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What I’ve Learned: How to Make a Party in a Snap

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Jake's Birthday - Francesca Di Meglio
The kids, decked out in Jake and the Neverland Pirates tees, watch the cartoon at Jake’s birthday party. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Disney’s Jake and the Neverland Pirates is my son’s favorite cartoon. It has been since he was very little. In fact, I would put on clips of it on YouTube to get him to sit in the high chair and eat when we were in Italy. On March 1, the Disney Junior cable channel celebrated Jake’s birthday with a special episode and free online printables (coloring book pages and games you could print out for your kids). If you were making a different theme for your party, you could conduct a Google search to find all sorts of free party and activity printables for kids. Since I was off from work that afternoon and my niece and nephew came over, too, we decided to make a day of it. We actually threw Jake a birthday party at our house.

Since Baby Boy is a big pirate fan, I had paper pirate hats and pirate birthday sign leftover from his party, so I took those out and reused them. You could use any supplies you have on hand or you could make hats and signs with some paper and creativity. My niece helped decorate the house. The kids colored the pages that Disney had on its site for the occasion and hung them on the wall. I put Baby Boy’s Jake tees on him and my niece. All three kids got into the pack and play to watch the show. You can’t see them in the photo, but all the dolls – the entire cast of Jake – and a Mickey pirate are joining them for the episode, along with all sorts of other soft toys.

Finally, we made red velvet cupcakes (from a box) in Jake’s honor (see photos below). The fun for the kids is in making the birthday cake or cupcakes, so I would just buy a semi-made boxed mix of your choosing. My niece helped me; she even cracked the eggs. We all decorated them, but Baby Boy mostly just ate icing. My niece did, too, but every so often she would make a design on a cupcake to give me a hand. And she looked adorable in her apron. Everyone had dinner and then the whole family, including grandparents, sang, “Happy Birthday,” to Jake and my niece and Baby Boy blew out the candles on his behalf.

By far, the best part of this party in a pinch was the red velvet. The kids all painted themselves with it, and we had to throw them in the tub all together after dessert. My bathroom looked like there had been a massacre with red velvet bits caked into the floor, and the red water the kids left behind. Perhaps, we can save this happy accident in our idea vault for our next Halloween party. Still, I learned I can make a memorable fete with very little supplies and on a very little budget. And I’m sure the kids, at least my niece, will hold dear to the memory of Jake’s bash.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

Nephew eats cake - Jaci Di Meglio
My nephew eats his cupcake all by himself and gets drunk on sugar. © Photo by Jaci Di Meglio
Jake Cupcakes - Francesca Di Meglio
Cupcakes that spelled out Jake’s name were a hit. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

Good Eats with Kids

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Baby Boy eats - Antonio Gerenini
Baby Boy eats his favorite, bread. © Photo by Antonio Gerenini

If it was up to my son, we’d eat 24-7, and our main food group would be bread. I know. I know. He couldn’t be any more Italian. All our nonni had us toddling around with a hunk of Italian bread in our hands – sometimes dipped in Sunday’s sauce or extra-virgin olive oil, sometimes plain. And we all turned out just fine. Still, Baby Boy’s attraction to bread – I mean my mother and sister-in-law carry a loaf in their purse whenever they take him out on the town while I’m working – makes me feel like a bad American mom. I’m always trying to get him to eat veggies and fruit and other healthier, more nutritious options. Once in a while, I succeed. Once in a while, I fail…miserably.

Finally, my former boss, Charity Curley Mathews, is offering mom’s a big hand in this department. She founded and maintains the Foodlets blog with all sorts of good ideas on how to get your kids to eat the good stuff. She recently shared a secret about adding spinach to rice and another mom’s super duper rainbow spa-themed birthday party for little girls. Mathews’ article, “How to eat dinner with a toddler (or small children of any kind) without losing your mind” on Huffington Post, provides suggestions on how to make family dinner a reality in your home. What I really liked about the article is that it offers real advice that you could actually try, even if you’re a working mom like I am and don’t have that much time on your hands. It’s a good read, and it might even make your family life a little better.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

 

What I’ve Learned: Get a Fun Pass

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Dolphin at Sea World - Francesca Di Meglio
Dolphin greets the audience at a show at Orlando, Fla.’s Sea World. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

