Over The Top Mommy

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Celebrating the Holiday Season at Knott’s #MerryFarm With Our Little Family!

Disclosure: My family & I were invited by GigaSavvy to attend a Media Day at Knott’s Merry Farm in order to write this review of our experience.  No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.The Southern California Holiday SeasonThe holiday season has just began and our family had so much fun kicking it off with a visit to Knott’s Merry Farm this year. We live locally and love going to Knott’s Berry Farm but this was actually our first time getting a chance to visit during “Merry Farm”, which runs this year from November 22nd to January 4th! The park is adorned with holiday decorations and the Peanuts characters are dressed in holiday attire! The sunny Southern California weather justified us wearing summer attire that day.

Knotts-Merry-Farm-Water-Tower

Knott's Merry Farm SelfieOur first stop of the day was at Camp Snoopy! Emily loves the kid-friendly rides and all of the little areas to explore in Camp Snoopy. During Knott’s Merry Farm you can catch one of several performances of “Lucy’s Wish List” show, each day, over the Camp Snoopy Theatre.

Lucy's Wish List Show

Lucy's Wish List Show 2Some of Emi’s favorite rides in Camp Snoopy include The Balloon Race, The Grand Sierra Railroad, and the Linus Launcher . While we were there, we decided to stop by and show Woodstock his other house. Emi also got to take a picture with Charlie Brown and sought some helpful (psychiatric) advice from Lucy. We love Camp Snoopy!

Woodstock's House

Charlie Brown

LucyIt was fun to walk through Ghost Town, which has been transformed into the Christmas Crafts Village for Knott’s Merry Farm. It’s a shopping wonderland filled with dozens of local artisans selling their unique gifts. Some of the highlights of the Village include artist demonstrations of chainsaw wood carving, pottery sculpting, and elegant glass blowing. We found a lot of photo opportunities in the Christmas Crafts Village. We also enjoyed listening to carolers sing.

Ghost Town 1

snoopy in calico town

Christmas CarolersAs you continue to walk deeper into Ghost Town, you’ll find Santa’s Christmas Cabin, located inside Wilderness Dance Hall.  Santa is right inside, sitting up on the stage, and waiting for you to bring your little ones to chat with him about what they’d like for Christmas this year. He also reminds them to be good for their parents, which was my favorite part! There are photographers on hand to capture the perfect moment with your little one(s) and Santa in photos available for purchase afterwards.

Emi and Knott's Santa

Inside Santa's Christmas CabinInside Santa’s Christmas Cabin, there are plenty of treats  to choose from including homemade cookies & milk, hot chocolate, gourmet coffee and hot chocolate, s’mores on a stick, roasted nuts, winter wines and beer. It’s a nice place to sit down and take a break for a snack. Emi loved sitting at one of the little wooden tables to share some milk and cookies with Snoopy!

Milk and Cookies With SnoopyDuring Knott’s Merry Farm, the Calico Railroad is converted into a special Christmas on Engine 41 train ride experience. After you climb aboard the vintage railcar, you get to interact with a whole cast of characters who are ready to brighten your holidays with songs and chats about their traveling adventures. It’s a Christmas train ride filled with holiday cheer.

Christmas on Engine 41#1

Christmas on Engine 41#2Just past the Calico Railroad, standing in front of the Calico Square Stage, stands the Knott’s Christmas tree, adorned with hundreds of ornaments. It’s so beautiful standing tall against the sunny blue sky! Emi and Snoopy liked checking themselves out in the giant ornaments!

The Knott's Christmas TreeAfter the sun goes down, you can enjoy watching Snoopy’s Merriest Tree Lighting on the Calico Square Stage as it lights up with the celebration of the season. It’s a musical, whimsical tree lighting featuring a cast of Toy Soldiers, Snowmen, Elves and the world’s most famous beagle, Snoopy!

Snoopy-Merriest-Tree-Lighting-650-pixels-wide(photo credit: Knott’s)  

After dark, there’s also snowy fun each night during Knott’s Merry Farm along the buildings and paths in Ghost Town’s Main Street, as they are filled with glow and snow! Thousands of sparkling lights dance to the beat of “Let It Snow” while snow gently falls in this spectacular one-of-a-kind moment you can enjoy with your family in the Ghost Town.

