Disney Swag on a Budget!

I honestly can't even believe that we are heading to Disney in a little over a month!  For us, it really wasn't financially feasible but when friends say, "lets rent some houses in Orlando for the week," you know it's not an everyday occurrence and you want to make those memories, so you make it happen!  Life is too short not to in my opinion.  And honestly, my kids have been through hell this year and deserve a break! And so do we.  Gavin's eosinophilic esophagitis diagnosis last year at Christmas turned our world around.  His food restrictions are so strict that only the magical chefs at Disney can make it an amazing experience food wise for him as well as everyone else.  

So, long story short...we're headed to Disney!  We're going the first week of December so there was no way we could pull off Disney and Christmas so Santa is coming early this year!  On the morning that we wake up, there will be gifts under the tree and notes from Santa with our surprise.  They each will get tote bags with a simple iron on stating "this kid is going to Disney World."  There are reservations made on our last night there for Minnie's Magical Christmas Dinner and VIP tickets to the Fantasmic show.  I want to make Christmas memories so that when they wake up on actual Christmas and have scrapbooks of their pictures, they are still excited!  I also want to be that silly family with matching shirts!  There are a ton of cute ones on Etsy and through the internet but we don't have extra funds right now for that kind of stuff so I decided to make our own.  Now I warn you...I am the Pinterest Fail Queen so even starting these projects was scary.  But they worked!!!  So that means that I need to share with you how super simple it was, because I promise you can do it too!  

Bleach Mickey Zip Up Hoodies

All you need for this one is a colored sweatshirt, a spray bottle and some bleach.  I went with zip up ones because I figured they could act as coats and last the whole week.  I also chose black because it goes with everything!  I would definitely recommend a dark color. You could also use tee shirts too.  

I must have deleted my pictures of this whole project in process but I promise you can figure it out! 

1.  Find a mickey silhouette online to print out.  I just searched "Mickey ear silhouette" to find this one and printed different sizes on card stock.  

2.  Prepare your bleach spray bottle with Bleach/water solution.

3.  Place the mickey cut out on the area where you would like to see the Mickey head and lightly spray around it.  ***You do not want to saturate it, don't even do a full spray.  I used like little squirts after I learned this lesson the hard way on sweatshirt number one.  

4.  I made symbols on the front and back.  For the boys, I just did a larger Mickey on the back, centered.  For the girls, I used a smaller one in the corner and sprayed up towards the shoulder for effect.  

5.  Once they dried, I washed them in cold water, dried them, and hid them until we are ready to go! 



Next project is for our "Christmas dinner" date with Mickey and Minnie.  These are our matching family tees and I love them!!!  My only downfall was that I did not use soda wash so make sure you get some.  Now for this one, I actually save the step by step pics so I hope they help.  

Tye Die Mickey tees 

Step 1:  Cut out a Mickey template or find cups and bowls to trace Mickey's head onto your tee shirt.  

Step 2:  Use a needle and dental floss to sew a basting stitch around the mickey head. Do NOT tie off at the end.  

    

Step 3:  Holding the beginning stitch, pull the other end together to scrunch up your Mickey head, keeping the fabric of the mickey to the front of the shirt and tie the ends together.  

  

Step 4:  This is where I should have used soda ash to keep the colors bright but I just wet the fabric with water instead.  

Step 5:  Rubber band directly behind the Mickey head where the floss is bunched. Then, holding the Mickey section, turn the head to get the shirt the roll up into a cinnamon bun looking shape. 

                         

Step 6:  Rubber band the remainder of the shirt.  I used four bands making a pie like shape on the shirt.  Then you get to color!  Starting with the Mickey head.  Make sure to get the top and the ears underneath to get the whole head effect.  

Step 7:  Color each section according to what you want.  Since we are doing Christmas, we chose red and green. 

Step 8:  Place shirts in a plastic bag sealed for 24 hours.  Once the time is up, unwrap the shirt and rinse with cold water. Then wash! 

