Time Flies When You're Having Fun...Right?

Whew! 2weeks in Florida can certainly fly by when you're busy.  With 5 sets of guests already having stayed in the house since we took possession it was our turn to head down to sunny Florida and attempt to make some of the changes we were planning a reality.  It was certainly an eye opening experience, one that I'm glad we won't have to tackle again any time soon.  At one point our kids had dubbed it one of the worst vacations ever!

Prior to our arrival we had arranged for some contractors to come in our first full day to quote for us the big kitchen reno. That went as planned and by the second day we had made our decision and moved forward with other tasks.  What we hadn't anticipated was the amount of clearing out we had to do.  The previous owners had kept all the old TVs, damaged linens and even personal items from the owners prior to them. We threw out a lot of stuff. The carpets had been cleaned prior to our arrival and next the tile floors had to be tackled.  We are happy to report that the floors are very clean and look great.

It is amazing how little tasks can take up so much time and energy. We truly wanted to have the house feel comfortable and welcoming to anyone renting it. This way everyone can enjoy their vacation in their own home away from home. For the benefit of our kids we had to squeeze in some fun activities, this trip was not the usual busy take the theme parks by storm vacation that they are used to.  As reported before we went to LEGOLAND, we tackled a mini golf course (that also had some gators the kids could feed, lots of fun!), Downtown Disney and on our last day after checking out of the house we went to Disney. 

We left the house in the capable hands of our property managers, who are great people and crossed our fingers that the guests arriving later that day would appreciate our efforts.  The kitchen looks so much different than it did before.  In addition to changing the counters and adding a back splash we have new dishes and cutlery, glassware and small appliances. We hope if someone needs something it will be in a drawer or a cupboard.

In other areas of the house we put all new linens and towels, 3 bedrooms got new paint and the hallways which have seen a lot of traffic got a new coat of paint as well.  Outside we cleaned and scrubbed the pool deck, cleaned the sides of the house and scrubbed the tile on the pool.  It was like spring cleaning in July.  We replaced the front door which had been badly mistreated over the years and installed a new deadbolt, handle and event a matching door bell.

It is hard to believe that all of those things took up so much of our time. I'm sure there was other things we did that I am missing in my list, but this will have to do for now.  Next post I think I will focus on the fun stuff we managed to squeeze in while in the Sunny South!

Spring has Sprung!

With the new season upon us, I'm trying to be optimistic!  To have a little fun I sent an e-mail to our Realtor and his assistant asking for bets on what the Easter Bunny will bring us this weekend!  We've been busy with preparations for the house.  I have updated our website, and rates and contact information are now posted.  Check it out and let me know what you think (www.mickeysgardenvilla.com) !  We did get an update from the seller's lawyer on Friday.  It stated that the second banks negotiator has approved the sale, but she needs management approval. That approval is our final hurdle to closing this deal. 

We've been having lots of conversation with our kids about what they would like to do when we finally get to go to Florida.  As of now they have it narrowed down to a trip to Legoland, some mini-golf and a visit to a Disney water park.  Now which Disney water park is still up for discussion.  The 2 are Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.  They both look amazing but for me Typhoon Lagoon is my pick.  You can snorkel with sharks swimming below you, I really want to do that!  Normally we go crazy at the theme parks, but this time we'll probable take it easy.  We'll of course do some shopping so we'll hit Downtown Disney and probably City Walk at Universal, among other places.

I do have a large TO DO list when it comes to vacationing in Florida, but it's almost impossible to do it all in one trip so some things will have to wait.  What's on your list?  Leave me some comments about what you would want to do and I'll make a list of things to do in the Sunshine State!