Last night I did a big coupon trip to Target.  I don’t do these often and it had been awhile.  I have been pretty much fallen off the coupon wagon lately and needed to get back at it.  We had just been doing our big Trader Joe’s trips and more frequent small trips to the grocery store for things like lunch meat, buns, milk etc (these small trips are dangerous though and we want to be better at avoiding them).  We get organic beef locally, eggs from a friend, and some produce at the Saturday Market and Costco.   But, our stockpiles were diminishing and I wanted to make sure I used my good coupons before the baby came and they expired.

At the same time I was “Targeting,” hubby ran (literally) to Walgreens with the twins in the BOB to get some other coupon items…..I just think he is amazing!  What is better than a husband who watches the kids, runs with them, uses coupons correctly, and loads it all back up to run home?  I am still trying to picture the whole thing.  Somehow he fit a pack of diapers, 2 things of toothpaste, 2 cans of oatmeal, 3 rolls of tin foil, and a rain cover in case the weather turned.

Here is what I got:

(Sorry for the iPhone pic)

Pack of Huggies diapers-$4.50

Big bag of Huggies wipes-$3.50

Shout-42 cents

Butterfinger candy bar-free

Ritz Crackerfulls-free

Kraft mac-free

Olive Oil mayo-free

Welche’s White Grape-$1.64 (kids don’t really drink much juice so I might make popsicles with it)

Deli meat-free

2 Activia yogurts-66 cents each

3 boxes of Fiber One cereal-about 75 cents each

2 Boxes of Fiber One bars- about a dollar each

4 pack of lightbulbs-50 cents

Wet Ones-$1.50

Strawberry Shortcake bandages- 87 cents

Armor All tire cleaner- 29 cents (reg $3.29)

Armor All leather cleaner-$1.80 (reg $5.29)

2 Toy Story Playtex sippies-$5.74

Total before coupons-$77.73

Total after coupons-$30.37

Minus $5 gift card from Fiber one deal-$25.37

Pretty sweet since the regular price of the diapers, wipes, and sippies alone is $23.47

Everything went smoothly on this trip.  Cashier did great.  Only one coupon beeped and she pushed it right through since it was a valid use.  I usually ask if they want the coupons with the items, or all at the end…she said at the end was good except the ones for free products. So I put all my items up first with their corresponding “freebie” coupon and it worked great.  That way she was not searching for the price of the item at the end when she needed to fill out the value. As always, I warned the lady behind me that I had a lot of coupons in case she wanted to change lanes.  She was not overly friendly with me until she got curious how I was getting the deals.  Only one hitch of the trip… as I was trying to watch my coupons go through, and give her a 20 second coupon run-down, her little son lifted up my shirt to see what in the world was under there (I am about 12 days from due date).  Must look pretty pregnant of small children are curious what is under my shirt.

Did you score any great deals this week?

This pregnancy has definitely moved along much faster than when I was prego with the twinners.  I am 37 weeks and it is definitely time for an update. I am mainly doing these updates for myself because if it does not get blogged, my brain is likely to forget it forever!

Latest stats

37 weeks and 2 days pregnant

Countdown ticker says 20 days till due date.

BP consistently about 100-110/60-64 (Except yesterday when it was up a bit after listening to Hubby make 7 business calls on the way to Portland for our appt.  Apparently his job would stress me out.)

Up 22 pounds

Baby measuring just a bit ahead. Dr. said this is likely because I am short and baby sticks out pretty good instead of hiding inside.

Dilation-Nothing too notable to mention. I will spare you the details.

Baby head down and fairly low but not “dropped.”

Babies heart rate- 150 “on the nose”

Backup C-section scheduled for 12 past due date in Salem.

-Enjoying spending lots of time snuggling the kiddos. They seem need extra cuddle time and so do I. They ask me to come and get in my “cozy spot Mama” and they arrange my pillows so proudly. I lay down and they cuddle in and each try for the good spot next to me.  The other one has to lay on my side on top of me.  It is a very special time.  Even though there is constant blanket wrestling and climbing over me, I enjoy it.

