#DisneyKids Playdate

We received free product to facilitate the #DisneyKids Playdate. All opinions expressed are my own.

Extra special thanks to the following playdate sponsors: 

MomSelect, Walt Disney World, HP, I Love to Create, Nesquik, all, Banfield Pet Hospital, and GLAD.

Walt Disney World is nothing short of magical. Perhaps one of the most magical parts about it is that even when you can't be there, you can bring the magic to your own home! That's what we did recently when we hosted a #DisneyKids Playdate for our daughter and her princess friends!

For our #DisneyKids Playdate, we pulled together our favorite snacks, our favorite Disney music, some fun crafts, games, and activities, and we decorated with Disney themed party supplies. We handed out Disney themed party favors including bags, posters, hats, and more, from characters like Sofia the First, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and The Lion Guard. All of this added together equaled a super fun playdate!

We were able to capture and share our playdate memories with the help of HP. We took photos using the Pocketbooth app and printed them on HP Photo Booth Strips. Each of our friends got to bring some pictures home with them to help them remember all the fun we had.

A playdate wouldn't be complete without coloring and crafts! At our #DisneyKids Playdate, we crafted with I Love to Create using Tulip's Puffy Paint and Aleene's Tacky Glue. We created some Disney Junior themed hand puppets and colored lots and lots of pictures that we printed right off the Disney Junior website.

We read the most fantastically creative book together - My Very, Very Smelly Breath - Banfield Pet Hospital's second children's book. Written from the perspective of a dog, this scratch-and-sniff story helps children and pet owners understand the importance of helping their pets keep their mouth's clean. My 5 year old has been very concerned about us keeping our dog's mouth clean since reading this book. Let me tell you something - the dog in this book has VERY smelly breath! You can smell it right on the page! Thankfully there are lots of good scents on the following pages to help you forget the nastiness you'll smell in the beginning! The kids loved this book.

We also went on a Kilimanjaro Safari at our playdate - just like at Disney's Animal Kingdom! We searched for hidden safari animals throughout our home. Each child was very excited to take their discovered animals home!

Of course, we had a photo booth! We posed for lots of fun pictures here and after printing on our HP Photo Booth Paper, we packed copies of the photos for everyone in Disney themed GLAD sandwich bags and sent them home as souvenirs.

And since princesses love to dance, we danced, danced, danced, and danced some more, to our favorite Disney Junior music! Princess dancing never gets old at our playdates... but it does get loud... and certainly makes for some very blurry photographs!

We love bringing a little pixie dust into our home by hosting Disney themed playdates. It's the next best thing to visiting Walt Disney World itself! The #DisneyKids Playdate was a very special time for all of our princess friends.

Visit www.disneyworld.com/preschool for great information on planning a Walt Disney World Resort vacation with your littles!

We received free product to facilitate the #DisneyKids Playdate. All opinions expressed are my own.

Extra special thanks to the following playdate sponsors: 

MomSelect, Walt Disney World, HP, I Love to Create, Nesquik, all, Banfield Pet Hospital, and GLAD.

The Disney Store at the Burlington Mall is OPEN!

We are pleased to partner with Walt Disney Studios to provide coverage and promotion of this event.
We were provided with gifts to thank us for our participation, but all opinions expressed are our own.

We were so excited to attend the Grand Opening Celebration for the Disney Store at the Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts this past weekend!

It was full of magic and pixie dust... would anyone expect different? The store was set to open at 10:00 AM and we arrived shortly before 9:00 AM to a crowd full of excitement! There was music, friendly cast members, stickers, Mickey ears, games, tons of anticipation, and a line that was growing by the minute.

Disney Store Grand Opening at Burlington Mall!

We are pleased to partner with Walt Disney Studios to provide coverage and promotion of this event.

Guess what?! We are so excited to announce that something super special is coming to Burlington, MA!

On Saturday, June 13, 2015 we're celebrating the grand opening of the Disney Store at the Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts!

Offering an immersive retail experience with a touch of magic for Disney fans of all ages, this is a store you're going to want to visit and a grand opening you will not want to miss!

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt ~ 40% OFF TICKETS!

As a Feld Family Ambassador, we received complimentary show tickets in exchange for promoting this event. 
All opinions expressed are our own.

We are so pleased to announce that some of our favorite princesses will be in Boston, starting one week from today and we can get you 40% off your ticket purchase!

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt is playing at the Agganis Arena at Boston University from April 24-26!

