have kids, will travel: the disney experience

i grew up in california so my disney experiences growing up all revolved around disneyland. disney world was completely foreign to me. that all changed a few years ago when we attempted our first disney vacation to disney world. at the time, we were traveling with four kids...the oldest was seven and the youngest was six months old. we learned a few things on that trip and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to try it again...this time with five. we drove down to orlando and enjoyed our experience...this time with five kids ranging in ages from 14 months to 9 years. if we can do disney, anyone can.

through both of our disney adventures, we picked up a few tips. if you are planning a disney trip of your own, here are some things that saved us along the way.

• plan a visit that is several days long... disneyworld gets increasingly affordable per day the more days you spend in the parks. in reality, you need at least one day for each of the parks you are visiting. plan on a four or five day pass to see most of the things the parks have to offer. note: if you are active military or retired miliary with 20 years of service or more, you can get discounted tickets to the parks. my parents traveled with us and my dad is retired miliary. through the military discounts, he was able to get up to six four-day hopper passes for just over $150.00 a piece. that is unheard of. i think disney deserves commending for honoring the military that way. contact the local military base for more information.

• pick a park a day... there is so much to see in disney. picking a park to start at each day at least keeps you focused. look at the park map ahead of time online and see the things you really don't want to miss. by preparing yourself and your kids, you will not only build excitement but you'll make sure you don't miss something.

•  be aware of resort extra magic hours... certain parks open early and stay open late for those staying at the disney resorts. the list of the specific park hours and the "extra magic hours" can be found online. avoid the parks they have extra magic hours on a certain day as they are likely to have more crowds. 

• work the fast passes... head into a park and right away head to a ride that requires a fast pass. get a fast pass at the beginning of the day and be aware of the time printed at the bottom that will let you get another fast pass. if you don't want to send the whole family, send someone to get a new batch of fast passes when your time has arrived. fast passes save a ton of time in lines and allow you to ride a great deal more rides than you would standing in the regular lines.

• make restaurant reservations in advance... if there is a particular restaurant where you would like to dine, call that restaurant a few weeks in advance to make your reservations. all the information for the restaurants can be found online and many of the restaurants fill up and do not take reservations the day of. be prepared and make sure you don't miss something wonderful.

• bring in drinks and snacks and pack a lunch... you can bring a cooler, food and drinks into the parks. pack water bottles and snacks to make it through a day. if you are not staying at the disney resorts, it is also more economical to pack a lunch and bring that in to the parks. if you are staying at the resorts, look to see how much it would cost to purchase a meal plan for your family. these are generally very cost effective when you add up the cost per meal. if you are not staying at a resort, save yourself a ton of money by bringing in a lot of food to help make it through the disney days.

• bring reinforcements... this may not be necessary if you only have two kids but with five, we needed some extra hands on deck. my parents flew out and went on our disney adventure as well. we had the best time with them and it combined a visit with the grandparents and a disney vacation...two great things that go amazingly well together. i highly recommend having some extra adult hands...it makes the trip so much easier.

• use the rider switch service... this service is the best thing ever at disney. if you are ready to ride one of the more exciting disney rides but you have a child or a baby in your party that does not meet the height requirements, you can approach the cast member at that ride and ask for a rider switch card. this card acts like a fast pass for the person staying out of the line with the small children. when the first group exits the ride, the person holding the switch service pass gets to enter in the fast pass line along with two other people. my kids usually took turns and got to ride each of the fast rides twice. this makes disney enjoyable for everyone so no one has to miss out to care for a small child.

• get a AAA parking pass... i have my dad to thank for this one. he checked with AAA before we left and found out they give special parking passes to their members. we had one mailed to us one trip and picked on up at a local office then next trip. this priority parking pass saved us a significant amount of time walking from our car into the park and back each day. it generally lets you park right next to where the handicap parking is and then you are able to walk to the entrance in much less time. it is fabulous!

• visit downtown disney... we like to visit downtown disney the day before we are scheduled to go into the park. this gives us an evening to explore unhurried and to start our experience. the lego store is a fantastic place for all the kids to play and explore. there are also some amazing interactive dining experiences in downtown disney to try. this is a great introduction into all things disney and free chance to enjoy some of the disney magic.