Snowing-in-Ghost-Town-family-header-650-px-width-(photo credit: Knott’s)

Emi, Snoopy, and Woodstock really wanted to eat dinner at Grizzly Creek Lodge, located inside of Camp Snoopy! They loved having a cheeseburger, fries and some Knott’s Berry Punch together. It’s one of our family’s favorites that we HAVE TO  have on each visit to the park. Emi loved the keepsake lunchbox that her kids meal was served in. She truly adores the Peanuts gang.

dinner with snoopy

Knott's Berry PunchI think our most favorite show at Knott’s Merry Farm was the “Merry Christmas, Snoopy” Ice show, which is in the Charles M. Schultz Theatre. I grew up watching Peanuts on TV and now Emi loves them too. Watching her face light up as all of the characters came out to skate during the show was priceless. Skating Snoopy was precious, the costumes were beautiful, I loved the songs they chose and the story lines, and the skating was amazing! What true talent!

Merry Christmas Snoopy 1

Merry Christmas Snoopy! 2It was a great day at Knott’s Merry Farm and we’re already planning our next visit. Have you checked out all of the benefits that come with a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass? They’re very affordable and make great holiday gifts! We’re considering grabbing 3 of them for our own family! If you purchase a pass now,  you get one 2014 visit to Knott’s Merry Farm for free! For more information, click here!

Thank you Knott's!

Thank you again, Knott’s! As you can tell by the smile on her face, she LOVED Merry Farm and our family is so grateful for the opportunity to have spent the day creating more memories together!  Happy holidays!

Holiday Snow Days + Winter Nights November 22-January 4 at Legoland California Resort! #HolidaySnowDays

Disclosure: We attended a media preview of Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

I’m always excited for the start of the holiday season! Emily and I had the opportunity to kick ours off by spending a special day together at LEGOLAND California Resort to preview their Holiday Snow Days + Winter Nights!

Legoland Fun

It was a beautiful Southern California day and we enjoyed skating and playing in the snow, while wearing short-sleeved shirts and getting a little bit of a suntan!

making a snowballEvery day at LEGOLAND from November 22 through January 4 is a Holiday Snow Day! With a regular admission, park guests also get to enjoy a ton of fun activities! The Fun Town area is transformed into a snowy wonderland for the holiday season!

ready for snow tubingOn Holiday Snow Days, park guests can have fun:

  • Snow Tubing
  • Snow Play, including getting to build a snowman and throwing snowballs at fun targets
  • Watching live entertainment
  • Doing a Holiday Village Build in the LEGO Clubhouse
  • Enjoying special holiday treats available for purchase on the Fun Town Holiday Food Truck.

selfie with a snowmanAlso, enjoy the spectacular 30-foot tall LEGO Christmas Tree, made of more than 245,000 green DUPLO® bricks and adorned with ornaments made of LEGO bricks. Look out for special holiday characters like LEGO Santa, Lego Toy Soldier, and more. There are definitely lots of photo opportunities!

Legoland TreeAs part of Legoland’s Holiday Snowy Days +Winter Nights, the Winter Nights portion will take place on November 28, 29 and December 6, 13, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 from 5-7pm. Holiday Snow Days activities continue into nighttime and guests can also enjoy watching holiday entertainment, including The Big Test Holiday Show, and see the magic of holiday lights come to life after dark as the buildings, trees and the LEGO Christmas Tree twinkles along to Festive Holiday tunes throughout Fun Town. Guests can also enjoy Holiday Fireworks will at 7pm on December 26-30.

Lego tree and Lego snowmanNew this year…..Ice Skating! 

It’s so exciting that LEGOLAND California Resort has set up a real ice skating rink, between the ticketing booths and the Legoland Hotel! It’s was so fun to skate outdoors in the sun! Admission for ice skating is separate from park admission. Although you are welcome to bring your own ice skates, the cost of your ice rink admission tickets includes skate rentals and helmet protection for guests requesting extra head protection.

Legoland Ice Skating CollageGuests may also rent a “bobby”, which is a seal-shaped skate aid. A child or adult can push it in front of him to help balance. A small child can also sit on the front of the bobby while the adult pushes the bobby. I used one to push Emily around and it helped me avoid the embarrassment of falling down! I think the bobby was the best invention ever created!

