Outside The Venue - Lexagator Loves

Disneyland Lunar New Year 2020 Event

February 12, 2021 · 18 Comments

I have shared previously how much I love limited time magic events at Disneyland! Another event I got attend was 2020’s Lunar New Year event at California Adventure. Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated by many east Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Korea, Vietnam. This celebration marks the first new moon of the of the lunisolar calendar. Disney California Adventure Celebrated the Lunar New Year from January 17, 2020-February 9, 2020. 2020 happened to be the year of the mouse which coincided well with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession

There were several themed activities you could attend as long as you had enough time in your day. One of those was a beautiful procession of Mulan as well as other Disney characters. The procession took place about 4 times a day and highlighted Disney characters in beautiful red costumes dancing along to drums and music. I really like how they weaved martial art, dance, and drumming into the procession. I also learned that many of the performers were from east Asian countries invited by Disney to perform.

Minnie and Minnie joining in on the festivities

Special Asian-inspired Treats

It can’t be a special celebration without special food! There were four special food vendors that that a variety of items inspired by Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. We didn’t have a ton of time to eat but we did try this beautiful Purple Yam Macaron with Crème Fraîche. It was almost too beautiful to eat! I especially loved the gold brush stroke on the top.

Lucky Wishing Wall

We wrote some wishes to be hung along with thousands of others!

In Paradise Gardens Park there was a “Wishing Wall” set up where you could write down your own wish on a cute mickey cutout. While 2020 had other plans I treasure my little wish and have one hanging on my wall.

Another item I brought home with me was the coloring I did of the Dragon’s “Pearl of Wisdom.” Not super photogenic but I really love to color and it was a fun opportunity to do so in the parks. I’m truly a kid at heart.

Lunar New Year Merchandise

Really Beautiful Disneyland Themed Red Envelopes

Of course with any special event there has to be exclusive merchandise. Disney had special red spirit jerseys, Minnie Mouse headbands, and pin sets. I ended up settling for a set of these beautiful Disneyland themed red envelopes. They are now hanging on my wall in a glass floating frame. There was a set of two so I mailed to other envelopes to Disney pals.

I feel very lucky that I got to experience this event last year especially since soon after the world shut down. If you have the opportunity to attend a future Lunar New Year Event please go it’s a lot of fun and a great opportunity to learn about different cultures.

Aunty Sandy’s Delicious Maui Banana Bread at Home

February 2, 2021 · 9 Comments

Please Help Maui! Aunty Sandy has set up a Gofundme and bringing supplies directly to those who need it! She also has a Amazon Wishlist of supplies.

Other ways you can support Maui:

Maui Humane Society

Maui United Way

Maui Food Bank

Hawaii Community Foundation-Maui Strong

Hawaii American Red Cross

I believe you can not do a post about Maui without some sort of gorgeous image of nature. So above is a quick snap of the Garden of Eden which is on the Road to Hana. Now, that I got that out of the way I can tell you about the absolute best banana bread I have ever had that was at Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread.

When my husband and I were visiting in 2019 we decided we HAD to to the Road To Hana which 64.4-mile-long stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului to the town of Hana in east Maui. In my research Aunty Sandy’s Banana bread came up numerous times as the best banana bread spot. We visited the stand and walked away with 6 mini loaves! We couldn’t help it, they smelled so good and plus traveled well.

Aunty Sandy’s banana bread stand was started by Aunty Sandy Hueu in 1983. Later in 2003 her daughter Tammy joined the business. At the moment there are two stands to get your banana bread fix, one in Keanae and the other at the Plate Lunch Marketplace across from Costco.

Recently (and thankfully I might add) Aunty Sandy’s rolled out a baking mix you can order online to ship to the mainland. Cost of the mix is $8.00 and shipping to the mainland depends on how many mixes you order but it starts at $15.05.

I decided that bread would make great holiday gifts this year for some of my friends. A mix makes about four mini loaves. I wanted to followed the recipe and technique exactly the way they make it on Maui. Thankfully Tammy was available to answer all my questions!

