissue except for the rolls on the holder (had to purchase more), there was one mixing bowl (purchased some), there were no kitchen cloths to wash dishes (purchased some), there was no dish washing detergent (purchased some). So, we had to spend money on things that should have been in the unit already. On top of that, we had to shop for the things we knew we had to buy; coffee and filters, detergent for washing clothes, and food to fix when we didn't eat out. 
We also purchased towels for the pool. The resort puts a $10 hold on your credit card for each towel you check out when going to the pool.  Since Dollar General was right across the street, going there and purchasing a $4 towel was a better option. And we got to take it home when we left. After all, one can never have too many good towels.
Also convenient to the resort was a Publix grocery store, a CVS pharmacy, iHop and more. It is also minutes from Hwy 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) which has tons of restaurants and places to shop. We were 20 miles from theme parks and other popular attraction. It was a good stay with family. We made the best of our time together. And at the end of the day, that is what was most important.

Some Things Seem Obvious...

Sometimes it seems that you would know certain things. And while some of us giggle at the photo, others seem really clueless at time. Instead of getting mad or upset, just think of this photo, and smile.

We Can't Afford Distractions!

A couple of weeks ago I was in a bad car accident. I ran off the pavement, over corrected and crashed into a ditch/embankment and ended up in a field. When I look at the totaled car, I think of how it could have been much worse for me. I was not badly hurt but I have an new respect for remaining focused. I wasn't speeding but my brain was! I imagine we all do that from time to time. We have a million things to do, we are doing one thing but we are thinking about the next 5 tasks, we start one thing and move to another without completing the first one. In the rush, rush, hurry up, "I need it yesterday" world, we can get caught up and loose our single focus. My accident taught me to slow my brain down and do one thing at a time. No more "superwoman" syndrome for me. I will be slower and more deliberate with my tasks and my choices. I will remain more focused on the task-at-hand and not be distracted by other future activities.
And while I was not seriously injured, I could not help but think about other things in life that distract us. Satan the devil is constantly trying to distract us from our service to Jehovah God. Satan has "shiny objects" that he places before us daily called commercialism. We are bombarded with TV ads, radio commercials and magazine ads that try to convince us we need their products to feel better about who we are, to look better for those around us or to send some sort of signal that we have "arrived" or "overcome". If we are not careful, we fall prey to the hype and before we know it, we are enslaved to debt and fear and sorrow. All this because we lost our focus. I am not even going to explore how Satan also uses religion, politics and nationalism to divide us and make us loose our focus. But know this, ANYTHING that takes our focus off of our service to God and his son Jesus, serves Satan's purpose. He doesn't have to turn us completely away from Jehovah and Jesus, he just wants to deviate our path. He want's to keep us a little "left of center". He wants us to take our eyes off the road ahead of us for just a little while. When we do that, we are setting ourselves up for disaster. Then, when we try to get back on the road, we may over correct and crash. The remedy is to not allow our eyes, our mind or our heart to loose focus. It is the only way to avoid disaster and gain the ultimate prize of everlasting life.

Lesson Learned Dec 19, 2016

Last night in bed, I leaned over to kiss hubby good night. I am recovering from a rollover car accident so my face is swollen and I have what I call "panda eyes" (dark pouches under my eyes). I said, 'I hate to kiss you with my face looking so ugly." He said, "Who told you that?" I replied, "I told myself that." He said, "Well, you lied. You are beautiful." I chuckled and remarked, "But I have two black eyes!" He said, without missing a beat, "You have always had two black eyes." I thought about giving him a matching set....until i thought about what he said. In that moment I realized that although my accident had temporarily changed my appearance, my husband still saw me as who I am permanently. He never stopped calling me gorgeous, which he does daily. He also would feel some type of way if he didn't get his hug and kiss when he came home. Then he would lovingly tease me until he got them. He is such a joker! But I digress.... When I thought about our conversation, I realized there were lessons to be learned:

Beauty really is in the eyes of the beholder. So, when someone honestly tells you that you are beautiful, believe them!

True love forgives mistakes.

Temporary situations are not permanent.

Who you are on the inside is ultimately better than your outside appearance.

The truth, though blaringly obvious, is sometimes overlooked.

In the end, love will always win.

I am so thankful to have such a thought-provoking husband who reminds me of his love in big and small ways. It has always been my goal to show him daily how much that means to me.

Save Money Without Much Effort

Who doesn't like to save money? Not very many people I am sure. Because of my membership with My $1 Business, I was able to download a shopping app on my phone a couple of days ago. I went shopping and got a couple of items on the savings list. Because of that, I save $1 for two items and since I redeemed my receipt within 7 days of downloading the app, I received a $10 bonus!! So I am extremely happy.  Most of the stores in my area are on the list, so most of my shopping will allow me to save money. 

I actually have the $10 monthly membership (you can upgrade when you join, but it is not mandatory). With that membership, I also get discounts on travel. That will help me as a travel agent, to save even more money on my personal travel.
I will be tracking my savings and blogging about the deals and savings.
I know most of us are able to pay for a $1 monthly membership to be able to save $10's or $100's. It is a win-win situation. And, if you decide to pay $10 a month, one week at a resort could save you the yearly cost of your membership. Give it a try today. There are no long-term contracts and you can cancel your membership at any time.
​I look forward to hearing how much you save on the things you already buy. Go to http://bit.ly/bam1od and start saving today. On the home page, you will see my code "bam1" in the white box. Just click CONTINUE to get to the information.

My Favorite Photos

There are always some photos that I take that are my favorite. I am going to share them with you and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Photos From Fantasy World 1

Before we left Florida, we decided to visit the next resort we would be coming to next year. When we arrived unannounced, we could only hope they were not full and would let us see a villa. They were very accommodating and gave us a key to a unit and invited us to explore the pool area as well. As you can see from the photos, the area is nice, clean and inviting. We are looking forward to returning to Fantasy World and hope you will come join us there! Call our office for current prices.