• give yourself a day of rest... disney is exhausting. going five straight days is not a great idea. it can be done, but you will be beyond spent. it worked much better for us to break the days up and take a much needed rest day in the middle of our trip. the kids played in the pool, took good naps, played outside and generally just let out some kid steam. disney requires a lot of patience, good behavior and endurance for kids. a day to let loose and, conversely, to relax, is just the thing.

• buy disney gifts for your kids in advance... this idea is thanks to a great friend of mine. she had the brilliant idea to go shopping before she left for little disney toys for her kids. each morning, the kids were greeted with a disney surpise. then as she explored the parks during the day, the kids were reminded they already had souvenirs back at the hotels. the kids didn't know the difference and it saved the family a ton of cash. we tried this too and our kids were so happy. it also worked perfectly as we were then able to get each child one special souvenir to purchase in the park. 

• pack ponchos... florida weather can involve rain...big rain. on our last visit, it rained for one solid afternoon. we had packed some ponchos and umbrellas on the off chance that the rain was unbearable. we were so thankful! there is nothing worse than wet, miserable kids. the ponchos saved us and helped us to make the best of a less than perfect situation.

• if you are watching the magic kingdom fireworks, watch it from as close to the park exit as possible... the only way to get to magic kingdom is by boat or monorail. you have to park off site and travel in by one of those methods. that means that when the park closes, everyone exiting the park has to leave by one of those two methods as well. when the fireworks end, it is a mass exodus to leave the park and the lines can be hours long. the last thing you want to do as you are ready to leave a park is to stand in another line for two hours waiting to get to your car...especially late at night. watch the fireworks from close to the park entrance and you can be among the first to leave and catch the monorail. 

• take advantage of the playgrounds in certain parks... kids have to work hard to be patient and well behaved while in line at disney. the playgrounds in the different parks give them a chance to wiggle around for a while. take advantage. your kids will need a break and so will you.

• if you ever have a chance to see epcot's flower show, take it! the flower displays that epcot has in the spring are absolutely amazing. if you can plan a trip to disney in the spring, besides having very short lines, you will also enjoy some beautiful displays. the kids were in awe.

• take lots of pictures... disney vacations are memories in the making. my kids look through photo albums of their disney trips more than any others. they are happy memories and ones you'll want to share for years to come. you can't take too many.

if i am forgetting something or you have another great tip, please feel free to share. as parents, we need to rely on the expertise of those who have gone before us. if you have something wonderful to share, please don't hesistate to add it here. here's to the hopes that disney is magical for you all!

making memories at the newly remodeled home depot genesee

this is a sponsored post by me on behalf of the home depot.

on saturday i had the pleasure of attending the grand re-opening of my local, san diego home depot store located on the corner of genesse and balboa.

the newly remodeled store features a 40,000 feet outdoor garden center, larger kitchen and appliance showrooms, a millwork showroom, an improved pro-desk and expanded tool rental. the store is beautiful, clean and open with large aisles and the associates were so kind and helpful.

the event was made extra special for me because it was a time for just me and my first born. as a single mama with two fun loving boys there isn't a ton for time for just one-on-one special moments----i seized this opportunity as one of those times and we had so much fun!

first up, we went straight to the kids diy workshop to learn how to make our own mini soccer game/foosball table. we worked together and ended up with an awesome new game to take home with us and enjoy. 

home depot kids workshop runs the first saturday of every month from 9am until noon. there is no signing up and it is *free*. if you are local, check out the home depot genesee on facebook for information on all of their frequent events. you can also find information on all of the home depot workshops for kids and adults on their website. i am really looking forward to attending more diy workshops in the future!

aside from the diy workshop, my little man's favorite things were spinning the prize wheel and the awesome balloon artist. he won a baseball on his spin and the balloon artist was even able to make the "buzz lightyear spaceship" that he requested. impressive!