-Still working on lots of projects to get the house and basics ready for baby girl when we have time. This looks very different than our prep before the twinners.  Before it was all about them and having everything just right, this time it is mainly about having the house in a decent place.

-Starting to get more tired than I have been the last few months.

-Going to try and start walking more to make sure my body knows I mean business. Not sure how this is going to work out with the “more tired” part.

-One of the sales women at the Gymboree Outlet that I know (she used to work in Salem and transferred over there) happens to go to the same OB in Portland and said she loves him. She also said that he was “from the old school,” which may be why I may not be getting the VBAC friendly vibes from him.

-The leader of the Portland VBAC support group emailed me back and told me that I was at pretty much the worst Dr. in regards to being supportive of VBAC’s. She highly recommended that I switch.  Bummer.  At this stage in the game I do not have the desire or energy to switch Dr’s (if it was even possible).  I am trusting God that it will all work out in his plan and am not going to make any changes.  Who knows who will even be on call when I deliver.

-Little man can’t wait to take the new baby to the Saturday Market and Little Lady is excited for her to “sit cozy” with us (snuggle on the couch).  So fun when I get glimpses into their minds.

-We have made a few name suggestions to them to see what they think.  They have both been very sure of the name from the time we started talking about it with them.  Not sure we could change our minds if we wanted to.  We love it though.  Still working on a finalizing middle name. Names are a BIG deal.  I keep having this feeling that if I had days to spend researching I could come up with the most perfect name.  Hard to feel like you are even scratching the surface of your options.

-I don’t mind wearing maternity clothes, but I am done with jeans that don’t stay where they belong.

-Enjoying the final days of pregnancy, not knowing if this will be our last baby.

-Slightly sentimental about going from our little family of 4 to 5.  We have a pretty cool thing going and I know a lot will change for my “babies”.

-Who will she look like? What will her personality be like? Can’t wait to see this baby’s sweet face!  She will be a blessing!

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks prego. That means approximately 3 weeks till baby! I can hardly believe it. Here is an updated to do list with a couple new things, lines through the completed items, and notes added to some of others that are in progress.

To do:

1) Organize master bedroom-move chairs, dust in places I can’t reach, change bedding to my favorites, go through drawers again and make each of them work for me, get the totes to the garage when full of outgrown kid clothes…

2) Organize master bath-do a deep clean of tile and bath, organize stuff on counters, in drawers and cupboards and get rid of anything we don’t need . (Mostly done)

3) Organize small bedroom and large closet (not a priority)  get all scrapbooking and office stuff into the closet, and make the room look how I want it to (mostly done) !

4) Go through upstairs hallway closet- purge, organize and maximize the space.

5) Make laundry room cuter and clean the floors.

6) Organize kids bathroom-take out anything that does not belong, decide what to store in the cupboards, and deep cleaning (since our kids aren’t potty trained we don’t use this bathroom often at this point).

7) Finish my crafting space and make the large storage/inspiration board (might not happen).

8 ) Finish organizing toys (Pretty much done, just a few more finishing touches)

9) Organize the garage (partially done)

10) Finish putting stuff on Craigslist (did some, need to do more)

11) Donate to UGM

12) Take things to consignment store-multiple trips involved (I think they only look at a few things at a time)…we have been putting this off for too long. Use credit to buy clothes in next size up for kids and things for baby.

13) Print pictures and put them in frames

14) Set up an art station for the kids. (Made a basket of their art stuff and some learning tools. Will wait on art station till art stays in tables.)

15) Start and finish the twins baby books….HA, Just kidding!!!!

16) Create a working paper organization system for for the misc. things that stack up (partially done)

17) Get car maintainence done

18) Go through book shelf

19) Potty train kids (little man is doing pretty well all on his own initiative)

20) Take a family vacation (Went to Disneyland)

21)  Decide what to do about room arrangements and who will share when the baby moves out of our room and prepare accordingly (sort of dreading putting my “separate sleepers” in a room together).

