The only thing...

that could have made this morning more perfect is if Kevin could have been with us on our spur-of-the-moment-close-to-home-road trip/stock photo shoot instead of working. The weather could not have been more gorgeous. It's the reason we put up with 114 degrees every day, all summer long.

After dropping the small villagers off at school, I grabbed my camera, some extra lenses and headed towards the Superstition Mountains. They are so, so pretty and they call to me daily! I see them looming in the distance every day and I just want to be there instead of my el-lame-o, cement jungle, surburban city. The closer I get to them, the sunnier everything seems! I just love the area so much. Very rural. Horses and barns and rustic spanish style ranches. Kevin tried his hardest to get me to move to AJ with him when we were looking for a house two years ago, but in the end the poor guy gave in (on the first of many things) and moved to Mesa to be with us since that's where the 3 villagers were already enrolled in school. If I didn't hear so often how the schools are such crap in Apache Junction, (the town at the base of the mtn.) I would so much rather have a nice piece of land there than in Mesa. I should take the drive more often, (and by "drive" I mean a whopping 15 or 20 minutes) but I'm usually too lazy to plan ahead (and by plan ahead I only mean, take a bottle of water, some cheerios and an extra diaper for the tiny villager). See how hard that would be to do regularly?

So on our little solo adventure, (the boy and I being like one) the wee one and I took a white-knuckle drive up the side of a mountain with a veeeeerrrry steep drop off, approx. millions of feet straight down. Lucikly there were lots of places to pull over and get some neat shots. Also lucky for me that this is when the little guy takes his daily morning nap. That road and a screaming baby would NOT be a good mix.

We were going to drive to a lake, but the sign said it was still 38 miles away and part of that means crossing a one lane bridge (and I'm so not fond of bridges to begin with, much less one where you have to either take turns or play chicken with oncoming traffic) and then driving on a dirt road. So we ended up just going part way up the mountain and then turning around and going back down.

On our way back thru AJ, we stopped at Goldfield Ghost Town. It was pretty much us, a lot of snowbirds and a few elementary school groups. It was nice to be there on a weekday when nothing was going on.

Some great photo ops and we got to see a huge horse up close and some cowboys! The tiny tot tried to convince me we should visit the Bordello where the madame of the house was at the top of the stairs trying to persuade us, but he might be a little young still!

Hope you had an enjoyable day as well!

WDW Wednesday: Step One

Step One

Yay! for you if you’re thinking about going to on a vacation. I am all about vacation (my ever so helpful brother likes to point out that my whole life is like one big vacation - and that's actually pretty hard to argue!). Kev? Not so much. He likes to be able to “see” stuff that he’s just paid a lot for. He likes to have something tangible in his hand or in his home or in his driveway after the purchase. He says, things like, “Hmmm, let’s see – we could go to Disney World for a vacation and then in 10 days have nothing to show for it ORRRRRR, we could go buy a car!!! Is that the most convoluted thinking you’ve ever heard? Not the part about the Disney trip costing as much or more as a car (cause it’s gonna) but the part where he thinks he won’t have anything to show for it. Don’t even get me started on my built in souvenir budget, (we’ll be bringing home lots of goodies to show for it - he just doesn't know it yet!) but that’s not what he means. You’ll have the memories of course. And if you’re like me, you’ll have approx. 9,747 pictures on your memory card to bring home with you to hopefully keep those memories alive for years to come! Hopefully, just the fact that you’re here for Disney Tips & Tricks Wednesday makes you one of the lucky ones that can see the value in the Magical Memories! And it’s not like we don’t already have a couple of cars!



So I think it makes sense to start at the beginning (although later, I’m allowed to jump around willy nilly). To me, the beginning is Trip Planning. See the capital letters at the beginning of each word? Yes, it’s that important that it deserves to be capitalized. I’ve said it before and if you’ve been there before you know that planning a Disney vacation really is ½ the fun! I’m talking files, binders, planning DVDs, downloaded menus, spreadsheets, the whole shebang people. Now of course I’ve done it on the fly too, but there really is nothing quite like being able to savor the countdown to arrival day with daily planning and then the tweaking of that planning – or at least somewhere in the middle of winging it and ocd-type planning.

