10 Disneyland Meals/Snacks You Don’t Want to Miss
Food at Disneyland is expensive. Not gonna lie. Our family tries to only go out to a meal one time in the park and then pack in the rest of our meals. So that meal we eat out has to be a good one! We take time in choosing and deciding where to go. We also tend to grab a snack or treat each day too. Because it’s Disneyland, and hey, there are some seriously yummy food options. Here are a few that you don’t want to miss:
- Matterhorn Macaroon. This yummy treat is located at the Holly Jolly Cafe.
- Dole Whip. Refreshing drink located in the Adventureland. Even though the line is ALWAYS long, it does go by rather quickly.
- Sourdough Bread bowls. These are located in New Orleans Square. Different gumbos/chowders to choose from.
- Corn Dog Carts. Need I say more?
- Jungle skewers. Located in Adventureland at the Bengal Barbecue.
- Churros. Located just about everywhere and main street. So yummy.
- Pretzel Carts. Different flavors and yummy as ever.
- Monte Cristo. Located at Cafe Orleans. Could be big enough to share.
- Rotisserie Quarter Chicken. Located in California Adventure at Flo’s V8 Cafe. If you need a homemade meal, this is it. Complete with mashed potatoes and veggies. Fun scenery right by Radiator Springs Racers so you can watch the cars go by as you eat.
- Burger and fries at Red Rose Taverne located in Fantasyland. If you need just a good burger this is it. It comes with Pommes Frites which is basically fries with rosemary/garlic seasoning and oh so good.
Scholarships You Can Apply For This Summer!
College is expensive, let’s get that right! And if you have a high school graduate, this is probably really setting in about now! But there are tons and tons of scholarships out there they can be applying for! You probably know about the athletic scholarships and top of the class scholarships but here’s a list of scholarships many can apply for this summer!
Artic Chriropractic Scholarship – $500 scholarship
Deadline: June 2nd
Global Lift Equipment Scholarship – $500 scholarship
Deadline: June 2nd
Gamers in Real Life Game Design Competition – $10,000 scholarship
Deadline: June 3rd
Ocean Awareness Student Contest – $1,500 scholarship
Deadline: June 19th
Consolidated Food Service Scholarship – $500
Deadline: June 15th
National Potato Council Scholarship – $10,000 scholarship
Deadline: June 15th
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – $500-$5,000 scholarship
Deadline: June 30th
Lift Parts Express Scholarship – $500 scholarship
Deadline: June 30th
AARS Frank J. Richter Scholarship – $5,000 scholarship
Deadline: July 1st
IP Video Contest Scholarship – $5,000 scholarship
Deadline: July 1st
Resume Companion Annual Scholarship Giveaway -$1,000 scholarship
Deadline: July 14th
Joshua Gomes Memorial Scholarship Fund – $1000 scholarship
Deadline: July 15th
BankMobile Financial Literacy Scholarship – $1,500 scholarship
Deadline: July 19th
Flavor of the Month Scholarship – $1,500 scholarship
Deadline: July 31st
Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship – $1,000 scholarship
Deadline: July 31st
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship – $20,000 scholarships
Deadline: Opens August 2017
Catological Scholarship for the Promotion of Animal Welfare – $1,000 scholarship
Deadline: August 1st
Race Entry Scholarship – $500 scholarship
Deadline: August 15th
Calvin L. Carrithers Aviation Scholarship – $1,000 scholarship
Deadline: August 17th
Make Me Laugh Scholarship – $1,500 scholarship
Deadline: August 31st
CHASA Scholarship for Childhood Stroke Survivors – $3,000 scholarship
Deadline: August 31st
Clubs of American Scholarship – $1,500 scholarship
Deadline: August 31st
5 Ways to Pay off Your Credit Card Sooner
Are you carrying credit card debt? You know this is a bad idea right? Many credit cards are 15% – 25% interest and that means that if you are just paying the minimum payment, you are really just paying on the interest!
Not only is it nice to not have the debt, but did you know paying down your debt can help boost your credit score as well? Yep, the utilization rate You need to be making at least 2 times the minimum payment each month, if not more. This is not always easy though when you are living paycheck to paycheck. But don’t fret, there is hope!