22) Take family pictures

23) Go to the Zoo

24) Stock up on groceries and cook some meals ahead.

Baby related tasks

1) Go through baby clothes-organize, wash, make a list of any little things we need (this baby will be born in June and my twins were early Feb babies).

2) Put gear back together and wash everything.

3) Figure how in the world to configure the car seats in the van and get them all checked by the tech.

4) Put little baby stuff into the diaper bag.

5) Purchase-Small cloth diapers, used glider, used papasan swing, My Breast Friend nursing pillow,

7) Read a couple books Read 8 so far

8 ) Decide between a repeat c-section or to try for a vbac VBAC it is! (at Providence St. Vincent in Portland)

9) Go on a couple “dates” with the kids individually. (So far little mans was a solo trip to the pediatrician and Fred Meyer on Sat)

10) Stock up on a couple baby related products (use coupons and watch sales)- wipes, booty cream, wash, and little diapers.

11) Sew baby girl blanket and swaddling blanket with Anna Maria Horner fabric.

12) Pick out a name! Update-Getting closer.

13) Write out our “Birth Plan” (Never thought I would be one of “those” people, but I feel that it is especially important in our situation to have a plan and be brave enough to communicate it clearly (and not worry what others think).

14) Find a “take home outfit.”  Why is this so hard? (Think we have something)

15) Still need to pick up-A couple newborn hats

16) Pack bag for hospital

Other things we have done lately

Registered for the hospital online.

Ordered nursing bra.

Purchased nursing tank.

Got new pj pants and shorts (live in these and needed new ones).

Got the last of the cloth diapers.

Hung kids book rack in play area.

Currently prepping natural prefolds to get the oils out.

Washed tiny clothes and cleared out a spot for them to go.

Fixed a couple things around the house.

Got the kids 4th of July outfits. I am strangely into dressing them up for this holiday.

Built a raised bed and planted a garden. (All daddy and kids)

——————————– (New additions above and older below)

Moved the kids out of high chairs and cleaned them up.

Got the kids a little kids table on Craigslist

Got them a cute storage rack for their books

Got twin beds, frames, and bedding for both kids and got them set up in their room. We will wait to transition them till they seem more ready.

Now that the duo are two I am seeing some changes around here.  Because of their increasing vocab the “requests” are becoming more frequent.  This makes for more whining, crying, and asking for the various things they can think of.  Play time was becoming rougher and rougher as they went from entertaining themselves for little pockets of time, to heading in the direction of becoming quite demanding.  While I realize that this is quite “appropriate” for their age, I needed to find ways to channel their energy and ideas into something more productive.  If I did not try we would be eating very specific types of crackers 27 times a day, using our binkies constantly, having only grapes and cheese to eat, playing with mommies i phone, watching Charlie and Lola, and climbing on bar stools ALL DAY LONG. This is a recipe to make a mom crazy.  I don’t want my kids to be ultra demanding, nor do I want them to be crying all day long either when I deny their requests.

Enter-More purposeful play and structure

In my silly head I think of this as “homeschooling”. That’s a joke because the kids are a young two and time time we spend on these things could hardly be labeled as “school.”  This new time of chaos has left me searching for new options to occupy my kids time and our brains.  They are quite capable of learning simple things and I don’t want to waste our time just trying to get through every day.

Here are some of the things we are doing at 2 years 3mo:

-Sometimes staying in our chairs after breakfast to work on something rather than going straight to free play.

-Getting ideas off a really cool blog called Tot School. (Likely more on this later)

-Doing flash cards. Some people don’t like flashcards, but my kids seem to love them and we stop when they get bored. It is very interesting to see what types they are interested in. Little Lady loves the clothes and accessory types (jeans, hat, belt, watch) and Little Man loves the animals and vehicles best. Go figure.