We are so excited about this show! The Agganis Arena is a beautiful venue that offers amazing views from any seat, and Feld Entertainment puts on amazingly fun shows with superb staffing, great snacks and souvenirs available for purchase. What a great way to end school vacation week!

Step into a world of wonder where dreams come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt. Join Mickey and Minnie as they bring the timeless fairy tale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life in a live theatrical experience that is pure magic. With dynamic storytelling, awarded winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, you'll dream with the princesses, cheer for their heroes as they conquer evil villains, and be captivated by these spellbinding stories. There's a world of enchantment waiting for you right in your hometown!

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the Agganis Arena Box Office. Order online for the best discounts!

Save with this online only code!

Reduced Ticketmaster fees and 40% off select tickets to select shows!

Valid on $50.00 and $35.00 tickets. No double discounts. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Valid while supplies last. Offer valid for advance purchase only. 10 tickets per customer.

Friday, April 24 at 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 4:30 PM - $30.00 & $21.00

Saturday, April 25 at 4:30 PM - $30.00 & $21.00

Sunday, April 26 at 4:30 PM - $30.00 & $21.00

How to purchase:

1. Log on to Ticketmaster.com
2. In search, type Agganis Arena and choose the venue in Boston, MA
3. Choose a show date from the above listed and click on "SEE TICKETS"
4. In box that says "OFFER CODE", type in MBLOG. This code allows you discount access!
5. Hover over interactive map to choose your seats in the select discounted sections
6. Enjoy the show!

You can view more show details here and enjoy a video preview below!

Hope to see you there!

Hop to the Music! ~ Disney Music Review & Giveaway

Free products were received from Entertainment New Media Network and Disney Music Group to facilitate this review and giveaway. 
No other compensation was received. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

The Easter Bunny arrived a bit early to our house last week to let us know about some great Easter Basket options for your Disney music fan! Our friends at Disney have gathered together some fantastic favorites to help you and your family Hop to the Music this spring!

We are so excited to bring you a super fun giveaway for some super fun music ~ 
a Hop to the Music Prize Pack ~ from the Disney Music Group!

Here's what we've got:

Frozen: The Songs
Do I even need to say anything about this album? Probably not! We've had this one memorized for quite some time. It's full of all of your sing-a-long favorites as well as the beautiful instrumental music from the film. We love, love, love this CD... no surprise. This version comes with a collectible poster.

DJ Shuffle 2
DJ = Disney Junior, and that, in and of itself, should tell you this this CD is loads of fun! We were huge fans of the first edition of DJ Shuffle and when we realized that a new album was now out with new and updated favorites from our old friends like Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake, Sheriff Callie, and Henry Hugglemonster we were incredibly excited. Add to that our excitement to see additions from our new friend Miles from Tomorrowland and a new catchy DJ Shuffle dance tune, and this edition of one of our favorite CDs really got us up and moving! There is nothing more fun than Disney Junior... except dancing and singing along... which is exactly what you'll do while listening to this CD, guaranteed!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1
Imagine you're listening to a walkman with a great mix tape playing, and you'll love this CD with all the music you'll remember from the film by the same name. This fun soundtrack album comes with a link and code for a free digital download.

Into the Woods
This 2-disc deluxe edition soundtrack will bring you right back to the theater. Including both the lyrical music and the instrumental music from Into the Woods, this set also includes a lyric booklet so you'll be singing along in no time (hooray! my favorite feature of a CD!).

All of this fun music is available for purchase at the links above or in the new Disney Music Emporium!

Enter to win your own Hop to the Music Prize Pack here!

Entrants must be age 18 or older at the time of entry. No purchase necessary. Giveaway open to residents of the US only. Giveaway will have 48 hours to respond to notification email with requested information and if they do not, winnings will be forfeited and a new winner will be chosen. Walt Disney Records is responsible for prize distribution. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. If it comes to this blogger's attention that the winner has won the same prize on an additional blog, this blog reserves the right to choose another winner. Contest ends on Monday, March 30, 2015 at 11:59 PM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

"Making Today a Perfect Day" ~ from Disney Frozen Fever

We haven't made it out to the theater to see Cinderella yet, but if you have, you've seen Frozen Fever and heard this super sweet and fun song, "Making Today a Perfect Day!" We are loving this new song from our Frozen friends!

The track is now available exclusively on iTunes for a limited time! 

^^ You can preview and purchase by clicking on the link! ^^

Here's some background from our friends at Walt Disney Records:

“Frozen Fever” welcomes back to the big screen the voices that helped bring the “Frozen” favorites to life, and introduces a new song, “Making Today a Perfect Day.” For a limited time, the track is available exclusively at iTunes (http://smarturl.it/ffs1).