If you are looking for creative ways to get that debt paid off quickly, check out these tips:
- Get a second job. No one likes to have to work two jobs, but sometime it is just what we need to get out of the pickle that we are in. Getting a second job, even temporarily, can help you pay off your debts and even build up a savings.
- Sell your stuff. All of us have random stuff cluttering up our house that we don’t really need. Consider selling some of this stuff to bring in the money that you need to pay down your credit cards. And frankly, it is nice to have less stuff cluttering up your life. The extra money is just like a bonus.
- Pay off the smallest balance first. If you have several credit cards that you are paying on, make at least the minimum payments on all of them except the smallest one. For that credit card, make the largest payments that you can afford. The fact that the balance is smaller will help you stay motivated when it comes to reaching your debt relief goals.
- Pay off the highest interest first. This one can occasionally be opposite of number 4, but not everyone is motivated the same way. It is more cost effective to pay off the credit card with the highest interest first so that you are saving more money in the long run.
- Get a 0% balance transfer card. Okay, so it sound crazy to pay off a credit card with another credit card, right? This may be true, but if you are able to get a 0% balance transfer offer, you will likely have anywhere from 6-12 months to pay off the balance of your cards with 0% Interest!!
4 Cheap Vacation Ideas for Your Family
Do you have vacation plans this Summer? Is your budget preventing you from making those plans? Luckily, there are options for you to have a blast on a budget and vacation!
If you are ready to start planning, here are 4 cheap vacation ideas for your family:
Head to your nearest National Park. National parks are a great way to see sights that simply unforgettable (Grand Canyon, anyone?) and comparatively, they are super cheap. Depending how close your nearest National Park is, you will likely just have a minimal gas bill for the drive and you can choose to either camp or find a cheap motel along the way. Be sure and check sites such as Expedia and Orbitz for last minute deals.
Go on a cruise. Okay, okay, I know that doesn’t sound like the cheap vacation idea that you were expecting, but if you live near a departure port and you don’t have to buy airfare, you can get a smoking good deal! Like for real, you can sometimes find them for as little as $30 per day! I just took a quick browse at Expedia and found last minute cruises for as low as $289!
Take a camping trip. Most of us live relatively close to a campground. Pack up the family and head out for a couple of days. Prepack all of your food, bring some cards and dice and have fun! Campsites often cost anywhere from $10-$30 per night and you are bringing all of your food from home so that isn’t a concern.
Tour your hometown. Take a couple of days off and become tourists in your own town. Why not? You have likely never seen the town as a tourist would and it will be a ton of fun, in addition to giving you a better appreciation for your hometown. You will still be home so you don’t have the expense of lodging, but it will be worth it!
What is the cheapest vacation you have ever been on?
4 Cheap Camping Hacks You Can Use This Summer
Are you planning on taking your family camping this Summer? Camping is one of our favorite things to do and we are so beyond ready to head out to the great outdoors now that the weather is finally getting warmer.
The one thing I hate about camping though is how expensive it can be if you don’t plan ahead. Seriously I have spent hundreds of dollars before on an impromptu camping trip and I never want to do that again. To combat this expense, I now have several things I do to prepare in advance and ever since I started, it has significantly cut down on my camping expenses.
If you want to be prepared and save money, here are 4 cheap camping hacks you can use this Summer:
Create your own instant coffee. If you are a coffee drinker, but you don’t like the taste of your average instant coffee, just create your own! Put a single small scoop of your coffee grounds into a coffee filter and tie together with some dental floss. In the mornings, heat up some water over the campfire and toss in your little instant coffee bag. It’s yummy and costs much less than the Starbucks via type instant coffee packs.
Store your camping gear together. I bought two large sized Rubbermaid type totes and I use them exclusively to store sleeping bags, flashlights, tarps, etc. They stay in these totes all year long and when it’s time to go camping, all we have to do is toss our totes into the car and go. These totes are really cheap at Walmart (under $5 each). We use a big tent, so it has to be stored separately, but if you have a smaller tent, those can go in as well.
