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Blankets that Rise to the Top of the Stack

In my experience, baby showers seem to come in waves.  I’ve only had a couple to attend over the past few years, but the wave has started up again!  Since many of these babies are 2nd-borns or coming into the world without a 14-page Babies I Us registry, I find myself needing to be a little more creative in my gift-giving these days. 

When my daughter was born, I must have received at least 20 blankets.  In the end, however, I really only used a few favorites.  My favorite blanket was a cozy, hand made stroller blanket.  It was warm enough to keep my daughter warm when she was in the stroller, thick and cushy enough to provide padding when she was learning to sit and toppled over, and constructed to endure the test of time and countless washings. 

Given my appreciation for soft goods, you can imagine how excited I was when my friend, Elise Hooper, started designing and making these fabulous blankets.  They’re whimsically personalized and made with adorable mod, plushy fabrics.  Elise is flexible enough to mix almost any of her patterns and colors to create a truly one-of-a-kind blanket that is sure to rise to the top of the stack.  Priced around $50 for a stroller blanket and  $25 for a lovey blankie, they’re both cuter and better value than any item you’d snag from Pottery Barn Kids or Land of Nod.  Although she sews these up in West Seattle, she can easily ship anywhere so long as you allow for the 2 week turn around custom construction time. 

 

Check our more of her designs and items on her Etsy site:

Elise Hooper Designs

Age Painlessly…

Five years ago, I never understood why anybody would subject themselves to Botox, fillers, and painful spa treatments to take a few years off their age.  Many crows feet and “smile” lines later, I now get it.  I still refuse to succumb the aforementioned, but must confess that I’d love a little rejuvenation-action on my aging mug.  My sister recently gave me Origins Modern Friction (I’m hoping not as a hint…), and I am a full-on believer.  It is amazing.

The secret is Modern Friction’s skin-refining rice sarch, balanced in a comforting cream base infused with soothing aloe and illuminating lemon oil.  Used 2-3 times a week, this amazing minute-scrub really does slough off old cells and even out discolorations and patchiness without leaving you flaky or red.  The peppermint and bergamot aromatherapy notes will also transport you to an imaginary spa experience that takes less time than required to shave your legs, as a bonus.  It’s all sorts of unexpected fabulousness.  Yes - that’s the only “word” I can use to describe this product. 

Origins boasts that in a sampling of 54 women who had undergone clinical micr-dermabrasion (ouch!), 94% of these women said they would consider using Modern Friction instead because it produced similar results. 

So go ahead… treat yourself to a little rejuvenation and feel and look more radiant without adding a ton of cost or time to your beauty regimen.  After all, you probably only have a few minutes before somebody under three feet tall in footie-jammies busts into your bathroom and demands breakfast. 

Kids need a distraction? Meet Germany’s “I am a Gummybear” Web Phenom

Most of the time, I love to write posts about somewhat educational books or tips for the kids.  This, however, is NOT one of those times.  Knowing that my kids are obsessed with the annoying, internet viral videos “Bananaphone” and “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” (dad’s influence, thanks…), my sister forwarded me this video.  To say that it was a hit, is a massive understatement.  My kids LOVE this ridiculous gummy bear that has gone viral in 25 languages and boasts over 1 Billion plays.  Seriously.  How in the world could so many people love this dancing piece of jelly candy?!   He provides absolutely zero educational value and hardly any musical value, but makes my kids laugh and dance, which does turn out to be worth something after all.  In fact, my kids love this song so much that sadly, “I am a Gummy Bear” will definitely be added to the list of YouTube clips played off my phone as I run errands this weekend.  (Which is why I’m posting this on a Saturday…) I hope the folks shopping at Target & Safeway are prepared to meet Gummybear.

The next time you have cranky kids on your hands, Gummybear might just be your trump card… Just be prepared to hear him sing more than once. 

If you’re of fan of this little guy, he’s actually done covers of a bunch of other songs, including the World Cup Song – he’s freakin’ unstoppable. 

His official site is here.

