Saturday Shot

I've been so consumed by Disney planning, that my camera has been severely neglected this week. I'll definitely be making up for it in the parks. Be prepared for a picture overload. In the meantime I'll leave you with a non-kid photo and a recipe. Yum.

Disney Organization

I realize that anyone who lives in Southern California thinks I'm crazy for dedicating so much time to getting ready for our trip. But if we are spending a lot of money and driving 10 hours (kill me now), I want to make sure that there are as few mishaps/bumps as possible.

That said, I am probably ridiculously overprepared, but....have you met my mother? That was a trait I am not sure I could have escaped. (That's a good thing mom).

Just in case you are like me, here are a couple more things I've put together in order to be VERY ready

1. Disneyland Binder
   I've kind of been a space cadet lately. Possibly it's due to the fact that I'm a frazzled mother of two preschoolers, but I like to think it's not something I'll be living with permanently. I really don't want to be hunting around in the bottom of my purse for our Disney tickets or "that coupon I just know I printed off!", so I created THE binder. It houses our tickets, our written meal plan (yes, we have one of those), any coupons that coincide with the restaurants we will be eating at, menus of said restaurants, Jakson's diagnosis paperwork (for Guest Relations), hotel reservations, etc. All in one organized, hole punched place. A little work up front to gather everything, a lot less stress in the end.


2. Written Menu Plan
   This really might sound insane, but I know exactly where we are going to be eating, what coupons we will use, and how much each meal will cost for the entire time we are at Disneyland. This helps us stay within the budget we've planned for ourselves and take advantage of any deals that might be out there. Once we get to the parks, I will no longer have access to a printer, so coupons need to printed and filed away before the trip.

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chipotle ($9)-B1G1 Free coupon
Dinner-Subway ($5) buy one get one free Subway coupon
Kids-Easy Mac in the room (with hot water from the coffee maker!)

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Mimi's Cafe (~ $16)-Mimi's eClub B1G1 Free
Lunch: snacks brought from home
Dinner: House of Blues-($20)-Restaurant.com-use code DINE to get $25 voucher for $2 (must spend $35 to use)

Thursday:
Breakfast: (FREE) oatmeal in room (with water warmed up in the coffee maker!!)
Lunch: ($10) snacks in park (maybe Bengal BBQ)
Dinner: ($15) Buca di Beppo takeout and eating in room (kids eating Easy Mac or sharing with adults)-$10 off $20 coupon

Friday:
Breakfast: Minnie Mouse character breakfast (at 9:10)
Lunch: snacks from home
Dinner: Olive Garden ($10)-we have a gift cardTuesday:
Lunch: Chipotle ($9)-B1G1 Free coupon
Dinner-Subway ($5) buy one get one free Subway coupon
Kids-Easy Mac in the room (with hot water from the coffee maker!)


3. Big Basket of Stuff
   I've been collecting odds and ends all week that need to go to Disneyland. Things like Fruit by the Foot, autograph books, little Disney related art projects from the Dollar Store for downtime (or restaurants), a flashlight/glow bracelets for the dark and scary rides, just random crap that I suddenly remember we need (I cannot let those thoughts slip away. I just know if I do, they will come back to haunt me half way to Anaheim)....it all goes in the basket. Then when we are ready to go, the basket gets loaded into the back of the car and I don't forget any of those little things in the rush. And the basket comes in handy for dirty laundry in the hotel (it's collapsible, not hard side plastic, just in case you need to picture this in your head).


4. Emergency Tags
   Not really organization related, but they do bring me comfort. For Family Home Evening this week, we discussed with the kids what they should do if they get lost or separated from us in the parks (heaven forbid). They then decorated these little tags with Disney stickers and such. I "laminated" them with packing tape, punched a hole in the top, and took apart old airline tags from our luggage to get the elastic ties. The kids will each wear one on his/her belt loop. We taught them to find an adult and say "I'm lost" and show the adult their tag. Our cell phone numbers are included, but I don't like talking on the phone, so cropped them out for the photo.

If you want to see everything I've written about Disney, just go here.