-Working on colors. We frequently ask them what color something is, look at color flashcards sometimes, help them associate colors with objects they recognize (“It is green like Rex.”), ask for things by name and color (“Can you bring me the pink bowl?). Colors seem to be one of the tougher things for toddlers to learn. This is why we have focused on them a little more than other concepts or objects. It is interesting that the colors they are having the easiest time with are the colors that have less shade variation like white, brown, black, red, etc. Green, blue and other colors like them seem to be harder.

-Talking about the days of the week and what we commonly do on those days.

-Coloring

-Playing with Play-Dough

-Folding paper to look like things like butterflies etc.

-Working on having fun with music and learning about different types of instruments. Doing puzzles. Looking at different pictures of instruments and doing the motions that you would do when playing that instrument. Talking about the different sounds and trying to identify what they are. Listing to the Jazz station on our “Music on Demand” channel and naming the instruments they show pictures of during the music.

-Talking about the sizes of things and using words like “tiny, small, medium, big, large” etc.

-Talking about some basic shapes. We are working on these slowly and using the same sorts of techniques as we use with colors.  We name things like crackers by their shape (circle crackers-whole grain Trader Joe’s crackers and square crackers-Wheat Thins) etc.

-Reading Bible stories together before bed and letting them repeat the words they are interested in and point things out in pictures.

-Looking out the windows and naming objects, animals, and colors we see.

-Put up a book rack at their level to encourage them to read their books and organize them on their own.

In case you are interested these are the flashcards we are using. Links are embedded in the images.

The first set we got was the Baby Einstein Numbers and Shapes Discovery Cards. I got them at Tj Maxx for a great price, but I have to say they are just okay.

The second set we got was Trend Enterpirse’s “Picture Words”. I chose these because they covered a variety of topics in one pack. Topics include; animals, clothing, transportation, common objects, shapes, safety signs, and colors. I figured this would be a better value than purchasing a bunch of separate sets. I got mine at Learning Palace. I signed up for their email list and they sent me a coupon (I think it was 20% off one item?). Worth a shot if you are needing something there.

What are your kids enjoying lately? Do you have any suggestions for fun ways to learn, play, and add structure to the day?

Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks prego. That means approximately 8 weeks till baby! Here is an updated to do list with a couple new things, lines through the completed items, and notes added to some of others that are in progress. Right now we are getting over sickness and most of these things are the least of my worries. Still nice to see that in the midst of what often feels like chaos, things are slowly getting done.

To do:

1) Organize master bedroom-move chairs, dust in places I can’t reach, change bedding to my favorites, go through drawers again and make each of them work for me, get the totes to the garage when full of outgrown kid clothes…

2) Organize master bath-do a deep clean of tile and bath, organize stuff on counters, in drawers and cupboards and get rid of anything we don’t need.

3) Organize small bedroom and large closet- get all scrapbooking and office stuff into the closet, organize the entire closet and get rid of stuff we don’t need, organize all non-Christmas holiday stuff, and make the room look how I want it to (mostly done) !

4) Go through upstairs hallway closet- purge, organize and maximize the space.

5) Make laundry room cuter and clean the floors

6) Organize kids bathroom-take out anything that does not belong, decide what to store in the cupboards, and deep cleaning (since our kids aren’t potty trained we don’t use this bathroom often at this point).

7) Finish my crafting space and make the large storage/inspiration board

8 ) Finish organizing toys (Pretty much done, just a few more finishing touches)

9) Organize the garage (partially done)

10) Finish putting stuff on Craigslist (did some, need to do more)

11) Donate to UGM

12) Take things to consignment store-multiple trips involved (I think they only look at a few things at a time)…we have been putting this off for too long. Use credit to buy clothes in next size up for kids and things for baby.

13) Print pictures and put them in frames

14) Set up an art station for the kids

15) Start and finish the twins baby books….HA, Just kidding!!!!