On the iceWhen you purchase your ice skating ticket, you will be asked to reserve a specific time slot. Session are 90 minutes long and there are 6 ice sessions available each day* and there is limited capacity, so book your ticket now by clicking here. *There are only 4 sessions available on the following dates: Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17.

Ice Skating PricingSkaters must be ages 3 and up, and must be able to walk unassisted. All skaters (or guardian for under 18) must sign Release and Waiver of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement (fill out the waiver once for entire season). Go straight onto the ice by filling out the Ice Skating Waiver form in advance! http://www.smartwaiver.com/v/LEGOLANDiceskate

s'mores at Legoland collageAfter you spend time out on the ice, you can purchase a s’mores kit and head over to the fire pits to make your s’mores. They’ll even provide a long dowel so you can roast your marshmallows over the fire. This was one of our favorite parts about our day! I think everyone loves s’mores!

Mmmm! S'mores!

LEGO® Christmas Tree Lighting

This year, the official annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on December 1st. There will be a surprise celebrity guest who will help light the world’s tallest LEGO Christmas tree. Families in the park are invited to gather around the Lego Christmas tree in the middle of Fun Town at 5:30 pm. Other  opportunities to view the LEGO Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will take place at 5pm on December 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Here comes a cool part….One lucky child has a chance to light the LEGO Christmas Tree December 4-Decemeber 24. Winners will be selected each night through LEGOLAND California Resort’s Facebook Page, so keep an eye on their page if you’re planning on visiting the park during that time.

Legoland’s Free Ticket Offer

special gift ticket offerLEGOLAND California has a very special gift for you. When you visit LEGOLAND  between November 1, 2014 and January 4, 2015, you’ll receive a FREE ticket to return between January 5 and March 1. You must present your paid admission ticket at the Our Gift To You kiosk inside the Park on the day you visit to receive a ticket to return to LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium. Additional restrictions may apply. For more information, click here!

We had such a fun time at Legoland Calfornia Resort and can’t wait to go back again!  

Knott’s Merry Farm: A True Southern California Holiday Celebration #MerryFarm

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a social media day at Knott’s Merry Farm and provided with information to share with my readers about Knott’s Merry Farm and 2015 Knott’s Season Passes. No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own. 

The holiday season is officially underway! There are decorations popping up in stores everywhere, Christmas commercials are playing on the radio and on TV, and moms like me are already starting to think out about WHAT to buy everyone on our Christmas Shopping List! (I already feel like I’m behind on that part!) There are so many fun family holiday activities and events happening around Southern California this time of year also. Our family is really excited to be invited to experience the opening day of Knott’s Merry Farm this year on November 22! It’ll be our first time and we’re counting down the days.

Knott's Merry Farm LogoKnott’s Merry Farm has been a Southern California Holiday Tradition since 1985 and is one of Knott’s Berry Farm’s seasonal events. The celebration of the Christmas season will start on November 22 this year and go through January 4, 2015. The event includes park-wide lavish decorations, festive food, live entertainment, and a shopping wonderland filled with local artisans.

wreathFestive Food

Knott’s Berry Farm’s culinary elves have created delicious festive treats including Santa’s homemade cookies, sundae bar, decadent hot chocolate topped with hand carved chocolate shavings, and winter wine and craft beer tastings. Savor the ultimate comfort foods with Knott’s world famous desserts, including fresh made-to-order Maple Lollipops, churros from the Churro Factory, cakes, cookies, muffins and gingerbread men in the Farm Bakery, as well as the legendary cooking at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. I can hardly contain my excitement.

Live Entertainment

I think I’m most excited to experience all the things Snoopy that Knott’s has in store during Merry Farm, starting with going to see a performance by the world famous beagle, himself, as he performs a brand new ice spectacular, Merry Christmas, Snoopy!, held inside of the 2100 seat Charles M. Schultz Theatre.

Boy and SnoopyOther live entertainment offerings include:

• Live performances of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” or O. Henry’s “A Gift of the Magi” in an intimate setting of the historic Bird Cage Theatre.

Singers at Calico Saloon

• When the sun sets on the Farm, Calico Stage lights up with the celebration of the season in Snoopy’s Merriest Tree Lighting. Join us for a musical, whimsical tree lighting featuring a cast of Toy Soldiers, Snowmen, Elves and America’s most famous beagle, Snoopy!

