How to make a Recorder Case from Duck Tape

3Po and Jammy start music lessons today!  3Po has decided he wants to play the cello, while Jammy has opted for saxophone. For some reason, while strings players learn on their instrument from day 1, woodwind players are required to learn the recorder in 4th grade, and move up to their chosen instruments in 5th and 6th grade.  So Jammy is stuck with his sister's old recorder this year.

The Pea's recorder is in excellent condition, but she lost the recorder case probably 2 weeks after she got it, and Jammy is full of anxiety at the thought of being the only kid in 4th grade without a recorder case (the things kids worry about!).  My skill with a sewing machine is below beginner level, so I decided to take inspiration from the Duck Tape craft session we attended last week at the Family Forward retreat, and make a recorder case out of Duck Tape!   I hope Jammy likes it....

Finding our Superhero powers at the Family Forward Retreat

Last week the whole family packed up and flew to Orlando to spend five days at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the Universal Studios theme parks.  We had won a vacation and entry to Mom It Forward's inaugural Family Forward Retreat, so we were well aware that this was a special, once-in-a-lifetime treat.  We knew we would enjoy the theme parks.  We knew we would enjoy the hotel.  We knew we would enjoy all the perks that came with being Family Forward attendees (special meet-and-greet opportunities with characters, a Blue Man Group show, an exclusive Harry Potter dessert party, fabulous swag).

But we had absolutely no idea how much we would enjoy the Family Forward Retreat itself.

How to make a minion shirt

When I found out that we'd be taking a last-minute trip to Universal Studios Orlando, I knew I had to find a Despicable Me Minion shirt to wear.  But purchasing character shirts at theme parks can be expensive (especially when you're buying for five), and I couldn't find a cheaper version at Target or Walmart that I liked.  I wanted an evil minion shirt, but I couldn't find any, even on the Universal Orlando merchandise shop.

A few days ago a friend of mine posted photos of a Minion birthday party she hosted for her son.  She made minion t-shirts for all of their guests, and it inspired me to try and do the same.  Now why didn't I think of that sooner?  Here's how I did it:

Orlando, here we come!

This is a photo of the first time I visited Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida (I'm the girl on the right).  I don't even remember what year it was because this is a scanned photo and I never got around to writing the date on the back of it!  Judging from the culottes my cousins are wearing and the Laura Ashley dress I'm wearing (with running shoes?? wth??), I'd say this was in 1997.  I visited again in 1999 (I can't even find a photo of that visit), and that was the last time I went.

Until now.

Something amazing has happened:  we are flying to Universal Studios Orlando and spending 5 days at the Mom It Forward Family Forward Retreat!  Even more amazing, I won the whole trip!!

I'm in the Circle of Moms' Top 25 NorCal Moms list -- and you put me there

Like many bloggers, I hate voting contests.  I hate the idea of tying your worth to popularity and I hate asking people to vote for me.  So when the Circle of Moms Top 25 NorCal Moms list opened up, I felt a bit hypocritical about asking people to vote for me. I was feeling a bit low because one of my regular blogging gigs had just informed me that they would no longer need me.  I think I needed a bit of a confidence boost in the form of a badge.  I could at least display it to brands and PR agencies to let them know I was someone worth working with! Just this one time, I thought.  I probably won't get in anyway.  

Hello, healthy school lunches!

Is this a photo of a buffet lunch?  Is it party food?  Are these nibbles from a recent blogging event?  My latest efforts to cook healthy, yummy food for the kids?  Believe it or not, this is the kind of food that my kids' schools are going to serve to students!

Inside Disneyland's Dream Suite

I've spent the last 4 days showcasing a few of the ways you can blow some big bucks at the Disneyland Resort.  Any of the 5 Signature Suites -- the Big Thunder Suite, Fairy Tale Suite, Adventureland Suite, Pirates of the Caribbean Suite or Mickey Mouse Penthouse -- will set you back thousands of dollars per night, but if you have the money there's no better way to spend it.  The luxurious amenities, attention to detail, and magical surprises make for an unforgettable experience!

