Many parents pull their kids out of school for a Disney vacation. Is it the best idea though? While ultimately the decision needs to be between you and your child's teacher, if you are still in the early stages of planning here are a few things to check on before you book your dates. 


Check to see what your school district's absentee polity is. 

Most schools limit the number of unexcused absences. You wouldn't want to get in trouble by skipping school and not letting them know. In some districts, truancy officers will try and track you down. 


Consider your child's age and grade level

While most teachers are pretty agreeable with a family trip during the school year, it's important to always ask and should be based upon your child's ability to miss school. For a younger child it might not make a difference, unless say, your child is at a critical stage in learning how to read, but testing, as well as semester projects do happen especially for the older children, and it could be a problem for their grades if your child misses those. 


Look for holidays or extended weekends to go

Most schools put out their calendars pretty early. Look for parent teacher conferences, teacher work days or holidays where your child can just miss a day or two, instead of a whole week. It's easier to make up missed work, or even work ahead. 


Have a plan to incorporate education in your trip

If you do go, let your child's school know how to plan to keep the learning going, outside of the classroom. The study of nature and animals at Animal Kingdom. World History at Epcot, engineering and behind the scenes skills at Hollywood Studios, and the history behind how Magic Kingdom came to be. Each park has amazing stories your child could learn and write about. 

While going during the school year can be a little tricky, if you plan it right and communicate with your child's school there's no reason that your trip can't be filled with fun and magic with a dash of education thrown in, after all, the knowledge you get outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn inside of it, and memories and time with family are so important! 

Tell us, have you ever ever pulled your children out of school for a Disney trip? 


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While these last few months have been stressful, to be sure, they've also opened up new opportunities for those who wanted to spend more time with their families or those who always wanted to work from home, but never had a chance to dip their toes into the water until now. 

Recently I was pleased to give a few tips in a blog post for a new (and fantastic!) blog called Work From Home Mothers that helps mothers (or anyone, really) find work from home. There's a list of OVER 150 job listings posted right now that have been gathered and for every place imaginable. I even saw Lucasfilm on there! And just as awesome, there are tons of tips from real life women who work from home, including my own. 

Some of the things you will read about are incredibly valuable if working from home is something you are considering or have started doing. Things like time management, the work life balance, setting boundaries, handling distractions, it's all there from been there, done that women. 

Go check it out! And pass it along to anyone who might need to find work. With the crazy fall schedule for children in school, a site like this is so valuable. It's totally legit, no scams. Check it out, and why not apply for something? 

To go there, click any of the underlined links in this article, or just go here. 
​https://workfromhomemothers.com/

If you've ever been to Disney in the summer and not had the Disney Rash, count yourself lucky! A small percentage of folks get it and while not having had it myself, a friend once did while we were there and she was MISERABLE. As in, skipped a park day and stayed in bed with ice on the day both the internet and TV channels were down so she had nothing to do. That's how miserable she was. 

The Disney Rash is technically called Exercised Induced Vasculitis. Maybe you've even heard it referred to as Golfers Rash. I spared you a picture because in mild cases, it just looks like a skin contact reaction, maybe a mild poison ivy reaction. In a worst case, like my friend had, it looks like you are turning into a zombie and your flesh is rotting off. 

The rash usually starts around the sock line and works its way up your calf. It's easy to mistake at first for sunburn, or a reaction to the grass or your sunscreen.


What causes Disney Rash? 

Well, it comes from a few things, heat and humidity being the main culprits. And Florida is a few combo of those things. The way it was explained to us at the First Aid Station, was that as the heat radiates up from the walkways,  the moisture on your legs combined with swelling from heat and all of the walking causes the rash to appear. 

The rash isn't contagious, and it's not harmful, it's just bothersome, itchy, for some people it burns and yes, it's an awful thing to have happen during your trip. 


So how can you help prevent this? 

There are multiple ways to help prevent the Disney Rash. You can: 

     * Wear sunscreen, high socks or pants to block the sun and heat

     * Wear compression socks (go here to learn how much they help and how not to feel weird   
      wearing them)

     * Drink plenty

     * Stop for breaks when you need them

     * Prop your feet up in the evenings


Well that's great, but I already have it. Now what? 

Unfortunately, the only things that are going to help are elevating your legs and keeping cool. Once you are back home the rash should vanish. In the meantime, and other the counter anti itch cream might help, if your case isn't too severe. The First Aid Station at any of the parks should be able to hook you up with some. Chances are good, your resort gift shop will sell some too. 

Luckily, the rash doesn't last too long, even it it might feel like it does. 

Have you ever had the Disney Rash? 

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If you've ever wondered why Disney Employees are called Cast Members, it's because everything at Disney is a show. From the obvious, like Beauty and the Beast Live, or the Disney Jr. Dance Party, to the not so obvious, at Sir Mickey's or World of Disney stores, the custodians, chefs and animal caretakers. Walt Disney wanted to make sure that everyone knew that they were important in helping to create the show (I guess like the saying no small parts, only small actors) so everyone was a Cast Member. Additionally, since he preferred to be called Walt, instead of Mr. Disney, all Cast Member name badges are also first names. 

In front of Disney's guests, the term onstage is used. The behind the scenes is called backstage, but onstage or off, everyone helps create amazing memories at what's truly, the happiest places on earth. 

You guys know how much we love making Disney recipes, or copycatting them! Our Tie Dye Cheesecake from Pop Century was a hit, and so were the Banana Split Cupcakes! We've had a few flops along the way, but I'm always up for a Disney recipe! Especially since often, it's the only way my youngest can have a safe Disney dessert with his food allergies. 

Like so many of you I'm sure, the last few months have been filled with baking. Father's Day weekend we decided to make Mr. Disney Magic a batch of cookies from his dream Disney Resort. We've never been there, that's a one day maybe kinda price for us, but we can still enjoy the cookies, right? 

These were the most unusual cookies I've ever made. They didn't call for granulated sugar. Weird, right? We whipped up a batch of these to see how they compare to our usual recipe. The house was divided...my youngest and I said eh, but Mr. Disney Magic and my oldest loved them. 

Want to try for yourself? I prefer a big, chewy cookie myself. 

​The dough mixed up easily, it was very airy. That's what made me nervous. It was a beautiful, soft dough. 

I scooped it onto trays with my usual tablespoon cookie scoop. I wasn't sure how much these would spread, so I didn't crowd the pan, and did 9, instead of my usual 12, because the Disney picture they looked thin and huge. 

They didn't take long to cook, but you can see...the cookies did not spread at all! I know I didn't have too much flour, because I very carefully measured. 

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Next batch, I pressed the cookies down, flattening slightly. It made no difference. The taste was there, but these cookies were more airy, light in your mouth, instead of a dense, chewey cookie. 
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Overall, these weren't bad. Would I gift them? Probably not. I do plan to try these again, substituting half of the powdered sugar for granulated, and see if that helps with the spread, and the chewiness. 

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Want to try these for yourself? This link will take you over to Disney's Blog where you can get the exact recipe for yourself! 

If you make these, stop by on Facebook and tell me how they turned out for you!