Peanuts Characters• Over in Camp Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy invite you to dance, sing and join in on the holiday fun in the Camp Snoopy Theatre.

• Introduced in 2013, the Ghost Town and Calico Railroad celebrate Christmas on Engine 41. Climb
aboard a vintage railcar and meet an ever-changing group of Ghost Town residents eager to share their
Christmas plans and songs with you.

Family and Carolers• Ghost Town also celebrates of the sounds of the season with its very own Dickensian vocal quartet, Calico Carolers and interactive country Christmas blue grass quartet, the Ghost Town Miners.

Calico Carolers

Santa’s Christmas Cabin

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without visiting Santa Claus. The Wilderness Dance Hall in Ghost Town becomes home to Santa’s Christmas Cabin for the holiday season. Here, the young and the young at heart can share their wish lists with jolly Santa Claus and take home a picture of the occasion. We’re excited to capture a special family memory like this because we like to use our annual Santa photo for our family holiday cards!

Sign w_family

Baby and SantaAt Santa’s Christmas Cabin, guests can also indulge in holiday delights such as:

  •  Santa’s homemade cookies
  •  Hot fudge sundae bar
  •  Decadent hot chocolate topped with hand carved chocolate shavings
  •  Winter wine and craft beer tastings paired with fresh fruit, cheese and more!

Christmas Crafts Village

Relax and unwind in Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village as it transforms Ghost Town into a shopping wonderland filled with dozens of local artists and artisans selling their unique wares including a chainsaw sculptor and glass blower. Entrance to the Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village is free Monday through Thursday and is included daily with theme park admission.

Inside Christmas Cabin

So, let’s get back to when I mentioned about how I’m starting to think about WHAT to get everyone on my holiday shopping list! I came up with the best idea! It’s a one-size, fits all, and it’s sure to please EVERYONE who receives it! It’s a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass! Why not grab one for everyone on your list? Seriously though!

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Look at some of the benefits of having a Regular Season Pass:

  • Six Easy Payments (as low as 13.25 each)
  • One FREE Merry Farm Visit
  • Additional 2014 Visits Only $9.99
  • Unlimited Visits In 2015
  • Early Ride Times
  • Food & Merch Discounts
  • Knott’s Hotel Discounts
  • Scary Farm 2015 Ticket Discounts
  • Bring A Friend Days

Knott’s is California’s best amusement park and the prices for a year-long season pass are incredibly affordable! All the fun activities, shows and entertainment happening during the holidays at Knott’s is something you don’t want to miss! Why not purchase a Knott’s Berry Farm 2015 Season Pass for someone (or your entire family), which makes the perfect holiday gift and plan your own day out at Knott’s Merry Farm this year, which would be included with your pass as your one 2014 visit?

We’ll be there on the 22nd and can’t wait to share a ton of fun pictures with everyone! Will you be going to Knott’s Merry Farm this year? I sure hope so!

Photo and Logo Credit: Knott’s

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at Disneyland Resort!

It's a Small World at Christmas timeIt’s only November 2nd and Christmas is popping up already, all around Disneyland Resort with a heavy emphasis over in Toontown! Yep! I really couldn’t be happier about it, either!

firehouse in ToontownWe ventured into Toontown this morning to ride Gadget’s Go Coaster and I immediately noticed the decorations on the firehouse! As I looked around, I could see that there were beautiful garlands hanging on the boughs of the buildings and houses in Toontown!

city hall 1

I loved the patriotic decorations hanging on Toontown City Hall. I was lucky enough to catch Pluto peeking out of the door when I was standing there! He gave me a big hug and then stopped to take a selfie with me before continuing on his way!

city hall

selfie with Pluto

I think my most favorite parts in Toontown were the decorations on Mickey and Minnie’s houses! They’re so lucky that they each get their own Christmas tree in their front yard!

Mickey's houseMickey’s house is all ready for the holidays! 

Minnie's House 2How adorable is Minnie’s house? The CM told us that Minnie was up late last night working on that heart-shaped wreath!

Disneyland Resort is most definitely “My Happy Place” but with Christmas decorations slowly appearing all around the parks, it Just Got Happier! I can’t wait to go back soon and see it when everything is decorated for Christmas!

Do YOU have a favorite part about Christmas time at Disneyland Resort?

