YUM: Toddler Meals at 22 Months

Helloooooo!  So I thought I would do a post on what my little man has been eating lately.  Interesting enough, no?  LOL.  Seriously though. It is so interesting to observe the habits your little one picks up, whether they mirror your own or not.  Zach tends to be a big snacker; he likes little meals throughout the day rather than big meals (3 square ones) which is how I tend to eat as well.  Observed behavior or coincidence?  Either way, it is very fun to watch.  So he has a breakfast but “lunch” is divided into two or three mini meals or snacks at 11:30 am (before his nap) and then after his nap.  His daily eats schedule is as follows:

8 AM- nursing (I am in the middle of writing a post on nursing a toddler and it will be posted shortly)

9:30 AM- breakfast

11:30 AM- snack

12:30 PM- Nursing

4:00 PM- snack

6:15- Dinner

Here is a menu of his favorites…

Breakfast:

Van’s Organic Waffles with either pb/j, Nutella, butter

Cereal (LOVES drinking milk out of the bottom of the bowl), particularly into Cheerios right now

Toast with either pb/j, Nutella, butter

Fruit (apple slices, pear slices, strawberries, blueberries, peaches- Z LOVES fruit)

Raisins, dried fruit

Snacks/Lunch:

String Cheese

POUCHES (He especially likes the yogurt smoothies that are Earth’s Best brand)

Fruit (see above)

Crackers (with pb or hummus)

Cheddar Bunnies

Typical dinner tray: ketchup (to dip or shovel in mouth with fingers, pb crackers, cheese stick, sweet potato dinos, guac with crackers)

Dinner:

Guacamole (on tortilla chips or crackers or carrots)

Organic chicken nuggets

Annie’s “Bunny” Macaroni

Dr. Praeger’s sweet potato dinosaurs

PIZZA!

Hummus (on tortilla chips or crackers or carrots)

Desserts (because EVERYONE needs dessert)

homemade chocolate chip cookies

chocolate

fruit snacks

dried fruit

Meal times are super fun in our house.  I make them that way 😉  I play music and we read books.  We also do flash cards and play counting games.  I try not to get TOO crazy about what Zach does or does not eat and I am VERY careful to not put any foods “off limits” as I feel that creates unhealthy thoughts towards food.  In the beginning, I was DETERMINED to have Zach eat ONLY fresh foods, non processed and “whole.”  I have definitely relaxed my approach and feel great about it.  I absolutely LOVE meal times at our house.  They are long, leisurely, full of exploration,

silliness,

and of course some nutrition 😉

Disney with a Toddler Part 2

OOOOKKKK so where did I leave off?  Oh yes, day 3.  Remember, on day one we did things around our Resort and on day two we went to Hollywood Studios.  Before I move on, I did want to say that if you go to Disney, for SURE download the My Disney Experience app which is fantastic and includes everything from dining reservations, fast passes and the ever-important age guide for attractions (where I received a lot of my information).  OK, so…

Day 3: Recovery from Day 2 at Hollywood Studios, Character Breakfast, Boardwalk and More Resort Time

So, we all were super tired from the day before and had a BIG breakfast ahead of us. I already blogged about our experience at the Cape May Cafe Character Breakfast, but I will take another moment to reiterate that you MUST visit here.  After the breakfast (we were there for about an hour and a half), we walked over to the Boardwalk.   This was SO convenient becauase we didn’t have to move our car, it was sunny out and such a cute place to explore.

I saw this and the runner in me was of course jealous that I wasn’t outfitted in my gear 😉

I <heart> New Balance.  Anyway, as you saw, the Boardwalk in on a ~mile walking loop and has a bunch of cute stores to explore as well as family-friendly restaurants. There is no entry fee which is fabulous and there is a man-made beach which would be excellent to dip your toes into.  We saw a wedding going on, including a bride in a horse-drawn carriage.  Talk about fairy tale!  So, around naptime we went back to the resort.  Z took his nap then we were out exploring again!  A little pool time…

Some playground time (we went to two playgrounds that were on the property) and mini-golf…

GEEEEZ if only everyone knew to just drop the ball in the hole! DUH!

And with that, day 3 was over!  We all needed to get a lot of sleep as the Magic Kingdom was up next!