16) Create a working paper organization system for for the misc. things that stack up (partially done)

17) Get car maintainence done

18) Go through book shelf

19) Potty train kids (little man is doing pretty well all on his own initiative)

20) Take a family vacation (Went to Disneyland)

21)  Decide what to do about room arrangements and who will share when the baby moves out of our room and prepare accordingly (sort of dreading putting my “separate sleepers” in a room together).

22) Take family pictures

Baby related tasks

1) Go through baby clothes-organize, wash, make a list of any little things we need (this baby will be born in June and my twins were early Feb babies).

2) Put gear back together

3) Figure how in the world to configure the car seats in the van and get them all checked by the tech.

4) Put little baby stuff into the diaper bag

5) Purchase-Small cloth diapers, used glider, used papasan swing, My Breast Friend nursing pillow,

6) Make- Burp rags and baby hats out of re-purposed clothes,

7) Read a couple books Read 8 so far

8 ) Decide between a repeat c-section or to try for a vbac VBAC it is! (at Providence St. Vincent in Portland)

9) Go on a couple “dates” with the kids individually

10) Stock up on a couple baby related products (use coupons and watch sales)- wipes, booty cream, wash, and little diapers (we might largely use disposable for the newborn size so I don’t have to buy tiny cloth that will be grown out of quickly)

11) Sew baby girls blanket and swaddling blanket with Anna Maria Horner fabric.

12) Pick out a name! Update-Getting closer.

13) Write out our “Birth Plan” (Never thought I would be one of “those” people, but I feel that it is especially important in our situation to have a plan and be brave enough to communicate it clearly (and not worry what others think).

14) Find a “take home outfit.”  Why is this so hard?

Other things we have done lately

Moved the kids out of high chairs and cleaned them up

Got the kids a little kids table on Craigslist

Got them a cute storage rack for their books

Got twin beds, frames, and bedding for both kids and got them set up in their room. We will wait to transition them till they seem more ready.

Almost every pregnant person I know makes all sorts of lists.  One of the most important is the list that contains all of the things that need to be done before baby (or babies) arrive.  Some of the things on my list are the fun preparing for baby things, but most are home related.  My goal is to have our entire house organized by the time baby comes.  This will be no easy task. We have been chipping away at this for awhile and are seeing a great improvement, but still have a ways to go.

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and likely have 21 or 22 weeks to accomplish these tasks.

To do:

1) Organize master bedroom-move chairs, dust in places I can’t reach, change bedding to my favorites, go through drawers again and make each of them work for me, get the totes to the garage when full of outgrown kid clothes…

2) Organize master bath-do a deep clean of tile and bath, organize stuff on counters, in drawers and cupboards and get rid of anything we don’t need.

3) Organize small bedroom and large closet- get all scrapbooking and office stuff into the closet, organize the entire closet and get rid of stuff we don’t need, organize all non-Christmas holiday stuff, and make the room look how I want it to!

4) Go through upstairs hallway closet- purge, organize and maximize the space.

5) Make laundry room cuter and clean the floors

6) Organize kids bathroom-take out anything that does not belong, decide what to store in the cupboards, and deep cleaning (since our kids aren’t potty trained we don’t use this bathroom often at this point).

7) Finish my crafting space and make the large storage/inspiration board

8 ) Finish organizing toys

9) Organize the garage

10) Finish putting stuff on Craigslist

11) Donate to UGM

12) Take things to consignment store-multiple trips involved (I think they only look at a few things at a time)…we have been putting this off for too long. Use credit to buy clothes in next size up for kids and things for baby.

13) Print pictures and put them in frames

14) Set up an art station for the kids

15) Start and finish the twins baby books….HA, Just kidding!!!!

16) Create a working paper organization system for for the misc. things that stack up

17) Get car maintainence done

18) Go through book shelf

19) Potty train kids

20) Take a family vacation

21)  Decide what to do about room arrangements and who will share when the baby moves out of our room and prepare accordingly (sort of dreading putting my “separate sleepers” in a room together).

Baby related tasks

1) Go through baby clothes-organize, wash, make a list of any little things we need (this baby will be born in June and my twins were early Feb babies).

