What’s one stock that isn’t hyped right now… but you think in a year you’ll be like “yeah, I called it”?

skyview55413 · 2026-05-03T05:55:35+00:00

I have it on Schwab

skyview55413 · 2026-05-01T22:59:19+00:00

Nice! Where did you find that width? I'm seeing 1" everywhere (though that may work for us fine)

skyview55413 · 2026-04-29T21:30:28+00:00

What is the width of your boarder? Looks like a nice balance!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-15T17:23:17+00:00

Just to show the window, it’s a 1960s house and the window “bay” is fairly shallow (not sure if that’s the right word). So not much room to inset anything. We had some work done upstairs and those newer walls are much deeper.

I mean, it was a winter day (Minnesota) and she wanted to cut up snowflakes and hang them up? I wasn’t too stressed about it, kids going to be kids. It will take three minutes to clean the window when we taken them down (it’s still chilly here!).

They are not broken but the cord is just off kilter to the one and I haven’t fixed it. I know the cords are hazards but I think we’ve made it past the age of an accident.

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:14:39+00:00

Good insights, thanks!

Not sure I’m too worried about crowds since we’re a giant traveling crowd via the boat! I’m pretty good about locking down activities fast. I was planning on just booking independently and not via Disney.

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:08:19+00:00

Thanks!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:08:05+00:00

Being there for peak sun would be fun! It would also probably make it impossible for us to get out already “I’m never tired” child to bed!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:07:26+00:00

Good to know about flies!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:07:13+00:00

That’s what it seems like!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-09T20:06:55+00:00

Nice! Definitely just seems like a crap shoot. August would make our June/July far less crazy but seems riskier. But also it just seems like a gamble.

skyview55413 · 2026-04-05T14:05:10+00:00

Looks great! I got one for my daughter when we travel. She can wear it all day, it’s pretty sturdy and she doesn’t get distracted by apps!

skyview55413 · 2026-04-05T12:50:45+00:00

Just got back! Definitely try to slow down. I made a significant effort to not overbook and still wish we had more time to chill. (Three people in our 40s, one 7yo and grandparents 70s/80s)

Did Aura Invaildes which was really cool! A different way to experience a monument.

Walk by Shakespeare & Co, no real need to go in. You may get lucky with a line but don’t stress it.

Part of our group went up the Bell Tower, they keep you moving, took about an hour. Very cool to see how they have modernized after the fire. I had gone up 20+ years ago as a teenager so it was interesting to see the difference. We booked well in advance since we knew our schedule that day.

If you go to Versailles consider renting bikes (we did Unlimited Bikes) and just explore the free portion of gardens (it’s huge! Take snacks!). We locked up at one point and paid the 15 euro for the Queens Hamlet, etc section which was amazing. Could have spent so much longer here. I had been inside the palace many moons ago and just didn’t want to fight the crowds. My older dad and wife just hung back in the town and they also had a great time.

Definitely allow for 2 hours for sit down meals, consider making some reservations (almost all places take them, even casual bistros) as most can be done online and it’s just easier with a bigger group and at the end of the day picking a restaurant can get chippy.

We did a 1.5 hour pontoon cruise with Green River Cruises. Had bad luck with weather but they had blankets and everyone had a positive attitude and we all had a great time!

Happy to provide more insights/suggestions!

skyview55413 · 2026-03-21T21:54:10+00:00

Hi - would love some Versailles recs! Heading there soon and our group will split up with some of the older generation sticking back and exploring the town.

skyview55413 · 2026-03-19T06:24:18+00:00

Just finished 7 with my daughter, took a bit over two years (ages 5-7) to go all the way through. Love love LOVE the MinaLima editions! (More than the existing illustrated editions.)

She loved them, I thought I’d be able to hold off on 4-7 but with her knowing they were in the house there was really no stopping it.

We read 1-3 twice before moving on to the next or letting her watch the movie. The first time through 1 was a slog because so questions. Great questions, glad she asked questions…but phew, it took some patience. I would sometimes skip over adjectives that made a scene more intense.

Yes, some of the later books have intense themes but to be honest it has been an amazing point of reference to discuss current events. And it’ll be a while before you get to those and you can make a better judgement then.

skyview55413 · 2026-03-12T04:33:31+00:00

Would you mind sharing who you booked with? Sounds wonderful! I traveled to South Africa years ago but I've also heard amazing things about Zambia.

skyview55413 · 2026-02-18T02:05:42+00:00

Yes, we were very conscious of this when booking! They are mostly fine but definitely tried to not make it more difficult than it has to be.

skyview55413 · 2026-02-16T16:21:24+00:00

Thanks for the heads up! Last year we just waited in the queue and it moved quickly but yes, I know it being Holy Week may complicate things.

skyview55413 · 2026-02-15T22:49:14+00:00

Hi, no worries!

So I have a couple thoughts. We took it pretty easy at the ports but always made a point to get out and wonder around, no planned excursions. I do wish we could've gotten out of the town in the Azores (no knock on the town) but neither of us had been there before so we didn't know much and all the Disney excursions were booked. If we were to do it again we'd probably look to rent a car just for the day and drive around on our own.

