Baby Minnie Mouse Ears

When my husband and I decided to take a trip to Disneyland with our 6 month old daughter I decided I wanted some Minnie Mouse ears for her.  I had seen some on Etsy, but decided I could try making them on my own.  They turned out so cute!  I'm excited to share the tutorial with all of you.

Supplies:
Black felt
Black thread
Your choice of colored felt for bows
Hair clips
Mesh headband

This was actually not a hard project, so if you're scared of sewing, don't panic.

Step 1:  Trace your circle for the ears.  I just used a glass that we have, it was a little over 3" in diameter.  You just need about a 1/4" for a seam allowance.

Step 2:  Cut out 4 circles (2 for each ear) from your black felt.

Step 3:  Put two circles together and sew around the circle, using the edge of the presser foot as your guide.  I didn't pin as the felt clings to itself.

Step 4:  Clip off excess felt, I cut off about 1/8", so really not that much but it helps.  If you'd rather you can try sewing that close to the edge, but I thought it was a lot easier to just sew with 1/4" seam allowance and cut off the excess.  Then make vertical snips around the edge so that it will turn inside out nicely.

Step 5:  Cut a 1" line through one of the felt circles.  This will be the back of the ear.  Then turn the ear inside out through your slit.  I used the end of a wooden spoon to smooth it all out to make it round.  If you want you can stitch it closed, I didn't because it's the back of the ear, which you don't see too often.

Step 6:  Now that it's right side out, top stitch around the edge, again using the presser foot as your guide for the edge.  And now you have one ear!  So just repeat all the above steps for the other ear.

Step 7:  Now that the ear is done, you need to make the cute felt bow.  I made this up as I went along, and once all was said and done I found this great tutorial from Six Sisters Stuff: 

Felt Bow Hairbow Tutorial

Their tutorial explains it great, plus they have a free template, use the small bow template.

I did basically the same thing, but used thread rather than glue.  I also just wanted the simple bow, without the back felt part, but you decide which look you like best.

Step 8:  (Sorry I didn't take a picture of this part!)  Use a hot glue gun and glue the bottom of the ear to the top of an alligator hair clip.  Then glue your bow at the bottom of the ear so that you somewhat hide the clip.  Now you just clip your cute ears onto a headband and your baby is ready to be the cutest Minnie Mouse ever!

It was so much fun getting to put these on my little girl at Disneyland.  I didn't see any others like them, and they were so much cheaper to make than any sort of infant souvenir you can get in the park.  Hope you have fun making them and let me know if you have any questions!

World's Easiest Gluten-Free Pizza

This idea is so simple yet I had never thought about it.  That's why I'm sharing it so that others can now how easily a gluten-free pizza snack can be made.

About two years ago I become gluten intolerant (I can't eat flour).  It was a pretty hard adjustment for me, especially giving up pizza.  I used to eat lots of pizza and still I crave the real stuff.  But I have found one super-simple recipe to help my pizza cravings.

Back before I become gluten-free I would make small pizza snacks, on toast, tortillas, or anything else I could try to make into a pizza.  I had to give up toast and flour tortillas when I became gluten intolerant.  I could still make small pizzas on my gluten-free bread, but it's expensive and not really worth it.  For some reason it had never occurred to me that I could use corn tortillas for my simple pizza snack.  So here it is, corn tortilla pizzas that take minutes to prepare and eat.  These are perfect for a quick snack, or even for lunch if you make enough of them.

The ingredients:

The ingredients are what you want on your pizza.  I'm addicted to good 'ole pepperoni pizza.  So for my pizza I need:

Corn tortillas

Pizza sauce (you could probably use any red sauce)

Pepperoni

Cheese

Prepare:

Prepare the pizza how you wish, you can even stack as many as you want for a thicker pizza.  For now I'm just doing a simple single serving of this pizza.

Nuke:

Once you've created your masterpiece, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute.  Once done you now have the world's easiest gluten-free pizza.  I seriously love this simple pizza and use it often throughout the week and weekend when I need a quick snack. These are so simple it took me 2 years to even realize I could eat them, how I wish I would have realized sooner.  And since they're so small, I can make and eat about 5 of these for a lunch meal. 

Disneyland Gluten-free Experience

Recently we returned from a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California that was different than any trip we had taken before.  This was the first trip we had taken since I  became intolerant to gluten. 

I had read some information on the Internet about gluten-free and Disneyland.  There was information, but not tons of it.  I hope to give more personal information about my experience at the resort and staying gluten-free.

Info:

I had read conflicting reports online about where to get a complete list of gluten-free options at the Disneyland Resort.  Many said that City Hall would have the information while others said it no longer did.  Some said you had to ask at every single restaurant for what their gluten-free options were.  I never went to City Hall to even see if they had a list because I found going to the restaurants gave the information I needed.

