Mar 23, 2015

Race Recap – runDisney Princess Enchanted 10k (Part 1)

March 23, 2015 By Christina

[Note: I tried writing this recap as a single post. It was nearly 3000 words. To spare your eyes, I’m breaking it up into two parts.]

It was after last year’s Disney Social Media Moms Conference, where I ran a two mile fun run through Disneyland, that I decided I wanted to run in a runDisney race event. I loved running through the parks, and wanted to do it as part of an official race, with a medal. I really hadn’t run anything more than a 5k, and the idea of traveling across several states just to run another 5k was not going to work. If I was going to do it, I had to challenge myself to something bigger.

I registered for the Enchanted 10k, part of the Princess Half Marathon weekend at Walt Disney World, back in July, so I was committed to this race months ahead of time. It’s a good thing, too, because I needed the extra time to get ready for it. An injury in mid-October led me to missing out on weeks of running as I rested my foot, tried to run again, injured it again, and then spent six weeks in a boot. When I was released to run again in mid-January, my orthopedic doctor recommended I take it slow and drop out of the 10k, because I wouldn’t have enough time to get ready for it. While I appreciated his opinion, I wasn’t letting this race slip past me. I got back into running, despite the cold weather, and did my best to increase my mileage again at a reasonable, but quick, rate.

A few weeks before the race, I had completed five miles. That was as far as I’d get before the race, due to needing time to rest and recover after losing my pregnancy. That moment left me emotionally raw. I lost one of the things I was looking forward to this year, and so when looking at this chance to run through a Disney park, I refused to lose this experience, too. I knew I could make it five miles, so another 1.2 was possible, even if it was just walking.

The Day Before the Race

We arrived in Walt Disney World on February 20, the morning of the Frozen 5k. On one hand, I wish I had done that race just because the medal was so cute. On the other, the 5k lived up to its name by setting a record low temperature that day – below freezing. It was – literally – the Frozen 5k. Perhaps it was a good thing that I missed it.

We skipped going right to our resort and instead went to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex to pick up our race bibs at the Princess Half Marathon Expo. This was the second day of the expo, so there wasn’t as much of a crowd.

Getting a photo in front of my race banner on a very chilly morning.

We received our bibs with practically no waiting, and the official merchandise lines weren’t that long, either. (Sadly, the Dooney & Bourke PHM purses sold out on the first day, so I missed my chance of getting one.)

The second area of the expo was a little more crowded, with lots of vendors to see, including my favorite SparkleSkirts. It was a run-nerd’s paradise of gear. I bought a new SparkleSkirt, and picked up the RawThreads hoodie that I had pre-ordered, while Aaron bought a new pair of sunglasses.

The kids were less thrilled to look at running gear all day, so we cut our time in the expo short, but not before spotting Jeff Galloway and stopping for a photo and an autograph.

Jeff Galloway is the trainer for runDisney, and his run-walk-run method has helped many new runners cross the finish line. After I tried different couch-to-5k programs with little success (I almost always failed when I reached the 8 or 10 minute long running segments), I decided to give his method of interval running a try. It’s because of his method that I was confident that I could do this race, and I recommend him to all new runners I meet.

After the expo, we checked in to our resort, Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside two years ago in one of the Princess rooms. This time we stayed on the other side of Riverside – Alligator Bayou. These rooms are decorated to have a more rustic look, but the bonus is that they also have a fold down bed.

The wooden box/bench on the left folds down into a bed.

We knew Mira was an active sleeper, but didn’t realize just how active until our stop on the drive down the night before, when sharing a bed with Cordy proved almost impossible. Mira woke Cordy up several times with her constant shifting around in bed. Having the fold-down bed in our resort room was perfect – now each kid could have her own bed!

My race was the next morning, and I was focused on drinking as much water as I could, stretching, and preparing myself. But I didn’t want to stay in the room all day, so we went to Magic Kingdom for a few hours, with the knowledge that I wanted to be in bed by 9pm and not do too much walking. That was still plenty of time to meet a couple of princesses, ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and eat dinner before going back to the room.

Seriously, I will never get tired of this view.

