As I mentioned the other day, I love sending and receiving magical Mickey mail. It's also no secret that I love my Key to the World travel agent family. So when I found out we were planning to do a few holiday exchanges, I was definitely in for some fun!
We had an optional Christmas Card Exchange. I signed up to participate along with about 40 other agents. We had to send a minimum of five cards, but we were allowed to mail more if we wanted to. This year, I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew since they already went in the mail a little later then they were supposed to. (Moving into a new house and sending out Christmas cards at the same time can get dicey.) I sent the minimum to my required list, plus a few extras to my close KTTW friends.
We also had a KTTW Sock and Sweets Swap. I've never done one before, but it was a blast. You basically send your partner a pair of socks and some candy, a snack or a treat. I loved seeing everyone's pictures of their socks and sweets on our Facebook group page. One of the guys sent another agent holey socks. It was hilarious!
I was paired up with Jill. I sent her a pair of fuzzy Christmas color polka dotted aloe infused socks and I got myself a pair so we'd be sock twins! I also sent her a candy cane, Santa Pez, and a small box of Russell Stover chocolates.
Jill's package took a little longer to get to me, but it wasn't her fault. (I had forgotten to update KTTW with our new mailing address!) After my package went on the grand tour, it was forwarded to our new house. Unfortunately by that point, our mailbox had been knocked over and was sitting on the ground. Once the USPS tracking said it should be out for delivery, I knew it was sitting at the post office for me to pick up!
I retrieved my package and brought it home to open. My jaw dropped- Jill got me five pairs of Minion socks!!! She also included an 8 oz package of Disneyland peanut brittle! Yum! I love my gift and she really outdid herself. Thank you so much Jill!!!
This was a ton of fun. I'm honored to be part of this wonderful family of travel agents! I really hope we do another Christmas swap again next year!!! °o°
(Note: Sorry for the lack of photos. This was right in the middle of me not having a cell phone so I wasn't able to take photos of my Christmas cards or my swap package!)
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Fun Find: Genie's Jokes from Aladdin
As many of you probably know, Disney's Aladdin- A Musical Spectacular is taking it's final bow this weekend at California Adventure theme park. The 45 minute musical production has been around for about 13 years. It premiered at the Hyperion Theater on January 16, 2003. It's filled the 2,000 seat theater many times over the years. It's final production is this Sunday the 10th, before it permanently closes on January 11th.
I loved the Aladdin musical from the second I saw it. In fact, it's one of the things I remembered most vividly from my first trip to Disneyland in 2009. Ironically, we were actually at Disneyland this past September when it was officially announced that the show would be closing to make room for a Frozen musical. Elissa was so upset that she watched the show three times in a row the following day.
One of the best parts of the show were the Genie's jokes. Not only were they hilarious, but they were witty and up to date with current events from our news and culture. I recently discovered the Theme Park Extravaganza channel on Youtube. They took videos of the live Aladdin show and edited Genie's jokes from the past few months so I wanted to share them with you for today's fun find.
Note: Please use caution when/if showing your children these videos. Some of these jokes are more for adults than kids. They'll probably be over their heads. Don't fret, there are always plenty of children in the audience; I just want to give you a heads up!
These were some of the jokes we heard while we were at Disneyland in September.
Genie is always so over the top. It's hilarious! "Superstar!"
Of course, there's a few Kardasian jokes. And you can't forget the hashtags.
And Eliot's family enjoyed the ones poking fun of my beloved New England Patriots.
No selfie sticks!!! Don't forget the dress- black and blue or white and gold.
There were One Direction, Abercrombie and Fitch, Justin Beiber, Twitter, and Facebook jokes. I'd have to say that the Disney themed ones were my favorite though!
This was definitely a wonderful show. I'm glad someone took video of all the jokes from Genie so they'll always live on. Thank you Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular for all of the memories over the past 13 years! You'll always be a prince to me! °o°
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| Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog |
One of the best parts of the show were the Genie's jokes. Not only were they hilarious, but they were witty and up to date with current events from our news and culture. I recently discovered the Theme Park Extravaganza channel on Youtube. They took videos of the live Aladdin show and edited Genie's jokes from the past few months so I wanted to share them with you for today's fun find.
Note: Please use caution when/if showing your children these videos. Some of these jokes are more for adults than kids. They'll probably be over their heads. Don't fret, there are always plenty of children in the audience; I just want to give you a heads up!
These were some of the jokes we heard while we were at Disneyland in September.
Genie is always so over the top. It's hilarious! "Superstar!"
