I took a somewhat unplanned trip to Disney World at the beginning of January. After our December trip and being sad that Christian and I wouldn't be back until February, my friend jokingly said "you're welcome to join me Marathon weekend." Don't have to tempt me twice, haha! Sadly I had to leave Christian at home because he didn't want to take days off work.

We were originally staying at Pop Century Resort, old faithful, but a week before the trip we saw our dates pop up on a DVC Rental Facebook group for Disney's Old Key West Resort. We paid $865 for 4 nights by renting DVC points versus $2,043 booking directly through Disney. It ended up being cheaper than our Pop Century cost!

This resort was one of the lower on my list because it's a bit far from some of the parks and isn't in a theme I'm super excited about. But I'm glad I finally stayed here because I do want to stay at all the Disney World Resorts at some point. 

Since the resort is so big, we got to take a golf cart to our room with our luggage so we didn't have to lug it the whole way to the room. You can also request this service on your checkout day as well.  They carts are a little noisy but it was so fun! It's the little things, I guess, ha ha.

The rooms are in small buildings that house a few rooms each. We were on the second floor of our building. Be warned, there are no elevators at this resort so if you need accessibility accommodations make sure you let that be known. The ice stations are also not part of the buildings. We saw some at the various bus stops and I believe I read there are some by the pools as well.

Transportation

Buses

The main form of transportation besides driving yourself or using rideshare is buses. Because the resort is so big there is an internal bus loop as well as buses to the parks. The bus stops are as follows:

• Peninsular Road
• Old Turtle Pond Road (this was our stop!)
  
• South Point
• Miller’s Road
• Hospitality House / North Cove

Heading to the parks the bus stops in the above order, the same with returning from the parks. If you're coming from Disney Springs it will stop at the hospitality house first on the way back. It takes around 10-15 minutes to do the internal loop through Disney's Old Key West Resort. Once the bus leaves the resort at the Hospitality House, it takes about 10-15 minutes to arrive at Epcot or Disney's Hollywood Studios and 15-20 minutes to arrive at Magic Kingdom Park or Disney's Animal Kingdom Park.

Boat

Heading to Disney Springs? There's a boat dock by the hospitality building that will take you over to the Marketplace entrance of Disney Springs. There are also buses, but if you want a more fun ride, and have some time to kill, take the boat. It takes about 15 minutes once you're on a boat.

Walking

Dining

Olivia's Cafe

Olivia's is well known for their tasty breakfast, more specifically their buttermilk fried chicken. I had only ever heard good things so I was very excited for our breakfast. Unfortunately, I should have looked at photos before ordering because the breakfast version came with a huge ladle full of southern gravy on it that wasn't listed on the menu. It was listed for the "lunch" version so I assumed that meant it wasn't on breakfast. I didn't want to make a big deal so I scraped it off the best I could but was left a little unsatisfied because I lost a lot of the crispy breading. The Olivia's Breakfast Potatoes also weren't what I was expecting, I assumed a dry seasoned potato but they had a sauce. So make sure you look at photos to make sure you'll enjoy the offerings. I'll get the pancakes next time, haha!

Good's Food to Go

This was Caleb's go to spot for breakfast and late dinners. I actually didn't end up eating here at all because I wanted to save for snacks and breakfast in the park (and when we had dinner at the hotel I ate somewhere else.) Next time I'll make sure to grab something from here too. The breakfast did look very good, I just wanted my Cheshire cat tail from Magic Kingdom instead, haha! They stay open until 10pm if you need a quick bite after a long park day!

Gurgling Suitcase Libations and Spirits

This is mainly a bar but on one of our evenings I got the Savory Hushpuppies which are also available at Olivia's. I opted for no key lime mustard on mine. They were very good, I even brought a few home for Christian to try and they traveled pretty well. It was a little pricey at $14 since I also had to tip the bartender even though I just grabbed them for takeout. They are usually open until 11pm, but hours may vary.

Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks

We did not eat here on our stay but they have basic food items as well as a bar. Grab a pizza, sandwich or even a cheese board while you relax by the pool.

Recreation

Pools

We did not take advantage of any pools on our trip, but there are three "leisure" pools in the Old Turtle Pond, South Point and Miller’s Road sections. There is also the feature pool, aptly called Sandcastle Pool because it has a huge sandcastle slide.