Pack food beforehand. If we are planning a camping trip, I usually cook up some rice and beans in the crockpot and create little burritos to take with us. I store them wrapped in wax paper and storage bags in cooler and when the kids get hungry, all they have to do is grab a burrito from the cooler! I also prepare PB&Js in advance too. Camping makes kids hungry!
Buy camping pots and pans at Goodwill. I always buy our camping cookware at Goodwill. I only buy stainless steel or cast iron, so I don’t have to worry about flaking teflon, etc, but it has served us well! For just a couple of bucks, I always know where they are (in the totes of course) and I am not ruining my good cookware over a fire.
4 Reasons to Take your Family Hiking This Summer
Are you tired of seeing your family staring at screens? It seems like if it’s not the phone, it’s the computer or the TV. It gets old! If you are like me and you are looking for a way to get your family more active and exploring the world around them, I have a suggestion. Take them hiking!! That’s right, I said hiking! No, it doesn’t have to be rock climbing, mountain scaling, difficult. You can start out with a nature preserve mild trail and go from there. Some “hiking” trails are nothing more than walking paths made from dirt. Many are wheelchair and stroller accessible, but man oh man do you get to see some beautiful stuff!
If you need further encouraging, here are 4 reasons to take your family hiking this Summer:
It’s great exercise. You may think you need a gym membership, but really you just need to get active and hiking is a great way to do that. Add in a hiking pack and WOW! You will be burning calories fast! Take it slow at first though, just remember, slow and steady wins the race! An inexperienced hiker should never attempt a difficult hike. Look up your trails online and stick the ones labeled easy.
It’s educational. Many hiking trails include signs and info packets explaining the significance of the trail and things (plant life, animals, etc.) along the trail. It is a great opportunity to learn while you explore.
It’s a great way to make memories. I love to live by the motto, “making memories is better than collecting things” I would absolutely always choose an adventurous hike over a dinner or a trip to the mall. I am trying to instill this love for experiences in my children as well.
It’s cheap. Yep, sometimes it costs a couple of bucks to park and visit the trails, but oftentimes it is absolutely free! Yes I said FREE! Does it get much better than beautiful views, an awesome workout and no hit to the wallet? I don’t think so!
Quick & Easy Homemade Limeade & Lemonade Recipes
It’s Memorial Day weekend which means there will be a lot of family and friend BBQs and gatherings. Time to remember those that have fought so bravely for our country and family members we may have lost. It’s a time for reflection and gratitude. We always get together with family and every year it seems to be hot outside! We have our BBQ and I love having a drink that is refreshing for everyone. Here are two recipes you can make super quick and won’t cost a lot either.
Limeade
- 1 Cup Lime Juice- Which is about 12-14 limes
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 6 Cups Water
- Lime Slices to add as a garnish
Directions:
I like to dissolve the sugar really good first so it’s not so noticeable in the drink. Get 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and heat over the stove until it just boils and you see the sugar dissolving then set aside to cool. Put in a pitcher the 1 cup lime juice, the rest of the water and the water/sugar mixture once cooled. Then add in ice and limes to garnish. Yum!
Lemonade
- 1.5 Cups Squeezed Lemon Juice – which is about 7-8 Lemons
- 1.5 Cups Sugar
- 7 Cups Water (2 boiling water and 5 cold water)
- Lemon Slices to add as a garnish
Directions:
This is super similar to the limeade but with lemons. So first you’ll want to get your 2 cups of water and 1.5 cups sugar and boil until sugar is dissolved and then cool. In a pitcher add in the lemon juice, cold water and sugar mixture once cooled. Add in ice and garnish with freshly sliced lemons. Yum!
TWO Tried and Love Pasta Salads For Your Memorial Day BBQ!
I love Memorial Day as we always get together with extended family for a BBQ! Everyone signs up to bring different side dishes and everyone brings their own meat to grill up together. But sometimes I’m busy running around with the kids celebrating so there’s not much time to whip anything up in the kitchen. So I’ve found some quick and easy side pasta salads that we love and hopefully you will to!