Of course, there's a few Kardasian jokes. And you can't forget the hashtags.
And Eliot's family enjoyed the ones poking fun of my beloved New England Patriots.
No selfie sticks!!! Don't forget the dress- black and blue or white and gold.
There were One Direction, Abercrombie and Fitch, Justin Beiber, Twitter, and Facebook jokes. I'd have to say that the Disney themed ones were my favorite though!
This was definitely a wonderful show. I'm glad someone took video of all the jokes from Genie so they'll always live on. Thank you Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular for all of the memories over the past 13 years! You'll always be a prince to me! °o°
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Disney Bride Christmas Exchange
Being a Disney Bride is an incredible honor. It's like being part of a magical sorority of sisterhood. No matter when your wedding was, you're always a Disney Bride. I'm very proud to be part of an online community of Disney Brides on Facebook. We share our wedding photos, stories, encouragement, tips and advice with each other.
This year, we decided to have a few holiday exchanges! One was for Christmas cards and the other was for an ornament. Of course, I signed up for both of them. I love sending and receiving fun Mickey Mouse mail. I was placed in a group of twelve girls and we all had to mail each other Christmas cards so we'd received 11 cards in total.
I wanted to include a little pixie dust in my cards. I mailed all of the girls a gift card for 50 free 4" x 6" photo prints from Snapfish. Eliot and I had given them to our wedding party as a thank you after our wedding was over and I had some extra cards!
Then, we were also paired up with one of the girls to get an ornament. My ornament buddy's name was Elizabeth. She and her husband were married in 2015 so I found two picture frame ornaments with the year on them. I wanted her to have some ornaments with their wedding year so she could put some wedding pictures in them!
In turn, I received an ornament from my buddy Lisa. She ordered me a beautiful ornament from Etsy. The US postal service took a while to deliver my package, but it arrived just in time for Christmas! I love it! It's so cute and it looks great on the tree!
I'm so glad I participated in both the Disney Bride Christmas Card and Ornament Exchanges! It was tons of fun!!! Plus, it was also a great way to get to know some of the other girls in the group. I hope to do it again next year too! °o°
This year, we decided to have a few holiday exchanges! One was for Christmas cards and the other was for an ornament. Of course, I signed up for both of them. I love sending and receiving fun Mickey Mouse mail. I was placed in a group of twelve girls and we all had to mail each other Christmas cards so we'd received 11 cards in total.
I wanted to include a little pixie dust in my cards. I mailed all of the girls a gift card for 50 free 4" x 6" photo prints from Snapfish. Eliot and I had given them to our wedding party as a thank you after our wedding was over and I had some extra cards!
Then, we were also paired up with one of the girls to get an ornament. My ornament buddy's name was Elizabeth. She and her husband were married in 2015 so I found two picture frame ornaments with the year on them. I wanted her to have some ornaments with their wedding year so she could put some wedding pictures in them!
In turn, I received an ornament from my buddy Lisa. She ordered me a beautiful ornament from Etsy. The US postal service took a while to deliver my package, but it arrived just in time for Christmas! I love it! It's so cute and it looks great on the tree!
I'm so glad I participated in both the Disney Bride Christmas Card and Ornament Exchanges! It was tons of fun!!! Plus, it was also a great way to get to know some of the other girls in the group. I hope to do it again next year too! °o°
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Christmas 2015
So I know I've been all about the new year and closing the 2015 chapter of my life. But before we completely move on to 2016, I've still got a few things to share from the last few weeks and Christmas 2015. Hang in there for the next few days!
Our Christmas 2015 was nice and relaxing this year. Eliot and I went home to be with my family up in Bar Harbor. It was the first time Jeremy and I have been home for the entire Christmas weekend since we were in college. (The last time was probably Christmas of 2008!) Once I started working in retail, that was it! We've both had to rush back to jobs ever since. I'm sure glad that wasn't the case this year!
It was difficult to face our first Christmas without Papa, but I was determined to make it a good one for my mother and Nana. We did better than I expected. There were certainly a few rough patches. However, I know Papa was there in spirit, watching over us. I know he would have wanted us to have a good Christmas together.
This year we decided to change up our Christmas morning routine a little bit. We usually do stockings, open gifts, have breakfast and then watch the Disney Christmas parade. Then the rest of Christmas Day, we usually just hang out. Mom and I decided that we should eat breakfast sooner and push opening our gifts to after breakfast and the parade. That way, our Christmas Day would be more spread out.