Thats it!!! I will add a pic of the whole family rocking them once vacation actually happens!  But I couldn't wait to get this all down into the blog.  Partly, because I never have time to write anymore. So I had to take advantage of a quiet evening and an early bedtime.  If I come up with any more projects, I will make sure to keep adding!  And leave your comments if you try them, with pics!!! Or if you have any other great ways to do fun family Disney projects on a budget!

            

The therapy of getting to know yourself

I do my best thinking when I run.  It seems to be the only time that I can do the two things that I need the most simultaneously and feel like a million bucks when I am done.  I just got back from a four mile run through the neighborhood that was initiated by me wanting to feed  my deep, depressed feelings with food. I knew that if I stayed at home I was going to try to make myself snap out of my funk with sugar and carbs...so for once, I chose right and laced up the sneakers.

Now before I get into the revelation that I had within the forty minutes I was gone, i need to back track just a little.  Well a week actually.  The last week of June was the week that I had been excited yet crazed about for months!  It started with it being the week of my daughters dance recital, which involves a years worth of work, thousands of dollars being invested and one manic child who cannot wait to put on her make up, costumes, and dance shoes and do what she does best.  Then, just because that wasn't enough, we decided that it would be the week that we would host our 1st Annual 5k Fun Run.  We had a fantastic theme being the Red Carpet Run, great tee shirts, props and an awesome venue.  We scheduled a pre-race packet pick up party and went all out.  I was so excited to be using my part time business of fitness and helping others get healthy into my full time career environment. But the weather was terrible and many of the volunteers didn't show.  We had to move the modified course indoors for our residents who are all a part of the ID population and require a little extra TLC.  And on top of all of it, there were two birthday parties and fathers day.  The point of all of this being, that I had to be at my best for all of it.  There was not one part of the week where I was not running at full speed performance level. So then Sunday night rolls around and into Monday and I am dragging.  My body doesn't want to do a lot and my mind wants to do even less.  I feel like I have a dark cloud hanging over me that is starting to suck me in.  I start slacking on my meal prepping, I am not at full speed with my workouts, and my work performance feels like I am taking a back seat when I should be in hustle mode since its the last week in my old position, and starting Monday, I become part of the administration.  It should be exciting...but I'm not feeling it.

So I'll take it back even just a little further, just for a minute.  My education and career is about people. It's about personalities, working with them, teaching them, motivating them, everything!  But I have never been able to do this with myself consciously until today.  Well tonight actually, as I was running.  I started to piece it all together.   I learned yesterday during a course I was taking that I was an enthusiast. That I thrive off of positive energy, that I like to give everything my all, especially when its new and exciting.  I get easily board with the small tasks because I like to think big - dream big - and make stuff happen.  Not by planning, more just by doing.  I like to go into a crowded room and take control of it.  Funny thing about me though is that I hate one on one conversation and find it completely awkward but I can handle a room like a pro.  weird...I know. 

So today, as I was running I was thinking about what I learned yesterday in this class I took and something I learned about a couple years ago and paid no mind too.  I am an enthusiast introvert.  I didn't know what it was or how it applied to me but I realized today that just because those are the types of environments and events that I crave and live for, they are not where I get my energy.  My energy comes from being away from all that, being with my family, curling up with a book, running with nothing but my music, playing with my children with no agenda. Thats where it builds and then when it's showtime, I m able to put it all out there and give it all that stored energy so that it exceeds my expectations when it comes to life experiences and that I make it an awesome memory.  But after that, I need to pull it back in and recharge in my little bubble. I often thought of this feeling I have right now as depression, and I am sure that in some capacity it is. Likely in medical terms, its the serotonin in my brain being depleted and needing to replenish, which is in fact depression. However tonight, after realizing that this is how my personality has always been and that these "depressive" bouts are usually preceded by major things that require me to be "ON" that I may be able to have better control of it.  I can see it for what it is and not use the excuse that I am a stress eater or that I feed my depression with food.  It's just part of my cycle, part of me, and a part that I am finally able to see and be aware of!  I feel like by coming to this realization, I can get through it and get out it quicker.  By doing the activities that are mindless yet good for the soul, I can recoup faster.  I feel like getting to understand me and how I work can be a game changer in mood swings and in my recovery!  