Just for the record, I’m all about Walt Disney World. It’s the one in Florida. The park in California is Disneyland – entirely different animal (to me). I have friends who use the names as though they are interchangeable and it drives me batty – just a cute little quirk of mine. Although I live about 6 driving hours away from Anaheim, CA, I have only been to Disneyland once and that was when I was younger and lived in Illinois! Some of my tips and tricks will work for both vacation destinations, but when I’m writing them I have Disney World in mind as that’s where the Magic really lives. See even a capital M in Magic! But never fear – if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland, that’s “The Happiest Place on Earth” – so you’re probably guaranteed a pretty good time there as well! It’s just no Disney World and yes, there are plenty of Disneyland-purists that will whole-heartedly disagree with me on this and I'm ok with that!

Step 1: The choices begin – What time of year will you visit? For me, this could make or break my Disney stay. Of course, there’s a whole host of other things that can also make or break my stay too! In all the Disney guidebooks there is some sort of chart or chapter devoted to crowd expectations/special events/park hours/weather/etc. that helps you determine when you might have the best time at Disney. Some people will brave the crowds in order to spend their December holidays at Disney. I am not one of those people. Would I turn down a free trip there (attn: Mr. Eisner) in December, of course not! Would I pay to be tortured with more fellow vacationers surrounding me than absolutely necessary, no way, José! Of course you have to figure out what is right for you and your family. And school vacations, holidays and vacation time off from your paying job will most likely figure into this equation. Just like I can’t imagine travelling during a major holiday, I also (and this comes from experience!) cannot put myself or my small children through a trip to Disney World during the summer (read school’s out) months. I only go when school is in session. Yes, I am one of those parents who have absolutely no problem pulling kids out of school to go to Disney World. Truthfully, if you saw the environment some of them were being taught in, they stand a much better chance to learn something while on vacation (and less chance of having their stuff stolen (but that’s a story for another day!). Especially a place where edutainment ranks high on the list of the creators. Where else can you travel the World all in an afternoon? Disney, of course! Lunch in Italy, Dinner in Mexico – Ole!

Obviously what works for one family may not work for another. Spring and summer breaks are a popular time to visit the parks. While popular to me means more people and longer ride wait times, it also means longer park hours and less ride closures/refurbishments. I seriously almost cried once during an off season visit when I saw that my favorite ride of all time, POTC – Pirates of the Caribbean - was closed for refurbishment – the whole entire 10 freaking days I was there -- and I was 30 at the time!

Looking for a free day at the parks? You might want to think about visiting on your birthday this year! Disney's current promotion, "What Will You Celebrate?" is in honor of the celebration we all share - birthdays! and they'll give you a free one day ticket to one park if you can prove it's your birthday! Click here for details on Disney's 2009 Celebration Promotion


Another thing to keep in mind while planning the timing of your visit is that Disney changes their resort rates depending on what Disney “Season” you'll be travelling during. The seasons are basically value, regular and peak and the resort rates fluctuate within these seasons. They can also vary depending on whether your stay falls on weekday vs. weekend stays. To simplify? If it’s a convenient time for families to visit (ie. Summer, holidays, weekends, etc.) Disney is going to charge you more for the pleasure of your visit! As Disney likes to change things often you can check out a site like MouseSavers.com at http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2009.html for up to date room rates by resort and season. Keep in mind that the rates shown are "rack rates" which are the highest, regular rate and that discount codes and deals can often be found.

My all time personal favorite times to visit the World? Being that I enjoy the warmer seasons and lower crowds, I have two:

Mid-May – nice warm weather and school is still in session in most parts of the US so park attendance is slightly lower

Mid-September – can be dicey due to the end of hurricane season, but again, school is in session, lower crowds and decent, yet humid weather, expect daily rain, but usually only lasts a little bit

We’re trying something new this year – Mid-October. Slightly cooler weather than September, hopefully still warm enough for some pool fun and we’ll be there for the Food & Wine Festival!



I’d love if you leave me a comment letting me know when your favorite time of year to visit Disney is and why. Of course, any other comments and questions are welcome also!

Almost 1 year old!

Not sure where the time has gone, but this once small little villager is getting so big. I swear he gets cuter every day and he started out pretty freaking cute and yes this is a fluff post just so I could post this cute photo! I took it the other day in his newly painted room! Doesn't it look like a photographers backdrop?

Catching Up!

Ok, finally feeling more like myself. Slightly more energy than your average infant that only wants to sleep all day long! Haven't taken a nap for a few days in a row! And that's a great thing because I despise naps. Well, I enjoy when the tiny villager takes a nap of course, but I don't personally see any value in sleeping during the day. There's too much fun stuff to be doing to be sleeping! Glad to be back at it!