Once the "adults" were all in place, Eliot, Jeremy and I finally came downstairs. We all opened our stockings and looked over the gifts from Santa that weren't wrapped on the couch. That kept us pretty busy. Santa brought us a bunch of things to look at. Then, we had a delicious breakfast of waffles, eggs, sausage, and ham. Yum!!!
Afterwards, we watched the Unforgettable Disney Christmas Celebration. It certainly was unforgettable. I don't think I'll forget how awful the "parade" is becoming. There was about 10 minutes of "parade" throughout the entire 2 hour show. I miss the old days when you actually saw the parade. This year, we saw Santa less than 10 minutes in. Way to kill the suspense element. The performances weren't awful; I enjoyed a few of them like the Descendants, Colors of the Wind and Andy Grammar. It just seems to be like Disney is trying to make the Christmas Day "parade" into something it shouldn't be. There are plenty of awards ceremonies and shows these people can sing at. Bring back the Disney magic! Anyways... (steps off soapbox.)
After the "parade", we settled in to open our gifts from each other. We all took turns handing gifts out. Nana got Eliot and me a beautiful Frozen jellybean machine while Jeremy got a Star Wars one. Jeremy got me the entire Cinderella tsum tsum set from Target! He had no idea what to get Eliot, so while we were at Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve Day, I suggested the new "We Love Disney" music CD. Eliot loved it!
Speaking of Eliot... he completely spoiled me rotten this Christmas. I had known he's been buying things on eBay over the past month. I was told I wasn't allowed to buy any tsum tsum items. About a week before Christmas, he had me open one present because he couldn't take it anymore. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Hong Kong 10th anniversary Duffy. Christmas morning, I had a few more gifts from him. Eliot got me a Duffy and Shellie May wreath and the Mickey and Minnie New York exclusives!
As if that wasn't enough, he still had two more packages. I guessed one of them was the Olaf edition of Operation since when I'd mentioned it prior to Christmas he told me I wasn't allowed to go to Toys R Us to see if they had it in stock. Ironically, my parents had also seen it and bought him the same game! Great minds think alike! (We're going to leave the second game there so we can play it while we're visiting them.)
What I wasn't expecting was the other gift. Eliot wrapped it in a pretty large box and I had absolutely no idea what it was. I opened it to find a beautiful Elsa night light. She sings "Let It Go" while snowflakes, hearts and tiaras are projected to swirl around on the ceiling. I've always had a thing for different types of lights. I can't wait to put this on my side of the bed once our master bedroom is done!
I wasn't sure what to get Eliot. I have had a million ideas but I was being really picky. I was going to get him the plush baby Sven that he wanted, but we ended up buying it in Chicago. Finally, I settled on Disney Cranium- something we'd talked about getting to play together. He liked it and we're planning to play it sometime soon!
Mom and Dad outdid themselves with our gifts, just like they do every year. I was really excited to see all of the Disney books I'd asked for! They got me the Frozen and Disney Princess Art Therapy adult coloring books. They're really stunning.
I got the Marty Sklar books I'd asked for. (I actually caught Daddy reading one mid-afternoon Christmas Day. I guess it's was a good book!) I was also excited to see the Disney Book. Eliot grabbed that pretty quick to flip through it. He was impressed.
Eliot and I also got a few Art of Disney books. I'd asked specifically for Frozen and Tangled, but I mentioned on the phone that Eliot liked the Inside Out and Wreck It Ralph movies. The books are incredible and we're planning to collect as many of these books as we can! This is a great start!
Mom and Dad gave us a head start on spring at our new house! They bought us a Minnie Mouse solar lantern, and a Mickey and Minnie garden statue. Finally, Eliot's last big surprise was the large Mickey Mouse fountain Mom and I had bought back this fall when it was on sale. (We were eyeing it all last summer.) He loved it!
Eliot had a few other surprises too! Mom and Dad got him the San Jose Sharks Oyo lego like toys I'd suggested. He really enjoyed those. They even have the special 25th anniversary jerseys the Sharks are wearing this year! They also ordered the Disney Knex I'd suggested. Eliot grew up playing with Knex and he loves them. We found a Space Mountain and a Dumbo set on Amazon. He loved them!
I also got a few toys. I was excited to open a box filled with Build-A-Bear stuff! Mom and Dad found the Frozen Fever Elsa bear, the outfits, and a Patriots bear! (They're planning to order me the Frozen Anna bear online since they couldn't find her.) They also got the cute little Olaf pjs and slippers! They're all so cute!
We got some Disney accessories. Eliot got new Stitch socks (which he opened before I could even take a picture) while I got a Wall-E bow and Olaf fuzzy slippers!