Disney-Tips: How to Make Disneyland your Happiest Place on Earth, too…

We just returned from a family trip to Disneyland and had a BLAST!  Granted, the experience was about a thousand times more intense than I had remembered it as a kid or even young adult.  There’s a lot of pressure on us parents to “make the most of the experience”.  The idea of buying a ticket and then casually deciding what attractions to see is not only unrealistic, but destined to be stressful.  From the instant you walk into the Park, you are overwhelmed with a sensory overload.   Lights, music, giant contraptions, wonderful smells, and intriguing characters… where does one even start?!  As a Disneyland Rookie (with the family, that is…) we were lucky enough to plan our first trip with my sister-in-law, a 3-peat Disney pro, who was packed with great ideas to help make our trip a total success.  Here are some of the less-obvious things that we learned or did to help make our visit to D-Land a little easier:

1. Plan your Visit with Another Family – If you can think of another family that you’re close to with similarly-aged children, consider planning your Disneyland trip together.  Our kids loved the novelty of their out-of-state cousins – it was SO fun.  There is no doubt that the tiny playmates did a far better job than the adults could have done in keeping the complaining down and spirits up as the day grew long.  When my daughter was tentative about trying something new, her cousins got her pumped up for it.  When the kids wanted to yammer on and on about how cool Autotopia was, they could talk to each other.  (Instead of the adults!)  Also, since the height requirements vary from one ride to the next, having more than two adults to swap out turns with riders or to split the big-kids-from-little-kids is a definite perk.  

2. Reconsider How Much you Want to Spend on a Hotel – I must admit that I’m a just a bit conflicted on this issue after walking through the amazing foyer of the Grand Californian everyday for the past week, but here’s the deal: Disneyland costs a fortune.  Admission tickets for a family of 4, alone, will easily set you back $800+ for the week...  So consider where you want to spend your money and how much time you plan to spend in your hotel.  My sister-in-law tapped her Disneyland-frequenting network of friends to find us a great hotel at a rock-star price.  We stayed at the Annabella Hotel, which was right on Katella, and about a 10 minute walk from the parks.  Disneyland has the world’s biggest blocks and parking lots (IMHO), so do also note that a hotel that is “just across the street from the Park” = 10 minutes…)  The Annabella offers 14 different room configuration options, and features remodeled large granite baths, generous dressing/bar areas, and even a floor plan with 2 queen beds set in perpendicular alcoves of the room for less than $150/night.  (Imagine an “L-Shaped” living space, which allows the kids to sleep in a dark area while parents stay up past 8:30 in the same room with lights on…YES!)  The pool is pretty standard… no slides, fountains, lazy rivers, or islands, but we only used it once, to be perfectly honest.   No doubt that staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel has its perks and some posh amenities, but the price difference is pretty substantial… A standard room at the Grand Californian starts at $500/night!  Ouch.  Does a wake-up call from Mickey really cost that much?!

3. Pack-in Drinks and Snacks – Thankfully, Disneyland isn’t stringent about restricting outside food and drinks.  They “officially” discourage it (so don’t blatantly bring coolers in) and they do check bags, but I was never challenged or even questioned about the hoards of snacks and drinks I was unapologetically schlepping in.  In the event that you are asked about your stash, you can quickly diffuse the situation by responding in one of 2 ways: “We have special dietary restrictions (aka: food allergies, etc…)” or “I plan to check this in a locker”.  Don’t feel the least bit nervous about bringing stuff in – EVERYBODY does it.  There is no shortage of junk food in D-Land, so consider packing individually packed bags of fruits, veggies, crackers, etc.  My husband also had the great idea of buying sport-drinks with electrolytes to keep us going during the day… it sure felt better than trying to refuel on Capri Suns.  Oh, and don’t forget to grab a stack of plastic baggies/Ziplocs/water bottles from home so you don’t have to add them to your vacation grocery list – you can find napkins and plastic silverware in the park.  After all, do you really want to buy a box of 150 sandwich bags for a week?!  Or better yet, feel like you have to pack what is left of them up and bring them home with the all the Disney swag?!   No thanks…