Day 4:  Magic Kingdom

This was where we thought there would be the most action for Zachary.  I will say though, it takes a LOT of time to get from your car into the park (you need to take a tram and either a ferry or monorail) so this is a day that I would actually (gasp) suggest skipping nap time or doing it in the stroller because leaving and coming back just doesn’t make sense.  The park closes at 8pm during off hours I believe.  FYI: I tried SOOOO darn hard to make Z nap in his stroller but he wasn’t having it.  Early bedtime happened that day.  OK, so let’s get down to business.  We took the tram and then the monorail, which to Zach, were like rides themselves!  He loved both!  RIGHT when we got there, we all got Mickey ears (of course) and then hopped on Goofy’s train.  Zach kept saying “THOMAS THOMAS!” Hahha, wrong theme park, dude.  Anyway, the train was adorable and a great kick-off to a day in the Magic Kingdom.  We got off at Fantasy Land where we knew the bulk of the rides for tots his age would be located.  We immediately got on some rides.  Up first:  Dumbo the Flying Elephant.  I really thought Z might have been scared; this ride went HIGH!  But he loved it!  He said “AGAIN!” We then headed over to my mom’s favorite: It’s a small world.   He loved this ride too!

Then we needed some grub.  We ate at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, as I detailed in my food post.  In Tomorrow Land, this cafeteria-style dining hall includes entertainment (I don’t exactly know what it was; maybe a large bear singing?), tons of seating, many food options and is an easy stop-and-eat place.  The kid’s menu choices were pretty standard but what sets Disney aside from “the other” are the great side-options: fresh grapes, milk, fresh apples, yogurt, etc. What I really liked was the individual packaging of the sides which I would slide into my purse for later (Z is a snacker like me).  OK, so after lunch I (unsuccessfully) tried REALLY hard to get Zachary to nap by power walking his stroller draped with a light blanket through every “land” for an hour.  My mom took over for a bit while my sister and hubs went on Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain.  We had a fabulous time but unfortunately Mr. Z wasn’t having anything with a nap. I mean who would?!  So much excitement around him!  By that time it was 3pm.  We toyed with leaving and coming back but the park was only open until 8; way past Zachy’s bedtime (especially with a lack of nap).  So, we took another fun train ride around the park and ended up in the shops on main street 🙂  We might’ve bought a million few things. We then headed back to the monorail but we saw that the monorail was closed.  I was actually secretly excited because we were forced to take the ferry and I really wanted Zach to have that experience. Anyway, when we got back to the condo, we gave Zach “din-din” and another bath.  Then he passed out.  🙂

Anyway, the next day we went to the airport around noon.  Prior, we hung around the condo and eventually had breakfast.  The trip was absotely amazing, unforgettable.  The company rocked too, so many the people made the trip.  But either way, I am so glad I didn’t listen to the nay-sayers insisting that Zach wouldn’t remember Disney and that it was pointless.  We ALL remember and we ALL had an amazing time…and some adorable videos to show for it 😉

Disney with a Toddler Part 1

OK, so before I begin a recap of what we did day-to-day, I have a few general trips:

1.  If traveling with family outside of your immediate (aka grandparents) bring/rent another car if you can. Or for a better bargain, make use of your hotel shuttle PLUS a car so that people can be free to do what they need to do.  Confession:  I am a nap nutso.  It isn’t even funny.  This tip was helpful for me.

2.  You don’t NEED to stay in Disney. Yes, it is definitely nice, but it is not the end all be all.  I have stayed at the Swan (as in the Swan and Dolphin) and it was lovely PLUS nearly on the park grounds of Epcot.  IT is NOT a Disney resort, rather a Westin and a Sheraton.  Or, stay in a nearby hotel or timeshare.  That is the route we took.  My parents had bought one YEARS ago and had some weeks banked so we used two weeks to get two two-bedroom condos.  Score.  We stayed at WestGate Resorts.

3.  Park Hopper passes are kind of ambitious with a young child, so I would recommend the single-day tickets based on both that fact and the price difference.  I mean, if you think about it, even if you plan on leaving for naptime and coming back, you will probably double back to the same park you visited in the am as you won’t get that much done each stretch.