I was also really excited to get all of the Once Upon a Time DVDs. I'd gotten the first season for Christmas a few years ago. Jeremy then got the second season the next year. Mom and Dad said we could "share" them but that's difficult when you're 1.5 hours away from each other. I had given Jeremy my first season to borrow indefinitely since I could go on Netflix to watch them. A few days before Christmas, Dad and I were in Best Buy trying to get a few more gifts for Jeremy and he bought Jer seasons 1, 3 and 4. Then, Daddy asked which ones I needed and he bought them for me as well. Now we both have all of them! We have the best parents!
One of the last gifts I opened was a small gift bag. Mom and Dad gave me a few gift cards to the craft stores so I can buy some new supplies. They also included an Acadia National Park season pass for Eliot and me. Then, I spotted something I wasn't expecting- my Alex and Ani bracelets! I'd asked for the Walt Disney World and Disneyland 60th bracelets, but I definitely wasn't expecting them! I absolutely love them! It's the perfect start to my collection!
After we were finished with gifts, we spent most of the weekend relaxing at my parents' house. It was nice just to hang out at home together. We didn't have to be anywhere at any certain time. We watched the Snoopy Christmas special, Wheel of Fortune, and a few Christmas movies. Dad, Jeremy, Eliot and I watched Inside Out Saturday night.
Sunday morning, we ended up getting a snow storm so Eliot and I decided to drive back home Monday morning instead. (He was able to work a half day and make up the hours later in the week.) While the roads weren't too bad, Dad took Eliot, Jeremy and I up to AT&T so I could buy a new phone. That was really exciting for me since it was about 2.5 weeks since my other one had died. I was happy to have a smart phone again! (I really missed Instagram!) We got pizza from our favorite local place that night for dinner. It was the perfect way to end a great Christmas weekend!
I am so blessed with a wonderful family. While I appreciate all of the wonderful gifts Eliot and I received, I am truly thankful to have spent so much quality time with them this holiday season. And that's what it's all about. °o°
Our Christmas 2015 was nice and relaxing this year. Eliot and I went home to be with my family up in Bar Harbor. It was the first time Jeremy and I have been home for the entire Christmas weekend since we were in college. (The last time was probably Christmas of 2008!) Once I started working in retail, that was it! We've both had to rush back to jobs ever since. I'm sure glad that wasn't the case this year!
This year we decided to change up our Christmas morning routine a little bit. We usually do stockings, open gifts, have breakfast and then watch the Disney Christmas parade. Then the rest of Christmas Day, we usually just hang out. Mom and I decided that we should eat breakfast sooner and push opening our gifts to after breakfast and the parade. That way, our Christmas Day would be more spread out.
Once the "adults" were all in place, Eliot, Jeremy and I finally came downstairs. We all opened our stockings and looked over the gifts from Santa that weren't wrapped on the couch. That kept us pretty busy. Santa brought us a bunch of things to look at. Then, we had a delicious breakfast of waffles, eggs, sausage, and ham. Yum!!!
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| Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog |
After the "parade", we settled in to open our gifts from each other. We all took turns handing gifts out. Nana got Eliot and me a beautiful Frozen jellybean machine while Jeremy got a Star Wars one. Jeremy got me the entire Cinderella tsum tsum set from Target! He had no idea what to get Eliot, so while we were at Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve Day, I suggested the new "We Love Disney" music CD. Eliot loved it!
Speaking of Eliot... he completely spoiled me rotten this Christmas. I had known he's been buying things on eBay over the past month. I was told I wasn't allowed to buy any tsum tsum items. About a week before Christmas, he had me open one present because he couldn't take it anymore. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Hong Kong 10th anniversary Duffy. Christmas morning, I had a few more gifts from him. Eliot got me a Duffy and Shellie May wreath and the Mickey and Minnie New York exclusives!
As if that wasn't enough, he still had two more packages. I guessed one of them was the Olaf edition of Operation since when I'd mentioned it prior to Christmas he told me I wasn't allowed to go to Toys R Us to see if they had it in stock. Ironically, my parents had also seen it and bought him the same game! Great minds think alike! (We're going to leave the second game there so we can play it while we're visiting them.)
What I wasn't expecting was the other gift. Eliot wrapped it in a pretty large box and I had absolutely no idea what it was. I opened it to find a beautiful Elsa night light. She sings "Let It Go" while snowflakes, hearts and tiaras are projected to swirl around on the ceiling. I've always had a thing for different types of lights. I can't wait to put this on my side of the bed once our master bedroom is done!