4. Bring Umbrella Strollers with Baskets – For starters, bring umbrella strollers  for your kids, even if they don’t use strollers anymore.  Strollers are free to check on the plane, make maneuvering through the crowds of people a million times less stressful, and help your kids save their energy for the long-days.  My super-determined-and-athletic 7 year old niece did great without a stroller this past week, but I’m pretty sure she would have gladly welcomed one if we had been able to grow another set of stroller-pushing arms.  Also consider the type of umbrella stroller to bring, if you have the option to choose or borrow…  We brought two umbrella strollers for our kids: a basketless one from Toys R Us, and a Maclaren Techno XT.  Since loaded-up umbrella strollers are notorious for tipping over the second your kid stands up, we quickly learned how important under-storage was.  Heavy items, such as drinks and sunblock, were relegated to the basket under the Maclaren with no tipping problems at all.  Lighter snacks were tossed into a roll-up, reusable shopping bag that hung off the back of the basketless stroller. 

5. Catch Characters Early in the Morning – We had the unfortunate luck of visiting Disneyland just as a record-setting heat wave passed through Southern CA.  The day we arrived, it hit 113 degrees – and it was almost October.  Brutal.  As much as we complained about the heat, however, we had nothing on those poor souls in the giant character heads!   In fact, both California and Disneyland pulled their characters due to heat.  As the week cooled down, we saw more characters emerge, but they were typically out in the mornings.  Lines to meet characters can also be slow and long, so it’s a good idea to prioritize your characters and use your time wisely.  The line for Princess Fantasy Faire, for example, which offers a meet-and-greet with 3 princesses, is far more tolerable if you arrive 15 minutes before it opens at 10:30 am versus 3 in the afternoon.   Another option is to reserve a Character Breakfast, which will set you back $75-$100 for a family of four (depending on which one you choose), but guarantees at least half of dozen characters who visit tableside for autographs and photos.  Lastly, don’t forget to buy your autograph book at any gift shop and pack pens.  Apparently, the Fairy Godmother’s birds didn’t sew pen-carrying pockets into Cinderella’s dress.

5. Magic Morning – On the note of using your time wisely, consider purchasing a ticket package that offers a Magic Morning option.   Most multi-day Park Hopper tickets offer you one MM, which allows you admission into Disneyland an hour before the gates open to the public.  You’re far from alone in the park, but the lines do tend to be shorter, so hit the long-wait attractions if you can, before the gates open to the general public.

6. Fast Pass – When wait times get long, Disneyland will often offer Fast Pass on their most popular attractions.  FP basically allows you to “take a ticket” and return to ride the attraction at a specific time, with a limited wait.  Do note, however, that you will need to scan *every* ticket of your party that cares to ride.  Think of it as your deli-ticket for rides.  :)  FP is also an absolute-must if you want to catch the incredible World of Color show @ California – head over to the FP kiosk immediately after gates open to catch this show before it “sells” out.

7. Know How Tall Your Kids Are – Disneyland is very strict about their height requirements.  No amount of hair-teasing or tippy-toe action will fool the ride operators, so it is helpful to know in advance what rides your child can/cannot go on.  There is nothing worse than finding out that your child is too short for an attraction after you’ve pumped him up for.  You can pre-plan which rides your little one qualifies for by checking the list here. 

10. Identify the “Disney-Defining” Moment for your Kid(s) – We originally sought out for a causal, “Disney-Lite” experience.  Thanks to the excellent planning and help of my sister-in-law, we actually saw almost everything in a matter of a few days.  Most people, however, aren’t lucky enough to visit D-Land with their own personal park-Pro…  This is why it’s important to talk to your kids and find out what they consider the most important attraction.  My husband and I breathed a collective sigh of relief once our son had met Buzz Lightyear and daughter had hugged  Tinkerbell  - *THAT* was Disneyland for them.  Everything else was a bonus.

11. Consider Taking Afternoon Breaks – Looking back, we probably should have done this more.  A full day at Disneyland equals that to a serious athletic event.  The walking, stroller-pushing, and swag-schlepping in the extreme heat feels like distance training, weights, and hot yoga rolled into one.  If you want to arrive in the morning for the short lines, but stay fresh for the show and parade-packed evenings, consider taking a hotel or pool break during the day.  Of course, this depends on the ages of your kids and the location of your hotel, but having a little non-park time can be a great way to recharge and cool off.  It will also give you time to unload your swag and grab a burger that doesn’t cost $12.