The Morning of the Race

My alarm went off just before 3am. Wait, 3am, you say? Yes, runDisney events start very early in the morning, and to be on the bus in time, it’s best to be out at the bus stop at 3:30am. I quickly got my running costume on (details on my costume will be another post), tried to do something with my hair and makeup, made sure I had everything I needed, and left the room to catch the bus.

The “flat me” for the race – making sure I had everything I needed.

OMG it was cold outside. Not as cold as the people who ran the Frozen 5k endured, but it was still unusually cold for Florida at 39 degrees. I had leggings and a long sleeve shirt under my costume, but it still felt cold walking through the resort to the bus stop.

A bus was waiting and I enjoyed the short ride to sit and eat my bagel for breakfast. Once we arrived in the Epcot parking lot, I followed the thousands of people streaming into the race area. There were large clusters of people gathered around outdoor heaters. It was at this point that I pulled out my mylar blanket to help me stay warm.

Forget what you’ve heard, the cold did bother me.

It wasn’t long before we were sent to our corrals. I was disappointed to be in the last corral, worried that I’d have very little cushion to finish under the time limit, but I was still determined to finish. The corral was packed, and I worked my way up as close to the front of the corral as I could.

Looking towards the front of corral E. (At least twice as many people behind me.)

Once we were in our corrals, we waited. I’m not sure how long we waited in the corrals. It was probably not as long as it felt to me. I refused to release my death grip on my mylar blanket and risk letting cold air in long enough to check my watch.

And then? Finally, it was go time. [To be continued in Part 2, which can be found here.]

Filed Under: Disney, me me me, running

Mar 15, 2015

Review: Disney’s (Live-Action) Cinderella

March 15, 2015 By Christina

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re big Disney fans in this household. Just a few weeks back, the entire family traveled to Walt Disney World to spend a week in the resorts and parks, and to take part in the Princess Half Marathon weekend. (I promise a recap post on that is coming soon!)

While at Disney, we saw promotions for the new live-action Cinderella movie, of course. And why not – the castle in Magic Kingdom is named for her, she was the most popular princess for a long time (before Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa came along), and her story is one that is known by just about every female from a young age. And with the teasers I saw, I knew we’d want to go watch this movie. Here’s our review of Cinderella.

Synopsis

The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother and her daughters Anastasia and Drisella into the family home. But when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderlla, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.”

She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit. Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and – armed with a pumpkin and a few mice – changes Cinderella’s life forever.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Cinderella stars Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and Richard Madden.
(from Disney)

The Feature

The 2015 Cinderella follows the primary story of the classic 1950 version nearly identically. There are certain elements that have been changed – notably, the film is not a musical, and while she does get assistance from her mice friends, there are no talking animals in the film.

Where the films differ most is the focus on giving expanded backstory to each of the main characters. We get to see a lot more about Cinderella’s life before her mother died, and we get to see the close relationship between Ella and her father. The mantra of “have courage and be kind” is repeated and we see how it shapes Ella. We’re given a reason for why Ella never fights back or chooses to leave the house and strike out on her own. Similarly, we get to see a bit more between the Prince (Kit) and his father, and we see a charming relationship between Father and Son and between King and heir, and where those two relationships have to come into conflict.

Lady Tremaine is given a bit more backstory and explanation for her motives and for why she never cares for Ella. I’m not sure her backstory is enough to justify the pleasure she seems to take out of torturing Ella, but we learn she’s had her own share of heartbreak, too.

Best of all, however, we get scenes of Ella and the Prince where they do more than just dance. They get to talk to one another, and share secrets and thoughts and ideas. It’s still a short two scenes, and doesn’t leave them with much more time to build a lasting romance than Anna and Hans have in Frozen, but at least it’s more than just “They danced, and therefore they’re in love.”

Lily James gives us a very convincing Ella/Cinderella, and Richard Madden has cleaned up exceptionally from Game of Thrones to make a very dashing Disney Prince. Cate Blanchett plays Lady Tremaine with gusto, seeming very much like a younger Angelica Huston, and Helena Bonham-Carter’s Fairy Godmother is perhaps a bit more scatterbrained than the animated version, but is a heart-warming presence.

The Visuals

Kenneth Branagh has a fantastic eye for the cinema, and with a Disney-backed budget, we would expect nothing less than fantastic from the director who gave us Thor, Hamlet and Henry V. I chose those three films specifically to point out how high the bar was set.