More Mickey

I promise this is the last post about what my kids are wearing to Disneyland this year. Hopefully. I don't have any other clothing projects on my to-do list, so unless I come up with some amazing idea in the middle of the night, this is it.

I wanted to document the fact that I actually sat down at the sewing machine and made something, despite my burn out. I had the kids try on their Disney shirts from last year and discovered that Jakson's still fits. Sadly, Storey has grown out of the 12M onesie size, but I remembered a pattern I tested from the Make it Perfect book, and turned the old onesie into a new dress!! It's great because she can wear it as a dress now and (if we take another trip) as a shirt over leggings/jeans next year! Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

In an effort to save a little money in the parks, I thought I'd try making my own Mouse Ear hats. While looking around for a tutorial, I found some Minnie clippies on Etsy and decided to whip those up instead (especially after Jakson informed me he wanted a Buzz Lightyear hat, not a Mickey hat). I'm a huge dork, but I was so excited about the way they turned out and Storey was napping, so I put them on myself for the photo. Just imagine a 2 year old with pigtails....

These were so easy. Four circles of felt (used the bottom of a cup as a guide), sewn together (you could probably even glue) and then hot glued bows and alligator clips on.

Links to my other Disney trip stuff:
-Disney countdown printable (for Disneyland and Disney World)
-No-sew Disney shirts
-DIY Disney shirts (require basic sewing)
-Disneyland on the cheap.

DIY Disneyland Shirts-The NO-SEW Version!

I promise I will stop talking about Disneyland, oh, in about two weeks. But until then, bear with me. Or just skip this post.

Lately I've had an aversion to sewing. I think I'm suffering from severe burnout/have a million other things to do. So rather than using a needle and thread to create shirts this year, I relied on my trusty old iron. Here's a project EVERYONE can do. Well, as long as you own an iron.

What you need:

• washed t-shirts
• iron on transfer paper (make sure you get the kind that can be printed from an ink jet printer)-you can get this from Joanns, Hobby Lobby, or Walmart. If you purchase from Joanns, be sure to use a coupon!! I think the cost is $6-$8 for about 8 sheets or so. I like the June Tailor brand best, but most seem comparable to each other.
• color printer
  
• images to iron (see note below to find FREE and awesome images)

1. Download images and insert into word document to resize.
2. When sized to your liking, hit "print preview" just to make sure that whole image will print without being cut off by margins. Adjust if needed.
3. Print image on transfer paper and let dry for at least 15 minutes.
4. Cut out your image, leaving a little white space around the edges.
   
5. Heat up your iron and (following the instructions that came with your transfer paper) iron image onto your shirt.
6. Voila! Totally unique and cheap Disney shirt!
7. **Warning-these shirts will most likely not hold up to a lot of washings. I'm not a huge fan of "character" clothing, so that's okay with me, but just be aware that the iron ons will likely crack and fade after a couple of wearings/cleanings.
   

Note about images: I found some fantastic images (that I used in the mouse ears shirts above) on 4shared. There are 464 designs to choose from. Princess to pirate Mickey. Definitely something for everyone. Download is free and I didn't resize at all for the 2T shirts. The other image, I grabbed from a Mickey Mouse coloring page. I am in love with the simple black and white. I did resize this one quite a bit in Word. If you search Google Images for Mickey Mouse coloring pages, I'm sure you will find a ton of options.

Happy ironing!

You can see the Disneyland shirts that I made last (that do require sewing) here.

Saturday Shot...on Sunday

I am fo' real

You aren't going to believe me, but this book was great. I am not a big fan of the whole vampire/zombie craze and in fact not really keen on the fantasy genre in general, but Dawn of the Dreadfuls (which happens to be the prequel to Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) was the perfect mesh of the ridiculous and an actual story line.

Highly recommend.

Your mom.

I've kind of slacked off with my daily photos. Two of the days this week requested self portrait photos-my least favorite type. So, I didn't take them. It's amazing how quickly a habit can be broken because the rest of the week it's been difficult to find the time to pick up the camera.

Finally, I got around to taking some pictures for the theme "together" using the timer on my camera (which took a little experimenting). Again, I officially hate all photos of myself, but settled on this one due to its lesser toad like qualities and the fact that Storey is adorable (Zak added, but only in photos-today's been one of those days with her I will block out in order to avoid post stress trauma).

