Despicable Me: Twinkie Minions

Our family is doing a Despicable Me theme for Halloween, and I *had* to make a fun treat with the minion theme.  These cream-filled cakes are "painted" with yellow and blue candy melts, given candy eyes, drawn on with black icing, and given chocolate sprinkles for hair.  They came out SO cute! (If I do say so myself.)  Enjoy!

Disney with Kids: Where are you staying? Hotel? Disney Resort? Condo? House? - Post 2

You know you're going to take the family to Disney, but you need to pick dates and book your "home away from home" for your stay.  Every family's needs and wants are different, and I certainly know that importance of convenience, the overall price tag, or other needs will impact the decision as to what is right for YOU.

Disney property:
You start doing the research, and the convenience of staying at a Disney hotel or resort sounds fabulous: free shuttles from the airport, free transportation to the Disney Parks, have some of your Disney purchases delivered to your room, extra Magic Hours, Magic Bands, early reservations for restaurants, and resort entertainment.  Then, you see the price tag, and you don't want to have to put a lien on your house to afford this magical experience.  The transportation between resorts and parks (no, you cannot just walk from one to the other) is sometimes slow.  The buses DO drop you off right at the front doors, so there is no parking and walking/shuttling to the entrance.  Disney is great about accommodating food allergies as well, but it can also be a hassle if you need to go through that routine 3-4 times a day for 4-8 days.  They try to make it as easy as possible, but outlining each person's needs for someone else at every meal just isn't "easy" if you have several food allergies and special dietary needs within the group.  This also isn't conducive to making meals in your room or putting the little ones to bed before the adults go to bed unless you pay for a suite which can be upwards of $2K per night - UNLESS you stay in a cabin at Fort Wilderness which is an amazing option. Ultimately, this didn't seem like the "right" choice for our family with the kids still being so small and traveling with another couple, but we are really looking forward to it for our next trip!

Disney World Grand Floridian

Rental home or condo:
With VRBO and HomeAway, there are SO many options for places to stay.  We have selected different homes around Disney during our trips, and we have found some homes and areas that we love.  There are some that are less than 5 minutes to the gates of each Disney Park.  Many have strollers available for you to use during your time there.  Some have Disney themed bedrooms for the kids (but still nothing like a TRUE Disney hotel themed room.)  Most have pools (and legally required locks for child safety.)  Having separate rooms for the kids, a full kitchen, multiple bathrooms, etc. all are high on our priority list. We found all of this in a 6 bedroom only 2 miles from Disney for 9 days for roughly $1,500 (a week was $1,240 in low season, $1,350 in mid season - when we went, and $1,530 in high season.)  We shared the home with some friends of ours, so it was only about $750 for each family for NINE days.  Look at the listing and make sure that it has reviews, read them, and be certain you are not the very first renters.  We have never had any issues, but it's good to do your research.  Not all of the homes are in the best neighborhoods.  In fact, some of the rental homes are in some sketchy areas.
You will also need a rental vehicle with a house/condo, and the Disney Park parking lots are huge (but very well marked.)  I would encourage you to take a picture of the lot name you park in each morning or write it down.  We really like the flexibility of a rental and leaving the stroller in the car at night, being able to run to the store, etc. 

The Princess room at the last home we rented.

Spreadsheet I use to compare potential properties (will work with hotels and resorts, too.)  We were considering traveling with 2 other families which would have made the 6 bedroom home only $463 per family.  I shared this spreadsheet with the other families so that we could find something that fit everyone's needs, and then we selected our place together.