Camp Spooky is Taking Over Knott’s Camp Snoopy on Weekend Days in October!

One of the most adorable places to visit in Southern California as a family has got to be Knott’s Camp Snoopy! Located just inside of Knott’s Berry Farm, Camp Snoopy  features many of your favorite Peanuts characters and it’s just a fun place for kids to encounter kid-friendly attractions, including their 3 newest rides, Linus Launcher, Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer, and Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies and 2 new interactive experiences for kids, Beagle Scout Headquarters and Peanuts’ Play Lot .

snoopyStarting this weekend, Camp Spooky will be taking over Camp Snoopy during the weekend days in October, as well as on Halloween. Camp Spooky provides an opportunity for children to participate in non-scary Halloween activities, that focus on “cheer rather than fear”! The shows and activities are geared towards children between the ages of 3 and 11. Camp Spooky admission is included in the price of regular Knott’s Berry Farm admission.

This year will be our first time visiting Camp Spooky. Although I grew up in Southern California and Knott’s Berry Farm was a big part of my childhood, there was no Camp Spooky back then, so for me, it’s a big deal too. Emi is kind of a planner, just like me, so when I told her we were going, she already starting looking at the park map again and making out her “Camp Spooky To-Do List”!

photo-355Here’s what you can be excited to find at Camp Spooky this year:

  • The Monsters Are Coming, Charlie Brown“, live theatre show in the Camp Spooky Theatre– Watch your favorite Peanuts characters in this adorable, live theatre production.
  • Peanuts Costume Parade-Kids are invited to wear a costume when they visit Camp Spooky and participate in a costume parade and contest, hosted by Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. The contest takes place on Saturdays and Sundays in the Camp Spooky Theatre, immediately following the 3:45 show. Kids have the opportunity to win prizes too!
  •  Mini Monster Maze-Have fun roaming through the obstacles in this mini maze, with sweet treats awaiting guests at the end!
  • Photo Forest-You’ll encounter a few different interactive photo opportunities in this section of Camp Spooky. Look for the Mummy’s Manor, the mysterious mirrors of Medusa’s Bug Boutique, and The Witch’s Tea Party! You’ll be sure to capture some photo memories to last you a lifetime!
  • Witch’s Potion Station-for an additional fee, you can mix and match different potions, inspired by the witch’s own potions, to create the perfect and delicious potion of your own to take home and enjoy.

snoopy and woodstockNow we need to come up with little costumes to dress our Snoopy and Woodstock in! Any suggestions? 

We’re really excited to see all of our favorite Peanuts characters and get into the Halloween spirit this weekend at Camp Spooky! We hope to see some of you there!

water barrelFor general Knott’s Berry Farm information, click here. For ticket info, including a place to purchase park tickets at a discount, click here. Knott’s also offers season passes at a very reasonable price!

Connect with Knott’s Berry Farm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

Adults Aren’t Too Old to Wear a Costume to Disneyland! We’re Big Kids Too!

I sometimes wish I was a kid again so that I could dress up in a costume any time I visited the Disney Parks. There are only a couple of occasions during the year when adults are permitted to dress up in a full costume to enter a Disney Park and Disney’s 24-hour event was one of the most recent ones. It was extra fun to people watch at the “Rock Your Disney Side” event.  Let me  share a few of my favorites with you.

I know he’s not a Disney character but I must start by saying that both Emi and I were pretty enamored to see this guy in the parks…..

Santa in the parksSanta likes photography too! 

Santa COther than his Christmas EARs, he wasn’t dressed up in a costume. I KNEW Santa was real! AND he likes Disneyland!

Almost right away, we came across one of our favorite princesses. We didn’t want to bother her because she looked to be deep in thought!

Aurora Feeding the DucksAurora likes to feed the ducks! She was carrying her basket with some bread in it and sitting in front of the Rivers of America, most likely daydreaming about a certain prince! 

Funny how a couple of hours later, we ran into Aurora again…this time with friends!

aurora with the girls

 

aurora with the girls

aurora and more with the girls

Spending some quality time in the parks with girlfriends is the best way to do it! Aurora was wearing what looked to be the prettiest gown from the closet! 

Next, we ran into a very familiar mermaid! It looks like she chose legs for the occasion in lieu of her usual tail!