First I prepped the bananas, I started with 5 and let them ripe on the counter. Then I peeled the bananas and placed them in a ziplock bag to freeze. The night before I was to bake I took them out and placed the bag in a bowl so it could defrost overnight.

Then I boiled 1 cup of unsalted butter in a pan over the stove. I dumped the boiled butter into the mix and stirred well. I greased some mini loaf tins I got from Safeway and poured the mix in.

I then baked the mini loaves for 325 degrees for 15 minutes and then switched the loaves in the oven and baked for another 20 minutes as my loaves were still soggy in the middle. I let them cool for 5 minutes and froze one loaf for later! I found the mix and directions very easy to follow and the loaves were absolutely amazing! Not the same as being on the island but close!

5 Things That Helped My Mental Health In 2019

March 3, 2020 · 11 Comments

2019 was a bit of a challenging year for me. I ended 2018 with chronic back pain and in 2019 developed a few other issues. I realized that I really needed to support myself mentally and that in turn was going to help me overall. As I dove into supporting my mental health I discovered a few things that really made a difference that I am sharing with you today. I also recognize how fortunate I am to have access to health insurance and the ability to pay for things that can assist my mental health as well as the love and support of my husband, family, and friends. I hope one of these can be helpful to you or someone you love.

Last year I fully committed to the calm app by doing the 10 minute daily calm exercises that focus on different aspects of mindfulness. Calm also has sleep stories which are relaxing bedtime time tales that help you fall asleep. My favorites are by the famous painter Bob Ross. For black history month calm also just launched a new sleep story by jazz writer Greg Thomas that I really found soothing and interesting. I have also used the app at doctors appointments or before flights to ease any anxiety I was feeling. You can use the calm app for free but if you want access the daily calm or sleep stories you’ll need to pay $12.99 a month or $59.99 a year. There is also a option for a lifetime membership which is $299.99.

There were a number nights last year that I simply could not relax. I had been reading that coloring can relax the brain because your thoughts are focused on a simple activity. I bought a few colored pencils and this great 60’s theme coloring book from Amazon. Also more recently vulture put together a free coloring book online of Baby Yoda and it’s been super fun to do.

I discovered Curable through a well-timed Facebook advertisement and learned that it is guided program that helps you understand why you have pain, why it persists, and what you can do about it. This is all done through an app. At first I tried the free features and immediately had some aha moments where I recognized why I might be having pain, i.e. stress, anxiety, and even traits I had like perfectionism. Then I decided to dive into the program and commit to do it 1 to 2 times a week. Curable leverages a combination of pain science education and evidence-based techniques to address chronic pain holistically. Exercises can look like meditations, writing assignments, brain training, and education lessons. These are all designed to help rewire the brain to help eliminate pain. I have always known about the mind body connection but it is so much more evident for me now after using curable. Exercises take 10-20 minutes and the app suggests doing them 1-2 times a week for the best results. The app is backed by PHD’s, MDs, and several therapists. I was shocked to learn that 70% percent of Curable users report experiencing “some degree” of relief from physical symptoms after 30 days of using the app, and 30 percent of people say they experience improved quality of life. While the app makes no guarantees that it can treat or cure any ailment it has been worth to me to try it and at $14.99 a month this is cheaper than a doctors visit.

Gratitude Practice

Around when I was feeling pretty awful I decided to start a gratitude practice. I downloaded a free gratitude app called Morning-A five minute journal. I have a reminder everyday to spend five minutes listing three things in grateful for, three things that would make today great, a affirmation, and three amazing things that happened today. It only take five minutes to do this and finding affirmations online has been enjoyable. There is actually science that backs up why gratitude is so important. People that have a gratitude practice as less likely to experience aches and pains as well as have better health than those who don’t. Also it makes you happier and increases your self esteem. Check out this mindbodygreen article for all the benefits.