However, there are just some things that money cannot buy, and the same holds true at the Disneyland Resort.  You could be a millionaire or a billionaire, and you still wouldn't be able to book a stay at the Disneyland Dream Suite.  Even Donald Trump, Bill Gates, President Obama or the Queen of England couldn't do it (at least I think not).  The only way to spend a night at the Dream Suite is to win it. A few months ago I was given the incredible opportunity to tour the Dream Suite along with a group of bloggers, so I'm taking you all on the tour with me!

Inside the Disneyland Hotel's Adventureland Suite

(This post is part of a series of sneak peeks into the Signature Suites at the Disneyland Hotel.  All five themed suites -- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Big Thunder Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse,
Adventureland Suite, and the Fairy Tale Suite   -- are on the 11th floor of the Dreams Tower.  All except the Fairy Tale Suite sleep 6, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and dining area.)

My one-word description for the Adventureland Suite:  romantic.  It has a bit of the same opulence as the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, but with more of an exotic feel, like a safari lounge, or the 1930's home of a very rich person who loved traveling to exotic places and loved displayed their treasures. The suite is decorated with vintage maps and tribal art. There are even exotic sound effects -- the doorbell sounds like Tiki drums, the master bath plays rainforest sounds, and the sound system pipes in Adventureland-themed music.

Inside the Disneyland Hotel's Mickey Mouse Penthouse Suite

(This post is part of a series of sneak peeks into the Signature Suites at the Disneyland Hotel.  All five themed suites -- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Big Thunder Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse,
Adventureland Suite, and the Fairy Tale Suite   -- are on the 11th floor of the Dreams Tower.  All except the Fairy Tale Suite sleep 6, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and dining area.)

The Mickey Mouse Penthouse is radically different from the other Signature Suites. Whereas the other suites have a period theme, this suite is all modern.  Its theme is anything and everything Mickey, from the Mickey-shaped recessed lighting in the ceiling to the Mickey prints and sculptures to the Mickey color scheme (red, white, black, yellow) to the Mickey chairs in the living room.  Everything is big, bright and bold.

Inside the Disneyland Hotel's Big Thunder Suite

(This post is part of a series of sneak peeks into the Signature Suites at the Disneyland Hotel.  All five themed suites -- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Big Thunder Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse,
Adventureland Suite, and the Fairy Tale Suite   -- are on the 11th floor of the Dreams Tower.  All except the Fairy Tale Suite sleep 6, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and dining area.)

The Big Thunder Suite is very similar in layout to the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite and Adventureland Suite:  the entryway opens up into the living/dining area, and on opposite sides of the living/dining area are a master bedroom (with onsuite bath) and a second bedroom with bath.  The suite sleeps up to 6, so I'm assuming the sofa in the living room opens up into a sofa bed.

Inside the Disneyland Hotel's Pirates of the Caribbean Suite

(This post is part of a series of sneak peeks into the Signature Suites at the Disneyland Hotel.  All five themed suites -- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Big Thunder Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse,
Adventureland Suite, and the Fairy Tale Suite   -- are on the 11th floor of the Dreams Tower.  All except the Fairy Tale Suite  sleep 6, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and dining area.)

If I had to describe the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite in a single word, I would choose opulent.  The suite is decorated in an Old World Spanish Colonial style, and it looks like exactly the kind of place that Elizabeth Swann's father, Governor Weatherby Swann, would live in. You'll see lots of polished wood, leather, brass, gilt, and brocade.

Inside the Disneyland Signature Suites

Photo credit: Disneyland Hotel

Some people claim that if they won the lottery, they wouldn't know what to do with all that money.  I'm not one of them.  I already have my schedule planned from the time we realize we've won -- photocopy ticket, drive to lotto office to claim prize, buy a BMW on the way back home, book a Vegas vacation for weekend 1, book a Disneyland vacation for weekend 2.  And not just any Disneyland vacation, either -- we're celebrating in a Signature Suite.

Disney's Planes: Celebrating the release of the movie and the videogame

As a blogger, I've had the opportunity to see a few movies a few days before they appear in theatres; the publicity arm of the movie studio usually invites media (film critics, entertainment writers, bloggers, etc..) to advanced screenings two or three days before the movie's general release.  But this week's  Disney Planes event was probably the most advanced Advanced Screening I've ever been to -- a full 10 days before the movie's release, even before the LA red carpet premiere!