Cute Tooth Fairy Ideas

My 5 year old daughter had to have her front lower baby tooth pulled to make room for the new adult tooth coming in on the lingual side.  With my husband being a dentist, we knew she was in good hands.  She was super brave and did amazing (so did daddy!).  So last night the tooth fairy paid her a visit.  My daughter woke up screaming ecstatically this morning and came running into my room, so it was all worth it.  Here is what she left.

To make the glitter money, I simply painted Elmer's glue onto the bill then sprinkled with glitter and let it dry and repeated on the other side.

I found some great tooth fairy printables from this website from pinterest
I printed them on heavy cardstock.

We filled out these 2 together the next morning.

This receipt is super cute and great to go in the scrapbook so we can remember.

 A friend of my mom's made these adorable tooth fairy pillows for my girls when they were born.  It matches their baby blankets she also made for them.

20 Tips and Tricks for Visiting Disneyland with Small Children

We just got back from our first trip to Disneyland as a family.  My husband and I were there 5 years ago, but it is a way different experience with kids.  We took our two girls, ages 5 and almost 4 years old. The trip was wonderful and went very smoothly.  We went in February during their "off" season, so it was less crowded.  We also chose Disneyland because it was much cheaper then Disneyworld, and it is a smaller park so much more manageable with small children.  I have compiled a list of tips and tricks for first time travelers to Disneyland.  Hope these help.

1.       Stay at a neighborhood hotel.  We stayed at the Best Western ParkPlace Inn & Mini Suites directly across the street from the main entrance.  It was less than a 5minute walk to the park entrance, was much cheaper than "on-campus" hotels, included a decent hot breakfast buffet daily, and was quite clean.

2.       Bring water bottles.  Water is super expensive in the parks, but if you bring in your own water bottles it is free!  Just fill up at a drinking fountain and if you want super cold water like I do, just ask any concession stand for a cup of ice.  I filled up the water bottles at the hotel breakfast before we went to the parks every morning.

3.       Buy glow sticks, bracelets, necklaces, etc at dollar store before the trip.  Rather than buying the overprices flashy stuff from the vendors on Main Street, bring in your own glow sticks.  I stocked up at the dollar store.  They had bracelets, necklaces, and fairy wands.  I was even asked by a few people where we got our glow sticks!  Saves a ton of money.  I spent a total of $10 on glow sticks that lasted us 3 nights for the parades and World of Color.

4.       Buy all your Disney apparel at Wal-Mart or JC Penny.  Wal-Mart has the cutest Disney clothes online and in the store.  Since I get anxiety from shopping at Wal-Mart sometimes, I decided to do all of my ordering online.  T-Shirts were between $5-$7, and outfits were between $12-$15. Again, I was complimented on the adorable clothes my 2 girls wore all week!  JC Penny also had super cute Disney apparel, but we got all of ours from Wal-Mart.

5.       Buy a box of Uncrustables from Costco.  Since breakfast was included in our hotel stay, we took full advantage of stuffing our faces so my husband and I could skip lunch.  I packed a lunch for the girls everyday in brown paper bags I brought with.  I packed an Uncrustable, a squeeze tube yogurt, fruit snacks, veggie straws, and a granola bar.  They snacked on their lunch all afternoon while in the stroller and in lines.  I packed a few extra granola bars for my husband and I as well as bananas and apples from the breakfast buffet.

6.       Bring your own snacks, brown bags, and Ziploc bags.  I stocked up at Costco on Veggie Straws, Granola bars, fruit snacks, and yogurt tubes before we left.  I actually brought an extra suitcase and filled it with all our food, brown bags, and Ziploc bags.  The Best Western has a fridge and microwave in all the rooms.  I packed a brown paper bag each morning and brought a few extra empty bags to breakfast and stocked up on bananas, oranges, and apples.

7.       Rent a stroller from City Stroller.  For $65 for the week, we got a City GT Double.  They deliver it to the hotel and it is ready when you arrive, and you leave it at the hotel when you check out.  Well worth the money and much easier then traveling with our double. http://www.citystrollerrentals.com/Disneyland-Stroller-Rentals.html

8.       Wear comfortable shoes.  I know this goes without saying, but I thought I would make sure to mention it. The first day we got there was in the afternoon.  We weren't going to the parks until the next morning so we walked around Downtown Disney for that afternoon and then had dinner there as well.  I wore my Sperry's and thought they would be comfortable enough, but let me tell you how much my feet were hurting by the end of that day, and we barely walked that much.  The next 3 days, I switched to my lightweight gym shoes and was WAY more comfortable the rest of the trip.  We walked on average 7-9miles a day!