Branagh surpasses it. Cinderella is absolutely breathtaking. From the little details of watching butterflies magically transform into jeweled accents, to the sweeping vistas of the kingdom, to exploring the little details that make Ella’s house a warm and loving home, Branagh uses the camera to overwhelm us visually, using both sweeping wide shots and intimate close-ups. The line between CGI and practical make-up and effects is hard to draw, and everything is given the attention to make the visual world of Cinderella a fully immersive experience.

The Music

Like their other recent live-action reimagining (Maleficent), Disney chose not to make Cinderella a musical. Instead, we get a beautiful score from Patrick Doyle, along with two after-the-credits reprises from the animated feature.

Doyle’s score is more than up to the task of guiding us through the emotional arc of the film, without ever once drawing attention to itself. I leave it to the viewer to decide if this is a good thing or if it merely makes his music serviceable, although Aaron and I lean towards the view that the music should only become the focus of a scene when it is, in fact, the focus of the scene.

During the post credits, Lily James sings “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” and it is very pretty, while Helena Bonham-Carter provides a humorous take on “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” that left a smile on the faces of my entire family.

The Good

Breathtaking visuals, a strong score, and excellent acting gives us a film that manages to retain almost all of the charm of the animated film while giving additional depth to the characters and the story. Cinderella herself is notable for being given significantly more agency and drive in this film, as opposed to the mostly passive version we see in the animated classic. The Prince, as well, is more developed than the animated classic, showing us why the two of them might fall for each other. (And he wisely has the ability to recognize the girl he loves by her face, and not just her foot in a shoe.)

The Bad

The explanation for Lady Tremaine’s wickedness doesn’t really mesh with her actions when she first moves in with Ella and her father, even before his untimely death. Although Cate Blanchett does her best with the role, it never really manages to elevate her above the cartoon version of the character. She still seems to be evil for the joy of being evil.

Additionally, that deeper look at the characters comes with additional run-time, and even with the modest run-time of 112 minutes, Cinderella still felt like it was just a bit too long. Our kids were able to sit through the film, but were definitely a little wiggly during the slower moments. Branagh could have tightened a few scenes to keep it to a more kid-friendly length and (more importantly) pace.

Final Thoughts

I was concerned that it would be a difficult task to bring a classic retelling of Cinderella back to the theaters, considering that Cinderella is thought of by many as weaker when compared to some of the modern Princesses, with a story centered around the girl being swept away from all of her problems by a dashing prince and fairy godmother. After all, it was less than two years ago that we were all charmed by the two sisters of Arendelle as they proved that a fairytale doesn’t always have to end with a handsome prince and a wedding.

Did Cinderella succeed? Mostly. It is, in almost every way I can think of, a better film than the animated one, and we certainly enjoyed it. The story itself still has issues from a feminist perspective, but I thought Disney did a good job of trying to manage those elements by providing more interaction between Cinderella and her Prince, and giving us a Cinderella with a lion’s heart. She fiercely believes in the values taught to her by her parents, unwilling to compromise on those values even at her own expense, and despite her miserable circumstances, it’s those same traits that eventually help her reach her happy ending. Although I’d argue that while “have courage and be kind” are admirable values, they’re less so if they cause you to let yourself be abused.

But at the same time, I don’t think it’s necessary to have a take-away lesson from every movie, and we’re allowed to have a heroine with flaws, mild as they may be in this case. It’s okay to watch a movie simply because it’s beautiful and lets us escape the mundane for a short while into a world where dreams can come true if you just believe. With that goal in mind, this movie is an absolute success. Cinderella is worth watching, and is sure to become a part of our movie collection.

Bonus: Frozen Fever

There is, of course, the segment of the audience who is coming not for the feature, but just to see Frozen Fever, because of the… well… Frozen fever that has struck Disney fans. (No, we’re not immune. We love Frozen, and during our recent visit, we did the Meet and Greet with Anna and Elsa and attended “For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long” at Hollywood Studios.)

As a short, one should not expect Frozen Fever to have the same depth as the original feature. It doesn’t, and we shouldn’t expect it.