I got the Marty Sklar books I'd asked for. (I actually caught Daddy reading one mid-afternoon Christmas Day. I guess it's was a good book!) I was also excited to see the Disney Book. Eliot grabbed that pretty quick to flip through it. He was impressed.
Eliot and I also got a few Art of Disney books. I'd asked specifically for Frozen and Tangled, but I mentioned on the phone that Eliot liked the Inside Out and Wreck It Ralph movies. The books are incredible and we're planning to collect as many of these books as we can! This is a great start!
Mom and Dad gave us a head start on spring at our new house! They bought us a Minnie Mouse solar lantern, and a Mickey and Minnie garden statue. Finally, Eliot's last big surprise was the large Mickey Mouse fountain Mom and I had bought back this fall when it was on sale. (We were eyeing it all last summer.) He loved it!
Eliot had a few other surprises too! Mom and Dad got him the San Jose Sharks Oyo lego like toys I'd suggested. He really enjoyed those. They even have the special 25th anniversary jerseys the Sharks are wearing this year! They also ordered the Disney Knex I'd suggested. Eliot grew up playing with Knex and he loves them. We found a Space Mountain and a Dumbo set on Amazon. He loved them!
I also got a few toys. I was excited to open a box filled with Build-A-Bear stuff! Mom and Dad found the Frozen Fever Elsa bear, the outfits, and a Patriots bear! (They're planning to order me the Frozen Anna bear online since they couldn't find her.) They also got the cute little Olaf pjs and slippers! They're all so cute!
We got some Disney accessories. Eliot got new Stitch socks (which he opened before I could even take a picture) while I got a Wall-E bow and Olaf fuzzy slippers!
I was also really excited to get all of the Once Upon a Time DVDs. I'd gotten the first season for Christmas a few years ago. Jeremy then got the second season the next year. Mom and Dad said we could "share" them but that's difficult when you're 1.5 hours away from each other. I had given Jeremy my first season to borrow indefinitely since I could go on Netflix to watch them. A few days before Christmas, Dad and I were in Best Buy trying to get a few more gifts for Jeremy and he bought Jer seasons 1, 3 and 4. Then, Daddy asked which ones I needed and he bought them for me as well. Now we both have all of them! We have the best parents!
One of the last gifts I opened was a small gift bag. Mom and Dad gave me a few gift cards to the craft stores so I can buy some new supplies. They also included an Acadia National Park season pass for Eliot and me. Then, I spotted something I wasn't expecting- my Alex and Ani bracelets! I'd asked for the Walt Disney World and Disneyland 60th bracelets, but I definitely wasn't expecting them! I absolutely love them! It's the perfect start to my collection!
After we were finished with gifts, we spent most of the weekend relaxing at my parents' house. It was nice just to hang out at home together. We didn't have to be anywhere at any certain time. We watched the Snoopy Christmas special, Wheel of Fortune, and a few Christmas movies. Dad, Jeremy, Eliot and I watched Inside Out Saturday night.
Sunday morning, we ended up getting a snow storm so Eliot and I decided to drive back home Monday morning instead. (He was able to work a half day and make up the hours later in the week.) While the roads weren't too bad, Dad took Eliot, Jeremy and I up to AT&T so I could buy a new phone. That was really exciting for me since it was about 2.5 weeks since my other one had died. I was happy to have a smart phone again! (I really missed Instagram!) We got pizza from our favorite local place that night for dinner. It was the perfect way to end a great Christmas weekend!
I am so blessed with a wonderful family. While I appreciate all of the wonderful gifts Eliot and I received, I am truly thankful to have spent so much quality time with them this holiday season. And that's what it's all about. °o°
Saturday, January 2, 2016
My 2016 Blog and Disney Goals
Another new year means another set of new goals. I've never actually completed a full list, but it's something to aspire to. I absolutely love making goals each new year and it's become an annual tradition of mine. In fact, my personal 2016 goal list has over 100 goals on it!
In the past few years, I've also made a tradition to publicly post some of my goals for my blog and Disney here on My Disney Life Blog! At the end of the year, I write a recap to see what I accomplished. (Read my past goal posts: 2014 goals, 2014 recap, 2015 goals, 2015 recap.)
I've continued the tradition this year. I love having a chance to start anew. It's another opportunity to write 365 more pages in the book of my life. Each year presents a blank slate to start over; it's refreshing. I'm really excited about my blog and Disney goals this year. I've got a few new additions to the list, and I've expanded the list from 15 goals to 20! (And even then, I still had to delete a few and consider them part of my "secret" goal list.) So without further ado, I am proud to present my 2016 goals. Bring it on 2016!!!