9.       Dress in layers.  We went in February and it is still cool there in the morning and evenings.  We made sure to bring a light sweater as well as a fleece for the parades and shows at night. 

10.   Download apps.  We used MouseWait and DL Maps.  Those we found most helpful.  They have wait times as well as maps, restaurant locations, bathroom locations, etc. 

11.   At Disneyland park, do not bother waiting in line for Anna and Elsa right when park opens.  Wait in line anywhere between 1-4pm.  The line will still be anywhere between 50-60 minutes.  We, I mean my dear husband, waiting in line from 10am until 12:40pm!  The Frozen characters don't get there until 11am due to scheduling conflicts with the restaurant next door.  We saw many people in line from as early as 9am.  So we got nervous and sent my husband in line at 10am and we didn't get to see them until 12:30pm.  2 1/2 hours of waiting in line!  Later that day and the rest of the week, we kept checking MouseWait and the average wait time was between 52-62 minutes.  So go a little later and have the hubs wait for you while you take the kids on Dumbo, teacups, and Alice and Wonderland.

12.   At Disneyland, go to Peter Pan right away.  Preferably during your Magic Morning hour.  That line gets long and almost never dies down and is worth the wait.  We got there first thing for our Magic Morning hour and waited about 20 minutes to ride.

13.   Go to one of the first two shows of Tangled in the Royal Theater.  Rapunzel only does a meet and greet after the first two shows.  We went to the third show and had to come back at 3:30pm near the theater to meet her.  If you just want to do that, make sure to get in line around 3ish.

14.   Splurge on Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique package.  This is one of the cutest things we did for our girls.  It is a salon in Disneyland Park in Fantasyland.  The girls are treated to a makeover complete with a hairstyle they pick, makeup, and nails.  There are a few different package options you can pick from, the one we got was $60 for the hair, nails, and makeup.  They are treated like a princess, addressed as a princess, and treated like royalty.  Make sure to being your own crystal tiara from home because theirs are pretty pricey and pack a princess dress to put them in during the makeover.  They also have a package for a boy for a Knight make over.  We saw one of them and it was pretty adorable.  Well worth the money.  Get an appointment early in the day so you can enjoy their hairstyle all day.  Go immediately to a photographer in front of the castle and take pictures of them.

15.   Get  a Photo Pass Plus before you go.  Probably one of the best $69 we spent.  Buy the pass a head of time here https://mydisneyphotopass.disney.go.com/  For $69 you get unlimited images uploaded to your account.  This also includes all the images on a disk with full printing rights!  Absolutely worth the money, because photos are how memories are remembered. Don't wait until you get to the park because the price goes up to $99  https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/photo-pass-service/

16.   Do a Mickey Breakfast at PCH Grill in Paradise Pier and a princess lunch  at Ariel's Grotto.  We did both these character dining experiences and thought they were great.  the Princess Lunch was a little fast and overwhelming.  The princesses come out right when you sit, come to your table for 30 seconds and leave.  They do this one after the other.  So you are done with pictures and meet and greet within the first 10 minutes of sitting down.  Then it is just a normal meal because they characters leave.  PCH Grill was way cooler and the characters stayed longer and Mickey had a dance every 15 minutes in the front of the room for all the kids.  It was super cute and a little more entertaining.

17.   Get a Dole Whip Ice Cream outside the Tikki Room.  This pineapple ice cream is FANTASTIC!

18.   See World of Color in California Adventure and make sure to get a Fastpass for it.  The World of Color Fastpass does not count against the other Fastpasses, so you can get this one in conjunction with another Fastpass.  We got the early show, which is what I wanted because we have young kids.  The Fastpass basically gets you into the roped standing room only areas.  This show is amazing and is a must.  We stood on the bridge, which is where one of the cast members said was one of the best views for blue seating.  If you get red seating, get there at least 30-45 minutes early to get right in front.  They let in red first, then white, then blue Fastpasses.

19.   Get a Fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers.   Right when we got to California Adventure Park, my husband went immediately to get a Radiator Springs Fast pass.  While he was in line he learned that since our Fastpass would be late in the day (around 1:30pm), we were allowed to get other Fastpasses at the same time.  As soon as he learned this, I took the girls into Disney Jr. Live show while he ran around the park collecting Fastpasses for Soarin' Over California, World of Color, and Goofy's Sky School.  Again, he was a saint for doing this and then we were able to relax and enjoy our time on other rides and shows.