Meals:
Having been to Disney before, we know how much our family can handle in a day and how many days we can go before we need a "day off."  We can do 2-3 days, and then we need an "off" day.
There is a Costco and several grocery stores, so come with your grocery list and meal plan to make it an easy stop upon arrival.  This is also a HUGE relief when you have little ones with food allergies; the constant stress of eating out for every meal is gone.
We had breakfast at the house every morning.  That left only 2 meals per day that would potentially be on Disney properties.
We packed lunches and snacks for most days.  I have a fold-flat insulated drawstring backpack that we ALWAYS take to Disney for lunches.  It's awesome, because it's a flat rectangle when not in use, but it can keep sandwiches or water bottles cold through lunch time.  One frozen bottle of water can act as your ice pack, and it can be the one you save for the latter part of the day.  You can find them on Amazon for about $10-$20.  If you don't want your sandwiches to get squished in a backpack, plastic pencil cases can hold 2 sandwiches.  We throw the whole thing in the "basket" under the stroller so fruits and crackers don't get beat up too badly.
With kids, snacks are a must! 
We eat a dinner or two at the house as well on days that we finish early or take a "day off."  Even if you don't love to cook, there are so many options for easy menu ideas that can save you a fortune when you want to really splurge on your other Disney Table Service meals while in the Parks

Character Meals:
As soon as you book your hotel/house/condo, figure out your preferred timeline and BOOK DisneyWorld character meals (here for Disneyland character meals) and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeovers in Magic Kingdom or Downtown Disney (here for Disneyland BBB.)  These book up WAY ahead of time, so if there's something you really want to do, book it early. You are able to book them 189 days before your trip if you are staying at a Disney property.  Even if you don’t get in when you call at first, keep calling! Set a reminder to call once a week in the months prior, and call daily the month of your trip.  Even while you are at Disney, call every day if you are looking for a specific reservation, because you may be able to get in.
*Please don't double book your meal reservations at multiple restaurants.  Although I completely understand that you don't truly know if you'll want Mexican food on Saturday night 6 months from now, when you book reservations at multiple restaurants, you take that opportunity away from other families.  Let's be respectful of others and spread the magic!  (Besides, now they charge you a fee for reservations that aren't cancelled 24 hours in advance.)
One thing we did on this last trip that I wish I had thought of sooner was to have the characters sign articles of clothing with their picture on it.  The characters will want Large pens or markers to hold, so be considerate of that even though small Sharpies are convenient for you, they aren't for puffy hands.  I digress....Our son was wearing a personalized Mickey Mouse shirt, and we had Mickey sign his shirt during our character meal.  You know exactly which characters you'll be meeting during that time, so it's a great opportunity to have them sign a shirt or hat or something that the kids can use often long after they return from Disney.  It also gives them something to show the character and "connect" during their meeting.  (More on personalized autograph books can be found here.  They were VERY well received by the characters and even allowed them to "talk" about "I remember you from last time!  You've grown SO much.")

The customized shirts the kids were wearing for the character meal (before Mickey came over.)
I bought them on Etsy - far left is Perry the Platypus, middle is Mickey Mouse, right is Minnie Mouse.

Once we had a general idea of where we were staying, we were able to plan out meals and create a budget.  This budget was more than generous for what we spent, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.  We didn't commit to reservations for all of our meals, but we knew how many meals we anticipated at home and how many at the parks.  Then, if the kids were "done" earlier than expected, it was okay.

Need to book?
If you haven't booked your Disney vacation yet, I would LOVE to help you!  I am an Authorized Disney Vacation planner (in addition to being a mom of 3 munchkins.)  You can check out my website or Facebook page to contact me.  
Next up - Disney with Kids: Preparation and Packing

Other Disney trip topics:
Travel
Where to Stay
Preparation & Packing
Autograph Books

All Disney posts.

Disney with Kids Tips & Tricks: Travel - Post 1

As a mom of 3 kids (and crazy enough to take them all to Disney World at the ages of 7 and barely 3) and a planner, many of my friends and acquaintances call to ask me about tips and tricks for traveling to Disney. I'm determined to put it all in writing to share with all of you who are trying to prep for a Disney experience.  
I'm not going to tell you what the most current app is for finding out the wait times for rides are - there are plenty of places to research that (and I used several), but I am going to share with you little tips that can save you money and sanity.