Melissa's Blog and Disney Goals for 2016
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| Photo Source: Disney Store |
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| Photo Source: Disney Store |
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| Photo Source: Disney Store |
1.) Go to Walt Disney World- This is always my first thought every new year. Walt Disney World is my home away from home, and it's always a goal to go back!
2.) Go to Disneyland- I was blessed to go to Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration last year. Eliot and I would like to return to celebrate one more time while the celebration is going on. We're hoping to go in June after Elissa's high school graduation!
3.) Go on my first Disney Cruise- This is a brand new addition to my official list, although it's always been a goal of mine. 2016 might just be the year. KeyCon 2016 is actually SeaCon 2016 and I'm really hoping Eliot and I will be able to go!
4.) Sign Up and Train for the 2017 Princess and Tinker Bell Half Marathons- This goal has plagued me for a few years now. In 2014, I didn't complete the WDW half, and in 2015 I had severe foot problems and was unable to complete the WDW 10K. I've doubled up my goals and I'm planning to sign up for the Princess and Tinker Bell Challenges, to run both the 10K and half marathons, for 2017. It's going to take a lot of faith, trust and pixie dust, but I think it's more attainable now that I've gotten orthotics and I'm actually going to train for them!
5.) Participate in a few Blog Hops- I've did my first blog hop in 2014, and I had a blast! I wasn't able to do any last year so I'd really like to participate in a few more this year!
2.) Go to Disneyland- I was blessed to go to Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration last year. Eliot and I would like to return to celebrate one more time while the celebration is going on. We're hoping to go in June after Elissa's high school graduation!
3.) Go on my first Disney Cruise- This is a brand new addition to my official list, although it's always been a goal of mine. 2016 might just be the year. KeyCon 2016 is actually SeaCon 2016 and I'm really hoping Eliot and I will be able to go!
4.) Sign Up and Train for the 2017 Princess and Tinker Bell Half Marathons- This goal has plagued me for a few years now. In 2014, I didn't complete the WDW half, and in 2015 I had severe foot problems and was unable to complete the WDW 10K. I've doubled up my goals and I'm planning to sign up for the Princess and Tinker Bell Challenges, to run both the 10K and half marathons, for 2017. It's going to take a lot of faith, trust and pixie dust, but I think it's more attainable now that I've gotten orthotics and I'm actually going to train for them!
5.) Participate in a few Blog Hops- I've did my first blog hop in 2014, and I had a blast! I wasn't able to do any last year so I'd really like to participate in a few more this year!
6.) Achieve Monthly Blog Goals- This is always a difficult one for me. It's hard to make sure I set aside enough time to actually complete the goals in the given month. My goal is to do at least one tutorial each month, one fun find a month, and 12-13 blog posts each month (to total 150 for the year). I'm really going to work on getting this accomplished this year!
7.) Make Disney Décor for the Holidays- As you know, I love the holidays. I have a list about a mile long of Disney inspired holiday decorations to create. This year, I'm really determined to get some of them done to decorate our new house!
8.) Have a Few Friends as Guest Bloggers- I didn't have any guest blogger posts for 2015, although Eliot had a few ideas for posts. This year, we will definitely make sure you hear from Mr. My Disney Life! I'm also going to try to get a few other friends to join the fun!
9.) Make Disney Accessories- I also have a ton of ideas for Disney inspired accessories that I want to make. I would like to make myself a few new shirts to wear at the parks. I also really want to make some themed circle skirts and infinity scarves.
10.) Have Disney Movie Nights and Disney Board Game Nights- I love watching Disney movies with Eliot, especially the ones we haven't watched in forever. This year, I'm going to make time to re-watch them. We also have a large collection of board games that I'd like to crack open. We have a better place to store them at our new house that should make it a lot easier to access them! No excuses this year!
11.) Disneybound Themed Outfit Challege- This is another new goal of mine. I think it's fun to wear Disney inspired outfits and I love the idea of Disneybounding. I'd like to come up with 25 different characters and/or themed outfits for the year. That equals about one outfit every two weeks for the entire year. That seems attainable!
12.) Continue Happily Ever Hatter's Growth- This year, I'd really like to focus my time on new designs. I have a list of ideas and I've already bought supplies for a lot of them. I just need to take the time to make them. I'm looking forward to having my own office and space to create! Eliot and I also have a lot of ideas for our IllusionEar line. Stay tuned!!!
13.) Have a Disney Themed Party- This is a goal of mine every year. I love having friends and family over to visit. This year, we'll definitely be planning a housewarming party at some point when we're settled into our house. I've already got a few ideas for party themes!