20.   Go to City Hall on Main Street and get buttons.  My girls got 1st Time Visitors buttons and got lots of special attention because of them.  My husband and I celebrated our anniversary while we were there and we got buttons for that as well.  They also have birthday buttons.

Hope these tips and trick can help you with planning your Disneyland trip.  Hope you have a magical trip!

Creamy Tomato Linguine recipe

Creamy Tomato Linguine 

We are leaving for Disney Monday, in the meantime, I tried not to grocery shop for too much this week in an attempt to clean out the fridge.  Tonight I created a delicious pasta dish with some ingredients in my fridge and pantry that my family loved.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add linguine.  Cook until al dente.  Strain and return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat up 1-2 tbsp EVOO in a medium high heat pan.  Add chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add kale and a 1/2 cup water.  Saute 5 minutes.
3. Add bell peppers and carrots to kale and continue to cook another 5 minutes.

 

4.  Pour the 2 cans of diced tomatoes into the pan as well as salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and the parmigiano rind.

 5.  Cook  another 10 minutes until sauce has slightly thickened and is heated through.

 6.  Pour over pasta
7.  Add brick of cream cheese and toss until cream cheese melts all the way through.

 8.  Serve immediately with a little grated parmigiano reggiano and hot giardiniera (optional).

Ingredients

• 1lb whole wheat linguine 
• 1 brick of low fat cream cheese
• 2 large carrots peeled and diced
• 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2-3 cups kale
• 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper chopped
• 1 inch piece of parmigiano reggiano rind
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• EVOO
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• Parmigiano reggiano cheese to taste
• Hot giardiniera (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add linguine.  Cook until al dente.  Strain and return to pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat up 1-2 tbsp EVOO in a medium high heat pan.  Add chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add kale and a 1/2 cup water.  Saute 5 minutes.
3. Add bell peppers and carrots to kale and continue to cook another 5 minutes.
4. Pour the 2 cans of diced tomatoes into the pan as well as salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and the parmigiano rind.
5. Cook  another 10 minutes until sause has slightly thickened and is heated through.
6. Pour over pasta
7. Add brick of cream cheese and toss until cream cheese melts all the way through.
8. Serve immediately with a little grated parmigiano reggiano and hot giardiniera (optional).

Ornage banana kale smoothie

My Morning Smoothie

This morning I made another green smoothie.  Here is what I had on hand

Ingredients
2 heaping tablespoons of The Greek Gods Honey Vanilla Greek Yogurt (picture below)
1/4 english cucumber
1 cup kale
1 orange
1 banana

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix and enjoy

Ginger beef and mushroom Stir-Fry recpie

Ginger Beef and Mushroom Stir-Fry

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest but modified it slightly.  It was a nice quick weeknight meal and very tasty.  Here is my version of the stir-fry

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large zip top bag.

Cut the Flank Steak against the grain into bite size pieces and put in zip top bag.  Make sure every piece gets coated and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cut all mushrooms and chop kale and set aside

 After 30 minutes brown steak in a skillet.  I pretty much use my cast iron pan for everything so that is what I used for this recipe.

 

Remove the steak and set aside

Add mushrooms and kale to the skillet with the rest of the marinade.  Cook on medium until the kale and mushrooms are cooked

Add the steak back to the pan and cook another couple minutes 

 

Serve over rice.  I like to add a little Sriracha for heat

Enjoy

 

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth, or water)
• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 tsp. ground ginger

Stir Fry Ingredients

• 1 lb. thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin, cut diagonally across the grain into thin strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 3 cups chopped kale 
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• Sriracha  (optional)

Directions

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large zip top bag. Cut the Flank Steak against the grain into bite size pieces and put in zip top bag.  Make sure every piece gets coated and place in fridge for 30 minutes.  

In the meantime, cut all mushrooms and chop kale and set aside.   After 30 minutes brown steak in a skillet. 

Remove the steak and set aside.  Add mushrooms and kale to the skillet with the rest of the marinade.  Cook on medium until the kale and mushrooms are cooked.  Add the steak back to the pan and cook another couple minutes. 

Serve over brown rice.  I like to add a little Sriracha for heat

Apple pear kale smoothie

My Morning Green Smoothie

Decided to get back on the health wagon and start making my morning smoothies with my Vitamix.    I like to make up my own recipes which consist of whatever I have on hand,  So this morning this is what I had on hand

Ingredients
3 heaping tablespoons of Light N Fit Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 Apple
1/2 Pear
1 Carrot peeled
1 Cup of Kale

Directions
Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix with a little water and ice until smooth
Enjoy