Broccoli, Grape & Pasta Salad
1 cup chopped pecans
½ (16oz) package bow-tie pasta
1 pd fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 cups seedless red grapes (halved)
8 cooked bacon slices (crumbled)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a parking knife. Peel away tough outer layer of steams and finely chop stems. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.
Macaroni Salad
Macaroni Noodles
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Celery
Mayonnaise
Seasoning Salt
So this one you’re really just eye balling. So cook the noodles according to package directions. I’ll usually cook a whole package for a BBQ. Then while that’s cooking I’ll chop up the cucumbers, half the cherry tomatoes and slice the celery. After combine those all into one bowl with your cooked to the touch noodles. Then start with a small amount of mayo (for one package I might start with ¾ cup of mayo) and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Mix together well and taste test. I’ll continue adding mayo and seasoning salt until the desired taste. The refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.
4 Reasons to Road Trip this Summer
What are your plans this Summer? Please oh please tell me that your Summertime plans include a family road trip!
Road trips can be the absolute best vacations that you can take as a family. If you are trying to decide whether or not you want to this on, here are 4 reasons to road trip this Summer:
- Togetherness. How great is family togetherness? If you ask me, it is hands down the best thing ever. You may think that cramming your family in a vehicle for days on end is just asking for fighting and stress, but trust me, these memories are some that you will never forget!
- Experience. Spend your time or money on experiences, not things. This is one of the best pieces of advice that I have ever heard and I continue to follow through with this. My children don’t have the newest and greatest toys and clothes, but they have visited some great places and explored some beautiful sights.
- Cheaper than flying. You have to pay for gas for your car and that’s that. You do not need to purchase an individual plane ticket for each person and let’s face it, those can be expensive! I priced a trip to Disney last year with my family and the flights alone were going to cost $1800, while the gas to get down there was less than $200. I’d say driving was a better option. 4
- You will stumble upon unknown treasures. Road trips will take you places you will never have the option of seeing if you choose to fly. You will come across some beautiful places, meet some wonderful people and simply see sights that you would have never otherwise had the occasion to see.
Does your family like to road trip together? What are your favorite reasons? What has been your most favorite road trip ever?
Money Hacks that Will Help You Save
Are you looking for ways to build up your savings? Sometimes it seems like saving money is the hardest thing in the world. It is not so bad to save though when you know some tricks.
Check out these easy money hacks that will help you save money and get ahead:
- Automatic savings deposit. Take part of your paycheck, even a small part and have it deposited into a savings account that you don’t have an ATM or debit card for. Say you put $50 per month into it, that’s a relatively small amount, but over the course of the year you will have saved $600! Since it is in a regular savings account, you still have access to it, but you will have to go there during business hours in order to withdraw it. It makes it a little more difficult which is great for preventing you from spending it on a whim.
- Set up a keep the change transfer. My bank account has something called a “keep the change” transfer. Whenever I make a purchase with my debit card, the bank automatically rounds up to the nearest dollar and transfers the difference into my savings account. Say I make a purchase of $7.65. It will show a debit of $8 in my checking account, while my savings account will get a deposit of $0.35. Those deposits can add up quickly!
- Pay your credit cards in full. Unless you have a 0% interest offer, never, ever let a balance sit on your credit cards. You are just wasting money paying it in interest throughout the month(s). If you pay in full, you won’t have interest charges, which (depending on the limit on your credit card) can be huge savings each and every month.
- Set goals and rewards. Set savings goals for yourself and reward yourself when you have reached those goals. Maybe your reward will be something as simple as a pizza night or as grand as a tropical vacation. Either way, the reward is great motivation to continue toward your goal!
Cooking Hacks that Will Save You Time
With the busy lives that we all lead, who has time to cook? I know I don’t. I am always looking for ways to save that time. I do know, however, that I do not want to be driving through the drive thru or stopping for pizza night after night. My waistline and my wallet won’t allow it. So how to you save time in the kitchen to make more time for your family?
Here are cooking hacks that will save you time in the kitchen and throughout the rest of your days.