12. Pack Stain Pre-Treater – Lastly, as I unpack and start the laundry, I wish somebody had suggested that I bring a stain-treating stick to Disneyland.  Considering that the kids spent the past week drinking juice boxes and eating  ice cream cones and everything that seemed to require ketchup-dipping action, their clothing is filthy.  Not only are they stained, they have been stained for a week and counting…  Save yourself the trouble on the back-end and consider packing a stain pre-treater. 

Time for Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins?Shortcuts for Fresh-Baked Treats…

I love baking, but it sure has become a more difficult task in recent years.  Everything takes longer because I have six pairs of hands trying to cook, instead of two.  Instead of taking 30 seconds to crack 4 eggs, it now takes 5 minutes to painfully watch my little helpers “crack” the eggs, and then another 5 minutes to dig all the pieces of eggshell out of the batter.  I’ve now conceded that when baking, I need to plan for two things: 1) Expect “help” from the tiny sous-chef team.  2) Get more mileage out of this patience-requiring and slow-paced baking experience by making an extra batch or two of treats in one-shot. 

This is one of my favorite muffin recipes that whips up in a jiffy, is packed with fruit/veggies, freezes easily, and is perfect for last minute play dates, brunches, etc.  Feel free to scale the recipe – the one below makes over 4 dozen muffins!

Ingredients – (Makes a Whopping 48 Muffins!):

4-1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

2-1/2 Cups of White Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1-1/2 Teaspoons Salt

2 Cups Vegetable Oil

6 Eggs

3 Cups Shredded Zucchini

1 (20 Oz) Can Crushed Pineapple, drained

3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. If you plan to cook a batch immediately, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour as many muffin pans or use paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the oil, eggs, zucchini, pineapple, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

3. Set 4 Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags up in measuring cups/containers.  I find that old deli and large yogurt containers work best for stabilizing the bags because they’re deep enough to make filling the bags easy, but wide enough so you can roll the top that the bag over to keep things in place.

4. Divide batter evenly into the 4 freezer bags nested in containers.  I find it easiest to use a clean measuring cup to scoop out the same amount batter for each bag, and then divide the remaining batter by eyeballing it.  Remove the bags from their containers, squeeze out air, and freeze flat (to save space).

5. When ready to use the muffin batter, simply thaw, snip the corner of the Ziploc bag, and then pipe 2/3 to 3/4 full into paper-filled muffin cups.  Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Voila!   Fresh-baked muffins ready to go in a jiffy.  Your tiny sous-chefs will love helping you squeeze the muffin batter out of the Ziploc bag, and you’ll love how relatively mess-free the task will be.  You’ll be amazed by how little time this takes!   I’ve actually been in such a hurry before that I’ve even shamelessly defrosted the muffin batter in the microwave the morning-of.  It’s okay… nobody will know.  ;)

Eco-Friendly Snack Bags

As a kid, my mom used the fold-over sandwich bags, much to my disappointment.  I remember her explanation of how Ziplocs were “the expensive” sandwich bag, and “not necessary”, after she praised my fold-over bag’s ability to carry my food.  Nice, mom… Several years later, I’m shocked to realize the pace at which we smoke through a CASE of Ziplocs from Costco…  although they have become cheaper, I do feel a little bad about all the waste!  (A side effect of West Coast living is the development of an eco-conscience.) 

My friend introduced me to reusable snack bags a couple of years ago, and I just love them!  They come in several sizes and shapes, and can be purchased from a variety of different vendors in all sorts of adorable prints that match your taste or your kids’ personalities.  Most of these are lined with a water-resistant/proof lining and close with a Velcro closure.  To clean, simply them toss in the washing machine or wash by hand with your evening dishes. 

Google “Reusable Snack Bag” to start your search for more of an eco-friendly snack-containment solution, or check out the deal Plum District has right now on Pouch Pals.  Valid now through 9/26, you can purchase a $30 voucher for Pouch Pals products for only $15.