Kristen Bell (Showtime’s “House of Lies”) once again lends her voice to Anna, and Idina Menzel (Broadway’s “If/Then”) returns as the voice of Elsa. Jonathan Groff (Fox’s “Glee”) voices Kristoff, and Josh Gad (“The Comedians”) provides the voice of unforgettable snowman Olaf. Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“Up Here”) and Robert Lopez (“Broadway’s “The Book of Mormon”) wrote the all-new song for the short, and composer Christophe Beck (“Cake”) provides the score.

In “Frozen Fever,” it's Anna's birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but when Elsa catches a cold, her powers may put more than just the party at risk. The tale is told musically with “Making Today a Perfect Day,” with Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad lending their voices to the original song.

According to the songwriters, “Making Today A Perfect Day” showcases Elsa’s great desire to surprise Anna—all while battling an ever-worsening cold. “I think on some deep level,” says Lopez, “she knows she shouldn’t be doing this party. She should be in bed. But Elsa is fierce and her love for her sister is fierce. So the song has a really intense drive to it—especially the piano.”

Adds Anderson-Lopez, “We wanted it to be that perfect sunny-afternoon song so that it fought against the situation that she’s getting sick; that adds to the comedy.”

Reuniting with the performers was like getting together with old friends, says Anderson-Lopez. “I feel like we’ve been through something extraordinary together and that connection will never go away.”

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, produced by Peter Del Vecho and Aimee Scribner, and executive produced by John Lasseter, “Frozen Fever” opens today, in front of Disney’s live-action “Cinderella.” The “Cinderella” soundtrack is also available on CD.

For more information on Walt Disney Records releases, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusicemporium or follow us at Twitter.com/DisneyMusicEmp. “Making Today A Perfect Day” sheet music is available from www.SheetMusicDirect.com.

Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure ~ Discounts and Giveaway!

We were provided with complimentary show tickets to help promote this event. All opinions expressed are our own.

We are so excited to announce that Disney On Ice is coming back our way this spring!

Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt will be playing at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA from April 2-5!

Embark on the ultimate sightseeing vacation with all your favorite Disney characters in Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt. Join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy and Daisy on a journey to the magical worlds of Disney's The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and Lilo & Stitch. You and your family will explore the African Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa; voyage deep under the sea to Ariel's mystical underwater kingdom; tour London with Peter Pan and Wendy before flying to Never Land to join Tinker Bell; and travel to Hawaii to visit Lilo and Stitch. Upbeat music, lovable characters and exciting destinations make Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure a vacation your family will never forget!

We are so excited to attend the show and I can smell that yummy Feld Entertainment Popcorn already!

You can get your tickets at Ticketmaster.com or at the Box Office, starting at just $15!

Exclusive savings for our readers: 
$6 off all price levels on select show times!

Offer valid on $60, $45, $35, and $25 tickets to the following performances:

April 2, 7:00 PM - $15 opening night tickets available!

April 3, 1:00 PM 

April 3, 7:00 PM

April 4, 11:00 AM

April 4, 7:00 PM

April 5, 2:00 PM - $10 kids tickets available!

Just follow these 3 easy steps to purchase: 

1. Go to Ticketmaster.com and choose your performance
2. Enter code MBLOG in the offer code box
3. Select your seats and check out!

No double discounts. Cannot be used for prior purchases or group sales orders. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply. Please note that prices reflected on Ticketmaster.com INCLUDE service charges and facility fees. Select "Price Details" on the purchase page to confirm discount price.

Or *WIN* a 4-pack of tickets to opening night right here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No purchase necessary. Entrants must be age 18 or older at time of entry with valid photo ID. Winner will use photo ID to pick up tickets at the Box Office of the DCU Center in Worcester, MA on the night of the show. Contest runs from Thursday, March 12 through Monday, March 23 and ends at 11:59 PM on that day. Winner will be notified via email and must respond within 24 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen. 

Good luck!

Win Tickets to Disney On Ice Presents Frozen at TD Garden in Boston, MA!

Special thanks to our friends at New Hampshire Kids 

for including us in this super exciting giveaway!

We are thrilled to bring you this Giveaway for 4 tickets to see Disney On Ice Presents Frozen at TD Garden in Boston, MA. You will be able to relive the story of Anna and Elsa while singing along with such musical masterpieces as “Let it Go,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “Fixer Upper.”