I'll also be glad when I'm not a day late with everything! At least blog-wise. I'm the queen of procrastinators, so I'm sure in my everyday life, I'll still put everything off, but I'll be all about punctual here!

Which is my not so smooth segue into announcing yesterday's WINNER of the personalized mailbag from Julie at Miss Pretty Pretty's Etsy Shop - Click here to see all the great toys she makes! Annnnnnnndddddd the winner issssssss.... Angela. You can check out her Full of Blessings blog here! Angela, if you'd please email me at Tracy@ScrapCandy.com, I'll put you in contact with Julie and you can get your mailbag and mail personalized!

Thank you again to Julie at Miss Pretty Pretty Etsy shop - I so appreciate you donating this wonderful prize for a Happy Daisy giveaway!

Stay tuned for a Walt Disney World Wednesday post this afternoon! And don't forget to check back on Friday for another SUPER Happy Daisy giveaway!

King Cake

Since tomorrow is Mardi Gras, I thought I'd share a recipe and link from Martha Stewart for King Cake! Looks yummy! Do you have any celebrations planned?

Ingredients

Makes one cake
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for bowl and baking sheet
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 (1/4-ounce) package active-dry yeast
1/3 cup warm (110 degrees) water
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
Sanding sugar, for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine evaporated milk, butter, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar over medium heat until incorporated; remove from heat. Let cool slightly, and stir in vanilla; set aside.

Stir 1 tablespoon granulated sugar into warm water. Add yeast, and set aside until mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, butter a large bowl; set aside.

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together eggs and milk mixture on medium speed; add yeast mixture. Mix until combined. Gradually add flour, beating until fully incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth. Place in prepared bowl, turning several times to coat. Let rise, covered with wax paper and a clean damp towel, in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Once dough has doubled, punch down with your fist, and knead a few times in the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface; and divide evenly into six pieces. Roll each piece into a log, about 24 inches long. Braid 3 logs together; shape each braid into an oval, pressing the ends together to seal. Transfer to two buttered baking sheets; cover with wax paper, and let sit in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once dough has doubled in size, discard wax paper, and bake until just golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar with remaining 1/4 cup milk to form a smooth, thick glaze. Add more sugar or milk, if necessary, for desired consistency. Working quickly, coat cakes with glaze, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Interested in the history of King Cake? Here's what I found:

The New Orleans tradition, begun in the 1870s, borrows heavily from European customs. As part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings - the King Cake. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors: purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is baked into each cake.

Decorating Fun

Fun comes in all shapes and sizes! Check out this great idea from Photojojo for using extra jars as photo frames! I think a few of these would look great on a bookshelf! Easy to change & update the photos too!

The Show Must Go On

otherwise known as... (Almost) Back from the Dead

Still sick, feel like I've slept through an entire week (although I was still single-handedly watching the smallest villager the entire time) and still feeling like I could use another month to recover! I do not know what I have or how I got it, but you do not want it!

But, I'm coming out of my sleeping hibernation briefly today because this weeks giveaway is too good not to wake up and post about! I am so super excited about this one. You might remember when I posted about this find in the first place. I have to say, I gave it to my nephew for his 4th Birthday and I think it was a hit. He think's it's pretty cool that he has personalized mail for the people in his family and even one for Mickey Mouse at Disney World!!

Now this super talented artist isn't usualy able to participate in giveaways due to her busy schedule. But she has made a special exception for my wonderful readers. Julie of Ms. Pretty Pretty Imaginative Play Toys has generously agreed to donate a mailbag to a lucky HappyDaisyAZ reader. Not only that but she will personalize the bag and the mail for you!!! How exciting, right???

Please go check out her shop. She has tons of adorable handmade items that will bring out little imaginations (and provide lots of quite playtime!!!). With Easter right around the corner, wouldn't a personalized item be just the special treat to find hidden in an Easter Basket?

Here are the rules (same as before) to enter this giveaway!

1. In order to receive an entry you just need to be a follower of this blog (don't worry - it's not a sheep like follower, it's a friend like follower (and it might just help you win something really cool!) - it's over on the top of the right hand sidebar - you just click on "Follow this blog" and viola! you're a follower of HappyDaisyAZ and your automatically entered in this giveaway and all future giveaways! If you're already a follower, then don't sweat it - you've got one entry already!

