disney – Page 2

Disney’s Zootopia

Last Friday my family had the privilege of screening Disney’s Zootopia a few weeks early. We were already on our way to Disneyland and cut our trip short to make it back down to San Diego. From the previews a few months ago, my kids have been dying to see those silly, slow paced sloths! They were so excited to see the silly tale of two unlikely friends immersed in their crazy pursuit! I loved Judy Hopps’ story, small town girl with a big dream. She makes her dream a reality and moves to the big city. I love this message for any child, but for young girls this was a great one! The silly story of Nick Wilde (that sly, sly fox) is one you do not want to miss. My four-year-old did get a little scared at one point but I have to be honest that I even jumped back out of my seat as well. My husband and I could not stop laughing, they really worked in adult humor and sarcasm making it a fun movie for all ages! If you’re a Breaking Bad fan you’ll love the reference, don’t fret though, unless you’ve let your kids watch the show it should fly right over their heads. Don’t miss the animated movie of the year, Disney’s Zootopia hits theaters Friday, March 4th.

Download the fun coloring pages: zootopia-coloring-pages

apple pie pops, celebrating Snow White

Do you love apple pie? Do you love Disney’s Snow White? We sure do! So I was even more excited when I was asked to bake an alternative to the classic apple pie to promote the Diamond Edition release of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. My little baking assistant and I were very lucky to make some adorable and even tastier apple pie pops on CW 6 San Diego. These pops are something I have made before. but I switched it up for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday and because afterall, what does the evil Queen want the huntsman to bring her back? Snow White’s heart of course! I hope you bake these easy pops with your kids, they are fun and super easy!

Apple Pie Pops, celebrating Snow White. They will take about thirty minutes to prep and only take 15 minutes to bake. Make them for a Snow White themed birthday party, a movie night or for your child’s class for Valentine’s Day. {recipe at the end}

Peel three granny smith apples. If your kids are old enough you could have them peel. Next, take a apple slicer/corer. My kids love doing this part!

Slice your segments into halves or thirds depending on the thickness. Cut them in half and then dice. The key to these pops is making sure your dice is even and small so they cook quickly. Next, mix apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix until all apples are well coated.

This recipe calls for store bought pie crusts. You could make these from scratch, they turn out the same but for the ease of this recipe I used Pillsbury pie crusts. I also enjoy the Trader Joe’s frozen crust, both brands are my go-to because they bake well and taste similar to homemade, which I do prefer as a crust lover. Use a heart shaped cookie cuter to cut the crust. Place a stick 3/4 of the way on the crust. Spoon a heaping teaspoon onto the dough. Remember not to overfill, otherwise when they bake you will oozing caramel-y goodness.

Before place a second heart shaped dough over the apples you will want to do a light egg wash around the edges so the top crust sticks. Gently press the two pieces together. You can crimp or press however you wish. Brush an egg wash over the dough if you are using a sanding sugar. If you wish to skip this step you can. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

I hope you enjoy these! If you bake them I would love to hear from you. Remember, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is out for the first time on Blu Ray/DVD! Pick-up your copy today and make it a movie night at home!

apple pie pops, celebrating Snow White

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Easy Apple Pie pops that you can bake with the kids!

Author: Melissa

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 12

Ingredients

3 Granny Smith Apples
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ light brown sugar
1 ts. cinnamon
1 ts. flour
1 package store bought pie crust
1 egg, beaten
decorative sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

Peel, core, slice and dice your apples.
Mix in sugars, cinnamon and flour.
Roll out one crust layer to flatten out the crust.
Cut out heart shapes with cookie cutter.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, stager hearts.
Place a stick ¾ of the way onto crust and lightly press.
Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of filling onto each heart.
Spread a thin layer of egg wash around edges and lay top crust over, lightly pressing until sealed.
Crimp or press edges together. With a knife slice a small air vent into crust.
Spread egg wash over crust and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 350º for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet.

Mickey’s Halloween Party – 5 Reason’s Why You Need to Go!

If you follow me on instagram you know that we go to Disneyland a lot! If there’s something else you know about me is that I love Halloween almost more than any other holiday. Halloween time at Disneyland is one of my favorites and I have been counting down since our visit last year to go back to Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party. The good news is that tickets are on sale and they will sell out, don’t wait! I waited last year and after one day three different dates sold out. The event ranges from $69-$84. You might think it’s crazy but it’s really worth it! If you don’t have an annual passport you can arrive at the park three hours before the event’s start time and it includes parking. This year we are making a weekend out of the event by staying at The Disneyland Hotel to celebrate Brayden’s 4th Birthday. Here are a few reason’s why you’ll love the special event:

1. Treats. I mean seriously, the treats are freaking insane. I would say that you could probably skip going trick-or-treating on Halloween and just go for the fun treats at Disneyland. We are a family of four and we skipped a few trick-or-treat stations and we still had way too many treats. When you go through the main gates they will give you a treat bag for each guest. My suggestion is to bring larger bags to dump the treats into. This year my goal is to go mainly for the healthy treats because our kids love the dried apples (and the frozen apple juice next to Casey Junior, it’s a must for every visit!) and it’s one treat I always stock-up on when we go to the park anyway. They also make for great snacks to send to school as a special treat!

