Lasik

I had the most amazing week in Florida last week.  I really think it has been the best idea getting an annual pass to both Universal and Disney this year.  I’m not sure I’ll have another fun and magical filled year after my passes expire.

I had this post all written up and ready to post on Saturday, but in all the craziness of not knowing if I'd make it out of Orlando in time, or if I'd have to stay through the hurricane I wasn't able to get this post up in time.  Luckily my flights went off without a hitch and I made it home safe and sound.  I'm praying for all those in Florida, and really throughout the world who have been affected by all the huge natural disasters that seem to be happening right now.

My review today isn’t really Disney related like my last few posts have been, it’s time to start getting back to reality. 

However the subject of my post did make my Disney trip that much more enjoyable… as well as just life in general!

Today I’m going to be reviewing my experience with getting Lasik on my eyes.

I had always considered getting Lasik… one day.  I just never really considered when ‘one day’ would be.  Then my brother Jeff got Lasik last year and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it! 

It got to the point where I was daily listing to myself all the things that would be better if I didn’t have glasses.  I don’t really know what the catalyst was to finally decide it was the right time, but I decided to call a couple of places on a whim to get an estimate and everything happened really fast after that.

I will be posting pics of my surgery, so if you get a little squeamish about that kind of stuff, maybe you should stop reading here. 

The moral of the story is if you have glasses and can get Lasik you should totally do it!!

So I called around to get a couple of estimates, it’s really hard to get an estimate over the phone as from what I have been told they go by what your prescription is, and everyone’s eyes are different.  I didn’t really want to “bargain” shop for something that could potentially have the side effect of blindness, but I also didn’t want to pay too much.

I read reviews and did some research and finally decided to call Joffe Medicenter.  They were able to fit me in the same day I called and even said they could put me down for Lasik the same week!

I was shocked and got excited thinking I could get my eyes done so quickly! This was at the end of June and I was going to Florida in August and kept thinking about how nice it would be to not have to deal with glasses while there! Also with my increased workouts my glasses were getting more annoying than usual because they'd constantly slip or steam up, as I would sweat.

Joffe had a promotional pricing deal going, which is why I called; I wanted to see if I would qualify.  I didn't qualify for the promotional pricing at Joffe (I sort of doubt very many people do).

I was really impressed with how outgoing and friendly every one was on the phone and in person at Joffe.  For some reason that can be hard to find at medical providers.

They didn't pressure me when I told them I'd have to think about getting Lasik done because I needed to work out the financial details (which they do offer several financing plans) they told me it would be ok if I had to wait.

Turns out I was able to work everything out to get it done that same week and I'm so glad!

I showed up for my appointment, and they took me right back and walked me through the procedure, they had a massage chair in the waiting room so I was able to sit and relax. They also offer some medicine to relax you if you feel you need it.  To be honest I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I should be, I did take the calming medicine but I don’t think I really needed it.

Once they were ready for me, they brought me into the room had me lay down on the table, Dr. Smith is incredibly kind and knowledgeable... he has amazing bed side manners... he talked to me the whole time letting me know what he was doing and how long it would last and would even count down how much time was left.

The whole procedure was about 15 min didn't hurt at all and once we were done I could see without my glasses... granted my vision was a little fuzzy.

I donated my glasses on the way out!

By the time I got home the numbing drops they had put in my eyes had worn off and I experienced some moderate discomfort in my eyes... I was told I needed to sleep as much as possible the first few hours after surgery, I had a hard time sleeping from the discomfort so I took Tylenol and a melatonin and I ended up sleeping until 11pm!!

I woke up and ate something, watched a little TV (WITHOUT GLASSES) and then took some more Tylenol and melatonin and went back to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I still had some mild discomfort in my eyes but hardly noticeable!

I drove myself to Joffe the next day to have a follow-up where they told me I was seeing 20/20 with both my eyes and 20/25 in each eye.  Your eyes can take several months to totally finish adjusting from surgery, so they told me my eyesight would probably continue to get better.

At my 3 week follow-up I had been noticing that I couldn’t see as well with my left eye, when I mentioned that they took a look and said that I still had a slight astigmatism in that eye, I have another follow-up in a couple months to check on that, if it hasn’t corrected itself by then they said we may have to talk about some possible modifications, but they didn’t seem to be too worried because they said it can take several months for eyes to settle into their new normal.