Not only that volunteering does good for your community it makes you feel good so this year I decided to join my local junior league.1901, when Mary Harriman, together with 85 other women, founded the Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movements in New York City. The name was later shortened to the Junior League. Early League projects included establishment of orphanages, programs in the arts, dental health for children, home nursing, parks and playgrounds. The organization became international when the Junior League of Montreal joined in 1912. The league began as the Fenton League and became the Junior League of Oakland in February 1935, with a charter membership of 61. In 1974, the name of the League became the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay to reflect the expansion of the League’s membership and service area. As a provisional member I have volunteered at food banks and fundraisers for my community. Junior League also has fun social activities such as chocolate tasting, music venue tours, and dinners. Volunteering has been the best thing I have done not only for my mental health but for my community.

What I have also learned is maintaining your mental health is a on-going process just like going to the gym so you must work on it every day. My goal is to continue using these tools to keep myself healthy everyday.

Totally Tubular Time At Disneyland’s 80’s Nite

February 19, 2020 · 14 Comments

Greetings programs! (If you didn’t know this line came from the classic 80’s movie Tron) this year my husband and I decided to attend a special ticketed event at Disneyland in honor of the special decade that is the1980’s. Tickets cost a $109 person and the event ran from 9pm to 1am that featured special character meet and greets, themed food, and entertainment.

Here is a quick rundown of activities and food happening during 80’s night:

80’s All Starz at Rivers of America
We ended up at the Rivers of America because we ate in New Orleans square. Once the music kicked off by cover band 80’s All Starz it was hopping! Apparently the band is a Disneyland and DisneyWorld regular and has been around for 15 years. They played a variety of 80’s hits from Devo, Bob Jovi, Billy Joel, and more. The band was set up on the rafts normally used to sail guests to Tom Sawyer Island everyday and it was awesome watching them sail back and forth while they performed.

Videopolis
I definitely wished we weren’t pooped by the time we got over to the Videopolis area because we totally would have jammed out. Apparently in the early 80’s Videopolis was a regular thing at Disneyland to attract the teenage crowd to the park. Don’t take my word on it and enjoy this clip from the dance party. Also don’t blame me if the Videopolis song gets stuck in your head.

Minnies DTV
We walked by Tomorrowland terrace while this was taking place but didn’t stop but it looked super cute. Guests could join Minnie Mouse and friends for a dance party. I thought it was awesome that they showed all the cool 80’s moves to the crowd so they could do them together. They also played the song “Totally Minnie,” by Brenda Russell of off the “Totally Minnie” soundtrack which is also totally still stuck in my head too. If you want to check out the rad dance party check out this YouTube video.

We definitely took part in the special food offerings with a cheeseburger mac and beef ravioli as our dinner. Both tasted better than those TV dinners I grew up loving for sure. For dessert we shared the sprinkle celebration cake and the butterscotch frozen yogurt shake. The highlight of the two was definitely the shake it was so creamy and delicious. I loved the butterscotch chips and cookie on top too. I think the cake was good not amazing as I thought the frosting was a little lackluster.

Now that I have been to a Disney after dark event I feel fully prepared for the next and have some tips for you! The event was pretty overwhelming (I mean, look at the program above, it’s MASSIVE) because there was a lot to do in short about of time so I’d suggest deciding what are the most important things you want to do and prioritize those. For example we really wanted to get merchandise so we figured people would start lining up ahead of time (& of course they were!!) and we got in the queue. Disney started selling before the event started so we were able to get what we wanted and be on our way. I also learned that some of the photo ops were set up early and now I know to try to find them ahead of time so we don’t miss anything! The character meet in greets lines are insanely long so if that is your goal line up ASAP for those!

I’d have to say just being at the park at night with everyone dressed in their 80’s finest was totally tubular and because Disney closes the park down just for people that have tickets the crowds are very manageable. As I get older I realize that Disneyland is more about the experiences than rides and getting as much done as possible. To have a special evening like this is a experience I will always treasure.

Loved the super cool projections on the castle!

5 Days In Scottsdale & Phoenix

March 2, 2019 · 25 Comments

My husband and I have a little tradition that we try to pick a place to go right after the holidays since my company shuts down and his is fairly quiet. Last year we decided to check out the Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Sedona areas. Below are some of the highlights from our trip.