A little about us that may give you some perspective into our trips.  The first time we went to Disney World, the twins were only a twinkle in God's eye, and our oldest was 3 and a half.  The first time we took the twins, they were barely 3, and one has sensory processing disorder and several food allergies.  
You may wonder why we didn't wait until we were absolutely certain that the kids would remember all of it?  We wanted them to be able to enjoy all of the magic with the innocence of small children, and they DID!  We have pictures of the wonder as our oldest met his favorite character, our daughter (having just learned to skip) skipping through the parks in her princess dress, and our little guy looking up in awe at Mickey and Pluto.  I'm so glad we didn't wait.  We will go back next year which will make them 5, 5, and 9, and they'll remember it all, but it will be a new and different experience for each of us - no doubt another that we'll treasure for other reasons altogether.

Dog-pile on Daddy while at the airport

Let's start with how are you getting there:  Driving?  Flying?
We fly to Disney (but we have made other long road trips in the same time frame, so I have tips for those, too.)  It was our first time to fly with the twins, and they all still required carseats.  We flew Southwest because we had several free flights because of airline miles, but it also meant that we needed to alert the airline about the peanut allergy and that we bring EpiPens on board.

EpiPens  (non-issue if driving)
Many experts will suggest that you do NOT run EpiPens through airport security scanners.  IF you need to bring EpiPens on the plane, I would highly encourage you to make sure that they are the ONLY item(s) that the person bringing the EpiPens through aiport security carries.  Ultimately, because it hasn't been scanned and contains a liquid, security will pat down the EP carrier AND go through ALL of their belongings.  Because we didn't realize this, I was carrying a backpack full of carefully packed items to entertain, feed, and treat the kids on the plane ride as well as my personal items.  So even after I was checks, my shoes were sprayed and tested, the EpiPens examined, all.of.my.bags.were.emptied.and.inspected.  Ugh.  So much for all of my careful planning and packing.  Note to self - do not EVER do that again.

Carseats (non-issue if driving)
If you do research regarding transporting carseats on airlines, you might find that they may suffer the same damage they would in a car accident.  When you've spent $250 per seat, you don't want to risk that kind of damage.  We wrapped them in bubble wrap, used packing tape, labeled them with our information, and tucked them each into an over sized trash bag used for yard debris.  Ours all came out just fine.  (I am not guaranteeing your results if you do the same.)

Stroller
My husband and I went back and forth on this.  I wanted to gate-check the stroller so that we could more easily navigate the airport with the kids.  He didn't want to hassle with it, and he wanted to check it at the curb.  Ultimately, we chose to check it at the curb, and we survived.  We knew before we left that we would take our Sit-n-Stand stroller and leave it at the home we were renting.  They had a couple of strollers there, but we really wanted a double stroller for the twins.  We didn't expect to use it again much except for trips to Disney, and if it's no longer there when we go back, we won't be heartbroken.  You can also rent strollers at Disney for the time that you are there.  They are expensive, but it can also save you the hassle in the airport.  You can also rent them from an off-property company that will even deliver them to/pick them up from your hotel/resort.  Even if your kids are big enough to not need a stroller, having one to haul around everyone's belongings is awesome!  Adding a couple of stroller straps can also be helpful, just be mindful of the sign you'll be using to identify it. (More on that in Preparation & Packing.)

Cake pans, reward tickets, games, magnets, and activity buckets for long road-trips

Activities
You know your kids better than anyone else, but consider bringing items that they have NOT used before.  Maybe a new coloring book or lap-sized chalkboard from the dollar store?  A cookie sheet or cake pan full of magnets, magnetic "paper" dolls, or other activity.  Cookie sheets and cake pans can be great for the car or a plane, because they help keep items from rolling off into the floor, and you can nest multiple pans for multiple kids before passing them out for the trip.  It's also possible to paint them with chalkboard paint (just make sure you get the paint that works for metal surfaces) to create yet another way they can be used - think Tic-Tac-Toe, artwork, etc.  Here is a list of free printables to create your own activity book.  Of course, we all know how convenient an iPad or smartphone can be when it comes to appeasing little ones, but we like to save those for the end of the trip when everyone is most restless. 