- Use the slow cooker. I can preach all day long about what a time saver this is. Stick your ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and when you walk through the door at the end of the day, your dinner is ready.
- Meal plan. Believe it or not, taking the time to create a meal plan for your household will save a significant amount of time in the long run. You will no longer be standing in front of the fridge trying to figure out what to cook. You won’t have to run to the store last minute. Just be sure to meal plan around what you already have on hand and you will be ready for the week.
- Meal prep. I like to do my meal prep on Sundays when everything is going slowly anyway. If you are not familiar with meal prep, you simply get everything ready to be cooked. You can cook it all in that day or you can place in freezer bags and have it separated and ready to cook on the day of. I prefer cooking chicken breasts in a large batch and freezing in cubes for meals throughout the week. This saves at least an hour on those days that you are planning to cook chicken, which I do a lot so this is my favorite hack.
- Keep a clean kitchen. Making sure your kitchen stays clean is a huge time saver. Having to wash last night’s dinner dishes before you can cook tonight is just an unnecessary waste of time.
What are your favorite time saving tips for cooking?
Yard Work Hacks that Will Save You Time
Summer is rapidly approaching which means that many of us are busy outside beautifying our yards. If you want your yard to look good, you have to work hard at it or hire someone else to work hard at it, am I right?
Truth be told, there are some awesome yard work hacks that will save you a ton of time! Check these out:
Don’t water daily. Most backyard plants can be watered less often. Make a schedule and plan to water your backyard plants 3 times per week. This should be sufficient to keep them hydrated and you will save time doing it less often.
Keep your grass longer. Still cut it, but don’t cut your grass quite as short as you may be used to. Longer grass needs less watering and it’s not as hard on your mower. However, cutting your grass to your mowers shortest ability helps you not have to mow as often. This one is personal preference folks.
Use baking soda. Baking soda isn’t just for the kitchen my friends. Did you know that it can work well as a weedkiller? Use a generous layer of baking soda around sidewalks and landscaping rocks as a preventative measure against grass and weeds.
Skip the rake! That’s right! Less work for you! Skip raking up or bagging up your lawn clippings. These clippings work great for helping to feed and moisturize your yard.
Have fun. Above anything else, don’t forget that you got a yard for a reason. To enjoy it! Don’t get so wrapped up in your plants and fighting weeds that you forget that. Have fun in your yard, relax in your yard! Be sure and do these things often and you will never see the yard work as work!
What are your favorite super simple yard work tricks?
7 Easy Exercises You Can Do With Your Kids
Exercising by yourself when you have kids can be extremely difficult if not impossible. If you have young kids you may find yourself helping them the whole time your workout is going on. You may just want to give up on working out all together. Well, never fear. There is a way. The way I have found exercising most effective for me has been to actually involve the kids. That way they aren’t fighting for my attention. Here are a few suggestions that will definitely get your work out in as well as tire your kids out!
- Simon Says. Who doesn’t love this classic game. Take tuns being Simon and put in some exercise moves. “Simon Says do 5 push-ups.” or “Simon Says run down the hallway and back.” There are a ton of possibilities that will definitely get you tired by the end of the game.
- Jump Rope. Have a jump rope for each person. This way you can do a lot of different games with it. A few might include: See how many times you can jump the rope in 30 seconds, double dutch, skipping with the jump rope and so forth.
- Yoga. Believe it or not, but kids tend to LOVE this! Search through YouTube and there are a ton of different Yoga for kids videos that will keep you and them stretching and exercising for hours. You can start out for a few minutes a day and work your way up. Just wait, they might get hooked!
- Relay Races. No equipment is needed unless you want to add in weights or other more intense items. All you need to do is think of their favorite ways to get from point A to point B. Some include: Run backwards, skip, run as fast as you can, hop on one foot, crab crawl, walk on your hands. Split into teams and the first team to get everyone back wins! You could have each person draw out what they need to do before they go. This is super fun.
- Burpees. These make me tired so fast but they get my heart racing! Have the kids do the basic burpee by squat, jump their feet back, jump their feet forward, stand, and jump into the air with a clap! See how many times they can do this before they are exhausted.