2. Once you become a follower, you can receive a second entry for spreading the word via a blog post on your own blog. You just need to let your readers know about this giveaway and include a link back to this HappyDaisyAZ blog post. Then just come back to the comment section and let me know once you posted a blog entry so I can come by and visit your blog!

As always, I love receiving and reading all of your commenty-goodness. So if you get a chance, please let me know you were here! This giveaway contest starts NOW and will end when I pick a winner on Tuesday, February 24th.

Back soon

I promise, I'll be back to update very soon. Also a new giveaway for Friday. After my back started to get better I got sick. As in very, very tired, cannot keep my eyes open, croaky voice, cough that keeps you up all night, s-i-c-k! Getting better and almost enough energy to concentrate long enough for a decent post!

Men at work...

Chock Full Of Shopping Carts @ Yahoo! Video

Announcing: Walt Disney World Wednesdays!

Hi, my name is Tracy and I’m a Disney World addict.

And that, my friends is probably the understatement of the century. If there were a 12 step program to un-Disney-fy yourself I should probably be a charter member, but I have to admit I have no interest in being cured of this affliction.

I don’t know exactly when my love for all things Disney World began, but it makes sense to assume it began with that first trip in 1976, when I was a Disney newbie at the tender age of 6. So basically, it’s my parent’s fault for planting the Disney seed! Unfortunately for our savings account, that seed has grown into something wild and untame-able.

And I know there are others like me. I frequently visit Disney message boards where there are other freaks characters just like me. We bond over hotels which have abbreviations like POR, POFQ, ASM and GF. We talk menus for restaurants known as LTT (the Liberty Tree Tavern) and HBD (The Hollywood Brown Derby). We count the days until we can make “PS ressies” (priority seating arrangements) at “Cindy’s” (Cinderella’s Castle, which takes dining priority seating arrangements up to 90 days in advance – do you know where you’ll be dining 90 days from now????). And we live thru those who have recently returned from a trip to the House of Mouse by voraciously soaking up their “trip reports” where they have generously detailed their recent family vacation minute by minute and day by day. If you’re lucky enough you might even be reading a “live” report – someone who is posting nightly of their magical adventures, while they are still lucky enough to actually be in the magic.

Luckily for my (what’s left of it) sanity, we have an actual trip planned (as opposed to the pretend trips I’m constantly planning in my own head) to The Place Where Dreams Comes True this October. I haven’t been there since May 2006 and I’ve been going through major Disney withdrawal ever since. It’s really not healthy and the only cure is yet another trip to see Dr. Goofy and the gang! This will be my 12th trip filled with Magical Goodness and each time is more fun than the time before.

So in an effort to help me count the days until I arrive in my Magic Kingdom paradise, I will devote Wednesday blogging to Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Tips and Tricks or WDW Wednesdays! With spring and summer vacations coming up and because in the end planning a trip to Disney is half the fun, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned along the way. Learning Disney-speak can be an adventure in itself if you don’t have the proper map. So let me be your guide and before you know it you’ll be on the lookout for an AP room only code and a great price on a MYW w/PH. Then one morning you’ll wake up early so you can book your PS at the CP in the MK on an EE morning (so you’ll be finished before the rope drop, of course) without batting an eye.

Check back later for the first installment!

Congratulations Ali and Family

If you are a scrapbooker, you know the name Ali Edwards. You'll want to go check out the photo of her beautiful new baby girl, Anna Caroline! Click HERE.

Tuesday Winner Announcement!

Better late, than never, right? Yeah, sorry about that - I hurt my back a few days ago and just thinking about sitting in front of the computer hurts! :) If I didn't have to get to watch the small villager all day, I would have made a point to visit anyone who had some a medical professional for some better drugs, but for now I'm having to make do with Ibuprofen. Getting better - slowly.

Sorry - all that whining was my excuse for not having this post written already!

And the winner is......


MommaYoung!!!!! She's a mom of 4! and it seems that one of them might be small enough to really appreciate a little piggy washcloth puppet!!! Yeah!

Momma Young, if you could please email me at Tracy@ScrapCandy.com when you get a chance we'll get your puppet on it's way to you!

Thanks again for all the link-love and sweet comments. Check back tomorrow for an all new Wednesday topic! And for everyone still hoping to win something great, don't despair! Many more giveaways are scheduled. Check back Friday for the next one!!!