Rewards & Tracking
Regardless of if you're driving or flying, consider picking up or making little "rewards" (stickers, new magnets, Bingo game cards for the whole family, word searches, puzzle erasers - a favorite in our family, etc.)  These can be passed out at timed intervals for good behavior, and it breaks up the trip into manageable time frames for the little ones.  When driving, we have implemented a ticket system for long drives.  Every hour, we would pass out a ticket for good behavior during that time, and an "bonus" tickets could be rewarded at any time for sharing with each other, etc.  Then, every 2-3 hours, I would open the "store," and the kids could trade in their tickets for rewards from the goody bag.  On an airplane, it is easier to forgo the tickets and just pass out rewards as needed; the tickets are more cumbersome across plane aisles and rows.
In addition to the rewards, we tied a ribbon from the back of the car to the front of the car along the passenger side and attached a cardstock car to the ribbon with modified paperclips.  The ribbon was marked in equal measurements, and the paper car started at the very back end of our vehicle.  As each hour (or 50 miles or other measurement) passed, we moved the car along the ribbon to the next mark.  Not only did the kids enjoy watching our progress, but I even found that my husband would reference the moving cardstock car to see how much further we had to go.  This eliminated the "are we there yet?" and "how much longer?" questions.  It was AWESOME.  In response to those questions (which only happened early on in the trip,) I would respond, "Where is the car?"  Eventually, they would say, "MOM!  Look!  We are soooo far from home!"  or "We are more than half way there!"  Ah, happy mom.  

Snacks, Treats
Depending on the age of your little ones, what foods you allow, and what your family's needs are, this should be catered to your family.  When considering snacks and treats to pack for the actual trip, be sure to have something that can help with ear-popping (jelly beans, Starburst, baby bottle, fruit chews, etc.)  Be sure that your snacks are easily portable and that you have kid cups with lids, because the airline cups with lids do not pass muster when it comes to little ones.  

Sensory Processing Disorder
I made a ton of magnets with pictures of the different activities we would encounter and bought a small magnetic dry erase board to create daily schedules.  I taped a ziploc bag to the back of the dry erase board to hold the magnets.  It made it easier to help discuss the day and expectations as well as make changes to the schedule quickly if needed while still providing an easy visual reference.  
We brought the Listening Therapy mp3 player and special headphones, a weighted vest, weighted blanket for sleeping, a weighted Mickey Mouse (more on that in a post about preparation and packing,) and all of his paperwork from doctors and therapists.

Need to book?
If you haven't booked your Disney vacation yet, I would LOVE to help you!  I am an Authorized Disney Vacation planner (in addition to being a mom of 3 munchkins.)  You can check out my website or Facebook page to contact me.  

Next up - Disney with Kids: Where are you staying? Hotel? Disney Resort? Condo? House?

Other Disney trip topics (more to come):
Travel
Where to Stay
Preparation & Packing
Tickets, Schedule, & Parks
Packing List for Parks
Autograph Books

All Disney posts (including Elf on the Shelf ideas.)

Bento: Finally Fall

It finally feels like fall here in Central Texas.  It's 55 degrees and raining this morning, and I *love* it!  I'm looking forward to being able to open the windows for the cool air.

The Laptop Lunch containers for today's lunch are filled with a potato bread sandwich (cookie cutter used for bat outline and colored with Wilton Food Writers), silicone cup with almonds and a leaf pick from AllThingsForSale.com, silicone cup with a homemade Pumpkin Maple and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pie.  I created dried apple "ghosts" (Wilton Food Writers) that are fun and SUPER easy, and the final container is filled with dried blueberries and a scarecrow pick also from ATFS.