Hawaiian Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting (allergy free)

Whats the deal with soda cupcakes?

I've heard about people using soda to replace the wet ingredients in a cake mix but as someone who really doesn't drink the stuff, i never really thought twice about it.  Until today...as I was scrolling through my newsfeed on facebook, I came across a picture that showed good combinations of cake mix and soda that should taste good.  And now that I am faced with my son not being able to have dairy, eggs, nuts, and gluten I totally looked at this picture in a new light!  I wondered would it work with the gluten free cake mix that I had just got at Aldi's?  So I did what any crazy and desperate allergy mom does.  I sent the husband to the store for soda!

Since my occupation is health and fitness and I am constantly preaching about clean ingredients, I couldn't, in good faith, just put soda in these things so I used a can of crushed pineapple too. And to top it all off, I found a pudding mix that only contained soy as one of the top allergens and since Gavin can tolerate when its in a product, I mixed it with coconut milk and used it for frosting.  It was pretty creative in my opinion!

 






So I warn you, I probably belong far from a kitchen and am a pinterest nightmare on most occasions, but every once in awhile, I can pull something off.  And today was one of those days.

So let me share my fun recipe!


Hawaiian Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting

Cupcake mix
1 box of your choice of pre-packaged cake mix
3/4 of a can of crushed pineapple
8 oz of Orange Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine ingredients and mix until smooth.
Separate into cupcakes, mini cupcakes, or cake

Bake mini cakes for 15 minutes, regular cupcakes for 18 minutes

Frosting mix
1 box of chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cup cold coconut milk

Combine until smooth, refrigerate while cake is baking.

Once the cupcakes come out, let sit for two minutes and then move to cooling rack.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes before topping with pudding.

Vanilla Chia Vegan Yogurt

Going dairy free,  we've missed yogurt!   We've tried a couple of the coconut milk ones but they are so expensive,  so alternatives to store bought are a must.  I tried this month's ago and literally forgot how much I liked it so I was so happy when someone reminded me of it.   My son,  who is still top 8 allergy free wasn't too keen on the chia seeds but maybe after a few tries,  he'll warm up to them!

So this is a super simple process but the first stage of it is super important.  Chia seeds will get clumpy in the coconut milk if you don't stir it ever 20 minutes two times to keep the seeds separated and evenly distributed through the milk as it starts to absorb.   Then you can leave it over night and be ready for breakfast in the morning!

Just measure the chia and put it in a container that you have a lid for.   Honestly a mason jar would be perfect but I didn't have an extra one to try at the time so regular Tupper are works fine too.   Add in the coconut milk,  sweetener,  and vanilla extract and just stir until it's all mixed evenly and refrigerate.   Then make sure after about 20 minutes you go back and stir it again and better yet,  do that one more time in another twenty minutes.   That last stir isn't super necessary but is helpful with the consistency of it come morning.   

The next day,  pull it out of the fridge,  give it a stir and top it with your favorite berries.  You've got yourself a natural breakfast that will leave you feeling full and energized for hours!  

Ingredients :

1/4c chia seeds (either black or white) 

1c unsweetened coconut milk

1 packet of Stevia or 1 tsp of honey 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1c mixed berries (used to top) 

Preparation :

Mix ingredients (minus the berries)  into a container,  cover,  and refrigerate.   Stir yogurt after 20 minutes to keep consistency and repeat after another 20 minutes.   Let sit overnight.   When ready to eat, top with your berries and enjoy! 