Ariel and ErikI loved seeing Ariel and Eric in their more casual outfits! I wonder if he was texting Ariel’s dad to ask permission to hang out with her in the parks? 

There’s nothing that makes my heart more happy than seeing these two together!

jessie

They were WAY cute together! AND her name really IS Jessie!

leiaIt looks like Princess Leia enjoys a Dole Whip as much as the rest of us do!  Nice mani!

It was funny to see Alice and The Queen at this spot. I guess that must be their favorite bathroom too!

AliceI was fangirling on Alice’s handbag! She never carries it in her movie!  And this lace version of her dress? Love! The girl’s got a great sense of fashion! 

Alice and QueenWHO knew these two were actually friendly in real life? 

Doc McStuffins 1Doc McStuffins is even cuter in person than on Disney Junior! I loved her Big Book of Boo Boos and Lambie! She diagnosed me with “Disneylanditis“! I don’t think that’s a bad thing though!

M1I always wondered how Maleficent looked so great and now I know! She works out whenever she’s in the parks! 

Witnessing an engagement in front of the castle is ALWAYS special! This one landed on Belle’s birthday! (I totally teared up)

Belle and Beast getting engaged I was so happy that Belle and Beast let us all witness their special engagement in front of the castle! 

Belle can't believe itOh Belle, we’re all so excited for you, too! 

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Beast and Belle hugging Disney Magic happened that day for sure! 

I’m not sure where the Seven Dwarfs were but Snow was really wrapped up in her cell phone convo!

Snow White on her cellI think she loves her cell phone as much as I do! (except I’m really more of a texter) 

Snow 2

Snow 3 Seriously, it looks like whatever the gossip, it’s pretty good! Hey Snow, I want your shoes! 

I saved my most favorite pics for last. These two ladies were both so beautiful and I adored their costumes and hair! They honestly looked like they were having the best time ever! Emi asked me if they were going to get in trouble for riding the Tea Cups? She thought they were the official in-park characters!

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sleeping beautySo beautiful! 

Rapunzel's hair! Rapunzel’s hair! I want it! 

selfie in a tea cup Now these are my kind of girls! Selfie in a teacup?!!! 

I had the best time writing this post. I love all of the creativity that these guests put into their costumes and outfits and I love how they’re wearing their costumes with such confidence. Most of all I love the fact that you’re never too old to dress up and have fun at Disneyland!

Have YOU ever dressed up as your favorite Disney character? If so, which one?

Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” Movie and Printables!

One of my favorite books to read to my first grade class every year is “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, VERY Bad Day”, written by Judith Viorst!

book cover

The book basically describes how wrong one single day in the life of a boy named “Alexander” could end up. It’s such a great story for both adults and children and my own students always LOVE to participate in a shared reading with me, once they know the words to it. I’ve read this book in English AND in Spanish and they love listening to it in both languages! It’s just the kind of story we can all relate to.

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When I found out that this book was being made into a movie, the teacher in me got so excited! The mom in me did too! I think EVERYONE has had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at least once!  Emi and I have watched the trailer for the movie like 100 times! We cannot wait until it comes out in theaters this October 10th!

Here you go! Watch this trailer!

Here’s a synopsis of the movie:

Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.

Not only do I love Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell, but after watching the trailer, I can tell the entire cast is going to be great!

I’m really excited to share some fun activity sheets with you, as well as a recipe from the movie that you can download for free. Just click on each one! Emi loves to do these kinds of activities before a movie comes out to get extra excited! It makes her feel like she gets to know the movie more before its release.

Look at this adorable door hangar! I need one for my classroom door!

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You can tell by this activity, that something pretty crazy (and kangaroo-related) happens in the movie!

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Something horrible happens to every member of this family on that day! What could possible happen to the baby?

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Use your imagination to decorate your very own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day birthday cake!

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Here’s an actual recipe from the movie:

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Make sure you go and follow the movie on Facebook for more fun activities and sneak peeks of other previews!

Are you as excited about this movie as we are? Tell me about a time that YOU had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

The Girl With the Disneyland Map Skirt at Disney’s 24-Hour Event!