Lunch face

A sandwich cut in half and stacked with a pair of creepy eyes combined with apple slices turned jagged teeth create a lunch face. Dried blueberries with a stray eyeball and granola bar bites finish out this quick Laptop Lunch.

The twins were at home today for lunch, and I made ham, cheese, avocado, and lettuce sandwiches topped with a mango slice for a smile.  Silicone cupcake liners hold raspberries, applesauce, and googly eyes (rings and picks) from AllThingsForSale.com

Lunch: Out of Bread

Last night, I realized we only had 2 slices of bread left for today's lunches. This morning, we made pancakes, and we made some extras to use as bread. Some Wow Butter and honey made for some great impromptu sandwich treats. Fresh raspberries, yogurt covered pretzels, and Gogurts finish out these three lunches.
Happy Friday!

Bento: October, Halloween, and Nut-free "Butterfinger"!

 I pulled down the Ziploc bag of Halloween pics, rings, etc. this morning!  The little man requested a ham and cheese sandwich, but they're always soggy if you make them ahead of time, so this is deconstructed.  The ham was patted dry and placed between the bread slices with a slice of cheese.  Lettuce (hiding a finger) and tomatoes are in separate containers.  Baby carrots (hiding a hand) and Gogurt are snacks, and the nut-free "Butterfinger" bite will be a special treat. (Nut-free "Butterfinger" = 1 jar Wowbutter + 1 lb. bag of melted candy corn mixed, cooled, cut + dip in melted chocolate.)  These are all tucked in Laptop Lunch containers with lids.

I'm sharing this one, not because I expect it to inspire you in any way, but rather to share my learning experience.  

The other day, we were running really late, so the Despicable Me minion is made with cheddar cheese and a food writer. (Our family is doing a Despicable Me theme for Halloween this year.) HOWEVER, I do NOT recommend trying to draw on cheddar.  I don't buy American cheese, because it isn't "cheese."  Unfortunately, American cheese is also a lot easier to decorate because of the moisture content.  I will be working on other Despicable me foods in the coming weeks, too.

Gogurt, fruit snacks, and a Nutri-Grain bar finish out this "we must go NOW" lunch.

Bento: Team Spirit

10 minutes before it was time to leave for school thus morning, my husband asked if I would make our 3rd grader's lunch. Our son who has demanded nut butter and honey sandwiches every day for the better part of almost 2 years decided he wanted grilled cheese, Mac and cheese, or ham & cheese for lunch. We did not have any ham or Mac and cheese, and I didn't want his grilled cheese to be soggy.
So I made a pastrami and cheese sandwich with the school mascot cut from a piece of pastrami and adhered with a tiny bit of mayo.
I carved the school's initials in an apple, pulled off the skin, spritzed with lemon juice and covered with plastic wrap.
I added a granola bar given my time constraints.

Bento: Apple of my Eye

On such a difficult and emotional day, I struggled with what to do for my 8 year old's lunch.  His knowledge of 9/11 is still very very limited.  I took the opportunity to share a little bit about it this morning and explained steps taken to keep our nation safe in the future. (With all of our family's travel, I didn't want him to live in fear.)  For his lunch, I decided to express how special he is to me.  His sandwich is adorned with hearts from fruit leather.  Dried apples have notes written on them with a Wilton Food Writer.  The apple has a heart cut with the same cookie cutter and removed with a small knife.  I use lemon-lime soda instead of lemon juice to "seal" the apples so that they aren't bitter.  I threw in a granola bar in the silverware space.  Show the ones around you that you love them!

Bento: Guess What Day It Is!

Hump Day!!!!
Do you think that commercial is half as funny as we do?  Today's lunch is inspired by how happy the camel is on Wednesday.
The Laptop Lunch box is filled with applesauce with cinnamon, dried fruit, a granola bar, and a "camel sandwich" made with Wilton Food Writers.  I drew this one freehand, but you could easily print out a picture and cut it as a template.
I wrote on both sides of the banana using pressure, not ink.
Happy Hump Day!