Highlights from Phoenix

During the holiday season Phoenix’s beautiful botanical garden is lit up with hundreds of Lumeria lights. Las Noches de las Luminarias as it is know has been running during the holiday season since 1978. It started as a way for the executive director of the garden at the time, Rodney Engard to create a holiday event that properly represented the Southwest, compliments the beauty of the garden, and gave back to the community. Back then all 700 luminaries were created with a paper bag, sand, and a candle lit by hand. In 2018 the garden 8,000 handlit lumeria bags and thousands of twinkling lights strung as well. For the cost of admission you can stroll the garden on 21 select evenings during the holiday season and listen to local music groups like Simply Three and my personal favorite “Run Boy Run.” Japanese artist Jun Kaneko had various art installations in the garden as well. For a additional cost you can choose to dine in the garden. My husband and I really enjoyed wandering the garden and enjoying the music. It was a truly magical evening.

A unique restaurant with a varied menu. They handcraft Japanese cold brew iced coffee! The restaurant has been open since 2012, Vovomeena is named for owner DJ Fernandes’ grandmother — vovó means grandma in Portuguese. He also owns central Phoenix restaurants Tuck Shop and Astor House with his wife, Jessica Ruiz. Fernandes went to Tulane in New Orleans so there are a few dishes on his menu like biscuits and gravy or if you prefer something sweet, Pain Perdu, a New Orleans version of French toast meaning “lost bread” in French. It’s two chunks of banana bread topped with a whiskey caramel sauce, sliced bananas and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Yum!

Picture a hidden tiki bar and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland together then you would get a good feel of what Undertow is like in Phoenix. Hidden under some stairs at a coffee bar with a cute tiki at the entrance leads to the hill of their ship. There are portholes that lead out to the ocean and during your excursion you can enjoy views from the sea as you enjoy some tiki drinks. You really must get reservation and try to go during the week as this bar is extremely small but it’s well worth the effort. You can make reservations online about a week in advance. The menu is extensive and actually written like a novel! I got a “Lei Lani Volcano,” which was based on a 1970’s recipe from one of my favorite places, the Polynesia hotel in Walt Disney World. It was a blend rum infused with coconut and shaken with pineapple, lime and guava. I of course upgraded the to a souvenir coconut mug which was super cute. Drinks are strong here and we only needed one to full enjoy our time there.

Highlights from Sedona

Another highlight was the Pink Jeep Tour we booked in Sedona the morning after we arrived. The tour was early next morning so we had a light but filling breakfast as recommended by Christine as to not get car sick and were on our way by 8am for the two hour drive from Scottsdale. Our tour was at 11am and the pink jeep tour folks required we checked in early. I think the earlier the jeep tour the better as the route is not as congested and it allows time to explore Sedona later on your own. We choose the popular broken arrow tour which is about two hours. I’m glad we were one of the first jeeps to make is it out to one of the vistas because we had the spot all to ourselves. Our tour guide was amazing popping in some educational info during the drive. We learned that the pink jeep tour came about from the company’s founder who was a realtor in Sedona and drove a jeep. Everyone wanted him to drive them around town but they weren’t interested in buying a house. After a vacation at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu and loving the pink palace on the beach the idea for the pink jeep tours was born. Being so close and in the middle of the red rocks was completely inspiring. I probably said “beautiful” a million times during the tour. The tour is well worth the price tag and the slight bumpy but fun ride.

Not a stop that takes a ton of time but well worth the visit. You’ll need some patience and quick maneuvering to grab a parking spot as it’s narrow and busy. The chapel was literally built into the buttes Of Sedona and is run by the Roman Catholic dioceses of Phoenix.

Highlights From Scottsdale

We almost missed this museum, but I’m really glad we made it. Here you’ll see amazing Native american jewelry and art.

Not a ton of shopping on Fifth avenue but absolutely loved the Giving Bracelets shop! 10% of their proceeds are donated to CASA for abused or neglected children. They sell beautiful handmade leather bracelets and I had to check out their giant crystal as their display.