I realize that I'm not completely sharp, but felt it was fitting since Storey does insist on being the center of attention. I'm only the background of her diva life.

Semi-humorous totally unrelated story: I tend to use the awesome, mature comeback "your mom" a lot (I blame this solely on Northwoods 6). Tyler (my bro in law) commented recently that we had probably only invited him over for his birthday because I like cake. True to character, I retorted, "YOUR MOM likes cake." So he texted her and asked. Apparently, she does, in fact, like cake. Good to know.

Disneyland Countdown Printable

I'm already getting tired of the question, "Are we going to Disneyland tomorrow?". As a remedy, I made a Disneyland Countdown chain today complete with Disneyesque daily activities. To be honest, it's just as much for me as it is for the kids.... Two weeks-I'm excited.

I created a PDF of the two weeks of activities (in Disney font), in case anyone else wants to print them off to use. Get the Disneyland one here and the Disney World version here.The activities are :

• Name your four favorite rides at Disneyland.
• Which Disney character do you want to meet the most?
• Practice your roller coaster scream. Remember to raise your hands above your head.
• Bounce around the room like Tigger.
• Color a Disney picture.
• Sing your favorite Disney song.
• Let's get autograph books today! (from the Dollar Store or Target Dollar Spot)
• Pick out your favorite walking shoes. You'll be doing a lot of walking at Disneyland!
• What happens if you get lost at Disneyland? Discuss and decorate information tags (tags that we will attach to their beltloops with name/phone number...just in case)
• Wear Disney pajamas to bed.
• Watch a Disney movie.
• Have Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast.
• Pack your backpacks with the things you need for your trip.
• We're leaving for Disneyland today! Hooray!
  

Breaking the Ice

One of Jakson's biggest struggles is with initiating social interactions. Even if another kid starts a conversation, many times it quickly becomes too overwhelming for Jakson and he just walks away.

Not the best first impression.

So, with his therapist, we've really been working on conversation skills AND we've had a recent breakthrough. But of course, it came in true Jakson style. Twice this week he initiated a conversation with a peer. His break the ice question?

Hey (child's name), how do paleontologists dig up dinosaur bones?

It's a real talent to know how to start and end a conversation with one sentence.

Saturday Shot

Disneyland on the Cheap: Take two

It's official. We are going to Disneyland. Last night we booked our hotel (non-refundable), which pretty much sets it in stone. Of course, I've done an excessive amount of research to get ready for the trip and make sure we stay within our budget. Much like last year, our budget comes from money we've saved from coupons, change laying around, and stuff I sell on the side. It took us about a year to save up what we need, but it's well worth the extra planning.

I figure since I go to all the trouble of doing hours of research, I might as well document it here for my future reference as well as anyone else who might be wanting to save a few bucks on their vacations.

General Disney Stuff

• Disneyland Crowd Calendar from Touring Plans-technically, you have to pay to see all of the dates, but if you check the site often enough, you will find that your vacation dates are eventually listed (about a month ahead of time). It rates them in terms of how crowded the parks will be-from 1-10. Two of the days that we will be at Disney are, thankfully, a 2. We should have no problem with lines.
• Another helpful forum for determining if the park will be busy during your visit is here on MiceChat.
  
• I like to know the times that the park will be open and what rides will be closed before we go. The Disney calendar was definitely an invaluable resource this year. Storey has been talking about the Pooh Bear ride since we mentioned going back to Disneyland a few months ago. I looked up the ride closures once we determined the dates we were planning to go and sadly, the ride is going to be closed. When I told her, she started to cry. Seriously, it was so sad. Instead we've opted to go to a character breakfast frequented by her favorite Pooh Bear characters. Call me crazy for planning ahead, but had we not looked at the calendar before, we'd have one disappointed, tantrumy toddler on our hands. See the calendar here.
• I really like having an area map to refer to-this one is free and includes the location of Mimi's (I refer to a freebie there below) and all of the Priceline hotels. Where it says "East Shuttle Entrace" is the main walking entrance to the parks.
• DisBoards was a fantastic resource for everything from restaurant reviews in the park to recent character sightings (Really hoping to see Buzz this year. Last time I was told that he was "in space at Star Command". People, I'm an adult and I don't believe you).