   

You can enter our Giveaway for Disney On Ice Frozen tickets below. That said, another great way to win tickets is to become a Frozen Fan Ambassador! Here are the Giveaway details: The winner will receive 4 Tickets to see Disney On Ice Presents Frozen at the TD Garden in Boston, MA on Friday, February 13th at 7:00pm. Please read the Prize Terms and Conditions below. How to Enter: You can enter using Rafflecopter below. The contest will run from January 21st through 11:59 on January 31st.

 

A Big Thank you to Disney On Ice for the great Giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Prize Terms and Conditions: Disney is not a sponsor, endorser or administrator of this Sweepstakes. There is no cash alternative to the prize which is subject to availability, non-transferable, non-negotiable and non-refundable. The Prize will be provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind. Events may occur that render the Sweepstakes itself or the awarding of the Prize impossible due to unforeseen circumstances or reasons beyond the control of Producer. In this situation, Producer may at its discretion provide a reasonable alternative Prize, and no liability shall attach to Producer or third parties affiliated with or in privity with Producer as a result of such events.   

We're hosting a #DisneySide @ Home Celebration! *Link up your parties here!*

I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @ Home Celebration.

The opinions expressed here are my own.

One of my favorite things to find is an email from my friends at Disney Parks and Mom Select! Today we were offered another opportunity host a Disney Side @ Home Celebration and we could not be more excited! 

We love showing our #DisneySide and there is no better way to do that than with great friends! Have you had a chance to check out our past Disney themed parties?

Last winter we hosted a super fun Mickey and Minnie themed party for a bunch of our favorite family friends. 

And just a couple of months ago we hosted the sweetest Sofia the First Disney Kids Preschool Playdate for our favorite preschool princesses.

We can't wait to start planning our next celebration!

We are always looking for new ideas to add to our next party... do you have any to share?

An InLinkz Link-up

Or you can leave your links in the comments below!

I received free products in order to host the Disney Side @ Home Celebration.

The opinions expressed here are my own.

A Fantastic Night at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt!

We were provided with complimentary tickets through Feld Entertainment in exchange for promoting this event. All opinions expressed are my own.

We were so excited to be able to attend Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt, on opening night at the Agganis Arena in Boston this weekend! We are huge fans of most anything "Disney," and I grew up attending Disney on Ice yearly. The last time we went, I was pregnant with our now four year old daughter. We've been thinking about going since she was born but she's always been a little bit timid about it. Even when we were invited to attend this year's program, she wasn't sure she was ready to accept the offer. Well... she is glad she made the choice to go... and her parents are too!

Disney Kids Preschool Playdate

We received free products from Walt Disney World Resort and MomSelect in order to host the Disney Kids Preschool Playdate. The opinions expressed here are my own.

To say we were honored to be asked, as part of the Disney Social Media Moms team, to host a #DisneyKids Preschool Playdate would be an understatement! We love working with our friends at Walt Disney World Resort and MomSelect and we love the focus they have on making sure that families are aware of all of the fun and practical ways that Walt Disney World meets the needs of preschoolers.

You may remember that we had a blast at our #DisneySide @ Home Celebration earlier this year so when we were invited again to have a party to share some Disney magic with our friends, we couldn't wait to start planning!

Giveaway ~ 4 Tickets to Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy!

We were provided with complimentary tickets through Feld Entertainment in exchange for promoting this event. No other compensation was received. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

We are so excited to be attending Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy later this month and are even more excited to be able to offer YOU a chance to go too! 

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win four tickets to opening night of Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt, Friday December 19 at 7:00 PM at the Agganis Arena in Boston! 

Discount Tickets to Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy!

We were provided with complimentary tickets through Feld Entertainment in exchange for promoting this event. No other compensation was received. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

When I was young, we used to attend Disney On Ice yearly! It was a family tradition that I loved and looked forward to year after year. Throughout my adult years, I sadly let the fun slip away. The first time I attended Disney on Ice as an adult was when I was pregnant with my now four year old daughter (is it any surprise that I felt her kick inside my belly for the first time that night?!) I haven't been since, but now that my daughter is old enough to enjoy the show herself, I am so excited to start this tradition back up!

Are you a fan of Disney or a fan of fun? If so, you won't want to miss this event!

Frozen: The Songs ~ Review & Giveaway (2 Winners!)

I received free product from Walt Disney Records through Entertainment New Media Network to facilitate this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

Anyone who thought the Frozen craze was melting away was sadly mistaken because Walt Disney Records is releasing 4 NEW Frozen albums this week and I have a sneak peek (plus a giveaway) for you right here!