What it is, however, is a heartwarming short tale about Elsa (along with Olaf, Sven and Kristoff) trying to plan a perfect birthday for Anna (after thirteen years of Elsa being completely absent from Anna’s life during birthdays). But, despite being the Queen of Snow and Ice, Elsa is not immune to the type of cold that comes from a virus rather than chilled temperatures, and her magical abilities interact with her cold to make the day go rather less smoothly than planned.

It’s very cute, and all of the original voices (except for Hans) reprise their roles. The original song for the short “Making Today a Perfect Day” is charming and pleasant, and if it won’t push “Let It Go” out of your child’s playlist, it will at least add some variety to a soundtrack that most parents have heard repeatedly.

(Disclaimer: I was provided free tickets for the preview screening, however I received no other compensation. All opinions are mine and those of my family.)

Filed Under: Disney, reviews

Mar 5, 2015

Showing Our #DisneySide with a Villaintine’s Day Party (Giveaway!)

March 5, 2015 By Christina

Disclosure: I received free products to assist with hosting a #DisneySide @Home Celebration.

We wanted to get the kids excited about our late February trip to Disney, so we decided to host a party to build some anticipation for our vacation, and bring a taste of Disney to our friends as well. Since we planned the party the week of Valentine’s Day, we thought a Villaintine’s theme would be a lot of fun.

When Aaron and I spent a week at Disney to celebrate our first anniversary in 2004, Disney had a Villaintine’s Day event going on, with a set of Disney trading pins to obtain by hunting down the clues and answering trivia questions. We enjoyed exploring all of the Walt Disney World resort and parks to find the pins, and met a few villains along the way, too.

some of the Villaintine’s Day pins from 2004 in our collection

Disney and their partners sent us some supplies to help with the party, and then we supplied the remainder of the decorations, food, and entertainment. I let the kids plan out much of the party for their friends. It’s no surprise that I’m not skilled in the art of decorations or baking, but I think we still managed to pull together a nice event with some yummy snacks.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Disney, Sponsored-AF

Mar 3, 2015

Opting Out of PARCC

March 3, 2015 By Christina

Here in Ohio and several other states, it’s currently PARCC testing season. PARCC is short for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a standardized test created by Pearson (a textbook and testing company) that is being used by several states for assessment of learning standards for third grade thru twelfth, and it’s primary purpose is that it’s a significant factor for teacher and school district evaluations.

There’s only one problem: the test is an absolute hot mess.

I had started looking into this test last spring, after a district administrator gave a presentation on what was coming with this new test. Once I had a complete picture of it late last year, including taking the sample practice tests for myself on PARCC’s website, I couldn’t in good conscience let Cordy take this ridiculous test.

To begin, the test is far too long to be considered developmentally appropriate for younger children. Schools have a three week testing window to complete all testing. This was the initial testing schedule that was sent out just for Cordy’s class:

ELA Practice Test: February 5 12:45-2:00
Math Practice Test: February 10 10:00-11:45
Math PARCC Test 1: February 19 9:00-11:45
Math PARCC Test 2: February 20 9:00-11:45
ELA PARCC Test 1: February 23 9:00-11:45
ELA PARCC Test 2: February 25 9:00-11:45
ELA PARCC Test 3: March 2 9:00-11:45
Social Studies (4th only): March 4 9:00-11:45
Science (5th only): March 5 9:00-11:45

(ELA = English Language Arts)

If you add up all of the time, that’s over ten hours of testing, not including the practice tests. And that time also doesn’t include additional test prep done before the practice testing. Have you tried keeping a fourth grader completely on task for an hour and forty-five minutes?

And here’s the kicker – this is just round one. The kids get to go through all of this AGAIN across a three week period in late April-early May. Over twenty hours of time spent taking a test in the last third of the school year. At what point do kids have the time to squeeze in actual learning? It’s as if the school year has been cut short.

Additionally, this test has absolutely no impact on report cards or grade advancement for most kids. The third grade reading guarantee in Ohio is, as of this year, still governed by the OAA test, and the high school graduation requirements have additional methods to meet the same requirement that the PARCC test fulfills. Results of the current test being given won’t be available until November, far past the point when it could have made any impact on helping the student in any areas of deficiency.