we had a blast participating in the scavenger hunt around the store searching for clues and riddles hidden in homer buckets--what a fantastic way to explore the store and enjoy a little friendly competition with my little man. we downloaded the home depot app and it provided us with a helpful advantage to locate items and needed information.

mommy's favorite part of the newly remodeled store was the incredible 40,000 square foot garden center. it was filled with so many beautiful plants, flowers and veggies that it made this aspiring gardener truly inspired to try my hand at some new landscaping/gardening projects that have been on my pinterest "to-do" list.

a wonderful time was had by all and the only dilemma i am left with is what project i want to start first. once i decide, i will be headed back to the beautiful, home depot genesee store to stock up on supplies and get to work!

the newly reopened home depot genesee now features a 40,000 square foot outdoor garden center, larger kitchen and appliance showrooms, a millwork showroom, an improved pro-desk and expanded tool rental.
it also provides workshops and events year-round that the whole family can participate in. please visit https://www.facebook.com/Home.Depot.Genesee.Ca for more information.

this is a sponsored post by me on behalf of the home depot.

good neighbors

i am originally a california girl. i grew up in the land where good fences make good neighbors. we knew our neighbors, at least those directly to our left and right. we could possibly borrow a cup of sugar or an egg on occasion (as long as it wasn't too often), but that pretty much summed up our neighborly social interactions. there was no front porch sitting. walks around the neighborhood could be done without acknowledging those you were passing. people pretty much stayed to themselves.

now i live in the south. to say things are different here is an understatement. neighborhoods are named. when people ask where we live, we give them the title of our neighborhood. the neighborhood becomes a part of our identity. neighbors know each other and each other's business. walking in the neighborhood is not a means of exercise. walks are social outings. fences are optional. kids play in front yards...lots and lots of kids. we know what cars each neighbor drives, how many kids they have and which floor model they live in. while all of this has taken some getting used to, i have officially decided that i live in the best neighborhood in the world. period. 

you man think i am exaggerating but i have proof to back up my statement. when i gave birth to my fourth and fifth born sons, my neighbors (they even beat out my church for this one) brought me meals for three weeks. that means meals for six. incredible. when my in-laws were in town, one neighbor brought over cookies, just so she could brag about me to my mother-in-law (my friend is a gem!). when another mother couldn't locate her son, masses of neighbors were out looking (he was eventually found...in a neighbor's house). when someone new arrives, they get visits...and sometimes treats. my kids don't lack for play dates, pool time or sleepovers. i know there are watchful eyes watching my kiddos wherever they go. if something is out of place, someone will let me know. if there is a suspicious car in the neighborhood, someone will chase it out (seriously...one mom followed a van for a good 30 minutes to make sure it was legit.) if there is a traffic jam, someone will post it on facebook (yep...neighborhood facebook page too). there are mothers who will help me at the drop of a hat. when one of our neighbors was diagnosed with cancer, dozens of neighborhood ladies stepped up to bring her a gift a week to show their support. literally...dozens of neighbors. when our lovely neighbor passed away from cancer, the neighborhood tied balloons on every mailbox so that as her sweet husband and daughter left for the funeral that day, they knew there was an entire neighborhood supporting them. 

we have bunco and book club, poker nights and ball games. we have meal trains and canned food drives. we adopt families at christmas time. we, in the most wonderful sense, do life together. we are not just neighbors, we are friends. we are not just friends, we are family. there is something so profound in that concept and i think it is worth sharing. it all goes back to the fact that we were not meant to be isolated. no one was ever meant to be an island. we are supposed to be there for one another. we are supposed to operate in community. somewhere along the line our ideas of independence and self-reliance have gotten in the way of how things were meant to be. there is something so wonderful about knowing that we are surrounded by people who support us, look out for us, and are there if we need them. it makes us feel settled and we couldn't be more thankful. 