4.  What age is best for children?  I would honestly say that it just depends on the parents and the child.  Disney tickets are free for children under three so that is definitely something to consider and was for us (I originally thought it was only free for those under 2).  BUT I will say that MANY people told us, “why would you take him so young to Disney, he will never remember?!”  Guess what, WE WILL.  And it was SO worth it.

I mean seriously, look at this face! NOTHING will beat this memory!

5. I would recommend not going to the park too many days in a row.  For us, we were there for four days. IT worked best for us to do things not in the park day one, in the park day two, not in the park day 3 and then in the park day 4.  With that, here is a daily recap!

DAY #1:  No parks

We were exhausted from traveling.  So we hung around the condo in the am, walked around the condo grounds a bit (they have a ton of land), had breakfast, and before we knew it, nap time!  After naptime, we went out to the pool to sit for a bit and had a snack.

We did a lot of much needed “hanging out” as we had travelled from my grandmother’s the day before.  I also took Z to a little Disney movie in the theater at our resort.  He did so well but I don’t think he is quite ready for a full-lentgh film.  He lasted almost an hour through Mulan.

Then, some serious bath time (with a dog) happened. LOL.

DAY # 2: Hollywood Studios

The getting into the park thing” took a LOT longer than expected.  Not the driving., That was fast.  So was the tram.

On the tram.

But we were waiting for my cousin who worked at Disney and was joining us while debating what tickets to get.  Bad idea.  Decide what you want BEFORE you get there.  And stick to it.

Zachy entertained himself while waiting. Don’t you love that stroller? 20 bucks on Amazon!

Anyway once we got in, we actually had a great time and got a lot done.  We first went to the Honey I Shrunk the Audience playground.  Zach played and played and played!  I don’t have any pictures.  Just trust me.  Then we headed over the the Muppet 3-D movie.  My mom and dad stayed with him while husb, my sister and I went on Rock N Roller Coaster via Fast pass.  IT was awesomeeeee!  We walked around a bit and then decided we should take Z back to the condo to nap.  After nap time and a snack, we headed right back to Hollywood studios (as we had a fast pass for Tower of Terror…whatevs don’s judge, Z kept telling us to go on ;)).  We walked around for a bit and then it started raining so we hung out in a store.  All of the sudden it was time for our dinner reservations! We ate that night at the Sci-Fi Diner.  Everyone slept well that night 😉

Here are some more rides I would recommend for your little one in Hollywood studios:

-The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow

-Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

-Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

-Disney Junior- Live on Stage!

-Voyage of the Little Mermaid

FYI:  The park is only open until 7pm during the off season (right now).  OK, Part 2 coming soon!

Woppy-Wop: Your Toddler Eating Guide to Disney

My friends, meet the woppy-wop.

Also known as a lollipop, Zach was introduced to these sugary gems in Disney and instantly fell in love.  IN fact it inspired me to do a post on our eats in Disney.  So here is the thing:  my son, like myself, is a slave to routine, especially when it comes to eating.  Read: I have eaten cereal for breakfast and a pb and j sandwich for lunch for the past year at least.  Zach has some favorites and he rarely veers from these when dining 🙂  His current favorites are: FRUIT (blueberries, strawberries, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapple), Grilled Cheese, Mac N Cheese (he calls it bunny mah-oney because the Annie’s mac n cheese I make him was bunny shaped the first time), pb and jelly on toast, waffle with nutella, eggs (scrambled, deviled or salad; loves mayo), Chicken nuggets and a few others.  Holy run-on sentence.

Anyway it was MORE than easy to find many of these things in Disney.  And being so Disney-like, each restaurant had a kid’s menu that came with crayons (score) and some healthy options too.