2) Put gear back together

3) Figure how in the world to configure the car seats in the van and get them all checked by the tech.

4) Put little baby stuff into the diaper bag

5) Purchase-Small cloth diapers, used glider, used papasan swing, My Breast Friend nursing pillow,

6) Make- Burp rags and baby hats out of re-purposed clothes,

7) Read a couple books

8 ) Decide between a repeat c-section or to try for a vbac

9) Go on a couple “dates” with the kids individually

10) Stock up on a couple baby related products (use coupons and watch sales)- wipes, booty cream, wash, and little diapers (we might largely use disposable for the newborn size so I don’t have to buy tiny cloth that will be grown out of quickly)

11) Pick out a name!

There should be plenty of time to finish all of these things, but I reserve the right to “alter” the list at any point. I will post updates as things progress to keep myself accountable

As I was taking a survey today for another mama blogger I commented that I liked to read about the little things in her day and life. I like the connection that comes from reading more personal posts rather than just “articles”. Then I realized I am an idiot. I hardly share anything personal on here. Maybe I don’t because I believe that sharing personal information is such a balancing act, possibly because I am lazy, could be because I think these sorts of posts are more suited for our family blog (since we hardly write on that it is a lame excuse)…who knows.

So here begins my attempt to intermix personal thoughts with the other stuff. Don’t get too excited. It’s really nothing juicy or earth shattering.

I will start with my thoughts on my 17th week of pregnancy. Wait a second, you didn’t know I was pregnant? My mistake. That might be my fault since I have not included anything of the personal nature (except the last time my mailbox freebies picture included a Kotex sample).
So YES, I am pregnant and most definitely thrilled.

The stats:
17 weeks pregnant
Due June 17th(ish)
“Only” one baby this time. We checked.

Back to the thoughts…

1) I first worried when I was not gaining weight. Then I gained weight. Then I was frustrated that I gained weight. Then I had a small bowl of cereal for lunch. Then I got a headache. Bad idea.

When I was pregnant with the twins I was fairly happy with every pound because they were practically eating me alive. I worked hard to find things to eat (I mean my husband), made smoothies to get enough of the good stuff in, drank Boosts for extra protein and calories and only gained about 25 pounds during my time incubating the babies until they were born 11 days before my due date. This time I don’t think I will be needing the Boosts, my nausea has largely passed, and I am now taking my cell phone out of my pocket for weigh-ins at the doctor.

2) I am missing some of the “perks” of my twin pregnancy and not overly thrilled about being “co-managed” with a nurse practitioner. Apparently this means I only get to see my doctor every other visit for most of my pregnancy. Unless they call you to notify you that your doctor won’t be in the office for your January appointment and that you are being rescheduled to see some other doctor. I am not a pushy person, but c’mon. Four months between seeing my doctor? That is nuts. So I rescheduled to see her a week later (at 5 weeks). The lady at the desk told me this was “not medically advisable,” but I figured it was not medically advisable to not see my doctor in four months and made my own executive decision (after calling my husband to confirm my thoughts and get up the nerve to call back…and praying that I got a different lady on the phone).

3) A little annoyed that my Old Navy maternity clothes from my last pregnancy looked so worn out when I took them out of the tote.

4) I am wondering why I decided to get the test that will change nothing except worry me if it comes back abnormal.

5) Making a mental note to never go to the lab at 10:50 ever again. 30 people in front of me and 2 behind me. For some reason I would feel better if a whole bunch of people kept coming in after me. Also thinking the male Phlebotomist named Shannon did not use the little alcohol wipe on my arm before drawing my blood. Hope there was not any scary germs in that tiny area of my arm.

6) Loving that the little flutters are turning into more noticeable kicks. My hubby might have even felt one of them last night.

7) Can’t believe how many CRAZY dreams and nightmares I have been having.

8)  Counting down the days till we find out what our baby is next week (also a tiny nervous to get such a clear peek at our little one…praying everything looks good).