Talk to the Chef:

This was a new experience for me.  I'd walk into a restaurant and ask about gluten-free options only to have them call out the head chef.  I actually really liked this approach as it let me know that I was talking to the person in charge.

The chefs I spoke to were informative and friendly.  They let me know my options and described how my food would be prepared.  Some asked if I needed my food prepared in an isolated location because of possible cross-contamination.  Luckily I'm not sensitive enough that cross-contamination is an issue for me, but it was good to know that it was an option.

One thing I found interesting is that it really up to each restaurant how they handled GF.  The Village Haus in Fantasyland had a gluten-free menu at each cash register that could be viewed (this is the only place I saw this), while at others the people at the cash register didn't know much about what options they had.

The amazing food I ate:

Every meal was delicious and lived up to my expectations of yummy food at the resort.  Here's a recap of where and what I ate:

River Belle Terrace – BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich on gluten-free bun. 

This was the first meal of the trip and it was amazing!  I was blown away by the texture of the bun (I've tried many) and how great it was to be eating a pulled pork sandwich on buns and not just from a fork.  I never asked about the sides (Baked beans, coleslaw) as they might have had gluten in them, but it wasn't enough for me to notice.

Rancho de Zocalo – 3 Cheese Enchiladas w/ refried beans and rice

This is somewhere I knew I'd be able to eat but actually had to eat here earlier than I had expected.  Others in my group got sourdough soup bowls in New Orleans Square and understandably there weren't any GF options.  I then proceeded to check at the Stage Door Café and the Golden Horseshoe for GF options (the Golden Horseshoe did have flourless cake, but I needed dinner, not cake).  That led me on over to Rancho.  The chef was very nice here and described my options.  The saddest part was when I learned that the Tortilla salad bowls where flour tortillas, I loved those.

Paradise Garden Grill – Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Moroccan Chili with rice substituting the pilaf and no pita bread

This was a new restaurant for me and it was very delicious.  They weren't sure if the Moroccan Chili was gluten-free but I assume since they gave it to me that it was (they did put it on the side, but I ate it with no problems). 

 Redd Rocket's Pizza Port – Gluten-free Pepperoni Pizza

I had heard that they had GF options here and I was very interested in trying it out.  The chef spoke to me and took my order and had it ready several minutes later.  It was a small flat personal pizza that was pretty good.  The chef mentioned that it was rice based as well.  This one didn't really win me over, it was good but I'm addicted to Chebe pizza mix and I'm finding that it's really hard for anything else to win me over.  But it was decent and helped my pizza craving.

Hungry Bear Restaurant – Cheeseburger with gluten-free buns

This was kind of a let down I'm not going to lie.  It was good having a burger on buns and not wrapped in lettuce but it wasn't great.  I think part of the reason is that they had a turkey sandwich on the menu that they said wasn't gluten-free (perhaps the meat?) as I suspect they could have substituted the buns.  I think the other hard part is they didn't really have toppings for my burger like they do at Taste Pilot's Grill. 

French Market – French Quarter Chicken w/ sauce on the side

This was a really tasty meal.  The chicken and potatoes were great even without the sauce.  I tried the sauce on two bites and it was good but I was told that it wasn't gluten-free so I stayed away from it as much as possible.  The meal comes with a roll that I tried to substitute with a side salad, but they wouldn't let me.

Taste Pilots Grill – Grilled Chicken sandwich on gluten-free buns

I used to love Taste Pilots crispy chicken sandwiches and criss-cross fries.  Sadly both of those are gone, but funnily enough I wouldn't have been able to have the crispy chicken sandwich.  The grilled sandwich that they now serve was very delicious and on the GF buns was a pleasant surprise.  

Summary:

Overall it was an amazing experience getting to eat more yummy food at the Disneyland Resort than I ever had thought possible.  It makes me excited to make another trip to the resort in the future.  What are some of the experiences you had at Disneyland with gluten-free?  Were they good or bad?

PS:

I once was addicted to churros but obviously can't eat them anymore. I found a great GF alternative at Rancho de Zocalo in Frontierland.  They have sugar and cinnamon covered tortilla chips. They are great to snack on and really taste almost as good as a churro. 

The couple of pictures from Disneyland were taken by me, I hope to have more up soon. 

Goal Setting

“I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.”

-Elder M. Russell Ballard, Preach My Gospel

When me and my husband got married we knew that we wanted to strive to reach our full potential.  How do you do that, and how do you measure that?  With goals! We have been married 3 years so we've had some trial and error with our goal setting.  Here are some of our tips:

• Make a specific time to evaluate past goals and set new ones. We review our goals once a quarter for Family Home Evening.  What has worked for us so we remember is to do it the first Monday in January, the first Monday in July, and the first Monday after April and October general conference.  If you don't reach your goal, evaluate why you didn't and maybe try something different the next time.

