Category Archives: Disney at Home

Which Disney Characters Are We?

Posted on by

THE Disney EarHat for ME!I started thinking (don’t say it!) about what Disney characters I like the most…and the least.  This lead me to wonder why I like them or don’t and what characteristics they possess that I do or do not identify with.  I’m sure I’m the only person in the world who thinks about weird stuff like this…but I do and so I’m sharing these random, wandering thoughts with you now.

Long meandering thought process all neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow:  Which Disney characters make up my personality?  Think about yourself – who do YOU identify with the most?  I bet you also find it’s not limited to just one character.  Thus the ponderings of today’s post…

Which Disney Characters Are We?

I am…

Belle.  Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney animated film.  I identify with Belle’s go-with-Belle and Gastonthe-flow attitude and her pragmatic approach to life – sometimes you have to do things that are unpleasant, deal with it.  I’m with Belle in that we’re not going to let anyone push us around.  I also love books.  I’m an avid reader and, like Belle, I’m interested in the escape books offer; the opportunity to travel to far off places and have an adventure!

Peter Pan.  On the outside, the mileage shows, but on the inside…I’m actually 10.  I love the wonder of everyday life and will stop to look at an interesting spider, try something new, discover why and how things work the way they do.  I’m serious and mature (mostly) when I have to be, but I still wonder what I’m going to be when I grow up.  I also like animals including snakes and lizards and am completely unfazed by them.  I love nothing better than to travel and explore.

PigletPiglet.  Inside lurks a loyal, but anxious friend.  As much as I can tackle change and roll with most things life dishes out, I am often a world class worrier when it comes to people I love.  Before I had children, I used to read any and everything Stephen King could dish out.  Then it was like getting married and starting a family turned up the volume on my imagination.  I could suddenly, easily picture horrific outcomes to the most mundane situations in vivid, graphic detail.  Probably my children are scarred for life by the fact that they weren’t allowed to have a trampoline, scooter, skateboard, go-cart, and so on.  I’m sure they’ll let their kids have that stuff because they were denied those things and then my grandchildren will….woops!  There I go again.

The Evil Queen.  Hey, I have flaws just like everyone else and I can admit it.  Two of the worst are my competitive streak (a mile wide) and perhaps being overly concerned at times (okay a LOT of the time) about my appearance.  I like clothes.  I like shoes.  I want to look nice.  I can totally sympathize with the queen from Snow White – it’s tough getting old!  When you feel great on the inside, you’d like the mirror to lie to you from time to time!  I’m not in line for fillers, Botox or to have “a little work done” – I wouldn’t mind a bit if gravity would leave me alone for the next little while though.

Ariel-EarhatAriel.  Sure, I like to swim, am kind of a hoarder, and may have disobeyed a parent once or twice growing up, but that’s not what I find most in common with the Little Mermaid.  It’s leaving your family and your home behind forever for true love.  And that’s all I need to say about that.

What about you?  Haven’t you ever watched a Disney animated film and thought – Hey!  That character reminds me of ME!??  Which Disney character(s) are you?

DIY Disney Halloween Wreath

Posted on by

Mickey Ornament for Halloween WreathI haven’t done a Disney DIY project since last Christmas and even though I find myself busier this fall than I ever thought possible (where’s the free time my empty-nest status is supposed to afford?), I had an idea.  I love Halloween!  I like to dress up and I love cute and creepy decorations.  So, I mad a new wreath over the weekend.

Maybe I should have called this post, “DIY Disney Halloween Wreath for the Lazy” or “Disney-inspired Halloween Door Décor for the Non-crafter” – basically, I made this wreath out of some things I had on hand and a couple of items I picked up at the local craft store (on sale, 40% off).  If you like it and want to reproduce it, Halloween Wreath Original Formhere’s what you’ll need:

  • Pre-made Halloween wreath from the discount store of your choice OR a plain orange, black, white, or purple wreath and 3-4 coordinating wide ribbons in a variety of prints/fabrics.  My wreath came with sparkly candy corn, white ribbon with black polka dots, some orange and black plaid burlap-ish ribbon, and some sprays in orange, black, and white.  It also had these very cool giant pipe-cleaners sticking out here and there in metallic Halloween colors.
  • Halloween/seasonal sprays of your choice if your wreath is plain
  • Christmas ornaments in two different, complimentary colors (to go with your wreath).
  • Any banner or accessory you’d like to add – I added the orange, sparkly “Halloween” because it was also 40% off and ended up being about $3.
  • Hot glue gun & glue

Halloween Ribbon Ready to UseI wanted to add purple to my wreath so I bought some wire-edged ribbon in black with orange and purple spots.  Instead of bows, I just made some simple loops and wired the ribbon onto the wreath in a few random places.  I made Mickey ornaments out of purple and black Christmas ornaments in two different sizes – just like I do for Christmas (see that project here) EXCEPT – I made sure the hanger was in the back so I could wire them onto the wreath and the hangers wouldn’t show.

I’m not overly thrilled with the purple Mickeys because the ornament sizes weren’t as suitable as the black ones were (the head is too small or the ears are too big – however you look at it), but overall, for slapping together a few inexpensive items, I’m pretty happy with my new Halloween-themed front door decoration.Halloween Wreath on the Door

Walt Disney World – My First Visit

Posted on by

My First WDW VisitSo much has changed (and is changing all the time) at Walt Disney World since my first visit nearly 25 years ago.  I though I’d share some random thoughts and memories from that very first trip so long ago – and how I feel about Walt Disney World today.  In case I haven’t told you lately – Thanks for stopping here and reading this blog.  Your visit(s) mean a lot to me…more than you know.