Sporting Activities

Old Key West also has Tennis and Pickleball courts, a basketball court AND a volleyball court for those wanting some fun competition during their stay.  The Lake Buena Vista golf course is also visible from the Resort grounds. More information including how to book a tee time can be found on the Disney website.

Fishing

Activities

Happy 2024! I hope everyone's year is off to a good start. Mine has been lowkey, as usual. Spent a few hours with my parents on New Years Eve and headed home around 11pm and played Animal Crossing and Dreamlight Valley on our Nintendo Switches in bed until midnight and promptly went to bed.

Let's flash back to Christmas Eve and what I wore. Decided to wear my patchwork Saint Laurent blouse because it's been way too long since it has had an outing. I paired it with my comfortable purple velvet J Brand jeans and Lanvin city sandals. I also just realized I wore these pants for Thanksgiving too, haha! Guess they're becoming part of my holiday staples. I forgot to grab accessories before heading over to my parent's house so this was a super easy look.

Blouse: Saint Laurent silk patchwork blouse (eBay)

Pants: J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple/Aubergine Velvet (The RealReal)

Sandals: Lanvin studded leather 'City' sandal (The RealReal)

No new buys this month, but I got a velvet lounge set for Christmas and a Halfday Garment Duffle bag. Yay presents, haha!  Overall this was a very low-buy year and I anticipate next year will be the same. I don't really need any clothes but I'm sure I'll buy something if anything catches my fancy or an item I've been hunting for pops up on the resale market.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. VERMONT Sweatshirt in light gray via the Weston Village Store ($20, retail $50) 
2. Nicole Miller abstract floral print shorts ($4 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
3. Knox Rose Crewneck Pullover Sweater in Green Striped via Target ($23 after coupon, used gift card)
   
4. Knox Rose Relaxed Fit Tapered Jogger Pants in Blue via Target ($21 after coupon, used gift card)
   

1. C&C California Grey Shorts ($6 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
   

Shoes:

1. A New Day Vicki Mid Calf Rubber Rain Boots in Matte Black via Target ($21.60 after coupon, used gift card)
   

Handbags:

1. None yet

1. Apple Watch 8 Midnight Aluminum Case with Elderberry Sport Band (gift from Christian)
2. Aurate Pearl Lariat Necklace (won a gift card on Instagram)
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None yet

Gifted from Brands:

• Aetrex Maui Orthotic Flip Flops in Matte Black
• Aurate Crossover Ring in Yellow Gold 
• Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Vintage Ring in Yellow Gold with Amethyst and Citrine
• Aurate Birthstone Baguette Studs in London Blue Topaz
• Day Owl "The Backpack" in Jam Red
• Day Owl "The Cord Pouch" in Nocturnal Black
  

Spent in December: $0

Spent in 2023: $30

Spent in 2023 - counting ad money: $30

I wore this for a Saturday spent running errands, going out to lunch, walking in the park and a very impromptu visit with one of my oldest friends! She lives right down the street from the park we like to walk at so I texted her to see if they were home. Didn't get an answer (not unusual, she has a 1 year old!) so we decided to drive by on our way out and she happened to be outside! We hung out for a few hours and chatted, she was able to get to know Christian a little more since we haven't hung out as a couple all that much. Sometimes a random visit is all you need, so refreshing. Both of us are HORRIBLE at planning because I won't invite myself to hang out with people and she's so busy she forgets, haha! Struggles.

Sweater: Autumn Cashmere Landscape Intarsia Sweater

Jeans: rag & bone 'Nina' high rise ankle skinny jean in burgundy

Boots: Marc by Marc Jacobs Buckle Boot in burgundy (Coco's on the Green) 

Bag: Chloé Faye (eBay)  

Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome) 

We've got a very brown roundup this week. I guess that's normal for Fall/Winter though. Most of these came out well, but one was a bit of a mess (at least in my opinion.) My next round of bakes will probably be more Christmas-related. We're two weeks away so gotta get it all in now!

Herb & Olive Oil Focaccia

I've been waiting for enough of our currant tomatoes to ripen before making focaccia and finally admitted defeat and made one without them. I like adding them because they're a fun pop of color and one of the few ways I enjoy tomatoes (because they're so small!) I decided to try a different focaccia recipe since I bought King Arthur's "Italian Style Flour" when we went to the Vermont store and the bag said it was great for focaccia. I decided to go to the source and found a recipe where they used the same flour.

Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

Normally I follow my Aunt's recipe for sticky buns but decided to give Jenna's a try. Hers has a LOT more butter, ha ha. The process to make them was a little longer but super simple. Even before they fully rose in the pan I could tell they were going to be TASTY! (That could also be because there's over 2 sticks of butter in them. Maybe I didn't bake them long enough or there was too much topping, but a few of the rolls had some raw dough at the bottom. I was going to reheat them at my friend's so I left them as is instead of baking them longer at home.

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S'mores Bars

I made these when I went to visit my friend Kristen to meet her new baby. She LOVES s'mores so the second I saw this recipe on Instagram I knew I had to bring them for her.  I made my own fluff because we didn't have any and I think that was my fatal error. They definitely didn't come out looking as nice, but they were edible. But I'm glad I brought the Cinnamon Buns with me too so she doesn't think I'm just a horrible baker ;) (don't worry, she knows I can bake, ha ha!) Here's a "before baking" photo because the baked ones were too ugly!

Apple Cider Cake

Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars

One weekend I was hanging out at my parent's house and my Mom and I decided to get some Christmas baking done. We made a batch of pecan pie bars because they freeze nicely and we can pull them out right before our annual Christmas Eve gathering. They were very simple to make. Our only issue was the edges browned pretty easily even when tenting with foil. I also thought ours came out too short but after we cut them into squares they looked more like her photos! We won't know the full verdict on taste until Christmas, but I enjoyed my sample piece!

Paw Print Peanut Butter Blossoms

I've made this recipe before, but this time I switched up the presentation! My brother in law saw a picture of paw print cookies and asked me to make them for him (my sister doesn't bake.) I thought it would be fun so I told him what ingredients I needed and then got to work. I made the cookies slightly larger than the original recipe says so I would be able to fit a Kiss and 3 chocolate chips. I actually tested 3 different sizes, varying from 60 to 40 grams, and deemed the 40 gram version best. Not too big, bit still enough room around the chocolate. And yes, I weighed every single cookie, precision is fun!

These days Thanksgiving outfits are mostly about comfort. It's just the immediate family hanging out at my parents eating a big meal so there's no need to get super dressed up anymore. I do still want to feel a little fancier than usual so I made sure to wear some leopard print pumps to add a fun element.  Initially I was unsure of the color combo because purple and orange can be too "Halloween." In the end I decided it was perfectly Autumn, especially with the leopard pumps.

Sweater: Mīere the Label women's cotton knit sweater in terracotta

Pants: J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple/Aubergine Velvet via The RealReal

Leopard Pumps: Cole Haan 'Chelsea' via Roundabout

Bag: Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag in Croc (small version) c/o Shopbop

Beaded Necklace c/o Aurate Destination Aura Beaded Necklace in Marrakech

Pearl Necklace: Aurate Pearl Lariat Necklace

I survived the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and didn't buy any new clothes. This has been a very sparse year for additions to my closet. It's probably a good thing since my closet is pretty full as it is. I still have some pieces I need to either consign or sell myself. I just hate the idea of consigning because as a consigner you really don't make much money versus selling yourself on eBay or poshmark. But it makes it so much easier. Struggles.

 THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

 

Clothes:

1. VERMONT Sweatshirt in light gray via the Weston Village Store ($20, retail $50) 
2. Nicole Miller abstract floral print shorts ($4 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
3. Knox Rose Crewneck Pullover Sweater in Green Striped via Target ($23 after coupon, used gift card)
   
4. Knox Rose Relaxed Fit Tapered Jogger Pants in Blue via Target ($21 after coupon, used gift card)
   

1. C&C California Grey Shorts ($6 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
   

Shoes:

1. A New Day Vicki Mid Calf Rubber Rain Boots in Matte Black via Target ($21.60 after coupon, used gift card)
   

Handbags:

1. None yet

1. Apple Watch 8 Midnight Aluminum Case with Elderberry Sport Band (gift from Christian)
2. Aurate Pearl Lariat Necklace (won a gift card on Instagram)
   

Activewear/Swimwear:

1. None yet

Gifted from Brands:

• Aetrex Maui Orthotic Flip Flops in Matte Black
• Aurate Crossover Ring in Yellow Gold 
• Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Vintage Ring in Yellow Gold with Amethyst and Citrine
• Aurate Birthstone Baguette Studs in London Blue Topaz
• Day Owl "The Backpack" in Jam Red
• Day Owl "The Cord Pouch" in Nocturnal Black
  

Spent in November: $0

Spent in 2023: $30

Spent in 2023 - counting ad money: $30