Making Birthdays Happen

Today, he turns 5!  The thought of this day has had me having panic attacks for weeks now.  My aunt pulled through and sent up some goodies from Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC that had me relax a bit knowing that we had safe treats in the house for the events and he loves them.  However this morning, he stressed the importance of having cake with frosting.  Seriously!?!?  on the day of his birthday he throws this at me!!!  Ok...mission accepted....I think!

First thing I do, like anything else is get on the internet and start searching.  When that had me even more frustrated about which one to pick and will it turn out, I searched facebook for allergy moms group and landed on one that was inactive for the last few months.  I decided to post a plea for help anyway and am blessed with a couple of moms who pulled through and sent me chocolate cake recipes that we easy enough!  I sent my husband to the store with a list of things we didn't have at the house and prayed all day while at work that I would be able to pull this off.

There was one recipe that a woman sent to me that was written like I think. Short thoughts and straight to the point so that was the one I used.  And I have really been wanting to try the Dollop frosting, which is gluten free, soy free, and vegan so this was the perfect opportunity!

The first part was easy, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, split the dough, and bake for ten minutes!  Cool, I can handle that!  So my two youngest and I combined the rice flour, organic sugar, cocoa, baking soda.  The mixer held the light olive oil, eater, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar.  I'll admit that I loved that there was no egg replacement because that it usually where everything I bake takes a turn for the worst.  So we put it into to pans and baked just for ten minutes.  Once it cooled for about 5, flipped it onto what was supposed to be wax paper and I didn't have any!  I tried to make due with foil but I seriously recommend being prepared!

I put the cakes in the freezer for about 30 minutes to solidify.  Then removed the cakes and frosted the center with the Dollop Vanilla frosting, flipped the other half on top and iced the rest.  I just added a little food coloring to the frosting in the corner of a little baggie to do some piping and words.  I am seriously not creative, not fancy, and not good in the kitchen so this is a masterpiece for me and it made my little man one happy birthday boy!

special thanks to Rachel D for coming through and helping with this!

Allergy free Oreo Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of white rice flour
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp carob powder
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp light olive oil
2 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 circle layer pans.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, mix, and set aside

Combine wet ingredients, mix, and add to dry ingredient bowl just until blended.

Divide dough evenly into two cake pans and bake for 10 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

Let sit for 5 minutes then invert onto wax paper and let cool completely.

Freeze cake for 30 minutes before constructing!



Hope this helps you come up with a great treat for your allergy free munchkin and the family!

Lots of love,
Lisa Fickenworth

Sunbutter Shako cups

So it's Easter and that used to mean that there was a TON of chocolate that surround us.  The entire family is fanatics about the Reeses cup and reeses eggs made it even better!  However this year, we are limiting the chocolate and since reeses don't quite make the list when it comes to being top 8 allergen free, we needed to find a way to adapt so that Gavin (and momma) wasn't feeling so lonely!  Plus it's a perfect time for me to find another treat that combines allergy free and healthy for my EoE munchkin and Portion Control approved with clean food ingredients for the mommas!

I have been getting creative the past months since I was doing the 21 day fix and chocolate isn't allowed with the extreme plan so we've been making our own, using the super nutrition of shakeology. So it dawned on me that if I can use this to make healthy chocolate substitute then I could use it for a pb cup, right?!?  It seemed way too perfect!  Now before I even start to write down about how easy this is...let me warn you!  I don't make things pretty, lol.  I like to throw things together and just pray that they taste good!  Sometimes things work out, other times not so much. So what I am about to share with you, may not be super pretty but I know many of you moms out there who would be able to finesse the heck out of this for perfection!  So i'll share the roots of the project, and allow your creative minds to expand!

I started with brainstorming what we had because who has time to run to the store when you have a brain storm and I decided on 2 scoops of chocolate vegan shakeology. This meant me and the kids would get some crazy doses of nutrition while enjoying dessert, bonus right!?!  Then to find a way to form it and solidify it, I went with coconut oil and the plan to freeze it.  Sunflower seed butter as the PB alternative, and a dab of gf vanilla extract.  Using the mini muffin pan, which is a genius invention by the way, I think we were set to begin!.  The kids pulled their chairs up to the cupboard and we got started!