As Mickey’s Trick or Treat party at Disneyland gets closer, I’ve been looking through pictures and trying to get costume ideas. As I was going through some of the pictures I’ve taken at Disneyland Resort, I came across some that I took of this adorable girl who was wearing the cutest outfit at Disney’s 24-hour event in May. I didn’t realize just HOW cute, until we got up close to her and realized that her skirt was made from park maps!

skirt

I just HAD TO approach her to ask where she got the skirt! That’s when she showed me her matching bow and told me she’d made them both! Oh my goodness! I loved her creativity and Emi looked instantly inspired by her! She was such a sweet person to talk to also, which is always nice.

bow

I, of course, didn’t grab her contact info that day and I think she said she isn’t on Twitter or Instagram (good for her). I suppose one day I’ll run into her again and I”ll be able to ask if she could make a skirt and bow for Emi, because Emi has been dying to have her very own ever since that day and can’t seem to duplicate it. (believe me, she’s tried!) I know the power of social media is strong because it’s helped me find people before.  Plus, I think she lives locally.

Did you attend Disney’s 24-hour event in May? Did you see “The Girl in the Disneyland Map Skirt”?

 

Getting Ready to Go ON THE ROAD for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference!

The day I got an email in my inbox inviting me to attend the Disney Social Media Moms on the Road Conference in Arizona was a Magical One!

OTR invite

I’d connected with so many other Disney-loving moms online who are also in the social media world and this was finally going to be my chance to connect with many of them in person! I was also excited about the location of the conference, The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort! The property looked like it had so much to offer when I checked out the website. Emi was excited for the pools and Sonoran Splash, which are the watersides. I just couldn’t wait for all of it!

As the conference date neared, I started to plan out which necessities I’d need. I made a list of road trip necessities, in-room necessities, and conference necessities! Since Emi was going to be traveling with me to Arizona, although she wouldn’t be attending the actual conference, I wanted to get some extra special things for our trip to maximize our dual Disney Side.

First of all, let’s talk EARS! I love wearing ears. I wear ears when I’m in the parks. I sometimes wear ears when I’m teaching. I wear ears when I’m cleaning the house, unless I’m already wearing a tiara to clean! I will find any excuse to wear ears. Emi and I both already have black and red ears but I was in search of new ones for this special occasion.  I came across an adorable local (to me) shop on Facebook called Popsikle Shop. She makes custom ears, so I decided to order a pair for both emi and I, matching of course!

popsikleNext we went shopping for warm weather necessities. Wait, I didn’t mean warm weather, I meant HOT weather! (Have you ever been to Arizona at the end of June?) Emi wanted to find some items that were matching and Disney-ish. We really lucked at Walmart! Their Juniors section had a ton of really cute bathing suits and swim shorts. Hot pink with white polka dots was VERY “Minnie”

twinsSo adorable, don’t you agree?

visorsDo you like our hot pink visors, too? 

matching dressesWe also found matching polka dotted coverups at Walmart that we wore as sundresses!

Walmart had everything we needed for our trip. We found sunglasses, water shoes, some other summer clothes, sunblock, and even snacks for the road trip! Not only did they have everything we needed, but it was also very affordable!

shirts

We also packed the personalized t-shirts we had made for Disney24 to wear in the room as part of our pajamas. I think this was the first trip we’d gone on where we had almost exact matching wardrobes. It was pretty cute!

I knew I needed to find something special to bring to this conference and hand out with my business cards. I racked my brain for something that I could make, but I truly had no extra time to really make anything by hand. Then I came across a post from a friend of mine, Xenia, who had recently hosted a Disney Junior Familia Party. It was on that post that I discovered alfajores! I KNEW immediately that they where what I needed to bring to the conference. Melo made me some AMAZING Mickey-shaped alfajores in both pink and white animal-cookie flavor and churro flavor! She was sweet enough to wrap them individually for me to pass out to friends. Needless to say, they were a hit!

mickey alfajore

eat alfajores stickerEmi and I picked out a road trippin’ buddy to take with us.  It only seemed appropriate that we chose Minnie Mouse. She sure loved to take pictures with us on our trip.

holding minnieWe even went to Michael’s to buy some chalk paint pens and the night before we left, we wrote on our car windows! We had to be the most prepared car driving through the desert! Emi even wrote “Honk if you love Disney” on my rear window!

chalk painted windwownI  DO think it’s weird that not one person honked though!

Oh well, more Disney for us, right?