so what if you do not live in a neighborhood like ours? that's simple: start one. be the catalyst for change in your own little portion of the world. bring cookies or fresh bread (you can do it!) to a new or new-to-you neighbor. introduce yourself to people you don't know. invite people over for coffee. offer to watch someone's kids so they can run an errand in peace (say "yes" if someone offers this!). do all those little things that you wish someone would do for you. create the kind of neighborhood you want for your children. people are craving interaction...not just on the computer or on the phone but face to face. people need hugs and plates of cookies and coffee and commiseration. so many of us are surrounded by people and completely alone. we don't have to be. give it a try. what do you have to lose but your isolation?

mmmmm, mondays: the best chocolate chips cookies ever

summertime means hours and hours of uninterrupted time with my kids. while i love spending time with them, i'm not going to pretend that they days aren't long and rough at times. i pretty much survive summer with baked goods...usually ones that involve chocolate. this week was no exception. i did share a few of these with my kids but the majority of them were my own to enjoy. they are the best chocolate chip cookies i've ever had. there is a dash of cinnamon in these that make these irresistable! enjoy!

chocolate chip cookies (the best ones ever)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cup flour

2 cups oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (12 oz.) package chocolate chips

dash of cinnamon

preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

cream butter and sugars until smooth. add eggs and vanilla and mix well until creamy. beat one minute. add all the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and mix well. drop by spoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes. enjoy! (yields about 4 dozen cookies)

leaving a legacy

when i came back from her funeral, my lilies had just started to bloom. they were extremely late bloomers this year. i like to think it was on purpose. 

we have been blogging for a little over two years now. in that time, we have shared our experiences as we have lost friends to cancer. each friend taught us something and left a permanent imprint on our lives. my first sweet friend was lost in august of 2011. if you haven't read about leslie, she was honored in "the dreaded phone call." she left behind her amazing husband and two grown kids and managed to live to see her first grand baby. our second friend was lost in january of 2012. her story inspired "the art of being remembered." megan left behind her husband and two small children. this month, we lost our third beautiful friend to cancer. words cannot express the sadness that has come with the loss of each person but we have gained so much from each of their lives. each one of them has left an impression on us that will never be forgotten and a legacy that they are passing on to those left behind.

when i think of my friend, lara, i cannot help but be grateful for the time i knew her. we moved into our neighborhood very near to the time when her cancer was diagnosed. our now rising 1st graders grew up together. i have watched her fight through her disease. through it all, she left a beautiful legacy, a heritage for those who knew her and for her sweet daughter. when i think of lara, these are the lovely things i will remember.

she left a legacy of family. she loved her family. in a society where spouses are quick to diminish one another in the company of others, she stood out. she publicly praised and honored her husband. she was so thankful for him, for his love, for his care, for his friendship. she built up her husband and he adored her. she modeled a loving marriage for her daughter. that is a gift her sweet girl will carry with her forever. lara took time to invest in and bond with her sister, her best friend. she took time to relish in the relationships with her parents. most of all, she loved her little girl. even on days when she was not feeling well, she invested in the life of her daughter. she was there, smiling as her girl stepped off the school bus. she loved on her, created memories with her, and exemplified what a mother can be. lara recognized that her time was limited but i don't believe that is why she cherished her daughter, her husband, her sister, and her parents. that's just who she was.

she left a legacy of friendship. lara was a true friend and she inspired others around her to become better friends to others. she could make you laugh even in the midst of a horrible day. when i stepped on a school bus to yell at some screaming children (yep, i'm *that* mom), she publicly had my back and cheered me on. when our kids were in preschool and my son insisted on staying behind to clean the sinks in the bathroom because that's what's expected at home (once again...i'm *that* mom too), she praised me to others. she had just enough snark to make things interesting and to keep people laughing. she inspired a neighborhood full of women to become "supporting sisters" and secretly leave her gifts once a week. over the course of two years, there were 35 neighbors and close to 10 women from the preschool who brought her gifts. it takes an amazing friend to inspire that kind of love from others. 

she left a legacy of fortitude. i think this is true of almost anyone fighting cancer. they are the bravest, strongest, most resilient people i have ever known. she outlived and outfought the doctor's time frames. she went through countless medications and countless treatments with such grace and such courage. she fought for time, time with her husband, time with her daughter, time with her family and friends. i am so thankful for her strength. because she fought, we were all given more time with her, more memories. because of her strength and many answered prayers, her daughter has years of memories to take with her. 

