Mousekeeping Tips

Alright, I'm going to be upfront and honest here.  I NEVER tip housekeeping in a hotel, ever.  And it's not because I don't want to, it's because it honestly never crosses my mind.  The only time I ever think to do it is is Disney because there is just something special about the housekeepers Mousekeepers that clean up your rooms, leave little towel animals on your beds, and turn down your blankets at night and leave chocolate on your pillow (seriously, this does happen at the Grand Floridian!).

As I was searching around on Pinterest looking for tips and such to plan our trip, I saw that people were getting pretty creative with how they presented their tips to their Mousekeepers, so I decided to make my own version!

I had a Disney font saved from L's 1st Birthday, so that got me started on these little tags.  I used red cardstock and the font to type a message and then put a little Mickey head below.  The tags measure 2"x3", roughly.

Since we have general housekeeping during the day and turndown service at night, I made two different cards.  Then, I trimmed the upper corners to make the cards look like a tag.

I punched a hole in the center...

Tied a cute black ribbon with white polka dots...

And then put a yellow paper clip on the side.  That's how we'll attach the tip to the card.

Easy peasy!  Is it necessary to do this....not at all.  But, Pinterest puts bad over-the-top ideas in my head and I just can't help myself!

We're Going to Disney World!!!

In case you didn't catch on, we finally booked the vacation I have been waiting years for.  I have been to Disney probably 15-20 times over the course of my life, but, this trip is going to be so special as it will be L's first trip to the House of the Mouse.  He's going to go bananas!!  Since birth, I've tried to brainwash sway his TV choices to those revolving around Disney.  So far, so good. 

But, with this trip also comes MAJOR anxiety on this mamma's part.  Doing Disney with adults....I've got that down to a science.  Throw a toddler with a mind of his own into the mix....sheer panic.  Thankfully, I found a ton of great information on Pinterest that is helping to put my mind at ease.  And, I will be sure to report all of my tips upon our return (or during our stay if I need a break from the madness).

So, first things first, we are going to be traveling with my mom and dad too.  My mom hits a milestone birthday this year and she is an even bigger Disney fanatic than I am.  She too has been dying to take L to Disney, so this works out to be the best gift she could give herself! :-)  The five of us will be staying in two rooms at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.  This is by far my favorite Disney resort, and, consequently the most expensive.  We are REALLY hoping a discount comes out in the next few months.  My parents have been staying at this resort for 20 years now and there is just nothing like it.  A few years ago, my mom discovered an even bigger (yet, pricey) perk....Club Level.  This is a great way to stay, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary to stay on Club Level.  It is nice to have concierge services right in your lobby and the wide array of breakfast, munchies, afternoon tea, happy hour (including beer and wine), and dessert all included.  I think this trip will make us get our moneys worth because I'll be able to pack up some snacks for L to take into the parks.

Which, brings me to the next thing I discovered....the Garden Grocer.  It really is a brilliant concept.  Go online, shop for groceries, and have them delivered to your resort.  Since L will still be 2, we aren't required to buy a ticket for him (yay!) and therefore he won't be on our Dining Plan.  But, Disney is one of the few theme parks that allow you to bring outside food into the parks.  So, my plan is to pack up yogurt, cheese, and fruit from the resort, and then I'm going to get stuff to make PB&J sandwiches, juice, and other munchies that might otherwise get crushed in my suitcase delivered so we have it.  The hardest part is figuring out how much we really need, since I hate to see it go to waste.  But, I have time to figure that out :-)  For the rest of the meals, L will just share whatever G or I are eating.  And...did you know, if you eat at a buffet, kids under 3 can eat free.  Score!  I think we have 3 of these planned! 

We have to wait until the end of April to make our dining reservations, so, between now and then I'm going to be gathering more information to make this trip go as smooth as possible.  Pinterest has been a great source of crafty things Disney-related, so you will be seeing lots of them in the very near future.  Because let's face it...I am SO flippin' excited to go on this trip!

Coconut Zucchini Bread

And...one last recipe from the weekend.  I had to do it.  I just couldn't let that zucchini go to waste.  Since G won't eat zucchini, I find myself making sweet treats for L and myself.  In my previous post, I mentioned that lemon reminds me of spring.  You know what else reminds me of spring....coconut.  So...I made Coconut Zucchini Bread.

Again, another really easy recipe.  I mixed together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Then, I mixed the zucchini, coconut oil, sugars, yogurt, egg, and vanilla.  (side note:  the only item I had to buy for this recipe was the yogurt!)

I added the wet ingredients to the dry, and then stirred in the shredded coconut.

The loaf baked for about an hour and then I let it cool.

 

One word....YUM!



Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Can you tell I was sick for a week and out of the kitchen???  By Thursday of last week I was just dying to start making stuff again and was in the mood for some healthy cookies.  There are many days I feel guilty about giving L store bought snacks, as one of the perks of being a stay at home mom is being able to bake and cook and make healthier, delicious things (and...don't worry...I'm not turning into Kourtney and becoming a label junkie and only feeding my family organic, gluten free food!!)  I thought this recipe would be a good one to try.  The only thing I didn't have were the Coach's Oats.  I had steel cut oats on hand so I decided to use them.  I should have just ran out and gotten old fashioned oats because these cookies weren't soft and chewy like the recipe promised.  They were harder.  But L is still loving them up!

I gathered up my ingredients...

...and then beat the oil, brown sugar, and egg.

Then, I added the rest of the stuff and beat until it was mixed.  Doesn't get much easier than that!!

I took my cookie scoop and scooped the dough out onto baking sheets.  I didn't get close to 24 cookies...maybe I made them too big!

Baked for 10 minutes and there you have it....healthier chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!!