With that being said, I brought a LOT of his own food to supplement throughout the day, to cut down cost and because well, my kid is growing and loves to snack.  When we would go out each time, I would replenish my purse with a pouch, a container of pretzels or goldfish, a juice box (I don’t love giving him juice but I wanted to keep him hydrated), water bottle, box of raisins and cereal bar.  Some of these items I brought from home and some I purchased at a grocery store down in FL.  When we first arrived we went to the grocery store for essentials for breakfast and lunch which we mostly tended to eat at home.  Here are some places that I HIGHLY recommend you bring your tot for a meal:

1.  Cape May Cafe Character Breakfast and Buffet.

Coloring on the made-to-color-on tablecloth

This was my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing we did in Disney, hands down.  I cried when we left the restaurant and thanked the manager 20 times.  The wait staff was insanely awesome and the food was AMAZING.  So many choices for toddlers, including scrambled eggs, cereal, toast, and the best part: MICKEY SHAPED WAFFLES (I might’ve had ten one of them.  The characters were SOOOO friendly and phenominal with the kids.  Here are some pics of Zach meeting the three characters that were present:

High fives tens with goofy.
This Donald was incredible; he followed Zachy to the wall when he decided to sit down (?) and kidded/interacted with him sitting against the wall.  SO cute.

Hugs from Donald.

Kisses on the nose from Minnie.  I know.  I die.

So the great thing about this place too is that is is outside of the park, located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort (which is super adorable btw.), close to the Boardwalk (also adorable).  But make reservations ahead of time; like a lot of ahead of time.  So convenient, so lovely, best time.

Zach’s choice:  blueberries, strawberries, scrambled eggs with ketchup (mhm) and a mickey shaped waffle with syrup (YUM), juice

OK, so moving on…

2.  Sci-Fi Diner- This restaurant is inside the Hollywood studios, previously known as MGM studios.  Again, you should make a reservation ahead of time.  Here is a description from the website with a picture too.  It was hard to get pictures in there; so dark.

Anyway I was nervous that it would freak Zach out; the restaurant is SO cool; but so dark, with stars in the sky and under a big dome.  You sit and eat in a car that is a table!!  So it is like you are at a drive in movie, and the waiters are serving you “at your car.”  Speaking of the wait staff, I believe they used to roller skate?  Feel free to chime in.  Anyway, then, there are MOVIES (old ones like black and white and primitive animation).  So here is where I got concerned; these movie clips could be kinda scary (ex: “the ten foot woman” or something).  So, at first Zach was a little confused (“out, out, mama out?”)  but then once he settled in (and got his ketchup french fries drowned with ketchup), he liked it (see about picture). Oh, and we made reservations for 530 and here easily home for bath time at 730.  I highly recommend.  The turkey sandwich is bomb.com.

Zach’s choice: mac n cheese (amazing, btw) with french fries (I know, mom of the year here.) and ketchup (yup, that happened a lot), juice

3.  Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (Tomorrow Land) in the Magic Kingdom.  This restaurant was a quick and easy cafeteria-style lunch spot with great choices for kids.  It was enormous, tons of seating but it was crowded and my one gripe about this place wa sthe that tables were only for three; and bolted to the floor.  We all had to separate big time (like so big time that I have NO idea where the others were).

Zach’s choice: an Uncrustable (he wasn’t a fan, I was), french fries and ketchup, grapes, juice

4.  Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios

Now, understand that I have not personally gone there since I was in high school I believe, so my opinions are based on what I remember because my family went without us due to Zachy nap time (oh, I’ll address naps later).  The whole ambience is very 60s, like you are eating in your mom’s kitchen…only 55 years ago.  They serve comfort food and the waitresses yell at you to “eat your food” and the like while you are dining.  Charming, I know.  As I describe it, yes, I feel it seems strange but it is so kitchy and adorable!  I would definitely recommend you take your toddler to this lively cute spot.

Zach’s choice:  Didn’t go (snooze) but would get a milkshake.  Trust my mom.  

5.  Eat some meals either at home or places outside the Disney parks.  We went to the supermarket the day we got there and got essentials for breakfast and lunches: bread, pb&j, snacks, cereal, milk, coffee, creamer, ice cream (duh), fruit, water and soda.

Snack of Strawberries Poolside

This saved a ton of money and time.  So, for all meals (and I’m going to do a full recap of our days; I’m sure you cant wait lol) you don’t have to or even want to eat at Disney.  Try the good old Waffle House, a nearby diner or deli.

Picture for show, but his was at my Grandma’s clubhouse

Zach’s choice: pizza

AAAANYWAY, I hope that was helpful!  Stay tuned for more Disney-related posts, including a day-by-day breakdown of activities.