2. Costumes. I could go and sit on a bench and just people watch. I have been brainstorming our family costumes since last year and I can tell you it’s already August and I have no clue. It’s amazing to see the adults get so into the fun. Some costumes are mediocre and some are so extraordinary that you might confuse a guest as a cast member. Tip: When you’re dressing your little ones add some glow sticks to the mix. Last year Payton went as one of 1,000 Elsa’s. She wore Twinkle Toes which added some icey flair and we could always see where she was because of her lights. The park is super dark and it’s crowded so add something to identify your child quickly. If you have a Tinker Bell, add glow sticks into the skirt or make the wings light up.

Eerie fog rolling in at dusk over Tom Sawyer island. The kids loved this!

3. Special Shows & Attractions. I love Disney Villans but sadly we don’t see them throughout the year. You’ll see Jack Skellington, Cruella Deville, Ursula and many others scattered around the park. You will also see your favorite characters dressed up as well. You won’t want to miss the Haunted Mansion or Space Mountain’s ghostly surprises. You’ll love the Villain fireworks show, I was seriously blown away and loved every second because all the evilest Disney characters make a bootiful appearance. Our kids had fallen asleep about an hour before close so we could really take in all that the party had to offer. I must say my favorite part was watching all the Villains saying goodnight and going away into the Disneyland Railroad.

Big Thunder Ranch is always a secret gem. It’s back away from the crowds and there’s always a lot of characters rotating through. There’s also cookie decorating, dancing and more fun. Overall, it’s a good place to take a break.

4. Value. I know value and Disney don’t seem like they would go together in the same sentence but if you truly plan a trip you can save. Last year we went and only had to pay for three vs. four and we went on a Wednesday which was less than Friday or closer dates to Halloween. Since we went after we picked the kids up from preschool we stopped on the way up for dinner and only had a snack at the park. You’re also saving on parking because your party ticket includes parking. If you utilize the healthy treats from the treat stations you can really make it work for an evening with minimal spending. The biggest value for us last year and even this upcoming is that we stayed on property. Last year we did the Grand Californian and this year we are staying at The Disneyland Hotel per the almost four-year-old’s request. It is crazy how tired you are stumbling back to your room with sleeping kids in tow! It was really worth it because we weren’t trying to change them in the car or making the hour plus drive home.

5. The Photo Opportunities. Halloween is my favorite time at Disneyland, well that and Christmas but there’s just something so amazing about the Mickey pumpkin as you walk-in. I have loved taking our photo there ever since my nieces and nephew were babies.

Have you gone to Mickey’s Halloween Party? If so, what’s your favorite thing? If not, what would you want to see? xo.

Jet Setting with Disney’s FROZEN #FROZENfun #CollectiveBias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

A few days ago my little family took our first adventure 3,000 miles away from home as we traveled to New Jersey. We have never traveled by plane together so the stress level for mommy was on high alert as I planned out our thirteen hour travel day. As I was brainstorming how to keep our two small children occupied for both of our flights I knew that it had to be planned out by hour. I had researched how to keep them engaged without wanting to run up and down the aisle but I wanted a theme. I know that sounds so cliché, but I love having a theme for special events and this was one trip that is bound to be memorable. When I saw that Disney was releasing the FROZEN DVD on March 18th I knew that Elsa, Anna & silly ‘ole Olaf could bring a smile to both children throughout the entire flight.

We are a FROZEN obsessed family, but I mean, who isn’t these days? As I was preparing for the in-flight activities I headed to Walmart because they seemed to have the most merchandise in-stock. This took a bit of work but with visiting multiple stores I was able to purchase enough goodies to surprise each child. The last piece to the theme was purchasing the FROZEN DVD which came out this past Tuesday. Walmart has the best deal on the movie which is available at a rollback price of $16.96 to $14.96 and there is a sweet $5 off coupon on specially marked packs of Eggo waffles (24 count).