The results that are provided will be vague at best. Many of the questions are manually graded, leaving it up to the human element to determine the score for each question. Because the test is proprietary, parents and students will never be given access to a completed test to see how each question was scored. So kids will spend 20+ hours of testing each year with no benefit to the student from the test, and no idea if there might have been an error in scoring.

Looking at this from a socioeconomic perspective, the PARCC test is designed to ensure poor, urban children have slim chances of passing. We don’t need this test to tell us which schools are “failing” because we can already predict what the results will be. These are computer-based tests. Urban school districts often lack the resources of more affluent suburban districts, unable to provide as much computer access. A student who has a computer at home and a computer lab at school likely has more experience with using a computer and mouse than a student who only uses a computer on rare occasions. Teachers are not allowed to provide help in any way on this test, including helping a student remember how to click and drag using a mouse. The technology gap will doom many kids to frustration and a failing test.

In our school, they’re testing one class at a time because there aren’t enough computers in the building for more than one class. Those computers are slow, glitchy Chromebooks, and as a result there have been multiple complaints of the test kicking kids out in the middle of the test, or just not allowing students to log on at all. (All of this just adds more time and frustration to testing for the kids.) Our school is one of the better off schools in our district, and I can’t imagine how some of the schools in poorer neighborhoods are dealing with this need. In the future, money will have to be diverted from needed services to fund the technology requirements demanded by this test.

And let’s not forget that each school district is paying per student for this test, too. It’s a costly waste of time and resources to “prove” that public schools are failing – a conclusion that Pearson already made prior to the test and so they have crafted the test to ensure the results match their hypothesis. Why? Because Pearson also owns a textbook and study guide empire. What better way to ensure that school districts spend a premium to have their textbooks and test prep guides in every classroom? If most kids did well on the test, they wouldn’t need to buy Pearson’s test prep and study guides.

Despite all of this, it was when I took the practice test for myself that I made up my mind. The questions are poorly written and designed to trip up a student – what I call “gotcha” questions. A math question that can’t be answered correctly if the student doesn’t recognize a particular above grade-level word is not properly testing the student’s math ability. A question that intentionally tries to misdirect a fourth grader to the wrong answer is not properly testing the student on math, either.

Along with this, we were informed this year that some of the test accommodations provided by Cordy’s IEP are not allowed for PARCC testing. The federal right for special needs students to have the necessary accommodations for their disability has now been limited by the strict requirements of this test.

It was an easy decision for us: we refused to allow Cordy to be given the PARCC test. Would she have done well on the test? Probably. She’s amazingly good at standardized tests, even bad ones. But was it worth putting her through the severe anxiety and long hours of testing time for no benefit to her? No way. Her school handled it very well and has made sure that she has supplemental enrichment activities to work on while testing is happening.

My only concern was the knowledge that refusing would result in her score being recorded as a zero, which would affect her teacher’s rating. However, Ohio has passed a “safe harbor” bill preventing nearly all repercussions for this year of the test, so it won’t affect her teacher. And even if it had, we had the full support of her school when we announced we were refusing the test. Many of the teachers and administrators don’t support PARCC and are happy to see parents pull their kids from the test. It’s only through a wide-spread refusal that parents can demand things be changed.

You don’t have to let your kids take the PARCC test, even if they’ve already started, and even if administrators tell you that they must. You have the right to determine what is best for your child, and you can refuse this test. Your kids have the right to refuse, too. They can be placed in front of a computer and they can sit there and refuse to do the test. (If your kids are brave enough for that.) It’s also a good time to email your state representatives and tell them you want something better than PARCC and are counting on them to step up and make it happen.

I want my kids to learn how to use their brains in school, not learning how to take a single standardized test. And I want them to learn for the entire school year, not just the first two-thirds.

I support public schooling. I’m not an anti-testing nut. My kids have probably taken more standardized tests and assessments than most, and nearly all of those were for their benefit. I believe in testing if it’s fair, appropriate, and useful for the student’s progress. I also believe we do need some way to fairly evaluate school districts and teachers, and I believe we need a strong set of educational standards for each grade level.