14.) Take an Online Storyboard Class, Online Art Class- I love to learn and I've been dying to take a storyboarding class online for a few years now. I also discovered a few online art classes that I'd like to make some time for this year!
15.) Design an Imagineering Project- My inner interior designer is seriously dying to create something. This year, I'm hoping to do a small scale project. Eliot and I have tons of ideas, but I'm thinking we need to start with something small before we really dive in!
16.) Read Disney Books- I have so many wonderful Disney books. I have a large collection of Imagineering books. This Christmas, my parents also bought Eliot and me four new Art of Disney books and a few other books. This year, I'm hoping to read through all of them!
17.) Paint Disney Art- This is also a continuing goal of mine. Although, I'm glad I haven't started to work on it the past years. Now that Eliot and I have bought a house and we know for sure we're going to be living here for years, it's easier to want to make more permanent decisions. I'm hoping to create some art for various rooms including our dining room, our kitchen, my office, and our Mickey and Minnie themed bathroom.
18.) Prep for D23 Expo 2017- Eliot and I would love to attend the D23 Expo in 2017. He was able to attend last year, and I'm already super excited about 2017. I'd love to come up with a costume idea to wear to the expo. I also want to start thinking about potential freebies to hand out to people I meet there. The actual D23 Expo event is still quite a ways away, but I want to start some brainstorming, planning and prep work this year.
19.) Design a Miniature Scene- I have always loved dollhouses, miniatures and model scenes. I think it's the interior designer in me. We had to make models in college so I have a huge level of respect for the amount of time it takes to create them. This year, I'd like to make some sort of miniature scene. I've got ideas for room designs, dollhouses, landscapes, and more. However, I don't want to box myself in, so I'm going to keep my goal general.
20.) Work on Top Secret Blog Ideas- This is a continuation from last year. Since it's still top secret, it continues to be a huge tease but I promise it'll be worth it. There are so many business, blog and design ideas I have. Unfortunately, the world is competitive and I don't want to spill all of my secrets on my personal blog. But it'll be worth it, promise!
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| Photo Source: Disney Store |
Friday, January 1, 2016
Happy New Year 2016
Happy New Year!!! Welcome 2016!!!
I hope your new year has been wonderful so far! 2015 went out with a bang here in Maine. My parents and Nana came down to visit us for a quick overnighter. They arrived around dinner time and Eliot and I met up with them at their hotel.
We went to the movies to kill some time before the big countdown to 2016. Mom and Nana went to see Daddy's Home and Dad, Eliot and I went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. None of us had seen it yet and we all wanted to. The movie was awesome and I loved it! I really need to re-watch all of the others sometime soon!
Before leaving the movie theater, Eliot and I stopped to take a quick picture with Santa Baymax! (Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la!) Then, we drove back to the hotel to ring in the new year. We got settled in, watched New Year's Rockin' Eve, counted down as the ball dropped and toasted sparking cider to the new year! Eliot and I stayed for a few more minutes to visit before driving home to our house.
Jeremy drove up for the afternoon and met us at our house before we headed to the mall to meet up with everyone. We walked around the various stores since we didn't really have a specific plan. I went to the Hallmark store to see what they had for Itty Bittys. They only had one Yoda and R2-D2 left. I also found one Minnie Mouse after a bit of searching. There were still two Mickeys, but I decided to get him too. Now I have a few more little Disney friends to add to my growing collection!
Across the way, Eliot was exploring the toy store. They were having a post-Christmas 50% off everything sale. While exploring, I found some cute placemats for my cousin's kids that my Mom bought them for an upcoming birthday. On the way in, the Disney Princess Style Me Up caught my eye. Ironically, I first saw one exactly a year ago when we were exploring Hobby Lobby with our friends on New Year's Day 2015.
It's a book with outfits inspired by the Disney princesses for girls to draw and then color in. It's "supposed to be" for kids, but this adult was excited they had it. I was going to pass on it, but at 50% off, it was only $6. It ended up coming home with me! Eliot found something he liked as well. They had a Mickey Mouse Toontown House 3D puzzle. He loves puzzles and this was cute. Again, at 50% off, we couldn't go wrong.
On our way back to the other end of the mall where we parked, we lost Eliot. (He wanted to explore the calendar shop for a minute.) He eventually caught up with us while we were looking around JCPenney's. He arrived with a few extra bags then when we had left him. He got a few hand sanitizers that were on sale at Bath and Body Works. Eliot also had stopped into Hot Topic. Everything was buy one get one 50% off, and he purchased the Stitch hat he'd been eyeing earlier in the day. He also bought me the stained glass Beauty and the Beast watch I'd spotted and bought it for me as a new year surprise! It's so beautiful. He's the best!!!