Coming Tuesday, September 30…

Frozen: The Songs

Frozen: The Songs Vinyl Soundtrack

Frozen Canciones de Una Aventura Congelada

Frozen Score Digital Soundtrack

We are huge fans of the Frozen songs in our home and were so excited to have the opportunity to preview Frozen: The Songs!

Did you know that the Frozen soundtrack is the top-selling album of 2014? It spent 33 consecutive weeks in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, including 13 consecutive weeks at Number 1! And really, are we surprised? I think not. It's beautiful music! It's emotional, catchy, and clearly it's reach has crossed multiple generations. I think I play the music in the car more often when my daughter is not in there with me (since she won't let me sing along when she's there)!

The specially priced Frozen: The Songs CD includes the all singable songs from the movie, minus the instrumental music that is also included in the original soundtrack CD. It also includes lyrics, a fold-out poster, and stickers!

It's no surprise that we love this CD and it's also no surprise that we have been singing along to the music since it arrived!

We are so excited that Walt Disney Records is offering a giveaway of the new Frozen: The Songs CD to not one but TWO of our readers! Just follow along below! This giveaway is open to residents in the USA and Canada, ends Friday, October 3 at midnight and you'll have 24 hours to respond if you get an email from me that you're chosen as the winner. Walt Disney Records will be mailing out the prizes. If it comes to this blogger's attention that the winner of this giveaway has won the same prize on an additional blog, this blog reserves the right to choose another winner.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more information on Walt Disney Records' releases, follow them on Facebook or Twitter! You can also visit www.disneymusicstore.com to purchase Disney music online.

OH! And one more secret!
Frozen: The Songs CD and Frozen: The Songs Vinyl are both available for preorder on Amazon NOW!

           

I received free product from Walt Disney Records through Entertainment New Media Network to facilitate this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

Disney Social Media Moms On-The-Road Philadelphia 2014

Earlier this summer I had the privilege of being invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration On-The-Road in Philadelphia.  It was such an exciting honor to attend!  What a whirlwind day full of fun, learning, challenge, inspiration, and many good friends!  My husband and I joked about the fact that we drove 6 hours to attend a 4 hour event.  Well, let me tell you something...  we would do it again in a heartbeat!  It was worth every second in that car (although hopefully next year it's in Boston... either that or we will fly!).

Here's a glimpse into some of my favorite moments from the day...

Special thanks to all of the organizers, facilitators, and sponsors of this event.  The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration Team is amazing!  I am so incredibly grateful to have been a part of this special day!

We're heading to Philly!

It's time!

Tomorrow we hit the road and head to Philadelphia for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration On The Road, and in case you couldn't tell, I am super excited!

Today, I followed along via social media to get a glimpse of some of the action from the the first stop on this three city tour ~ Chicago!  I was inspired by the speakers, saw so many fun photos, and am now even more excited about this opportunity than I already was.

I hope you'll follow along on social media so you don't miss a beat this Thursday, June 19! We start bright and early so pour a cup of coffee and be ready!  You'll be able to watch live on MomTV.com starting at 8:30 AM EST and follow live tweets, pics, and updates by following the hashtag #DisneySMMoms on all your social media channels.

You can follow me directly through these links!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/loriann978
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakeTimeForToday
Instagram: http://instagram.com/loriallinder

See you there, either in person or remotely!  Let me know where I'll find you!

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Paper Chain

We made this super cute Mickey and Minnie paper chain garland decoration for our Disney themed party over three months ago and it still hangs over a doorway in our house!  It was such an easy (although a bit tedious) project and it really helped set the mood for our fun day.

You'll see that we used black for Mickey and Minnie's heads, red for their clothes, white for their buttons and polka dots, yellow for their shoes, and white for their hands... or to separate them... however you want to interpret it...  Get it?!  We also used some pink for Minnie's bows... I intended to use red to match her skirt but my 3 year old informed me that Minnie doesn't wear red, she wears pink... oh, how times have changed!

Here's what you'll need:

• construction paper - black, red, yellow, white
• hole punch
• tape or glue
• ear template (small circle shape with a tab to attach to the black loops)
• bow template (small bow with a tab to attach to alternating heads)
• a little helper

Here's what you'll do:

• cut strips of construction paper in desired width
• trace and cut ears out of black paper and bows out of pink or red paper
• punch out lots of little white dots
• loop paper strips inside of one another, alternating colors, and secure with tape or glue
• attach ears and bows
• attach dots
• hang and show your DisneySide!