• Set specific, measurable goals.  For example, making a goal to exercise more will not work.  Set a goal to exercise Monday, Wednesday, Friday in the morning. Setting a specific time will make you accountable for the goals that you set.  Another goal we had previously was to get our 72-hour kit ready by the next quarter.  That did not work. This past time we decided that every Monday we would pick something else to add to our 72-hour kit and buy it that week.  We are doing a lot better on this one.

• Put your goals somewhere you will see them often.  After we set our goals for the new quarter I write them on a paper and put it on our fridge.  

• Set goals for a variety of areas of your life. You can set goals for anything that is important to you that you want to see accomplished.  We have had a goals about a variety of things including food storage, temple attendance, exercise, meal planning, vacations, finances, etc.  

• Set goals that will make you stretch.  Once something becomes a habit it doesn't really need to be on your list of goals anymore.  For a while we had the hardest time doing family scripture study. We finally figured out what worked for us and now we don't really have to think about it anymore, it's just part of our day, so it is no longer on our goal list.

Goal setting doesn't have to be a drag.  My husband and I really enjoy it and I'm excited for when we have kids that our older and they can be included in the process.  It is a wonderful way to see that you are actually growing and becoming better.

How to Survive Winter with a Newborn

My little girl was born the end of October, right at the beginning of winter. We have had maybe two days of good weather since she was born, so she really hasn't been outside much other than running from the car to somewhere inside.  To make everything worse, this winter has been colder than normal, with worse air quality than normal, and higher cases of flu and whooping cough than normal.  Needless to say, we've tried to keep her in as much as possible.

Now, she is my first child so it was quite a shock to go from working everyday and going out whenever I wanted to run errands, to being trapped inside all day.  I mean, I love being a mom more than anything, it's always been my dream.  But it would be hard for anyone to be stuck inside for months.  We have also been successful so far and she has not gotten sick (knock on wood!). So here are some of my tips of how I kept myself sane this winter, while keeping little one healthy:

• Get ready for the day.  Even though I hardly ever got out of the house, I felt a lot happier and had more energy once I had showered and done my hair and make-up.
• Hobbies. Try new things and improve old ones.  I play piano, so I've been practicing that and I've also done some sewing projects.  I am starting to blog more and take more pictures.
• Try to get out at least once a week, whether it be church, a quick Target run, or just a walk.  Just get out and see what the world looks like outside.  When our daughter was first born I would leave her with my husband while I went out.  Now that she's a little older we'll take her with us sometimes.
• Read!  If you have Amazon Prime you can get one free book e-book a month, with thousands to choose from.  Or libraries are great!
• Find a new TV show.  This was great for me soon after giving birth because I didn't really feel up to doing anything major quite yet.  Netflix and Amazon Prime are great because they will have whole seasons of old shows.  I wouldn't watch these when she was awake, but babies sleep a lot so it kept me busy and relaxed!
• Use a car seat cover when you do go out.  I am so glad I have a car seat cover.  When I take my daughter out, it keeps her warm, but also keeps peering strangers away.  Everyone loves looking at babies, I do too, but this winter I just did not want anyone breathing on her.  
• Move around.  We are just in a two bedroom apartment, but throughout the day we move from the couch to the floor in the front room, to the master bedroom, to her room, and to the kitchen.  It keeps it interesting for me and her.
• Think of a variety of ways to play with your baby:  sing songs, use puppets, play with stuffed animals, read, cuddle, tickle, the possibilities are endless!
• Listen to music. Like I said above I don't like watching TV when my daughter is awake, I'd rather be interacting with her.  But this does make for a quiet house, so I just turn on some music, and she loves it!  It can really be anything, it doesn't have to be kids music if that drives you crazy.
• Exercise.  Now, I haven't been the best at this, but I can tell you that the days I did exercise I sure felt a lot better.
• Visit family and friends. This way you can get out, but you can ask beforehand to make sure everyone is healthy.  I also have a group of women I get together with that are all new mothers once a month . It's great to swap ideas and also validate that what your baby is doing is normal.

I hope some of these ideas helped you!  If you have any other ideas I would love to hear them.  Let's all just keeping hoping that we'll wake up one morning and spring will finally be here!

I made the cute hat using this tutorial:  http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/02/knit-receiving-blanketknit-baby-hats_08.html

A New Blog

Starting right now I'm not quite sure what this blog is going to turn into, if it will turn into anything. I plan it to just be a little bit of everything: crafts I do, fun places to go, yummy meals/desserts (probably a lot of desserts), books I like, or anything random I feel like blogging about. The title of my blog is inspired by one of my favorite children's books, Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin.  In the book, the duck is the neutral negotiator between the farmer and the cows.  If you've never read it, please do!  It is a cute creative book, that doesn't take itself too seriously.