As they were cooling, I was dealing with this mess...

And L somehow stole 3 cookies off the cooling rack and devoured them!! Little stinker!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

I am dying for Spring!  I am so over winter and ready for windows to be open, germs to be gone, and lots of outdoor playtime.  One thing that reminds me of Spring is anything lemon.  Feeling springy, I came across a recipe (that I apparently pinned multiple times) that sounded yummy-  Lemon Zucchini Bread.

I gathered up everything I needed....

...and mixed the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then, I beat the eggs, mixed in the oil and sugar, followed by buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

 

The zucchini then got folded in and mixed well.

Following this, I added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mixed well.

I poured the mixture into a loaf pan, baked the loaf for about 40 minutes, and then took it out to cool.

While it was cooling, I made the glaze, which consisted of powdered sugar and lemon juice. 

Then I drizzled it on the loaf and let it set.

The bread was so moist and the lemon packed a nice punch.  Definitely got me in the mood for spring!

One of my biggest pet peeves is having to put a huge thing of buttermilk when I only need like a 1/3 of a cup.  Instead of wasting it, I poured it into my baby food trays and popped it into the freezer.  Now, the next time I need buttermilk, I have 2T. cubes that I just need to thaw out.  That should save some money at the store!

Homemade Fruit Snacks

These little goodies have been on my list of things that I've been dying to try to make for some time now.  Since L is obsessed with gummies, I figured they would be right up his alley and a healthier version than the store bought ones.  Unfortunately, they did not quite live up to my expectations, as I was hoping they would be a little more flavorful.  Maybe I just didn't use enough fruit.  Maybe blueberries were not the best choice.  Anyway....they were really easy to make and I'll probably try strawberry next time around.

I started off by putting my frozen blueberries in a small sauce pan with orange juice (alternatively, I could have used lemon juice).

They were heated up until the blueberries became soft.  Then I added the honey and stirred it up.

Next, I took my immersion blender and pureed the mixture until it was smooth.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you could use a regular blender, but be very careful as warm things have a tendency to splatter when mixed.

Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes and then whisk in unflavored gelatin.  After I had it whisked pretty well, I put the mixture into my blender and pureed it to make sure there were no lumps.

Since I made a double batch, I poured the mixture into a 9x13 pan and then let it hang out in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Once they were set, I cut them up into small pieces and placed them in an air tight container.  You can keep them in the fridge or at room temperature.  I think they are a good snack.  L really isn't a fan and I'm chalking that up to the blandness of these. 

If you make them and they turn out great, let me know what fruit you used and if it was frozen or fresh.

My Special Valentine

I had so much fun making L's Valentine's for his preschool pals this year.  As usual, I saw the idea on Pinterest and made it happen.  One of these days I will be creative enough to come up with an original idea :-)

I started off cutting brown cardstock 3"x4" and punched a small hole in the top corner.  With my Cricut, I cut out 1" red and pink hearts.

I used glue dots to attach the hearts to the card stock...

...and a silver Sharpie to write the message on each card.

Then, we filled mini snack bags with Valentine's M&Ms and Teddy Grahams and attached the cards to the bags with ribbon.  So easy!

We also gave goodies to L's teachers and preschool mommy friends.  For this, I used two bags of Valentine Hershey Hugs, a bag of Snyder's Pretzel Snaps, and a bag of Valentine M&Ms.

First, the tedious chore of unwrapping all those Hugs.

Then, placing pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Place a hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 4 minutes (the Hugs will become shiny but should still look like their original shape).

Take them out of the oven immediately and press an M&M into the center of each hug.

When done, pop them in the fridge until they set.  I had to get creative on how to fit the two baking sheets in my fridge :-)

Then, put them in cute Valentine's Day bags (found at Dollar Tree) and attach this adorable printable with ribbon.  We also put conversation hearts and Hershey Kisses in the bags.  These were so easy to make and can be customized to match just about any holiday.  And, they are the perfect blend of sweet and salty...which in my world usually leads to danger.

And with that, I was also Snack Mom at school this week.  SO, after Tuesday's sugary delicious Strawberry Cookies, I opted for a semi-healthier snack today...Valentine's Trail Mix.

Pretzels, Cheerios, Chocolate Teddy Grahams, M&Ms, Yogurt Covered Raisins, Dried Cranberries, and Dried Cherries make up this sweet and salty snack.  The recipe makes a lot.  We still have half a Ziploc bag (the gallon size!) leftover, and that was after making 7- 1 cup serving bags yesterday, along with L and I both snacking on it.

 

Hope you are all enjoying this Valentine's Day!!  Instead of chocolate, here is what I am indulging in...



Strawberry Oreo Valentine Cookies

First, a disclaimer to all the parents in L's preschool class...I apologize in advance if your kiddo comes home on a sugar high tomorrow. I couldn't resist. I did it. And boy are they yummy (you didn't think I didn't have to check and make sure they were edible, did you?!?). From the minute I saw these on Pinterest, I've been craving them. And, despite not feeling 100% today, they were so easy to make and required minimal thinking.

 

First, I gathered my ingredients (missing is vanilla)

Then mixed the strawberry cake mix, shortening, and eggs in a bowl until it made a stiff dough.

Then I took little bits of dough and rolled them into semi-equal sized balls.

After 10 minutes at 350 degrees, this is what they looked like.  I transferred them to a cooling rack for an hour or so to cool.

Then, I mixed the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla to make a yummy frosting/filling.

I spread the frosting on the bottom of one cookie...

And then put another cookie on top to make a sandwich.  Note- these do not taste like Oreos in any way, shape, or form.  The cookie part is actually soft, unlike the oreo who has a more stiff exterior.  But they are good.  Go make them.  NOW :-)