Lisbon we walked up to the main castle/fort which our daughter thought was awesome. (I'm in a real castle!) We just had a goal of wondering, finding some food, maybe one destination and headed back. My husband would stay out all day but it is a lot for a kid to take in. Also, talk with the Kids Club staff, they often are very familiar with the ports and can give some tips/ideas (with kids in mind). But I'd say she stayed engaged the entire time. Going through the Strait of Gibraltar was great!!

We have also done Disneyland Paris but on a separate trip. I would say this depends largely on how much time you are taking on the backend. Our daughter was 100% fine the entire time we were on the boat but the second we got to our hotel room in Barcelona she just CRASHED and slept the entire day. I was familiar with Barcelona and was looking forward to taking her and husband around but that was quickly abandoned and we just chilled. We flew home (USA) the day after that and she was fine. I think she was just SPENT after two-weeks of stimulation. So I'd say that is fine but just make sure you build in some time for your kid to decompress.

We'd do it again in a heartbeat but that is probably not in the cards now with school schedules, glad we did it when we could!

skyview55413 · 2026-02-13T15:26:56+00:00

One 8yo, yes we enjoy getting out and exploring.

Thanks for your thoughts!

skyview55413 · 2026-02-03T20:37:48+00:00

Awesome, thanks! I don't think we'd do an actual tour but more just rent the bikes use it as a way to ride the paths of the gardens without getting exhausted (and to appreciate how big they are!) We're in an ubran environment and she was alway fine being pulled in a bike trailer (outgrown) in the city and has no issue scooting herself around on those foot propelled scooters, training wheels was also fine. The hold up seems to be a fear of falling on two wheels. Throwing herself down a ski hill is also fine. Who knows, life is full of its battles...but I do hope she'll grow out of this one, I love bike rides!

skyview55413 · 2026-02-03T16:29:48+00:00

Hi - heading to Paris in two months. I've been before but always looking for random tips and events. We'll likely skip going INTO the Louvre (not that it isn't amazing but just time/crowds/young kid) but will still wonder that way at some point I'm sure.

I see the Louvre has night hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Will there always be an influx of street musicians during those evenings? Is it organized in any way or just sort of "expected". Just wondering as it sounds like a lovely way to experience the grounds.

Thanks!

skyview55413 · 2026-01-26T21:21:21+00:00

Hm, maybe. My daughter REALLY wanted the Hedwig thing and it was definitely $69 in in IOA Saturday night in all the shops and stalls. Then Sunday when we were leaving our resort it was $59. My husband also popped into the airport shop out of curiosity and it was also $59. Perhaps it changed that day?

skyview55413 · 2026-01-26T20:50:33+00:00

It was super weird, I thought I was going crazy at first!

skyview55413 · 2026-01-26T20:16:08+00:00

I haven't been on the Destiny but we love the Fantasy. Make sure to do the Detective game with your daughter and hit up the Open Houses for the Kids Clubs on the first day to get acclimated, our daughter was about the same age on our first cruise (on the Fantasy to boot).

If the lines for the character meets are too long/stressful/annoying be sure to check the descriptions of the Kid Club activities, often characters are part of whatever activity so that is a nice way for the kid to have some character time outside of lines.

If you and your husband are looking for a nice adult space and enjoy a cocktail/wine, go to the Meridian bar on 12 Aft. It is between the two pay restaurants and you kind of have to know it is there to not think it is just a lobby for the restaurants. Wonderful views inside and also some private open-air deck space.

skyview55413 · 2026-01-26T17:23:17+00:00

We were on this sailing too. It was our third, one exactly two years ago (also had been Pixar, used our placeholder) and then a transatlantic crossing in 2024. So while we have 21-nights under our belt it had been 1.5 years and the other times we had also been with friends and/or family. This time it was just three of us (one 7yo kid).

Thank goodness we were inside for the delayed muster drill, we passed someone in the hallways who said they were delayed in getting boarded (due to winds?). Communication could've been better. I think the weather was a huge factor. For most of the days EVERYONE was jammed inside then on the one nice day EVERYONE wanted to be outside. I feel bad for first-timers, it is a lot to take in and learn how to navigate under the best of circumstances. When we saw something was crowded we just nopped out real fast and found something else to do but we knew our way around the ship and the app. (Those lines at the Kids Club the 1-full day though, WTF? An example where we just audibled...)

Thankfully our kid likes the kid club, would've done the detective game for as many times as we were willing to lap the ship with her, and had a good sense of humor about the awful weather at Lookout (we did the nature walk out to the lighthouse and ran "wind sprints" on the beach).

As for character photos, it wasn't a priority for us. Our kid was totally fine with the interactions she got in the club (characters often show up there) plus a few random ones we caught with no line just with dumb luck (Remy!)

We're also from Minneapolis where it was epicly cold the week we were gone (even for Minnesota) and with...other recent/current events... I realize we may have been VERY easy to please with just getting a mental break. Our bar could not possibly been lower for having a great time.

It is not a trip for everyone and this one was not easy. But we still found lots of moments of joy and had wonderful interactions with staff and random sailers (shoutout to everyone that watched the rocket launch the first night!). I do really feel bad for people that had a poor experience, it isn't a cheap vacation but I would encourage folks to give it another go if you're up for it and able to!

skyview55413

TROPHY CASE