Now I warned you, I said things aren't pretty in my kitchen so bear with me!  I first melted the coconut oil and mixed it in with the two scoops of shakeology and the capful of vanilla extract.  I slowly added tbsp of water into the mix until I got the consistency I liked. It was about 8 tbsp total although that can be played with based on how you work with it and form it.  I used the coconut oil on the corner of a paper towel to lightly coat the inside of the tin.  I then scoops about 1/3 of a tsp of the shakeology mix onto the bottom of the tin and attempted to flatten it out the best I could. I think if I mixed it longer and added a tad more water/oil, this would work better.  But it is what it is so we kept going.  I placed a tiny bit of sunflower seed butter in all the tins as the next layer and then topped several of them with more shakeology mix and left a few with just the sun-butter as the top.  The last step was to throw them in the freezer. I would recommend at least 4 hours but I just left them in overnight since it was close to bedtime.

The next morning I pulled the tin out of the freezer and used a spoon to pop them out!  They stayed together and were exactly what I wanted.  Mini sun-butter cups, top 8 allergen free, and packed with nutrition! Perfect for the EoE munchkin, tasty for the girls, and 21 day fix approved for mom!  Chalking this up as a win and can't wait to perfect that constituency so they look as good as they taste for next time.  You are going to want to store them in refrigerator after making so that they stay solid!

Recipe and Preparation

Items needed:

mini muffin pan

1 1/2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil

Chocolate Vegan Shakeology 

1/4 water

1/2 tsp of gluten free vanilla extract

1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter or the alternative of your choice

Preparation

1.  Use the corner of a paper towel covered with coconut oil to wipe in the cups of the mini muffin pan.  You will need to prepare for a dozen Sun-Butter cups.

2.  Melt the remaining coconut oil in the microwave.

3.  Place two scoops or servings of vegan chocolate shakeology into a bowl and add in the vanilla extract and melted coconut oil.

4.  Begin to mix or stir ingredients together and begin adding water one tablespoon at a time. Continue to stir until the chocolate mix reaches a consistency that is smooth.

5.  Use about a 1/2 tbsp of shake mix and put on the bottom of each tin cup.  Try to tap the pan at the end to smooth out the bottom layer.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

6.  After 15 minutes the bottom layer should be solid enough to scoop on the sun-butter nice and neat.  The amount you want to use it up to you.  I recommend at least 1/2 a tsp.

7.  Lastly, you can choose to top the cups with more chocolate or leave it with the sun-butter on top. If you choose to top them, you may need to mix another tbsp of water into the shakeology mix and then scoop it onto the top layer of each of the cups and again tap the pan down once you are down to try for a more smooth look.

8.  Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight and pop them out with a spoon once they are solid.  Store them in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

AWESOME for portion control planning and when the cravings hit hard!!!  For those of you doing the 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Insanity Max or any of the Portion Control meal plans then 2 cups would be: 

1/2 Red

1/2 tsp 

For more information about portion control meal planning, weightloss, clean eating, and exercise, check out the resources at www.itsfitpossible.com or email me!  My goal is to help others find ways to realize that you CAN handle it all!  There are huge benefits in caring for your special needs children when you are caring for yourself as well!  A healthy mom creates a healthy family <3

Lisa Fickenworth

www.facebook.com/lfickenworth

Help yourself first!

The one thing that I now it takes to raise children is a strong mind and a strong body.  US mothers need to be prepared for anything.  We need to build our bodies to be tough and resilient because there is not time for us to be getting sick and running out of energy.  So one thing that I have found to be super helpful is getting healthy myself and helping outed do the same.  Check out the link below on how to access free workouts and meal plans with the help of a free coach!  It's kind of a great concept! 

http://eepurl.com/bhWm2r