Back BACK back…..a long (really long) time ago…

Growing up, we traveled a LOT.  I was the baby of the family; the youngest of four.  My dad worked for an airline, so we flew free and often.  Of all the places we went, I clearly remember visiting Sea World in Orlando in the early ’70’s – why we didn’t visit Walt Disney World, I’ll never know.  I’d always heard about it and vowed to get there someday!  I can vividly recall a neighborhood friend who was lucky enough to visit Orlando right after Walt Disney World opened – she described Haunted Mansion in such elaborate detail!  I was amazed that something like that could possibly exist.  When I eventually rode it for the first time, I could not believe how my memories of her stories matched the actual ride precisely.  Later, when my big brother got old enough to travel with his friends, he went to Walt Disney World and entertained me with explanations of how the tickets worked and that E-ticket rides were the best!

Flash forward to the late ’80’s….

Among the many things I fell in love with about Raymond when we met was that he had Tying the Knot 1989visited Walt Disney World several times, loved it, and couldn’t wait to go back.  This was clearly a relationship meant to be!  We met, dated for a few weeks, got engaged and were married less than 10 months after we met.  As a newlywed, happily in love, I wondered, “Now could I finally go to Disney World?”  Sort of.  We both had work committments that made taking time off for a real honeymoon impossible after our September wedding, so we planned a delayed trip for February.  We’d visit Walt Disney World and also take a cruise on The Big Red Boat (precurser to Disney having their own cruiseline).  Little did we know that by delaying the honeymoon, baby #1 would be on the way already by the time we went.

Raymond was so excited to show me everything he loved most about the Disney parks and hotels.  We stayed at the Grand Floridian, which we thought was heavenly.  I remember what a huge splurge it was and how luxurious those fluffy white robes were.  I felt so grown up!  I remember it rained while we were there and how happy we were in our ponchos running around Magic Kingdom.  Every single minute was magical.

Hats in Epcot's Mexico PavilionLife got really busy after that.  Six years went by before we found the means to make it back to Walt Disney World again – and by that time, the two of us had become four.  The memories of the first visit that seemed almost too good to be true were suddenly surpassed by new memories that were even better!  This Disney couple had become a Disney family!  Our children loved Walt Disney World every bit as much as we did and the die was cast – this was how we wanted to vacation!  And how we would, every chance we got.

Time flies when you’re having fun!  I can’t believe we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago.  Our children are somehow, incredibly, 19 and 24!  There was no way we could let this occasion pass without just the right celebration.  In 8 short days, Raymond and I will embark on what I’ve been referring to as our “Walt Disney World, Bay Lake Tower, 25th Anniversary, Alone-at-Last Extravaganza”!  We know we are going to have a magical, wonderful time…we always do.

What do you remember most about your first Walt Disney World visit?

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your Disney vacations when the kids grow up, click here.

 

A Disney Souvenir of a More Permanent Nature

Posted on by

Mediterranean LandscapeOr maybe I should call this post, “A Disney Souvenir More Naturally Permanent.”  You be the judge.  We live in the country, The Fam and I (well, mostly just Raymond, Junior and I do now).  When I say “the country” I mean we live on a farm – the kind with crops instead of animals, but it is totally normal for me to take the dog out in the morning and hear both roosters crowing and cattle lowing or mooing or complaining – whatever you want to call that boisterous bovine nonsense at 5:00 am.  Our neighbors do raise livestock.

What does living in the country have to do with Disney souvenirs?  Thanks for asking!  I’ll Hillside in the Mediterraneantell you about it.  In August, 2013 – after dreaming about it for many years – we took a Disney cruise in the Mediterranean.  As you might expect, we did and saw some wonderfully amazing things.  Oh, the places we went!!!  While we were in there, we noticed some very beautiful pine trees.  They were almost everywhere and looked a bit like cartoon trees – shaped like umbrellas, their lovely arched branches atop tall, tall trunks, provided shade in a way we found charming and so different from anything we’d seen before.  We asked our guide in Florence, Italy about them and were told they were simply “Mediterranean Pines”.  Back home, a little Google research revealed they may also be “Umbrella Pines” or “Stone Pines”.  Whatever their name, I thought they were lovely.

Pine Tree Groot!

I AM GROOT

Raymond, being the agricultural expert in the family, took it upon himself to surprise me with some actual Mediterranean Pines to grow in our very own backyard, side yard, adjacent field, and so on.  He ordered both seeds and saplings from a couple of different suppliers in far away places like California.  He carefully nurtured the tiny trees and carefully tended the seeds when they sprouted.  The net result is that now, after a year, we have some half-a-dozen baby Mediterranean Pines well on their way to providing some beautiful umbrellas of shade from the hot Louisiana sun.

So, the point of all this is to say – sometimes a tee shirt is a great souvenir.  Sometimes something that will last for years and years while reminding you everyday of one of the most wonderful experiences of your life – all while keeping you cool in the summer (eventually, anyway) – is the very best souvenir of all.

What’s your favorite Disney vacation souvenir?

If you want to read all about our adventures on the high seas in the Mediterranean, start here.