As you learned in yesterday’s post, Sea World is often atop my list when vacationing in Orlando, Fla. One of the reasons I love going there is its Fun Pass. You pay the price of one day’s admission and choose the Fun Pass option (at the electronic ticket sales booth at the entrance). This allows you to use that same ticket – without paying anything extra – to enter Sea World as many times as you’d like for up to one year. Yes, it costs exactly the same as a one-day ticket. The goal, as I see it, is for visitors to keep coming back and spending money on the extras – food, special shows, souvenirs, etc. My family and I went twice during my recent trip, and we bought lunch and drinks both times. And I still have my ticket, which will work until the end of the year, in case I find myself back in the area. It could happen. I could win the lottery. You never know.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

What I’ve Learned – Make Disney the Happiest Place on Earth

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Enzo is all smiles at the Crystal Palace at Disney's Magic Kingdom.
Enzo is all smiles at the Crystal Palace at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

 

We just finished a fantasy vacation at Walt Disney World. Granted, there was the usual amount of temper tantrums, neatly doled out among grandparents, parents, and baby in attendance. There was a bit of constipation and diarrhea, typical for any family vacation. And there was an altercation with an aggressive six-year-old who pushed my one-year-old out of Pluto’s view on the dance floor at Magic Kingdom. Still, overall, the vacation was a dream. And I learned a few tricks for parents thinking about taking their infants to the happiest place on Earth. Here goes:

Do the Dining Plan – The Disney Dining Plan, which is available to those staying at Disney resorts, makes it cheaper and easier to plan your meals. We do the Deluxe Dining Plan because my husband and I enjoy eating at the finer restaurants in the evening and taking in the character breakfasts in the morning. You will spend more on tips and alcohol on Deluxe Dining, but it is still far cheaper than buying these meals without the plan.

Stay at the Value Resorts – Disney offers a range of resort experiences, but the cheapest ones are the value resorts. We stayed at the All-Star Music, and we have stayed in the past at the Pop Century resort, all of which were wonderful. While they don’t afford the luxury of the monorail (like deluxe resorts, Polynesian, Contemporary, and Grand Floridian), they include bus transportation to the parks and the rooms are pretty much the same size and layout as the ones in the more expensive resorts.

Go in January – January is the slow season for Florida and Disney. People flock to the parks to see the decorations and activities during the holiday season and once the kids get off for winter break in February, which means January is the sweet spot. We barely ever had to wait in line more than 10 minutes. When we did, we simply got a fastpass and bypassed the line, which is necessary when traveling with a one-year-old.

Bring the grandparents – My parents traveled with us. They were a big help, and we made beautiful memories that we will all keep in our hearts forever.

Listen to Your Kid – Baby Boy is not talking much yet – especially with the two languages – but he let us know when he was tired or hungry and we made his schedule our schedule. That’s the best way to keep him – and all the rest of us – happy.

Savor Every Smile – The one above was one of my favorites of the trip.

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012) and the Guide to Newlyweds for About.com.

What I’ve Learned: Thankful for Baby

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Enzo and Bob the Builder © Photo by Regina Di Meglio
Baby Boy is full of excitement when he’s not sleeping. © Photo by Regina Di Meglio

As Hurricane Sandy knocked on my window, my one-year-old son was lying next to me. He clutched my side and used my belly as his pillow. In these moments, his mischief making and resistance to bedtime completely dissolve from my memory. I realize all these tender experiences – when I am his world and he is mine – are fleeting. Having a large Italian family, I am well aware that one day I’ll simply turn around and my baby boy will be a full grown man.

Yes, 20 minutes before I was writing this in my notebook, my son had me near tears because of his antics. But as his little hand held me as tight as could be, I relished the feeling. I considered the more difficult moments that lie ahead for the two of us – his quest for independence, a desire to hang with friends and forget his parents, challenges that include the sex talk and sending him off to college, we hope and pray.

As I thought more about being a mom, I realized that I would rather be sleepless because Baby Boy wants to sleep next to me than sleepless because he is a teenager missing curfew or, worse, choosing the wrong friends and taking the wrong path. Yes, I’d rather have the life we share as mother and son right now. And I don’t want to forget just how good I have it, nor do I want to take this precious and brief time for granted. Indeed, I want to make the most of it by creating a bond that will make the difficult times less difficult. I can hope, can’t I?

Di Meglio is the author of Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, 2012).