After the mall, we went to Red Robin for a mid-day lunch. Then, we all said goodbye before heading our separate ways. Eliot, Jeremy and I returned to our house so he could drive home from here. It was a quick visit with my family, but we really enjoyed it. I'd say that our 2016 is off to a great start so far! °o°
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| Photo Source: Disney Parks Blog (modified by me) |
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| Photo Source: Star Wars |
Before leaving the movie theater, Eliot and I stopped to take a quick picture with Santa Baymax! (Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la!) Then, we drove back to the hotel to ring in the new year. We got settled in, watched New Year's Rockin' Eve, counted down as the ball dropped and toasted sparking cider to the new year! Eliot and I stayed for a few more minutes to visit before driving home to our house.
This morning, we got up to get ready for another casual day walking around the Maine Mall. I decided to wear a sweater so I wouldn't have to wear a heavy jacket into the mall. I decided on my red one with my black pants. I went to find a scarf and my Minnie Mouse one was at the top of the pile. I grabbed it and the next thing I knew, I had a Minnie inspired outfit for New Year's Day. Starting 2016 off to a great start!
Across the way, Eliot was exploring the toy store. They were having a post-Christmas 50% off everything sale. While exploring, I found some cute placemats for my cousin's kids that my Mom bought them for an upcoming birthday. On the way in, the Disney Princess Style Me Up caught my eye. Ironically, I first saw one exactly a year ago when we were exploring Hobby Lobby with our friends on New Year's Day 2015.
It's a book with outfits inspired by the Disney princesses for girls to draw and then color in. It's "supposed to be" for kids, but this adult was excited they had it. I was going to pass on it, but at 50% off, it was only $6. It ended up coming home with me! Eliot found something he liked as well. They had a Mickey Mouse Toontown House 3D puzzle. He loves puzzles and this was cute. Again, at 50% off, we couldn't go wrong.
On our way back to the other end of the mall where we parked, we lost Eliot. (He wanted to explore the calendar shop for a minute.) He eventually caught up with us while we were looking around JCPenney's. He arrived with a few extra bags then when we had left him. He got a few hand sanitizers that were on sale at Bath and Body Works. Eliot also had stopped into Hot Topic. Everything was buy one get one 50% off, and he purchased the Stitch hat he'd been eyeing earlier in the day. He also bought me the stained glass Beauty and the Beast watch I'd spotted and bought it for me as a new year surprise! It's so beautiful. He's the best!!!
After the mall, we went to Red Robin for a mid-day lunch. Then, we all said goodbye before heading our separate ways. Eliot, Jeremy and I returned to our house so he could drive home from here. It was a quick visit with my family, but we really enjoyed it. I'd say that our 2016 is off to a great start so far! °o°
Thursday, December 31, 2015
January 2016 Calendar
Another New Year = Another Year of Mickey and Minnie Calendars! As 2015 draws to a close, I'm looking forward to sharing another pixie dust filled year of my free Mickey and Minnie Mouse Calendars with all of you!
I'm happy to announce that I've also made a blank version without the holidays on the 2016 calendars. I wanted to make the calendars a little more versatile. In addition to the normal calendar, there will also be a link for a blank calendar each month!
Here's the link to download the January 2016 PDF version of the printable.
Here's the link to download the Blank January 2016 PDF version of the printable.
Note: I've made calendars through 2016. I don't post the PDF links on my blog until the beginning of each month. If you're looking for a particular month and would like me to email it to you ahead of my post going live, you can send my blog an email at mydisneylifeblog[at]gmail.com. I'll send you the PDFs directly as soon as I can! :-)
Here's the link to download the January 2016 PDF version of the printable.
Here's the link to download the Blank January 2016 PDF version of the printable.
These calendars have been used for so many things over the past few years including: Disney trip countdowns, teachers' Disney themed classrooms, training calendars for runDisney events and to surprise kids Christmas morning with a Disney vacation!
Feel free to link this post up to Pinterest or Facebook so your friends and family can have a fun Mickey and Minnie calendar too! Let's spread the Disney Magic!!! °o°
Note: I've made calendars through 2016. I don't post the PDF links on my blog until the beginning of each month. If you're looking for a particular month and would like me to email it to you ahead of my post going live, you can send my blog an email at mydisneylifeblog[at]gmail.com. I'll send you the PDFs directly as soon as I can! :-)
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