she left a legacy of faith. even when things were hard, lara went to church and she brought her daughter. her little girl knew about heaven and when her mommy went there, she understood some about that amazing place. lara knew how important faith would be in her little girl's life and she planted those seeds in her daughter that will grow as years go by. what a gift that is.

when all the dust settles and all the emotions align themselves in my mind, one thing keeps resurfacing...gratitude. i am so grateful. i am grateful to have known lara and leslie. heather is grateful to have known megan. we are grateful for the time we had with each of them. we are grateful that they each left such amazing legacies for their children. their kids have a heritage of faith, of love, of strength and of laughter. we are grateful for what their lives and their deaths have taught us. we are grateful that all of their pain is over. we are inspired to leave a lasting legacy of our own. we are grateful.

mmmmm, mondays: nana's famous gluten-free chicken nuggets

 

while my kiddos are not gluten-free, my mom is and an increasing number of my children's friends are. 

these gluten-free chicken nuggets are easy to make and *freeze* beautifully as well. makes it a cinch to be able to pull some out of the freezer when a gluten-free pal comes over to play. not only are they gluten-free, but they taste *amazing*! my 3-year old, non-meat eater (by his stubbornness choice since birth will even eat them)....dare i say they are a miracle?!

•special thanks to my dear friend, wendy and her mom, "nana" for allowing me to share the recipe. xoxo•

ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups gluten-free flour
half a box of rice crispies
3 eggs
6 tablespoons hidden valley ranch
canola oil
season salt to taste (we used nature's seasoning)

directions

•prepare chicken breasts by cutting them in to bite-size pieces

•add eggs and ranch dressing to a bowl and mix well (ratio is 1 egg per 2 tablespoons ranch--add more eggs and ranch depending on amount or chicken you are cooking).

•prepare a bowl of gluten-free flour.

•prepare a bowl or shallow dish of rice crispies (you can crush in a ziploc bag or just use as is).

•dredge chicken in the flour, dip into egg mixture, then dredge in rice crispies. 

•i prefer to prepare all the chicken and then fry after all are coated.

•using a large pan, fill half way with canola oil and heat. 

•once oil is heated, add the prepared nuggets. note: add chicken one piece at a time to prevent the hot oil from splattering.  

•cook chicken, a couple of minutes a side (depending on thickness and size of nugget), until golden brown and crispy on the outside and no longer pink on the inside. sprinkle with season salt and enjoy!

note: these nuggets also freeze beautifully! wait for them to cool then add to freezer ziploc bag and freeze. they are a breeze to pop a couple out when needed and microwave.

five fun things to kick off father's day weekend...

i am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share this insider news about the man of steel movie premier as part of this sponsored campaign from warner bros.

i find father's day challenging. i want to honor and love on my husband for his special day but we have entirely different ideas for the perfect gift. for mother's day, i'm thrilled to have a few moments to myself. my gifts are usually centered around giving me a break and a few moments away from my kiddos. when I'm home with five of them, who can blame my wish list? my husband, on the other hand, wants to spend quality time with the kids for father's day (who would have thought?) his work schedule doesn't allow for many special moments with the kids and those brief times he gets to spend with the fantastic five in the early mornings and late evenings leave much to be desired.

last year he asked for date nights with each of the kids for father's day. the kids loved this idea and they each were able to spend some quality daddy/kid time. this year we are approaching the weekend differently. instead of creating a bunch of smaller outings for my husband and the kids, we are enjoying a weekend of activities we can all enjoy. this works perfectly both for father's day and the first week of summer vacation. it's a win-win!

here's what we have planned...