I have since noticed that my eyes are doing really well.  I do get some blurry vision if I’ve been over straining my eyes all day, but as long as I stay on top of the eye drops I’m supposed to use I’m just fine

I was told Joffe is a nationwide provider, so if you are considering having Lasik make sure to look them up and see if there is one close to you, I highly recommend them!

They also gave me a free t-shirt, which I mean who doesn't love free clothes ha-ha!

Good Things About Not Having Glasses:

• Being able to see when I first wake up in the morning
• Being able to actually see what I'm doing when I try to shave in the shower ha-ha
• Being able to see what I’m doing when I put on makeup 
• Being able to actually wear eye makeup- My eyelashes are so long they smudge my glasses all day long mascara or no mascara
• Being able to lay in bed or on a couch and read without my glasses digging into my face 
• Walking outside and not having my glasses fog up because of the humidity
• Opening an Oven or dishwasher door and not having my glasses fog up
• Being able to wear sunglasses
• Walking outside in the rain and not having rain drops on my glasses
• Working out and not having my glasses slip down my nose because of sweat
• Or not having sweat drip onto my glasses
• Swimming without having to wear contacts
• People actually being able to see my eyes ha-ha

There are so many other things I love about not having glasses… it’s too hard to make a list!

So long story short I HIGHLY recommend getting Lasik!! Consultations are usually free so call around and get an estimate so you know what you need to save up for!

Bai Drinks

Bai Drinks

For my second installment of Foodie Faves Friday I’ve decided to do a quick review of my new favorite flavored drink, Bai.

I have been seeing the Bai commercials with Justin Timberlake, and I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it I still laugh every single time it comes on. 

I saw so many of my friends on Instagram rave about how much they loved this drink, and with only 5-10 calories a serving and 1 net carb a serving it was definitely worth a try!

Last time I was in Florida I picked up several different flavors to try, and I loved that it has caffeine because as I mentioned last week I haven’t had soda since March.  I have been on a lookout for a flavored drink that isn’t full of sugars and carbs.

I have used those water enhancers, and they are ok but a lot of them are just way too sweet for my taste.  So I’ve been really only drinking water since I gave up soda, which isn’t bad at all, but a little boring at times.

I haven’t tried all the flavors of Bai, and I haven’t loved every flavor I’ve tried, but the ones that I have loved are AMAZING!!

My favorites include, but are not limited to:

Coconut Pineapple

Coconut Raspberry

Mango

Clementine

Peach

Dragon Fruit

Flavors I have not liked are:

Coconut

Pomegranate

Strawberry Lemonade

I have tried watermelon and it was ok, but not one of my favorites.  There are lots of other flavors I can’t wait to try.

This is another one of my parks must haves.  When I pack my bag before a long day at the park I always have at least on Bai drink and a Dive Nutrition bar, along with a couple of frozen water bottles.

This is a short and sweet post, because well Mickey is waiting for me!  I just wanted to pop on here and let you know that if you have been thinking about trying this Bai drink wait no longer… JUST GO GET ONE!!

I love these drinks so much and I love that I have finally found something to replace the soda when the craving hits!

Which ones have you tried? What’s your favorite flavor? Which should I try next?

DISNEY WORLD & UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Ok so to keep with the theme this week, I decided to do a Disney/Universal Studios related post.

This won’t be so much a review, but more of a tips and tricks of things I’ve done and loved, or things that I don’t really think are worth the price.

I’m no Disney expert; in fact I probably should have had my friend Natalie write this post, but alas she’s currently at Disney's Animal Kingdom having fun without me… RUDE. 

It’s ok though, that was part of the deal with this trip, she took the whole week off work to come to Disney, I decided to tag along at the last minute knowing I’d have to work during the week but I could still have lots of fun after work and on the weekends.

We are here at Disney this week to experience the food and wine festival and go to Disney’s Halloween party.  Expect to see reviews of those experiences in the not too distant future.

While I’m excited about the food and wine festival, I don’t actually drink, and neither does my friend, so my review will be purely revolving around all the delicious foods I will be trying. 

Sorry to disappoint!

Just a little background about my qualifications to give a tips and tricks Disney and Universal post; I participated in the college program at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida the semester after I graduated from college.  That is where I met, and shared an apartment with my friend Natalie, who also worked at Disney, and she is my residential all things Disney expert.

Also it was while living in Florida and working at Disney the name for this blog became a thing, while riding very dangerously all the way at the top on the Dumbo ride.