I am so excited that one week from today I'll be showing my DisneySide at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration On The Road in Philadelphia!  I hope you'll follow along from home if you won't be there in person!

Thankfully when I return home, I'll still have my Mickey and Minnie decorations to greet me and keep me in the Disney spirit!

BUT, you don't need a party or a conference to show your DisneySide... how do you show yours?

photos courtesy of Keiko S. Dowell Photography

Pixie Dust Playdough

Do you have a favorite homemade playdough recipe?  Or many?  I ask because I realized this morning that this is the third playdough recipe I am posting on this blog!  We already have favorite recipes for just plain old homemade playdough and Kool Aid colored and scented homemade playdough... you can view both of those recipes here.  I guess we just love playdough and each of these recipes kind of serves a different purpose for us.  If you have a favorite, I hope you'll share it with me because I obviously am always open to new playdough ideas!

Pixie Dust Playdough is full of glittery, fruity goodness!  There is something about glitter that just really gets little kids excited... and gets parents in a state of panic.  At least that's how it is in our house.

I recently bought my daughter this Sofia The First shirt with glitter on it.  I had some speculations from the picture online that perhaps it was going to be a glittery mess but then I thought, would someone really make a glittery shirt that spread glitter all over the house?!  Definitely not.  Well, I was wrong.  This, of course, thrilled my almost four year old... while I began to lose my mind.  I did not love the shirt until I washed it about four times to get all the excess pixie dust off!

Anyway, back to this glittery playdough that is probably causing you the same panic it originally caused me... It is scented and colored with Kool Aid and is a perfectly soft and squishy, non hand staining playdough that does not leave glitter all over the place!  Trust me, I was super nervous but decided to take one for the team and have thankfully found very minimal glitter residue leftover after making and playing with this!  I was surprised!  I guess that's what makes this stuff so magical!

What you'll need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 packet unsweetened kool-aid
• glitter

What you'll do:

• Add everything to a pot and stir well
• Heat on medium and stir constantly
• Mixture will quickly begin to get clumpy and start to darken
• Continue to mix/flip until color and texture is even
• Scoop onto counter, and once cool enough to handle, knead until squishy (my favorite part of making homemade playdough is kneading the hot dough!)
• If the middle is still gooey, just put it back in the pot for another minute or so

We named this Pixie Dust Playdough when we used it as a party favor for the guests at our Disney party.  Add a little sparkle to your next batch of homemade play dough.  I bet it adds a sparkle to the eye of your little playmate!

We have had some of this play dough stored at room temperature in a sealed storage container for three months and it's still usable.  It is just now starting to dry out a bit.

The Creative Mama has a great tutorial for how to make glitter play dough with fantastic process photos.  I worked with the recipe posted there.  

Mickey Mouse Sun Catchers

Crafting sun catchers is so easy and fun and the outcome is super cute!  We did this with three and four year olds and they needed a bit of assistance from grown-ups, but not much.  You could certainly make these with older kids as well and create more elaborate designs, sizes, and themes if desired.  This is a perfect party activity or even something fun for a rainy day!  We've made them in some different shapes but we'll stick with Mickey on the blog today as we gear up for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration next month!

What you'll need:

• Clear transparency paper
• Colored construction paper or card stock
• Tissue paper or streamers cut into small pieces
• Liquid glue
• Water
• Small bowls
• Paintbrushes

What you'll do:

• Create a Mickey Mouse template on paper and trace onto construction paper or card stock.  You will need two Mickeys for each sun catcher.
• Cut out the Mickeys and then cut a circle out of the center of each, leaving the ears intact, if desired.
• Trace the Mickey Mouse template onto transparency paper and cut them out.  You will need two of these per sun catcher as well.
• Add a small amount of water to a small amount of glue in each bowl and mix with paintbrush.  It should be quite runny.
• Place small pieces of tissue paper onto one transparency sheet of Mickey's head and gently brush over with diluted glue.  Continue to add tissue paper until the center is covered.  You can skip the ears because they will be hidden by the construction paper.
• Brush glue onto the second transparency sheet of Mickey's head and place over top of tissue paper.
• Brush glue onto edges and ears of construction paper Mickeys and add one to the top and one to the bottom.
• Once dry, you can set it in the window or punch a hole and hang from a string.

These are so cute and versatile!  Simply make a different template for any theme you love!

Photos courtesy of Keiko S. Dowell Photography

Craft inspired by Jeanette Stevens Haines in the Disney Side @ Home Celebrations Facebook group.