9) Most grateful for a new baby to welcome into our crazy house, happy to be pregnant again, thankful it did not take years to get pregnant, thinking of others who have lost or are still waiting, trying to embrace the whole process and happy to be a mom.

You know me, I am always a girl with a plan. Vacations are no different.  And I LOVE Disneyland. Here are some of my tips to help you have a smooth trip and save money.

Here is our basic plan.  We bought annual passes for my husband and I (the Deluxe ones) with the plan to take two trips inside of a year. This makes it much cheaper that buying two sets of park hopper tickets.  Our children are under three and are free.  We stay at the Howard Johnson with the entertainment book rate to get our rooms at $69.99 a night.  We drive to save money, bring lots of our own food, have a vehicle available to go eat at cheaper places, explore other areas, and take more stuff than we could if we flew.  (Our annual pass also gets us 10% off at most restaurants.)

Here is a more detailed information to use when planning a trip.

When to go and where to stay.

• It is almost always cheaper to book your vacation yourself.

• Go during the off season-You will get better hotel rates, cheaper plane tickets if you fly, and have fewer crowds to deal with.

• Stay off property-Our definite first choice is the Howard Johnson with their entertainment rate (you will need a current card when you check in).  Go visit their message boards to familiarize yourself with how the rate works.  Basically, they have stellar rates ranging from $59-$99 dollars per nights based on your room choice available during certain dates.  They open up dates a few months in advance and then close and open specific dates based upon occupancy.  I plan our vacations around when the rates are available.  We stayed there for the first time in April and loved it. We are currently planning out next vacation and will also be using the entertainment rate.  After MUCH research we decided to stay in the NQQ2 rooms which are $69 dollars a night.  We loved it and will be staying in the same type of room again.  I looked for a week that had multiple dates available in a row and then booked the other non-entertainment book rate night at the best rate they could give me. I continued to watch the date (I am friends with them on Facebook and get notifications when the dates change) and was able to get that Saturday night at that great rate also when it became available.

• HoJo Pros-Great new pirate themed water play area and a separate pool area.  Clean and well manicured grounds. New beds in many of the rooms. Great customer service.  Best value of any of the nearby hotel options.
• HoJo Cons-Completely within walking distance, but a little farther that some other hotels. No continental breakfast. (You can easily purchase your own breakfast items for much less than the amount you would spend to stay at a different hotel that provided breakfast.)

• If you have a large family the best deal I have seen would be a new “Pirate themed Kid Suite.” These are basically like two adjoining rooms. One with a bunk, pull-out, and bathroom. The other side with a king bed and second bathroom. If the entertainment rate is available you can get this room for $99.

Disneyland Tickets

If you are at a place in life where you think you would be able to go twice within a years time consider buying an annual pass. The Deluxe option allows you access 315 days of the year for $289 (recent price increase). You will also get discounts with this pass.

As an example a  four day Park Hopper pass is currently $169 for children ages 3-9 and $199 for adults.

If you bought a pass every other year you could visit once when you first purchase your pass, once right before it expires, then skip a year and purchase one a year later and do the same thing over again.  Thus, going about every year but only purchasing the pass every other year and taking two vacations within the passes one year window.

If you want to visit other parks in Southern California look into buying a “Southern California City Pass.” These are often available at Costco and are usually cheapest there.

Food

Pack some of your own food-We take a cooler, bring food, and stop by Trader Joe’s when we are running low.

If you are without a car you could take a taxi to the store to get some food, or if your order is for $50 or more Vons will deliver groceries for free to your hotel!

Pick the places you want to eat with your family ahead of time. This will prevent you from eating at the nearest place when your child has a meltdown from hunger.  Look at what foods are available where in the parks to get the most for your money and allow you pick things your children will actually eat.  It will also help you stick within your budget. The DIS message boards have a great database with all the restaurants, meals, and prices.