Visit Demarest Farms

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The kids pose in front of a pick-up truck at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, N.J. - Regina Di Meglio
The kids pose in front of a pick-up truck at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, N.J. © Photo by Regina Di Meglio

‘Tis the time of year for pumpkins. And New Jersey is full of ’em. After all, it is the Garden State. One of the most charming places I’ve found to pick up your pumpkins is Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, N.J. Recently, I went there with Baby Boy, his nonni, his Sassy Cousin (next to him in the photo above), her Baby Brother, and her mom. First, we headed to the line for the hayride. Baby Boy thinks he’s a landscaper or construction worker, so he was delighted to ride in a real tractor and got quite excited as we entered the back of the truck. And Sassy Cousin enjoyed her time sitting on the bales of hay in the back of the tractor as it hauled us through the farm and up to a hilltop full of pumpkins for picking and apple orchards. Although the apples are ripe for picking in September, Sassy Cousin had Nonno digging for the apples that fell and weren’t yet rotten. We brought some of those home, along with a pumpkin for each of the bigger kids.

Baby Boy adores his liberty and the outdoors, so he found the promised land when I set him free among the pumpkins. He dug up dirt and investigated every pumpkin he could. And Sassy Cousin ran and jumped and bossed Nonno around like absolutely no one else can – maybe not “no one”; she and I are all soul mates in that way.

Finally, we ended the morning by buying scrumptious homemade apple cider doughnuts in the cozy farm store, which also sold bushels of apples, more pumpkins, homemade soups, and potato pancakes, whose scent was tempting. I hear you’ll find homemade pies as Thanksgiving rolls around, which means I just might have to return.Who can resist a delicious pie?

For more information on places to visit in New Jersey, read Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press, 2012)

A Published Author

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The book I wrote about family travel in New Jersey is now available on Amazon. © Photo courtesy of Globe Pequot Press

Every time I return from Italy to the United States, I practically kiss the ground. I love being an American. And I really love my home, New Jersey. Rarely do I get to sing Jersey’s praises. Often I find myself having to defend the state to outsiders, who simply do not know of its riches. Recently, however, I was given the opportunity to show off New Jersey’s most educational, entertaining, and fun sites as author of the book Fun with the Family New Jersey (Globe Pequot Press Travel, August 2012).

I began working on this book from the hospital on the day that my son was born. He was two weeks early, and I was aiming to have the outline completed within a week of his arrival. Needless to say, the book became my other baby. And I’m super excited to be sharing it with the world now. If you’re interested in getting hundreds of ideas for day trips that will have your kids loving Jersey as much as I do, then hop onto Amazon.com and order your copy now. I promise even the haters will find something they like about New Jersey. Really. If you do pick up a copy, please write a review for it on Amazon, too.

Jingle All the Way

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Christmas tree close up © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio
Christmas tree close up © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

A merry Christmas managed to sneak up on me in 2010. (For photos, visit the “Christmas 2010” photo album.) After one of the worst years of my life, I had zero expectations for enjoying the holiday. But it was definitely one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had. The party in Florida was a joy – especially now that we can spoil my niece Maria – and then I visited with some of the most important people in my life and feasted on fish with my cousins Big John, Miesha, and their family, some friends, and my parents on Christmas Eve. Our Babbo Natale made yet another memorable appearance for Big John’s kids, Nina and Marissa. On Christmas Day, my parents came over, and the three of us chowed down on pretzel bread, potato leek soup, and cornish hens, all of which I made with my own two hands. Delish! Following the meal, my parents napped while I cleaned and then we watched some Real Housewives of New Jersey, my favorite guilty pleasure, and played dueling and bowling on the Wii. Papa was the big winner in bowling. We capped off the night with tomato salad atop pretzel bread. Sounds like perfection, no?

Coming to America

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The fabulous four (from l. to r.) Pasquale, Regina, Titti, and Domenico in New York's Rockefeller Center. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio
The fabulous four (from l. to r.) Pasquale, Regina, Titti, and Domenico in New York's Rockefeller Center. © Photo by Francesca Di Meglio

The tourists from Italy have arrived. My parents and I have been hosting Titti and Domenico, friends of the family from Ischia, since Thursday. Ludovica, another Ischitana, as most of you know, has been in the States with us studying English since November. On Sunday, Antonio will return from Ischia with our friend Francesco (a.k.a. Serpentone). The best part about having all these foreigners around is getting to see New York through their eyes.

New York is magnificent with its towering buildings and characters roaming the streets at all hours. We can’t get enough of it (even though we’re happy to call New Jersey, right on the other side of the bridge, home). You can check out photos from Titti and Domenico’s first day in town at the “New York Tourists 2010” photo album and expect more entries about our Italian friends and their American journeys. Buon viaggio a tutti!