Easy DIY Disney Vacation Memory Making Project: Customized Mouse Ears Autograph / Journal Notebook

Our family is trying to create the lowest cost, budget trip to Disneyland this spring while still maintaining the qualities that will keep it a cherished experience. There are many things we know we can skimp on that won't stop it from being the best vacation ever- but some things just can't be skipped. No matter what your age {my kiddos range from 10-25 years old.} there are certain parts of a trip to Disneyland that are the must see-do-experiences that keep it forever in your hearts.

I do believe my eldest girly-girl, the most princessy, nostalgic girl I know, will not find Disneyland the happiest place on earth, unless we are engaging with the Princesses and other characters. Undoubtedly she is UBER excited to assist her little brother in meeting the characters for the first time. Unfortunately, over the years I have tossed one too many autograph books in the trash. Somehow those "must-have" treasures lose their appeal once the next trip is scheduled. Now, that just seems terribly wasteful to me. So, what could we do that would still allow for those magical moments of meeting the characters but would also hold it's value over time? Hmm, why not a combination of Autograph  & Journal? This would allow us to  retain the memories, laughter and the blunder bumps along the way as well as provide places to get autographs as well. BONUS! Not something so easily tossed in the garbage later. 

As I was dreaming up this concept one of my favorite internet-based publishing companies just happened to be having a special going on. Shutterfly was offering 50% off their custom notebooks. SUH-WEET! I immediately got to work.

First I would need to create some ears... 

Link to download Mouse Ears

Then add an "autograph" graphic banner...

Link to download: Mouse Ears Autograph

{Feel free to use either of the graphics above to make your own}

To finish it off I would add each child's name, as if embroidered on the back of the hat( I know it is usually gold thread but for the visual effect I preferred white), onto the Mickey Ears. I saved each of the named ear designs as individual jpegs and then uploaded them to shutterfly, along with my favorite pictures of my kiddos. 

VOILA! 

Once I found the notebook design I wanted to use, their I heart you design on Shutterfly, I simply placed the photos and I was ready to place my order. 

On our many team excursions to Africa we have realized the value of journaling. When trips are so packed full of new experiences, those what you are sure are "unforgettable moments" find ways to seep out of the brain. Not to mention, those notable blubbers, embarrassing moments or rantings that are sure to take place when you have any kind of agenda at all. With this in mind our clan tries to take note of these whenever we can. (Most likely for future blackmailing - haha.)

Young kiddos could even color their own portraits of their favorite characters next to the autographs. Later you could go back and glue in those fabulous character photos. These journals really allow for a lot of creativity. 

I would love to hear any other ideas you have for these little treasures. Or of course any saving tips you have for our upcoming vaca.

~Simply Sublime

Bacon & Chicken Coconut Corn Chowder Recipe: Make Ahead Freezer Meal

I have been meaning to post a few of the freezer meals I made up in September to keep us from eating out when time is short. Better late than never right? Here is one of them - a SOUPER (Hee hee, get it?)  good Bacon & Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe that I created. I have to say this may be one of my new favorites!

Ingedients:

• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 32 oz  Chicken broth (I use homemade usually)
• 6 slices Bacon - chopped 
• 1 onion - diced
• 1 green bell pepper - chopped
• 3 carrots- sliced
• 3 red med. red potatoes - diced
• 3 ears of corn - kernels removed from cob- (set aside cobs) 
• garlic
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 lime
• 2-3 tsp fresh Thyme
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions: 

Take a large dutch oven or stock pot and brown the chopped bacon over med-high heat until it is about half way cooked. Then add the onion, green pepper, carrots and red potatoes. Saute for 5-10 minutes until the onions are starting to turn translucent and veggies are beginning to soften. If at any point your veggies begin to stick go ahead and add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to the mix.

Add corn kernels and pressed garlic and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the vegetables are tender. Next add chicken stock.

Remove 2-3 cups of the soup base and blend in a food processor or blender until creamy.

Add back into the remaining soup base when completed.

Add corn cobs to soup and bring to a boil then simmer on medium low for 10-15 minutes.Then remove and discard the cobs.

Add the chicken, coconut milk, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Lime wedges for garnish and an extra squeeze of yum! and...

VOILA! Delicious!

For freezing I would let it cool for an hour or so in the fridge and then transfer to freezer gallon bags that are well labeled with the Name of the Soup and the Date. Unless you enjoy Mystery Meals...haha!

-Simply Sublime

Kids Halloween Candy: To Binge or Not to Binge?

Oh my dear fellow parents. We have arrived at that time of year again. We dress our little sweeties up in their adorably creative costumes. We spend some time coaching the kiddos on how to be polite... "Trick or Treat", "Thank you". Yes - they are ready to hit the street. We walk with them door to door. We snap tons of photos...because they are so stinkin' cute. So precious and isn't this great exercise for them... walking around the neighborhood? In fact they are even choosing to run at times. Oh bless their little hearts for wanting to get in some aerobic activity prior to going to bed for the night. Precious! 

Once the little kiddos can no longer hold their bags of loot up without it dragging on the ground the parents finally decide it is time to head home for the night. The goal has been reached...all can be proud of a successful evening of Trick or Treating. 

Then comes the candy sorting and trading. (Atleast in our family) The children dump their load on the floor in an area claimed as their space. They begin to pull out the items they don't care for. Now it is time to see what they can get for it from their siblings. SCORE... a red vine for a snickers...YES!!! 

So now what?  Shall we voluntarily let our little peeps chow down on 5, 064 grams of sugar every hour on the hour for the next 48-72 hours until the stash is completely depleted? I do believe with this type of candy inhalation the children go from a sweet, kind, calm state to a raging lunatic state of mind. Is this the mandatory aftermath all parents and children must experience so we can claim VICTORY???

Last year I came up with a new system that changed it all for my kiddos...and MOST importantly ME. 

Are you ready for it? Well here it comes.... 

duh-duh-da-da....

Once my sweetikins finished up the trading process and felt good about their final score it was time to bag it up. Each of them separated their candy into groups of 10-14 pieces, depending on size.  I passed out a pile of sandwich baggies to each child. They carefully deposit their 10-14 pc allotment into each bag. The child then labeled or decorated the bags as they saw fit for easy identity later. The collections of baggies then went into the freezer. The CANDY DISPENSER would now dole out 1 baggie a week until the BIG thaw in spring sometime. Typically they would have 20-30 baggies to spread out through winter into spring. 

Can you say SUH-WEET!!!!

Things you will need on hand:

1. Box of sandwich baggies
2. permanent markers
3. stickers (optional)

The kids LOVED this SO MUCH they asked to do it this year again before I could bring it up. I look at it as  teaching my kids to budget. I mean really - we actually brought some appreciation of the quantity they worked for along with the value of making it last longer. They REALLY look forward each week to pick their baggie of treats. They also aren't becoming sugar-coated monsters. It is just the right amount of sugar for the sweet little treasures to stay sweet. NICE!

-Simply SUBLIME!