Here is a spreadsheet with menu items organized by price (low to high) created by Hurleysweety from DISboards. It has a tab for counter service at both Disneyland, California Adventure, and one for table service restaurants in both parks.  Such a fun tool that will help you find the most inexpensive foods in the parks easily.

Eat at at counter service restaurants in the parks rather than sit down the majority of the time with a few “special meals” planned.

Our favorite counter service

• We like Red Rocket’s Pizza Port (DL),
• The Corn Dog cart on main street (DL)
• Taste Pilot’s Grill (best burgers, chicken sandwiches and tons of toppings you add yourself) (DCA)
• Pacific Wharf Cafe-Great fresh food. Bread bowls, sandwiches, and salads. (DCA)
• BEST DEAL-White Water Snacks at the Grand Californian Hotel (Exit DCA near Grizzly River Run into the hotel property and ask for directions). Best food value on the property. Try the nachos, french dip, or breakfast sandwich.
• Watch the Billy Hillbillies and eat the food at the counter service restaurant there or have a sundae there. (DL)

Places with great ambiance or great food for “special meals” treats.

• Blue Bayou-This is the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Expensive, but cheaper for lunch. Make a “priority seating” for this restaurant. (DL)
• Carnation Cafe-Great baked potato soup, Sandwiches, etc. (DL)
• Cafe Orleans-Pommes frites, Mickey shaped beignets, Monte Cristo sandwich,
• Plaza Inn Restaurant- Good chicken dinner (DL)
• Rainforest Cafe-If your kids would appreciate it it’s a fun place to eat. (DD)
• Wine Country Trattoria-Italian (DCA)

Downtown Disney’s best food deals-

A couple of the large restaurants in Downtown Disney also have walk up counter service windows with more basic menus.  This is a great way to eat at some of these places without spending as much.

We like…

• Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
• Tortilla Joe’s walk up window

You could also try…

• Jamba Juice (fills you up for a good price)
• Wetzel’s Pretzels (good pretzels and pretzel dogs)

Save more money by eating outside of the parks- In and Out (short drive), McDonald’s (walking distance). Or for sit down meals try Mimi’s (near HoJo) or Millie’s (walking distance).

Places to avoid-Captain Kidds (gross), IHOP (overpriced)

Spending

• Bring some little souvenirs from home (t-shirts (especially expensive in park), light sticks, stuffed Disney characters they already own), and then let each kid pick out ONE thing near the end of your trip after looking throughout your trip.  Let them know the plan ahead of time and tell them they can save up if they would like a little more spending money.

• Pack smartly to avoid extra expenses- Will you be traveling during a rainy season? Bring your own ponchos which will be much cheaper from somewhere like Walmart. Make sure every person brings a hoody or light weight jacket to avoid purchasing a $60 dollar sweatshirt when someone gets cold or wet.

Hints-

• First aid station has water (and of course first aid supplies and medications). Bring your own water bottle and refill it there rather than the drinking fountains.

• If your family can’t survive on water alone, bring some of those little drink packets to mix into your water bottles so you don’t end up spending $3 or a drink.

• Get a headache?……Before purchasing medicine from one of the little stores in the park, check and see if the first aid station has something you could have free of charge.

• Sign up for Mimi’s  E-Club for restaurant coupons about 2 weeks prior to your trip.  They sent us a great coupon we were able to use to get a free breakfast (not BOGO).  This is especially great if you are staying at HoJo since it is right there.

• Have the Photo Pass people take pictures with your camera at all the great classic places in the park.

Abbreviations

DL- Disneyland

DCA- Disney’s California Adventure

DD-Downtown Disney

HoJo- Howard Johnson

I get excited just thinking about this stuff! Can’t wait for our next trip!

Anything confusing or have a question? Leave me a message and I will respond in the comments section.

Here are some of our pictures from my favorite moments the last couple weeks.

Our little ducklings showing some team love.

“First day of school.” Who doesn’t like a few extra songs and stores and some front porch photos.

First time playing in the sand at the beach.