- Park Tag. Have you ever found yourself at the park and ready to run around on the playground with your kids? Well, do it! Pretend you’re 7 again and just let yourself go. You’ll be surprised how fast you may get winded when playing tag. After you can do a few stretches.
- Bike Rides. This is something that is super easy to do if you have bikes and helmets already. Get out and go for a bike ride with the kids. Find a new path or go on your favorites. Pack a lunch and head out for the afternoon. You’ll notice not only do you get to enjoy the outdoors, but your thighs and calves will feel the burn too. Good workout while enjoying time together.
Ways to Save Gas on Your Next Road Trip!
There’s lots of information out there on different ways you can save on gas but today I have some for you that you might not have thought of. We recently packed up the kids and took our family 1400 miles and while driving I started realizing there are ways we could have planned a little better to save ourselves even more money. Here’s what I came up with;
Make sure you pack right. What I mean is if you have a full car on the inside and need to carry some of it outside of our vehicle try borrowing or purchasing a luggage hitch that goes behind the car rather than one on top. Cars are made to be aerodynamic to give you better gas mileage. But when you change the shape and add something that’s wind resistant to the top, you’re causing your car to work harder to go faster costing you money. Also make sure you pack as light as possible!
Next you’ll want to watch the weather. This became a big deal when it came to our gas mileage. At the beginning our of our trip we spend about 5 hours in a head on wind meaning our car was working against the storm to get us where we were going. So if you’re able to be a little flexible try to watch the weather and stay away from stormy, windy days.
Get your car tuned up. Set up an appointment with your local auto repair shop before you head out on your road trip. Make sure all your fluids are full and let them know you’ll be traveling beforehand so they can check and make sure you’re good to go. It’s not fun having the car breakdown on your way to your destination. Also don’t forget to check your tire pressure!
Make sure you know the roads and avoid any toll roads. We ran into this issue when we were traveling back east and unknown to us we had entered a toll road and ended up having to pay the price to drive on it. For locals who know the roads, they know where they are but if this is your first time traveling the area make sure you plan ahead.
Know when to use the cruise control. Using your cruise control while on straightaways is great as long as there’s no hills. If you’re traveling through the mountains and rolling hills turn off the cruise control and maintain the speed in a more efficient way. Learn to coast instead of brake and pump your breaks.
Enjoy the trip and remember these few tips to help you save on your gas!
6 BBQ Hacks for Your Summertime BBQ
Who is planning a big BBQ (or lots of BBQs) this Summer. Maybe you are planning to fire up the grill for Memorial Day or the 4th of July or maybe just because. We love grilling so we fire up that grill any chance we can get.
BBQs can sometimes be a lot of work though, so any way that you can save work, money or time is a benefit! So here are 6 BBQ hacks for your summertime BBQ that can help you enjoy that grill a little bit more.
- Clean your grill, with….an onion? Did you know that onions are a natural disinfectant? Yep. So if you find yourself unable to find your grill brush, just slice an onion in half and wipe down the grill once they have been heated up.
- Add Ice. Okay, I haven’t tried this one, but I’ve been told by more than one person that if you add one ice cube into your burger it will come out extra juicy and tender. I will probably try this one out on my next BBQ.
- Use an egg carton. If you struggle to light the charcoal in your grill, consider using an egg carton. Place one briquet in each of the egg spots and light it up. This makes a great lighter, but it also keeps the briquets spaced apart perfectly.
- Use skewers for grilled veggies. Grilled Veggies are delicious, but they can very easily drop into the coals if you don’t prepare. I like to use wooden skewers on veggies to keep a good handle on them.
- Use dual skewers. Whether you are grilling meat or veggies, using dual skewers will help prevent your food from falling off. Let’s face it, one tiny skewer doesn’t always do a good job of holding on to your grilled foods.
- Break out the tin foil. Creating little packets out of tin foil is a really great way to cook up some veggies and potatoes. Be sure to coat the inside of it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Have you tried any of these? What are your favorite BBQ hacks?