Places to Stay

• The past two years we have gone to Disneyland, we have used the bidding feature on Priceline for hotel rooms. Both years we've stayed at a Holiday Inn (though different ones) that retails for about $90/night and both years we've only paid $35/night.
  
• I was able to predict even before bidding exactly which hotel we were going to win by using the lists and forums on betterbidding.com. The forums are especially helpful because they let you know who has won what hotel and for how much recently. Here's a link to the Anaheim forum. It also includes auction information for Hotwire, but I have noticed that the prices are always higher through them, so opt to go through Priceline.
• Predicting our hotel was important for us because we wanted to use the free Holiday Inn nights that we won a couple of months without having to switch hotels half way through the week. It's a 3 star hotel, but there are plenty of nicer hotels for just a few dollars more through the Priceline bidding feature. It's always good to read through the forums on betterbidding just to find out what resort fees/parking fees apply to your hotel. Otherwise you might be UNpleasantly surprised when you arrive to check-in.
  
• I started my bidding very low-at only $30. Normally the rule through Priceline is-you can't bid more than once in a 24 hour period without changing something (besides the bid amount) about your trip. When my $30 big wasn't accepted, I just switched browsers and debit cards and tried again. The second time, my bid of $35 was accepted.

Food

• When you sign up for the Mimi's Cafe email club, you receive a coupon for a free breakfast! There is a Mimi's Cafe directly across from the park--and the breakfast is AMAZING. I haven't been impressed with the restaurant for other meals, but it is well worth going to Mimi's for this freebie. It filled us up for most of the day. Keep in mind that the coupon expires after 15 days, so plan when you sign up accordingly. Sign up for the Mimi's Club here.*POST EDIT-apparently they have changed this deal and it is now buy one breakfast, get one free. Still a good deal, but not as awesome as before.
• Eating in the park can be very expensive, but sometimes it's a hassle to leave for a couple of hours to grab a cheaper meal. So, I was really excited to find that the House of Blues in Downtown Disney (not IN the park, but close enough) offers vouchers through Restaurant.com. I was able to get get a $25 voucher (with code LOVE, but codes change all the time-just Google it) for only $2!! I have to spend $35 total, but $12 out of pocket (plus tip) is a lot cheaper than what I'd pay anywhere else. Here's a copy of the menu and prices. They also have kids meals, though they are not listed on the online menu. You can purchase the voucher through Restaurant.com here.
• Another great place to find coupons is the Anaheim tourism website. Right now there is a coupon for a buy one get one free Subway that we'll probably use. The coupons change every so often, so check back before your visit to see if there are any worth using.
• I read recently that the cheapest place to eat in the parks Bengal BBQ, across the way from the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. It's rumored that they have beef, chicken or veggie skewers for under $3.50 a piece and that two of them will fill an adult up. We may be checking that out!
  

Extra accommodations for Jakson

• We learned a couple of lessons with Jakson the hard way last year. Jakson is extremely anxious in new situations, especially dark, new situations-something we did not even consider when choosing to go on rides like Peter Pan. He loves Peter Pan (the movie), the ride is fairly innocent, and we just assumed he'd be fine. Well, you know what assuming does.... Thankfully, a cast member was willing to lend him a flashlight for the ride, an accommodation that comforted him immensely. Whenever it got too dark for him, he just flipped on the light and calmed right down. What a lifesaver. But we are not depending on a cast member this year, instead we are packing our own flashlight. Who knew that flashlights were like Band-aids??? They cure everything.
• Every ride I'm unsure of, I have Jakson watch on YouTube. A couple that we went on last year we've already ruled out (like Pirates and Nemo), but there are a few that he wasn't tall enough for that he can go on now-Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad and the like. Rather than throw him into a situation where I know he'll just refuse the unfamiliar, we sit down and watch 2 or 3 videos of the ride and discuss whether or not he wants to go on them. So far, he's agreed to go on all of them (even Tower of Terror-he claims he wants to "drop into a hole"). Obviously, his mind might change in line at the park, but at least we aren't facing anxiety brought on by the wholly unfamiliar.
• Keeping in mind past problems we've had with public bathrooms, we're going to try and have Jak use the bathroom in the baby care center as much as possible. The toilets are smaller and hopefully won't be as loud when they flush.
• We are going to take Jak's diagnosis paperwork and get the "guest assistance card" that is available for people with disabilities. Basically, it lets us enter lines through the wheelchair access, but our plans are to use it very sparingly. From everything I've read, the card has been pretty abused in the past and we want to make sure we only use it when necessary. Fast passes usually get us on the rides just as quickly, especially since we've planned our trip to fall on uncrowded days.
• Jak tends to be very wary of loud noises and crowded places, so we're bringing our Zune (like an iPod) and earphones loaded with his favorite kid music to help him stay calm.
  