But PARCC isn’t the answer. It’s a public school witch hunt, with a push to give private industry more of our public education tax dollars, all wrapped up in the disguise of a test to hold teachers and schools accountable. It takes an obscene amount of time away from learning. It takes a ridiculous amount of money away from needed educational services. It attempts to vilify the very teachers we love and trust with our kids each year. And it uses our children as pawns in the game to profit on public education.

Filed Under: big issues, school

Feb 23, 2015

Gluten-Free Pizza Nirvana at Pizza Hut (& Giveaway!)

February 23, 2015 By Christina

It was just over two years ago that we found out Aaron couldn’t eat gluten. A lifetime of stomach issues was finally explained with a simple diagnosis. This new diet restriction didn’t come easy, though. Eliminating gluten from his diet took some getting used to, because my husband really loves his bread. I mean, really loves his bread. We found simple adjustments for many of his favorite meals. When eating out, he’s now used to ordering a burger without the bun. We keep gluten-free cereal and granola in the house for breakfast. And through lots of trial and error, we’ve found a small supply of gluten-free baked goods that he likes.

But there’s one area that has been hard to compensate for: pizza. Ordering pizza has always been a go-to meal for us on busy nights, but unlike ordering a burger without a bun, you can’t order a pizza without the crust. Making pizza at home defeated the point of ordering out. We’ve tried a few bake-at-home gluten-free pizzas, too, but they still haven’t matched the quality that Aaron remembers from good delivery pizza.

So when I recently found out that Pizza Hut® had developed a “Gluten-Free Pizza” made with Udi’s® certified gluten-free crust, I knew we’d have to try it. How much did we want gluten-free pizza? Enough that we drove out of town to see what we were missing, because it’s not available in Columbus yet! (They’re slowly rolling it out to all stores, so we expect it to be in Columbus soon.)

Pizza Hut offers a cheese-only gluten-free pizza, a pepperoni gluten-free pizza, and a “create your own” option with select gluten-free toppings. Each still has 100% real cheese and that great Pizza Hut marinara sauce. While it’s important to note that Pizza Hut kitchens aren’t gluten-free environments, they partnered with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) to create a gluten-free preparation process and training standards for their employees to reduce the risks of cross-contamination.

We ordered a cheese-only pizza and a pepperoni pizza, both gluten-free. I was so surprised at the size of the pizzas that were delivered to our table. Most gluten-free pizzas tend to be tiny personal pizzas, but these were about the size of a medium pizza and easily large enough for two people to share.

The crust was thin, but not super thin, and had a good texture and crunch to it. Honestly, it tasted like a good thin-crust pizza to me. But Aaron is the ultimate judge of gluten-free taste, so I waited for him to take his first bite to ask his opinion. He’s already a fan of Udi’s baked goods, so I hoped a pizza made with Udi’s crust would win his approval. He chewed the first bite thoughtfully, then smiled and said, “I forgot how good Pizza Hut pizza is!”

I am mean and take photos of people while they eat.

Our gluten-free family member declared it to be a good pizza. And considering I somehow didn’t see him quickly inhale another two slices before he asked if I wanted the last slice of pepperoni, I’d say it’s a complete success.

It was at that point that I asked Mira if she liked the gluten-free pizza. Her eyes got wide mid-bite, and with her mouth still full of pizza, she said, “Wait, the cheese pizza is also gluten-free?” When I nodded yes, she replied, “Huh. Well, it’s still good pizza!” A few minutes later, this was all that remained:

Aaron’s only complaint about Pizza Hut’s new Gluten-Free Pizza is that it isn’t available in Columbus yet. You can find a list of participating restaurants at PizzaHut.com. The Gluten-Free Pizza starts at $9.99, which in our experience is a fantastic price for a gluten-free pizza big enough for two. We can’t wait until this is available for delivery in our area.

Giveaway!

SheKnows is hosting a giveaway and wants to give you the chance to try Pizza Hut’s new Gluten-Free Pizza with Udi’s gluten-free crust for yourself with a $100 Pizza Hut gift card! (Or, you know, just have a big pizza party for your friends.)

To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below telling me your favorite combination of toppings for a pizza – mine is pepperoni, green peppers and mushrooms.

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/23/2015 – 3/16/2015.

Be sure to visit the Pizza Hut’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Filed Under: daily life, giveaways, reviews, sponsored