THANK YOU so VERY MUCH to Jen at Jenuin's Etsy Shop for donating this weeks most adorable giveaway. I hope you'll keep her in mind the next time you need something cute for your own baby or the perfect gift for any baby or new mom!

Camera Fun

I've been wanting to play with a Lomo-ish camera and since I'm too lazy to actually research it and find one it's a good thing FredFlare has already done the work for me! Check out this cutie. They have other fun cameras here.

Friday Giveaway Fun!

Ready? Set? Go! Yeah! It's time to annouce the HappyDaisyAZ Friday Giveaway Fun Sponsor!

If you have kids, know some kids, act like a kid or need to buy a cute gift for a kid you know, you will not want to miss the chance to win this adorable giveaway!!!

Jen at Jenuin's Hip and Handmade Etsy shop has donated an adorable handmade Puppet Washcloth!!! How could you not have fun washing all those little parts while using a little piggy washcloth to get your little piggy all cleaned up?

Jen has also agreed to give HappyDaisyAZ readers a special bonus. She will include a free puppet washcloth with any applique hat purchased. Don't you think these would make "jenuinly" cute gift sets for a baby shower, etc. - and best of all??? - not only will you have the BEST and cutest gift there, you'll have no worries that someone else will be giving the same gift! All you have to do is mention that you're a HappyDaisyAZ follower when you place your order and Jen will take care of the rest.

Here are the rules (same as before) to enter this giveaway!

1. In order to receive an entry you just need to be a follower of this blog (don't worry - it's not a sheep like follower, it's a friend like follower (and it might just help you win something really cool!) - it's over on the top of the right hand sidebar - you just click on "Follow this blog" and viola! you're a follower of HappyDaisyAZ and your automatically entered in this giveaway and all future giveaways! If you're already a follower, then don't sweat it - you've got one entry already!

2. Once you become a follower, you can receive a second entry for spreading the word via a blog post on your own blog. You just need to let your readers know about this giveaway and include a link back to this HappyDaisyAZ blog post. Then just come back to the comment section and let me know once you posted a blog entry so I can come by and visit your blog!

As always, I love receiving and reading all of your commenty-goodness. So if you get a chance, please let me know you were here! This giveaway contest starts NOW and will end when I pick a winner on Tuesday, February 10th.

It's Friday Giveaway Fun Time!

Yes, in just a bit, I'll be posting a GREAT Friday Fun Giveaway right here at HappyDaisyAZ, but before that happens I wanted to fill you in on another great giveaway going on at another blog!

Kelly at Crouch Candles is having a giveaway of her own. You can visit her blog for all the details on how to win a Valentines Gift Basket!

Does it all have to be so cute?

Tablecloths, aprons and serving dishes, oh my!

I have purposely stayed out of an Anthropologie store since the last time I went in (before Christmas). Just for that I should get some sort of award. I'm staying away because I'm just to scared to go. Do I want to go? You betcha! Am I scared of how I will explain my credit card bill if I do? You betcha! Maybe if I went and left my trusty Visa at home? Nah, that would just be sad. Until it starts raining money, I'll have to be happy dreaming about the new batch of Anthro goodies.

I swear I need one of just about every damn cute thing they have.

I'm also reasonably sure my family's dinners would become much more civilized if only we had the proper tools such as table linens! Tablecloths and proper cloth napkins are what we've been missing! You know instead of the extra Subway, McDonald's and BK napkins we currently use - cause we're fancy like that. Oh and me in a darling apron, instead of me wiping my food covered hands on my jeans! Yep, that's all we need.

Winner, Winner, We have a Winner!!

A big congratulations to Lyssa. She's got a blog too, if you'd like to stop by and leave her some comment love, letting her know she's our winner!

I'd like to send another big THANK YOU to the oh so generous Sandi at Tiny Tokens Designs for donating the beautiful charm necklace Lyssa won! I hope you'll take a few minutes to stop by Sandi's Etsy shop and pick out something for yourself or someone you care about. She has a ton of gorgeous one-of-a-kind jewelry items.

Lyssa - could you please contact me at Tracy@ScrapCandy.com - thanks!

It's Mealtime Monday!

Yes, I realize that's a lame name. But I'd thought I'd try to do a Monday Meal blog post so here goes...

It's Pasta Sausage Bake!

Directions and great photos (photo above is from Annie's blog) are on Annie's blog, It's My Life. Looks delicious and I think I know what we're having for dinner now!

What's Happening!

We so need to bring the Rerun Dance back!