Other random tips/stuff we're packing

• Autograph books and sharpie markers-there's a Target with an AWESOME Dollar Spot in Anaheim close to the parks loaded with tons of Disney related stuff. We'll probably pick up a couple of notebooks there if I can't find Disney themed ones here.
• Kid cameras
• We're going to let the kids each pick a postcard every day we are in the park. When we get back to the hotel, we'll write down their favorite things from that day on the card.
• I'm planning on making luggage tag labels with information (parent cell phone number etc) for both of the kids to hang on their belt loops. It's a good idea whether or not your child has a disability, just in case. We'll also take a photo of each one in the morning as a precaution (that way if we misplace a child, we will be able to describe their clothing and have a photo from that day).
  
• Because Disneyland doesn't change all that much in one year, I'm using my 2010 copy of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland to help with the daily plans. I love this book and wouldn't make the trip without it.
  
• I don't want to have to pay for Disney shirts at the park, so I'm making my own again. We got lots of compliments on them last time!
  

Small, confined space

Storey in her closet room.

Poor kid has never really had a real room. For the one year she did, she still insisted on sleeping in the walk in closet. Even when we stay in a hotel, Storey sleeps in the closet. I'm hoping it's not something that is going to damage her permanently, but I pick my battles with this child and her closet obsession is not one of them.

In fact, Storey's flexiblity when it comes to sleeping arrangements has really been a blessing. I know *other children* that wouldn't be nearly as happy shoved in a closet over and over again. As long as she's got Monkey, she's a happy sleeper.

**The photo was taken for today's Joy of Love assignment-space where they are comfortable.

Only two days to the weekend.

Today was one of those days. The kids didn't listen, refused to nap (if Storey thinks she is giving up her nap, she's got another think coming), and fought constantly. I even resorted to bribes and threats revolving around our impending trip to Disneyland, but they all seemed to fall on deaf ears.

By the time Zak got home, Storey had also managed to unwrap an entire box of pads she found under the sink in the bathroom (TMI?) rendering them unusable and Jakson had pooped in his pants (definitely TMI).

I was done.

As soon as Zak walked in the door, I informed him that HIS children were acting crazy and gave myself a time out.

Hallelujah for husbands with new knives that like to cook. Zak sliced and diced while corralling the children. And I read a book. Specifically, Dawn of the Dreadfuls. Trust me on this one.

I think he likes it.

Our new trampoline came from CSN this week. We were desperate for Jakson to have something inside for jumping/moving/being crazy. Something besides my poor couch, which has been suffering the brunt of the winter weather.

Pretty sure he likes it.
P.S.-Many of the reviews I read before purchasing the trampoline said that it took 3-4 hours to put together. Either Zak is an expert at putting together trampolines, or the other reviewers just didn't read the instructions because it took all of 45 minutes and was basically a one man (or woman) job. Huzzah!

Disclosure: CSN Stores provided me with the trampoline to review. All portions of this review are 100% my opinion. Pictures don't lie people-obviously the kid loves it.

Saturday Shot

Surprise!