 I guess you had to be there.

Anyways a lot has changed in the 5 years since I worked at Disney, and I love how they are always changing and making innovations.

I bought an annual pass for both Disney World and Universal Studios earlier this year because I came in February for a whole week, and knew I’d be coming back at least once, and honestly the way it all broke down I figured it was more cost effective to buy the season pass rather than individual days.

At first it made me nervous how much money I was shelling out, but I haven’t regretted it once. And because I have this annual pass, I feel like any opportunity I get to come to Florida I should take it because I can go to the parks!!

So first off, if you are in a position like I am to go frequently to Orlando I would highly suggest an annual pass, for both Disney and Universal an annual pass will get you free parking (saves you $20 a day). 

At Disney an annual pass will get you discounts on merchandise, and some restaurants, you also get a photo pass package.  I didn’t think I’d care much about the photo pass package, but it has become one of my favorite things.  There are photographers all around the parks and you can get some really great memorable photos.  For someone like me who isn’t great at remembering to take pics, or hates selfies this is a great addition.

Universal Studios annual pass also include discounts on merchandise and some restaurants, however it doesn’t include a photo pass option.

One thing I love about Universal, and this is for anyone, even if you don’t have an annual pass.  When you buy merch in the park you can have them send it up to the front of the park and you can pick it up at the end of the day free of charge.  This is such a good idea so you don’t have to carry all your souvenirs with you all day long.

One of the best things that Disney has done in recent years is offering the Magic Band.  When I was planning my trip earlier this year with my friend we didn’t really get why a magic band would be all the exciting.  And unfortunately we didn’t get our bands until after our trip.

However when I went back to Disney after getting my magic band I realized just how magical it is to have!  Instead of constantly having to take out my ticket to scan to get into the park, or get into fast pass lanes, I can just scan my magic band and get right on in! 

Another cool thing about the magic band is some of the newer rides will have pictures during the ride, but nowhere to look at them after.  Some how, because of the magic band, those pictures will be automatically loaded onto your account.

I do have to give a disclaimer that this process isn’t perfect, I wanted to get my picture from the new Frozen ride in Epcot and it never showed up on my account.

Over all I LOVE the magic band and it makes a magical day at Disney even more Magical.

One of my tips for the Universal parks is don’t buy the photo pass package.  I went with my family a few weeks ago and we decided to buy the package and split it between us.  It turned out to be around $30 per person and it was probably worth it for that price, but after having it for the week with my family I’d never pay full price for it.

It was nice getting the pics from the rides (when they’d show up on the account).  But there weren’t any photographers around the park, and the ones at the entrance you have to basically track down and beg for a picture.

There are some really great picture opportunities around the park that would be awesome to have a professional photographer to take your picture, especially if you are alone, as I often am at these parks.  I was over all disappointed with that particular service.

If you haven’t seen the new night show at Magic Kingdom, Happily Ever After, make sure you go early enough to find an amazing place to stand and watch it.  A good place to watch the show is worth standing and waiting an hour, trust me on this one!

My last insider tip for this post is the best way to get out of the park.

Closing time at the park can be some of the most stressful times, and can be particularly trying on a friendship… I may know from personal experience.  To get to the parking lot you can choose to ride either the Ferry Boat or the Monorail, now I highly recommend riding both at some point, I do prefer the monorail however.

The lines to get on either the Ferry or the monorail to the parking lot is usually ridiculously long, and after a long day walking around the parks and dealing with the heat and humidity and long lines, the last thing you want to do is stand in a really long line just to go and stand in another really long line for the trams to get to your car.

There is a second monorail that goes to the resorts, but guess what… the second stop on the resort monorail actually stops at the Magic Kingdom parking lot. 

The line for this monorail is usually significantly shorter than the other one because most people don’t know they can take a resort monorail to get to the parking lot. 

Luckily my friend Natalie knew and we were able to take that one instead of waiting probably 30-45 minutes in the other line.  It may have helped save our friendship…

Also while standing in line waiting for the tram to take you to your parking spot… please make sure to remember if you are parked in heroes or villains, and make sure you are in the right spot. 

Also if you are at the front of the line waiting for the next tram STAND BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE.  The tram people do not mess around and will not pull away until everyone is behind the yellow line.  This is the number one thing that holds up tram transportation!!

Over all I highly suggest you come to Orlando and visit the parks, there is really something for everyone!