1) thursday, june 13 - “movie night”

the new superman movie, "man of steel" is coming out just in time for father's day weekend. walmart stores are selling tickets for an advance screening of the movie. this is the perfect kick-off to the father's day weekend. while we won't be taking all the kids, (the movie is not really appropriate for toddlers and no one would appreciate my screaming child in the theaters) we will be able to take a couple of them to enjoy a “grown-up” night out. my husband and older kids are thrilled.

getting our superhero on in preparation. the baby doesn't look amused. good thing he's not invited to this portion of the party.

to get your own tickets, you can head to walmart and purchase your man of steel tickets in the electronics department. 

you will get to attend an advanced screening of the movie and, with the purchase of your ticket, you also get an exclusive digital comic book written by the author of man of steel, in addition to an exclusive opportunity to pre-order an hd digital download or blu-ray copy of the film. the man of steel screening will be shown at specified theaters on june 13th at 7 pm (early enough for some of the kids too). just check your local listings to see when it is playing. 

you can watch the official trailer here. it is definitely a dad-friendly movie. in my world of boys, it doesn't get better than this.

2) take me out to the ballgame

photo credit: erica caldwell/charlotte knights

it just so happens that my church planned tailgating at a minor league ball game on friday night of father's day weekend. remind me to thank them for helping me plan my weekend's festivities. we bought tickets for the whole family and we'll all get to sit and watch a game together. with the two little ones, we'll see how long many innings we last. still, totally worth it for some family fun time together. if you have a minor league team in your town, see if there's a home game next weekend. it's a great family night out.

you can search for a minor league team near you here:

http://www.milb.com/index.jsp

3) breakfast together

if you don't know what this pan is for, wait for the post with the recipe...oh man...is this pan dangerous.

sunday mornings are crazy at our house. we leave for church at different times and i'm the first one out the door at 6:20 am. that doesn't leave a lot of time for a father's day breakfast. we make up for it with a saturday morning breakfast. my husband is a sucker for everything sweet so these breakfasts usually involve sugar...and nutella...and butter. there's usually some batter involved in there too but those are the three major ingredients. for this weekend, we are allowed to break all the healthy rules. it's an easy environment to shower “daddy” with compliments and guide a conversation to bless him.

4) outdoor playtime

my husband loves the outdoors. he needs to get out of the house and do something away from the “normal” weekend chores and activities. this is especially the case on father's day weekend when he is craving an escape from the routine. after the sugar consumed at breakfast, an outdoor activity is a must. we are planning a trip to a walking path along a river near our house. it's a great place for the kids to ride their scooters and for us to push the strollers and talk. it's family time and grown-up time all in one. it almost feels like a date...just surrounded by children. sometimes we have to take what we can get.

5) fire pit family time

my in-laws bought us an outdoor fire pit one year. i have to admit, we don't use it very often but when we do, my family loves it. (i love it except for the smoky laundry i have to wash when we all come indoors...just keeping it real.) i bought stuff for s'mores. i figure we plan to start the day out with sugar, we might as well end it with sugar as well. it's best to go out with a father's day bang. at some point, my children will go to bed and sleep after the sugar crash. in the meantime, times around the fire are some of the best times we have talking with the kids (we usually put the baby to bed before we start to avoid the worry he would cause around a fire.) they love to talk and laugh and something about the intimacy of the fire opens them up to talk in ways they normally would not. that is father's day goodness wrapped in chocolate and marshmallows.

whatever your plans are for father's day, I hope you find time to honor the man in your life and to teach your children to do the same. father's are sometimes the forgotten parent in the grand scheme of things but they are so, so important. my husband is pretty amazing and i'm so excited to celebrate him next weekend. what about you? how will you celebrate the “dad” in your family next weekend?  

Purchase tickets to the exclusive pre-screening of Man of Steel [PG-13] on June 13th, 2013 at 7 PM at your local Walmart! Tickets can be purchased in th

e Electronics Department and include an exclusive digital comic book written by David S. Goyer, author of “Man of Steel”, as well as an exclusive opportunity to pre-order an HD digital download or Blu-Ray copy of the film.

• Go to your local Walmart
• Visit the electronics department
• Purchase your EXCLUSIVE Man of Steel prescreening tickets (available in 2D or 3D)
• Take your family to the theater location noted on your ticket and watch the EXCLUSIVE 7 p.m. premiere of Man of Steel on June 13th!

Learn more here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Warner Bros.