Jakson rushed into my room this morning (while I was sleeping), shouting "Mom, surprise for you!." I noticed right away that he had his favorite alien shirt on over his pajamas and realized what the fantastic "surprise" must be. He dragged me into his dark room, closing the door behind us. As soon as the door was closed, he turned around and yelled, "I'm glowing!!" While I'm not a morning person, this scene made me laugh, especially when I realized that his little mind had set it all up, down to the smallest details like turning off his beloved night light before coming to wake me.

This is not something new-he got his alien shirt for Christmas and as soon as he figured out that the applique glowed, he demonstrated to everyone around by taking them individually into a dark closet to show them. I think every relative got to see the miracle glow at least twice on Christmas Day alone. Since then, he regularly dons the shirt and instructs us to join him in the bathroom or closet for a glow fest.

It was the perfect morning for it though because my Joy of Love assignment for today was "what they wear." And by breakfast, he was wearing a whole lot. His pajamas, the glow in the dark alien shirt, a Superkid cape from the toy box, and a cowboy hat from a rejected Halloween costume. Hopefully one of these days, all of the dress up supplies will translate into some pretend play, but for now, we'll take what we can get.

Have a Pizzookie

My friend Emily brought me a fantastic gift for my birthday-a pizzookie kit. Seriously, it is the best idea-I'm pretty sure it will be my new go-to gift for friends that live nearby. They must live nearby because there's ice cream involved and ice cream melts. Quickly.

A pizzookie kit consists of a ramekin (or small bowl-we have glass Pyrex bowls that work as well), homemade or store bought cookie dough, and a pint of vanilla ice cream. Emily used homemade cookie dough, wrapped it in saran wrap, then fabric, and tied it at the ends with ribbon. Awesome. The only problem I can see with this gift is that pizzookies are addicting. They can really ruin a diet. So so good.

Pizzookie recipe (from Our Best Bites) my notes in italics

1. Preheat oven to 350. F
2. Fill ramekins (or bowls) about 1/2 full of cookie dough.
   
3. Bake in preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes or until golden around the edges but still soft in the middle. We've had to cook them about 15 minutes, so you may have to adjust depending on your oven.
   
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes.
   
5. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauces. We haven't done the sauces, but it sounds good!

what's goin' on

-Last Thursday, I was able to make good on my free photo session offer from Project 31. Cami's husband has been gone with the military on and off for the last few years. He is currently training and away since Thanksgiving. I have a lot of admiration for her strength (don't think I could do it!) and patience. It was fun to visit with her and meet her adorable girls. If you're interested, you can see a sneak peek from her session here.

-Friday I left for Houston-sans kids. It was the weirdest feeling ever. Normally, I am herding small cats disguised as children and without them, I felt like I could do anything I wanted! Footloose and fancy free. What's next? Shall I jump out of an airplane and survive to tell the story?

-Speaking of Footloose-that movie was filmed up the road from where we live. I drive past the location on the way to preschool and think about the Kevin Bacon game (aka-the Six Degrees of KB) every time. Zak and I played the Six Degrees of BYU Students tonight at dinner. Good, clean fun.

-In Houston I taught a couponing class to about 100 women. I love to teach (might as well use that degree for something), but I'm afraid I talk too fast/too much. It's most likely due to the lack of intelligent conversation I've had in the past four years. That and I think I'm a lot more funny than I really am. So, if you ask me, my class was hilarious and extremely motivating but in reality I probably came across as an obnoxious coupon cheerleader. Too bad I can't manage a toe touch. Rah!

-Jakson was angry at me for leaving basically the whole weekend. He wouldn't talk to me on the phone and told Zak that he was mad at me. I was actually kind of glad to hear it-he finally is starting to understand some emotions!! Even if they are negative and directed at me. Can't win 'em all.

-Today I started a month long (FREE) photo class with daily assignments that I'm excited about called the Joy of Love. Especially the free part. It focuses on taking pictures of the people that you love. Every night the assignment for the following day is emailed along with a couple of photography hints/tips. You can still sign up on the Willette Photo blog. Did I mention it's free?!? Day 01 assignment was to capture "what they do." I took a ton of pictures, but settled on this one-reading and being silly. Pretty typical at our house.I'll be posting all of my photo assignments on my Photo A Day-2011 site here.