So what did I pack? Well, I first started out with purchasing the FROZEN Anna & Elsa suitcase for Payton. I let them pretend pack and then when they fell asleep I packed each of their suitcases with their activities so they would be surprised when we boarded the plane. This was key! As we boarded and got situated I filled the back of the seats with: A Tale of Two Sisters book, Troll Magic coloring book with crayons, Big Snowman, Little Snowman book and the best idea was the FROZEN invisible ink coloring book! They both thought it was the coolest thing watching images and colors appear, this honestly locked both of their attention for 60% of the flight. I also loaded their tablets with Olaf’s Freeze Fall app. I also packed each of their lunch boxes with fun snacks, including healthy and special treats.

I knew that the take-off might be a little scary for them but I reminded them how brave Anna was when she embraced the snow to go look for Elsa in the now frozen Arrendelle. When I explained this to them Payton excitedly explained back how brave they were being for traveling to snowy New Jersey for the first time! Exactly my sweet California girl!

Our first flight was the longest leg so halfway through I turned on FROZEN and they thought it was so cool to watch a movie from my laptop. Make sure to purchase a headphone splitter if you have multiple children or if you want to listen along with your child!

When we arrived at our layover we explored the airport. They rode the walkways, cautiously entering and exiting which the folks in Chicago loved as they were hustling and bustling through! When we reached our terminal we had some lunch and once they were finished I let them know that I had a special gift for them because they behaved so well on the flight. They were so excited and appreciated that we acknowledged their good behavior on this new journey. Payton loved the Anna Sparkle Doll and as we took off on the next flight she wasn’t as scared because she was hugging Anna telling her that they would be brave together!

The last few days have been exhausting but I have to let you know that with the help of pre-planning our flight with #FROZENfun activities from our favorite movie, it helped create a memorable experience. My kids have been thanking me nonstop for making their first vacation away from home so fun.

Do you have any special tricks you use while traveling with your little ones? What’s your favorite part of FROZEN? I would love to hear from you!

the best day ever! {a tangled inspired 4th birthday}

A few weeks ago we celebrated Miss Payton’s fourth birthday Rapunzel style. She has been obsessed with Tangled since she first saw it. Day in and day out we listen to the soundtrack. She pretends to be Rapunzel at any chance she gets so naturally choosing her birthday theme was a given. We rented out Kid Ventures for a few hours and she invited all her closest friends. The party was simply amazing and she was over the moon excited with all the little details and kept exclaiming, “this is for me!?” Yes, my dear, it was all for you and I am so happy it all came together. Now, let’s talk about those details!

The invitations went out six weeks prior to the party. This seems excessive, but when you’re dealing with a party one week before Christmas you have to give your guests enough time. If you want to beat other engagements send out your invite with enough time, normal guideline would be one month out. The invites were printed at Costco on regular photo paper. The envelopes and envelope liner paper were purchased at Paper Source. The envelopes were sealed with gold polka dot washi tape.

The party was at Kid Ventures. I didn’t want to deal with clean-up or games. I wanted to enjoy the party. The only downside was it was two hours on the dot. I felt rushed when setting up and it felt more like a factory. Which I get, but…let’s just say moving forward all parties will be at our house.

When it came to the food I didn’t want to cook either. We had the main food catered by Chick-fil-a and Champagne Bakery. We had chips, juice, fruit skewers, veggies, jell-o cups and so many desserts!

I made Rapunzel “paint brushes”, homemade rice krispie treat bars with popsicle sticks inserted and dipped in a Rapunzel paint palette.

Sugar cookies that matched the theme perfectly. I still need some work on my cookie decorating but they were sure yummy!

I had to work in the frying pans some how since we didn’t have a piñata. So I took black paper plates and black knives and taped them on the back to create a frying pan plate.

Flynn Rider Jell-O boats were a must! I created a flag by taking the sun into a purple triangle and then cut them out and glued them on toothpicks. One large box of Jell-O made eight cups.

The favors: I went way overboard but that’s just me. I scored on these Pascal sippy cups. If you give yourself enough time to plan your party you can watch for sales at stores like the Disney Store. The cups were on sale online but I waited too long to order them so I called my local Disney Store and they had twenty in stock and would offer the online sale price, double score! On top of the price matching I was able to use my 20% off for having a Disney Chase card. Even better deal!

The girls were all given a Tangled inspired hair bow. I highly reccommend using Isn’t that Cute for any hair bow orders. She was amazing to work with, the quality held up to my standards and the girls loved them!

While I baked the cake I didn’t decorate it how I had wanted. I didn’t have enough time for the caste but it still came out super cute, simple and cute.

Jim and I braided a 30′ braid that served as a table runner. I wanted the braid to be thicker but once you have that amount of yarn in that length you start to become, well, tangled! It was still cute and Payton played with the braid after the party when she would dress-up.